CANTON - Cornell Cooperative Extension and North Country Pastured, LLC will host educational events March 18 and April 15 for those interested in supplying local demand for poultry.

North Country Pastured has received funding from the North Country Economic Development Project to operate a USDA-approved mobile poultry processing unit in Northern New York. The unit will be certified for organic, humanely-treated, and animal welfare-approved processing of chickens, ducks, turkeys, and pheasants.

A 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. workshop Sunday, March 18 at the Cornell Cooperative Extension St. Lawrence County Extension Learning Farm in Canton, will feature Peter McDonald of McDonald Family Farm. McDonald operates a 220-acre pasture-based, multi-species, multi-generational family farming venture in New York’s Finger Lakes region.

McDonald will discuss the different breeds of chickens, housing styles, marketing techniques, equipment and other types of poultry. He frequently shares his experience with developing a successful model for what he calls clean food production. The March 18th workshop fee is $15; pre-registration is required: call CCE St. Lawrence at 379-9192 or email bmf9@cornell.edu.

The Sunday, April 15 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. workshop at the Cornell Cooperative Extension St. Lawrence County Extension Learning Farm in Canton will focus hands-on on building chicken housing from A-frames and hoop houses to “chicken tractors” and transport crates.

The items built at the rain-or-shine workshop will be raffled off at the end of the day. Organizers advise participants to come dressed to work with building tools.

The April 15 workshop fee is $15; pre-registration is required: call CCE St. Lawrence at 379-9192 or email bmf9@cornell.edu.