6th National Small Farm Conference –September 18-20
Conference Registration: Registration for the 6th National Small Farm Conference scheduled for September 18-20, 2012 in Memphis, Tennessee is now open! The theme of this conference is “Partnering for Success of Small Farmers and Ranchers”. Over 800 participants are expected to attend and participate from land-grant colleges and universities, community-based organizations, foundations, farming communities, and other public and private sector organizations. This train-the-trainer conference will offer educational tours, oral and poster presentations, success stories and exhibits. Please see below for important conference information.
What: 6th National Small Farm Conference
When: September 18-20, 2012
Where: Memphis Cook Convention Center
Registration Fee: $295; after August 24, $345
Early Registration Deadline: August 24, 2012
Conference Website: www.tnstate.edu/smallfarmconference
Lodging: Memphis Marriott Downtown Hotel 1-800-266-9432 and ask for the Memphis Marriott Downtown reservations
Name of Group: 6th National Small Farm Conference, $93 per night plus applicable taxes
Credit card is to guarantee room. Guest may pay by cash, credit or debit upon arrival
Please see the conference website for details on conference and hotel registration.
Webinar: Florida Farm to School Effort –August 7, 10am EST
(If you’re interested in Farm to School, take a look at the Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference program below and the Farm to Cafeteria Conference information –registration deadline has been extended!)
The Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services took on the responsibilities of the state’s school food and nutrition programs on January 1st of this year. As we settle in to our new home here at the Department, we are continually working to identify new opportunities and streamline best practices so that we may guide and support Florida’s school food service programs moving forward.
The Division has prepared an interactive webinar to discuss the Farm to School effort being developed at the state level and obtain feedback on how to best implement this program throughout the state.
You can join this online meeting using a program called WebEx.
To join the WebEx session, you must first:
1) Determine where will you go to have computer and phone access to the presentations (preferably a quiet, undisturbed location); and
2) Understand that you might be prompted to download additional applications to run the WebEx meeting, these downloads are necessary to view WebEx. You may also need to adjust your computer settings to turn off “pop-up blocker” and allow some “cookies.”
You may want to print or write out the information below to assist you as you connect to the webinar using WebEx.
To participate on Tuesday, August 7th, 2012 at 10:00 a.m. (Eastern Standard Time), you will need to be at a computer and telephone (conference phone is better). You will need to login 10-15 minutes before the scheduled time to avoid any delay. For assistance contact: (850) 617-7406.
Tuesday, August 7th, 2012 at 10:00 a.m.
The password is: florida
Enter your first and last name, email address, and the password if it is not already entered.
Click “Join.”
Click here join the NSLP Meal Requirements WebEx on Tuesday, August 7th by 10:00 a.m.
You must also connect by telephone, dial: 1-888-670-3525. You will be asked to enter a conference code. The Conference Code is 2112807122.
If you have any questions, please contact our office at 800-504-6609.
Thank you,
Christie Meresse
Food, Nutrition and Wellness
Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
600 S. Calhoun Street, suite 120
Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Phone: 850-617-7427
Christine.meresse@freshfromflorida.com
Financial Agriculture Management Conference –September 9-11
The University of Florida/IFAS Extension Services is partnering with Farm Credit, Florida Nursery, Gardens and Landscape Association and several other financial organizations to bring you the Financial Agriculture Management Conference. This event is made possible through a USDA Specialty Crop Block Grant and will be hosted at the Gaylord Palms Hotel in Orlando, FL from September 9 through September 11. Registration is $199/person or $375 for two individuals from the same company. Find out more about this program by visiting www.FAFMC.org or see attached flyer.
Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference -July 27-29
You can still register for the conference –but hurry, the conference is next week! This conference is put on by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences Extension and Florida A&M University’s College of Agriculture and Food Sciences Small Farms Focus Team. The conference organizers have put together a fantastic program this year that you do not want to miss! Registration and accommodations information can be found on the conference website: http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/smallfarms
There is a great line up of sessions, demonstrations, and tours covering topics such as
· parasite control for livestock
· heritage breeds
· small ruminant production
· food safety
· local food systems
· farm to school
· farmers’ markets
· community gardens
· business and marketing plans
· healthy soils
· crop selection
· hydroponics nutrient solutions and irrigation management
· choosing hydroponic varieties
· insect control in greenhouses
· drip irrigation
· low cost production solutions
· cut flower/foliage
· organic marketing
· organic pest management
· alternative soil management
· the business of farming
· renewable energy
· pastured poultry
· bug identification
· cottage food industry
· specialty mushrooms
Bottom line = there is something for everyone! Check out full program descriptions here: http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/smallfarms/details.html
Keynote speaker Michael Shuman will be featured on Saturday, July 28th, sponsored by the Florida Food Policy Council. Michael H. Shuman is an economist, attorney, author, and entrepreneur, and Director of Research and Marketing for Cutting Edge Capital. He has authored, coauthored, or edited eight books. His most recent book is Local Dollars, Local Sense: How to Move Your Money from Wall Street to Main Street and Achieve Real Prosperity.
6th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference: Digging In! –August 2-5
Registration for the 6th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference: Digging In! was scheduled to close July 13, but there are still a few spaces available, so the deadline was extended to July 23. That means you have time left to save your space! The conference focuses on all aspects of Farm to Cafeteria work and seeks to engage a diverse group of stakeholders at all skill levels including food service professionals, farmers, educators, policy makers, representatives from government agencies and nonprofits, entrepreneurs and students. This event won't take place again until 2014, so reserve your space, spread the word, and prepare to Dig In to all things Farm to Cafeteria August 2-5 in Burlington, Vermont!
Webinar: Combating Food Insecurity Among Older Americans –July 24, 2:00-3:30 EST
Please join the National Council on Aging and Feeding America for a discussion on working collaboratively to combat food insecurity among older Americans. On this webinar, Feeding America, the nation’s leading domestic hunger-relief charity, will provide an overview of the food bank network and their efforts to address food insecurity among older Americans.
In this webinar, we’ll explore:
- How the aging network can partner with the food bank network to address elder food insecurity.
- Examples of successful local partnerships and initiatives between the aging and anti-hunger communities that are collaboratively working to address the nutritional needs of seniors in their community.
Speakers:
- Eileen Hyde, Programs Specialist, Feeding America
- Lisa Davis, Vice President of Public Policy, Feeding America
- Katie Schweikhardt, Director of Programs, Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida
- Kristina Rodriguez, Board Member, Harry Chapin Food Bank of Southwest Florida
Register for this webinar here: https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/showReg?udc=o3my82umw0pb
Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass Version 2.0
On July 17, USDA is proudly unveiling the 2.0 version of the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Compass, a digital resource detailing USDA's involvement in local and regional food. Please help us spread the word!
What is the Compass? The KYF Compass highlights USDA investments in local food systems; showcases inspiring local food success stories from around the country; and features an interactive map. The 2.0 version of the map (live on July 17) is searchable by keyword or zip code radius, easier to use than the original version and has thousands of new data points, including USDA-funded local food projects in all 50 states, farmers markets, food hubs, wholesale markets, meat processing facilities and other critical infrastructure.
On Tuesday, July 24, at 1:30 ET, you're invited to join USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan for a Twitter chat about local and regional food. You can ask her questions directly using #KYF2 or #ASKUSDA. You can also email feedback or questions any time to knowyourfarmer@usda.gov.
Irrigation Energy Webinar Series
Delivery of irrigation water through on farm irrigation systems from ground or surface water sources typically requires the addition of energy. The amount of energy that must be added is controlled by the type of irrigation delivery system, elevation difference between the field and the water source, inches of water applied, and the land area being irrigated.
In this three part series participants became familiar with how to determine how much energy is required if all components of the system are operating at near peak efficiency. The series is presented by William Kranz Ph.D., an Associate Professor and Irrigation Specialist in the department of Biological Systems Engineering at the University of Nebraska Extension. This webinar series was supported by funding from NCR-SARE as part of a Professional Development project coordinated coordinated by Scott Sanford, Sr. Outreach Specialist at University of Wisconsin. Information is presented by a team of extension specialists in the North Central region. Access all three webinars here.
Kelly Monaghan
Center for Sustainable and Organic Food Systems
Program Assistant, Florida SARE Program, UF/FAMU
3031 Mc Carty Hall D, PO Box 110310, Gainesville, FL 32611
Ph:(352)273-3508; Fax: (352)392-8196
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