Catawba Valley Farmers Market Holiday Celebration

Growers' Academy Announcement

Start Your Vegetable Production Business Today

Attend the Growers Academy for Small-Scale Vegetable and Flower Growers

Those with a dream of providing flowers and organic herbs and vegetables to the region will want to attend the Growers Academy.

The Growers Academy is an 8-week learning series offered on Tuesday nights starting January 11, 2011, from 6 – 9 pm, at the VT Roanoke Center in the Roanoke Higher Education Building in downtown Roanoke. The Growers Academy is offered through VT EarthWorks in partnership with Virginia Cooperative Extension ( http://offices.ext.vt.edu/roanoke/).

Registration for the Academy is $215 per person for the 8-week series.

You can register online at http://www.cpe.vt.edu/grac/

Registration is requested by January 5, 2011.

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As many know, it is one thing to yearn to sell your backyard’s vegetable bounty to local stores and restaurants. It’s another to master the tools of business plans, loans, and market connections.

The Growers Academy is a learning series designed to build a peer cohort to help new and transitioning vegetable production businesses succeed.

Academy topics include production planning, low-input vegetable production, soils and cover crops, pest and weed management, business plan development, rotational plantings, equipment, marketing, and more. Each weekly session is presented by subject matter experts, including successful producers. Previous participants value hearing from the “local speakers who actually work in the markets, restaurants, and farms.” Participants complete the course with a preliminary business plan for their new enterprise and are provided an opportunity to sell directly at a nearby farmers market.

If you don’t have land and still want to pursue your vegetable production dream. No worries, graduates of the Growers Academy receive a preliminary membership to VT EarthWorks and are eligible to lease land through VT EarthWorks at the Catawba Sustainability Center in Catawba, VA.

For more information, contact Christy Gabbard, Director of VT Earthworks (tel. 540-767-6114; email: cgunnels@vt.edu), or Sheri Dorn, Virginia Cooperative Extension – Roanoke (tel. 540-772-7524; email: sherid@vt.edu) for more information or to receive a Growers Academy registration form.

November 20, 2010 Botetourt Farmers' Market

John Brock will be popping kettle corn and Bob and Jannine

will be at the market this coming weekend with.....


Gluten free baked goods

Baked goods

Soy candles with essential oils

Home made jewelry

Kombucha .... made with our fruit

Beef and pork

chocolate covered pretzels

crackers

and organic eggs if the chickens decide to lay this week.

The weather's nice, so who knows who and what will turn up this Saturday.  Look for them up on the porch.

October 30, 2010 Farmers’ Market:

The pumpkin roll lady will be at the market tomorrow.

So will the pie lady. Lots of dessert and chicken pies! See you all there!
Lisa

So will Taste and See, Full Circle Farm. We will have freshly milled whole
grain breads and pizza crusts and our cozy Locally Grown Wool Hiking Socks for the cold snap. See you there!

Hello to everyone; that Kettle Corn guy will be there and will stay until closing time of the store. See you all there.

The Pickle Lady will be there also. Looking forward to seeing all of you.

Little Wasprock will be there with Sweet Potatoe Pies, banana pepper mustard, fried apple pies, fresh arugula, bok choy, beets, radishes and kale. We will also have jellies, jams and relishes - looking forward to seeing everyone!

Plus much, much more...

Botetourt Farmers Market, October 23, 2010

The Pumpkin Roll Lady will return to the market Saturday the 23rd.  I will also have reese cup dessert rolls.


John Brock will be onsite popping kettle corn.
 
There will be plenty of additional vendors under the big tent, so come out into the chilly October sunshine and join us!

October 9, 2010 Botetourt Farmers' Market

Buffalo Creek Beef:
Hey Everyone!!
I will be at market on Saturday, 10/9/10. If yall need anything special please let me know. I will have plenty of pork sausage.
Joan

The Pie Lady:
I will be back at market Saturday. With plenty of dinner and dessert pies. Hopefully some apple pies too! See you all there!

October 2, 2010 Botetourt Farmers' Market

Hi Everyone, Tomorrow at the market we are having kids' day. The Author Mark McBride, of "The Chicken and the Ice Cream" is going to be signing. We are going to have gourds donated by Gwen to let children create animals or faces using the art supplies. We will have this activity at 11:00-11:30. Hillbilly Heaven will be at the market. We will have pumpkin banana bread, apple oat bread and fried apple pies. See you tomorrow. Toni and Wayne

Little Wasprock will be at market tomorrow with beets, arugula, peppers, banana pepper mustard, pepper relish, sweet potato butter, zucchini bread and whatever else we get together by then!

September 25, 2010 Pork and Apples Day at the Botetourt Farmers' Market

The piggies are coming to the Botetourt Farmers’ Market Pork and Apples Day! Be on the lookout for them.

Donna Henderson will have pickles, pepper jelly and apple cakes.

The Molloys will be roasting and selling coffee on site -- just the thing to go with all those cakes and pies!

The Pie Lady will be at market with lots of dinner and dessert pies!

Happy Pork and Apples Day (almost)! Little Wasprock will be there tomorrow with fresh beets, fresh arugula, a few tomatoes, and peppers. We also will bring banana pepper mustard, sweet potato butter, pepper relish, pound cakes, spelt zucchini bread and apple dumplings. Looking forward to a great day!

Hillbilly Heaven: We will have Our Variety of Pickles, Jams and Dips. We will have Fresh Basil, Green Onions, Fresh Oregano, Pesto and Salsa. I will be baking Cinnamon Buns, Pumpkin Banana Bread. Our Specials for this week will be Apple Oat Bread, Fried Apple pies, Carmel Apples, Apple Chips and Carmel Apple Dip. We may have some produce. Wayne needs to check the garden.

Buffalo Creek Beef: I will be at the market tomorrow with Hot Italian Sausage links cooked with Golden Delicious apples. I tried it out this week and I think it is easy to do. See yall tomorrow

Full Circle Farm: Patrick will be there with our wonderful freshly milled whole grain breads, pizza crusts and mixes. Don't forget to buy a loaf of Milk and Honey bread to go with the wonderful apple butter that will be for sale. And we will be sending pizza crusts to enjoy with the delicious pesto offered by Toni.

John Brock will be popping kettle corn.

The Keitzers will bring organically grown pork and beef for sale.

Ellen Morrow: I'm bringing candles, dishcloths, and some habanero peppers

Pigman and his trusty sidekick will be at the grill cooking pork and apples and giving out samples. There will be an informal apple cooking demonstration at 10 a.m. and a kids’ craft demo at 10:30 related to our theme. Plus much, much more!

Come and join us!

Field to Fork

Are you a food producer looking to expand your business to include restaurants, grocery stores or even institutions?

Are you a food business looking for local meat, vegetables, cheese, wine, honey, etc... ?

Then join us for Field to Fork – Cultivating our Regional Food Network!

Field to Fork is the greater Roanoke Valley’s premier event designed to cultivate regional food networks by linking established and potential local food producers with retail, commercial, and institutional buyers.

Date: November 1, 2010
Time: 3-8 pm
Place: Claude Moore Education Complex and Dumas Center in downtown Roanoke

Who should attend?
Producers of meat, vegetables, fruit, dairy, and/or honey that want to connect with regional buyers.
Grocery stores, restaurants, institutional buyers, and schools interested in purchasing food from local producers.
Beginning farmers and new buyers are welcome.
After networking, end the evening in celebration over a delicious dinner of local food and wine prepared by the Culinary Institute at Virginia Western!

To register on line visit www.cpe.vt.edu/reg/f2f/
You can also download a registration form, agenda and directions by opening the attached pdf.

After you register, each attendee will be provided a guide describing the best way to prepare for the meeting.

Please note:
Because space is limited this event is not intended for the general public and is available to producers and buyers on a first come first served basis.

Field to Fork is brought to you by:

VT EarthWorks in collaboration with City of Salem, the Culinary Institute at Virginia Western, Ferrum College, Jamisons’ Orchard, Roanoke City, Roanoke County, Roanoke Natural Foods Cooperative, Roanoke Regional Partnership, Runner-bean.com, Town of Vinton, Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Virginia FAIRS, Virginia Tech, and Virginia Tech Roanoke Center.

If you have any questions about the event, please contact Christy Gabbard at cgunnels@vt.edu or by calling (540) 767-6114.
Thank you!


