Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario: Winter Workshop Series

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Author: Shawna Moore

Posted: January 15, 2018

Categories: Events / GoodFoodBites / News from Sustain Members / Opportunities

The Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (EFAO) a member of Sustain Ontario is hosting a Winter Workshop Series at the Guelph Organic Conference. All workshop will be held on January 26th 2017. Details about the workshop are below from the EFAO website:

Workshop: Improving and Creating the Best Vegetable Varieties for Your Market Garden

9:00 pm-12:00 pm

In this session, farmers will learn how to adapt different open pollinated vegetable seed varieties to their farm. Farmers will learn techniques on how to integrate seed saving into their market garden operation with a focus on adapting and improving varieties to their regional farming conditions and markets.

Workshop: Ecological Flower Production: Challenges and opportunities

9:00 pm-12:00 pm

This workshop is for ecological growers who have basic experience growing cut flowers as a niche venture on its own, or in addition to other farm operations.  Experienced flower growers will share the experiences with applying ecological practices to cut flower farming (rotations, mulches, season extension, pest management…)  as well as details of existing cut flower markets (florists, consumer CSA, weddings & design work …).  The workshop will include time for Q&A, and an overview of useful resource materials.

Workshop: Beyond Food: Agri-tourism and non-food income sources for your farm

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

Join a panel of farmers as they share their on-farm, non-food business endeavours. Explore the possibilities for your own farm by learning the ins and outs of hosting farm weddings, workshops, farm dinners, adding cut flowers to your farm, or even an on-farm brewery! The discussion will include finances, labour, production, marketing as well as key decisions and points of transitions in developing their operations over the years.

Workshop: Raising and Keeping Dairy Goats

1:00 pm – 4:00 pm

In this workshop goat farmer, Katie Normet shares her experience rehabilitating a farm from the ground up to learning firsthand the ins and outs of acquiring and caring for goats. Normet explores all the big-picture issues in goat husbandry, including: purchasing, housing, feeding, breeding, kidding, milking, identifying and treating diseases and ailments.

Register here!

Cost for workshops: Member $40+HST, Non-member $60+HST