2019 Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference
2019-01-06 - 2019-01-08
2019 Kentucky Fruit and Vegetable Conference
January 7-8, 2019
Kentucky State Horticultural Society *163nd Annual Meeting and Kentucky Vegetable Growers Association *48th Annual Meeting and Organic Association of Kentucky *10th Annual Meeting and Kentucky Wine Association
In cooperation with University of Kentucky College of Agriculture, Food, and Environment, Kentucky State University, and Kentucky Department of Agriculture
Meeting Place: Embassy Suites Hotel, 1801 Newtown Pike, Lexington, Kentucky 40511, (859) 455-5000, FAX (859) 455-5122, Reservations: 800-EMBASSY

Business Planning: Not Just Paper and Spreadsheets
2019-01-15 | online
Business Planning: Not Just Paper and Spreadsheets will present the basics of business planning with a specific focus on produce growers. Producers will learn why business planning should be the cornerstone of their operation and where to begin. Participants will be introduced to some of the best resources for implementation, additional information and study.

KNLA Winter Training and Expo
2019-01-23 - 2019-01-24 | Louisville, KY
Join KNLA for the annual winter meeting!

MarketReady Training
2019-01-29 10:00 - 15:30 UTC | Jefferson Co CES
MarketReady seeks to educate local food suppliers to help them succeed in today’s local markets. We teach those who sell agricultural products about how to establish an efficient business and food safety strategy to achieve success. If you’re interested in selling to restaurants, grocers/wholesalers/retailers, and schools MarketReady can help you. Also, those who just want to explore ways to improve their sales skills, are considering or developing a new food business, and those currently selling to these markets who may want to improve their current business relationships can utilize this program.
This MarketReady training will be from 10:00 AM – 3:30 PM.

MarketReady Training
2019-01-31 10:00 - 15:30 | Lexington, KY, Lexington, KY, United States

FFB - Community Supported Food
2019-02-01 07:30 - 09:00 | ES Good Barn, UK
Join the UK College of Ag Food Connection’s First Friday Breakfast! This event will feature Grace Cafe, a non-profit, pay-what-you-can community restaurant in Danville, KY.

KY Horticulture Research Planning Session
2019-02-05 09:00 - 15:00
Research activities and needs of the Kentucky horticulture industry will be identified and discussed during this planning session with university faculty and research farm staff.

FSMA (Produce Safety Alliance) Integrated Training
2019-02-06 - 2019-02-07 | Owensboro, KY
Fruit and vegetables growers and others interested in learning about produce safety, Good Agricultural Practices (GAPs), co-management, and the proposed FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) Produce Safety Rule would benefit greatly from this training. Additionally, any growers who would like to meet the proposed Produce Safety Rule requirements.

MarketReady MasterCourse: KDA's Buy Local Program
2019-02-18 13:00 - 14:00 | online
MarketReady is partnering with the KY Department of Ag’s Buy Local Program to bring you another MasterCourse Webinar. Join us Monday, Feb. 18th from 1:00 PM to 2:00 PM EST! Our team has developed a 1-hour webinar with perspectives from Chad Smith and Kelly Walls of KDA.
The webinar will uncover some of the ways producers should think about working with restaurants and the Buy Local Program. Participants will be encouraged to interact with guest speakers via questions or experiences. We hope that participants will be able to use this information to make practical business decisions in addition to having a better understanding of the technical support available to them.
For additional information, please contact Alex Butler at (859)218-4383 or alex.butler@uky.edu.

Kentucky Arborists Association Annual Conference
2019-02-21 - 2019-02-22
The KAA annual meeting is a great educational opportunity with opportunities for networking and to earn pesticide credits. The 2019 event will be held in Boone Co.
Details: http://www.ky-isa.org/

Eastern Kentucky Farmer Conference
2019-02-22 - 2019-02-23
The 2019 Eastern Kentucky Farmer Conference will be Feb 22-23 at the Robinson Center for Appalachian Resources Sustainability (RCARS). Register now and follow the event on Facebook for updates: https://www.facebook.com/EasternKYFarmerConference/

NKY Specialty Crops Conference
2019-02-26 08:00 - 15:00 | Boone Co
Specialty crop conference hosted at the Boone Co Extension Enrichment Center. Register: http://boone.ca.uky.edu or 859-586-6101.

