Symposium Organizers

Lisa Forehand has spent the past 20 years working in the fields of organic and sustainable agricultural systems. She holds a Master’s of Science in Entomology from North Carolina State University. Most of her career has been spent working for the Center for Environmental Farming Systems as the Extension and Outreach Specialist, for their many initiatives around food and farming systems.

Hersey Forehand started Stone Pine Consulenza because he has an affinity for sustainable agriculture and has a desire to spread these practices throughout the world. He is also the creative director and graphic/web designer of Stone Pine Studio, a creative studio with nearly 25 years experience, which created this website and all Symposium marketing materials.

Dr. Francesco Tiezzi is a Professor at the University of Firenze and works in the field of animal breeding and quantitative genetics. He assists with Stone Pine Consulenza’s tour programming.

In 2013, Marco Calcaprina, together with his two partners, started Centro Lombricoltura Toscano (CLT) vermicomposting plant in the municipality of San Giuliano Terme, Pisa. They found in earthworm farming and the many aspects connected to it, a way to combine work with a passion for the environment and at the same time a technique to produce a high quality natural fertilizer.

Rhonda Sherman is the former Director of the Compost Learning Lab at North Carolina State University where she taught vermicomposting and composting for 30 years. Considered a leading authority on vermicomposting, she has been contacted by people in 126 countries about this topic and has authored over 65 publications, and her latest book is The Worm Farmer’s Handbook by Chelsea Green Publishing. Before her retirement, she organized an annual conference on large‐scale commercial vermicomposting (her final event, the 21st Annual Vermiculture Conference was held on October 22-23, 2022 and boasted 183 attendees).