Biological Farming Group plans conference for Feb. 18-19
Some of the special issues in biological farming — organic certification and pastured poultry along with issues common to all of agriculture such as farm policy and tax management — will be among the many topics at the Virginia Association for Biological Farming Conference, Friday and Saturday, Feb. 18 and 19, at Eagle Eyrie Conference Center in Lynchburg, Va.
Feature presentations will be given by Jeff Moyer, farm manager at the Rodale Institute, Kutztown, Pa., who will talk about organic farming research at Rodale Institute, and Jim Crawford, of New Morning Farm, Hustontown, Pa., speaking on "Our Experience in Organic Farming." Both also will participate in "breakout" sessions at the conference.
Information on specific crops and livestock of interest to Virginians will be presented at "breakout" sessions, said Andy Hankins, Virginia Cooperative Extension specialist in alternative agriculture at Virginia State University. There will be talks on production and marketing of grass-fed beef, commercial production of organic vegetables, growing table grapes and blueberries, organic grain and hay production, Asian Pears, Nigerian Dwarf Goats, and others.
General interest sessions such as farm tax management, on-farm processing of fruits and vegetables, creative marketing of value-added agriculture products, community supported agriculture, preserving your family farm, and other topics also will be part of the conference
Several Virginia Cooperative Extension specialists who are faculty members at Virginia Tech's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences and at Virginia State University will be on the program, as well as other speakers who are producers in Virginia and in other states.
For more information, contact Andy Hankins at ahankins@vsu.edu or (804) 524-5962. To register, contact Marilyn Buerkens, 5146 Plank Road, Natural Bridge, VA 24578 or email biofarmingconf@hotmail.com. Cost is $65 for VABF members and $85 for non-members if received before Feb. 9. After, the registration fee is $100.
The Virginia Association for Biological Farming website is http://www.vabf.org.
