washington state crop mobs!

Tilth Producers of Washington and

Washington Young Farmers Coalition

 HANDS-ON LEARNING WORKSHOPS (aka “Crop Mobs”)

Like an old-fashioned barn-raising, these workshops provide an opportunity to join together and support a fellow grower while learning valuable skills from experienced farmers. We will engage in fun, hands-on, educational farming tasks while helping a grower complete a large project.

Join us:

Farming with Perennial and Annual Crops: Hands-on orchard management, diverse interplanting, and nursery production @ Skipley Farm – Saturday, May 11, 2013, Snohomish, 11:00 am – 5:30 pm
Learn pruning, propagation, vegetable production, and soil fertility practices.

Diversified Vegetable Operations for All Seasons @ Persephone Farm – Sunday, June 16, 2013, Indianola, 11:30 am – 6:00 pm
Engage in hands-on activities with mixed vegetables and greenhouse management, planting winter crops, garlic harvest, processing, regenerative ecological farm practices.

Socializing, networking, potluck dinner occurs with each event. On-farm camping available!

Register:   www.tilthproducers.org

volunteer opportunities at slide ranch

Always a good way to get your foot in the door…

Slide Ranch offers rewarding volunteer opportunities for individuals and groups from throughout the Bay Area. While working under the supervision of trained staff on our teaching farm and 134 acres of wild lands, volunteers contribute to Slide Ranch in a variety of ways, including working in our organic garden (weeding, pruning, prepping garden beds, planting and pest control,) composting, restoring native plants and removing invasive plants, and maintaining trails and beach access.

Slide Ranch welcomes the participation of all volunteers, aged 14 and older. For students fulfilling community service hours, corporate and community group team building or individuals who want to put a green thumb to good use, Slide Ranch provides challenging, engaging and meaningful experiences. Volunteers may schedule a one-time visit or volunteer on a regular basis as part of an ongoing project.

In addition to volunteering in our garden and on the land, volunteers can support Slide Ranch by contributing other interests, skills, and talents. Volunteers with expertise in construction and carpentry, tech or social media experience, and craftspeople, performers and artisans for special events are often needed.

Please call the Slide Ranch office at 415.381.6155 for more information and scheduling. All volunteer visits must be scheduled in advance.

winter work parties

at Quail Springs

Invitation:  Extended Winter Work Party in February and March

We are looking forward to an exciting extended work party in the months of February and March to move forward several key projects at Quail Springs!

Seeking Volunteers

Come join the Quail Springs crew for a few days to several weeks for lots of fun, hard work and yummy meals and company!

When: February and March

How long: a few days to several weeks

Where:  Quail Springs in the Cuyama Valley, about 1 hour north of Ojai, near Ventucopa, in the high desert mountains

You would need to have a general interest in and ability to work mostly outside, and to tent camp or to bring your own camper.

We will offer yummy meals, good company, and the satisfaction of contributing to a great mission and permaculture vision.

Activities include: digging, planting trees, other farm work, small construction, moderate to heavy lifting, demolition, fencing, irrigation, cooking, cleaning

Specialized skill sets we’re seeking, with potential for barter or hire:  carpentry, electric, plumbing

Please contact us with volunteer interest: 

WINTER WORK PARTY INTEREST CLICK HERE!

crop mob in bend, oregon

Willing Workers on Local Farms (WWOLF) is organizing another crop mob in Bend! WWOLF writes:

“What we’re doing: Harvesting & Moving Potatoes (if you want you can take home potatoes that you’ve harvested!)

Where: Meet @ Starbucks at Cascade Village, 63455 N Hwy 97, Bend, OR.
When: Saturday, November 3rd from 9 am – 5 pm
How it Works:
* Meet at designated location & carpool to the farm
* Tour of projects, split into groups if need be
* Break for lunch around noon or 1pm -Delicious Meat & Potato Meal!
* After lunch farm tour
* Return to work until we are done!

What To Bring:
Wear good work shoes, dress in layers
Work gloves & tools if requested
Snacks & water
Wear smooth soled shoes or boots (no hiking boots as lots of mud will get stuck on them)

As much as we love our furry friends, dogs are not allowed. Thank you for your understanding.

calling virginia greenhorns

WE have a few names from SSAWG of young virginia farmers who wanted to represent and coordinate and get things rolling in virginia– but we are looking for some more brave souls, particularly to represent and present at Monticello Heritage Harvest Festival, Sept. 15th.

