California Small Farm Conference November 13-15, 2005 Ventura, CA

http://www.californiafarmconference.com/

The California Farm Conference serves to protect, support, and
increase the economic viability of the state's small-scale farmers and their communities.
It works toward this goal by holding an annual conference targeting a diversity
of farmers and other stakeholders who support small-scale agriculture. The conference
focuses on finding solutions and sharing information about the issues, resources,
techniques, and opportunities vital to the economic survival and betterment of
small farms.

California Farm Conference is a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the long-term viability of California's family farms.

California Small Farm Conference
November 13-15, 2005
Ventura Beach Marriott Hotel
Ventura, CA.

Contact us at info@californiafarmconfenrence.com

California Small Farm Conference
P.O. Box 73614
Davis, CA 95617

Tel:(530) 756-8518 Ext.38

Program Overview
CONFERENCE AT A GLANCE

Sunday, November 13
Short Courses
Tours 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Food and Wine Tasting Reception, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Monday, November 14
Registration begins in hotel lobby at 7:30 a.m.
Exhibitor Booths on hotel mezzanine level 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Opening Plenary 9:00 a.m.
Workshops 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.
Lunch 12:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Banquet Dinner 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Tuesday, November 15
Exhibitor Booths on hotel mezzanine level, 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Workshops 8:30 a.m. to 11:45 p.m.
Lunch 12:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
Closing Address 1:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Certified Farmers' Market Advisory Committee Meeting 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

LODGING

The Ventura Beach Marriott is the official hotel for the conference. Our special room rate is $84 single/double occupancy and $94 triple/quadruple occupancy per night (plus applicable taxes). To receive this special rate, reserve your room by October 10, 2005 by calling (805)643-6000 or toll-free 1-800-228-9290 and mention the California Small Farm Conference in Ventura , CA . Space permitting, these rates will be available up to the time of the conference.

DIRECTIONS

The southern California coastal town of Ventura is located between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles . From the South ( Los Angeles ) take Highway 101 North into Ventura , exit Seaward Avenue , and make a left, then a right onto Harbor Blvd. The Ventura Beach Marriott is on the left in about 1 ½ blocks. From the North ( Santa Barbara ), take Highway 101 South into Ventura , exit Seaward Avenue . Make a right onto Harbor Blvd. The hotel is immediately on the left.

TOURS

Tours depart from the Hotel parking lot promptly at 8:30 a.m. and return at approximately 4:00 p.m. Please be in front of the hotel lobby at least 10 minutes before departure time. Tour leaders will give an overview of the topic of the tour and of the development of Santa Barbara and/or Ventura County agriculture. Lunch provided.


SHORT COURSES
Berry Culture: Blueberries, Raspberries, Blackberries, and Strawberries ~ Full Day Course, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

Presented by the UC Davis Small Farm Program and UCCE Advisors Mark Gaskell, Ben Faber, Mark Bolda, Manuel Jimenez, and Laura Tourte will cover best practices for variety selection, production, and marketing of raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries in CA. This course will involve visits to small-scale farms producing these berries in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo Counties. Round trip bus transportation from hotel and lunch provided.

Communications and Strategic Marketing for Farmers’ Market Managers ~ Full Day Course, 9:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.

This active, hands on course, presented by UC Small Farm Center staff and John Silveira of Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association, will address two of the most challenging aspects of managing a farmers market: communication and strategic marketing. This two-part course will draw upon the rich backgrounds of the participants and the guidance and expertise of veteran managers to enhance the skills of new or experienced market manager. Participants should bring photos, advertisements, and promotional materials to apply course concepts to their market. Lunch provided.

Computer Basics: Your First Computer Class ~Half Day Course, 8:30 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.

This class, presented by Ventura College Institute for Community & Professional Development, is designed for the pure novice. You will learn basic computer terms, how to use the keyboard and mouse, the difference between hardware and software, toolbars, the desktop, software applications – including the internet browser, and how to save and print things you have created. In addition you will learn what to look for when purchasing a computer and discover the countless benefits of knowing computer basics. Round trip bus transportation from hotel provided.

Small Farms and Financial Management ~ Short Course, 2:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

The development and use of farm financial statemenets to improve farm operations, business planning, and loan applications.
Presenter: Dr. Patrick Berends, Ph.D., Assistant Professor at the College of Agriculture, California State University, Chico

The Future of Food ~ 2 hour Course and Film 1:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.

