David Blume has long been a frequent keynote and plenary speaker at ecological and agricultural conferences in the Americas, and a popular interviewee on radio/podcasts. He has appeared on the hugely popular Coast to Coast AM Radio show 32 times, so far. He has spoken at the Bioneers Conference, Upper Midwest Organic Farmers Conference, Ecological Farming Conference, University of Mexico (Xalapa campus) International Forum on Globalization, Technology and Society Committee, San Francisco’s World Vegetarian Day, the Whole Life Expo (in a number of cities), the Omega Institute, Grow Your Own Conference, Veggie Fest in San Jose, Earthsave, Gaia-Song Ecological Living Conference, Plenary Speaker at the Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Association, Plenary speaker at the American Agriculture Movement convention, the American Corn Growers Association, the World Biomass Conference, the Solar Living Institute’s SolFest, and a host of smaller events including advanced training for USDA Master Gardeners.
Dave is a compelling speaker. Here are some testimonials from organizations that hosted Dave’s speaking engagements:
John Schaeffer, Founder and President of Real Goods, and Executive Director of the Institute for Solar Living
I have seen David Blume speak several times, and each time he was thoroughly inspiring to the audience. Most recently he spoke at our ‘Alternative Fuels Smackdown’ at our annual SolFest, which draws 10,000 people. David was by far the best speaker on the panel, was animated in his presentation, clear, compelling, and inspirational in his delivery. I hope to have him back in the near future speaking on ethanol, biofuels, and renewable energy. He’s one of the best speakers I’ve witnessed in a long time.
Stan King, Chair, Simplicity Forum
I was one of the organizers of Bay Area Veg Fair, a conference that attracted around 5000 attendees. I asked David Blume to be one of our speakers after having seen him speak at numerous Bay Area events and being very impressed with his speaking abilities. He did a wonderful job! he was informative, witty, energetic, and really engaged the audience. David is extremely knowledgeable about his subject matter. What I really like about him is that he can tailor his talk to his audience’s concerns and questions. I highly recommend David as a speaker.
Lindsay Dailey, Workshop Director, Solar Living Institute
David Blume presented a full-day, 8-hour workshop for the Solar Living Institute, and was a speaker at our first annual Green Career Conference in 2006. David has consistently been a pleasure to work with, and provided participants with first-rate presentations. David’s speaking style is entertaining and full of cutting-edge information. He kept the class engaged for eight hours through his interactive teaching style. As one of our students said: ‘David is very knowledgeable and enthusiastic. This was a great class!’ I’m confident that anyone who chooses to engage David as a speaker/presenters/instructor will be pleased with the results, and recommend him highly as a speaker on a variety of topics in which he has many years of expertise.
Michael Olson, Host, Food Chain Radio
I featured David Blume on my Food Chain Radio program and found him to be both articulate and forceful. In fact, he ‘stole the show’ from some otherwise powerful speakers. He did a great job of fielding questions from the audience and in working ideas back and forth with fellow guests.
Mark Hoffman, President, Center for Sustainable Community
I have spent many hours listening to Dave Blume speak on permaculture and on energy production — specifically ethanol production and its utilization. Although I have heard numerous others speak on the topic of permaculture, I have yet to encounter a speaker more knowledgeable or engaging than Dave. Dave has a unique ability to analyze the natural world, always seeking to discern a more harmonious role for humans in that world, and this analytical ability provides him fascinating insights on how permaculture can transform the way we live on this planet. I have known people who, after attending one of Dave’s permaculture introduction talks, could not sleep because they were so excited over the impact of his message and insights. Having spent five years earning an engineering degree and over two decades working in corporate America, I am no stranger to speakers and presentations. Despite all that time in the role of student, I consider Dave to be one of the very best instructors I have ever encountered. He understands his material at a depth few can match, he has insights uniquely his own, and he is not afraid to speak the truth.
Randy White, Internet Coordinator, Clear Channel
Farmer Dave Blume is nothing short of a genius and American hero. His ability to accurately inform and genuinely entertain an audience is a rare skill among energy and agriculture speakers on today’s circuit. As a coordinator for Portland Peak Oil, I invited Farmer Dave to speak to our group for his presentation of Alcohol Can Be a Gas! I booked Dave on the Thom Hartmann show in Portland the morning before his evening talk. He was on for only eleven minutes but what an eleven minutes! His draw was impressive. That night Dave held the attention of over 120 people in the room for several hours, and his approach of asking, ‘What do you want to know?” allowed him to tailor his presentation on the fly. His teaching style of combining a wealth of knowledge, history, humor, and calls to action will make him an excellent addition to a professional speaking organization. I can only hope Dave keeps his rates low for us as he grows in demand!
