Illinois Small Farms

Can you farm or ranch while protecting the environment, making a profit, and benefiting your community? For the innovative producer, the answer is a resounding "Yes!" Make plans now to attend the National Small Farm Trade Show & Conference­­—the largest annual small farm trade show in the United States—to learn how.

"38 Farmers Forum talks will address topics including bioenergy, developing markets, native plants, high tunnels, berries, forestry, heritage turkeys, Angora goats, Christmas trees, poultry, bees, herbs, ginger, reducing pesticides, mushrooms, and much more. Six short courses will provide in-depth information on topics ranging from agroforestry to mob grazing.

Show times are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Preregistration is $8 for 1 day, $12 for 2 days, or $15 for all 3 days, allowing attendance of the trade show, seminars, demonstrations, exhibits, shows, meetings, and Farmer's Forum. Three-hour short courses are an additional $35 each ($25 in advance). To register, call Small Farm Today at 800-633-2535, write National Small Farm Show, 3903 W Ridge Trail Rd, Clark MO 65243, or see http://www.smallfarmtoday.com for more information.

Does your farm/market have a sign on the digital superhighway? Can people find your farm/market when they search an online map or use a GPS device? As the digital age marches forward, wireless electronic devices combining cell phone, computer, internet, and GPS technology into one handheld unit are enabling people to access huge amounts of information while on the go. Using these devices, over 50 million consumers are deciding where to visit, stay, shop, eat, and have fun.

All this information is in the palm of their hands!

Would you like to:

• Learn how to place your market on a variety of digital maps and maximize presence?
• Understand the emerging consumer use of location-based services in everyday   activities?
• Confirm that the available information about your Market is correct?
• Establish your farm/market as a roadside destination in the digital world?

Online Registration is available at: http://www.agr.state.il.us/marketing/reservations

Registration is available at no fee-- but is limited to first 50 registrations – so register early.

Deadline to register is Friday, November 6, 2009.

Once you register, you will be sent an email confirming your registration and a few days before the webinar information for connecting to the University of Illinois Extension website will be emailed.

Presented by Adeel Ahmed, Extension Educator, Community Economics, University of Minnesota Extension. Supported by the Illinois Department of Agriculture

Event Flyer

University of Illinois Extension announces a Train-the-Trainer workshop to introduce a new program to Illinois, "Living on the Land" (LOL). It focuses on helping owners manage small acreage. It was developed by University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, and has been adapted for use in Illinois. It was piloted as a 14-week course with 3 hours per week in Kankakee County in 2009.

NCR-SARE has provided a grant to support this Train-the-Trainer workshop. The purpose of this workshop is to train a team of instructors from each region who will then offer LOL in 2010. The Train-the-Trainer workshop will include brief presentations by different instructors who will give overviews of the modules in the program.  Hands-on activities that can be used in LOL classes will be demonstrated. In addition to these topics, this training session will discuss adult learning styles and ways to help participants learn. A tour to a farmstead is planned for the second day of the training to learn about doing a whole farm assessment.

Living on the Land Session Topics include:

• Goals for My Land                
• Getting Dirty: Soil Management
• Water Quality and Protecting Your Water                
• Septic Systems
• My Place on a Stream
• Understanding Ponds
• Managing Pastures & Grazing
• Weed Control & Pesticide Safety
• So You Want to Have Animals
• Wildlife Management
• So You Want to Make Some Money
• Whole Farm Assessment

It is the goal of this Train-the-Trainer session to have one LOL team (4 people minimum) established in each of Extension’s regions. We encourage networking with NRCS, SWCD, Farm Bureau, local Health Departments, or other agencies/organizations to seek partners in offering this program in your region.  Instructors with expertise in the various topics are needed. Instructors can teach more than one topic.  Participants may sign up as individuals or as teams of instructors. Please forward this email to individuals you would like to form a team with for your region.

To implement this program statewide, interested educators will benefit from a 2-day workshop to be offered in Urbana on November 18 and 19, 2009, starting at 10:00 am on the first day. The fee is $125.00 per participant. Each participant is responsible for their travel expenses. Participants will receive two volumes of instructor training manuals, lunches and access to the curriculum and resources on the LOL Extension Intranet website. Upon completion, each participant who implements a regional LOL program will receive $100.00.

Registration Information:

• Deadline: November 2, 2009
• There is a limit of 30 participants. Preference will be given to teams formed within a region.
• Please register utilizing one of the attached options:
  • Extension staff can use the attached transfer of funds form.
  • Non-Extension staff can use the attached invoice form and send a check.

