NOFA Summer Conference

Ever wish that you could attend a three-day event that includes a conference, exhibitions, concerts, a Country Fair, farmer’s markets, camping, farm tours, silent and live auctions, workshops for adults, teens and children and more?  Now in its 37^th year, the Northeast Organic Farming Association’s Summer Conference will be held August 12-14, 2011 at UMass Amherst.  With Northeast Animal-Power Field Days, the NOFA Summer Conference looks to host 1,500 attendees from all over the Northeast. 

Keynote Speakers:

Eric Toensmeir - Friday, August 12th at 7:30pm

Regenerative and Perennial Agriculture for Climate Stabilization

 

Award-winning author promoting food forestry to sequester carbon worldwide.

Dr. Ignacio Chapela - Saturday, August 13th at 7:00pm

Food Sovereignty Against the Financial, Climatic and Transgenic Disruptions of Agriculture
 

Scientist and activist on GMOs, agri-fuels, and the global food crisis.

For more information, including bio's for this year's keynoters, please click here!

Workshops:

With 225+ workshops, there is something for everyone in the family! Tracks include:

• Beginning Farmer
• Community Supported Agriculture
• Northeast Animal-Power Field Days
• Nutrient Density
• Organic Land Care
• Permaculture
• Transition Towns
• Winter Growing and Season Extension

Meet Carl Russell, a horse-logger, forestry consultant, and timberland owner from Bethel, Vermont. He has operated Russell Forestry Services since 1986, specializing in ecological forestry and low-impact timber harvest with draft animals. Carl and his wife Lisa McCrory own and operate Earthwise Farm & Forest, a 150 acre diversified enterprise, where they raise organic vegetables and grass fed livestock, use draft animals for logging and field work, and offer workshops on skills for sustainable livelihoods. Carl and Lisa were the original organizers and producers in of Northeast Animal-Power Field Days, and the founders of Draft Animal Power Network. Carl will be teaching two workshops at the NOFA Summer Conference on Animal-Powered Forestry Tools & Techniques.

Meet Brittany Wood Nickerson. She is a community herbalist, homesteader and food activist. She teaches introductory and advanced apprenticeships in herbal medicine as well as seasonal classes in herbal medicine, nutrition and herbal homesteading. She is the founder and owner of Thyme Herbal, producing a line of handmade natural body care products that she sells locally. Brittany grows herbs, teaches classes and sees clients out of her homestead in North Amherst Ma, Misty Meadow Farm. Brittany will be leading a Medicinal Herb Walk at the NOFA Summer Conference.

Mark Krawczyk juggles a multi-faceted livelihood along the shores of Lake Champlain in Burlington, Vermont. After discovering permaculture design at the University of Vermont in 1999, he spent four years traveling and apprenticing with leaders in the fields of agroforestry and forest gardening, natural building, coppice forestry and traditional woodworking. Today, he owns and operates Keyline Vermont LLC, a permaculture and keyline design, consultation and installation business, provides custom keyline subsoil plowing for farmers; teaches workshops on natural building with Seven Generations Natural Builders; makes chairs and other wooden products using traditional tools and techniques (RivenWoodCrafts) and maintains the grassroots community non-profitBurlington Permaculture that he helped co-found in 2006. Mark will be teaching Coppice Agroforestry, as part of our permaculture track.


Ellen Kamhi, The Natural Nurse®, has been involved in Natural Medicine since 1973, when she directed a program in Ethnobotany at Cochise College in Douglas, Arizona. Dr. Kamhi attended Rutgers and Cornell Universities, sat on the Panel of Traditional Medicine at Columbia Presbyterian Medical School, and is a Medical School Professor and teaches Botanical Pharmacology. Ellen will be teaching a workshop at the Summer Conference on Natural Energy and Vitality Enhancers.

For a full list of workshops, scroll down to the bottom of the page!

Registration is now open!

To find out more information about NOFA's Summer Conference, please visit www.nofasummerconference.org

 

Thank you to all of this year's sponsors!

Corporate Sponsors

Premier

Whole Foods Market

Stonyfield Farm Inc.

Gold

Greenfield Farmers Cooperative

Silver

Farm Family Insurance

Jeff Clements, Clements Law Office LLC

Greenleaf Foundation

Franklin Community Co-operative

Vermont Compost

Supporting

Boston Organics

Groton Wellness Dental Spa and Medical Center

Conference Sponsors

Gold

Neighboring Food Co-op

Bejo Seeds

Chelsea Green Publishing

Northeast Animal-Power Field Days

Horizon Organics

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education

Eco Realty

Silver

River Valley Market

Risk Management

UMass Dining Services

North Counrty Organics

Harris Seeds

Real Pickles

Farm Credit Northeast AgEnhancement

Albert's Organics

Johnny's Selected Seeds

Truck Farm

Here’s a neat idea…create a farm or garden in the back of an old truck!  Truck Farm is a unique film AND a food project: it’s “a mobile community farm, a documentary about urban agriculture, and a public art and education project”. 

