The Salida School Gardens Program Under Way!

This summer we’ve been breaking ground and getting the The Salida School Gardens-Garden to Cafeteria Program under way! The program is a collaborative effort between LiveWell Chaffee County, Salida School District, Guidestone and the Southwest Conservation Corps (SCC) to support the growing and eating of local, healthy foods in district cafeterias. Working in partnership with the established Salida Middle School Garden, this program will supply fresh, locally grown fruits and vegetables for the school meal program and utilize the garden as a context and location for environmental and agricultural education.

With the immense help of many community hands during four volunteer days and two SCC service days we now have a quarter acre garden on school property on Holman Ave; complete with ten straw bale raised garden beds, ten fruit trees, a pumpkin patch, eight in ground beds, a gourd tunnel and winding pea trellises throughout the site. School district staff will receive and process the harvest and use it this fall in the school meal program. Produce will also be sold through local and youth farmer’s markets to help sustain the operations and management of the garden program, and partners will continue to raise funds to expand the project beyond the current site for future years.

In addition to garden development Guidestone is working closely with the Salida School District to create an education program that will integrate the garden and garden-based lesson plans into curriculum grades pre-k- 12. Guidestone has conducted the first teacher professional development training and is working on additional opportunities for teachers in the fall.

Perhaps as thrilling as the garden itself is the energy, generosity and collaboration from the community and partners to make this garden program a reality. It would not be the same without such comprehensive effort from such a wide variety of supporters. We are all excited to watch the garden grow and to see many more community faces enjoying fresh produce and building a healthy food program for the school district.

For more information about future volunteer opportunities or questions in general about the program, please contact Margaret at Margaret@guidestonecolorado.org.

Sensory Overload or Sensory Poverty?

Guidestone Board Member Judie Anders shared these insights after teaching one of our Junior Rancher classes...

A friend passed this article to me that was published this week in the NYTimes. I feel it gets to the root of why the Farmhands Program is such an important part of Guidestone's work.

Are We Living in Sensory Overload or Sensory Poverty? - NYTimes.co​m

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/06/10/are-we-living-in-sensory-overload-or-sensory-poverty/?nl=todaysheadlines&emc=edit_th_20120611

I want to share my reply to my friend with you:

"The further we distance ourselves from the spell of the present, explored by our senses, the harder it will be to understand and protect nature’s precarious balance, let alone the balance of our own human nature."

I had the opportunity to teach a Farmhands Class yesterday to 16 youngsters age 7 - 10 at Hutchinson Homestead, an historic 1800's homestead and 7th generation working Ranch located in Salida, CO. I taught Communication with Ranch Animals - Knowing how to take care of the animals on a ranch is one of the most important skills a rancher needs to have! Spend the day with Judie Anders (aka Farmer Judie) learning how animals communicate...

We hiked through irrigated fields to observe cows and their calves grazing, getting wet and muddy in the process along with seeing the diversity of plant life and wild flowers in the meadow. We observed a bird nest with eggs in it hidden in the tall meadow grass; we drew pictures of a Mama Cow ready to give birth and discussed how to tell if she is really close or not, getting manure on our shoes and clothes as we wrote and drew in Observation Journals we created in the morning. We played, ate, and sat under the shade of an old apple tree enjoying each other.

"learning about the world... experiencing it up close, right here, right now, in all its messy, majestic, riotous detail."

Ahhh, the sometimes uncomfortable and smelly richness in which life thrives.

Protected Growing Spaces Seminar

Interested in growing fresh, healthy food year-round? Join Ed Berg of Salida Grown and Marc Plinke of Boulder-based Ceres Growing Systems for this skill-focused exploration of indoor growing spaces designed for our high-altitude, semi-arid climate. Whether you have a small backyard space or are in production on an acre or more, this seminar is for you!

Saturday, May 19 / 10am-2pm / $15 per person

Seminar Details:

During the first part of the day, a presentation by Ed & Marc will provide:

• An agricultural history of where Chaffee County was, 100 years ago, what happened to our food culture, and how it is being rejuvenated.
• An overview of what the County's local food economy looks like now; who are the contributors from plow to Ploughboy Market to paired wine & food tastings.
• An understanding of how to moderate our climatic conditions for vegetable growing all year round.
• Examples on how much it would cost to start a protected garden space to contribute to your own table and to a shared food economy.

