WIC sales training set

Consultant Kelly Streit is conducting training programs for farmers who wish to participate in the Women, Infants, and Children fruit and vegetable voucher program.

The training sessions are scheduled around the state in coming weeks, including four in Eastern Oregon between April 10 and April 13.

The new program supplements the existing farm-direct program, which operates June 1 through Oct. 31. The WIC fruit and vegetable voucher program operates year-round.

"We will compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the two programs so when farmers are making the sales they are doing it correctly," Streit said.

The first training session is April 10 in Pendleton at the Vert Club Room, 345 SW 4th St., from 1:30 to 2:45 p.m. Additional sessions are scheduled in Ontario, Baker City and Cove.

Information: 503-692-1335.

--Mitch Lies

Beginning farm courses offered

A new program for small and beginning farmers is offering courses this spring in everything from irrigation management to bookkeeping.

"Our intent is to provide a solid framework upon which new farmers can build successful businesses," said Oregon State University small farms instructor Maud Powell.

The Southern Oregon Farmer Incubator courses are being offered through a collaboration of OSU's Small Farms program and a Rogue Valley sustainable business alliance.

The program is funded in part by grants from USDA Rural Development and the Cow Creek Umpqua Indian Foundation.

For more information on the courses, contact Powell at 541-776-7371 or Lois Schlegel in Ashland at 541-488-7272.

-- Mitch Lies

Conference on livestock set

ROSEBURG, Ore. -- Beef quality, marketing, mineral nutrition and new forages will be the focus of several presentations that will be given during the Spring Livestock Conference April 17 at the Douglas County Fairgrounds.

The conference, organized by the Douglas County Livestock Association, is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The conference theme is "Making Money in Ag."

Presentations will be given by Julie Weikel of the Oregon Department of Agriculture on Preparing Cattle for the Real World; Charles Estill of the Oregon State University Extension Service on the Importance of a Short Calving Interval and Beef Quality Assurance; Logan Ipson of AngusSource on Marketing for Extra Profit; John Pierson of Cargill on New Technologies for Mineral Nutrition; and Woody Lane, a forage specialist, on New Forages, Filling the Gaps in Feed Supply.

Bill Hoyt, president of the Oregon Cattlemen's Association and a Cottage Grove rancher, will present a session on Basic Cattle Handling and Working Stockdogs and Rex Heard of Roseburg will have a session on Sheep Handling.

A field equipment clinic will be given by Fisher Farm & Lawn of Harrisburg, Ore.

Admission to the conference is free.

For more information, call Heard at the Douglas County Farmers Co-op, 541-464-6748; Parkway Animal Hospital, Roseburg, 541-672-1621; or OSU Extension, 541-672-4461.

-- Craig Reed