September 12th- 14th, 2025 | Viroqua, WI
Acres U.S.A. Water Intensive - 2025
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Introducing the 2025 Acres U.S.A. Mark Shepard Water Management Intensive: Join restoration agriculture pioneer Mark Shepard and the RAD Team for a powerful, hands-on weekend exploring regenerative earthworks and water management design. This 3-day immersive workshop blends classroom learning with real-world application of the Master Line System, a next-generation evolution of Keyline Design.
You'll leave with practical tools to reshape the water cycle on your land—capturing rainwater, managing runoff, and building resilient agricultural infrastructure.
🌟 Special Guest Session:
We’re thrilled to welcome Gary Zimmer, a legend in biological farming, for a special Saturday guest talk on how water systems support long-term soil health and regenerative success.
Event will be September 12th - 14th - Parking will be on site
Join us at the Acres U.S.A. Farm Event
Refund Policy
All items are non-refundable, all sales are final. Please reach out to [email protected] if you have any questions on this. Thanks!
Instructor
Mark Shepard
Mark Shepard is the CEO of Forest Agriculture Enterprises LLC, founder of Restoration Agriculture Development LLC and award-winning author of the book, Restoration Agriculture: Real-World Permaculture for Farmers. Mark has also been a farmer member of the Organic Valley cooperative, the worlds largest Organic Farmer’s marketing co-op, since 1995. He is most widely known as the founder of New Forest Farm, the 106-acre perennial agricultural savanna considered by many to be one of the most ambitious sustainable agriculture projects in the United States.
New Forest Farm is a planned conversion of a typical row-crops grain farm into a commercial-scale, perennial agricultural ecosystem using oak savanna, successional brushland and eastern woodlands as the ecological models. Trees, shrubs, vines, canes, perennial plants and fungi are planted in association with one another to produce food (for humans and animals), fuel, medicines, and beauty. Hazelnuts, chestnuts, walnuts and various fruits are the primary woody crops. The farm is entirely solar and wind powered and farm equipment is capable of being powered with locally produced biofuels.
Trained in both mechanical engineering and ecology, Mark has developed and patented equipment and processes for the cultivation, harvesting and processing of forest derived agricultural products for human foods and bio fuels production.
Mark was certified as a Permaculture designer in 1993 and received his Diploma of Permaculture design from Bill Mollison, the founder of the international Permaculture movement. He teaches agroforestry and Permaculture worldwide.
Gary Zimmer
Gary Zimmer is Founder of Midwestern BioAg. Known as the “father” of biological agriculture, Zimmer is an internationally known author, speaker, and consultant. He owns Otter Creek Organic Farm, a family-operated, award-winning 1,000 acre farm near Lone Rock, WI, and has been on the board of Taliesin Preservation Inc. since 2011. Zimmer is the author of three books, and numerous articles on soils and livestock nutrition. Zimmer holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison and a master’s degree in Dairy Nutrition from the University of Hawaii.
Marcus Lemonis
Kaelin Poulin
Garrett J. White
Alex & Leila Hormozi
Brooke Castillo
Perry Belcher
Ben Hardy
Dean Graziosi
Eric Thomas
Jenna Kutcher
Kristine Mirelle
Setema Gali
Myron Golden
Kiana Daniel
Eileen Wilder
Event Location
Classroom Sessions & Meals: 401 E Jefferson St, Viroqua, WI 54665
Classroom Sessions will be held at E6627 County Rd XX, Viroqua, WI 54665
Event Schedule
Friday, September 12th, 2025
4:00–6:00 pm – Introduction to Restoration Agriculture
6:00 pm – Optional: Community Celebration at The Commons
While not part of the official workshop programming, participants are warmly invited to join local residents for an evening gathering at The Commons. The event celebrates the launch of their new name and mission, centered on connecting the community through sustainability and land-based action. Dinner is available for purchase.
Saturday, September 13th, 2025
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM - Classroom session: Designing for Water: Master Line Systems in Restoration Agriculture
This session dives into one of the foundational strategies of Restoration Agriculture: reading the landscape and designing water systems that restore hydrological function and ecological balance. We’ll cover the principles behind Master Line layout and how it integrates with Keyline-inspired systems, equipping you to manage water on working farms.
