Keynotes, workshops, trainings, and on-farm consultation
Ben Hartman specializes in applying the lean system on farms. Recent events have included 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. Presentations can range from keynotes to one- or two-hour workshops, or all-day trainings, and are always tailored to the specific audience.
Sample keynote: Waste-free Farming Across Cultures--Stories of Farming Smaller and Smarter
In this keynote, Ben Hartman, author of The Lean Farm, will share stories from cultures from around the world that have employed waste-free thinking to bolster their farming. Includes stories from Japan, Nigeria, Alabama, and from his own farm, Clay Bottom Farm, in northern Indiana, where he and his wife earn a living from 1/2 acre of land.
Sample workshop #1: Using the Lean System to Earn a Comfortable Living on a Farm
In this workshop, Ben Hartman, author of The Lean Farm, will explain concepts from the Japanese-based lean system that he and his wife Rachel use to earn a living 1/2 acre of land. Specific topics covered will include: using 5S to organize a farm, how to precisely identify value, the 7 mudas (wastes), and kaizen (continuous improvement). Ben will offer concrete tips that farms of any size and type can start applying right away. Lean is a production system that originated in Japanese production and is now widely used in all types of industries.
Sample workshop #2: Lean Ideas Applied to the Market Garden
In this workshop, geared toward market growers, Ben will show the lean growing systems Clay Bottom Farm uses to earn a living while working 35 hours or less per week. He will guide you through concrete examples of lean thinking applied to the following:
soil building and no-till bed preparation
quick-rotation propagation
paper pot transplanting
better greenhouse construction
growing greens, tomatoes, carrots, and more
There will be a special segment on lean CBD hemp production.
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.
Mutual Learning
I love to learn from others. In the best classroom settings, the line between student and teacher is blurry. My presentations include space for conversation, questions, and mutual learning.
Book an event
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