What Are You Doing Next Weekend? AGRItunity of course!

The 7th edition of the AGRItunity Conference and Trade Show will be held next Friday and Saturday, January 25-26, 2013 at the West Central Florida Agricultural Education Center in Bushnell, Florida.  Register at http://sumter.ifas.ufl.edu to save $5 on admission for Saturday's conference.

Agenda At-A-Glance

AGRItunity 2013 Conference and Trade Show

7620 SR 471

Bushnell, Florida

352-793-2728 http://sumter.ifas.ufl.edu

 

Friday, January 25, 2013

8:00 AM – 5:00 PM                     Farm Tour ($35)
 

1:00 PM – 5:00 PM+         Aquaponics Workshop and Tour ($30)

 

Saturday, January 26, 2013

Conference and Trade Show ($15 Pre-registered, $20 At Door)

7:30 AM – 12:00 PM         Registration Open

 8:00 AM – 3:00 PM           Trade Show Open

9:00 AM – 10:00 AM         General Session including Keynote Speaker Sheri Salatin

10:00 AM – 10:30 AM        Break – Visit Exhibitors

 10:30 AM – 11:15 AM        Select A Workshop:

                                        Alternative Soil Management

                                        Florida Hay – Myths and Fiction

                                        Preserving What You Produce

 

11:20 AM – 12:15 PM        Select A Workshop:

                                        Pomegranate Production

                                        Egg Production in Florida

                                        Developing Buyers Clubs (Salatin)

 

12:15 PM -1:30 PM           Lunch (Catered by Oakwood Smokehouse $10)

                                        Visit Exhibitors

                                        Enjoy music by the band SnoRogers

 

1:30 PM – 2:15 PM           Select A Workshop:

                                        Farmscaping/Native Pollinators

                                        Small Ruminant Health

                                        Facebook4Farmers

 

2:20 PM – 3:05 PM           Select A Workshop:

                                        Mushroom – Bag Culture

                                        Grass Fed Beef

                                        Permaculture – Planning for Sustainability

Attention Ag Producers - Be Counted!

In just a few days, America’s farmers and ranchers will have the opportunity to make a positive impact on their communities by taking part in the Census of Agriculture. Conducted every five years by USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS), the Census captures a complete count of all U.S. farms, ranches and those who operate them.  

America’s producers have a story to tell, and the Census gives them a voice to tell it with. NASS recently launched “Share My Story” on the Census website to ask farmers how the Census impacts their lives, operations and communities. A row crop and hog farmer from Indiana posted a story telling us the data is a tool to track, “how our herd numbers, acreage, technology use and practices…compare to other local farmers, farmers across the state of Indiana and farmers across the country.” 

The Census also helps tell the whole story of U.S. agriculture. Without the information collected we wouldn’t know that 3 million farmers in the United States, only one percent of our total population, provide feed, fuel, and fiber to the other 99 percent. While that seems like a huge task, we know that farmers are stepping up to the challenge because the data tell us that U.S. agriculture is growing.

 

The last Census counted more than 2 million farms and ranches in the United States spanning more than 922 million acres. That’s nearly a 4 percent increase in the number of farms from the previous Census in 2002. Those farms produced more than 2 billion bushels of soybeans, 18 million bales of cotton, and $37 billion in egg and poultry sales. And, working on those farms were more than one million women farmers, a 19 percent increase from 2002.

 

As preparations continue for this year’s Census of Agriculture, we call on farmers and ranchers to share their stories, ask questions and talk to their fellow producers about this critical effort.  Your answers to the Census help grow your farm future; shape farm programs; and boost services for you, your community and your industry.

 

Census forms will be mailed out in late December, and responses are due by February 4th, 2013. Producers also have the option to complete their forms online. After all, the Census is your voice, your future and your responsibility. For more information about the Census, visit www.agcensus.usda.gov or call 1-888-4AG-STAT (1-888-424-7828).

Royal and Wildwood receive community garden grants

 

 

The UF/IFAS Sumter County Extension Office partnered with two communities to obtain a Community/School Garden grant offered by the Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.

