Boone, North Carolina – Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture (BRWIA) announces two spring HomeGrown Workshops: a Seasonal Cocktails Workshop will take place on Sunday, April 22 from 3 PM to 5 PM and a Homemade Mozzarella Demonstration will take place on Saturday May 3 from 1 PM to 3 PM. The HomeGrown Workshop Series consists of seasonal workshops that promote sustainable living and self-sufficiency in our High Country Region. Each workshop features a local expert in our area. All proceeds benefit Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture (BRWIA).

On Sunday, April 22, join CoBo Bartenders, Teddy Bourgeois and Sarah Myers, for an interactive workshop and discussion about making cocktails using seasonal ingredients. They will discuss how to make bitters and syrups that highlight locally grown products. Participants will taste three cocktails featuring these local ingredients, and receive a bitters and two syrups to experiment with at home. Participants must be 21 years old to register. The class is $30 and will takeo sgo.. place at CoBo Sushi Bar & Bistro in Boone.

On Saturday, May 3, join Holly Roark as she demonstrates how to easily make mozzarella cheese at home. Mozzarella cheese is one of the simplest and quickest cheeses to make - it is perfect for beginners! In this workshop, Holly will walk participants through the cheese making process from start to finish. She will also discuss important factors in choosing milk and other necessary ingredients. Snacks following the workshop will be provided by Stick Boy Kitchen. The class is $15 and will take place at the Watauga County Agricultural Conference Center.

Workshops include instruction, snacks, and product samples. All proceeds from these classes will benefit Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture. Go to http://www.brwia.org/homegrown-workshops.html to register and pay for either workshop.  The classes are limited so act now to reserve a spot! 

These workshops are offered in conjunction with Greening My Plate Week: ‘a celebration of spring and our growing season!’ Read about more events during the week at: www.greeningmyplate.brwia.org.

This intensive workshop is designed for seasoned farmers.

Speaker(s): Debbie Hamrick, Director, Specialty Crops, NC Farm Bureau Federation



Co-Sponsor(s): CCC&TI Small Business Center, Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture and Watauga County Extension Service

Fee: Free

Phone: 828-263-5370
Email: Send

Location:
252 Poplar Grove Road
Boone NC 28607

Boone, North Carolina – Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture (BRWIA) announces a Culinary Knife Skills Class on Saturday, February 22 from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. BRWIA has partnered with Chef Rebecca Sivak to create a class that demonstrates how to make efficient, professional cuts at home. All proceeds from the fundraiser-workshop benefit Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture (BRWIA). Register at www.brwia.org/knife-skills

During this hands-on class, Rebecca will instruct participants on a variety of cuts and important details in knife care. Students will learn six different knife cuts and have the opportunity to practice with their own knives from home. Vegetables used in the class will be a part of a bread and vegetarian chili lunch following the workshop.

 “Knife skills are fundamental and important,” says Rebecca “attention to detail is what transforms a dish from good to great”

Rebecca has been working in restaurant kitchens since she was 15 and in high school she competed in knife skills and other culinary competitions. In the past, she has held the position of garde manger at 5 & 10, Top Chef judge, Hugh Acheson's restaurant in Athens, GA. Currently, she is studying Business Management at the University of Georgia and working at the recently opened Cinco y Diez which is Acheson’s latest restaurant focused on farm fresh food with Latin American influence.

 “We’re all excited about adding another cooking demonstration to our series” says BRWIA Program Coordinator Suzanne Fleishman, adding “I can’t imagine a better way to learn this fundamental skill!”

Class participation is $20 per person and includes demonstration and lunch of vegetarian chili and locally baked bread. All proceeds will benefit Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture. Participants must register before noon on October 11th. Go to www.brwia.org/knife-skills to register and pay.  The event will be limited to 25, so act now to reserve a spot! Class will be held at the Agricultural Conference Center, 252 Poplar Grove Rd. Boone.       

West Jefferson, North Carolina – Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture announces an Educational Farm Tour on February 11 (snow date Feb 18) from 1–3 pm to be followed by a “Women in Ag” potluck gathering. Join Kristen & David Travis at Old Season Farm in Ashe County where Kristen will discuss a unique approach to water and weed management in their hazelnut orchard.

Steep slopes and variable weather make water management difficult in the High Country, but swales can offer an innovative way to conserve water in our region. These level ditches help to slow the movement of surface runoff, increase water infiltration, and improve water and nutrient availability for plants. 

During this Educational Farm Tour, Kristen Travis will describe the recent construction of 3 acres of swales on her land that were funded by a BRWIA grant and compare the costs and benefits with those of drip irrigation. Other topics to be covered include: hazelnuts as a high country crop and using sheep for integrated orchard management. 

Old Season Farm is using swales as part of an experimental perennial polyculture system designed to be environmentally sustainable and commercially viable. Kristen says “Our goal is to find or develop varieties of the European hazelnut that can be grown profitably in our region.” But she cautions, “we don’t know if they will produce reliably yet. Still, we’re excited to share what we’ve learned so far.” During the tour, there will be plenty of opportunities for participants to ask questions about any aspect of Old Season Farm’s projects.

