2010 Country Living Expo

Straight from our inbox to you:

The 2010 Country Living Expo & Cattlemen’s Winterschool will offer something for everyone, with more than 135 class offerings to choose from.

Classes will cover a broad range of topics, ranging from how to raise honeybees, design a drip irrigation system for your yard, prune your fruit trees, to learning the palatability control points for raising grass-fed livestock. Other popular classes will cover raising a variety of livestock, selecting the right tractor, tapping into renewable energy sources, making cheese, and spinning fiber.

The 2010 Country Living Expo & Cattlemen’s Winterschool will be held on Saturday, Jan. 30, from 7:30 am to 5:00 pm, at Stanwood High School, 7400 272nd Street N.W. in Stanwood.

According to Joan DeVries, Livestock Advisor Program Coordinator with Washington State University Skagit County Extension, last year’s Country Living Expo attracted more than 800 participants.

“This is a very popular event and it’s not just for small-scale farmers and ranchers, it has got something of interest for anyone interested in learning skills associated with country living, including the urban backyard gardener,” she said. “Given the popularity of the event, we encourage people to register early.”

Early registration is available until Dec. 31. The cost is $50 per person and includes a selection of five class sessions from the more than 135 offerings, a smoked prime rib lunch and an all-day trade show. After Dec. 31 the cost will be $55 per person.

Thanks to Northwest Farm Credit Services and the Snohomish County Farm Bureau, the first 125 youth to sign up will receive free registration.

Details, including the day’s full schedule, a listing and description of classes, registration information and access to online registration are available at http://skagit.wsu.edu/CountryLivingExpo/.

Events sponsors, small farm vendors and non-profits are welcome to part of the trade show. For more information contact Program Coordinator, Joan DeVries 428-4270, ext. 240.