 

Master Gardener volunteers and extension agents are working with community members in Royal and in Wildwood to build raised bed community gardens. The gardens in Royal have been constructed and will be used to produce crops for the community.  A large group of volunteers with the Community of Royal, Inc. has been active in preparing the site and building the beds for the project which is located in the community park.

 

The gardens in Wildwood will be constructed with assistance from the City of Wildwood, the Wildwood Community Development Center Inc. and Loaves of Love.  Clarke Park will be the site for individuals in the community to grow vegetables in 48 square foot raised bed gardens.

 

Members of these two communities are encouraged to become involved in the community garden projects. For more information please contact Susan Kelly, Sumter County Extension Director at (352) 793-2728.

 

 

 

 

 

The University of Florida is an Equal Opportunity Institution.

Announcing Sheri Salatin as 2013 AGRItunity Speaker!

The AGRItunity 2013 Conference and Trade Show planning committe is excited to announce the selection of a keynote speaker for the January 26 conference. Sheri Salatin is the marketing director at Polyface Farm and stay-at-home mom of three children. Sheri is passionate about clean food and enjoys working the land along side her husband, Daniel.

Sheri was influential in getting the buying clubs up and running and now oversees 25 drop locations throughout Virginia and Maryland with over 3,000 families. The buying clubs are nurtured under her direct oversight and she is the go-to person for all questions about marketing to metropolitan areas.
Through real life experiences, Sheri has honed her skills and shares some of the best ways to approach and sell to some of the top chefs in the world.
Polyface services more than 4,000 families, 10 retail outlets, and 50 restaurants through on-farm sales and metropolitan buying clubs with salad bar beef, pastured poultry, eggmobile eggs, pigaerator pork, forage-based rabbits, pastured turkey and forestry products through relationship marketing.
Today Sheri spends her days juggling marketing, website maintenance, blogging, motherhood, and farming. At thirty-one, Sheri is married to husband Daniel and has two sons Travis and Andrew and one daughter Lauryn.

Registration is open for AGRItunity at http://sumter.ifas.ufl.edu   We are also seeking vendors for the famous AGRItunity Trade Show.  Mark your calendars for a great day - January 26, 2013!

 

SARE Grants for Producers Available Now

Each year two Producer Grants are offered by Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) to any farmer or group of farmers in the southern United States. The Call for Proposals is available now and proposals are due November 15, 2012. Both grants provide funding to help a producer improve processes on the farm but do not pay a farmer to farm.

 

The On-Farm Research Grant Program is a grant that is applied for by a county extension agent, university researcher, or other agencies that regularly work with farmers.  The proposal is to be written with the producer for a research project on their farm that can last up to two years.  The funding is provided for costs of sampling, materials and supplies, field day expenses, travel, and hired labor and can be provided up to a maximum of $15,000.

 

The Producer Grant is similar but is applied for by the farmer for an innovative sustainable practice that they are not currently doing but would like to try.  The purpose of the grant is to help pay for the risk of trying new practices, and also to provide funding to share the results with other farmers at a field day.  Unlike the On-Farm Research Grant the farmer submits the proposal but an extension agent must still be involved to assist in the project. 

 

The Producer Grant will pay for the same expenses as the On-Farm Research Grant but is limited to $10,000 for an individual farmer or $15,000 for a producer group. Areas of focus for both grants are: Beneficial Insect Habitat, Alternative Crops/Animals, Organic Agriculture, Sustainable Marketing Projects, Sustainable Grazing Systems, Soil Organic Matter Building/Protection Management, Increasing Sustainability of Existing Farming Practices, Appropriate Technology and Agroforestry/Water Quality.

 

Contact the UF/IFAS Sumter County Extension Office at (352) 793-2728 x236 to learn more or go to the Southern SARE website at ssare@uga.edu.

New Market Coming to Center Hill!

