• Engage in practical dialogue with fellow farmers, agriculture experts, and university and extension staff.
• Learn how to successfully implement yourself into your local food economy to ensure an economically sound future for you and your farm.

Together we can create an ecologically sustainable and economically viable local food system that ensures higher profits for farmers and economic growth for our communities.

The below listed workshops will also be held at the following conference, excluding Making Decisions About Local Food Sales Opportunities Using the Holistic Management Framework.
12th Annual Midwest Value Added Producer Conference, 4th Annual Wisconsin Local Food Summit, January 20th, 2010
For more information and to register, visit www.rivercountryrcd.org/valad.html.

Food Safety on the Market Farm
*Geared toward fresh fruit and vegetable growers
Click to View More Information About this Workshop

February 10th in East Troy, 11th in Montello or 12th in La Farge from 9am to 4pm

Get practical information and useful tips on helping ensure the safety and quality of the fresh fruits and vegetables you take to market at this day-long workshop.

Receive the latest updates, useful resources, and join the discussion about on-farm food safety protocol and the GAP/GHP program for fruits and vegetables in this session geared towards small-scale fresh produce growers.

Presenters include University specialists, USDA food safety inspectors, and growers who have been through a food safety certification process.

Register Online for the Food Safety on the Market Farm Workshop
* Registering online with give you the option of paying by credit card or check in the mail.

Post Harvest Handling for Vegetable Production Quality and Success -
*Geared toward fresh fruit and vegetable growers

January 20th, 2010 at the 12th Annual Midwest Value Added Producer Conference  See details above...

How you handle your produce before and after harvest affects its quality, nutrient levels and shelf life after it leaves your care. Product quality creates your farm reputation, which leads to your success.

Join farmers/educators, Atina Diffley and Laura Frerichs for an in-depth look at the tools, techniques and philosophies used to pack quality product with long shelf life.

Areas covered include pre-harvest considerations, respiration and harvest, cooling produce, cleaning, packaging and sorting, pack areas, storage, delivery and marketing.

Making Decisions About Local Food Sales Opportunities Using the Holistic Management Framework

The January 20th, 2010 session at the 12th Annual Midwest Value Added Producer Conference has been cancelled.

Producers of all kinds all across the country are beginning to make management decisions in a new way, using concepts of holistic management.

Holistic management refers to a framework for decision making that strives to build biodiversity, improve production, build financial strength, and improve quality life.

This workshop, appropriate for both beginning and veteran farmers, will provide an overview of holistic management concepts.

We encourage multiple farm partners to attend together to better apply the concepts introduced to the overall management of their farm.

Quickbooks 101 for Farmers

Coming in early 2010  Check back for registration details.

Quickbooks is a financial recordkeeping program and management tool that provides you with standard and customized detailed reports that are essential to making good decisions.

In this hands-on computer session you will develop a set of farm financial records and reports.

You will learn how Quickbooks is structured, how its files work, and how to navigate in the system to tailor your financial recordkeeping to your farm business.

Kenny Monroe
DATCP
Division of Agricultural Development
608-224-5112
kenneth.monroe@wisconsin.gov

Teresa Cuperus
DATCP
Division of Agricultural Development
608-224-5101
teresa.cuperus@wisconsin.gov