Participants will leave with a deeper understanding of how water moves through a site, and how to design systems that harness that flow to improve soil health, increase resilience, and boost long-term productivity.
11:15 AM - Noon - Gary Zimmer - soil fertility - evaluating and creating the best condition to do your plantings
Noon – 1:00 PM - Lunch
1:00 PM - 3:00 PM - Field Practicum: Earthworks in Action: On-Site Layout and Equipment Demo
We’ll travel to the RAD 5 project site, where we’ll apply the design principles from the morning session directly to the landscape. Working with survey tools and observing excavation techniques in real time, participants will learn how to flag contours, mark key landscape features, and understand equipment needs and constraints. This hands-on segment emphasizes the importance of precision and adaptive planning when implementing earthworks that serve ecological and agricultural goals.
4:00–6:00 pm — Optional Return to the Classroom: Reflections and Refinement: Building from the Landscape Up
Participants are invited back to The Commons for an open session focused on reflection, refinement, and deeper Q&A. We’ll discuss lessons from the field, examine case studies from similar projects, and explore how to adapt water and earthwork strategies to different climates, soil types, and production goals.
This is a space to ask technical questions, receive personalized feedback, and think through how you might apply what you’ve learned to your own land or project.
Dinner will also be provided at The Commons (included)
Reconnect at the end of the day over a shared meal—this is a great time to continue conversations, ask questions, and network with fellow land stewards.
Sunday, September 14th, 2025
9:00 AM – Noon - Final Classroom Session: Agroforestry & Perennial Polycultures - Wrap-up session with open discussion and time for feedback on your projects or ideas. A chance to connect, reflect, and apply what you've learned. Possible topics include an overview of how trees, shrubs, and diverse perennials can be integrated into agricultural systems to build long-term resilience and productivity.
Noon – 1:00 PM - Lunch (Included)
Is This Event For me?
Farmers, homesteaders, and landowners ready to apply water-conscious design
Students and designers seeking real-world experience
Developers and planners focused on ecological land use
Equipment operators looking to expand skills into regenerative systems
Limited to 15 participants — preference given to those seeking hands-on field experience.
What is Acres U.S.A.®?
Acres U.S.A.® is North America's oldest publisher (est. 1971) on production-scale organic and sustainable farming. Founded by Charles Walters, for more than 50 years, our mission has been to help farmers, ranchers and market gardeners grow food profitably, sustainably, without harmful chemicals.
WE OFFER a full range of educational products — including books and pamphlets, a monthly magazine, webinars, podcasts, online courses and both large-venue and on-farm events — to help producers find timely, practical and well-tested knowledge and advice on just about any agricultural topic
Acres U.S.A. is committed to providing information about agricultural production systems that can regenerate the soil, support the farmer and rancher, and bring healthy, nutritious food to the consumer. We bring both new and time-tested voices to the discussion of “what is to be done” when it comes to building soil health, raising healthy animals and growing nutritious crops. We amplify the work of modern agricultural leaders and innovators, and we support all efforts to increase the resilience of our farms and ranches — and the people who anchor and feed our nation.
The books we sell, and the spWhat sets us aparteakers at our events, and the editors of our monthly eNewsletter and farmer-facing website represent generations of experience in building — not mining — soils. The lessons they teach are fundamental: to farm economically, one must do so ecologically.
You Need To JOIN US
Consulting Halls
The education never stops. In between conference sessions, you will have the unique opportunity to choose from a selection of instructors available for Q&A. These more informal roundtable-style talks will allow you to connect with the instructor and others who may have shared experiences. Consulting halls are a favorite for our attendees.
On-Site Bookstore
Acres U.S.A. displays hundreds of books on ecological and regenerative farming, from practical how-to’s to in-depth conceptual reads. We’ll have many of our bestselling titles on-site for you to purchase. Often, our speakers are also authors, and their books will be available for purchase. We also host book signings for many of our authors between sessions at the conference! Start your farming library at our conference, so the learning never stops.
Consulting Halls
The education never stops. In between conference sessions, you will have the unique opportunity to choose from a selection of instructors available for Q&A. These more informal roundtable-style talks will allow you to connect with the instructor and others who may have shared experiences. Consulting halls are a favorite for our attendees.
Sponsors
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