South Carolina SARE Open Forum Meeting January 28, 2012 Clemson Sustainable Agriculture Program Staff Kelly Gilkerson, Associate Coordinator Shawn Jadrnicek, CU Organic Farm Manager Amy Nichols, SC SARE Program Assistant Geoff Zehnder, Coordinator

PROGRAM PARTNERS

SARE Provides Funds for Training of Ag Professionals (and Farmers)  Funds available to state Land Grant Institutions with SA Coordinator (Clemson & SC State)  Plan of Work with budget and Annual Reports required

Planning Process for Training and Education Programs  Stakeholder involvement  Open Forum Meeting; discuss and identify issues, needs  Advisory Committee; prioritize needs and identify topics for training programs  Address emerging needs during year  Input from stakeholder groups, Extension agents, individuals

Review of Program Activities, 2011 Open Forum and Advisory Committee Meetings Sandhill REC Lake House, January 29

Review of Program Activities, 2011 Educational, Training Events  Fresh produce food safety training (GAPs):  Anderson Civic Center, February  Supported by Anderson County  Diana Vossbrinck and Allison Schaum  38 farmers attended  Instructors: Lynn Turner, Jack Dantzler  Mock GAPs audit at Friend’s Farm  Val Lowe and Katie Tillman

Review of Program Activities, 2011 Educational, Training Events  June 21-22: Ecologically based pest management; Charleston  CREC and Pete Ambrose Farm  Instructors:  Mark Boudreau  Tony Keinath  Daniel Parson  Mark Schonbeck  Powell Smith  Geoff Zehnder Photographer: Nikki Seibert

Review of Program Activities, 2011 Educational, Training Events  July 28: Organic Disease Mgmt., Clinton, SC  Presbyterian College; Bush River Farm and Parson Produce  Daniel Parson  Tony Keinath  John Inman arranged for use of lab

Review of Program Activities, 2011  Sept. 15: Ecologically Based Weed Mgmt. Workshop, Clemson Organic Farm Mark Schonbeck Classroom and farm tour Focused on fall cover crops for weed control

Review of Program Activities, 2011 Educational, Training Events July through September: Sustainable Vegetable Production for Lowcountry Farmers: South Carolina State University (Edoe Agbodjan and SCSU agents)

CFSA Upstate Farm Tour, June 4-5, 2011 Organic disease, insect and weed management Mark Boudreau, Shawn Jadrnicek, Mark Schonbeck, Powell Smith

Other Activities, 2011  May 24. Training for NRCS field staff (NOP pest management standards), Clinton, SC  Aug. 25. ASAP Regional Farm to School Workshop for Extension agents, Asheville, NC  Oct. 17. CICED Farm Business Course,  GAPs and Organic Certification, Greenville, SC  Dec. 15. Sustainable Agriculture 101  National Guard Ag Development Team Training for Afghanistan, Anderson, SC  Shawn Jadrnicek presentations  Backyard Poultry Production, Spartanburg  Permaculture/Edible Landscaping, OGS, Asheville

Other Activities, 2011  Travel scholarships for Clemson and SCSU agents CFSA and SSAWG Conferences  South Carolina SA Agent of the Year Award Blake Lanford  Clemson contact point for sustainable agriculture, organic farming  Teaching  Creative Inquiry courses (spring and fall)  Organic farming course (summer)

2011 Advisory Committee List of Priority Training Topics  USDA Good Agricultural Practices and food safety training to address Food Safety Modernization Act impact on small, organic farms. Need programs to help small, organic farmers develop cost-effective food safety practices. Develop and submit an OREI proposal using SC organic farms as case studies Develop a flow chart and fact sheet to help producers to identify the appropriate agencies responsible for beef, poultry and egg processing regulations.

2011 Priorities (continued)  Pest management training (non-chemical)  Livestock training Mobile Processing Pasture/Fertility Management Value Added Food Safety Raw milk Cheese Herd Management Parasites Heritage breeds (ALBC)  Land use regulation/farm transition  Soil quality management Water conservation Biochar

2011 Lower Priority Areas  Agri-tourism  Heirloom vegetables  Edible landscapes  Community food system development Coordination Community food assessments Building Successful Food Hubs: A business planning guide for aggregating and processing food in Illinois

Plans for 2012 Grant funded training  SC Organic Growing Conference, March 10, Clinton, SC  Attracting native pollinators  Vegetable grafting for disease control  Organic certification and production  Focused on the NRCS Organic Initiative for field staff  April  September (TBA)  Organic tree and small fruit pest management  May 8-9 (tentative); Clemson  Upstate Farm Tour, June 2-3  Tour of Clemson Organic Farm  Permaculture strategies for farm and greenhouse  Organic Pest Management (TBD)

Ideas for Training in your Community?  Supplemental training funds for local organizers   Backyard Poultry Production Workshop organized by Danny Howard and Kevin Campbell