IF you are such a soul, please get in touch with Darla (darla@southernexposure.com) about the upcoming event.

Some who work will be comp’t but there are limited spots for greenhorns.

THank you–

SEverine

super duper friends at rural routes

The Rural Route Film Festival is looking for volunteers for our 2012 film festival at Museum of the Moving Image and Brooklyn Grange rooftop farm in Astoria/Long Island City, NY.  The core festival dates are Aug. 3-5, with a series of smaller ‘warm up’ screenings throughout July, kicking off w/Rooftop Films on 4th of July @ Socrates Sculpture Park w/Jason Shahinfar’s “A Short Film about Ice Fishing” http://rooftopfilms.com/2012/schedule/the-american-experience/.

We have just finalized a great line-up of film screenings but have a lot of work to do over the next month to get all the festival odds and ends put together.

We are looking for help with the following:
-Outreach/Fundraising (reaching out to past & potential sponsors)
-Press/Publicity (sending out listing and press kit to publications & journalists)

another wa young farmers crop mob

Greetings farmers and farmer-friends!

The Washington Young Farmers’ Coalition invites you to attend our next crop mob:

 City Grown Seattle Crop Mob: Sunday, June 17

11am to 4pm: 

Work party at City Grown’s Crown Hill Community Center plot
WHERE: 9250 14th Ave NW, Seattle 98117
WHAT: Constructing pole-bean trellises and weeding paths where the sod is trying to come back and crowd out the veggies!

 5pm:

Reconvene at our Wallingford farm plot
WHERE: 4108 Eastern Ave N, Seattle 98103
WHAT: Dinner (provided by City Grown), bonfire, relaxation and celebration!

Please bring your work gloves, water bottle, sack lunch or snack, and weather-appropriate clothing (raingear? sun hat & sunscreen?)
Please, RSVP to citygrownsea@gmail.com

 City Grown Seattle is a multi-plot urban farm in its second year of sales and is run by three young/beginning farmers.  Many thanks to Washington Young Farmer Coalition for this much-needed help!  Learn more about City Grown at our website www.citygrownseattle.com.  Please email us with any questions.

grant writer needed!

The Small Farms Conservancy urgently needs the services of a grant writer who has experience, loves small farms, and education!  This is a paid position, the proposal is due August 2nd.  If you know of anyone, please have them contact me and I will send the link for the grant and materials regarding our program at Terra Nova High School.  The Education Department grant focuses on rural achievement in education and agriculture to non-profits as well as schools.  We have had many high schools and school districts requesting information and support.  With this grant money we can move forward in our efforts to assist interested schools.  We will also be able to develop a program of Farm Camps for teens in addition to providing training and support for farmers who partner with the schools in their district.

Thank you!

Susan Richman
Belle Mare Farm
530-306-5307c
Small Farms Conservancy
PO Box 3500-PMB 402
Sisters, Oregon 97759

541-549-0817
www.smallfarmsconservancy.org

Crop Mob & Summer Social in SW Washington

Join the Washington Young Farmers Coalition and Full Circle Farmstead for a summer social and crop mob – Sunday, July 31st.

Located on 30 acres of SW Washington’s Boistfort Valley, Full Circle Farmstead is a diversified, collaborative farm project that includes dairy goats, meat rabbits, beekeeping, laying hens, heritage breed hogs, and 2 acres in organic vegetable and berry production. We’re excited to host the next Washington Young Farmers Coalition social, and to get some help with our many projects!

When: Sunday, July 31st, 12 noon to whenever

Where: Full Circle Farmstead, Curtis, WA (about 25 minutes from Chehalis)

What: A work party (possible projects include: moving compost, excavating for a root cellar, annual raising of the blueberry netting) followed by a potluck dinner, kickball, music by local bluegrass band Pickled Okra (http://www.getokra.com/fr_home.cfm), bonfire, and camping for those who want to stay overnight

For more information about the Farmstead, directions, help arranging a carpool, or any questions, contact Addie at addie.candib@gmail.com / 360-245-3922  / If you plan to attend, please RSVP so we know how many pairs of hands to expect.

Volunteer Recruitment for FELT

Calling All Fuzz-Loving Greenhorns!

