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Sender:
Global Community of Practice on Conservation Agriculture <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sat, 9 Feb 2019 14:49:14 +0000
Reply-To:
Amir Kassam <[log in to unmask]>
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Amir Kassam <[log in to unmask]>
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*Global CA-CoP* *CONSERVATION AGRICULTURE COMMUNITY OF PRACTICE*

*for sustainable agriculture and land management*

Dear Subscribers,

Please see herebelow the announcement from Didi Pershouse about her
course *Regenerating
the Soil Carbon Sponge for Flood, Drought, and Wildfire Resilience
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=2b6b8480f6&e=7906f4d8e3>*
which will begin on 26 February and will run for a period of six weeks.

Apologies for any cross-posting.

*Amir Kassam *

*Moderator*

*Global CA-CoP*

e-mail: [log in to unmask]
URL: www.fao.org/ag/ca



*Conservation Agriculture is an ecosystem approach to regenerative
sustainable agriculture and land management based on the practical
application of context-specific and locally adapted three interlinked
principles of: (i) Continuous no or minimum mechanical soil disturbance
(no-till seeding/planting and weeding, and minimum soil disturbance with
all other farm operations including harvesting);  (ii) permanent
maintenance of soil mulch cover (crop biomass, stubble and cover crops);
and (iii) diversification of cropping system (economically, environmentally
and socially adapted rotations and/or sequences and/or associations
involving annuals and perennials, including legumes and cover crops), along
with other complementary good agricultural production and land management
practices. Conservation Agriculture systems are present in all continents,
involving rainfed and irrigated systems including annual cropland systems,
perennial systems, orchards and plantation systems, agroforestry systems,
crop-livestock systems, pasture and rangeland systems, organic production
systems and rice-based systems. Conservation Tillage and Minimum Tillage
are not Conservation Agriculture, and nor is No-Till on its own* (more at:
www.fao.org/ag/ca).

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Didi Pershouse <[log in to unmask]>
Date: Fri, Feb 8, 2019 at 10:56 PM
Subject: Some good news + a new online course.
To: Amir <[log in to unmask]>


This "underground" soil revolution is gaining some serious traction.


*
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=a66fe1c64d&e=7906f4d8e3>
Didi Pershouse*

*Author • Soil Sponge Strategist • Educator*

*Founder of the Land & Leadership Initiative*
Author of *The Ecology of Care* and
*Understanding Soil Health and Watershed Function*
Dear friends,

Greetings from my cold and snowy perch in Vermont (that is quickly turning
to slush...as great clods of ice crash off my roof.) Here are a few things
I want to share with you before I head to England, Prague and Paris next
week:

1. The next online course is starting February 26...
2. Some really interesting news from Vermont...
3. What role can agriculture play in the Green New Deal?
4. Course details
5. Schedule of upcoming events
------------------------------

*1. Join our growing community in a live online course*
I'm teaching one more round of my popular online discussion course
*Regenerating
the Soil Carbon Sponge for Flood, Drought, and Wildfire Resilience
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=2b6b8480f6&e=7906f4d8e3>.
*This will begin on February 26, 2019 and run for a full 6 weeks. *The last
one filled up in less than a week, so if you want a spot, sign up soon. *If
you haven't joined us for one yet, I think you are going to want to be in
on this, as the real fun of this "underground" revolution is getting
underway and the soil sponge movement is gaining some serious traction in
the world. (Read on for more details)

The course is a turning out to be a fantastic way to make connections with
innovative farmers, agronomists, policy folks, and soil health advocates
from around the world as you learn together.* I've added an extra week of
classes, and an extra hour of optional discussion time after class.
*Registration
and more details are available on the Land and Leadership Initiative
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=f58360860b&e=7906f4d8e3>
page. *We reserve spots in every course for participants who need to pay
less--especially for farmers and current and emerging community leaders
from the Global South. *

*2. Here's some really interesting news from Vermont:*
We got news last week from Abe Collins, co-founder of the Soil Carbon
Coalition, that a broad-based coalition of Vermont farmers
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=0c66651523&e=7906f4d8e3>went
to the statehouse to propose a pilot project that would track changes in
the function of landscapes, and pay farmers to grow a "deep topsoil
future." These farmers know that a healthy soil carbon sponge can
provide the state with clean water, flood protection, public health, and a
sustainable working landscape. (For more info on the Vermont story, follow
these links: WCAX news story
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=31704c4ee2&e=7906f4d8e3>
  NBC 5 news story
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=64643b1130&e=7906f4d8e3>
 UVM Extension testimony
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=210d98c296&e=7906f4d8e3>
 and Farmer testimony
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=4362b21771&e=7906f4d8e3>
)