The City of Center Hill is starting a Farmers' Market in October and just in time for great farm fresh produce!  It is my hope that this will become a destination market, drawing visitors to the charming and unique town of Center Hill.  Once the "Green Bean Capital", the officials in Center Hill are hoping to encourage the farmers and producers in the area to become vendors, as well as new visitors.  Here is the press release:

The City of Center Hill will be starting a Farmers’ Market this October!  At the Market, locally grown produce, Cottage Foods, and crafts will be available.  Market days will be as follows - the first and third Saturday of each month.  It will be open for buyers from 8:00 AM to Noon.  We will be holding the market in the old downtown area of Center Hill, known as Market Street.   It is our goal to create the best farmers’ market experience for the whole family and our vendors.  We would also like to take this time to inquire about any local musical talents who would be interested in performing at the market.  We are looking for vendors for vegetables, plants, crafts, and cottage good vendors.  At this time, we are taking applications from potential vendors.  For more information please call City Hall at 352-793-4431.

 

The Conference Starts Today!

It’s all about food.  Whether you are growing it, promoting it, researching better varieties of it, buying it or cooking it you can’t miss the Saturday events at the Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference. The fourth version of the conference will be more focused on local foods than ever before with small farmers learning new ways to market fresh foods to restaurants, grocery stores, schools and communities.

Saturday will begin with delicious morning refreshments and lunch skillfully prepared by SAVOR of Osceola Heritage Park using products sourced directly from Florida farmers. Keynote speaker Michael Shuman will provide an address that will illuminate the economic benefits of purchasing and eating locally produced foods. Eighteen concurrent workshop sessions will provide a wide range of information for producers. Ninety-three trade show vendors will display products and supplies used in the business of producing food.

At 5:30pm the Networking Social will bring it all together with six exciting and distinguished chefs, live entertainment, hors d’oevures and beverages. Sample beverages from Florida Farm wineries, breweries and fruit juice producers. Network with the producers of these delicious beverages who also support local foods and local foodsheds in FL.

Experience scrumptious hors d'oeuvres showcased by Florida celebrity chefs using foods from Florida farmers! For example, there will be Chef Greg Baker from the Refinery Restaurant in Tampa, Chef Darwin Santa Maria of Darwin’s on the 4th Restaurant/Brewery in Sarasota, Chef Tony Adams of Big Wheel Provisions in Orlando, Chef Dak Kerprich of Pizzeria Oceano in Palm Beach, Chipotle Chefs, and our own Executive Chef Tony Donnelly of Osceola Heritage Park and SAVOR. Come interact with these chefs and learn how to network with these leaders of the local foods movement in Florida. The music for the social will be provided by Mark Gaignard with the Mr. Ainsworth Band.

The organizers of the Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference are the University of Florida and Florida A & M University. The conference opens today and will continue through Sunday at the Osceola Heritage Park, 1875 Silver Spur Lane Kissimmee, FL 34744. The conference website is http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/smallfarms

Michael Shuman Keynote Speaker!

The Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference announces their keynote speaker for 2012. Michael Shuman will be featured on Saturday, July 28^th, sponsored by the Florida Food Policy Council. Michael H. Shuman is an economist, attorney, author, and entrepreneur, and Director of Research and Marketing for Cutting Edge Capital. He has authored, coauthored, or edited eight books. His most recent book, just published by Chelsea Green, is Local Dollars, Local Sense: How to Move Your Money from Wall Street to Main Street and Achieve Real Prosperity. His previous book, The Small Mart Revolution: How Local Businesses Are Beating the Global Competition (Berrett-Koehler, 2006), received a bronze prize from the Independent Publishers Association for best business book of 2006. He helped co-found BALLE, which represents 22,000 local businesses in North America in 80 communities, and is now a Fellow there. At Cutting Edge Capital, a consulting firm that helps communities and businesses solving finance challenges, he manages its economic development initiatives.

To register for the conference visit http://conference.ifas.ufl.edu/smallfarms

Small Farms Conference Registration Open!

Don't miss the 4th Annual Conference and Trade show!  Get in on the early bird registration now through July 9th.

Tons of new workshops, more hands-on, lots of vendors, delicious local foods.  Anyone who farms or is thinking of farming would benefit from attending this event.

