News from NOFA/Massachusetts
Currently NOFA Mass has two e-newsletters.
- News from NOFA Massachusetts (1 message per month)
This free e-newsletter keeps people up-to-date on local events and action alerts about matters of interest to the organic community.
- NOFA/Mass Update on NAIS (2-3 message per month)
This free e-newsletter provides timely news about the ongoing efforts in Massachusetts to stop the National Animal Identification System.
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Latest Issue
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November 2008
NOFA/MASS NEWS BYTES November 2008
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Dear David,
WELCOME TO NOFA/MASS NEWS BYTES!
This monthly e-mail newsletter will keep you
informed about NOFA/Mass news, local events,
action alerts and other issues of interest to
the organic community. The purpose of the
e-newsletter is to inform NOFA/Mass members
and others on these matters in a more timely
way than is possible for the NOFA/Mass News,
our longstanding print newsletter.
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NOTES FROM JULIE
Julie Rawson Executive Director
What I have learned this year on the
farm
A few years ago I did a reading with a friend
who has real strengths in that realm. One of
her pieces of advice was that I spend more
time with my plants and learn from them. At
the time I filed this information but was at
a loss for exactly how it impacted me. I am
in the middle of "In Defense of Food" right
now, by Michael Pollan. He keeps reminding
his readers of the power of food,
particularly plants, and plants in all of
their diversity.
Of course I have been eating essentially off
of our farm for many years, and work to help
bring along our CSA shareholders, especially
the new ones, who struggle to use the many
new vegetable foods that they encounter each
week in their bags - things like kale, mizuna
and collards, . What I have come to realize,
if only rudimentarily this year, is the key
to health is really in my back yard and
fields. I have begun to go a little deeper to
appreciate the gifts of dandelion, nettle
(this one has changed my life this year),
garlic, parsley, cilantro, purslane, lamb's
quarters, rhubarb, elderberry and many other
friends who weren't a real part of my
consciousness growing up.
We are all on a continuum of knowledge and
use of that knowledge. In NOFA it is our
charge to share that knowledge with others.
As we dive deeply into the "Local Organic"
movement, we must up our level of teaching to
our customers, neighbors and families, as we
continue to educate ourselves, about how to
live sustainably off of our land that we have
been given here in Massachusetts . The folks
who lived here before us, if not the
Europeans, held all this knowledge. What an
exciting task to relearn and share this with
our 21st century culture. Watch out burdock,
fiddleheads, here I come!
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NOFA/MASS NEWS
Outreach News
Sharon Gensler
Outreach Program Coordinator and Western Mass
Outreach
Outreach is busy as usual educating the
membership and the general public at events
and conferences around the state. Don't
forget to let us know of anything near you
that we should attend or to which you'd like
to volunteer to represent us.
Our Southeastern Regional Outreacher, Frank
Albani, has resigned his position. I'd like
to thank Frank for all of his good work
representing NOFA and organics. I know it'll
be hard but we need to fill his shoes, so if
you are interested, please read the job
description below and give me a call.
NOFA /Mass's outreach program is an
educational arm of the organization which
interfaces with the public. Outreach
coordinators and volunteers attend fairs,
festivals, conferences, farmer's markets, and
similar venues to talk with members and
non-members about NOFA's ideals and programs.
The state has been divided into two regions:
eastern and western in order to facilitate
this work.
Regional Outreach Staff Person will spread
the word about NOFA/MASS at public events in
Southeastern and Central Massachusetts. The
position is under the general supervision of
the Outreach Coordinator and with the Eastern
Regional Coordinator, however, much of the
job is flexible and self-motivated.
