Ecological Farming Association

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Ecological Farming Association

• Energy Efficiency andConservation on the Farm
• SARE Conference Spring 2008
• Marcy Coburn

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EFA Mission

• Dedicated to the development of
  ecologically-based food systems by educating
  farmers, the agriculture industry, and other
  stewards of the land about practical and
  economically viable techniques of ecological
  agriculture, informing consumers and policy
  makers about ecological food production and its
  connection to the health of people and
  communities, and promoting alliances between
  individuals and organizations who share our
  vision of a transformed global food system.

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History of EFA

• 1970s Most organic farms were small and the
  technology and market immature. There was no
  forum for organic farmers to get together and
  share information.
• 1981 The first Ecological Farming Conference was
  held at the Firehouse in Winters, California and
  45 people attended.
• 1990s The Eco-Farm Conference continued to grow
  and moved to Asilomar in Pacific Grove,
  California.
• 2008 In addition to to the Eco-Farm Conference
  which presented this year to a sold-out crowd of
  1600 farmers, retailers, processors, consumers,
  and advocates. We also sponsor regional trainings
  for farmers on a variety of topics leading to
  increased conservation practices, renewable
  energy adoption, and reduced chemical use.

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EFA Programs

• Ecological Farming Conference
• Heartland Festival
• Hoes Down Harvest Festival
• Advocacy/Policy
• Sustainable Agriculture Program

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Smart Energy Management in Agriculture (SEMA)

• A Project of EFA's Sustainable Agriculture
  Program
• Two-year training program aimed at improving
  energy management on California farms, dairies,
  ranches and vineyards
• Technical experts and producers connected in both
  classroom and hands-on settings and engaged
  with a statewide network
• Producers
• Local government representatives
• Non-profit organizations
• Industry representatives
• Funded by Western SARE

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SEMA Objectives

• Over the course of four trainings, at least 125
  California farmers will incorporate renewable
  energy technologies and energy conservation into
  their operations
• EFA will work with producer advisors and other
  project supporters to create four regional
  planning committees, which will develop the smart
  energy training curriculum
• Two trainings per year will be held in
  Californias four most productive agricultural
  regions and additional outreach and workshop
  development will be conducted at the Ecological
  Farming Conference
• EFA will compile a renewable energy handbook for
  distribution to 400 producers
• EFA will survey participants within 12 months of
  each training

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Four SEMA Trainings in California

• Healdsburg (North Coast)
• March 2006
• Pacific Grove (Central Coast)
• January 2007
• Livingston (San Joaquin Valley)
• July 2007
• Winters (Sacramento Valley)
• November 2007

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Curriculum

• General information
• Presentations targeted to the region
• Approaches to smart energy
• Resources for understanding and evaluating energy
  use
• Extended tour of farms that incorporated some
  type of renewable energy
• Each attendee received a handbook to bring back
  with them.

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Healdsburg (North Coast)
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Healdsburg (North Coast)

• Experts
• John Garn, California Sustainable Winegrowing
  Alliance (CSWA)
• Mike Morris, National Center for Appropriate
  Technology
• David Henry, Harmony Farm Supply
• Rob Erlichman, Sunlight Electric
• Lou Preston, Preston of Dry Creek
• Warren Brown, Warren Brown Construction
• Scott Mathieson, Laguna Farms
• Paul Bernier, Bernier Vineyards
• Kumar Plocher, Yokayo Biofuels
• Mark Pasternak, Devils Gulch Ranch
• Brooke Hazen, Olive Leaf Farm

• Topics
• Energy Overview - Tools for Self Assessment
• Free Farm Energy Technical Assistance from
  NCAT
• Solar Thermal Solar Irrigation
• Larger PV Systems Strategic Financing
• Pacific Gas and Electric (PGE) services and
  rebates
• Farm Tours

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Pacific Grove (Central Coast)

• Eco-Farm Pre-conference
• 2007 Eco-Farm Conference theme Farm Power -
  Growing it Organically
• Smart Energy workshops at Asilomar
• Energy Efficiency
• Biofuels through the eyes of sustainable
  agriculture
• Solar The perfect storm of economics and
  environmental sustainability
• How many miles to go before you eat

• Experts
• Penny Livingston
• Steve Heckeroth
• Richard Heinberg, plenary speaker on peak oil
• Eco-Energy Farm Tour
• Tom Broz, Live Earth Farm
• Phil Foster, Pinnacle Organics

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Livingston (San Joaquin Valley)
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Livingston (San Joaquin Valley)

• Experts
• Patricia Dugger - Pacific Gas and Electric
• Corey Conant - EnSave, Inc.?
• Jeff Mitchell - UC Kearney Agricultural Center?
• Moffatt Ngugi - UC Davis-Agroecosystems Lab?
• Jim Tischer - CSU Fresno-Center for Irrigation
  Technology
• Robert Gould - GreenLight Solar?Energy
• Allen Dusault - Sustainable Conservation?Prospects
  for Biofuel
• Stephen Kaffka - UC Davis-Center for Integrated
  Farming Systems
• Philip Erro - Erro Farms, Fresno
• Phil Foster - Phil Foster Ranches, San Juan
  Bautista
• Andy Zylstra - Zylstra Dairy, TurlockTours
• Carl Morris, General Manager/C.O.O - Joseph Gallo
  Farms
• Jean Okuye, Farmer - Okuye Farm

• Topics
• PGEs Energy Efficiency Programs for Agriculture
• Dairy Energy Efficiency Program
• No-Till Strip-Till Production for Energy
  Conservation in California
• Greenhouse Gas Emissions Carbon Sequestration
  in California
• Benefits of Efficiency Solar Water Applications
• Solar Power for Commercial Agricultural
  Operations
• Biogas - Obstacles and Opportunities
• Biofuel Feedstock Production in California
• Farmer Panel
• Farm Tours

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Winters (Sacramento Valley)
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Winters (Sacramento Valley)

• Experts
• John Garn, California Sustainable Winegrowing
  Alliance (CSWA)
• Jeff Mitchell - UC Kearney Agricultural Center
• Jonathan Hill - Sierra Solar Systems
• Steve Shaffer - Office of Agriculture
  Environmental Stewardship/CDFA
• Robert Williams - Department of Biological and
  Agricultural Engineering/UC Davis
• Paul Muller - Full Belly Farm
• Jessica Lundberg - Lundberg Family Farms
• Russ Lester - Dixon Ridge Farms
• Nigel Walker - Eatwell Farm

• Topics
• Energy Conservation Efficiency
• No-Till Strip-Till Production for Energy
  Conservation in California
• Solar for the Farm and Ranch
• Biofuel Regions
• Biomass Production
• Pacific Gas and Electric (PGE) services and
  rebates
• Farm Tours

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Joseph Gallo Farms
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Joseph Gallo Farms
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Dixon Ridge
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Dixon Ridge
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Evaluation Results

• Total Participants 245
• 49 farmers
• 18 energy service providers
• 33 included wineries, students, educators,
  journalists and state legislative staffers
• The following topics were most frequently
  requested by participants
• Biofuels
• Efficiency
• Solar/PV
• Rebates
• Methane
• Wind
• Networking
• Geothermal
• 87 of participants said they planned to use what
  they learned in the workshops within the next
  year.

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Thanks. Marcy CoburnEcological Farming
Associationwww.eco-farm.org/energymarcy_at_eco-farm
.org