January workshops will help growers “think spring”*
ST. PAUL, Minn. – Come January, most Minnesotans are really ready
to “think spring.” The Minnesota Department of Agriculture (MDA) is helping
that cause by offering great workshops on January 12, 2012 at the River’s
Edge Convention Center in St. Cloud (formerly the St. Cloud Civic Center). *
***
*Honey Bees and Beekeeping* will be a definite attraction for people
interested in keeping bees or just wanting to learn more about these
fascinating creatures. Participants will learn about bees, the benefits
they provide to farms and gardens, and the challenges they face. Topics
will include attracting bees, bee biology, the cost of raising bees,
locating your apiary, local ordinances, equipment suppliers, pollination,
honey production and ethics. The workshop will be taught by master
beekeepers Bob Sitko and JoAnne Sabin of the Minnesota Hobby Beekeepers
Association. This half day session runs from 1:00 – 5:00 p.m. and
registration costs $25.****
* *
*Post-Harvest Handling, Food Safety, and Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)
Certification: Making it Work on Real Vegetable Farms** *is for vegetable
growers. What happens after harvest can have a huge impact on produce
quality and food safety. As the demand for local foods has exploded in the
last five years, so have buyers’ expectations for clean produce that also
stores well. Restaurants, food service providers, and other institutional
buyers have also begun demanding food safety assurances. Experienced
vegetable grower/marketer Chris Blanchard will teach the post-harvest
handling practices and methods he and his coworkers developed and use at
Rock Spring Farm near Decorah, IA. Participants will learn efficient,
time-saving ways to meet the documentation and record-keeping requirements
of the GAP audit process in a way that flows with other farm work. This
full day session runs from 9:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Registration costs $40.****
** **
A brochure and registration materials for the Bees and Veggie Safety
workshops are available at www.mda.state.mn.us/amd or by calling
651-201-6012.**
A third workshop, *All About Selling Meat,* will be offered in the same
location by the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture. This
session is scheduled from 9:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. and costs $40 for the first
person and $30 for additional people from the same farm operation. The meat
workshop brochure is available at www.misa.umn.edu or by calling
800-909-6472.****
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_____________________________________________
Erin Meier, Executive Director
UM SE Regional Sustainable Development Partnership
The Experiment in Rural Cooperation
tegtm003@umn.edu
U of M, Rochester: 507-536-6313
Cell: 507-272-1956
Fax: 507-536-6311
http://www.regionalpartnerships.umn.edu/