A Full House at the Getting Started in Organic Farming Conference

Last Saturday, January 26, 2013, CT NOFA held it's annual Getting Started in Organic Farming Coneference at Goodwin College in East Hartford.  Despite a winter storm that inundated much of the mid-Atlantic states, we had sunny, albeit cold, weather up in Connecticut on the day of the event.  This was the first time the conference has been held at Goodwin, and we couldn't have been happier with how the day turned out.

The conference began just after 8am, and every seat in the room was filled.  Our Executive Director, Bill Duesing, kicked off the day with a compelling 30 minute overview of our current agricultural situation and how that ties into important global issues like climate change, biodiversity loss, and nutrient loading in fresh and salt water.  Bill gave an inspiring call to action for new farmers, explaining that organic farming directly addresses our planet's (and humanity's) most pressing ecological concerns.

After Bill's excellent introduction, Joe Bonelli from the UConn Cooperative Extension Service spoke briefly about Connecticut Farm Risk Management and crop insurance, explaining the tools that UConn and RMA have to offer new farmers to help them get started.

Our first full-length speaker of the day was Kip Kolesinskas, a conservation scientist with 35 years of experience. Kip has been a major contributor in efforts to increase farmer access to land, develop farm friendly municipalities, and promote locally grown food.  Kip's 45 minute presentation, Gaining Access to Quality Farmland, gave an overview of the common methods and sources for gaining access to affordable farmland, such as matching services, opportunities on Municipal and Land Trust properties, and the basic elements of a good lease, technical resources, and its role in risk management.

Next Erin Pirro, a Farm Business Consultant for Farm Credit East with a background in agricultural economics, spoke for an hour about Budgeting from the Bottom Up.  Erin has been helping farmers large and small make their businesses run better since 2001, and showed her knowledge and expertise by describing how to build a plan in numbers, designed to show you if you can take your business where you need it to go. Erin delved into the many aspects of building a strong and comprehensive budget, and showed how doing do will save you a lot of time and effort in the long run.

Kerry and Max Taylor, owners and operators of Provider Farm in Salem, CT, followed Erin with  a half hour presentation about Starting a CSA for Long Term Success. Provider Farm is a 200 share CSA, wholesale, and market biodynamic farm.  Kerry and Max described what it takes to start a CSA and why it can be a really valuable tool for new farmers. They addressed the benefits and draw backs of starting a CSA in the first year as well as lessons learned, tools for success and how a CSA fits into a whole farm plan.

Kerry and Max's presentation served as a great opening to the 45 minute CSA Panel where five Connecticut farmers, including Kerry and Max, addressed CSA-related questions from the audience ranging from the more general to the technical and specific. Other than Kerry and Max, the panel was also represented by three other farmers: Karen Pettinelli from Holcomb Farm, Mark Gauger from Maple View Farm, and Rodger Phillips from Grow Hartford.  Together, the panelists operate CSA programs in a wide range of sizes and specialties, and cater to different clientele.  The panel was a great way for attendees to learn a great deal about the different approaches to running a successful CSA program.

After the panel, the conference broke for lunch, some of which was generously donated by Whole Foods West Hartford and Chabaso Bakery. Thanks to CT NOFA staff and board members for providing some of the lunch as a supplement to the donations! There was plenty of food to go around, and the  break afforded attendees a great chance to network and get to know one another.  It also gave the staff and presenters time to get ready behind the scenes for a packed afternoon program!

The afternoon program started off with NRCS Opportunities for the Organic Producer, a 45 minute presentation from Adam Maikshilo, a Soil Conservationist for CT NRCS. Adam talked about technical and financial assistance that's available through the NRCS to organic producers, how to apply for those services, and common conservation practices that organic producers follow.

After Adam's presentation, Kim Stoner, the vegetable entomologist at the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station in New Haven, presented about Pest Management for Organic Farms.  Kim explained which pests can be tolerated, which can be managed at low levels, and which can appear suddenly and devastate a crop.  She also described ways to reduce pest damage, like diversifying, using resistant varieties, and using other non-chemical strategies for control.

