NTCC agriculture department to host SARE Homestead Fair

NTCC agriculture department to host SARE Homestead Fair Subhead

Sessions include gardening basics, backyard poultry and more

News Staff Tue, 02/20/2024 - 16:44 Image

• 

Body

The Northeast Texas Community College Agriculture Department is pleased to partner with Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) to offer a Homestead Fair and network event on Saturday, March 9.

The event will be held at NTCC farm (across FM 1735 from the main campus) from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Admission is free, but pre-registration is required. The Homestead Fair will include sessions on building healthy soils, backyard poultry, meat goat production, gardening basics, and greenhouse growing. The creation of the lesson content was funded through the SARE two-year grant and produced on their market farm.

Demonstrations and illustrations with NTCC students, faculty and staff on the market farm provide relevant and easy-to-follow instructions for each lesson that will be available to access online.

These lessons will now be available beginning in fall 2024 both through Continuing Education and our credit courses like HALT 2321 Small Farming.

Keynote speakers will be Matt and Jerica Cadman from Shady Grove Ranch in Jefferson, Texas. They have been practicing sustainable farming on their property since 2010.

“You will hear how two engineers embarked on the dream of raising regeneratively grown chickens, turkeys, pigs and cattle - and selling through farmers markets and now their new farm store, René McCracken, NTCC Director of Agriculture, said. “We are also thrilled to have this opportunity to share sustainable farming practices right on our beautiful teaching and demonstration market farm. This is a great chance for everyone from seasoned farmers to those who just want to students and first-time land owners looking to get started.”

The NTCC Ag Club will provide a lunch of chicken stew, cornbread, tea and cookies for $10 per plate.

The soil health documentary “Kiss The Ground” will be played during lunch. Cash and checks will be accepted.

Please RSVP and select if you will be joining us for lunch by March 2.

There will also be a Seed Swap and giveaway at the homestead fair! Bring your favorites to exchange - or if you don’t have any, the Ag Program will be sharing some of its favorites!

The event is made possible through the Southern SARE Funding Education Grant. Those interested in attending should RSVP by visiting give.ntcc.edu/event/ntcc-ag-homestead-fair/ e563185.

For more information, contact McCracken at rmccracken@ntcc.edu or call 903-434-8267. To learn more about NTCC Ag, visit www.ntcc.edu/ ag or join their group on Facebook.