9th Annual Urban and Small Farms Conference

Virtual Conference:

March 1-4, 2021

The virtual conference was a success! We are still working on getting a few of the materials from the conference posted, but the majority are in the schedule below. Please fill out the conference evaluation (below) if you have not done so. We will use your valuable input to plan future conferences. Thank you in advance for your time!

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For more information on the conference, contact USU Extension, Salt Lake County, at 385-468-4824 or email ginger.dalde@usu.edu.

Conference Schedule:

Monday March 1st

Microfarming:

See Answers to Questions from this session: Q & A

Soils & Water:

See Answers to Questions from this session: Q & A

Tuesday March 2nd

Utah Berry Growers: 

See Answers to Questions from this session: Q & A

Cut Flowers: 

Wednesday March 3rd

Vegetables:

Marketing: 

See Answers to Questions from this session: Q & A

Thursday March 4th

Small Animals: 

More Topics:

Session Descriptions & Presenter Biographies:

Fruits for Small Acreage: The Annual Meeting of the Utah Berry Growers Association.

Brent Black, Fruit Specialist: Dr. Brent Black is Professor and Extension Fruit Specialist at Utah State University. He holds a B.S. degree in Plant and Soil Science from Utah State University, an M.S. degree in Horticulture from Michigan State University, and a Ph.D. in Plant Physiology from Oregon State University. Prior to joining USU in 2005, Dr. Black was a research scientist with the USDA Agriculture Research Service in Beltsville, Maryland for 6 years, where he studied production systems for strawberry and blueberry. His current research interests are in precision orchard management, and strategies for extending the production season of berry crops.

Using Cover Crops to Improve Soil Health: Deciding which Cover Crop (CC) to use on the farm can be challenging. CC’s are used to improve soil fertility, control erosion, manage weeds, and improve crop productivity. This talk will introduce CC’s and how they can be integrated into a small farm.

Dan Drost, Vegetable Specialist: Dan Drost grew up on a small diversified farm in western Michigan. He graduated from Michigan State University with a BS and MS degrees in Horticulture. In 1983, he moved to New Zealand to teach Horticulture. He returned to the US to pursue his PhD in 1987 which was awarded in 1991 from Cornell University in Vegetable Crops and Plant Physiology. He arrived at Utah State University in January 1992 to work as the Extension Vegetable Specialist for Utah. Dan is interested in small farm production systems, organic agriculture (helped get USU’s Organic Program going), focuses on the creation of efficient farm systems, and how intensive land-use management impacts the productivity and economic activities of vegetable farms.

Using Compost to Improve Soil Health: Heavy use of compost can be tempting, but can also increase soil salinity that affects crop productivity and lead to excessive nutrient build-up. This talk will discuss the importance of organic matter in soils, different types of compost, and adding just the right amount to balance efficient crop production with environmental sustainability.

Melanie Stock, Urban and Small Farms Specialist: Melanie is an Assistant Professor / Extension Urban & Small Farms Specialist in the Plants, Soils, and Climate Department at USU. As a soil scientist, her research targets improving cut flower production in the Intermountain West, small farm resource use efficiency – particularly soil fertility and water management, and urban soil contamination. She is also an avid urban homesteader.

Growing More in Less Space – The Urban Farm Demonstration Garden: The Microfarm Track of the Urban and Small Farms Conference is aimed to teach basic principles that can be built on to create successful urban and small-scale farms on roughly 2-acres or less. Topics include soil health, alternative crops, ideas for small equipment implementation, and non-traditional growing techniques.

Sheriden Hansen, Assistant Professor of Horticulture: Sheriden Hansen is an Assistant Professor of Horticulture with USU Extension in Davis County, Utah. Sheriden started as a nurse, receiving a BS in nursing from the University of Utah in 2002. After many years working as an operating room RN, she decided to pursue her passion in horticulture. Sheriden graduated from Utah State University with a BS in Plant Science (Summa Cum Laude) in 2015 and a MS in Plant Science with an emphasis in fruit production in 2017.

Tools for Small Acreage: Rent or Buy? Agriculture is an industry where success is enabled or limited by time. Many farm chores are time consuming, especially when hand tools are the only implements available. Additionally, chores including planting, harvesting, weeding, and soil prep require season long attention. While expensive, modern machinery reduces time and physical exhaustion associated with many farm tasks. Which tools should beginning farmers consider owning, renting, or passing on?

