February 2015 – NC Growing Together is partnering with NC Farm Bureau, NC State University Department of Horticultural Science, and NC Cooperative Extension to offer the Farmer Idea Lab, a new “Lunch-N-Learn” webinar series designed to offer farmer-to-farmer sharing of success stories and lessons learned.
The first webinar, Farm Smarter Not Harder, was held on February 5. Moderated by Debbie Hamrick, Director of Specialty Crops for NC Farm Bureau, the webinar featured Brian Chatham of High Mountain Farms in Glendale Springs, NC. Brian shared his experiences about growing his farm while also working full-time off the farm. Brian is now producing grains for local markets in Ashe County.
The next webinar, The Entrepreneurial Opportunity of Limited Resources, will be held on March 19 from 12-12:45 pm. It will feature V. Mac Baldwin of Baldwin Family Farms in Yanceyville, NC and be moderated by Jose Cisneros of NC State University’s Department of Horticultural Science.
The Baldwins, V. Mac and wife Peggy, are known throughout the Carolinas and Virginia for their pasture-based, hormone and antibiotic-free beef. Baldwin Charolais Beef is featured in 11 Whole Foods stores regionally and ordered online by customers across the US. V. Mac Baldwin is an accomplished entrepreneur who believes that you should do what you can with what you have.
Registration is FREE and required by noon on March 18; click here to register. (All are welcome, registration is not limited to farmers.)
If you have suggestions for particular guests or other ideas for the Farmer Idea Lab’s Lunch-N-Learn series, please contact NCGT Extension & Training Coordinator Joanna Lelekacs.
This article originally appeared in the February 2015 NC Growing Together Newsletter.