Notes from the Field

Participants learned about the various value-added products made from Leah and John tewksbury's mushrooms, raspberries, tomatoes, herbs and other popcorn.

PA-WAgN Dairy & cheese mentor Catherine Renzi and PSU Extension Educator Linda Spahr teach field day attendees about native plants goats can browse, nutritional needs and body scoring for health assessment.

Urban Agriculture and Nutrition Mentor Hannah Reiff hosted PA-WAgN at Garden Dreams Urban Farm & Nursery for a Field Day focused on Urban Poultry. Garden Dreams is a certified organic farm that was built on two vacant lots in the Wilkinsburg section of Pittsburgh.

PA-WAgN members enjoyed an in-depth tour of Rodale's organic farming research projects.

Lyn Garling and Christie Badger shared their experience as poultry growers and retailers with farmers who fit within Pennsylvania's poultry for slaughter exemption. Christie and her husband Mike also demonstrated on-farm processing with their mobile processing unit.

Kiwi pioneers Holly and Dave, at Kiwi Korners Farm in Danville, shared their hard-earned kiwi knowledge with PA-WAgN.

Always working on something new, the Rodale Institute offered PA-WAgN a fascinating tour of their farm and latest projects.

Specialty Mentor Caroline Owens offered our group hands on experience and a lifetime of wisdom on the ins and outs of being a shepherd.

Participants learned the step-by step process of inoculating logs with mushroom spore; the growing conditions for different types of mushrooms; and the nutritional and medicinal properties of mushrooms.

Penn State Research associate, Maryann Frazier, helped our PAWAgN group install bee packages and set up our hives for the spring.

Village Acres Farm and Extension Educator Tianna Dupont team up to discuss healthy soil management and easy soil tests to try out at home.

The stewards of Quiet Creek Herb Farm lead attendees through a tour and presentation on what value-added programs they offer and how they set-up their non-profit.

WAgN and PASA members learn the basics to handling various species of animals safely and humanely.

WAgN members toured Blackberry Meadows and heard owner Jen Montgomery discuss their heritage seed saving initiative.

WAgN members visit Wayside Acres Goat Dairy in Perry County and hear from Dairy Extension Specialist Kerry Kaylegian.

WAgN members visited Yeehaw Farm to learn about their unique marketing concept of a Whole Diet CSA.

WAgN visited Churchview Farm to explore farmer-to-restaurant relationships with farmer Tara Rockacy and chef Kate Romaine.

WAgN’s July 2012 field day brought us to Paula and Jake Fisher’s mixed vegetable farm and nearby farm shop in Snyder County to learn about starting a retail farm market.

Tips from experienced organic greenhouse farmers on how to keep your plants healthy in the greenhouse environment.

Incorporating Livestock at the Rodale Institute

More Pennsylvanians than ever before are receiving government food assistance (SNAP). Many Pennsylvania farmer's markets are now accepting SNAP, learn how your can too!

Using high tunnels and hybrid renewable energy systems to reduce energy costs and fossil fuel use on the farm

Tips from central PA CSA farmers: Marketing, Budgeting and Pricing, Packing and Distribution, Production and Labor

Enhance on-farm marketing with inviting infrastructure

Highlights from the day include a CSA farm tour; box of bumblebees in the NRCS cost-share high tunnel; Rodale's no-till roller-crimper and Rodale's online organics course.

Recently we visited the 'Farmers on the Square' in Carlisle where vendors have worked together to accept SNAP (food stamps) and other EBT aid throughout the market.

Cooperative marketing can be a great way for small farmers to work together to expand their local customer base.

Steam Valley Fiber Farm in Trout Run, PA, hosted a field day for farmers interested in acquiring herding dogs and guardian dogs.

We recently visited with Eric Burkhart at Penn State's Shaver's Creek Environmental Center to learn a bit about wild mushrooms.

WAgN visited Red Cat Farm in Germansville to learn about identifying pests.

Conservation projects and resources at two farms in Blair County: Ojala Farm and Mill Hill Dairy.