COLUMBUS — Registration is now open for a three-part webinar series designed for specialty crop farmers by the Countryside Conservancy and the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association.
These free, web-based seminars let participants view the presentation through their Internet browser and listen to the audio portion through a call-in phone number. The sessions will be interactive and allow participants to ask questions and communicate with the presenter.
What’s on tap.
The first webinar, Improving Efficiency on your Organic Farm, will be held Jan. 31 from 7-8 p.m.
Jon Cherniss of Blue Moon Farm in Illinois and Jim Crawford of New Morning Farm in Pennsylvania will describe how they have improved the efficiency of their farm operations by hiring and managing labor and by carefully evaluating and investing in capital improvements like buildings and machinery.
To register, go to: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/178199998.
The second webinar, Building Mutually Profitable Relationships with Independent Chefs and Restaurateurs, will be led by Chef Douglas Katz from Fire Food and Drink located in Shaker Heights, Ohio. It will be held at 10 a.m. Feb. 24.
Katz will give participants a first-hand look into how farmers can connect with restaurants in their area. He’ll take participants through the entire process, from approaching a restaurant, to providing samples, the ordering process, customer service expectations, and average volumes of produce ordered in a typical week.
To register, go to: https://www3.gotomeeting.com/register/247897358.
The final webinar, Effective Weed Management Strategies for Organic Farming Systems, will be led by Dr. Matt Liebman, Henry A. Wallace Chair for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University.
This webinar will be held in March; details, including the date, time, and registration link to be announced.
Registration for each webinar is limited to 50 participants. There is no charge to participate, but pre-registration is required.
Each webinar will be recorded and available on the Countryside Conservancy and OEFFA websites afterward.
For more information call 614-421-2022.
