Local Foods on the Great Plains
November 12th. Sponsored by the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society and the Center for Great Plains Studies. Details. A panel of experts in the local food scene will talk about where the movement is going and what challenges the Great Plains faces as the movement continues to grow. Panel: William Powers, President, NSAS; Billene Nemec, Buy Fresh Buy Local ; Renee Cornett, Prairie Plate restaurant; Bob Bernt, Clear Creek Farm; Ruth Chantry, Common Good Farms. Speakers will be accompanied by several local food producers who will sample food items after the lecture. Samplers include: Common Good Farm, Darby Springs Farm, Clear Creek Farm, Branched Oak Farm. Panel at 3:30 p.m. at the Great Plains Art Museum at 1155 Q St. All lectures are free and open to the public. Immediately following the panel & reception there will be a BarnRaiser celebration at Ploughshare Brewing. Details can be found here
2014 Farm Bill Workshop
November 10, 1:30pm – 3:30pm. Arapahoe. Ella Missing Event Center. For more information contact the FSA or Extension office in the host county.
Forest Cultivated Mushrooms Webinar
November 10. The American Tree Farm System offers this one-hour webinar. Ken Mudge, associate professor at Cornell University, will explore the four stages that a prospective mushroom grower must consider for forest cultivation of shiitake mushrooms. Acquisition of substrate logs, inoculation, resting, fruiting, and harvesting of mushrooms will be covered in this webinar.https://www.treefarmsystem.org/ content21232
Grassland Studies 2014 Fall Seminar Series
November 10. 3:00 pm–4:00 pm. Lincoln at UNL's East Campus Union. Presented by Marty Schmer, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, “Comparing the bioenergy potential and greenhouse gas emissions of switchgrass and continuous corn.” Free and open to the public. http://grassland.unl.edu/upcoming-seminars
4th Annual Sustainability Roundtable
November 11. 5:00 pm–8:00 pm. Lincoln. Melissa Bakewell, 402 9608944, melissajbake@gmail.com. The Environmental Leadership Program (ELP) will be hosting a sustainability roundtable which will consist of five discussions led by various faculty members, community leaders, and knowledgeable professionals. Each topic will have a short introduction and then be opened to questions and discussions. Each conversation will last forty minutes, with topics including Transportation, Environmental Activism, Climate Change, Environmental Psychology, and Urban Farming. The event is open to the public and attendees are not required to stay the entire time. Refreshments from various sponsors will be provided for all who attend. https://www.facebook.com/events/756917591028887/
Using Trap Crops to Control the Crucifer Flea Beetle Webinar
November 11. Online. Join eOrganic for a webinar on using trap crops to control crucifer flea beetles, by entomologist Joyce Parker. This webinar explores the use of diverse trap crops, stands of plants grown to attract pest insects away from your target crop, as an approach to manage flea beetles in broccoli. The audience targeted are small farms, home gardeners and anyone interested in learning more about trap cropping. The webinar is free and open to the public. Advance registration is required. http://www.extension.org/pages/71255
Cover Crops Field Day
November 12, 10am – 3pm. Axtell, KS. Topics to include soil health, covers and grazing on the farm, rainfall simulator, cover crop plot tour. Free lunch at noon. Questions and pre-registration: Contact Bill Buessing (785-336-1853 or billbuessing@gmail.com).
Sustainable Roses Series: Integrated Pest Management of the Rose
Wednesday, November 12 at 10:00 am. Everyone knows that rose gardening can be very challenging in Florida due to climate, insect pressures and disease incidence. This webinar is designed to introduce extension agents, master gardeners and advanced home gardeners to IPM techniques that will make rose gardening easy, fun and rewarding. Participants will learn techniques for minimization of insect and disease pressure. Also participants will be encouraged to develop an easy care rose plan. Objectives: Participant will be able to prevent disease through use of cultural practices and learn how to use fungicidal sprays strategically. Participant will be able to reduce insecticide use through use of scouting, beneficial insect and non-toxic methods. Participant will be able to develop a low or no-spray rose garden plan. http://gardeningsolutions.ifas.ufl.edu/clce/webinars/
Small egg production flock: Cost evaluation of different housing systems
Wednesday, November 12 at 10:00 am. Thinking of starting a new small-scale commercial egg production flock? There are lots of decisions to make, including what type of production system to use - confinement, free-range, pasture-raised, etc. Dr. Ken Anderson from North Carolina State University will be discussing the costs involved in the different types of production systems, an important consideration when deciding what type of system to use. https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/poultry
Biodiversity and Natural Resource Assessment on Organic Farms
