Fifth Annual Growers Workshop
Saturday, March 13, 2010 from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM (ET)
Goochland, VA
Event Details
***Please NOTE - This event has had to be postponed AGAIN to the new date of March 13th, 2010!
The Backyard Poultry Class is now scheduled for March 14th (this class is SOLD OUT...please email us at ruralculture@gmail.com to be put on the waiting list for the next class).
The Center for Rural Culture is providing this educational opportunity for both new and experienced growers who wish to grow produce and provide fruits, vegetables and value added products for market. Participants will gain valuable knowledge about the business of growing for market.
This year's workshop is brought to you in conjunction with Virginia Cooperative Extension, thanks to the generous support of Whole Foods Market Short Pump and Nadolski’s Butcher Shop in Goochland. Classes include: Vegetable Production, Specialty Niche Marketing, Small Fruit Production, Bee Keeping and Hive Construction, Developing your Farm’s Brochure, and Web Basics & Social Media for Farmers, and Backyard Poultry Production.
Based on feedback from our workshop attendees from previous years, we have added longer classes and more hands-on activities to foster better learner retention. Hands-on sessions include: brochure development, shiitake mushroom logs, seed-saving and tomato grafting. All participants in the hands-on sessions will have something to take home from the class (a new brochure on CD, a shiitake log, seeds and/or a grafted tomato plant). There will also be a round-table discussion on specialty niche marketing featuring a variety of local experts.
Saturday’s day-long event will conclude with a reception featuring local foods appetizers provided by Nadolski’s Butcher Shop in Goochland. Based on feedback from previous events, this reception will allow participants to network and socialize to facilitate relationship building.
This year's workshop has been expanded to include an optional extra 1/2 day workshop on Backyard Poultry Production, which will be located on the grounds of historic Tuckahoe Plantation on Sunday, March 14th from 1:00-4:00pm (12601 River Road Richmond, VA 23238-6139). Countryside Natural Products is sponsoring this event, and will be on site with a selection of organic poultry feed & supplements. This workshop will cover the basics of backyard poultry production and will include a hands-on chicken tractor-making session. Led by popular homesteader and beekeeper David Fitzgerald and Tuckahoe’s own family farm manager Daniel Thompson, this workshop will be packed with really useful information for those who want to raise either just a few hens for their own use, or those who want to raise poultry sustainably for market. There is a special ticket price for those who only want to attend this course. Class size is limited to 50 and space is filling up fast, so register now to ensure your spot!
Workshop fee includes a delicious boxed lunch provided by Whole Foods Market. Same Day Registration available on a First Come, First Serve Basis, BUT NO LUNCH PROVIDED!
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8:30 – 9:00 |
REGISTRATION |
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9:00 – 10:30 |
Marketing - “Creating a Vision for your Farm” Theresa J. Nartea - Marketing and Agribusiness Extension Specialist, Virginia Cooperative Extension Take home your own farm brochure on CD! |
Andy Hankins - Alternative Agriculture Extension Specialist, Virginia Cooperative Extension Andy covers numerous specialty niche markets…guaranteed to sprout lots of new ideas! |
“Small Fruit & Berry Production” Gary Scott - Owner, Twin Springs Farm Twin Springs Farm is a formerly VA State certified organic farm continuing to operate the same way without Federal certification. He and his wife, Jeanne, grow produce with high tunnel production of fall and winter salad greens and blueberries, both pick your own and picked for you. |
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10:30 – 10:45 |
BREAK |
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10:45-12:15 |
“21st Century Marketing – Web Basics & Social Media for Farmers” Copeland Casati – Owner, Copeland Casati Media and Green Modern Kits Learn basic internet functionality and find out how to use Social Media to market your farm products. |
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“Making Money with Sustainable Vegetable Production” John Wilson - Owner, New Earth Farm |
Make Your Own Shiitake Mushroom Log ($3 extra fee) Andy Hankins - Alternative Agriculture Extension Specialist, Virginia Cooperative Extension Learn from a pro and take home your own log |
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12:15 – 1:15 |
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LUNCH – STUDENT LOUNGE Delicious Boxed Lunches provided by Whole Foods Market, Short Pump |
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1:15 – 2:45 |