Cody Zesiger, Assistant Extension Professor of Agriculture: Cody Zesiger is an assistant extension professor of agriculture based out of Ogden, Utah. His extension assignment includes three counties, Weber, Morgan, and Davis. Cody’s major programming areas are Water, Air and Soil Conservation, and Public Agriculture. His research focuses on precision agriculture, soil health, and agriculture education.

Introduction to Aquaponics: A high level look at aquaponics. The primary components of an aquaponic system. Things to consider before buying or building a system. Common problems. A brief look at USU Botanical Center's Aquaponic Demonstration systems.

Taylor Wayman, Hydroculture Technician: Taylor Wayman is a Hydroculture Technician at USU Botanical Center in Kaysville. Taylor is currently implementing USDA grant to create four Hydroculture demonstration systems in Kaysville (two Hydroponic, two Aquaponic), has an MBA from University of Colorado, and BS in Computer Science from BYU.

Natural Resources Conservation Service - Utah: NRCS Utah is an agency that helps local producers implement conservation solutions that sustain and improve Utah's natural resources through planning, programs, and partnerships. Their main website can be accessed here. The three most common programs we have where we work with producers are the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP), Agricultural Management Assistance (AMA) Program and the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).

CSP rewards farmers and ranchers who address natural resource concerns in a comprehensive manner and offers compensation for undertaking additional enhancements. For agricultural producers who have already adopted conservation strategies on their farm:  https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/ut/programs/financial/csp/

EQIP provides financial assistance to install permanent measures, adopt new management strategies, or develop activity plans for a wide range of natural resource concerns. For agricultural producers who want to plan and install measures to protect the soil, water, air, and other natural resources on their working land: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/main/ut/programs/financial/eqip/

AMA provides financial assistance to reduce the economic risk of adopting new conservation measures that address water management, water quality, and erosion control. For agricultural producers with priority for limited resource, beginning, or full-time farmers: https://www.nrcs.usda.gov/wps/portal/nrcs/detail/ut/programs/financial/?cid=nrcseprd1574026

What Are Salinity and pH and Why/How Do We Measure Them?: We will explore the conditions giving rise to soil salinity and alkalinity in Utah and other semi-arid areas of the Intermountain West and why/how we need/want to measure those conditions.

Grant Cardon, Extension Soils Specialist: A USU alum, Grant has had career stops with the USDA, Colorado State University, and now back at USU over his 28 years working in soil fertility, salinity and irrigation management. Grant, and his wife Kay Lyn are the parents of four married children, gracing them with 10 awesome grandchildren...and counting! Grant's interests outside of USU are sports, science fiction reading, gardening, music, and online news consumption.

The Effects of Salinity and pH on Plant Nutrient Availability: We will explore the effects of soil salinity and high pH conditions on plant nutrient availability and uptake.

Grant Cardon, Extension Soils Specialist: A USU alum, Grant has had career stops with the USDA, Colorado State University, and now back at USU over his 28 years working in soil fertility, salinity and irrigation management. Grant, and his wife Kay Lyn are the parents of four married children, gracing them with 10 awesome grandchildren...and counting! Grant's interests outside of USU are sports, science fiction reading, gardening, music, and online news consumption.

Fertilizer and Soil Amendment Selection and Use in Utah Soils: Growing and harvesting crops means that nutrients need to be replenished in the soil. This talk will discuss core concepts in soil fertility, understanding the fine print of fertilizers and amendments, selecting the right product for your needs, and determining exactly how much to add to the soil.

Melanie Stock, Urban and Small Farms Specialist: Melanie is an Assistant Professor / Extension Urban & Small Farms Specialist in the Plants, Soils, and Climate Department at USU. As a soil scientist, her research targets improving cut flower production in the Intermountain West, small farm resource use efficiency – particularly soil fertility and water management, and urban soil contamination. She is also an avid urban homesteader.

Understanding Your Irrigation System: This session provides techniques to determine how much water your sprinkler, surface, and drip irrigation systems are applying and the uniformity of application.

Mike Pace, Utah State University: Mike Pace currently works with Utah State University Extension in Box Elder County assisting with commercial fruit and vegetable growers, home horticulture and agronomic crops. In 2012, he developed a 1.5 acre demonstration orchard at the USU Botanical Center in Kaysville, Utah. The orchard has 85 different varieties of heirloom and modern apple varieties, new and unique peach varieties, and pluots, aprium and plumcot trees. There are over 40 different varieties of table, juice and wine grapes at the demonstration site. In his spare time, Mike enjoys teaching fruit tree grafting classes each year along the Wasatch Front and working in his home orchard.

