Seminar & Workshop

$125.00

Join the Leelanau Conservation District as we host JM Fortier for a weekend in October! On Saturday, the workshop and seminar will explore the fundamentals of market gardening along with soil health and fertility. On Sunday, listen to a retrospective of JM’s journey toward creating a resilient and sustainable food system with growers across the globe. We end our weekend together around the table—to reflect as a community and to discuss the possibilities ahead.

*The registration fee includes Sunday’s event: Retrospective & Roundtable

Join the Leelanau Conservation District as we host JM Fortier for a weekend in October! On Saturday, the workshop and seminar will explore the fundamentals of market gardening along with soil health and fertility. On Sunday, listen to a retrospective of JM’s journey toward creating a resilient and sustainable food system with growers across the globe. We end our weekend together around the table—to reflect as a community and to discuss the possibilities ahead.

*The registration fee includes Sunday’s event: Retrospective & Roundtable

Event Details

  • Location: Lakeview Hill Farm, 8608 E. Lakeview Hills Road, Traverse City, MI 49684

    Time: 8:00am - 4:00pm

    *Locally sourced lunch will be provided

    Market Gardening 2.0: A half-Day Seminar with master grower JM Fortier

    Is it truly possible to achieve financial success through farming on a modest acreage? Explore the fundamental elements, techniques, and design principles  that  transform  small-scale  biointensive farming into a profitable endeavor. Over the past 20 years, JM has discovered  simple and effective tricks that allow you to feel prepared, organized, and confident that this new season will be a success!

    This session will teach:

    • Identifying key crops for optimal profitability

    • Learning strategies for team mobilization and streamlining daily farm  operations

    • Life habits you need to adopt to be at your best during the  season

    • Management  practices to improve your crop and harvest planning

    • Tips to better mobilize your teams and facilitate daily work on the farm

    • Which tools will save you time and increase your efficiency

    Our ultimate objective in this workshop is to empower you to cultivate with greater  abundance  and,  most importantly, with increased efficiency. Join us as we embark on a  journey  toward  more  prosperous and sustainable  farming practices.

    Working With Living Soil – JM Fortier and Kish Johnson (AEA)

    Everyone is talking about soil these days: no-till, no-dig, carbon farming, regenerative agriculture, and so on. What unites all of these philosophies is living soils. In this information-packed session, JM will be joined by Kish Johnson of Advancing Eco Agriculture to discuss approaches to build soil fertility and health on your farm.

  • Location: The Bay Community Theatre, 214 N St Joseph St, Suttons Bay, MI

    Time: 9:00am - 12:00pm

    How Small Farms Can Grow Big Dreams

    Join JM Fortier, a pioneer in the small-scale organic farming movement, as he shares insights and experiences from his 20-year journey in market gardening. In this keynote, JM  will delve into how the transformative power of ecological farming  can restore  and ignite local  communities.  He will highlight the success stories of future growers empowered by The Market Gardener Institute and explore the innovative ventures that continue to shape the future of regenerative agriculture. This talk promises to inspire and equip attendees with the knowledge and passion to  cultivate  a more resilient and sustainable food system.

    Regional Roundtable Discussion

    Facilitated by JM and the Leelanau Conservation District, we invite you to take part in a broader conversation about our region’s food system—reflecting on our own journey and the possibilities ahead.