Free training at College Station offered by AgriLife Extension
Writer: Kay Ledbetter, 806-677-5608, skledbetter@ag.tamu.edu
Contact: John W. Smith, 979-845-2761, jwsmith@ag.tamu.edu
COLLEGE STATION – A “Production, Marketing and Sales of Local Food” training will be held April 16 in the Thomas G. Hildebrand, DVM `56 Equine Complex at Texas A&M University in College Station.
The event is jointly sponsored by the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service and the Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Service.
“With the greater interest in local foods, increased science-based education is needed for all those involved,” said Dr. Diane Boellstorff, AgriLife Extension water resource specialist in College Station and state co-coordinator for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program.
The free event is aimed at training AgriLife Extension agents, as well as anyone from the general public who might be interested in the industry, said John W. Smith, AgriLife Extension program specialist in College Station.
Registration will begin at 9:30 a.m. followed by the program from 9:45 a.m. to 3 p.m. Preregistration should be completed by April 13 at http://sare.tamu.edu.
Topics of discussion and presenters include:
– Cottage Food Laws, Julie Prouse, AgriLife Extension assistant, nutrition and food science, College Station.
– Requirements for Organic Certification, Leslie McKinnon, organic certification specialist, retired from the Texas Department of Agriculture, Austin.
– Local Food Production Funding Opportunities, Dr. Nelson Daniels, also a state co-coordinator and Prairie View A&M University Cooperative Extension Service agriculture natural resources program specialist, Prairie View.
– Current Laws and Regulations for Food Safety at Farmers Markets or Community Supported Agriculture Programs, Dr. Kerri Gehring, Texas A&M University department of animal science associate professor in meat science and Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point coordinator, College Station.
– National Center for Appropriate Technology, Robert Maggiani, southwest regional office director in Texas and sustainable agriculture specialist, San Antonio.
For more information, contact Smith at 979-845-2761 or jwsmith@ag.tamu.edu .
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