The Triumphs and Disasters in Home Gardening from the Staff at CT NOFA

Executive Director, Eileen Hochberg, discusses fighting worms for her brussels sprouts!
"This year for the first time ever absolutely everything in my vegetable garden was started from seed - organic seed of course. Being a lover of all brassicas, most notably kale,
  I just had to take on another favorite, the biggest brassica challenge of all - brussels sprouts. In so doing I now realize that successfully growing brussels is a nearly year long endeavor. Having planted the seeds inside in February, I am still nurturing the plants and still fighting the cabbage worms, as I hear the brussels will improve with frost and can be left growing until November. I have to add that cabbage worms have been my biggest trial and tribulation of the season, and since the garden is filled with brassicas that has meant a real fight to determine who gets to the kale, broccoli...and brussels....first. Never again will I plant without row cover in the spring to ward off the army of cross-striped cabbage worms that followed the green cabbage worms and then the green cabbage worms that followed the cross-striped!" 

A Quick Hello from CT NOFA's New Program and Event Manager

Good morning CT NOFA enthusiasts!

My name is Stephanie Berluti and I recently joined the CT NOFA team as the new Program and Events Manager, so naturally I would like to take a few moments to introduce myself. 

"I'm so excited to be working with CT NOFA"

I am a CT native, born and raised in Orange, but I left this great state to continue my education in Rhode Island at Providence College. My initial career plan was to become a tax accountant, but an impromptu school excursion to a local farm in Saundsertown, RI radically transformed my professional agenda. I don't know what it was specifically about digging up potatoes on a cold, dreary, November morning that made me think "Yeah, I want to be a part of this!" but shortly there after I began my studies in sustainable and local agriculture. In 2010 I became more directly involved in the RI local food scene through an internship at Farm Fresh Rhode Island and interviewing many key players of the local food movement in the state; those of which culminated in a (rough)documentary on the local food culture of Rhode Island entitled "Why RI? A Small State with a Big Garden" (check it out!).  I graduated in 2011 with a degree in Global Studies minoring in Public and Community Service.

Since graduating I have gained professional experience working various temporary jobs, but I tried to remain true to my passion for sustainable and organic food by working nights as a server and bartender. After realizing the corporate life was not for me I moved back home to Connecticut to pursue a career advocating for a more sustainable agricultural system, starting by volunteering at one of CitySeed's New Haven Farmers Markets. 

I am so thrilled to begin my work at CT NOFA and look forward to meeting all the NOFA fans at our upcoming events!

 
Stephanie