NODPA Events Calendar

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April 2008

April 1, 7 and 8
Organic Livestock Feed Production
April 1 - Country Inn and Suites, Decorah IA
April 7 - St Charles Community Center, St Charles, MN
April 8 - Stone Mill Coffeehouse and Eatery, Cannon Falls, MN
Sponsored by MOSES. Please preregister with Harriet Behar, Harriet@mosesorganic.org or 608-872-2164

April 2 Seminar
Organic Dairy Farming: Veterinary Challenges and Opportunities
Hue Karreman, DVM; Penn Dutch Cow Care and Affiliate Assistant Professor, UNH
Part of the Farming For the Future Seminar Series at University of New Hampshire's College of Life Sciences and Agriculture
Wednesday, 4pm – 6pm
Cole Hall http://www.unh.edu/map/, Room 219 UNH Durham Campus
Meet the speakers over light refreshments at 3:30 before the seminars.

April 3, 9:30AM
Growing Organic Grains
Location: Central Vermont Chamber of Commerce, Berlin, VT
Please join us for an exciting 2008 grains educational program. This year's workshop will focus on weed control and on-farm plant breeding.
Cost: $10/person, Contact: Heather Darby, Phone: 802-524-6501
Email:heather.darby@uvm.edu

April 9 & 10
"Whole-Farm Approaches to Parasite Prevention and Control on Organic Dairy and Livestock Farms"
Wednesday, April 9th -- Vermont Technical College, Randolph Center
Thursday, April 10 -- Applecheek Farm, Hyde Park
Presented by Dr. Ann Wells, DVM of Spring Pond Holistic Animal Health, Ann will provide attendees with a whole-farm management approach required to control internal parasites in organic livestock. Dr. Wells is a highly regarded and nationally recognized expert and workshop presenter on parasite control and prevention in organic systems.  Every grazier of dairy and non-dairy livestock -- organic and conventional -- will benefit from attending this important and timely workshop.
Contact NOFA-VT at 802-434-4122, info@nofavt.org, for further information and registration details.
 
April 10th - 6:30 pm to 8:30 pm
Beef Workshop -
NYS Grange Building, Cortland, NY (Cortland County) - Topics include beef housing and facilities, prescribed grazing management, and Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM).  Pre-registration is appreciated - contact Sharon Van Deuson at 607-753-5078 or shv7@cornell.edu. This workshop is presented by CCE of Cortland County, SCNY Area Ag Team, Graze NY, the NYS Dept. of Ag & Markets AEM Program and Cortland County SWCD.
 
April 12, 9:00AM
First Branch Sustainable Living Fair
Location: Chelsea Public School Gym, Chelsea, VT
Displays & Vendors, Workshops, Films,Food, Lots of Door Prizes & Give-Aways
Sponsored by The First Branch Sustainability Project
The First Branch Sustainability Project is organizing a fair to encourage conservation and sustainable living practices to help reduce our carbon footprint at home, at work, and at school. At the fair, there will be displays & vendors, workshops, and films offering affordable choices within the four categories of home, transportation, food and consumer products. The fair will run from 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM in the Chelsea Public School gymnasium. There will be FREE Admission, give-aways, door prizes, and art projects: PLUS food, and entertainment!
Everyone is welcome at the fair!Bring your family, friends, and neighbors and have a great time gathering information and tools that will help create a brighter future.
Contact: Phillip. Phone: 802-685-7784, Email: phillip@sover.net
 
April 12th - 8:30 am to 6:30 pm
Working Lands: An Agroforestry Sampler -
135 Emerson Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY (Tompkins County) - Learn how to combine trees and shrubs with crops and/or livestock to diversify products, markets and farm income; improve soil and water quality while reducing erosion and non-point source pollution and enhancing wildlife habitats; benefit from using multi-cropping, multi-story practices, including silvopasture, forest farming, riparian buffers, alley cropping, windbreaks, and other agroforestry practices.  Registration $95; Student rate $75. Fee includes morning refreshment, lunch, conference packet and resource materials.  For more information, including program and registration form, visit www.rpmecosystems.com, email info@rpmecosystems.com, or call 607-844-9590.  Sponsored by RPM Ecosystems LLC, Cornell Agroforestry Resource Center, Cornell Agroforestry and Private Woodland Management Program Work Team, and the Cornell Ecoagriculture Working Group, University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry, Chemung Canal Trust Company, NY Forest Owners Association

