Beef and Barley, Tomato-Pumpkin, Kale and Sausage…from amazing chefs crafted with local ingredients…Rolls and yummy desserts…AND a day filled with opportunities to learn about developing a value-added food product, growing flowers for profit, implementing conservation tillage on your farm, or improving marketing and production for your farm.

What more could you ask for?

Well, let me tell you…there is going to be farm machinery, mason bees, chicken pluckers, books, feed and seed….and the new Kitsap County Conservation Tillage Program no-till drill!

The vendors for this year’s West Sound Small Farm’s Expo include:

• Farmland Feed and Pet
• Washington Tractor
• Scratch and Peck Feed
• Kitsap Conservation District
• House of Bees
• Kitsap Poultry Growers Cooperative
• Poulsbo Junction Insurance
• Pheasant Field Farms
• Kitsap Food Chain
• Poulsbo Acupuncture and Wellness Clinic
• Washington Department of Agriculture
• US Department of Agriculture
• Kitsap Farmers Markets
• Mason Kitsap Farm Bureau
• Kiwi Fencing
• Cascade Harvest Coalition
• Liberty Bay Books
• Trillium Press

If you weed, feed, raise, sow, plow, grow, dig, till (or not!), compost, spread, plant, brew, ferment, harvest, preserve, bake, cook or EAT there is something for you at the West Sound Small Farms Expo.

Register online at http://county.wsu.edu/kitsap/

Article in Kitsap Sun this morning about CA wineries struggling with false labels from overseas! Seems that music and software isn’t the only thing being bootlegged!

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2012/feb/02/wine-producers-campaign-for-truth-in-labeling/

If you stick around for the Beer and Wine tasting after the expo you can be assured that ALL of the vintners, brewers and cheesemakers are LOCAL. In fact, with the exception of a bit of the Cougar Gold Cheese we will be serving, all libations will pass the 100 mile test! The Beer and Wine tasting will be from 4:30-6:00 and is $12. Can’t make the expo but still want to come taste our local best? We will have tickets at the door!

Westsound Small Farms Expo
February 11th
Olympic College Campus, Bremerton, WA
Info online at http://county.wsu.edu/kitsap/agriculture/Pages/default.aspx

I know, I know.  You won’t register until you know what is happening and whether the classes and workshops are interesting!  First let me say, they are all interesting!  But, perhaps you have a specific interest — you are raising sheep — then check out “Protein for Profit” with Rick Boyer and “Predator Control” with Vicky and Chela.  Do you have horses?  We have Harris Statema from LMF Feeds coming to give his amazing forage seminar and Shannon and I will be talking about simple, easy ways to manage manure in the stable and keep our waterways clean!

Here is the schedule!

Remember last year, we threw a little party for some farmer friends?  Everyone came, learned alot, had a great time!  Well, it is that time of year again – yes, it is time for the 2012 West Sound Small Farms Expo!

We have been posting about it on our FB page (WSU Kitsap Small Farms – like us!) and have sent out a couple of press releases, but I haven’t had time to blog about it.  Here is a snippet from our most recent press release…

Join us on the Path!

Farming, sustainable lifestyles, and local food highlighted at West Sound Small Farms Expo 

BREMERTON – Farming, rural living, local food and sustainable lifestyles are the focus at the Annual West Sound Small Farms Expo on Saturday, February 11, 2012 on the Olympic College Campus.  Workshop topics for this year focus on sustainable and rural living skills and include building a successful farming business, growing flowers for profit, selecting hay and forage, seasonal eating, predator control and much more!

The West Sound Small Farms Expo brings education to local farmers and others interested in rural or sustainable lifestyles with classes, vendors, and a keynote address by Seattle Council Chair and local food champion Richard Conlin.  In addition to his duties on the Seattle City Council Conlin chairs the Puget Sound Regional Food Policy Council which develops just and integrated policy and action recommendations that promote health, sustain and strengthen the local and regional food system.

“This event has something for everyone!” says Arno Bergstrom, Director of WSU Kitsap Extension. “We know that there is huge interest in rural lifestyles and sustainability.  Whether you are small-scale farmer, urban gardener, local foodie, or are just looking for tips to become more sustainable and self-reliant, there is a workshop for you!”  The event closes with the Kitsap Beer and Wine Exhibition from 4:30-6:00pm showcasing local brewers, wineries and cheese from local creameries.  Cost for this portion of the event is $12.

The West Sound Small Farms Expo takes place on Saturday, February 11, 2012 at the Olympic College Campus, Bremerton, WA.  Cost for the Expo is $55 and includes a local lunch.  Youth are FREE due to generous support from our sponsors. Check-in begins at 8:00am and the event runs until 4:00pm. Online registration and information is available on the WSU Kitsap website at http://kitsap.wsu.edu/.   Sponsor and vendor information is also available.

“Green Acres is the place to be!  Farm livin’ is the life for me!”  You may not remember Green Acres but the song says it all!  Every day we talk to people about farming, growing their own food, and raising livestock – whether it is in a barn yard or a backyard – they are excited about learning skills for sustainable living.  Join us for a full day of workshops on plowing, planting, harvesting, herding, pumpkins, preserving, cooking, composting or eating at the West Sound Small Farms Expo.

The West Sound Small Farms Expo takes place on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at the Olympic College Campus, Bremerton, WA.  Cost for the Expo is $55 (Youth FREE) and includes lunch. Check-in begins at 8:00am and workshops run until 4:00pm. Online registration and workshop information is available on the WSU Kitsap Extension website at http://kitsap.wsu.edu/.   For the Farmer in all of us!

