Cancelled The Spring Program and meeting of the New York Nut Growers Association focuses on grafting as applied to the propagation of desirable nut tree cultivars. Members will share their past and current experiences with the special requirements for grafting nut trees. There will be hands-on grafting practice and a farm tour....
April 14, 2020 Aaronsburg, Pennsylvania PASA presents this workshop. Join pest management and bio-controls expert Suzanne Wainwright-Evans, owner of Buglady Consulting, and vegetable farmer Scott Case of Patchwork Farm and Greenhouse for an informative workshop. From prevention strategies through proper cultural and biological controls, this session will help you set your vegetable crops up for success. ...
Cancelled University of Maine Extension is offering this day-long class on two dates in two locations....
Cancelled University of Maine Extension is offering this day-long class on two dates in two locations....
April 7, 2020 Waterville, Maine SCORE Maine, in collaboration with Farm Credit East, is offering a free Farm Business Management Forum. This forum is a series of educational sessions on farm business management. Topics include diversification, farm labor, farm policy, and characteristics of financially successful farms....
Cancelled Cornell Cooperative Extension of Erie County will be offering this workshop for anyone interested in gaining foundational knowledge about creating a marketing plan for agricultural businesses. A Taste NY presentation will also be given....
Cancelled Penn State Extension is offering a mid-day workshop that will help you improve pasture growth, learn tricks on controlling weeds, and get the most out of the grazing season. The free workshop will be held in several locations. Dr. Jessica Williamson, Penn State Extension Forage Specialist, and local experts present unbiased, research-based information on various topics from Pasture Planning to Improving Forage Quality. ...
Cancelled Penn State Extension is offering a mid-day workshop that will help you improve pasture growth, learn tricks on controlling weeds, and get the most out of the grazing season. The free workshop will be held in several locations. Dr. Jessica Williamson, Penn State Extension Forage Specialist, and local experts present unbiased, research-based information on various topics from Pasture Planning to Improving Forage Quality. ...
March 29, 2020 Bristol, Vermont This is an educational workshop on the slaughter and processing of two goats guided by Mary Lake. This workshop is presented by Rural Vermont and co-sponsored by ACORN. Also, Rural Vermont will present the requirements of the updated On-Farm Slaughter law and give room for questions and discussion....
Cancelled The Maine Grass Farmers Network, a producer-led organization, presents its annual grazing conference. The conference is a great sharing resource for livestock producers who manage their livestock using pasture and quality forages to produce high quality milk and meat products. ...
Cancelled Penn State Extension is offering a mid-day workshop that will help you improve pasture growth, learn tricks on controlling weeds, and get the most out of the grazing season. The free workshop will be held in several locations. Dr. Jessica Williamson, Penn State Extension Forage Specialist, and local experts present unbiased, research-based information on various topics from Pasture Planning to Improving Forage Quality. ...
Cancelled Penn State Extension is offering a mid-day workshop that will help you improve pasture growth, learn tricks on controlling weeds, and get the most out of the grazing season. The free workshop will be held in several locations. Dr. Jessica Williamson, Penn State Extension Forage Specialist, and local experts present unbiased, research-based information on various topics from Pasture Planning to Improving Forage Quality....
March 24, 2020 Online This free webinar is part of a series based on "Reversing the Downward Trend: Toolkit for Adapting Farmers Markets to Match Consumer Trends," presented by the Farmers Market Federation of New York. ...
Cancelled Northern Grain Growers Association and University of Vermont Extension present the 16th annual Grain Growers Conference, "Revitalizing a Local Grains Community." Amber Lambke, president and founder of Maine Grains, Inc., is the keynote speaker. Get to know what local opportunities are available for grain growers by meeting local buyers in the region. Additional conference sessions will include sensory analysis, tasting panels, producing seed, no-till in organic systems, UVM research results, hands-on baking, and more....
March 19-20, 2020 Bordentown, New Jersey Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education presents this two-day course designed to introduce beginners to greenhouse crop production. Topics will include controlled environment crop production, plant nutrition, plant diseases, food safety, and more. The second day will take place at different local greenhouses, giving students the opportunity to view and compare different greenhouse operations. ...
March 18, 2020 Annapolis, Maryland Farmers and market managers are invited to the annual Maryland Farmers Market Conference....
March 18, 2020 South Royalton, Vermont This annual conference brings together market managers, organizers, vendors, and community members from across the state for a day of education, resource-sharing, and networking. The conference offers resources and information from service providers, state agencies, and fellow market organizers. ...
March 12, 2020 Burlington, Vermont The North American Center for Saffron Research & Development is a collaboration among growers, researchers, and marketers involved with saffron in the United States and beyond. This Saffron Workshop 2020 will provide specific information about how to grow, process, and market saffron, as well as updates on research underway. It is for anyone who is growing, selling, or studying saffron now or who hopes to in the future...
March 11-12, 2020 Clarion, Pennsylvania Headwaters RC&D and numerous partners present the 23rd annual Spring Grazing Conference, featuring keynote speakers Glenn Elzinga and Dr. Allen Williams, breakout sessions, and a trade show....
March 10, 2020 Waterloo, New York New York Certified Organic is hosting its annual winter monthly meeting series at Martin Auction Barn. Anyone interested in organic production is welcome to attend. Speakers will present on a range of topics....
March 7, 2020 Middletown, Connecticut Connecticut NOFA's 38th Annual Winter Conference is the largest gathering of organic farming and food enthusiasts in Connecticut. It's the premier event in the state for farmers, gardeners, fans of organic food, and sustainability enthusiasts. The schedule features workshops, networking, and keynote Niaz Dorry....
March 6-15, 2020 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The 14th Annual Farm to Table Expo is part of the Pittsburgh Home & Garden Show. This event celebrates the region's locally grown and produced food and beverages. There will be more than 60 local food vendors and 10 days of speakers and demonstrations. Seasonal cooking demonstrations, gardening, and information about the nutritional value of local food are presented by local experts....
March 5, 2020 Goffstown, New Hampshire Hillsborough and Merrimack County Conservation Districts present a series of workshops that will cover ruminant nutrition, estimating forage volume, grazing management theory, developing a rotation schedule and contingency plans, record-keeping, and implementation. The free, three-day workshop series with Daimon Meeh, NRCS Grazing Specialist, also includes a session on March 26, 2020, and an in-field session in April. ...
March 3-4, 2020 Kingston, New York To help farmers markets find their way through the maze of new trends and consumer behaviors, the Board of the Farmers Market Federation of NY announces the 2020 NYS Farmers Market Managers Conference, "Building Markets that Meet the Needs of our Stakeholders." The conference will look at a number of ways that markets can identify consumer behavior changes and work toward a balance of consumer and farmer needs....
March 1, 2020 Bristol, Rhode Island Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) of Rhode Island's 7th annual conference offers a full day of workshops with nationally recognized speakers in organic and sustainable agriculture. The agenda includes influential speakers from across Rhode Island and New England, networking sessions, the annual meeting, and a delicious potluck meal. ...
February 29, 2020 Enfield, Connecticut "Farming for Your Future" will offer educational seminars for current and prospective farmers. Topics include healthy soil, farmer grants, beekeeping, hemp, protecting assets, and much more....
February 29, 2020 Concord, New Hampshire Granite State Graziers' annual New Hampshire Grazing Conference will cover topics ranging from pastured poultry and swine to marketing farm-raised meats....
February 28, 2020 Kingston, New York This course is offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension as part of a series for new and aspiring land owners/lessees and beginning farmers. The class will include everything from keeping animals for domestic use to small and mid-scale commercial animal operations. It will cover production and marketing considerations for the most common livestock types (cattle, small ruminants, pigs, and poultry) as well as how to designing your farm to make the best use of your current resources....
February 28, 2020 Greensburg, Pennsylvania Penn State Extension offers this free workshop where participants will get a better understanding of meat cuts, meat quality issues, and ways to add value to lambs and goats. The workshop includes a lamb carcass cutting demonstration....
February 28, 2020 Boalsburg, Pennsylvania The Pennsylvania Veteran Farming Conference focuses on "Growing Your Veteran Farm of Agribusiness." Sessions include an overview of USDA resources, business planning, risk management in agritourism, considerations for nonprofit farms, and a marketing case study....
February 26, 2020 South Windsor, Connecticut The Connecticut Hemp Conference and Trade Show will bring together advocates, cultivators, and businesses interested in the industry. The conference will cover healthy soils practices, local policy and regulations, Connecticut field trial results, as well as innovative production markets. The event will be a valuable resource for local producers and farmers who are seeking connections in the state as well as knowledge about local issues and opportunities. ...
