Holistic Management Herd Hike

Ben Coleman
Workshop Description

Ben will lead his annual herd hike where we will walk through the farm to the cows while he edifies us in the subtle art of managing animals holistically to heal the land, water cycle, and farm ecosystems—how a well managed herd can be a force of immense good.

Teacher Bio

After 10 years of detrimental farming practices and by financial force, a radical move toward biological, Holistic management has resurrected the ranch, bringing new health to man, land and animals, plus space for the next generation. The exciting part is, the cure is FREE! The cure is Nature! Our ultra-low input mentality had us sell all forage equipment, boycott the salesman, park the tractors, and DRIVE the animals. After 25 years of bold, experimental changes, Mountain Run Farm now serves the local community by hosting on-farm meat and produce sales and events ranging from Makers Markets and music festivals to guided bird walks and school tours. The ever-increasing diversity of plants and wildlife brings FREE opportunity to future generations to carve out a living on the land. We eat pretty well, too!

From Working for the Man to Working with the Land

Matt & Rachel Palma
Workshop Description

Today, 6 years after starting their farming adventure, Matt and Rachel Palma raise 2,700 broilers, 700 layers, 100 turkeys, and 75 hogs annually (and a small but growing herd of sheep). They have leased land on 4 different properties and have moved their entire operation 3 times!

They look forward to sharing a little bit about their journey from working dead-end jobs to following their dreams, including how they got started (highlighting inexpensive yet practical mobile equipment and infrastructure), how they gained access to land, and how together they’ve pushed through seemingly impossible trials to make it all happen

Their hope is to leave you feeling empowered and able to step out and accomplish your own dreams!

Teacher Bio

Matt and Rachel Palma started farming in 2013. Raised in the suburbs, with no background in farming on either side, they started farming from the ground and have worked their way up with everything—knowledge, experience, equipment, infrastructure—and absolutely no land to farm on. They own and operate Restoration Acres Farm in Sedalia, VA where they raise pastured poultry for eggs and meat, forest fed pork, and grass-only lamb.

An Introduction to Sourdough Baking

Michael Grantz
Workshop Description

For thousands of years, humans have used sourdough cultures to transform raw grain into nourishing loaves, flatbreads, and even pizza! Together, we will explore the basics of maintaining a sourdough starter, principles of oven management for the electric range or wood-fired oven, using local flours, and a simple yet versatile dough recipe using only flour, water, salt and sourdough.

Teacher Bio

Michael Grantz came to sourdough baking out of a passion for whole, nourishing food. He is a self-taught baker and enjoys making other fermented foods such as cheese and vegetable ferments. He and his wife Arden Jones live in Forest, VA where they manage Great Day Gardens, a market garden and bakery that serves the Lynchburg area. Michael is also a founding member of the Common Grain Alliance, a non-profit organization seeking to grow the regional grain economy in the mid-Atlantic region.

Birding the Restored Landscape

Bob Epperson
Workshop Description

Bob will provide an introduction to birding, and lead an informative bird walk on the property. Over 100 bird species have been observed at Mountain Run Farm during the past few years. The restored landscape attracts higher numbers and more species of birds compared with the typical mechanized farm with its manicured fields and denuded fence rows. At Mountain Run Farm, the lush fields of native grasses and wildflowers support Eastern Meadowlarks, Grasshopper Sparrows, Indigo Buntings . . . and what other bird life? Join the walk to find out, and to observe the relationships between birds and their habitats. The fall migration will be in full swing, and will provide an opportunity to see birds that may visit the farm as a refueling stopover during their southbound journey.
The workshop will begin with a brief overview of birding basics, including equipment and use, resources, and identification skills. We will then bird the property with an emphasis on finding a variety of birds while observing bird behavior and habitat use in particular. Plan to meet at 8:00 a.m. at Camp Sedalia to begin our birding tour of the farm. Binoculars are highly recommended. Also, bring water and wear sturdy shoes for walking about one mile of mowed paths and field roads, portions of which may be wet depending on rainfall.

Teacher Bio

Bob Epperson is a long time birder, an avian field ecologist, and the Field Trip Leader for the Lynchburg Bird Club. Bob received his first lesson in birding at the early age of eight when his parents handed over the binoculars, and asked him to identify the birds at the backyard feeders. His interest in birding continued with formal education, including a degree in forestry and wildlife ecology from Virginia Tech followed by graduate studies on the Ruffed Grouse at the University of Tennessee. He has worked with many avian species over the years, including Bald Eagles, Whooping Cranes, Andean Condors, and Seaside Sparrows while employed with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. As a private ecological consultant, Bob worked extensively with the Florida Scrub-Jay (see photo), and developed a land management plan for this species for the Lyonia Preserve in Florida, which grew from a single Scrub-Jay to the fourth largest population
in the State. He is currently conducting bird surveys for the second Virginia Breeding Bird Atlas (VABBA2), which is a five-year survey of all bird species that breed within the state borders. Bob has confirmed 95 bird species as breeding in Bedford County, including 26 species found nesting at Mountain Run Farm. Among them is a rare grassland bird, the Little Meadowlark, which was confirmed breeding on the property in 2018 and again in 2019. The confirmation was the first documentation of successful breeding of this rare species in Bedford County in 38 years, and a testament to the natural land management practices of Mountain Run Farm.

Introduction to Basic Seed Saving

Edmund Frost
Workshop Description

Ben will lead his annual herd hike where we will walk through the farm to the cows while he edifies us in the subtle art of managing animals holistically to heal the land, water cycle, and farm ecosystems—how a well managed herd can be a force of immense good.

Teacher Bio

Edmund Frost managed the seed growing business at Twin Oaks Community (Louisa, VA) from 2008-2015. After a year of farming west of the Blue Ridge at Sycamore Farm (2016), Edmund is back in Louisa. He is part of a new intentional community project called Mimosa Community, and is again growing seeds in collaboration with Twin Oaks.Edmund does breeding and variety trial research work with a variety of vegetable crops, especially focused on cucurbits. He has worked as an anti-GMO activist and is committed to building functional alternatives to corporate control of our food, farms and seeds.

Fascinating Fungus: An Intro to The Unseen World of Mycology

Adam Fisher
Workshop Description

Immerse yourself in the miracles of mushrooms. Adam will share the ecology, functions, benefits, and uses of mushrooms—from how critical they are in ecological health to the unfolding depth of importance to human health. Learn rudimentary identification characteristics of wild mushrooms and uncover the many ways that mushrooms can be cultivated at home using easy, low-tech methods to transform woody organic matter into high value food and medicine. Weather-depending, there may be a mushroom walk with many specimen to observe.

Teacher Bio

Adam is one of three VDACS approved wild mushroom harvesters and has been cultivating and foraging mushrooms for over 10 years. Join him to learn about proper mushroom I.D. and the many culinary and medicinal virtues of mushrooms. Weather dependent, hopefully there will be plenty of mushrooms to see.