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<P><BR><SPAN class=twstorytextheadline><STRONG>Farm conference set for next week 8-25-05</STRONG></SPAN><BR><SPAN class=twstorysynop>By ANGEL RIGGS World Staff Writer </SPAN><BR><SPAN class=twstorysynop>8/25/2005 </SPAN><BR><BR><A href="http://www.tulsaworld.com/TWPDFs/2005/Final/W_082505_E_3.PDF"><SPAN class=twstorysynop>View in Print (PDF) Format</SPAN> </A><BR><SPAN class=twstorytext><BR></P>
<P>Ideas designed to help farmers and ranchers supplement their income through agriculture-based products -- from compost to soap -- will be presented next week at a conference in Pawhuska. </P>
<P>Sponsored by the Oklahoma Natural Resource Conservation Service, the Women in Agriculture conference will not only address marketing opportunities for agriculture products but also legislation, including the government's efforts to electronically identify livestock. </P>
<P>The conference, affiliated with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, will run from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sept. 1. </P>
<P>While it's billed as a women's conference, the event is open to anyone interested in earning income from their land, said Rita Scott, a member of Sustainable Tulsa, a local agriculture group helping to plan the workshop. </P>
<P>"It doesn't matter if you're a seasoned rancher or a person just thinking about ways to use your land," she said. </P>
<P>Robert Waldrop, president of the Oklahoma Food Cooperative, will discuss marketing strategies for a variety of products, from sheep to soap. </P>
<P>Sue Gray, an Oklahoma State University Extension horticulturalist, will talk about earning income by diversifying land use, including growing a variety of crops for sale on farms and at farmers markets. </P>
<P>Craig Coker of North Carolina-based Coker Composting & Consulting will discuss benefits of composting and value-added opportunities. </P>
<P>Seminars on livestock handling and vaccinations, goat husbandry and agritourism are also scheduled. </P>
<P>The Women in Agriculture conference series began in 2003. It addresses topics related to the growing number of women managing farms and ranches, such as estate planning, rural crime and government programs. </P>
<P>The Pawhuska conference is designed for farmers and ranchers in five northeastern Oklahoma counties -- Pawnee, Osage, Tulsa, Rogers and Washington. </P>
<P>Cost is $10 and includes lunch featuring locally grown organic foods catered by the Living Kitchen in Bristow. Early registration is encouraged. </P>
<P>For more information, or to register, call the Tulsa County Conservation District at 280-1595. </P>
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<P><B>Angel Riggs 581-8413 </B><BR><A href="mailto:angel.riggs@tulsaworld.com">angel.riggs@tulsaworld.com</A> </P>
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