Christy Gabbard
Director, Catawba Sustainability Center &
VT EarthWorks
- accelerating land-based businesses

Outreach & International Affairs
Virginia Tech Roanoke Center
108 N. Jefferson Street, Suite 701
Roanoke VA 24016
(540) 767-6114 - office
(540) 558-8010 - mobile
(509) 355-8953 - fax

David vs. Monsanto

September 18, 2010 Botetourt Farmers' Market

Here is a preview of some of the products which will be available at the Market:

Little Wasprock will be at the market tomorrow with sweet potato butter, fresh beets, arugula, pears and peppers, banana pepper mustard, morning glory muffins relishes jams and jellies!

Haley will be selling dessert rolls at the market tomorrow, mostly Reese Cup and lemon-blueberry.

The Molloys will be roasting and selling coffee on site -- just the thing to go with all those cakes and pies!

The Pie Lady will be at market with lots of dinner and dessert pies! See you all tomorrow. Lisa

Hillbilly Heaven will be at the market with our large variety of pickles and jams. Our baked goods will be fried apple pies, apple oat bread, pumpkin banana bread, cinnamon buns,bullseye cookies with peach jam. We will also have pesto and fresh basil. I will have some green onions, yellow pear tomatoes and cherry tomatoes. Oh, we will also have our dips. Remember the holidays are just around the corner and they are great to have on hand for unexpected company or great appetizers. Hope to see you at the market!

High Tunnel Workshop

Growers will have opportunity to visit the Beahm Farm in the Hollins area of Roanoke County on October 7, 2010, and check the progress of Beahm’s high tunnel project. This is an informal, come-and-go event designed to show growers what a tunnel looks like and crops in progress. It is a great opportunity for growers considering construction of a tunnel to ask questions. Chris Mullins and Reza Raffie from VSU will be on hand to share about their experiences with tunnels and berry crops.

Please share this event announcement with your producers. There is no charge for the event and registration is not required. The event starts at 4 pm and will conclude at dark.

Thank you!

Sheri Dorn
Virginia Cooperative Extension
Agent – Agriculture and Natural Resources, Horticulture
3738 Brambleton Ave. SW
Roanoke, VA 24018-3639
Phone: 540/772-7524
FAX: 540/776-7136
Email: sherid@vt.edu
http://offices.ext.vt.edu/roanoke

What'll be at the Farmers' Market?

September 4, 2010 Farmers’ Market:

Haley will be there with fresh baked pumpkin, pineapple ,strawberry, and Reese Cup dessert rolls and yet another new one.... lemon-blueberry. Miranda Napier

Blue Ridge Vineyard will be on site with wine for tasting and buying.

The Pie Lady will be at the market tomorrow with lots of chicken and dessert pies! See you all then. It looks to be a beautiful day. Lisa

Greetings from Full Circle Farm. Patrick will represent the bakery
tomorrow with freshly milled spelt, wheat and rye breads and pizza crusts.
Be sure and get your bread for this week and next as the baker will be
taking a mental health break next weekend! We will be back in action the
week after.

The Molloys will be roasting and selling coffee on site -- just the thing to go with all those cakes and pies!

Little Wasprock will be there with fresh beets, spaghetti squash, peppers, arugula, paw paws, pound cakes, banana pepper mustard and lots of jams, jellies and relishes! See you at the Market!

It should be nice and cool tomorrow. There will be vegetables for sale as well as country crafts.

August 28, 2010 Farmers’ Market:

Greetings and Salutations from Full Circle Farm. We plan to have freshly
milled whole wheat, spelt and rye breads and the market. Along with some
wonderful pizza crusts, perfect for those end of summer tomatoes and some
fresh cheese. See you at the market! Ginger and the family

Miranda will be there with fresh baked pumpkin, pineapple ,strawberry, and Reese Cup dessert rolls and yet another new one.... lemon-blueberry

Terra Prima Farm will be there with Eggs, Quiche & Herb Blends!

Little Wasprock will be there with PEARS, pear preserves, spelt and regular zucchini bread, banana pepper mustard, jams, jellies and relishes! We also will have tomatoe pies, as well as fresh peppers. See you all there!

The Molloys will be roasting coffee beans.

The Pie Lady will be there with the 8 different varieties of chicken pies and chocolate pecan and maple pecan pies.

This weeks menu is our usual pickles and jams, our version of chow chow at it's best. Fried apple pies, giant cinnamon buns, if I get to it pumpkin banana bread. We are also offering fresh Salsa! So get out your chips and see you in the morning! Toni and Wayne

John Brock will be popping kettle corn and making change!

We always have a few produce vendors who show up with whatever’s in the garden.

That all sounds pretty intriguing, so if you want to find out all the great stuff that came to the market on Saturday you’ll need to be there bright and early -- under the big, new tent!

Egg Recall Drives Worried Customers to Farmers Markets

Published on Tuesday, August 24, 2010 by MSNBC

Small egg farms across the U.S. report selling out as recall grows
by JoNel Aleccia

Jackie Dearing of Bloomington, Ill., sold all of her 50 dozen eggs at the local farmers market on Saturday, including carton after carton to new customers worried about a large and growing salmonella scare linked to millions of grocery store eggs.

"Almost everybody who came to our booth mentioned it," said Dearing, whose family runs Dearing Country Farms, a small-scale meat and poultry business. "Anytime something like this happens, people think a lot more about where their food comes from."

As a recall of more than 550 million eggs tied to two industrial manufacturers widens , small egg farmers across the United States are echoing Dearing's experience. Sales of eggs at farmers markets, co-operatives and roadside stands reportedly spiked over the weekend as news of the outbreak linked to at least 1,300 illnesses reached shoppers.

"I think this is the consumer's way of saying, ‘Until this blows over, I'll get my eggs from another source,'" said Susan S. Joy, general manager of the Nebraska Poultry Industries, an agency based in Lincoln, Neb., that represents all branches of the turkey and egg industry including both small growers and large farms.

At a farmer's market in Redmond, Wash., Sue Martinell of Sky Valley Family Farm sold out of 80 dozen chicken eggs on Saturday, leaving only duck eggs to buy.

Customers lined up for eggs at stalls at the Inner Sunset Farmers Market in San Francisco from the time the market opened until they sold out, said Elizabeth Howe, regional manager of the Pacific Coast Farmer's Market Association.

"People are realizing that it's not the safest decision to buy eggs shipped from huge factory farms in the Midwest, where traceability and accountability is limited," she said. "At the farmers' market, you can shake the hand of the farmer who collected your egg that morning and I think that is much more reassuring."

Across the country, in Arlington, Minn., customers at Bar-5-Meat and Poultry wiped out a supply of 165 dozen eggs by 11 a.m., said owner John Wemeier.

"Instead of buying one dozen eggs they were buying two dozen to three dozen," he said. "It looked to me like they were kind of stocking up."

It's a trend that could well increase as federal officials struggle to identify the source and scope of the massive recall. U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Margaret Hamburg on Monday said that it could take weeks or months to complete investigations now centering on two Iowa farms, Wright County Egg and Hillandale Farms. The firms share suppliers of chickens and feed as well as ties to an Iowa business with a history of violations.

In the meantime, mom-and-pop producers could step in, said Karen Blakeslee, a food scientist with the Kansas State University Research and Extension Service.

"This is making consumers more leery of what's happening with the big manufacturers," Blakeslee said. "I think the small farmers are really going to pick up business."

At least one official with the egg industry cautioned consumers to put the issue in perspective. Krista Eberle, director of food safety programs for the Egg Safety Center and the United Egg Producers, said that the recall of 550 million eggs affects only a fraction of the 80 billion eggs produced in the U.S. each year.

"It may seem like a lot of eggs, but it's actually less than 1 percent," said Eberle, noting that non-recalled eggs are safe to eat.

That argument might not sit well with shoppers like those who flocked to buy eggs at the Willy Street Co-op in Madison, Wis., said Lyn Olson, director of the store's cooperative services.

"Over and over I heard, ‘Thank God I already buy organic.'"

© 2010 MSNBC

August 21, 2010 Botetourt Farmers' Market

John Brock will be at the Botetourt Farmers’ Market tomorrow popping kettle corn on site.

Miranda will be at the market 8/21 with freshly baked dessert rolls. Pumpkin, pineapple, strawberry and peach-carmel pecan.

Little Wasprock will be at the Market with Tomato Pies, spelt zucchini bread, banana pepper mustard, peppers, pickles, relishes, jams. jellies and maybe, just maybe, fried apple pies! See you all there!

Terra Prima Farm will be there with Eggs, Personal size Crustless Quiche and Herbs!

