Ground Up Winter Round-Up

photo credit: MeganRae. via photopin cc

There may not be much sprouting from the ground right now, but ideas, passion and inspiration can rise up with a just little nurturing. Over the next three months, feed your soul with new information, renewed friendships, and re-inspired projects by attending one of the regional conferences or workshops listed below. Each one offers knowledge in its own way, be it from technical experts, farmer experience, research trials, or tested innovative approaches. Many of these opportunities offer scholarships, ride and room shares, and volunteering exchanges, so you can get what you need at an affordable price.

Plant a knowledge nugget in your mind this winter. You'll be amazed at what takes root in your heart and blossoms early Spring.

JANUARY 18: 10th Annual Catskill Regional Agriculture Conference

SUNY-Delhi, Farrell Hall, NY
10 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
Cost: $25 by January 14, includes local food lunch; $35 at the door
Who's it for? Farmers in dairy, livestock, grazing and vegetable farming
What to expect: two early-bird sessions (Understanding Risk Management or Pasture Renovation and Weed Control); 12 sessions in four tracks; keynote speaker Patrick Hooker of Empire State Development. Sponsored by CCE-Delaware and the Watershed Agricultural Council. Register online, mail in the print brochure, or call Kim Holden, (607) 865-7090, ext. 241.

JANUARY 25-26: The Winter Green-Up Grass-Fed Grazing Conference

The Century House, Latham, NY
Saturday 8:30 a.m. - 9 p.m., Sunday 7:30 a.m.- 3:30 p.m.
Cost: $145 for both days
Who's it for? You grow grass, you raise meat on pasture, you gotta be here.
What to expect: 8 workshops, networking time, local foods banquet, and semen auction. Sponsored by CCE-Albany, NESARE, and GLCI. Mail in the print brochure, call Gale Kohhler (518) 765-3500 or visit www.ccealbany.com.

JANUARY 25-27: NOFA-NY 31st Annual Winter Conference "Resilience" 

Saratoga Hilton City Center, Saratoga Springs, NY

Friday through Sunday

Cost: Full conference $235 members (annual membership $40-125); reduced rates for single day entry

Who's it for? New and experienced farmers, producers and growers, gardeners and wannabes, advocates and the curious.

What to expect: 80+ workshops, socializing and networking, trade show, auction for agriculture, local foods meals. Can't stick around? Check out two free Friday sessions on food council policy forum and Introduction to organic certification. Sponsored by NOFA-NY, Pure Catskills among many others. Register online, mail in the print brochure, or call (518) 765-3500 or visit www.ccealbany.com.

FEBRUARY 6-9: PASA 22nd Annual Farming for the Future Conference
Penn Stater Conference Center, College Station, PA
Wednesday through Sunday
Cost: Depends on many variables, anywhere from $50-210 (become a member and save big)
Who's it for? farmers, processors, consumers, students, environmentalists and business and community leaders -- you eat? There's something here for you.
What to expect: Where do we start? This conference is the best of its kind in the East: workshops, banquet, movies, free legal advice, trade show, it's the over-the-top farming mecca.
Sponsored by Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture and MANY others. Visit the PASA Conference website, print off the brochure or register online.

FEBRUARY 5, 12, and 19: CCE Strategic Marketing Webinar Series

CCE-Delaware County, Hamden 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Cost: $30/farm (2 people) for the 3-session series

Who's it for? Designed specifically for meat/livestock producers, but content will benefit any farm

What to expect: Session broadcast live to the CCE office. Topics include how to identify a target market and focus the farm's marketing efforts.

Call Kim Holden, (607) 865-7090, ext. 241.

FEBRUARY 5 or 6: Business Planning for Profit

Delaware County eCenter, Delhi

Repeat on February 6 at the Agroforestry Center, Acra

Cost:$20

Who's it for? farm, food and wood business owners looking to improve their operations through better planning

What to expect: Business basics and a chance to finally get your ideas, goals and direction down on paper

To register, contact CCE Columbia/Greene Counties at (518) 622-9820.

FEBRUARY 12 & 26: Writing Successful Grant Proposals Workshop
Delaware County eCenter, Delhi  3 - 5:30 p.m.
Cost: $65 for both sessions. A notebook with resources and sample grant proposals is available for $30
Who's it for? Anyone who wants to apply for grants but has been too timid to give it a try.
What to expect: The workshop emphasizes writing compelling, concise and well-crafted grant proposals; developing a grant concept; finding funders; establishing goals and objectives; writing the narrative; making a budget; developing a work plan; and gathering support letters. Contact Kevin Hodne at (607) 434-8254.
 
FEBRUARY 9: Demystifying Woods and Wildlife Management

Agroforestry Resource Center, Acra, 1 - 4 p.m.

Cost: $5

Who's it for? Need a break from farming? Head for the woods.

What to expect: Video format walk through three seasons of specific projects  designed to enhance forested property. Learn about attracting more wildlife, pruning wild apple trees, tree planting, increasing the value of your trees along with an introduction to basic forestry concepts and terminology. To register, contact CCE Greene County (518) 622-9820.