There is no doubt that the last five years of work that we did here in
Vermont played a large role in educating farmers, citizens, and policy
makers about why the soil carbon sponge is the center of a working society.
(Abe Collins said to me, at the end of one of our workshops that he
attended: "You are making my work a LOT easier!"). Here are some ways, I,
as a regular citizen, along with a great team of coworkers, helped to
create fertile ground for this initiative to succeed:

   - Co-taught a series of five hands-on Land Listener's soil health
   monitoring workshops for farmers last summer, and an intensive 3-day
   training in 2016.
   - Taught soil workshops for teachers and did two years of curriculum
   development in classrooms in Vermont.
   - Wrote a free downloadable facilitator's manual
   <https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=ab186b805b&e=7906f4d8e3>that
   anyone can use to engage their community in learning about soil health and
   watershed function.
   - Organized and facilitated three intensive Soil Carbon Sponge Seminars
   at Lake Morey Resort featuring Walter Jehne
   <https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=0a74b5a3ba&e=7906f4d8e3>,
   Nicole Masters, Blaine Hjertaas, Dan Young
   <https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=a648109cad&e=7906f4d8e3>,
   and others. The extremely active Vermont Healthy Soils Coalition
   <https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=e360d38a6a&e=7906f4d8e3>
that
   grew out of those seminars (thanks to Cat Buxton!) is now part of a
   national movement.
   - Gave testimony for the Senate Ag Committee (about the soil sponge, and
   the need to support all farmers to move forward together, rather than
   pitting them against each other as "good" vs. "bad" farmers). My testimony
   was called a "game changer" by the head of the committee.
   - Wrote an article
   <https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=38dde0b7fc&e=7906f4d8e3>
   for Vermont based Clean Yield Asset Management on how a healthy soil
   sponge can save HUGE amounts of money.

*This is the kind of grass-roots work that you can do too!  We are
just regular people telling a hopeful story, and showing what is possible
when diverse (usually opposing) groups work together towards a common goal.*

As my friends at National Regenerative Agriculture Day
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=64adbc546d&e=7906f4d8e3>
(who
are hijacking Valentines Day in Australia to send love to all farmers who
are dealing with drought) say:  *"This is the largest  'underground'
movement in history--quite literally."*

*3. What role should agriculture play in the Green New Deal?*
Last but not least for today, the Organic Consumer's Association recently
released a brief fact sheet on the potential role of agriculture in the
Green New Deal
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=2229ceb2fb&e=7906f4d8e3>,
which is worth reading.

Lots more to report, but I will save that for my next newsletter. Read on
for more about the online course. I really hope you will join us.


Join the class.
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=f148c6696c&e=7906f4d8e3>

*“I recommend this class to anyone interested in learning more about soil
health.”*
*— Kristin Ohlson, author of The Soil Will Save Us
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=c0970c1a28&e=7906f4d8e3>*


*"Didi is a remarkable educator and has been inspiring students from around
the world about soil health and watershed function." --Judith Schwartz,
author of *Water in Plain Sight: Hope for a Thirsty World
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=a5c2ceccc3&e=7906f4d8e3>
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=b4a90b098c&e=7906f4d8e3>No
matter where you live, this course offers an entirely new way of seeing and
working with the land around you: whether it is your urban backyard, a
small farm, or a large ranch.

If you join us, you will learn a step-by-step blueprint for improving soil
health, public health, and resilience to extreme weather events, while
helping to cool the climate. This is the strategy I was invited to
present on World Soil Day at the United Nations last year, and the one I'm
outlining as a lead author of the "Future Directions" chapter for the
upcoming UN-FAO technical manual on soil carbon management.

Most importantly, this course provides a tremendous opportunity to *build
working relationships with people around the world who share your goals of
land regeneration. *
Click here to learn more about the course.
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=8293bcf2c4&e=7906f4d8e3>



*“If you want to learn how to make your farm more resilient to droughts and
floods, then here is your chance! Didi is fantastic at explaining how to
fix our broken water cycle.” — Gail Fuller, Kansas Farmer and Field School
Organizer*
*Six-Week Course Details:* Participants will gather on Zoom Video
Conferencing (by computer or phone) from 12:00 - 2:00 PM EST (New York,
USA) on the following Tuesdays:

   - *February 26 *
   - *March 5*
   - *March 12*
   - *March 26*
   - *April 2 *
   - *April 9*

*(Please note: There is no formal class on March 19th.) *If these dates or
times don't work for you, please complete *this online form
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=57d5082440&e=7906f4d8e3>
*so
we can let you know if we offer it again.

