Training Agenda

2012 Advanced Organic Training

The Western North Carolina Experience

Agenda

A Note about the Training: This is advanced in-service training on organic agriculture. It is designed for extension personnel and other agriculture educators who already understand the basics of organic agriculture. So we will not be offering lectures on soils, crop rotations, certification, pest control, etc. Instead we will be visiting three farms, an educational farm, a tailgate market, and four restaurants who buy from local farmers. We will also have moderated discussions so we can share what works best in our own programs and states. To get the most of this training, you need to actively participate; ask questions, give opinions, challenge practices and statements that you don’t agree with, and share your knowledge and experiences. Take advantage of being part of a very diverse group from across the Southeast with a wide range of experiences. This is not a lecture-style training; think of it as graduate school compared to your undergraduate education. Come well-rested. We have packed this schedule from morning to night so you can experience the beauty, agriculture, culture, fine dining, and eccentricities that are unique to the Asheville area.

Group Assignment: All the attendees will be assigned to six groups. Each of the three farms we are visiting on Monday will present us with two problems they have on their farm. Each group will be assigned one problem to work on and create an extension appropriate solution for. Be thinking about it through the course of the training. You will have time at lunch on Tuesday to finalize your solution. Each group will then give a 10 minute presentation with their solution followed by 5 minutes for discussion. The presentations can be as simple or elaborate as you want them to be. The solutions will be provided to the farmers.

This training is funded by a grant from the Southern SARE Program awarded to Tuskegee University working in cooperation with NC State University, Auburn University, University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, and the Alabama Sustainable Agriculture Network. The PI is Leonard Githinji and the co-PIs are Jeanine Davis, Charles Mitchell, Obadiah Njue, and Karen Wynne.