Southwest Florida Small Farmers Network
Small farmers 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).
