- Betsy Busche
What Do You Do in the Winter?
My answer to this question is alway "Clean my fridge." The mystique around flower farming is that we have nothing to do in the winter. But really we are still working in January. It's conference season, which is great for personal enrichments but also connecting with our flower community. I figured out this year that I will never take the time to sew anything in the fall so if I want stockings available for the Christmas season, I must make them now. Plus our gardens do not miraculously emerge in the spring, we do need to plan, and shop.
So excited to be a part of this amazing group of speakers on the cut flower growing track at the 2021 Catskill Regional Agriculture Conference. It's free and online! January 11th-16th. Register here!

The Flower Track:
Michael Wells from Harris Seeds in Rochester
How to Choose the Best Flowers for Your Farm
January 12 at 1:30 pm
Lisa Dean from Floral Root in Canajoharie
Building Relationships with Local Florists
January 13 at 1:30 pm
Kenyon and Kerry Parsons from Parsons Vegetable Farm in Sharon Springs
Look Over at the Pretty! Adding Flowers to a Farm Stand
January 14 at 1:30 pm
Betsy Busche from Spongetta's Garden in West Winfield
Crop Planning for Market Bouquets
January 15 at 1:30 pm
Sponsored by Watershed Agricultural Council and Cornell Cooperative Extension of Delaware County

There are so many more sessions covering dairy, livestock, grazing, fruits and vegetables and pricing! Check out the full schedule below.
Monday, January 11 Dairy Day
Managing Wild Yeast and Molds in Silage Preservation
Dr. Limin Kung
Heifer Growth Impact on Subsequent Performance
Dr Julio Giordano
Cost of Raising Dairy Replacements: an Updated Look
Jason Karzses
Tuesday, January 12
Matching Vegetable Breeds with Production Goals
Dr. Michael Mazourek
How to Choose the Best Cut Flower Varieties for Your Farms
Michael Wells, Harris Seed
Improving Herd Genetics for Higher Quality Beef
Rich Brown
Wednesday, January 13
Take the Guesswork Out of Product Pricing
Mariane Kiraly
So, You Want to Grow Apples? Guide to Site Selection, Site Prep, and Pest Management
Michael Basedow
Building Relationships with Local Florists
Lisa Dean, Floral Root
Grazing Tips and Tricks
Meg Greski
Thursday, January 14
High Tunnel Vegetable Rotations and Fertility Considerations
Judson Reid
Managing Growing Cattle During the Winter Feed Period
Tara Felix
Look Over at the Pretty! Adding a Flowers to a Roadside Stand
Kenyon Parsons, Parsons Vegetable Farm
Pasture Remediation &the Do’s and Don’ts of High Density Grazing
Meg Greski
Friday, January 15
Beekeeping for Beginners
Christina Mitchell
Vegetable Weed Management Using IPM
Bryan Brown
Crop Planning for Market Bouquets
Betsy Busche
Saturday January 16
Keys to Achieving Top Finish for Beef on Grass
Rod Ofte
More Pasture and Fewer Inputs
Russ Wilson