Woodstock CT Café

Workshop Agenda      6:30 p.m.        Registration & Light Refreshments                             Meet AGvocate pilot town representatives from:                Ashford, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Franklin, Sterling, Thompson       7:00 p.m.        AGvocate Pilot Program Overview                        Jennifer Kaufman, AGvocate Program Coordinator                            -  And pilot town representatives       7:20 p.m.          Municipal Tools for Agriculture                      –Ben Bowell, American Farmland Trust      8:00 p.m.               Refreshment Break      8:15 p.m.          Experiences & Resources                      –Joan Nichols, Connecticut Farm Bureau     8:40 p.m.           Questions & Discussion     9:00 p.m.                 Adjourn About the AGvocate Program  In 2009, the Town of Thompson was awarded a CT Department of Agriculture “Farm Viability Grant,” to establish an AGvocate Pilot Program in six towns.  Jennifer Kaufman, AGvocate, is working with municipal leaders, agricultural producers, and supportive citizens in the towns of Ashford, Brooklyn, Canterbury, Franklin, Sterling, and Thompson to implement tools and create action plans to help promote farm viability in their towns.  AGvocate Steering Committee:  Ben Bowell, American Farmland Trust • Lois Bruinooge, The Last Green Valley, Inc. • David Fuss, Town of Brooklyn • John Guszkowski, Eastern CT Resource Conservation and Development Area, Inc. • Rick Hermonot, Ekonk Hill Turkey Farm · Jennifer Kaufman, AGvocate Program • Kevin Kennedy, Town of Thompson • Joyce Meader, UConn Cooperative Extension • Dawn Pindell, Windham County Farm Service Agency • Norma O’Leary, The Last Green Valley Natural Resources & Agriculture Committee • Elizabeth Rogers, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service