Duties would include:
- Identify public occasions
appropriate for spreading the NOFA/MASS
message
- Represent NOFA/Mass, or find member
volunteers willing to represent us at such
occasions
- Maintain a supply of literature and
display materials for distribution at such
events
- Maintain sale items and be
responsible for any related income from sales
- Work with the Coordinator to
develop goals and objectives, annual budget
and to enlist and train volunteers
- Identify public places at which to
distribute NOFA literature and coordinate
delivery to such places
- Provide regular reports on this work
to the Coordinator
- Attend one major NOFA event each
year
Qualifications:
- Outgoing, friendly personality
- Enjoy public speaking
- Knowledgeable about NOFA/MASS and
its programs
- Able to work on weekends and
evenings when required
- Organized
- NOFA/MASS membership
180 hours @$11 per hour or a total of $2,000
per year plus expenses. To apply send a
letter of interest, resume and three
references to Sharon Gensler @ wildbrowse@yahoo.com
or NOFA/MASS Outreach, Sharon Gensler 87
Bullard Pasture Rd. Wendell, Ma 01379. If
you have questions please call Sharon Gensler
978-544-6347- before 9pm
More info
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Let's Talk Turf: Organic Lawns
Wednesday, January 28th, 2009 (snow date
January 29)
1pm-3.30pm
Doyle Conservation Center,
464 Abbott Ave., Leominster, Ma
NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care
Professionals Chip Osborne and Bernadette
Giblin will come together to host "Let's Talk
Turf: Organic Lawns". This workshop is
co-sponsored by the Ecological Landscaping
Association (ELA) and the Northeast Organic
Farming Association (NOFA)'s Organic Land
Care Program.
During this workshop, Osborne and Giblin will
discuss what organic lawns entail in terms of
installation, maintenance and management,
transitioning from conventional to organic
lawns, what organic can and can't do, how to
sell organic to a client/meeting
expectations, realistic costs of organic.
They will also share successes and failures
they've experienced in the industry. The
presentations will be followed by 60 minutes
of Q&A and information sharing by all in
attendance. Don't miss this great interactive
opportunity! Come and share your own
successes and failures and learn from each
other! Refreshments will be served.
"Let's Talk Turf: Organic Lawns" costs $25
for ELA members and NOFA AOLCPs;
$35 for non-members; and is appropriate for
professionals in the field. Continuing
education credits for ALCM, MNLA and MA
pesticide credits have been requested; the
course is eligible for AOLCP re-accreditation
credits.
To register: call (617) 436-5838 or send your
check to ELA, 1257 Worcester Rd., Framingham,
MA 01701. Walk-ins are welcome. For more
information or a registration form, call
Kathy Sargent-O'Neill at (508) 759-5177 of
ELA (or email ksoland@verizon.net),
or Kathy Litchfield, at (413) 773-3830 of
NOFA (or email kathylitch29@yahoo.com).
Or, visit www.ecolandscaping.org
or www.organiclandcare.net.
More info...
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8th Annual NOFA 5-day Accreditation Course in Organic Land Care
January 14, 15, 16, 20 and 21, 2009
Doyle Conservation Center, 464 Abbott Avenue,
Leominster, MA.
This 5-day intensive course trains and
accredits professionals to practice organic
land care (caring for land without the use of
synthetic pesticides or soil amendments). It
is recommended for landscapers, designers,
municipal and parks employees,
horticulturists, master gardeners and
entrepreneurs. Visit www.organiclandcare.net
for more information or call Kathy Litchfield
at (413) 773-3830 or email: kathylitch29@yahoo.com
Find out more
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NOFA/Mass 22nd Annual Winter Conference
Organic Farming: The Roots of a
Sustainable Community
Saturday, January 17th, 2009
Worcester Vocational Technical High School
Skyline Drive, Worcester, Ma
Eliot Coleman Keynote: "Small Growers are the
Soul of Organics"
Eliot Coleman all-day intensive workshop on
Four-Season Growing
Other workshops may be added but those
confirmed to date include:-
1) Soil Fertility
2) Planning your Garden
3) Pest/disease Control in Vegetable Garden
4) Organic Gardening 101
5) Growing Sweet Potatoes
6) Strawberry Production
7) Raw Milk and its Benefits
8) Raw Milk Panel Discussion
9) Regulations around Value added Dairy
Processing
10) The Family Cow
11) Sustainable Nursery Management in a
Changing Climate
12) Container and Small Space Gardening
13) Pastured poultry
14) Raising Pigs
15) Root cellars
16) Crop Planning/Record Keeping for Farms
17) Farm leases and leasing
18) A Paradigm Shift: Concepts Necessary for
the Production of Nutrient Dense Crops, and
their potential
19) Nutrient Dense Crop Production: A How To
20) Carbon - Confronting Climate Change
21) Successful CSA
22) Income and Tax Issues for Farmers
23) Growing and Using Culinary Herbs
27) Optimal Winter Storage for Production
Agriculture
28) Bee workshop
29) Continuing The Organic Legacy: Farm
Transfer and Succession for Retiring and
Entering Farmers
30) Growing Greens
31) Growing Potatoes
32) Grants for Farmers - SARE, Farm
Viability, MFEP
33) Community Farm tracks 1, 2,&3
36) Building Community Gardens
37) Organic Lawns
38) Bread Making
Registration is open (online registration
available in December)
$50 per person with discounts available (does
not include Coleman workshop)
$100 for Eliot Coleman's Four Season Growing
Workshop (includes general conference admission)
For complete conference details visit www.nofamass.org/conferences/w2009/index.php
or contact Jassy Bratko, Conference
Coordinator at jassy.bratko@nofamass.org
or 978-928-5646
Read More....
