CSA Week is taking place from February 20th through February 26th, 2023! During this special week, farmers and farmer support organizations across the country come together in promoting CSA.
In previous years, CSA Day was led by Small Farm Central, and it become “the day” when CSA farms collectively promote CSA across the country with unified messaging and urgency for members to sign up. It’s a way for everyone to encourage CSA sign-ups while promoting the CSA movement across the nation. In 2021, the CSA Innovation Network extended the event from one day to an entire week, continued it in 2022, and is doing so again in 2023! This will give more time to build engagement with new and returning CSA members.
Don’t forget to log your CSA Week participation on the new interactive CSA Week Participant Map! This map allows everyone celebrating CSA Week to see all the participating farms and farm support organizations across the country.
For more information, visit the CSA Week webpage, or email the CSA Innovation Network.
The 2023 Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts State Meeting includes more breaks for networking, watershed training, and special sessions for new employees and new directors. In addition, the meeting will provide information about ecosystems crediting markets, climate smart agriculture, and the vast amount of federal funding that is on the horizon for conservation. Additional topics include direct marketing of products, diversifying your operation to include agritourism and increase financial resiliency, and what exactly it is that large corporations are looking for from commodity producers in the upcoming year. As always, there are also networking opportunities with local, state, and national leaders in conservation.
For more information or to register, visit the meeting website, or contact Sarah Blaney by email or phone (517-763-8609).
Rodale Institute offers a micro-grants program specifically targeted to support projects and consulting for small-scale BIPOC (Black, Indigenous & People of Color) farmers, whether you’re organic, transitioning to organic, or an aspiring organic farmer.
Grant funding is focused on needs such as tools, equipment, training, consulting, or anything that ensures the farmer’s success. Funding should have the potential to positively impact a farmer’s transition to organic, allow them to better market their products, or solve a particular problem that is typically un-fundable through normal operational or lending strategies. Projects that have a high level of potential impact on the individual farm and/or the communities they serve will be given the highest priority.
Any U.S. small-scale BIPOC farmer who is currently organic or wishes to pursue the transition process to become organic, or any student/intern/apprentice farmer involved in an organic operation is eligible to apply for these funds. The Organic Farmers Association is a partner in the process to identify and screen potential recipients for the grants.
Projects will be prioritized based on potential impact and success. Project budgets should be a maximum of $2,000. An annual report will be due 60 days after the end of the project.
Applications open January 1 and are due by February 28th of each year. Proposals will be reviewed by a committee of Rodale Institute staff and board members, Organic Farmers Association, and/or partnerships with other groups as appropriate. Funding decisions will be made by April 30th. Funds will be available immediately and released as per the demands of the project being funded.
The application process is a streamlined process requiring a complete application and budget. Additional appendices are permitted with a total limit of 5 pages. The Finance office is available to help with any or all parts of the application process. Input from Rodale Institute staff or any other office is no assurance that the project being submitted will be funded.
For more information or to apply, visit the program webpage, or contact Elaine Macbeth by email or phone (610-683-1400).
The ninth annual Oklahoma Local Agriculture Summit focuses on increasing the availability of local food in Oklahoma communities and strengthening farmers markets and agritourism sites through education and networking opportunities.
The conference is facilitated by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, ONIE Project, Langston University, and key stakeholders from agricultural, community, and public health agencies. The farm bus tour will take place on Monday, Feb. 27. Two in-depth workshops will take place on Tuesday, Feb. 28, including hands-on marketing training and a workshop sharing best farm practices. The full summit with more than 20 breakout sessions is scheduled for Wednesday, March 1 followed by the agritourism rolling workshop bus tour on Thursday, March 2.
Most of the events associated with the summit are free to attend; however, registration is required for each event.
The conference has five tracks addressing topics of special interest to farmers market managers, growers, agritourism producers, Christmas tree growers, and community support organizations. Topics will include accepting SNAP/EBT, growing practices, marketing to consumers, and more. A meal on March 1 will be provided to all registrants.
For more information or to register, visit the event website, or contact the Oklahoma Local Agriculture Collaborative (OLAC) by email or phone (405-271-2091).
Join NCAT’s third annual national conference, “Growing Hope: Practical Tools for Our Changing Climate,” online Tuesdays and Thursdays from February 28 – March 16. This free virtual convening will feature renowned speakers and showcase farm stories that make the connection between our changing climate, healthy soils, farm productivity, and resilience.