February 26-27, 2020 Georgetown, Delaware Whether you farm two acres or 2,000 acres, the Delmarva Soil Summit will deliver information that's relevant to your farm's scale and production type. National experts and local researchers will present in learning tracks and farmer panels for both large-scale commodity farmers and small-scale diversified growers....
February 23, 2020 Dighton, Massachusetts Southeast Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership presents this 13th annual Agriculture & Food Conference. The lineup includes workshops for the general public as well as info-packed sessions for farmers and gardeners of all experience levels. Registration includes a locally sourced lunch and Resource Fair....
February 22, 2020 Easton, Massachusetts The New England Campus Farmer Summit gathers the campus farm community in the Northeast. The second biennial summit will highlight the value of campus farms and growing spaces, given larger societal concerns and shifts in structure, function, and constraints of higher education institutions. Attendees will leave the Summit feeling part of a larger campus farm community, with the connections, tools, and information to nourish their own communities, organizations, and farms. The 2020 summit program will focus on the theme of nourishment. ...
February 22, 2020 Annapolis, Maryland MOFFA, the Maryland Organic Food and & Farming Association, is holding its 29th Annual Winter Workshop Meeting. The meeting is open to the public, and everyone is invited to attend. Gain practical knowledge from organic farmers and researchers. Explore current issues. Join in lively discussions. Meet fellow farmers, gardeners, food system advocates, and consumers. ...
February 21, 2020 Kingston, New York This course is offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension as part of a series for new and aspiring land owners/lessees and beginning farmers. Learn how to determine whether a site is appropriate for what you want to grow, as well as some of the early challenges you may face as a new grower....
February 21-23, 2020 Ghent, New York The Institute for Mindful Agriculture presents a winter workshop with soil scientist Will Brinton of Woods End Laboratories and Gidon Eshel, Research Professor, Environmental and Urban Studies at Bard College. This interactive and experiential gathering at Hawthorne Valley Farm dives into the many different yet interconnected strands of soil health including physical, biological, and spiritual....
February 19, 2020 Presque Isle, Maine Join Maine Farmland Trust, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, Southern Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District, Central Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District, and fellow farmers for a day of learning about how healthy soils practices can benefit your farm operation....
February 19-22, 2020 Charleston, West Virginia The 16th annual West Virginia Small Farm Conference will unlock the potential of West Virginia small farms to produce food profitably and help small farms transition from commodity production to food production for community and local consumption. It will support and further develop West Virginia's food system and local communities by encouraging local production, processing, wholesale and retail marketing, and consumption. The agenda features more than 110 different classes on topics such as Animal Production, Farm Management, Marketing, Beginning and Advanced Horticulture, Local Food Community, Value Adding and Wholesale Markets, Farm-to-School, Agritourism, Risk Management, and Farmers...
February 19, 2020 Ghent, New York Join the Cornell Small Farms Program's Baskets to Pallets project for a holistic training that offers strategies and skill-building for successfully entering wholesale markets. This training at Hawthorne Valley Farm is for farmers considering new wholesale-market channels such as food hubs, grocery stores, schools, restaurants, and cooperatives. NYS Military Veterans are eligible for up to a $100 reimbursement for this event to cover registration and travel expenses. ...
February 15-17, 2020 Burlington, Vermont The 38th annual NOFA-Vermont Winter Conference, "Celebrating Our Interdependence," seeks to convene, to reunite, to connect, and to imagine how we might come together to build a food system for the future. NOFA-VT Winter Conference provides a valuable opportunity for farmers, homesteaders, gardeners, land managers, educators, producers, and other food-system activists to participate in a vibrant organic community by sharing ideas, resources, and skills....
February 14, 2020 Kingston, New York If you are a current or prospective land owner or lessee interested in better land management of open space or agricultural land, this class from Cornell Cooperative Extension will provide information to broaden (or maybe narrow!) your perspectives on what is possible and practical. This course will cover tax exemption, ag districts, land considerations, County, State, & Federal services/opportunities....
February 12-13, 2020 Dover, Delaware The annual conference of MidAtlantic Women in Agriculture focuses on the unique needs and interests of women in agriculture. The event includes a half-day preconference workshop on Mindfully Managing Stress and Building Farm and Farm Family Resilience or From Farm to Market: Tips and Tools for promoting, displaying and selling produce. There are also three keynote presentations and 15 breakout sessions. Attendees come from five states in the region....
February 11, 2020 Waterloo, New York The series of winter meetings presented by New York Certified Organic continues with this free, mid-day event featuring speakers. Reduced tillage and weed control in organic field crops and mycotoxin risk to humans and livestock are on the agenda....
February 11-12, 2020 Presque Isle, Maine Central Aroostook Soil and Water Conservation District is hosting its first Organic Farming/Gardening Summit and Trade Show. The two-day event will include a range of presentations by area agricultural experts on topics ranging from soil and forestry to cattle, beekeeping and growing cannabis for CBD....
February 8, 2020 North Sutton, New Hampshire "Grow Well, Eat Well," the 2020 NOFA New Hampshire Winter Conference, features educational workshops in 10 tracks, keynote speaker Steve Gabriel, the Green Market Fair, and more....
February 5-8, 2020 Lancaster, Pennsylvania PASA's annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference offers four days of intensive learning on 100+ food and farming topics. Farmers, food system professionals, educators, advocates, homesteaders, and others who are passionate about building a better food system gather at this event. The schedule includes full-day intensives, keynotes, plenaries, educational sessions, and a trade show....
January 30, 2020 Canton, Massachusetts Join in this symposium to share ideas about the Northeast Grainshed and 4SquareFeet, a coordinated consumer marketing campaign. Help imagine a creative, constructive plan to build growth in grain-based businesses, and develop markets for farmers in the Northeast. Speakers will be describing the state of grain production and use in the Northeast, and helping participants imagine a creative, constructive plan to build growth in grain-based businesses, and develop markets for farmers in the Northeast. ...
January 28 - March 31, 2020 Baltimore, Maryland This class series is designed for people who are considering or in the beginning stages of starting a small farm as a business. This series of Tuesday evening classes will explore what it takes to be successful on a small-scale farm. Each session covers topics that apply to a variety of agricultural operations, including fruit and vegetable production. This program is a collaborative effort between University of Maryland Extension and Future Harvest CASA's Beginner Farmer Training Program (BFTP) and Foodshed Field School. Classes will be taught by Extension educators and successful farmers in the...
January 28-30, 2020 Hershey, Pennsylvania The Mid-Atlantic Fruit and Vegetable Convention has become the premier grower meeting in the Northeast combining three days of six or more concurrent educational sessions with a large industry trade show and numerous networking opportunities—all designed to enable fruit, vegetable, and berry growers as well as direct marketers to stay on the cutting edge of their industries. ...
January 26, 2020 Baltimore, Maryland University of Maryland Extension and Baltimore City present the third annual Urban Farmer Winter Meeting....
January 25, 2020 Latham, New York Hear talks from grazing experts, get to know other farmers, and enjoy local, grass-fed meats at the twelfth Winter Green-Up, the Capital District's original grazing conference....
January 23, 2020 Cockeysville, Maryland University of Maryland Extension offers an opportunity for producers of fruit and vegetables to learn the latest about agriculture in Maryland. A trade show is included....
January 21, 2020 Quaryville, Pennsylvania During this mid-day PASA workshop, explore how Fiddle Creek Dairy—a pastured livestock farm that produces 100-percent grass-fed milk, yogurt, and cheese—has been working with Austin Unruh from Crow and Berry Land Management to develop silvopasture areas within their grazing paddocks. In addition to the environmental benefits, these tree plantings will offer more shade for the grazing herd, potentially produce more forage per acre, and eventually provide new potential products for Fiddle Creek to market. Learn how, since its beginning, Fiddle Creek has been working to diversify its dairy product line in response to the available market and...
January 28, 2020 Waitsfield, Vermont The Vermont Fresh Network Annual Meeting is a chance to connect with farmers, food producers, distributors, chefs, and other culinary professionals. It combines panel discussions and plenty of informal networking opportunities, plus a chance to shape VFN's work for the upcoming year. You do not have to be a VFN Partner Member to attend....
January 18, 2020 Machias, Maine The Downeast Agriculture Conference addresses both land and sea-based production. The conference will bring agricultural education and resources to Hancock and Washington counties and connect farmers with other farmers, stakeholders, and organizations. The agenda includes speakers and grower panels. ...