Managing Soil Moisture for Yield and Quality: This session will focus on maintaining soil moisture in a range that promotes the desired yield and quality of field and produce crops. It will include crop water use, irrigation scheduling, and soil water measurement.

Niel Allen, Utah State University: Dr. L. Niel Allen is the Extension Irrigation Specialist for Utah. He grew up on an irrigated farm in Cove, Utah and received his BS and MS degrees from Utah State University in Agriculture and Irrigation Engineering and a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Idaho. He has over 35 years of professional experience including design and installation of irrigation systems, consulting with irrigation districts, water rights, irrigation research, and extension.

Irrigation Best Management Practices: This session covers irrigation system design, operation, management, and maintenance. There will also information on the evaluation of irrigation systems.

Niel Allen, Utah State University: Dr. L. Niel Allen is the Extension Irrigation Specialist for Utah. He grew up on an irrigated farm in Cove, Utah and received his BS and MS degrees from Utah State University in Agriculture and Irrigation Engineering and a PhD in Civil Engineering from the University of Idaho. He has over 35 years of professional experience including design and installation of irrigation systems, consulting with irrigation districts, water rights, irrigation research, and extension.

Weed Management for Cane Fruits: This talk will cover chemical weed control of weed in caneberries focused on currently available products and new registrations expected in the next few months. The second portion of the talk will describe non-chemical weed control with an emphasis on thermal weed control that has applications in berry production.

Marcelo Moretti, Oregon State University: Dr. Marcelo L. Moretti is an assistant professor in weed science in the Department of Horticulture at Oregon State University. He serves as the state-wide research and extension specialist for weed science in perennial horticultural crops. Dr. Moretti’s research program is focused on integrated weed management aiming to develop strategies that are effective and economical to manage weeds in organic and conventional production systems. Moretti is particularly interested in non-chemical weed control strategies.

Alternative Berry and Small Fruit Crops for the Intermountain West: Honeyberries, Serviceberries, and More: There are market opportunities for berries and small fruits with great flavors, health benefits, and potential for mechanized harvest.  Over the last six years, Montana State University’s Western Ag Research Center has been evaluating ~50 varieties of seven cold-hardy, bush fruit types including Haskaps/honeyberries, Red and Black Currants, Aronia, Serviceberries, Dwarf Sour Cherries, and Elderberry.   Differences among species and varieties in markets, yields, hardiness, and pest management will be discussed.

Zach Miller, Associate Professor and Superintendent of Montana State University-Western Ag Research Center: Dr. Zach Miller is an associate professor and superintendent of the Montana State University-Western Ag Research Center (WARC).  WARC, located in Corvallis, Montana, is one of seven centers that make up the M.S.U.-Department of Research Centers.  WARC’s focus is on high-value, specialty crops including fruits and vegetables. Dr. Miller’s expertise is in plant and pest ecology and integrated pest management.  He’s conducted research around the globe, from the rain forests of Central and South America to the high plains of Utah and Montana.  He received his doctorate from the University of Michigan.  At Montana State University, Dr. Miller has used this ecological approach to address a variety of challenges facing farmers in the region.  He’s collaborating with scientists at MSU and across the country to improve integrated pest management of weeds and disease in a variety of crops.  In horticultural crops, Dr. Miller is researching a variety fruit and vegetable production topics, including vegetable varieties suited for organic production, maximizing yields and returns for high tunnels, cold-hardy fruit production, including berries, grapes, and apples.  More information about Dr. Miller and the research conducted at WARC can be found on their website (http://agresearch.montana.edu/warc/). 

Small Fruit Research for the Northern Rockies – harvest methods, labor, and cultivar-specific fruit and juice characteristics: This talk will focus on haskap (honeyberry), but also will include information on aronia, currants, dwarf sour cherries, elderberry, and saskatoons in the Cold Hardy Fruit Trial at the Montana State University Western Agricultural Research Center (Corvallis, MT).  Harvest methods will focus on a low-tech small-scale system, and haskap cultivar information will include pre-harvest drop rates and resilience to mechanical harvest.