Hands-On Fish Pond Management Workshop

Get up close and personal with the critters who live in this pond!  Dr. Chuck Cichra is coming to Wildwood on March 21st from 10 - 2PM to teach a  hands-on workshop for people interested in improving their farm ponds for fish. Water quality, fish stocking and management and aquatic weeds will be the topics. Lunch included but space is limited.  Please rsvp by calling Susan Kelly (352) 793-2728 x236 by Monday, March 19th.

Calling Women in Agriculture - Annie's Project Starts April 3

Annie's Project is a 6 week class for women in agriculture, focusing on financial management, risk management and other business aspects of farming.  The class is scheduled for six Tuesday evenings starting April 3, 2012 from 5:30PM to 8:30PM.  The class location is the West Central Florida Agriculture Education Center at the Sumter County Fairgrounds in Bushnell, FL.  The cost of the class is $60 which includes materials and a light supper for the six sessions.  UF/IFAS Extension Agents Susan Kelly, Julie England and Megan Brew are facilitators and many of the speakers will be from the local community as well as faculty members from the University of Florida. To register please call Susan Kelly at (352) 793-2728 x236.

Support Local Business Through Cash Mobs

On March 17 you can show your support for local farmers and businesses by Sharin' your green at the Wildwood Growers' Market! Show up by 10 AM, check in at the Chamber of Commerce table, and spend at least $20 with the market vendors. Then join us for a post mob bite! It is like a buy local pep rally!

Hope to see you there!

Exhibitors at the AGRItunity Conference

The trade show has become one of the favorite parts of the AGRItunity Conference - which is only 10 days away!  If you haven't registered yet - http://sumter.ifas.ufl.edu  Exhibitors and sponsors make it possible for us to provide a low cost conference.  Please come and visit them -

Here are the exhibitors we have so far!

Accuplastics

Ag Alliance of Citrus County - Silver Sponsor

Bioworks, Inc.

C & C Peat Company Inc.

Citrus County Cattlemen's Association

Farm Bureaus of Lake,Sumter,

Hernando/Citrus and Pasco Counties - Sustaining Sponsor

Farm Credit of Central Florida - Gold Sponsor

Florida Cracker Cow Association

Florida FGT, LLC

Florida SARE

Green and Growing Organics

Green World Path

Hillside Orchard Farms

Meat Sheep Alliance of Florida

Moore Ranch - Contributing Sponsor

Mothers Organics Inc.

Regions Bank

Sparr Building and Farm Supply

Sweet Pro Feeds

True Blue Plants

UF/IFAS Citrus REC

UF/IFAS Market Maker

UF/IFAS Small Farms Program

UF/IFAS FAWN

United Ag Services of America

Verti-Gro Inc. - Gold Sponsor High Mowing Organic Seeds - Sustaining Sponsor Citrus Visitors and Convention Bureau - Silver Sponsor Brandt Consolidated - Silver Sponsor United Irrigation Supply - Silver Sponsor Outdoor Exhibits Fields Equipment Everglades Farm Equipment Sock It Dewatering Educational Serenity Hills Llama Ranch Roanna Farms Antique Equipment Steve Melton Never Say Never Farm Sumter Shepherds 4-H Club

AGRItunity Planning Committee announces keynote speaker for upcoming conference – Ben Hewitt Farmer/Author

 Ben Hewitt was born and raised in northern Vermont, where he currently runs a small-scale, diversified hill farm with his family. He lives with his wife and two sons in a self-built home that is powered by a windmill and solar photovoltaic panels. To help offset his renewable energy footprint, Ben drives a really big truck. His work has appeared in numerous national periodicals, including the New York Times Magazine, Wired, Gourmet, Discover, Skiing, Eating Well, Yankee Magazine, Powder, Men’s Journal, National Geographic Adventure, and Outside.


His most recent book is Making Supper Safe: One Man’s Quest to Learn the Truth About Food Safety (Rodale). It was published on June 7, 2011. From dumpster diving, to the battle over food rights, to genetically engineered salmon and the interplay between humans and the bacteria they consume, Ben explores the untold story of food safety with humor and good-natured skepticism. His first book, The Town That Food Saved: How One Community Found Vitality in Local Food (Rodale), was published in 2010. It tells the story of a rural, working-class Vermont community that is attempting to blueprint and implement a localized food system.

