Agriculture Industry Events/Workshops

July
9	Poultry Field School: Raising and Grazing Meat Birds and Layer Hens for Optimal Production and Profit - 10am – 3pm, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536. Cost: $35 registration fee includes lunch. Contact: Jennifer Hashley, jennifer.hashley@tufts.edu, 978-654-6745. Poultry Field School will focus on pastured poultry and will feature enterprise budgets and record-keeping systems; breed selection and genetics; pasture management; fencing; coop construction and equipment; nutrition; disease prevention and remedies; biosecurity; slaughter and processing options; supplemental lighting/molting, and marketing opportunities. Producers will learn hands-on skills in assessing health indicators of poultry of various age cohorts, preventive treatments and vaccinations, candling eggs for market, and other topics. Opportunities to participate in the Azuluna marketing program will be discussed.
11	Forestry Demonstration Event, Greenfield. A free public informational event and field walk showcasing forest stewardship and conservation practices eligible for technical and financial assistance through the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) will be held 9am-12:00noon, at the Griswold/GTD Conservation Area on Lampblack Road in Greenfield. Forest landowners and managers are invited to see examples of several forest management practices, including oak regeneration and invasive plant control. NRCS staff will be available to answer questions about financial and technical forestry assistance now available through the federal Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) and the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP). Pre-registration is not required, but is recommended. Register in advance to receive a free copy of either “A Woodlot Owner’s Guide” or “A Guide to Invasive Plants in Massachusetts” . To register or for more info. , contact: Marcheterre Fluet, Massachusetts Forest Stewardship Program Associate, Berkshire-Pioneer RC&D, 413-256-1201, x2 or marcheterrefluet@berkshirepioneerrcd.org.
15	Massachusetts Fruit Growers' Association Summer Meeting, Tougas Family Farm, Northboro. Jon Clements 413-478-7219; www.umass.edu/fruitadvisor
16	Vegetable Research Field Day, Crops Research and Education Center, South Deerfield, 4-8 pm , UMass Extension Vegetable Program 413-545-3696; www.umassvegetable.org
22	2009 Great Ideas Summer Conference! Sponsored by: Massachusetts Nursery Landscape Association (MNLA) and The Massachusetts Flower Growers Association (MFGA). Education program organized by UMass Extension. Location: Sylvan Nursery, Westport, MA.www.mnla.com.
29	Weed Identification Workshop: Broadleaf Weeds (plus a few grassy weeds) 9 am - 3 pm Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plain. UMass Extension Landscape, Nursery and Urban Forestry Program 413-545-0895; eweeks@umext.umass.edu; www.umassgreeninfo.org.
29	Multi-Species Grazing for Meat Animals I, Chestnut Farms, 404 Turkey Street, Hardwick, 413-477-6656, 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Part of "Grazing Workshop Series."
August
4	Raising Meat Goats and the FAMACHA System, 4 – 7pm. Erica Fearn Meat Goats, 685 North Stone St., West Suffield, CT, 413-335-5288. Part of "Grazing Workshop Series."
7 - 9	Northeast Organic Farming Association - 35TH Annual Summer Conference - UMass, Amherst. 150 workshops on organic farming, gardening, land care, sustainability and homesteading. Teen and children’s program. Organic Lawn & Turf Course - Community Farm Workshop Track – Mass Grass Grazing School. Keynote speakers: Paul Stamets, mushroom expert and author of Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save The World and Will Allen, founder and CEO of Growing Power, an organization that brings knowledge about sustainable food systems to urban areas. Entertainment including dancing, country fair, barter event, and farmers’ market. To register visit www.nofasummerconference.org. For more information contact the NOFA Summer Conference office at (978) 355-2853 or nofa@nofamass.org.
22	Swine Field School: Farrowing and Finishing Swine for Optimal Production and Profit , 10am – 3pm. Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536. Cost: $35 registration fee includes lunch. Contact: Jennifer Hashley, jennifer.hashley@tufts.edu, 978-654-6745. Swine Field School will compare and contrast confinement hog rearing, outdoor lots, and rotational pasture-based swine production. Producers will learn about biosecurity, federal and state regulations, nutrition, breed selection and genetics, reproduction and artificial insemination (AI), overall management, marketing, and other topics. Producers will also learn hands-on skills in assessing market weight, handling.
25	Grazing Basics, Blue Hill Farm, 398 Blue Hill Rd., Great Barrington, 413-528-2092, 4 – 7pm. Part of "Grazing Workshop Series."
September
15	Multi-Species Grazing for Meat Animals II, Pete and Jen’s Backyard Birds, 159 Wheeler Road, Concord, MA, 617-306-4879, 4:00 – 7:00 p.m. Part of "Grazing Workshop Series."
October
17	Beef Cattle Field School: Tapping into the Market for Grass-fed Beef, Considerations and Quality Control, 10am – 3pm, Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine, 200 Westboro Road, North Grafton, MA 01536. Cost: $35 registration fee includes lunch. Contact: Jennifer Hashley, jennifer.hashley@tufts.edu, 978-654-6745. Beef Cattle Field School will discuss pasture management and rotational grazing for beef cattle. Producers will learn about genetics and breed selection, herd management, winter feeding and nutrition, principles of grazing, fencing requirements, local direct marketing opportunities and options to involve regional distributors, and other topics. Hands-on skills will include handling cattle (moving, restraint, corral safety), body scoring, preventive treatments and vaccinations (including med storage and injection sites), and other practical skills.

To submit Ag industry workshop/event dates, email Rick LeBlanc, at richard.leblanc@state.ma.us.
Consumer events listed at www.mass.gov/agr/events/index.htm