02/13/07 Small acreage conference

With numbers of farmers` markets more than doubling nationally since 1994 and with interest intensifying in Idaho, the University of Idaho Extension will feature farmers` market management and food safety at their 2007 Small Acreage Conference Feb. 24 in Caldwell. Participants will learn techniques for selling their products through farmers` markets and community-supported agriculture ventures, for meeting food-safety regulations and for assessing their overall success. Extension's Kevin Laughlin says an in-depth technical seminar on disease diagnosis and management will precede the conference on Feb. 23. LAUGHLIN "We're going to spend a lot of time talking about plant disease diagnosis and management which is the basic for disease diagnosis and we're going to talk about the biology growth approaches to the ten most problem diseases that we have in Southwestern Idaho and then we'll talk about the toxic plants associated with human and animal diseases as well as plant diseases. We've had lots of phone calls on turf diseases and forage diseases. We've got experts from around the region here to come in and help people learn about that." You still have time to pre-register for either or both days and save a few dollars. The University of Idaho website has more information. Today's Idaho Ag News Bill Scott