When Leah Webb learned that her son had severe food allergies and that her daughter had cystic fibrosis, she knew that a healthy diet would play an integral part of her children’s care. But learning to get organized in the kitchen without going crazy and still having time for other things felt like an impossible task. Over the course of three years, Webb learned to master the art of meal planning and prep through the use of bulk shopping, freezing foods, planning ahead, and getting organized. Her techniques are effective enough for those needing to follow the strictest of diets, but easy enough for those who don’t love to cook or plan ahead (but who also understand the necessity of home-cooked meals). Webb provides participants with an overview of the techniques that have enabled her to spend a minimal amount of time in the kitchen while serving her family a nearly 100 percent made-from-scratch diet. Home-cooked breakfasts, snacks, lunches, and dinners are possible because of the techniques she shares. Webb shows how to get organized, get cooking, and stay sane! Bring questions for the 20-minute Q&A at the end of the talk.

Planting a single seed in the ground gives life to an array of tasty stems, roots, flowers, and leaves! Leah Webb leads a fun, interactive, and tasty exploration of all the fascinating things that happen during a plant’s life cycle. Participants sing, create, mimic important pollinators (such as bees and butterflies), and explore some of the unique foods gifted to us by plants.

Raising a healthy eater in a society that doesn’t necessarily support or encourage healthy habits can be a major challenge for parents. Leah Webb, family food and garden coach with more than a decade of experience teaching kids, will discuss her fun and effective approach to encouraging interest in healthy foods. She’ll demonstrate her tried-and-true methods that will help you turn healthy meals into a joyful part of an everyday routine. The recommendations are best suited for 1-to-8-year-old children but can be modified for older children as needed.

Traditional methods of garden establishment require the use of a tiller or an immense amount of labor to remove existing grass from your new gardening space. This technique fails to preserve the beneficial processes that are present in undisturbed soil. Using a no-till, no-dig approach will help improve the quality of your soil over time, which ultimately results in fewer pests, fewer inputs, fewer weeds, less labor, and improved soil fertility. Sheet mulching is a technique used by numerous no-till, no-dig organic growers and permaculturists, in which multiple layers of organic matter are used to smother grass and build organic-rich beds on top of existing lawns. Learn how to build raised and in-ground beds using sheet mulching, the benefits of this technique, and the numerous materials that can be sourced (mostly free) to start your beds.

Our world is facing an array of diverse 21st century challenges, ranging from declining public health to environmental degradation and climate change. Individuals often feel disempowered in regard to these issues, yet our food choices and the systems that we support with our dollars are some of the most impactful approaches to improving our health and the health of our planet. Agricultural practices affect food quality, which in turn controls the population of microbes that reside in the human gut (the microbiome). These organisms are capable of controlling our physical and mental states, which indirectly links the health of our soil to the health of our people. Leah Webb discusses her holistic approach to soil, agriculture, and human health, and how she views farmers, home gardeners, and consumers as the ultimate healers of our health and environmental crises. This talk is designed to inform, inspire, and leave participants with a feeling of hope for future generations.

The microbial population of the digestive tract considerably influences proper immune response. Our bodies are designed to rely on our own physiological mechanisms, paired with the intricate action of bacteria and other microbiota, to support digestion and immunity. Leah Webb explains the ins and outs of digestion in an easy-to-understand approach, and she sheds light on the relationship between immunity, disease, microbiota, and diet. She explains what factors can interfere with healthy digestion, and she includes dietary strategies to better support immunity. Learn how avoiding grains and sugar can support a healthy digestive system (and thus a healthy immune response). Webb also discusses the ways in which the gut is connected to the brain, a relationship that directly impacts our emotions, physiological responses, and ability to feel our best.