11/4 Cultivating Success™: Whole Farm Planning – Thurston County

Cultivating Success™: Whole Farm Planning

(Sustainable Small Farming & Ranching)

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Thurston County Offering – Wednesdays, 6:00pm to 8:30pm

Depending on COVID-19 circumstances, real-time instruction may be online. We will inform you of the class arrangements prior to the start date.

Whole Farm Production Planning will provide practical information about ecologically-based, diversified production systems, and alternative marketing techniques. Developing a “whole farm” plan means studying all aspects of the production system from soil fertility to crops, livestock, pest management, resource planning, family planning, sustainability concepts, equipment and other topics. Students will gain knowledge of the practical aspects of sustainable agriculture for a wide variety of enterprises. The course involves guest lectures from local farmers, field trips, as well as classroom instruction. Students will develop a whole farm plan during the class.

Partners may enroll for an additional $50. Call our registration line at 360-709-2020 to enroll as an additional person. Please have your full-pay partner information ready so our registration team can verify their enrollment.

All veterans are eligible to receive a full scholarship for this course through the WA Veteran Farmer Coalition. For more information please contact Stephen Bramwell at 360-790-9308.

For more information about this class, please visit WSU Thurston County Extension website or call Sierra Smith at 360-515-0662.

Meet the Instructors

Stephen Bramwell is the Thurston County Extension Director and county agriculture extension agent. He graduated from Washington State University with an MS Soil Science. His areas of work include soil fertility, market development for local agriculture, new farmer training, and on-farm conservation. Stephen has worked in agriculture, horticulture and environmental science at WSU, The Evergreen State College, Centralia College and South Puget Sound Community College. Prior to attending WSU, Stephen earned a degree in International Studies from the University of Washington and farmed for several years on diversified vegetable and livestock operations. Stephen has lived in Thurston County since 2009 with his wife and 6-year old daughter, where they grow a large garden and keep a small flock of laying hens.

Sierra Smith is the agriculture educator for the Thurston County Extension. He has owned and managed diversified vegetable farms, native seed farms, and he currently owns Sapsucker Farm and Consulting, which produces regenerative and carbon-negative meats. Sierra has many years working within the ecological restoration community in the South Sound and previously was a botanist for the National Park Service. Sierra also has a history in ornamental horticulture and has run nurseries and worked in several botanic gardens. Sierra received his Master’s degree from the University of Washington’s Center for Urban Horticulture.

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