SSAWG Annual Conference

Keith Richards (ssfarm@juno.com)
Mon, 25 Nov 1996 15:25:47 EST

SOUTHERN SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE WORKING
GROUP (SAWG) ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND TRADE
SHOW

January 16-18, 1997 at the Gainesville Radisson on Bivens Lake
and Wildlife Sanctuary, Gainesville, Florida.

Hosted by the Florida Certified Organic Growers and Consumers,
Inc. (FOG), a Southern SAWG member organization.

For more information, call 352-377-6345.

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OVER 30 WORKSHOP sessions that cover key sustainable
agriculture topics for large-scale farmers, smaller-scale farmers,
beginning farmers, information providers, and organizational and
policy advocates.
FARMER LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TRAINING
workshop track to develop the leadership capacity of farmers in
our region.
THREE FARM TOURS that will demonstrate sustainable farming
and marketing practices, including organic techniques.
SUSTAINABLY PRODUCED FOOD from sustainable and
organic farmers in our region will be featured at the Thursday
evening reception, Friday lunch buffet, Friday banquet dinner, and
farm tour lunches.
TRADE SHOW EXHIBIT of products and services for the
sustainable agriculture community on Thursday and Friday.
AUCTION AND ORGANIC COTTON FASHION SHOW will
offer entertainment and help raise funds for the conference on
Friday evening.

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The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group is a network
of nearly 50 organizations representing over 5,000 individuals in
the 13 Southern states working for sustainable agriculture.
Southern SAWG works to remove technical, institutional and
macro-economic barriers to sustainability so that family farmers
and farm communities can prosper in a healthy environment.

The Florida Certified Organic Growers and Consumers, Inc.
(FOG) is a non-profit grassroots organization committed to
environmentally sound food production, the preservation of natural
resources and the improvement of soil health through organic and
sustainable farming practices. FOG offers educational and
outreach services to farmers, agricultural advisors, and consumers.

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SSAWG CONFERENCE SCHEDULE

THURSDAY, JANUARY 16, 1997

Noon - 9:00pm: TRADE SHOW OPEN

1:00pm - 5:00pm: FARM TOUR: Components of Sustainability,
featuring an 85 acre organic blueberry farm, a dairy stock breeding
farm using intensive grazing, a greenhouse operation utilizing
water conservation, IPM, and nutrient management and a
specialized organic herb and vegetable farm.

Concurrent Sessions

1:30pm - 3:00pm:
* On-Farm Composting - George Leidig, Autrusa compost
specialist.
* Changing Your State's Approach to Agriculture: Breaking
Through the Program and Policy Barriers - Jim Worstell,
Delta Land & Farm, Robert Jenkins, value-added
marketing extension specialist, and Hal Hamilton, Center
for Sustainable Systems.

3:30pm - 5:00pm:
* Boll Weevil Eradication: Searching for Sustainability -
Roundtable discussion with Terry Pepper, TX organic
cotton farmer.
* Attracting & Identifying Beneficial Insects - Joe Lewis, Georgia
Coastal Plains entomologist.

5:30pm - 6:30pm:
* PLENARY: We Are All Leaders - A discussion of the roles
farms play in society, the need for sustainable agriculture
and the importance of farmers participating in leadership
roles to promote sustainable agriculture.

6:30pm - 8:00pm: RECEPTION

FRIDAY, JANUARY 17, 1997

7:30am - 9:00pm: TRADE SHOW OPEN

Concurrent Sessions

8:00am - 9:45am:
* Transitioning to Sustainability On a Large Scale - Jackie
Judice and Joe Judice, LA sugarcane farmers.
* Cover Crops for Healthy Soil - Ray Gallagher, Univ. of FL
agronomist and Charlie Andrews, FL organic farmer.
* Get Ready for the New Organic Rules - Michael Sligh, former
National Organic Standards Board member and Marty
Mesh, Florida Organic Growers director.
* Building Soil: The Basics - Anne Barkdoll, FL soil specialist.

10:15am - 11:45am:
* Holding Onto the Family Farm - Maccene Brown, Land Loss
Prevention Project.
* Alternative Controls for Sustainable Disease & Weed
Management - Rose Koenig, FL organic grower & plant
disease specialist, Robert McSorley, nematode specialist,
and Erin Rosskopf, weed specialist.
* Farmers, Fishers and the Big Muddy: Are Farmers Causing a
Zone of Death in The Gulf of Mexico? - Jim Lukens,
National Center for Appropriate Technology.
* Selling What You Sow - Eric Gibson, author of the bible on
marketing.
* Leadership for Organization Development - Hollis Watkins,
Southern Echo.