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NOFA 2009 SUMMER CONFERENCE
Immediate Call for Workshop Presenters
Are you interested in presenting a workshop
at the 2009 NOFA Summer Conference? Each
year, the NOFA Summer Conference provides a
valuable opportunity for farmers, gardeners,
homesteaders, educators, and
environmentalists to share resources and
ideas in order to grow a vibrant organic
community.
We are looking for knowledgeable and
enthusiastic presenters to offer workshops in
a wide variety of categories, from beginner
level to advanced. The workshop length is 90
minutes. The categories have included: the
Environment; Animals; Crops; Farming and the
Community; Cooking and Food Preparation;
Fruits, Nuts, and Trees; Garden and
Greenhouse; Herbs and Flowers; Nutrition and
Healthcare; Of the Spirit; Practical Skills;
Soil and Fertility; Weeds, Insects and Farm
Tours. Examples of current workshops are
animal origami, shelter building, music and
movement, juggling, board games, yoga,
mural-making, and racing turtles.
The 2009 NOFA Summer Conference will be held
at the University of Massachusetts in
Amherst, MA. Workshop presenters receive free
conference registration and a $50 honorarium.
ALSO needed are Teachers. Each teacher will
be assigned a group of children, (who are
grouped by age), and will remain with this
group as they attend the workshops during the
weekend. Teachers are paid $11.00 per hour
for approximately 30 hours and are provided
with a dorm room and one meal for the
weekend.
If you would like to participate, please
contact Valerie Walton at (978) 689-0716 or
aallspice@aol.com.
ASAP
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REGIONAL OPPORTUNITIES
Your Input is Needed!
Recent contamination outbreaks for tomatoes
and spinach have raised concerns about the
safety of fresh produce. As a grower, you,
too, may be receiving pressure from buyers
about the safety of your produce. To address
this issue, UMass Extension and the UMass
Department of Nutrition, with funding from
the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural
Resources (MDAR), have teamed up to implement
a Good Agricultural Practices (GAP)
certification program for fruit and vegetable
growers in Massachusetts. To achieve this
goal, your help is needed. We will be doing a
survey to assess your thinking about fresh
produce safety. We hope you will take the 15
minutes or so to complete it. The results
from this survey will direct the designing of
a GAP food safety program that meets the
needs of Massachusetts fruit and vegetable
growers like you.
If you do not receive a copy by the 24th of
November, 2008 and are interested, please
contact David Nyachuba at 413-545-0552 or
email him at dgn@nutrition.umass.edu.
National Soil Project at Northeastern
University - Assistance requested
Principal Research Scientist Elham Ghabbour
and Chemistry Professor Geoffrey Davies are
directing an undergraduate research project
at Northeastern University Boston (NU) that
aims to measure the humic (HA) and fulvic
acid (FA) contents of the nation's
agricultural top soils (0 - 30 cm). The
ultimate objective is to monitor the status
of our soils over time.
FAs and HAs are major microbially-resistant
organic soil components that retain water,
act as pH buffers and regulate other healthy
soil functions. Existing data do not
distinguish HAs and FAs from transient soil
organic matter such as leaf litter.