We are looking for 3-5 Oakland-area Greenhorns to help run the kick-off the Greenhorn’s SEED CIRCUS 2011. The first event is called FELT and is about sheep, wool, fiber, fuzz, and love for local herds. Event runs from 1-4 p.m on Sunday, June 19th. Volunteers report by 12:15 p.m. and can choose to stay until 3 or 4:30. On the agenda we have: A collective raw wool rug creation, a bike-powered wool carding demo, hand-held felt nugget making as well as a sheering demo. Outdoor events will be followed (3-4 p.m.) by a talk by a local rancher and a screening of the film Sweet Grass.

If you are interested or interested in helping out with the July (Forage), August (Culture) or September (Seed) events, be in touch! Email: louella.hill@gmail.com

hey.

Looking to get involved in the National Young Farmers’ Coalition?

Guess what…WE are looking for collaborators, particularly when it comes to reading, evaluating, interpreting and accessing policy documents.

We are also looking for bloggers for the NYFC blog.

Interested?  Email Lindsey@youngfarmers.org

a wolf in sheep’s clothing

Wolftown is a great resource for the NW. They helped sponsor our Washington mixer. They range their sheep in the forest by horseback–pretty sweet!

Wildlife Rehabilitation

Wolftown rehabilitates injured or orphaned wild animals returning them to the wild. We rescue all species, including eagles. We specialize in predators, especially wild canids.

Agricultural Program

Wolftown teaches compassionate, sustainable and predator friendly agriculture. We support the slow food movement. We have programs across the west helping farmers and ranchers. We raise sheep. Our sheep are small predator resistant, resistant to disease and parasites, and we browse/graze them loose on horseback with sheep dogs.

We sell fleeces, yarn, clothing, locker lamb and breeding stock.

Need good stock horses or stock dogs or Livestock guardian dogs for predators? Call us and we will refer you. The best thing we can do for wildlife is protect habitat and change the way we live.

urban farm-raising in Austin, TX

Join Austin Growers Guild for their inaugural farm installation event.  This is a hands-on two day event, people!  Sure hope you can be a part of it—it’s guaranteed good company and a true community learning experience.  Tell your friends!

For more info visit www.austingrowersguild.wordpress.com

Registration is greatly appreciated to KatyHamill@gmail.com
All donations help cover cost of event
Breakfast provided, BYO lunch please and a bottle of water
Massage therapists on hand for volunteers

Support provided by Rigel Thurston of Austin Community Living

volunteer at shoving leopard farm – NY

they’re seeking a few good women/men, who’d like to ‘get their dirt on’.

The Core Volunteer Group

This is open to CSA and non-CSA members alike. As a Core Volunteer Group member, you will come once a week for an hour or two throughout the season to help out with transplanting, weeding, mulching, and harvesting. This is a way to participate in the Shoving Leopard community.

internship & volunteer opportunity – Central NY

Our farm of 60+ acres mixed use lands was build in the 1830′s – 1840′s. It consists of a main house, a large 4 story post and beam barn, a maple house, and several other out buildings. We work the sugar bush, 4 acres of market crops, a large greenhouse, several acres of pasture which are home to our sheep and cattle, and maintain a trout river and stream, a pond, wetlands and woodlands in a natural way that are crisscrossed with several walking trails. We are a market farm with our hands in many cookie jars.

We grow and sell a variety of items at area farmers markets, on farm, and through an internet farmers market. These items include fruits and vegetables (the mainstay of our business), eggs, fleece, beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, maple syrup, honey, beeswax products, breads, cookies, and jams. While most of our time is spent out in the fields growing and harvesting, we do harvest fruits on other local farms to sell at market; spend time caring for the animals; cook syrup; prepare and bottle honey; wash and candle eggs; wash and prep vegetables for sale; as well as prepare jams and baked goods for sale.All unsold food is also processed for winter sales and storage, We will provide hands on experience seeding, composting, using organic pest and weed removal practices, animal husbandry, bee keeping, forest husbandry, sugar bush maintenance, harvesting and preparing crops for sale, direct marketing, river and water management, food preservation, As well as many things that are not thought of as farm activities, but we have found that on a farm, a lot more goes on besides just planting, weeding, and harvesting. Farming is all encompassing and always seems to include small machine repair, tractor repair, construction, animal husbandry, wildlife management, and “countryscaping”.