January 17, 2020 Gibsonia, Pennsylvania This event is an opportunity to join in PASA's Diversified Vegetable Financial Benchmark Study. During this workshop, you'll complete a detailed financial survey about your vegetable farm that will take approximately 90-120 minutes. PASA will share highlights and lessons learned from this multi-year study, and will later provide participants with personalized information about how your business finances compare to farms across Pennsylvania and the United States....
January 17-19, 2020 Syracuse, New York NOFA-NY's 38th Annual Winter Conference, "Extending the Table," is an unparalleled opportunity to connect with sustainability-minded farmers, gardeners, and consumers. The conference is one of the largest in the region with more than 100 educational workshops and an approximate 80 trade show vendors. This year, NOFA-NY is combining the Winter Conference and the 9th Annual Organic Dairy and Field Crop Conference into one weekend....
January 17-18, 2020 Fairlee, Vermont Join more than 350 farmers and agricultural resource providers from six Northeast states at the Vermont Grazing and Livestock Conference for a cross section of the region's livestock production. The theme is "Finding the Balance in Times of Change," and Jason Rowntree will be the keynote speaker. This event follows the 2020 Northeast Pasture Consortium annual meeting held January 15-16, 2020, at the same location....
January 16-18, 2020 East Hyattsville, Maryland Future Harvest Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture presents the 21st annual conference, "Farming for Our Soil, Livelihood, and Community." The event offers a full day of how-to, in-depth farming and food pre-conference intensives, as well as 42 sessions and seven tracks for beginning to advanced farmers, foodpreneurs, and educators....
January 15-16, 2020 Fairlee, Vermont The 2020 Northeast Pasture Consortium annual meeting includes sessions on pastured pigs, silvopasture, forages, and winter grazing, as well as a producer showcase. The Vermont Grazing and Livestock Conference follows at the same location....
January 14, 2020 Waterloo, New York Anyone interested in organic production is welcome to attend the free New York Certified Organic meetings. The January meeting features beginning farmers from Ridgeway, Wisconsin, John and Halee Wepking. Cornell's Dr. Margaret Smith will describe plant physiology that benefits from organic management. Also Ryker Smith, Jeremy Mapstone, and Kirk Arnold will discuss how they get consistent quality forage for their organic dairies, even when the weather isn't consistent....
January 14-16, 2020 Syracuse, New York Session topics at the Empire State Producers Expo include specialty-crop production, organic production, energy efficiency, food safety, and more. The event is presented by the New York State Vegetable Growers Association....
January 14, 2020 Blountville, Tennessee This day-long workshop from the University of Tennessee Center for Profitable Agriculture is designed for existing or would-be operators of a value-added farm business. Using records developed for an example farm with value-added enterprises, presenters will teach how to export the example farm records into a spreadsheet and how to analyze and use them in making business-management decisions. ...
January 12, 2020 Unity, Maine This all-day Advanced Business Planning workshop from MOFGA will be part lecture, part group work sessions, and part demonstration. The target audience is farmers (beginner to experienced, young or old) who feel the need to sharpen their pencils and focus a little more on the business side of farming. Find out your farm's profit centers—which parts of your farm make the most money and which may actually lose money. Learn about efficient farm planning and analysis, efficient farm office management, key financial statements, employee management, and financial tips for success....
January 11, 2020 Worcester, Massachusetts The 33rd Northeast Organic Farming Association NOFA/Mass Winter Conference features journalist Carey Gillam as keynote speaker and workshops for beginning, intermediate, and advanced producers. Topics include crop and livestock production, agroforestry, seaweed production, food safety, hemp, and climate resilience....
January 9, 2020 Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania PASA's Diversified Vegetable Financial Benchmark Study is helping vegetable farmers improve their bottom line. For-profit diversified vegetable operations can participate in the study. During this free workshop, you'll complete a detailed financial survey about your vegetable farm that will take approximately 90–120 minutes. PASA will share highlights and lessons learned from this multi-year study and will later provide you with personalized information about how your business finances compare to farms across Pennsylvania and across the country....
January 9, 2020 Delhi, New York The Catskill Regional Agriculture Conference features a keynote speaker, trade show, and multiple educational sessions. Tracks include dairy, grazing, livestock, and vegetables....
January 9, 2020 Burlington, Vermont These University of Vermont Extension workshops are for growers with greenhouses or high tunnels, extension specialists, and professional pest managers. Growers of all experience levels and from any state are welcome to attend any of the three locations. This year's workshop program on greenhouse and high tunnel IPM is multi-faceted, with presentations on biological control, disease management, and sprayer calibration....
January 8, 2020 Durham, New Hampshire These University of Vermont Extension workshops are for growers with greenhouses or high tunnels, extension specialists, and professional pest managers. Growers of all experience levels and from any state are welcome to attend any of the three locations. This year's workshop program on greenhouse and high tunnel IPM is multi-faceted, with presentations on biological control, disease management, and sprayer calibration....
January 7, 2020 Manchester, Maine These University of Vermont Extension workshops are for growers with greenhouses or high tunnels, extension specialists, and professional pest managers. Growers of all experience levels and from any state are welcome to attend any of the three locations. This year's workshop program on greenhouse and high tunnel IPM is multi-faceted, with presentations on biological control, disease management, and sprayer calibration....
December 18-19, 2019 Burlington, Vermont This symposium, which will be co-hosted by the University of Vermont and the USDA Northeast Climate Hub, will be targeted towards researchers, agricultural advisors (e.g., Extension, agency, and private), and industry representatives who work in northeastern specialty crops. The symposium has three overarching goals: Increase shared understanding and knowledge about how climate change will affect irrigated/rain-fed specialty crops in the Northeast, and how water-use efficiency practices can be improved; create opportunities for researchers, Extension, and technical service providers working in different specialty crop sectors to learn from one another; and create opportunities for participants in the Northeast...
December 18, 2019 Sligo, Pennsylvania This seven-hour Food Safety Training course will be facilitated by trainers certified by the Produce Safety Alliance and sponsored by the Pennsylvania Farmers Union and Penn State Extension. This training will review Good Agricultural Practices (GAP), the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), and Produce Safety Rule requirements. Participants will also learn how to develop a farm food safety plan. ...
December 18, 2019 Batavia, New York The 2019 Western New York Soil Health Alliance Soil Health Workshop and Annual Meeting will feature Steve Groff, Farmer and founder of Cover Crop Solutions, and Maria Harrison, Professor from the Boyce Thompson Institute. Other topics will include using precision agriculture to facilitate soil health management and the potential to increase in your bottom line from soil health management. ...
December 16-17, 2019 Scranton, Pennsylvania This workshop, co-sponsored by the Pennsylvania Farm to School Network and the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, is designed to help small- to mid-sized farm operations learn how to sell to institutional markets. Participants will learn how to determine if farm-to-school wholesale is a good fit for their businesses, and how to make it a reality. Attendees will be able to build relationships with potential wholesale buyers and learn from experienced wholesale-to-institution suppliers. The workshop will also help farmers assess their finances and discuss marketing strategies for selling to schools and other institutions. The workshop is free to...
December 10-12, 2019 Manchester, New Hampshire The New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference and Trade Show includes more than 25 educational sessions over three days, covering major vegetable, berry, and tree-fruit crops, as well as various special topics. A Farmer to Farmer meeting after each morning and afternoon session will bring speakers and farmers together for informal, in-depth discussion on issues....
December 10, 2019 Easton, Pennsylvania PASA offers an opportunity to connect with other vegetable farmers in the Lehigh Valley and explore timely issues that can affect the longevity of your farm business. This year's gathering will focus on climate resiliency strategies for farms in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, as well as collaborative marketing strategies for small farms in the region. ...
December 6-7, 2019 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania PASA presents this free, two-day annual gathering designed for experienced growers and graziers. Learn how you can improve your workforce and fine-tune your soil health management strategies by participating in PASA's formal apprenticeships and community science projects....
December 4, 2019 Bel Alton, Maryland The Charles County Extension Office and CONSERVE: A Center of Excellence at the Nexus of Sustainable Water Reuse, Food, & Health will host a free, half-day workshop for farmers and local officials interested in learning more about using recycled water as an alternative irrigation water source for agriculture. Sessions will cover issues associated with water quality research, new water filtration and treatment technologies, and updates on reclaimed water regulations for Maryland agriculture....
December 4-5, 2019 Pocantico Hills, New York, and livestreamed The 12th annual Young Farmers Conference will offer inspiration and education for beginning farmers from around the world. Select sessions of the Young Farmers Conference will be streamed live on Facebook and YouTube. ...
November 21, 2019 New Bedford, Massachusetts Join Southeast Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership for its annual meeting, a celebration of SEMAP's accomplishments in 2019, networking with farmers and allies from across the region, and a presentation of awards for local farms, businesses, and people key to the success of local agriculture in Southeastern Mass. ...