Rachel Leisso, Horticulture Specialist: Rachel is a former assistant professor for Montana State University Western Agricultural Research Center (MSU-WARC); she recently moved to the Puget Sound area in Washington state. Her horticulture research in Montana involved characterizing haskap and other small fruit cultivar-specific attributes including pre-harvest in-field drop rates, resilience to mechanical damage, and ripening evenness, as well as researching fruit postharvest considerations including shelf-life and physiology, and collaborating to assess consumer acceptance of novel fruits.

New Blackberry Cultivars and North Carolina Blackberry Industry: The blackberry industry has emerged as a significant “new” crop in the southeastern US. A key component of this growth has been new cultivars that are very productive, ship well and taste great. This presentation will be a brief look at the history of this crop in the region and some of the new cultivars that continue to enable the continued success of this industry.

Gina Fernandez, Professor and Extension Specialist NC State University: Gina Fernandez is a Distinguished Professor/Extension Specialist in the Department of Horticultural Science at NC State University. She started at NC State University in February 1996, knowing nothing about annual strawberry plasticulture and very little about blackberry production. However, she learned quickly and in those early years she focused much of her research on methyl bromide alternatives for strawberries and trialing new blackberry and raspberry cultivars across the state. Those early experiences helped her to redirect her efforts over time.  In 2003, she took over the blackberry and raspberry breeding program and has released Von blackberry and Nantahala raspberry. In 2014, she became the strawberry breeder and that program has released two strawberry cultivars, Rocco and Liz.  Dr. Fernandez is also the Caneberry Extension Specialist. In that role she has helped develop blackberry production into the newest small fruit industry for the state. 

New Raspberry Cultivars: Strengths and weakness of new commercial raspberry cultivars with comparisons to current standards. Potential for production, season extension and local sales.

Courtney Weber,  Associate Professor at Cornell University: Dr. Courtney Weber is an associate professor in Cornell University’s School of Integrated Plant Science-Horticulture Section and is Cornell AgriTech at the New York State Agricultural Experiment Station in Geneva, NY. He was born and raised on a small dairy farm in east central Illinois where his family still farms. He attended the University of Illinois where he obtained a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Science. He then attended the University of Florida where he completed a master of science studying genetics and breeding of peach and a PhD studying the genetics of cold hardiness in Citrus hybrids. He joined the faculty of Cornell University in 1999 in breeding and genetics of berry crops. His program focuses on the development of strawberry, raspberry and blackberry varieties for perennial production systems and the genomic analysis of disease and morphological traits. He has developed and released 10 patented strawberry and raspberry varieties for commercial growers during his career and continues development in berry varieties. He has published more than 40 refereed journal articles as well as numerous book chapters and dozens of extension/outreach articles on berry production practices and related topics targeting growers and the general public.

AgrAbility: Description coming soon.

USDA Rural Development: USDA Rural Development is committed to helping improve the economy and quality of life in Rural America. Through our programs we help rural Americans by offering loans, grants and loan guarantees to help create jobs and support economic development and essential services.

Jason Justesen: Jason has over 16 years of experience in the various USDA Rural Development programs.  He currently serves as the Energy Coordinator for USDA as well as a Business Program Specialist.

Barry Christensen: Barry has been with USDA Rural Development for 14 years and currently serves as our Business and Cooperative Specialist.

Cut Flowers: This is our third annual session dedicated to cut flower production in Utah. This year, we will cover the following topics: findings from USU cut flower research trials, calculating the economics of a cut flower farm, a farmer’s guide to selling at market and through CSAs, perspectives on the local cut flower movement and updates from the Utah Cut Flower Farm Association, and a step-by-step procedure for classifying your soil at home.

Cut Flowers at the Urban Farm Demonstration Garden: The Urban Farm Demonstration Garden is located at the USU Botanical Center in Kaysville, Utah. The purpose of the 1/8-acre garden is produce crops on small scale acreage, which includes a small section for cut flower production. We will discuss the garden layout, irrigation design, planting schemes, and flowers that have and have not been successfully grown in the garden. Pricing and harvest data will also be presented.

Sheriden Hansen, Davis County Extension Faculty: Sheriden Hansen is an Assistant Professor of Horticulture with USU Extension in Davis County, Utah. Sheriden started as a nurse, receiving a BS in nursing from the University of Utah in 2002. After many years working as an operating room RN, she decided to pursue her passion in horticulture. Sheriden graduated from Utah State University with a BS in Plant Science (Summa Cum Laude) in 2015 and a MS in Plant Science with an emphasis in fruit production in 2017.