Patrick will be representing Full Circle Farm with freshly milled whole
wheat, spelt and rye breads and pizza crusts and granola. See you at the
market!

The Molloys will be roasting coffee beans.

Hillbilly Heaven will be there with surprises.

Bill Shaver has been shrimp fishing. "Jumbo, (swimming in the Pamlico Sound Thursday night) Head on Shrimp in a limited amount.
And whatever grew while I was away"

The pie lady will be at market with lots of chicken and dessert pies.

We always have a few meat and produce vendors who show up with whatever’s available.

That all sounds pretty intriguing, so if you want to find out all the great stuff that came to the market on Saturday you’ll need to be there bright and early -- under the big, new tent!

August 14th Farmers' Market

The Botetourt Farmers' Market has a new tent, courtesy of Ikenberry's, so vendors and shoppers will have some cover from rain and sun.

Some of our members attended the Food Expo yesterday, so may be a little fatigued. No advance notifications of who was bringing what came over the wire, so it will just have to be "potluck."

We will likely have a "Big Tent Event" next weekend. Stay tuned and happy shopping!

Food Expo

Botetourt Family Farms will be participating in the Taste of the Roanoke Valley Food Expo from 4 - 8 p.m. on Friday, August 13th at the Daleville Town Center.

We are providing a gift basket assortment of our members' produce, baked goods, canned goods, soap, and coupons for vendor items.

Tickets are $3.00 each (children 12 and under can attend for free with a paying adult) and are available by calling the Botetourt Extension Office at 473-8260.

How Did that Get on My Plate 3?

Botetourt Farm and Equine Facilities Tour

Friday, August 20, 2010, 8:00 a.m. – 3 p.m.

A charter bus will provide transportation for participants from one location to the next. Space is limited, first come, first serve! Please RSVP by August 11, 2010, 540/473-8260.

An educational opportunity for non-producers. Join us for a tour of some of the local
farms in Botetourt County. This will be an informative learning experience to understand and see how farms operate and why they are so very important in the community.

Facilities to be toured:
8:00 am – 8:30 am Registration at Lord Botetourt High School, Daleville
9:15 am – 10:30 am Amethyst Acres Equine Center
10:50 am – 11:50 am
12 pm – 1:00 pm Lunch
1:00 pm – 2:30 pm Solitude Farm

No Cost!! Come and enjoy a day on the farm. RSVP is a must!

Registration will begin at 8:00 a.m. at Lord Botetourt High School. The charter bus will leave and return to this location. Park your vehicle here. Lunch will be provided.

To RSVP or questions, please call Cassie Driskill, ANR Extension Agent, VCE –
Botetourt Office, 540/473-8260.

If you are a person with a disability and require any auxiliary aids, services or other accommodations for this tour, please discuss your accommodation needs with Cassie Driskill at 473-8260 five (5) days prior to the meeting.

Sponsored by: Botetourt County Farm Bureau, The Bank of Fincastle,
Farm Credit and Tractor Supply

What's at the Market?

August 7, 2010 Farmers’ Market:

The Pie Lady will be there with the usual chicken pies and Maple and Chocolate Pecans.

The Molloys will be roasting coffee beans.

The pickle lady is coming with pickles, pepper jelly, tomatoes, pecan pies and apple cakes. See you in the morning.

Greetings from Full Circle Farm! Patrick will represent the bread lady
tomorrow with our freshly milled whole wheat and spelt breads, pizza
crusts, 4-grain pancake mix and spelt brownie mix. Don't forget your Milk
and Honey Bread to make the ultimate in fresh tomato sandwiches. We hope to have grass-finished lamb in a few weeks!

Little Wasprock is out of town this week - but hello to everyone and a great market day tomorrow!

Greetings! Terra Prima Farm will have Eggs, Herbs & Personal Size Quiche available this week.

Windy Hill will be there with Chocolate cherries, NO not candy but Chocolate cherry tomatoes, better than the candy

We will also have Sugar baby watermelons grown in Billy's Magic Dirt!

and whatever is out there in the garden in the mornin



There will be plenty more surprises, as usual, so come on out and join us!

July 31, 2010 Farmers’ Market:

Little Wasprock will be at the Market with tomato pies, spelt zucchini bread, pound cake and thunder cake (made with a bit of tomato!). We will also have pesticide free vegetables - tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, squash, zucchini and beets. Canned goods will include fresh dill pickles and squash relish and an assortment of jams, jellies and other pickles! See ya tomorrow!

The Molloys will be roasting coffee beans.

Randy Deel will be there with produce.

Terra Prima Farm will be there with eggs and lots of other stuff!

Tomato and Summer Squash Ragout

July 24, 2010 Botetourt Farmers' Market

Miranda Napier will be at the market tomorrow. I will have the usual....pumpkin, pineapple, strawberry, peach caramel-pecan dessert rolls

Patrick will be representing Full Circle Farm at Ikenberry's tomorrow with
freshly milled whole wheat and spelt breads and pizza crusts.

Little Wasprock will be there with TOMATO PIES, spelt zucchini bread, tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, squash, zucchini, cucumbers and the last of the fresh beets. We also will have a variety of pickles, relishes, jams and jellies!

Donna Henderson plans to be there with pickles, pepper jelly, and possibly some baked goods.

The Molloys will be roasting coffee beans.

Randy Deel will be there with produce.

Terra Prima Farm will be there with fresh eggs, dried herbs and quiche.

Bill Shaver: "I will have big tomatoes, really big cukes,eggs and whatever is out there in the mornin'"

Presentation on July 20th at 11 a.m.

Please join us…

If you are interested in Landcare as an international movement, you may want to consider joining us tomorrow to greet Dr. Pal Singh, who has been involved with the expansion of Landcare through South Asia.

Dr. Virendra Pal Singh, South Asian representative for the International Centre for Research in Agroforestry (ICRAF) will be discussing the opportunities and benefits of integrating forestry and agricultural production for rural community development in his presentation “From the Ground Up: Innovative Approaches and Good Practices for Sustainable Livelihoods.”

The presentation will be held on Tuesday, July 20th from 11am to noon at the International Affairs Offices (526 Prices Fork Rd) in Meeting Room A. The presentation is open to the public at no cost.

After completing a PhD program in soil science at the University of the Philippines at Los Baños, Dr. Singh worked with the International Rice Research Institute until 2002 as an agronomist and handled a major rice research and development program in Eastern India. Beginning in 2003, he undertook the establishment of ICRAF’s Regional Office for South Asia, developing a research protocol for the South Asia Region. He has consulted on several agroforestry and agronomy projects for the World Bank, FAO, IFAD, and other regional, national, and international organizations.

We hope you will be able to join us for this fascinating discussion with Dr. Singh. Please direct any questions to Courtney Kimmel at cekimmel@vt.edu.

July 17, 2001 Farmers’ Market

Miranda Napier says, “I'm getting a break from baseball.... I will be at the market tomorrow with a NEW dessert roll. "Peachy-carmel" I will also bring the usual strawberry, pumpkin and pineapple rolls.”

Lisa Helmick says, “The pie lady will also be there with the usual.”

Anna Wilson, of White Oak Dairy says, “I will be there with goat cheese and goat milk soap.”

Toni Weaver, of Hillbilly Heaven, says, “We will be there tomorrow with our Pickles, Jams, Relishes. We will have Zucchini Pasta with a recipe, One of our cheesecake dips, Salad Cucumbers, Pickling Cucumbers and whatever we pull from the garden this evening.”

Ginger Hillery, of Full Circle Farm says: “Patrick will be representing our family farm tomorrow with freshly milled whole grain breads and pizza crusts.”

Donna Henderson says, “The pickle lady is coming but must leave by 12:00 in order to make a softball game in Salem,”

There will be additional vendors with produce and eggs and ??? (Who knows what might turn up!)

‘See you there.

June 10, 2010 Botetourt Farmers' Market

Hillbilly Heaven will be at the market this week bringing all the favorite Pickles we had last year. We have added new Mustard Pickles, 1000 Island Pickles, Bread and Butter Pickles, Crisp Dills, Squash Pickles and Relish. We will have Yellow Squash, Zucchini and Pickling Cucumbers to sell this week. I have an abundance of Pickling Cukes as I'm not able to keep up with the canning. Trying my bestest!!! Just a reminder: we are not preparing any baked goods just yet, as we are still preparing our supply of Pickles for the season. Thank you for your patience and understanding. Lookin' forward to seeing you all Saturday. Wayne and Toni

Phil will be at the Farmer's Market Saturday July 10th. He will have berries to sell and also his Grandma's berry cake to sample. See you there, Phil and Christy Stoker

Taste and See from Full Circle Farm will be at the market with freshly
milled whole wheat and spelt breads and pizza crusts. See you there!