At the conference Ben Hewitt will provide a keynote address entitled, “The Future’s in the Dirt: Digging into localized agriculture and its potential to revitalize health, environment and regional economies.” He will also conduct a workshop for those who want to learn how he uses alternative energy, which he calls “Sustainable Energy for Sustainable Agriculture: The realities of solar powered food production.”
The AGRItunity Conference and Trade Show will be held at the Sumter County Agricultural Education Center at the Sumter County Fairgrounds in Bushnell, Florida on January 28, 2012. Don’t miss this exciting annual event! In addition to the keynote speech there will be 8 workshops, a large tradeshow, animal exhibits, antique farm equipment and more. Lunch is available for purchase on site from the famous restaurant the Speckled Butterbean. Pre-registration is $15 at http://sumter.ifas.ufl.edu. The cost for the conference is $20 at the door if not pre-registered. For more information call (352) 793-2728 x236 or email sakelly@ufl.edu. AGRItunity is a project of the extension offices in Citrus, Hernando, Lake, Pasco and Sumter counties.

Where are the Food Entrepreneurs?

On July 1, 2011 House Bill 7209 was enacted allowing individuals to prepare certain foods in their homes for direct sales to consumers.  The Cottage Food Law has finally opened doors for people to bake, can or prepare a limited amount of food products in their home kitchen with a permit or license.

This is great news at a time when people are searching for additional income and other people are searching for locally produced artisan foods!  These foods are very much needed at the Wildwood Growers' Market, to compliment the produce and crafts being sold there.

The following foods are now allowed to be prepared in a home kitchen and sold, up to $15,000 gross annual sales.
Loaf breads, rolls, biscuits
Cakes, pastries and cookies
Candies and confections
Honey
Jams, jellies and preserves
Fruit pies and dried fruits
Dry herbs, seasonings and mixtures
Homemade pasta
Cereals, trail mixes and granola
Coated or uncoated nuts
Vinegar and flavored vinegars
Popcorn, popcorn balls
 
So, food entrepreneurs out there - get cookin'!  The public is waiting for your delicious foods and the Wildwood Growers' Market would be the perfect place to sell them!  For a copy of the law or more information please call me at (352) 793-2728 x236.

Summer At The Wildwood Growers' Market

Summer can be a rough time for a farmer's market, with temperatures at their peak and visitors on vacation.  But the Wildwood Growers' Market is still going strong, every Saturday and year round!

If you haven't visited the market in Wildwood, it is on Main Street in front of Wildwood City Hall.  The City of Wildwood sponsors the market and has been great supporters of it since it began on October 24, 2009. The focus of the market has always been locally grown produce when we can get it, and hand made crafts.

This Saturday it is Christmas in July at the market!  Come by and start your Christmas shopping early!  This is an example of what creative market managers do to keep people coming to the market during the summer months.

Don't miss the Florida Small Farms Conference July 15 - 17!

This great conference is gearing up for the 3rd year and anyone interested in farming should not miss this event.  It is jam-packed with information from the workshops and exhibitors and includes time to network and socialize as well.

The purpose of the Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference is to provide farmers with more in-depth educational information, to facilitate networking, dialog, and visioning among members of the Florida small farms community, and to increase awareness of the small farms industry to decision makers, supporting institutions, and the general public.

The conference will provide high quality educational and networking activities geared to small farms. Concurrent educational sessions (presentations, workshops, hands-on demonstration, and discussion groups) will be provided to share results of groundbreaking research and provide educational support for producers to operate sustainable and profitable enterprises.

