Winter 1997

Winter Notes
Hopefully, you’re relaxing by the fire with some seed catalogs and dreaming about the upcoming growing season. Now is a great time to get out your business plan and review your progress and maybe adjust your plans. Take advantage of the many conferences, workshops and classes being offered. Not only will you learn something new, you’ll also have an opportunity to meet some new people and reconnect with some old friends.

Sugaring season is just around the corner. If you’ve been thinking about adding maple to your list of products, then you might want to consider membership in the Vermont Maple Sugarmakers Association (VMSMA). 1997 dues are only $15.00 per farm. Membership gives you access to VMSMA promotional materials, discounts on some equipment and the “Maple Mainline” newsletter which will keep you posted on educational opportunities happening throughout the year. To join, send your check to: VMSMA, 347 Plains Road, Westford, VT 05494.

The Farmer’s Tax Guide is out!!! Pick up a copy at your local Extension Office, IRS Office,  or call the IRS at 1-800-TAX-FORM and request publication #225. Even if you won’t be filing farm taxes this year this guide is a useful document to review as you write your business plan. It has lots of useful information that will help you set up your farm finances to be ‘tax-friendly’.

Tinmouth Channel Farm would like you to know that they are prepared to work with small  businesses, greenhouses, farm stands, etc. to supply potted herb plants for resale. They have over 200 varieties to offer. They also offer their wholesale customers information sheets on herbs that can be reproduced and handed out to customers. If you would like more information, contact Carolyn Fuhrer or Kathleen Duhnoski at Tinmouth Channel Farm, (802) 446-2812.

Comings and Goings
With very mixed feelings, we announce that Ann Ogden Hausslein, Program Outreach Assistant for southern Vermont, is leaving the program at the end of January to pursue other interests. While we will all miss Ann’s contributions to the daily operation of the Network, we are delighted that she has agreed to continue her involvement as a member of the Advisory Council.  Rather than fill the southern position right away, we have decided to take some time to evaluate our staffing options.  However, in the meantime, both Debra Browning and Beverly Bishop are going to be splitting the coverage of southern Vermont and we are looking into getting an "800" number installed at our main office so we can be more accessible to all of Vermont.

Resource Updates
The following publications are samples of what’s available at the WAgN Resource library. We have a growing selection of books, videos, and periodicals available for lending.

The Maine Organic Farmer & Gardener is published 4 times a year by the Maine Organic Farmer & Gardeners’ Association. It usually runs 40-50 pages and has a wide variety of articles on organic production of both veggies and livestock. Also includes editorials, recipes, and news & events. Subscription (4 issues) is $12. Send your check or money order to: MOFGA, PO Box 2176, Augusta, ME 04338.

Flowers for Sale: Growing and Marketing Cut Flowers by Lee Sturdivant. Contains information on getting started; equipment; growing and harvesting; and marketing. Basic, good information and even has some start up stories although these are all from the west coast.

Bramble Production Guide, NRAES Publication-35. Revised in 1994, this publication is a comprehensive guide to plant selection, planting, disease management; harvesting, transporting and marketing brambles in the Northeast.

The North American Maple Syrup Producers Manual has been revised and illustrated. It is the basic handbook for sugarbush management and syrup production and marketing. You’re welcome to borrow our copy to review or order your own     copy for $8.00 (plus $3.85 postage and handling). For ordering information, contact Larry Myott at (802) 656-5433 or George Cook at (802) 888-4972.

Previews of Coming Attractions...

Orientations
Burlington Area (call for exact location, time, etc):
Thu Feb 13, Burlington
Thu Apr 10, Middlebury
Tue Feb 18, St Albans
Tue Apr 15, Burlington
Wed Mar 19, Burlington
Wed May 21,Burlington
Lyndon Area
Tue  Feb 11, Hardwick
Tue May 13, White River
Tue Mar 11, Newport
Tue Jun 10, Lyndon
Tue Apr 1, Lyndon
Rutland Area
Wed Feb 19, Rutland
Tue Mar 18, Manchester
Thu Mar 13, Bennington
Wed Apr 23, Rutland

Getting Serious
Burlington
Tuesdays, Mar 4, 11, 18, 25
Thursdays, Apr 3, 10, 17, May 1
Wednesdays, May 14, 21, 28, Jun 4
Mondays, Jun 2, 9, 16, 23
Lyndon
Tuesdays, Apr 8, 15, 22, 29
Rutland
Wednesdays, Mar 5, 12, 19, 26
Wednesdays, Apr 2, 9, 16, 23 (Manchester)
Wednesdays, Apr 30, May 7, 14, 21

Growing Places
Cycle 4 is scheduled for March 1, 8, 15, 22 in Burlington. Growing Places is designed for individuals considering a farm or ag-related business, especially for those who don’t have a lot of experience in agriculture. Registration materials are available from the WAgN Program Office. Call (802) 656-3276 for information.

