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March
March 1-4: WV Small Farm Conference; Morgantown,
WV; The 2010 WV Small Farm Conference will be at the Lakeview Resort and
Conference Center in Morgantown. This year’s event features seven learning
tracks, including Fruit and Vegetable Production; Value-adding; Beginning
Farmers; Agritourism; Energy; Farmers Market Management; and Animal
Production and Marketing. Call WV Extension offices for more info.
March 3-4:
International Trade
Workshop;
Norfolk, VA; The theme for the event is
Agricultural Trade: From Farm, to Port, to the Global Marketplace. The
workshop is designed to provide farmers, private sector businesses, industry
officials and policymakers a forum to discuss export opportunities for U.S.
and Virginia agriculture, federal and state programs to promote agricultural
exports and specific opportunities and obstacles to agricultural and food
exports. Location: Sheraton Waterside, Norfolk, VA; Registration is limited.
For more information and to register call Spencer Neale at 804.290.1153. See
web site
www.vavarmbureau.org/trade/welcome.htm.
March 4:
Greenhouse Growers Seminar;
Wye Mills, Md; A greenhouse grower’s seminar will be held Thursday, March 4,
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Chesapeake Community College in Wye Mills. The
event is open to novices as well as experienced greenhouse operators.
Topics covered will include bedding plant nutrition, business management,
water quality, and pest management. Maryland pesticide re-certification
credits and Maryland Department of Agriculture Nutrient Management Program
continuing education credits are available for attending this conference.
Registration is $40 and includes conference materials, continental breakfast
and lunch. To register, contact the Talbot County Extension office by March
1 at 410-822-1244. The event is sponsored by University of Maryland
Extension and the Maryland Greenhouse Growers Association.
March 5: Northern Piedmont Specialty Crops School; Roxboro,
NC; Course is designed to explore the art and science of growing and
marketing specialty crops. Topics include design, construction, and thermal
performance of high tunnels; growing tomatoes, melons, raspberries and
blackberries in high tunnels; asparagus and seedless table grape research
trial results. Call (919) 603-1350.
March 5:
NC Muscadine Grape Association Meeting;
8:30 AM - 5:00 PM Willow Springs, NC; The
event will at the Adams Vineyards. Contact Amie Newsome at (919) 989-5380
March 6:
Maryland Grape Growers and
Maryland Wineries Association annual meeting; Oxon Hill, MD; The conference
is open to anyone involved with or interested in the production of wine and
wine grapes in the state of Maryland. The meeting will include a full day of
instructional sessions for current and prospective grape growers,
winemakers, and those interested in learning more about wine and grape
production. For more information contact Taylor Spies, Promotion & Outreach
Coordinator for the Maryland Grape Growers Association. Location: Clarion
Hotel in Oxon Hill, MD. Register online prior to February 28 at
www.marylandgrapes.org.
March 9:
Maryland Organic Grain & Hay Workshop;
Queen Anne’s County 4-H Park, 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Topics will include an
overview of grant and on-farm research and biological weed control. Call
(410) 758-0166.
March 11:
3rd Annual Virginia Berry Production and
Marketing Conference; Petersburg, Virginia; Topics include blueberry
production, blackberry production, high tunnel strawberry and raspberry
production, U-pick marketing and promotion, importance of trellises, pests
and diseases of berries, etc.; Program begins at 9 am, Location:
Virginia State University, Petersburg. Phone: (804) 524-5962 or (804)
524-5960.
March 13-14 and 20-21,
Highland Maple Festival;
Monterey, VA, Celebrating the maple industry in Virginia's Little
Switzerland; Contact: Highland Co. Chamber 540.468.2550;
March 15 - 24: Rural Energy for America Workshops in
Virginia; various locations; The Rural Energy for America Program
(REAP) offers a 25% cost share for the installation/replacement of products
that will increase energy efficiency or the installation of systems which
will generate renewable energy. Funds are offered as grants, loans or
grant/loan combinations. These one day intensive workshops will give the
attendee a basic understanding of this valuable program and how to apply for
funding. Schedule: March 15 – Danville; March 16 – Exmore; March 17 –
Richmond; March 23 – Wytheville; March 24 – Front Royal; March 25 –
Fredericksburg. For exact location and more info, contact Laurette Tucker
804-287-1594. To register, visit
www.vafairs.com or call Brenda Fleming (804) 290-1155.
March 20: NCSU Equine Forage Clinic; Hampstead,
NC; Area forage clinic will address problems related to forage selection,
pasture establishment, weed management, and pasture management. Speakers for
these topics will include NCSU Extension Horse Specialist Dr. Bob Mowery and
Dr. Mike Yoder along with Amanda Hatcher, Emily Walton and Mitch Binnarr.
The event will be held 9:30-3:00pm. Call 910-259-1235 for more information,
questions, and to register for this event.
March 23: Agroterrorism Conference; Weyers Cave,
Virginia; The agriculture industry is a potential target for terrorists and
Virginia experts want farmers and others involved in the industry to be
prepared. The FBI and the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer
Services will sponsor the Second Annual Virginia Agroterrorism Conference at
Blue Ridge Community College. The conference is for individuals involved in
crop, livestock and poultry production; livestock market managers; food and
dairy processors; retailers; local and state government officials; law
enforcement personnel; and other emergency management officials. For info
and registration, contact Tony Banks at 804-290-1114.
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April
April 16-18:
WV Horse Expo; West Virginia State
Fairgrounds; Featuring Trainer’s Challenge, Extreme Cowboy Race, WV Cowboy
Cook-off, Pro Day, Clinics, Demonstrations, Youth Pavilion, Stallion
Pavilion, Breeder’s Pavilion, etc. Contact Lori Howard, 800-682-1552;
www.wvhorseexpo.com.
April 16-18:
Virginia Beef Expo; Rockingham Co. Fairgrounds, Harrisonburg
Contact: Bill McKinnon 540.992.5166;
April 28-29: Animal Agriculture
Alliance Summit;
The ninth annual Stakeholders Summit will be hosted by the Animal
Agriculture Alliance in Arlington, Va. Each year, the Summit brings together
stakeholders from across the food chain to address the most challenging
issues facing animal agriculture, including animal welfare, public health,
farm security, and the animal rights movement. The event will feature
prominent speakers and aims to educate attendees while facilitating a
meaningful dialogue among industry leaders about these important challenges
facing modern agriculture. Registration materials are available on the
Alliance's Web site at
www.animalagalliance.org.
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