Cultivating Success – Ag Entrepreneurship Education
Cultivating Success – Sustainable Small Farms Education Agricultural Entrepreneurship
10-Class Agriculture Entrepreneur Course in Enumclaw at the Green River Community College Small Business Center
Do you want to grow your own grapes and start a winery? Do you want to sell directly to the market place? Are you taking Grandma’s recipe to market
This class is designed specifically for participants to learn how to write a business plan, how to develop an innovative marketing strategy, how to evaluate economic returns of their business. Financial experts, bank officers, legal experts, and small business counselors, as well as successful local farmers will be featured as guest speakers. These contacts help new and established farmers accurately assess what it will take to launch a new agricultural business and maintain its financial health, as well as begin to develop a support network. Owners and managers of new and existing agricultural business are encouraged to participate. Read more »
March 19 – Northwest Washington Sustainable Agriculture Conference
Join us for the first annual Northwest Washington Sustainable Agriculture Conference, put on by Washington State University Whatcom County Extension. It will be held on Monday, March 19, 2012 at the Rotary Building at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in Lynden. This daylong event will feature seminars on topics relevant to sustainable and organic producers. The morning session will be an intensive program on irrigation and fertigation. The afternoon session will feature two tracks. The crop production track will feature topics of cover crops, soil fertility, weed management, small grain production and off-season small fruit production. The livestock track will feature topics of meat poultry production, veterinary issues, pasture management, and alternative livestock feeds.
Sponsors of the event include Osborne Seed Company, Elenbaas Company, Whatcom Community, and the Community Food Coop Farm Fund. Partial scholarships are available to Whatcom County farmers, thanks to a grant from the Community Food Coop Farm Fund.
Registration and other information can be found at http://whatcom.wsu.edu/ag/edu/susagconf. Contact Colleen Burrows at 360-676-6736 or cburrows@wsu.edu with questions.
March 8 – Fresh Food in Schools Summit
The Washington Sustainable Food and Farming Network, in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Agriculture, is excited to offer a one-day conference on farm to school on Thursday, March 8 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Workshops on local food procurement, GAPs and food safety, and how to engage the community in farm to school efforts will be offered. In addition, we are delighted to feature Kate Adamick as our keynote speaker who will also present her Lunch Money workshop. Kate Adamick is co-founder of Cook for America®, and has helped hundreds of schools throughout the United States transform their cafeterias into scratch-cooking operations. Her Lunch Money workshop focuses on how to serve healthy school meals in a sick economy. Read more »
March 9 – 10 Animal Agriculture Short Courses
Washington state’s food animal industry is made up of producers of all sizes, diverse production systems, and traditional and niche markets. Small acreage animal production has increased in recent years. Sustainable food animal production offers individuals the opportunity for land/ resource utilization, production of food for home or sale, and additional income. The WSU beef, lamb, pork, and poultry 100 short courses are designed for beginning farmers, but are also an excellent energizer for experienced food animal producers to expand opportunities and sustainability of their current livestock operation. The one-day species specific program will help livestock producers increase their knowledge on how to produce safe, high quality food animals profitably; while producing the animals in an environmental and animal care conscious manner. The short courses will address opportunities and issues to enhance the production, safety and quality of beef, lamb and pork production from the farm to the plate.
Download the flyer to register and get more information.
For more information, contact Sarah Smith, 509-754-2011 ext. 413, smithsm@wsu.edu or Jan Busboom, 509-335-2880, busboom@wsu.edu.
Feb. 4 – Livestock Farm Management Class for Small Farmers
Another in a series of Livestock Farm Management Classes will be presented by the Pierce Conservation District, a non-regulatory agency helping landowners improve their farms since 1949.
- Biosecurity: Is your Herd or Flock Safe from Diseases?
- Saturday, February 4, 10 a.m. – 12 p.m.
- Puyallup Public Library Read more »
Good Agricultural Practices Workshops
Many growers seek information about food safety and Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs). Food safety management using GAPs can be utilized by growers to protect their businesses, broaden marketing opportunities and prepare for regulatory impacts of the Food Safety Modernization Act. Understanding produce food safety risks and control measures using GAPs assists growers with implementing successful GAPs programs in their operations. WSU offers a three-part workshop series to introduce GAPs food safety principles and assist growers with assessment of operational food safety practices. Our goal is to assist growers with adoption of food safety practices and prepare for third-party certification. Read more »
Jan. 9 – Where’s the Honey? Master Beekeeper Courses for 2012
To help expand the number of local honey producers, Washington State University Snohomish County Extension and Beez Neez Apiary Supply team up each year to sponsor the popular apprentice-level course in the Master Beekeeper Program. The five-week course provides a thorough introduction to beekeeping for novice beekeepers as well as a comprehensive refresher course for experienced apiculturists. Read more »
Jan. 17 – Planning for Sustainability Key to Profitable Farming
Washington State University Snohomish County Extension is offering a 12-week “Cultivating Success: Agricultural Entrepreneurship and Farm Business Planning” course to help new and existing farmers gain skills in business planning and direct marketing. The course runs on Tuesday evenings starting January 17 through April 17 from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at WSU Snohomish County Extension’s Cougar Auditorium in McCollum Park, 600 128th St. SE in Everett, Wash. Read more »
Feb. 1 – Deadline to Apply for CEFS Summer Internship
The deadline to apply for the CEFS Summer Internship Program is February 1. The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) Summer Sustainable Agriculture Internship Program, based in Goldsboro, North Carolina, is an eight-week internship program (June 4 – July 27, 2012) that provides undergraduate students with experience in hands-on field production, local community food systems, hands-on sustainable agriculture experiences, and research that promote agricultural sustainability. The goal of the internship program is to provide learning opportunities through collaboration with faculty from North Carolina State University and North Carolina A&T State University and farm staff from the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services. Interns will become familiar with farming practices that promote: Read more »
Feb. 11 – Women in Agriculture Conference
Women face unique challenges in growing viable businesses in farming and ranching. They also learn differently than men and like to connect with other women farmers in sharing experiences, knowledge and resources. Keynote speakers will be broadcast across the state to 16 locations; and local presenters will reflect the needs of those regions. Save the date of February 11, 2012, for this wonderful opportunity to learn and grow. If you are interested in attending one of these workshop, please send your contact information to Debra Hansen Kollock at dkollock@wsu.edu and you will be notified of all upcoming news and details. Please type “Women in Ag” in the subject line. Or call (509) 684-2588. Read more »
