Weekly Events & Opportunities in Sustainable Farming & Foods

Alternative Forages and Cover Crops Webinar

March 31st. 6pm. Growers, consultants and agribusiness professionals are invited to participate in a series of six online programs highlighting field crop production and pest management on Monday evenings beginning Feb. 24 through March 31, 2014.  Participants will learn how to enhance their field crop production systems in the coming season and have an opportunity to ask questions of MSU agriculture experts. The live webinar presentations will begin at 7 p.m. EST each Monday evening and run until 8 p.m. EST. One MDARD Pesticide Recertification Credit will be available through each webinar for application to one of the following categories:  Private Core, Commercial Core or Field Crops. Participants can view the programs independently online free of charge. However, pre-registration is required to access connection information. Presented by Dr. Kim Cassida, Extension forage specialist, Department of Plant, Microbial and Soil Science, MSU. Webinar is free, on-line registration required. http://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?folder=fieldcropswebinars2014

Endangered Species Act Compliance for the Sage-grouse Initiative

March 31. 2pm Central. This webinar will give participants an understanding of the Endangered Species Act, related USDA NRCS policy and regulations, and the requirements of the Sage-grouse Conference Report. http://www.conservationwebinars.net/webinars/endangered-species-act-compliance-for-the-sage-grouse-initiative

Biomass Harvesting Sustainability Webinar Series: The status and potential future of biomass harvesting guidelines

April 1st. 11am Central. This webinar will address existing state and regional biomass harvesting guidelines (BHGs), including southeastern examples, and consider the national and international policy context for BHGs. http://www.conservationwebinars.net/webinars/the-status-and-potential-future-of-biomass-harvesting-guidelines

USDA Renewable Energy Programs: New Tools to Help Achieve the 25x’25 Vision

April 2. 11am. Please join us for 25x'25's April Webinar, "USDA Renewable Energy Programs: New Tools to Help Achieve the 25x’25 Vision" https://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/eventReg?oeidk=a07e91nv3ud84450e9c&c=1bb5c700-7ca6-11e3-8146-d4ae5292c973&ch=1c5ae0a0-7ca6-11e3-81a4-d4ae5292c973

Legal and Financial Clinic

April 2 & 3. 

Norfolk, Grand Island.  

Call the Farm Hotline at 800-464-0258 to sign up and verify dates and locations.

The Role of Wholesale Grocers in Rural Food Distribution...

April 3. 12pm. This webinar takes a look into the existing wholesale grocer and wholesale produce distributions system found in the upper Midwest and the potential for collaboration with local foods growers and advocates.  Wholesale grocers, such as Mason Brothers of Wadena, MN and Affiliated Foods Midwest a coop with office in Nebraska, Kansas and Wisconsin, are the backbone of keeping groceries stocked on the shelves of grocery stores, particularly rural groceries, throughout the North Central region. What are the opportunities for those of us working to build local food systems to partner with these existing distribution systems? Well, the first step is to understand how the current system works. This webinar will provide insight into the workings of this existing wholesale grocery system- from warehouse to rural customer.  Presenter: Kathy Draeger, PhD, is the statewide Director of the University of Minnesota Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, a program of U of M Extension. Kathy is the Minnesota lead on a joint research project with the Rural Grocery Initiative out of Kansas State. She served on the Minnesota Grocery Access Task Force and is currently on the Minnesota Food Charter Steering Committee. In addition, Kathy and her family live, farm, and buy groceries in rural Big Stone County, MN, a USDA designated rural food desert. http://connect.msu.edu/ncrcrd

The Clean Water Act and Silvicultural Operations: What You Don't Know Could Hurt You

April 3. 9am. This program is designed to inform foresters of the EPA rules and regulations of silvicultural operations under as appplicable under the Clean Water Act. The webinar will focus primarily on forestry operations but other related activities will be discussed.http://www.clemson.edu/extension/natural_resources/continuing_education/documents/epa.html

New Farmer Summit

April 4-5. Belleville, Wisconsin. Beginning farmers, aspiring farmers, homesteaders, those looking for land access strategies, and those who want to meet other new farmers should attend this summit. The event offers two full days of workshops and networking, with 24 practical workshops that will cover both the financial and growing sides of your farm business. Large group sessions and a farmer panel will be facilitated by the National Young Farmers' Coalition. http://mosesorganic.org/newfarmersummit/