Specializing Your Farm in the Growing Utah Flower Movement: The flower movement in Utah is taking hold, growing and changing and creating more demand for local flowers. Let's talk about how your flower farm can carve out your place in the movement and specialize to meet the needs of your customers.

Heather Griffiths, UCFFA President and Utah Flower Farmer: Heather is an Urban Flower Farmer in Salt Lake City, UT.  She loves harvesting in the early mornings when the only other ones awake are the birds and the neighborhood cats. Heather has a passion for local agriculture and growing communities and loves to connect with people over flowers. When she is not farming, you can find Heather hiking in the mountains or sitting in her garden.

Taking Flowers to Market: Navigating sales through subscriptions and at the farmers market.

Fawn Rueckert, UCFFA Vice President and Utah Flower Farmer: Fawn has loved flowers ever since her mother read The Secret Garden to her as a small child. She grows flowers for the Daybreak Farmer’s Market and a bouquet subscription, in her suburban backyard in South Jordan, Utah.  When she’s not farming you can find her reading a book or volunteering with the USU Master Gardeners program.

Calculating Your Crop’s Bottom Line: It costs money to produce cut flowers. This talk will discuss the importance of record keeping – what to keep track of, when, how, why, and tips for success. We will then discuss how to use these data to calculate a crop’s net income (how much money it makes after all expenses are paid). These budgets help identify inefficiencies, crops to focus on or drop, and where more money can be made.

Melanie Stock, Urban and Small Farms Specialist: Melanie is an Assistant Professor / Extension Urban & Small Farms Specialist in the Plants, Soils, and Climate Department at USU. As a soil scientist, her research targets improving cut flower production in the Intermountain West, small farm resource use efficiency – particularly soil fertility and water management, and urban soil contamination. She is also an avid urban homesteader.

USU Ranunculus and Anemone Trials: USU is conducting trials on ranunculus and anemone from 2019 – 2022. This talk will cover preliminary results from our first year, including yield and harvest timing from fall and spring plantings, use of high tunnels, low tunnels, and mulch. We will also discuss early pretreatment observations.

Shannon Rauter, Research Assistant in Plant Science at USU: Originally from New Jersey, Shannon obtained her bachelor’s degrees from Iowa State in Agronomy and Global Resource Systems. She’s in her first semester of her M.S. program in Plant Science at USU, focusing on ranunculus and anemone production. Besides her newfound love of cut flowers, she has a passion for vegetables, goats, and horses.

Sandy or Clayey? Assessing Your Soil Texture at Home: Soil texture is one of the most important things to know about your soil – it influences everything, from water and nutrient management, to soil health, and crop health. Learn how to estimate your soil texture at home by feeling it in your hands from a soil-judging expert. Bring a cup of your soil, a cup of water, and a towel, and follow along with this presentation to determine its texture.

Eli Oliver, Research Assistant in Soil Science at USU: Eli is from Tennessee and obtained his bachelors degree in Soil Science from the University of Tennessee. He is an expert at soil classification - his UT team ranked #1 in National soil judging, and he took first place as an individual at Regionals. He is a Research Assistant in the USU Small Farms Lab, studying nutrient management and urban soil contamination for his M.S. degree in Soil Science.

Annual Asparagus – Preliminary Assessments: Small farms may find it difficult to integrate perennial crops like asparagus into their farm production scheme. Early attempts at growing annual asparagus at high densities for one growing cycle suggest producing asparagus annual can be successful and productive.

Dan Drost, Vegetable Specialist: Dan Drost grew up on a small diversified farm in western Michigan. He graduated from Michigan State University with a BS and MS degrees in Horticulture. In 1983, he moved to New Zealand to teach Horticulture. He returned to the US to pursue his PhD in 1987 which was awarded in 1991 from Cornell University in Vegetable Crops and Plant Physiology. He arrived at Utah State University in January 1992 to work as the Extension Vegetable Specialist for Utah. Dan is interested in small farm production systems, organic agriculture (helped get USU’s Organic Program going), focuses on the creation of efficient farm systems, and how intensive land-use management impacts the productivity and economic activities of vegetable farms.

Trace Element Contaminants in Urban Soil Environments: Does the public need to be concerned about eating food containing potentially toxic levels of trace elements produced in urban agricultural systems? Answering this question is the premise of this presentation. The focus will mostly be on lead (Pb) and arsenic (As), EPA’s two priority trace element pollutants, and will discuss how to identify potentially contaminated soils, recommended soil tests, and strategies to mitigate trace element contamination of urban soils.

