Cross-pollination of ideas is a good thing. Anyone who produces, grows, shows or interacts with the public wears many hats. Each is not only a business person, but also functions as educator as the gap continues to grows between a consumer population and those who juggle weather conditions, livestock and/or land, feed, fencing, housing, to bookkeeping, taxes, marketing, transportation – not to mention their own family.

While there is no agritourism-specific gathering in Connecticut, the largest food and farming conference in the state is the annual CT NOFA Winter Conference at Western CT State University in Danbury is Saturday, March 12 and Sunday, March 13. Featuring an incredible amount of workshops, speakers, information, resources, there is also the opportunity for networking with seasoned business owners and farmers. New this year – a scion/seed swap; farmer meet and greet; second conference day on Sunday. Fee is $60 for Saturday; $50 Sunday; $110 both days. (Become a member and there is a discount. A limited amount of scholarships also available; see this link for an application.)

Here is a snapshot of just one offering – The City that Feeds Itself – Sustainable Agriculture for Rising Urbanization: “Urbanization will rise to more than 70 percent of global populations by 2025 (according to the World Health Organization). Since 2012, urbanization has destroyed more than 40 million acres of farmland. Presenter is Spencer Curry, cofounder and CEO of FRESH Farm Aquaponics. Since starting his company with an old friend, Spencer and his team become the most experienced and prolific aquaponic farmers (aquapioneers) in the Northeast region of the U.S., with experience in systems of all shapes, sizes, and types.

Keynote is The Intervale Center and the Vermont Food System with Travis Marcotte, who was born into a family of dairy farmers and has dedicated more than 20 years to sustainable food system development. The Intervale Center is a nationally recognized nonprofit that strengthens community food systems in Vermont and beyond – and manages 350 acres of land within Burlington city limits.

Connecticut's Shellfish Heritage will be presented by Tessa Getchis. Learn about the recreational and commercial shellfisheries of in the Nutmeg state, the farmers and fishermen who work the waters, and the many ecological benefits that wild shellfish provide. Getchis is an aquaculture extension specialist with Connecticut Sea Grant and UConn Extension programs, with a focus on commercial and recreational shellfisheries.

Do It Yourself Plant Breeding workshop with Dr. Bryan Connolly, will cover cross compatibility, hand pollination, selection and stabilization. Connolly is an assistant professor of biology at Framingham State University, where he teaches classes on plant taxonomy, botanical diversity, and plants and society. He has written two books on seed saving and plant breeding. He and his wife also run Cobblestone Farm CSA in Mansfield, Conn.

Bill Duesing, founder of CT NOFA, will talk about the numerous challenges for local, organic food systems, current policy issues, both local and federal, and how you can help – from his perspective of more than 40 years of work with people, government, education in the region.

The Whys and Hows of Electric Fencing presented by Craig Haney will illustrate how to configure a fence to effectively – to contain livestock or exclude wild animals. Haney will discuss common electric fencing mistakes, focusing on temporary electric fencing used for rotational paddocks. As director of the Growing Farmers Initiative at Stone Barns Center (SBC) in Westchester County, New York, he not only started the animal husbandry program at SBC in 2004, but also has for 12 years managed a pasture rotation that included sheep, goats, geese, turkeys, beef cattle, meat and laying chickens and swine.

For a complete listing (worm composting, raising goats, land issues, bee keeping, dairy, producing meat, day-to-day issues and so much more) see this link to CT NOFA's site. Co-sponsored by Western Connecticut State University and its Jane Goodall Center for Excellence in Environmental Studies, the program is a cooperative effort of CT NOFA, UConn Extension, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture, and the Risk Management Agency/USDA.

Agritourism is the focus of an all-day conference on Tuesday, March 8, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Ithaca, New York. From how-to nuts and bolts of a pick-your-own operation to retail sales, pumpkin displays, education, food tasting events, tours, overnight stays – real-life experiences will be front and center at this Cornell Cooperative Extension Tompkins County event. Geared for farmers and rural landowners who have or are considering development of their enterprise as an agritourism destination. Farmers will hear great stories and take home many ideas to consider. Follow up consulting is available to start or grow as an agritourism venture. To register, visit this link to the official site. Fee $40 fee (includes breakfast, lunch, materials). Pre-registration is requested by March 1; space is limited.

Applications are due March 15 for the SARE/NACAA Sustainable Agriculture Fellows program. This is an opportunity that enhances understanding of sustainable agriculture and provides broad-based, national exposure to successful and unique sustainable agriculture programs. A series of seminars exposes the fellows to sustainable farming and ranching systems, with a focus on basic sustainable agriculture strategies and how they work in the field. Fellows also visit selected farms and ranches. For eligibility requirements, information and application guidelines, visit http://www.nacaa.com/awards/sare_seminar.php.

Interviewers representing the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) will spend the next several months visiting farms and ranches across the nation as the agency conducts the last phase of its 2015 Agricultural Resource Management Survey (ARMS).

By the way, NASS is the federal statistical agency responsible for producing official data about U.S. agriculture and is committed to providing timely, accurate and useful statistics in service to U.S. agriculture.

“ARMS provides us with an accurate, solid baseline for U.S. farm and farm household income, production expenses, field-level production practices, and other key farm financial information,” said Joseph Reilly, NASS administrator. “The information farmers provide in ARMS is what helps us ensure that our analyses and forecasts remain accurate, reflect current shape of the U.S. agriculture, and therefore can help USDA and other policymakers make accurate decisions.”

NASS interviewers, often current or former farmers and ranchers themselves, will visit and help producers who have not mailed their form yet complete the survey questions. Respondents can return their forms by mail or complete the survey online at www.agcounts.usda.gov.

For information about the 2015 Agricultural Resource Management Survey visit www.usa.gov.