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Virtual Farm Workshop: Black Soldier Fly

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The black soldier fly (BSF) is a native, non-pest insect useful for managing small and large amounts of biosolids and animal manure.
During this online workshop Chris Link of SAHC (Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy) will introduce you to BSFs, discuss their many benefits (from managing farm waste to producing nutritious small livestock feed), and explain how to start your own colony. This information will be applicable on many scales — from the backyard to the municipal waste management. Please RSVP to the workshop via Facebook in order to receive the link. Thank you!

Registration info: https://www.facebook.com/events/296419301454454/

Hosted by Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy and Bountiful Cities

 

 

OGS Farm Workshop: Managing Pests Holistically

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Organic Growers School’s Holistic Crop Management Workshop: Managing Pests Holistically

Date: Monday, February 17th, 2020

Time: 9:00 AM-4:00 PM

Location: SAHC Community Farm, 180 Mag Sluder Road, Alexander, NC

Cost: $30 per person (includes lunch).

In this one day workshop, you will gain an ecological understanding of pests including their biology, how to sample for pest and beneficial insects, and their relationship to soil and nutrient management. You will also learn management strategies that are commonly used to prevent pest damage, promote beneficials, and be equipped to develop a plan to manage pest outbreaks effectively on your farm.  The $30 registration fee includes lunch.

Click here for more info and workshop registration: https://organicgrowersschool.org/farmers/holistic-crop-management/

Organic Growers School is a partner with SAHC in the Farm Pathways collaboration.

Farm Pathways is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program under award number 2016-70017-25341  for Farm Pathways:  Integrating Farmer Training with Land Access. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

OGS Farm Workshop: Managing Disease Holistically

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Organic Growers School’s Holistic Crop Management Workshop: Managing Disease Holistically

Date: Monday, February 17th, 2020

Time: 9:00AM-4:00PM

Location: SAHC Community Farm, 180 Mag Sluder Road, Alexander, NC

Cost: $30 per person (includes lunch).

We’ll take a deep dive into ecologically-based preventive, cultural, and integrated practices to reduce the impact of the disease on your farm in this one-day workshop. You will gain a thorough understanding of what causes disease, identification techniques, and best management practices for reducing the damage that crop disease can cause. The $30 registration fee includes lunch.

Click here for more info and workshop registration: https://organicgrowersschool.org/farmers/holistic-crop-management/

Organic Growers School is a partner with SAHC in the Farm Pathways collaboration.

Farm Pathways is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program under award number 2016-70017-25341  for Farm Pathways:  Integrating Farmer Training with Land Access. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

2018 Farmer Education Workshop: Extending the Growing Season

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Farm Workshop: Extending the Growing Season, High Tunnels 101

When: Thursday, October 4 from 4:30 – 6:30 pm

Where: SAHC Community Farm

Are you interested in learning more about growing crops during the colder months?

Join Christina Newhouse from Southwestern NC Resource Conservation & Development Council as she discusses season extension.

In this informative workshop, you will learn how to extend your growing and marketing seasons while making more money. 

We will start in the classroom, discussing cool season crop production, varietal selection, and how daylight hours effect your planting dates.  Then we will tour SAHC’s Farmer Incubator Program season extension infrastructure to see some of the techniques discussed.

This  workshop is open to the public; everyone is welcome!

Cost: $20

Questions? Contact Chris Link at Chris@appalachian.org or 828.490.2565. Pre-registration is required; space is limited. Rain or shine.

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Pay for Workshop Now

SAHC’s Farmer Education Workshop Series is funded in part by a grant from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program under award number 2016-70017-25341  for Farm Pathways:  Integrating Farmer Training with Land Access. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

2018 Farmer Education Workshop: Tractor 101 for Women

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Farm Workshop: Tractor 101 for Women

When: Sunday, November 4 from 2-5 pm PLEASE NOTE DATE HAS CHANGED

Where: SAHC Community Farm

This workshop will be a safe environment for women to learn how to maintain and safely use tractors on their farms. This workshop is specifically for women and will be led by local farmer Danielle Hutchison of Beacon Village Farm.

Small and large tractors are among the most important assets on any farm. This hands-on workshop provides a foundation in basic maintenance and safe, efficient operation. Learn how to service the filters and regularly grease your tractor, loader and implements. Participate in hitching and unhitching a 3-point attachment for efficient implement switching, and run a front-end loader.

Participants will leave with the knowledge to take care of their mechanized equipment, leading to less equipment damage, failure and down time. Bring your questions!

This  workshop is open to the public; everyone is welcome!

Cost: $20

Questions? Contact Chris Link at Chris@appalachian.org or 828.490.2565. Pre-registration is required; space is limited. Rain or shine.

  • First NameLast NameEmail 
  • By providing your phone number, you ensure that we have a way to contact you in the rare event of any last-minute changes.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Save and Continue Later

Pay for Workshop Now

SAHC’s Farmer Education Workshop Series is funded in part by a grant from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program under award number 2016-70017-25341  for Farm Pathways:  Integrating Farmer Training with Land Access. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

2018 Farmer Education Workshop: Pasture Walk

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Farm Workshop: Pasture Walk — Invasive Plant ID, Control and Removal

When: Wednesday, July 25 from 5-6:30 pm

Where: SAHC Community Farm

Have you ever wondered how to make your pastures more robust and healthy? Join us for a walk through the SAHC Community Farm pastures with Ethan Henderson, Noah Henson, and Meghan Baker of Buncombe County Cooperative Extension.

