2012 Sustainable Ag Conference

Cooperative Extension Service | Conference:

Eighth Annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference

Tuesday March 13– Preconference Workshops, Princess Jade Room

8:30–12:00 Business Planning for Farmers, John Collins, Alaska Farmland Trust, Palmer

12:00–1:00 Lunch on site

1:00–4:30 Cultivating Mushrooms, Glenn Coville, Wild Branch Valley Farm, Craftsbury, Vt.

~ Agenda subject to change. ~

Wednesday, March 14, Princess Edgewater Room

7:45–8:15 Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:15–8:30 Welcome

8:30–9:15 Wild Branch Valley Farm, Glenn Coville, Wild Branch Valley Farm, Craftsbury, Vt.

9:15–9:45 Alaska Flour Company, Bryce Wrigley, Alaska Flour Company, Delta Junction

9:45–10:15 Break and Poster Session

10:15–10:45 Whole Farm Planning, Danny Consenstein, USDA Alaska Farm Service Agency, Palmer

10:45–11:05 Funding Opportunities and Land Sales through the Alaska Division of Agriculture, Amy Pettit and Erik Johnson, both of Alaska Division of Agriculture, Palmer

11:05–11:40 Environmental Quality Incentive Programs for Organic, Transition and Traditional Agriculture, Sunny Castillo, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Fairbanks, and Lloyd Wilhelm, USDA Alaska Farm Service Agency, Delta Junction

11:40–12:00 Farming with Geo-thermal Resources, John Dart, Dart-Am, LLC, Farm, North Pole

12:00–1:00 Lunch on Site

1:00–1:45 Looking for Land and Money: Business Strategies and Advice for Getting Started in Farming (panel discussion), moderated by Mike Emers, Rosie Creek Farm, Ester, and others.

1:45–2:10 Natural Balance Techniques for Injury Prevention While Farming, Kay Hackney, Fairbanks

2:10–2:30 Grass on Gravel Runways, Steve Brown, UAF Cooperative Extension Service, Palmer

2:30–3:00 Break and Poster Session

3:00–3:20 Alaska Growers School, Donavan Kienenberger, both of UAF Cooperative Extension Service/Tanana Chiefs Conference, Fairbanks

3:20–3:40 The Greenhouse Project, Ross Coen, Tanana Chiefs Conference, Fairbanks

3:40–4:00 Large Black Hogs, The Best Pigs to Raise in Alaska, Brandy McLean, Triple McLean Farms

4:00–4:30 Update and Outcome of Sustainable Livestock Conference, Jan
Rowell, UAF Agricultural and Forestry Experiment Station, Fairbanks

4:30–5:00 Pasture Management for Small Herds, Phil Kaspari, UAF Cooperative Extension Service, Delta Junction

5:00 Closing Remarks, Announcements and Evaluation

6:00–8:00 Alaska Community Agriculture Association Annual Meeting, public welcome, light refreshments

Thursday, March 15, Princess Edgewater Room

7:45–8:15 Registration and Continental Breakfast

8:15–8:30 Welcome

8:30–9:10 History of Plant Varieties Developed in Alaska, Charlie Knight, retired from Alaska Division of Agriculture, Fairbanks

9:10–9:30 Ester’s Community Seed Library, Deirdre Helfferich, John Trigg Ester Li - brary, Ester

9:30–10:00 Peony Growers Update, Jan Hanscom, Polar Peonies, Fairbanks

10:00–10:30 Break and Poster Session

10:30–11:10 Contraptions at Work, Tom Zimmer, Calypso Farm & Ecology Center, Ester

11:10–11:40 Top-Bar Hives, Katie DiCristina, UAF Georgeson Botanical Garden, Fairbanks

11:40–12:10 Late Blight in Alaska, Jeff Smeenk, UAF Cooperative Extension Service/ Palmer Center for Sustainable Living, Palmer

12:10–1:10 Lunch on Site

1:10–1:30 Community Supported Gardening in Southeast Alaska, Darren Snyder, UAF Cooperative Extension Service, Juneau

1:30–1:55 Local Food Initiatives at UAF, Dean Carol Lewis, UAF School of Natural Resources and Agricultural Sciences, Fairbanks

