FUTURE HARVEST

TODAY! Check it out! Adaptive Grazing, Mentoring, and Systems Thinking Thursday, August 15, 2024, 11am -12 pm ET Speakers: Gil Yearwood of Ellett Valley Beef Company, Becky Szarzynski of Ember Cattle Company, and Jacob Gilley of Heaven’s Hollow Farm Register: https://lnkd.in/dgWFQ8us

Got land? Want trees? SilvoCulture is looking for tree planting sites! This may include silvopasture, food forests, riparian buffers, or restoration plantings with a focus on the best genetics for well-adapted fruits and nuts for the tri-state area (MD/VA/WV). Candidates will be matched with grant programs that cover all or some of the cost for SilvoCulture to design, install, and maintain new tree plantings. Interested? Click here: https://lnkd.in/eWjTWf7S After filling out the form, check your inbox for a copy of the Chestnut Orchards for the Mid-Atlantic Region How-To Guide and Business Plan.

TONIGHT! Join the 2020 Farmers Cooperative for Session 1 (virtual) of their “Soil Health Series” featuring Dr. Amen. RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/ekHi3Yga Dr. Amen is a naturopathic doctor , homeopath, and Chinese Medicine practitioner with over 20 years experience. He is licensed as both a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist in the state of Maryland. As a seasoned general practitioner, Dr. Amen has treats a wide variety of physical, emotional, and mental dis-eases. He believes the doctor-patient relationship should be used to empower patients to gain control of their health and help them find the balance needed to lead healthy authentic lives.

GRANT ALERT! Available to producers in our region. RAFI Infrastructure Grant https://lnkd.in/eqrGErWd MARBIDCO Cold Storage Grant https://lnkd.in/eKNAyxjm

Last weekend, our ALDI cohort and guests of the MABFC had the opportunity to visit Cheryl and Edward Thompson’s Orun Field and Family Farm. We learned history about the seven acre property which, during the war of 1812, was known as Nottingham Road and was a place of refuge for the Piscataway Indians. Ed led our group into the forest trail and identified native plants and land markers. We talked about how hemp is grown on the property and used for medicinal purposes to help combat MS in elders and respiratory problems. And what farm tour is complete without a visit to the goats and talk of value-added products like goat milk and cheese?! The group collected colorful eggs from from the chickens and ended the morning with a plant-based lunch from our friends at Everlasting Life in Capitol Heights.

Profitable Soil Health: Maximizing Diversity in the Real World August 6th, 2024 from 9 AM to 4:30 PM at Green Sprig Ag in Rocky Mount, VA. Hear the story behind Rick Clark's journey to farming green, see the rainfall simulator, experience a live milling demonstration, and take a hayride tour of the innovative and outside-of-the-box methods that Daniel Austin is trying out on his farm. This event is FREE and lunch is provided! There will be door prizes and ice cream! Registration is required. Please RSVP by August 1 by text/call to 540-352-9289 or at https://lnkd.in/eS9mgxjF Sponsored by Green Sprig Ag, American Farmland Trust, Common Grain Alliance, Future Harvest, and Virginia Tech School of Plant and Environmental Sciences. Please reach out to Lydia Fitzgerald [email protected] with any questions.

WANT TO SPEAK AT OUR CONFERENCE? We are accepting workshop proposals now through August 15th. Submit notes about the session you'd like to curate through this link: https://lnkd.in/dxY3jR2P

Join us for information and support regarding the new MSDE Farm to School produce bid tomorrow, Friday July 12th at 4:00 pm online. RSVP: https://lnkd.in/dQriGJts The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is issuing this Invitation for Bids (IFB) in order to procure the services defined in this Section 2, as specified in this IFB, from a contract between the successful bidder(s) and the MSDE. Successful bidders will have responsibility for centralized sourcing, procurement, and distribution of unprocessed or minimally processed local food to LEA’s participating in the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program.

CALLING ALL ARTISTS! Are you an artist engaged in food and farming? Or do you know someone wonderful who is? We're looking for someone who'd like to work with us to visualize the 2025 Conference Theme: FARMING INTO THE FUTURE. This theme is intended to encompass everything from how to adapt to a changing climate and incorporate new technologies, to regenerating land for future generations of farmers and for furthering efficiency in our region's small- to mid-scale operations along the way. And maybe some space traveling chickens **Trademark Charlotte Carter of Eldersburg Maryland, who's work is featured here. Interested? Email [email protected] subject line CONFERENCE ART #farmconference #farmerartist #farmart

TOMORROW! Register: https://lnkd.in/eEQhGux7 Join Future Harvest for a hands-on no-till vegetable production and rotational grazing field day with Tommy and Michelle Shireman of Third Way Farm in Havre de Grace, Maryland. During this workshop, participants will learn about seedling production, no-till bed prep and planting, harvesting and post-harvest handling, and get a brief overview of rotational grazing. They broke ground on 67 acres in 2015 and have shaped their farm around the principles of permaculture, sustainability, and regeneration. Tommy and Michelle believe *good* farm is best conceived as a partner in a diverse and multi-faceted ecosystem, so they have chosen to diversify their portfolio by focusing our attention on stewardship of, rather than dominion over. As a testament to their stewardship, they are a no-till farm committed to developing the highest level of sustainable soil management for produce, protein, and fiber. In conjunction with no-till methods, the farmers also practice companion planting, composting, and rotational grazing. $10/ Future Harvest Members; $20/Non-Members; FREE for BFTP & ALDI.