The afternoon will be dedicated to addressing specific case scenarios. Come prepared to share your own growing conditions, yard space and orientation, etc, and have the presenters and fellow participants discuss ways to get your garden producing.

Pre-registration is requested for this seminar. Location, directions and additional details will be provided upon registration.

To register, click here!

Community Volunteer and Education Opportunities

What a vibrant community we live in! Check out these opportunities coming up in the next week.

Southwest Conservation Corps Volunteer Days
Friday, April 20, 9am-12pm and 12pm-3pm

The Southwest Conservation Corps has several upcoming volunteer opportunities that we thought you might be interested in. We are launching a new gardening and agriculture program and need your help prepping new garden sites in Salida.

On Friday, April 20^th we will kick off Earth Day weekend with a ground-breaking service day at the SCC office. Please join us for a half or full day of project work to install fencing, build raise beds, plant seeds and help promote local food production and sustainability in our community! The morning session will run from 9am-noon and the afternoon session will run from 12pm-3pm. Participants should wear long-pants, sturdy shoes, and warm layers. Don’t forget to bring a water bottle and lunch if you plan to stay all day. The event is open to all ages: kids under 12 must be accompanied by an adult and all participants/parents of minors will need to sign a volunteer waiver.

Our office is located at 701 E. Highway 50, just west of the Hampton Inn. Please contact Tyler Lincoln with any questions at tyler@sccorps.org or 719-539-2438.

Can’t make it this week? We also have Friday service days scheduled for April 27^th and May 4^th – same time and place!

Thanks for your support and we hope to see you Friday!


Learn How to Plan and Install Drip Irrigation!
Hosted by Old Town Farm, Howard
Saturday, April 21 10am-12pm

Drip irrigation makes the most sense for watering garden and landscape plants in our dry climate. Come see and get hands on with the drip irrigation system at our farm in Howard. Comprehensive class covers planning a drip system as well as installation and
maintenance.

Class starts at 10 AM sharp across the street from Howard Hall. Cost is $15 per class, scholarships are available. Email oldtownfarmhoward@gmail.com or call Jonathan at 719-530-1249 for more information.

Additional upcoming Old Town Farm classes:
April 28th – Floating row cover and other plant protection strategies
May 5th – Keeping backyard chickens is easy and fun
May 12th – Know your enemy: All about weeds, wildlife and bugs
May 19th – Why won’t my tomatoes ripen? Success with warm season crops in a cool climate


Agriculture Tax Class
Hosted by Kurt M. Jones, Chaffee County Extension Director
Tuesday, April 24, 6pm-8pm

Colorado State University Extension in Chaffee County will be offering an Agriculture Tax Class for area producers and tax professionals on Tuesday, April 24 from 6:00 until 8:00 at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds. The cost for this class will be $15.

Topics for the class include overview of income taxes, farm income and expenses, common IRS tax forms and schedules used by farmers & ranchers, Farm income vs. other income and how to treat each source, what are deductible farm expenses, record keeping for farmers/ranchers, important dates and additional resources.

The course will be taught by CSU Agriculture and Business Management specialist Jeff Tranel. Pre-registration is required by calling 719-539-6447. Space is limited to the first 40 people. If someone requires accommodation, please let us know at least 5 business days in advance.

Farmer and Rancher Tax Resource

USDA Risk Management Agency (RMA) has introduced a new website - Rural Tax Education - that provides farmers and ranchers, other agricultural producers and Extension educators with a source for agriculturally related income and self-employment tax information.

Tax issues are important for agricultural operations because income and self-employment taxes are a major cost, and also because more and more USDA programs are being linked to a producer’s federal income tax return.

Also on the website is a Tax Guide For Owners and Operators of Small and Medium Size Farms, produced by Land Grant University Tax Education Foundation, INC. through a grant from the USDA Risk Management Agency.

