A farmer may be outstanding in her field, but if she’s out standing in her field she may not find time to network with other farmers facing the same problems, decisions and market forces.
Now the Organic Grower’s School and N.C. Agricultural and Technical University have linked up to create a Farmer-to-Farmer mentoring series to put growers throughout the region in touch with one another. The 15-week program will consist of hands-on sessions and run from May 24 to Aug. 30.
The program is designed to teach existing and would-be farmers the economic value and importance of sustainable agriculture. Three small farm production areas will be highlighted, with classes grouped according to each farm’s specialties: small fruit production at Imladris Farm; cut flowers and greenhouse creations at Fisher Branch Farm; and livestock issues at Hickory Nut Gap Farm-Spring House Meats. Imladris and Hickory Nut Gap are located in Fairview, while Fisher Branch is sited in Marshall.
Walt Harrill took time out from kicking a recalcitrant mower at Imladris to tell Xpress that the first class covers value-adding. “It’s geared toward commercial farmers,” he explained. Together with his wife, Wendy, Harrill has built a successful value-added farm business, not merely selling fruit, shiitake mushrooms and rabbit meat, but retailing and wholesaling jams, jellies and a shiitake dip mix. The Harrill’s approach extends even to their farm’s waste stream, which emphasizes nutrient cycling and the idea that waste is a resource. “Adding value is an integral part of sustainable farming in WNC,” Harrill explained. “We’ll talk about everything from composting to bookkeeping and how to determine if you’re making enough from processing your products to make it worth your time.”
The class will be held at Blue Ridge Food Ventures, a nonprofit initiative of AdvantageWest Economic Development Group and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture. The shared-use, value-added food processing center is located on Sand Hill Road in Asheville.
Subsequent classes will rotate between the three farms, with Jenifer Miller of Fisher Branch Farm discussing growing specialty cut flowers and select vegetables, potted herbs, perennials and flowers for cutting and Jamie and Amy Ager offering lessons gleaned from their husbandry and direct marketing of grass-fed beef, pastured pork, lamb and free-range eggs at Hickory Nut Gap Farm.
Said Harrill, “The Organic Grower’s School does a terrific job delivering classroom material, but this Farmer-to-Farmer program is more hands-on. We want people to walk through the orchard and sit under an apple tree while we discuss farming.”
Each of the 15 sessions stands alone, but organizers have built in a discount for those who want to attend multiple classes. The cost is $10 per class, $40 for five classes within a particular subject area, or $100 for the entire series. Early registration is suggested and workshop notebooks are provided. For information and to register contact either Dan Leroy: 450-2026 or e-mail dan@organicgrowersschool.org ; or Diane Ducharme: 687-4891 or e-mail Diane_Ducharme@ncsu.edu . Checks or money orders must be made payable to The Organic Growers School and mailed to 740 Glover St., Hendersonville, NC 28792.
Farmer-to-Farmer Schedule
May 24: Value-adding Your Products (At Blue Ridge Food Ventures)
May 31: Organic Transplant Production (Fisher Branch Farm)
June 7: Direct Marketing your Meats (Spring House Meats)
June 14: Blueberry Production for the Mountains (Imladris Farm)
June 21: Variety Winners in the Cut-flower Business (Fisher Branch Farm)
June 28: Pasture Poultry Production (Spring House Meats)
July 12: Farmsteading vs. Staying on the farm (Imladris Farm)
July 19: Grass-fed Beef and Lamb Production (Spring House Meats)
July 26: Cut-flower Management (Fisher Branch Farm)
Aug. 2: Blackberry Production (Imladris Farm)
Aug. 2: Raspberry Production (Imladris Farm)
Aug. 9: Fencing Options for Livestock (Spring House Meats)
Aug. 16: Customizing and Marketing Cut-flowers (Fisher Branch Farm)
Aug. 23: Pasture-raised Pork Production (Spring House Meat)
Aug. 30: Establishing a Greenhouse (Fisher Branch Farm)
Before you comment
The comments section is here to provide a platform for civil dialogue on the issues we face together as a local community. Xpress is committed to offering this platform for all voices, but when the tone of the discussion gets nasty or strays off topic, we believe many people choose not to participate. Xpress editors are determined to moderate comments to ensure a constructive interchange is maintained. All comments judged not to be in keeping with the spirit of civil discourse will be removed and repeat violators will be banned. See here for our terms of service. Thank you for being part of this effort to promote respectful discussion.