We will identify invasive species and discuss control methods, desirable and undesirable forages, soil testing, and overall pasture health. This will be a question-and-answer walk-about, so bring your questions! If you own and or manage land this will be a worthwhile and informative workshop.

This  workshop is open to the public; everyone is welcome!

Cost: Free

Questions? Contact Chris Link at Chris@appalachian.org or 828.490.2565. Pre-registration is required; space is limited. Rain or shine.

  • First NameLast NameEmail 
  • By providing your phone number, you ensure that we have a way to contact you in the rare event of any last-minute changes.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Save and Continue Later

SAHC’s Farmer Education Workshop Series is funded in part by a grant from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program under award number 2016-70017-25341  for Farm Pathways:  Integrating Farmer Training with Land Access. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

2018 Farmer Education Workshop: Irrigation Systems with Bountiful Cities

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Farm Workshop: Irrigation systems for small plots, with Bountiful Cities

When: Thursday, July 12 from 5-7 pm

Where: Shiloh Community Garden in Bountiful Cities’ network

Whether growing for market, community or on the homestead, irrigating smaller plots can be a challenge. The layout of the garden and the way in which the garden area is allotted can make a big difference in deciding what type of irrigation system to use. The water source is equally important, as it may determine the method of watering and how much plants will be watered.

Join Chris Link of SAHC and Chris McWhorter of WP Law, irrigation specialists, to look at one local community garden in the Bountiful Cities network as a case study. We will discuss advantages and disadvantages of various system designs to get your questions answered!

This  workshop is open to the public; everyone is welcome!

Cost: Free

Questions? Contact Chris Link at Chris@appalachian.org or 828.490.2565. Pre-registration is required; space is limited. Rain or shine.

Register now for the Irrigation Systems workshop with Bountiful Cities

  • First NameLast NameEmail 
  • By providing your phone number, you ensure that we have a way to contact you in the rare event of any last-minute changes.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Save and Continue Later

SAHC’s Farmer Education Workshop Series is funded in part by a grant from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. This material is based upon work that is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program under award number 2016-70017-25341  for Farm Pathways:  Integrating Farmer Training with Land Access. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

 

2018 Farmer Education Workshop: Good Agricultural Practices

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Farm Workshop: Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Food Safety Modernization Act (FMSNA) mock audit with NC Cooperative Extension

When: Thursday, June 14 from 2-5 pm

Where: SAHC’s Community Farm at 24 Mag Sluder Road, Alexander, NC 28701

This workshop will provide fruit and vegetable growers with tools to reduce food safety risks and meet market requirements. Join us for an on-farm learning opportunity to identify potential food safety concerns and explore strategies to minimize potential contamination.  NC Cooperative Extension agents Elena Rogers and Meghan Baker will walk us through a mock audit at SAHC’s Farmer Incubator Program vegetable processing facility, currently farmed by Headwaters Market Garden. We will troubleshoot aspects of bringing products from field to market. 

Find out about the myths, truths and what you could do to become GAP (Good Ag Practices) certified and food safe! This  workshop is open to the public; everyone is welcome!

Cost: Free

Questions? Contact Chris Link at Chris@appalachian.org or 828.490.2565. Pre-registration is required; space is limited. Rain or shine.

Register online now for the GAP training and FMSNA mock-audit

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2018 Farm Workshop: Mobile Walk-in Cooler

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When: Thursday, May 3 from 2 to 5 pm

Where: SAHC’s Community Farm — 180 Mag Sluder Road, Alexander NC 28701

Do you need temporary cold storage to bring your fresh produce or farm products to market? Learn how to build a mobile walk-in cooler using the CoolBot, a tool that overrides an air conditioner’s temperature sensors, allowing you to convert a household air conditioner into a cooling unit.

We will cover design considerations, materials, and costs for converting an enclosed trailer into a mobile walk-in cooler maintaining 38-40° F.

This  workshop is open to the public; everyone is welcome! 

Cost: $20. Registration is required.

Questions? Contact Chris Link at Chris@appalachian.org or 828.490.2565.

Register online now to participate in this workshop:

  • First NameLast NameEmail 
  • By providing your phone number, you ensure that we have a way to contact you in the rare event of any last-minute changes.
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
Save and Continue Later

This workshop is part of Southern Appalachian Highlands Conservancy’s Farmer Education Workshop Series, funded in part by a grant from The Community Foundation of Western North Carolina. This work is supported by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Programgrant number 2016-70017-25341  (Farm Pathways: Integrating Farmer Training with Land Access) from the USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Farmer Education Workshop: Tractor 101 for Women

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explaining tractor engineOur first tractor operation and maintenance workshop geared specifically for women was a hit! Led by local farmer Danielle Hutchison of Beacon Village Farm, the workshop provided a safe environment for women to learn how to maintain and use tractors on their farms. Attendees ranged from college students to retirees in their 60/70s — including apprentices, landowners, and growers who sell at local markets.

tractor and group view

For 3 1/2 hours, the group actively engaged in discussing safety and tractor maintenance, with lots of hands-on interaction. Danielle created an open learning environment to encourage participants to ask questions. Read more

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