Iowa County Entrepreneur & Inventor's Club (Wed, Oct 28)

The next Iowa County Area Entrepreneur and Inventor's Club meeting will be held Wednesday, Oct. 28. This month's guest speaker is Mark Olson, President of Renaissance Farm. Mark is a long-time entrepreneur who is coming to share his extensive experience starting and growing businesses in our region.

Have you ever considered creating your own small business based around local foods? Wouldn't you love to talk with one of our region's most innovative and successful food entrepreneurs? Mark will be sharing not only his food business experience, but his extensive knowledge of starting up and growing businesses in or region.

Join us next Wed Evening at Stonefield Apartments in Dodgeville. Doors open at 5:30 PM and the meeting begins at 6. You can download an agenda, press release and location map for this meeting at http://www.iowacountyedc.org

There will be tasty treats from Renaissance Farm and lots of great information. Join us and bring a friend!

Opportunity for Local Food Producers!! (Oct 25)

Here's an opportunity to have your fine, locally grown food items featured during the upcoming Wisconsin Local Food Summit / Midwest Value Added Agriculture Conference.

We always strive to serve as much locally produced food as possible at the summit and conference, even though we have the added challenge of scheduling the event in Wisconsin in January!

Please take a look at this list and let us know if you would have any of the listed items available in January, 2010 and up to the following quantities:

Milk-gallon jugs - 50 gallons
Half and half - 30 quarts
Sour cream - 25 quarts
Tomatoes, slicing - 25#
butternut squash - 25 large butternuts
loose leaf lettuce mix - 50 lbs
fresh spinach - 10 lbs
veggies for a roasted vegetable dish for 325 people: Any winter veggies such as parsnips, carrots, beets, rutabagas, potatoes, onions, squash, peppers, in quantities of 20# each.
Any other veggies that can be served steamed (can be mixed) - 70#.
Apples, eating varieties - three bushels
Apple cider - 15 gallons
cranberry products for desserts or snack items
crackers to go with breakout snack cheese and trout spread

Attached you will find the 2010 Food Letter which has further details about submitting a bid or making a donation of food. We would like to receive food bids/donation offers as soon as possible (the letter states an October 25th deadline) in order to finalize the menu.

To learn more about the Conference and Summit go to: http://www.rivercountryrcd.org
2010%20Food%20Bid.doc

WORKING LANDS INITIATIVE WORKSHOPS (Oct/Nov)

Farmers, town officials, planning commission members and other interested parties are invited to participate in one of six working lands workshops scheduled for the last week of October and the first week of November to learn more about Wisconsin’s new tools to preserve agricultural land. Wisconsin’s Working Lands Initiative is the focus of each day-long workshop.

Topics to be covered include the changes to the existing Farmland Preservation Program, purchase of agricultural conservation easements, agricultural enterprise areas and claiming farmland preservation tax credits.

The workshops are organized by the Wisconsin Towns Association and the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. Additional partnership and promotion for the sessions is provided by Cooperative Network, AgStar Financial Services, Badgerland Financial, GreenStone Farm Credit Services, United FCS, and Gathering Waters Conservancy.

Each workshop begins at 8:30 a.m. with registration and continues until 3 p.m. with a break for lunch which will be provided. The cost is $35 per person. Registration and payment should be received by the Wisconsin Towns Association at least seven days before the workshop. Walk-in registrations will be accepted for an additional $10 fee.

• Wisconsin Dells: Tuesday, Oct. 27, Antiqua Bay, 655 Frontage Rd.

• Eau Claire: Wednesday, Oct. 28, Sleep Inn & Conference Center, 5872 33rd Ave.

• Marathon: Thursday, Oct. 29, Rib River Ballroom, 33237 St. Hwy 29.

• Fond du Lac: Tuesday, Nov. 3, Holiday Inn, 625 W. Rolling Meadows Dr.

• De Pere: Wednesday, Nov. 4, Apple Creek Inn, 3177 French Rd.

• Janesville: Thursday, Nov. 5, Holiday Inn & Janesville Conference Center, 3100 Wellington Place.

To register, contact the Wisconsin Towns Association at (715) 526-3157 or visit their web site at http://www.wisctowns.com/ for more information or to download the registration form.

Producer Grant Workshops (Oct & Nov)

Three workshops will be offered this fall to help farmers and agricultural entrepreneurs develop strategies to access state and federal grants. Attendees will learn how to successfully submit a Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG), an Agricultural Development and Diversification Grant (ADD), and The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program application. These programs provide research and development, planning and working capital funds to farmers and farmer-based enterprises to develop and implement ventures.