November 20, 2019 Boston, Massachusetts Conversations About Food: Food Tank Live in Boston Speakers Series is a year-round event series by Food Tank featuring incredible speakers and held in partnership with the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. This evening event focuses on Transparency, Equity, Affordability, and Social Justice in the Food System. ...
November 20, 2019 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania At this afternoon PASA workshop, Heritage Farm manager Adrian Galbraith-Paul will teach you to prepare your own fertilizers and bio-inoculants using the principles of Korean Natural Farming and JADAM, which focus on improving soil fertility by relying on "indigenous microorganisms" you can collect from your own farm or garden and reducing off-farm inputs....
November 20, 2019 Butler, Pennsylvania The final event in PASA's three-part series on strategies for successful selling explores how to utilize storage crops and value-added products to extend your selling season through all twelve months of the year....
November 20-24, 2019 Lake George, New York The Biodynamic Association's 2019 Biodynamic Conference, "Cultivating Relationships," is a deep and diverse exploration of how farmers, gardeners, and land stewards can cultivate relationships within the interconnected realms of earth, cosmos, and community. The agenda includes on-farm field days, in-depth workshops, intensives, keynotes, and more than 40 breakout workshops. ...
November 19, 2019 Wilder, Vermont Vital Communities presents a business-to-business Upper Valley matchmaker event for area farms, restaurateurs, grocers, and specialty food producers. The event includes speakers, formal matchmaking, and open networking time. Attendees will build sales relationships, make professional connections, meet service providers, learn, and enjoy coffee, tea, and lunch....
November 19, 2019 Voorheesville, New York The Reduced Tillage project of the Cornell Small Farms Program offers a full-day intensive farmer-to-farmer workshop to talk about how to use tarps to advance reduced and no-till vegetable production. The workshop will discuss tillage, weeds, and how to combine tarps with other soil building practices. Learn from farmers as they share their successes and failures with tarps being used on their farm. You will also hear research results from five years of tarping trials in Maine and New York. ...
November 18-22, 2019 Pocantico Hills, New York Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture presents a comprehensive week of Growing Farmer workshops and guest speakers focusing on topics of farm viability. Workshops are available as a complete curriculum or in individual daily sessions. Topics include business planning, marketing, land access, infrastructure funding, and farming cooperatively....
November 18, 2019 Canandaigua, New York The Reduced Tillage project of the Cornell Small Farms Program offers a full-day intensive farmer-to-farmer workshop to talk about how to use tarps to advance reduced and no-till vegetable production. The workshop will discuss tillage, weeds, and how to combine tarps with other soil building practices. Learn from farmers as they share their successes and failures with tarps being used on their farm. You will also hear research results from five years of tarping trials in Maine and New York. ...
November 18, 2019 Augusta, Maine Maine Farmland Trust and Land For Good present the 5th Annual Farmland Access and Transfer Conference for farm seekers, retiring farmers, land owners, and service providers. The event offers a day of practical workshops to better understand the options, resources, and steps to accessing or transferring your farm or farmland. Learn strategies for keeping your farmland in production including how to tackle succession planning, plus how to to find and secure farmland of your own, negotiate a good lease agreement, and more....
November 14, 2019 Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania PASA presents a day-long opportunity to learn about strategies and opportunities for marketing milk and meat produced from pasture-raised livestock. This workshop will include presentations and a panel discussion with speakers representing several local, grassroots marketing initiatives. Participants will also walk the pastures at nearby Broadrun Farms—a sixth-generation, 100% grass-fed, certified-organic dairy and beef farm. ...
November 14-17, 2019 Unity, Maine Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) offers four days of workshops designed for stewards of small or large woodlots to develop skills to cut and harvest wood products safely and ecologically. Begin with a one-day introduction to low impact forestry and the practice of sustainable woodlot management, then participate in three days of further workshops to learn logging with animals or low-impact machinery....
November 14-17, 2019 Southbridge, Massacusetts The ninth annual Soil & Nutrition Conference explores principles, techniques, and practices at the intersection of farm and human ecosystems that can be applied to improve environmental sustainability, food quality, and overall well-being. This year's program engages growers and gardeners with principles, practices, and innovations for ecologically and financially sound farming, and presents health-conscious consumers and medical professionals valuable insights and tools to effectively advocate and select for quality in their local region and food supply....
November 14, 2019 Annapolis, Maryland The annual Agricultural and Environmental Law Conference is a unique gathering of agricultural professionals, attorneys, educators, environmentalists, farmers, policymakers, and students to discuss the complex intersection of environmental regulation and agriculture in Maryland. University of Maryland Agriculture Law Education Initiative hosts an event that brings farming and conservation experts together in a forum that allows for an exchange of ideas and education for conference attendees on current legal topics of interest....
November 13, 2019 Butler, Pennsylvania This workshop is one session of a three-part series focusing on strategies for successful selling, hosted by Penn State Extension and PASA. This session will cover the fundamentals of how to effectively use social media to connect with your customers and bolster your farm business, including how to create a manageable and profitable e-commerce strategy. Hear from farmers who are using a variety of social media tools that accommodate their individual preferences and unique needs to build a farm brand that resonates with their customers. ...
November 7-8, 2019 Hyattsville, Maryland The 3rd annual Northeast Cover Crops Council Conference features keynote speaker Sarah Carlson of Practical Farmers of Iowa. Farmers, students, researchers, extension educators, government and industry representatives, and others will gather to talk and learn about all things cover crop-related....
November 7-9, 2019 Jersey City, New Jersey Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group's annual It Takes a Region conference is widely regarded as the conference for anyone doing food system change work in any Northeast state. Hundreds of practitioners convene not only for workshops, plenaries, and networking, but to roll up their sleeves and do the real work needed to create a just and fair regional food system in several work group sessions. ...
November 6, 2019 Plainfield, New Hampshire The event from Vital Communities includes a farm tour and a presentation on the topics of land use adaptations and considerations given climate change. The presenter is Chris Skoglund, Climate and Energy Program manager at the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Science. The tour will be followed by refreshments and networking time....
November 6, 2019 Butler, Pennsylvania This half-day workshop launches a three-week series of workshops from PASA on Strategies for Successful Selling....
November 4, 2019 Greenland, New Hampshire The 11th Annual New Hampshire Direct Marketing Conference will provide attendees with information about how to start or grow an agritourism business. Topics include signage, promotion, liability, and working with local government....
November 4-6, 2019 Ithaca, New York The National Incubator Farm Training Initiative (NIFTI) and Ag Apprenticeship Learning Networks (AgALN) present Field School, a chance for beginning farmer trainers, mentors, and incubators to come together and participate in workshops, skill-building sessions, goal setting, and networking opportunities. Come learn from peers about how they run successful programs, gather ideas for your farmers and training programs, and spend time building relationships with people passionate about the work you do....
November 4, 2019 Springville, Maine The Reduced Tillage project of the Cornell Small Farms Program offers a full-day intensive farmer-to-farmer workshop to talk about how to use tarps to advance reduced and no-till vegetable production. The workshop will discuss tillage, weeds, and how to combine tarps with other soil building practices. Learn from farmers as they share their successes and failures with tarps being used on their farm. You will also hear research results from five years of tarping trials in Maine and New York....
November 1, 2019 Unity, Maine MOFGA presents this hands-on intensive workshop focused on converting a washing machine to a greens spinner. This is a free, hands-on workshop and you are required to bring your machine with you along with tools and supplies to get the work done. ...
November 1-2, 2019 New York, New York and livestream Food Tank, New York University, and Hunter College present a summit with more than 80 speakers and performers, including Leah Penniman, Dan Barber, Marion Nestle, Karen Washington, Mark Bittman, and many more....
October 31, 2019 Pocantico Hills, New York Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture hosts Sarah Flack for a full-day workshop for beginning farmers. The morning portion of this workshop will focus on creating a solid understanding of the basic principles of good grazing management systems. The afternoon will look at pasture from the livestock perspective, learning techniques to meet their nutritional needs, maximize pasture dry matter intake, provide low stress handling, and determine when shade or shelter should be planned into the grazing. ...
October 30, 2019 Cold Spring, New York Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming is hosting an Uprooting Racism training facilitated by Soul Fire Farm's Leah Penniman and Amani Olugbala. The Uprooting Racism training is a theory and action workshop for environmental and food justice leaders to uproot systemic racism in our organizations and society....
