Bee Green(er) — Presentations

Backyard Chickens 101 – Susan Troller

Are you hungry for home-raised eggs and curious about whether you might enjoy a flock of backyard chickens but don’t know where to start? This presentation is for you.

Susan Troller, author of the recently published CLUCK: From Jungle Fowl to City Chicks, presents a lively introduction to the considerable pleasures and some of the pitfalls of living with a small flock of chickens at home. She covers the basics, including what kind of cost and commitment you’ll be making, common municipal ordinances related to backyard poultry, what breeds of chickens are best suited to different needs, how to protect your birds from predators, whether your garden and chickens will be compatible and some of the issues surrounding health and safety when keeping backyard birds. She also talks about the undeniably entertaining antics of individual chickens, and why keeping a small home flock is one of the fastest growing hobbies in America.

A passionate animal lover, gardener and cook, Troller is a former award-winning newspaper reporter who covered K12 education and the thriving local food scene for The Capital Times in Madison, Wisconsin.Since the publication last summer of CLUCK: From Jungle Fowl to City Chicks, a book of illustrated essays, Troller has appeared on television, public radio, at the Wisconsin Garden Expo and at book events and festivals around the Midwest. 

She and her husband have lived on a small farm in Green County for over 30 years, raising and enjoying a menagerie that has included three frisky children, dogs, horses, cats, goats, dairy heifers, rabbits, guinea pigs, assorted wild critters and, of course, chickens. She is set to open an urban farm store and gallery in Paoli, Wisconsin this summer aimed at chicken aficionados.

Compressed Natural Gas – Chris Schneider

The yin and yang of NGV/CNG: The chicken and egg relationship of Natural Gas Vehicles (NGVs) and CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) is growing together. Learn how your community can become involved and benefit from the cleanest internal combustion engine ever tested by the EPA. Ask questions about refueling options in your neighborhood.

Chris Schneider is known as the hybrid guru as heard on Wisconsin Public Radio. He has presented on Alternative Fuel Vehicles at the MREA, Irenew, Illinois Energy Fair, GLREA as well as SolFest. No gasoline required has been his mantra since 2006. He has collaborated with Kwik Trip to commit to establishing Compressed Natural Gas refueling systems throughout Wisconsin, Minnesota and Iowa.

Organic 101 –Theresa Marquez

After 17 years as Chief Marketing Executive, helping grow CROPP Cooperative from $5 million in 1994 to $720 million in 2011, Theresa Marquez has recently changed her role and is now serving as the Chief Mission Officer for the nation’s largest organic farmers’ cooperative and the largest farmer-owned organic brand, Organic Valley.

A pioneer of the natural foods movement, Marquez has been a passionate advocate for organic farming and organic foods since 1978. Well known for her unwavering belief that organic is the key to solving many of the challenges we face today, Marquez has demonstrated that organic can make a difference for farmers, citizens and the planet. In 2010, the Organic Trade Association honored Marquez with the Organic Leadership Award for her outstanding initiative and devotion to organic.

Marquez is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the Organic Center, a nonprofit organization that supports scientific research to prove the benefits of organic food.

“The CROPP mission is to keep farmers on the land farming while maintaining the highest standards of environmental stewardship. It just so happens that these methods also produce the best tasting food! Nurturing this mission, so aligned with what we all want for the earth, our families, and our stomach, is immensely joyful work.”  - Theresa Marquez

Low Maintenance, Sustainable Gardening, Edible Landscapes – DFS, Roger Reynolds

Any garden can be low-maintenance and include edibles, this talk will cover strategies to grow a garden with few weeds and little watering that will be admired by most. Educator Roger Reynolds, of Infiltrating Landscapes, will discuss mulching, lasagna gardening, organic practices, and more to help you plant and maintain a healthy, naturally fed garden--that feeds you. Food plants are beautiful, when they are not surrounded by weeds.  Combine edible and non-edible annuals, perennials, shrubs and trees in your landscape design and create a really beautiful yard that will be the envy of the neighborhood, not the scourge.

Roger is an Innovative Gardener/Sustainable Landscaper whose motto is “LESS WORK—MORE FOOD AND FLOWERS!!” Roger grew up on a diversified farm, with a large vegetable garden and hated pulling weeds as a child. Roger has found a weed-free, chemical-free way to garden. Permaculture Design, Organic Principles, Edible Landscaping, KISS, functional art, emulating nature and low-input/high output are key concepts Roger incorporates into his work. Roger delivers a down-to-earth, easy to understand presentation with a good bit of humor mixed in, yet information packed. Roger is the owner of Infiltrating Landscapes Consultinghttp://infiltratinglandscapes.blogspot.com/