FAQ's
Education and Speaking
Do you do any sort of educational programs?
I'm available to speak about my experiences with food and farming. Before I came to the farm full-time, I spent 5 years as the Adult Education Coordinator for a family literacy agency. I've spoken in front of groups as small as five to audiences of a couple hundred and everything in between! I've also done interactive children's activities and am comfortable in front of an audience of any age, or mixed ages.
What kind of topics do you cover?
In the past I've done presentations on the following topics, all of which are about an hour in length:
Treasures From Our Grandparent's Gardens: Heirloom Seeds- This covers how we define heirloom plants and how they are different from modern hybrids and GMOs. I share stories of a few of my favorite heirlooms, address biodiversity of our food supply, and talk about how home gardeners can be part of the movement to preserve these historic varieties.
Heritage Breed Livestock: What They Are, Why They Matter, and Where to Find Them. This covers what heritage breed means, and why they are so endangered. I touch on small farm vs. industrial farming techniques, and what it means for the animals, as well as why biodiversity is important in our food supply. I showcase photos of the heritage breeds that call our farm home during the presentation.
Home Canning 101- I go over the basics of canning at home to talk the curious through the process. I talk about food safety, nutritional advantages, and bring some of my own equipment to show what a basic setup looks like!
Horse Farming 101- This talk and accompanying slideshow tells the story of how we farm with a mother-daughter team of Belgian draft horses using both modern horse farming implements as well as antique machinery. I touch on the sustainable aspects of horse farming as well as basic economics, things to think about before getting a team, and offer some resources we've found helpful.
Besides these topics, I'm happy to put together a presentation on a specific subject, tailored to your audience. I've done more informal presentations (shorter, without an accompanying slideshow) about what we do in general here on the farm, and how buying local at the farmer's market can be a healthy choice. I'm happy to speak on any subject I have real-world experience with, including (but not limited to) hatching chicks & raising poultry, seed starting and general gardening, cooking with whole ingredients, connecting with a farmer, and caring for livestock. I'm also happy to do a PowerPoint slideshow full of pictures from the farm to illustrate the subject, but I do require you have a projector.
What kind of speaking experience do you have?
I've done regional, national and local presentations. Locally, I've worked with the Tionesta Lions, the Penn State Extension offices in both Forest and Allegheny counties and also Titusville's United Way. I was a featured presenter at Pittsburgh's Farm to Table conference from 2010-2014 and was also at the Livestock Conservancy's national convention as a speaker in 2013. And in 2014 I shared experiences at the Pennsylvania Women's Agricultural Network's networking symposium.
When are you available?
I'm available to speak throughout the year. During the farm stand season (Memorial Day through the end of November) I am not available on Tuesdays or Saturdays, which are the days our farm is open to the public.
I'm available to speak about my experiences with food and farming. Before I came to the farm full-time, I spent 5 years as the Adult Education Coordinator for a family literacy agency. I've spoken in front of groups as small as five to audiences of a couple hundred and everything in between! I've also done interactive children's activities and am comfortable in front of an audience of any age, or mixed ages.
What kind of topics do you cover?
In the past I've done presentations on the following topics, all of which are about an hour in length:
Treasures From Our Grandparent's Gardens: Heirloom Seeds- This covers how we define heirloom plants and how they are different from modern hybrids and GMOs. I share stories of a few of my favorite heirlooms, address biodiversity of our food supply, and talk about how home gardeners can be part of the movement to preserve these historic varieties.
Heritage Breed Livestock: What They Are, Why They Matter, and Where to Find Them. This covers what heritage breed means, and why they are so endangered. I touch on small farm vs. industrial farming techniques, and what it means for the animals, as well as why biodiversity is important in our food supply. I showcase photos of the heritage breeds that call our farm home during the presentation.
Home Canning 101- I go over the basics of canning at home to talk the curious through the process. I talk about food safety, nutritional advantages, and bring some of my own equipment to show what a basic setup looks like!
Horse Farming 101- This talk and accompanying slideshow tells the story of how we farm with a mother-daughter team of Belgian draft horses using both modern horse farming implements as well as antique machinery. I touch on the sustainable aspects of horse farming as well as basic economics, things to think about before getting a team, and offer some resources we've found helpful.
Besides these topics, I'm happy to put together a presentation on a specific subject, tailored to your audience. I've done more informal presentations (shorter, without an accompanying slideshow) about what we do in general here on the farm, and how buying local at the farmer's market can be a healthy choice. I'm happy to speak on any subject I have real-world experience with, including (but not limited to) hatching chicks & raising poultry, seed starting and general gardening, cooking with whole ingredients, connecting with a farmer, and caring for livestock. I'm also happy to do a PowerPoint slideshow full of pictures from the farm to illustrate the subject, but I do require you have a projector.
What kind of speaking experience do you have?
I've done regional, national and local presentations. Locally, I've worked with the Tionesta Lions, the Penn State Extension offices in both Forest and Allegheny counties and also Titusville's United Way. I was a featured presenter at Pittsburgh's Farm to Table conference from 2010-2014 and was also at the Livestock Conservancy's national convention as a speaker in 2013. And in 2014 I shared experiences at the Pennsylvania Women's Agricultural Network's networking symposium.
When are you available?
I'm available to speak throughout the year. During the farm stand season (Memorial Day through the end of November) I am not available on Tuesdays or Saturdays, which are the days our farm is open to the public.
Legal Stuff
Copyright notice- ALL photos and writings are the property of Emily Stevenson & Pleasant Valley Farm. They may not be copied or used elsewhere without my written consent. That being said, I'm happy to grant that permission in the interest of spreading awareness about my passions- food & farming! So feel free to contact me, let me know about your project, and we'll go from there!
Privacy- we do not collect personal data unless you fill out a contact form. Then, we only get the information that you provide and use it solely to address your questions & concerns. Email is never shared with third parties, and you're not signing up for any kind of spam, just contact with a real person. Anonymous data is collected by Google Analytics & Google Webmaster to help us improve our site.
Privacy- we do not collect personal data unless you fill out a contact form. Then, we only get the information that you provide and use it solely to address your questions & concerns. Email is never shared with third parties, and you're not signing up for any kind of spam, just contact with a real person. Anonymous data is collected by Google Analytics & Google Webmaster to help us improve our site.