Join us on Springhouse Farm as we get our pasture ready for the arrival of our Large Black/Tamworth piglets. We will start the day with an informative, sure to be lively discussion about raising pigs on pasture with Jim Fiedler, then we will get our hands dirty and build a fence and wallow, and introduce the piglets to their new home! Lunch will be provided to all who attend, including bratwurst raised on Fiedler Family Farm.

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. 

Boone, North Carolina – Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture announces a Grant Writing Workshop on Tuesday, November 19 from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. Join Willa Mays, experienced grant writer and Chief Development Officer of the Blue Ridge Parkway Foundation, as she instructs on how to write successfully for grants available to diversifying or sustainable farms in the High Country. Representatives from Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, Blue Ridge Seeds of Change, and WNC AgOptions will be present to discuss their grant cycles this year.

There are a wide variety of grants available to farms in the High Country, but conveying ideas into a successful application can be challenging. This workshop will provide attendees with the skills to clearly communicate and explain their ideas in grant applications. Topics covered by Willa Mays’s presentation include: finding grants, appropriate writing, budgeting and reporting.

Following the presentation, attendees will have the opportunity to consult with three different granting organizations and past grant winners. WNC AgOptions, Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture, and Blue Ridge Seeds of Change all have grant applications that are open or will open in the fall or winter.

“We’re excited about the experts who will be joining us for this workshop.” states Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture’s executive director, Sarah Myers, adding “It can be a challenge to tell your story succinctly and effectively to funders, and this is an opportunity to receive guidance around how to do so. I expect the workshop will be the start of a number of great conversations”

The workshop is free and participants must register by November 18. Class size is limited, so register early to reserve a spot. Go to http://www.brwia.org/grant-writing to register. Class will be held at the Agricultural Conference Center, 252 Poplar Grove Rd. Boone.       

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 [email protected].

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.

Join Blue Ridge Women in Agriculture's staff and interns at the Ashe County Farmers Market THIS SATURDAY, July 20th, from 8-1:00.  In addition to our What the Kale?! Cooking Demo and High Country Farm Tour Weekend Pass Sales, there will be a Berry Pie Contest!