Little Wasprock will be there with fresh vegetables - squash, zucchini, beets, and a few cherry tomatoes. We will also have an assortment of relishes - pickle, squash, zucchini and beet - as well as jam, jelly, lime pickles, spelt zucchini bread and maybe some blackberry muffins. See you all tomorrow - stay cool!

The Pickle Lady will be there Saturday with pickles and pepper jelly and maybe some baked items.

Hello Everyone. I plan to set up at the market tomorrow. I will be poppin' kettle corn and enjoying the good weather with my friends of the Botetourt Farmers Market. John Brock

The pie lady will be there with the usual. (Uh, that would be delicious chicken pies and dessert pies.)

Bill Shaver of Windy Hill Farm will have bags of Billy's super soil, cucumbers (Armenian cucumber, the ones WSLS TV showed on Thurs. morning that they don't know what they are, "I DO") One is 30 " long and 12" around and are tasty. I will also have some Brussels sprouts, Swiss chard with recipes and 1 tomato, but it sure is pertty. ...and eggs.

Randy Deel and Ed Collins will be there with produce and homegrown mushrooms.

John Deacon: I should have 10-12 dozen eggs tomorrow, but I doubt they'll last long. I've been baking, so I will be bringing banana bread, zucchini bread, pumpkin bread, and cranberry-orange bread.

Agritourism Symposium

Register now for the next Agritourism symposium . . .

Your agritourism partners . . . Virginia Cooperative Extension, Virginia Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services (VDACS), and Virginia Tourism Corporation in partnership with Franklin Southampton Economic Development, Inc. are pleased to announce

Agritourism: It’s More Than a Farm Tour

Thursday, August 26, 2010

Southhampton Agriculture Museum

26315 Heritage Rd, Courtland, VA 23837-1209

10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The symposium is free but you must register . . .

To register contact Teisha Evans at the Southampton County Virginia Cooperative Extension office, by Friday, August 20, 2010, by calling 757.653.2572 or by email at tevans71@vt.edu.

Program includes . . .

Defining Virginia’s Agritourism/Agritainment.................................................... LeAnne Dubois

Virginia Department Agriculture and Consumer Services

Developing the Idea and Managing the Liability

Martha A. Walker, Ph.D., Virginia Cooperative Extension

Clay Francis, Virginia Farm Bureau

Marketing Strategies & Virginia’s SOLs............................................................... Sandra Tanner

Lunch . . . Sponsored by Hubs Peanuts

Electronic Marketing.............................................................................................. Theresa Nartea

Virginia Cooperative Extension

Customer Service: Over-the-Top Strategies ....................................... Martha Walker, Ph.D

Virginia Cooperative Extension

Brags & Blunders................................................... Southampton Outfitters, Mark Pope (invited)

Bruce Phillips Farms (invited)

Museum Tour by Linda Updike

July 3, 2001 Farmers’ Market:

Hillbilly Heaven will be at the market on Saturday. We will not have any Baked Goods this week. Our pickles are coming in way too fast. We are busy canning to bring the many requested pickles to the customers. We will have produce, Pickles, Jams our Dips and Black-eyed Susan perennial plants. See you there!

Donna Henderson, the Pickle Lady will be there with pickles and pepper jam.

Randy Deel will be there with vegetables and homegrown mushrooms.

Windy Hill, will be there with eggs, Beets, red cabbage, carrots, Brussels sprouts and some cucumbers. Also anything else that is ready to go when I get to the garden in the mornin See You There

The Molloy Coffee Company will be roasting coffee on site and will also have breads from Full Circle Farm on their table.

There are usually a few surprises each Saturday as well, like fancy baked goods, so come out and experience the Botetourt Farmers’ Market!

Chocolate Dipped Strawberries

June 26, 2010 Botetourt Farmers' Market

Buffalo Creek Beef will be at the market on Saturday with a variety of BCB products. I will also have brisket samples to give out for all to enjoy. I will not be at the market on the weekend of the 4th. See everyone on Saturday. Thanks Joan.

The Pickle Lady will be at Ikenberry's Sat with pickles and pepper jelly.

Full Circle Farm will be at Ikenberry's this Saturday with freshly milled
whole wheat and spelt goodies: pizza crusts, milk and honey bread,
baguette, seedy loaf and some of our mixes. Be sure and preorder if you
would like us to hold anything for you!

Hillbilly Heaven will be at the market on Saturday. Our pickles are starting to come back. We have Fresh made Sweet and Dills. By many requests we will have Freshly made Peach Jam and Orange Hot Pepper Jam. Our Bulls-Eye Cookies with Peach Jam as requested. Zucchini Bread, Lavender Coffee Cake ( For those that didn't get any last week, we made it again this week) and Strudels. Large : ) and small zucchini, yellow squash, beets and I have some perennial Black eyed Susan plants. See you at Ikenberry's.

Pie lady will also be there with usual pies

White Oak Dairy will be there with semi-soft goat cheese and also marinated chevre.
-Anna Wilson

Little Wasprock will be there with eggs, squash, beets, zucchini bread, raspberry muffins, raspberry jelly, cherry jam, sweet pickle relish, squash relish and whatever else I can whip up today! Look forward to seeing everyone!

Randy Deel will be there with vegetables and homegrown mushrooms.

There are usually a few surprises each Saturday as well, like freshly roasted coffee beans and fancy baked goods and additional produce, so come out and experience the Botetourt Farmers’ Market!

It Was a Very Lavender Day!

Thanks to all who participated, vendors, demonstrators, and customers.

A special thanks to Toni Weaver, who coordinated the event and put lavender ribbons on just about everything!

June 19, 2001 Farmers’ Market:

Hillbilly Heaven will be there with Lavender Coffee Cake of course, Apple Oat Bread, Cinnamon Buns, Strudels, Bulls-Eye Cookies, green beans (First of the Season) Lavender Dryer sachets, Lavender Soap ( From Brambleberry Farm ), our delightful Dips and Lavender Helium Balloons. Also, whatever else I'm forgetting to list. I'll have my Lavender shirt on too! Toni and Wayne

The Pickle Lady, Donna Henderson, will be there with pickles and pepper jelly.

Pie Lady will be there with chicken pies, chocolate-pecan pies, maple pecan pies and fresh homemade cherry pies.

We will be there with beets, squash, eggs, spelt zucchini bread with and without flax seeds, pickled beets, cucumber relish and cherry jam! Looking forward to lavender day! Amy et al from Little Wasprock Farm.

Binky and Boris, baby goat guys from Brambleberry Farm, will be standing in for the baby lambs promised. The lambs cannot attend, due to a prior engagement, and the boys will do their best to charm and entertain you. They were raised on bottles, so they think they are special and relate well to human attention! So, if you’ve ever wondered what goats are like up close and personal, this is your chance to find out.

Pigman will be there with the mascot chicken and we will take submissions for the “name the chicken contest.” He’ll bring some produce, too.
 
Ellen Morrow will have lavender, sage, and apple mint. And lavender candles, of course :)

Randy Deel will have plenty of vegetables and some homegrown mushrooms.

Gret Kidd will be demonstrating lavender wand making.
 
'See you there.

What Do You Think of These Designs?

Here are a couple of ideas for a logo to go on mugs and/or T-shirts.  Reactions?

June 12, 2001 Botetourt Farmers' Market

I have it on good authority that you will find a variety of produce and eggs at the market on Saturday morning.  Last week there were cherries, homegrown oyster mushrooms, cabbage, sugar snap peas, lamb, eggs...

 The Pie Lady will be there, with delicious chicken pies.

White Oak Dairy will be there with plain and garlic cheese and goat milk soap.

Bill Shaver, Windy Hill Farm, will be there with chopped cabbage, sugar snap peas, Vidalia onions, salad mix with a Vidalia onion, some kale and beets

oh yea! and the pet rescue chicken who will be named at lavender day by the kids.

Do you have produce/eggs/meat to sell?

Botetourt Farmers Market

is now accepting applications for 2010 season
$10.00 gets you membership for the year and the right to sell
every Saturday or on occasional Saturdays and Wednesdays.

There is an online application form -- look to the right of this post, or stop in at Ikenbery's and request a form and a copy of the Vendor Rules. 

June 5, 2001 Farmers’ Market Offerings

Miranda Napier will be there with pumpkin, strawberry, pineapple and carrot cake rolls.

