CALENDAR

2008 Field Days and Workshops
(To print a PDF version of the 2008 calendar, click here.)

March 20. Maple Syrup Production
On March 20, we joined host Kristin Curtis and her family at Journey's End Farm in Wayne County in Northeast PA for a hands-on field day making maple syrup (agenda). We gathered wood, tapped trees, collected sap, and watched the syrup boiling in the evaporator. Kristen also demonstrated how the sap is graded.

As a bonus, we toured another part of the farm’s operation, Journey's End Farm Camp, a historic family operation started in 1939, which hosts boys and girls, ages 7 to 12, every summer. The camp, which includes over 200 acres of wood, fields, pastures and gardens, a one-acre pond, and two streams, is home to two families of Curtises and a menagerie of farm animals. To see photos of the event, click here.

April 25. Planning workshop for Hands-on Building Workshop
PA-WAgN holds the first of a series on hands-on building workshops at Friends Farm in Blair County. We'll develop building plans for a small farm building—in this case, a chicken house that will be built on June 7.

We’ll determine site location and develop a building plan and materials list. If you’re planning on starting a building project at your own farm, bring photos of your site and ideas for construction. Farmers Chris Wise and John Favinger will walk you through the planning process. Registration: $20, which includes lunch. To register, go to http://wagn.cas.psu.edu/Register0802.html. To see the agenda, click here (PDF).

May 8. Producing and Direct-Marketing Grassfed Meats and Poultry. Meet a seasoned direct-marketer, Bill Callahan at Cow-a-Hen farm in Mifflinburg, for a pasture walk and discussion of the issues facing farmers who would direct market grassfed beef, pork, and poultry.

We will be joined by a representative from the United States Department of Agriculture who will advise participants on legal requirements for selling meat at farmers markets and through marketing cooperatives. We will also discuss insurance requirements. Registration: $15, which includes lunch.

To register for this event, select the following link to be directed to PA-WAgN's two-part online registration and payment application: http://wagn.cas.psu.edu/Register0803.html. To see the agenda, click here (PDF).

May 16. Raising and Marketing Pastured Lamb with Sukey Jamison at Jamison Farm in Latrobe, PA.
Learn how farmers John and Sukey Jamison produce 5,000 lambs a year on their 210-acre farm. The Jamisons pasture and process those lambs on the farm in their own butchering facility and sell to some of the finest chefs and restaurants in the world. Sukey, a talented chef herself, also prepares and sells value-added products like lamb stew. We will tour the farm, including

• Paddocks for grazing
• Barns and handling facilities
• Processing plant and warehouse

Sukey will discuss maintaining pastures, working the sheep with border collies, and developing proper handling facilities. She will also cover lamb marketing, in particular, marketing at farmers markets. Cost: $15, includes lunch (lamb stew, bread, and beverages).

To register for this event, select the following link to be directed to PA-WAgN's two-part online registration and payment application:
http://wagn.cas.psu.edu Register0804.html. To see the agenda, click here (PDF).

May 21. Rodale Tour: Women Mentoring Women for the Future of Sustainable Agriculture
Join PA-WAgN, Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture, Southeast RC&D, Pennsylvania Association of Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), and the Rodale Institute for our annual tour of the Rodale institute’s Research facility in Kutztown, PA . We’ll tour the experimental farm and learn about the important role women play in mentoring farmers in sustainable agriculture. The keynote speaker will be Ardath Rodale, Chairman of the Board for the Rodale Institute. Registration: $5, which includes lunch.

REGISTRATION FOR THIS EVENT HAS REACHED CAPACITY. REGISTRATION IS CLOSED. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE PLACED ON A WAITING LIST, PLEASE CONTACT ANN STONE AT ams39@psu.edu.

You may pay for the event when you arrive at Rodale.

June 6. Small Ruminant Production
10 am to 2 pm. Join PA-WAgN representative Melanie Barkley for a tour of two Bedford County farms that are producing meat goats and sheep. Melanie will guide us on a tour of the farms and discuss pasture species, fencing, and water systems. We will compare the farms' different marketing strategies--direct marketing meat goats on the farm, sales to New Holland, and sales of breeding stock.

Registration: $15, which includes lunch.

To register for this event, select the following link to be directed to PA-WAgN's two-part online registration and payment application: http://wagn.cas.psu.edu/Register0806.html

June 7, 2008. Hands-on Building Workshop in Perry County
Meet at the Stone Family homestead for a day-long construction workshop. Participants will build a small chickenhouse based on plans developed at the April 25 workshop. (You do not need to have attended the April 25 workshop to participate). Please bring workclothes, gloves, and a hammer. Registration: $15, which includes lunch.

