Northeast Texas Community College will host its third annual Living from the Ground Up (LFGU) sustainable agriculture seminar on Friday, Nov. 1, 2013 at the Elizabeth Hoggatt Whatley Agriculture Complex. Sustainable agriculture specialist, Daniel Salatin of Polyface Farms in Virginia, will be the keynote speaker.†
?Living From The Ground Up is a great chance for folks who are passionate about sustainable agriculture to get together and learn from one another. We have designed the program to be helpful for everyone from beginners to veteran producers,? Rene McCracken, NTCC Director of Agriculture, said.
Registration begins at 8:00 a.m. and the first session kicks off the day at 9:30 a.m. There are three primary tracks for the day: Building a Sustainable Business, Economics of Farming, and Backyard Homesteading.†
?Some people are under the misconception that sustainable agriculture is something new or a fad. In reality, sustainable agriculture simply means utilizing your resources in such a way that is both profitable and maintainable into the future. The goal of this seminar is to help people think of new ways to make their operations ? regardless of size ? more effective,? McCracken said.
Salatin's keynote address will share his experience as a third generation farmer on Polyface Farms in Swoope, Virginia.†Polyface services more than 3,000 families, 10 retail outlets, and 50 restaurants through on-farm sales and metropolitan buying clubs with salad bar beef, pastured poultry, eggmobile eggs, pigaerator pork, forage-based rabbits, pastured turkey and forestry products through relationship marketing. Daniel has gone from carrying freshly processed chickens while in diapers, to running and over-seeing the day-to-day workings of Polyface. As a seven-year old he started a pastured rabbit enterprise, which has had its ups and downs but continues today. Starting the rabbit business gave him first hand experience with marketing, processing, research and development, and the costs of a new business.
A special pre-seminar "Dinner By Design" event with Salatin will be held on Thursday, Oct. 31 at the NTCC Culinary Arts school in Pittsburg.†The meal is from 7-9 p.m.†and includes a buffet-style, farm-to-table meal prepared by the NTCC Culinary Arts students under the direction of †Chef Charles Reeves and Chef Kathleen Kilpatrick.† The ingredients will all be donated by area local farmers for a truly ?fresh? sampling of local cuisine. The dinner is $35 per plate and space is very limited. Please make reservations by calling 903-434-8134.†
Registration fees for Living From the Ground Up (not including the†Thursday†dinner) are $45 if you register before Oct. 25. All entries after that date are $50.†A continental breakfast lunch are included in the cost of registration. Seating is limited, so please register early.†The ag complex is located across FM 1735 from the main NTCC campus near Mount Pleasant. Call Lisa York at 903-434-8134†lyork@ntcc.edu†to register for the event.†For more information about agriculture at NTCC, contact McCracken at 903-434-8267.