A panel will offer an in-depth investigation into the controversy behind the unlabeled, patented, genetically engineered foods that have quietly filled U.S. grocery store shelves for the past decade. The film gives a voice to farmers whose lives and livelihoods have been negatively impacted by this new technology. Shot on location in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. The film also explores alternatives to large-scale industrial agriculture, placing organic and sustainable agriculture as real solutions to the farm crisis today.

Biodiversity and Soil Conservation ~ 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Visit farms where biodiversity thrives! Learn soil conservation techniques, organic controls and fertilization methods from farmers whose long-standing commitment to these values has paid off. We will visit Jim Churchill, whose specialty citrus are renowned, Robert Dautch, who successfully markets a variety of fresh herbs and vegetables on his beautiful Earthtrine Farm, and the Hansen Trust Agricultural Learning Center , a facility designed to sustain agriculture in Ventura County through research and education.

Innovation and Exotic Plants ~ 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Who would have thought ten years ago that blueberries would become a commercial crop in CA? Or that there was money in bananas and field grown roses? We will visit Whitney Farms, where blueberries and Meyer lemons thrive, Rose Hill Gardens, whose field grown roses get shipped all over the United States, and Calimoya, a sub-tropical paradise where cherimoyas, lychees, bananas, and even coffee plants grow alongside more familiar varieties. Come meet the innovators, and learn how to spot opportunities.

“A Taste of Santa Barbara County ” 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Whether or not you saw the hit movie “Sideways”, the romance of the Santa Barbara wine country will conquer you. After a visit to Figueroa Faram’s olive grove and mill, we will visit Buttonwood Winery, a long-established organic vineyard and orchard in Eastern Santa Ynez Valley, before heading west to Sanford Winery, whose magnificent new facility is a model of elegant functionality. Richard Sanford, a pioneer in Santa Barbara grape growing and renowned conservationist, will guide our visit.

 
FOOD & WINE TASTING RECEPTION

5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m at hotel

Taste and compare the fine food and wine of Ventura and Santa Barbara Counties. The region’s finest restaurants and their chefs will team up with local farmers to create delectable seasonal offerings with exceptional wines to satisfy the palate. Experience the Ventura area’s internationally renowned produce — avocados, citrus, fruit and vegetables — as well as the area’s best wineries, bakeries, olives & olive oil, juice, cheese, and other savory and sweet treats. Ticket Cost: $25
SPECIAL GUEST SPEAKERS

John Ikerd

John Ikerd is Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics at the University of Missouri . John was raised on a small dairy farm in southwest Missouri and he received his BS, MS, and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Missouri . He worked in private industry for a time and spent thirty years is various professorial positions at four major state universities before retiring from the University of Missouri in early 2000. Since retiring, he spends most of his time writing and speaking on issues relate to the sustainability of agriculture. He is author of Sustainable Capitalism: Matter of Common Sense, forthcoming from Kumarian Press. A complete vita and selected writings are available at www.ssu.missouri.edu/faculty/jikerd

Michael Ableman

Michael Ableman is the founder and executive director of the Center for Urban Agriculture at Fairview Gardens , a non profit organization based on one of the oldest and most diverse organic farms in southern California , where he farmed from 1981 to 2001. The farm has become an important community/education center and a national model for small scale and urban agriculture, hosting as many as 5000 people per year for tours, classes, festivals, and apprenticeships.

He has lectured extensively throughout the U.S. and in Europe . His work has been featured in National Geographic, on National Public Radio's All Things Considered, in the Utne Reader, Gourmet Magazine, and twice in front page coverage in the L.A. Times. An award-winning film about Ableman’s work, Beyond Organic, narrated by Meryl Streep aired nationally on PBS in 2001.

Ableman is currently farming a small piece of land on an island in British Columbia and is working on a new book profiling innovative farmers across North America .

Larry Yee

Larry Yee is the director of the Ventura County office of the University of California Cooperative Extension . He is also the director of the UC Hansen Trust, a multi-million dollar endowment which he founded in 1993 whose purpose is to sustain agriculture in Ventura County through research and education. Following a one-year sabbatical spent working with Dee Hock, founder of VISA International, he helped to develop and became chair of the Council of Trustees for Community Alliances of Interdependent Agriculture (CAIA). This led to his one-year appointment as National Program Leader for Food Marketing Systems Innovations at USDA where he explored and developed the foundation for the concept known as the Association of Family Farms, a new national organization designed to create a market-based solution to saving family farms. He is a board member of the California Roots of Change (ROC) Council, the Food Alliance, and a member of the Ag-of-the-Middle National Task Force. He has an MBA in agribusiness from the University of Santa Clara and was a fellow at the Resources for the Future Institute in Washington DC . He is married and has two grown children.
WORKSHOP TRACKS

BUSINESS

So You Want to Start a Farm ~ Loans, Grants, and Cost Share Programs
Melanie Fry, USDA, Farm Service Agency
Michael House, Santa Clara Bank
Jose Guerro, Cal Costal Bank

Business Plans, How To Make It Go - Leasing Ag Land Rights
Phil Doub, Cal Poly, Ag Business Dept.
Wayne Howard, Cal Poly, Ag Business Dept.