To register for this event, select the following link to be directed to PA-WAgN's two-part online registration and payment application: http://wagn.cas.psu.edu/Register0807.html

June 9. Construction of Portable Animal Shelters for Small Ruminants Join PA-WAgN representative Sandra Miller at Painted hand Farm in Cumberland County for a hands-on construction workshop. At this event, the third in a series of construction workshops, participants will build small, light, and inexpensive shelters for sheep and goats. Please wear work clothes, bring gloves, and a hammer! Registration: $15, which includes lunch.

To register for this event, select the following link to be directed to PA-WAgN's two-part online registration and payment application: http://wagn.cas.psu.edu/Register0808.html

July 16. Holistic and Frugal Small Farm Management in Greene County Tour So’Journey Farm with PA-WAgN representative Sandy Brown, who raises grassfed Highland cattle and pastured poultry and manages a bed and breakfast. We will take a look at the practices that can reduce a farm’s environmental impact while boosting its bottom line. We'll also talk about adding agritourism to make the most of your farm assets. Some of the issues we’ll explore include:

• Reducing waste
• Reducing fuel costs 
• Maximizing profit through creative marketing ideas
• Producing your own staples and bartering farm products with other farmers
• Creating communal marketing ventures
• Using all your assets: Agritourism

 Registration: $15, which includes lunch.

To register for this event, select the following link to be directed to PA-WAgN's two-part online registration and payment application: http://wagn.cas.psu.edu/Register0809.html

 August 7. Building a High Tunnel Hands-on Workshop
Join PA-WAgN member Heidi Secord for a hands-on Workday to build a high tunnel at Josie Porter Farm. The day includes a farm tour and a discussion of Heidi’s Community Supported Agriculture program (CSA) on leased municipal land. 10-4. Please bring a hat, sunscreen, and work gloves. Registration: $15, which includes lunch.

To register for this event, select the following link to be directed to PA-WAgN's two-part online registration and payment application: http://wagn.cas.psu.edu/Register0810.html

September 25. Adding Artisan Cheesemaking to a Conventional Dairy Operation
Join Sue Miller at Birch Run Hills Farm in Chester Springs from 10 am to 2 pm to learn more about adding cheesemaking to your dairy operation. Sue and her family have been milking Holsteins for more than 20 years. In 2006, they rented a cheese facility and began making artisan cheeses that are sold at farmers markets and to restaurants. Sue will give a tour of the farm and the cheesemaking facility. She will discuss the legal requirements, profitability, and marketing issues involved for a typical operation. Registration: $15, which includes lunch.

To register for this event, select the following link to be directed to PA-WAgN's two-part online registration and payment application: http://wagn.cas.psu.edu/Register0811.html

September Date TBD. Cheese Tour in South-Central Pennsylvania
PA-WAgN Regional Representative June Hertzler will lead a tour of several farms in Perry and Juniata Counties that are making and selling farmstead and artisan cheeses. The farms include both goat and cow dairies. Lunch at an on-farm market will be included. Registration: $15, which includes lunch.

To register for this event, select the following link to be directed to PA-WAgN's two-part online registration and payment application: http://wagn.cas.psu.edu/Register0812.html

September 11. Taste of Harvest Winery Tour
Tour an award-winning wine grape vineyard, J. Maki Winery at French Creek Vineyards in northern Chester County. This small, family-owned vineyard is known internationally for its superior wines. In 1997, French Creek Ridge was the first Pennsylvania winery to receive a gold medal for its Blanc de Blancs sparkling wine in the prestigious French wine competition, Vinalies Internationales. In 2003, French Creek won a silver medal in the same competition for its ice wine, an intensely flavored dessert wine.

We’ll tour the vineyard with French Creek Ridge winemaker Janet Maki. The tour will include information and discussion on

• Growing wine grapes in Southeastern Pennsylvania
• Varieties of root stocks
• Planting, pruning, and other production methods
• Sustainable, low-chemical input production

The two-hour tour will include a wine tasting of each wine grape and its corresponding wine. Registration: $15, which includes the wine tasting.

To register for this event, select the following link to be directed to PA-WAgN's two-part online registration and payment application: http://wagn.cas.psu.edu/Register0813.html

October 29 . Energy-Efficient Vegetable Storage in Springhouses
Join PA-WAgn for a tour of a Huntingdon County farm that is using a springhouse for vegetable storage. The springhouse has been modified to improve its ability to maintain consistent cool temperatures to provide optimum short-term cold storage for the field harvested vegetables and herbs. Registration: $15, which includes lunch.

To register for this event, select the following link to be directed to PA-WAgN's two-part online registration and payment application: http://wagn.cas.psu.edu/Register0814.html