Keynotes, workshops, podcasts
Ben Hartman speaking and trainings
I provide keynotes at agricultural events nationally and internationally. I also lead trainings on lean farming and on farming without plastic.
See workshop samples below. Click the link for inquiries. Thank you!
CONTACT BEN
"I have been producing agricultural conferences, workshops and events in Nevada for over 20 years. Without a doubt, Ben Hartman has had the most positive impact on our farming community of any speaker I have encountered.
I first met Ben in 2018 when I invited him to speak at a workshop, shortly after the publication of his first book The Lean Farm. Immediately after his visit, local farmers began adopting his methods and talking about his teachings. Ben has returned to Nevada twice more, each time filling our auditoriums with farmers eager to hear his newest methods and findings.
Ben is knowledgeable, approachable, and sincere - and he fully lives the principles he writes about. For farms of all sizes and people of all backgrounds, his books and teachings inspire us to become better stewards of our land and our resources."
- Ann Louhela
Event Manager, Nevada Small Farms Conference
Lean Farming
How to implement the Japanese lean management system on a farm. Increase productivity and profits with less work and waste. This can be a one-hour workshop or expanded up to a two-day Lean Farm Start-Up intensive training.
Plastic-free Farming
How to grow food without plastic, using natural alternatives like burlap, paper pots, and more. Plastics are a massive source of waste and huge cost for farmers. Fortunately, alternatives abound. It is possible to grow food without polluting the planet.
Other Workshops
Cutting Edge Tools for Market Gardening
Customer-Focuced Farming: How to use the lean Genchi Gembutsu method to attract and retain long-term customers.
Lean Composting: How to make great compost, with minimal work.
Kaizen Farming: Lean continuous improvement tools for any size and type of farm
I take a practical, farmer-focused approach. My goal is for audiences to go home with techniques and ideas they can apply right away.
Upcoming Events
- Focus on Farming keynote and workshops, Snohomish, WA Nov. 4, 2026
- MOFFA Organic Intensive Conference Plastic-free farming full day training, East Lansing, MI, Jan. 9, 2027
- Roots of Renewal Conference keynote and workshops, Montrose, Colorado, Jan 22-23, 2027
- Lean Farm Start-up 2-day Training, Goshen, IN, May 1-2, 2027
Recent Events
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Nevada Small Farms Conference, 2026
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Practical Farmers of Iowa, 2025
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Newfoundland, Canada: NL Living Lab 2025
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Warren Wilson College and Mars Hill University, North Carolina: Organic Growers School Spring 2025 Conference
- Other recent events include presentations for Organic Growers of Ireland, Oxford Real Farming Conference (UK), GE Aviation, Lean Enterprise Institute, The Oregon Small Farm Conference, LANTRA Wales (UK), The Landworkers Alliance (UK), Sierra Harvest, ACRES USA, and the National Young Farmer’s Coalition, among others.
Ben Hartman Bio
Ben Hartman is the author of The Lean Farm, a 2016 winner of the Shingo Institute’s Prestigious Research and Professional Publication Award. He and his wife, Rachel Hershberger, own Clay Bottom Farm in Goshen, Indiana, where they make their living on less than one acre growing and selling specialty produce to restaurants and at a farmers’ market. Hartman was appointed to the 2017 Grist 50, a list of emerging green leaders in the United States.
