NOFA Massachusetts: Programs: Massachusetts Practical Skills Workshops

These are the results of folks filling out evaluations from each of the 2008 workshops and my working to make them happen. Some of these workshops will "sell out" and some can grow as big as Nebraska. Registering early will help us plan best for each event. The forms can be printed out here (link) or you can register for many of these workshops online too. The online store system will be running by February. Scholarships are available for folks who would find hardship attending without assistance. Please send me a letter detailing your situation and we will try our best to help you out. Please let farm apprentices know about these workshops as we would love for them to attend. If you have photos from past workshops please send them in! We have several advanced workshops this year, building on workshops we have done in the past. Please contact the presenter to make sure you are ready to learn at the more advanced level.

Download the Registration Form (PDF)

Online Registration Coming Soon

Come out and learn!
We usually do potluck lunches to help share the experience.
Help spread the word!
Thanks!

Photo Gallery of May 2008 Chicken Workshop Click Here
Photo Gallery of October 2008 Putting Food By Workshop Click Here

The Workshops

A) Breadmaking with whole grains with Susan Von Ranson at Baked Treats Farm
Wendell, Mass 10AM-2PM Sunday, February 22 (limited to 10)
This Breadbaking Workshop will be in the home of NOFA member Susan von Ranson in Wendell Mass. Susan will do a hands on teaching of the art of making the dough, kneading, raising and baking the bread for participants to then take home. Recipes will be available with an emphasis on whole-grain breads. She will also talk about and demonstrate the use of woodstoves for baking. It will be a 4 hour workshop with lunch (bring pot-luck sandwich fillers. Homemade bread and beverages will be provided). There will be time when the breads are rising to talk and answer questions.
NOFA Members: $33 Non-members: $36

B) Cheesemaking #1-making soft cheeses with Cliff Hatch at Upinngil Farm
Gill, Mass 8AM- 5PM, Saturday, March 14 (limited to 10)
Learn how to take raw milk and create a soft cheese. In this hands-on workshop, we will make several cheeses using different recipes and cultures. You are invited to bring 2 gallons of your own animals' milk to make more cheeses.
NOFA Members: $72 Non-members: $75

C) High Tunnels for Season Extension with Laughing Dog Farm's Dan Botkin
Gill, Mass 11AM- 2:00PM, Sunday March 15
Learn how to get your season started early when tender plants can freeze without the help of tunnels.
NOFA Members: $27 Non-members: $30

D) Cheesemaking #2-making hard cheeses with Cliff Hatch at Upinngil Farm
Gill, Mass 8AM- 5PM, Saturday, March 28 (limited to 10)
Learn how to take raw milk and create several hard cheeses. Ask about bringing your own raw milk!
NOFA Members: $72 Non-members: $75

E) Solar Hot Water: at the 21st Century Foods with Rudy Canale
Jamaica Plain (Boston), Mass 10AM- 1PM, Saturday, April 11
Learn to heat your hot water using the sun. We will build a working solar collector and you can see one in use.
NOFA Members: $30 Non-members: $33

F) Shamanic Plant Journeying with Bear Medicine Herb's Tommy Priester
Mon., April 13 6:30-9:30pm at Bear Medicine Herbals Watertown, Mass
Journey with plants! See them like never have before! CALL for info: 339-223-0647!

G) Biodiesel:with the Green Grease Monkey Mechanics
(www.GreenGreaseMonkey.com)
Allston, Mass 10AM- 3PM, Sunday, April 26 (limited to 12)
Make biodiesel. See home processor run, learn applications, safety, the chemistry, practice the steps.
NOFA Members: $47 Non-members: $50

H) Draft Horses with Dale Perkins at Mesa Farm
9AM-3PM, Sunday, May 11
A hands-on introduction to draft horses: covers basic care, handling, harnessing, hitching and driving.
NOFA Members: $67 Non-members: $70

I) Veggie Oil Car Conversion with the environmentally friendly group “GreenGreaseMonkey”
Allston, Mass 9:00AM- 5PM, Saturday, May 9 (limited to 12)
Learn how you can run a diesel car, truck, tractor off the used grease from your local fried food place.
NOFA Members: $47 Non-members: $50

J) Rustic Stick Furniture with fne furniture-maker Frank Hamm
Orange, Mass 10AM-2 PM, Sunday, May 10 (Mother's Day!)
Learn how to make a trellis or a stool using sticks and hand tools. Leave with your own fnished work!
NOFA Members: $58 Non-members: $61

K) Draft Horses *Advanced* with Dale Perkins at Mesa Farm
Rutland, Mass 9AM-3PM, Saturday, May 16
Contact Dale to see if you qualify! 774-437-1805
Hands-on draft horse workshop for those who have taken the intro workshop or are familiar with basic handling, harnessing, and driving. This workshop will go into more detail and cover a little on training draft horses and include hitching to various farm implements, logging with horses, and multiple hitches.
NOFA Members: $70 Non-members: $73

L) Composting Toilets with Carol Steinfeld at the GreenGreaseMonkey's in Brighton
Brighton, Mass 9AM- 2PM, Saturday, May 23
Learn how to build composting toilets: simple, functional, saves water, and doesn't pollute water supplies.
NOFA Members: $52 Non-members: $55

