Oregon Small Farms Conference
Registration is open for the 10th annual Oregon Small Farms Conference on Feb. 27 in Corvallis. The daylong event is geared toward farmers, agriculture professionals, food policy advocates and managers of farmers markets. Mas Masumoto, an author and organic farmer from California, will give the opening speech in which he'll talk about the challenges facing small farmers, the role they play and new relationships around food.
| What |
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|---|---|
| When |
Feb 27, 2010 from 08:00 am to 05:15 pm |
| Where | OSU Campus, Corvallis, Oregon |
| Contact Name | OSU Extension |
| Contact Phone | 541-766-3556 |
| Add event to calendar |
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CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State University Extension Service has opened registration for its 10th annual Oregon Small Farms Conference on Feb. 27 in Corvallis.
The daylong event is geared toward farmers, agriculture professionals, food policy advocates and managers of farmers markets. Mas Masumoto, an author and organic farmer from California, will give the opening speech in which he'll talk about the challenges facing small farmers, the role they play and new relationships around food.
Fourteen sessions will be offered on topics that will include:
• Funding energy improvement projects;
• Agri-tourism;
• Farm internships;
• Cover crops for soil fertility;
• Small-scale grain production;
• Alternative poultry feeds;
• Alternative meat marketing strategies;
• The business of farmers markets;
• Electronic benefit transfer system for farmers markets;
• Partnerships for access to healthy foods.
Farmers may participate in a session that will meet the mandatory face-to-face training requirement for enrollment in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) fruit and vegetable voucher program. This is one of many opportunities to begin farm enrollment for 2010.
Speakers will include farmers, OSU Extension faculty and U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, a member of the House Committee on Agriculture.
To register for the conference, go to http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu or call 541-766-3556.
The cost, which includes lunch, is $35 per person or $60 for two people from the same farm or organization through Feb. 16. After that, the fee rises to $40 per individual and will be $45 at the door. The conference will take place at the LaSells Stewart Center on campus.
The event will be preceded on February 26 by a free presentation at Oregon State University by Mas Masumoto, an author and organic farmer from California.
In his talk, "The Wisdom of Farming: How a Peach Can Change the World," he will discuss his life as a writer and farmer.
Masumoto has published six books, including "Epitaph for a Peach," "Four Seasons in Five Senses" and his latest, "Wisdom of the Last Farmer."
A third-generation farmer, Masumoto grows peaches, nectarines, grapes and raisins on an 80-acre organic farm south of Fresno. He is also a columnist for The Fresno Bee and was a Food and Society Policy Fellow funded by the W.K. Kellogg Foundation.
His writing awards include a silver medal from The Commonwealth Club of California, a Julia Child Cookbook award, and a finalist ranking in the James Beard Foundation awards. He is a board member of The James Irvine Foundation and has served as chair of the California Council for the Humanities.
Masumoto will speak at 7 p.m. in the LaSells Stewart Center on campus. Book sales and signing will follow his presentation.