Little Wasprock Farm will be there with spinach, lettuce, eggs and fresh cherry jam!

Bill Shaver is bringing chopped cabbage, vadilia onions, swiss chard, sugar snaps, mixed lettuces, rhubarb, kale, and red cabbage.

The Molloy Coffee Company will be roasting coffee and will also have some nice lettuce for sale.

Patrick will be representing Full Circle Farm at Ikenberry's tomorrow.
He will have our freshly milled whole wheat and spelt breads, mixes and
pizza crusts. He will also have pastured pork. If you wish for any
particular cuts, email me this evening or tomorrow morning by 6am. If you
wish for any fresh stone ground flour to do your own baking place your

order this evening.

Hillbilly Heaven will be there with some baked goods, jams, spices and our new dip mixes.

See you at the market-rain or shine!

Fresh Pea Salad

May 29, 2001 Farmers’ Market

Some of this week's featured vendors:


Full Circle Farm will be at Ikenberry's with freshly milled whole grain breads, pizza crusts and mixes. Let's hope for great market weather!

The Molloy Coffee Company will be there to roast coffee. They’re bringing some lettuce, too!

Bill Shaver will bring lettuces, mesclun mix, herbs and broccoli. Oh -- and a little rescue hen, which should be a big hit with the kids.

Look for us up on the porch!

Cherry Clafoutis Recipe

May 22, 2001 Farmers’ Market:

The Pie Lady, Lisa Helmick, will be at the Market this Saturday with her delicious chicken pies.

Miranda Napier will be there with pumpkin, strawberry, carrot and pineapple rolls.

The Molloy’s are taking a break for a week. They’ll be back for the next market.

Anna Wilson, the goat cheese maker, will be with us again this season, starting next Saturday.

John Brock will be popping that delicious kettle corn on site. Try some, it’s addictive!

Brambleberry Farm is taking a well deserved rest.

Patrick will be representing Full Circle Farm tomorrow, with freshly milled whole grain breads and mixes along with pastured pork and lamb.

We’ll see you there!

May 15, 2001 Farmers’ Market

The Pie Lady, Lisa Helmick, will be at the Market this Saturday with her delicious chicken pies.

Miranda Napier will be there with pumpkin, strawberry, and pineapple rolls.

The Molloy’s: we are planning on having garden lettuce and spinach- with more as the growing season progresses. I will also have the coffee roaster again for on-site and fresh roasted coffee. Jim and Amy

John Brock will be popping that delicious kettle corn on site. Try some, it’s addictive!

Brambleberry Farm will bring some asparagus, chard, kale, peanut butter cookies, oatmeal raisin cookies and eggs, including goose eggs. I’ll also have Full Circle Farm’s freshly milled whole grain baked goods, mixes and stone ground flours at my table this week, as they have a prior commitment.


We’ll see you there!

Roasted Asparagus

First Official Market Day of 2010: May 8th Market Offerings

We'll be on the porch at Ikenberry's:

Full Circle Farm: We will be there, or rather, Patrick will be there representing Full Circle
Farm, Botetourt, with freshly milled whole grain baked goods, mixes and
stone ground flours. We will also have pork and lamb.

And I haven't had the opportunity to thank everyone, and this is by no
means all conclusive or official or anything, but I do want to say that we
are so very grateful for you guys, for your kindness, your support, your
gifts, your prayers. Thank you.

Ginger and the kids


Miranda Napier will be there with baked goods, including her “world famous” pumpkin roll.

The Molloy’s: we are planning on having garden lettuce and spinach- with more as the growing season progresses. I will also have the coffee roaster again for on-site and fresh roasted coffee.

jim and amy

Brambleberry will bring some asparagus and eggs.

There will be free “Virginia Grown” reuseable shopping bags given away free (one to a customer) on a “first come, first served” basis.

The growing season is just beginning, so we're just starting to gear up.  We’ll see you there!

Pictures from Flavors of the Field

Flavors of the Field

May 1st, 2010, 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

A kickoff for the 2010 Botetourt Growing Season!

294 Haymakertown Road

Tickets $5.00, children ten and under free

Music by GRASS MONKEY

Lunch available by
 THE PIGMAN BARBEQUE

Fincastle Winery

Virginia Mountain Vineyards

Blue Ridge Vineyards

Botetourt Farmers Market Vendors

---------------

Sponsored by IKENBERRY ORCHARDS

The Botetourt Farmers' Market will be at the Ikenberry Farm on May 1st and will resume on Saturdays at our regular location at Ikenberry's the following Saturday and every Saturday during the Market Season.  So, come on down to Haymakertown road this coming Saturday .  Meet your neighbors.  Sample wines from our Botetourt wineries.  Have a pleasant Saturday afternoon among the apple blossoms.

April 24, 2010 Botetourt Farmers' Market

Look for us up on the porch (so everyone stays dry)!

There'll be all sorts of baked goods, eggs, greens, asparagus...

Happy Spring from the Blue Ridge Poultry Coop!

Happy Spring from the Blue Ridge Poultry Coop!


I'm so excited to tell you that we're ready to process our first batch of pasture raised, all natural chicken for your family to enjoy! We have two upcoming processing dates:

Saturday, April 24th and Saturday, May 8th.

Chickens will be available whole, fresh for pick up on the farm from 4:00pm-6:00pm on the processing days. Please bring a cooler with ice if you'll be traveling far.

Chickens will again be $3.00/lb. We will also have fresh eggs available for $3.00/dozen. We accept cash and check.

Please email or call with the number of chickens you'd like to reserve.

We're excited to get the season underway and see you all on the farm again!

Please call or email with any questions you have. A confirmation email will be sent with directions to the farm.

Thanks!

Angie and Patricia

www.blueridgepoultrycoop.com

966-0158

Market Offerings for Saturday, April 17, 2010

We're starting out slowly and will be on the porch:

Mountain Myst Soap Works will be at the market with soaps, lotions, and etc.

Ellen Morrow:  I'll be there with the first snippings of herbs this spring. There will be chives, garlic chives, spicy oregano, sage, and catnip! I will also have a few candles and some handknitted dishcloths.

Mini Blessings Farm: Earl and I will be bringing a variety of Freshly Milled Whole Grain Breads as well as a good variety of sweet breads. We will have Free Range Eggs. We will have jams, jellies, etc. We will be offering fudges, and cookies. Come and see, it is early, but we still have a wide variety of things to offer. It is good to be back, we'll look forward to seeing you there!

Brambleberry Farm will bring asparagus, rhubarb, kale, chard, bread & butter pickles, lemon pound cakes, chicken and goose eggs.

If you're craving those first fresh vegetables of the season, come by and join us!

Market Offerings for Saturday, April 10, 2010

We're starting out slowly and will be either on the porch or in the parking lot:

Mini Blessings Farm: Earl and I will be bringing, home canned jams, jellys, apple butter, etc. We will also have freshly milled whole grain breads,pita bread, and sandwich flat buns. I am also making candy. I will have some crafts geared toward babies.

Bill Shaver is bringing collards and eggs.


Brambleberry Farm will bring asparagus, turnips, turnip greens, rhubarb, kale, chicken and goose eggs.

If you're craving those first fresh vegetables of the season, come by and join us!

Organic Family Dairies Being Crushed by Rogue Factory Farms

Farmers Appeal to OMB, President Obama for Justice

WASHINGTON - January 25 - Family farmers from around the country, who produce organic milk, are petitioning president Obama, and the White House's Office of Management and Budget (OMB), for the swift adoption of new strict rulemaking that will rein in the abuses of a handful of factory farms they claim are violating both the spirit and letter of the federal organic law.

The pending rewrite of the organic livestock standards, with an emphasis on assuring compliance with provisions that require that ruminants, like dairy cows, be grazed, is currently under review at OMB, where the administration is being heavily lobbied by industrial farming interests to water down the rules.

To meet the explosive growth in the organic industry, over the last five years, a number of large industrial dairies, milking as many as 7200 cows, have exploited the stellar reputation that organic dairy products have earned in the eyes of consumers who are looking for safer and more nutritious food for their families.

"With the flattening of demand for organic food, these giant dairies have flooded the market with cheap milk that is now crushing the family farmers who have built this industry," said Mark Kastel, Senior Farm Policy Analyst at The Cornucopia Institute. "These CAFOs (concentrated animal feeding operations) are anathema to organic consumers investing in a more environmentally sensitive approach to food production and humane animal husbandry. Ironically, one of the reasons they are willing to pay extra for organic milk is they think that the farmers who produce it are being fairly treated."

