News
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Winter 2010/2011 Vol. 4, No. 2
Spring 2010 Vol. 4, No. 1
Winter 2009/10 Vol. 3, No. 4
Fall 2009 Vol. 3, No. 3
Summer 2009 Vol. 3, No. 2
Spring 2009 Vol. 3, No. 1
Winter 2008 Vol. 2, No. 4
Fall 2008 Vol. 2, No. 3
Summer 2008 Vol. 2, No. 2
Spring 2008 Vol. 2, No. 1 |
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Take a moment and complete a survey on the feasibility of an equipment rental system for Southern New England
Farm equipment is expensive to buy and costly to maintain. New technology can be
difficult to keep up with, but can make all the difference in labor and production efficiency. The RI Association of Conservation Districts is beginning a study on the
feasibility of an equipment rental system for Southern New England. If you make or influence decisions about agricultural equipment purchases, WE WANT YOUR INPUT!
Please contact Becca Buckler at (401) 934-0842 or Becca.RIACD@gmail.com if you have any questions.
2012 Annual Farm Supper Fundraiser Date is Set
Over the last couple of months, we have been working to secure a great location and great caterer for our Annual Farm Supper. In order to give us a chance to take advantage of an outside venue, we
have chosen to pass on a Fall fundraiser and instead move to Spring. Here is the latest info:
Location: Addieville East Farm, Mapleville, RI
Date: Saturday, May 12, 2012
Ticket Pricing and Event Time to be announced over the winter as our plans progress.
In order to make this event the best we can, it takes more than a couple of people. Are you interested in lending a
hand in helping to plan the menu using our RIRLA members' USDA processed meats as well as local produce, local
beverages and local desserts? Are you good at fundraising? Do you have a personality that encourages businesses to
donate to a worthy organization? Do you simply enjoy planning events? We need to create an Event Committee that
can handle all of those things and more. If you are able to donate some time and ideas to help make this event terrific,
please give me a call or email Heidi at RIRaised@gmail.com. We appreciate any time and help you can offer to make this a great event.
Opportunities ...
- Could a shared equipment bank help Rhode Island farmers?
Farm equipment is expensive to buy, costly to maintain, and new technology can be difficult to keep up with…
The RI Association of Conservation Districts is beginning a study on the feasibility of equipment sharing in Rhode Island. We need your input!
Keep an eye out for a survey in the next month, and let us know if you are interested in learning more about the project!
Contact Becca Buckler at (401) 934-0842 or Becca.RIACD@gmail.com
Funded by a USDA NIFA Beginning Farmer Development Grant Tools of the Trade: Meeting the Needs of Today's New Peri-Urban Farmers in RI and Southern New England
Got Something to Share?
The quarterly RIRLA newsletter is primarily comprised of stories gathered by or written by Jane Christopher.
(Jane and her husband, Chris, also produce the newsletter.) Occasionally an article falls in that was written by
another member or associate. If you have attended a fair, a livestock or breed show, attended a conference or
workshop, or anything else you feel would be interesting to our members, please send me an email and let us
know what you'd like to write about. When space permits, these articles would be a nice addition to an already terrific newsletter. What can you share?
List Your Farm – Buy Local RI FREE Listing!
Farmers! You are not taking advantage of this great, FREE resource! When I go to Buy Local's website and
search "pork" "lamb" "beef" I am still seeing only 2 to 3 of our farms for each meat. Only four or five farms
show up when I simply search "meat" If you have a listing, PLEASE take a moment to "search" yourself, your
products, etc. See if the public can find you! Remember to use search terms in your listing that YOU would use to search for your farm's products.
Buy Local RI is a program of the Lt. Governor's office. The Buy Local RI website is meant to connect RI's
local independent businesses to consumers in the state. There are a LOT of consumers out there who want to
buy local meat but don't know where or how to find it. This is a great opportunity to market your farm and its
products for FREE! Go to www.buylocalri.org and click on the "Sign Up" icon in the upper right corner of the
home page. Look for AMCC, The Mission Farm, Windmist and Ever-Breeze on the Buy Local RI site. Let consumers find your farm, too!
