Come and see Joel Williams, who has a long history of playing in the dirt. Joel has studied plant and soil health and worked with farmers for many years; he also teaches around the world (www.integratedsoils.com). He will present an updated look at the role of carbon in healthy soil.

Joel will paint the big picture of our ecological health, climate change and public health. He will explain how farmers can build soil organic matter while increasing plant and animal diversity. He will also demonstrate how reduced disturbance of the soil such as minimum-till and applying compost and biochar can improve soil health. This approach is about systems (or holistic) thinking as a key to managing the farm ecosystem.

As a soils advocate, Joel Williams gives workshops on soil management, plant nutrition and sustainable food production. He earned a Bachelor of Agricultural Science in Australia with an interest in managing soil microbial ecology. Joel has been working on farming systems in the UK and Europe, integrating soil chemical and biological assessments, along with plant nutritional analyses as a strategy for managing crop production. He has taught in many countries, sharing his knowledge on agro-ecological growing practices. He is also a keen vegetable grower and works on food education projects.

Thursday, March 29 from 7 to 9 pm An entrance fee of $5.00 per person (or a donation) will help cover costs. Children are free.