In this two-day workshop Jean Martin (JM) will show you the many tools to his success, including both physical techniques and management practices that enliven his agro-ecological approach to market gardening. He will use a combination of slides, lectures, and interactive dialogue. JM will uncover the process of creating Les Jardins de la Grelinette, his acclaimed micro-farm in Québec, Canada where he actively uses 1.5 acres cultivated in permanent beds, grossing than $100,000 per acre with operating margins of about 60 percent. He will also include details about the development of Ferme des Quatre-Temps, an educational project designed to demonstrate what the farm of tomorrow could look like using the latest agroecology and permaculture technology. All new and updated information will focus on working with living soils, new physical tools, and computer-based organizational tools, along with overlooked standard operational procedures. Attendance at Friday evening’s seminar (Making a Living on 1.5 Acres… and Changing the World!) is included for all attendees.
Students will gain the following insights from the seminar:
Working with Living Soils
From perma-beds, to using Ramial chipped wood, to learning how to rely on compost teas and going beyond no-till in very specific ways.
New (newer) Tools for the Market Garden
Tools like double wheel hoes and flex-tine cultivators can accelerate cultivation efficiencies tenfold, while hacks in the wash station can change the way you farm. Farm management software may seem extravagant, but can keep you well organized and able to enjoy more down time.
Standard Operating Procedures
Why use standard operating procedures? SOP’s are sets of step-by-step instructions that help achieve efficiency, quality output, and uniformity of performance with your crew. We’ll explore examples, benefits, and challenges.
Mastermind Group – Hits and Misses from Last Season
Participants will share their own success stories and failures from the 2017 growing season. The objective will be to determine and collectively troubleshoot problems that each grower is personally facing. JM’s experience with bio-intensive farming, determining niche markets for maximum profits, and developing standard operating procedures will allow him to contribute and reference both physical and organizational tools that have served him well.
Crop Planning and Farm Management
In this session, JM will walk you through his whole farm plan. With the use of farm management software he will show you how to design seasonal crop rotations, establish field blocks, create calendars that track yields and financial outcomes, break down farm labor costs, and determine profit margin comparisons. Whether using a software platform or an Excel spreadsheet, this information will give you the insight to interpret important data that will influence your decisions.
Friday’s presentation is not a prerequisite for seminar, but it will be helpful if you are not familiar with Jean Martin’s approach to market gardening.
Course tuition includes attendance at Friday’s seminar, lunch and refreshments each day, and optional camping on the farm. Early bird pricing in effect until March 20 – full price registration is $350 plus GST.
REGISTER
To register, please follow this link and scroll down to the ticketing option: https://bullocklakefarm.com/event/two-day-seminar-with-jm-fortier-organic-market-gardener/
ABOUT JM FORTIER
Jean-Martin Fortier (JM) is a farmer, educator, and best-selling author specializing in organic and biologically intensive vegetable production. His award-winning book, The Market Gardener, has inspired hundreds of thousands of readers worldwide to reimagine ecological human-scale food systems. His message is one of empowerment in order to educate, encourage, and inspire people into pursuing a farming career and lifestyle.
“My mission is to inspire, educate and empower people to work together towards multiplying the number of small ecological farms all over the world. This I believe, is how we can replace the poison and destruction of industrial agriculture with a food system based in nature and community. Food grown with care, by and for people who care.”
How do we sign up for this course?
Hi Ellen, thanks for catching this! The registration link is here: https://bullocklakefarm.com/event/two-day-seminar-with-jm-fortier-organic-market-gardener