Managing Risk for Produce Success: Insect Pest Management 101
2019-02-26 18:00 - 19:00
The next Risky Business session is Feb. 26! Insect Pest Management 101 will present the basics of insect pest management in vegetable crops. The webinar will cover both organic and conventional control methods and strategies. Participants will be introduced to some of the best resources for additional information and study.

OAK Conference
2019-03-01 - 2019-03-02
Save the date!
Lexington, KY

Pathways to Living Sustainably with Trees
2019-03-06 18:30 - 19:30 | Tates Creek High School, Lexington
Join us for a screening of “Pathways to Living Sustainably with Trees,” where we will view and discuss several urban and community forestry short films at these locations and times:

Wednesday, March 6th, 6:30 – 7:30pm @ Tates Creek High School Auditorium
Thursday, March 7th, 5 – 6pm @ William T. Young Library Auditorium (UK Main Campus)

Two chances to catch an excellent set of films exploring green infrastructure, trees and tree health, environmental education, and trees and human health and wellness! The Urban Forest Initiative is happy to partner with the Bluegrass Youth and Sustainability Council for the March 6th showing. Find the flier for the movie nights inserted and attached or visit our events page: https://ufi.ca.uky.edu/events
Please encourage others out of their winter slumber and share this opportunity widely!

Pathways to Living Sustainably with Trees
2019-03-07 17:00 - 18:00 | UK, Lexington, KY

2019 Farm to You: Connecting with Community Supported Agriculture
2019-03-07 17:00 - 19:00 | Lexington, KY, Lexington, KY, United States
Learn about CSAs and sign up for one at the event!

Spring Viticulture Workshop
2019-03-11 10:00 - 14:00 | UK Horticulture Research Farm
The Spring Viticulture workshop will include:

Sprayer calibration demonstrations
Pruning technique essentials and demonstrations
Assessing and compensating for winter injury

This will be a great time to gather, educate, and prepare for the 2019 growing season!
The workshop will be held at the UK Horticulture Research Farm on March 11, 2019 from 10:00am-2:00pm (4321 Emmert Farm Lane Lexington, KY 40514).
This event is free but please register by sending Patsy Wilson (pwilson@uky.edu) an email by March 8th letting her know who and how many will be attending.

Food Safety Plan Workshop (Eastern Kentucky)
2019-03-12 09:00 - 15:30 | RCARS, 130 Robinson Rd., Jackson, KY, 41339
Join us for a food safety plan workshop!
Attention to food safety is critical to your farm’s reputation. GAPs audits are becoming a standard requirement for many buyers of Kentucky produce crops and can give you a competitive advantage when selling. To help Kentucky growers focus on food safety and access markets that require third-party audit certification, we are offering workshops focused on writing a farm food safety plan.
This one-day workshop will be led by Bryan Brady, Cultivate Kentucky Extension Associate with the University of Kentucky. Sessions will include an overview of different GAPs programs, details about mock audits, and hands-on assistance to help you write a food safety plan for your farm.
The writing sessions will help you focus on your farm’s food safety plan. If you have a laptop, bring it along to work on your food safety plan. The format will be very interactive with opportunities to discuss challenges and develop solutions with experts.

Managing Risk for Produce Success: Plant Disease Management 101
2019-03-12 18:00 - 19:00
Insect Pest Management 101 on March 12 will present the basics of plant disease management in vegetable crops. The webinar will cover both organic and conventional control methods and strategies. Participants will be introduced to some of the best resources for additional information and study.

Mastering the Art of Marketing Workshop
2019-03-26 09:00 - 12:00 | Oldham County Extension Office
Join Brett Wolff, from University of Kentucky Center for Crop Diversification, as he blends presentation and discussion to dive deeper into the art of knowing your
product, understanding your market and customers, and promoting your business.
• social media messaging
• basic marketing principles
• pricing strategies
• persuasive messaging
• finding new markets for your products
This Organic Association of Kentucky workshop is tailored to marketing
organic products yet applicable and open to all producers.
Registration is recommended. Cost is $5 for OAK members; $10 for non-members.

