Calendar of Events

July 10, 2008
Goldsboro, North Carolina

"Fueling the Farm II: Managing energy risks, reducing energy costs and exploring alternative energy sources" is part of the Seasons of Sustainable Agriculture series at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems. This day-long workshop will provide farmers and other participants with information and tools to explore and evaluate farm energy use, potential economic risk and ways of reducing on-farm energy usage and expenses. Renewable energy and energy efficiency projects will be discussed and demonstrated and potential funding sources will be identified. Biofuel production topics will be a specific breakout thread and will include the step by step demonstration of biofuel production.

July 10, 2008
Lamberton, Minnesota

The University of Minnesota Southwest Research and Outreach Center leads an extensive program dedicated to exploring organic agriculture production and the science of organic systems. Their annual organic field day includes field tours led by University of Minnesota faculty, exhibits, presentations and discussion forums.

July 11, 2008
Sandoval, Illinois

University of Illinois Extension is offering tours that highlight sustainable agriculture operations around the state of Illinois. This event visits Lyons Fisheries. Registration at least one week in advance is required.

July 12, 2008
Swoope, Virginia

See in an up-close and personal way how through respect for nature and innovation your family can make a good living on a small farm. Meet discerning food buyers, graziers, homesteaders and ecological farmers from across the country in what has become a very special every-three-year reunion. Listen to the Salatins explain their pastured poultry operation, how to raise Salad Bar Beef, how to put pigs to work on your farm, how to build relationships with your customers, and more.

July 12, 2008
Barre, Massachusetts

Many Hands Sustainability Center presents a workshop for farmers and serious gardeners that will discuss issues of fertility, planting and succession schedules, vegetable rotations, vegetable and animal rotations, and field and hoop house management. This workshop will be facilitated by Dan Kittredge and Julie Rawson, both lifelong farmers.

July 12, 2008
Albany, Ohio

The Ohio Sheep Day program is designed to bring producers to a successful sheep production farm to see what they are doing to be successful and deliver good technical information to the sheep producers in a field day scenario. Producers need to be able to see and possibly experience many of the things that make their production systems more efficient and even more profitable. Curt & Wendy Cline will host the program.

July 12, 2008
Jefferson, Maryland

Maryland Small Farm Cooperative is having a free Field Day at Fox Haven Farm, an organic farm that showcases innovative practices for conservation and sustainable living on over 400 acres of land. There will be presentations and demonstrations on sustainable farming and living practices by representatives from DNR, NRCS, Master Gardeners, Bee Keepers, Frederick County 4-H Packgoat Club and others. Visitors will be able to take walking tours to view a solar-powered water system, organic gardening, an environmental house and various conservation and stewardship programs that have been instituted on the farm, such as plantings of over 65,000 new trees (including the American Chestnut), shrubs, warm season and cool season grasses, and wild flowers.

July 12-15, 2008
Columbus, Ohio

OFA - an Association of Floriculture Professionals, presents an educational and trade show experience serving the floriculture industry.
A special focus this year is sustainability. Sessions will cover everything from the proposed sustainability standard to methods for marketing sustainability to practical ideas for becoming more sustainable.

July 14, 2008
Osceola, Missouri

Learn at what temperature vegetables should be stored, the fastest way to cool down produce after harvest, washing and packaging, food safety, harvest timing, storage and presentation. The evening event includes a farm tour of Bear Creek Farms, an organic vegetable farm that produces for market and for wholesale to Whole Foods.

July 16, 2008
Greene County, Pennsylvania

Tour So’Journey Farm with Pennsylvania-Women's Ag Network representative Sandy Brown, who raises grassfed Highland cattle and pastured poultry and manages a bed and breakfast. The tour will take a look at the practices that can reduce a farm’s environmental impact while boosting its bottom line. Presenters will also talk about adding agritourism to make the most of your farm assets.

July 17, 2008
Goldsboro, North Carolina

The pasture-based dairy at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems will host a workshop for interested dairy producers, educators, and students. Topics will include horn fly control strategies, forage production and management, herd management, crossbreeding, and summaries of recent and on-going research projects. Topics will be relevant for organic dairy herds as well as for herds using various amounts of pasture in their production systems.

July 17-18, 2008
Rutherford, California

Napa Valley Grapegrowers annually presents the only all-organic conference in the wine industry. The event is held at the beautiful Frog's Leap Winery in Rutherford and provides a wealth of information and networking opportunities for those interested in organic farming. Presentations and an equipment show are scheduled.

July 17, 2008
Wheatland, Virginia

Join Future Harvest at one of its popular, informative free field days. Learn more about the challenges and opportunities to vegetable farming with minimal use of agrichemicals at Potomac Vegetable Farms.

July 17, 2008
Central Indiana

In a day-long tour of outstanding farming operations in Central Indiana, Conservation Technology Information Center members, partners and others interested in conservation will meet five successful farmers who have mastered innovative conservation practices in their profitable operations, talk with them one-on-one, and learn from their experience.

