Improve your Farmers Market Sales – A free online “farminar” with John Wesselius and Dru Montri Presented by Practical Farmers of Iowa Tues., February 7, 2012 – 7 pm (CST). This web-based seminar is a 90-minute, interactive, online learning opportunity.

Go to http://www.practicalfarmers.org/farminar/ to find out how to participate.

Tired of coming home from market with $50.00 and a vehicle full of product? Learn how to calculate how much it costs you to attend the farmer’s market, how to set a farmer’s market income goal, and strategies to achieve profit through farmer’s market. John Wesselius and his family operate The Cornucopia near Sioux Center. Their annual sales revenues exceed $100,000 and are generated on a six-acre property. Two of those acres are covered in gardens, one and a half acres in grass for pastured poultry and the balance in trees and buildings. They sell their products at the Sioux Center Farmer’s Market, Sioux City Farmer’s Market and the Falls Park Farmer’s Market in Sioux Falls, SD. John is passionate about growing for market! Dru Montri is the director of Michigan Farmer’s Market Association (MIFMA). She has a background in horticulture receiving her B.S. from Michigan State University (MSU) and her M.S. from Penn State. In addition to her work with MIFMA, she is pursuing a dual doctoral degree at MSU in Horticulture and Community and in Agriculture, Recreation and Resource Studies. She and her husband own and operate Ten Hens Farm in Bath, Michigan.

New farminars are presented live at 7 PM (CST) every Tuesday in November, December, January, and February. Learn about upcoming farminars and how to access previous farminars by clicking “read more”. Read more »

The February 2012 issue of the Ag Opportunities is now available online at http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac/agopp/index.htm. This newsletter is a great source of information and events for those in Missouri and throughout the country.

Also the next Grow Your Farm course will be held on Mondays from February 13 through April 2 at Bradford Research Farm just east of Columbia MO.  Cost is $225/farm.  The course is taught be extension educators and farmers.  Topics include: goal setting, assessing opportunities on the farm, walking the farm, business plan, recordkeeping, marketing, rural legal issues and 2 farm tours.  Class is limited to 20 farms.  If you have questions feel free to call 573-882-1905 or email kellyd@missouri.edu.

• February Webinar–Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Food Safety
• Online Learning Community
• Upcoming Webinars
• Reducing Heat Stress and Insect Pressure in Crops Using Kaolin Clay (Surround WP)
• New Survey of 1,000 Young and Beginning Farmers Reveals What the Next Generation Needs
• USDA Unveils New Plant Hardiness Zone Map
• Grants and Assistance
• IN PRINT/ON-LINE/IN THE NEWS
• ON THE CALENDAR

Press Release: USDA Announces Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) General Sign-up, 2012

Landowners and Producers Will Have 4-Week Window Beginning in March to Enroll

Acting Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services (FFAS) Michael Scuse announced today that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will conduct a four-week Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) general signup, beginning on March 12 and ending on April 6. CRP has a 25-year legacy of successfully protecting the nation’s natural resources through voluntary participation, while providing significant economic and environmental benefits to rural communities across the United States.

“It is USDA’s goal to ensure that we use CRP to address our most critical resource issues,” said Scuse. “CRP is an important program for protecting our most environmentally sensitive lands from erosion and sedimentation, and for ensuring the sustainability of our groundwater, lakes, rivers, ponds and streams. As always, we expect strong competition to enroll acres into CRP, and we urge interested producers to maximize their environmental benefits and to make cost-effective offers.”

CRP is a voluntary program available to agricultural producers to help them use environmentally sensitive land for conservation benefits. Producers enrolled in CRP plant long-term, resource-conserving covers to improve the quality of water, control soil erosion and develop wildlife habitat. In return, USDA provides participants with rental payments and cost-share assistance. Contract duration is between 10 and 15 years. Producers with expiring contracts and producers with environmentally sensitive land are encouraged to evaluate their options under CRP. Producers also are encouraged to look into CRP’s other enrollment opportunities offered on a continuous, non-competitive, signup basis. Read more »

The Greenbank Farm Ag Training Center is still accepting applications for its 2012 New Organic Farmer Training program which begins March 12th.

