Co-designing Our Regenerative Future: Unconference on Agriculture & Beyond

When and where is this great event taking place?

• Saturday, October 29
• 8:30 am-5:30 pm
• Founders Hall (George Mason University - Arlington Campus)

Why "regenerative"?

The DC region has all the ingredients needed to take a regenerative future from demonstration to scale. The powerful mix of technical know-how, policy expertise, entrepreneurial creativity, and political and financial levers are all here. This one-day, open-space conference is a chance set a path to make it so. But “We” need You.

On this day we come together to answer: “How can we best combine our knowledge, skills, and activities across sectors to kick start a Regenerative Future?”

The opportunity to address global warming and the climate crisis as well as reduce poverty, improve public health, and increase biodiversity, lies right under our feet, and at the end of our knives and forks. Food, agriculture, land use, and ocean management present tremendous opportunities for improvement across many dimensions.

Regenerative initiatives create value while they contribute to the planet.

Regenerative, as it relates to food and agriculture, is based on sound ecological principles that rejuvenate the soil, grasslands and forests; replenish water; promote food sovereignty; and restore public health and prosperity—all while cooling the planet by drawing down billions of tons of excess carbon from the atmosphere and storing it in the soil where it belongs. Regenerative agriculture is being practiced around the world today, but it is critical to scale it up.

A regenerative future will provide nutritious food, rich soil, increased biodiversity, rich healthy oceans, thriving forests, stronger communities, healthier people, a more stable climate, and more beautiful landscapes.

Who should attend this event?

A regenerative future requires contributions from many sectors, interests, and skills. One of opportunities for this unconference is to strenghten this social network. We encourage and need participation from folks working in areas such as:

• Farming / fishing / ranching / forestry / landscaping
• Investing / banking / philanthropy
• Finance and funding / Carbon Markets and Natural Capital
• Regional planning and resilience strategies
• Policy making / policy analysis / think tanks
• Health care / environmental justice / compassionate farming
• Technology / innovation / design / data
• R&D / Entrepreneurism / jobs creation
• Environmentalism / community organizing
• Communication and storytelling
• Learning, training and capacity building
• Retail / manufacturer / supply / transport
• Grocery stores / farmers markets
• Restaurants /cooking

Anyone from NGOs, non-profits, for-profits, local/regional/federal government, academia (students and faculty), or any other groups or companies is welcomed!

What is an "unconference"?

An "unconference" is a self-organizing meeting at which the attendees decide on the agenda and the topics to be discussed. It's an increasingly popular format because it allows for thoughtful, productive, and intense interaction between all attendees. The collaborative nature of unconferences means that all voices and interests are heard. If this is your first time attending an unconference or you've been to one before and need a refresher, we've developed a guide - The Way of the UnConference - to help you get the most out of this one.

What is the Schedule?

The tentative schedule is:

8:30 am-9:30 am - Registration, coffee, networking

9:30 am-10:45 am - Introductions & group agenda setting

11:00 am-12:00 pm - Breakout Sessions I

12:10 pm-1:10 pm - Breakout Sessions II

1:10 pm-2:10 pm - Lunch

2:10 pm-3:10 pm - Breakout Sessions III

3:20 pm-4:20 pm - Breakout Sessions IV

4:20 pm-5:30 pm - How was the meeting? What did you learn? What do you need?

5:30+ - Happy hour - Location TBD

What will be discussed?

That is up to the participants. We expect topics ranging from farming techniques to legislative priorities to new finance mechanisms to advocacy and outreach. You can start discussing what to discuss as well as meet other attendees at the event's hackpad.

Is there a hashtag?

Of course! #RegenU2016

Will you offer refunds on registration?

Yes, refund requests will be accepted until Friday, October 21st.

Will you offer onsite registration?

Yes, onsite registration will be offered at $45.00, so attendees are encouraged to take advantage of the $35.00 Early Bird registration fee! Note that we can only accept credit card payment for onsite registration; cash and checks cannot be accepted!

Will there be food served?

Yes, a light lunch will be provided, as well as coffee prior to the event's start. Registrants are asked to note any dietary restrictions and preferences when they register.

What are my transportation/parking options for the event?

GMU's Arlington campus is easily accessible via Metro's Orange and Silver Lines! You can get out at the Clarendon station or the Virginia Square/GMU station. There is also a paid parking garage as well as limited metered street parking.

This great video describes all of your car free options!

You can also use Car Free A to Z to plan your trip!

Who can I contact with additional questions?

For more information contact:

• Agustín Cruz - augie.cruz@gmail.com
  
• David Witzel - dwitzel@policycommons.org
  
• Alexis Baden-Mayer - alexis@organicconsumers.org

Tell me more about Regenerative Agriculture

For more background about regenerative agriculture, check out these great resources:

• 4 per 1000 Initiative
• Conservation International
• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
• Regeneration International
• USDA - National Agricultural Library: Alternative Farming Systems Information Center
• USEPA - Agriculture & Sustainability