Learn practical strategies to extend your growing season and increase sales at the Specialty Growers Intensive: Strategies for Season Extension, offered by the Carey Center for Agrarian Learning at McHenry County College (MCC). The two-day workshop will take place Saturday, November 14, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sunday, November 15, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Room F108 of the Liebman Science Center at MCC, 8900 U.S. Highway 14 in Crystal Lake.
The weekend-long intensive will explore ways to extend the growing and selling season, with topics including storage crops, deep winter growing, and value-added products. Participants will learn through classroom presentations, high tunnel equipment demonstrations, and discussions on product development, projected income, and expenses.
“Extending the growing season can open up new opportunities for farmers, but it takes planning and the right strategies,” said Sheri Doyel, Director of Innovation for the Carey Center for Agrarian Learning at MCC. “This intensive gives growers the chance to learn from experienced farmers, explore different approaches, and take home ideas they can put to use on their own farms.”
The intensive is part of the Specialty Growers Intensives series, which offers weekend-long, hands-on learning opportunities led by experienced growers and industry specialists.
The cost to attend is $215 and includes lunch and snacks both days. Registration is open through Tuesday, November 10. Scholarships are available to help cover the cost of attendance, with applications due Friday, October 30.
To register or apply for a scholarship, visit http://mcc-link.me/ffsf5101Ms9. For more information, contact Sheri Doyel at sdoyel@mchenry.edu or (815) 479-7618. Follow @growingatmcc on Instagram for updates and speaker bios.
This program is presented by the Carey Center for Agrarian Learning at MCC with support from private donations and the Searle Funds at The Chicago Community Trust. Food:Land:Opportunity is a collaboration between Kinship Foundation and The Chicago Community Trust.
