This exchange will explore the unexplored area - soil. It is responsible for all life, but has been ignored and abused for the last 100 years. Dave Beecher will lead this exchange, and will discuss and demonstrate the role of soil and how it uses waste products efficiently. He will also discuss how, as farmers, we can use soil to reduce our waste while increasing soil organic matter and carbon. Techniques such as composting, compost teas, and soil inoculation will be covered in this exchange.

Expert

Dave Beecher
Artist: Deirdre O'Mahony

Dave Beecher (DANÚ Group – Ireland)
Dave grew up on his Grandmother's dairy farm in Co. Cork, Ireland, which later became a suckler herd. After a career in structural engineering, spanning Ireland, Australia and Canada, he spent a year working in International Disaster Relief, during which he realised that he wanted to address the issues at a causal rather than symptomatic level so he returned to Ireland to immerse himself back in agriculture. This time taking a regenerative approach to mitigate both carbon emissions and the impact of climate change as well as addressing general human and environmental health. Dave has studied with/worked alongside Zach Wright, completed Hugh Lovell's advanced course, and the 5-day course with Jairo Restrepo at Ragman's Lane Farm (Biofertilisers and a lot more), has completed a year long course with Jim Cronin in Market Gardening, is just completing Elaine Ingham's 'Life in the Soil' course, and naturally has explored much other related material too. Dave has taught all over Ireland and with Regen.AG in the UK. He is currently a member of the Danú Farming Group which has been awarded funding through the European Innovation Partnership programme and the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine in Ireland to carry out a 5-year Biological Farming Transition Programme.