July 18-20, 2008
Sequim, Washington

The 12th annual festival features eight farms on tour, offering u-pick lavender, workshops, demonstrations, craft artists, food, and music. Farm tour shuttles are offered, and a street fair will also take place in downtown Sequim.

July 18, 2008
Kutztown, Pennsylvania

At the Rodale Institute's annual field day their researchers provide updates and tours of the Farming Systems Trial research underway on the 333-acre certified organic farm.

July 19, 2008
Ardmore, Oklahoma

The Noble Foundation presents this day-long event, "Pros, Cons and Economics of Clovers and Legumes." This program features some of the nation's top specialists in forage legumes. Timely, practical information will be offered to stimulate your thinking about your forage production practices.

July 19, 2008
Barre, Massachusetts

Many Hands Sustainability Center offers this workshop presented by Julie Rawson and Jack Kittredge. This hands-on workshop will discuss chickens, turkeys, and geese. It will visit the baby birds as well as adult and juvenile layers and meat birds in their movable pasture houses. This workshop will cover feed and disease prevention and show practical examples of appropriate housing. It will discuss animal/vegetable rotations for the optimal health of both. Logistics of marketing and slaughter will also be addressed.

July 19, 2008
Shreve, Ohio

Innovative Farmers of Ohio sponsors a tour of Maple Ridge Farm. Deb and Jim Morris are sheep grazers who have won acknowledgment from The Forage and Grassland Council for their sustainable practices and for their innovations in grazing. This summer they hope to have a field of Teff, a rather new, but highly prized forage. They also have a unique practice of lambing their crossbred polypay flock year round.

July 20, 2008
La Farge, Wisconsin

This introduction to permaculture principles is highlighted by tours of the Varney 5-acre & Shepard 100-acre Permaculture Farms. Learn about natural water harvesting, soil building techniques, and a system with no annual plowing, tilling or planting, minimal weeding and watering, and no artificial fertilizers, herbicides or pesticides. Imagine a farming system where the yields increase almost yearly for three decades, and then level off at peak production for three generations or more.

July 21-22, 2008
Goldsboro, North Carolina

Center for Environmental Farming Systems presents this 2-day clinic that will teach outdoor production of heritage turkeys from brooding through processing and marketing. Nutrition & feeds, diseases & predators, management & more will be covered. Frank Reese, Jr., the primary instructor, has 45 years of experience raising heritage turkeys, and is now leading the nation in re-establishing a market for these hardy and flavorful historic birds.

July 21, 2008
Logan, Ohio

This evening pasture walk sponsored by the Ohio Forage Network focuses on Grazing Teff Grass and Alternative Forages for a cow/calf operation.

July 21-23, 2008
Nashville, Tennessee

The Community Food Systems Program of Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG) is holding its 2nd Annual Training Intensive in partnership with the Food Security Partners of Middle Tennessee. They are inviting individuals representing local food systems organizing to join them for 2.5 days of learning lead by some of the best minds in community food systems work. Pre-registration is required.

July 22-23, 2008
Bozeman, Montana

University of Nevada Cooperative Extension provides a 2-day training for educators and conservationists interested in using the "Living on the Land: Stewardship for Small Acreages" curriculum for educating small acreage owners. By attending the training, you’ll become familiar with the content of the curriculum (marketing and economics of small acreage properties; wildfire threat reduction; ponds; wildlife; irrigation systems; the whole farm approach; and more); you’ll gain competencies in identifying learning styles, engaging adult learners, implementing small-acreage programs, including understanding and targeting your audience, marketing your program, and improving your delivery methods, and evaluating and assessing your program. You’ll also discover how to use the activities in the curriculum to engage learners, and you’ll learn methods for sustaining your program over the long term. Request a brochure and registration form from Sue Donaldson, donaldsons@unce.unr.edu

July 22, 2008
Ottawa, Illinois

For the sixth consecutive year, University of Illinois Extension is offering tours that highlight sustainable agriculture operations around the state of Illinois. The July tour visits Cedar Valley Sustainable Farm Community Supported Agriculture. Registration at least one week in advance is required.

July 22, 2008
Lebanon, Oregon

OSU's Integrated Plant Protection Center is sponsoring an afternoon farm walk (2-5 PM) at Persephone Farm, an established, certified organic vegetable farm in the foothills of Oregon's Cascade Mountains. Conservation biological control methods such as insectary plantings and beetle banks will be highlighted. The event will include hands-on identification of beneficial insects and native pollinators, ending with a vegetarian pot luck. For information, contact gwendolyn@science.oregonstate.edu

July 22, 2008
Madison, South Dakota

Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society presents this day-long event including tours of the 2,400-acre certified organic Johnson Farm and the 1,000-acre organic Wilcox Farm livestock and crop operation. Panel discussions on "Managing Obstacles in Organic Production" and "Marketing and Equipment Sharing" are also scheduled.

July 22, 2008
Fond du Lac, Wisconsin

This school is offered several times around Wisconsin during the summer. The school includes sessions on economic considerations in grazing, agronomics, soil fertility, pasture monitoring and grazing systems layout and design.