Southwest Florida Small Farmers Network

About SWFSFN

in Southwest Florida can now network about diversified and sustainable farming systems with a new outreach project of the UF/IFAS/FAMU Small Farms and Alternative Enterprise Program.  Started in July 2007 the Southwest Florida Small Farmers Network (SWFSFN) includes growers in the region from Hillsborough to Collier county.  This farmer group is facilitated by the county UF/IFAS Agriculture Extension agents of Sarasota, Lee and Collier counties.  The goal is education to meet small farmer-identified priorities, issues, and needs.  The format of the meetings is a farm visit that provides a farmer-led walk and description of the farm operations in conjunction with extension presentations on topics pre-selected by the membership. Additional activities include a growers meeting, pot-luck lunch and seed swap.  The intended audience is the small farmer who wants both to develop a regional network of producers with similar interests and to evaluate first-hand alternative enterprises, as well as for the beginning farmer. Membership is open and at no cost. (Contact: Robert Kluson, Sarasota County Extension, at rkluson@scgov.net).

8:30 to 9:00am   registration
9:00 to 11:00 am

 welcome and farmtour by Eva & Chris Worden                                                 UF/IFAS Extension contributing talks on topics:         
         a) cover crop research at UF/IFAS Center for Organic Farming Research
         b) small farm programs available from SWFWMD and NRCS 

11:00 to  12:00 pm

pot luck lunch

growers meeting; update on Aug 1-2, 2009 FL Small Farm & Alternative Enterprise Conference  

a) please, bring a food item featuring one of your crops, if possible, for the lunch

b) seed swap - bring seeds of proven cvs under local conditions to share with your fellow small farmers

 

Photo Galleries of Previous Meetings

 

 

Meet a SWFSFN Farmer

Meet Pam and Hank Sindlinger of Gateway Farm in Pinellas County. Click Here.

Meet Bill Pischer of Jessica's Organic Farm in Sarasota County and Chris & Eva Worden of the Worden Farm in Charlotte County. Click here.

 

 

 

SWFSFN Extension Coordinators: Roy Beckford (Lee Co.), Robert Halman (Lee Co.). & Robert Kluson (Sarasota Co.)

SWFSFN Extension Coordinators: Roy Beckford (Lee Co.), Robert Halman (Lee Co.). & Robert Kluson (Sarasota Co.).

Quick Links for this page

About SWFSFN

Education from Meetings

Next SWFSFN Meeting

Photos from Past Meetings

External Links