November 13. Online. This IOIA webinar training course will cover Natural Resource Assessment for Organic Farms. It is an intermediate-level webinar training course geared to prepare those who are currently organic inspectors or file reviewers to evaluate Natural Resource requirements as described in the NOP/COR. The course is also highly recommended for organic producers, consultants, educators, extension, and certification agency staff. IOIA Trainer Garry Lean will present the course.http://www.ioia.net/schedule_web.html#nov13
Women, Food & Agriculture Network Annual Conference
November 14-15. Fairfield, Iowa. Join Women, Food & Agriculture Network for its 2014 annual conference, "Women Doing Democracy: Building Grassroots Coalitions to Grow Healthy Food and Farming in Your Community." The conference includes field tours, intensives, keynote speaker Karen Washington, and concurrent breakout sessions on topics including air and water monitoring, coalition-building, livestock confinement activism, tenant-landlady relations, resources for female beginning farmers (including veterans), the new farm bill, food safety regulations, and more. http://wfan.org/2014-wfan-annual-conference/
Farmer Veteran Stakeholders Conference
November 14-15. Des Moines, Iowa. Join the Farmer Veteran Coalition at the National Farmer Veteran Stakeholders Conference for networking, peer-to-peer learning, and to shape a strategy for long-term collaborations. Farmer Veteran Coalition is organizing the first national forum on programs for veterans pursuing careers related to food and agriculture. The conference will bring together veteran-serving and farmer-serving organizations to share lessons learned and explore new partnerships. All stakeholders from the agricultural and veteran communities are invited: non-profits, businesses, philanthropists, government agencies, trade associations, and educators. http://iowafarmerveteran.org/farmer-veteran-national- stakeholder-conference/
Harvest Dinner
Buy Fresh Buy Local® Nebraska, your statewide program for building community through locally grown food, is hosting our annual Harvest Dinner on November 16. This year’s Harvest Dinner & Farm Tour theme, “Celebrating Local Food from the Ground Up! Dinner will be presented by Chef Renee, wife of Jerry Cornett and owner of Prairie Plate, a farm-to-table restaurant, located on Lakehouse Farm. Chef Renee will create an elite four-course dinner embracing seasonal products from the Lakehouse Farm and Buy Fresh Buy Local® Nebraska family farmers and ranchers from across the state. www.buylocalnebraska.org
The Livestock Conservancy National Conference
November 14 -15. Austin, Texas. Come join America's leading organization working to protect nearly 200 livestock and poultry breeds from extinction and enjoy programs on conservation, animal husbandry, food, marketing, and more. Enjoy heritage-breed meals as you network with other attendees and talk one-on-one with experts in livestock and sustainable agriculture. http://www.livestockconservancy.org/ index.php/what/internal/ conference
National Food Entrepreneur Program Seminar
November 15. Lincoln. University of Nebraska Food Processing Center is offering a one-day seminar for all individuals interested in exploring the idea of starting a food manufacturing business. Please encourage interested individuals in your community to attend the “Recipe to Reality” seminar. Pre-registration is required and space is limited. Registration deadline is November 1, 2014. Contact Jill Gifford at 402-472-2819 or jgifford1@unl.edu for an information packet.
Milling Small Grains and Aquaponics Production
November 15. Panora, Iowa. At this Practical Farmers of Iowa Field Day, father-son team Earl and Jeff Hafner will show attendees their certified organic stone mill where they mill rye, buckwheat, wheat, and corn.They will also lead a tour of their aquaponics production area. Early Morning Harvest is an addition to Earl and Jeff Hafner's diversified cow-calf, hog and certified organic corn and soybean operation. Early Morning Harvest produces vegetables in an aquaponics greenhouse, a diverse variety of garden-fresh vegetables, eggs from pastured poultry, and flours made from certified organic grains. http://practicalfarmers.org/news- events/events/
Opportunity
Non GMO Yellow Corn
I have approximately 900 bushels of non-gmo yellow corn available now. It was grown in a field transitioning to organic and it was the control against a field of red corn. It has been tested and is 99.4% non-gmo. This is some really good non-gmo corn. It is still standing in the field since I don't have anymore storage available. Located at Utica (between Seward and York). Please call me at 402-617-1718 if you are interested.
Vegetable Operations Manager Position near Omaha
Vegetable/small fruit farm and nursery in Papillion has a full-time permanent vegetable operations manager position available. Tasks may include crop selection/scheduling, prep/planting, greenhouse management, construction/maintenance, and sales. Vegetable production experience helpful. The land has been farmed with organic practices for 30 years. Currently selling at local markets and planning to expand. On-farm housing may be negotiable. Also hiring full/part-time general laborer; farm or construction experience helpful. Send resume and cover letter to Lucena@MeristemFarmAndNursery.com or call Tom at 402-306-4500.