Preliminary results on 150 samples indicate
wide variation in HA and FA contents. The NU
group has many years of experience in
measuring HAs and FAs. The project needs
one-pound, dried soil samples to be mailed
parcel post to NU from the nation's farms and
counties for analysis. Parcel postage will be
reimbursed upon request. Please contact g.davies@neu.edu
and check the website www.hagroup.neu.edu.
The project results will be published and
shared with soil donors on request. Your help
will make the project possible and is very
much appreciated.
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REGIONAL EVENTS
Holiday Fair and Wreath Making
Workshops
Saturday, December 6, 2008 10am-5pm
Soule Homestead Education Center
46 Soule St.
Middleboro, MA 02346
Handmade crafts, baked goods, and children's
activities.
Wreath Workshops 2 sessions. Visit www.soulehomestead.org
or call 5089476744 for info.
Zone-Tillage & Soil Health Conference
Monday, December 1, 2008
9:00 am - 3:30 pm
Publick House, Rt. 131, Sturbridge, MA
Come hear researchers, Extension folks and
growers describe what zone-tillage can do for
your farm and why they would never recommend
conventional tillage again!
Pre-registration: $35 by Nov. 21 (rain or
shine, no refunds), $40 at the door - if
space is available. Send name of attendee(s)
and a check made out to UConn, to the
University of Connecticut, Cooperative
Extension System, 24 Hyde Ave., Vernon, CT
06066. Contact: Jude Boucher, 860-875-3331,
jude.boucher@uconn.edu.
A program and registration form can be found
here.
Sponsored by Northeast SARE, and the
University of Connecticut, University of
Rhode Island and Cornell University
Cooperative Extension Systems
Transitioning to Renewable Energy for
Greenhouse Heat
Thursday, December 4, 2008
8:30-4 pm
Sturbridge Host Hotel and Conference Center
Sturbridge, MA
This one-day conference will focus on
alternative technologies & fuel sources that
are immediately available, locally produced,
and economically favorable in comparison to
traditional fossil fuels. While the emphasis
will be placed on showcasing the experiences
of growers who have made the switch to
renewable fuels, we will also provide
information on sources of funding that may be
available, conservation strategies, and
procuring, producing, and using wood and corn
as biomass fuels.
A pre- registration fee of $40.00 is due by
December 1st. Please make checks payable to
the University of Massachusetts and mail to:
Energy Program, Marilyn Kusmeskus, 250
Natural Resources Rd., University of
Massachusetts, Amherst, MA 01003. Cost of
admission includes: handouts, lunch, snacks
and beverages during break. A program and
registration form can be found here.
Contact Tina Smith, 413-545-5306,
tsmith@umext.umass.edu, or Andy Cavanagh, acavanagh@psis.umass.edu,
413-577-3976, University of Massachusetts
Extension.
Sponsored by the University of Massachusetts
Extension Floriculture and Vegetable
Programs, New England Vegetable and Berry
Growers Association and Massachusetts Flower
Growers Association.
Alternative Greenhouse and High Tunnel
Crops
Friday, December 12, 2008.
Sturbridge Host Hotel, Sturbridge, MA
A pre- registration fee of $35.00 is due by
December 5th. Please make checks payable to
the University of Massachusetts and mail to:
Greenhouse Crops Program, Room 203 French
Hall, University of Massachusetts, Amherst,
MA 01003. Cost of admission includes:
handouts, lunch, snacks and beverages during
break. A program and registration form can be
found here. For more information www.umass.edu/umext/floriculture/
Or contact: Tina Smith, University of
Massachusetts, 413-545-5306, tsmith@umext.umass.edu;
Paul Lopes, University of Massachusetts
508-295-2212 ext 12 or lopes@umext.umass.edu
or
Leanne Pundt, University of Connecticut,
860-626-6240, leanne.pundt@uconn.edu
Sponsored by University of Massachusetts
Extension, University of Connecticut
Cooperative Extension System, and Northeast SARE.
