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Program of Events
Monday, December 10, 2007
 |
| 11:30 a.m. |
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Pre-Conference Tour
(separate registration fee required)
Depart Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center |
| 12 noon |
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Lunch
Harvest Table Restaurant, Meadowview |
| 1:30 p.m. |
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Williams Orchard, Wytheville |
| 3:30 p.m. |
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Davis Winery , Rural Retreat |
| 5:30 p.m. |
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Return to Center
(As part of the tour package, registered participants are invited to an hour-long group discussion regarding lessons learned from the tour on Tuesday morning at 10 a.m. at the SWVHEC)
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Tuesday, December 11, 2007
|
| 11 a.m. |
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Registration Desk Opens |
| 12 noon |
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Lunch
Welcome
Bob Bloxom, Secretary of Agriculture and Forestry
Keynote Speaker
Jane Eckert, Eckert AgriMarketing
Kansas City, Missouri
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| 1:45 p.m. |
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Breakout Session I
Opening your Farm to the Public
Martha Glass, Manager, North Carolina Agri-tourism Office
Meeting Food Safety Needs
Dr. David Gombas, United Fresh Produce Association
Labor Issues
Pat Grant, Managing Director,
Agricultural Labor Cooperative of America
Financing Your Business
Charles Green, VDACS
Laurette Tucker, USDA Rural Development
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| 2:45 p.m. |
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Breakout Session II
Customer Service
Jane Eckert, Eckert AgriMarketing
Serving Food to the Public
Joell Eifert, Virginia Tech
Terry Edwards, Bedford Health Dept.
Tracebility, What Does it Mean for Virginia Livestock Producers?
Scott Greiner, Virginia Tech
Building a Local Food System
Anthony Flaccavento,
Appalachian Sustainable Development
|
| 3:30 p.m. |
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Break |
| 4 p.m. |
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Breakout Session III
Hosting a Main Event
Andy Overbay, Martha Walker, Virginia Cooperative Extension
David Morrisette, Château Morr.
Opening Your Farm to the Public, Covering Your Assets
Bruce Stone, Virginia Farm Bureau
Renewable Fuels, Where Are We Headed?
Jeff Jobe, USDA Rural Development, Iowa Office
Basics of Selling Your Product on the Internet
Jim Matson, Matson Consulting
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| 6 p.m. |
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Reception
Martha Washington Hotel
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Wednesday, December 12, 2007
|
| 7.30 a.m. |
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Registration Desk Opens |
| 8:15 a.m. |
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General Session
Welcome
Ellen Davis, Virginia State Director,
USDA Rural Development,
Keynote Speaker
Diana Endicott, Good Natured Family Farms,
Bronson, Kansas
|
| 9:30 a.m. |
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Breakout Sessions I
How to Make Your Small Farm Pay
Carol Summers Morris, Meritage Consulting
Helping You Market Your Products
Cathy Belcher, VDACS Marketing Services
Preparing For Success, Business and Market Planning
Jim Matson, Matson Consulting
Meeting Retail Demand for Local Products
Steve Smith, President & CEO, Food City
|
| 10:15 a.m. |
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Break |
| 10:30 a.m. |
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Breakout Sessions II
Agri-tourism Panel
Sandra Bennett, Thistle Cove Farm
Diana Blackburn, Round the Mountain
Farm to Fork, Building Relationships
Robin Robbins, Appalachian Sustainable Development
Diana Endicott, Good Natured Family Farms
Virginia's Virtual Agricultural Business Center
Chris Cook, Virginia Foundation for Agriculture Innovation and Rural Sustainability
Farm Sales and Farm Visits, Protecting Your Liability
Mark "Buzz" Belleville, Appalachian School of Law
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| 11:30 a.m. |
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Breakout Sessions III
Marketing a Rural Agritourism Operation
Kitty Barker, Virginia Tourism Corp.
Marketing Panel
Rebecca and Mike Hubbard, Tazewell
Tenley Weaver and Dennis Dove, Floyd
Helen and Rick Feete, Galax
Local Initiatives for Local Agriculture
Gary Hornbaker, Loudoun County
Wythe Morris, Carroll County VCE
Economic Benefits of Land Preservation
Kevin Schmidt, Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services
Neal Kilgore, Virginia Outdoors Foundation
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| 12:15 p.m. |
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Lunch/Adjourn
Closing remarks from Todd Haymore, VDACS |
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