Mark Hollen, a Tygart Valley Growers Association member was featured in a news story on WBOY Channel 12 (Here). Filmed at Mark's farm, Mark did a great job demonstrating the level of care he takes in growing and handling his produce. His beautiful farm in Valley Furnace provided a very scenic background to the news story. The interview lasted around 1 hour as Stacy Jacobson filmed Mark working on his farm, interviewed Mark and Ben Nemeth and filmed her narrative piece. It was a nice experience, and WesMonTy appreciates the great focus on local food that Stacy Jacobson has provided. This is great exposure for the TVGA and the work that is being done to increase sales of local foods into local markets!
This was part of a larger story by Stacy Jacobson that is focusing on local foods being sold into local restaurants and grocery stores. Her story focuses on the recent sales to Stonewall Resort. A very special thank you goes out to Stacy Jacobson for covering this story.
Our mission is to enhance our rural and urban areas and agricultural communities by supporting grassroots efforts and creating partnerships for the benefit of our 12 county region. We strive to improve quality of life for our rural and urban communities through education and partnerships and the wise management of natural resources.
Wednesday, August 17, 2011
Monday, August 15, 2011
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
Cooperative Development Meeting w/ Tom Snyder
Tom Snyder from the Ohio Cooperative Development Center presented information and answered questions for the TVGA last Tuesday.
Dr. Snyder presented a binder and handout with some really valuable information on starting a cooperative. He explained that cooperatives have a lot of benefits for growers who are trying to market together, such as exemptions from anti-trust laws, liability insurances and access to larger markets.
We look forward to working more with Dr. Snyder and the OCDC in the future!
Dr. Snyder presented a binder and handout with some really valuable information on starting a cooperative. He explained that cooperatives have a lot of benefits for growers who are trying to market together, such as exemptions from anti-trust laws, liability insurances and access to larger markets.
We look forward to working more with Dr. Snyder and the OCDC in the future!
Monday, August 1, 2011
State Requirements for selling Jams, Jellies and Honey
Today we assisted a nice gentleman to register his operation so that he could sell jams, jellies and honey at the farmers market. After some searching online, we found the document needed to register with the Department of Health and Human Services.
It can be downloaded here:
Registration Form for Sale of Home Canned and Prepared Foods
One simply needs to print the form, submit it to their local DHHR office to register, and follow all labeling requirements.
Another helpful document is the Farmers Market Vendor's Guide. It has basic information on registering your products and who to speak with about each product. That can be downloaded here:
Farmers Market Vendors Guide
For the canned good labeling a vendor is required to label any major food allergens present in the product. The list of major food allergens from the FDA website is as follows:
"FALCPA identifies eight foods or food groups as the major food allergens. They are milk, eggs, fish (e.g., bass, flounder, cod), Crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, shrimp), tree nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans), peanuts, wheat, and soybeans."
The webpage can be found here: http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/FoodAllergensLabeling/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm106890.htm#q4
It can be downloaded here:
Registration Form for Sale of Home Canned and Prepared Foods
One simply needs to print the form, submit it to their local DHHR office to register, and follow all labeling requirements.
Another helpful document is the Farmers Market Vendor's Guide. It has basic information on registering your products and who to speak with about each product. That can be downloaded here:
Farmers Market Vendors Guide
For the canned good labeling a vendor is required to label any major food allergens present in the product. The list of major food allergens from the FDA website is as follows:
"FALCPA identifies eight foods or food groups as the major food allergens. They are milk, eggs, fish (e.g., bass, flounder, cod), Crustacean shellfish (e.g., crab, lobster, shrimp), tree nuts (e.g., almonds, walnuts, pecans), peanuts, wheat, and soybeans."
The webpage can be found here: http://www.fda.gov/Food/LabelingNutrition/FoodAllergensLabeling/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/ucm106890.htm#q4
Monday, July 25, 2011
Special Delivery
Want some gourmet food made with fresh local produce? Check out the Stonewall!
Last Thursday, the TVGA made their first delivery to Chef Paco at the Stonewall Jackson resort. The delivery was a vast array of delicious produce; carrots, tomatoes, greens, and fragrant fresh herbs. Chef Paco will be incorporating the produce into Stonewall’s menu, to give lucky patrons a taste of what West Virginia has to offer. Relationships like this with restaurants and local businesses are important to support our local farming economies and to help create a healthy food system for everyone. To check out the menus at the Stonewall, visit their website:
http://www.stonewallresort.com/dining/dining.asp
Last Thursday, the TVGA made their first delivery to Chef Paco at the Stonewall Jackson resort. The delivery was a vast array of delicious produce; carrots, tomatoes, greens, and fragrant fresh herbs. Chef Paco will be incorporating the produce into Stonewall’s menu, to give lucky patrons a taste of what West Virginia has to offer. Relationships like this with restaurants and local businesses are important to support our local farming economies and to help create a healthy food system for everyone. To check out the menus at the Stonewall, visit their website:
http://www.stonewallresort.com/dining/dining.asp
Final Food Safety Meeting with TVGA
Last Wednesday, Laura Hartz of Downstream Strategies in Morgantown presented a two page flyer that allows growers to stay current with emerging food safety legislation, and its impact on their business. The flyer describes three different pieces of legislation that have the ability to impact small-farmers and food manufacturers in the state. It also lists the contact information of representative people in the government that can be notified about the legislation's impact. The three pieces are the Leafy Green Marketing Amendment, the Food Safety Modernization Act and the West Virginia Food Manufacturing Facility Rule. It is important that farmers stay on top of emerging food safety legislation that can impact the local food economy and this flyer will help them to do it. The flyer is available for pick up at the Community Garden Market on mainstreet. We encourage every home gardener and small farmer to grab a copy of the flyer and read about these important issues.