Opportunity

Healthy Soil for raised bed

I am constructing 4- 4x8 garden beds, 12" deep and need to find some healthy soil to fill it- I plan to mix in my own compost and chicken manure to boost it but I'm looking for some safe dirt.  I thought about the city compost but not sure how "organic" that material is and likewise with a landscaping source.  Any and all suggestions would be helpful! thanks! maggie, maggies.vegetarian@gmail.com

Upcoming

Managing for Soil Health on Dryland - A Farmer's Perspective

April 8. 1pm Central. Join the webinar to learn how a dryland farmer in Colorado uses cover crops and cover crop mixes to improve soil health and preserve moisture on his farm. http://www.conservationwebinars.net/webinars/managing-for-soil-health-on-dryland-a-farmers-perspective

Dr Lynn Locatelli Low Stress Cattle Handling Workshop 

Rescheduled for April 12 in Salina, KS and Low Stress Ranch Tour at Olsburg, KS Set for May 3. Dr Lynn Locatelli of Cattlexpressions is a student of renowned animal handling expert Bud Williams. Dr Lynn began her veterinary career in Benkelman, Nebraska after graduating from UC Davis, and has 19 years of experience in both large animal veterinary practice and consultation. She educates many by private consultation and as a national and international speaker at veterinary seminars and cattleman’s conferences. For questions or folks with no email to register: Call Mary Howell at 785-562-8726

Weekly Events & Opportunities in Sustainable Farming & Foods

Organic Weed Management Webinar Series: Educator Webinar

March 24. Organic Thinking presents a free webinar series on organic weed management on four Mondays in March, led by organic farmers and specialists from across the United States. This final webinar will discuss factors influencing how organic farmers decide to manage weeds and how educators can adapt their message and extension efforts to better reach organic farmers. The webinar will also discuss new resources being developed to use with organic farmers.http://www.ydae.purdue.edu/oarei/webinars.html

Using positive messaging and social media to reach new Extension clientele in sustainability outreach

March 25th. 12:00pm Central. Extension has been criticized for a change adverse structure and a slow embracement of new programming areas and technologies. Specialists from across the USA have also requested that Extension increase sustainability programming and outreach to meet public needs. As a result, this presentation will guide participants through specific communication and marketing techniques that foster participation, behavior change, and provide a positive spin on sustainability messaging. Errors in sustainability communication will be discussed, as well as effective ways to motivate individuals to behave in a more sustainable manner. Streamed @, https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/nexcroom3

Webinar: Food Safety Liability and Regulations

March 25. 6pm. We’ve been hearing all about the upcoming regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act. But, as important as it is, farm liability for food safety goes beyond this new law. Learn all the latest on how farms can comply with the FSMA as it goes into effect and how they can protect their operations from liability in general. Register and learn more,http://www.farmcommons.org/webinars

Tree Care Workshop

Tuesday, March 25, Lincoln. Wednesday, March 26th, Omaha. For public works employees, landscape managers, tree board volunteers, arborists, nursery and green industry professionals and landscape enthusiasts, these full-day workshops cover emerging issues in tree and landscape care.  See http://bit.ly/13pjC46 for more info.

Pasture Associated Laminitis Prevention Strategies

March 25th. 6pm. 

 Excess pasture consumption is often cited as a factor associated with the precipitation of laminitis, a devastating disease affecting horses feet. However the relationship between pasture consumption and laminitis does not appear to be similar among all horses, i.e. some horses appear to be more at risk for developing laminitis while grazing pasture than others. In this webinar the relationship between pasture consumption, horse-type and laminitis will be discussed in the context of strategies aimed at preventing pasture-associated laminitis. 

