Farm conference offering scholarships

Scholarships are now available to attend the 2013 PlacerGROWN Farm Conference. This year’s theme is “Survive and Thrive.” The conference will be held be held Saturday, Jan. 26 at Lincoln High School, 790 J St. in Lincoln, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The conference, co-sponsored by UC Cooperative Extension and PlacerGROWN, University of California, United States Department of Agriculture, and Placer and Nevada Counties Cooperating Agriculture and Natural Resources, will feature a keynote panel that will discuss trends over the next 5 to 10 years on the following topics: land use, water, regulations, local farms, demographics, and marketing of local food.

Participants will be provided an opportunity to respond to each panel member’s presentation. There will be discussion on implications and potential responses with the audience.

After the keynote will be two workshops sessions, one before and one after lunch. Workshops will run for 1 hour and 15 minutes.

Workshops have a theme of selling strategies, consumer education and improving profitability and include: Consumer Outreach to Enhance awareness and Marketing of Specialty Crops in the Placer and Nevada Counties; Display Ideas and Interactions with Customers That Can Improve Your Sales; Things to Consider in Becoming Effective at Direct Marketing; Understanding Selling Wholesale and its Potential in Expanding Your Sales; How to Project Profit and Cash Flow Before the Beginning of Your Production Year; Production Planning Based on Economic and Cash Flow Projections; Developing Your Niche Meat Business; Learning How Social Media Can Improve Sales and  Determining Your Niche Meat Marketing Costs.

The cost of the conference is $40 if pre-registered by Jan. 18 and $50 after that date. The registration fee includes continental breakfast, proceedings, trade show, keynote panel, workshops and lunch.

The application form for scholarships to attend can be found online at ucanr.edu/sites/PGFFC/ or contact Roger Ingram at 530-889-7385 or e-mail ceplacernevada.ucdavis.edu. Scholarship applications are due by Jan.18.

Details for admission and registration are available at the PlacerGROWN Website at placergrown.org. More conference information is available at ucanr.edu/sites/PGFFC/.