Currently, the "original truck" is in NYC, and the idea has spread to Boston, Washington, D.C., Chicago, Seattle, Portland (OR), Denver, New Orleans, Hawaii, California and two in Michigan.

So what exactly is the Truck Farm all about?

            It serves as an inspiration to grow food in unfamiliar places.

            It gets people excited about urban agriculture – traveling to schools engaging youth in farming and healthy eating habits.

            It’s even a CSA!

They are currently running a photo contest – submit your best pictures of the most creative and quirky places that you grow food.  You have until June 1 to submit a photo.  Good luck!

Check out this teaser for the documentary and be sure to visit the official site for the first three episodes - http://truck-farm.com/

 

Slow Food

            Slow Food is a grassroots movement around the world that “links the pleasure of food with commitment to community and the environment”.  Their domestic programs include:

            Ark of Taste – a catalog of over 200 local foods in danger of extinction

            Slow Food in Schools – an educational program that teaches youth about the values of local, seasonal and sustainable foods through hands-on projects

            Slow Food on Campus – a growing base of chapters at colleges across the US which engages students around food system and food justice issues

            US Terra Madre Network – a network of over 7,000 food producers, cooks, and educators focused on the global sustainability in food

            There are more domestic and international programs, which can all be found here.

            To find more information on local chapters, please visit http://www.slowfoodusa.org/index.php/local_chapters/

You may remember last week’s post on Two Angry Moms (http://ctnofa1982.blogspot.com/2011/05/two-angry-moms.html).  Well, with the help of these moms, Slow Food released two simple guides for anyone interested in wanting to know more about the food that is served in our schools.  

 The first is a guide to Improving School Food.

The second is an action plan to Building a School Garden.

To see all that Slow Food has to offer, please visit www.slowfood.com.  The US site, www.slowfoodusa.org, has some great resources including events and a blog you can find here.

Walk In The Woods

Walk in the Woods – Be Inspired by Nature!

This is the message that Rosemari Roast is spreading.  Her duties include herbalist and healer, private wellness consultations, self-care workshops (Reiki training, guided and free-form meditation, weedwalks) and supporting healing and growth through journaling, drumming, art, and more. 

Profile and Credentials        

~ National Board Certified Holistic Health Practitioner, American Association of Drugless Practitioners (AADP)
~ Certified Herbalist, Village West Prescriptives, School of Clinical Botanical Medicine
~ Certified Herbalist, Northwestern Connecticut Centre for Holistic Studies
~ Certified Transformational Energy Healer, Northwestern Connecticut Centre for Holistic Studies
~ Certified Reiki Master
~ BGS, University of Connecticut
~ Ordained Minister, Universal Life Church 2001
~ Member, Connecticut Herb Association, Inc (CHAI)

Additionally, Rose has an online store of wonderful items that are all hand crafted including trading cards, pendants and pins, composition books and journals, incense, figurines and more!

To order some of Rose’s spirited gifts inspired by nature, visit http://www.artfire.com/users/walkinthewoodsllc

For more info on Rose and Walk in the Woods, you can also visit http://www.byregion.net/cgibin/users/profiles.pl?username=walkinthewoods

 

You can also check out her blog What Rose Made Today at http://whatrosemadetoday.blogspot.com/

CT NOFA's Community Board

Do you know about CT NOFA’s Community Board? This list features jobs, housing, volunteer opportunities, internships, classifieds, and much, much more! You can check out the board here!

Here are some of our latest posts:

5/18/11  Garden Manager - Small naturally grown vegetable / flower farm, agricultural/educational center. Applicant must be 21+ years, and like working with teenagers. June - August 2011. $15 / hour - 40+ hours per week. Please forward resume to lois@youthagency.org or contact New Milford Youth Agency (Mark or Lois) @ 860.354.0047 for additional information.

5/12/11   Program Associate - Community Farm of Simsbury (CFS) seeks an entrepreneurial, results-driven, “out of the box” thinking professional to serve as Program Associate.  The Program Associate will support day-to-day curriculum development, lesson planning, and teaching for CFS in school, field trip, and summer camp educational programs. Send applications or inquiries to: Tim Goodwin, Executive Director at: tgoodwin@communityfarmofsimsbury.org   

5/10/11   Free to good home - 3 Nigerian Dwarf goats.  Lovable and super kid friendly. Please contact Lisa at 203-546-0016. Must have own transportation for goats.    