The current surplus of organic milk, caused by factory farms, has forced prices down for family farmers. Sadly, there have been reports around the country of a number of suicides of both conventional and organic dairy producers. Some organic farmers are now facing foreclosure, a stark contrast to the economic promise of organics over the past two decades of growth.

Organic farmers are particularly resentful of two corporate players that heavily lobbied the USDA during both the Bush and Obama administrations, attempting to weaken regulatory language that requires dairy cows to be managed in a way that promotes their natural instinctive behaviors, including grazing on open pastures rather than spending most of their lives confined in barns and dirt feedlots.

The largest villain, in the eyes of dairy farmers, is Aurora Dairy. The $100 million corporation owns five "factory farms," managing thousands of cows each, in arid regions of Texas and Colorado. Owning its own manufacturing plant, Aurora packages and ships milk for sale as storebrand products at Wal-Mart and a number of leading supermarket chains. Aurora's factory farm milk reaches every corner of this country, undercutting ethical farmers and their marketing partners.

"Although the president of Aurora Dairy, Mark Retzloff, has heavily contributed to the Democratic Party, President Obama, and Tom Vilsack, former Iowa governor who is now USDA Secretary, we trust that the current administration will focus on the suspect practices of his company rather than their past financial and political support," Kastel stated.

In what has been described as the largest scandal in the history of the organic industry, in 2007, the USDA found that Aurora had "willfully" violated 14 tenets of the federal organic law including confining their animals, instead of grazing, and bringing illegal conventional cows into their factory farm operations.

The Bush administration let Aurora off without a cent in fines, instead placing the company on a one-year probation. Since then, 19 class-action lawsuits by consumers, charging Aurora with consumer fraud, has been working its way through the federal court system.

More disturbing to many organic consumers and farmers alike, especially in California, is the revelation that a previously respected and popular organic brand, Straus Dairy, has actively partnered with Aurora in attempting to scuttle enforcement of the pasture requirements for organic cattle under evaluation by the OMB.

"Albert Straus has repeatedly stated in public, and now is petitioning the Obama administration, claiming that it's impossible in his environment, north of San Francisco, to comply with the new proposed federal requirements for pasturing his cattle," said certified organic dairy producer John Mattos, who farms about 10 miles further north of the Straus operation in Sonoma County. Mattos is a member-owner of Organic Valley, a cooperative of family farmers that competes with Straus.

Mattos purposely chose to milk Jerseys, and Jersey crossbreeds, instead of the more productive and more common Holsteins, because they thrive when grazing in more marginal areas. "I graze 5 1/2 months a year, my cows are outside year round, I have no problems with the proposed standards," Mattos affirmed.

There were no cows out on pasture at the Straus dairy when it was observed by Kastel when he visited the Straus operation, and other area dairy farms, in 2008.

"It is grossly unfair that just a handful of dairies, for selfish reasons, are trying to derail strict enforcement," said Bob Camozzi, an organic farmer who also ships his milk to Clover Stornetta, another local North Coast California dairy brand.

"Our farmers are committed to maximizing pasture consumption by our cattle due to the economic benefits, the profoundly positive impact it has on the health of the animals and the superior nutrients that are contained in pasture-based organic milk," Camozzi explained.

Meeting with and lobbying the OMB in Washington, along with Aurora, is not the first time Albert Straus has angered other members of the organic dairy community by speaking against strict enforcement of organic dairy regulations.

"Albert has portrayed his brand as coming from his small family farm. But as his brand succeeded and grew in the marketplace, he apparently added too many cows to be grazed on the available land he owns and then he further grew his operation by buying from other area farmers," said Tony Azevedo, a San Joaquin Valley dairyman and president of the Western Organic Dairy Producers Alliance. "It's a shame that he chooses not to pasture on a regular basis."

"It would be a national scandal, as some of us face losing our farms due to the industrial dairy scofflaws, if the Obama administration sides with the ‘bad actors' in our industry," affirmed Bruce Drinkman, an organic dairy farmer from Glenwood City, Wisconsin, who milks 55 cows. "We are in dire financial straits because of the same kind of unethical competition from factory farms that put so many of our conventional neighbors out of business. We need the President and the USDA on our side!"
 -------------------------------------
Seeking economic justice for the family-scale farming community. Through research, advocacy, and economic development our goal is to empower farmers - partnered with consumers - in support of ecologically produced local, organic and authentic food.

-- From the Cornucopia Institute

Workshop in Lexington

Thursday, March 25 - Growth Opportunities for the Local and Regional Food Economy, 7:00 – 9:00 pm at Washington & Lee’s Elrod Commons Room 214. The workshops will include information about the following topics:


Growth Opportunities for the Local and Regional Food Economy

Emerging Institutional and Regional Markets

Financing Growth for Community Farm and Food Enterprises

A Perspective from a Local Farm and Food Entrepreneur and Business Owner

Networking Opportunity

Up-to-date information and an excellent networking opportunity for farm and food entrepreneurs and business owners. For more information and to register contact Eric S. Bendfeldt, Extension Specialist, Virginia Cooperative Extension: Phone (540) 432-6029 Cell (540) 383-5393 Fax (540) 432-6251

Email ebendfel@vt.edu

2010 Botetourt Farmers' Market Season Starting

Hello to all. It's time to let you all know that the market will start up gradually at Ikenberry's in Daleville. You can expect to start seeing farmer/vendors on the porch in early April, or even through the end of March if the weather is nice.

Naturally, there isn't much produce available yet, but there should be eggs, baked goods, canned goods, and soap.

We are having a big Market "kick-off" on May the 1st. It will take place on that morning at the Ikenberry's 230 year-old cabin on one of the farms where they grow apples and pumpkins. We are hoping that the apple trees will be in bloom.

Farmer/Vendors, including all three Botetourt County wineries will be there with goods to sell and/or contact information and lists of available goods for sale.

Tickets for the event are $5.00. You can contact a farmer in the group or stop in at Ikenberry's. There will be a band: Grass Monkey. Dogtown Pizza will be there.

This is a lovely setting for a laid-back celebration of Spring from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.

This year, we hope that the Botetourt Farmers' Market will grow. The Ikenberry's are building us a permanent roofed market structure at the store and we'll continue our 8 a.m. - (roughly) 1 p.m. schedule starting May 7th and through the market season.

We hope to see you there.  By the way, we are accepting vendor applications from farmers in Botetourt County and locations up to 50 miles from our boundaries.  We require contact information and a membership fee of $10.00 ANNUALLY for the privilege of selling at the market.  Our vendors must be producers, rather than re-sellers and certify that any non-food items have been produced on their farms or at their homes with locally produced materials.

We've purposely kept the cost low for the farmers and do not charge any weekly fees for participation.  You'll find a link to the application on this blog and on our BFF website.  Alternatively, if you stop in at Ikenberry's someone can direct you to a contact to request a paper copy of the Vendor application.  We also welcome community non-producer members who are interested in promoting and supporting the market.

Come join us if you are interested in healthy, locally produced food.

Chesapeake Bay-Friendly Horse Farm Project Seminar

Friday, March 26, 2010; 9am - 2:30pm

Registration from 9am - 9:30am

Virginia Horse Center, 487 Maury River Road, Lexington, VA 24450

$10 (includes lunch, refreshments, and materials)

Please send registration form (below) and a check for $10/person to

Mountain SWCD

PO Box 310

Warm Springs, VA 24484

This event is cosponsored by the Mountain, Mountain Castles, and Natural Bridge SWCD and the Upper James River RC&D

Pre-registration is required; closing date for registration is March 18, 2010

$1 refund if you bring your own mug for drinks!

Directions:

From the South: I-81 North to Exit 191. Proceed on I-64 West 1/2 mile to Exit 55. Turn right on Route 11 North, and immediately left on Route 39 West. The Virginia Horse Center is one mile ahead on the left.

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Name(s): _________________________________________ Date: / /

Address: __________________________________________________________

City: ______________________ State: _____ Zip Code: _____________

Phone: ( ) - Email: ___________________________________

County: ______________________________ # of people attending: ________

Meet the Farmer TV

You can access the series by clicking here.

This is an informative series made in Virginia for farmers and consumers.

Field to Fork: Meet and Greet

March 13th from 1-3 pm

Catawba Community Center

Growers/producers are invited to showcase their goods to the Catawba Community and to area chefs.

There is no cost to attend.

Catawba Landcare and the Catawba Sustainability Center have partnered to host the Field Fork: Meet and Greet on March 13th from 1-3 pm.

