Wild-harvested Mushroom Certification Classes Set for Spring
Training will help mushroom handlers distinguish which ones are safe to eat.
Training will help mushroom handlers distinguish which ones are safe to eat.
The high prices for eggs at the retail case have many considering starting a small backyard poultry flock in the spring. If you are considering adding a backyard flock to your small farm, acreage or backyard, start your planning now.
Crop and livestock farmers who are working on preparing their 2022 income tax returns can review two useful documents for end-of-year determinations.
Two new resources from the Center for Rural Affairs describe coverage options available for small and organic operations—the Micro Farm program and Contract Price Option, respectively.
Two offerings of MWSP will occur in spring 2023. The first offering will be led by the Cerro Gordo and Mitchell County offices of Iowa State University Extension and Outreach (ISUEO), and the second led by Lee County ISUEO. The programs will run from early-April to mid-May, 2023 (specific dates forthcoming), and will entail seven educational modules spread over a six-week period. You do not need to be a resident of host counties to participate.
This bootcamp provides training, one-on-one consulting and networking opportunities to build resilient and adaptable specialty crop businesses. Interested? Limited space - reserve your spot now.
Protecting woody trees and shrubs, especially young plants, during winter months is important.
As harvest season is wrapping up, small food businesses in Iowa are busy baking pumpkin pies and canning fresh blackberry jam. Iowans who produce and sell food goods from their homes are known as home-based kitchen operators. Iowa State University Extension and Outreach offers online training in food safety, food preparation and Iowa rules and regulations designed specifically for Iowa's home-based kitchen operators.
A stimulating environment helps animals produce natural behaviors such as foraging, social interaction, exploration, and playing. Environmental enrichment on your farm can also help reduce unwanted behaviors like cribbing, tail biting, and pecking.
White-tailed deer are as synonymous with the ‘acreage living’ experience as fences and ragweed. And today, new challenges like that posed by Chronic Wasting Disease are elevating those responsibilities and require wide engagement in ensuring deer continue to thrive in Iowa.