Paul Grossl, Soil Chemist: Paul Grossl is a Professor of Biogeochemistry in the Department of Plants, Soils, and Climate at Utah State University. Currently, he teaches Introductory Soil Science, Soil Conservation and Management, and Urban Soil Management in both face-to-face and online formats. His research involves issues related to soil health, particularly sustainability of arid land systems, and natural attenuation of trace metal contaminated soils.

Kabocha Squash Trial – Yield and Storage Quality: Winter squash have a long storage life that can increase access to nutrient-dense food in fall and winter. In 2020, USU partnered with seven other universities across the US to trial ten kabocha varieties as part of a multistate collaboration. This talk will discuss the yield and storability across the cultivars in Northern Utah.

Melanie Stock, Urban and Small Farms Specialist: Melanie is an Assistant Professor / Extension Urban & Small Farms Specialist in the Plants, Soils, and Climate Department at USU. As a soil scientist, her research targets improving cut flower production in the Intermountain West, small farm resource use efficiency – particularly soil fertility and water management, and urban soil contamination. She is also an avid urban homesteader.

Brussels Sprouts – Improved Production Approaches: This talk will discuss how brussels sprouts can become an important new member and add additional diversification to the vegetables grown on farm.

Dan Drost, Vegetable Specialist: Dan Drost grew up on a small diversified farm in western Michigan. He graduated from Michigan State University with a BS and MS degrees in Horticulture. In 1983, he moved to New Zealand to teach Horticulture. He returned to the US to pursue his PhD in 1987 which was awarded in 1991 from Cornell University in Vegetable Crops and Plant Physiology. He arrived at Utah State University in January 1992 to work as the Extension Vegetable Specialist for Utah. Dan is interested in small farm production systems, organic agriculture (helped get USU’s Organic Program going), focuses on the creation of efficient farm systems, and how intensive land-use management impacts the productivity and economic activities of vegetable farms.

Vegetable Disease Updates – Brassica Crop Focus: The presentation is about plant diseases Utah farmers could encounter in Brassica vegetables. We do not see many diseases in Brassica species but new diseases could occur in the state at any time. Knowing beforehand what to look for can minimize yield and quality loss.

Claudia Nischwitz, Pathology Specialist: Claudia Nischwitz has been at USU since August 2010. She works on diseases of plants with a focus on vegetable and fruit tree diseases. In addition, she does diagnostics for the Utah Plant Pest Diagnostic lab. The main research emphases are currently: effect of soil and foliar nutrients on symptom expression of virus diseases in vegetables, drone use for early disease detection and other planting problems in agriculture, survey for Western X disease in stone fruit in Utah, and survey for vegetable diseases in Utah.

Common Insect Pests of Brassica Crops: Presentation covering the description, biology, and management of common insect pests that attack out brassica crops in Utah. The presentation will focus on integrated pest management highlighting cultural, mechanical, biological, and chemical control practices.

Nick Volesky, Integrated Pest Management: Nick Volesky works for USU Extension’s Integrated Pest Management program. He is behind the seasonal Vegetable Pest Advisories sent out to Utah’s farmers and homeowners. Nick strives to provide educational outreach to growers through publications, videos, experiment trials, and workshops. He enjoys collaborating with farmers throughout Utah and working with them to effectively solve their vegetable pest problems.

Utah's Own: Utah’s Own is a Utah Department of Agriculture and Food (UDAF) program dedicated to the promotion of locally produced products of agriculture. For nearly two decades it has connected consumers with Utah farmers, ranchers, artisans and more, helping them to discover and support the best of what our backyard has to offer. Web Link: https://utahsown.org/become-a-member

  • Tamra Annett - Utah's Own Marketing Specialist - Utah Department of Agriculture and Food

Direct Marketing in the COVID Era: This session will include information on the innovations in direct-to-consumer sales and a presentation by Kelby Johnson of Johnson Family Farms.

Kynda Curtis, Professor and Extension Economist: Kynda Curtis is a Professor and Extension Specialist in the Department of Applied Economics at Utah State University (USU). She received her PhD in Economics from Washington State University in 2003. Her research interests include agriculture/food marketing, direct-to-consumer marketing, as well as consumer demand for value-added, specialty, and differentiated foods. As an Extension Specialist, Dr. Curtis assists small-scale growers in developing new markets for their products and assessing the feasibility of new food products and value-added processes.

