Last night the Local Food Network held one of their periodic strategic planning meetings at the River School. At this meeting interested people (30 of us) identified local food economy trends and needs. Then we determined which aspects are really important and need advocacy. One of the messages we heard from new young farmers is the need for education and training on the business end of farming and how farming works in a high-desert environment. In this regard, Western Nevada College fills a valuable role with educational opportunities for future farmers. Here's the latest, from my mailbox to you.
Western Nevada College Offers
Subscription Farming Workshop
Subscription services are not limited to magazines and newspapers anymore. Farmers have discovered the popularity of offering weekly subscriptions to consumers for local, seasonal produce.
Area growers can learn more about this trend at an upcoming Western Nevada College Specialty Crop Institute workshop. “Subscription Farming for the Small Farm” meets Saturday, Dec. 17, 9 a.m. - 3:30 p.m., at WNC Fallon campus, 160 Campus Way. Cost is $35 for registrations by December 9 and $45 afterward. Lunch is included.
The workshop is directed to small-acreage farmers to teach them how to make a profit in this alternative direct marketing enterprise. Participants will learn about recruiting and retaining customers, planting schedules, recordkeeping, benefits and challenges of working with other farms, and more. The workshop will include a roundtable discussion on farm successes and challenges.
Featured speakers are Wendy Baroli of Grow for Me Sustainable Farm, and Ray Johnson of Custom Gardens Organic Farm. Both have successful and innovative subscription farm operations, and share more than 35 years of commercial farming experience.
Subscription farming, also known as Community Supported Agriculture or CSA, employs a system of weekly delivery or pick-up of farm-fresh, seasonal produce, and sometimes includes dairy products and meat. Customers pre-pay during planting season for a set number of weekly shares of produce to be delivered during harvest season. Customers enjoy the benefits of fresh produce delivered directly from the farm and often receive varieties that cannot be found in retail outlets or farmers markets.
The WNC Specialty Crop Institute is an innovative program that teaches alternative farming methods. Funding for this project was provided by the Nevada Department of Agriculture and USDA/AMS through the Specialty Crop Block Grant.
For information/registration, contact Ann Louhela at 775-351-2551 or louhelaa@wnc.edu.
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