Regenerative Agriculture:   Farming for Tomorrow

TBD - New Dates to Be Announced 
Eilat, Israel

RegAg Eilat 2026

 BARD Workshop

A four-day workshop that will bring together scientists, graduate students, researchers, and other stakeholders from Israel and the USA for collaborative presentations, discussions, and brainstorming sessions on environmentally compatible and economically viable regenerative agriculture in response to climate change. 

The workshop’s specific objectives are to:

  1. Promote regenerative agriculture by maximizing resource-use efficiency while minimizing environmental impacts
  2. Showcase the economic potential and profitability of regenerative agricultural practices
  3. Explore emerging risks and opportunities in the agricultural sector
  4. Facilitate future collaborative/binational grant proposals in regenerative agriculture

The workshop  will be held from a Tuesday through a Thursday and will include two days of scientific lectures  and discussions (Tuesday and Thursday) at the University of Ben Gurion Campus in Eilat (Sderot HaTmarim 90),  and one day (Wednesday) for a professional tour at nearby locations.  

Cost of Participation is 300NIS per day (Tuesday and/or Thursday) which includes admission to all the lectures and lunch.  Multiple days can be purchased. Cost for participation on Wednesday, the day of the Professional Tours is 450 NIS


Registration for the workshop lectures and tour day can be performed via this link:  REGISTRATION

Tickets do NOT include admission to any of the dinners listed on the schedule.


Professional Tour Day
The Professional Tour Day will take place on Wednesday, 11 March and will include visits and tours to:
  • Kibbutz Samar's organic date palm orchard guided by Kibbutz member, Shelly Tzwarn
  • The Agricultural R&D center in Yotvata and the off-grid village guided by Iael Raij-Hoffman and Tareq Abu-Hamed
  • Ketura Institute's plant species introduction garden, guided by Elaine Solowey
  • Kibbutz Neot Semadar's mixed and organic farming systems guided by Kibbutz member Rony Angelsart 

The cost to participate in the tour day is 450 NIS which includes transporation and a lunch.  

Steering Committee

Dr. Alon Ben-Gal

Agricultural Research Organization - Volcani Institute

Dr. Alon Ben-Gal is a senior researcher in the Institute of Soil, Water and Environmental Sciences, The Agricultural Research Organization – Volcani Institute, Gilat Research Center. Dr. Ben-Gal's interest focus is self-described as: "X-treme agriculture: managing water in the arid zones". His research and expertise include: irrigation of crops; agricultural utilization of non-conventional water sources including saline water, recycled wastewater, and desalinated water; optimization of water under irrigation in arid regions; plant response to environmental stress conditions; variable rate irrigation, and flow and transport of water and solutes in the vadose zone. Alon is the author of over 170 peer reviewed journal articles and book chapters.

Dr. Ilan Stavi

Dead Sea and Arava Science Center

Dr. Stavi works as a geographer at the Dead Sea and Arava Science Center (DSASC) in Israel. Ilan has gained experience in the field of geo-ecosystem functioning across the Israeli drylands. Specifically, he has focused on the topics of geo-ecology, land-use change, soil organic carbon dynamics, and surface processes, as well as on various aspects related with environmental quality.

Dr. Gary (Yu) Gao

Ohio State University

Dr. Gary Gao is a professor and small fruit specialist with Ohio State University South Centers. He conducts research and extension programs on fruit production systems and secondary metabolites. Dr. Gao has authored or co-authored 21 Ohio State University Extension fact sheets. He is the editor and a coauthor of the award-winning “Midwest Home Fruit Production Guide.” He is also a coauthor of “Midwest Blueberry Production Guide” and “Blackberry and Their Hybrids.” Dr. Gao published many peer-reviewed journal articles. He is a columnist for American Fruit Grower magazine. He has hosted international groups through several USDA-funded projects.

Dr. Rafiq Islam

Ohio State University

Dr. Rafiq Islam is the Program Director of the Soil, Water, and Bioenergy Resources Program at The Ohio State University South Centers, Ohio, USA. His expertise spans soil health, nano-fertilization and soil amendments, chemical inducing and abiotic stress management, and bioenergy feedstock production within regenerative and climate-smart agriculture. A Fulbright Teaching Scholar, he has organized international workshops and conferences, advanced regenerative agricultural practices, and mentored future leaders. He has authored and coauthored over 200 peer-reviewed publications and books, delivered numerous international presentations, and received several U.S. House of Representatives recognitions for his global contributions to agriculture.