The Lake County Extension is encouraging owners of local agricultural operations to make plans to attend the Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference on Friday, July 31, and Saturday, Aug. 1st at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee.
The conference includes more than 30 educational sessions consisting of presentations, workshops, demonstrations and discussion groups on the following topics:
· Alternative enterprises
· Alternative energy
· Business and marketing
· Horticulture
· Livestock
· Organic and sustainable farming
· Policy and regulations
The conference also features a large exhibition showcasing products and technologies, a livestock area with live animal exhibits, local foods and featured Florida farmers. The conference’s presentations will address emerging state and federal programs, new production and marketing strategies and future industry trends. Participants will discover the latest information, products and technologies to increase productivity, diversify operations and increase profitability.
Will Allen, Founder and CEO of Growing Power, Inc. will be the keynote speaker at the conference. Allen was recently named to Time magazine’s World’s Most Influential People list in the “Hero” category for his efforts to secure healthy, abundant and affordable food for all. At sites in and around Milwaukee and Chicago, Allen and his team produce 159 varieties of crops, as well as goats, poultry, bees, rabbits, and fish. They provide hands-on training, demonstration and technical assistance to foster development of Community Food Systems.
The Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference is hosted by the University of Florida’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences and Florida A&M University’s College of Engineering Sciences, Technology and Agriculture.
For more information, visit the “Florida SF/AE Conference” on the Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises website at http://smallfarms.ifas.ufl.edu.
