New Local Food Grant from Food Well Alliance

Food Well Alliance has scheduled an information session to be held at Cobb Extension about its next Local Food Grant.

The session will be Monday, August 23, 10:00 a.m., at Cobb Extension, 678 South Cobb Drive, Marietta, 30060, in the second floor classroom. This is in the white, metal, 2-story building that shares a parking lot with the Tag Office and is across the street from MNI Nurseries.

See the flyer below:

Farming in Cobb County?

"The U.S. Agricultural Census of 1850 reports that in Cobb County the county's largest crops were cotton, wheat, corn, oats, rice, and sweet potatoes." (from Mable Property Rural Preservation Plan)

The Mable House planning document linked above also tells that, after the Civil War, chickens became a larger part of agricultural activity in the county, and, after WWI, cotton ranked higher in productivity. By 1935, Cobb County's farms were producing "cotton, corn, hay, truck garden crops, and sweet potatoes." After WWII, agriculture in Cobb County was still an important economic activity, but the amount of land in agricultural production has been in decline, generally, since then.

Today, as area residents consider beginning new agricultural businesses, UGA's consumer horticulturalist Bob Westerfield has some words of advice, offered through an interview published on Georgia FACES: 

“Think small to begin with, unless you have a lot of help and equipment,” he said. “I recommend a quarter- or half-an-acre plot.”

Vegetable Growers Workshop

This program about growing food for yourself or for profit, coordinated by Bob Westerfield, Extension Horticulture Specialist, is for both beginning and experienced growers.

Participants will learn how to select varieties, grow their own transplants, understand their soil, plant and maintain vegetable crops, troubleshoot vegetable problems, and select and maintain equipment, and they will gain insights into how to successfully market and sell a crop.

Date:             Friday, January 30
Time:             9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Location:       UGA Griffin Student Learning center Room 105
                      1109 Experiment Street
                      Griffin, GA 30223
Cost:             $30, includes handouts, lunch, and refreshment breaks

Pesticide credit in both commercial and private category 21 will be offered.

Preregistration is required. To pay online, visit UGA's  Vegetable Growers Workshop webpage; for additional information, call Beth Horne at 770-228-7214.

Sustainable Ag Workshop Set for March 6 in Griffin, GA

UGA Extension in Spalding County is hosting a workshop on maximizing both production and market potential for sustainable small farms and market gardens.

When: Thursday, March 6, 9:30 a.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Where: Kiwanis Center in Griffin, GA - Kiwanis Club of Griffin, 1025 South Hill St., Griffin, Ga 30224
Cost: $5 fee includes instruction, materials, and lunch.
Registration: Preregistration by March 3 is required. Please call 770-467-4225, or email uge2255@uga.edu to preregister.

The workshop is second in a series organized by Spalding County Agent Wade Hutchinson. For more information, read the description, which includes the list of topics to be covered, in the Georgia FACES article "Sustainable Ag Workshop Set for Griffin," or call 770-467-4225, or email uge2255@uga.edu.

High Tunnel Organic Vegetable Production Workshop

High tunnel organic vegetable production workshop

Monday, December 16, 2013

Olin Tatum Agricultural Building at Stiles Auditorium

320 W. Cherokee Ave.

Cartersville, GA 30120

12:30 - 1:00 p.m.     Registration (be sure to eat lunch before you arrive); check in at Stiles Auditorium

1:00 - 2:00 p.m.       Organic Vegetable Production and Variety Selection; Dr. George Boyhan, UGA Vegetable Specialist

2:00 - 3:00 p.m.      High Tunnel Production and Irrigation Setup; Dr. Tim Coolong, UGA Extension Vegetable Specialist

3:00 - 3:15 p.m.      Break

3:15 - 4:15 p.m.     Soil Fertility and Organic Systems Management; Julia Gaskin, UGA Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator

4:15 - 5:15 p.m.     Organic Disease Control; Dr. Elizabeth Little, UGA Extension Plant Pathologist

5:15 - 5:30 p.m.     Break

5:30 - 6:30 p.m.    Organic Certification; Johnny Luke, Georgia Crop Improvement Association

6:30 - 7:00 p.m.    Wrap-up and Evaluation

Preregistration is Required by Friday, December 13, 2013

Cost is $10 per person payable to Bartow County 4-H

Check and registration information (click on link to go to the registration form) can be mailed to 

Bartow County Cooperative Extension

320 W. Cherokee Ave., Room 112

Cartersville, GA 30120

Call 770-387-5142, FAX 770-386-3488, or email uge1015@uga.edu for additional information.

Vegetable Growers Workshop in Griffin, GA

Vegetable Growers Workshop

Friday, September 20, 2013

9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

 

On the University of Georgia campus in Griffin, GA

This workshop for small-scale farmers and home gardeners interested in growing and marketing vegetables for profit will be taught by UGA Cooperative Extension vegetable horticulturist Bob Westerfield.

The class will cover the basics of how to begin earning extra income by growing and selling vegetables. Workshop topics will include which vegetables to grow, how to grow them, the use of plastic mulch and high tunnels, understanding soils, equipment selection, and pest identification and control.

The workshop is designed for beginning growers or homeowners who would like to sell their produce at a farmers market, at a roadside stand, or to individuals.

The program will be held from 9:00 a.m. until 3:30 p.m. at the UGA Research and Education Garden off Ellis Road in Griffin. 

The cost of the workshop is $39, which includes all materials, lunch, and break refreshments. 

For more information or to register, call Beth Horne at (770) 228-7214 or email her at bhorne@uga.edu.

Small Vegetable Growers Workshop

This workshop is designed for anyone who is considering starting a small vegetable farm or any type of produce as well as gardeners wanting to learn more about how to market their vegetables; it is for any beginning grower or homeowner who has ever considered selling his or her produce at a farmers market, roadside stand or by word of mouth.

The program will cover the basics of how to begin the process of earning extra income through growing and selling vegetables. Topics will include what vegetables to grow, how to grow them, developing a plan, and how to market, as well as selection of equipment.

The program will be held at the Demonstration and Research Garden at the University of Georgia Griffin campus. Bob Westerfield, Extension Vegetable Horticulturist, will be coordinating the program. The registration cost is $45.00 and includes all materials, lunch and breaks.

Date:  March 15, 2013

 Time: 9:00am - 3:00pm

 Location: UGA Griffin Research & Education Garden Classroom

UGA Griffin

121 Ellis Road

Griffin, GA 30223

Cost: $45.00 Lunch and refreshment breaks included

Pre-registration is required!   Register online 

Or print and mail the registration information below:

Send check or cash along with this registration form made payable to: University of Georgia

Mail to:  

Att. Beth Horne

UGA Center for Urban Agriculture

1109 Experiment St.

Griffin, GA 30223

Name(s):  

Phone #:

Email:

Address:

Number of people attending …… x $45.00= Total $................