Food Safety Plan Workshop (Western Kentucky)
2019-03-26 09:00 - 15:30

Food Safety Plan Workshop (Central Kentucky)
2019-03-28 09:00 - 15:30

KSU Small-Scale Farm Grant Deadline
2019-04-01
The Small-Scale Farm Grant Program is administered through Kentucky State University’s College of Agriculture, Communities, and the Environment’s Center for Sustainability of Farms and Families.
This is a grant opportunity for small scale farms in Kentucky to secure funds for that critical piece of equipment or for that marketing infrastructure to help you grow your business!
Check out the programs and eligibility guidelines online: https://kysu.edu/academics/cafsss/research-extension/small-scale-farm-grant-program/

Florence Williams "The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes Us Happier, Healthier and More Creative
2019-04-03 18:00 - 20:00
Join UFI – Urban Forest Initiative (https://ufi.ca.uky.edu/) for author Florence Williams (“The Nature Fix: Why Nature Makes us Happier, Healthier and More Creative”) at the Don and Cathy Jacobs Science Bldg. (UK Main Campus) on April 3rd, 6 – 8pm. Florence will talk about her experience researching and writing this best-selling book that investigates nature’s restorative benefits throughout history and across the globe.
This event is free and open to all, with free parking in Garage #2 (access from Hilltop Ave.). As is customary with Urban Forest Initiative speakers, there will be an hour of exhibitors and refreshments (6 – 7pm) leading up to Florence’s talk (7 – 8pm).
We ask that you help spread the word among your networks, friends, families, co-workers, etc. Find the flier attached and inserted below, “like” and invite your friends via the Facebook event (https://www.facebook.com/events/302519183764088/), and visit us on the UFI events page (https://ufi.ca.uky.edu/seminar/Florence-Williams-April3-2019).

FFB-The Past, Present, + Future of Local Food in KY
2019-04-05 07:30 - 09:00 | ES Good Barn, UK
Join UK College of Ag’s Food Connection’s First Friday Breakfast in presenting the second Bill Best Award for Food and Farm Stewards! Sarah Fritschner will be recognized for contributions to Kentucky’s local agro-food systems.

Homebased Microprocessing: Letcher Co
2019-04-05 09:30 - 15:00 | Letcher Co Extension Office, 478 Extension Dr., Whitesburg, KY, United States
Homebased Microprocessors may sell higher risk products such as canned tomatoes, pickled fruits and vegetables, salsas, barbecue sauce, pepper or herb jellies, herbal vinegars, low- or no-sugar jams and jellies, and pressure-canned vegetables. The first step to becoming certified as a Homebased Microprocessor is to attend a Homebased Microprocessor (HBM) workshop presented by the University of Kentucky. The cost of the workshop is $50.00. Next, recipes for all products to be sold under the program must be submitted to the University of Kentucky for approval, at a fee of $5.00 per recipe. Proof of workshop completion, approved recipes, draft labels for all products, and verification of an approved water source are then attached to the application for HBM certification and sent to the Cabinet for Health and Family Services/Food Safety Branch, along with a $50.00 certification fee. Once full HBM certification is received from the Food Safety Branch, it is up to the Homebased Microprocessor to follow approved recipes and recommended safe canning procedures in producing their value-added products. The $50.00 certification fee must be paid to the Food Safety Branch each year that the Homebased Microprocessor wishes to sell under the program. Questions should be directed to Annhall Norris at 859-257-1812 or annhall.norris@uky.edu.

Adding Organic Fruits and Berries to Your Market Farm
2019-04-05 12:00 - 14:30 | Peaceful Heritage Nursery, Stanford, KY
Blake Cothron, co-owner and co-operator of Peaceful Heritage Nursery in Stanford, KY, will lead a short tour of their 3-acre operation, a highly diverse, Certified Organic orchard of rare and unusual fruits, including disease-resistant apples and pears.
Blake will offer detailed explanations of the process of planting, maintaining, training, pruning and growing a range of fruits organically, including pawpaws, berries, jujube, apples, pears, peaches and plums.
Participation is limited. Pre-registration is required for this event. Visit the https://www.oak-ky.org/field-days or call 502-517-9629.

KSU Small Farms: Bath Co
2019-04-09 | Bath Co
Kentucky State University’s Socially Disadvantaged Groups program is offering one-on-one technical assistance (11 am – 4 pm) and a workshop (4:45 pm – 8:30 pm). See the complete schedule here . Contact Cindy Rice at Cynthia.rice@kysu.edu for more information or to reserve your spot.

Homebased Microprocessing: Rowan Co
2019-04-09 09:30 - 15:00 | Rowan County Extension Office, Morehead, KY, United States
