Farmers and food producers interested in scaling their business to new markets are invited to attend a unique professional development training on Feb 27th-28th at the Watauga Agricultural Conference Center in Boone, NC (Thursday) and Against the Grain Farm in Zionville, NC (Friday).

The goal of the workshops are to help farmers, ranchers, and food entrepreneurs to increase their capacity in order to scale up to new markets.

Sessions will focus on building collaborations across the food chain, record-keeping and business planning, and soils.

Open to the public. All farm and food producers, especially those interested in selling through the High Country Food Hub are encouraged to attend.

COST: FREE for producers currently selling through the Food Hub | $25 - $35 (sliding scale) for all others. Cash or check may be paid at the event.

The Thursday evening training is required for any producer interested in selling through the High Country Food Hub as it occurs alongside the High Country Food Hub Annual Meeting.

Thursday Registration

Friday Registration

Presenter

Ellen Polishuk

Ellen is a farm consultant, writer and workshop leader. She leverages her 35 years of biological vegetable farming experience to help growers around the country to reach their farm dreams. Ellen is passionate about working with farmers to improve their soils, their labor management practices and their businesses so that they can increase farm profits and achieve a joyful balanced life. Ellen is a well- known dynamic speaker. She is very down-to-earth and can make complicated topics accessible to all kinds of listeners. 

Ellen was one of three owners of Potomac Vegetable Farms in Northern Virginia where she grew Ecoganic produce for 7 farmers markets, a 550 member CSA and two roadsides stands. She now conducts her production and efficiency consulting through her firm Plant to Profit, and her farm business and profitability consulting through her association with Kitchen Table Consultants. Ellen is a co-author of the newly released book Start Your Farm. She also writes the farmer to farmer profile column for Growing For Market magazine. She lives in suburban Maryland with her husband Dan, where she gardens like crazy. ​

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