Sustainable Farming & Foods

Weekly Events & Opportunities

Washington County Alternative Growers Group

The September meeting of the Washington County Alternative Growers Group is coming up on Thursday, September 5 beginning at 7pm. Agenda: 1) Farm Tour – Paradise In Progress Farms (Pastured Pigs) 2)Discussion about creating a series of small acreage farming seminars to be held in 2014. Location: Paradise In Progress Farms 8629 Peppermint Lane. Fort Calhoun, NE 68023. Any and all invited. 

Herbicide Carry Over and Fall Garden Tips

September 4th. 1pm Central. Darrin Parmenter, CSU Ext. Director in LaPlata County, will provide the most up to date information on the some of the issues you may encounter in your home garden when using soil materials that you have purchased off site. He will also discuss how to best ready your garden for the upcoming winter weather and other gardening considerations. To register go to:https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1mIww8xYkPk3E24Tvkzux2dqsApOSScAD1LerUWERpD8/viewform

Decades of Research, Changes and Improvements 

September 6. Harlan, IA. Hear the Rosmann family discuss results of various on-farm research trials that guide their enterprise mix and farm management philosophy. Click here for more information. http://practicalfarmers.org/events_detail.php?eid=567&__hstc=220621255.f32ff00f64196b2d145def835d13caa6.1375092686942.1377512578561.1378172901916.5&__hssc=220621255.1.1378172901916

Effects of plant species on ecosystems: Addressing the complexity under global change

School of Biological Sciences Seminar. Thursday, September 5th. 3:30 pm. The School of Biological Sciences Seminar is a weekly series presented by invited speakers and UNL faculty to showcase current research advances in biological sciences. All School of Biological Sciences Seminars are free and open to the public. http://biosci.unl.edu/seminars-0

Susan Werner: Hayseed

Friday, September 6th. 7:30 pm. Acclaimed singer/songwriter Susan Werner returns to the Lied Center performing the Nebraska debut of her new album, Hayseed. With songs commissioned by the Lied and UNL’s Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, Hayseed celebrates the language, livelihood and concerns of American farmers. Susan Werner traverses pop, folk, blues, country, roots, jazz and gospel with grace and wit. Her music is described by the Washington Post as “impressive, funny and compassionate.” Contact: Frank Stroup, 402-472-4700, lieda4a@gmail.com 

Delivering useful and usable climate information products

SNR Research Seminar. Wednesday, September 4th. 3:30 pm. Dr. Martha Shulski, Assistant Professor in the School of Natural Resources and Director of the High Plains Regional Climate Center will present a seminar entitled "Delivering useful and usable climate information products.  http://snr.unl.edu/aboutus/when/seminarseries.asp?seminarseriesid=22#seminar1

DIY Kimchi

Tuesday, September 3, 6:00-8:00pm, Antelope Church of the Brethren. Did you know that Kimchi can be eaten fresh or fermented? We'll feature both in this class. Learn how to throw together fresh Napa, salt, and the works to create a tasty Kimchi, spicy or mild. This traditional Korean dish will present you with endless possibilites in the kitchen – don't forget the daikons! communitycrops.org

Open Harvest Co-op Grocery and Community CROPS: Third Annual Dig Deeper Farm Tour and Community CROPS Farm Walk

Enjoy a day dedicated to local food and the farmers behind it. Saturday, September 7th. Dig Deeper 12-4pm. CROPS Farm Walk 4-7pm. This year’s collaborative efforts offer a wonderful opportunity to deepen the farm-to-table connection between consumers and a handful of local farmers.  Each farm will have unique things to do including tours, demonstrations and activities for people of all ages.  Guests will be able to purchase farm products at most locations. The Dig Deeper Farm Tour will take place from 12- 4 pm.  Participating farms this year include:  Branched Oak Farm (Raymond), Common Good Farm (Raymond), Fox Run Farm (Brainard), Robinette Farms (Martell), ShadowBrook Farm (Lincoln). The Community CROPS Farm Walk at the Prairie Pines Farm, located at 3130 N. 112th St. in Lincoln, will take place from 4 - 7 pm.  In addition to farm tours and gardening demonstrations, several local food vendors will sell delicious food items made with fresh ingredients. Contact: Amy S. Tabor, 402.475.9069, amy@openharvest.coop

         

Upcoming

Effective Presentations: How to Develop and Deliver a Farmer-Friendly Talk

September 9th. 1pm Central. PowerPoint and lecture presentations for complex issues such as farm management, IPM, decision making, and other such topics are ineffective educational tools. They seldom result in behavior changes or the adoption of new practices. Why do most farmer educators use lecture delivery as their primary means of education? The likely answer is they do not understand some basic tenets of effective adult education. This talk will provide an overview of best practices and provide examples of how they have been incorporated into Extension programming for farmers. The webinar is free and open to the public. Attendees will be able to type in questions for the speaker. Advance registration is required. Register now at http://www.extension.org/pages/68924

Amazing Grazing: Livestock Watering and Electric Fencing

September 10. Abilene, Kansas. The Amazing Grazing program administered by Kansas Farmers Union and Kansas Graziers Association presents Mark Green, NRCS Specialist from Missouri, with a workshop on livestock water and electric fencing. The workshop will have an indoor portion and then go out for actual fence-building exercises. http://www.kansasfarmersunion.org/docs/grazing%20events13.pdf

Plate to Politics - Women's Leadership: Visibility - Webinar

September 10. Stay energized and take your leadership to the next level in 2013 with Women, Food and Agriculture Network’s Plate to Politics Webinar Series, designed to inspire and cultivate women leaders in the healthy food and farming movement. Registration is free, and open to all women with an idea or a passion for leadership in sustainable food systems and agriculture.  Melinda Hemmelgarn will present. Click here for more information. http://platetopolitics.org/womens-leadership-webinar-series-registration-2/?__hstc=220621255.f32ff00f64196b2d145def835d13caa6.1375092686942.1377512578561.1378172901916.5&__hssc=220621255.3.1378172901916

Harvesting Energy: Wind and Solar Power 

September 14. Fairfield, IA. See how the 2012 MOSES Organic Farmers of the Year, Francis and Susan Thicke, harvest alternative energy with a 40 kw wind turbine, a solar-powered pump system for livestock watering, and a geothermal heating and cooling system. MOSES is a partner of this event. Click here for more information.  http://practicalfarmers.org/events_detail.php?eid=571&__hstc=220621255.f32ff00f64196b2d145def835d13caa6.1375092686942.1377512578561.1378172901916.5&__hssc=220621255.3.1378172901916