Joyce Jobgen, Convention Coordinator, American Agriculture Movement
David Blume was the keynote speaker at our recent 28th Annual American Agriculture Movement Convention held in Oklahoma City, OK. His topic was alternative energy, and he addressed at 6 pm. At 9 pm our people were still asking questions. David was very informative, and no one had a question he could not answer. We were very pleased we chose him for our keynote speaker.
Karen Chen, Ecology Manager, Ecogatherings
There is no doubt in my mind that Dave Blume will inspire audiences of all kinds with his fluid teaching style, eclectic expertise, and stimulating ideas. Not only does he present powerful solutions that are much needed in our present time of ecological crisis; he also empowers listeners with innovative and practical tools to create their very own solutions. He is an illuminating and exciting voice for the cause — catch him if you can.
Here are some representative speaking topics and engagements, excerpted from David Blume’s CV:
Representative Talks by David Blume
biofuel and high-return co-products: retail distribution, channel jobs, and marketing development
Appropriate-scale alcohol fuel is a commodity that is inexpensive to produce and a channel for high-value, high-return co-product development. The keys to profitability in a well-run small-scale aclohol operation are getting good margins and producing value-added co-products. The co-products are worth more than the fuel itself and provide income stability when alcohol or feedstock prices are volatile. This talk provides detailed and unique insight into the design and development of lucrative new products related to fuel production. It explores non-exportable jobs related to development and distribution for small-scale biofuel businesses and presents proven methods for market development and communications.
converting simple sugars to profit: alcohol can be a gas!
Learn the truth behind the myths about alcohol fuel. Learn how to make it ecologically, profitably, and legally on the small scale. Understand how any engine — gas, diesel or two-stroke — can be inexpensively converted. Discover how to power your home, cook, cool, and heat with alcohol fuel — which is 105 octane and 98% pollution-free, and which can be made for under $1 a gallon. Learn how to get tax credit per-gallon and for alcohol fuel station set-up costs from the federal government. Gain insight into regenerative agriculture processes that support best practices for appropriate-scale biofuel development.
transforming scarcity: using appropriate-scale alcohol fuel to provide abundant food, clean water, energy, and non-exportable jobs
This talk addresses global issues and provides insights that can be applied in any bioregion, for rural or urban application. Appropriate-scale alcohol fuel production provides a means of optimizing local resources and repurposing waste streams to deliver sustainable localized resources. David Blume explains how communities, municipalities, and eco-entrepreneurs worldwide can develop localized energy independence. He describes how we can decentralize our energy and economy, backing it with the production of clean local fuel produced from surplus and waste stream resources, as well as native and cultivated plants. A look at how to create productive and lucrative closed-loop systems for cradle-to-market-to-cradle solutions for food and energy needs.
weird alcohol feedstocks: high-profit, high-yield ecological alternatives to corn
If you read the news, you would think that only corn and cellulose in giant production facilities can be used to make alcohol fuel. Learn about a wide array of crops that can flourish in deserts, marshes, and marginal farmland — or that can be rotated with other crops on prime soil. Learn about waste products that can be used to make alcohol fuel, how to get alcohol from the ocean, aquaponics, and non-farmland harvesting.
Representative Speaking Engagements
David Blume
keynote or plenary speaker
- Agricultural Biotechnology International Conference
- American Corn Growers Conference
- American Council on Renewable Energy’s Renewable Energy for Latin America and the Caribbean
- American Renewable Energy Day
- Chicago Health and Freedom Conference
- Mid-Atlantic Renewable Energy Association
- Necker Island Global Citizens Forum
- New Living Expo
- North American Corn Growers Association
- Pacific Islands Farmers Organization Network
- SolFest
- Sweet Sorghum Ethanol Association Conference
- United Nations COP26
- United Nations Global Alliance for Clean Cookstoves
- United States Commercial Services Pavilion at Hannover Messe International Trade Fair
- United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service — Agricultural Research and Development
- United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service — Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas
- United States Environmental Protection Agency’s Partnership for Clean Indoor Air
- Waste Conversion Technology Conference
- World BIO Conference
More About David Blume Consulting & Speaking
A Letter from NASA
David Blume
David Blume’s Appearances on Coast to Coast A.M. Radio Show
David Blume Biography
David Blume Consulting
