Conferences
Focus on Goats: Goat Conference and Field Day
October 31 & November 1, 2008.
Location: Devil’s Head Resort, Merrimac, WI 53561.
Organized by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection. For more information contact Anne Pfeiffer, 608-224-5121 or anne.pfeiffer@wisconsin.gov
Pasture Lambing Clinic: Hands-on experience
May 28, 2008. 8 AM to 5 PM.
Location: Tamarack Lamb and Wool Farm, Hinckley, MN 55037.
Students will be given an introduction to the concept of pasture lambing, including an overview of late gestation nutrition and management, and pasture lambing methods. The class will make the rounds observing and processing the morning’s lambing. When possible students will be given the opportunity for hands on learning of basic lamb processing and stockmanship skills such as tube feeding, reviving chilled lambs, catching ewes, and drifting will be demonstrated. Students will learn how to judge and measure pasture quality and quantity as well as how to budget pasture.
Registration required. Class limited to 12 people. Cost $125 (includes lunch).
For more information or to register contact: janet@tamaracksheep.com
Meat Marketing: Some of Your Business
New strategies for direct marketing.
Wisconsin Indianhead Technical College Conference Center, Rice Lake, Wisconsin.
March 24, 2007. 8 a.m.-5 p.m.
Funded by a USDA Farmer Market Promotional Grant.
This conference is designed to bring together producers interested in improving their marketing vision and will emphasize current and future consumer trends. It is appropriate for both experienced and inexperienced producers who desire new ideas and strategies for promoting their meat products.
Featured speakers:
Arlin Wasserman, founder and principal of Changing Tastes, a consultancy that provides business planning, brand management, product development and marketing insights. He will speak on the market for natural, organic, grass fed and how to develop our brand and build equity not just move meat.
Hollis Ashman is chief strategist for The Understanding & Insight Group with over 25 years of experience making innovation pay off in a variety of industries. She specialized in dead-on delineation of product characteristics that reflect consumer’s innermost wants. She will speak on what makes food craveable and what makes meat craveable, how to understand consumers, how to listen to them and what they are looking for.
Shireen Pishdadi from Faith in Place speaks frequently on the relationship of religious faith and the way we grow our food. She spearheaded the creation of TAQWA food cooperative offering sustainably and humanely raised meats in the Chicago area.
Mary Graese owns and operates Northstar Bison a several hundred acre bison ranch in northwest Wisconsin where the bison graze naturally on open pastures. Northstar Bison meat products are distributed across North America.