Summer Farm Webinars 2020

Posted on June 22, 2020 by Taylor in Animal Husbandry, Business, Farming Practices, Farming Resources, Internet Resources, Livestock, Local Food, Management, Pest Control, Webinar, Workshops // 0 Comments

2020 Summer Farm Webinars from Virginia Cooperative Extension and Others

June 22: Virginia Farmers Market Phase 2 Guidelines for Vendors and Consumers

Are you a producer, vendor, market manager or consumer? This information packed webinar offered by the Farm Credit Knowledge Center will be covering the Phase 2 requirements that apply to both sellers and consumers. Tune in to learn more about what you need to know in regards to selling or buying at Virginia Farmers Markets during Safer At Home: Phase 2.Registration Required: https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/6052461174355737104

June 23: Soil Health Principles—Applications and Results of Investing in Your Soils

Hear from farmers Paul Kaiser and Ward Burroughs how they invest in their soils by applying the 5 principles of healthy soil management on their farms. Two very different farms growing different crops in different locations show how these principles are applied at different scales. The National Coalition for Appropriate Technology’s Rex Dufour will introduce the topic, providing context about how we got to where we are with respect to soil health, and the urgent need for all farmers to become more conscious about managing for soil health—an investment with very high returns.

June 25: Farm Financing Options for Historically Underserved and Beginning Farmers Through the USDA Farm Service Agency

Are you curious about loans to beginning and historically underserved farmers? Learn what financing options are available through the Farm Service Agency Farm Loan Programs. Discussion will include types of loans, rates and terms, eligibility and feasibility requirements, and an opportunity for questions.

June 26: VCE Virtual Farm to Table on Beef

After learning a little bit about the beef industry in Virginia, we will zoom in on Fresh Branch Farm, a small but growing farm located in Southern Chesterfield County. We are excited for you to take a trip to this farm and learn to forage for plants without using a till, seed, or drill for Fresh Branch Farm’s grass fed/finished cow operation. This farm focuses on growing Piedmontese cattle which produces lean and tender beef thanks to their double muscling gene. Danielle Wilson, the Foods and Nutrition Program Educator in Chesterfield County can’t wait to get into the kitchen and teach you how to make a scrumptious meatball with lean grass-fed ground beef that includes items from a variety of food groups and puts your leftovers to good use.

June 26: Livestock Update Webinar Series

This webinar series offered 2^nd and 4^th Fridays of the month from 12-1 pm contains timely information for Livestock Producers. Topics for this session to be announced.

Summer Farm Webinars – July Events

July 9: Weed Identification and Management

Do you have weeds you need identified? Are you interested in learning what types of weeds you have and how to manage them? Through the Farm Credit Knowledge Center, Matt Booher, ANR, Virginia Cooperative Extension, is providing a unique interactive webinar where he will personally identify your weeds and provide you with management recommendations.

July 10: VCE 15 Minutes in the Forest A Nature Walk

A weekly series of 15-minute webinars by Virginia Cooperative Extension foresters on various topics. This week is a nature walk.

July 11: Seed to Medicine Chest “Infused Oil & Salves” and “Post Harvest Handling”

Appalachian Sustainable Development and HERBalachia are offering a webinar series focused on cultivating medicinal herbs and creating herbal products for your health and home. June 20^th has a session on infused oils and salves from 10am-12pm and post harvest handling from 2-3pm.

July 17: VCE 15 Minutes in the Forest The Big Tree Program

A weekly series of 15-minute webinars by Virginia Cooperative Extension foresters on various topics. This week is the Big Tree Program.

July 17: Virtual Farm to Table: Potatoes
Andean potatoes, often called Irish potatoes, are an easy to grow crop that is a good source of potassium and vitamins B6 and C. Learn more about potatoes, how to grow them, and how they get into your bag of Route 11 Potato Chips. In this session, you will also learn how to make cheese-stuffed twice baked potatoes.

July 24: Virtual Farm to Table: Tomatoes
Tomatoes are important to consumers, gardeners and farmers in Virginia. They’re easy to grow and can be eaten so many ways. In this session, you will learn how tomatoes are grown by farmers both in the field and in greenhouses during the colder months. We’ll also discuss how gardeners can be successful with tomatoes along with some production tips. Once you’ve learned how tomatoes grow, we will show you how to make a delicious fresh salsa that’s great for a snack or as a topping.

Summer Farm Webinars – August Events

August 1: Seed to Medicine Chest “Vinegars/Fire Ciders” and “Value Added Product Sales”

Appalachian Sustainable Development and HERBalachia are offering a webinar series focused on cultivating medicinal herbs and creating herbal products for your health and home. June 20^th has a session on vinegars/fire ciders from 10am-12pm and value added product sales from 2-3pm.

August 7: Virtual Farm to Table: Sweet Potatoes
We take you to the farm to see how sweet potatoes are planted and harvested on a large scale. Then we will show you how to plant sweet potatoes at home. Finally, we will show you how to prepare baked sweet potato fries and a special Virginia Tech themed sweet potato dish.

August 21: Virtual Farm to Table: Wine and Lamb
Did you know that Virginia has a sheep population of more than 89,000? Did you know that Virginia is the 8th largest producer of wine in the country? Tune in to learn a little bit about raising sheep and the process of turning grapes into wine! We’ll also demonstrate cooking with lamb and discuss appropriate wine pairings featuring popular Virginia-grown grape varieties.

Recent Webinar Recordings

Farmers Selling Online—Choosing a Platform (June 2)

Brought to you by Virginia Farmers Market Association and Virginia State University, this 90-minute webinar is for farmers who want to add an online store or online pre-ordering system to their operations. It provides practical details about 4 different platforms — Google Forms, Square, Lulus Local Food and Local Line via Virginia Market Maker. It also covers what to consider before choosing a platform. PowerPoint slides are available at this link: https://tinyurl.com/yddbgtug. The recording is available via the hotlinked title above.