This is a free community event and is open to public.

During the event producers will be given the opportunity to say a few words about their business to the community and to chefs interested in buying local food.

Producers are encouraged to bring photos, brochures, and samples (if available) of your farm offerings.

There will be lots of time allocated for networking and meeting the community.

In addition:

Joshua Smith Chef for Local Roots Cafe will be there preparing cuts of locally grown beef.

Beth Barnett-Boebell, a nutritionist and owner of Fresh Palate, will speak on the health of benefits of local and organic food.

Information will also be provided regarding:

•New VT EarthWorks - a business incubator accelerating agriculture and natural resource business

•New farmers market at the Catawba Valley General Store

•New Roanoke Valley Locavore Directory (www.roanokevalleylocavore.net)

•2010 NRV Local Food Directory

To reserve a spot for your business or to get more information, please contact Christy Gabbard at cgunnels@vt.edu or by phone at (540) 558-8010.

Reservations for a table are required and will be accepted until March 10th.

RURAL ENERGY FOR AMERICA PROGRAM WORKSHOPS

Please help us spread the word . . .


If members of your community have an interest in developing a renewable energy or energy efficiency project and are interested in applying for the USDA Rural Development REAP Grant, this is the right workshop at the right time . . .

RURAL ENERGY FOR AMERICA PROGRAM WORKSHOPS

In conjunction with its partners, USDA Rural Development and Virginia Cooperative Extension, the Foundation for Agriculture, Innovation and Rural Sustainability (VA FAIRS) is offering workshops on the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP). REAP offers a 25% cost share for installation/replacement of products that will increase energy efficiency or will generate renewable energy. Funds are offered as grants, loans or grant/loan combination. These one day intensive workshops will give the attendee a basic understanding of this valuable program and how to apply for funding.

Workshops will be offered during the month of March at six (6) locations around the state:

March 15 – Danville

March 16 – Exmore

March 17 – Richmond

March 23 – Wytheville

March 24 – Front Royal

March 25 – Fredericksburg

For more information (location and timeframe) and to register, please visit www.vafairs.com or contact Brenda Fleming (804) 290-1155 Brenda.Fleming@vafb.com


Please share this announcement with others.

Value Added Niche Marketing for Goats & Sheep

March 9, 2010, 6:00 PM - Sheep & Goats Value Added/Niche Marketing Workshop,

USDA-ARS Soil Lab Conf. Room, 1224 Airport Rd. Beaver, WV. West Virginia

University Extension Service. For more information contact David Richmond,

WVU Extension Service at (304) 255-9321 or

Farm Food Voices DC 2010

A Local Foods Feast for Congress

Springtime is the time for planting seeds. While farmers across the country will begin this process, they are also coming together in DC to plant a different kind of seed in the minds and hearts of their legislators: the seeds that lead to a bountiful harvest of access to local foods. The National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association (NICFA) is hosting its fourth annual Small Farm and Ranch Grassroots Lobby Day and Legislative Reception on March 10, 2010. As our farmers cultivate the land for a rich yield in the future, so must we build and cultivate relationships with our legislators so that we are represented in the halls of Congress. Farmers, restaurateurs, chefs and consumers will spend the morning meeting with legislators and staffers to discuss the importance of having our laws reflect our right to access local foods from the producers we choose. In the early evening, we will all gather to serve our legislators and their staffers a local foods feast prepared by the regions best chefs and caterers.

Local restaurants and caterers will join with our nations farmers to highlight the beauty and bounty of America’s farms. While we are emphasizing and are predominately showcasing local foods, we are also grateful to have products, (in the past usually only available from overseas, such as olive oil and charcuterie) from small farms around the nation.

Legislators need to know where good food comes from. This is an opportunity for them to make the connection that will help our farming freedom thrive and continue giving us access to healthy, safe food. We hope that the foods you contribute and prepare inspires them to stand up for our country’s small farmers.

In previous years, it has greatly impressed our legislators and their aides to have farmers and producers literally standing behind their products. We hope that each of you are able to send someone to represent your farm, product or restaurant. It is through encounters such as these that we will begin to harvest, from our Legislators, and indeed our culture, a loyalty to local foods. And they will begin to realize that the safest food system is through neighbor-to-neighbor food transactions.

Once again, Joel Salatin of Polyface Farms will emcee the event with a great line-up of speakers.

We look forward to working with you! Please contact us if you’d like to contribute food, your talents or for any additional details and information. Contact info below.

Please check our website for additional details www.nicfa.com <http://www.nicfa.com/>

Below is a link to pictures and a write up of last year’s event.

http://hartkeisonline.com/2009/04/22/peasants-pitchforks-and-a-perfect-food-supply/



Eric: 352-283-9740

Liz: 301-807-5063



Many thanks,



Liz Reitzig, Secretary

National Independent Consumers and Farmers Association

www.nicfa.com

In Memory

Philip Hillery

1958 - 2010

Rest in peace, friend.

Strengthening Shenandoah County's Agricultural Sector

Forums Focused on Supporting and Enhancing our Agricultural Viability and Profitability

Over the coming months, Shenandoah Forum will sponsor a series of public forums and workshops presenting options for supporting and enhancing the viability and profitability of Shenandoah County's agricultural base. The project - dubbed Farm to Table --- targets Shenandoah County's diverse farming sector. This includes farming operations of all sizes and types - whether traditional or modern, long standing or new, large or small. It will include programs to assist current and prospective farmers, farms involved in agritourism, as well as our vineyards and wineries, orchards, woodlots and trout farms.

While spotlighting the farming community, the forums are also intended for consumers who value local resources and look for ways to ensure their availability and public officials seeking to realize the Comprehensive Plan's vision of a rural character and sustainable agricultural future for Shenandoah County.

Shenandoah County ranks fifth in overall agriculture production in the Commonwealth. With an annual gross farm income of more than $100 million, agriculture is the highest earning industry in Shenandoah County and relates closely to the success of other industries, such as tourism, within the county.

A vibrant and healthy agricultural community is vital to the strength, health and future of Shenandoah County and the Forum believes that developing a strong local food system is key to that vibrancy and health, and an important form of community wealth.

Forums Scheduled for March and April

The project will begin in March with a series of two public forums, each a two-hour evening program addressing long-term financing options for farms.

Forum #1: Extending the Season: Long-term Planning Options

Date: Thursday, March 18, 2010

Time: Dinner at 6:00pm, Presentation at 7:00pm

Location: Creekside, 107 North Main Street, Edinburg, Virginia

Speaker: Ron Hanson is the Neal Harlan Professor of Agribusiness in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Dr. Hanson is a widely travelled national speaker on the importance of family relationships and the future of the family farm. Dr. Hanson's presentation "You Can Buy the Family Farm But Remember I Still Own It" identifies and discusses issues confronting succession of a family-owned farm business. This humorous and motivating message is filled with "true to life" anecdotes to help families work through the process of moving America's agriculture to the next generation -- vital to the future of our economy and our society.

Please RSVP by March 4, 2010 if you plan to attend the March 18th Forum.

By phone - 540.333.3681 or by email at info@ShenandoahForum.org


Forum #2: Sowing the Seeds: Building Lasting Agriculture

Date: Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Time: Dinner at 6:00pm, Presentation at 7:00pm

Location: Creekside, 107 North Main Street, Edinburg, Virginia

Speaker: Craig Sweger is the 2008-2009 Program Director for the Agricultural Entrepreneurship Program with University of Pittsburgh's Institute for Entrepreneurship Excellence. Mr. Sweger is an experienced agricultural businessman and respected advocate for the agricultural community who has for decades been connecting economic development leaders and members of the agricultural community. Mr. Sweger will discuss the successes and challenges of the Agricultural Entrepreneurship Program. This program keeps land, farms and farmers in the business of farming by linking farmers with available agriculture-based and business support-based resources. The evening will also include a discussion on innovative financing options for farmers, farms, and the land.

Please RSVP by March 24, 2010 if you plan to attend the April 7th Forum.

By phone - 540.333.3681 or by email at info@ShenandoahForum.org


Fall 2010 Events

The third in the Shenandoah Forum 2010 Farm to Table Series, To Market, To Market..., to be held in September, will focus on effective marketing approaches and adding value to existing agricultural products. For this all-day event, local producers and businesses will be invited to set up vendor booths, participate on panel discussions, and contribute to a locally-sourced lunch. Speakers will address topics such as current commodity markets and changing market demands. In addition, smaller break-out sessions are planned on topics such as direct farm sales, farmers' markets, community-supported agriculture and agritourism, and food security.

