Friday, October 14, 2011
Princess Anne, MD -(October 14, 2011) Renard Turner, of Vanguard Ranch Ltd, is the keynote speaker for the 2011 Small Farm Conference to be held on the University of Maryland Eastern Shore campus on Friday and Saturday, November 4 and 5.
The central part of his Gordonsville, Va., operation is commercial goat meat production with an emphasis on the marketing of value-added, gourmet quality, ready-to-eat goat meat products. The Turner farm supports sustainable and organic practices and promotes farming as a lifestyle choice. Besides having a working knowledge of sustaining small farms, Turner brings with him a broader view of farming after serving as national secretary of the American KIKO Goat Association.
Now in its eighth year, the conference is themed “Sustaining Small Farms . . . 360 Degrees, as its sessions are fashioned to address the needs of the farmer and the farm family. This year’s conference includes a health and wellness track and select locally grown foods will make up parts of the menu on both days. Audio CD’s of Saturday’s seminars will be available for purchase immediately following the conference.
“We’ve added some new features to this year’s conference that are sure to be a big hit with participants,” said Berran Rogers, small farm program and conference coordinator. “Not only will attendees be pleased with the diverse cadre of speakers we have lined up, but the opportunity to network should prove invaluable.”
A pre-conference session begins at 2 p.m. Friday, and the evening ends with a reception and networking social. Saturday sessions offer a wide range of information focusing on income opportunities for woodland owners, ways to improve personal finance, how to establish a vineyard, using social media to generate more business, farmer safety and injury prevention, and more. Exhibits, cooking demonstrations, and youth programming for children ages 5-13 will round out the day.
For the event, registration is $25 per person and $40 per couple. Registration is free for youth attending with parents and $10 for youth not accompanied by a registered parent.
For more information about the eighth annual Small Farm Conference, call 410-651-6693/6070 or send an email to Rogers at blrogers@umes.edu. Online registration and regularly updated information is available at www.umes.edu/1890-mce.
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Suzanne Waters Street, agriculture communication specialist, UMES – University of Maryland Extension, 410-651-6084, sstreet@umes.edu.x
