I’m excited and honored to be an official blogger for the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association’s 2014 Sustainable Agriculture Conference! The SAC 2014 will be held in Greenville, South Carolina, November 10-12th, and presents an opportunity for farmers, extension agents, business owners and consumers to develop their knowledge and skills as well as network with other farmers from across the Carolinas.
CFSA is an amazing organization that works on every level of the food system–farmers, consumers, businesses, and local and federal governments–to create fair food policies, strong communities, and a thriving environment for family farms in North and South Carolina. I admire the holistic and sensible approach CFSA takes to issues around food, which encompasses political advocacy, education for all actors in the food system, and many different kinds of resources for local small farmers. It’s no surprise I’ve been a member of CFSA for over a year and that this is the second Sustainable Agriculture Conference I’ve attended.
I have three blogging assignments for SAC 2014: the Local Food Feast, “Innovative Horticultural Strategies for a New Permaculture Century” in the Urban Farming track, and “Whole Farm Planning for Beginning Farmers” in the Beginning Farmer track. I’ll attend other workshops and events, as well, and hopefully write about them, but those topics will be my focus.
I’d also like to use SAC 2014 as an opportunity to really solidify my 5-7 year plan of operating an economically and ecologically sustainable urban farm on the outskirts of Raleigh, NC. I have the beginnings of a business plan, including a crop plan and a marketing plan, but I’m not really sure how to proceed from there, and I hope this conference will light a fire under me to complete my business plan and start planning fundraising.
Please stick around for my cross-posted blog entries to the CFSA’s blog, The Sweet Potato!
Anneliese Marvel 