Some terrific events & resources for Greehorns! From the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture.
Successfully Integrating Interns & Apprentices into Your Farm
April 29, Wednesday - Ebensburg, Cambria County
5 - 8pm, click here for more information and to register.
Speakers will share information on housing, salary/stipends, evaluating performance, fair labor expectations, terms of agreement, motivating interns, being patient, providing a sense of community, and how to end things if they aren't working out. A great workshop if you've considered creating an internship or apprenticeship as part of your farm business.
With Moie Crawford, New Morning Farm & Jennifer Montgomery, Blackberry Meadows Farm
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Farming Profitably: Business Planning & Management, Marketing, and Record-Keeping
May 2, Saturday -State College, Centre County
9am- 4pm, click here for more information and to register.
This is an excellent chance to brush up on your record keeping skills or to develop the plan you wish you had to most effectively run your farm business and make it more profitable.
Presented by the University of Scranton Small Business Development Center (SBDC), with support from the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture and the Risk Management Agency.
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NCAT
Free 60 Minute Webinar: Hoop Houses for Extending Your Growing Season
Thursday, May 7 1:00pm EST (11:00am MDT)
Click here to reserve your spot today!
The one hour FREE webinar will cover:
- The uses and benefits of hoop houses, increasing crop quality and yields
- Different types of hoop houses
- Construction, materials and cost estimates
- Management of crops, soil fertility, pests and weeds
- Economics and marketing of crops
Your presenters for this webinar are NCAT horticulture specialists Tammy Hinman and Andy Pressman. Hinman holds a Bachelor's degree from Colorado State University in horticulture food crops and entomology and a Master's degree in food system studies from Antioch University. Pressman has a Master's in sustainable systems from Slippery Rock University. He is a certified permaculture designer. Hinman and Pressman both have market farming experience as well as experience building and growing in hoop houses.
Click here to reserve your spot today!
On the day of the seminar, please join 15 minutes early to allow the required software to download.
ATTRA- National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and is funded under a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Business-Cooperative Service.
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Northeastern IPM Center Offers Travel Grants for IPM Educational Meetings

Apply now for up to $800 in travel funding for travel before March 10, 2010.
Would you like to visit another state to see the field work that is being done in Vegetable or Strawberry Integrated Pest Management? Do you wish you had funds to get to a twilight meeting, field day, or spend a few days with a colleague in another state in the Northeast or another region?
Funds are available to growers, vegetable and/or strawberry specialists, Cooperative Extension educators or county agents, crop consultants, government agency staff, agricultural professionals in nonprofits, or anyone who will be in contact with many vegetable or strawberry growers.
Click here to download the Request for Application and state your work, how your travel will help you learn about IPM and how you will share what you learn with growers back at home.
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Free Grant Writing Workshop for Farmers
May 11, 2009; 9:30am - 12 Noon; Exton, PA
Learn strategies on submitting successful applications for these programs from USDA-Rural Development staff and former grant awardees.
The Value-Added Producer Grants may be used for planning activities and for working capital for marketing value-added agricultural products and for farm-based renewable energy. Eligible applicants are independent producers, farmer and rancher cooperatives, agricultural producer groups, and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures.
The REAP/RES/EEI Grants Program will provide grants for energy audits and renewable energy development assistance. It also provides funds to agricultural producers and rural small businesses to purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements.
REGISTER NOW!
Questions? Contact Karen Costello at [email protected].