April 16 Seminar:
Holistic Heard Health From the Ground Up
Paul Detloff, DVM; Staff Veterinarian, Organic Valley
Part of the Farming For the Future Seminar Series at University of New Hampshire's College of Life Sciences and Agriculture
Wednesday, 4pm – 6pm
Cole Hall http://www.unh.edu/map/, Room 219 UNH Durham Campus
Meet the speakers over light refreshments at 3:30 before the seminars.
 
April 18th and 19th
Swine School at Stone Barns -
8:30 am to 5:30 pm on the 18th, and 8:30 am to 12:40 pm on the 19th
Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, 630 Bedford Road, Pocantico, NY (Westchester County) - Featuring: Paul Willis, an Iowa producer and pig specialist for Niman Ranch; Keith Thornton, British author of Outdoor Pig Production; Chuck Talbott, West Virginia producer and former animal science professor who has focused on silvo-pastoral opportunities with pigs; Tim Holmes, North Carolina Producer and certifier for The Animal Welfare Institute.  Topics will include outdoor management techniques, swine behavior, meat quality, feeds and feeding, herd health, breeding and more!  $60 per person, includes breakfast both days and lunch on Friday OR $45 per person to attend Friday only. Hosted by Stone Barns Center and The Animal Welfare Institute.  To register visit www.stonebarnscenter.org or call 914-366-6200 x151.  Student scholarships available - contact Bill Henning atbill@overthefencepost.com or 585-728-5783.
 
April 18th - 8:30 am to 11:00 am
Linking Healthy Soil to Healthy Food and You:  Workshop for Health Care Educators and Providers, with Jerry Brunetti - Friday, -
First Baptist Church, 17 South Street, Cuba, NY (Allegany County) -
Degenerative diseases including arthritis, heart disease, Alzheimer's, diabetes, etc., are largely related to poor quality foods that lack nutrient density and contain toxins and empty calories.  This is as much an agricultural crisis as a nutritional/medical crisis, which will require that the farms of the future become “farmacies”. In 1999, Jerry was diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and given as little as six months to live without aggressive chemotherapy. He instead chose a holistic path of nutrition, detoxification and immune modulation and applied his vast experience with farming and animal nutrition to his own health. The links between healthy soil, truly nutritious food, and profitable, sustainable farming are clearly evident in his personal and professional experiences.  Come and learn the connection between farming practices and human nutrition and health.  There is no fee for the program but pre-registration is required by April 14th as space is limited.  To register, please call Dorene at 585-268-7644 ext. 10.  Sponsored by Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Allegany County, Healthy Heart Program, and NYS-GLCI.
 
April 18th - 9:30 am to 3:00 pm
2008 Grazing Conference - Impacts for Dairy Producers: Production and Profitability
Catholic Church, 50 South Street, Cuba, NY (Allegany County)
Speakers include Kerri Bartlett on the benefits of grazing beyond grass, John Stoltzfus on using small grains and brassicas to extend the grazing season, Kim Shaklee and Janice Brown on what's in your milk check, and Jerry Brunetti on back to the future with grass-based livestock and a look at how healthy forages result in healthy herds and farms.  Registration is required by April 14th, and there is a conference fee of $15 (late or walk-in registration is $25).  For more information, please call Lynn at 585-268-7644 ext. 18.  Sponsored by Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Allegany County, Healthy Heart Program, and NYS-GLCI.
 
April 18th - 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm
Food as Medicine and Local Economic Prosperity: Workshop for Consumers and Producers
Catholic Church, 50 South Street, Cuba, NY (Allegany County) -
Start off the evening sampling some of the locally produced foods available in our area.  Farms from throughout Allegany and Cattaraugus Counties will prepare dishes using products from their farms.  Taste the difference, try something new, meet our farm neighbors.  At 7:30, Jerry Brunetti, founder of Agri-Dynamics, will give the keynote.  As the health care crisis escalates, prevention and holistic resolution of family health problems is shifting to healthy dietary choices and moving away from drugs and hospitalization.  Government subsidies for ethanol and feedlot commodities (corn and soy) have been contributing factors toward a centralized fast-food system not conducive to local economic prosperity. As an alternative, healthy local food choices mean healthier, economically vibrant communities.  Registration is required by April 14th, and there is a conference fee of $10 (late registration or walk-in is $15).  For more information, please call Lynn at 585-268-7644 ext. 18.  Sponsored by Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Allegany County, Healthy Heart Program, and NYS-GLCI.
 
