Blog

Quillisascut Farm is offering an Introduction to Small Acreage Sustainable Farming workshop April 25-29, in rural eastern Washington State. This is an intensive short course with lecture/ farm tours /hands on, truly an immersion in life on a small farm.

No sooner had we finished our recent memoir class, than one of the fabulous cookscribble students created a four-day food writing retreat in Santa Fe. April 19-23. Its an impressive group of writers, cooks and eaters and while this has been the winters that wasn't, I'm dreaming high desert sun, like-minded writers, unmitigated support and a good […]

Tractor Operation and Maintenance Workshop at the Accokeek Foundation Saturday, April 14 – Sunday, April 15, 2012– 8:30am to 5:00 pm This two-day, hands-on workshop demystifies tractors and empowers their users to operate and maintain their machines more safely, and with greater skill and confidence. Day one focuses on the fundamentals of tractor operation; reviewing […]

The  latest from Fibershed! Woolly Adventures Update Weaving the rural and urban together.... one fleece at a time. Take a journey to the northwest regions of our Fibershed this Spring to get up close and personal with your local fiber farms — It's shearing time! Jean Near's Shear-In April 14th: Begins at 10am, potluck lunch […]

Understanding and Implementing HACCP: Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point Programs for Small Meat and Poultry Processors A Two Day Training, Tues. & Wed. April 10 & 11, 2012 9:00-5:00 on Day 1 8:30-4:30 on Day 2 Held in Ithaca, NY At Cornell Cooperative Extension-Tompkins County, 615 Willow Ave. & Morrison Hall, Cornell SPACE LIMITED download […]

A new offering from Land for Good: "Acquiring Your Farm."  Access to land is one of the biggest challenges facing farmers - especially beginning farmers. Will you acquire your farm by leasing, purchasing, or a combination?  How much can you afford and how will you pay for it?  How will you determine the right property […]

Sounds, Stories and Springtime – An Audio Retreat  Spend a weekend in the Catskills honing your recording and storytelling skills while reinvigorating your creative spirit. Join Jim Metzner and Eileen McAdam for an immersive experience in field recording, listening, and learning how to use sound to bring stories to life. This retreat offers personal attention […]

Alliances are being formed, globally of Indigenous and non-indigenous groups and individuals committed to creating a system of jurisprudence that sees and treats nature and Mother Earth as a fundamental, rights bearing entity. A paradigm, that is based on Indigenous thought and philosophy needs to be forwarded which grants equal rights to nature and which honors the interrelation […]

UVM Extension New Farmer Project:  Pricing Clinics for Direct Marketing Farmers Are you uncertain how much to charge for your farm products?  Are you unclear how to determine your costs of production? Do you need help determining prices for your farm products that support your business sustainability?  These FREE one-day clinics will provide hands-on opportunities […]

Saturday & Sunday, March 10-11th, 2012 - Hosted on the RISD campus (Providence, RI)  Join us as we work side-by-side with local farmers to develop new tools and ideas to help strengthen sustainable agriculture in Providence and beyond . The weekend will include: Visits to local farms to help frame problems and opportunities An afternoon design […]

The Paicines Ranch is hosting a field day on Fri., March 30, with Kirk Gadzia.  We will discuss managing cattle on rangelands during times of drought, along with strategies for monitoring rangelands in California and other subjects related to holistic planned grazing and decision making that come up. This field day should be of interest […]

Now is the time to brush up on your marketing skills! Marketing 101 Webinar: March 15, 9:30-11:00 a.m. Register now! Are you new to organic production and want to get started with a CSA or farmers' market? Are you currently working in direct marketing and interested in branching out to retail or wholesale?

