Polk Small Farms: Webinar_Critical Farm Labor Issues for Beginning and Start-Up Farmers

Join us for a Beginning Farmer Webinar

Monday, June 15, 2015

12:00pm to 1:00 pm (Eastern)

Critical Farm Labor Issues for Beginning and Start-Up Farmers

Presenters:

Anne Geyer, Agriberry Farm

Allyssa Mark and Kim Niewolny, Virginia Beginning Farmer & Rancher Coalition Program

To participate in this webinar, please go to:

https://virginiatech.webex.com/virginiatech/j.php?MTID=ma93b71c844c5b27d756a698e831f3357

Farm labor is important to consider when making decisions on your farm. These decisions may be about what kind of labor needs you have, where you can find interns or employees, and what legal matters are relevant to you and your farming situation. This webinar will address these issues and more to help you begin planning or expanding your farm for a sustainable future. First, the VBFRCP team will introduce you to some important farm labor topics that you will need to consider on your farm. Next, Anne Geyer of Agriberry Farm will discuss Agriberry's experiences with labor and management with a special emphasis on their Young Worker Training Program. After the presentation, we will open the floor for a question and answer session with Anne and the VBFRCP team!

The Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Program is state-wide and coalition-based program. Virginia Tech/Virginia Cooperative Extension serves as the backbone organization for the Coalition. Funded through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) of the USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) (Award Number: 2015-70017-22887) and the Southern Extension Risk Management Education Center. For more information about the webinar or program questions, contact the director, Kim Niewolny, at niewolny@vt.edu.

No registration is required. About 15 minutes before noon, go to the website address above to prepare for the webinar. Login by entering your name and email address. You will then be prompted to download and install the WebEx add-on. Once installed, you will be taken to the webinar. Set up your audio connection by clicking the "Connect to Audio" button on the left. Attendees connecting with their phones should use the "Call Me" or "I Will Call In" options. Attendees connecting with computer headsets and microphones should use the "Call Using Computer" option. To hear the audio presenters, speakers must be turned on. During the webinar, questions can be typed into the chat box on the right hand side of the screen. A recording of this webinar will be available at the Virginia Beginning Farmer Program website afterwards.

System Requirements:

PC-based attendees: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server (Windows® 8 not fully supported)

Mac®-based attendees: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

Virginia Cooperative Extension programs and employment are open to all, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital, family or veteran status, or any other basis protected by law. An equal opportunity/affirmative action employer. Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Virginia State University, and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating. Edwin J. Jones, Director, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg; Jewel E. Hairston, Administrator, 1890 Extension Program, Virginia State, Petersburg. If you are a person with a disability and desire any assistive services or other accommodations to participate in this activity, please contact Kim Niewolny at 540-231-5784 between business hours (9 a.m.-5 p.m.) to discuss accommodations five days prior to the events. *TDD number is (800) 828-1120.

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