Event Calendar

Calendar was updated the week of January 5, 2009

JANUARY

Jan 7
Value-Added Dairy: It’s More Than Milk. 9:30am – 3:30pm. Carroll County Library, 70 Second St NE, Carrollton, OH. Come learn from dairy producers who are adding value to their product & increasing their profits. Registration $25, $20 for members of Innovative Farmers of Ohio; includes lunch & materials. Contact OSU Extension; 1035 Harcourt Rd.; P. O. Box 1268; Mount Vernon, Ohio, 43050 or 740-397-0401.

Jan 9
Half Pint and Essex: A Tale of Two Farms--A Winter Forum on Farm Systems Design presented by the Local Food Project at Airlie (Warrenton, VA). Presenting for the first time in Virginia, these innovative farms will share a complete and detailed picture of the innovative systems that have allowed their sustainable operations to flourish. For more information, send an email to localfoodproject@airlie.org or visit our blog at http://sixteenfootladder.blogspot.com/.

Jan 10
PASA Western Region Membership Potluck. 11am-3pm, Cranberry Municipal Center, Council Chambers, 2525 Rochester Rd, Ste. 400, Cranberry Twp PA 16066-6499. All members are welcome & bring a friend! If your last name begins with A to M: Side Dish. If your last name begins with N to Z: Dessert. RSVP to Julie Inman in PASA’s Pittsburgh office, 412-697-0411 or julie@pasafarming.org.

Jan 10
Ohio: Our Farms, Our Feast. Workshop discussion entitled “Hogs=Pork=$$$.Innovative Farmers of Ohio and the Ohio Rural Rehabilitation Program proudly present a series of events dedicated to promoting, supporting and educating about local, value added and seasonal foods. The mission of Ohio: Our Farms Our Feast is to influence the quality of life for farmers and consumers by seeking and sharing knowledge and creating opportunities for the expansion of local food production systems and markets. Contact OSU Extension; 1035 Harcourt Rd.; P. O. Box 1268; Mount Vernon, Ohio, 43050 740-397-0401. $25 per person, $20 for members of Innovative Farmers of Ohio.

Jan 14, 15, 16, 20, 21
8th Annual NOFA course in Organic Land Care, Doyle Conservation Center, Leominster, MA. Jan. 27, 28, 29, 30, Feb. 2, 2009 at the CT Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven, CT; Feb. 17, 18, 19, 20 and 23, 2009 at the Birch Hill, Schodack, NY; and Feb. 25, 26, 27, March 2 and 3, 2009 at the Save the Bay Center, Providence, RI. This 5-day intensive course trains and accredits professionals to practice organic land care (caring for land without the use of synthetic pesticides or soil amendments). It is recommended for landscapers, designers, municipal and parks employees, horticulturists, master gardeners and entrepreneurs. Visit www.organiclandcare.net.

Jan 15-19
The Agriculture Course: An Intensive Study of the Origins and Future of Biodynamics, with Mac Mead, Steffen Schneider, and Malcolm Gardner. For active students and practitioners of Rudolf Steiner’s approach to agriculture, which treats the farm or garden as an organism. Chestnut Ridge, NY. Contact Mimi Satriano, 845-352-5020 x15, mimi@threefold.org, www.pfeiffercenter.org/workshops.

Jan 16-17
Future Harvest – CASA’s 10th Annual Conference - Connect Locally: Food, Farms & Community, at the NEW Frederick Holiday Inn and Conference Center
Frederick, MD. Event will feature Nina Planck, author of Real Food, as the conference keynote speaker as well as breakout sessions on marketing, farming economics, grass based systems, and sustainable production of hay, grain, fruit, vegetables, and flowers. For more information see our website calendar at: www.futureharvestcasa.org/09conference.html

Jan 19-21
The North American Strawberry Growers Association annual meeting & conference, New Orleans, LA at the Hotel Monteleone. Visit www.nasga.org or contact Kevin Schooley, info@nasga.org or 613-258-4587.

Jan 21-24
2009 Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms Conference, Chattanooga, Tennessee. The conference schedule will be available in October at www.ssawg.org or call 678-494-0696 to request a brochure.

FEBRUARY

Feb 5-7
PASA’s 18th Annual Farming for the Future conference, Penn Stater Conference Center, State College PA. Stay tuned to this website for details. The theme this year: The Worldwide Search for Food Sovereignty: Finding Your Foodshed. Conference brochures will be mailed to members in the end of November.

Feb 21
Introduction to Organic Beekeeping: Preparing a New Hive for Spring, with Chris Harp. Covers basic tasks for first time beekeepers, with an emphasis on honoring the bees' needs. Chestnut Ridge, NY.Contact The Pfeiffer Center, 845-352-5020 x20, info@pfeiffercenter.org, www.pfeiffercenter.org.

MARCH

Mar 28
Beginning a Vegetable Garden, with Mac Mead. Topics covered will include: planning the garden (what goes where and when), preparing the soil, planting and raising seedlings, companion planting, and weeding and mulching. Chestnut Ridge, NY: Contact The Pfeiffer Center, 845-352-5020 x20, info@pfeiffercenter.org, www.pfeiffercenter.org.

APRIL

Apr 4
Raised Beds in the Garden and Farm Organism, with Mac Mead. Create the most favorable conditions for growing garden produce or crops with this simple, effective technique. Work with both hand tools and machines will be presented. Chestnut Ridge, NY: Contact The Pfeiffer Center, 845-352-5020 x20, info@pfeiffercenter.org, www.pfeiffercenter.org.

Apr 23-24
National Small Food Manufacturer Conference, Lincoln, NE. Holiday Inn Downtown Lincoln. Learn how to heat up your food business! This conference has been designed specifically for small food manufacturers throughout the country. Presented by The Food Processing Center University of Nebraska visit www.fpc.unl.edu/nsfmc/

MAY

May 9
SHEEP CAMP FOR ADULTS—Owens Farm, Sunbury PA, 8:30 am - 5:00 p.m. Jump-start the learning curve. Full-day, very hands-on workshop on keeping sheep. Work alongside experienced shepherds. See agenda on www.owensfarm.com, or email info@owensfarm.com 570-286-5309.

JUNE

Jun 4-6
Native Plants in the Landscape Conference at Millersville University. For more information visit www.millersvillenativeplants.org, call 717-871-2189 or email npilc@yahoo.com.

June 6
The Role of the Horse in the Farm Organism, with Mac Mead. The horse is an important source of petroleum-free power for the small farm, as well as fertilizer, and plays a vital role when the farm is seen as an organism. This workshop will include hands-on sessions in caring for and working with draft horses. Chestnut Ridge, NY: Contact The Pfeiffer Center, 845-352-5020 x20, info@pfeiffercenter.org, www.pfeiffercenter.org.

JULY

Jul 14-16
Plasticulture 2009, Ramada Inn and Penn State University, State College, PA. For more information visit www.plasticulture.org.