October 29 - December 3, 2019 Foxborough, Massachusetts Massacusetts Department of Agricultural Resources' Agricultural Business Training Program is offering this five-week course on Tuesday evenings, using curriculum and workbook developed by the New England Small Farm Institute. The course is designed for those who are thinking about or in the planning stages of a starting their own farm, including those who are expanding a hobby to an income-generating scale. This course offers guidance and resources to help make informed decisions about what's involved with owning your own farm so you can decide whether or not to take the plunge—and how to proceed...
October 29, 2019 West Coxsackie, New York At the 2nd Annual Fall Round Up Grazier Meeting, Lime Kiln Farm owners Brent Zimmerman and Alessandro Vogliano will share the history of their farm and the lessons they learned as they achieved success. Cornell Cooperative Extension Livestock Educator Ashley Pierce will discuss culling decisions to make efficient use of winter feed and labor. CCE Agronomy Educator Aaron Gabriel will demonstrate the benefits of healthy soils and how to improve your soils. ...
October 24, 2019 Cold Spring, New York Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming offers this two-day workshop (continued on November 7, 2019) with Faith Gilbert. This workshop will help new farmers improve their business management skills through introductory lessons in administration and financial management, enterprise budgeting, record-keeping and analysis, core financial documents (e.g., balance sheet, income statement and cash flow statement), business planning, and capital sourcing....
October 23-25, 2019 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The NOSB will meet to discuss substances petitioned for addition to or deletion from the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List), substances due to sunset from the National List in 2021, and discussion documents and proposals on organic policies. The meetings are open to the public, and no registration is required, except to sign up for oral comments. ...
October 21, 2019 Quechee, Vermont With funding from Northeast SARE, Vital Communities is convening regular climate-focused farmer events to build a resilient farmer network that is better prepared to mitigate the risks and take advantage of the opportunities that a warming climate will bring. These consistent, farmer-directed gatherings will focus on farmer-to-farmer learning, visiting experts, on-farm models and demonstrations, and sharing resources that could improve farm and community resiliency. The Farmer Climate Network is by and for farmers, from aspiring farmers to long-time farmers....
October 21, 2019 Petersburg, New York This free, NOFA New York field day will focus primarily on two components, communication strategies on the farm and building healthy soil and the mutual support between the two. During this field day, the Soul Fire Farm team will explain the benefits and challenges of the communication strategies they use for building healthy organizational culture. The Soul Fire team will also discuss their implementation of reduced tillage practices and other regenerative soil farming methods and describe Soul Fire's other programs. ...
October 10-12, 2019 Bordentown, New Jersey This three-day beginning beekeeping class from Rutgers Office of Continuing Professional Education is designed to provide information that new beekeepers need to start and care for a honey bee colony. In the first two days, participants will be introduced to bee biology and management. Participants will also have hands-on sessions, learn how to assemble hives, open and examine colonies, and see how honey and beeswax are harvested....
October 8, 2019 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania At this free program, learn about programs and resources offered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), the Farm Service Agency (FSA), and other service providers that can support you and your work. Also, hear from local institutions and organizations including Penn State Extension, Grow Pittsburgh, and PASA....
November 2-4, 2019 Northport, Maine MOFGA's annual conference for farmers provides a great opportunity to talk about what works and what doesn't while learning new ideas from university faculty, fellow farmers, and others. Keynote speakers are Christa Alexander and Mark Fasching, Jericho Settlers Farm, Vermont. Pre-Conference Activities include farm tours, a Saturday intensive on tarping, and a farmer social sustainability focus group....
October 8-9, 2019 Troy, New Hampshire NCAT is offering a two-day, hands-on Tractor Operations, Safety and Maintenance Training for specialty crop growers with Shane LaBrake. This class will discuss how tractors are designed to work; how to operate them safely and effectively; and how to perform regular and basic maintenance tasks. Registration is limited....
October 7, 2019 Ithaca, New York, and livestreamed Cornell University Horticulture Department presents mycologist Tradd Cotter, speaking on collecting and cultivating target specific fungi for insect and weed control....
October 5, 2019 Spencer, New York All are welcome to attend the New York Nut Growers Association Fall Meeting. The morning session will feature presentations on growing hickory nuts; nut tree silvopastures; research into the NYNGA's English walnut breeding program; a report on a young orchard of chestnut and hazelnut; and the use of biochar to sequester carbon and enhance nut production. Following lunch and a brief NYNGA business meeting, participants will visit two farms to tour fruit and nut trees....
October 4-6, 2019 Shelburne, Vermont The 7th Draft Animal-Power Field Days will offer full-day workshops on Draft Animal Powered Logging, Intro to Working Draft Animals, and Training Drafts—Getting the Most from your Working Horses. There will also be demonstrations, networking, vendors, and more....
October 3, 2019 Pocantico Hills, New York Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture presents Leah Penniman, of Soul Fire Farm, in a full-day workshop for beginning farmers. Participate in this workshop to learn how you too can be part of the movement for food sovereignty and help build a food system based on justice, dignity, and abundance for all members of our community....
October 1, 2019 Middlebury, Vermont This workshop is part of a three-part series focusing on soil health solutions for commercial farmers, and opportunities to create meaningful policy change to expand healthy soils practices in Vermont. Join Spencer and Jennifer Blackwell of Elmer Farm, a certified organic mixed vegetable and flower farm, as they share techniques they have used to improve the health and fertility of their soils, along with the results of those efforts. Some of the strategies discussed will include reduced tillage, installing a permanent bed system, increasing their use of multispecies cover crops, reduced amendments, and the use of more...
September 26, 2019 Highgate Center, Vermont Vermont NOFA offers an opportunity to join Guy Choiniere of Choiniere Family Farm, a fourth generation, 100% grass-fed dairy farm in northwestern Vermont, as he shares lessons learned over the past 15 years about maximizing soil health while improving animal health and financial stability. Tour the Choiniere's grazing operation as Guy discusses his approach to soil health, which is centered around the principles of keeping it simple, replacing what you harvest, and building soil resiliency....
September 26-27, 2019 Canastota, New York The two-day NODPA event features farm tours and workshops that aim to prepare farmers for the realities of today's organic dairy market. An evening keynote presentation and panel discussion is entitled "Adapting to the New Realities of Organic Dairy: Where do we go from here?" The program is filled with information sessions, discussions, and educational workshops that focus on the important and timely issues facing all organic dairy farm families. The event also includes a full trade show, networking, and NODPA's Annual Meeting. ...
September 25, 2019 Doylestown, Pennsylvania PASA presents this free CRAFT workshop for beginning and aspiring farmers at Barefoot Botanicals. Learn about growing and processing medicinal herbs, farming at a "human scale," and producing a variety of value-added herbal products. The farmers will also share lessons they've learned in transitioning from vegetable production to herbs, and how they work to enhance the ecological diversity of their land while growing their products....
September 23, 2019 Middle Island, New York This free event at Acabonac Farms offers an introduction to soil health, discussion of pasture management for better soil and healthier cows, presentations on American Farmland Trust's soil health efforts on Long Island and the Equipment Loan Program (SHELP) for Suffolk County Farmers, and details on managing perennial and annual forage needs at Acabonac Farms. ...
September 20-22, 2019 Unity, Maine Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) hosts Common Ground Country Fair annually. It celebrates the rural and agricultural traditions of Maine. The event includes keynote speakers, numerous events, and exhibits....
September 19, 2019 Wernersville, Pennsylvania At this PASA event, Forrest and Greg Stricker from Spring Creek Farms—a 287-acre dairy and poultry farm that has been certified organic for two decades—will share how they optimize soil health through their pasture management practices as they strive to improve their forage productivity, quality, and longevity. ...
September 17, 2019 Brattleboro, Vermont This workshop is part of a three-part series from NOFA Vermont, focusing on soil health solutions for commercial farmers and opportunities to create meaningful policy change to expand healthy soils practices in Vermont. Join Ashlyn and Abraham McClurg of Rebop Farm, a highly diversified, grass-based livestock farm in Brattleboro, as they share techniques they have used to improve the health of their soils and the productivity of their pastures. Some of the strategies discussed will include frost seeded perennials, interseeded annual cover crops, poultry tractors, and intensive rotational grazing....
September 16-18, 2019 State College, Pennsylvania Project Drawdown is partnering with Penn State to hold the first international conference on Drawdown—Research to Action: The Science of Drawdown. Join leading scientific experts and researchers from around the world in a critical discussion about the most innovative and promising climate change solutions and upcoming research. This conference aims to connect international partners and research institutions. The three-day conference will focus on analysis and peer review of the portfolio of over 100 individual solutions, discuss synergies and interactions among sectors and evaluate implementation pathways including successful examples from around the world. ...
