At Carbon Economy Series, we are welcoming the New Year in a way like never before. Our Clean Economy Conference will prove that there is nothing quite like kicking off 2014 with a bang!
Taking place in Albuquerque, New Mexico from January 30th to February 2nd, the Clean Economy Conference is going to be one for the books. This four day event brings experts of the greening industry together under one roof, to spread their wealth of innovative knowledge to all participants and guests of the event.
It all begins on the evening of January 30th with a Farm to Table/Celebrity Chef Gourmet Steward’s Dinner fundraiser. This fresh style of cuisine will take place from 7-9pm. Farm to table is society’s newest and cleanest way of eating.
The following day will be a pre-conference, full-day workshop all about Local Food Production. Joel Salatin, a third-generation alternative farmer, will lead this portion of the event. Joel will also be the keynote speaker on February 1st and 2nd during the two-day main portion of the Clean Economy Conference. Many other speakers will also grace the stage and lead various sessions, offering a range of knowledge and information on wise water use, regenerative agriculture, ZERO waste, organic food, soil food web, community gardens, urban farming and so much more.
We are so happy to welcome the following speakers to the Clean Economy Conference, and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts for sharing their knowledgeable ways with us.
Margo Covington
When it comes to building sustainable practices that will result in a more resilient future, Margo Covington has strategic and action plans that could get us there. Margo has been designing and implementing sustainable entrepreneurship systems for 29 years. From green tools and awards to zero waste, her impressive list of clients include the Santa Fe Community College, City of Albuquerque, City of Los Angeles and more. Margo holds a ZERI Certification from world-renowned speaker and author, Gunther Pauli. Margo is the Executive Director of Sustainable Communities ZERI NM Inc (a NM 501(c)3), which identifies and links resources needed to foster bioregional collaboration and economic development by finding value in local and regional waste streams.
Heather Harrell
Heather Harrell, co-author of "Top-Bar Beekeeping", is helping bees bounce back from Colony Collapse Disorder by focusing her work to the study of multi-use permaculture plantings, which support a diverse network of interrelationships in the natural world. Along with a wide variety of vegetables, she grows medicinal herbs, which offer nectar and pollen to pollinator species. She is experimenting on how soil biology is affected by using biodynamic methods of planting, and is currently studying compost teas incorporating various types of manures and plant materials. Heather is owner of For the Love of Bees Farm and sells her vegetables, honey and beeswax products at the Santa Fe Farmers' Market.
Joel Salatin
Joel Salatin, a third generation alternative farmer who has been featured in “Food, Inc.” and “The Omnivore’s Dilemma,” is a masterful speaker whose humor and positive energy guarantee a rewarding experience. Can we feed New Mexico and the world with local food? This is hands down the most frequently asked question to Joel or anyone else who promotes local, solar-driven, carbon-fertilized systems. Even most foodies and environmentalists have a deep-seated assumption that were it not for the petroleum-based fertilizer boom – the green revolution – we could not feed ourselves. Those massive Kansas wheat fields and California almond groves, for most people, represent efficiency and abundance. Nothing could be further from the truth. Backyard gardens and multi-speciation are far more productive per acre. In these workshops, Joel will give you the information and tools to feed your family and articulate a credible “feed the world” argument.
Katherine and Markus Ottmers
If you own a farm or ranch, work on one or are thinking of becoming an agricultural producer Katherine and Markus Ottmers will teach the nitty gritty when it comes to building a regenerative agricultural profit center on marginal land. They use a multidisciplinary approach to attaining resiliency in sustainable farming, one that integrates land and water wisely, builds soil, increases biodiversity, mimics natural patterns and puts money in your pocket. The model is an interconnected systems approach with bioremediation, mycology, geomorphology, scaled precision earthworks, impoundments, pulse irrigation, slash on contour, natural spring development, and other techniques utilized in creating multigenerational legacy. Become a part of this new paradigm, and growing movement in land management.
Miguel Santistevan
With a Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from the University of New Mexico and a Master of Science degree in Ecology from the University of California, Davis, Miguel Santistevan is currently a Ph.D. Candidate in Biology at the University of New Mexico. His research interests are in the traditional acequia-irrigated and dryland agricultural systems of the Upper Rio Grande and Sangre de Cristo mountains. Miguel is certified in Permaculture and ZERI Design and has directed youth-in-agriculture programs such as ePlaza of Hands Across Cultures and the Regional Development Corporation and the Sembrando Semillas youth-in-agriculture project of the New Mexico Acequia Association (NMAA). He has produced video and public radio programming (¡Que Vivan las Acequias!) with the NMAA and Cultural Energy. He maintains a conservation farm with his wife and daughter in Taos called Sol Feliz where many visitors have participated in educational presentations, tours, and hands-on workshops (www.solfelizfarm.org). Miguel serves as Executive Director for a youth-in-agriculture and seed library program through the Agriculture Implementation, Research, and Education non-profit organization he co-founded (www.growfarmers.org) while he serves as a Math, Science, and Sustainability Teacher for Chrysalis Alternative High School. Miguel has recently been elected Chairman of the Acequia Sur de Río de Don Fernando de Taos for the 2014 & 2015 growing seasons of which he is a parciante (irrigator) and past Mayordomo (ditch boss). He also serves as a Board Member for the Taos Valley Acequia Association.