1:55–2:20 Farm to School Update, Johanna Herron, Alaska Division of Agriculture, Fairbanks

2:20–2:45 Farmer’s Markets in Alaska, Julie Riley, UAF Cooperative Extension Service, Anchorage

2:45–3:15 Break and Poster Session

3:15–3:35 CES Commercial Kitchen, Kate Idzorek, UAF Cooperative Extension
Service, Fairbanks

3:35–3:55 Lessons from a First-Year Farmers Market, Amy Nordrum, Downtown
Association of Fairbanks, Fairbanks

3:55–4:15 Restaurant Rewards Program, Kristi Krueger, Alaska Division of Agriculture, Palmer

4:15–5:00 Delivering on Restaurant Demand (panel discussion), moderator Amy Nordrum, Downtown Association of Fairbanks; Philippe Janicka, HAP Alaska/ Yukon, Alaska Hotel Properties; Mark Winans, Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge; Kathy Lavelle, Lavelle’s Bristro, Fairbanks; Susan Willsrud, Calypso Farm & Ecology Center, Ester; John Dart, Dart-Am, LLC, Farm, North Pole; and others.

5:00 Closing Remarks, Announcements and Evaluation

— Agenda subject to change. —

Conference sponsors include (alphabetically):

• Alaska Division of Agriculture
• APHIS USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service Plant Protection and Quarantine
• Cooperative Extension Service
• Equipment Source Inc.
• FSWCD Fairbanks Soil and Water Conservation District
• UAF Office of Sustainablity
• WSARE Western Sustainable Agriculture Research Education

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The Gardener Chef

The Gardener Chef | Organic Raised Bed Garden - Part 10:

The Gardener Chef is a chronology of my process in creating an organic vegetable, herb and flower garden beginning in the summer of 2009 and beyond. I include pictures of my progress, some narrative of my planning and process, and recipes for the foods I prepare from the harvest.

I also plan to include descriptives of my elders' stories from long ago, my memories of my attempts at gardening as a child, along with new ideas for gardening.

This is an integration of past and present narratives of gardening and serving delicious recipes with the abundant produce.

I welcome your comments and stories, and in sharing these, we can delight in your experience. Enjoy!

http://thegardenerchef.com

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Veggies at Work in Kodiak

About Veggies at Work	How It Works	Contact Us
Tips (what we've learned)	Caring for Your Garden	Helpful Resources

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http://www.veggiesatwork.org/ How tending a vegetable garden during your coffee break can help feed your neighbors. Veggies at Work is a community program where employees tend a vegetable garden at the office and donate the fresh produce to people who need it most. About Veggies at Work Veggies at Work began in the spring of 2006 as the brainchild of Marion Owen, a garden writer and organic gardener of Kodiak, Alaska. Many times she heard folks say things like, “I don’t have time to garden,” or, “When I get home from work, I’m too tired to garden.” At the same time, the local food banks were feeling the pinch.

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Producers' Conference

2012 PRODUCE GROWERS CONFERENCE

February 21–22, 2012

Palmer Community Center (The Depot)

610 S. Valley Way, Palmer, AK 99645

Tuesday, February 21

8:00 – 8:30 am Registration and check-in

8:30 – 9:30 am Potato Update from the

Plant Material Center, Bill

Campbell

9:30 – 10:30 am Tulare World Ag Expo Review,

Steve Brown & Jeff Smeenk

10:30 – 10:45 am Break

10:45 – 11:45 am Weeds and Potatoes,

Pam Hutchinson

12:00 – 1:30 pm Alaska Food Bank Lunch

and Reception

1:30 – 2:30 pm Marketing Update, Amy Pettit

2:30 – 3:30 pm Tale of Pesticide Resistance,

Ronda Hirnyck & Pam

Hutchinson

3:30 – 3:45 pm Break

3:45 – 4:30 pm The Quest to Increase

Fruits and Vegetables: the

Alaska Farmers Market

Food Stamp Pilot Project,

Diane Peck

4:30 – 5:00 pm Alaska Farm Service

Agency Update,

Danny Consenstein

Wednesday, February 22

8:00 – 8:30 am Registration and check-in

8:30 – 9:30 am Pesticide Labeling, Ronda

9:30 – 10:15 am Herbicide Control of Weeds and

Carryover,

Steven Seefeldt

10:15 – 10:30 am Break

10:30 – 11:45 am Rhodiola Crops in Alaska,

Kwesi Ampong-Nyarko

12:00 – 1:00 pm Lunch

1:00 – 3:00 pm Rhodiola Growers Meeting

(move to the Alaska Farmland Trust conference room

next to library), Dr. Petra Illig

PLEASE NOTE:

Speaker agenda is subject to change without notice.

