Events

Click HERE for the new Farmers Market flyer!

EVENTS ::

• Alternative Dairy Production Panel
• Urbanfarm Holiday Open House
• Crow River Sustainable Farming Regional Conference
• Agriculture Alternatives 3rd Annual Conference
• 3rd Annual Wisconsin Local Food Summit
• The Biological Harvest: Practical Farmers of Iowa 2009 Annual Conference
• SFA of Central Minnesota’s (SFACM) Annual Meeting
• Expand Your Zone – Extend Your Season Workshop
• 9th Annual Minnesota Organic Conference & Trade Show
• The 2009 Wisconsin School for Beginning Market Growers
• Gardening Like The Forest: Home Scale Ecological Food Production An Evening with Dave Jacke
• Gardening Like the Forest: Fundamentals of Ecological Gardening – One-Day Workshops with Dave Jacke for Gardeners, Designers and Students
• Permaculture: Landscape Design for Ecological Cultures – A Workshop for Design Professionals with Dave Jacke
• Grape Growing 101 (a.k.a. 11th Annual Learn to Grow Grapes Seminar)
  

EVENTS ::

Alternative Dairy Production Panel
A group of area dairy farmers will gather to discuss their operations and alternative production methods, as well as offer tips for beginning and transitioning farmers. Three area farmers--Joe Molitor, Hans Kroll and Karen Haverinen--will share their experiences during a special panel discussion. It is free and open to the public, and is being offered by the Land Stewardship Project's (LSP) Farm Beginnings program. For more information, contact LSP's Nick Olson at 320-269-2105 or nicko@landstewardshipproject.org.  For more information about LSP and Farm Beginnings, visit www.farmbeginnings.org or call Olson at 320-269-2105.
Location: Paynesville Area Center, 1105 W Main Street, Paynesville, MN
Time: 12:00pm – 2:00pm
Date:  December 18, 2008

Urbanfarm Holiday Open House
Organic local grown herbs and vegetables, season extension research, heating with solar heating and woodstove, large rainwater collection system.  Please come and learn about what we are doing, and volunteering and internship opportunities.  Annual Cycle Energy Storage (ACES) system built in 1978 provides summer-stored heat to greenhouse in winter. URBANFARM in operation since 1978, growing produce for sale to restaurants and donation to charities.   Large literature collection on organic agriculture, solar energy, sustainable food supply, food-health issues, for opening of reference library at this location in the future.  It will be inside a wood-farm greenhouse (heated!).  There will be hot ciders and cookies too.  For more information contact Roger Peterson (urbanfarm22@hotmail.com).
Location:  1081 27th Ave SE, Minneapolis, MN
Date: 2:00pm – 6:00pm
Date:  December 20, 2008

Crow River Sustainable Farming Regional Conference
The keynote speaker is Will Winter, DVM, and sessions will include such topics as: Grass as a Soil Healer, Biointensive "square foot" farming/gardening, Permaculture, Biodynamics, Agroecology, Indigenous Farming Methods, Integrated Farming, Soil & Water Restoration, and Natural Habitats;  plus a Snowshoe Tour of Gale Woods Farm!  Cost is $40 plus $5 for immediate family members, and there will be an all day Kids Program (age 5+) for $10 per child.  Registration forms will be available December 1 on the Sustainable Farming Association website, www.sfa-mn.org, or by contacting Jerry Ford at (320) 543-3394 or jerry@marienne.com.  Exhibitors & Vendors are welcome - Please contact Dennis Ingle at (320) 583-7987, inglefam@hutchtel.net for more information.
Location: Gale Woods Farm (www.threeriversparkdistrict.org/parks/galewoods.cfm)
Date: January 3, 2009

Agriculture Alternatives 3rd Annual Conference
Colin Peterson staff, Understanding and utilizing The Farm Bill – Dr. Craig Schaeffer report on alternative crop studies - Bob Shafer and Bob Hunt discuss alternative energy and growing energy crops-. Other features include a Shared Community Kitchen, High tunnel innovations, and more.
Information booth space is available for $50; includes attendance and lunch. General Admission is $8 pre sale or $10 on event day. A local foods lunch will be served.  Event brochures are available at Buckwheat Growers, Staples Ag. Center, Village Emporium Wadena and either Staples or Wadena Chamber office.  Reservations email DeEtta Bilek, deebilek@wcta.net or call at 445-5475.  Exhibiters can call David Evert 612-282-9301 or Del Moen at 639-0305. Payments direct to Agriculture Alternatives.
Location: Central Lakes Community College, Staples, MN
Time: 9:00am – 3:00pm
Date: January 6, 2009

3rd Annual Wisconsin Local Food Summit
The keynote speaker will be Dr. Kate Clancy, author of “Greener Pastures: How Grassfed beef and milk contribute to healthy eating (http://www.grasspoint.com/pdf/greenerpastures.pdf).  More information about the summit is available on the Wisconsin Local Food Wiki: wisconsinlocalfood.wetpaint.com
Location:  Hotel Mead, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
Date: January 8-9, 2009

The Biological Harvest:  Practical Farmers of Iowa 2009 Annual Conference
The keynote address will be "Biological Harvest: The Sustainable Farmer’s Hidden Opportunity," given by Joel Huesby, Thundering Hooves Ranch.  He will be introduced by Linda Barnes, High Hopes Gardens and Marshalltown Community College  The Practical Farmers annual conferences will cover its usual diverse list of topics: from drug free livestock to using websights and blogs, from saving energy on the farm to the soil to health connection in agriculture, from fledgling farmers to continuing your farm when you are gone, and much more. There is something for everyone. And the King Corn guys are back with a sneak peak at their new movie. For registration information please contact, Suzi 515-232-5661 x101 or suzi@practicalfarmers.org
Location: Marshalltown Community College, Marshalltown, IA
Date: January 9-10, 2009

