Join CUESA and Book Passage for a panel discussion about the earth beneath our feet with journalist and bestselling author Kristin Ohlson and a panel of soil experts.
Soil is easily dismissed as “just dirt,” but it is one of the most important resources on the planet, and its health affects us all. Ohlson’s new book, The Soil Will Save Us, explains how poor farming and ranching practices—especially modern industrial agriculture—have led to the loss of up to 80 percent of the carbon from the world’s soils. That carbon is now in the atmosphere, heating up the planet. Ohlson makes an elegantly argued case for “our great green hope,” a way in which we can not only heal the land but also potentially reverse global warming.
Also joining the panel is Al Courchesne of Frog Hollow Farm. Passionate about soil fertility and microbiology, “Farmer Al” believes that soil care is key not only to planetary health, but also to the superb taste of his famous stone fruit. Frog Hollow Farm makes their own compost out of unusable fruit, pruned tree branches, chipped cardboard boxes, horse manure, coffee grounds from their cafe, waste produce from a distributor, and other donated materials. They also have recently started a worm compost system on the farm.
Panelist Jeff Creque is a co-founder of the Marin Carbon Project (MCP), which seeks to enhance carbon sequestration in rangeland, agricultural, and forest soils. MCPsupports agricultural land managers in undertaking carbon farming in a manner that can both enhance farm productivity and reverse climate change. Dr. Creque is also a director of the Carbon Cycle Institute, whose mission is to stop and reverse global warming by identifying and promoting scalable carbon management practices that are proven to reduce atmospheric carbon. He is an agricultural and rangeland consultant and Natural Resources Conservation Service certified nutrient management planning specialist.
Moderator: Julie Cummins, CUESA’s Director of Education
The talk will be followed by a reception and book signing, with refreshments from the farmers market. Books will be for sale by Book Passage.
Admission: A $5 donation will be requested at the door (no one turned away for lack of funds). Space is limited.
Location: Port Commission Hearing Room, 2nd floor of the Ferry Building (Embarcadero at Market St.), San Francisco
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