Princess Anne, MD – (September 25, 2017) – The 14th annual Small Farm Conference promises a wide variety of informational sessions and top-of-the-line speakers beginning Friday, November 3, on the campus of the University of Maryland Eastern Shore.
For the conference, Victor L. Harris, forestry consultant and founder of Minority Landowner Magazine, is the keynote speaker. Harris completed the forestry program at Tuskegee Institute and earned his Bachelor of Science in forestry at North Carolina State University. He was the first Black forester in the history of the Virginia Department of Forestry, then joined the North Carolina Division of Forest Resources rising to the position of assistant state forester. His Minority Landowner Magazine chronicles the challenges and successes of minority farmers, ranchers and forest landowners across the country. He serves as a national outreach consultant, designing and producing minority landowner forestry and agricultural workshops. He’s a North Carolina Registered Forester, and a Fellow of the Natural Resources Leadership Institute. He recently served on the Woodlands Committee of the American Forest Foundation and is a past board member of the Conservation Trust for North Carolina.
Surrounding the keynote, conference sessions are set to offer research-based knowledge about exotic crop production and marketing opportunities, beekeeping, growing fish in cages, myths about organic production and GMOs, the basics of establishing a fruit orchard and more. “With two full days and up to six additional sessions this year,” said Berran Rogers, small farm program and conference coordinator, “our participants will have more to see and more to experience.” Along with hands-on, up-to-the-minute information and a many takeaways, a good number of exhibitors and vendors will round out the experience for this year’s participants.
In addition to more information about conference highlights, detailed information about sessions, speakers and more will emerge over the next couple of weeks at www.umes.edu/sans or at www.umessmallfarm.com. Early Birds must register by Monday, October 16, to take advantage of this year’s discount. To register by phone, call Berran Rogers at 410-651-6693 or Jerrona Truitt-Smith at 410-651-6206. To register online, visit umessfc2017.eventbrite.com.
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Suzanne Waters Street, agriculture communication specialist, UMES – University of Maryland Extension, 410-651-6084, sstreet@umes.edu.
