This Year's Annual Soil Building Workshop will be held at Morgan Composting in Sears, MI. August 20th and 21st. This year's event, titled Innovations to Build Soils to Feed Sustainable Communities, will take place from 9:00 - 4:00 each day. Through soil building, marketing, and equipment presentations, we will explore ways that farmers can sustainably expand their production. The first day will focus on vegetable production, and the second will focus on field crop production. For more information, see the flyer, the press release, or our detailed program. You can register online! Or, if you prefer, you may register by mail using the form found in the event flyer.
Hoophouse Building Workshop with Growing Hope
August 22- 23
Ypsilanti, MI (Build Days will occur at the Growing Hope Center, 922 W. Michigan Ave, Ypsilanti, MI 48197. Potluck & Presentation at the Ypsilanti Senior Center, 1015 N. Congress, Ypsilanti, MI 48197.) Learn from the experts Dr. John Biernbaum, MSU Professor of Horticulture, and Jeremy Moghtader, MSU Student Organic Farm Manager and Organic Farming Certification Instructor, as they lead a two-day learn & build workshop. The workshop build is free, thanks to support from the USDA’s Farm Services Administration. Please register by August 18, so we can plan for labor and educational material volume. Reserve your spots by calling Growing Hope at 734-786-8401 or emailing us at info@growinghope.net.
Select Michigan Program Seeks Vendors for Summer Farmers' Markets
- The Select Michigan Program is seeking farmers and specialty food producers interested in selling their Michigan products at special farmers' markets in Lansing and Detroit this summer.
- Dates and locations of this year's markets are:
- July 24, 2008, "Buy Fresh, Buy Local - Select Michigan" Farmers' Market, State Capitol lawn, Lansing, MI.
- For more information, click here.
- For the application form, click here.
- For the vendor bio form, click here.
- August 22, 2008, "Select Michigan Marketplace", Henry Ford Hospital, Grand Blvd Campus, Detroit, MI.
- September 18, 2008, "Select Michigan Day" Farmers' Market, State Capitol lawn, Lansing, MI.
Bioenergy Bus Tour
Aug. 25-28, 2008. The flyer has details about the trip, the cost and a registration form.
This trip will be an excellent opportunity for you to network with others working in the bioenergy arena as well as learn about other aspects of energy production that you might not be familiar with. The registration deadline is August 1, 2008. If you have any questions please contact me. To register, please fill out and mail the form along with a check to Leah Worthington. Leah’s contact information is in the flyer.
Dennis Pennington, Bioenergy Educator, KBS Land & Water Program Phone: 269-671-2412 ext. 221 or 1-800-521-2619 Fax: 269-671-4485
University of Wisconsin-Madison organic workshop and field tour
September 4, 2008, 1:00- 5:30 pm at the Arlington Agricultural Research Station
This event will include three workshops held indoors featuring speakers discussing issues concerning weed management, soil fertility management, and minimal till organic agricultural using cover crops. Fields stops will include research investigating the relationship between soil fertility and insect feeding, as well as feature research projects focusing on the crimped rye/soybean production system. Please contact Erin Silva (608-890-1503, emsilva@wisc.edu) for further information.
You can read more about the University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at their website, http://www.cias.wisc.edu/
Intro to Permaculture: Ecological Edible Landscapes: An OEFFA workshop
Saturday, Sept 20 - 9am-5pm
Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Classroom A
1 Wade Oval Drive, University Circle, Cleveland OH 44106-1767
Join us as we explore the basics of permaculture, a system of design
that uses principles and processes found in nature to create food, fuel,
and fiber for people, while caring for the earth and its inhabitants.
We’ll focus on edible forest gardens; gardens which look and function
like forests and provide food for people in urban and rural homes alike.
From the design through planting and care, expert designers Josh
Beniston of Habitats Landscaping and Brett Joseph of Conneaut Creek Farm
will teach us how to create such a garden anywhere. We’ll top it all off
by getting our hands dirty and installing a garden within walking
distance of the workshop. $45 OEFFA members/ $60 non-members. Class size
is limited so sign up early! Please bring your own brown bag lunch.
To register, send your check, along with your name, address, phone
number and email to: OEFFA Workshops, 41 Croswell Road, Columbus OH
43214. Questions can be directed to laura@oeffa.org or 614-421-2022.
MSU Afternoon and Evening Student Organic Farm Tours. Free and open to the public. No preregistration needed. 8/27, 9/23.
Student Organic Farm Workshops on farming and marketing. 9-3:30 on September 16.
Fall Harvest Festival. October 19. At the Findlay Market in Cincinnati, OH.
- From 9-4 there will be events including:
- An apple pie baking contest
- A pumpkin decorating contest
- A pumpkin carving contest
- Fall squashes and apples for sale
- Music and cooking demos