VABF

USDA – Strike Force Program Comes to Virginia

VABF — Wed, 15 May 2013 02:13:45 +0000

A new program from USDA is coming to Virginia, providing assistance for Rural Growth and Opportunity.

Learn more here, and stay tuned for more information as the program rolls out.

Chicken House Tips

VABF — Tue, 07 May 2013 15:01:44 +0000

Keeping chickens is a popular thing to do these days and there is a wealth of information for new keepers of the flocks. I have had chickens since 1989 and would like to offer some tips that have proven helpful to me.

If possible, have an area to store feed within the chicken house. That saves trips back and forth from another storage area each day.

Homestead Fencing

mdelicate — Tue, 05 Mar 2013 17:46:48 +0000

Reblogged from Homeplace Earth:

Wherever you live, fencing is necessary to keep predators out and children, pets, and livestock in. It is important to consider which of those functions you want to accomplish. If it is to keep predators out, which predators would that be? That’s the general aim of a garden fence. If it is the neighbor’s (or your) dog, livestock panels will do to keep large dogs out.

Spring six-week Farm School for Beginners Starting Soon!

VABF — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:20:43 +0000

Registration is now open for VABF’s six-week 2013 Farm School for Beginners.

The purpose of this program is to help beginning farmers and ranchers in Virginia to make informed farm planning decisions as part of a whole farm plan. This six week comprehensive program (Monday evenings from 6:00-9:00pm 2/25/13 – 4/1/13) will introduce students to these curriculum modules:

Introduction to Whole Farm Planning (2/25)
Sustainable Farming Practices (3/4, 3/11 & 3/18)
Marketing (3/25)
Holistic Business Management (4/1)

Each module is organized at the introductory to intermediate stage of farming knowledge and experience. At the end of each module, additional resources and Virginia service provider contact information are available to help continue the farm planning process. The curriculum was developed by Virginia Tech, and is being offered as part of Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project through VABF.

Established farmers and Virginia service providers will participate in each of the six weekly programs, offering their own experience, feedback, encouragement and expertise to participants.

Students will have reading and homework assignments each week, including homework to be completed prior to the first session on 2/25.

Two farm tours are planned as part of the Farm School experience. On Sunday, March 10th (rain or shine), we will tour Shalom Farms from 10:30-12:30 and Keenbell Farm from 3:30-5:00pm. Students can participate in either or both tours, depending on their interests. Students are encouraged to eat lunch together at one of many local restaurants in between tours.

Shalom Farms is a regional food security, community development project of United Methodist Urban Ministries of Richmond (UMUMR). Shalom Farms, located near the James River in Goochland County, provides vegetable production for low-income, urban neighborhoods and FeedMore. The tour’s focus will include cole crops, cover crops, crop rotations, weed and insect management practices, greenhouse production and soil management.

Keenbell Farm is a third generation located in western Hanover County, VA. The farm, established in 1951, produces great tasting Grass-Fed Beef, Pastured Pork, Free Range Chicken, and Eggs. All animals are raised beyond organic standards, on pasture and stress free. This tour’s focus will include information on basic animal husbandry, pasture management, fencing, shelter requirements, grazing rotations, feed, and manure management.

At the end of the six week program, students will have the opportunity to participate in a networking event that will bring farmers, consumers, chefs, farmers market vendors, store owners, and others together in an informal social setting. This event is scheduled for Sunday, April 7th from 1:00-4:00pm, and will be held at Grayhaven Winery, Gum Spring, Virginia (Goochland County, just 25 miles west of Short Pump). The networking social includes a tour of both the vineyard and winery and is free as part of the Farm School program. An International Cheese & Wine Tasting is included as part of the event.

Please note: to pay by check, click “show other payment options” after selecting your purchase type.

Participation is limited to 30 students.

Full refunds offered up to seven days prior to the event. After 2/18/13, no refunds will be given.

For additional information on the VABF Farm School 2013 fall program, including SCHOLARSHIP INFORMATION, contact Lisa Dearden, Program Manager, by email or phone (804) 314-9141.

Additional information on this grant funded program:

Virginia Whole Farm Planning Programs are based on newly developed whole farm planning curriculum developed by the Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition. The Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project is sponsored through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) of the USDA-National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Award # 2010-49400-21720. This project is housed in the Department of Agriculture and Extension Education at Virginia Tech. Please email Kim Niewolny, Project Director, for more information, or visit the Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition Project website.

2013 Organic Commodities & Livestock Conference Feb. 14-15, 2013

VABF — Sat, 02 Feb 2013 21:48:27 +0000

REGISTER NOW! Advanced registration closes Feb. 4th!