The flyer is available for download under the resources page.
The flyer is available for download under the resources page.
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
WVU Organic Farm Field Day
Thanks to David Ahrend for sending out this letter from Dr. Jim Kotcon!
West Virginia University’s Division of Plant and Soil Sciences is hosting its 12th annual
Organic Field Day on Thursday, August 4, at the WVU Organic Research Farm located on Rt. 705 in Morgantown, WV. The Field Day is open to the public and anyone interested in organic farming is encouraged to attend. The Field Day will include a wagon tour of research and demonstration plots emphasizing transitional practices for growers considering converting from conventional to organic practices.
New this year will be a symposium on organic management for Brown Marmorated Stink
Bug, and a project on sheep health and nutrition. We also have work on organic egg production, additional trials for sustainable biofuel crop production, and crop variety trials on blackberry, tomato, pepper, bean, lettuce, squash and watermelon. Intensive workshops will be conducted on insect, disease and weed identification and management, livestock, poultry, and pasture management, marketing, and much more!
Please register in advance for the workshops so the presenters can prepare adequate
handouts, etc. A dinner featuring organic produce grown on the Farm is planned for 6:00 PM that evening. If you’re interested in learning more about organic farming, some of the practices used, or are just curious as to what it’s all about, feel free to stop out and enjoy the evening with us! Gates will open Thursday, August 4th at 1:00 PM and will close at 7:00 PM. You are encouraged to pre-register via e-mail (plantandsoil@mail.wvu.edu ) by returning the attached registration form, or by calling Tessy Warnick at 304-293-2961.
For more information, call Dr. Jim Kotcon at 304-293-8822. We hope to see you there!
Directions to the WVU Organic Research Farm:
From I-68, take Exit 7 and go west on Rt. 857, 1 mile to Rt. 119 (second stop light).
Turn Left onto Rt.119 (south) for 1.5 mile.
At the second stop light, turn right onto Rt. 705.
Look for the driveway on the left (¼ mile) for the WVU Plant and Soil Sciences Farm.
You can also visit their website at: www.caf.wvu.edu/plsc/organic
West Virginia University’s Division of Plant and Soil Sciences is hosting its 12th annual
Organic Field Day on Thursday, August 4, at the WVU Organic Research Farm located on Rt. 705 in Morgantown, WV. The Field Day is open to the public and anyone interested in organic farming is encouraged to attend. The Field Day will include a wagon tour of research and demonstration plots emphasizing transitional practices for growers considering converting from conventional to organic practices.
New this year will be a symposium on organic management for Brown Marmorated Stink
Bug, and a project on sheep health and nutrition. We also have work on organic egg production, additional trials for sustainable biofuel crop production, and crop variety trials on blackberry, tomato, pepper, bean, lettuce, squash and watermelon. Intensive workshops will be conducted on insect, disease and weed identification and management, livestock, poultry, and pasture management, marketing, and much more!
Please register in advance for the workshops so the presenters can prepare adequate
handouts, etc. A dinner featuring organic produce grown on the Farm is planned for 6:00 PM that evening. If you’re interested in learning more about organic farming, some of the practices used, or are just curious as to what it’s all about, feel free to stop out and enjoy the evening with us! Gates will open Thursday, August 4th at 1:00 PM and will close at 7:00 PM. You are encouraged to pre-register via e-mail (plantandsoil@mail.wvu.edu ) by returning the attached registration form, or by calling Tessy Warnick at 304-293-2961.
For more information, call Dr. Jim Kotcon at 304-293-8822. We hope to see you there!
Directions to the WVU Organic Research Farm:
From I-68, take Exit 7 and go west on Rt. 857, 1 mile to Rt. 119 (second stop light).
Turn Left onto Rt.119 (south) for 1.5 mile.
At the second stop light, turn right onto Rt. 705.
Look for the driveway on the left (¼ mile) for the WVU Plant and Soil Sciences Farm.
You can also visit their website at: www.caf.wvu.edu/plsc/organic
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