Financial Planning For Innovative Ideas - Family Farm Tax Issues
Steve Schwartz , California Farm Link
Zad Leavy & Robin Jetsen, Zad Leavy Law Offices

Selling on the Web: Cost vs. Benefit, Sales & Development
Stephen Paul, Bouquet of Fruits

Small Farms Working Together Cooperatives And Beyond
Karen Firestein, USDA, Rural Development

COMMUNITY ISSUES

Cultivating the Next Generation of Small Farmers
Dena Gibbons, California Foundation for Agriculture in the Classroom
Malaika Edwards, People’s Grocery

Community to Farm Connections
Anya Fernald, Community Alliance with Family Farmers

Farming on the Urban Fringe
Ingrid Evjen-Elias, Cityslicker Farms
Lena Miller, Girls 2000, Double Rock Ranch
Michael Ableman, Fairview Gardens

Developing Farmer Networks
Laura Avery, Santa Mo nica Farmers' Market

Small Farms: What is their Place in the World?
Desmond Jolly, UC Davis Small Farm Center
Panel of small farmers and others.

CULTURAL PRACTICES

Irrigation for Small Farmers
Blaine Hanson, UC Davis, Land, Air and Water Resources

Appropriate Equipment for the Small Farm
Jim Leap, UC Santa Cruz , Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Farming Systems

Soil Conservation for Sustainable Production
Ben Faber, UCCE, Ventura County

Successful Sustainable Production
Steve Sprinkel, The Farmer and the Cook
Mathew Goad, Santa Ana Ranch
Roger Essick, Essick Ranch

Handling Pests: Natural Beneficials and Rodent Control
Phil Phillips, UCCE, Ventura County

FARMERS' MARKETS

Strategic Planning for Success at Farmers’ Markets
David Roach, Oakland Certified Farmers Market, Mo BetterFoods
Cynthia Ojeda, LaCienaga Certified Farmers Market, Mo del Neighborhood Project

Farmers’ Markets: Managers and Farmers Understanding Each Others Needs
Karen Schott, Ventura Farmers' Market Association

Round Table Discussions of Issues for Market Managers
Gretchen Sterling, Pasadena Certified Farmers' Market

Change at Farmers' Markets, Past, Present, and Future
John Silveria, Pacific Coast Farmers Market Association
Laurence Hauben, Santa Barbara Slow Food Convivium

Market Regulations Issues
Janice Price, CA Dept. of Food and Agriculture

ISSUES/Policy

Challenges with the Organic Certification Process
Ray Green, CA Dept. of Food and Agriculture, Inspection & Compliance Branch, CA Organics Program
John Wise, Wise Ranch
William H. Bent, USDA, Agricultural Marketing Service, Compliance & Analysis

Food Safety
Michael Villeneva, CA Dept. of Food and Agriculture, Western Institute for Food Safety & Security, Production Food Safety & Security
Trevor V. Suslow, UC Davis, Dept. of Plant Sciences

Farm Labor: Health and Safety Issues
Bill Krycia, CAL/OSHA, Dept. of Industrial Relations
Richard H. Molinar, UCCE, Fresno County
Dan Leiner Area Manager CAL /OSHA, Consultation Services

Farm Bill What’s in it for California ?
Andy Fisher, Community Food Security Coalition
Rex Laird, Ventura County Farm Bureau
Todd Ferrara, USDA, Congressional Relations

Livestock on the Farm
Kathy & Ken Lindner, Lindner Bison
Bill Spencer, Windrose Farms
Debbie Paver, Charter Oak Style Meats
Melanie Blankenship, Nature's Touch & Harvest

MARKETING

Alternative Ways for Reaching the Urban Consumer
Gene Etheridge, Certified Farmers’ Market Advisory Committee

Trends in Culinary Demand
Bonnie Carroll Food & Beverage International, California ~ The Magazine of Food Wine & Travel, Westside Today
Alex Castillo, Wine Cask Restaurant
Erik Ritter, The Crescent Beverly Hills

Collaborative Kitchens for Finished Products
Pompea Smith, Sustainable Economic Enterprises of Los Angeles

Press and Publicity: Access for Farms and Farmer Associations
Russ Parsons, Los Angeles Times
Daniel Weiser , Weiser Family Farms
Tracey Ryder, Edible Communities Inc.