*Extra discussion time for an hour after each class from 2:00 -3:00
Eastern. This is a great way to develop connections with people working on
regenerative projects around the world, learn from each other's wisdom,
experiences and resources; and dive into more detail on specific questions.*

*Classes will be recorded and made available to course participants if you
need to miss a class. *There will also be recommended reading, videos, and
journal-writing exercises between classes.

*The course costs $375 (or three monthly payments of $125).  *

*Scholarships: A few spots in every course are reserved for participants
who need to pay less. **Contact us if this is you. We are particularly
interested in saving spots for farmers and current and emerging leaders
from the Global South.*

Please respond to this email with any questions about this course, or if
you would like to participate but cannot afford the full price.

*ABOUT MY TEACHING STYLE*
My teaching style is to find and convey "*the simplicity beyond
complexity."* I want people who study with me to have a clear scientific
understanding of soil biology's role in the carbon, water, and nutrient
cycles--framed in ways that are easy to remember, and easy to pass along. *I
do this through hands-on demonstrations, photographs, videos, interesting
discussions, and activities* *that you can use to teach others*. In
particular, I will show how we can create conditions so that nature's
biological workforce--plants, animals, fungi, and other microbes--can
rebuild the natural "soil sponge" infrastructure that all life on land
depends on for food, water, and safety.

*WHY AM I DOING THIS?*
My aim is to bring together a group that can effectively change the
direction the world is going, over the next three years--by helping people
understand that soil is the basic infrastructure that makes all life on
land possible, and that we can address many of our major challenges through
regeneration of healthy soil.

Thanks to the last four courses, *we now have a growing international
community of deeply motivated people from all walks of life *who are
beginning to collaborate in their work towards land-based strategies for
community and climate resilience.

This is an emergent, grass-roots strategy--offering some basic principles
and then trusting the collaborations that come out of our work together,
(rather than trying to control or manage them.) This is what is needed for
true change. By working together, I know we can continue to build
communities of people around the world who will lead  and inspire soil
health initiatives in their own neighborhoods and regions, in their own
ways, by demonstrating that *simple changes in land management can
literally change everything around us.*

Will you join us?

*Didi*
Join the class.
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=56460ae52a&e=7906f4d8e3>



*“Didi Pershouse is an awesome teacher and I highly recommend studying with
her if you're interested in regeneration and what this means for building
resilience to drought, fire, floods.” — Rebecca Burgess, Founder, Fibershed
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=6c14df3768&e=7906f4d8e3>*
*My upcoming in-person events:*
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=fb09c3bce0&e=7906f4d8e3>
*February 20-24, 2019* in Paris, France

*International Meeting for a Living Agriculture
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=07cca72fb6&e=7906f4d8e3>.
February 27, 2019* in Randolph, Vermont, Bethany Church, 6:30 PM - 8:30 PM
"Soil Health and Human Health"
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=90a862b203&e=7906f4d8e3>

*March 28-31, 2019* in Montreal, Canada:  *Living Soils Symposium
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=0e37341361&e=7906f4d8e3>*
.

*April 11, 2019* workshop in Greenwich, NY 10 am - 4 pm. Farm location
TBD.  Sponsored by the Agricultural Stewardship Association (
www.agstewardship.org
<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=a79797bb1f&e=7906f4d8e3>
)

*June 18-20, 2019* in Poitiers, France (ENCORE!!) :  Food Security and
Climate Change: 4p1000 new tangible initiative for the soil"


<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=958f02f9db&e=7906f4d8e3>

<https://didipershouse.us6.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6075151f49894b2c63289a22a&id=f985ed660c&e=7906f4d8e3>
*Gmail Users: To make sure my newsletters don't end up in your Promotions
folder (where you might never see them!), right-click (on the newsletter)
when it shows up in Gmail and select Move to Tab > Primary.*
*Copyright © 2019 Didi Pershouse, Author and Educator, All rights reserved.*
You are receiving this email because you subscribed at www.didipershouse.com
or www.sustainablemedicine.com, you signed up at a conference or event, or
because I added you after a personal conversation we had. Please send me an
email if you have a question or request, or you can simply hit
"unsubscribe."

*Our mailing address is:*
Didi Pershouse, Author and Educator
PO Box 277
Thetford Center, VT 05075

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