Workshops explore livestock harvesting, marketing

Livestock harvesting and marketing workshops will be held in north and south Louisiana for county agents, agriculture professionals, and livestock producers across the state.   These are important topics to ensure compliance with regulations as more farmers transition to home  harvest, processing and marketing of  meat from their grass fed cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and chickens.

Workshop speakers will present:

§  “Meat Inspection: Compliance with the Regulations” by Jim Jenkins, Program Manager, Meat and Poultry Inspection, Office of Animal Health and Food Safety, Louisiana  Department of Agriculture & Forestry

§  “Identifying and Utilizing Non-traditional Markets for Meat” by Stuart Gardener, Natural Resources Conservation Service, USDA

§  “What the End User Wants” by Louisiana Chef Bobby Williams

§  “Further Processing/Added Value/Ethnic Markets” by YaSin Muhaimin, Louisiana producer

A workshop will be held in north Louisiana on Tuesday, April 6, at the LSU Calhoun Research Station on 321 Hwy. 80 East in Calhoun. The workshop will be repeated April 14 at the LSU/SU Breaux Bridge Extension Office at 114 Courthouse Street in Breaux Bridge.

The workshop is free but pre-registration is required. Contact James McNitt at james_mcnitt@suagcenter.com, or (225) 771-2262 x 270, Carl Motsenbocker at cmotsenbocker@agcenter.lsu.edu or (225) 578-1036, or Natalie Levy NLevy@agcenter.lsu.edu or (225) 578-1037 for more information or to register.

The workshop is sponsored by the Louisiana Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Professional Development Program, LSU AgCenter, and SU AgCenter. 

Connecting Businesses with Contracts Procurement Conference

Small business owners and contractors are invited to participate in the Sixth Annual Connecting Businesses with Contracts Procurement Conference, March 23, 2010, at the Southern University Smith Brown Memorial Student Union in Baton Rouge.

The conference continues to bring together potential and existing contractors, entrepreneurs and government agencies in position for business match making. Small enterprises are provided an opportunity to meet contracting officers and purchasing agents.

Attendees will receive information on the new Disadvantaged business Enterprise American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Bonding Assistance Reimbursable Fee Program, as well as SBA’s Surety Bond Guarantee Program which can now be guaranteed for up to $5 million. GSA federal supply schedules and USDA food commodity contracting opportunities will be explained. According to organizers, conference participants will also gain a sure-fire plan to finally become proactive in marketing their businesses.

Representatives from the Louisiana Office of State Purchasing will answer questions from individuals on programs like the Hudson and Veteran initiatives, which help small businesses contract with State offices.

The conference is hosted by the Southern University Ag Center, the Center for Rural and Small Business Development, Louisiana Small Business Development Centers in Baton Rouge and Lafayette, the U.S. Small Business Administration, Louisiana Procurement Technical Assistance Center, and the Louisiana Economic Development Corporation.

Registrations forms are available online at http://www.crsbd.com/events/ and be faxed to (337) 482-5837 or e-mailed to prs6182@louisiana.edu.   All registrations must be received by March 18. For more information, call the Small Business Administration at (504) 589-6688.

For more information, contact Gloria London, director, Center for Rural and Small Business Development, or Eual Hall, business development specialist, at (225) 771-2242.