Upcoming Webinar viewings at Mahaska County Extension
ISU Extension and Outreach -Mahaska County to host viewing of two exciting webinar series this winter/spring. To register to join the viewing at the Mahaska County Extension office- please call 641-673-5841 or email striegel@iastate.eduNorth Dakota State University Extension will host their Field to Fork webinar series starting begin Feb. 12. The webinars will be held online from 2 to 3 p.m. through May 7.
Experts from across the region will provide information about growing, preserving and preparing specialty-crop fruits and vegetables safely in this 10th annual webinar series.
Topics that will be covered:
Feb. 12: How to Start Your Own Flower and Vegetable Transplants Indoors — Don Kinzler, Extension horticulture agent, NDSU
Feb. 19: Anatomy of a Food Recall — Bryon Chaves, Extension associate professor, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Feb. 26: Growing Tips for Summer and Winter Squash — Tom Kalb, Extension horticulturist, NDSU
March 5: Let’s Preserve Salsa (Live Demonstration) — Julie Garden-Robinson, Extension food and nutrition specialist and professor, NDSU
March 12: The Science Behind Indoor Plant Lighting — Esther McGinnis, Extension horticulturist and associate professor, NDSU
March 19: Pickling Safety — Cindy Brison, Extension educator, University of Nebraska
March 26: Tips and Tricks for Vegetable Production — Susie Thompson, associate professor and potato breeder, NDSU
April 2: Plant Pathology 101: Common Plant Diseases — Sam Markell, professor and interim plant pathology department chair, NDSU
April 9: All About Alliums: Garlic, Green Onion, Dry Bulb Onion, Leeks and Shallots — Harlene Hatterman-Valenti, professor, NDSU
April 16: Ghosts in Your Gardens — Janet Knodel, Extension entomologist and professor, NDSU
April 30: Food Preservation Toolkit — Karen Blakeslee, Extension associate, Kansas State University
May 7: Healthy Soil, Healthy Food — Carlos Pires, Extension soil health specialist and assistant professor, NDSU
The webinars will be held on Zoom, are free of charge, and can be watched independent of the group viewing at the Mahaska county Extension office. Registration is required. Register on the Field to Fork website at ag.ndsu.edu/fieldtofork Participants will be sent reminder emails with the link. The webinars also will be archived for later viewing, but participating in the live webinar allows participants to interact with the presenter.
This series is an ongoing collaborative effort with the North Central Food Safety Extension Network which includes experts from NDSU and around the region. This project is made possible with funding from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service.
Additionally, The North Central Food Safety Extension Network will present a trio of webinars about food trends for entrepreneurs.
This free series is designed to answer questions from food entrepreneurs about food safety. Each webinar is from 11 a.m. to noon.
“Through the power and popularity of social media and farmers markets, some home chefs are choosing to use their skills to sell food items following the requirements in their states,” says Julie Garden-Robinson, NDSU professor and Extension food and nutrition specialist. “This webinar series is designed to provide information for food entrepreneurs to help them safely prepare foods for sale or home use.” The courses will be taught by experts around the region.
The first webinar, Best Practices for Food Entrepreneurs, will be held on Jan. 28. The speakers are Garden-Robinson and Karen Blakeslee, Extension associate.
The second webinar, Freeze Drying Foods: Science, Safety, and Cottage Industry, will be held on Feb. 4. This session will cover the science and food safety aspects involved in producers freeze-drying foods for sale to consumers. Mary-Grace Danao, research associate professor at University of Nebraska – Lincoln’s Food Processing Center, will speak.
The final webinar, Sourdough Starters: Care, Safety, and Preservation, will be held on Feb. 11. Caitlin Clark, a food scientist at Colorado State University Spur, will speak. This course will cover the basics of sourdough, its makeup and benefits and how to stay safe when preparing and preserving it.
These webinars can be viewed independent of the viewing at the Mahaska County Extension office. To register to view any of the webinars on your own at https://iastate.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_25HYHfTvilNyage. Registrants will be emailed a Zoom link to participate.
Read the NDSU Extension publication “Food Safety Best Practices for Local Food Entrepreneurs” for more information about preparing food for sale.