The training workshops will take place on:
Friday, Oct 23rd - 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM Green Bay
Northeast Technical College, 2740 West Mason St, Rm SC128, Green Bay, WI
To register, contact: Valerie Dantoin at valerie.dantoin@nwtc.edu or (920) 498-5568

Monday, Nov 2nd - 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM Eau Claire
Washington Town Hall, 5750 Old Town Hall Rd, Eau Claire, WI
To register, contact: Pam Herdrich at Pam.Herdrich@wi.usda.gov or 715-834-9672 or River Country RC&D at 715-834-9672 or 800-226-9672

Thursday, Nov 5th - 9:30 AM to 2:30 PM Madison
Dane County UW-Extension Fen Oak Building, 1 Fen Oak Court, Madison, WI
To register, contact: Jane Kleven at jkleven@wisc.edu or 608-262-5200

A registration fee of $15 will cover the cost of lunch and materials.

For more information and to download the workshop poster and agenda, please visit: http://www.uwex.edu/ces/agmarkets/aic/vapgp.cfm#training

Save the Date, Value Added Conference (January 20-22, 2010)

4th Annual Wisconsin Local Food Summit and Introducing the all new Value Added Agriculture College on Wed. Jan. 20, 2010. The 12th Annual Midwest Value Added Agriculture Conference will be held on Thurs. and Fri. January 21st & 22nd, 2010.

All events are located at the Ramada Convention Center, Eau Claire WI

Who Should Attend?
* Agricultural producers, suppliers and distributors
* Agricultural educators, service providers and agencies
* Farmers market managers and vendors
* Local Food buyers and advocates
* Sustainable agriculture enthusiasts
Care to get more involved?
* Sponsor a speaker, participant or break out session
* Donate a Door Prize, Silent Auction Item or locally produced food item
* Promote the event to your clients

The two-day conference consists of 36 breakout sessions in 6 themed tracks, 3 exciting keynote addresses, a tradeshow, round table discussions, a World Cafe round table forum, Driftless Region "Open Space" discussion and plenty of time for networking!

To become involved with the 2010 Value Added Conference/WI Local Food Summit, please contact: Lindsay Raab or Sherrie Beyer at River Country RC&D Council Inc. (715) 834-9672 or at http://www.rivercountryrcd.org/valad.html

Fall Cooking Classes in Green County

Cooking classes are held from 5:30p-7pm at Kookaburras located at 1609 10th St, Monroe WI. Seating is limited and pre-registration is required.

October
Oct 20th - Fall Harvest Menu cooking class $15
Oct 27th - Trick or Treat cooking class $15
Oct 31st - Halloween Parade on the Square

November/December
Nov 7 & 8 - Simply Christmas Open House
Nov 9 - Healthy Choices for the Holidays FREE
Nov 17 - Gifts from the Kitchen cooking class fee $60
Dec 5 - 2nd Annual Christmas Cookie/Fudge contest
Dec 14 - Give the Gift of Health FREE

For more information or to register for a cooking class, call 608-325-3955 or visit http://www.kookaburrasclosetgourmet.com/

A Winter Market for Mineral Point!

Beginning October 24th, The Old Royal Inn at 43 High Street, downtown Mineral Point, will be hosting a Winter Market on Saturdays from 9:00 a.m. to noon, every Saturday through December. If all goes well, the market can continue through the rest of the winter.

Many vendors have already expressed interest in attending. Space is limited so call Jennifer Bendorf at 608-219-6959 soon to learn more or if you are interested in vending to reserve your spot.


Fees:
- $5 per day for regular vendors attending a minimum of 75% of the days.
- $8 for any single visit or attending less than 75% of the days.

Of Special Interest - Saturday December 5th is Mineral Point's final Gallery Night of 2009 featuring Candlelight Shopping. The Old Royal Inn will host craft and antique vendors on this day in addition to the Winter Market vendors. To stay all day it will cost $20.

MOUNTAIN LANE FARMS EARNS ANIMAL WELFARE APPROVED SEAL FOR HIGH-WELFARE HUSBANDRY PRACTICES

Mountain Lane Farms has recently been awarded the Animal Welfare Approved seal for high-welfare animal husbandry. Animal Welfare Approved is a free certification granted to family farmers adhering to the high animal welfare standards outlined by the non-profit program. Accredited farms use the Animal Welfare Approved logo on their products, assuring consumers that the animals were raised humanely on pasture or range and allowed to exhibit natural behavior with minimal environmental impact.

