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Agenda at a Glance
For a detailed agenda with links to content, see below.
Focus Group discussions
The following Dry Farming Collaborative Focus Groups will start meeting at 11:15 am and continue until at least 12:00 pm. Each focus group will have its own Zoom Breakout Room, a facilitator, and its own shared digital notepad.
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Coastal Influenced Dry Farming | Facilitator: Zeph Mullins | A look at how coastal conditions inthe PNW affect dry farming techniques, and create potential for alternative crops grown with minimal water input.
Dry Farmed Orchards | Facilitator: Dan Schuler | The focus of this group is about dry farmed orchard crops, particularly fruit trees, including recommended rootstocks, varieties, and practices in a dry farming context.
Dry Farmed Tomatoes | Facilitator: Matt Davis | Discussion of all things dry farmed tomatoes, including variety recommendations, grafting, blossom end rot, and marketing strategies.
Dry Farming in Urban Spaces | Facilitators: Laura Deal & Nick Canino | This focus group will discuss principles and practices about dry farming in urban spaces.
Dry Farmed Staple Crops | Facilitator: Lucas Nebert | This focus group will discuss dry farmed staple crops, including corn, dry beans, winter squash, potatoes, quinoa, and heritage grains. We will focus on standout varieties, practices, and breeding projects.
Native American Dry Farming | Facilitator: Rose High Bear | We will convene a group of Native American farmers and emerging Native American farmers from Oregon and beyond who are committed to learning and restoring traditional dry farming techniques used by Native farmers. We want to strengthen biodiversity of our soils through interplanting; incorporate prayer and ceremonial harvest traditions into their practices; and conduct research that documents the impact of our efforts.
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Bulletin board and ways to get involved
Please use the meeting bulletin board to post dry farming related announcements, variety recommendations, resources, and opportunities to get involved!
Apply for the 2023-2024 Dry Farming Accelerator Program Cohort
Directory of participants in 2023 DFC Winter Convening
Link to View Directory on Google Sheets
Dry Farm crop Variety Recommendations
List of recommendations from meeting attendees (feel free to add more to bottom of list)
Dry Farming Institute Dry Farming Seed Directory
Dry Farming Adaptive Collection at Adaptive Seeds
Detailed Meeting Agenda with links to content
Introductions
9:00 - 9:15 | Who is the Dry Farming Collaborative?
Dry Farming Collaborative YouTube Channel
2021 Archives: Presentation about the Dry Farming Collaborative
9:15 - 9:30| Dry Farming Context, Principles, and Resources
"2000 Years of Resiliency: Hopi Dry Farming" Presentation by Michael Kotutuwa Johnson
- Soil Management Trial presentation
- Dry Farming Site Suitability handout and presentation. Extension publication coming soon!
- Dry Farmed Winter Storage Tomatoes 2021 Variety Trial report and presentation and 2022 Till / No-Till Comparison report
- Dry Farmed Winter Squash trials poster and publication
- Dry Farmed Culinary Corn Project reports and presentations
Session 1 | Dry Farmed Tomatoes
9:30 - 9:45 | Matt Davis, OSU Dry Farming Project | Production and marketing of dry farmed tomatoes in Oregon
Dry Farm Tomato Project Website
Interview with Joey Staub of Organically Grown Company
9:45 - 10:00 | Yvonne Socolar, UC Berkeley PhD Student |Going beyond surface level: How nutrient depth impacts fruit yield and quality in dry farmed tomato systems
Upcoming in-person Event: Dry Farming Symposium, February 23rd, 9am - 3pm PST in Santa Cruz, CA
10:00 - 10:15 | Break
Session 2: Dry Farming in Gardens and Urban Farms
10:15 -10:30 |Sally Campbell & Marilyn Frankel, Portland Master Gardeners |Demo'ing Dry Farming for Home Gardeners in Multnomah County
Multnomah County Master Gardeners
10:30 - 10:45 |Nick Canino & Laura Deal, Rhythm Seed Farm in Portland, OR| Organic Matters: Deep Mulch Gardening for Water Conservation in Urban Settings
Session 3: Beyond Dry Farming: Place-Based Perspectives on Water Resilience
10:45 - 11:00 | James “Zeph” Mullins, Garden Program Administrator for Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (CTSI) | Indigenous Informed Gardens and Food Sovereignty: Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians Garden Program
11:00 - 11:15 |Chris Hardy, Hardy Seeds & Southern OR Seed Growers Association | Dry farmed heritage grain trials in Southern Oregon
11:15 - 12:00+ | Focus group discussions in Zoom breakout rooms | Soft ending: Feel free to stay as long as needed for discussion
(See focus group list and signup above)