SFA of Central Minnesota’s (SFACM) Annual Meeting
The theme this year is more on local foods, including focused networking sessions and a keynote by June Varner on her work with the Little Falls school district both trying out and serving local foods from Whole Farm Coop.  For more information contact Sue Peterson, SFACM Coordinator at (320) 355-2980 or azariahsue@yahoo.com.
Location:  Browerville Community Center, Browerville, MN
Time: 10:00am – 3:00pm
Date: January 10, 2009

Expand Your Zone – Extend Your Season Workshop
This season extension workshop will be led by one of the nation’s leading experts, Eliot Coleman, author of The New Organic Grower, Four Season Harvest, and Winter Harvest Manual. He will discuss suitable crops, soils and fertility management, tunnels and tunnel construction, timing of plantings, yearly scheduling, growing crops not normally grown in northern zones, and much more.  There will be plenty of time for discussion and questions. The $50 Registration Fee includes the workshop, afternoon break, and a copy of Eliot Coleman’s book, Winter Harvest Manual. Seating is limited. Questions:   Mary Hanks, 651-201-6277 or mary.hanks@state.mn.us.  The event is brought to you by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and the University of Minnesota Southwest Research and Outreach Center with additional funding from:  Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy Sow the Seeds Campaign, Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture, Wedge Co-op, Organic Valley, and UM Southeast Regional Sustainable Development Partnership.
Location: St. Cloud Civic Center
Time: 1:00pm – 5:30pm
Date: January 15, 2009

9th Annual Minnesota Organic Conference & Trade Show
This conference provides great information about organic agriculture to excite experienced organic producers as well as people new to this farming system. Besides the keynote speakers there will be more than 30 breakout sessions on organic production of crops, dairy, livestock, fruits and vegetables, marketing, and many more topics. We will serve organic and grass-fed products for our snacks and meals, and highlight these growers and processors at the conference.  For more information visit www.mda.state.mn.us/food/organic/conference.htm.
Location: St. Cloud Civic Center
Date: January 16-17, 2009

The 2009 Wisconsin School for Beginning Market Growers
The intensive three-day school demonstrates what it takes to run a successful organic market garden or small farm.  Topics include: soil fertility, greenhouses, pest management, tools and equipment, post-harvest handling, marketing, and more.  For more information contact John Hendrickson (608) 265-3704 or jhendric@wisc.edu.
Location: University of Wisconsin – Madison
Date:  January 16-18, 2009

Gardening Like The Forest: Home Scale Ecological Food Production An Evening with Dave Jacke
Learn how you can grow an abundant food-producing ecosystem in your backyard! Join us and learn how to grow food, fuel, fiber, fodder, fertilizers, farmaceuticals, and fun. We can meet our own needs and regenerate healthy ecosystems at the same time! Cover charge = $10. All are welcome.
Location: Minneapolis College of Art and Design, 2501 Stevens Ave, Minneapolis, MN
Time: 7:00pm – 9:00pm
Date: January 16, 2009

Gardening Like the Forest: Fundamentals of Ecological Gardening -- One-Day Workshops with Dave Jacke for Gardeners, Designers and Students
Ecological gardening attempts to mimic the structure and function of natural ecosystems in food-producing ecosystems. This workshop explores the vision, theory, design, and practice of ecosystem agriculture using the temperate deciduous forest ecosystem as the model. Lectures and experiential class will reveal the nature of ecosystem architecture, social structure, underground economics, and succession. Participants will draw conclusions from these experiences, developing practical design principles, practices, patterns, and processes for garden design and management. This is a workshop for gardeners, designers, and students of gardening, ecology, and design.  Cost: Early Bird: (Before Dec. 6th) $100; After Dec. 6th: $125; Workshop Kit: $185, includes Workshop, PRI Cold Climate membership and Introduction to Permaculture by Bill Mollison.  Online Registration at www.pricoldclimate.org. For more information contact Kara Ferguson at karaferguson08@gmail.com or 612.423.5441.
Location: Minneapolis College of Art and Design (MCAD), 2501 Stevens Ave., Minneapolis, MN
Time:  9:00am – 5:00pm
Date: January 17 or 18, 2009

Permaculture:  Landscape Design for Ecological Cultures – A Workshop for Design Professionals with Dave Jacke
This one-day intensive provides design professionals an opportunity to explore permaculture’s answers to question so you can offer ecological design solutions to your clients.  Review core principles through case studies, and burrow into soil ecology and self-renewing fertility. Learn to create effective perennial polycultures, and explore ways to optimize establishment and minimize maintenance by design.  For more information, visit www.pricoldclimate.org or contact Kara Ferguson at karaferguson08@gmail.com or (612) 423-5441.
Location: Minnesota Landscape Arboretum, Chaska, MN
Time:  8:30am – 4:30pm
Date:  January 23, 2009

Grape Growing 101 (a.k.a. 11th Annual Learn to Grow Grapes Seminar)
If you are considering starting a vineyard, are a new grower or need guidance in developing your vineyard, we believe this event, based on grower experience, will be of enormous benefit to you. It covers in chronological order:  Where to plant, How to plant, Selecting a trellis system, Building trellis, Fertilization, Disease control, Pest control, Cold hardy varieties, and considerably more. Visit our website www.greatrivervineyard.com for information and a sign up form or call (877) 345-3531. Cost is $65 per person; $45 for each additional person from same entity. Make your check payable to GRV. You can also call us with your credit card information and we can take your registration over the phone.
Location:  Great River Vineyard, Lake City, MN
Time:  8:30am – 4:30pm
Date:  January 31, 2009