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OSU Extension

College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences

CFAES
February 27, 2015 - 3:25pm -- Anonymous

The “Living Your Small Farm Dream” conference and trade show will be held Saturday March 28, 2015 at the Shisler Conference Center on the OARDC campus in Wooster located at 1680 Madison Ave Wooster OH 44691. The conference is offered by the OSU Extension Small Farm Program and will provide farm owners and landowners with the opportunity to learn more about how to make their farms work better, expand their operations, or gather ideas on how to utilize rural acreage. 

The conference and trade show is designed to help participants learn tips, techniques and methods that can help them diversify into new enterprises, opportunities, and markets.  Participants will be provided with useful and practical information that they can use on their small farm or rural acreage.  The purpose of the conference is to give participants a smorgasbord of ideas that can help them to live their small farm dream by offering access to a wide variety of educational sessions and trade show exhibitors.  Participants will be able to get more in-depth information, learn about the resources that are available and even learn how to finance a new venture.

Participants will choose from 27 different sessions offered over 4 breakout sessions during the day.  Presenters include OSU Extension specialists and educators as well as USDA agency personnel, private business and industry experts and private guest speakers.  The trade show represents industries, businesses, services and organizations that provide products or services utilized on a small farm or rural property.

A sampling of some of the topics that will be covered at the conference includes:

  • Small flock poultry production
  • Soil health and productivity
  • Maple syrup
  • Pond care
  • Hay production
  • Fruit tree pruning
  • ATV safety
  • Chainsaw safety and maintenance
  • Hops production
  • High, Medium and Low Tunnel Vegetable production
  • Beekeeping
  • Solar and rural energy alternatives
  • Selling eggs, produce and cottage foods
  • Marketing meat off the farm
  • Tree and small fruit production

The conference begins with registration at 8:00 am, and an opening general session at 9:00 am.  The conference concludes with closing comments at 4:00 pm.  Registration cost is $60 per person, which includes lunch and morning refreshments.  The registration deadline is March 20.  A conference brochure and registration form along with descriptions of all 27 breakout sessions as well as on-line registration is available at: http://go.osu.edu/smfarmconf2015. Questions can also be directed to the Wayne County Extension office at 330-264-8722.