Permaculture Intensive, How to Run a CSA, Accepting Federal Nutritional Benefits, and Tractor and Machinery Trainings! Scholarships and translation services are available upon request. Go to Accokeek's calendar to register. Pre-registration is required for all classes. Running a Successful CSA Wednesday, March 7, 2012 from 9:00 am to 12:00noon As the new food movement gains […]

those meat maniacs are at it again! you can take one of their fabulous classes at their shop on vashon island:  sausage on feb 25th & march 16 pig slaughter: march 8, 9, 10 pork butchery: march 15 curing: march 17th more info at: http://www.farmsteadmeatsmith.com/?page_id=480

The Paicines Ranch is holding a 3-day workshop on holistic management taught by Kirk Gadzia March 27-29, with a field day on Fri., March 30. The workshop will cover holistic goal setting, decision making, and land use planning.  If you attended the holistic planned grazing workshop last year, this would be an excellent follow-up.  If […]

Hawthorne Valley Farmscape Ecology Program Upcoming Events Saturday, January 21st 2012, 1-3pm, Hillsdale "Winter Exploration" of the Roeliff-Jansen Park (co-sponsored by the Columbia Land Conservancy) Join ecologists Claudia and Conrad Vispo for a walk at the Roeliff-Jansen Park just south of Hillsdale to explore its winter ecology and land use history. We meet at 1pm in the […]

January 31, 7 pm Filing Farm Taxes, UVM Extension New Farmer Project Webinar.  Be ahead of the curve this year, and learn what you need to know about filing taxes for your farm business before March rolls around! Dennis Kauppila, UVM Extension Agriculture & Farm Business Management Specialist delves into the federal tax code as it applies […]

Beginning Women Farmer Conference: Exploring Whole Farm Planning March 22-23, 2012 at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, Lincoln Campus Center A two day conference for all farmers interested in improved quality of life, profitability, and land health sponsored by Holistic Management International, the USDA National Institute of Food & Agriculture and the University of Massachusetts. Learn how […]

Join us for a 3-day, hands-on workshop on Holistic goal setting, decision-making, and land use planning featuring Holistic Management Certified Educator, Kirk Gadzia. We will spend time in the field everyday, and you will leave with a holistic goal, the knowledge you need to put that plan in action, and land use solutions specific to […]

jan 1st at Big Bear Cafe in Washington, DC - hosted by our friend Andrew Plotsky of Farmrun. See HERE for more event info!

PLANNING FOR PROFIT II AN ADVANCED, 9 WEEK, ONLINE WHOLE FARM PLANNING COURSE Take your financial & marketing plans to the next level of profitability! JANUARY 17 – MARCH 13, 2012 Live Course Webinars Tuesdays 6:30 – 8:00pm Register Today!   Course Description This is an advanced, whole farm planning course for existing farmers/ranchers. As […]

Led by food writer Molly O’Neill, Cook ‘n’ Scribble virtual seminars combine interviews with some of the world’s leading food voices with intensive, hands-on assignments, professional editing and intimate workshops.  THE HUNGRY I: FOOD MEMOIR - January 11th – February 29th, 2012 This eight week virtual course combines interviews with memoirists including Diana Abu-Jaber, Nora […]

Please 'save the date' for the 2012 NYS Small Farms Summit scheduled for Wednesday, February 29th, from 9:30am - 3pm. The Summit is an interactive meeting with an opportunity for all participants to take part in lively discussion and provide important feedback, both locally, and across the state. We will be gathering in Ithaca, NY […]

Did you know about the upcoming Carbon Farming Course near NYC? It's a series of workshops in Regenerative Agriculture taking place just outside of New York City from January 17 - February 5th, 2012. There is an incredible lineup of teachers and topics, including Joel Salatin, Wes Jackson, Elaine Ingham, Darren Doherty, Dave Jacke, and […]

Hog Slaughter & Butchering Demo & Potluck Dinner with CCF, Leahey Farm, The Meat Market and North Plain Farm at 205 North Plain Road, Great Barrington Mass Sunday, December 11 @ Noon RSVP 860 689 6068 or [email protected]

Groundswell Farm Business Planning Course Format: 8 classes, every other Thursday evening, January 5 - April 12, 2012 Dates:  January 5 and 19, February 2 and 16, March 1, 15, and 29, and April 12 Time:  6:00 - 9:00 PM Location: Ithaca Cost:  Sliding scale, $80 – $300 Application required:  Visit www.groundswellcenter.org for online application or […]

Plants, Earth and Cosmos A workshop for farmers, gardeners and others seeking a renewed relation to the land February 12-17 and/or February 19-24 Conducted by The Nature Institute and the Hawthorne Valley Farm Learning Center in partnership with the Biodynamic Farming and Gardening Association The Nature Institute and the Hawthorne Valley Farm Learning Center are […]