Marketing - “Creating a Vision for your Farm” Theresa J. Nartea - Marketing and Agribusiness Extension Specialist, Virginia Cooperative Extension Take home your own farm brochure on CD! |
BeeKeeping 101 David Fitzgerald – Owner Homestead Traditionals, Bee Keeper David has been keeping bees all his life. Learn the ins and outs of bees and hive construction from a true homesteader. |
Seed Saving Ira Wallace – Southern Exposure Seed Exchange Learn the basics of saving seeds from a regional expert. This hands-on class will cover tomatoes, beans, cucurbits and brassicas. |
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2:45 – 3:00 |
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BREAK |
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3:00 – 4:00 |
“21st Century Marketing – Web Basics & Social Media for Farmers” Copeland Casati - Owner, Copeland Casati Media and Green Modern Kits Media Learn basic internet functionality and find out how to use Social Media to market your farm products. |
Tomato Grafting Chris Mullins – Commercial Vegetable Specialist Extension Specialist, Virginia Cooperative Extension Tomato grafting is a hot new technique for increased vigor and disease resistance. Learn how to graft in this hands-on class and take your newly grafted tomato home with you. |
Round-Table Discussion on Specialty Niche Marketing
Jo Pendergraph – Owner, Manakintowne Specialty Growers David Fitzgerald – Owner, Homestead Traditionals Leanne Dubois - Manager, Direct Marketing VDACS
Talk to several farmers and a marketing expert about how to make $$$ in niche marketing. |
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4:00 – 5:00 |
RECEPTION – STUDENT LOUNGE
Local Food Appetizers provided by Nadalski’s Butcher Shop, Goochland, VA |
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When
Where
Hosted By
Center for Rural Culture
The Center for Rural Culture is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization whose mission is to educate, promote and inspire members of our community to sustain a culture that supports agriculture and the local economy, protects natural and historic resources, and maintains our rural character and traditions. Since 2004, we have been working hard to provide the members of our community with quality programs that serve to sustain our rural culture. As founders of the popular Goochland Farmers Market and now a licensee for an online Farm to Family Co-op Program through Lulus Local Food, we have helped to keep valuable agricultural land in use by providing a means for farmers to sell fresh, local, seasonal food and other land based products. We serve as a conduit for handing down the history, stories, music and lifestyles related to a rich, rural culture and have helped to cultivate our local roots.
We also offer classes, workshops, movies, panel discussions, seminars and forums relating to land and water conservation, smart growth, sustainable agriculture and issues relating to our local food system. Please contact us if you are interested in sponsoring or attending a CRC event.
The Center for Rural Culture serves as the umbrella organization for the Richmond Area Buy Fresh, Buy Local Chapter. We are also actively involved in supporting our community’s tourism and economic development through our popular Discover Goochland website.
Our choices make a difference every day. Please choose to sustain your community’s rural culture and make a difference through an annual membership with the Center for Rural Culture.
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View other Center for Rural Culture events |
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News & Updates
We want to thank all of you for your patience with our Growers Workshop this year! Although it has seemed like the "never-ending workshop", it is now around the corner.
We have had to re-arrange the speakers a little to accomodate the change(s) in dates, but we hope you will like what we've done! Gary Scott of Twin Springs Farm will now be teaching the Small Fruit and Berry Production class. He has had great success using high tunnels throughout the winter months to grow winter salad greens and will share his knowledge of his organic practices for growing small fruits and berries with our attendees. Gary shared his presentation on berry and lettuce production at the recent SAWG conference where over 400 people attended his lecture!
John Wilson of New Earth Farm will be lecturing on "Making Money with Sustainable Vegetable Production". He has done a great job on his farm and comes as a recommendation from Andy Hankins. John recently shared his presentation at the VABF conference a few weeks ago.
We have added 20 seats to the Vegetable Production class, so if you were not able to sign up for that earlier, we are giving our current ticket holders until Friday to secure your spot.
Please also make sure that you have selected all of the other classes you wish to attend, as well as your lunch.
Let us know if you have any questions or concerns!
We look forwarded to seeing you on the 13th...
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