If you need alternative payment method or for more information about the LOL program please contact James Theuri at 815/933-8337, jtheu50@illinois.edu or Ellen Phillips at 708/352-0109, ephillps@illinois.edu.

As has become traditional, organic gardening experts from around the world will present five educational sessions to inspire herb gardening and use in the coming year. Dr. John Biernbaum, from Michigan State University, where he works with organics, herbs, greenhouses, and the student farm, will first talk about Soil Building Techniques. In the afternoon, he will relate his experiences with Year-Round Production in Unheated Greenhouses. Anne Patterson, from Living Earth Farm, in Farmington, Illinois, will explain how to bring about Real Health Care Reform – From Your Garden! Eat healthy to be healthy. Niall and Kristie Campbell, the owners of Firefly Grill in Effingham, Illinois, will co-present From Garden to Table: Savoring the Fruits of Your Labors, a discussion and cooking demonstration featuring recipes which incorporate fresh herbs and organic produce. Jim Schmidt, a home horticulture specialist from the Department of Crop Sciences here at UIUC, will speak about Pest-Free Posies, which will detail some relatively trouble-free flowers for the organic garden.                         

Cost of registration, including lunch, is $59 per person. This includes seating in the lectures, coffee, tea, and rolls during morning registration, an organic theme lunch buffet (including vegetarian options), and access to the retail area. A vegan plate is available, but only if requested on the registration form. Reservations must be received by November 13, 2009, to guarantee lunch. Those interested in attending should mail checks, payable to the University of Illinois, to: Organic Gardening Day 2009, Attn: Tracey Malkovich, AW-101, Turner Hall, 1102 S. Goodwin Ave., Urbana, Illinois 61801-4730 to reserve registration and lunch. For more information, call (217) 333-3420 or e-mail malkovic@illinois.edu and mention Organic Gardening Day 2009. 

Increased attention is being focused on developing resource-efficient and environmentally-friendly biofuels that can be made from feedstocks that do not compete with food or feed sources.  An important class of biofuel that could fulfill these requirements is biodiesel manufactured from recycled vegetable oil, animal fats, algae, or oilseeds other than soybeans. 

Each of these alternatives will be addressed in presentations and demonstrations at the  Bioenergy Conference. Full conference program and registration information are available at http://bioenergyconference.truman.edu Registration deadlines are fast approaching, so those interested are encouraged to visit the website to register or apply for a conference fee waiver and travel scholarship.

The conference will address production and handling of dedicated biomass feedstocks, algae oil production and utilization, alternative oilseed production, farm-level oilseed processing and biodiesel production, methane digesters, and recent developments in energy policy.  Conference registration is $50 and includes a resource notebook, DVD, lunch, and refreshments. Additionally, a waiver of the registration fee plus a travel scholarship of $200 will be awarded to each of 40 applicants from the target groups of high school and college agriculture faculty and extension personnel who plan to use this information in educational or outreach activities. Funding for the conference is provided by a Professional Development Program grant from USDA’s North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE).

Scholarship application deadline is October 30, 2009 and the regular registration deadline is November 6, 2009.  For more information contact Michael Seipel at mseipel@truman.edu or 660-785-4316 or visit the website at http://bioenergyconference.truman.edu

Three pre-conference workshops (concurrent) will be offered during the daytime on Wednesday, January 6, which will include "Grow Your Market:  Creating a Memorable Experience for Customers," "Getting Started in Local Food Production and Marketing," and "Expanding Seasons and Markets with High Tunnels."

On Thursday and Friday, January 7-8, the conference will kick off with an opening session entitled "From Market Gardening to Commercial Readiness:Keys to Effective Production and Marketing Across a Range of Market Arenas" by Tim Woods, University of Kentucky. The remainder of the conference will include the traditional concurrent breakout sessions on fruits, vegetables, herbs, irrigation, agritourism/marketing, and business management.  New to the conference this year will be two organic tracks.  Thursday evening will feature a banquet followed by the announcement of the annual cider contest winners and comments from Doc Patterson, Fire Service Chaplain for the Lake County Honor Guard.

To receive registration materials or to obtain exhibitor information, please contact Diane Handley at 309/557-2107 or handley@ilfb.org.  A detailed conference agenda can be viewed at www.specialtygrowers.org.  The Crowne Plaza Hotel is reserving a block of rooms for $83 per night plus tax.  Please call the hotel directly at 217/529-7777 to make your reservations and ask for the Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, and Organic Conference rate.