Located on Whidbey Island in Washington State, this program focuses on training aspiring farmers to run successful, ecological and community-focused farms and uses its ten acre organic farm as a real-world example and outdoor classroom. During the seven-month program, students attend weekly classes and trainings, study a university-developed farming and marketing curriculum, go on bi-weekly field trips and engage in independent research projects including the writing of a personal farm business plan… all while living on-site, co-managing the farm and marketing the produce (through a CSA program, farmers market, and local retailers and restaurants). Through this balance of academic and experiential studies, program participants learn and experience all aspects of starting and running a small scale organic farm, from goal setting and business planning to planting, harvesting, and marketing. Our goal is to give them the skills and knowledge they need to confidently enter the growing field of sustainable agricultural producers.

For more information, please visit Their website at http://greenbankfarm.biz/agriculture-training-center/ OR contact: Sebastian Aguilar, Training Director-Greenbank Farm Ag Training Center, 765 Wonn Rd A-201, Greenbank, WA, 98253; 360-222-3171; www.greenbankfarm.com

Soil and Nutrition: An Education and Coalition-Building Conference presented by Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Massachusetts Chapter and Real Food Campaign
February 9-11, 2012 (Thursday to Saturday); First Churches, 129 Main St, Northampton, MA

Featuring leading thinkers and practitioners of building healthy soils, this conference aims to grow the movement for enhancing soil fertility as a basis for the long-term ecological and economic sustainability of farming, the environment, and our society as a whole. Each of the three days is organized with a different format. Participants are invited to listen and share, as we all deepen our soils knowledge.

FOR FULL CONFERENCE SCHEDULE, DESCRIPTION OF EVENTS, AND REGISTRATION INFORMATION CLICK “READ MORE” Read more »

2012 Military Veteran Farmer Basic Skills Training in Albuquerque, New Mexico

A FREE program is being offered for veterans to learn basic skills and best practices for sustainable farming as a business or hobby with significant therapeutic and community benefits.

All training sessions will be held at the Downtown Action Team Offices, 100 Gold Avenue SW (corner of First Street and Gold Avenue).  Depending on availability and enrollment, transportation from the V.A. Medical Center may be arranged.For more information and up-to-date schedules contact: Robin at 505-217-2027 (toll free outside of Albuquerque at 877-775-2667, or e-mail her at robins@lamontanita.coop.

*All Basic Skills Training sessions will be held at 4:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted

January: 1/11 - Veteran Farmer Basic Skills Training Overview—V.A. Education Center, (Bldg. 39); 1/12 - Veteran Farmer Basic Skills Training Overview—Downtown Action Team Offices; 1/19 - Picking your Seeds—Brett Bakker, NMDA, formerly of Native Seeds/SEARCH; 1/25 - Building Soil and Fertility—Joran Viers, Cheryl Kent, Bernalillo County Extension Service (BCES); 1/30 - Season Extension, Row cover building—Gabe Baker, BCES

February: 2/9 - Basic Botany—How Plants Grow—Joran Viers, BCES; 2/16 - Getting a Head Start—Seeding Start Trays—Gabe Baker or Gina, BCES; 2/25 - Permaculture in the Garden, Michael Reed, Farmer, Permaculture Educator

March: 3/10 - The Blessing of Bees: Learning the Basics of pollination and honey production, Loretta McGrath, Coordinator, the New Mexico Pollinator Project; 3/16 - Boots and Roots Down: More starts, more seeds and transplanting and seeding beds—Martin Sanchez, NMDA, East Mountain Organics; Ron Job, Veteran Master Gardener: 3/17* - Growing Compost Part 1—1:00 p.m., Certified Master Composter Omar Sadek, Second Harvest Composting Company; 3/22 - Season Extension Continued—working with row covers, Eli Berg; 3/24* - Growing Compost Part 2—1:00 p.m., Certified Master Composter Omar Sadek, Second Harvest Composting Company

Additional classes and schedules will be provided for each quarter of the year. This project is a collaboration between: New Mexico Department of Agriculture; Bernalillo County Extension Service; Mid-Region Council of Governments Agriculture Collaborative; NMSU; Chispas Farms; Los Poblanos Organics; Master Composter Program; La Montanita FUND; Veterans Administration Hospital; Veteran Integration Center; What Would You Give Foundation

Cedar Grove Farm in Stephens, Georgia (30 miles East of Athens GA) is offering an Internship for the 2012 season.

