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January 2023
Cultivating Success – Agricultural Entrepreneurship
Offered Statewide, Online, and with Spanish Interpretation Tuesdays from 6pm-8:30pm January 10th-March 28th 2023 fully online through Zoom. Becoming a successful agricultural entrepreneur is not easy! So, set yourself up from the start. This is business planning with a special emphasis on the financial and legal issues unique to farm-based businesses. Come out of this 12 week course with the core elements of a business plan to guide your small business forward. This is an in-depth farm and food business…
Find out more »Take the WAFOOD Survey by January 15
The University of Washington and Washington State University created the Washington State Food Security Survey (WAFOOD) to learn about the economic wellbeing and food access of Washington state residents. Take the online survey here. All Washington state residents who are 18 years or older may participate. Taking part in this study is voluntary. You will NOT be asked for your name or any identifying other information. It should only take about 15 minutes to complete and can be taken on…
Find out more »Social Media Basics for Small Farm Business
Are you running a small farm business and questioning how to best utilize social media? Frustrated with the constant changes with Facebook business and confused on what exactly the difference is between Instagram posts and stories and how to best use them? You are not alone. Join us for our next online Dirt Talk event with Social Media & Digital Strategy Specialist, Abbey Loos. She will be giving an overview of the basic social media platforms, how to best utilize…
Find out more »Dirt Talk Farm Walk: Aquaponics with Kitsap Farms
Join us at Kitsap Farms in Hansville on January 23rd from 10am – 12pm for our next Dirt Talk Farm Walk. Farmers Angie Cordiano and Howard Hogan will be opening up their farm and sharing their expertise with us on Aquaponics and how they started their unique business venture. Topics to be covered at the walk include: Type of fish that work in aquaponics systems and their pros and cons. Overall aquaponics system designs and walk through of Kitsap…
Find out more »Dirt Talk: Season Planning & Seed Starting with Midori Farm
Join WSU Regional Small Farms for our latest online Dirt Talk event to learn all about season planning and seed starting. We will be joined by Marko Colby, co-owner of Midori Farm in Quilcene, WA. He will be sharing with us their strategies around planning and starting seeds for year-long production. Topics to be covered include: Selecting varieties for success. Using spreadsheets for crop planning for successions. Seeding timing based on microclimates, and crop protection. Planning high tunnel rotations Seed…
Find out more »March 2023
Developing a Food Safety Plan
Hosted by WSU Extension Regional Small Farms Program in partnership with WSU Food Processing Extension and Research team. This training helps small to medium food processor fulfill Food Safety Modernization Act regulations that all personnel should be trained at least annually in food hygiene, food safety and food defense! Who is this training for? Farmers with value-added products, bakers, acidified foods (jams, jellies, pickles), low-acid foods, meat processors, and more. This training helps small to medium food processors and growers fulfill training FSMA regulations by attending a food safety training every year! Our focus is to help our rural communities develop safer food systems.…
Find out more »Good Manufacturing Practices & Basics of Sanitation
Hosted by WSU Extension Regional Small Farms Program in partnership with WSU Food Processing Extension and Research team. This course provides basic information about sanitation and Current Good Manufacturing Practices (CGMPs) for food plants. CGMPs help to ensure the safety of food. The course walks through the principles of sanitation, sanitation chemicals, employee practices, plant design, and other related topics. Who is this training for? Farmers with value-added products, bakers, acidified foods (jams, jellies, pickles), low-acid foods, meat processors, and more. This training helps small to medium food processors and growers fulfill training FSMA regulations…
Find out more »Produce Safety Alliance Grower Training
When: March 14th, 2023 @8am - 5pm Where: WSU Jefferson County Extension - 97 Oak Bay Rd, Port Hadlock, WA 98339 Cost: $25 Registration: https://reg.learningstream.com/reg/event_page.aspx?ek=0075-0013-77432298b8614d7f95f95f15ee790394 Who Should Attend Fruit and vegetable growers and others interested in learning about produce safety, the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), and co-management of natural resources and food safety. The PSA Grower Training Course is one way to satisfy the FSMA Produce Safety Rule requirement outlined in §…
Find out more »Basic Goat Care at The Smithshyre
Join farmer Roni Smith of The Smithshyre in Poulsbo for an on-farm tour on March 21st, from 10am to 12pm. Roni will be sharing out helpful information for farmers interested in learning more about Basic Goat Care. Topic to be discussed include: Basic needs (minerals, feed, housing, and spacing) Basic care (hoof trimming, and shearing-discussion) Breeding / lambing (nutrition, planning for delivery, and lamb care Q&A / discussion from farmer attendees Dirt Talk Farm Walks provide farmer-to-farmer education to promote…
Find out more »April 2023
Propagating and Growing Sweetpotatoes in the Pacific Northwest Webinar
Interested in growing sweetpotatoes on the Olympic and/or Kitsap Peninsulas? Want to learn how and take part in an on-going research trial? Based on the experience of a handful of local farmers and trials at the WSU Mount Vernon Research Center, Sweetpotatoes can be a viable crop in our northern maritime climate. The WSU Regional Small Farms Program is working in partnership with the Research station to bring trials to our area that are focused on finding sweetpotato varieties that…
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