 http://myhorseuniversity.com/resources/webcasts/laminitis

Improved Organic Dry Bean Production Systems in Michigan Webinar

March 25. Join eOrganic for a webinar on Breeding Efforts and Cover Crop Choices for Improved Organic Dry Bean Production Systems in Michigan. This webinar will share what has been learned at Michigan State University regarding dry bean breeding, variety selection, and cover crop influence on organically produced dry beans. The learning objectives of this webinar include understanding how variety selection may be a part of nitrogen fertility management, with some market classes being better suited to organic production than others, and how cover crop selection impacts soil fertility, weed management and dry bean yields. The webinar is free and open to the public. Advance registration is required.http://www.extension.org/pages/70357/

Farming for Success in the 21st Century: Water Use Efficiency & On-Farm Storage for Climate Resilience

March 26. This three-part webinar series from California Climate & Agriculture Network is geared to agricultural conservation professionals such as RCD, Extension and NRCS staff. This webinar, the second in the series, will explore practices to help farmers bank more water in soils and catchments and improve water use efficiency on-farm, thereby increasing the water independence and resilience of farming systems when water is scarce and increasingly costly.http://calclimateag.org/calcan-events/

Estate and Transition Workshop

Wednesday, March 26. Holdrege. Call the Farm Hotline at 800-464-0258 to sign up.

Poplar for Biofuels: Endophytes to Increase Sustainability and Disease Resistance

Wednesday, March 26. 12pm. 

Advanced Hardwood Biofuels Northwest presents research with endophytes that is designed to improve the sustainability of poplar-based biofuel and bioproduct production.  Endophytes are beneficial microorganisms that live fully within plants without causing disease.  Although endophytes are present in most poplar trees, addition of specific endophyte strains from native poplar can have pronounced impacts on the growth and health of cultivated poplar varieties.  Endophytes have the potential to increase plant growth and disease resistance with fewer inputs.  T

 o attend register at http://breeze.wsu.edu/e4hmzm4ei41/event/registration.html.

Leveraging knowledge networks to extend sustainable agriculture

March 26th. 1:15pm Central. Social learning, or learning from others, is a critical pathway for extending knowledge about sustainable agriculture. Growers are embedded in social networks of knowledge sharing relationships - "knowledge networks". Social learning is either constrained or enabled depending on an individual’s position in these networks and their structure. We employ social network analysis to study knowledge networks and social learning in the context of sustainability partnerships in three California American Viticulture Areas: Central Coast, Lodi, and Napa Valley. We compared the usefulness of three learning pathways: experiential, social, and formal. Our data shows that growers prefer experiential and social learning. We modeled the knowledge network to identify classifications of individuals who are optimally positioned to access and spread knowledge through their network. UCCE staff was found to be operating in a network bottleneck, where many knowledge sharing relationships pass through only a few individuals. We also find that grower participation in traditional outreach activities is a strong predictor of their number of knowledge sharing relationships. We conclude by suggesting a number of “network-smart” extension strategies. Streamed @, https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/nexcroom1

MarketReady, Selling to Schools Webinar

March 27. This webinar is part of a free monthly series of marketing webinars presented by OSU Extension and OARDC. This webinar is presented by Mike Hogan, an OSU Extension educator and Sustainable Agriculture coordinator. The webinar runs from noon to 1 p.m. http://bit.ly/1c1fEVj

Holistic Grazing Planning

March 27-29, 2014 (3 Days), 8:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m. All workshop fees include lunch and refreshments. There will be a minimum enrollment of eight per class. If the minimum enrollment is not met five days prior to the class, the class will be canceled and the participants notified and refunded. To register go to: www.cccneb.edu/conferences For further information about the workshops contact Bob Shields at 308-379-1361 or Bob.Shields01@gmail.com. For Registration information contact Betty Kooy at 402-461-2441 or bkooy@cccneb.edu

Cover Crop Management and Termination Webinar

March 27. This webinar is the concluding session of a four-part cover crop webinar series presented by American Society of Agronomy. Panelists Mike Plumer and Steve Berger will present different methods for termination of cover crops.https://www.agronomy.org/education/online-courses

Small Farms Winter Webinar Series: Growing for Ethnic Markets

March 27. The University of Illinois Extension presents a weekly educational series for the small farm community, providing practical knowledge on emerging topics which advance local food production in Illinois. Webinars are held from 1:00 - 2:30 pm on Thursdays and are free. This session on Growing for Ethnic Markets is presented by James Theuri, University of Illinois Extension Local Foods/Small Farms Extension Educator. https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=8854