Noon - 1:30pm: LUNCH and SSAWG INTRODUCTION

1:45pm - 3:15pm:
* Conservation Tillage in Sustainable Ag - Tommie Dorminey, GA
row crop farmer and Rick Reed, GA Extension agent.
* Value-Added Marketing: Entrepreneurship on the Farm - LaRhea
Pepper TX farmer & marketing director for TX Organic
otton Marketing Cooperative, Ben Burkett, MS farmer &
arketing specialist with MS Assoc. of Cooperatives, and
ohnny Clark, LA produce farmer.
* Training Our Leaders of Tommorrow: Youth Education in
Sustainable Agriculture - Savanah Williams, Roots and
Shoots School of Good Food, Gus Townes, Federation of
Southern Coops Training Center, Lara Ervin, Kerr Center
for Sustainable Ag, and Renee Price, community planner.
* Beginning Financial Management - Melbah Smith, MS
Association of Cooperatives director.
* Getting Your Message Across - June Rostan, Southern
Empowerment Project.

3:45pm - 5:15pm:
* Building Soil: Beyond the Basics - Ken Musselman, Agri-Energy
Resources soil agronomist.
* Sustainability Through Cooperation - Roundtable discussion
with Shirley Sherrod, Federation of Southern Cooperatives.
* Designing On-Farm Research - John Mayne, Southern SARE
producer grant coordinator and Kenny Haines, NC organic
farmer.
* Farmers' Markets: Trends and Opportunities - Roundtable
discussion with Eric Gibson, author of "Sell What You
Sow" and Cathy Jones, NC organic market gardener.
* Creative Grassroots Fundraising for Good Causes - June Rostan,
Southern Empowerment Project.

5:30pm - 6:15pm: STATE CAUCUSES

6:30pm - 10:30pm: BANQUET DINNER and ORGANIC
COTTON FASHION SHOW/AUCTION

SATURDAY, JANUARY 18, 1997

8:00am - 5:00pm:
LARGER-SCALE FARM TOUR WITH LUNCH: The five farms
on this tour produce perennial peanut hay, organic row
crops, IPM cotton, no-till corn, hydroponic tomatoes,
organic watermelons, and organic peanuts.
SMALL-SCALE FARM TOUR WITH LUNCH: Featured will be
the county farmer's market, a diversified family farm,
Florida's oldest organic citrus grove, farms with organic
fruits and veggies and a University of Florida nutrient
management research project using cover crops and
organic soil amendments.

Concurrent Sessions

8:00am - 9:45am:
* Farm-Raised, Pastured Livestock - Cory Templeman, VA hog
and poultry farmer and Chris Weick, TX poultry and cattle
farmer.
* Community Food Security: Developing a Project and Successful
Grant Proposal (pt. 1) - Mark Winne, Hartford Food
Systems and Kate Fitzgerald, Sustainable Food Center.

10:00am - 11:45am:
* Sustainable & Profitable Dairy Production - Tom Trantham, SC
dairy farmer.
* Community Food Security: Developing a Project and Successful
Grant Proposal (pt. 2)

1:45pm - 3:15pm:
* Building Soil: Beyond the Basics - Ken Musselman, Agri-Energy
Resources soil agronomist.
* Conserving Diversity Through Heritage Livestock - Don Bixby,
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

3:30pm - 5:00pm:
* Attracting & Identifying Beneficial Insects - Joe Lewis, GA
Coastal Plans entomologist.
* Finding and Managing Employees and Apprentices - Roundtable
discussion with Rob Love, FL nursery operator.

7:00pm - 11:00pm: LIVE ENTERTAINMENT - Good music and
the best company; could you ask for more?

(Schedule and farm tours are subject to change)

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REGISTRATION

To register for the conference, farm tours and meals, please
complete the preregistration form below. To guarantee your
reservations for the farm tours and meals, pre-register by
December 23, 1996. After December 23, farm tours and meal
registrations will be accepted according to availability.

LODGING

Make your lodging reservations at the Gainesville Radisson by
calling 352-377-4000. To receive the discount room rate of $45,
you must say you will be attending the Southern SAWG
conference and you must reserve your room by December 23,
1996.

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SOUTHERN SAWG ANNUAL CONFERENCE AND TRADE
SHOW, January 16-18, 1997 in Gainesville, Florida

PRE-REGISTRATION FORM
(To be guaranteed a reservation for the farm tours and meals, you
must register before December 23, 1996.)

Name: _____________________________________________

Farm or Organization: _________________________________

Address: ____________________________________________

City: ______________________ State_____ Zip __________

Telephone ( )_____________ Fax ( )_______________

Enclosed is my $ ________ payment for: (check all that apply)

Before December 23 After December 23
Conference Registration: _____($25) _____($30)
Friday Lunch: _____($10) _____($12)

Friday Dinner: _____($15) _____($18)
Thursday Farm Tour: _____($18) _____($20)
Saturday Farm Tour: _____($35) _____($38)
(with Lunch)

Select Saturday tour: _____Small-Scale or _____Large-Scale

Vegetarian meals? _____ yes _____no

Mail this registration form and your check made out to Southern
SAWG to: SSAWG Conference, c/o Shelby Systems, #3 Office
Park Circle, Suite 225, Birmingham, AL 35223. Call 352-377-6345
for more information regarding the SSAWG conference and trade
show.

There will be a $10 charge for refunds requested before December
23, 1996. No refunds afterwards, unless due to sold-out events.