September 14, 2019 St. Lawrence County, New York Celebrate the bounty of St. Lawrence County and support local farmers. The Harvest Tour is a free, family-friendly event that will offer a behind-the-scenes look at a dozen of the region's talented local food producers. Each farm will offer product sales, as well as demonstrations, animal interaction, tours, product samples, and more....
September 14, 2019 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania The Pittsburgh Urban Farm Tour highlights the agricultural potential in the urban areas of Pittsburgh and surrounding neighborhoods. This self-guided tour of small commercial farms, community gardens, and apiaries provides a unique opportunity to connect with local food, farmers, and the promise that sustainable agriculture holds for the future....
September 13-15, 2019 Seven Springs, Pennsylvania This Mother Earth News Fair features expert speakers on organic gardening, modern homesteading, real food, and natural building, as well as a wide range of workshops and a marketplace featuring exhibitors offering related products. ...
September 11, 2019 Barto, Pennsylvania PASA presents this CRAFT workshop at Wild Fox Farm & Provisions. During this free afternoon farm tour, Wild Fox farmer Ben Davies will discuss the opportunities hemp production provides to farmers, even at small scales. Ben will talk about entering the hemp market, agronomic aspects of growing the crop, and lessons learned after his second year of production. He'll also provide a brief overview of seed sourcing and propagation; growing, harvesting, and processing techniques; and marketing....
September 11, 2019 Baltimore, Maryland The Organic Center's annual Organic Confluences Conference, addresses issues at the intersection of research and policy for the organic community. This year's conference will focus on mitigating and adapting to climate change. It will bring together scientific experts, farmers, policy makers, and organic stakeholders to address the current impacts of climate change and best practices within the organic sector for mitigation and adaptation, while examining methods for encouraging the adoption of strategies for fighting climate change. The Conference format will include case studies, panel presentations, roundtable talks, and break-out discussion sessions....
September 10, 2019 New Kensington, Pennsylvania PASA is presenting this afternoon CRAFT workshop at Old Tin Roof Farm, where second-career farmers Steve and Olga Nonn will share their farming journey during their first four years of operation, including how they've dealt with challenges like growing on sloped terrain and how they've worked to scale up production. ...
September 10, 2019 Honeoye Falls, New York The Cornell Small Farms Program project Farm OPS is providing series of training workshops throughout 2019 for veterans interested in agriculture. Veterans interested in these programs must be enrolled at a VA facility in NYS (VISN2 area). At this event, tour EquiCenter's new high tunnel and share in learned lessons from construction to planting. Look at crops on hand and discuss sustainable fertility as well as pest ID and scouting. Bring your questions on growing vegetables in protected settings. The topics covered will include site prep and construction, soil types, management and fertility in high...
September 5, 2019 Cornwall, Vermont NOFA Vermont presents a pasture walk focusing on forage quality and soil health. The mid-day event takes place at The Severy's Dairy Farm, where, joined by grazing consultant Sarah Flack, they will share their approach to incorporating annual species into their summer grazing system and how that has increased the resiliency of their pastures. ...
September 4, 2019 Cold Spring, New York At this afternoon workshop at Glynwood Center for Regional Food and Farming, participants will learn about the different types of seasonally appropriate cover crops, how to fit cover crops into crop rotations, and how cover crops can support beneficial insect populations....
August 28, 2019 Boyertown, Pennsylvania During this PASA farm tour, Marlo Weidenbaugh from Mar-Jo Farm will describe different tree types, desirable growing conditions, tree diseases and pests, and general tree maintenance. He'll also review marketing outlets for Christmas trees and managing on-farm sales. ...
August 28, 2019 Highgate, Vermont This free event is part of the University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program's organic dairy series. Join UVM Extension Agronomist Heather Darby; Sarah Flack, Livestock Production Consultant; and host Guy Choiniere for a farm tour and discussion on grass-fed dairy production, soil fertility and nutrient management, forage production and quality, and much more. The Choinieres' farm is grass-fed and emphasizes the importance of supporting forage and animal productivity and quality through managing soil fertility and health....
August 20, 2019 Honeoye Falls, New York The Cornell Small Farms Program project Farm OPS is providing series of training workshops throughout 2019 for veterans interested in agriculture. Veterans interested in these programs must be enrolled at a VA facility in NYS (VISN2 area). This class is on how to improve the land with animals. Elizabeth Marks will discuss different grazing management techniques including Holistic Planned Grazing and when to use them. In the afternoon participants will break into small groups to create a grazing plan and will head out in the field to learn some simple pasture monitoring techniques....
August 16-18, 2019 Liberty, Maine Apple lovers, orchardists, cider makers, and fruit explorers are invited to join fellow enthusiasts for MOFGA's Maine Apple Camp. Topics include apple production, varieties, and preservation....
August 15, 2019 Geneva, New York NOFA New York offers this free opportunity to join other onion growers and Cornell researchers to learn about current projects on organic management of an important insect pest, the onion thrips, and foliar diseases of onions. Tour active research plots to see how new resistant onion cultivars, plastic mulches, and OMRI-Listed pesticides and adjuvants are managing these pests....
August 14, 2019 Mechanicsville, Pennsylvania PASA is offering a free afternoon tour of Carversville Farm Foundation to see how the farm is expanding its organic pastured poultry operation to raise 400 turkeys, 3,000 broilers, and 1,300 laying hens this year. The tour will focus on examining the farm's systems to husband and harvest certified organic poultry. In addition to reviewing the nuts and bolts of seasonal setup and daily care, the event will explore utilizing appropriate technologies, increasing production efficiency, determining performance objectives, and maintaining records. ...
August 14, 2019 Truxton, New York This free event is part of the Organic@Cornell Summer Field Day Series. Visit Kirk and Kathie Arnold at Twin Oaks Dairy and learn about mixed intercropping, interseeding into corn, and double cropping with triticale and sorghum sudangrass. Cornell researchers will discuss improving soil health and other ways farmers can increase resilience to extreme weather events. The NY Soil Health Trailer will also be on-site with demonstrations to show participants how healthy soil compares to degraded soil....
August 13, 2019 Natrona Heights, Pennsylvania During this twilight meeting presented by PASA, you'll tour wash and pack areas at two different farms while examining their advantages and disadvantages. At be.wild.er farm, learn how farming on rented land can impact post-harvest activities. Next, at Blackberry Meadows Farm, learn how relocating and redesigning their wash and pack area has improved efficiency at the farm. Presenters will also review important considerations for installing or improving a packhouse on your own farm....
August 12, 2019 Walpole, New Hampshire University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops and Soils Program offers an opportunity to join UVM Extension Agronomist Heather Darby and Sarah Flack, Livestock Production Consultant, for a pasture walk and talk addressing strategies for overcoming grass-fed dairy production challenges. Chris and Holly Gowdy have been managing a seasonal grass-fed dairy herd with the cows calving in late summer. This allows them to focus on producing high quality first cut hay and align pasture productivity and herd demand. The event is free. ...
August 8, 2019 Pocantico Hills, New York Stone Barns Center is hosting Abby Seaman, from Cornell University, for a full-day workshop for beginning farmers. The morning session will cover pest and beneficial biology and identification, as well as integrated pest management concepts, with crop-specific examples. The afternoon will be a crop walk, looking at pests and beneficials in the field and discussing possible management strategies....
August 8, 2019 Charlotte, Vermont At this mid-day NOFA Vermont workshop, join Organic Valley veterinarian Dr. Guy Jodarski and farmers Joe and Emily Donegan to discuss grass-milk production. There will be a particular focus on grazing management, nutrition, animal housing, and labor efficiency....
August 7, 2019 Lisbon, New York At this NOFA New York afternoon field day, Kent Family Growers will share how their farm manages the challenges of reaching far-flung markets while offering local CSA members maximum choice, despite their rural northern location. This field day covers a range of topics from how to identify 1% efficiencies to help you maximize production, to how you can integrate on-farm fruit and vegetable processing while maintaining high food safety standards. Particular focus of this field day will be on farm labor....
August 6, 2019 Burlington, Vermont NOFA Vermont presents the 5th annual Farmer Olympics. Individual farm teams will show off their finely-honed skills in events ranging from physical to cerebral to just plain ridiculous. Unwind, celebrate the season, and kick back before that heavy fall workload begins....
August 1, 2019 Ithaca, New York The Organic@Cornell Summer Field Day Series continues with this free evening event. See how mulch compares to tillage and allowed herbicides in terms of weed suppression and soil health in a block of 'Honeycrisp,' and how 'Modi' performs on different rootstocks in a high-density tall spindle orchard. Advances in organic management of insect pests and diseases will also be discussed. ...
