Susan, Hi, a lot of my local farmer and market gardener friends take a Food Safety certification course usually referred to as GAP training. http://www.gaps.cornell.edu/eventscalendar.html#workshops
If you have a market garden and you want to participate in the WIC FMNP (WIC Farmers Market Nutrition Program) they have a mandatory training before you can accept WIC Vouchers as a farm entity. I do that one every year. It's not a training about how to farm, but if your goal is to get food you grow to people in need, it's a super cool way to do it. And for me, because I work with many people with special needs, I took a certificate course in Horticultural Therapy through the Horticultural Therapy Institute and have attended the AHTA conference. Once. I'd like to go more often, but you know. Money. Lastly, for street credibility, nothing is bigger and louder than organic certification. Nothing is more work, either. This isn't one you'd take a workshop on, this is one you contact your local certification organization and start talking. I've done this three times and it is extremely educational and will instill in you a profound respect for the USDA Certified Organic label. Not a course you take in your spare time, this one is a daily commitment. Every day. Vigilance, planning, record keeping. Dates, plot numbers, receipts, affidavits, schedules. It's a lifestyle. My two cents. -fgc On Wed, Dec 9, 2015 at 12:38 PM, Susan Finlayson <su...@wasatchgardens.org> wrote: > Hi all, > > I know about the ACGA Conference already, but was wondering if anyone has > attended other conferences, trainings, or other professional development > programs that you would recommend for folks in the community garden world. > > Thanks and cheers, > > Susan > > Susan Finlayson > Community Gardens Program Director > Wasatch Community Gardens > 824 S. 400 W., Suite 127 > Salt Lake City, UT 84101 > www.wasatchgardens.org > (801) 359-2658 x12 > "Empowering people of all ages and incomes to grow and eat healthy, > organic, local food." > -------------- next part -------------- > An HTML attachment was scrubbed... > URL: < > http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20151209/6cee1cef/attachment.html > > > _______________________________________________ > The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of > ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to > find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org > > To post an e-mail to the list: community_garden@list.communitygarden.org > > To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: > http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org > -- ------------------------------ Confidentiality Notice: The information contained in this e-mail message is legally privileged and confidential information intended only for the use of the individual or entity to whom it is addressed. If the reader of this message is not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any use, dissemination, distribution or copy of this e-mail message and attachments is strictly prohibited. If you have received this message in error, please delete it in its entirety. -------------- next part -------------- An HTML attachment was scrubbed... URL: <http://list.communitygarden.org/pipermail/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org/attachments/20151210/60cfa820/attachment.html> _______________________________________________ The American Community Gardening Association listserve is only one of ACGA's services to community gardeners. To learn more about the ACGA and to find out how to join, please go to http://www.communitygarden.org To post an e-mail to the list: community_garden@list.communitygarden.org To subscribe, unsubscribe or change your subscription: http://list.communitygarden.org/mailman/listinfo/community_garden_list.communitygarden.org
