Member Event: EFAO Add Butchery and Labour Workshops to Pre-Conference Offerings
Posted: January 14, 2013
Categories: Food in the News / Food Processing / News from Sustain Members
The Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO) are hosting two new workshops in Guelph during the week prior to the annual Guelph Organic Conference (January 31 – February 3). The workshops – Working with Your Butcher (Friday, February 1 from 10:00a.m. to 4:30p.m.) and Labour on the Market Garden (Thursday, January 31 from 10:00a.m. to 4:30p.m.) – were developed for alumni of the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farming Training (CRAFT) program, though all are welcome to register. The cost per workshop is $50 for EFAO members, $70 for non-members. You can register online for these new workshops and other events. More details about the workshops are available on the EFAO Workshops webpage.
From the EFAO Workshops page:
Working with Your Butcher; This is for livestock farmers who are, (or will be) directing marketing red meat. It is going to be a very interesting, and worthwhile event to attend. There is a great panel line-up, and we will be watching a carcass cutting demo (probably a hog and a lamb).
We will go over topics such as; what to look for in a good processing plant, ways to better communicate with your butcher, marketing strategies, labelling and packaging requirements. We will watch a butcher cut up an animal carcass and talk about ways to utilize the whole animal.
This workshop will involve a panel including farmers from Thatcher Farms, and Meeting Place Organic Farm, Joe Koza Meat Inspection Program Manager for OMAFRA, and two butchers including John Rowe. The panel will be followed by a carcass cutting demonstration at the University of Guelph Meat Lab. Thatcher Farms butcher will go over cutting options, and how much saleable meat you can expect to get from your animal.
When: Friday February 1, 2013, 10:00 – 12:30 Panel Discussion. 1:30-4:30 Carcass Cutting Demonstration
Where: University of Guelph Animal Sciences Building. $50 for EFAO members, $70 for non-members
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Labour on the Market Garden- A panel discussion; Managing labour is a critical skill for most market gardeners, and one for which farmers rarely receive training or support. Join a panel of market gardeners with different labour strategies (e.g. employees, business partners, interns, volunteers) to learn about the challenges and opportunities of different labour options. Panelists inlcude farmers from The New Farm, Daniel Brisbois of Tourne-Sol Co-operavtive Farm, Caitlin Hall of Reroot, and Ian Stutt of Patchwork Gardens. Topics will include finding and retaining good workers, techniques for effective management, tackling conflict resolution, and legal requirements to know about.
When: Thursday, January 31, 2013. 10:00- 4:30.
Where: OMAFRA Building 1 Stone Rd. $50 for EFAO members, $70 for non-members.
Contact Karen Maitland by email at info@efao.ca, or by phone at 519 .822 8606 if you have any questions.