The 2013 Organic Commodities & Livestock Conference
Feb. 14-15, 2013
www.carolinafarmstewards.org/oclc

Feb. 14 – On-farm Workshops (NEW THIS YEAR!)
Feb. 15 – Conference – Rocky Mount, NC at Nash Community College

If you are interested in the Carolinas’ rapidly growing organic agriculture sector, there is no better place to connect with commercial-scale organic producers and organic commodity and livestock experts than the Annual Organic Commodities & Livestock Conference. It is a not-to-be-missed Conference for Organic, Transitioning-to-Organic and Conventional Farmers and Ranchers, Agriculture Professionals and Commodities Groups interested in learning more about organic commodities and sustainable livestock and vegetable production.

At this workshop, you will learn about:

Organic grain varieties,
Organic vegetable production,
Holistic vet care,
Soil fertility, and
Organic disease management

The conference keynote speaker is Thor Oeschner, owner of Oeschner Farms in Newfield, NY. Mr. Oeschner will enlighten, energize and surely make us laugh as he shares his story about running his 600 acre farm, a mill, and a bakery.

ON-FARM WORKSHOPS:

This year, for the first time, there will also be two free on-farm workshops. These pre-conference workshops happen Thursday, Feb. 14 at Lindale Dairy a certified organic dairy in Snow Camp, NC and at Hocutt Farms, a certified organic vegetable farm in Sims, NC. On-farm workshops are free, but you must pre-register.

COST:

The $35 Conference registration includes lunch, keynote address, multiple workshops, and an evening reception on Feb. 15.

REGISTER TODAY!

For a complete list of conference offerings or to register for an on-farm workshop or the full conference, please visit:www.carolinafarmstewards.org/oclc or call us at 919-542-2402.

The advanced registration deadline is Feb. 4, 2013. You are welcome to register on-site, but meals may sell out.

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Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) is a 33-year-old non-profit with over 2,700 members that advocates for fair farm and food policies, builds the systems family farms need to thrive, and educates communities about local, organic farming. To learn more, visitwww.carolinafarmstewards.org.

The Organic Commodities and Livestock Conference is sponsored by: The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, NCSU, Organic Valley, Countryside Organics, Riverbend Malt House and Carolina Ground.

Reminder: Register now for Conference!

VABF — Thu, 24 Jan 2013 03:15:42 +0000

The 14th Annual Virginia Biological Farming Conference starts in two weeks!

February 8-9 in Richmond, Virginia’s leaders in organic agriculture will gather for informative sessions, delicious local food from Virginia’s sustainable farms, valuable networking, Happy Hour with Virginia wine and beer, Food Films, and more!

Don’t miss out on technical farming information, results from the latest organic research trials, well-known authors and farmers sharing their messages, and being part of the movement in Virginia to make our sustainable farms stronger.

Read the session schedule here (on page 3), and register now at VABF.org

See you soon in Richmond!

Conference Hotel Reservation Reminder

VABF — Sat, 19 Jan 2013 18:31:18 +0000

Please remember to reserve your hotel room at the Holiday Inn Koger Center for the upcoming conference. The special rate of $83 per night will expire on January 30th.

You may use this link to reserve a room at the hotel with our rate. Rooms in our block may run out at any time. Please reserve now!

* If this link doesn’t display the $83 rate per night (before taxes), please call the hotel at 804-397-3800 to complete your reservation.

Note to those arriving on Thursday, Feb 7th: We highly recommend getting dinner at the Urban Farmhouse Market & Cafe‘s new Midlothian location. Just 4 miles from the hotel, you can catch seasonal, local fare in a comfortable setting without breaking the bank. Check out their delicious winter menu and see for yourself. They are one of our generous sponsors and we encourage you to support them! Find directions here.

We look forward to seeing you at the conference!

Ag Census Information

VABF — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 18:54:24 +0000

The Ag Census is performed once every 5 years, and the current census forms were recently mailed to producers to be returned this month. We here at VABF want to ensure that everyone who participates in farming is represented in the census.

Here’s what you need to know:

- A farm for the purposes of this census is an operation that grossed or could have grossed $1,000 in sales last year.

- If you received a form, please fill it out and mail it back or respond online here: http://www.agcensus.usda.gov/index.php

- If you have not received a form as of today, please request one on this page: https://www.agcounts.usda.gov/cgi-bin/counts/ Saturday, January 5th is the deadline for requesting to participate this year! (You must receive a form in order to respond online, as the form provides you with a unique identifying number that must be used in the response process.)

Please participate and ensure that all of our state’s farms are represented!

Farm Tax Planning Workshops

VABF — Mon, 31 Dec 2012 15:56:17 +0000

Farm Tax Planning Workshop by VSU

Virginia State University is hosting a Planning and USDA/Nat’l Ag Statistics Service Workshop, dealing with everything you need to know about taxes and your farm. There are 3 dates available in a location convenient to you, and seating is limited at each location so please RSVP. Please see this flyer for more information.

NY Times Article: “Pesticides – Now More Than Ever.”

Broadfork Farm — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 15:18:26 +0000

Please take the time to read this article. It’s a great summary of why organic farming and organizations like ours are so very important.

Pesticides: Now More Than Ever by Mark Bittman.

NY Times Opinion pages, December 11, 2012.