Putting Small Acreage to Work Conference

My colleagues in Gaston County have put together a great conference called Putting Small Acreage to Work.

This conference will take place on Saturday January 26, 2013 at the Gaston County Cooperative Extension office in Dallas, NC.

Here is the press release.

Media Contact:

Lara Worden

704-922-2112

lara_worden@ncsu.edu

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

If you are looking for ways to make a living or supplement your income off of your land, we invite you to attend the Putting Small Acreage to Work Conference on January 26, 2013 at the Gaston County Citizens Resource Center in Dallas, NC from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. The goal of this conference is to encourage the success and viability of small farm operations through educational workshops, roundtable discussions, and networking opportunities.  You will be able to explore alternative enterprises by speaking with successful producers, university personnel, and experts in the field who are already growing, producing, and researching various crops, livestock and field techniques to enhance production. Conference tracks include sessions on aquaculture, fruit production, pastured pork, pasture management, beef cattle production, parasite management for small ruminants, growing specialty crops, direct marketing of meats, forages for free range birds, importance of cover crops, and QuickBooks for farmers.

Class sessions will start promptly after registration. The program will include three breakout sessions, plus a special session on parasite management for small ruminants. Three to four topics will be discussed concurrently during each of these breakout sessions.

Pre-registration forms and a fee of $35 per person and $20 for each additional person are due by Monday, January 23. Checks made payable to Gaston County Cooperative Extension. To register go to: http://smallacres.eventbrite.com or call Gaston Co. Cooperative Extension at 704-922-2112 for more information.

BEGINNING FARMER & RANCHER SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM

The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Scholarship program is designed to give new and beginning farmers and ranchers a low-cost opportunity to participate in the Carolina Farm StewardshipAssociation's (CFSA) Sustainable Agriculture Conference Oct 26-28, 2012 in Greenville, SC.  

The Sustainable Agriculture Conference is an unparalleled opportunity for beginning farmers to learn how to be successful in their sustainable farming enterprises.  The conference has special programming for beginning farmers on basic farm planning, marketing, how to avoid common startup pitfalls, and applying for grants and loans for farmers.  Other conference workshops cover cutting edge issues in sustainable agriculture, including organic weed and pest control, plant diseases, soil fertility, heritage livestock, food safety and processing, and direct marketing.  All of it is essential information for new farms to thrive.  

Scholarship recipients will be eligible to attend all regular conference activities, beginning with the dinner and evening program on Friday, Oct. 26, and including all workshops, plenary sessions, meals and networking sessions taking place on Saturday, Oct. 26 and Sunday, Oct. 27. The scholarship does not cover the pre-conference workshops and tours held on Friday, Oct. 26, or travel & lodging costs.  The value of this scholarship totals $300.

 

Scholarship Eligibility: Up to 40 scholarships are available.  For purposes of this scholarship program, a new or beginning farmer or rancher is defined as an individual who:

* Has not operated a farm or ranch, or who has operated a farm or ranch for not more than 10 consecutive years, and

* Will provide substantial day-to-day labor and management of the farm or ranch.

* CFSA encourages minority farmers to take advantage of this scholarship.  A portion of the 40 scholarships are reserved for minority farmers.

Scholarship Requirements: Recipients will be required to attend one of the two Basic Farm Planning workshops and cover the cost of their own lodging and travel expenses.  

Scholarship Application Deadline:
The deadline to apply for this scholarship is Aug. 15, 2012.   Scholarship recipients will be notified of award decisions by Sept. 5, 2012.  Those applicants who do not receive the scholarship will be eligible to register for the Conference at the low early bird rate for students and apprentices.  

Download Scholarship Application -  http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/sac-support/

For More Information: Email info@carolinafarmstewards.or with "Scholarship" in the subject line.

This scholarship program is made possible by a grant from National Institute for Food and Agriculture and the National Center for Appropriate Technology, and we are grateful for this support.

ASAP's Business of Farming Conference Feb 25

Registration is now open for ASAP's Business of Farming Conference on February 25 at Warren Wilson College.

When: Saturday, February 25th, 2012, 8:30 am-5 pm Check in: 8-8:30 am

Where: Warren Wilson College: 701 Warren Wilson Road, Swannanoa, NC 28778

Cost: $30 per person or $45 for two farm partners before February 1st

$35 per person or $50 for two farm partners after February 1st

Conference registration includes your choice of workshops, meetings with restaurant and wholesale buyers, a locally sourced breakfast and lunch, and a comprehensive resource notebook.

2012 Workshops

• Selling to Restaurants
• Promoting Your Rural Market
• Managing Labor on the Farm
• Hosting Families and School Groups
• Quickbooks™
• Salesmanship
• Food Safety Certification
• Easy Website and Blog Platforms
• I Have a Website...Now What?
• Farm Business Planning
• Brief consults with lawyers and others
• and much more!

Questions?: Call ASAP at 828-236-1282.

Winter Vegetable Conference February 16 & 17

The 43rd Annual NC Tomato Growers Association Meeting and Winter Vegetable Conference and Trade Show is Feb 16 and 17. Come join local growers, specialists, industry professionals and over 65 exhibitors at western NC's premier vegetable conference.

The meeting takes place at the Crowne Plaza Resort in Asheville. Registration begins at 9:30 am on Wednesday and the educational program starts at 1 pm. Registration is $25 at the door. Conference program.

Special Fumigant Session:
Immediately following the conference on Thursday there will be a special session on Working with the New Fumigant Regulations. The schedule for this special session can be found on the conference program. Pre-registration for this session is required and separate from the main conference.
PRE-REGISTER by contacting Robin Tutor at 919-880-4425, tutorr@ecu.edu or Barb Gallagher at 910-567-7159, bgallagher@commwellhealth.org.