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)

Resources for workshops & additional information

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)

Resources for this workshop

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

Resources for this workshop

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)

Resources for this workshop

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

Resources for this workshop

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

Resources for this workshop

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

Resources for this workshop

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.