Tom Martin has known since age four that he wanted to be a farmer. Farming is in his blood—his father, grandfather and great-grandfather were all farmers. “When I was young, I never wanted to take naps or watch television. I wanted to be out the fields with my dad,” he laughs. His childhood memories of farming with his father have inspired his dedication to the land and his animals and to leaving both in even better condition for the next generation. “There’s a different way to do things these days that is healthy and productive,” Tom says. “Raising our cattle on pasture is one of the things I can do to make sure that my sons will be able to farm healthy land with healthy animals.”

Tom and his wife Sharon started raising grassfed Angus cattle in 2000 and now have about 100 head on 75 acres. Familiar with conventional systems, the transition to intensive grazing was a learning experience for Tom. “I needed a lot of fencing and to learn about grass, among other things,” he notes. “But I met so many tremendous people along the way—a real community of farmers dedicated to raising cattle on grass and to helping each other out.” Tom has volunteered with Wisconsin’s Johne’s disease control program and is a pioneer member of the Wisconsin Grass-fed Beef Coop, already giving back to those who helped him get started.

One of the benefits of Tom’s intensive grazing system is that he interacts much more with his cattle. He checks on them twice a day, getting to know them individually and adapt their care as needed. Concerned about protecting the soil and preventing erosion, Tom has also seen the benefits to the land of a rotational grazing system. “The cattle,” he says, “are our partners in growing the grass and fertilizing the soil. It’s a wonderful, natural system that works.”

Tom and Sharon are also firm believers in third-party certification, believing that it gives consumers another level of confidence in their beef, while giving them a chance to double-check their practices and take advantage of the support Animal Welfare Approved provides to approved farmers. “We read about what Animal Welfare Approved stood for and found it was synergistic with our approach,” Tom explained. “There was no question we wanted to be part of the program, especially since it assures our customers that we take the welfare of our cattle seriously.”

Tom and Sharon are working on building the market for their beef. “When people sit down to the table, they know they are feeding their families with beef from a farm serious about animal welfare and environmental stewardship. We’re hoping to start selling at farmer’s markets and online soon. People are interested in supporting local farmers, so we anticipate being able to develop a customer base quickly,” he says.

For now, Tom enjoys working with farm with his sons, Gabriel, Zach, Nate and Jacob. Four-year-old Jacob is especially interested in helping out the farm and Tom has been impressed with his youngest son’s composure when working with the cattle. “He really has a feel for it,” Tom says proudly. “He’s my right-hand man.”
Tom and Sharon Martin may be contacted at 608-874-4414 or martint@mhtc.net

Animal Welfare Approved audits and certifies family farms that raise their animals with the highest animal welfare standards, on pasture or range. The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has lauded these standards as being the most stringent when compared to other third-party certification programs. Visit www.AnimalWelfareApproved.org for a searchable database of approved farms and restaurants, shops and markets where their products are sold. Choose the one independent food label that means healthy, safe, environmentally responsible and humanely raised.

Connecting the Threads 2009: A conference for women in farming

“Connecting the Threads: Weaving the Fabric of Agriculture,” a statewide conference for women in farming, will be offered in Wisconsin Rapids Friday and Saturday, Nov. 13-14, for the second consecutive year. In response to comments a year ago, organizers have made some changes.

The conference is designed for women who are the primary decision-makers on farms or who are considering farming, and for professionals who work with them. Like last year’s first-ever statewide conference for women farmers, this year’s will offer sessions focused on the business of farming such as risk management, record-keeping, succession, dealing with bankers, as well as on family issues like domestic violence, communication, and health care options. It will also include a Buy Local Buy Wisconsin workshop on holistic management.

But after hearing from participants last year, organizers have added more in-depth topics, more topics for beginners and experienced farmers, and more interaction among participants, said Kathy Schmitt of the Wisconsin Farm Center. Other new features include an exhibit of artwork by women farmers and a dessert reception.

Almost 9,200 Wisconsin women are principal farm operators, according to the 2007 U.S. Census of Agriculture, a 25-percent increase over the 2002 census. Wisconsin women control more than 860,000 acres of farmland, and market crops and livestock worth more than $287 million a year. Still, Schmitt said, they are often isolated from one another and from the information and services that can help them farm more profitably. “In today’s economic climate, this kind of management assistance and support from other women farmers is more important than ever,” she said.