A final celebratory event, Reaping the Harvest: A Celebration of the Land and It's Bounty, also planned for September, is a fundraiser dinner to augment the Valley's Buy Fresh, Buy Local campaign and will feature locally grown and prepared foods.

Throughout this series, Shenandoah Forum hopes to raise the awareness of our community that, even in today's convenience food economy, 'Eating is an Agricultural Act' -- one that deserves our attention and support. The goal of the series is to better understand how we can achieve a more secure future for our community through a locally sustainable food system that creates more profitable farming practices and more informed choices for healthy living.

To RSVP for either the March 18th or April 7th Forum.

Phone - 540.333.3681 or email info@ShenandoahForum.org

Catawba Kids Gardening Contest

Catawba Landcare, Catawba Ruritans, and Virginia Cooperative Extension are pleased to announce

Catawba Kids Gardening Contest – Summer 2010

Demonstrating pride, resourcefulness, and land care among youth of the Catawba and North Fork Valleys

For kids ages 6-13 living in the Catawba & North Fork Valleys

(grandchildren of valley residents welcome too!)

Prizes Awarded

$100 – First Place

$50 – Second Place

$25 – Third Place

Information meeting for parents & contestants at Catawba Community Center – 3/17/10 6-7pm

Seeds & calendars will be provided to contestants

Set plot sizes of 8x15’

Participants will have an opportunity to sell produce at Celebrate Catawba (8/14/10)

For more information, contact Frankie Garman 384-6129 or Butch Kelly 384-7429

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While we're on the subject of contests for kids:

Students in third through eighth grade are encouraged to submit entries by June 1 for Virginia Farm Bureau Federation's annual youth essay contest.

The contest is open to the public.  This year's theme is "Farms and Food Go Together."  Rules and entry forms are available online at VaFarmBureau.org and from county Farm Bureau offices.

Two state-level winners will receive a $100 prize, a commemorative certificate and an invitation to read their essays at the 2011 VFBF Women's Conference in Richmond.

Essays will be judged in two age categories; participants in third through fifth grade should submit essays of at least 200 words, and participants in sixth through eighth grade should submit essays of at least 400 words.

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Teens Encouraged to Apply for Outstanding Young Agriculturalist Award

High school juniors and seniors with an interest in agriculture have until April 1 to enter Virginia Farm Bureau Federation's Outstanding Young Agriculuralist Award program.

The annual ward recognizes teens for outstanding academic, community and agribusiness achievement.

Entry forms and details are available at VaFarmBureau.org and from county Farm Bureau offfices.

District winners will compete for the state-level award at the VFBF Young Farmers Summer Expo in late July.  The state winner will receive an award valued at about $1,000, including $250 from Virginia's Farm Credit Associations and $750 from the VFBF Young Farmers Committee and Womens's Committee.

2010 Catawba Landcare Learning Series

We are pleased and excited to announce

2010 Catawba Landcare Learning Series

Sponsored by Catawba Landcare



Garden Envy – Growing more and better in small spaces

February 20th 1-3pm Catawba Community Center



Field to Fork – Local food sources in the Valleys

March 13th 1-3pm Catawba Community Center

Co-sponsored by Catawba Sustainability Center



Vernal Pool Exploration – Discovery in your own backyard

April 3rd 9am-4pm starts at Catawba Community Center

Co-sponsored by NRV Master Naturalist Program



More than Just Trees – Opportunities for Your Woodlot

May 4th 6-8pm Catawba Community Center



Wildlife & Habitat in the Valleys – All Creatures Great & Small

June 12th 8:30am–12pm starts at Catawba Community Center



Streamcare – Streamcare in Action on the North Fork

July 10th 1:30pm–4:30pm McDonald’s Mill & other sites

Co-sponsored by NRV Trout Unlimited & DGIF

Farmers' Market Gourmet

Fruit Tree Pruning Workshop

A FREE PRESENTATION BY VIRGINIA COOPERATIVE EXTENSION, ROANOKE


WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 10, 6-7:30 PM

LOCATION:

THE BRAMBLETON CENTER, RM 16

3738 BRAMBLETON AVE, SW

ROANOKE 24018

(ROANOKE COUNTY PARKS AND REC BUILDING)

PRE-REGISTER AT 772-7524

Buy Fresh, Buy Local Food Guide

If you'd like your farm or business included in the Shenandoah Valley Buy Fresh, Buy Local Guide, go to

http://www.newsleader.com/article/20100121/NEWS01/1210339/1002/Organizations+working+to+update+local+food+guide
for a producer survey or a retailer survey.

Cost is $25.00 and the deadline is March 5, 2010.

GIS Mapping May Affect Area Farmers

If you have dealings with the FDA, USDA (Botetourt Farm Agency), Mountain Castles Soil and Water District, any of the Conservation Easement Organizations, and possibly your Insurance Agency, etc., etc., you may become aware of their dependence on the GIS parcel maps.  They generally will go to to the official Botetourt County website:  http://botetourt.org/ and then to the links for GIS Mapping:  http://www.co.botetourt.va.us/business/maps.php?about=1 and superimpose the outline parcel map for your farm over the aerial map.

You will need at least a broadband Internet connection to access this site and enough memory to download the GIS map viewing software to access the maps of your farm.  The area public libraries may have their accessible computers set up to go to the GIS Map site.  If not, ask if they will set it up for citizens who have no other option to access the maps.

It is worthwhile to take a close look at your farm's map.  It never crosssed my mind that there could be serious mistakes on those maps, and I know I'm not alone in this.  However, I found that the map of my farm showed half my barns and one pond on someone else's parcel!  This, despite the fact that we filed an accurate survey of our property in the Clerk of the Court's Office in 1997!

Every parcel which is not properly mapped has parcels surrounding it which are affected.  Each parcel affected has other parcels around it which are affected, and so on...

The GIS Mapping Project in Botetourt County is ten years old.  There was plenty of time to check and correct incorrect maps.  Historically recent surveys should be properly represented, at the very least.  It is reasonable to expect that land without surveys may have errors in mapping, but I do not accept that there is any excuse for ignoring surveyed land within the county.

There is a "disclaimer" on the GIS site which seeks to create a legal protection for damages caused by incorrect mapping.  I do not understand the purpose of accepting serious errors in this mapping.  There's not much point in placing incorrect maps on the official County website. 

If you find an error, call the County Administrator and report it.  I've been told that the County will not do the corrections until April 2010.  That is unacceptable, in my opinion.  If you feel the same, please voice your concern!

Free Webinar: DIY Biodiesel: Keeping It Safe, Keeping It Legal

You're invited to a free webinar on

 

DIY Biodiesel: Keeping It Safe, Keeping It Legal!

 

This FREE webinar is the second in a series on farm-scale biodiesel production.

 

DIY Biodiesel: Keeping It Safe, Keeping It Legal will help the novice biodiesel producer on the right track to establishing safe and legal production practices. It will cover safety practices including:

 

• personal safety
•  workspace safety
•  materials handling and regulations
•  waste stream handling
•  methanol; and
•  
• compatibility with equipment and environmental safety and regulations

 

There will also be time to ask and get answers to your questions.

 

The webinar will feature a presentation by NCAT energy specialist and biodiesel homebrewer Rich Dana, along with special guest expert Steve Fugate. Dana is an energy specialist in NCAT's Midwest office. He is an avid biodiesel home brewer, producing more than 400 gallons a year for use as a farm and heating fuel. In the past he has operated a community biodiesel pilot project in Grinnell, Iowa, and served as president of the Iowa Renewable Energy Association and legislative liaison for the Iowa Farmers Union. Fugate is the founder of the Yoderville Biodiesel Collective in Kalona, Iowa, and the biodiesel project leader for the Iowa DNR's Trails Crew.

 

This free webinar will be held Thursday, January 28th at 11 a.m. MST. Please register in advance at www.attra.ncat.org/webinars2010/biodiesel2.

On the day of the presentation, please log on to the webinar Web site 10 minutes early to allow the required software to download. You can then listen to the webinar through your computer's speakers and see the presentation slides on your computer screen. You may also listen to the webinar by calling a phone number provided after you register online.

TITLE: DIY Biodiesel: Keeping It Safe, Keeping It Legal

 

WHEN: Thursday, January 28th, 11 a.m. MST

 

WHERE: www.attra.ncat.org/webinars2010/biodiesel2

 

Please join us on January 28th for this informative webinar.