Feb 17, 2016

Small Farm Conference focuses on alternative income opportunities

The Northeast Small Farm Conference and Trade Show, presented by Ohio State University (OSU) Extension, is set for April 2. The conference and trade show are designed to help make landowners and small farm operations more successful, profitable and sustainable, according to Tony Nye, an OSU Extension educator who coordinates OSU Extension’s Small Farm Program.

Researchers and educators with OSU Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC), as well as industry experts, will conduct the conference sessions. OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at Ohio State University.

The conference is from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at OARDC’s Shisler Center, 1680 Madison Ave., in Wooster. Participants will have the opportunity to attend a trade show featuring agricultural vendors and agencies offering assistance to beginning farmers.

Topics to be presented at the conference include:

• Vegetable Production and Season Extension with Tunnels
• Modernization Act for Produce Safety
• Farming the Farm Bill
• Farm Labor and Communication
• Farm Business Plans
• Do’s and Don’ts of Fencing
• Strawberry Production
• Bramble and Grape Production
• Pumpkin Production
• Hands-on Fruit Tree Pruning
• Introduction to Shiitake Mushrooms
• Soil Health
• Rural Energy Grants
• Organic Systems Planning
• Pesticide Application for Small Acreages

Registration for the “Living the Small Farm Dream” conference is $60. The deadline to register is March 25.

For more information or to register, visit the OSU Extension Small Farms Program website or contact Tony Nye at 937-382-0901.