Polk Small Farms: The Cultivator Newsletter

Connecting farmers and food system innovators across Florida

Published Monthly by the UF/IFAS Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Extension Team

Issue No. 13

January 2017

Recordkeeping and Labeling:
FSMA Requirements
for Qualified Exempt Operations

In this farm food safety follow-up article, we discuss the record keeping and labeling requirements that FSMA established for Qualified Exempt Operations. Learn More here

We Need Your Help!

Please fill out this
Organic Fruit and Vegetable Variety Survey
for Northeast FL

Do you have a fruit or vegetable variety that you would recommend to others for organic production in NE Florida?
Please take a few minutes and fill out this survey. UF/IFAS is developing a list of fruit and vegetable varieties suited to organic production in Northeast Florida. Take the suvey here

Quick Links

- Small Farms Program Website

- UF/IFAS Extension near you

- UF/IFAS Virtual Field Day

- The Cultivator Newsletter Archive

Webinars

Cover Crop management for the SoutheastÂ February 14 at 2:00pm.

Management of Spotted Wing Drosophila Using Organic Strategies. February 1 at 2:00pm

Upcoming Events

Northwest Florida

- 2017 Growers' Mini-Conference: Growing
Success for Direct Markets
January 30 from 9:00am-4:00pm, Tallahassee
More information call 850-629-8665 register here

- So You want to be a Farmer? - Workshop
Series
Various Dates starting on February 7
Registration and more information here

- Vineyard Management and Pesticide Safety
Workshop
February 15 from 9:00am-1:30pm, Tallahassee, FL
Call 850-599-9396 to register

Northeast Florida

- Growing Leafy Greens on Small Acreages
for Local Markets
January 30, 4:30pm-7:00pm, Lawtey, FL
More information and registration here

- Hydroponic Vegetable Nutrient Management
January 31, 2017 from 8:00am-5:00pm, Live Oak
More information and registration here

- Small Scale Mushroom Production
February 10 from 8:30am-4:00pm, Live Oak
More information and registration here

- Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training
February 7 from 8:30am-5:00pm. Live Oak, FL
More information and registration here

- Stone Fruit & Muscadine Grape Pruning
Workshop
February 14, from 1:00pm-3:00pm, Live Oak, FL
More information and registration here

- Transplants Workshop
February 15. More information coming soon

- Starting a Successful Hydroponic Business
March 13-14 or March 17-18
More information coming soon

- Soil Microbiology Short Course: Applications
and Analyses of Mycorrhizal Associations.
July 10-12 in Gainesville
More information and registration here

Central Florida

- Organic Spinach Production System
Workshop
February 9 from 1:00pm-4pm, Citra, FL
More information and registration here

- 2017 Bee College
March 10 and 11, Marineland, FL
More information and registration here

Send us your events to share!!!

South Central Florida

- Backyard Chickens 101 (Small flock egg
production and management)
February 25 from 9:00am-1:00pm, Largo, FL
More information and registration here

Send us your events to share!!!

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Events Outside FL

- Southern SAWG Conference
January 25-28, Lexington KY
More information and registration here

- 2017 Organic Agriculture Research
Symposium
January 25-26 at SSAWG Conference
Lexington KY. More information here

South Florida

Send us your events to share!!!

News and Announcements

Relevant Publications

- Research shows FL public want to preserve forests and water. More here

- Farmers Market Coalition extended SNAP EBT Equipment Program through May 2017. More here

- An organic approach to better bug control in blueberries. More here

Send us your announcements to share!

Send us your publications to share!