Vegetable Transplant Supplier Needed
The Community Crops plant sale sells plant starts and perennials to many Lincoln gardeners, and we also supply plants to our community gardeners. We have outgrown the amount of plants our current supplier can produce and would like to find additional suppliers for 2015 to grow a variety of herb and vegetable transplants on contract. All plants need to be grown using organic methods, using 32s and delivered in early May. Please contact me to discuss details at ingrid@communitycrops.orgor 402-474-9802. Thanks! Ingrid
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 REFERENCES to farmtabledelivery@gmail.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
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
News
The Fat of the Land
CERESCO -- It's hard not to romanticize about the agrarian life Crystal and William Powers are trying to build on their 40 acres of land three miles east of town. They call their place Darby Springs Farm, an Irish-sounding name that conjures up images of animals grazing in lush, green pastures. Then there's the two blond boys: Aiden, 3, and Liam, almost 1.Neither of their parents have any Irish heritage, but Crystal likes Celtic stuff and William grew up on a dairy farm in Ohio that had a stream called Darby Creek. Their 40 acres in southern Saunders County has several natural springs. In 2007, the couple lived in Ithaca, New York, where Crystal was finishing up her master's degree in biological and environmental engineering at Cornell University. They moved back to Nebraska and searched for a year and a half before they found the place of their dreams.
"William has always loved dairy cows and we both love Nebraska and so we decided to come back to Nebraska and try to farm," Crystal said while trying to comfort a fidgety toddler at the kitchen table. She grew up on a farm near Edgar in Clay County and William on a farm near Plain City, Ohio, and has family on his father's side near Silver Creek in Merrick County. But they still consider themselves beginning young farmers. "Although we grew up on farms, it's still a steep learning curve," Crystal said.
Read the rest!
Upcoming
Structural Racism and Food Inequity
Monday, November 17 at 2:00 pm. This webinar will discuss the past, current and future work at NC A&T State University as a part of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) to address food systems inequities. The discussion will cover our history of youth work and community engagement in eastern North Carolina as well as statewide efforts and national engagement with organizations like the Inter-Institutional Network for Food and Agricultural Sustainability (INFAS) and the Center for Social Inclusion (CSI) as well as the WK Kellogg Foundation (WKKF) to build shared language, a shared analysis and frame for food equity using race as a lens. http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/diversity
Leading the Way – How Women are Changing Board Rooms and Rural Landscapes
Tuesday, November 18 at 11:00 am. Krysta Harden, Deputy Secretary of Agriculture, will discuss women's leadership roles in agriculture. As a daughter of farmers, Harden understands the changing face of agriculture and the need to create and expand opportunities in rural America. Harden's highest priority is to ensure that beginning farmers and the growing ranks of agriculture - women, young people, immigrants, socially disadvantaged producers, returning veterans and retirees - have access to the programs and support they need. As USDA’s third female Deputy Secretary, Harden is interested in building a strong and diverse future for women in agriculture. Deputy Secretary Harden will be joined on the webinar by Dr. Jewel Hairston, Dean at the Virginia State University College of Agriculture, and Kate Danner, a young farmer from Illinois. More than ever before, we see women manage farms and ranches, lead agricultural policy, and work at the helm of agribusinesses. The number of farms and ranches owned and operated by women has been steadily increasing over the past several years. We invite you to join for this webinar to discuss the future of the U.S. agriculture system and the importance of transferring knowledge, retaining talent, and supporting the women leaders of tomorrow.https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/womeninag
Dehulling Ancient Grains Webinar
November 18. Online. Join eOrganic for a webinar on dehulling ancient grains, presented by members of the NIFA OREI project: Value-added Grains for Local and Regional Food Systems. This webinar will provide an overview of the methods used to dehull grain and the components needed in a dehulling system. One focus will be on the current dehulling options for both larger-scale and small-scale growers, including custom dehulling, new and used dehullers, modification of milling/cleaning equipment to dehull, and building one’s own dehuller. The webinar will also focus on the economics of dehulling, including consideration of ancient grain yield, dehulling efficiency and costs, and prices for hulled and dehulled grain. The webinar is free and open to the public. Advance registration is required. http://www.extension.org/pages/71272/
Effective Use of Electric Fencing to Improve Grazing Management and Enhance Soil Health
November 19. This webinar is part of a series offered by the NRCS East National Technology Support Center. This webinar will focus on how to make effective use of temporary electric fencing for a variety of livestock species. Basic management and troubleshooting of electric fences will be covered as well as species-specific temporary fencing techniques. The discussion will include effective management of electric fences for cattle, horses, sheep, goats, swine, and poultry. http://conservationwebinars.net/
Food Safety for the Holiday Season
Thursday, November 20 at 1:00 pm. Holiday season is approaching. Cooking holiday meals is very challenging since you need to cook so many different foods at the same time and you could easily forget about food safety. This seminar will discuss food safety practices for cooking holiday meals (from shopping to leftover) and provide food safety tips during winter storm and/or power outage. Please register for this FREE webinar. Go to http://eden.lsu.edu/Conferences/SCAP/Registration/ Registration, choose "Food Safety for the Holiday Season" from the drop down list, and complete the online form.