The sessions will span across the following topics:

• Alternative Enterprises                                                   
• Alternative Energy
• Business and Marketing
• Horticulture
• Livestock
• Organic and Sustainable Farming
• Policy and Regulations

Additional Conference Highlights Include:

• Pre-conference Workshops and Tours
• Featured Florida Farmers
• Livestock Arena with Live Animal Exhibits
• Local Foods
• Large Exhibition Showcasing Products and Technologies
• Farmer to Farmer Roundtable Discussions

To register go to http://smallfarms.ifas.ufl.edu 

Food Entrepreneurs Could Share a Kitchen

Sumter County is home to some of the best cooks, canners and bakers than can be found anywhere.  Our climate allows us to grow almost any fruit, vegetable, dairy, poultry or meat product in abundance.  What is missing in this area is a commercial kitchen that can be used to legally produce food products and sell them.

One of the most common questions asked at our UF/IFAS Sumter County Extension Office is “how can I sell ­­­my” cookies, jams, pickled okra, eggs, goat cheese and much more.  These budding food entrepreneurs are then bombarded with the truth of the kitchen certification process and the necessary food manager certification.  There are label requirements and permits that must be considered as well.

All foods to be sold to the public must be produced in a permitted commercial kitchen with a certified food manager present.  The Florida Food Safety Act outlines the rules for food preparation and can be found in Florida Statutes Chapter 500.  While it may not be cost effective to build a commercial kitchen for one food enterprise, shared kitchen incubators are providing solutions for farmers and food entrepreneurs that are interested in adding value to their crops or products through processing.  Rather than leave cull berries in the field, they can be processed into many products such as jams and jellies.  Prolific cucumbers and squash can be turned into pickles and relishes and sold at the local markets, stores or on the internet. An inspected mobile processing unit could be used to process poultry and meat animals for sale.

More than ever, consumers are very interested in purchasing locally produced products, as well as gourmet and artisan foods.  At the same time, small farmers and entrepreneurs are seeking ways to make a better living using the resources they have available.  This may be a good time to consider developing a small business incubator that focuses on food products.  If interested in learning more about getting started in a food business please contact Susan Kelly at (352) 793-2728 ext. 236.  Please also take the food processing survey that will help determine the interest in participating in shared food processing facilities at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/ProcessingSurvey   .

Get Energy Assistance with REAP

One of the hottest topics of conversation today is the cost and efficiency of renewable and non-renewable energy and associated technology. If you are a small business owner or farmer in Sumter County, you could be eligible for assistance in making your business more energy efficient. The Rural Energy for America Program (REAP) is being offered by USDA Rural Development to provide loan guarantees or grants to eligible producers and small business owners.

The goal of the program is to help farmers and small businesses purchase and install renewable energy systems and make energy efficiency improvements. Renewable energy systems could include those that generate energy from wind, the sun, biomass, geothermal sources or that produce hydrogen from biomass or water using renewable energy. To be eligible for the program, the system that you purchase must be commercially available and not something that you fabricated yourself. Energy-efficiency projects could involve installing or upgrading equipment to significantly reduce energy costs.

Energy audits and feasibility studies could also be eligible for assistance through this program. Do you know where your energy dollars are being used in your business or farm? With energy costs rising, this would be a great time to get help in determining ways to become more efficient. There are several good resources for Farm Energy Calculators available that can be used to do energy self-assessments.

Most farms and small businesses operate with a small profit margin, and saving on energy costs is a smart way to become more profitable! For information about REAP and other USDA Rural Development Energy Programs visit http://www.ruraldev.usda.gov For local assistance with renewable energy, energy calculators and other information please contact Susan Kelly, UF/IFAS Sumter County Extension at (352) 793-2728 x236 or http://sumter.ifas.ufl.edu



AGRItunity 2011 was the best yet!

 Thanks to our speakers, sponsors, vendors, volunteers and those of you who came to learn!  We had 472 people attend in some capacity during the day - a new record.  Keynote Speaker Daniel Salatin was inspirational and all of the sessions were well received.  There were 90 exhibitors present - bringing you a first hand look at their products and services - including the alpaca and llamas from Serenity Hills Llama Ranch below, and anitique farm tools and equipment brought by Steve Melton.  Special thanks to our volunteers - we had 43 volunteers during the day and could not have made it without them!  Hope to see you next year - January 28th!

Serenity Hills Llama Ranch, Groveland, FL

Clay Olson teaching class about mushroom culture.

Steve Melton entertains and educates!