Olathe, KS - infoZine - Topics ranging from how to start a farm and accessing land, introduction to small farm equipment, drip irrigation, business management, pest and disease control, and others will be covered in the 14-class workshop series. More information is available at Growing Growers program.
“The workshops are open to the public and are appropriate for anyone interested in growing,” said Kansas State University horticulturist Cary Rivard. “We offer a range of workshops covering ‘Market Farming 101’ topics, plus several advanced topics. Participants typically include Growing Growers apprentices, new or experienced growers, and others who are interested in the particular topic or who are considering farming for market sales.”
The workshops are hosted by Growing Growers – Kansas City, a collaborative effort of K-State Research and Extension, University of Missouri Extension, Lincoln University Cooperative Extension, the Kansas Rural Centre, the Kansas City Food Circle and Cultivate Kansas City.
The cost of the workshops is $15 or $30, depending on whether it is a half- or full-day program. All workshops include farm tours of nearby commercial farms that are using techniques relevant to the workshop topic.
Workshop dates, topics and locations:
- Feb. 24 – Farm Start-Up, Accessing Land and On-Farm Crop Storage – Kansas City, KS
- March 14 & 15 – Good Agriculture Practices & Food Safety Modernization Act – Kansas City, M0.
- March 17 – Plant Propagation and Production Planning – Belton, MO
- March 31 – Diversifying Markets: Farmers Markets, CSAs, Wholesale and Farm to School – Kansas City, MO
- April 7 – Spotted Wing Drosophila – Lawrence, KS
- April 19 – Introduction to Managing Healthy Soils – Kearney, MO
- May 12 – Postharvest Handling and Food Safety – Kansas City, KS
- June 2 – Drip Irrigation and Small Farm Equipment – Olathe, KS
- June 14 – Introduction to Small Fruit Production – Kingsville, MO
- July 12 – Insect, Disease, and Weed Management – Lawrence, KS
- July 21 – Low-till/No-till Cropping Systems – Kansas City, MO
- Aug. 9 – Farm Business Planning and Management – Kansas City, MO
- Aug. 25 – Introduction to Cut Flowers – Kansas City, MO
- Sept. 22 – Scaling Up Your Business and Packaging/Grading– Lawrence, KS
Growing Growers also coordinates a farm apprenticeship program for aspiring growers and maintains a growers listserv. More information about Growing Growers workshops, including specific location, times and registration information is available at growinggrowers.org.
