Agricultural Workshop Schedule and Resources
Draft for 2023-24
This project works with new, beginning and experienced socially disadvantaged Latina/o farmers in Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, San Benito and Monterey Counties through a series of six workshops focused on regenerative agriculture and techniques as well as small-scale technologies practices that can increase productivity, extend the growing season, protect and conserve natural resources and improve marketing and distribution. The workshops combine classroom and discussion style presentations, hands-on experiential activities and participatory action research. Participating farmers receive stipends to compensate for lost work time and travel expenses.
October 8, 2023 Introduction to the Workshops Aromas Grange 1-4 PM
1- 1:10: Staff introductions
1:10-1:30: What happened in previous workshops? Why are we here? (Filemon & Josefina)
1:30-1:50 PM: Presentation 0.1: Regenerative Agriculture in California (Josefina & Ronnie)
1:50-2:20: Survey & discussion of farmers’ needs (Josefina)
2:20-2:35: How to sign up for group communication via WhatsApp (Marisela)
3-4: Paperwork & socializing: enrollment; read & sign contracts & agreements; farm mapping (Josefina & Marisela)
October 29, 2023 The Lay of the Farmland Bertha Magana’s Farm, Royal Oaks 9 AM – 4 PM
9-9:30 AM: Meditation & introduction (Josefina)
9:30 AM- 12 PM: Presentation/activity 1.1: Walking & reading the farm with consideration of: topography, drainage, soil composition, physics, health, biology & chemistry (Laura Murphy)
12-1 PM: Lunch
1-2:30 PM: Presentation/Activity 1.2: Protecting & enriching soil with cover crops (Laura Murphy)
2:30-3 PM
3-4 PM: Demonstration 1.2: Contouring the land for water management & erosion control (Kevin & Filemon)
November 19 & 26, 2023 Extending the growing season Filemon Regelado’s Farm, Hollister 9 AM-4 PM
November 19
9-9:15 AM: Meditation
9:15-9:45 AM: Presentation 2.1: Extending the growing season by farming in hoop houses
9:45-10:15 AM: Demonstration 2.1: Walk through Filemon’s hoop houses
10:15-10:45 AM: Demonstration 2.2: Operation of Filemon’s vacuum seeder
11 AM-12 PM: Presentation 2.2: Introduction to hoop house design & assembly
12-1 PM: Lunch
1-4 PM: Begin hoop house assembly
November 26
9 AM-3 PM: Complete hoop house assembly, as required
December 10, 2023 Soil Health Bertha Magana’s Farm, Royal Oaks 9 AM-3 PM
9-9:30 AM: Meditation & review
9:30-10 AM: Presentation 3.1: Soil Physics at Bertha’s Farm
10-10:45 AM: Presentation 3.2: Introduction to Soil Biology
11-11:15 AM Demonstration 3.1: Soil slake Test and Infiltration Demonstration (Laura, Aysha, Sergey)
11 AM-12 PM: Presentation 3.3: Introduction to Soil Chemistry, Nutrients & Cycles (TBA)
12-1 PM: Lunch
1-1:30 PM: Presentation 3.4: Interpreting the soil analyses
1:30-3 PM: Demonstration 3.2: Introduction to Compost, Compost Pile Function & Construction (TBA)
3-4 PM: Group discussion about what participants have learned and priorities for remaining workshops (Josefina, Sergey)
January 21, 2024 Farming as a Business Aromas Grange 9 AM-3 PM
9-9:15 AM: Meditation
9:15-9:45 AM: Presentation 4.1: Farming is a business
9:45-10:15 AM: Presentation 4.2: Understanding stocks & flows in farm operations & management
10:15-10:45 AM: Presentation 4.3: Money, finances, capital, insurance
10:45-11 AM: Break
11 AM-12 PM: Presentation 4.4: Keeping records
12-1 PM: Lunch
1-2 PM: Agricultural regulations
2-3 PM: Bureaucracy & public resources
February 19, 2024 Into the Market Aromas Grange 9 AM-3 PM
9-9:15 AM: Meditation
9:15-9:45 AM: Presentation 5.1: Common obstacles in markets & practical skills to address them
9:45-10:15 AM: Presentation 5.2: How markets operate in the U.S. food system & locally
10:15-10:45 AM: Presentation 5.3: Developing market strategies & practices
10:45-11 AM: Break
11 AM-12 PM: Presentation 5.4: Beyond wholesaling to alternatives
12-1 PM: Lunch
1-2 PM: Demonstration 5.1: Branding your farm
2-3 PM: Presentation 5.5: Writing fair contracts & agreements
March 17 & 24, 2024 A Low-cost Storage Cooler Location: TBA 9 AM-4PM & 9 AM-1 PM
March 14, 2024
9-9:15 AM: Meditation
9:15-9:45 AM: Presentation 6.1: Technical assistance through agencies, colleagues, friends & family
9:45-10:45 AM: Presentation 6.2: Using cool storage to increase markets & sales
10:45-11 AM: Break
11 AM-12 PM: Presentation 6.3: New agricultural technologies for small farms
12-1 PM: Lunch
1-1:30 PM: Demonstration 6.1: Cooler design & operation
1:30-4 PM: Begin assembling cooler
March 21, 2024
9 AM-12 PM: Complete cooler assembly
12-1 PM: Lunch & concluding celebration
This project has been and is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, under award number 2022-70033-38215, the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under project number FW21-379, the University of California Sustainable Agriculture, Research and Education program under project number SA21-5569-14 and the California Department of Food and Agriculture. USDA is an equal opportunity employer and service provider. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in these pages are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, UC SAREP or CDFA.