Internship Duration: March-August 2012 — please apply now; email: Farm.CedarGrove@gmail.com

Internship Description: Interns will have the opportunity to experience the full, multi-season workings of our professional, small-scale, Certified Naturally Grown farm.  This experience will include many aspects of small farm management including: seed starting and transplant production, greenhouse and hoop house management, weed and pest management, field crop production, harvesting and processing, record keeping, running the weekly farm stand, customer relations, and more.  Expect to work 40+ hours a week, with at least one day off on the weekends.

Educational Opportunities: Largely self-directed.  Interns are encouraged to ask questions and may be directed to do research on pertinent farming topics.  Our library of farming-related resources will be available.  Visits to other neighboring farms may be organized.

For further details and application instructions click “read more” Read more »

Cricket Creek Farm, a small grass-based dairy in Williamstown, Massachusetts is offering internships for the 2012 season. They make several award-winning cheeses from the milk of their herd of Brown Swiss and Jersey cows (currently milking 25 cows).  In addition to the cheese, we sell raw milk from our farm store.  We also raise beef cows and whey-fed pigs, as well as layer hens.  We make all our own hay for our cows (3 cuts on 150 acres).  We have a bakery located on the farm that supplies the store with fresh bread, cookies, granola, and other baked goods.  They are a member of Berkshire Grown and sell cheese to many shops & restaurants in the Berkshires. They attend several local farmers markets and have a CSA offering milk, cheese, eggs, beef, pork & bread.  They also have a cheese CSA in Brooklyn, NY.  They are looking for 5 interns to join them for 2012.  Interns would help in cheese making, general farm work, or both – depending on experience and interest. Qualities were are looking for are: commitment to agriculture, open communication, teamwork, passion for food, independence, and love of labor.

Dates of internship: Ideal candidates would be interested/able to stay for 1 full year, they request an absolute minimum of a 7 month-stay.  Ideal start date is around April 1, absolute latest of May 15.  End date no earlier than Dec 15, 2012.

All interns must have good people skills and enjoy interacting with the public.  We’re looking for interns who are excited about taking on significant responsibility.  All interns will be attending weekly farmers markets and occasionally making deliveries.  All interns work 6 full days per week with 1 full day off.  We all work as a team here and we’d like to find interns who want to take on an independent project/aspect of the business and build it.

For more details, and info on how to apply click “read more” Read more »

Abingdon Organics in Virginia is is hiring for an Farm Assistant Manager job

Abingdon Organics, a certified organic farm just outside of Abingdon in southwest Virginia, is seeking a Farm Assistant Manager, as well as other positions through Virginia Beginning Farmer & Rancher Coalition Project’s farmer mentorship program. Abingdon Organics has had a full-time, season-long Farm Assistant Manager for the past two years, along with interns, WWOOFers and paid employees.

Abingdon is a town of 8000, has a thriving farmers’ market, excellent restaurants and is strong in the arts and music. On a 7.5 acre farm, we raise 3 acres of certified organic produce which we sell at the Abingdon Farmers ‘Market 2 days/week, to several local restaurants and through Appalachian Harvest, an organic wholesale network. We raise 50 different types of vegetables and fruits, well over 100 heirloom and other varieties, from spring through late fall. We have a heated greenhouse where we raise our bedding plants, four large high tunnels and several smaller hoop houses for early and late season crops. We employ a variety of organic techniques including habitats for beneficial insects, cover cropping, trap cropping for insect control, composting and more. We love to experiment with new ideas.

We are closely associated with many other organic growers and the region’s sustainable development movement. The Assistant Farm Manager position is from early March through September or October, though we are willing to negotiate if necessary to accommodate different schedules. Other positions on the farm can be of shorter duration, though we prefer folks who can work at least 2 – 3 months. Work includes greenhouse planting and maintenance, tractor work, planting, weeding, composting, harvesting and selling at the farmers’ market. Work is intense, but enjoyable. We offer a room in our house, great local food including our produce and local grass-finished meats. Our farm is just a few miles from the Creeper Trail, a 35 mile rail to trail that ends at White Top Mountain.

