Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agriculture Program is offering 3 workshops as part of their 2016-2017 L.E.A.F. (Learn. Empower. Achieve. Farm.) Workshop Series. On Tuesday, February 7th from 6pm to 8pm at the Frank Bratt Agricultural Center, there will be a workshop on “Managing Food Plots and Woodlots for Wildlife”. “Pasture Management and Grazing” will be presented on Thursday, February 9th from 6pm to 8pm at the Ag Center. Then, on Saturday, February 11th from 10am to 12pm a workshop on “Growing Medicinal and Culinary Herbs” will be held. 

On Saturday, February 11th from 10am to 12pm at the Ag Center, a workshop entitled “Growing Medicinal and Culinary Herbs” will be offered. This workshop will cover the basics of growing, processing, and marketing a range of herbs. Participants will touch on both sun and woodland species, the latter offering ways to utilize forested spaces on one’s property. The instructor, herbalist and grower Sarah Sorci, will borrow from trainings on Good Agricultural Practices for Medicinal Plants through the NC Extension, and woodland medicinal agriculture training the Appalachian Beginning Forest Farmers Coalition. She is the owner of Sweet Flag Herbs. 

The L.E.A.F. Workshop Series is open to the general public, including homesteaders, beginning farmers, established farmers looking to diversify and grow, agriculture enthusiasts, and everyone in between! The 2016-2017 Workshop Series features 23 workshops to be held in October and November of 2016 and February of 2017. This season’s L.E.A.F. Program is made possible through the generous support of the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.

Each workshop will be 2 hours long and led by an experienced instructor. The cost to attend is only $5/family/workshop and light refreshments will be offered. The L.E.A.F. workshops are designed to be interactive, so participants are encouraged to bring their questions and ideas to this collaborative environment! All of the workshops will be held at the Frank W. Bratt Agricultural Center located at 3542 Turner Road in Jamestown, NY.

Pre-registration is required prior to the workshop to allow for adequate time to prepare printed resources and materials. Interested participants can register online by visiting www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua/leaf1617, by emailing kaw249@cornell.edu or by calling 716-664-9502.

The L.E.A.F. Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua) in line with the County’s 20/20 Comprehensive Plan. CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.