April 19th - 9:00 am to 3:00 pm
2008 Grazing Conference - Sustainable Farming Livestock Workshop with Jerry Brunetti
Catholic Church, 50 South Street, Cuba, NY (Allegany County)
Come and learn from Jerry Brunetti about healthy herds through biodiversity, what your farm's yield limiting factors are, and consumer demand for wholesome products and how you can match your farm to these new interests.  Registration is required by April 14th, and there is a conference fee of $15 (late or walk-in is $25).  For more information, please call Lynn at 585-268-7644 ext. 18.  Sponsored by Cornell University Cooperative Extension of Allegany County, Healthy Heart Program, and NYS-GLCI.
 
April 21
Dairy Basics for the Small-Scale Processor, Raw Processors
Mifflin County Extension Office, $75 fee. Sponsored by Penn State University and the PA Dept. of Agriculture. Contact 814-865-8301, email shortcourse@psu.edu.
 
April 23
Dairy Basics for the Small-Scale Processor, Pasteurized Processors
Mifflin County Extension Office, $75 fee. Sponsored by Penn State University and the PA Dept. of Agriculture. Contact 814-865-8301, email shortcourse@psu.edu.

April 23
Beef Cattle Marketing Meeting
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Steuben and Schuyler County will host a marketing meeting for beef cattle producers Wednesday evening at the Tyrone Fire Hall located on State Route 226 at 6:00pm. 

Dr. Mike Baker, Cornell Beef Cattle Extension Specialist will present two topics; Options for Marketing Beef, From Niche to Commodity and Grass fed Production Systems.  Whether you raise two steers or 200 you need to find a place to market your cattle.  What niche markets are available for smaller producers and what commodity markets are available for larger Finger Lakes and Southern Tier beef producers?

Charles Roth, local beef producer, will describe his success with various alternative marketing options over the last several years.  The Roth family's Oak Meadow Farm is home to 125 brood cows and 70 feeders.  Charles has tried several different types of marketing, form video marketing to direct marketing; learn form this experienced, local producer.

This meeting is free and open to the public, anyone interested in beef cattle production is welcome and encouraged to attend (even if you are just considering raising cattle in the future).  Reservations are appreciated. Contact CCE-Steuben at 607-664-2300 for more information or to register.

April 30 Seminar:
Sustainability and Profitability of Organic Dairy Farming
Francis Thicke, PhD; Radiance Dairy, Iowa
Ed Maltby, Executive Director; Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance
Part of the Farming For the Future Seminar Series at University of New Hampshire's College of Life Sciences and Agriculture
Wednesday, 4pm – 6pm
Cole Hall http://www.unh.edu/map/, Room 219 UNH Durham Campus
Meet the speakers over light refreshments at 3:30 before the seminars.
 
April 30th - 11:00 am to 1:30 pm
Oneida County Pasture Walk - Wednesday
Don and Samantha Wivell Farm, 2032 Brothertown Road, Deansboro, NY
Both experienced and beginning graziers are welcome to join the Oneida County grazing group at their first pasture walk of the season.  We will look over the Wivell's paddocks and determine how soon, far away, or should we run home and turn the cows out!  Don has a unique background in that he once worked for a major feed company and he has some ideas on how he is going to maintain high production with spiraling grain prices.  We will also discuss reminders on transitioning cows back outside onto pasture, clipping of pastures and topics for our next meeting.  The pasture walk is free and refreshments will be served.  For more information and to register by April 25th contact Bill Paddock at 315-736-3316 ext. 3 or william-paddock@oneidaswcd.org.  This event is sponsored by Oneida County SWCD, NYS GLCI and Oneida County Cooperative Extension.