July 31, 2019 Freeville, New York This free afternoon event is part of the Organic@Cornell Summer Field Day Series. Join Cornell researchers and Cornell Cooperative Extension for field tours of ongoing organic research. Learn about soil health, perennial cover crops, hemp production, tarps for weed suppression, variety trials, and vegetable breeding for organic production. The NY Soil Health Trailer will also be on-site with demonstrations to show participants how healthy soil compares to degraded soil....
July 30, 2019 Ithaca, New York The morning session of the Cornell Floriculture Field Day includes presentations on plant development and trialing, disease management, and labor and policy, as well as research updates from graduate students. The afternoon program includes tours of the annual flower and foliage trial gardens at their new location at Cornell Botanic Garden. ...
July 29, 2019 Macedon, New York At this NOFA New York afternoon field day, join Eric Houppert, owner of Deep Root Farm, and others for an interactive round table that will explore strategies for managing soil and handling produce from field to market. Try out tools from hand weeders to walk behind tractors, taking a look at how Eric manages the soil in his context and what you can do on your farm....
July 28-31, 2019 Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania "Bridging the Divide: Uniting Rural and Urban Landscapes for Conservation" includes eight general conservation research and practice topics. Specialty tracks will foster dialogue surrounding unique partnerships in watershed planning and implementation, engagement of the private sector in conservation, and the challenges of adapting the landscape to a changing climate. The agenda includes workshops, concurrent and plenary sessions, and tours....
July 27, 2019 Quechee, Vermont NOFA Vermont presents this hands-on soil health workshop with educator and soil enthusiast Cat Buxton at Wild Water Farm. The workshop begins with soil health principles, then introduces practices like composting, compost teas and extracts, incorporating cover crops and green manures, hugelkultur, mulching, and using plant guilds to support ecosystem services. Finally, explore a variety of visual soil assessment tools and evidence-based monitoring techniques....
July 25-26, 2019 Skowhegan, Maine The Kneading Conference gathers farmers, millers, bakers, maltsters, researchers, and grain enthusiasts from around the world for two days of intensive baking workshops, wood-fired oven building workshops, and discussions about grain growing and running grain businesses. Attendees choose from hands-on workshops, live demonstrations, lectures, panel discussions, and more....
July 25-27, 2019 Cobleskill, New York This conference is hosted by SUNY Cobleskill, in cooperation with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Cornell University Cooperative Extension, the New York Grazing Coalition, and Soil and Water Conservation. Grasstravaganza features both regional and national speakers, including special guest Dr. Elaine Ingham, microbiologist and soil biology researcher, as well as workshops, hands-on learning at the college farm, and local farm tours....
July 24, 2019 Emmaus, Pennsylvania This CRAFT workshop offers a tour of The Seed Farm's incubator site, including a look at the land, infrastructure, and equipment available to aspiring and beginning growers, such as a walk-in packhouse, tractors, and greenhouse. The workshop will discuss the nuts and bolts of the different ways farmers lease and learn at this unique incubator farm. ...
August 21, 2019 Norwich, New York For this NOFA New York afternoon field day at Norwich Meadows Farm, join Zaid Kurdieh and Dr. Michael Mazourek in exploring how farmers and seed breeders can develop and revive more resilient seed varieties. They'll cover restoring lost seed options, high tunnel seed varieties, and other projects at Norwich Meadows Farm. Dr. Mazourek will also discuss a low-tech harvest tracking system he developed for Norwich Meadows....
August 21, 2019 Starksboro, Vermont NOFA Vermont presents this afternoon workshop led by the UVM Extension Produce Team, hosted at Footprint Farm in Starksboro. Dig into the efficient flow of Footprint's newly completed wash-pack zone and learn about the improved infrastructure, equipment, and tools of the post-harvest world. A walk and talk through Footprint's set-up and-practices will reveal the LEAN planning principles behind their success. Leave this workshop with a plan and with the knowledge and resources needed to follow through....
July 22, 2019 Berkshire, New York This NOFA New York field day takes place at Kingbird Farm. Managing the many facets of a farm that produces vegetables, chickens and other livestock can create some challenges when it comes to Food Safety considerations, but it also provides huge opportunities in developing healthy, living, highly productive soils. Hear how Karma and Michael plan for optimizing their farm's productive capacity while producing safe, nutrient-dense foods....
July 19, 2019 Kutztown, Pennsylvania At this all-day event, join Rodale Institute's researchers and staff to learn the latest results of research projects and visit demonstration stations on the farm. The day is "go at your own pace," meaning you can spend as much time as you'd like at any station learning from experts....
July 18, 2019 Erieville, New York This NOFA New York field day is sponsored by Organic Valley and Maple Hill Creamery and will be held twice, at two different farms. By using helpful observational tools such as leaf-count on grasses to determine plant maturity, as well as sward height, Dr. Brickner will discuss ways to optimize cows' efficiency on pasture. Those same tools can help figure out the basic nutritional aspects of pastures, which leads to greater butterfat in the milk and body condition. There will also be a brief discussion on cow genetics and breeding for higher component production. ...
July 16, 2019 Aurora, New York This free event is part of the Organic@Cornell Summer Field Day Series. Connect with fellow farmers and Cornell researchers, while you check out the new no-till planter and get the latest information about rolled-cover-crop, organic no-till soybean production. Learn about Cornell's organic cropping systems experiment and crop breeding for organic production....
July 16, 2019 Dundee, New York This NOFA New York field day is sponsored by Organic Valley and Maple Hill Creamery and will be held twice, at two different farms. By using helpful observational tools such as leaf-count on grasses to determine plant maturity, as well as sward height, Dr. Brickner will discuss ways to optimize cows' efficiency on pasture. Those same tools can help figure out the basic nutritional aspects of pastures, which leads to greater butterfat in the milk and body condition. There will also be a brief discussion on cow genetics and breeding for higher component production....
July 14, 2019 Rochester, New York Join NOFA-NY at the Brighton Farmers Market for information on food safety and education events, as well as merchandise. At 11 am there will be a market tour that examines key vendors and their market displays....
July 14-15, 2019 Portland, Maine This event presented by the Association of Specialty Cut Flower Growers includes visits to Snell Family Farm, Broadturn Farm, Johnny's Selected Seeds Trial Grounds, and Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, with demonstrations and presentations on-site....
July 13, 2019 Huttonsville, West Virginia This free, one-day workshop from the West Virginia Department of Agriculture features hour-long courses on different aspects of high tunnel production and conservation practices. Pre-registration is required....
July 12-14, 2019 Hillsboro, West Virginia Yew Mountain Center hosts this three-day opportunity to learn about forest farming on-site. In the forest, learn identification, ecology and lore of local medicinal plants. Back at the lodge, learn how to prepare tinctures and other preparations with responsibly collected plant material. Learn how forest farming can protect wild populations of sought-after plants. ...
July 11, 2019 Constable, New York Join UVM Extension Agronomist Heather Darby, Livestock Production Consultant Sarah Flack, and host Lawrence Horst of Evermint Dairy for a pasture walk and talk about grass-fed dairy production and strategies for land reclamation and improvement. The Horsts manage a grass-fed Holstein herd and focus on maximizing forage production and quality through both annual and perennial forages as well as reclaiming and improving pastures and hay meadows on their farm. Pre-registration is appreciated for this free afternoon event. It is the first in a series of workshops on Organic Dairy from University of Vermont Extension Northwest Crops...
July 10, 2019 Rochester, New York At this NOFA New York evening event, join Daniel Eggert, Organic Seed Manager, and Gillian Meade, Trials Manager, from Harris Seeds at their facility and trial fields. Learn about Harris Seeds' soil-health plan for managing their trials long-term. Daniel and Gillian will share their soil assessment, past management practices, and the long-term goals for building healthy soil. ...
July 10, 2019 Mifflinburg, Pennsylvania During this evening field day presented by PASA at Cow-A-Hen Farm, Bill Callahan will share his effective, low-tech approach to keeping the comprehensive records he needs to monitor and evaluate the efficiency of his operation. The workshop will also explore some of the opportunities and challenges at the farm for improving efficiency and profitability, including developing pig farrowing systems to reduce weanling mortality, cattle breeding strategies to help the herd adapt to the farm, and using an innovative pastured-broiler pen designed to substantially reduce predation on a farm surrounded by woodland. ...
July 10, 2019 Washington, DC Food Tank, The George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management, Planet Forward, Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University, and New York University Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development are presenting bi-monthly, bi-partisan conversations about food issues in the U.S. Congress. This session focuses on the intersection of food, AI, and technology. Events are free to attend with registration....