Do you dream about farming? Do you have a patch of land you want to do something with?  Do you love chickens and ducks and goats?  Is your green thumb getting itchy with spring just around the corner?  Do want to hoe a row (or two) this summer?  Wondering how to start a pantry?  Does composting warm your heart?  Looking for information on rural living skills?  Then the Small Farms Expo is for you!

The West Sound Small Farms Expo takes place on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at the Olympic College Campus, Bremerton, WA.  Cost for the Expo is $55 (Youth FREE) and includes lunch. Check-in begins at 8:00am and workshops run until 4:00pm. Online registration and workshop information is available on the WSU Kitsap Extension website at http://kitsap.wsu.edu/.   For the Farmer in all of us!

The question isn’t which came first – but how to produce both!  The Kitsap Poultry Growers Cooperative will discuss raising chickens in the barnyard or backyard.  Topics to be covered include brooding chicks, breed selection and raising, housing, feeding, managing and marketing pastured poultry and eggs!  Cluck, cluck!  This workshop and many others for anyone seeking information on farming or sustainable lifestyles will be offered at the West Sound Small Farms Expo.

The West Sound Small Farms Expo takes place on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at the Olympic College Campus, Bremerton, WA.  Cost for the Expo is $55 (Youth FREE) and includes lunch. Check-in begins at 8:00am and workshops run until 4:00pm. Online registration and workshop information is available on the WSU Kitsap Extension website at http://kitsap.wsu.edu/.   For the Farmer in all of us!

Old timers used to say that farming with a team of horses allowed you to plant and fertilize in one pass!  It might not be quite that simple, but horse farming allows you to cut ties with fossil fuel and connect with the earth in new ways.  Learn tips and tricks for working a team of draft horses for low-impact farming from Betsy Wittick of Laughing Crow Farm, Bainbridge Island.  Sustainable farmers, draft horse enthusiasts and interested others can listen to Betsy talk about her early trials and eventual triumphs of farming with Samantha, her beloved Belgium mare.  She is now working with a team of Suffolk Punch geldings and is looking forward to the 2011 season!

The West Sound Small Farms Expo takes place on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at the Olympic College Campus, Bremerton, WA.  Cost for the Expo is $55 (youth FREE) and includes lunch. Register before February 28th to get lunch.  Check-in begins at 8:00am and workshops run until 4:00pm. Online registration and workshop information is available on the WSU Kitsap Extension website at http://kitsap.wsu.edu/.   Sponsor and vendor information is also available.

Shannon and I have been hard at work on the West Sound Small Farms Expo and we are getting lots of questions about what it is all about!  The one thing that I will say is that —

IT ISN’T JUST FOR FARMERS!

We have a full day of workshops and displays for farmers, people thinking about farming, foodies, families, 4-H and FFA youth and anyone just wanting to learn more about growing food, farming business, sustainability, mowing, plowing, sowing, chickens, hogs, selling produce, weeds (not Weed), composting, goats, mud, grass, food preservation, sustainability ….whew!  That is quite the list!  And there will be more because we have informational displays from all of our vendors and sponsors!

Did I also mention that for lunch there is Hummingbird Hill soda and Monica’s cookies?  Get your registration in by Feb 28th so you will get lunch!

Here is more information about our workshops!  Look back all week for more information.

“Muddling Through?”

Pasture management basics at The Expo

If you have horses or livestock you know that managing mud and manure and maintaining pastures is a key component of small farm management!  Brian Stahl from the Kitsap Conservation District discusses how to keep paddocks dry – and how to correctly install them the first time!  Learn how to turn that mountain of manure into a useful soil amendment for your property – or how to market it successfully to neighbors and local gardeners.  Get the scoop on how to transform a patch of weeds and bare soil into graze-able pasture for your animals next summer.

The West Sound Small Farms Expo takes place on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at the Olympic College Campus, Bremerton, WA.  Cost for the Expo is $55 ($25 youth) and includes lunch. Check-in begins at 8:00am and workshops run until 4:00pm. Online registration and workshop information is available on the WSU Kitsap Extension website at http://kitsap.wsu.edu/.   Sponsor and vendor information is also available.

Late doing chores tonight because I didn’t get done with work – but guess what???  I didn’t need my headlamp! Yep!  At 6:00pm tonight I was able to do chores WITHOUT extra lights.  Now, it was getting pretty dim by the time I finished but it was no longer as dark as the inside of a black cow!  Another thing I noticed was how WARM it was.  I know this is the incoming weather front, but (dare I say it) I think that the worst days of winter just might be in the rear view mirror!  Of course, now my mind immediately turned to farming!  I have my seed catalogs open and have been sort of thinking about warm summer days, juicy tomatoes and crispy green beans, but it is time to get serious about getting my ordering done.  My fav? Territorial !  Family owned, non-gmo seeds that are tested for the west coast climate.  This year I am planting all the tried and true varieties – but I might try something new.

How about you?  What are you planting this year?

If you are wanting to learn more about growing your own food or get your farm geek on WSU Kitsap Extension has a couple things you might be interested in!

Growing Groceries – Organically!

Class #4 — Saturday, February 19th

Integrated Pest Management — how to control pests/diseases the organic way.
Harvesting and Seed Saving
Preservation of the harvest

The West Sound Small Farms Expo – March 3rd!

The West Sound Small Farms Expo takes place on Saturday, March 5, 2011 at the Olympic College Campus, Bremerton, WA. Cost for the Expo is $55 ($25 youth) and includes lunch. Check-in begins at 8:00am and workshops run until 4:00pm. Online registration and workshop information is available on the WSU Kitsap Extension website at http://kitsap.wsu.edu/. Sponsor and vendor information is also available.