Online Conference: CSA Expert Exchange on March 15th

The CSA Expert Exchange is an online conference that will bring farmers together to learn about CSA issues important to them. The conference will occur Friday, March 15th, from 11am – 4pm EST (8am – 1pm PDT) and can be accessed with any web browser anywhere in the world. You will be able to see video of the presenters, view slides and participate in the discussion in real time.

Topics include community involvement, strategies for increasing member retention, certifications, equipment, finding the right scale for your CSA operation, and legal issues. For more information, read the agenda.

Cost is $45, viewed live or archived. Register now!

Small Farm Central is providing 20 scholarships to new and beginning farmers to attend the CSA Expert Exchange at no cost.

 

Looking to Improve Animal Welfare on Your Farm? Apply for Fund-a-Farmer Grants!

The application period is open for the Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) Fund-a-Farmer Project: a micro-grants initiative that assists farmers in improving animal welfare. The Fund-a-Farmer Project grants up to $1,500 for projects that (1) help farms transition to pasture-based systems, (2) improve the marketing of their humane products, or (3) more generally enrich the conditions in which farm animals are raised. Last year, FACT awarded $13,000 to nine farms across the country.

Working, independent family farmers who raise pigs, broiler chickens, laying hens, dairy cows and/or beef cattle are eligible to apply for any of the grants. Projects involving goats and sheep are only eligible for marketing grants. Apply online at www.fundafarmer.org. Applications are due by May 1, 2013, and grants will be awarded in August 2013.

Winter Conference Round Up

‘Tis the season for farm conferences! Take advantage of the many opportunities to network with other farmers, farm service providers, and farm activists this winter! See what’s happening in your region and get registered for fantastic conferences happening near you. Farm Aid staff will be present at the conferences marked with an asterisk (*).

Are we missing a conference? Let us know by leaving a comment below.

 

January

Jan. 10-11 – Midwest CSA Conference – Eau Claire, WI

Jan. 10-12 – Practical Farmers of Iowa Conference – Ames, IA

Jan. 12 – Cascadia Grains Conference – Tacoma, WA

*Jan. 12 – NOFA-Mass Winter Conference – Worcester, MA

Jan. 17-19 – GrassWorks Grazing Conference – Wausau, WI

Jan. 18-19 – Future Harvest-CASA Conference – Lansdowne, VA

Jan. 23-26 – EcoFarm Conference – Pacific Grove, CA

*Jan. 23-26 – Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SAWG) Conference – Little Rock, AR

Jan. 24-26 – Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society Winter Conference – Aberdeen, SD

Jan. 25-27 – NOFA-NY Winter Conference – Saratoga Springs, NY

Jan. 26-27 – NOFA-NJ Winter Conference – Lincroft, NJ

 

February

Feb. 2-3 – Immigrant and Minority Farmers Conference – St. Paul, MN

*Feb. 6 – 9 – Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture Conference – State College, PA

Feb. 7-9 – Organicology – Portland, OR

*Feb. 10-12 – Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) Conference – Saratoga Springs, NY

Feb. 15-16 – Small Farmer’s Conference – Albany, GA

*Feb. 15-17 – NOFA-VT Winter Conference – Burlington, VT

Feb. 16-17 – Ohio Ecological Food & Farm Association Conference – Granville, OH

Feb. 16-17 – Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota Annual Conference – Chaska, MN

Feb. 21 – California Climate and Agriculture Summit – Davis, CA

Feb. 21-23 – MOSES Organic Farming Conference – La Crosse, WI

*Feb. 22-23 – Georgia Organics Conference – College Park, GA

 

March

March 1-2 – NOFA-NH Winter Conference – Laconia, NH

March 2 – CT-NOFA Winter Conference – Wilton, CT

March 2-5 – National Farmers Union Convention – Springfield, MA

March 10-12 – California Small Farm Conference – Fresno, CA

March 22-23 – New England Meat Conference – Concord, NH

March 29-30 – Just Food Conference – New York, NY

New Organic Certification Guides from ATTRA

Earlier this year, USDA launched its new Organic Literacy Initiative, an effort to help connect current and prospective organic farmers, ranchers, and processors with the USDA resources available to them.

As part of this initiative, the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) has partnered with the National Organic Program (NOP) on four new guides with detailed information about organic certification.  They include information about organic requirements and best practices, and also further explain the certification process:

The guides can be downloaded for free or ordered as a paper publication for a small handling fee either at the links above or on the ATTRA website.