Winter L.E.A.F. (Learn. Empower. Achieve. Farm.) Classes Cover Berries and Marketing

CCE-Chautauqua Offers Introductory Education in January and February

-by Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Farm Business Management Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County

JAMESTOWN, NEW YORK (January 19th, 2016) -- Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agriculture Program is continually developing programs to help beginning and diversifying farmers in our area. On Saturday, January 30th, from 9am to 11am at the Frank W. Bratt Agricultural Center there will be an “Introduction to Small Berry Production” workshop offered as part of the L.E.A.F. (Learn. Empower. Achieve. Farm.) Series offered throughout the fall and winter months. Then, on Thursday, February 4th from 7pm to 9pm at the Ag Center, there will be a workshop on “Marketing Your Product to Consumers”.

The “Introduction to Small Berry Production” course on Saturday, January 30th will be taught by Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Farm Business Management Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County. This workshop will be $10 per family, and is designed to cover the basic considerations when thinking about growing berry crops and will be designed for beginners with little to no previous knowledge of berry growing. It will be interactive, and will provide a lot of reading material to take home for future reference. If there is interest, a follow up course with intermediate information will be offered.

On Thursday, February 4th, for the “Marketing Your Product to Consumers”, a fee of $5 per family will be collected. The workshop will be led in part by Katelyn Walley-Stoll, and Kim LaMendola and Susan Avery from Southern Tier West’s FreshLocalWNY Program. It will be discussion based, and will cover a broad range of topics including online marketing, developing your brand, and consumer messaging. There will be plenty of opportunity for questions, feedback, and discussion. This workshop was originally scheduled for January 28th, but has been moved to February 4th. There will not be a L.E.A.F. Class held on January 28th.

The L.E.A.F (Learn. Empower. Achieve. Farm.) Series is open to beginning farmers, established farms looking to diversify and grow, agriculture enthusiasts, homesteaders, and everyone in between! A variety of class topics will be presented through the fall and winter months for a nominal fee. Classes will be held at the Frank W. Bratt Agricultural Center, 3542 Turner Road, Jamestown, NY. Interested participants can attend any number of classes, but pre-registration is appreciated. To register, or for more information, please call 716-664-9502 ext. 202, email kaw249@cornell.edu, or visit cce.cornell.edu/Chautauqua/LEAF.

The L.E.A.F. Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua) in line with the County’s 20/20 Comprehensive Plan. CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Last updated January 20, 2016