Kelby Johnson, Johnson Family Farms: Kelby Johnson is a 4th generation farmer on his family’s farm in Benson, Utah. Kelby and his brother Braydon farm vegetable crops and seed, operate a retail location, and consult for other growers in Utah and Idaho. Kelby loves agricultural in any form and is always striving to learn more and improve what they are doing on the farm.

Financial Assessment of New Strategies: With the changes we have seen due to COVID, many are looking at making changes to improve profit - how to assess a strategic change, what is allowed under on-farm processing, upcoming projects and resources including how you can get involved in their development.

Ruby Ward: Dr. Ruby Ward was raised on a farm and ranch in South-eastern Idaho. From Texas A&M University she received an MBA and a PhD in Agricultural Economics. Dr. Ward is a professor in the Department of Applied Economics at Utah State University. She teaches agricultural finance and community planning. Dr. Ward has delivered educational programs in Utah and the surrounding region for the last 18 years. Ward currently co-chairs the Urban and Small Farms Conference in Utah. Ward is the project leader for the Rural Tax Education website (RuralTax.org) and Co-chair of the National Farm Income Tax Extension Committee.

Karin Allen: Karin Allen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Nutrition, Dietetics and Food Sciences at Utah State University and serves as the Food Quality and Entrepreneurship Specialist for Cooperative Extension. Dr. Allen works with small food producers (both on and off the farm) to address food processing issues including labeling, safety, and regulatory compliance, as well as issues specific to agritourism and community supported agriculture operations.

Networking with Utah's Own: Utah’s Own working the Utah State University Extension is holding a mingle during the Urban and Small Farms Conference to discuss issues around expanding your business and markets. Each topic will have its own online meeting room to allow participants to share ideas and discuss related issues.  Each room will have a host that is a producer that has experience with the topic.  Below are the planned topics, but they may shift slightly based on the Utah’s Own member hosts.

  • Ecommerce models and using with pickup – Many producers having been adding ecommerce to their operations or expanding them.  This could provide flexibility for shoppers to choose and buy online then stop by to pick the item(s) up.
  • Alternative income through agritourism- agritourism has been around for many years.  Many producers are looking at expanding options to not only provide an additional income stream, but also to enhance their customer interaction.
  • Selling to Restaurants – Restaurants can be a great market outlet, but there are many differences with other markets.
  • Farm based processing- This can be a great alternative when you cannot immediately sell everything as its ready.

Dealing with Common Sheep Parasites: Parasites can be a real issue on livestock operations and reduce total productivity and animal health. This webinar session will discuss common parasites that affect sheep production systems in the Western United States and how to treat or manage for them.

Chad Page, Sheep and Goat Specialist: Chad works for Utah State University as the Sheep and Goat Extension Specialist. He also teaches a variety of classes at the university, including sheep and wool management. Originally, he and his wife are from Chandler, AZ, but now reside in Logan, UT with their four children. Chad has worked across the intermountain west conducting applied sheep research while he obtained his Bachelor, Masters, and PhD degrees. He recently finished his PhD at the University of Wyoming where his research focused on mineral supplementation and indices of mastitis in range sheep.

Growing Wool in Your Backyard: Sheep can provide a variety of resources including wool. Learn about growing quality wool on a small scale as well as options for using the wool yourself or using it to generate additional income.

Heather Pearce, American Sheep Industry Wool Consultant: Heather works with American Sheep Industry Association as their Wool Production and Specialty Markets Consultant, helping producers grow, prepare and sell valuable wool. Growing up on a farm flock wool operation, Heather then studied Animal Science at Colorado State University and currently ranches west of Denver with her family.

Raising Sheep and Goats in Your Backyard: Learn what handling facilities and items your need setup to make working sheep and goats easier at home, and needed information for lambing and kidding preparation.

Jaelyn Quintana, SDSU Extension Sheep Field Specialist: Originally from Northwest Colorado, Jaelyn grew up on a diversified livestock operation raising cattle and sheep. Her family continues to raise show lambs and direct to consumer market lamb through an online marketplace. Upon completion of her B.S. degree in animal science at the University of Wyoming, Jaelyn continued onto her Master of Science degree at UW under Dr. Whit Stewart. During her graduate education, she also worked with Albany County 4-H as the wool judging coach for three years. Her project, funded by American Lamb Board and the National Sheep Industry Improvement Center, evaluated the effects of excessively finished lambs on the processing sector of the sheep industry. She completed her M.S. in August and began her position as the SDSU Extension Sheep Field Specialist based out of the Rapid City Regional Center in September.