AgriTourism: Attracting Visitors to the Farm
Craig Underwood , Underwood Farms

NEW PARADIGMS FOR FOOD SYSTEMS

Looking to the Past to Find the Crops and Markets of the Future

Bill and Barbara Spencer, Windrose Farms
Joanne Neft, Placer County Ag Marketing Program

Love of the Land: Capitalizing on the Consumers’ Emerging Interest in Eating Local and Regional foods
Budi Kazali, Ballard Inn
Jim Churchill, Churchill Orchards

How do I eat this thing? Captivating Consumers with Effective Sampling, Storage Information and Recipes
Jefrey H. Rieger, Penryn Orchard Specialties
Laurence Hauben, Santa Barbara Slow Food Convivium
Frieda Caplan, Frieda’s Inc

Small is Beautiful: New Models of Success for Small Farmers
Steve Loyal, The Corner Farm
Robert Dautch, Earthtrine Farm

Value Chains vs. Supply Chains
Larry Yee, UCCE, Ventura County

Community Outreach & Assistance Partnership Program

Registration

Please read carefully the various options and instructions for registering for the conference. For general questions about the conference and your registration status, call (530) 756-8518 ext. 38 or email us at info@californiafarmconference.com

CONFERENCE SAVINGS PACKAGE – Must be received by 10/10/05. This includes conference registration fee, tasting reception, two lunches, and the banquet. You save $20.00 over regular registration and meals price.

OTHER REGISTRATION OPTIONS - You can sign up for registration only, with or without the tasting reception and any of the meal options. Early registrations price is available if received by 10/10/05. Lunch and dinner can only be guaranteed for those registering before 11/04/05.

TOURS AND SHORT COURSES - These are pre-conference events that are open to registrants and non-registrants and require payment of a separate fee. Space on the tours is limited and reservations will be honored on a first-come, first-served basis. Some events are half-day, others are full-day (see descriptions for details).

SCHOLARSHIPS - Full and partial scholarships — covering registration, meals, travel or lodging — are available for farmers who might otherwise not be able to attend the conference. Partial scholarships are available to enrolled students. To receive an application and other information, call (530) 756-8518 ext. 38 or email info@californiafarmconference. com
REGISTRATION PROCEDURE

1. Please use one form per farm, household, or business. Print the full names for your name tags below.

2. Select your options under Fees, Tours, Short Courses, and Meals. Enter individual amounts and total.
3. Send form and credit card info or checks payable to California Farm Conference to: California Farm Conference, P.O. Box 73614, Davis, CA 95617. You can also fax this form to: California Small Farm Conference, attn: Judy Mayora at (559) 734-8335

Word format (16K) or just print this page.

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Farm or Organization: __________________________________
        

Name: ________________________________________________
        

Address: _______________________________________________
        

Address: _______________________________________________
        

City:__________________________State________Zip___________
        

Phone 1: _______________________________________________

Phone 2: _______________________________________________

E-mail 1: ________________________________________________
E-mail 2: ________________________________________________      

Circle one:  Farmer   CFM Mgr/Support   Consumer    Media     Ag_Educator     Government     Produce_Buyer     Other
        

Full Name for Name Badge:

 

REGISTRATION OPTIONS
ITEM    
TOTAL
Registration Fees       

 
        
Savings Package (By 10/10/05)   $175    $______ 
Early Registration (By 10/10/05)        $100    $______ 
Registration    $125    $_____  
Includes Workshops and Plenary Sessions                         
Tours
                
Biodiversity Soil Conservation  $50     $______ 
Innovation and Exotic Plants    $50     $______         
“A Taste of Santa Barbara County ”      $50     $______ 
                        
Short Courses
                
Small-Scale Berry Production in CA *    $45     $______ 

Communications and Strategic Marketing for Farmers’ Market Managers *
$45     $______         
Computer Basics: Your First Computer Class      $45     $______ 
Small Farms and Financial Management    $45     $______ 
The Future of Food      $45     $______         
* Includes lunch                        
                        

Meals (Vegetarian? )
Yes     __      
Tasting Reception       $25     $______ 
Monday Lunch    $20     $______         
Monday Banquet Dinner   $30     $______ 
Tuesday Lunch   $20     $______         
TOTAL
        $______ 
For MasterCard or Visa Payment
                

Name exactly as on card: __________________________________

                

Card number: ___________________________Exp. Date: _______

                
Signature: _______________________________________________                      
                        

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