Weekly Events & Opportunities in Sustainable Farming & Foods

Using Cover Crop Mixtures Webinar

October 14. Online. Join eOrganic for the first webinar of the fall 2014 season. A team of researchers from Penn State University will discuss the use of cover crop "cocktails" or mixtures to achieve weed suppression, nitrogen scavenging, nitrogen provisioning, and attracting beneficial insects and pollinators. Results from a study of winter cover crops in a grain and forage research project at the Penn State Rock Springs Research Farm and from several Pennsylvania farms will be shown. They will also review issues of cover crop timing, termination, and general management to aid in farmer insight and adoption of cover crop mixes. The presentation will last an hour. The webinar is free and open to the public, and advance registration is required.  https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/131444560

ATFS Webinar - Introduction to Excel

October 14th. 12pm.  Topics covered will include: Understanding the layout of excel, Easily format your sheet to better present information, Identify and eliminate duplicates, View multiple parts of your sheet and workbook at the same time, How to reduce typing in with the use of Autofill. https://cc.readytalk.com/cc/s/registrations/new?cid=7xz1ekku43ns

Backyard Bee Keeping

October 15th. 1pm. Backyard bee keeping and the importance of bees with William Klett. https://attendee.gototraining.com/r/6930077014884906754

Profiting from Layers, Broilers, Turkeys, and Ducks

October 15 – November 19. Online. This six-week online course from Cornell University is for aspiring or beginning farmers (individuals with limited or no experience with poultry rearing) seeking to learn about poultry production, marketing, processing, and sales of poultry and poultry products. The course includes webinars, discussions, readings, and assignments in the MOODLE virtual classroom. http://nebeginningfarmers.org/online-courses/all-courses/bf-130-poultry-production/

Legal and Financial Clinic

Thursday, October 16. Lexington or Valentine. Call the Farm Hotline at 800-464-0258 to sign up. 

Legal and Financial Clinic

Friday, October 17. Norfolk. Call the Farm Hotline at 800-464-0258 to sign up.

Linking Feed Management to Whole Farm Nutrient Management

Friday, October 17 at 1:30 pm CDT. Nutrients in feed is the primary source of Nitrogen, Phosphorus, and Potassium that is imported to livestock and poultry farms. This month’s webcast will highlight a decision aid tool that follows the nutrients in feed all the way to the land application of manure for crop production. This tool estimates:

manure volume and nutrient content, land requirements for agronomic utilization of the manure, labor and land application equipment time requirements and travel distance of manure hauling, the costs associated with land application, the potential nitrogen and phosphorus nutrient value of manure, costs associated with feed changes.

The tool is web based for ease of use and includes an economic component so that manure nutrients are valued. The design of the tool allows for quick comparison of different feeding strategies and the impacts they have on whole farm nutrient management.http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/lpelc

Bioneers Summit Conference

October 17-19. San Rafael, California. The theme for this 25th anniversary conference is "Growing the Movement: The world we want and how to get there." This year the conference includes a track on Food and Farming, a pre-conference workshop on "Indigenous Women, Plants and Foodways," and a post-conference workshop on "Food System Resilience." http://conference.bioneers.org/

Opportunity

FarmTable Delivery is hiring

We really need a driver ASAP. Qualifications include: - Experience driving an 18ft vehicle - Experience driving a diesel vehicle - Good driving record - Familiar with driving in Omaha, Des Moines, Lincoln a plus! - Detailed orientated - good time management skills - a people person. Right now, 10-15 hours a week. Will increase as company grows. Will Train! SEND RESUMES with REFERENCESTOfarmtabledelivery@gmail.com 

Laying Ducks for Sale

I have 6 khaki campbell laying hens a little over a year old that are coming out of moult and 5 welsh harlequin hens and 2 wh drakes from this spring hatch.  Asking $8 ea.  I will most likely be in Lincoln on Monday and could bring them and meet someone preferrably mid morning. Thanks, Robert. lnkrob@gmail.com

Katahdin Breeding Ewes for Sale

We are selling our breeding flock of Katahdin sheep.  We have 6-9 ewes and 11 ewe lambs (born this past spring) available.  They are 100% grass fed, and are originally from Jubilee Farm in Kansas, a registered Katahdin breeder. Thanks, Alex McKiernan. 402.794.4025