Common Diseases Found in Backyard Poultry: Most likely encountered diseases and abnormalities in small flock chickens will be described. Recognition and control measures, when applicable, will be discussed.

David Frame, Poultry Specialist: A graduate of Utah State University with a B.S. in Animal Science, Dr. Frame subsequently received his DVM degree from Oregon State/Washington State Universities. Dr. Frame completed an avian medicine residency with the University of California, Davis specializing in poultry pathology and diagnostics. He is board certified in the American College of Poultry Veterinarians. Dr. Frame was employed as chief veterinarian for Moroni Feed Company for almost 12 years before joining the faculty of the USU Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences Department in 1998. He currently serves as the USU Extension Poultry Specialist with an additional assignment as poultry diagnostician for the Utah Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. He has received national awards for his poultry extension work, and served on the General Conference Committee of the National Poultry Improvement Plan, an official advisory committee to the US Secretary of Agriculture. Before beginning a professional career in poultry, Dr. Frame extensively bred and showed exhibition chickens. 

Raising Meat Rabbits 101: Meat rabbits are an increasingly popular meat source for small acreage farms and urban homesteaders. Learn the basics of selection, housing, handling, and care of meat rabbits!

Jacob Hadfield, Agriculture Extension Faculty: Jacob Hadfield grew up in Utah County on a small beef operation and has loved agriculture his whole life. He received his B.S. and M.S degrees in Animal Nutrition from Utah State University and is now the Agriculture Extension Faculty in Cache County.

Got Milk?—Starting a Dairy Co-op: A discussion in med school with a fellow student about having a milk cow for their children to learn responsibility has turned into a very simple and successful neighborhood dairy co-op.  The co-op has been in continual operation since 2013.  There are currently 13 families involved with milking and caring for the operation.  None of the participants have had any previous connection to farming.  They are attorneys, doctors, accountants, engineers, business owners, etc.   We will cover the structure, costs, and principles that has made this community based co-op so successful.

Jeffrey Hall, Pharmacist and Entrepreneuring Farmer: Dr. Jeffrey Hall, PhramD. is a pharmacist and entrepreneuring farmer in Southern Utah.  His wife teases she thought she was marrying the former and not the later “ph”—armer.  Jeff has always had a desire to be connected with the principles of farming and self reliance which has only intensified with the success of this dairy operation.  He also started and manages an egg production co-op as well.  Now with other like minded co-op members they are investing in a larger business strategy to bring the co-op experience and benefits to a greater portion of the community.  The plan will expand to include other animals and farming opportunities for more people to participate in; all based on the co-op principles being discussed in this presentation.

FSA: Description coming soon.

Farm Stress and Mental Health Training:

Innovations and Tools for Your Local Food Market: Farmers Markets, Farm Stands, Farm Stores, and CSAs: Farmers markets, farm stands, and CSA models that accept Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits and offer SNAP incentive programs, such as Double Up Food Bucks (Double Up), are emerging to help low-income individuals access local products. They also connect growers with new customers. Additionally, the session presenters will offer best practices and resources for operating during the COVID-19 pandemic. This session will provide research-based information on 1. strengthening your marketing techniques during the COVID-19 pandemic, 2. benefits of accepting SNAP and incentives, like Double Up, and 3. how to incorporate SNAP into their operation.

Kelsey Hall, Utah State University: Kelsey Hall’s family members raised corn, soybeans, wheat, vegetables, and horses in Ohio, leading her to a career as an agricultural journalist and local food advocate. She is an agricultural communication professor, Food Marketing Specialist with USU Extension, and faculty mentor at the USU Student Organic Farm’s CSA.

Hannah Martin, Utah Department of Health: Hannah Martin currently works at the Utah Department of Health as the Produce Incentive Specialist, working on state-wide programs like Double Up Food Bucks and ProduceRx. She has been working in the food access space for the last 5 years across the country prior to settling in Salt Lake City.

Raspberry Season Extension Research Update

Alyssa Palmer: Alyssa Palmer is from Logan, Utah and is a graduate student at Utah State University.  She is currently working on a master's degree in plant science.