Local Food Producers Meeting

March 27th. Omaha. Come hear the stories of these three Omaha local food pioneers. Terra Hall, Rhizosphere Farm, www.RhizosphereFarm.org

Greg Fripp, Whispering Roots Aquaponics, www.WhisperingRoots.org. Chad Lebo, Cure www.CureCooking.com.https://www.facebook.com/events/1453616238201293/

Nitrous Oxide Emissions in Inland Pacific Northwest Cropping Systems

March 27. Online. Join Georgine Yorgey, Associate in Research at WSU's Center for Sustaining Agriculture and Natural Resources (CSANR), for this webinar as she provides an overview of nitrous oxide emissions in cropland agriculture and summarizes existing measurements specific to the northwest region. This event is part of the Climate Change and Agriculture Webinar Series. http://csanr.wsu.edu/webinar-march-27-2014/

Cover Crops: Why grow a crop you don't sell?

March 28. Online. This webinar is presented by the USDA NRCS East National Technology Support Center. In this webinar you’ll learn some remarkable facts and figures from a farmer who conducted his own on-farm test comparing cover crop with no cover crop for corn and soybeans. The participant will learn about the transition to cover crops, an economics method for assessing the on-farm value of cover crops, and criteria for judging a case study. http://www.conservationwebinars.net/webinars/cover-crops-why-grow-a-crop-you-dont-sell

Crate Free Pork Meeting

March 29th, from 1:00pm to 3:00pm. Where: South Omaha Library 2808 Q St., Omaha. What: Opportunity for anyone wanting to transition away from crates. RSVP: To Angela, ahuffman@humanesociety.org. More details, https://www.facebook.com/events/468372939955822/

Lauritzen Gardens

A presentation by Jim Locklear of the Lauritzen Gardens in Omaha on Saturday, March 29th, at 10:00 a.m. at Finke Gardens, 500 N. 66th Street, Lincoln, NE about their initiatives for conservation of endangered native plants including research, seed banking, restoration and outreach. This program is sponsored by Friends of Wilderness Park and Finke Gardens and Nursery. 

Opportunities

Seeds

Looking for some Big Flower vetch seed. Mike, mrherman@hamilton.net

Equipment Needed

We are looking for a few dairy items:  Portable Goat Milker or one that could be modified; a 100 gallon plus or minus bulk tank; a 100 gallon plus or minus hot dog style Stainless Steel tank. Troy, kash-brown@inebraska.com

Friends of Wilderness Park Native Plant Catalogues

The catalogues for the annual native plant sale sponsored by Friends of Wilderness Park are available. People may get a catalogue by contacting me at 402-477-8282 or emailing me at mroseberrybrown@yahoo.com. Orders for the plants are due by April 25th. People should include name and address when requesting a catalogue.

Upcoming

Alternative Forages and Cover Crops Webinar

March 31st. 6pm. Growers, consultants and agribusiness professionals are invited to participate in a series of six online programs highlighting field crop production and pest management on Monday evenings beginning Feb. 24 through March 31, 2014.  Participants will learn how to enhance their field crop production systems in the coming season and have an opportunity to ask questions of MSU agriculture experts. The live webinar presentations will begin at 7 p.m. EST each Monday evening and run until 8 p.m. EST. One MDARD Pesticide Recertification Credit will be available through each webinar for application to one of the following categories:  Private Core, Commercial Core or Field Crops. Participants can view the programs independently online free of charge. However, pre-registration is required to access connection information. Presented by Dr. Kim Cassida, Extension forage specialist, Department of Plant, Microbial and Soil Science, MSU. Webinar is free, on-line registration required. http://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?folder=fieldcropswebinars2014

Weekly Events & Opportunities in Sustainable Farming & Foods

Adding Value to Farm Products Webinar

March 17. Farm Commons delivers fast-paced webinars that help farmers move forward on the legal issues that affect their farm operation. This webinar focuses on value-added products. Employment laws, liability potential, state/federal regulations, and tax factors all change when a farm begins to process product. Farms relying on cottage food laws should make sure to attend; the webinar will talk about what these laws do not do to protect farms. http://farmcommons.org/webinars/

