Events

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JANUARY / FEBRUARY/ MARCH/ APRIL

JANUARY

Finding the Balance: Soil Testing and Amendments for Organic Farmers

Saturday January 16^th, 2010 9am-4pm

Carnegie Room, St. Thomas Library, 153 Curtis St., St. Thomas

Cost: Elgin NFU and EFAO members $50. Non-members $70.

Morning and afternoon snacks will be provided by the Elgin NFU.
Registration: Contact Karen Maitland at the EFAO office.
Toll free 877.822.8606 or e-mail Karen at info@efao.ca

Crop Planning for Vegetable Growers

Saturday, January 23

Toronto Downsview Public Library, 2793 Keele Street Toronto

How much, when and what do you plant for those farm gate, market or subscription customers? This full day workshop offered by FarmStart is based on the recent publication from Canadian Organic Growers (COG), Crop Planning for Diversified Vegetable Growers, by Frédéric Thériault and Daniel Brisebois.

Cost: $95

To register visit http://www.farmstart.ca/workshops

For more information contact Gayl at gayl@farmstart.ca or (519) 836-7046 x105

Transition to Certified Organic Farming
January 28-29^,2010

8:30 – 4:00 at OMAFRA offices, Guelph Ontario

register with EFAO.

Designed for practicing farmers, this 2 day course is intended to help farmers develop or adjust the organic transition plans for their farm. The course will review some basic organic farming principles but the emphasis will be on certification procedures and regulations.

Cost:$160 for EFAO members and $200 for non members. Fee includes the COG Gaining Ground book and all other handouts.

Karen Maitland
519-822-8606
519-822-5681 fax
info@efao.ca

Our Organic Identity - 29th Annual Guelph Organic Conference

January 28th-31^st, 2010

University of Guelph

Keynote Address: Margaret Webb, "Think Big Canada- The Organic Food Fix"; EFAO training over 2 days; OCO seminar; Exhibition; Public Forum, too much to mention here!

For more details on all the workshops and events go to http://www.guelphorganicconf.ca/ Come visit the OCO booth on the main exhibitor level!

OCO and Guelph Organic Conference Present:
Talking Turkey: Marketing Boards and the Freedom to Farm Progressively

January 28th 1-4pm Room 104

University of Guelph

$40 general public (includes optional free OCO membership)

$10 students/OCO members

Moderator: Cathleen Kneen, Food Secure Canada. Panel: Dr. David Toews, Grant Robertson (NFU) and Ted Zettel (OFC).

Our panel will explore the role of marketing boards in setting production policy, how these policies impact organic production, and what steps the organic sector may want to explore in the future as we seek to have understanding within the broad farm community about the differences in production paradigms. We will also explore the role of management practices in preventing disease.

OCO SEMINAR: Canada-US Equivalency

January 29, 2010 1-4pm

Holiday Inn, Guelph $35

WHO SHOULD ATTEND: Producers, Processors, Brokers, Distributors, Retailers, Marketers PANEL: Michel Saumur CFIA, Matthew Holmes OTA, Kathryn Liotta OMAFRA, CHFA representative. Presentations and open discussion. Bring your questions! Call OCO to register 519.827.1221 or email:

jodi@organiccouncil.ca

FEBRUARY

Intro to Transition

Saturday, February 6, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

St. James Lutheran Church, 60 Arthur Street South, Elmira

This workshop is for new and experienced farmers who are interested in learning more about certifcation and transition. Break-out sessions for small-scale produce, large-scale produce, livestock and crops. Presentations on the Canada Organic Regime and COG PWW's pilot Transition Advisor Program.

$50 ($45 for COG members) includes copy of a COG transition book and lunch.

Exploring Your New Farm Dream Courses

Starts February 10, 2010

The Working Centre, Kitchener 58 Queen Street South

GTA location to be announced, starts April 15

Thinking about starting your own farm business? Want to learn more about the opportunities and realities of farming? This is the course for you! Exploring Your New Farm Dream: Is Starting an Agricultural Business Right for You? is a course designed to help aspiring farmers learn what it takes to start and manage a commercial agricultural business, and decide whether this is the right path.

For more information about the course and accompanying workbook, please visit the Explorer Course website, or contact our Training and Resources Cordinator, Gayl Creutzberg, at gayl@farmstart.ca, or (519) 836-7046 x 105.