FEBRUARY 10-12: It Takes a Region 2012: A Working Conference to Build Our Northeast Food System
Saratoga Hilton, Saratoga Springs
Cost: $185
Who's it for? Movers and shakers looking to make it happen
What to expect: Roll up your sleeves and get to work on building a food system. Rescheduled from October 29-30, 2012. Sponsored by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group. Register online, or call Betsy Johnson (617) 536-1711.

MARCH 24: Farm to Market Connection

CVI Building, Liberty 9:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.

Cost: $35

Who's it for? Farmers looking to expand their market base, connect with buyers

What to expect: Catskills food hub panel, 6 additional breakout sessions, technology gurus, networking time, renew your Pure Catskills membership

FMI:Sonia Janiszewski (607) 865-7090, ext. 217

Want to share what you learned? Let us know how you made out and we'll post your comments and observations in a conference wrap-up. Did we miss a winter workshop or conference? Post it here under Comments or share it with us on Facebook.

5 Buying Local New Year’s Resolutions

Thanks to our friends at the Watershed Agricultural Council -- they've made it REALLY easy to put buying local at the top of our 2013 New Year's Resolutions List. We want you to be successful this year, so we're reposting that list of five things you can do today that will continue to support our local farmers, strengthen our regional economic vitality, and benefit our communities and working landscapes. 

How? It all boils down to how you choose to spend your food dollars, where you choose to buy your food, and from who you choose to buy your food. It's really all up to you!

1. Choose 5 items to purchasing locally -- regularly. Think milk, bread, meat, eggs, cheese, wine, beer. What are your staples? Buy accordingly.
2. Identify your home farmers’ market and mark your calendar now; commit to visiting it once a week. Get to know your farmer, baker, artisan and expand your social circles. (Here's the 2012 lists for Sullivan-Ulster, Otsego and Delaware Counties.)
3. Sign up for a CSA share; your winter investment will help bridge farmers through the lean months and you’ll be guaranteed freshly picked veggies all year long. Opt in on the meat, egg and flower shares.
4. Get involved. Help strengthen our local food system by setting the example in your circles of influence. Encourage local institutions to purchase locally (government office farmers' market, school cafeteria, jail meals, chamber dinners, office parties)
5. Commit today to buying gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, holidays locally. Be it regionally crafted, grown or raised, Pure Catskills Marketplace will launch in July to help you meet that commitment. The Fresh From the Catskills Holiday Gift Guide is also a great resource.

Got more by local resolutions? Want to encourage others on how to build a strong local food system? Share your comments below or post your ideas on the Pure Catskills Facebook Page.  Happy New Year!

Farmhearts Fellowship Available to Beginning Farmers in the Catskills Region

The 2011-2012 Farmhearts Fellowship has enabled the development of two beginning farmer programs here in the Catskills.

1. Catskills FarmLink which provides a mechanism for connecting Catskills land with those interested in farming it 
2. Catskills CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) which provides opportunities for beginning farmers to connect with and learn from existing farmers who offer up their time, talents and experience to the next generation. 

Farmhearts is again sponsoring a fellowship in collaboration with the Farm to Market Program of the Watershed Agricultural Council (the Council). The fellow will continue development of Catskills region beginning farmer training, working with the Farm to Market Program.  

Click HERE for a full job description.

The mission of Farmhearts is to preserve the environmental integrity and economic sustainability of agricultural regions by supporting family farms. The Council is a private non-profit organization with the mission to support the economic viability of agriculture and forestry through the protection of water quality and the promotion of land conservation in the New York City watershed region. The Farm to Market Program of the Council administers the Pure Catskills buy local campaign, organizes events on value-added production, and facilitates business connections between farm and food businesses. Over 200 businesses from Delaware, Greene, Otsego, Schoharie, Sullivan and Ulster counties participate in the Pure Catskills campaign.

Eligible candidates include apprentice farmers, proprietors of recently established agricultural businesses and emerging professionals in the local food marketplace. Individuals may apply by providing a personal statement and a resume. The statement should address agricultural experience, communications skills, familiarity with the agricultural community in the Catskills region and the individual’s future goals related to agriculture. Please limit statements to one page. 

Applications will be accepted until October 31, 2012. The anticipated start date for the fellow is mid-November. Selection of the fellow will be performed by Farm to Market program staff and representative farmers. Payment will be offered on an hourly basis and will be commensurate with experience. The anticipated hourly compensation is $16-18. Work schedule will be arranged with the selected fellow allowing for part and full-time employment based on seasonal availability. This is a temporary position. All applications and inquiries should be directed to Amy Hawk, Administrative Services Director. No phone calls please. 

Fiscal sponsorship for Farmhearts is provided by the Sullivan Alliance for Sustainable Development (www.sullivanalliance.org). For more information about Farmhearts, contact info@farmhearts.org. WAC is funded by the New York City Department of Environmental Protection, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other public, foundation and private sources. WAC is an Equal Opportunity Provider and Employer.