Organic Weed Management Webinar Series: Different Approaches to Weed Management

March 17. Organic Thinking presents a free webinar series on organic weed management on four Mondays in March, led by organic farmers and specialists from across the United States. In this webinar three organic farmers will discuss the strategies they've developed for managing weeds, their reasons for selecting those practices, and the conditions necessary for those methods to be successful. http://www.ydae.purdue.edu/oarei/webinars.html

Dairy Reproduction: Identifying Problems and Solutions for Your Herd

March 17th. 12pm. Presenter: Ray Nebel, Senior Reproductive Specialist for Select Sires, Inc. Many dairies experience difficulty in their reproduction programs, and a wide range of factors can affect reproductive success in a herd. In this session, Ray Nebel will take a look at some of the factors that affect reproduction on dairies, including: labor, nutrition, environment, and the cow herself. He'll also discuss how you can find and fix problems that could be affecting the success of your reproduction program. https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/dairexnetwebinar/

Managing Rootworms on the Fringe: Determining If You Have Bt Resistant Rootworms on Your Farm

March 17th. 6pm. Growers, consultants and agribusiness professionals are invited to participate in a series of six online programs highlighting field crop production and pest management on Monday evenings beginning Feb. 24 through March 31, 2014.  Participants will learn how to enhance their field crop production systems in the coming season and have an opportunity to ask questions of MSU agriculture experts. The live webinar presentations will begin at 7 p.m. EST each Monday evening and run until 8 p.m. EST. One MDARD Pesticide Recertification Credit will be available through each webinar for application to one of the following categories:  Private Core, Commercial Core or Field Crops. Participants can view the programs independently online free of charge. However, pre-registration is required to access connection information. http://events.anr.msu.edu/event.cfm?folder=fieldcropswebinars2014

Tree Care Workshop

Tuesday, March 18. Hastings. Wednesday, March 19, Ord. For public works employees, landscape managers, tree board volunteers, arborists, nursery and green industry professionals and landscape enthusiasts, these full-day workshops cover emerging issues in tree and landscape care. See http://bit.ly/13pjC46 for more info.

Basic Prescribed Burn Workshop

Wednesday, March 19. Wayne. Guidance and instructions for people with or without prescribed burning experience.  Seewww.NebraskaPF.com for more info.

Community Gardens

March 19th. 11:30am. Community Gardens - More than Just Food, Community Transformation. This webinar will highlight the role of community projects and programs, like community gardens, as tools for youth leadership and engagement as well as community transformation. We will define terminology in order to create a shared language around community transformation and highlight a few examples of the work that the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) does in partnership with community and youth groups from around the state. We will also emphasize the opportunities that these projects and programs can create for all kinds of communities. The Wayne County Public Library Community Garden will serve as an example of an effort that has helped transform the community. http://goo.gl/fQKN7

Conventional and Organic Weed Control in Sweet Corn, Pumpkin and Winter Squash

March 19th. 12:00pm.  Penn State and Cornell University have teamed up to present a series of webinars on critical production issues. This series provides timely updates in commercial and small fruit production for commercial growers, extension educators, and industry representatives in Pennsylvania, New York, and surrounding states. $10 per webinar or $35 for entire series; includes access to handouts and webinar recordings. Dr. Robin Bellinder (Cornell) and Dwight Lingenfelter (Penn State) will discuss how to control weeds in conventional and organic production systems in three important vegetable crops.

“Cost Analysis: Are You Making Money?”

A Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network webinar. March 19th. 12pm. Go to https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/nichemeat a few minutes before start time and log on as a guest. All NMPAN webinars are free and open to the public. Many meat processors watch their checkbook balances and hope for the best. Some wade through P&L state­ments looking for answers and often come up short. Most small processors don’t fully understand why they are or aren’t making money and what they can do about it. Learn how to develop systems that will give you the financial information you need to make decisions that improve your business’ performance. Our speaker for this webinar is Arion Thiboumery of the Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network and Vermont Packinghouse. Disclaimer: You don’t need to be a math whiz, but this webinar will involve math.

