Don’t miss these items in local food and agriculture news from around our region:
WATCH RI PBS COMMUNITY CONVERSATIONS PANEL ABOUT MODERN FARMING
The Rhode Island Foundation and Rhode Island Monthly present the latest edition in the Rhode Island PBS Community Conversations series, Modern Farming in Rhode Island. Host Mario Hilario will moderate a TV discussion with a broad range of guests, as they and the studio audience explore options and the creative responses from farmers, advocates and state and community leaders. Watch the panel discussion on Friday, December 21 at 8 p.m. on Rhode Island PBS.
Panelists include Jamie Coelho, associate editor of Rhode Island Monthly, who will discuss the story; Ken Ayars, Chief of the Division of Agriculture, RI DEM; Katie Steere, owner of livestock farm, Deep Roots Farm; Mike Hallock, CEO of RI Mushroom Company; and Sarah Turkus, organizer of the Young Farmer Network of Southeastern New England and Manager at Sidewalk Ends Farm and Osamequin Farm.
URI FREE SEED PROGRAM — ACT FAST! ORDER FORMS MUST BE SUBMITTED BY JANUARY 18, 2019.
URI Cooperative Extension is delighted to announce our annual URI Free Seed Program (#URIFreeSeeds) is back! This year, we have a whopping 440,000 seed packets to give away! Vegetable, flower and herb seed packets are available to nonprofits (e.g. schools, libraries, community and youth groups, 4-H clubs, community gardens, Boy Scout and Girl Scout troops) and individuals (e.g. farmers, in-home service providers) throughout the continental United States! We might be able to get you more than 500 seed packets if you can help us distribute them through any of your events/programs!
The URI Free Seed Program is made possible annually through the generous donation of expired, unsold seed packets from Ocean State Job Lot stores throughout the northeast. Lucky for us, the seeds are still viable with just a slightly lower germination rate for some varieties.
Visit our website for the downloadable order form (required to receive seeds), FAQs and resources for growing your own food at: uri.edu/mastergardener/freeseeds
