Beginning Farmers
Beginning Farmers - Practical Tools for Successful Family Farming
Online Beginning Farmer Events from the Virginia Beginning Farmer and Rancher Coalition - Late Summer 2020
August Online Beginning Farmer Events
August 18: Truffles in the Southeast
Dr. Jeanine Davis, Associate Professor and Extension Specialist with the North Carolina Alternative Crops and Organics Program will provide an overview of truffles, NCSU’s research and the status of the industry. This is for our Mountain Zoom Series, conducted jointly by agents in Wise County, VA, Letcher County, KY and Harlan County, KY. For more information, contact Phil Meeks pmeeks@vt.edu of Wise County VCE.
August 18: Aquaculture for Homesteading: Rural and Urban Aquaponics
Homesteading is a growing movement that desires a more self-reliant lifestyle, whether it’s rural or urban. This is a series that covers aquaculture production for rural and urban homesteading. This session will discuss: Recirculating Aquaculture Systems (RAS) and water quality and fish health considerations.
August 21: Native Grasses, Sedges and Rushes for the Home Landscape
This class explains how native grasses, sedges and rushes can add structure and beauty to your garden all year long. Explore the landscape uses for native grasses and sedges, learn how to maintain them, and appreciate the important ways that these plants support wildlife.
August 21: Virtual Farm to Table: Wine and Lamb
Did you know that Virginia has a sheep population of more than 89,000? Did you know that Virginia is the 8th largest producer of wine in the country? Tune in to learn a little bit about raising sheep and the process of turning grapes into wine! We’ll also demonstrate cooking with lamb and discuss appropriate wine pairings featuring popular Virginia-grown grape varieties.
August 18, 25, Sept 1: QuickBooks for Agriculture: A 3-Part Series
Have you been considering using QuickBooks online for your operation but didn't know where to start? This 3-part series offered by the Farm Credit Knowledge Center will answer many questions about the use of the software for agriculture. Great for Beginners! No experience needed. Also good for those needing a refresher or to learn more about software capabilities. Registering for all three sessions is recommended. Space is limited.
August 20: Navigating the New Virginia Regulatory Requirements for Food Processors: A Guide for Very Small Food Manufacturers
Recently, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS) sent out a newsletter to food processors of the Commonwealth entitled New Regulations for Food Storage and Manufacturing Facilities (21 CFR 117 Current Good Manufacturing Practice, Hazard Analysis, and Risk-based Preventive Controls for Human Food). Do you have questions pertaining to this document? As a very small food processor, do you know what this means for your business? Join our webinar on this subject to learn more and to ask those nagging questions regarding compliance. Registration required.
August 20: Farmer Panel: Learn How Farmers are Increasing Wholesale Buying in WV
Join Future Harvest to learn how farmers are pivoting business in the midst of the pandemic, and take away lessons for moving product in your state. West Virginia farmers are selling more and more local produce to local institutions. How? Join Future Harvest for a farmer-led, moderated panel to hear from a few of these farmers themselves and participate in a discussion around how farmers throughout the region can learn from WV producers.
August 24: Cut Flowers and Whole Farm Management
For farmer Becky Seward, Red Tree Farmstead is the culmination of more than 18 years of working with plants through organic vegetable farming, native plant work, and natural health. The farm operation's focus shifted from vegetables to cut flowers in 2019. Join Future Harvest to learn more about Becky's decision-making process, why the farm made the switch, and how she balances the farm with family and more.
August 25: Aquaculture for Homesteading: Rural and Urban Aquaponics
Homesteading is a growing movement that desires a more self-reliant lifestyle, whether its rural or urban. This is a series that covers aquaculture production for rural and urban homesteading. This session will discuss recreational fisheries, processing fish for home use, and potential sales of aquaculture products.
August 29: 45th Annual Virginia Performance Tested Ram Lamb Sale & Ewe Lamb Sale, Shenandoah AREC
The program purpose is: 1) to provide a standard, impartial postweaning performance test that will furnish records which will be useful to the consignor's breeding program; 2) to provide a source of and market for performance tested rams; 3) to serve as an educational tool for the sheep industry.
September Online Beginning Farmer Events
September 3: Farm Transition Planning—Developing a Transition Timeline
This webinar will the 12th in a year-long series. New and continued participants are encouraged to register. This month's webinar, brought to you by Dr. Alex White of Virginia Tech, will discuss the following topics on farm transition planning: Gathering the necessary information, transition planning checklist, incorporating your advisory team, building your “game plan,” evaluating your progress. Registration required.
September 5: Annual Virginia Tech Sheep Center Production Sale (online)
The 2020 Annual Sale will be held exclusively online at Livestockbuyer.com (no live, in-person sale on campus in 2020). Sheep will be available for viewing on campus- call to arrange. Sheep can be picked up following the sale, and we will work with buyers on transportation.
Recent Webinar Recordings
The Trauma of Betrayal in Farm Loss [July 15]
RAFI-USA held a conversation about what happens when farmers in crisis are betrayed by someone they thought would–or had a responsibility to–help them. Attorney Quinton Robinson and RAFI’s Benny Bunting discuss what this betrayal looks like and how to get help. See the video in the hotlink above for the entire conversation.
Collaborative Thinking for Farm Resilience [July 29]
At a time of great unrest and uncertainty, more than ever we need to think about and plan for resiliency in our local and regional food systems that also ensures long term community well-being. This includes shifting towards and expanding a collaborative mind set as farmers and farmer educators. This webinar will share collaborative marketing and distribution models and best practices for networking to realize collective action among farmers.
Farmers Selling Online: Using Lulus Local Food [July 21]
For farmers needing additional support with online sales, VSU, VCE, and VAF is hosting a webinar series to support you. The webinar is focused on Lulus Local Food’s Online Platform where they will walk through the application process, setting up a store, tracking inventory, downloading reports, and more. Free Registration.
Roots of the Soil: Land Succession Issues Among African American Farm Families (July 8)
This webinar offered by AgrAbility will focus on the unique challenges faced by African American farm families regarding the transfer of land from generation to generation.* Program speakers will discuss the importance of and the power inherent in land ownership by African American farmers. They will provide historical perspectives highlighting the growth of African American farm ownership from Emancipation until the 1920s, as well as the subsequent land loss since that time and the reasons for the decline.
Adding Value to Your Harvest for Year Round Income (July 7)
With shifts in the value chain due to COVID-19, many farmers are looking for ways to make their product shelf stable. This webinar will explore processes, experiences, resources, and support for farmers interested in determining the feasibility of making value added products from their farm. We will hear from Laurette Tucker, a rural business specialist at Rural Development, and Coley Jones, a managing member of Richlands Creamery, who has gone through the Value Added Producer Program to create value added products on her farm.