Upper Midwest CRAFT Field Day: Extend Your Season with Alternative Income

Date/Time
Friday, November 1
10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Location
Prairie State College Matteson Area Center

This will be a panel of farmers discussing ways in which they can extend their farm season and earn income all year long.

Zack Grant, Extension Educator with University of Illinois, will talk about both microgreen production and high tunnel/passive solar greenhouse production.

David Bachhuber of Lovefood will discuss their varied approach to season extension. Lovefood grows a wide variety of certified organic vegetables and herbs in Stoughton, WI. They package herbs for sale in grocery stores and buy in certified organic fresh herbs from CA during the off-season for re-packing in order to maintain relationships with those stores. They have recently settled on a new farm and plan to implement other season extension techniques such as utilizing simple (and complex) physical structures for fresh harvest, as well as growing a mix of winter hardy crops, storable crops, and over-wintered crops. David will also discuss other critical elements of season extension including knowing your market, financial feasibility, and the real question – do I really want to work that much all winter long?

For more information and to register, click here.

There will be a potluck lunch. Please bring a dish to pass. More details to follow. FREE to Upper Midwest CRAFT members. Members must RSVP by October 28th by emailing AJ Boucek at grow@learngrowconnect.org. $20 for non-members who must register below. Not a member, but interested in joining? Click here.