Beginner organic farming workshop and sustainable farm tour, May 23 and 24
LAFAYETTE, LOUISIANA
Two training courses will be held near Lafayette on May 23 and 24 — a Beginning Organic Farming Workshop and Acadiana Sustainable Farm Tour.
Both courses are sponsored by the LSU AgCenter’s Louisiana Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) professional development program.
“We are pleased to be able to offer the courses in Lafayette and to support education in local, sustainable food systems,” said Carl Motsenbocker, LSU professor of horticulture and sustainable agriculture. “There is great interest and demand for local food. We need more people to grow food and to support Louisiana farm families.”
Beginning Organic Farming Workshop
A Beginning Organic Farming Workshop will be held in Cade, La. on Tuesday, May 23, at the University of Louisiana Lafayette Cade Farm.
The workshop will be from 9 a.m. until 2:30 p.m. Check-in will begin at 8:30 a.m. Lunch will be included, and pre-registration is required.
The Beginner Organic Workshop will be a good opportunity for sustainable farmers of any scale to gain an overarching understanding of the principles and practices of organic and sustainable operations. The training will include the following topics:
— Resources.
— Marketing and Business Plans.
— Production Needs.
— Soil Fertility.
— Farm Design and Infrastructure.
— Pest Management.
— Harvest, Postharvest and more.
The workshop will be led by Daniel Parson, farmer and educator of Oxford College Farm at Emory University. With more than 25 years of farming experience, as well as teaching and mentoring the next generation of farmers, Parson will take the audience through the basics of beginning organic farming practices.
“The Beginner Organic Farming Workshop is for anyone interested in learning about sustainable farming practices, from backyard gardeners to commercial producers,” said Isabella “Izzi” Frank, Louisiana SARE program assistant. “We look forward to facilitating discussion on building more resilient local foods systems and growing more nutrient-dense food in Louisiana.”
To register for the Beginner Organic Farming Workshop, visit https://BeginOrganicWorkshop.eventbrite.com.
Acadiana Sustainable Farm Tour
The Acadiana Sustainable Farm Tour will be held on four farms in the Lafayette area on Wednesday, May 24, 2023. Check-in begins at the first farm at 8:00 a.m. with the tour of the four farms from 9 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Pre-registration is required, and lunch will be included.
The Acadiana Farm Tour is a self-guided tour. Participants will drive their own vehicles, with specific times that the farms will be receiving visitors. The tour begins at Cajun Acres, a hydroponic farm and then on to a cut flower/vegetable operation at Blazing Star Farm, where a pre-ordered lunch will be available. After lunch, the tour visits T Moise Farm, a pastured livestock farm, before traveling to the last stop on the tour, St. Joseph Homestead, an intensive vegetable operation.
“The Acadiana Sustainable Farm Tour will demonstrate various examples of family farms contributing to a more sustainable local food system,” said Frank. “By visiting our local farms, we can build community, share knowledge and network. We are pleased to showcase four family farms owned by Louisiana residents who serve their local communities with wonderful products.”
To register for the Acadiana Farm Tour, visit https://AcadianaSustainableFarmTour.eventbrite.com.
For more Information, contact Izzi Frank at ifrank@agcenter.lsu.edu or visit the Louisiana SARE Facebook page.