Workshops and Trainings Around the Region

There is no Local Foods Coalition meeting in July and there are no Committee Meetings in July. We will resume our regular Coalition meeting schedule in August.  But, in the meantime, here are some upcoming workshops and trainings for cottage food producers, educators, farmers, ranchers and foodies!

This Saturday!  Horno Building Workshop in Alamosa:  This is a free community event is sponsored by the Alamosa Community Gardens, the Food Preservation Committee of the Local Foods Coalition and the Alamosa Elementary School.   Learn how to build an horno- a traditional outdoor oven like those that have historically been used in the Southwest for baking breads, drying chicos, cooking meats, etc.  This is an exciting opportunity to learn from local farmer and historic preservationist Arnie Valdez about traditional foodways of the Southwest and building with adobe, while at the same time, providing the elementary school with a great educational tool- their own horno.  Come to the Alamosa Elementary School at

1707 West 10^th St

.  this Saturday at 9AM.  If you are able, bring a potluck dish to share for lunch, as well as gloves, water and sun protection.  For more info call Jenna or Meghan at 719-589-4567 or email alamosacommunitygardens@gmail.com.   

If you would like to sell prepared foods at a farmers market or direct from your farm check out this webinar: So You Want to be a Cottage Food Producer? Wednesday, July 11, 2012 – 6:00-7:15 pm. Learn the basics of Colorado’s Cottage Food Act and how to start a home-based food business, including: eligible products; potential markets; food safety training requirements; licensing and registrations; insurance information; and potential costs and returns for your business. To join this webinar, click on http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/colofood 5 minutes prior to webinar. Click on “Enter as a guest,” type your name, then click “ok” to enter the webinar. Audio will be over the internet. The webinar will be recorded and the link will be posted several days following the webinar at: http://cofarmtomarket.com/value-added-products/cottage-foods/ . 

Denver Urban Gardens is offering a workshop on Organic Gardening for Youth Educators, July 11 . This unique workshop is designed for teachers and volunteers who work in youth education programs that focus on nutrition and gardening. Join DUG’s Education Team to learn different ways to use your school garden and how to teach hands-on lessons in organic gardening and nutrition. You don’t need to be an expert horticulturalist to teach gardening to youth, but having a foundation of Colorado-specific gardening knowledge benefits both youth and educators, building confidence and skills. This half day intensive workshop is for educators who would like to learn more about horticulture in order to make their garden lessons more effective and meaningful. In this workshop we will cover the basics from choosing plants, companion planting, spacing, pollination, harvesting, using garden produce, troubleshooting insect and disease problems, composting and watering. All subjects will be discussed in the context of youth education in school gardens. For more info see www.dug.org. 

The Amazing Joel Salatin will be in Colorado Springs for an all day seminar on August 4^th at A Joyful Noise Farm in Colorado Springs, CO. Local food advocate and author Joel Salatin will be the featured farmer at the 2012 “Follow the Farmer” seminar at A Joyful Noise Farm in Black Forest. Mr. Salatin will spend the entire day lecturing and leading walking tours of a working small farm. Salatin and his farm, Polyface Inc., have been featured in the book "Omnivore's Dilemma" and the documentaries "Food Inc", "Fresh" and "Farmageddon". Price: 130.00. Phone: (719) 357-9410 Space is limited to 100 participants. Breakfast, lunch and a syllabus are included in the price.  See www.ajoyfulnoisefarm.com for more info.

Holistic Management “Whole Ranch Planning” Series offered by the Southwest Grassfed Livestock Alliance (SWGLA).  Internationally renowned consultant and holistic management expert, Kirk Gadzia, will be teaching this unique learning series.  With the specific goal of assisting grass-fed livestock producers to increase the economic viability of their operations, this 8-day course will cover effective business and marketing planning, grass-fed/holistic production methods, maximization of resources and wholesale/retail marketing opportunities.  This will include both classroom time and field days at participating ranches throughout New Mexico.  Four separate 2-day sessions will begin in late summer of this year and conclude in spring of 2013.  A recently awarded grant from USDA/Western Risk Management Education allows SWGLA to offer this course at a significantly reduced fee.  This is a unique and affordable opportunity, appropriate for grass-fed producers, ranchers considering a transition to grass-fed and all others interested in developing more economically viable ranching & holistic resource management.  For more information, contact SWGLA Director Laurie Bower at info@grassfedlivestock.org  or (970) 390-5597.

AND Mark your calendars for the 11^th Annual Quivira Coalition Conference: How to Feed Nine Billion People from the Ground Up: Soil, Seeds, Water, Plants, Livestock, Forests, Organics, and People,  November 14-16th, in Albuquerque, New Mexico.  Global human population is projected to reach nine billion by 2050, which means food production will need to expand by 70% to keep up. Fulfilling this demand will place unprecedented pressure on ecosystems, including the planet's grasslands, especially as competition grows for scarce natural resources. How to meet this daunting challenge while ensuring the health of land, water, wildlife and people will be one of the great tasks of the 21st century. In this conference, we will explore a variety of innovative practices that are already successfully intensifying food production while preserving, maintaining, and restoring the natural world. Speakers will share their hands-on experience and ideas for feeding all life - from the ground up. For more info go to www.quiviracoalition.org.