Small Farms Working Groups
Northeast Florida Small Farms Working Group
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 Twinn Bridges Farm |
Extension Agents and Small Farmers met to form a working group to build a community network of farmer to farmer support for Small Farms. This group officially became the "Northeast Florida Small Farms Working Group" (NFSFWG). All producers, regardless of their varied and unique agricultural products are included. An information network, collaboration with the Extension Service, and a more unified voice for agricultural production, (regardless of commodity size) is envisioned. Practical, applied, hands-on methods in production information, marketing, processing, dealing with regulatory issues and other priority items were identified by the group.
On Tuesday, June 2, 2009 the group will be holding the next meeting "Diversifying Growing Systems to Meet Specialty Direct Market Sales" at Twinn Bridges Farm in Macclenny, Florida. Twinn Bridges is a small local farm that has been growing heirloom vegetables and culinary herbs for the Jacksonville metro area for 12 years and is owned by Denise and Scott Francis. They farm about four acres and also have a couple of greenhouses to help get things started and for micro greens. They grow fresh cut herbs and seasonally grown heirloom vegetables. Twinn Bridges markets their produce through CSAs, Farmers Markets, and direct restaurant sales. While they are not certified organic, they do not use any pesticides and try to farm in an environmentally gentle way. They compost as much of their waste as possible. Denise is an avid canner and they are picking up used vegetable oil from their restaurant customers for making Biodiesel to fuel their delivery vehicles and farm.
All small farmers who are interested in learning about this topic are invited to attend. Click here for full agenda.
Visit the Events Calendar section of this site for a listing of programs available.
Bob Hochmuth, (386) 362-1725 bobhoch@ufl.edu
Southwest Florida Small Farmers Network
Small farmers in Southwest Florida can now network about diversified and sustainable farming systems with a new outreach project of the UF/IFAS/FAMU Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Program. Started in July 2007, the Southwest Florida Small Farmers Network (SWFSFN) includes growers in the region from Hillsborough to Collier County. This farmer group is facilitated by the county UF/IFAS Agriculture Extension Agents of Sarasota, Lee, and Collier counties. The goal is education to meet small farmer-identified priorities, issues, and needs with farmer-to-farmer contact and extension resources. The format of the meetings is a farm visit that provides a farmer-led walk and description of the farm operations in conjunction with extension presentations on topics preselected by the membership. Additional activities include a growers meeting, pot-luck lunch and seed swap. The intended audience is the small farmer who wants to develop a regional network of enterprises, and also for beginning farmers. Membership is open and at no costs.
The next meeting of the Southwest Florida Small Farmers Network will be on Monday, May 11, 2009 at the Rabbit Run Farm in Ft. Myers, Florida. Click here for the full agenda.
Click here to view photos of previouse meetings.
Visit the Events Calendar section of this site for a listing of programs available.
Robert Kluson, (941) 861-9808 rkluson@scgov.net