     

5/10/11   Executive Director Sought - Connecticut Farmland Trust seeks candidates with resumes that display a strong record of success in non-profit management, donor cultivation, major gifts, and grant experience. Details>          

5/9/11    Housing - Unusual housing opportunity for unusual person: greatly reduced rent in spacious 2-room furnished efficiency in return for "farm" chores--care of pond, bees, chickens, some gardens; grass cutting, snow removal, minor repairs. Ideal for student with environmental interests. Utilities included, off-street parking, safe quiet area near schools, shopping. $675 Rent negotiable with lease. Absolutely no smokers. New Haven/Hamden area. (203) 430-1632.  

5/4/11   Grow Hartford Farm Site Manager Wanted - Details here  

5/1/11   Intern/Research Assitant Wanted - Andalusia Farms, Newtown, CT. - Help document and implement best practices for Urban Agriculture. Tech savvy. 1-3 days per week. Send resume and introductory letter to info@vitanuova.net.

4/26/11 Apprentice Wanted - Wayne's Organic Garden seeks one apprentice anytime from now into September-October. We are Eastern CT's first certified organic farm (since 1989). We grow a lot in a small space. Learn all aspects of vegetable market gardening from soil to seed to sale. Simple room in the house, meals, and great markets (we do Coventry.) Hard work, low pay, healthy local food, lots of room to learn including season extension for the Coventry Winterfresh Market. We'd like a responsible non-smoker, prefer an omnivore like us, but could accommodate a tolerant vegetarian, but maybe not a vegan. Call Wayne at (860) 564-7987 between 7 AM and 7PM please or e-mail wayne@waynesorganicgarden.com with your questions.

Want to post something on the Board?  Email ctnofa@ctnofa.org to post a brief notice – we can link to another site or attach a PDF for more information as well!

Two Angry Moms

Two Angry Moms is more than a movie, it’s a movement to action.  It all started with documentarian Amy Kalafa and Dr. Susan Rubin, two moms who were fed up with the lack of nutrition education and healthy food in our school systems.  According to their site:

• 35% of American children are obese or at risk
• Americans spend $200 billion per year in diet-related health care costs
• 50% of all cancer could be prevented through healthy diet and exercise
• The average American life expectancy ranks 27^th in the world.
• In the past 20 years, the cost of fresh fruits and vegetables has risen 40% while the cost of soda, sweets, meat, dairy, fats and oils has decreased by as much as 20%.

            The mission of Two Angry Moms is to “collect two million moms (and dads and others) to send a clear message to school administrators, state and national legislators, and government officials acknowledging the connection between whole, nutritious food and better children's health and scholastic performance”.

            On their site (http://www.angrymoms.org/index.php), you’ll find more information about the moms and their mission, video clips, and resources for parents and anyone interested in making a difference, including this PDF of an action plan to initiate with your school district, in your home, and how you can act locally and nationally.

            The Angry Moms even have a “groupsite” where you can communicate (through discussions, group blogs and email blasts), share (calendars, files, and photos) and network (with other members.  There are also video clips and a list of upcoming events.

            Interested in learning more?  "Two Angry Moms"~ Movie Screening & Panel Discussion ~ hosted by Dr. Madhu Mathur & Bridget Fox, Chair of the Stamford School Readiness Council

                        Monday, May 23, 2011
                        7:00 - 9:00 pm
                        At the Avon Theatre,
                        272 Bedford Street, Stamford, CT

            On Monday, May 23rd at 7:00 p.m., the Stamford School Readiness Council, in partnership with the Avon Theatre, Stamford Hospital, and the United Way of Western Connecticut, is bringing the acclaimed film documentary Two Angry Moms to Stamford. Two Angry Moms chronicles what happens when two fed-up moms start a grass-roots revolution to bring attention to the need for nutritious food options in schools. The film documents the efforts of leaders in the better school food movement, as they take on the system across the country. Importantly, Two Angry Moms shows not only what is wrong with school food, but offers strategies for overcoming roadblocks and getting nutritious food into school cafeterias.

A panel discussion immediately following the movie will begin at 8:00 p.m. and will feature:

· Moderator ~ Dr. Madhu Mathur, Stamford Hospital
· Dr. Dale Atkins, Licensed Psychologist (and frequent guest on the Today Show)
· Dr. Sharon Akabas, Associate Director for Educational Initiatives, Columbia University
· Amy Kalafa, Filmmaker
· Ken Wolfe, Director of Dining Services, Stamford Public Schools

RSVP REQUIRED: The screening is free to the public and tickets may be reserved on a first come/first serve basis by clicking on: www.surveymonkey.com/s/twoangrymoms.
 
            So what are you waiting for?  Visit their site, sign the pledge, and fight for a healthier future for our youth!