Our 2012 Speakers

Kwesi Ampong-Nyarko – Research Scientist,

Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development

Steve Brown – District Agriculture/ Horticulture Agent, 0DW 6X &RSSHU 5LYHU District

Bill Campbell – Potato Disease Control Specialist, Division of Ag/Plant Materials Center

Danny Consenstein – State Executive Director,

USDA Alaska Farm Service Agency

Ronda Hirnyck – Pesticide Program Coordinator, University of Idaho

Pam Hutchinson – Associate Professor, Weed Science, University of Idaho

Diane Peck – Community & Evaluation Specialist, Alaska DHSS

Amy Pettit – Development Specialist, Division of Agriculture

Fred Schlutt – Vice Provost for Extension & Outreach, Director of Cooperative Extension Service

Jeff Smeenk – State Extension Horticulture Specialist
Steven Seefeldt

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Dave Bakes Up Goods with Barley Flour

Vegetable Broth at 40 Below

When you want something good to warm you up, make vegetable broth and add what ya got.
7 quarts of water, 1 onion (quartered, skin & all), 1 red, green, orange or yellow pepper (cut in half),  1 garlic (cut in half, skin and all), celery core, carrots and whatever other vegetables you might have.  Salt to taste.

Cover and slow boil 5 - 6 hours.  Remove vegetables and add egg noodle drops (1/2 flour - mix 1 egg, salt to taste, mix and drop with fork to boiling water.  20 minutes and enjoy.

Red potatoes I got this a.m. from our neighbor. Try to do a change up for breakfast with these! Delicous!

Beginning Farmers Online Courses

Spring 2012 Online Courses for Beginning Farmers Open for Registration!

Winter is a great time for planning for your small farm future or taking courses to make your existing farm business even more successful.  This Spring we'll be offering 4 online courses - including a new Machinery and Equipment course - to help you continue your farming education.

As always, our courses are taught by experienced Cooperative Extension educators, farmers, and other specialists. Courses run 5-8 weeks, cost $175, and include both real-time meetings (online webinars) and on-your-own time reading and activities. We do not offer any academic credit, but those who successfully complete a course will receive a certificate and are also eligible for Farm Service Agency (FSA) borrower training credit, which can improve your eligibility to receive a low-interest FSA loan.

We have four greatspring 2012 online courses that will help you build your farm business:

·         BF 102: Markets and Profits - Exploring the Feasibility of Your Farming Ideas
Have an idea for a farm enterprise but not sure if it’s feasible? This course will get you started exploring the potential markets and profitability of your ideas.  Starts January 19, 2012.

·         BF 103: Taking Care of Business - Understanding the Business, Regulatory, and Tax Implications of Your Farm
(designed to follow BF 101) This is an intro-level course for aspiring or beginning farmers living and/or farming in NYS and seeking to learn about the commercial, legal and tax implications of farming. Starts March 2, 2012.

·         BF 105: Machinery and Equipment - Evaluating What's Right for Your Operation
Many a farm operation has been sunk by "shiny equipment syndrome"; in other words, purchasing too much brand new equipment. On the other end of the scale, many new farmers have burned out their bodies by not adequately powering their farms with machinery. This course will help you strike a happy balance, evaluating what equipment you really need for your scale of operation, whether to buy or make other arrangements, and how to keep your equipment running smoothly if you do purchase it. Starts March 5, 2012.

·        BF 122: Berry Production - Getting Started with Growing and Marketing
If you're exploring the idea of adding berries and bramble fruits to your farm, this course will help you consider all the aspects of this decision, from varieties and site selection all the way through profit potential and marketing. Starts February 28, 2012

To learn more about each course, please visit http://nebeginningfarmers.org/online-courses. From this site you can visit our Annual Course Calendar, learn more about our Instructors, see answers to Frequently Asked Questions, read details for each course, and even visit a sample online course.

