Woodland Walk with Professor Robert Thorson!

Check out this interesting event coming up!

WALKING AMIDST THE BONES OF THE EARTH
~ Lead by Robert Thorson ~
Sticks and Stones Farm
201 Huntingtown Road, Newtown CT
Saturday, November 6th 10a.m. - 3 p.m. $25.00

 

         DON”T MISS THIS WOODLAND WALK on 60 acre’s of 
uplands, bottomlands, glacial erratics, zigzag & historical walls 
which have never been de-stoned and are the perfect environment for a day 
spent exploring with welcomed author and geologist Robert Thorson!
 
 PLEASE RSVP AS SPACE IS LIMITED to the first 25 walkers registered. 
203-270-8820.
Wear good walking shoes, bring a water bottle and a bagged lunch.
 

        What’s a stonewall walk? Its an exploration into the past, literally using “touchstones.” Done so at a lovely time of year, and at a leisurely pace that allows a conversation between those present, those past, and the bones of the earth. 

        Using clues — the size, shape, and composition of stones, the marks and patina upon them, their arrangement into walls, and the arrangement of walls into patterns — we will sleuth what we can from the land on what we expect to be a lovely autumn Saturday afternoon.

        The walk will be preceded by a short lecture to set the context for the walls at Sticks and Stones Farm and punctuated by one or more readings.

        Professor Thorson will have copies of his three books on stone walls available for purchase/inscription/signing.

        Robert Thorson, Professor of Geology at the University of Connecticut, Columnist, and author of several books: Stone by Stone: The Magnificent History in New England’s Stone Walls. (Connecticut Book Award for nonfiction, Exploring Stone Walls, (a detective manual and gazetteer for “Wall Watching”) and Beyond Walden: The Hidden History of America’s Kettle Lakes and Ponds.

For more information, you can check out the Sticks and Stones Farm website –
http://www.sticksandstonesfarm.com/

Hummingbird Award

        The Fairfield Organic Teaching Farm recently recognized 13 individuals from the Fairfield County community with a Hummingbird Award.  This award distinguishes those “who have demonstrated an outstanding commitment to conserving the environment for the benefit of present and future generations”. Local leaders in land preservation and the sustainable food movement, the recipients are some of the best and brightest in their respected fields.

        The recipients include 5 CT NOFA members – Princie Falkenhagen, Eric Frisk, Sal Gilbertie, Mike Nadeau and CT NOFA’s Executive Director, Bill Duesing! Congratulations to all of the recipients, your work is truly inspiring.

Attention Beginning Women Farmers!

Whole Farm Planning For

Beginning Women Farmers

Quick−answer these three questions:

Do you believe women farmers learn more effectively from each other?

Would you like to learn from other women farmers?

Have you been farming fewer than 10 years?

If you answered "yes" to these questions, you have a chance to join other farming women for support and camaraderie learning about whole farm planning. Through funds from a USDA grant, beginning women farmers in CT can learn more about whole farm planning in a program developed specifically for women. It costs nothing but your time and interest. 

This program includes:

One-on-One Mentorships

On-Farm Field Visits

Business & Financial Planning Training

Network of Women Farmers

Classes will be scheduled beginning early November 2010.  Participants must attend at total of 10 sessions, with 6 sessions taking place over the winter of 2010/2011 and 4 farm tours that will take place during the spring and summer of 2011. Most sessions will be on a weekend and last 7 hours. The program also includes farm mentors with onsite farm visits. Commitment to attend all 10 sessions is expected.  Exact training locations and dates to be determined.

Topics include:

1.       Introduction to Whole Farm Planning; Creating a Values-based Farm Mission; Improved Decision Making Process

2.      Increasing Farm Profitability (Gross Profit Analysis; Enterprise Analysis)

3.      Creating a Farm Financial Plan

4.      Business Planning Basics

5.      Creating a Marketing Plan

6.      Soil Fertility Basics; Examining Enterprise Environmental Impact

7.      Time Management

8.     Land and Infrastructure Planning

9.      Leadership and Communication Skills

10.  Improving Soil Health with Livestock, Cover Crops, and Rotations

Sound good? If you are interested in learning more or applying for this program, please contact Deb Legge at CT NOFA: deb@ctnofa.org or 203-888-5146.

Application deadline is October 15, 2010!

BuyCTGrown.com

Are you looking for fresh, local produce but stuck on who sells what and where? Well look no further - http://www.buyctgrown.com/

buyCTgrown is an informative website that lists everything grown in Connecticut. It is a product of CitySeed Inc. and the buyCTgrown Advisory Team, a 23-member group (including CT NOFA!) of agricultural stakeholders in CT. The mission of buyCTgrown is to link Connecticut's food and agricultural community (including farmers, consumers, restaurants and retailers) to:  

• Celebrate and promote Connecticut grown farm products, 
• Grow the local economy, and  
• Enhance the quality of life in our state.