N) Tofu and Tempeh at the 21 st Century Foods with Rudy Canale
Jamaica Plain, Mass 10AM-1:00PM , Saturday, June 6
Learn how to make your own soy and grain products. Come learn how you can with one of Boston’s most innovative small businesses. Trade groups visit from all over the world to see how to start up small-scale operations of tofu and tempeh. Rudy also makes wine...maybe for the pot-luck?
NOFA Members: $40 Non-members: $43

M) Organic Home Lawn Care with Cathy Harragian at the Sterling Historical Society
Sterling, Mass 10AM- 1PM, Saturday, June 27
How to care for your lawn with non-toxic and sustainable means. See what you can do and what to expect.
NOFA Members: $29 Non-members: $32

O) Foraging for Wild Edibles with expert forager and author Russ Cohen
Belchertown, Mass 9AM-12:30PM, Saturday, July 11
Join expert forager Russ Cohen as we discover more than 2 dozen of the 150 species of Massachusetts' edible wild plants. This workshop aims to teach you how to enjoy nature while nibbling on the trail and is not meant for unustainable commercial harvesting.
NOFA Members: $14 Non-members: $17

P) Making Soap with Goat's Milk with soap-making farmer Erin DeCoste
Bedford, Mass 6:30PM-8PM, Tuesday, July 14
Join us to learn how you can stay clean when you have goats' milk and fresh garden herbs. Leave with soap!
NOFA Members: $35 Non-members: $38

Q) Couples Massage with Jenni Plym
Bedford, Mass 6:30PM-8PM, Tuesday, July 14
Learn how to make each other feel good !
NOFA Members: $33 Non-members: $36 (per couple)

R) Building Composting Toilets (diff location) with Carol Steinfeld at Ecowaters in New Bedford
Brighton, Mass 9AM- 2PM, Saturday, July 18
Learn how to build composting toilets: simple, functional, saves water, and doesn't pollute water supplies.
NOFA Members: $52 Non-members: $55

S) Medicinal Herbs with Dawn Pavone at Bird House Garden Center
Boxborough MA 9AM- 1PM, Saturday, August 1
Learn how to identify, grow and use medicinal plants from the garden.
NOFA Members: $37 Non-members: $40

T) Yoga for Farmers and Gardeners with Marie Marchand at Amherst Co-housing
Amherst, Mass 4PM-6 PM, Sunday, August 23
Learn how to move so farming and gardening doesn't hurt so much. Practice breathing, and relaxing stretches that can make your active life less painful and more complete. Make friends with your body!
NOFA Members: $11 Non-members: $14

U) Cheesemaking #3! - (ADVANCED*) making diffcult cheeses with Cliff hatch at Upinngil Farm
Gill, Mass 8AM- 5PM, Sunday, September 13 (limited to 10)
Contact Tom for more information on this!
Learn how to take raw milk and create a harder to make cheeses. Participants should have taken Clif's previous NOFA workshop. In this hands-on workshop, we will make several cheeses using different recipes and cultures including parmesans. A few participants are invited to bring 2 gallons of your own animals' milk to make more cheeses. Cliff Hatch has been making a variety of cheeses for more than 20 years.
NOFA Members: $77 Non-members: $80

V) Winemaking with Jack Kittredge at Many Hands Organic Farm and Educational Center
Barre, Mass 9AM-3PM Saturday, September 19
Learn how you can turn your organically grown fruits and berries into wine for celebrating and gifts. See some batches already started, help pick grapes and clean them for other batches, and see how to rack and bottle your wine: getting to the three significant stages of country wine production.
NOFA Members: $40 Non-members: $43

W) Canning your Garden with Danielle Andrews
Jamaica Plain (it's in Boston), Mass 1:30PM-4PM Sunday, September 20 (limited to 10)
Learn how to can, and freeze, and dry to enjoy the harvest long after the plants it grew on have gone by.
NOFA Members: $23 Non-members: $26

X) Seed-saving : keeping your favorites for next year with Laughing Dog Farm's Dan Botkin
Gill, Mass 11AM- 2:00PM, Sunday October 4
Learn how you can get your seeds from your own plants instead of from catalogs and shady middlemen.
NOFA Members: $30 Non-members: $33

Y) Tinctures, Salves, and Lotions with Iris Weaver
Newburyport, Mass 10AM-2:30 PM, Saturday, November 7 (limited to 10)
Learn to make your own own tinctures, salves, and lotions. Take home what you make!
NOFA Members: $50 Non-members: $53

List of last years workshops

FEEL FREE TO PAY MORE/MAKE A DONATION SO THAT OTHERS CAN ALSO ATTEND THESE WORKSHOPS

*Information: Call Tom at 781-894-4358 or email seedpotato (at) yahoo (dot) com with questions. Make checks to: NOFA/Mass.
**Send registration to: Tom Szekely, PO Box 611, Lincoln, MA 01773. Please save paper and include an email address.
**Pre-registration is required as space for some workshops is limited. Add $5 for registrations within one week of event.
**Full refunds for workshop registrations will be issued if at least 10 days notice is given, otherwise when practically possible to do so.

This page was last modified on January 15, 2009 at 10:22:45 AM. Translate this page