JAMESTOWN — Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agri-culture Program will offer three workshops next week as part of their 2016-2017 L.E.A.F. (Learn. Empower. Achieve. Farm.) Workshop Series. On Nov. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Frank Bratt Agricultural Center there will be a workshop entitled “Introduction to Meat and Dairy Goats.” On Nov. 10 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ag Center, there will be a workshop on “Soil Properties and Soil Health.” Then, on Nov. 12, there will be a workshop on “Raising Poultry for Egg Production” from 10 a.m. to noon, also at the Ag Center.

The “Introduction to Meat and Dairy Goats” workshop to be held Nov. 8 from 6 to 8 p.m. will cover the care, basic nutrition, common diseases, and marketing outlets for goat products of the most common breeds in the U.S. — a perfect workshop for the homesteader or beginning farmer interested in raising goats. Kate Ewer, a crazy goat lady whose love for goats began as a 4-H youth fifteen years ago, will lead this workshop. She has experience with dairy, meat, and working goats and now keeps a few Boer Does for a hobby. She’s currently the 4-H Community Educator with CCE-Chautauqua.

“Soil Properties and Soil Health” will be Nov. 10’s workshop topic from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ag Center. Participants will have the opportunity to learn how to inventory the soils on their property, use a soil survey to determine the suitability of their soils for various cropping programs, and how to use crop rotations, cover crops, and the application of organic materials to build a healthy soil. Participants will receive a copy of the Chau-tauqua County Soil Survey. Leading this workshop will be Robert (Rob) Halbohm, the Water Quality Tech-nician with the Chautauqua County Soil & Water Con-servation District. He retired from the USDA-Natural Re-sources Conservation Ser-vice two years ago, after working for 35 years in the field of assisting landowners in the development and implementation of conservation plans to protect their natural resources and maintain a profitable farm operation. He works on the Dis-trict’s Agricultural Environ-mental Management program.

A workshop entitled “Raising Poultry for Egg Production” will be held Nov. 12 from 10 a.m. to noon. Backyard Chickens are a popular way to get started with homesteading and farming! In this workshop participants will have the opportunity to learn about raising egg-layers from baby chick to productive adult including information on housing and supplies, nutrition, breed selection, chick care, pest control, and marketing. There will also be a discussion on regulations and labelling requirements for sales of farm-fresh eggs.

The instructor will be Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Farm Business Management educator and “Chicken Lady” with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County, who has had many years of experience raising poultry for egg production.

The L.E.A.F. Workshop Series is open to the general public, including homesteaders, beginning farmers, established farmers looking to diversify and grow, agriculture enthusiasts, and everyone in between! The 2016-2017 Workshop Series will feature 23 workshops to be held in October and November of 2016 and February of 2017. This season’s L.E.A.F. Program is made possible through the generous support of the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.

Each workshop will be two hours long and led by an experienced instructor. The cost to attend is $5/family/workshop. Light refreshments will be offered. The workshops are designed to be interactive, so participants are encouraged to bring their questions and ideas to this collaborative environment! All of the workshops will be held at the Bratt Agricultural Center. 3542 Turner Road in Jamestown.

Pre-registration is required prior to the workshop to allow for adequate time to prepare resources and materials. Interested participants can register online by visiting www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua/leaf1617, by emailing kaw249@cornell.edu, or by calling 664-9502.

The L.E.A.F. Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County in line with the County’s 20/20 Comprehensive Plan. CCE-Chautauqua is a community-based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture.

For more information, call 664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua.  Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

Katelyn Walley-Stoll is the Farm Business Management Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County.