Agriculture Conference Scheduled

Agriculture conference scheduled for March in Fairbanks

by Taylor Maida / Cooperative Extension

Jan 09, 2012 | 1920 views | 0 | 1 | |

FAIRBANKS — The eighth annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference is scheduled for March 14 and 15, at the Fairbanks Princess Riverside Lodge. Two preconference workshops will kick off the event on March 13. Anyone interested in farming, eating local, and cultivating mushrooms and other foods is welcome to attend all three days.

In past years, preconference workshops have drawn more than 100 participants, with attendance nearing 200 at the two-day conference. Folks travel from communities all across Alaska.

Read more: Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Agriculture conference scheduled for March in Fairbanks

Fairbanks Daily News-Miner - Agriculture conference scheduled for March in Fairbanks:

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10 Steps to Starting a Community Garden

10 STEPS TO STARTING A COMMUNITY GARDEN*
American Community Gardening Association
The following steps are adapted from the American Community Garden Association's guidelines
for launching a successful community garden in your neighborhood.

        1. ORGANIZE A MEETING OF INTERESTED PEOPLE
Determine whether a garden is really needed and wanted, what kind it should be (vegetable, flower, both,
organic?), whom it will involve and who benefits. Invite neighbors, tenants, community organizations,
gardening and horticultural societies,  building superintendents (if it is at an apartment building)—in other
words, anyone who is likely to be interested.

          2. FORM A PLANNING COMMITTEE
This group can be comprised of people who feel committed to the creation of the garden and have the time to
devote to it, at least at this initial stage. Choose well-organized persons as  garden coordinators Form
committees to tackle specific tasks: funding and partnerships, youth activities, construction and communication.

          3. IDENTIFY ALL YOUR RESOURCES
Do a community asset assessment. What skills and resources already exist in the community that can aid in the
garden’s creation? Contact local municipal planners about possible sites, as well as horticultural societies and
other local sources of information and assistance. Look within your community for people with experience in
landscaping and gardening.  In Toronto contact the Toronto Community Garden Network.

          4. APPROACH A SPONSOR
Some gardens "self-support" through membership dues, but for many, a sponsor is essential for donations of
tools, seeds or money.  Churches,  schools, private businesses or parks and recreation departments are all
possible supporters. One garden raised money by selling "square inches" at $5 each to hundreds of sponsors.

          5. CHOOSE A SITE
Consider the amount of daily sunshine (vegetables need at least six hours a day), availability of water, and soil
testing for possible pollutants. Find out who owns the land. Can the gardeners get a lease agreement for at least three years? Will public liability insurance be necessary?

          6. PREPARE AND DEVELOP THE SITE  
In most cases, the land will need considerable preparation for planting. Organize volunteer work crews to clean it, gather materials and decide on the design and plot arrangement.

          7. ORGANIZE THE GARDEN
Members must decide how many plots  are available and how they will be assigned. Allow space for storing
tools, making compost and don’t forget  the pathways between plots! Plant flowers or shrubs around the    
garden's edges to promote good will with non-gardening neighbors, passersby and municipal authorities.

          8. PLAN FOR CHILDREN
Consider creating a special garden just for kids--including them is essential. Children are not as interested in the size of the harvest but rather in the process of gardening. A separate area set aside for them allows them to explore the garden at their own speed.

          9. DETERMINE RULES AND PUT THEM IN WRITING
The gardeners themselves devise the best ground rules. We are more willing to comply with rules that we have had a hand in creating. Ground rules help gardeners to know what is expected of them. Think of it as a code of behavior. Some examples of issues that are best dealt with by agreed upon rules are: dues, how will the money be used? . How are plots assigned? Will gardeners share tools, meet regularly, handle basic maintenance?

          10. HELP MEMBERS KEEP IN TOUCH WITH EACH OTHER
Good communication ensures a strong community garden with active participation by all. Some ways to do this are: form a telephone tree, create an email list; install  a rainproof bulletin board in the garden; have regular
celebrations. Community gardens are all about creating and strengthening communities.

http://communitygarden.org/docs/10stepsstart.pdf