Check out their website at http://www.ruraltax.org/for a FREE resource.

A Free Webinar: Why Eat Organic

Join eOrganic for Why Eat Organic by Jim Riddle, University of Minnesota. This is a live broadcast from the 2012 Illinois Specialty Crops, Agritourism, and Organic Conference. The broadcast is free and open to the public. Advance registration is required.

Date: Thursday, January 12, 2012

Time: 11:45 AM - 12:45 PM EST (10:45 Central, 9:45 Mountain, 8:45 Pacific Time)

Register now at https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/309956440

About the Webinar

As research into organic food and farming expands, trends are beginning to emerge validating the multiple benefits of organic systems. In this session, the author will present concise, understandable summaries of recently conducted research regarding nutrition, pesticide residues, biodiversity, natural resource conservation, soil and water quality, and food safety related to organic production and handling.

To find out more about this conference, see http://www.specialtygrowers.org/iscaoc-conference.html

To view all other upcoming and archived eOrganic webinar and broadcast recordings, go to http://www.extension.org/pages/25242

About Jim Riddle

Jim Riddle has worked for over 26 years as an organic farmer, inspector, author, policy analyst and educator. He was founding chair of the International Organic Inspectors Association, (IOIA), and co-author of the IFOAM/IOIA International Organic Inspection Manual. He has trained hundreds of organic inspectors throughout the world. Jim served on the Minnesota Department of Agriculture’s Organic Advisory Task Force from 1991-2009, and was instrumental in passage of Minnesota’s landmark organic certification cost-share program. Since January 2006, Jim has worked as the University of Minnesota’s Organic Outreach Coordinator. Jim is former chair of the USDA’s National Organic Standards Board, and is a leading voice for organic agriculture.

About eOrganic

eOrganic is the Organic Agriculture Community of Practice at eXtension.org. Our website at http:www.extension.org/organic_production contains articles, videos, and webinars for farmers, ranchers, agricultural professionals, certifiers, researchers and educators seeking reliable information on organic agriculture, published research results, farmer experiences, and certification. The content is collaboratively authored and reviewed by our community of University researchers and Extension personnel, agricultural professionals, farmers, and certifiers with experience and expertise in organic agriculture.

System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows® 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh®-based attendees
Required: Mac OS® X 10.5 or newer

Chaffee County Building Farmers Program

Applications are currently being accepted for the inaugural Chaffee County Building Farmer’s Program to be offered in Salida.

The Colorado Building Farmers program builds farm community and farmer capacity through classroom and experiential learning for beginning farmers (0 – 10 yrs exp). The course is a series of 8 evening classes designed to help New Farmers/Ranchers explore farming as a business and provide Intermediate and Experienced Farmers/Ranchers with tools and ideas to refine and enhance their business management, production, and marketing skills.

Classes include Strategic Business Planning, Introduction to holistic management, agriculture modalities, market analysis, land acquisition/leasing, marketing/distribution, financial planning/business organization, budgeting, food safety and other risk management, production Q & A, and presentations of student-created business plans. A variety of local growers and academic specialists make up the cadre of speakers for this eight-week course.

When: Tuesday Evenings, January 31 - March 20, 5:30 pm - 8:30

Where: Chaffee County Fairgrounds, 10165 County Road 120, Salida

Cost: Costs for the course are $200 for new farmers/ranchers, $140 for intermediate farmers/ranchers, and $100 for experienced farmers/ranchers. Course fees include all tuition, expenses, and evening meals each week.

Application Process: Applicants will complete a short questionnaire about their experience and desires for the course, and a local advisory committee will screen applications to determine eligibility.

This course is open to new, intermediate and experienced farmers. Intermediate and Experienced farmers fuel the learning environment. Dinner provides time for socializing and networking. Sessions explore content useful to all levels of experience. New farmers learn in this community of farmer students and teachers.

For more information or an application, contact Kurt Jones at 719-539-6447.

The Colorado Building Farmers program is based upon work supported by NIFA under Award Number 2009-49400-05877 from the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. CSU Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.