 |
|
Support the WV Food & Farm Coalition!
|
|
Every year we grow older, the summers seem to grow shorter. Most children are returning to school this week and college students are crowding the sidewalks of our college towns. It could be just yesterday we were out picking strawberries and foraging for ramps. We're wishing for 9 day weeks and 4 day weekends here in the WVFFC office to complete our summer projects while we respond to the threats to our food and farm community.
We'll be sending out an email later this week asking for your continued support to build a resilient and equitable local food system through the #WVFarmBill2018.
In the midst of awful violence and hate in our country, we are making time to bring our food and farm community together to share stories and experiences, enjoy good food prepared by good friends, and
appreciate the beauty of West Virginia and all that this land offers us.
With love,
West Virginia Food & Farm Coalition
|
93rd Annual State Fair of West Virginia
in Lewisburg, WV
August 10th - 19th
The State Fair in West Virginia is here!
The fair's concert series begins Thursday evening with Aaron Lewis. Other shows include Martina McBride and Josh Turner on Friday.
Children 12 and under can enter free every day. Daily adult tickets at the gate cost $11. Camping is available!
Find more details online here.
|
|
Niche Meat Processing Assistant Network Webinar: Engagement with FSIS Policy: Experiences from the Field
August 17th at 12PM
Hear from a panel of speakers who are engaging with USDA FSIS policy as it relates to small meat plants and niche meats. The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, with NMPAN's help, is steering a small plant policy group that is meeting quarterly with top FSIS leadership to address policy concerns for small operators. Register
here.
|
|
Beckley Honey Festival in Beckley, WV
August 19th
The Beckley Honey Festival will take place on National Honey Bee Day. There will be live honey bee demonstrations, display tents, equipment and demonstration hives, youth activities and area vendors along with the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine/Youth Museum. The event will take place at the
Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine. Learn more
here
.
|
|
Poultry Processing Workshop in Lincoln County, WV
August 22nd, 10AM - 4PM
Want to raise poultry and process it on your farm? Attend this upcoming FREE, hands-on workshop to learn how to slaughter and process chickens safely, following the WVDA on-farm processing exemption rules. Rainbow Farm, a pasture poultry farm in Summers County, will be leading the workshop. Contact Adam Hudson at (304) 360-0885 or ahudson@refreshappalachia.com for more information and to register.
|
|
|
Farm Aid 2017 in
Burgettstown, PA
September 16th
Join us at Farm Aid's annual concert! The concert is an all-day music and food festival, featuring a
unique lineup
of artists and genres and family farm-identified, local and organic foods with its own
HOMEGROWN Concessions®
. At Farm Aid's 2017 concert, attendees can visit the HOMEGROWN Village to meet farmers, engage in hands-on food and farm activities, and learn about the ways family farmers are enriching our soil, protecting our water and growing our economy, in addition to bringing us good food for good health. Learn more here.
|
|
|
Fruit Drying Workshop- Learn By Doing!
at WV Northern Community College
August 23rd
This is a one-day, hands-on training for those
who want to produce and sell dried fruit and vegetables products. The class is taught by food processing experts in partnership with West Virginia Northern Community College's Culinary Program. Expand your season and add value to your products by selling dried fruits and veggies! The program includes: product and process development, ingredients and product safety, storage and handling, and shared facilities and marketing.The cost is
$15 per person. Learn more here.
|
|
|
Upcoming Webinar: Promoting Equity in Local Food Systems through Cooperative Extension
September 6th at 12PM
How can we apply equity and anti-racism principles to our food system work? In answer to this question, this webinar provides three examples from the Cooperative Extension System of efforts to promote equity and undo racism in local food systems. These examples from North Carolina, Michigan, and Pennsylvania offer a range of experiences and strategies. Register for the webinar
here.
|
|
|
Mother Earth News Fair
September 15th - 17th
in
Seven Springs, Pennsylvania
With more than 150 workshops, there is no shortage of informative demonstrations and lectures to educate and entertain you over the weekend. At the MOTHER EARTH NEWS FAIR, you'll discover a dazzling array of workshops and lectures designed to get you further down the path to independence and self-reliance. Whether you want to learn how to grow and raise your own food, build your own root cellar, or create a green dream home, come out and learn everything you need to know - and then some! Register here.
|
|
|
Fall Bee Conference in Fairmont, WV
September 22nd - 23rd
The WV Beekeepers Association is celebrating their 100th anniversary and hosting their Fall Conference in Fairmont at the Robert H. Mollohan Research Center from Friday, September 22nd through Saturday, September 23rd. Participants are invited to take part in informational sessions on a variety of bee related topics, including hive management, raising queens, and controlling hive disease. There will also be vendors from various bee supply companies, live music, and a barbecue. Learn more and register here.
|
|
Women in Agriculture Conference
October 20th - 21st in
Kingwood, WV
The Women in Agriculture are proud to present this statewide conference to promote leadership development, and provide production and marketing education for agricultural producers and service providers.
Learn more and register here.
|
|
Harvesting Opportunity: The Power of Regional Food System Investments to Transform Communities
by The Federal Reserve Board of Governors
Learn more and download the free PDF e-book
here
.
|
Calling all commercial farmers or ranchers in the United States! NCAT wants to know your attitudes and opinions on crop insurance. Take the 20 - 30 minute survey here and they'll pay you $20!
|
|
PBS NewsHour Twitter Chat Recap:
"What It Means To Be Hungry"
On August 3rd, the PBS NewsHour hosted a Twitter Chat about hunger. Check out some of the ideas and conversations that were brought up
here
.
|
|
Article from the Farm-to-Consumer Legal Defense Fund,
State Meat Processing Regulations: Taking What the Feds Give
Read the full article here.
|
|
Food Insecurity, Chronic Disease, and Health Among Working-Age Adults
by Christian Gregory and Alisha Coleman-Jensen
Learn more and download the free PDF e-book
here
.
|
Success Story:
A Microloan Helps West Virginia Cattle Producer with a New Tractor and New Way of Life
Read the full article
here
.
|
|
The Food Research and Action Center's Summer Picks: Six Reads for Every Anti-Hunger Advocate
See the book recommendations
here
.
|
|
U.S. Sens. Mark R. Warner (D-VA), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Bob Casey (D-PA), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) introduced the first comprehensive legislation in the U.S. Senate to target food deserts, the bipartisan Healthy Food Access for All Americans (HFAAA) Act. Read the full bill
here.
|
|
Southern SAWG Farm Bill Webinar Series on August 15th and 29th, September 12th and 26th at 3pm EST
Join NSAC and SSAWG for a farm bill primer and grassroots strategy session. This four-part farm bill webinar series is designed to provide farmers, food producers and anyone who eats and cares about food an opportunity to get in-depth information about the farm bill, share information and concerns and develop ways to get involved and participate in farm bill grassroots activities. Register for Part 1, Farm Bill 101 here.
|
|
Agriculture Secretary Perdue to Kick Off "Back to Our Roots" RV Tour.
Follow his journey on Twitter using the hashtag #BackToOurRoots.
|
|
Support the WV Food & Farm Coalition!
|
|
|
|
|
|