New England Vegetable and Berry Growers --
All Day Program
Friday, January 9, 2009 10am-4pm
Day's Inn at the Parwick Centre, Chicopee, MA
(450 Memorial Drive, next to Exit 5 off I-90)
New England Vegetable and Berry Growers --
All Day Program
Saturday, February 7, 2009 10am-4pm
Waltham Extension Ctr., Waltham, MA
These two day-long programs will focus on
current topics of special interest to New
England vegetable and berry farmers. Topics
will include downy mildew in cucurbits;
biological disease control products;
selecting and managing cover crops for
nutrients, organic matter and pest control;
fertilizer products and uses, mixing for
fertigation, soil testing; update on new
materials for weed control and problem weeds
such as galinsoga; cucurbit diseases: testing
irrigation water for Phytophthora capsici,
new materials, resistance to fungicides;
specialty crop research; economics of
vegetable production; how climate change may
affect vegetable and berry production in New
England; farm slides from Tuttle Farm in
Maine; and the Ag conservation model for land
preservation in New Hampshire.
Co-sponsored by the New England Vegetable and
Berry Growers Association and New England
Vegetable Extension Programs.
Contact hours for pesticide applicator
recertification will be offered at both
meetings. More information can be found
here. To register, contact John Howell,
(413)665-3501, howell@umext.umass.edu.
NOFA-NY's 27th Organic Farming and
Gardening Conference:
Meals Without Wheels: Revitalizing our Local
Organic Foodshed
January 23-25, 2009
Rochester Riverside Convention Center,
Rochester , NY .
The conference will feature over 75
exhibitors in our exciting Trade Show and
Organic Marketplace and over 80 workshops of
interest to vegetable, fruit, grain, and
livestock farmers, small-scale food
processors, gardeners, green businesses,
conscientious eaters, consumers, and children!
Keynote lineup includes Fred Kirschenmann,
Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture,
Ames, IA and Stone Barns Center for Food and
Agriculture, Tarrytown, NY; Brett Melone and
Florentino Collazo, Agriculture and Land
Based Training Association, Salinas, CA; and
Shirley Sherrod, Federation of Southern
Cooperatives/Land Assistance Fund, Albany,
GA. Saturday's organic dairy program will
feature Organic Dairy Guest Speaker, Ed
Sheaffer, VMD, Clark Veterinary Clinic,
Palmyra , PA and author of Homeopathy for the
The Friday, January 23, program offers 18
intensive full and half-day workshops to
explore select topics comprehensively.
Friday workshops will address topics such as
organic greenhouse management, food policy
councils, grazing, crop rotation, local wheat
production and marketing, Community Supported
Agriculture (CSAs), nutrient management,
potatoes, small-scale food processing,
organic wine making, permaculture, organic
gardening, healthy eating, and organic
certification.
The Saturday and Sunday program features
over 70 workshops, a full children's
conference, the Auction for Agriculture,
evening social hour, and live entertainment.
The full conference program and online
registration are available at the NOFA-NY
website, visit: www.nofany.org.
The pre-registration deadline is January 9,
2009. Walk-in registrations are welcome
Winter Farmers' Market and Week of Winter
Fare
Winter Fare Farmer's Market
Greenfield High School
February 7
10am-2pm
Last year's market featured a full range of
locally grown products: storage crops,
greens, cheese, meat, eggs, bread, jams,
preserves, dressings, and more. Workshops,
displays, and a barter mart (plan now to make
sure you'll have extra preserves or other
handmade items to trade!) round out the day.
Week of Winter Fare
February 7-15
A week-long celebration of local food and
year-round local eating organized by a
volunteer committee, will return for a second
year and includes local food potlucks,
community events, and specials at area
restaurants.
Seeking Vendors and Volunteers for both events
For More Information: Contact Claire Morenon,
413-665-7100, Ext 16 or
winterfare-owner@yahoogroups.com or visit www.winterfare.org
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Thank you for subscribing to NOFA/Mass News
Bytes. Please forward this to friends, family
and colleagues who are interested in organic
farming, gardening and sustainable lifestyles
and encourage them to subscribe. To subscribe
go to http://www.nofamass.org/news/enews.php
Send items of interest to be included in the
newsletter to jassy.bratko@nofamass.org
or call 978-928-5646
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Northeast Organic Farming Association, Massachusetts Chapter | 411 Sheldon Road | Barre | MA | 01005
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This page was last modified on November 25, 2008 at 10:36:27 AM.
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