Start Up
January cycles are underway in Burlington and Rutland. Interviews for Fall ’97 Cycles in 3 locations will be starting in June. If you’ve been thinking about taking the plunge, there’s never been a better time. For more info, call the WSBP office nearest you.
Burlington: (802) 658-0337, ext. 372
Rutland: (802) 747-9941
Lyndon: (802) 626-6206

Other Related and Interesting Events...

January 28-30 - Vermont Farm Show, Barre, VT. Mark your calendars - this is a great opportunity to see what’s happening in agriculture in Vermont.

February - Integrated Crop Management Workshops. Designed to assist the farmer in developing  a crop management plan. Courses are 4 days and will be held at 4 different sites around the state. Call (802) 388-4969 for registration info.

February 3 - A meeting of the newly-formed Vermont’s Finest FiberWorks.  10 am, VT Dept. of Ag.

February 7-8 - Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) 1997 Conference: Cooperating for a Change. Sessions include Minimum Tillage Composting; Operating a CSA with large numbers and high participation; Marketing Pastured Poultry; Growing and Marketing Cut Flowers. For more information call PASA at (814) 349-9856.

February 8 - New Hampshire Dairy Goat Seminar, “Extending the Grazing Season”. 12:30 - 3:00, Holiday Inn, 700 Elm Street, Manchester. Topics include Rotational Grazing, Land Reclamation and Extending the Grazing Season. $5 donation requested. For more information contact John Porter at (603) 225-5505.

February 8 - New Hampshire Forage Seminar, Manchester, NH.  Contact John Porter at           (603) 255-5505.

February 15 - NOFA-VT Annual Winter Conference,  Randolph. This year’s title: Is Organic Enough? Keynote speaker will be Joan Gussow, professor emeritus at Columbia University. Call (802) 434-4122.

February 18-20 - NY State Farmers’ Direct Marketing Conference, Owego, NY. This year’s conference focus: Back to Family--Integrating Family Values and Traditions into Market Operation, Personnel and Customer Relations. For more information, contact either Monika Roth at (607) 272-2292 or Andrea Eichorn at (607) 692-3919.

February 22 - Vermont Grass Farmers’ Annual Meeting and Conference. Keynote speakers will be Joel Salatin and Dave Forgey. A great opportunity to connect with others interested in grazing.  For registration info, call Sarah Flack, (802) 849-6016, Travis Forgues (802) 796-4492 or Deb Heleba (802) 655-0233.

February 28 - Mar 2 - Vermont Flower Show, Sheraton Conference Center, South Burlington.

March 5 - Perennial Plant Conference, Storrs, CT. Contact Tim Abbey at (860) 345-4511.

March 12-13  - Cornell Farming Alternatives Program presents - Farming for the Future Leadership Workshop, Painted Post, NY.  For more information, contact Joan Padula, (607) 255-9832.

March 13-14 - Northeast Regional Partnership for Food Security Conference, Hartford, CT.  For more information, contact Mark Winne (860) 296-9325.

Greenhouses and Equipment for Sale
Growing Places Graduate Jill Eyre of Griffis Gardens, Quechee, Vermont has greenhouses and greenhouse equipment for sale.  For further details, please call Jill at (802) 296-8219.

Start Up Graduations at 3 Locations!!
Congratulations to all of the recent Start Up grads. Many hours of hard work are about to pay off!!!

Celina Aiguier
Eleanor Barton
Cynthia Barlow
Elizabeth Cartland
Jacqueline Clark
Renee DiPietro
Joyce Maher
Norma Phillips
Sharon Villa

Attention Herb Growers!!
VT Department of Agriculture and the Women’s Ag Network are compiling a directory of herb growers that will be distributed to potential buyers this growing season.  Information on how to be included will be available at the WAgN display at both the NOFA Annual Conference and the Flower Show and several other locations.  There will also be a few direct mailings.  If you would like to be included in this directory and do not receive a form through any other means by March 1, please give the WAgN Office a call and we’ll mail you a copy.

Co-op Survey
Enclosed with the newsletter is a survey.  We are looking for input from WAgN members to assess your level of interest in co-operatives.  Do you feel that co-ops or other methods of collaborative marketing, processing, or distribution arrangements would be helpful to you, your farm or your ag business?  If so, please fill out this survey and return it to us at the address indicated.  The information will help us learn what your information needs are so that we can help fill those gaps.  The survey is a self-mailer, so just re-fold it, tape or staple it shut and pop it in the mail to us.  Thanks!




WAgN
Women's Agricultural Network
590 Main St., UVM
Burlington, VT  05405
(802) 656-3276
or wagn@zoo.uvm.edu

 University of Vermont Extension and U.S. Department of Agriculture, cooperating, offer education and employment to everyone without regard to race, color, notional orgin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status.