46th Annual Eco-Farm Conference at Asilomar (Jan 21-24) – Talk of The Bay
On Tuesday, Dec. 9th, Talk of The Bay host George Cadman spoke with Rebecca North (Executive Director of the Ecological Farming Association) and Ken Foster (co-owner of Terra Nova Ecological Landscaping & permaculture instructor at Cabrillo College) about the upcoming 46th annual Eco-Farm conference which will be held at Asilomar from Jan. 21st to Jan. 24th.
EcoFarm is the oldest and largest organic farming conference west of the Mississippi, bringing together more than 1,500 farmers, ranchers, and food system leaders each year. It’s an inspiring gathering dedicated to ecological agriculture, social justice, and building resilient, equitable food systems.
Rebecca North is the Executive Director of The Ecological Farming Association, where they lead with purpose, passion and a deep commitment to farmers. New to the nonprofit world, with 20+ years experience working in the produce industry nationwide, Rebecca has a proven track record of building strategic partnerships, growing impact, and driving sustainable change. Mother, queer, gardener, hobby herbalist, straight-edge punk, East Coaster, Spartan racer, and lover of cherries, Rebecca has a masters degree in transnational feminism from SFSU and lives in the Bay Area.
Ken Foster – a native of Santa Cruz – was born in the fifties and raised by Quaker parents. He was an apprentice at the UCSC Farm & Garden in 1985, holds an Associate’s degree in Horticulture from Cabrillo College and has taught the Permaculture class at Cabrillo since 2012. Ken is also a landscape contractor, a certified permaculture designer and the founder & co-owner (with his wife Jillian) of Terra Nova Ecological Landscaping since 1988. He lives in Santa Cruz with his wife, their four dogs, chickens, worms and bees at their permaculture demonstration home site. Ken believes that the permaculture ethics “Care for The Earth and Care for the People” are a way of life here on the Central Coast.
