Beginning Women Farmers Classes Start Nov 4

Posted on October 1, 2012October 31, 2012 by President

Sponsored by the Maine Women’s Agricultural Network, and funded by the U. S. Department of Agriculture, the Beginning Women Farmers program draws on the work of Allen Savory and others to help women farmers to be successful.

This innovative program instructs participants on using a holistic approach to decision making on their farms. Participants will meet for ten sessions on topics such as goal setting, financial, business, and marketing planning, land and infrastructure planning, soil fertility, and planned grazing.

Participants are provided with a mentor and are connected with a network of other beginning women farmers throughout the Northeast for additional support. Two of the classes take place on local farms.

Classes will be held in Fairfield, Maine, on Sundays from 9 – 4. Cost for all sessions is $150.00 – $500.00, based on a sliding scale Scholarships are available.

Class subject matter and dates:

Orientation and overview of holistic management	November 4, 2012
Holistic goal and testing decisions	November 18, 2012
Financial Planning 1	December 9, 2012
Financial Planning 2	January 6, 2012
Business Planning	January 20, 2012
Marketing	February 3, 2013
Leadership and Communication	March 3, 2013
Land Planning	April 7, 2013
Soil Fertility	May 5, 2013
Grazing Planning	June 2, 2013

For more information, and to request an application, contact:
Gail Chase [email protected]
207 453-4258 ext. 218

Cheese with a Drawl

Posted on September 27, 2012September 27, 2012 by President

A friend passed along a nice article detailing the state of artisanal cheese in Georgia. Best known of them is Sweet Grass Dairy (winner of multiple awards at the ACS), but it turns out that there are many similar creameries in the state, and more every year.

[Pictured to the left: The Brown Thrasher (Toxostoma rufum) is a bird in the family Mimidae, which also includes the New World catbirds and mockingbirds. The dispersal of the Brown Thrasher is abundant throughout the eastern and central United States, southern and central Canada, and is the only thrasher to live primarily east of the Rockies and central Texas. It is the state bird of Georgia. Photo courtesy of Dan Pancamo Photography under CC-Attribution-Share Alike licensing.]

VIAC October 2012 Workshops

Posted on September 18, 2012September 18, 2012 by President

The Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese (VIAC) at the University of Vermont in Burlington is offering three courses in October:

Oct 8 – 10, 2012; Artisan Cheesemaking Practices: Soft Cheese Family
Oct 11 – 12, 2012; The World of Starters and Curdling Agents
Oct 15 – 17, 2012; Artisan Cheesemaking Practices: Washed Rind Cheese Technologies

For descriptions and more information about signing up for one or more of these classes, visit www.uvm.edu/viac.