Nebraska Crane Festival

March 20-23. Kearney. Witness tens of thousands of Sandhill Cranes and millions of waterfowl migrating through central Nebraska during March, culminating in a festival hosted by Audubon Nebraska to celebrate their arrival. The Audubon’s Nebraska Crane Festival has been celebrating this wildlife phenomenon for 44 years! Join fellow enthusiasts to learn more about the cranes, waterfowl, and other bird species by attending our concurrent sessions, visiting a crane viewing blind, and participating in one of our field trips. http://nebraskacranefestival.org/

Legal and Financial Clinic

Thursday, March 20. Lexington. Call the Farm Hotline at 800-464-0258 to sign up.

Webinar: Cover Crops Seed Selection and Planting

Thursday, March 20. Cost is free but registration is required for each webinar and must be done at least one hour prior to start time.  More info at bit.ly/ASAedprog. 

Legal and Financial Clinic

Friday, March 21. Norfolk. Call the Farm Hotline at 800-464-0258 to sign up

Wild Experience Room

Saturday, March 22. 10am - 3pm. Kearney Holiday Inn Convention Center. Visit numerous activity stations including live animals, nature crafts, and hands-on activities. The festival is free and open to the public. Come and go as you please! 

News

Neighborhood Gardens Create Community Food Security

For 10 years, I obsessed about the threat of climate change on an intellectual, theoretical level. But it wasn’t until the personal implications of climate change began to dawn on me — how it would disrupt my daily routine and the world I took for granted — that the full horror of our situation finally sank in. And in early 2009, a realization hit me, right in the stomach: I didn’t have the first clue about my food supply. I didn’t know where it came from or how it was grown. Isn’t that a way of life that’s just asking for trouble? I decided to make a change. Or, rather, many small changes. Inklings of a Neighborhood Garden Plan. Read the rest, http://www.motherearthnews.com/homesteading-and-livestock/neighborhood-gardens-zm0z14amzsor.aspx#axzz2w4b5rjc2

Opportunity

Egg Incubation

Is anyone hatching eggs that has space to fit in several dozen more?  Or someone that has an incubator we could rent/barter?~Crystal & William, darbysprings@gmail.com

Laying Hens Wanted

I'd like to buy 4-6 laying hens that are laying or will be laying soon.  Thank You! Jon Yoachim, 402-309-4088,jkyoachim@gmail.com

Upcoming

Webinar: Food Safety Liability and Regulations

March 25. 6pm. We’ve been hearing all about the upcoming regulations under the Food Safety Modernization Act. But, as important as it is, farm liability for food safety goes beyond this new law. Learn all the latest on how farms can comply with the FSMA as it goes into effect and how they can protect their operations from liability in general. Register and learn more,http://www.farmcommons.org/webinars

Holistic Grazing Planning

March 27-29, 2014 (3 Days), 8:00 a.m.—5:00 p.m. All workshop fees include lunch and refreshments. There will be a minimum enrollment of eight per class. If the minimum enrollment is not met five days prior to the class, the class will be canceled and the participants notified and refunded. To register go to: www.cccneb.edu/conferences For further information about the workshops contact Bob Shields at 308-379-1361 or Bob.Shields01@gmail.com. For Registration information contact Betty Kooy at 402-461-2441 or bkooy@cccneb.edu

Weekly Events & Opportunities in Sustainable Farming & Foods

Organic Weed Management Webinar Series: Managing Weeds with Crop Rotations

March 10. Organic Thinking presents a free webinar series on organic weed management on four Mondays in March, led by organic farmers and specialists from across the United States. In this webinar, sustainable agriculture specialist Tammy Howard, of the National Center for Appropriate Technology, will cover principles for effective weed management through the use of crop rotations and cover crops. Christine Mason will then describe the rotation she uses on her farm and strategies she uses for managing specific weeds.  http://www.ydae.purdue.edu/oarei/webinars.html

Integrating perennial grasses for sustainable agricultural systems to maximize farm profitability

March 11th. 12pm Central. More information: The future of agriculture could include a perennial grass-based sustainable farming system within its landscape that will encourage environmental services, decrease use of fossil fuels and chemical products, improve diversity of plants and animals, generate more locally grown foods and bioenergy feedstock, and improve farm profitability. Biodiversity within agricultural landscapes will promote productivity and sustainability of our agriculture through food, feed, fiber, and fuel. Dr. Lee will discuss sustainable agricultural systems integrated with perennial grasses; how to design and establish market potential, a case study, and an on-farm example. To register for this FREE upcoming webinar go to: http://events.anr.msu.edu/Agruraldev/ 

