ASAP - Calendar 2007

January (Top)

8 -9 - Tuesday - Wednesday - Southeast Apple Conference, Crowne Plaza Resort, Asheville, NC. Find more information here.

13 – Sunday - Open Forum Regarding Sustainable Agriculture Development in South Carolina – 12pm – 4:30pm at the Lake House at the Sandhill Research and Education Center, 900 Clemson Road, Columbia, SC. Directions available at http://www.clemson.edu/sandhill. A lunch featuring local/organic foods will be served at noon and the meeting will begin at 1:30 PM. The meeting is open to all South Carolina farmers, educators, policy makers, state and federal government and non-governmental agricultural agency personnel, and other South Carolina citizens with an interest in sustainable agriculture. Input from this public meeting will be used to prioritize critical issues and needs and to formulate plans for statewide sustainable agriculture training and education programs. In order to facilitate space and meal arrangements, it’s important that you register in advance. A nominal $10 fee will be charged for lunch. Please complete and mail your registration form (attached) and $10.00 check for lunch to Kelly Gilkerson, Department of Entomology, 114 Long Hall, Clemson University, Clemson, SC 29634-0315. Lunch reservations on first come, first served basis; registration deadline for lunch is Monday, January 7, 2008.

23 – Wednesday - 2008 Western North Carolina Shiitake Mushroom Workshop - 1-3 pm at Ray-Cort Rec. Park in Burnsville. This will be a demonstration workshop for anyone who would like to learn how to inoculate logs with shiitake mushroom spawn. All attendees are asked to bring 2 oak logs, fresh cut within 2-3 weeks of the workshop. The oak logs should be 4-8 inches in diameter and 4 ft. long. Each person will inoculate their own logs to take home. Do not bring more than two logs to the workshop. If you bring more, we will ask you to either donate them to those attendees that have come without logs, or leave them in your vehicle. To register for the workshop, call Jean Harrison at 255-5522 or jean_harrison@ncsu.edu. Ray-Cort Park is located at 315 Mitchell Branch Rd., off of N. Main Street in Burnsville. Bundle up, we'll be outdoors!

February (Top)

February 5^th – Tuesday - Vendor Information Meeting - Buncombe County Cooperative Extension and Appalachian Sustainable Agriculture Project will be hosting an informational meeting for the new Asheville City Market on Tuesday, February 5th, from 7:00 to 9:00pm at the City's Public Works Facility, 161 S. Charlotte Street. Farmers and other vendors are invited. A timeline to opening, operational details, and vendor applications will be shared. A similar meeting was held on December 6th. If you attended, there’s no need to come to this one as well. For more information, contact Mike McCreary, Market Manager, at (828) 348-0340 or see the market website .

12 - 14 -Tuesday - Thursday - Acidified Foods Processing and Packaging Better Process Control School For North Carolina Entrepreneurs Packaging in Glass and Plastic Containers - Haynes Conference Center ,A-B Tech Enka Campus, 1459 Sand Hill Road, Candler, NC. For more information see the workshop announcement and registration form: http://www.ncsu.edu/foodscience/pdf/acidified_foods_feb%2008.pdf To inquire about scholarships contact Mary Lou Surgi at Blue Ridge Food Ventures, 665-9464.

20 - 21 - Wednesday - Thursday - Winter Vegetable Conference - Crown Plaza Resort, Asheville, North Carolina
Sponsored by the North Carolina Tomato Growers Association, the NC Cooperative Extension Service, and the NC Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, this is the conference to attend if you want to learn the latest about vegetable and specialty crop production in Western North Carolina. Find more information here.

23 - Saturday - ASAP Marketing Opportunities for Farmers Conference - ASAP’s Marketing Opportunities for Farmers Conference is an annual tradition now in its fifth year. The conference is a single day packed full of information about how farms can effectively promote themselves, crops and techniques to consider for farm diversification, and tips to reach local markets from direct to wholesale. Attendees are working farmers and others seriously considering farming as a profession. Speakers include agriculture experts, farmers experienced in reaching local markets, buyers, and ASAP staff. The conference will be held on Saturday, February 23 rd, at Warren Wilson College in Swannanoa. For more information and a list of workshops, give us a call or see www.asapconnections.org/marketingconference.htm.

March (Top)

8 - Saturday - Organic Growers School Spring Conference - Blue Ridge Community College, Flat Rock, North Carolina. The Organic Growers School Spring Conference is an annual event held every March, consisting of a diverse array of workshops and hands-on classes for all folks interested in organic and sustainable agriculture—from the beginning backyard gardener to the advanced commercial grower. Each year, we feature around 70 classes and 10 extended, hands-on workshops on a wide range of topics, including Soils, Pest Management, Livestock, Herbs, Cooking, Permaculture, Homesteading, Urban Growing, Forestry, and much more. Also offered are a Children’s Program (ages 7-12), a trade show, and a seed and plant exchange. The Spring Conference is a great place to connect with people and network within the regional agriculture community, learn new things, and collect ideas for the coming growing season. The event has grown from about 100 people in 1993 to 1000 in 2007! Participants come from over 17 different states. For more information about the Organic Growers School Spring Conference, or if you are interested in sponsoring this event, please contact event coordinator Meredith Leigh McKissick at meredith@organicgrowersschool.org. Find more at organicgrowersschool.org

24 - Monday - Ramps and Rainbow Festival - Cherokee, NC. Contact 800-438-1601. cherokee-nc.com

Asheville Artisan Bread Baker’s Festival, Asheville, NC. Contact 828-683-2902

April (Top)

26-28 - Saturday - Monday - Polk County Ramp and Tramp Festival, Greasy Creek, Tennessee 423-338-4503

28 - Monday - 17th Annual Johnson Farm Festival, Henderson County, NC. Contact 828-891-6585

28 - Monday - 5th Annual Flower and Garden Show Grove Arcade, Asheville, NC. Contact 828-252-7799

28-29 - Monday - Tuesday - Graham County Ramp Festival - Robbinsville, NC. Contact terrells@main.nc.us

May (Top)

4-6 - Sunday - Tuesday - WNC Herb Festival - WNC Farmers Market, Asheville, NC. Contact 828-253-1691 wncfarmersmarket.org

6 - Tuesday - Cosby Ramp Festival - Cosby, TN. Contact 423-623-1009, cosbyrampfestival.org

6 - Tuesday - Waynesville Ramp Festival - Waynesville, NC. Contact 828-456-3517

12 - Monday - Whole Bloomin’ Thing Festival - Waynesville, NC. Contact 828-627-1058

12 - Monday - Flag Pond Ramp Festival - Flag Pond, TN. Contact flagpond.com.

19 - Monday - Farm Fun Day - WNC Nature Center, Asheville, NC. Contact 828-298-5600, wildwnc.org.

20 - Tuesday - Whitetop Mountain Ramp Festival - Whitetop, VA. Contact 276-773-3711.

June (Top)

2008 Calendar