August 7, 2019 Danville, Vermont At this NOFA Vermont on-farm workshop, join Organic Valley veterinarian Dr. Guy Jodarski and farmers Henry and Allison Pearl to discuss their systems for raising youngstock. Tour the new barn they built at Hill View Farm in 2015 to facilitate their groups of youngstock and dry cows and meet organic outdoor-access requirements. ...
July 8, 2019 Unity, Maine Join Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association for a full-day workshop about all the many aspects of feeding animals on tree fodder. The day will include farmer showcases, hands-on activity and more. This event launches a week long 'Tree Fodder Seminar' hosted by 3 Streams Farm. ...
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service West Virginia state office is soliciting partnerships to provide direct technical services to plan and/or implement conservation practices throughout West Virginia. West Virginia NRCS anticipates that the total funds available in FY2019 will be up to $2 million. Proposals are requested from eligible entities, non-profits, governmental or non-governmental organizations, and institutions of higher learning for competitive consideration of awards for projects between three and five years in duration. Applications must be received by July 1, 2019....
June 29, 2019 West Columbia, West Virginia This free, one-day workshop from the West Virginia Department of Agriculture features hour-long courses on different aspects of high tunnel production and conservation practices. Pre-registration is required....
June 22, 2019 Unity, Maine Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) offers this free, all-day opportunity to learn all you need to know and more about living in rural Maine. More than 40 unique, participatory workshops are offered, as well as a plant swap and potluck....
June 20, 2019 New Bethlehem, Pennsylvania PASA is offering a twilight tour for intermediate to advanced growers at Who Cooks For You Farm, a first-generation organic farm that has supplied farmers markets and restaurants with fresh produce for more than 10 years. This tour will discuss the tools and techniques Who Cooks For You currently employs to decrease and manage weed pressure, and will highlight bed system layouts for effective tractor cultivation and maximizing utility. It will also cover the weed control methods the farm has used in the past but decided to leave behind as its production methods have evolved....
June 18, 2019 Jefferson, New Hampshire Join UNH Cooperative Extension and Granite State Graziers at Otokahe Farm for an informal, educational evening to discuss grazing management practices to achieve the production goals you desire in your livestock. Topics are how to manage your rotation for good gains and forage production, nutritional value and types of forage species, and other factors in management that impact meat quality. This event is for those interested in or currently grazing looking to learn more and network with fellow graziers....
June 15, 2019 Belmont, New York In this workshop, producers will learn the basics of parasite control as well as how to develop integrated parasite management programs for their farms. The workshop includes hands-on training on how to use the FAMACHA© Anemia Card (good only for the barber pole worm) as part of a five-point check to determine which animals in your herd or flock most likely need deworming. This workshop will also include hands-on training on doing fecal egg counts....
June 14, 2019 Petersburg, Pennsylvania Join PASA and Shaver's Creek Environmental Center to learn about American Ginseng, a native high-value medicinal crop that can be grown on your farm's woodlands. Shaver's Creek Plant Science Program Director Eric Burkhart will be sharing his extensive knowledge of ginseng and his research into cultivation and stewardship of wild populations. Topics will include identification and biology, forest based approaches to cultivation, marketing and profitability, and stewardship of existing crops or wild populations. The day will be divided between indoor slide presentations and outdoor field excursions to nearby forest....
June 13, 2019 Unity, Maine MOFGA presents this half-day workshop on Rabbit Processing at the Common Ground Education Center....
June 10-14, 2019 Craftsbury Common, Vermont NCAT's week-long Armed to Farm training allows veterans and their spouses to experience sustainable, profitable, small-scale farming enterprises and explore agriculture as a viable career. ATF's engaging blend of farm tours, hands-on experience, and interactive classroom instruction gives participants a strong foundation in the basic principles of operating a sustainable farm. Participants learn about business planning, budgeting, recordkeeping, marketing, livestock production, fruit and vegetable production, and more. Applications to participate are due by May 3, 2019. All military veterans, as well as their spouses or farm partners, are welcome to apply. However, selection priority will be...
June 8, 2019 Unity, Maine This MOFGA Organic Orcharding Workshop will be led by MOFGA's organic orchard educator C.J. Walke. Learn about caring for your orchard through the summer and getting your orchard to a successful harvest in the fall....
June 7-9, 2019 Brattleboro, Vermont This year's Strolling of the Heifers theme is "Farmers Are Our Heroes." The weekend includes the annual parade, a Slow Living Expo and farmers market, the Farmers Breakfast featuring local food, the Tour de Heifer bike tour, and guided farm tours....
June 1-2, 2019 Frederick, Maryland This event features speakers, workshops, and products for homesteading, natural building, natural health, organic gardening, and more. Topics will include elderberries, goats, rainwater harvesting, legal issues on the farm, and many more....
June 1-2, 2019 Bristol, Vermont Grass farmers, homesteaders, and growers are invited to join Wild Roots Farm Vermont, Jennifer Colby from Howling Wolf Farm, and Mark Krawczyk from Valley Clayplain Forest Farm, for an in-depth look at pastures, soil, and agroforestry systems. This gathering is intended to inform community members about various methods for building a robust soil network that supports grazing livestock, food production, and biodiversity. There will be time spent in a classroom setting as well as in the field, observing and interacting with living systems. ...
May 31, 2019 Ledyard, Connecticut At HMI's Full Heart Farm Day, learn how Holistic Management enables producers to clearly identify and meet their goals, make better decisions, and enjoy the benefits of regenerative agriculture. Meet Allyson Angelini and learn how she has applied Holistic Management and how it has influenced her farming and financial strategies. Take part in a hands-on exercise to learn about the health of the soil and tour Full Heart Farm to learn about cropping strategies and biological monitoring....
May 30, 2019 Moravia, New York This eight-hour seminar from the Sustainable Poultry Network provides an overview and strategy for developing sustainable poultry production. Learn how to start effectively breeding, growing, and marketing poultry products that are both sustainable and profitable....
May 21, 2019 Towanda, Pennsylvania This mid-day PASA pasture walk focuses on bringing marginal ground into productive grazing rotations for cows. Master Grazier Brian Moyer will explain how he no-till drills annual forage crops into cattle exercise lots to produce forage for grazing, while he mitigates the impact on heavy-use areas to revitalize soil. Learn how Journeyman Dairy Grazier Joseph Moyer transformed edge habitats on the farm, such as woodland areas once overgrown with weeds, into productive grazing paddocks through regular grazing rotations and strategic mowing....
May 21-22, 2019 Bordentown, New Jersey Rutgers University Office of Continuing Professional Education hosts this two-day short course designed to introduce beginners to greenhouse crop production. The second day will take place at different local greenhouses, giving students the opportunity to view and compare different greenhouse operations. ...
May 11, 2019 Thorndike, Maine In this one-day workshop from MOFGA, you will learn to topwork new, disease-resistant, cider, dessert, or heritage varieties onto your existing trees. In this workshop you will see how a professional topgrafts and will be able to try it on your own....
May 10, 2019 Unity, Maine Join MOFGA's organic crop and conservation specialist, Caleb Goossen, and MOFGA's farmer in residence, Alex Ethier of Killdeer Croft, for a one-day introductory course in organic crop farming....
May 10, 2019 Washington, D.C. Food Tank and numerous partners are presenting this event as part of their bi-monthly series of bi-partisan conversations about food issues in the U.S. Congress, featuring special guest Congresswoman Chellie Pingree....
May 5, 2019 Randolph, Vermont This day-long class from Earthwise Farm and Forest will provide instruction for setting up a successful grazing system on a diversified farm, using poultry, horses, cows, sheep, goats, and/or pigs. Participants will be introduced to fencing and water system designs, and movable structures for hogs, poultry, and small ruminants, and will learn how to determine daily feed needs of various types of livestock....
May 2, 2019 Belleville, Pennsylvania This free PASA field day at Hameau Farm will discuss how to establish a rotational grazing plan for your farm. It begins with a pasture walk, led by Hameau Farm owner Gay Rodgers and apprentice Jessica Matthews, to examine the farm's forage, rotational grazing plan, and watering systems. In the afternoon, participants will work with Jeff Biddle of Bear Meadows Farm to review aerial photos of his farm's typography, using it as a case study for developing a formal rotational grazing plan. ...
May 1, 2019 Albion, Maine MOFGA presents a day-long workshop at Misty Brook Farm. Jacki Perkins, a long-time homesteader and MOFGA's organic dairy and livestock specialist, will teach livestock handling. Everyone will leave the session with the confidence needed to safely handle animals, and completing this training will benefit current or future employment....