Got Equipment, Animals or Hay to Sell? Services to Offer?
As part of its effort to become a true resource for farmers, RIRLA is looking to develop the "Classified" section
of the RIRLA website, but we can't do it without your help! We need listings for For Sale, Services and Wanted. Listing is FREE!! Go to www.rirla.org/bulletinboard-classifieds.htm to list your item, service or need.
Free Harvest To Hand App for iPhone and iPod Touch: A New Way to Promote Locally Grown Goods
You can enroll in Farm Family's Harvest to Hand program which uses an app that will be available soon on
iPhone or iPod Touch. This easy to use app allows consumers to locate farmers markets, local festivals, locally
made products, family-friendly farms, local wineries, breweries, local eateries, and agritourism venues in their
own town or wherever the road takes them. The venues may be categorized several different ways, and users
can map out directions directly from the app wherever they may be located. Harvest To Hand app users can add venues to a list of favorites, and share finds with friends and family in a number of ways.
Participants do not have to be clients of Farm Family to participate. The main criteria are that the venue, event or
farm must be accessible to the general public, and feature locally produced or grown and harvested products If
you would like to get your event, agritourism venue or farmers market listed, simply go to
www.HarvestToHand.com and complete the online form.
USDA Funding to Test for Scrapie
RI has been awarded $2000 by the USDA to enhance surveillance for the disease known as scrapie. This disease
affects sheep (and less frequently, goats). Surveillance quotas for the disease must be met for each state to enjoy
the benefits of being classified as low risk. The surveillance for the disease can only be reliably done on samples
from dead animals. Therefore, any adult sheep that dies on the farm is appropriate for testing.
The University of Connecticut has agreed to apply this money to subsidize 20 RI origin sheep submitted to them
for a complete necropsy examination. The benefit of having this money available is two-fold. First, a necropsy
examination is critical to knowing the cause of death of the animal, therefore the farmer will gain much more
knowledge about that animal's health and often the flock's health. Second, is that maintenance of low-risk scrapie
status by meeting surveillance quotas will prevent any interstate movement restrictions being imposed on RI origin sheep.
The usual cost for necropsy at UCONN is $120 or $150 depending on the weight of the animal. UCONN will be
paid through these funds directly by DEM, so, farmers will only be responsible for the balance of the necropsy
fee at the time they submit their animals. This service will be a good value to them and I hope that they take advantage of this opportunity.
Scott N. Marshall, DVM
R.I. State Veterinarian
RI Small Business Development Center
The RI Small Business Development Center (RISBDC), hosted by Johnson & Wales University in partnership
with the U.S. Small Business Administration and the RI Economic Development Corporation, is a program
designed to provide the highest quality of business assistance services to established enterprises and promising
new start-ups, including your farm business! The RI SBDC is a one-stop resource center for small and
medium-sized businesses that tailors their services based on client needs. SBDC provides assistance in business
plan development, market analysis, sources of capital, technology transfer, inventory assistance and other
managerial and technical support services, including short-term professional counseling services e.g. financial analysis and advice (for FREE!), workshops and information services. Go to www.risbdc.org or contact Douglas
Jobling, SBDC's agricultural specialist at 401-263-5124 or douglas.jobling@jwu.edu
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Farm Hack Invention Blogs
FarmHack is a resource for farmers who embrace the long-standing farm traditions of tinkering, inventing,
fabricating, tweaking, and fixing things that they broke. Open to farmers of all ages, it has special relevance to
young and beginning farmers, who may want to learn from their peers' and their elders' successes, mistakes and new ideas. Go to http://www.youngfarmers.org/practical/farm-hack/ for ideas!
$1.3 Million available
RI Farm Service Agency (FSA) County Office
The RI Farm Service Agency has $1,393,000 available to lend beginning farmers to purchase a farm or to make
improvements to an existing farm. Call 1-800-551-5144 or 401-828-3120 for more information.
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