UVM Extension New Farmer Project Building a Sustainable Business for Start-Up and Re-strategizing Farmers Don't delay!  Register now for the "Early Bird" registration price! A strong business plan is key to a successful start for farms, specialty food businesses and other agricultural enterprises. To help ag entrepreneurs get off on the right foot, the University […]

2012 is Peter Dixon's 14th year of Cheesemaking Workshops near his home in Westminster, Vermont.  In our second year as Westminster Artisan Cheesemaking the lineup is better than ever! This year's series is comprised of two and three day workshops on the fundamentals of making and aging cheese and operating a small-scale, farmstead or artisanal cheese business. […]

The Principles of Pastured Pork: Raising Hogs on Pasture: with Bruce Hennessey of Maple Wind Farm, coordinated by the UVM Extension New Farmer Project November 29, 2011, 7:00 pm Bruce Hennessey, with his partner, Beth Whiting operate Maple Wind Farm, a pasture-based diversified livestock, vegetable and maple syrup farm in Huntington, VT. The farm produces 100% grass […]

Step by Step, Row by Row:  How to Start Your Own Farm Dinner Business January 14 & 15, 2012 Cure Organic Farm, Boulder, Colorado This 2-day workshop is intended for cooks, chefs, artists and artisans, farmers, food lovers and anyone who feels inspired by seasonal, locally grown foods—and mobile kitchens. Meadow Lark Farm Dinners offer […]

Mark your calendar! On December 3, Food+Tech Connect & Gojee are bringing together journalists, technologists, designers, policy makers, and food data specialists to develop tools and visualizations that help the public better understand how the Farm Bill impacts our lives. 

Now Accepting Applications for the 2012 Beginner Farmer Training Program Future Harvest-Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture is now accepting applications from new farmers across the Chesapeake region interested in participating in the Beginner Farmer Training Program (BFTP) 2012 program year. We recruit five to ten trainees, mostly college graduates with some farming experience and a […]

There are a few spots left in Molly O'Neill's on-line food writing seminars and there are still several scholarships available as well. The fall seminars begin next week. A best selling author, and long time NYTimes food columnist, O'Neill's courses combine lectures and interviews with some of the greatest practitioners of our era and small […]

a workshop with our friends at Frey Vineyards. The Secrets of the Sun & Moon Friday, January 6, 2012, 9-5PM A Coros event at beautiful Frey Vineyards - 14000 Tomki Rd, Redwood Valley, Ca 95470 Our work in Nature embeds us into a sea of rhythmic time and space relationships that either support or hinder […]

UVM Extension New Farmer Project Webinar A CSA Primer for New Farmers October 25, 7:00 pm Community Supported Agriculture continues to be a burgeoning movement for small-scale, sustainable farms. As the number of farms using this marketing model increase, so do the many variations of the CSA farm. Join Jean Hamilton, NOFA Vermont's Market Development […]

ATTN all those seeking to brush up on their marketing and bookkeeping skills! The course for agricultural entrepreneurs is aimed at those individuals who have started or are thinking about starting an agricultural based venture that is not tied to large scale, commodity-style production. The materials are specifically designed for the individual who is searching for innovative ideas […]

Passing Down Land and Business to a New Generation Saturday, October 15, 2011 • 9am – 5pm and Saturday, November 19, 2011 • 9am – 5pm The first day of the conference will offer estate and tax tools, business transfer tools and goal-setting and communication strategies for families undergoing transitions. Participating families will be assigned planning […]

WHOLE FARM PLANNING COURSE OFFERED  FOR BEGINNING WOMEN FARMERS Shelburne--A 10-session whole farm planning course will be offered in Shelburne, beginning this January, for women with 2-10 years of farming experience. Applications will be accepted through Oct. 28. The free course, coordinated by the University of Vermont (UVM) Extension New Farmer Project, is open to […]

Dear Greenhorns, Fall is come, and with that, the Harvest.  Many of you have entrusted your animals to us this season; we thank you for the work.  This October we're transforming the butchering of 1 pig and 3 sheep into personal practicum opportunities.