The site has recently been relaunched to make it easier to use, and you can now search by product type, organization name, outlet, producer, and zip code. Be sure to check out the "full list of what grows in CT" which includes all varieties of vegetables, fruits, dairy and eggs, specialty foods, herbs, handicrafts, nursery/plants, meat, fiber, forest, livestock, and liquor - all grown and sold in CT! Additionally, the site also offers a blog, forum and a long list of resources, including the Farmers' Market Resource Center. 

EcoTulips Fundraiser

 

Now’s the Time to Buy and Plant Your Tulips for Next Year!

Between 09/23/10 – 10/15/10, the Connecticut Northeast Organic Farming Association will be holding a fundraiser through http://www.ecotulips.com/

Why should you buy your tulips through “EcoTulips.com”?

·        They are the only American source of organic, pesticide-free tulip bulbs.

·        You can choose from over 15 varieties of tulips, along with other organic flower bulbs.

·        And the best part…40% of the proceeds go directly to

CT NOFA!!

Step 1: Visit www.ecotulips.com.

Step 2: Pick out your organic bulbs.

Step 3: When entering the Shopping Cart, make sure to enter the  Coupon Code “CT NOFA” on the right hand of the screen.

Step 4: Double check your order. Under your subtotal you should see “Coupon (CT NOFA) -$0.01”.

Step 5: Proceed to checkout and wait for your bulbs to be shipped.

Step 6: Smile knowing that you are planting organic, pesticide-free bulbs and helping out CT NOFA!

10th Annual Taste! Organic

On Sunday, September 19th, 2010, CT NOFA held the 10th Annual Taste! Organic Festival at Manchester Community College. This year, the event brought in over 1,000 attendees, along with 100 volunteers, 30 farmers and vendors, 6 live music and performance acts, 14 workshops, and plenty of kids activities. So what did people see when they got there?

• Helpful farmers and other vendors from all over Connecticut selling organic products, including free pints of ice cream from The Farmer's Cow
• Delicious, prepared food by John Turenne, including beef, mushroom, and lamb sliders
• Custom-made smoothies using local fruit and dairy products
• Wonderful performances from the ArtFarm’s Circus for a Fragile Planet, Trainwreck Jerry, Deborah Simmons with Dawnie Love and Friends, the Whiskey Boys, and Adam Matlock (the strolling accordionist)
• Informative workshops including: Pickle This!; Brewing Your Own Organic Beer; Useful Weed Walk; Sustainable Sushi & Sake Tasting, Demonstration, and Discussion; Natural Beekeeping; Amateur Artisan Baking; Keeping a Small Poultry Flock; Extended Sesason Gardening; and Making Foolproof Country Wine – phew, that was a mouth full!
• Fun activities for the kids – including face painting, story telling, corn husk doll making, and a hay ride behind a bio-diesel tractor!
• Hoop dancing for the young and old!

Thank you again if you attended or participated in any way. The day was a huge success, thanks in part to our volunteers and everyone at Manchester Community College. We hope that you had as much fun as we did!

Here's one of the rows of farmers and vendors!

A gorgeous display of some veggies for sale

And here's the end product!

Thank you to Shira for submitting these photos. You can find more photos and follow her blog: In my Garden (country edition)

If you were able to attend the event, what was your favorite part of the day?

FREE Workshop on Greening Your Yard!

"Green Up Your Yard with Organic Land and Lawn Care:  Save Money and the Environment," an illustrated workshop for homeowners will be offered on Wednesday, September 29th from 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM, at the Woodbridge Library, Woodbridge CT.

The workshop is being offered by the Organic Land Care program, a project of the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut (CT NOFA). The workshop is co-sponsored by the Conservation Commission of Woodbridge. This FREE 1.5 hour workshop includes a half an hour for questions and answers.

This informative workshop will provide the tools and informational  resources needed to practice organic lawn and landscape care, as well as information on the benefits of organic land care.  Participants will receive a   handout of resources they can use to find more information, and on finding a landscaper who has the knowledge to maintain lawns and landscapes organically.

CT NOFA promotes methods of farming, gardening, and land care that respect biodiversity, soil, water, air and the needs of future generations through education, support, and advocacy.

For more information on the Organic Land Care program please visit us at www.organiclandcare.net, or you can contact Clara at  203-888-5146.

Welcome!

Welcome to the new CT NOFA blog! It was created to highlight events, share recipes, and provide links and other helpful information pertaining to organic farming and gardening in Connecticut! 

Who is this blog for?

• Farmers looking for resources
• Gardeners wanting tips
• Land Care Professionals seeking opportunities
• Consumers who want to know where they can buy local and organic products

For more information, you can visit our website here.

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