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Armed to Farm California Virtual Workshop Series

NCAT’s Armed to Farm team is partnering with the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and California Association of Resource Conservation Districts (CARCD) to present a three-part, interactive virtual workshop series for beginning farmer-veterans in October. These virtual workshops will provide essential information on farm recordkeeping, tools and equipment, and building soil health. Each workshop will take place from 10:00-11:30 AM Pacific.

Dates and Topics

Oct 12:  Recordkeeping 
In this session Margo Hale, NCAT’s Southeast Regional Director, will discuss why proper recordkeeping is vital for a farm’s success. She will share practical solutions to help implement or improve recordkeeping practices on your farm.

Oct 19: Tools and Equipment for the Small Farm 
The second virtual workshop will focus on understanding tools and equipment for the small farm. Andy Pressman, NCAT’s Northeast Regional Director, will offer strategies for selecting the right tool for the job and how farm capitalization investments can affect profitability.  Andy will also share his experience in using specialized tools, tractors, and implements on his small farm and the impact they have on helping he and his family manage towards their goals.  The importance of safely operating and maintaining equipment will be discussed. Omar Rodriguez, NCAT Agricultural Specialist in California, will provide a California perspective on tools and sources for acquiring tools, as well as provide information and location about four  upcoming workshops focused on small farm tools (two in CA, one in WA and one in OR).

Oct 26: Investing in Your Soils
In the final session of the workshop series, Rex Dufour, NCAT's Western Regional Director, will discuss how and why to invest in your soils, with a focus on supporting healthy soils in the era of climate change. He'll also be covering some funding and technical resources available to farmers interested in investing in their soils.