You will hear from farmers and ranchers who are producing food, fiber, and fuel in ways that restore and maintain landscape health and mitigate greenhouse gases. You will hear from producers who have come to understand the centrality of carbon to agroecosystems. You will share stories of people coming together to support each other in challenging times.
The conference will leave you with an understanding of climate beneficial agriculture and actions you can take on your own land to make your farm and your local community resilient in the long term.
For more information or to register, visit the conference webpage, or contact Emilie Ritter by email or phone (800-346-9140).
This free webinar for beginning farmers covers producing and marketing grains. It is produced by a group of partners including NCAT.
The overall five-part webinar series is designed for beginning farmers and will provide education around small scale production and marketing. Topics will include innovative marketing techniques, crop product systems, food safety practices, grains and specialty crops, and producing and marketing cut flowers.
One-time registration is required; participants may attend whichever sessions they are interested in.
For more information or to register, visit the webinar webpage, or contact Kelly McAdam by email or phone (603-527-5475).
Western Monarch Mystery Challenge (MJV webinar)
Stay connected with the latest monarch conservation topics by attending Monarch Joint Venture’s free monthly webinars. This series is a unique opportunity to hear from experts across various interdisciplinary fields related to monarchs, other pollinators, their habitats, and the threats and pressures that make conservation urgent. Bring your questions and get ready to discover how you can get involved to protect monarchs.
All webinars are one hour long and occur at 1:00 PM Central Time. Please note that scheduled webinars are subject to change.
This free webinar is first-come, first-served, with a capacity of 500 attendees. Register early to ensure a place.
For more information or to register, visit the registration page, or contact Stacy Carlson by email or phone (651-222-7631).
All past webinars are available to view; visit MJV’s webinar archive. This series is co-hosted by the Monarch Joint Venture and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s National Conservation Training Center.
Join NCAT’s third annual national conference, “Growing Hope: Practical Tools for Our Changing Climate,” online Tuesdays and Thursdays from February 28 – March 16. This free virtual convening will feature renowned speakers and showcase farm stories that make the connection between our changing climate, healthy soils, farm productivity, and resilience.
You will hear from farmers and ranchers who are producing food, fiber, and fuel in ways that restore and maintain landscape health and mitigate greenhouse gases. You will hear from producers who have come to understand the centrality of carbon to agroecosystems. You will share stories of people coming together to support each other in challenging times.
The conference will leave you with an understanding of climate beneficial agriculture and actions you can take on your own land to make your farm and your local community resilient in the long term.
For more information or to register, visit the conference webpage, or contact Emilie Ritter by email or phone (800-346-9140).
USDA’s National Agroforestry Center is launching a free 10-part monthly webinar series to highlight how different USDA programs can be used to advance agroforestry adoption.
Each individual webinar will include two speakers and one USDA agency representative, as well as one program participant who has used that USDA program to enhance their agroforestry work.
Learn how USDA programs can be utilized to promote and support agroforestry establishment, management, research, and other efforts in your area.
For more information or to register, visit the program webpage.
Blue Thumb is having this training for new volunteers in Tahlequah.
The first day of training will include an introduction to the Blue Thumb program and an overview of various ways you can participate as a Blue Thumb volunteer, with a focus on volunteer education opportunities. You will also get to learn about water quality, watersheds, nonpoint source pollution and other topics through a series of educational activities which you can then use to educate members of your own community. The day will also include a visit to a local creek to discuss the creek’s ecology and biology, including getting into the water and looking for bugs and fish.
The second day of training will cover all of the monthly chemical tests conducted by volunteers at their local creek or stream. We will also discuss the test resuls, what they mean and what they reveal about water quality and nonpoint source pollution. The day will include visiting a local creek to perform all of the required stream-side testing procedures and then returning to the indoor location to perform the chemical tests volunteers conduct every month. This monitoring training is mandatory before you can begin to monitor your creek.
All volunteers who have been trained in the past but would like a refresher course on their chemical tests are also welcome and encouraged to attend. Please email bluethumb@conservation.ok.gov if you have any questions or would to attend this day’s training.
*Refunds will be available until February 25*
**If you miss the sign up, and would still like to participate, tickets will be available for an extra $10.00 charge until March 1 with no refund**
For more information or to register, visit the training registration page, or contact Candice Miller by email or phone (405-464-2838).
