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Monday, July 12, 2010

Learning and Networking Small Farmer to Small Farmer Style

Today, July 12th, as everyone knows, is the deadline for the 'early bird discount' registration. We certainly hope that everyone is or has taken advantage of our efforts to keep the costs very reasonable for everyone.

Of course, a primary reason for keeping the conference costs down is to provide access for small farmers to meet and learn from each other. There's no better demonstration of this fact then the list of excellent farmer speakers that are participating in our sessions. To this end, I want to begin to give you some short biosketches of the small farmers that you can personally get to hear and know. Their names can be found on the new link of 'Session Speakers' on the conference website.

Alternative Energy Track
Saturday 4:30 – 6:00: Combined Heat and Power Options for the Small Farm
a) Wayne Keith, from Springville AL is an “off the grid” cattlemen, and builder and designer of a truck (dodge Dakota) that runs on wood gas which is a world war II technology developed in Scandinavia that ran public transportation and provided power for farming during the last several years of the war. (he is bringing the truck).

Alternative Enterprise Track
Sunday 11:00 – 12:30: Aquaponics and Aquaculture
a) Jorge Pang is a marine biologist who is a former project manager at the Ocean Boy Company which produced shrimp on inland ponds near Clewiston, Florida. Jorge later worked on a tilapia project on Pine Island, producing more than 500 pounds of tilapia per week for niche markets in Northern US States. Jorge is the current project development manager for a sizeable aquaponics farm in South Punta Gorda, which has begun to produce fish, vegetables and orchids in a closed production system.

Business and Marketing Track
Sunday 11:00 – 12:30: What’s All the Excitement About Social Marketing? – How It Can Help You Market Your Product/Service
a) Brain Lapinski and his wife, Kristin, started Down to Earth farm on 2.5 acres in Jacksonville Florida in late 2007. They serve a 20-member CSA and two Saturday markets with sustainably grown veggies and cut flowers. Their main marketing tool is a weekly email to their list of about 900 folks.

Horticulture Track
Saturday 4:30 – 6:00: Exploring Hydroponic Growing Systems
a) Emil Belibasis is hydroponic greenhouse grower originally from Honduras. In 1989 he began in a single-bay (one-tenth of an acre) greenhouse. A year and a half later, he purchased his current 15-acre farm in Wellborn, FL, where he grows tomatoes on the vine and Middle Eastern cucumbers inside 5 acres of greenhouse area.
Through the years, Belibasis has maintained a close relationship with UF/IFAS and utilized NFREC-SV and county agents to start his operation. Emil is a great example of the type of grower that willingly gives of himself to help others. He has hosted countless tours of his farm to help area County Extension agents, he never says no. In addition to the tours, he has provided product for many grad student projects, guest lecturer in Dr. Cantliffe’s classes, gone to Tallahassee and Washington DC to testify on the hill for UF/IFAS budgets, presented and hosted FDA and USDA officials at the recent statewide food safety listening session and tour, serves on local Extension advisory committees, and he still finds a way to make significant financial contributions to support Extension programs every year. He is just that kind of friend/cooperator that makes County Extension work worth it all.

So come to the conference and learn from fellow small farmers who understand your world as a producer and who want you to succeed too!

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