Following the tour at 3 pm, a “Women in Ag” potluck gathering will be held at Kristen’s home. This get-together will offer the opportunity for women involved in any aspect of agriculture to network, learn from one another, and connect with Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture and their services. Please bring your favorite teas or finger foods to share. Children and Families are welcome!

The Educational Farm Tour and BRWIA potluck gathering are both free, but participants must RSVP by February 9. For more information or to RSVP for either event visit www.brwia.org/swales. For questions, email programs@brwia.org or call 828-386-1537.

Saturday January 18th (Snow Date TBD)
12 - 5 pm
Meet at the courthouse lot on Water St.
RSVP to programs@BRWIA.org

Come help remove and burn brush at Waterfall Farm - a Maple Syrup Farm in Ashe County! Don't miss this chance to see one of the most unique farms in our area.


Doug Munroe began back yard sugaring in 2006, tapping a few maple trees close to the house, and boiling the sap down on his wood stove. The project has grown and evolved into one of only a few commercial maple syrup operations in the state. Wheeler partnered with her father in the maple enterprise in the fall of 2012. 

For the Farm Workday, volunteers will help move and burn brush. The Wheeler's have been doing some selective logging this fall in an effort to "release" sugar trees in the woods that are in competition with the other trees, giving the maples the advantage of more sun and space. There is an enormous amount of wood and work left behind after the sellable timber has been hauled away. A large portion of the logged remainders will become next years firewood for the wood-fired evaporator in the sugar house, and whats too small for that will be dragged into piles and either burned, if adjacent to a field, or left to quietly decay if immersed in forest. 

Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute Small Business Center, Watauga County Cooperative Extension, the High Country Workforce Development Board, and Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture announce the 2014 Agripreneur (Agriculture Entrepreneurship) series beginning Thursdays in January 2014 from 6-8pm. Through this free four-part series, attendees will receive business and marketing instruction specific to farm operations. 

The Agriculture-Entrepreneurship Series provides education to entrepreneurs who want to begin a farming business and to farmers wanting to transform their farm into a thriving business.  The 4-part series includes real-world scenarios and hands-on activities. Each session features an education session, facilitated by Arlene Childers, along with a local agriculture expert guest speaker.  Registering for all four workshops is highly recommended.


Register for workshops individually at www.cccti.edu/smallbusiness. Descriptions and speaker bios can be found at www.brwia.org/agripreneur. For more information contact Evelyn Asher at easher@cccti.edu or 828-297-8121.    

BRWIA is very excited to be partnering on this community philanthropy project. Supporting Economic Alternatives in the Mountains (S.E.A.M.) seeks to strengthen our region's communities through democratic community investments. We value place, participatory decision making, sustainability, and good ideas.

Participatory investment empowers communities to "vote with their dollar." Presented with proposals from local applicants, friends and neighbors invest directly in the projects of their choosing. This process cultivates relationships between community members and local entrepreneurs, challenging the traditional funding model. Participatory investment is a public dialogue, aimed at supporting community values and building a more resilient place-based economy.

Organized by Teddy Bourgeois, Chris Grasinger, Ben Loomis, Sarah Myers, Rachel Ellen Simon, and Dave Walker, S.E.A.M. seeks collaborative relationships with local organizations and initiatives. Partners for our first community investment dinner include Appalachian State University’s Power Shift team, Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, CoBo Sushi Bistro & Bar, and High Country Local First. 


How It Works

Submissions
We are excited to invite all emerging High Country farmers and food producers to submit an idea. Awards of less than $1,000 can go toward funding a new tool, infrastructure improvement, conference fees, or any other project which will help you develop and grow as a producer.

●      Tell us in 500 words about your idea, how it will impact your work, and your budget goal.

●      All proposals will be considered.

●      Email submissions will be accepted until October 24, 2013 at 5 p.m.

Selection
Proposals will be anonymously screened by a panel of area food systems experts, who will choose three projects. Selection criteria will be based upon the creativity, feasibility, readiness, and sustainability of the projects. Applicants will be notified by October 27, 2013.

Funding
The three selected applicants will present their proposals to community members at a locally sourced, family-style dinner on November 10, 2013. The dinner will be hosted at CoBo Sushi Bistro of Boone, with ticket sales providing project funding. All are invited to attend. Following the presentations, attendees will vote to determine the allocation of funds to each of the proposals. All three projects will receive awards, but with varying levels of investment.

To submit a proposal, email S.E.A.M. at seamnc@gmail.com.

To purchase a dinner ticket, visit www.seamnc.org.

Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture is acting as fiscal agent for this event, S.E.A.M. is  brought to you by a collaboration of community members and agencies. Ticket profits (after reimbursing dinner/food costs) will go directly to awarded applicants.