This year the Texas Hispanic Farmer and Rancher Conference and the Food Summit come together in the Rio Grande Valley in McAllen, Texas, for four days of workshops and activities. NCAT and conference partners are excited for this collaborative bilingual event to bring together agriculture, policy, activism, and community stakeholders to co-create a resilient and inclusive food system in la Frontera.

Join California’s Audubon Conservation Ranching (ACR) program and partners at the beautiful bird friendly certified Avenales Ranch for a morning of birding and botanizing, lunch, and an afternoon of community building. We will be spending the day outside, so please plan accordingly. Lunch provided

Two Sessions:
Morning Session: 8am – noon
Learn the basics of bird and plant ID, assessing habitat quality in oak savannah and riparian systems, and habitat management solutions on working ranches with ecologist, Mel Preston.
Afternoon Session 12pm – 2pm
All attendees give intros and participate in facilitated meet up connecting local partners in ranching, ecology and conservation.

The Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service’s spring Livestock Guardian Dog Field Day will be held on April 26 in San Angelo from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Livestock Guardian Dogs, LGD, are utilized to protect livestock from predation.

The event will be at the Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Extension Center at San Angelo, 7887 U.S. Highway 87 North. Morning refreshments and lunch will be provided.

Advance registration is required through the center by calling 325-653-4576 or by visiting the website https://tx.ag/LGDFieldDay.

Registration is $25 for an individual or $40 for a couple if registered before April 19. After that date, the cost is $30 and $50, respectively.

Two of the event highlights will be a local ranch tour and a producer panel. Vendors and LGD breeders will be on-site for producers.

Predation prevention
“The biggest single loss in sheep and goat production is predation,” said Jake Thorne, Ph.D., AgriLife Extension sheep and goat specialist, San Angelo. “This event will focus on how producers can reduce those losses.”

Thorne said the field day would be very helpful to all LGD owners, but especially key for those new to handling LGDs.

“This field day is part of the center’s ongoing effort to help producers adopt the age-old practice of keeping specially bred and trained dogs with livestock as a deterrent to predation,” said Bill Costanzo, AgriLife Extension LGD specialist, Washington.

Field topics and speakers
The featured topics with speakers for the LGD field day are:

Canine behavior – Monique Udell, Ph.D., Human-Animal Interaction Laboratory director, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon.
Canine health and care – Robert Rose, DVM, Comparative Medicine Program executive director, Texas A&M University, Bryan-College Station.
Technology to aid in LGD management – Costanzo.
Texas Livestock Guardian Dog Association: Information and updates – Walter Pfluger, Texas LGD association treasurer, San Angelo.
Sheep and Goat Predator Management Board update – Curry Campbell, Sheep and Goat Predator Management Board member, Rocksprings.

NOC is hosting the Spring 2024 Pre-NOSB Meeting, in Milwaukee, WI. This is an in-person event! The Pre-NOSB Meeting takes place in advance of the National Organic Standards Board meeting each spring and fall. This meeting provides a space for information-sharing and dialogue and is open to all organic community members. The meeting will include:

A panel of local organic farmers discussing regional challenges and opportunities.

An DC update on organic policy issues, including the Farm Bill and new organic regulations.

A Q&A with Jenny Tucker, Deputy Administrator for the National Organic Program.

Discussions about topics under consideration by the National Organic Standards Board.

And more!

The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) will meet to discuss substances petitioned for addition to or deletion from the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances (National List), substances due to sunset from the National List in 2026, and recommendations on organic policies. The meeting will be held in person and broadcast live via Zoom.

The NOSB typically meets twice per year in various locations around the United States. Prior to meetings, the NOSB reviews written public comments and listens to oral public comments. During meetings, the NOSB discusses agenda items, and then votes on recommendations to the Secretary in a public forum. Detailed meeting information, including agendas, locations, proposals, and public comments, will be posted below as it becomes available. For information on previous meetings, visit the NOSB meetings page.

Agricultural Viability Alliance’s sixth National Farm Viability Conference is hosted by West Virginia University Extension in Charleston. The conference will feature engaging workshop sessions and bring together professionals from across the nation for peer-to-peer learning and networking with a focus on strengthening farm sustainability, building stronger and more resilient local food systems, and supporting the long-term profitability of farming and agri-entrepreneurs from start-ups to generational businesses. Pre- and post-conference tours are on the agenda.

This two-day school in Princeton, Kentucky, is designed to provide you with tools needed to establish a profitable and sustainable grazing system. It includes a mixture of classroom and hands-on instruction from the University of Kentucky and Kentucky Forage and Grassland Council.

Join the California Sustainable Winegrowing Alliance and co-hosts from California, Washington, New York and Oregon to learn about cutting-edge sustainable and climate beneficial practices being adopted in vineyards and wineries across the United States — and in the broader value chain. The summit in Lodi, California, includes tours and features presentation sessions that are also offered virtually.