A block of rooms has been reserved at the Hotel Mead and Conference Center until Oct. 22 at $70 for a single room and $97 for a double room.
Information and registration for participants, exhibitors and sponsors is available at www.datcp.state.wi.us under “online services.” Online registration will not be available until Oct. 19, but downloadable forms are now available for printing and mailing.

Support from sponsors has allowed reducing the cost of the conference to $47 for two days, including meals and materials, and a limited number of scholarships are available. Exhibit space is also available, and women entrepreneurs are encouraged to showcase their products/services in the trade show.

Besides the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection, conference sponsors are the Duluth Trading Co., Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Services, U.S. Department of Agriculture Farm Service Agency, USDA Risk Management Agency, University of Wisconsin Center for Dairy Profitability, UW-Cooperative Extension, Wisconsin Farmers Union and Wisconsin Rural Women’s Initiative.

Upcoming Educational Opportunity Farminars: Tuesdays at 7 PM in Nov & Dec

Beginning and transitioning farmers take heed!
Practical Farmers of Iowa will broadcast 8 online farm webinars this Fall on topics useful to beginning farmers and family farms in a generation transition. Learn how to plan for the whole farm, and get answers to your legal questions. Should you add an enterprise and if so, which one? Enterprise Budgeting with Iowa State Extension Craig Chase. Think and plan about your Product, Placement, Promotion, People, Price, and how to Finance the operation. 90-minute interactive includes farmer presenters sharing their useful experience. Register at www.practicalfarmers.org/farminars

(NOVEMBER) HOLISTIC MANAGEMENT WORKSHOPS

The Buy Local Buy Wisconsin Workshop Roadshow will start in November with workshops titled “Making Decisions About Local Food Sales Opportunities Using the Holistic Management Framework” in four locations.

The workshops will be in Platteville Wednesday, Nov. 11; Madison Thursday, Nov. 12; Wisconsin Rapids Friday, Nov. 13; and Eau Claire Wednesday, Jan. 20.

The workshops will center on a new framework for decision-making called “holistic management.” Holistic management is a systems-thinking approach to farm management that strives to build biodiversity, improve production, build financial strength, and improve the farmer’s quality of life.

Dane County Farmers Market manager and veteran holistic management educator Larry Johnson will lead the workshops, with assistance from long-time University of Wisconsin-Extension agent and holistic management expert Andy Hager.

The cost to attend either the Nov. 11 or Nov. 12 workshop is $50 for the first farm partner and $20 for additional farm partners. The workshops will also take place as a part of two larger conferences: “Connecting Threads: A Conference for Women Farmers” on Friday, Nov. 13 in Wisconsin Rapids; and the “12^th Annual Value Added Agriculture Conference” on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 in Eau Claire.

For more information and to register for the workshops or the conferences, go to www.datcp.state.wi.us and look under “online services.” Information and registration materials are also available by contacting Kenny Monroe, kenneth.monroe@wi.gov, phone 608-224-5112.

Additional Buy Local Buy Wisconsin workshops will be offered in early 2010, including Quickbooks 101 for Farmers, Post-Harvest Handling for Vegetable Production Quality and Success, and Food Safety on the Market Farm.

Hol%20Mgmt%20Brochure%20FINAL.pdf

(Saturday, Oct 17) The Rural Immigration Summit, Dodgeville

The Rural Immigration Summit hosted by Iowa County UW-Extension will be held on Saturday, October 17, at the Plymouth Congregational Church in Dodgeville.

Participants will learn about the history of immigration in Wisconsin and Iowa County? How does immigration impact dairy farms in Iowa County? What is life like for immigrants in Iowa County and Wisconsin? Plan now to attend the Iowa County Rural Immigration summit to get answers to these questions and to learn about some of Iowa County’s residents.

Speakers will include Dan Pattenaude and Maria Ferrand, Iowa County Dairy Farmers, Christine Newman Ortiz, Executive Director of Voces de la Frontera, Dan Verhof, and Director of the UW-Extension Applied Population Lab, Alan Turnquist, Agriculture Technology Studies UW-Madison, and Tony Ruesga, Darlington Police Officer.

For more information visit http://www.uwex.edu/ces/cty/iowa/

The program costs only $15 and includes lunch and resource information. agenda%20immigration%20summit.pdf