By Rob Sirrine
The 11-year-old Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference is the premier annual gathering for small-scale farmers, alternative farmers, farm families, local vendors and other interested agricultural entities in Michigan. This year's conference will take place January 29-30 at Grayling High School in Grayling.
As the local agriculture movement continues to flourish in Michigan, many people have become interested in growing their own food and purchasing locally produced food. If you fall into this category, then this conference should not be missed.
Participants will hear how farmers are greeting the challenges of today's agricultural world with new found passion and creative production, marketing, and management strategies.
Speakers will include Melinda Hemmelgarn, a nutrition and health communications consultant, who will kick off the conference with a Friday evening keynote entitled "Thinking Beyond our Plates: Critical Questions to Find Food Truth."
Saturday's keynote speaker is Gary Zimmer, President of Midwestern Bio-Ag. He's speaking on "Value Added: For You, For the Environment and for the Consumer." Building upon the success of last year's popular "Youth Track," Daniel Salatin, from Polyface Farm in Virginia, will speak on "Growing Up Joel's Son: The Real Story."
The conference also includes three concurrent breakout sessions on 22 different farming topics including permaculture, hydroponics, raising organic chickens, grass-based dairy, integrating animals into your farm, storage and season extension, farm to school, sustainable hop production, saskatoons, farm-sized wind energy and much more.
Organizers of this year's conference also have partnered with the local non-profit ISLAND to offer a "Homesteader Track," which is geared toward practical instruction for home producers and backyard farmers. A lunch featuring local foods is included in the registration fee.
Program details and registration information are available at www.msue.msu.edu/antrim or by calling (231) 533-8818. To be an exhibitor or vendor, please call (989) 734-2168. The cost is $45 for a first person, $30 for additional group members and $15 for children. Deadline is Jan 23, 2010. Late or walk-in registration will be charged additional $15 per person and does not guarantee lunch.
Dr. J. Robert Sirrine works with colleagues to provide agricultural and natural resource programming for citizens in northwest Michigan. He is Leelanau County director and Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator for Michigan State University Extension.