Soil Health and Production Benefits of Mob Grazing Webinar

March 11. Join the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service for one of their ongoing series of free Science and Technology conservation webinars. This webinar focuses on how both soil health and productivity can be improved by managing grazing to mimic the impact bison had on prairies, a system characterized by high plant diversity, intensive grazing, trampling of vegetation, and long rest periods. The webinar is presented by Doug Peterson, State Soil Health Conservationist, USDA NRCS Missouri. http://www.conservationwebinars.net/documents/planned-conservation-webinars

Land Access – Leases to Support Conservation and Beginning Farmers

March 11th. 7pm. Explore legal issues pertinent to beginning farmers, including farm succession, the transition of land and assets to the next generation, custom grazing legal questions and writing farm leases. Meg and Dave Schmidt, and Ed Cox. http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/farminar2

Incorporating Sustainable Practices into Plasticulture Strawberry Production

March 11. Online. North Carolina State University presents a webinar that will cover sustainable soil management and integrated pest management practices that can easily be integrated into plasticulture strawberry production systems. Topics to be covered include soil health, compost, cover crops, soil testing, integrated pest management practices and ideas for incorporating these concepts into a plasticulture production system. The webinar will primarily focus on practices suited for producers in the southeastern United States but the general concepts could be applied elsewhere.https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/QGZXS8J

Developments in Switchgrass Production for Bioenergy

March 11th. 12pm Central. 

 The NEWBio Webinar Series  is hosted by Mike Jacobson, Penn State University and eXtension Farm Energy and held (usually) on the second Tuesday of each month at 1PM Eastern time, 12 CT, 11 MT, 10 PT. These online, hour-long presentations are free to the public, and feature important topics related to bioenergy in the northeast. 

Attend the live webinars at https://meeting.psu.edu/bioenergy - sign in as a guest.

Whole Earth Summit

March 11-13. Online. This free, three-day, online event features 42 visionaries joining together to share valuable insights around food, water, the commons, ecological activism and design, social transformation, collective vision, and practical models for making a difference. Gain valuable insights and inspiration to be a more dynamic, community-oriented, and effective change-maker. Participants will include Joel Salatin, Raj Patel, Danielle Nierenberg, and Allan Savory.http://wholeearthsummit.org/

Getting Started With Organic Field Crops Webinar

March 12. This evening webinar on organic field crops is part of the ongoing 2014 Beginning Farmer Webinar Series from Michigan State University Extension. http://msue.anr.msu.edu/news/dependable_information_for_beginning_farmers_where_can_it_be_found

Wholesale Success Training

March 12. Kansas City, Kansas. Wholesale Success trainings will provide you with a copy of the Wholesale Success Manual, as well as giving you hands on training from experienced farmer-trainer Atina Diffley. This day-long workshop is hosted by Cultivate Kansas City and Lincoln University in partnership with FamilyFarmed.org . Topics will include Postharvest Handling, Maintaining the Cold Chain, Cleaning and Drying, Packing and Grading, Relationships with Buyers, and Food Safety Best Practices. http://www.cultivatekc.org/events/event/2014/03/12/wholesale-success-workshop

Incorporating Video into the Marketing Strategy

March 13th. 1pm Central. Presented by Jeremy Doan, Rolling Plains Adventures. 

