From our friends at the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association:

The 27th Annual Sustainable Ag Conference
Oct. 26-28, 2012 in Greenville, SC
http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/sac/

C’mon out to beautiful Greenville, SC for top-notch speakers, hands-on intensives and tours, great networking opportunities, and, of course, our famous local, organic meals!

This year’s conference features:

• Over 50 cutting-edge, skill-building workshops on growing organically, pastured livestock, soils, permaculture, food, policy and more! Plus, full tracks devoted to beginning farmers, helping your farm business thrive, and a very cool ‘You Make It – Outdoors and Hands-on’ track!
• Outstanding pre-conference intensives from the experts in organic certification, organic production, orchard health, food safety, mushrooms, bees, permaculture and more!
• Not-to-be-missed pre-conference bus tours to some of the most beautiful and successful sustainable farms and gardens in the Upstate!
• The legendary Local Foods Feast on Friday, Oct. 26 at 6:30 PM! Be inspired by keynote, Debra Eschmeyer, co-founder of Food Corps.  This magical meal made with only the best in-season, sustainably grown ingredients supplied by local farms is sure to sell out!
• PLUS – Networking, Seed Exchange and Exhibit Hall, CFSA’s Annual Sustainable Ag. Awards and Amazing Local Food!

Don’t miss out on the food and farming event of the year! Register now!
http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/sac-register/

 For a complete list of conference offerings and to register for the conference, pre-conference offerings, or the Local Foods Feast and Keynote, please visit: http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/sac/

We’re thrilled that this year’s Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello will be our largest festival yet, with more programming than ever before and a truly astounding array of tastings, workshops, demonstrations, and fun, educational events for the whole family. We hope you’ll join us!

The Heritage Harvest Festival at Monticello: HeritageHarvestFestival.com
Saturday, September 15, 2012 (preview events September 14)

Programming included with general admission includes,

• Workshops with dozens of experts, including chef demonstrations, tours of the grounds, and vendor demonstrations.
• The Tasting Tent, with over 100 tomatoes, plus peppers, melons, and more!
• The Old Timey Seed Swap, 9–11:15 a.m. This year we’re honoring the everyday seeds savers who have kept so many varieties going for generations.
• Children’s activities, from the Master Gardener’s Roots and Shoots Tent, to historic fun with the Monticello Kids Program, to the Backyard Revolution’s Young Pioneers Area.
• The Backyard Revolution, expanded this year with fun for the whole family. Full schedule now online.
• The Young Farmers Zone, a new addition to the festival, designed to promote young farmers in our community.  

While there’s plenty to do with a general admission ticket, there are also still tickets available for some premium workshops. We recommend considering:

• The Seed Underground: A Growing Revolution to Save Food with Janisse Ray, Friday, 12:45–1:45 p.m.
• Naturescape Your Yard with Karen Bussolini, Friday, 9–10 a.m.
• United Plant Savers: Promoting Stewardship of At-Risk Native Medicinal Herbs 
  with Susan Leopold, Saturday, 12:45–1:45 p.m.
• Seed Saving for the Home Gardener with Rodger Winn, Saturday, 2–3 p.m.
• The Cooking Gene with Michael Twitty, Saturday, 3:15–4:15 p.m.
• Great Gardens from Great Plant Collectors with Cheval Force Opp, Saturday, 3:15–4:15 p.m.

Thanks to SESE seed grower Richard Moyer for sending along the results from the Abingdon Farmers Market Tomato Festival. Here’s what he had to say:

Customers taste and rate tomatoes, had about 30 entries for 3 categories. Held at a tent for tomatoes alone; all entries by number so judges don’t know tomato names or who grew them.

Results:

• Best Overall: Rose and Green Zebra were tied
• Best Heirloom: Green Zebra
• Best Slicer: Eva Purple Ball — picked by Timothy Moyer (6) and entered by Christina (13)
• Best Cherry Tom: Amy’s Apricot — picked by Melissa Moyer (9) and Christina, entered by Christina