News Release
March 24, 2009

UW extension helps sponsor Wyoming Farmers Market Conference in Casper

The Wyoming Farmers’ Marketing Association (WFMA) will host its third annual Wyoming Farmers Market Conference April 17-20 at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel in Casper.

The conference provides education and information for gardeners, specialty crop producers, farmers’ market managers and vendors.

“This is an awesome opportunity to see what other vendors are doing, how farmers’ markets can benefit the public in terms of wholesome food or even being a vendor,” said Alex Malcolm, a WFMA board member and an educator with the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service (UW CES).

“This is going to be an awesome opportunity to see some different things to help you earn extra income from your garden. Farmers’ markets won’t happen until later this summer and fall, but this is a way to help you plan your garden, if you plan to be a vendor, and to help you fill your niche in markets.”

There will be a full day of seminars focused on plant breeding, seed breeding and pre-variety trials April 17 during the seed workshop. Day two showcases the farmers’ marketing conference with seminars about marketing, farmers’ market safety and information on new grant opportunities for market managers and specialty crop producers.  Days three and four will be a hands-on high tunnel workshop where participants will be able to learn to build and manage an affordable high tunnel (greenhouse).

“A high tunnel will be built on the extension grounds in Casper,” said Malcolm.

The conference also includes the WFMA annual meeting, a reception on Friday night and the annual Wyoming Grown luncheon.

Registration for the conference is $25 each for the seed workshop, the Wyoming Farmers Marketing Conference and the High Tunnel event, or $50 for all three.

A full list of seminar topics and registration forms are at  www.wyomingfarmersmarkets.org under Calendar of Events or http://wyagric.state.wy.us/ under Current News in Wyoming Agriculture.

For more information, contact Ted Craig at (307) 777-6651, or tcraig@state.wy.us, or Kim Porter at (307) 777-6319, or kim.porter@wybusiness.org.

###

Contact: Steven L. Miller, Senior Editor
Phone: (307) 766-6342
E-mail: slmiller@uwyo.edu
Archived News Site http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/UWAG/news.asp

###