OneCert seeking admin assistant

This is a full-time position in our Lincoln office. Contact Sam Welsch for more information. Sam Welsch, President. OneCert, Inc. 402-420-6080

www.onecert.com. sam@onecert.com

Farm for Sale in Western Nebraska

We have operated a pastured poultry (including processing) operation and a direct beef operation.  This would be an excellent opportunity for someone who would like to start a small scale sustainable agricultural business. We are having an auction on October 21st which will have all of our equipment for the pastured poultry operation (including processing equipment) and livestock equipment. The link for the auction is: http://www.helbergnussauction.com/selected_auction.php?Auction_ID=18

(check back often as we are still adding items). We also have our cattle herd for sale.  We will only sell them all to one buyer to keep the herd together.  The herd consists of approximately 40 cows and 3 bulls.  The herd is comprised of Angus and Angus/Lowline cross. If you have any questions, please call or email myself or my husband Dan. Dan's cell phone is 308-631-6849. Email iskathi@openabar2ranch.com 

Looking for Grazing Goats

I am looking for someone who has a herd of goats that would be interested in grazing them in Jefferson County for a while.  I have a number of young mulberry, red cedar, and Chinese elm trees in need of “management”.  The pasture is contained with high-tensile electric wire. Ralph & Carolyn Tate, All Things Natural, 

(402) 932-3405

BarnRaiser at Darby Springs Farm

As you may know, we have been slowly growing our farm, Darby Springs, over the past several years. We have launched a crowdfunding campaign with Barnraiser and are asking you to join us in building a creamery barn to create farmstead ice cream, featuring local flavors, and space to learn and grow as a food community. Click here to skip the rest and get right to it:https://www.barnraiser.us/projects/building-the-barn-at-darby-springs-farm. We already sell pastured meat, milk, and eggs, but want to grow to bring you farmstead ice cream and opportunities to experience all our farm has to offer. To do this the Barn will have: The Loft: event and classroom space; Community Kitchen: a certified kitchen for use by all; Farm Store: featuring our ice cream and homemade baked goods as well as other area farmers & artists; Creamery: where the wonderful desserts are made; Milking parlor. Click here to check out our video, get full project details and support our project if you can, or spread the word to your friends:https://www.barnraiser.us/projects/building-the-barn-at-darby-springs-farm

Upcoming

Basics of poultry processing

Tuesday, October 21 at 6:00 pm. Thinking of raising your own chickens or turkeys? Processing is always the biggest issue/problem. Dr. Tony Pescatore from the University of Kentucky will be going over the basics of processing poultry. Dr. Pescatore is a poultry extension professor in the Department of Animal and Food Sciences. He's specialties include poultry production and management but he has many years of experience in a wide variety of poultry-related fields. He is active with the Mobile Poultry Processing Unit currently stationed at Kentucky State University. https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/poultry

Webinar: Getting started with vegetable plasticulture

October 22. 6 p.m. Hosted by eXtension, MSU Extension educator Ron Goldy will present information on using plasticulture for vegetable production. Plasticulture involves the use of plastic mulch and drip irrigation for producing vegetables. This technique helps control weeds, is a more efficient use of water and nutrients and will bring crops into production earlier. https://learn.extension.org/events/1754#.VDu8eWddVIx

National Small Farm Trade Show and Conference

October 23-25. Mexico, Missouri. The National Small Farm Trade Show & Conference is the largest annual small-farm show in the United States. The exhibition hall features vendors, seminars, three-hour short courses, and talks in the Farmers' Forum, as well as demonstrations, exhibits, association meetings, and more. Ideas and information on income opportunities for the family farm will be presented in seminars and short courses. Both traditional and alternative farming enterprises are covered for full- and part-time farmers, ranchers, gardeners, and landowners. http://www.smallfarmtoday.com/trade-show.html

Mother Earth News Fair

October 25-26. Topeka, Kansas. Mother Earth News Fairs deliver practical, hands-on training and experience taught by leading experts in renewable energy, organic gardening, sustainable agriculture, green home building, and more. Speakers will include Gary Paul Nabhan, Joel Salatin, and many others. http://www.motherearthnews.com/fair/home.aspx