DAVIS, California, Oct. 20, 2015 /PRNewswire-HISPANIC PR WIRE/ — The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) has teamed up with the USDA to host a first-of-its-kind conference in Spanish tailored for Spanish-speaking farmers and ranchers statewide. The Growing Together conference will be held Nov. 3, 2015, in Fresno, Calif.
“Hispanic farmers and ranchers are a dynamic growing demographic in California, and this conference aims to help Spanish-speaking farmers share, learn and grow in their native language,” said Carlos Suarez, NRCS state conservationist.
The conference is open to all farmers and ranchers, yet is uniquely tailored towards Spanish speaking growers. The program will be translated into English, with translation headsets. Conducting the conference in Spanish will provide an enriched learning experience.
The conference will be held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Radisson Conference Center, located at 1055 Van Ness Avenue, Fresno, Calif., 93721. The conference is free to all attendees and will include breakfast, lunch and light dinner appetizers. Please contact Victor Hernandez at (530) 792-5628 or Thea Rittenhouse (530) 792-7338 with any questions pertaining to the conference.
Attendees must register in advance, as space is limited. Please visit www.latinofarmerconference.ncat.org to register.
Five different workshops will follow an opening keynote address. The courses will be held in three 90-minute blocks. This allows each attendee to choose three different subjects of interest throughout the day. The workshops are: Access to Financing and USDA Resources; Managing Nitrogen Levels and Soil Health; Efficient Use of Water; Managing Good Bugs, Bad Bugs and Weeds; and Marketing. The conference will conclude with a farmer panel and an evening networking reception.
NCAT, a nonprofit, has been promoting sustainable living for over 35 years. In recent years, their agriculture work has focused on small-scale intensive farming, urban farming, and local foods; assistance to small farmers and beginning and new farmers.
The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is the lead USDA partner in this conference. NRCS has provided leadership in a partnership effort to help America’s private landowners and managers conserve their soil, water and other natural resources since 1935. For more information on NRCS, visit www.nrcs.usda.gov.
CONTACT: Victor Hernandez (530) 792-5628
Thea Rittenhouse (530) 792-7338
