There ARE Alternatives to Factory Farms
2018 Jefferson County Farmers & Neighbors, Inc. Annual Meeting
Wednesday, October 24, 2018 • 7:15 pm
Fairfield Arts & Convention Center, Fairfield, IA
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How do we shift away from industrial livestock production? One way is with economically viable alternative farming opportunities. The good news is that it’s available right now in the US, Iowa – and even here in Jefferson County. Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, Chief Strategy Officer of the Main Street Project will talk about his exciting and innovative regenerative livestock farm currently under development in Fairfield at this year’s JFAN Annual Meeting,
Marroquin’s innovative poultry-centered regenerative farm takes a holistic approach to livestock production with economic, ecological, and social benefits. The farm is a closed system with chickens grazing in well-managed paddocks under a perennial canopy of hazel nut trees that provide the chickens with protection and food as the birds fertilize and build the soil. With plans to add eggs to its vegetarian meal program, Maharishi University of Management is currently adopting this innovative poultry farm through its Regenerative Agriculture Program.
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Marroquin, a native Guatemalan, says this system "brings back an ancient knowledge of wisdom and techniques that farmers had survived on for a long time." He oversees the implementation of restorative blueprints for communities in the US, Mexico, Guatemala, and Honduras and recently was admitted as a lifetime Ashoka Fellow in recognition of his work.
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Joining Marroquin for a rich panel discussion on this and more alternatives to the CAFO industry are:
REGINALDO
HASLETT-MARROQUIN
Chief Strategy Officer, Main Street Project
Kris Johnson, Farm Manager for MUM’s Regenerative Agriculture Program. Johnson is overseeing the adoption of Marroquin’s innovative poultry system at MUM, the first of its kind in Iowa. He previously managed Fairfield’s Farm to School Greenhouse and was Assistant Manager for the Meskwaki Nation’s vegetable farm, Red Earth Gardens, in Tama, Iowa.
Dean Goodale, Founder of New Legacy Pork. Goodale’s new company connects sustainable, traditional hog producers with national and international markets through food giant Daymon International. Goodall launched and managed Maharishi Vedic Organic Farms’ greenhouses for 10 years.
Chris Petersen, a life-long traditional, hog farmer from Clear Lake, Iowaand an Iowa consultant with the Socially Responsible Agricultural Project. Petersen, who raises Berkshire hogs, weathered and survived the 1980’s farm crisis that put many farmers out of business. He is a national advocate for traditional, independent livestock production and serves on the board of the Organization for Competitive Markets.
Admission is free. A donation of $5 is welcome to support JFAN’s mission.
JFAN is a 501(c)(3) educational foundation that has been working to protect Jefferson County’s quality of life since 2005.
We thank our community partners for cosponsoring this event: Southeast Iowa Sierra Club, Sustainable Living Coalition and Little Village Magazine