October 21: SWF Small Farmer Networking Meeting
We are cooking up an excellent small farm network meeting here in Polk County for you all next month!
See the registration page at http://smallfarmnetworkatheart.eventbrite.com
We'll be visiting H.E.A.R.T. Institute in Lake Wales. This is a non-profit that trains students for international service. We are very lucky to have them right there in Polk County because they have an amazing demonstration area featuring many of the ideas that are on the tip of everyone's tongue lately!
We will focus on their aquaponics and permaculture areas but there is plenty more to see including vermicomposting, goats, rabbits, and chickens, not to mention student plots of vegetables and a myriad of high protein leguminous plants raised for fresh greens.
Here's hoping you can make the haul! See the registration page above for more details.
By the way, take a look at the new aquaponics page of the UF/IFAS Extension Small Farms website here:
http://smallfarms.ifas.ufl.edu/crops/aquaponics/index.html
December 4: Build Your Own Food Safety Manual
If you are not yet in need of third party auditing to comply with the food safety regulations but would like to get your ducks in row for the future or if you will need to be audited but have no idea where to start in getting your food safety plan in motion this is the program for you.
The excitement begins by sitting down with a computer and walking through creating your manual using free software online. The real work will begin when you go home and actually implement the standard operating procedures the software will generate according to your operation and situation.
The advantage of attending this program is that we will walk you through the process and answer any questions and assuming all goes as planned you won't get caught up in any computer related issues that seem to plague so many farms I talk to.
The BOCC will supply the computer, just bring yourself and if you have any records you think you might want to reference regarding the history of your farm you'll be able to enter those in as we go. No records to enter? No worries! You can go back into the document later and enter additional information plus the manual includes lots of record keeping forms to keep you on track in the future.
See the flyer here. http://polk.ifas.ufl.edu/AG_Safety/files/pdf/Calendar/Food%20Safety%20Workshop%20FlyerPolk.pdf
See registration here. https://foodsafetypolk.eventbrite.com/
Protected Agriculture Survey
I am woefully behind on collecting data for a statewide survey on "protected agriculture". This term includes operations that use systems like soilless media, row covers, tunnels, and greenhouses to raise edible products like fruits and vegetables (transplants or ornamentals not included). If you think this might include your farm and you are in Polk County and I have not yet contacted you please give me a call! Note we have a new phone system and my new phone number is (863) 519-1049.
Mushroom program: delay delay delay
For those of you that have been eagerly awaiting the mushroom program I have another delay for you! We need to reschedule the program for next year to make the most of our resources. I am working on dates and also on finding hard wood logs to offer as part of the program. Know of anyone with hard wood logs we could use? I am checking around and hope to find some we can include in the program materials to get people off to the best start. Let me know if you have any ideas...
Blog, blog, blog
I receive so many awesome announcements that there is no way I can pass them all on to you as they come. Instead I forward them to my blog and hope you check it often for lots of upcoming opportunities and announcements.
I think you will find this one on an upcoming aquaponics program in Winter Haven particularly interesting...
http://polksmallfarms.blogspot.com/2013/09/aquaponics-workshop-info.html
As always...
Check out the calendar page of polksmallfarms.com for additional upcoming events.
See a direct link here.
http://polk.ifas.ufl.edu/AG_Safety/events/index.shtml
