Expanding Your Processing and Marketing Options – Whole Farm Workshop

July 8^th

9:00am-3:00pm

Fee: $60 (lunch included)

Looking for creative ways to make extra money?  Can’t sell all your produce or have too many seconds?  We have solutions!  Attend our full day workshop on expanding your marketing options by selling outside the “CSA Box.”  Our workshop includes 3 guests who will cover online marketing, processing under the current legislation and working with a processor.

Speakers:       Jennifer Buckley , Organic Processing Institute

Andy Gehl, Contract Comestibles

Max Kane, FarmMatch

View the PDF: http://bit.ly/1lltOOT

To register go to www.michalefields.org call: 262 642 3303 x 100 or write sandrews@michaelfields.org

Farm-Scale Composting: A Means to Attain Farm Resilience and Build Soil Fertility – Whole Farm Workshop

July 25^th

9:00am-3:00pm

Fee: $60 (lunch included)

This workshop will provide the practical basis for reconsidering the importance of composting in agricultural systems in order for it to become a central element for developing healthy and sustainable farms.

The dependence of outside chemical and synthetic inputs is one of the greatest threats to agriculture, food safety, human and animal health and the natural environment. Not only is the economic dependence on these inputs a major issue, but also the far-reaching negative consequences of these products to the whole ecological context of a farm, including its soil – which is the primal resource and foundation of a farm.

This course will explore how through composting one is able to begin to build a solid base to counter act the loss of humus, soil fertility, and biological fragility of our farms. Drawing from the pioneering work of German biochemist, Ehrenfried Pfeiffer, we will explore how a heat guided fermentation compost process becomes a major pillar in establishing farm resilience and a strong and viable means to build natural soil fertility.

After an indoor introduction of this method of composting we will spend most of the day on a nearby farm where a biodynamic compost pilot project is in its third year.  We will look into the process of site assessment, obtaining and mixing organic resources, determining proper C/N ratios, setting windrows, observing machinery work, taking temperatures and moisture data collection, and managing a compost site.

This method is best implemented on large-scale garden projects and small to medium size farms where cow or other animal manures are readily available.

To register go to www.michalefields.org, call 262 642 3303 x 100 or write sandrews@michaelfields.org

Cooking with the Seasons at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute – KALE

July 25^th

5:00-7:00pm

Fee: $25

Learn about and how to cook the powerhouse vegetable Kale.

Here is the menu:

– “Cheesy” Kale Chips

– 5 step Kale Salad

– Kale and Brussels Sprout  Salad

– Kale and White Bean Stew

– Crispy Kale Energy Bars