ORGANIC ASSOCIATION 
OF KENTUCKY

Cultivating a Successful CSA with Production Efficiencies and Standard Operating Procedures: On-Farm Field Day

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University of Kentucky's Organic Farming Unit

Lexington KY

The success of any CSA depends heavily on the planning, organization, and efficiency of the farm operations and its people - a process that's been analyzed, documented, and improved consistently for over a decade at the UK Organic Farming Unit.

Join Kristi Durbin, UK's CSA Manager, as she shares the importance of data collection, documentation, and evaluation to improve procedures and efficiencies from field to harvest, including an overview of the crop planning and planting resources that she's meticulously curated. Kristi will offer lessons learned regarding scaling up a CSA, training workers, packaging, and presentation.

In consideration of safety and respect for all hosts, participants, and staff, COVID-19 protocols for outdoor gatherings will be in place for this event, based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control, Commonwealth of Kentucky, and the University of Kentucky.  Protocol will include limited attendance, social distancing, and face masks.  More details can be found at https://www.oak-ky.org/covid

Open to all, this Field Day is geared toward current or aspiring production farmers, and allied professionals.  Pre-registration is required.  $5 OAK Members; $10 non-Members

Funding for this event is made possible by the USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service.

Practical Tools for a Climate-Resilient Farm: Cover Crops, Biochar, and On-Farm Water Management

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Barr Farms

Rhodelia KY, via Zoom

Barr Farms has raised livestock and Certified Organic mixed vegetables on a fragipan (shallow soil) in the Ohio River Valley for 13 years. In response to increasing climate challenges – heavy rain events, high humidity all year, wetter than normal summers, and the possibility of droughts in the fall – Adam and Rae have implemented several mitigating systems. 

Learn about their use of rye grass and cover crops, biochar, drainage and other adaptations to increase farm resiliency. Join  in a discussion of the pros and cons of various strategies for farming successfully in a changing climate.  Q&A with Adam and Rae will follow the live presentation.

Open to all and FREE to attend.  Registration is required.

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Funding for this Field Day is made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's (KDA) Office of Agricultural Marketing and Product Promotion through a Specialty Crop Block Grant.

From Plans to Realities on a Successful Organic Market Farm: Virtual Field Day

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Sustainable Harvest Farm

London KY, via Zoom

Working outside - hands in the dirt; being your own boss and setting your own hours; growing healthy food for the community and working sustainably with the land. It’s these highlights of farming that led Ford Waterstrat and his family (as first generation farmers) into the creation and work of Sustainable Harvest Farm 12 years ago.  

Now in his 6th season dedicated full-time to the Farm’s 35 acres of Certified Organic vegetable production, Ford has eyes wide open to the realities of what farming demands - facing head-on the challenges of a rural location, the long list of required efforts and skills above and beyond produce production, necessity of diversifying markets, lessons in scaling up, and willingness to seek out help and utilize resources (among others!).  

We’ll learn from Ford’s initiative, creativity, and efficiencies developed along the way as he shares the production practices in place for Sustainable Harvest’s 400 CSA shares, retail markets, local delivery, and wholesale customers from Lexington KY to Knoxville TN.

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Funding for this Field Day is made possible by Grow Appalachia and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

Tools for Minimal-Till Market Farming and Diversified Vegetables: Virtual Field Day

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Rains and Sun Hilltop Farm

Independence KY, via Zoom

In their 8th year of CSA and farmers market sales from their 13-acre farm, Anna Raines and the crew at Rains and Sun have curated a rich collection of tools critical to their Certified Organic diversified vegetable production.  

This virtual event (via Zoom) will focus on season extension / protected production (high tunnels, caterpillar tunnels, row cover); bed prep (walk-behind tractor and implements, broadfork); seeding and planting (jang and earthway seeders, dibbler for transplanting); weeding and cultivating (landscape fabric, hand tools); irrigation (drip tape, overhead sprinklers); infrastructure (greenhouse, packshed), and consumable products (seeds, amendments, potting media).  

We'll see many of these tools in action, hear Anna's experience with what works and what doesn't in their minimal-till operation, and get an inside glimpse into additional non-production tools that Anna views as essential!

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Funding for this Field Day is made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's (KDA) Office of Agricultural Marketing and Product Promotion through a Specialty Crop Block Grant.

The Path to Organic Certification on a Diversified Vegetable Farm: Virtual Field Day

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Old Homeplace Farm

Oneida KY, via Zoom

Maggie Bowling of Old Homeplace Farm is no stranger to vegetable production and the business of farming. Growing up on her parents’ organic farm and marrying into a pastured livestock operation, Maggie launched her vegetable production in 2014.  

Since then, Maggie has dialed in her production systems; her vegetable CSA, online store, local delivery, and restaurant sales are running smoothly; and she's transitioning the operation to Certified Organic status.  Yet she’s quick to point out that she still considers herself on the beginning farmer continuum.  

Join us for this virtual walk through Maggie’s vegetable operation and the steps, challenges, and triumphs she’s facing in the process to organic certification and growing her family farm business.

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Funding for this Field Day is made possible by Grow Appalachia and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture. 

Organic Hemp for Fiber and Meat Chickens on Organic Pasture: Virtual Field Day

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Butler Farms

Paris KY, via Zoom

In their 6th season of raising livestock on pasture and their 3rd season of hemp fiber production, Kathleen and Lane Butler are committed to health - of their family, their animals, and their soil. Their love of their community drives them to advocate for local food systems and farmer-to-farmer learning.  

Join this virtual visit to Butler Farms, as they share their production experience of growing 40 acres of Certified Organic hemp for Patagonia’s Sustainable Workwear clothing line and thousands of meat chickens on Certified Organic pastures. From planting to harvest, and brooder to customer, we’ll hear their lessons learned, experiences of scaling up, and essential resources and tools for hemp fiber and pastured poultry. 

Kathleen also shared share cost overviews for both operations to help interested producers in estimating profit range and the viability for these markets on their own farms.

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Seed, Plant, Package - Sell! Specialty Crops from Production to Product: Virtual Field Day

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Salad Days Farm

Versailles KY, via Zoom

Diversity and year-round production have been part of the Salad Days Farm process from the start!  Four seasons of crop harvest offer fresh vegetables and herbs to keep customers coming back. Value-added products extend and make use of every bit of the fresh harvest. New varieties, crops, and shelf products add to the Farm's product line every year. GAP Certification and an on-farm commercial kitchen broaden Salad Days' market possibilities and product potential.

This virtual visit took us to the high tunnels, greenhouse, fields, pack-shed, on-farm store, and on-farm kitchen of this diversified Certified Organic farm - followed by live Q&A with Maggie Dungan. Maggie lead us through her steps from seed to package, plant to jar, field to market, and idea to realization.

View / Download slides from this event

Funding for this Field Day was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service and the Kentucky Department of Agriculture's (KDA) Office of Agricultural Marketing and Product Promotion through a Specialty Crop Block Grant.