- This event has passed.
Small Farm Expo
March 9, 2019 @ 9:00 am - 2:00 pm
The 2019 Small Farm Expo will be held on Saturday March 9 at the Northwest Washington Fairgrounds in Lynden. This open house event will include indoor exhibits demonstrating the latest in agricultural technology, products and services, as well as seminars and demonstrations throughout the day. Designed to be an informal meet-and-greet and networking event, visitors will find opportunities to engage with exhibitors, experts, veterinarians, and other producers, as well as discover new resources to help improve and expand healthy agricultural and livestock production.
2019 Keynote Speaker: Rebecca Thistlethwaite
Rebecca Thistlethwaite is the author of Farms with a Future (Chelsea Green, 2012) and The New Livestock Farmer (Chelsea Green, 2015). As the Program Manager of the eXtension community-of-practice Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network (NMPAN), she develops and delivers technical assistance and educational content for niche meat producers and processors around the country. She also runs Sustain Consulting, which specializes in building thriving farming and food businesses and is a freelance writer, writing for LocalHarvest, On Pasture, and other newsletters. Formerly, Rebecca ran a successful pastured livestock and poultry farm in California, direct marketing meat and eggs around the Bay Area. She currently lives in the Columbia River Gorge with her two children and trail runs whenever she is not volunteering for local schools. Her website is rebeccathistlethwaite.com.
Learning Opportunities: Come for one or all the talks
9:30 am Optimize your pasture management; talk nutrients and forage growth with a local agronomist Learn how to work with an agronomist to optimize your pasture management and forage production. [Steve Groen & Molly Pershing, Skagit Farmers Supply]
10:00am Competition or Co-opetition; How local farms are cooperating to provide opportunity for all Hear from a panel of farming peers and regional marketing specialists about innovative farmer owned cooperatives and other collaborative marketing strategies. [Jeff Voltz (Northwest Agriculture Business Center) Anna Chotzen (Viva Farms), Nancy Hibbing (North Cascades Meat Producers Cooperative), Cat Olson (Puget Sound Food Hub)
11:00 am What’s Buzzing; Mason bees and honey bees on your farm Everything you wanted to know in 20 minutes and where to learn more about these two different pollinators. [Wild Bird Chalet and Bee Works]
11:30 am Farm Funding Opportunities; Grants, incentives and costshare Funding your goals can be one of the trickier parts of growing your farm. Whatcom Conservation District will share information on small farm costshare and incentives, Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program (CREP) and other resources.
12:00 pm Meat the Future; Successful models in animal agriculture Successful models and key best practices for deriving the most benefits from animal agriculture. Production practices, process, aggregating and selling animal products with a focus on pasture-based and regenerative models. [Rebecca Thistlethwaite]
1:00 pm Farms to Tables; marketing and sales from the perspective of direct market farmers A panel of Whatcom County direct market farmers will share how they run their businesses based on direct to consumer marketing and sales. [Ten Fold Farms, Twin Sisters, City Sprouts Farm]
1:30 pm Vet’s Corner; working with a large animal vet to improve herd health
The event also offers an opportunity for vendors, manufacturers and exhibitors from across the farming industry to showcase their agri-business products. Participants will be given the chance to connect with supporting organizations, learn about the latest news affecting producers, ask and answer questions, and network with other farmers who share their concerns and desire to be successful.
Our Place Cafe, will have hot and fresh food will be available for purchase with cash throughout the day. Teens for Christ will have their coffee stand open all day also.