The impulse for this event came when Eleni Gkikakis approached Dr Saskia von Diest to use the opportunity of her visit to Crete for the 13th European International Farming Systems Association Symposium, to present something specifically on intuitive farming. Saskia agreed, and Eleni introduced her to Flery, from Re-Green. Together, they welcome you to a one-day introductory event on the emerging movement of intuitive farming.

Please read the following information before booking your place.This is a one-day introductory event on the emerging movement of intuitive farming. Please read the following information before booking your place. We look forward to seeing you!

WHY ATTEND THIS EVENT?

Current large-scale agricultural practices will not be able to meet food security and sustainability challenges in the next decades, and a radical transformation of our food-growing practices is needed.
The use of intuition and other subtle abilities to make practical management decisions in a food-growing context, whether agricultural or gardening, has received little attention in scientific research until recently, but it is now fast becoming a new field of research. Researchers are learning that farmers prefer using these abilities, consciously or unconsciously, often with greater success than using tools designed using science. Their decisions are also often more ethical and in harmony with the balance offered by natural systems when using their subtle abilities consciously.

Some farmers and gardeners also make use of intuitive communication with nature to obtain more information about their plants, animals and landscape. They often see great benefits in doing so for their management decisions, such as reduced inputs, greater outputs and higher profits. But little is known about this in science.
The concept of communicating with nature is not new and appears to be a common thread in indigenous cultures worldwide. It is documented in books and documentaries, and practised in subsistence and small-scale farming, as well as in food production in eco-villages around the world, such as Findhorn Foundation, Damanhur and Auroville. Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian philosopher and founder of anthroposophy, mentioned it in his Biodynamic agriculture lectures, although it is often over-looked by biodynamic farming practitioners.
It is not known how information is transferred during intuitive communication. Although almost a century of scientific evidence supporting the concept of telepathy (human-to-human and interspecies) is possible, many scientists continue to dismiss it as pseudoscience. However, quantum physics has provided more widely accepted evidence for theories on how the universe operates at a sub-atomic, quantum or energetic level, so the concept is receiving renewed attention.

Regardless of the mechanism behind these subtle abilities, it is clear that they are useful to food-growers, because many already use them. Researching the use and development of intuition and interspecies communication in agriculture is already part of the urgent radical transformation needed to improve efficiency and sustainability.
But as the urgency increases, one of the most important questions is: HOW do we empower and assist farmers in developing their subtle abilities, to more consciously and confidently make more efficient management decisions that are in harmony with nature? In this one-day introductory workshop, we will be focusing on the theory and practical development tools towards answering this question.

WHAT TO EXPECT

– A brief presentation on the latest scientific advances in using intuition and interspecies communication for food-growing and gardening (Saskia)
– Q&A session and dynamic group discussion (Saskia and Eleni)
– An exploration on basic practical development techniques for intuition and interspecies communication. This may be outside, so please bring a hat, natural insect repellent and sunscreen (Saskia and Eleni)

The event will be presented in English, but questions can be answered in Greek by Eleni, if needed.

SASKIA BIO

Dr Saskia von Diest obtained her PhD in Plant Pathology in 2013, and from 2014 until 2017 she held a postdoctoral research position at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, to explore quantum-based techniques and technologies in agriculture, such as those using sound, electromagnetics and intuitive abilities. Her passion for knowledge extension from research to practice inspired her to bring various international experts to host workshops in South Africa, and build a wide network of farmers, technical advisors and researchers for this emerging field of resaerch.
She currently holds a joint postdoctoral research position at the Centre for Complex Systems in Transition, Stellenbosch University and the Centre for Agroecology, Water and Resilience, Coventry University, UK, to further explore the practice and development of intuitive farming.
Part of her work is helping to critically evaluate how modern science can be applied for this kind of research, to help develop new methodologies for intuitive farming and for agricultural research in general. She uses transdisciplinary, participatory and transformative research approaches, co-creating with those who practice food-growing, who play the most important role in the story of this emerging movement.

ELENI BIO

Eleni Gkikakis holds a BSc Hons in Mass Communication and Media Arts from Southern Illinois University, USA. During her studies she specialized in Marketing and Advertising of companies in the service sector and minored in Speech Communication and International Relations. Since her return to Greece after her studies, she worked in the Client Service departments of numerous national and multinational advertising agencies.
Her childhood love for nature and animals caught up with her, and inspired by Juliette De Bairacli Levy, she pursued independent studies on holistic nutrition therapy, naturopathy and herbalism. In 2006 she completed her Diploma in Veterinary Homeopathy and founded White Flower Holistic Animal Care. Her understanding of subtle energies led her to develop her intuitive interspecies communication ability with well-known South African animal communicators Anna Breytenbach and Wynter Worsthorne. Her now uses these skills in her work on a daily basis, with much success and to the surprise of conventional veterinary practitioners.
Eleni also gets actively involved in numerous conservation projects in Africa, such as the Global White Lion Protection Trust, and independent peacemaking groups. Since 2016 she is a devoted and active member of Dr Jane Goodall’s Roots & Shoots Greece.

EVENT DETAILS

VENUE: Re-Green Ecoculture Centre, Seliana, Greece: http://re-green.gr/
DATE: Saturday 14 July 2018
TIMES: 10:30 – 18:30 (Arrival at 10:00 for 10:30 start)

PRICE: € 80 pp. Limited spaces at the concession price of € 55 pp (farmers and gardeners will be given preference). Price includes lunch and two tea/coffee breaks.
Ticket sales close 17:00 Thursday 12 July 2018 for catering purposes. Please book early to avoid disappointment!

GETTING THERE:

Please see the Re-Green website for details: http://re-green.gr/contact-2/
Transport by shuttle from Akrata bus station to Re-Green can be organised if arranged with us the previous day.

BOOKINGS AND CONTACT:

Flery Fotiadou at info@re-green.gr, or Eleni Gkikakis at eleni@lily.gr