 Video today is as important today as content marketing.  Learn how Jeremy Doan, Rolling Plains Adventures uses video to explain what their business is about, how they can share customer experiences, and what it takes to create short video segments to benefit your business. 

https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/etc-cop

Organic Blackberry Production Webinar

March 13. Join eOrganic for a Webinar on organic blackberry production, presented by Bernadine Strik and Luis Valenzuela of Oregon State University and David Bryla of the USDA ARS in Corvallis, Oregon. This webinar presents tips from an ongoing research study, including the impacts of weeds on blackberry growth and yield; methods for weed control; fertigation for planting establishment; the effects of post-harvest irrigation on productivity, plant water status, and soil moisture; and root growth in blackberry. While this webinar focuses on trailing blackberry, grown predominantly for a machine-harvested, processed market, the outcomes of this study are also of importance in the production of other types of blackberry. The webinar is free and open to the public. Advance registration is required. http://www.extension.org/pages/70279/

IOIA/OMRI COR Crop Input Materials Course

March 13. Online. IOIA/OMRI COR Crop Input Materials webinar is an intermediate 200-level course. The course is geared for persons with an understanding of COR Crop Standards and farm inspection or certification. This course is comprised of three components: pre-course self-study, the webinar, and post webinar evaluation. http://www.ioia.net/schedule_web.html#mar13

Legal and Financial Clinic

Thursday, March 13. North Platte. Call the Farm Hotline at 800-464-0258 to sign up.

Small Farms Winter Webinar Series: Small Orchard: Orchard Management

March 13. Online. The University of Illinois Extension presents a weekly educational series for the small farm community, providing practical knowledge on emerging topics which advance local food production in Illinois. Webinars are held from 1:00 - 2:30 pm on Thursdays and are free. This session is presented by Elizabeth Wahle, University of Illinois Extension Horticulture Educator. https://webs.extension.uiuc.edu/registration/?RegistrationID=8854

Wyoming Farmers Marketing Association Conference: Growing Together

March 13-15. Sheridan, Wyoming. Wyoming Master Gardeners and Wyoming Farmers Marketing Association are holding a joint conference that will offer Market Master Certification, hands-on workshops on grapes and vineyards and tomato grafting, and conference sessions in five tracks. http://bit.ly/1cuK3cd

Combining Livestock, Manure, and Cover Crops Webinar

March 13. American Society of Agronomy and other sponsors present this free webinar as part of the Cover Crops Webinar Series. Registration is required for each webinar and must be done at least one hour prior to start time. A livestock and cover crop combination is the fastest way to profit from your investment. Cover crops not only provide feed for livestock they also hold and scavenge precious nutrients to reduce potential offsite pollution. https://www.agronomy.org/education/online-courses

Good Agriculture Practices & Food Safety Modernization Act

March 14-15. Kansas City, Missouri. This two-day workshop is part of the Growing Growers workshop series.http://www.growinggrowers.org/workshops.html

Farmer Veteran Coalition of Iowa Workshops

March 13 or 15. Red Oak or Storm Lake, Iowa. Farmer Veteran Coalition of Iowa (FVCIA) is hosting workshops that will provide vets interested in Iowa agriculture with networking opportunities and education. The workshops will feature educational presentations about farm business development, sustainability, legal issues, and any other concerns vets may have. Attendees also will have the chance to meet with service providers from USDA, Veterans Affairs, the ISU Beginning Farmer Center, the Drake Agricultural Law Center, and more. http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/news/12-30-2013/workshops-assist-iowa-veterans-farm

Opportunity

Annual Farm Auction

Norm Greene Realty is holding their annual farm equipment auction next week here in York; I've included a link to their bill of sale:  http://www.normgreenrealty.com/auctions/031214Consignment.html

Laying Hens Wanted

I'd like to buy 4-6 laying hens that are laying or will be laying soon.  Thank You! Jon Yoachim, 402-309-4088,jkyoachim@gmail.com

Upcoming

Adding Value to Farm Products Webinar

March 17. Farm Commons delivers fast-paced webinars that help farmers move forward on the legal issues that affect their farm operation. This webinar focuses on value-added products. Employment laws, liability potential, state/federal regulations, and tax factors all change when a farm begins to process product. Farms relying on cottage food laws should make sure to attend; the webinar will talk about what these laws do not do to protect farms. http://farmcommons.org/webinars/

Organic Weed Management Webinar Series: Different Approaches to Weed Management

March 17. Organic Thinking presents a free webinar series on organic weed management on four Mondays in March, led by organic farmers and specialists from across the United States. In this webinar three organic farmers will discuss the strategies they've developed for managing weeds, their reasons for selecting those practices, and the conditions necessary for those methods to be successful. http://www.ydae.purdue.edu/oarei/webinars.html