Announcements

Organic Gardening 101: Cool Season Garden Planning

Fall is almost here! That means it’s time for you to start planning your fall garden, and you need to know what to plant, when to plant it, how to get a second “spring” harvest, and protect your winter crops when it gets frosty. Green Industries Institute will be offering a workshop that will help you figure all this out. Bring your garden’s measurements and we will work out a garden plan for you, complete with spacing and dates. This workshop happens Sept 8 from 9:30-11:30 a.m. It costs $15 and if you bring a friend they get in half off. Please register beforehand if you know you will be coming.

Soil Testing Survey

A graduate student at the University of Florida is searching for farmers to help her complete her Master’s degree! Her research is on farmers’ perceptions of soil testing. The survey takes most people less than 10 minutes to complete and can easily be accessed online by following this link: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/WYWF3YD. To adequately analyze her research results she needs at least 200 respondents –and she’s currently up to 103! Can you help her reach her goal?  It is not a requirement that you do soil testing on your farm, just that you grow horticultural crops. The survey is about your perception of soil testing and why you have made the decision to do soil testing (or not to do it). The survey is completely anonymous –you will never be asked for your name or contact information. If you have any questions about the survey or research project, contact Corey Hanlon at selah789@ufl.edu.  

Job Announcement: National Program Leader (Cropping Systems) at USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA)
Washington, DC $89,033.00 - $136,771.00 GS 13-14, promotion potential to GS-15.
The National Institute of Food and Agriculture is in the process of recruiting a National Program Leader in the Institute of Food Production and Sustainability, with the Plant Production Division. The successful applicant will have a wide range of leadership responsibilities in NIFA, but the recruitment is targeted at finding a co-leader with expertise in plant production for the Integrated Organic Program, including managing the Organic Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) and Organic Transitions (ORG) programs. Please note that the closing date is September 15, and the successful applicant would be expected to start work in Washington DC in a fairly compressed time frame. This is a permanent position with benefits and the possibility of covering moving costs to DC. A Ph.D. is highly preferred, but applicants with backgrounds in organic agriculture will be considered at both junior and senior academic ranks. Telework is allowed 1 day per week and flexible schedules are available, but the position is based in Washington, DC. See attached email for more information.

Social Security Retirement Benefits 
The RAISE Florida Network is hosting a workshop about social security retirement benefits that may be of interest to some of you. The workshop will be held on Saturday, September 8 at the JRE Lee Complex in Jasper, FL. Potential topics of discussion include financial security, retirement security, barriers and challenges to social security. See the attached flyer for more information.

Direct Sale Farm Operation Rule Development Workshops    
FDACS is considering making changes to laws that would allow small farms to sell eggs. A meeting will be held in Polk County in Winter Haven on September 13 that is open to the public. To provide regulatory and economic relief to small farm operations that produce and sell poultry and egg products, the Department has worked with interested operators of small farm operations to develop proposed rule language that defines a Direct Sale Farm Operation; establishes a permit fee for such operation; provides the regulatory parameters for operation; and, allows for USDA exemptions applicable to such operation. Department staff of the Division of Food Safety will present the proposed rule language and receive comments and recommendations from industry and interested parties on the completion of these rules.

Agenda here http://www.freshfromflorida.com/fs/DirectSaleFarmOperationWorkshopAgenda2012.pdf

DATE AND TIME: September 13, 2012 from 2 pm until 4 pm.

PLACE: The Florida Citrus Building, The Florida Room, 500 Third Street NW, Winter Haven, Florida, 33881-3403

2012 Florida Agriculture Financial Management Conference

The 2012 Florida Financial Management conference will be held September 9-11 at the Gaylord Palms Resort in Kissimmee, FL. Come learn about how to position your business for the global agriculture economy, attend an estate and succession planning session, get information on tax tips and traps, explore the agriculture economic outlook, find out how to market Florida agriculture products in a global market, and network with other agricultural industry leaders! Find out more by referencing the attached email.

 

Shade House Hydroponic Vegetable Program

Attached you will find the registration brochure for an upcoming Advanced Hydroponics program at the Suwannee Valley Agricultural Extension Center near Live Oak on September 13th. This program, including dinner and refreshments, will feature work with our open shade structures being used to extend the vegetable season, in particular through the hottest part of the year. The feature crop will be bell pepper and will include a trial evaluating 17 bell pepper varieties for their adaptability to the shade culture system being used. That system includes three gallon containers filled with composted pine bark, drip tape as the irrigation delivery system, and standard hydroponic nutrient solution. Just as a preview, by the time this program will roll around (September 13), several pepper varieties will have plants over 7-8 ft tall. In addition to peppers, we are growing tomato and herbs under shade. So, you will truly see “Veggies Made in the Shade”. To attend, register by completing the form and mail back to us with your registration and payment. Hope to see you there.

 

Small Farm Financial Strategies

Workshop for anyone interested in improving profitability of a small or part time farm. Budgeting, pricing, grants, loans and financial resources will be discussed during the 90 minute session. October 4, 2012 5:30 - 7:00PM in Bushnell.  Free! Click below or call (352) 793-2728 x236. Register: http://sffinance.eventbrite.com

 

Small Farm Direct Marketing

Explore all direct marketing options! September 13, 2012, 5:30-7:00 in Bushnell. Free! Register by clickin the link or call (352)793-2728 x 236. Register: http://sfdirect.eventbrite.com

 

 

 

 

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

kmon913@ufl.edu; www.southernsare.org/florida

 

NOTE: My schedule is Tuesday through Friday for the duration of the fall semester. I will not be responding to email on Mondays.

 

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