If interested, please call Anthony Flaccavento @ 276 628-4727 or email us at flaccavento@ruralscale.com

The P.e.a.c.h. Community Farm in Washington State is seeking interns for the 2012 season. PCF  is a certified organic non-profit farm with a mission to provide low to no cost produce to low-income people.  The farm is located in Cheney, Washington and is only a ten-minute drive from downtown Spokane, yet it feels like you are in the middle of the country. They have laying hens, a dairy goatherd, beehives, and a large market garden on a gorgeous 32 acre plot of land.  They are seeking interns to join them over the coming season.

There is no minimum or maximum length of time for an internship and the intern can work full or part time.  The internship is meant to be a learning experience and the intern will be working closely with our Director of Farming Programs who has over 20 years of sustainable farming experience.  Interns will work in the field planting and harvesting produce, tend the market stands, assist with the dairy goats, collect eggs, and perform other various farm duties.  Interns will also be welcome to participate in workshops and events taking place on the farm during the season.

For Details/Application information click “read more” Read more »

Good Earth Farm Internships in Washington State, 2012. Good Earth located in Friday Harbor, San Juan Island, WA reaches out as an educational resource for folk who are hungry to learn how to provide healthy food and lifestyles for themselves and others. They believe that nature has created the perfect design, so they employ natural farming techniques, like those promoted by Masanobu Fukuoka as well as the philosophy of Michio Kushi who taught that health could lead to peace. Yoga and meditation also forms an integral part of the program.

Good Earth grows produce, herbs and flowers on a leased acre of land at Talking Horse Farm, a beautiful 160 acre working farm on San Juan Island. Everything is done by hand as they transition to organic no-tillage. Produce is sold locally and although the emphasis is not on commercial growing they obviously need to distribute the foods and to recognize the reality of sustaining the project financially.

This summer Good Earth will be hosting a workshop by Larry Korn, editor of the One Straw Revolution.

Internship Starts: April 2012; Internship Ends: late October 2012; Number of Interns: 2; Minimum Length of Stay: full season

Get detailed information and find out how to apply by clicking “read more”. Read more »

Internships available on Peasants’ Plot Sustainable Farm in Illinois:
Peasants’ Plot is a 20-acre slice of land, a narrow “island” of organic vegetable production amidst fields of conventional row crops in the heart of Illinois farm country.  Their mission is to adhere to sustainable and organic farming methods while connecting consumers to the food they eat.  Soil fertility is in the form of horse manure and green manure crops.

Who are the peasants?  In 2007 Todd and Julia McDonald moved from their apartment in Chicago to land that was once the home of his grandparents. They maintain a strong connection to urban dwellers and have made them the focus of Peasants’ Plot, supporting about 180 CSA members in the Chicago area.  This kind of agricultural model is referred to as “Community Supported Agriculture” or subscription farming and is an exciting trend away from the global, corporate-run food system.

Peasants’ Plot offers 5 internships to the right applicants.  For those people requiring housing, this is a full-time commitment from mid April through mid September, exact dates negotiable.

Full-time (Live-On-The-Farm) Internship Description: 40 hours, for stipend $150/week ($300/week if you are a couple) plus housing and vegetables.  The housing is a 26-ft long trailer with two twin beds, a bathroom and small kitchen. Interns will be part of all aspects of production including soil blocking, bed preparation, direct seeding, transplanting, harvesting, and post-harvest handling.   Some practical experience in gardening and/or any type of farm labor is greatly preferred but not required.

Part-time Internship Description: 20-25 hours, for stipend 150/week plus vegetables.  Part-time interns must provide their own housing in the nearby town of Manteno or Bourbonnais, IL.

Interns will be part of all aspects of production including soil blocking, bed preparation, direct seeding, transplanting, harvesting, and post-harvest handling.

To apply Please email resume with all job experience to julia@peasantsplot.com.

Farm Apprentice or Partner wanted for Solstice Hill Farm in Cobleskill, New York (2012-?)

