Friends,
You may wish to attend the 2009 Community Farming Conference, which just announced a date a location:
Saturday, February 7, 2009 at the Jones Auditorium of the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, 123 Huntington Street, New Haven
Please write this in your calendars now! (And see the notes below for other upcoming events.)
Here are the ideas we brainstormed for this conference – a long list! I would appreciate it if as many of you as possible could get back to me with your top five priorities from this list or from the needs of your own farm (and suggested speakers for your priority topics are always welcome!)
Topic list:
Panel of community farming groups in different stages of development telling their stories
Why Community Farms?
Business planning for community farms
Should we be a 501c3? And issues for 501c3 organizations
Community Supported Agriculture – what is needed to make it work?
Other marketing options – farmstands, farmers’ markets, farm to chef, farm to school
Giving produce away – making the connections, finding funds to support this
Fundraising – how to do effective fundraising in your local community
Developing volunteers and a leadership base in your organization
Finding, working with, and supporting beginning farmers
Involving youth in working or volunteering on the farm
Educational programs pre-school – elementary kids
Thank you for helping us to make this a conference that will meet your needs and the needs of your community farm.
Here are some other events you may want to check out:
Sunday October 26, 2-4 pm, Tobacco Road Farm, Lebanon, CT On-Farm Workshop – Winter Growing –featuring Bryan O’Hara http://www.ctnofa.org/events/OnFarmWorkshops/2008_winter_growing_workshop.html
Saturday, November 1, 10 am – 3:30 pm. CT Ag. Experiment Station, New Haven. CT NOFA Harvest Celebration and Annual Meeting, with Farmers’ Market, Potluck Lunch, and featuring Claire Criscuolo
http://www.ctnofa.org/events/annual%20meeting/2008_annual_meeting.html
Wednesday, November 19, 12-1:30 pm. Old Judiciary Room, the Capitol, Hartford. Annual Meeting, Working Lands Alliance. Featuring George Hindiger of Hindinger Farms in Hamden
http://www.workinglandsalliance.org/ Please RSVP if you are coming!
Saturday January 17, 2009, CT Ag. Experiment Station, New Haven. Getting Started in Organic Farming Conference. Specifics to be announced.