February 23, 2012
Intro to Organic Farming Systems –
The growth of organic agriculture has more organic farmers interacting with their local government agencies, banks, feed mills, dairy nutritionists, crop consultants, and other businesses – and they all need a basic knowledge of organic production systems and regulations to serve farmers better. This class will provide in-depth descriptions of the diverse practices used to produce organic crops and livestock, as well as a basic overview of the National Organic Program rules. Atina Diffley of Organic FarmingWorks and University of Minnesota organic outreach coordinator Jim Riddle will provide a wealth of information for agriculture professionals as well as producers considering organic production.
February 24, 2012
The MOSES Organic Farming Conference is the largest organic farming conference in the U.S. In 2011 almost 3,000 farmers, advocates, educators, students, and more attended.
Held annually in La Crosse, WI, with over 65 informative workshops, 160 exhibitors, locally-sourced organic food, live entertainment and inspirational keynote speakers, the OFC is celebrated as the foremost educational and networking event in the organic farming community.
Promoting biodiversity both above and below the soil provides a wide variety of ecosystem services that enhance food growing capacity and quality of life. Join organic vegetable farmer and consultant Atina Diffley for this exploration of the natural processes in the environment and how you can work with them.
March 7, 2012
What you do in the pack shed often makes the critical difference between vegetables that sit around and vegetables that sell and hold their quality long after they have left the farmer’s hands. Come learn the tools, techniques, and philosophies that guide a quality packing operation.
April 1, 2012
What you do in the pack shed often makes the critical difference between vegetables that sit around and vegetables that sell and hold their quality long after they have left the farmer’s hands. Come learn the tools, techniques, and philosophies that guide a quality packing operation.
April 17, 2012
Scaling up for Wholesale Markets
From bunch sizes and lot codes to sequential planting and quality control, selling to retail stores requires meeting the buyer’s needs and maintaining quality and consistency through attentive to details. Learn how to serve the wholesale market and make your farm a highly desired source of fresh produce. Learn what it takes to keep your retail buyer coming back for more.
Post-Harvest and Food Safety
Keep The Quality: Post-Harvest Handling For Vegetable Farms: What you do in the pack shed often makes the critical difference between vegetables that sit around and vegetables that sell and hold their quality long after they have left the farmer’s hands. Come learn the tools, techniques, and philosophies that guide a quality packing operation.
Followed by dinner and social.
Evening Program
Buyer/Grower Panel
Participants receive a free copy of the Wholesale Success Post Harvest Book Produced by familyfarmer.org
