Pre-Conference Workshops
at the TOFGA Conference
The morning of Friday, February 17th will be abuzz with learning opportunities! These great add-on workshops will provide in depth, specific information on these topics. Great for those just getting started or for someone wanting to go deeper. Check them out!
Each workshop is from 8:30am to 11:30am. All will be at the Mesquite Conference center, except for the Butchering workshop noted below. All workshops are $50 per person.
New Farmer Workshop – Brad Stufflebeam & Jenny Stufflebeam of HOMEsweetFARM and Steve Carlson of Slow Money DFW
Getting started in farming? Thinking about getting started? This workshop is for you! Come learn what you need to get started in farming with those who have been successful. Learn what to do as well as what not to do along with some great business planning advice.
Aquaponics – Dave Pennington, SynergyFish
This workshop will provide an overview of aquaponics focusing on state-of-the-art technology for small-scale and commercial operations. By utilizing the fish waste to support a robust and stable biological system at the root zone, the major benefits of organic production are realized. Participants will learn in a classroom setting as well as in a hand-on setting building a 13 sq ft garden from an ‘IBC’ tote and common plumbing parts. Learn how to easily build a garden which efficiently waters itself and can produce as much as 4x the amount of food possible in a similar sized soil garden.
Food Policy Councils – Mark Winne, Community Food Security Coalition
This workshop will cover some of the basics of food policy councils as well as discussions about potentials for food policy councils and food policy work in Texas. Anyone involved in a food policy council, anyone interested in starting a food policy council, elected officials, community food workers, local government employees, grassroots organizers, and anyone interested in food policy is invited to attend the workshop. Learn more about speaking up and making your food system what you want it to be!
Butchering – Matt Hamilton, Genesis Beef and Local Yocal
This class will be a walk-through breakdown of a grass-fed beef carcass to give attendees a hands-on experience to learn cuts of beef, locations of, and variations of cuts of beef. We will be discussing the difference between the commercial cuts of beef coming out of large plants know as boxed beef, custom processed beef cuts, and retail beef cuts. Attendees will be learning how to talk to a custom processor to get the cuts that will get the most value out of their animal and provide their customers with products they want and can use. Dress warm and wear non-slip shoes. Leather soles, open toes, or high heels will not be allowed into the cutting room for this class. This workshop will be held at Local Yocal, 213 N. Tennessee in McKinney
The Ins and Outs of Serengeti Grazing: How to Survive the Drought and Make Money at the Same Time – Sabino Cortez, Erath Earth
This workshop will cover pasture fertility, stocking rates, water usage and irrigation, and vegetation. An irrigation expert will be on hand during this workshop to answer questions and demonstrate proper techniques, as well as a rancher who has used this technique extensively.
Know What Comes First! Pastured Poultry Basics – Jules Assata, Shades of Green Farm
In an educational conversation, this workshop will provide participants with a solid foundation for raising chickens for meat and eggs, as well as more detailed information such as what a chicken sneeze sounds like and what to do about it. Instructor Jules Assata has her own experience raising chickens and eggs for sale along with training and support from the pastured poultry answer man Jeff Mattocks, of Fertrell Company. Jules also has training from the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group conference (SSAWG). It is through a grant from SSAWG that this class is offered at no cost to the first 30 participants.
Organic Certification – Leslie McKinnon, Organic Certification Consultation
This workshop will provide an overview of the organic certification process as well as information about how to proceed through the steps of the process. Record keeping materials will be available for an additional fee.