NCAT Event Calendar

NCAT sponsors, co-sponsors, and appears at many conferences, workshops, seminars and other events across the country each year. Here are some events you may want to attend:

Montana Oilseed and Biodiesel Production and Use Workshop
December 8, 2009
Dawson Community College, Glendive, Montana

Farmers, businesspeople, and scientists will present the most current information about processing oilseed crops and on-farm biodiesel production and use at the upcoming Montana Oilseed and Biodiesel Production and Use workshop in Glendive on December 8, 2009. This workshop builds upon previous successful workshops the last few years, and will cover some oilseed crushing and vegetable oil-based biodiesel production and use issues.

This workshop is FREE, but pre-registration is strongly encouraged. To pre-register, contact Marilyn at 406-377-9405, Marilyn_D@dawson.edu or bainbridge@dawson.edu. The deadline for FREE registration is December 2, 2009.
Learn more »

Southwest Marketing Network's Urban Farming Conference
November 16, 2009

For more information, please visit:
http://wrdc.usu.edu/htm/programs/swmn-urban-farming-conference

Getting Started in Farm Scale Biodiesel Production
November 5th, 2009 at 11am MST
Online Webinar

If you want to make your agriculture operation more sustainable, you probably know that biodiesel is a great alternative fuel that is safe, inexpensive and can be produced right on the farm.

Organic Farming - Making the Transition
March 13, 2009
Fallon, Nevada

NCAT's California Office Director Rex Dufour will speak about Hedgerows and Windbreaks for Nevada, as part of a two-day conference hosted by the NV Organics Council that also features Dr. Elaine Ingham as a speaker.

Pennsylvania Grazing Conferences
March 19 and 20, 2009
Troy and Harford, Pennsylvania

NCAT Northeast Regional Office staff will have exhibits at both the Troy Grazing Conference March 19 and the 5th Annual Northeast PA Grazing Conference on the following day.

"Homebrew" Biodiesel Workshop
March 21, 2009
Grinnell, Iowa

Over the last 10 months, Imagine Grinnell has been working on the "Grinnell Area Petroleum Replacement Initiative" (GAPRI) program, exploring the possibilities of small-scale, farm-based biofuels production, and working to foster partnerships between area farmers and local businesses. Rich Dana, the project manager, will discuss their findings, and Steve Fugate of the Yoderville Biodiesel Collective in Kalona will talk about how to set up a local biodiesel cooperative. The meeting is free and open to the public and no registration is required. Seating is limited, however, so please RSVP if possible by calling 319-530-6051 or e-mailing Rich Dana at: rich@gotoplanb.net.  A limited number of free 1/2 gallon samples of biodiesel will be available for early reservations. The event is sponsored in part by Imagine Grinnell, The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, The Powesheik County Alliance and NCAT.

Wilkes University
March 26, 2009
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

NCAT Northeast Regional Office staff members Lee Rinehart and Andy Pressman will speak at the university on energy and environment.

Southwest Marketing Network 7th Annual Conference
April 6-8, 2009
Durango, Colorado

The Southwest Marketing Network that NCAT helped found is planning another conference aimed at helping Southwestern producers and communities develop new and improved markets and enterprises and rebuild local food systems. Program Specialist Tammy Hinman will be presenting on developing and/or improving recordkeeping techniques for profitability and easier tax filing as well as facilitating a session titled "Growing New Farmers: Starting a Beginning Farmer Program from A-Z."

Home Energy Rater Training by NCAT
April 13-17, 2009
Butte, Montana

The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) offers a comprehensive energy auditor training with an emphasis on new residential construction and the HERS rating process. This training is intended to prepare the participant to take the tests necessary to become a certified HERS Rater, an Energy Star Homes Northwest Energy Star Verifier, and an Energy Star Homes Northwest Performance Tester.

Harvey Wasserman Seminar
April 16, 2009
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania

NCAT is co-sponsoring a seminar at Wilkes University. Professor, journalist, author, and activist, Harvey Wasserman will be speaking on renewable energy.

Kansas Dietetic Association Annual Conference
April 17, 2009
Hutchinson, Kansas

NCAT's Southeast Regional Office Director Margo Hale will give a presentation on sustainable agriculture and dairy farm/milk sustainability for the conference.

Plans for Sustainability:  Aligning Conservation and Organic Farming
April 22, 2009
Corvallis, Oregon

California Office Director Rex Dufour will talking be about Soil Quality Indicators and managing soil quality at this event for agriculture professionals sponsored by Oregon Tilth and NRCS.

Missouri Dietetic Association Annual Meeting
April 24, 2009
Hutchinson, Kansas

NCAT's Southeast Regional Office Director Margo Hale will give a presentation on sustainable agriculture and dairy farm/milk sustainability at this meeting.

Northeastern Pennsylvania Global Warming Conference
April 26, 2009
Lehman, Pennsylvania

NCAT will have an exhibit at this event offering up-to-date information about the effects global warming is having in Northeastern Pennsylvania and a chance to learn about the obstacles and opportunities that are available to combat those effects.

KikoFest 2009
September 17, 2009
Gray, Tennessee

NCAT's small ruminant specialists Linda Coffey and Margo Hale will conduct a full-day workshop on goat production, at this event for meat goat enthusiasts, sponsored by the International Kiko Goat Association.

Energy Training for Agricultural Professionals
September 30 - October 2, 2009
Pittsboro, North Carolina

NCAT and its partners are beginning an effort to train Cooperative Extension agents, USDA staff, and other agriculture professionals as Agricultural Energy Specialists. Participants will be chosen by a competitive application process, to participate in an intensive energy training course that includes classroom training, hands-on experience, and site visits. After successfully completing this training and demonstrating their competence, graduates will return to their communities to provide energy-related technical assistance, and will develop a network for energy-related communication and support.