Course Fee $275/person or $400 for two people from the same “farm dream” (ex: family, business partners).

Workshop on Crop Planning for Fruit and Vegetable Growers

February 20, 2010

at a location near Ottawa TBA

Cost is $50 ($45 for COG members)

Includes lunch and a copy of Crop Planning

This full day workshop is appropriate for all fruit and vegetable producers, conventional and organic. The workshop covers a 10 step approach to crop planning, from setting financial goals to developing and implementing a crop plan, to analyzing harvest and sales data to improve future plans.

Contact Colin Lundy, colin@cog.ca or phone 613-493-0020.

To register, contact COG by emailing office@cog.ca or calling 1-888-375-7383, or register online by visiting www.cog.ca/workshops/.

The Threat of Gravel Pits to Agriculture and Food

February 23, 2010, 7-9pmKitchener Public Library

85 Queen Street North, Kitchener

Over 7,000 acres of the best potato land in Dufferin County has been bought by a company that seeks to mine the land for the mineral aggregates below the surface. Across the province, many more acres of prime agricultural farmland lie on top of valuable aggregates, and existing provincial and municipal policies do little to prevent their conversion to gravel pits. Come hear from a panel of local farmers and activists talk about the threat to our food production and what can be done about it.

Eco Farm Day

February 26^th and 27^th, 2010

The Ramada Inn, 805 Brookdale Ave., Cornwall, ON

Eco Farm Day is Eastern Ontario's premier farm conference. Organic, transitional and conventional farmers of field crops, market gardens, and livestock rely on Eco Farm Day for the best training, information, and commerce opportunities. Over 350 people come back every year for the social event, the networking, the positive atmosphere, and the great food!

Friday evening, February 26th, 2010 – organic gala dinner with Wayne Roberts, at 6PM.

Saturday, February 27th, 2010 – full conference with Wayne Roberts at 9AM and 12 workshops.

http://www.cog.ca/ottawa/ecofarmday/ENprogram_sat.html

MARCH

CSA Mini School

Thursday, March 4, 2010 9:00 am – 4:00 pm

Delta Hotel, 105 King Street East, Kitchener

COG PWW, Ignatius Centre and EFAO are offering a one day workshop for farmers considering the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model. Three CSA farmers of different sizes and types will share their experiences on all aspects of organizing a CSA including overview of different approaches, member recruitment and retention, crop planning, and financial planning and management. This workshop is part of the producer training day in advance of the Bring Food Home conference. Cost is $95 and includes lunch and the Community Supported Agriculture Primer guidebook. To register go to http://www.ohcc-ccso.ca/en/bring-food-home-conference-registration.

”Bring Food Home” Conference

March 4 to 6, 2010

Delta Hotel, Kitchener

This conference will feature a daily plenary, workshop choice in five programming streams, networking space and special events. Day one is devoted to technical training and tours, day two examines projects and policy and day three draws the participants together to develop a plan for future collaboration and action. Joel Salatin, an alternative farmer from Virginia that was featured in Michael Pollan’s “Omnivore’s Dilemma”, has been invited to give the opening keynote. The balance of the speakers is food and farming experts from across the province. Registration on the Ontario Healthy Communities Coalition website. http://www.ohcc-ccso.ca/en/bring-food-home-conference-registration

Value Chain Management Workshop

March 5, 2010

Delta Hotel, Kitchener

A highlight of the one-day session is a panel discussion combining the first-hand experience of a grower, a CEO and a retailer who will discuss how they have used value chains to build their business. Martin Gooch, the workshop leader, is one of Canada’s premier authorities on the creation, operation and optimization of agricultural value chains. He is currently the Director of the Value Chain Management Centre at the George Morris Centre and will share his insights and chair the panel discussion.

Record Keeping for Organic Farmers - How to Get and Stay Certified

Saturday, March 27, 9:00 am - 4:00 pm

Location TBD

This one-day workshop will help you to develop a field to table audit trail. This will help you to comply with the new Organic Products Regulations and gain the confidence of your consumers. You will learn the best way to set up the system, what types of records you need to keep and how to develop the right templates for your operation and certification body. This course is targeted to producers who are already organic or who are in transition to organic.

Workshop instructor is Maureen Bostock.

$50 ($45 for COG members) includes coupon for a free copy of COG's soon to be published book Record Keeping for Organic Farmers, and lunch.

Last Updated: 2010-01-15 12:58:25