09/03/07 A value-added course; land, water and fire conference

Washington Ag September 3, 2007 The Northwest Agriculture Business Center and Washington State University Extension are co-hosting a value-added product development course for production-ready farmers in Northwest Washington. Center executive director Dave Bauermeister, explains. Bauermeister; "To provide intensive training for farmers that want to transition into marketing their own value-added product. So it would include the whole process from developing the product to developing a business plan and marketing that product." Eligible products include food crops, greenhouse, nursery, livestock and poultry. The course is free and space is limited to 36 enrollees. Applications are due by September 30th, 2007. Registration and forms are available at www.agbizcenter.org or phone 360-336-3727. The 3rd annual Inland Northwest Land, Water & Fire Conference, formerly known as the Wildland Urban Interface Conference, has been scheduled for the Coeur d' Alene Inn in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho November 7th & 8th. The conference is designed to give rural policy makers, local agency staff, contractors, realtors, foresters and rural residents an opportunity to learn about current research and experience and apply it to policies and activities in the wildland urban interface. I'm Bob Hoff.