For the Partner: If you have years or many farms experience Solstice Hill would be into profit sharing…. you know who you are, give them a call.

For Apprentice and possibly later partner: Solstice Hill Farm is located on 28 acres with four in vegetable production. The farm serves two bustling farmers markets, a CSA, a health food store and a very interesting wholesale account. The whole sale account ships to low income neighborhoods located in “food deserts” of NYC.

They enjoy working with people who are really excited about agriculture. The head farmer has worked with Guatemalans and local high-schoolers but prefers people with a real passion, or at the very least, curiosity about agriculture; people who farm for more than just a paycheck.

Hours are long on a new farm like this. It seems some project is always getting squeezed in around veggies. Creating quality compost in large windrows is going to be one of the more exciting new endeavors this year. Tilling up the new orchard, finding time for the bees and hopefully getting some extra spots for housing started. Helpers would be sharing in the goals and creations that the farm undertakes. The main goal is of course veggie production and in that regard lots of  planting, greenhouse management, soil testing/amending, cover cropping and… (dramatic pause) hoeing (weeding). In short, all aspects of vegetable production will be experienced.  The farm has moved into some mechanical cultivation (tractor weeding) so some weed pressure is relieved by that. Clemens very rarely sends anyone to do a job he is not doing himself (he’s got to get over that someday). At this stage of the farm you would be working very closely with a farmer with six years experience.

The location is really stunning. Solstice Hill Farm is located on a ridge line with beautiful views all around and a ½ mile to the pond. Room and board is included with space in the main house. The women and children on the website will not be in the house most of the summer. Classes will be taught every other week on Wednesday for topic of choice. One day a month off to attend NOFA sponsored events (can be banked) or for whatever you choose. Clemens really would like to develop a plan that could make the best possible experience for young or aspiring farmers. Stipend dependent on experience but competitive and includes extra groceries for goodies.

Contact : Clemens Mackay at Clemensmackay@hotmail.com, 518-231-8623

Job: Fulltime Farm Employee/Intern and Part-Time Intern Positions for diversified sustainable farm in Oklahoma, 2012.

American Heritage Family Farm is looking to fill a fulltime permanent position and also a seasonal part-time position. They are open to educational mentoring positions, interns, or permanent hourly/salaried with bonuses based on farm profitability.They are a diversified small family farm located in North Central Oklahoma raising natural pasture based livestock and fruit/vegetables. The farm has an extensive pastured poultry (broilers/layers/turkey) and MIG multi-species grazing operation (cattle/goats/sheep) and is looking to expand in the coming year. Expansion is also planned for the vegetable cropping operation. They direct market through online sales, restaurants, retail stores, and directly from the farm. The farm is not certified organic, however uses natural, sustainable practices in its’ operations.

A successful candidate for this position will enjoy working with land and livestock intensively, being outdoors most of the day, and tolerate weather extremes, dirt, bugs, etc! They must tolerate heavy physical activity. Experience operating heavy farm machinery, building/maintaining fencing, livestock handling, and vegetable cropping desired, but not madatory. The MOST IMPORTANT qualifications are dependability, responsibility, trustworthiness, flexibility, and the desire to follow instruction.

For more information and application instructions click “read more” Read more »

Second Nature Farm is a 4-acre farm in Norton, Massachusetts (40 min south of Boston). Second Nature is looking for Farm Interns to work April – November, 2012 – 5 days/week for 8-10 hours/day. The Farm grows a diverse selection of heirloom vegetables and fruit, all of which are Certified Naturally Grown. They run a 70-member CSA, and also sell produce to restaurants and farmers’ markets. The farm is in its fourth year, and we are continually expanding our infrastructure and expertise with season extension methods so that those interested in eating local food have a greater opportunity to do so.

Interns will be involved in every aspect of the farm and will perfect a wide variety of skills: from field and greenhouse work to the display and marketing of products. This is a great opportunity for those interested in starting their own small farms to learn organic farming methods as well as how to begin and manage a small business. Interns should have a strong work-ethic as well as a sense of humor.

Compensation is $10/hr as well as free produce from the farm.

To apply, email adam@secondnaturefarm.com with a cover letter, references, and resume.