Our last presenter of the day was Duncan Cox, a  Certification Administrator at Baystate Organic Certifiers.  Baystate is the only organization that certifies organic farms in Connecticut, and it was important to end the day describing the step by step process of becoming certified.  Duncan explained not only the certification process, but also addressed common concerns among farmers about becoming certified and maintaining certification.

This year's event was a blast!  Many thanks again to Whole Foods and Chabaso, as well as to the USDA RMA and the Specialty Crop Block Grant for providing some of the funding for this event, and to Goodwin College for the venue.  Also, a very special thank you to all the presenters for making the event informative and engaging.  Lastly, thanks to all the attendees for coming and learning about how to get started in organic farming!  We really appreciate the evaluations you filled out, and will use them to make even better programming for you in the future.  Thanks for your support!

Couldn't make it to this year's event?  No worries - we will be offering 8 beginning farmer workshops this year focusing on a variety of technical topics, and three CSA fairs.  Check our website often for the most up to date information.

Have a great weekend!
-Melissa

NOFA Summer Conference Keynote Spotlight

Get ready for two amazing keynote addresses at the 2012 NOFA Summer Conference!

On Friday August 10 and Saturday August 11, NOFA Summer Conference keynote speakers Chellie Pingree and Jeffrey Smith will be delivering speeches that are sure to impress.  Both keynotes have extensive experience in their fields, and are renowned for their accomplishments. Below is a brief description of each speaker.  To read full bios, please visit the NOFA Summer Conference website.

Representative Chellie Pingree is an organic farmer and a member of the Agriculture Committee in the U.S. Congress. Chellie is committed to helping reform farm policy with interests of small farmers and consumers in mind. Last year, Chellie introduced the Local Farms, Food and Jobs Act-a comprehensive package of reforms to agriculture policy that will expand opportunities for local and regional farmers and make it easier for consumers to have access to healthy foods. Rep. Pingree will be speaking on Friday August 10 at 7:30pm

Jeffrey Smith is a consumer advocate promoting healthier non-GMO choices and author of the world's bestselling and #1 rated book on the health dangers genetically modified organisms (GMOs). His meticulous research documents how biotech companies continue to mislead legislators and safety officials to put the health of society at risk, and the environment in peril. Jeffrey Smith will be speaking on Saturday August 11 at 7:00pm

Additionally, Jeffrey Smith will also be holding an 8-hour training on GMO organizing as a pre-conference event on Thursday, August 9, 1pm-5pm and Friday 8am-12 noon. Titled Fighting GMO's: a Pre-Conference Training for Consumers, Community Leaders, Activists, and Organizers, this training will teach participants how to speak about genetically modified organisms and how to organize effective activism. The seminar will include the five components of a GMO presentation, resources and materials documenting why genetically engineered foods are dangerous, instructions on how to customize PowerPoint slides (provided), and examples of proven organizing techniques to motivate people. Graduates of this Pre-Conference Training with Jeffrey Smith will be invited to join a GMO Speakers Bureau, participate in ongoing webinars, and join the network of active campaigners reclaiming a non-GMO food supply.  Learn more and sign up for this and other pre-conference events here.

Excited? Click here to register for the conference!

 

Announcing the NOFA Summer Conference Workshop Tracks

Attention farmers, gardeners and landscapers!

The NOFA Summer Conference on August 10-12 features a host of workshop tracks to suit your needs!  If you are in need of valuable information about getting started in farming, operating a CSA program, earning AOLCP credits, and more, this conference has it all!  Here are some of the tracks that will be offered at the conference:

• Beginning Farmer Track: This track highlights a range of technical and farm-planning topics of particular interest to farmers with fewer than ten years of independent farming experience. Don't forget, if you've been farming for less than ten years, you may qualify for a scholarship to attend the conference.  You can fill out a scholarship application form online here. Please submit by July 2 in order to have your application reviewed and granted in time for you to register early.

• Community Supported Agriculture Track: Presenting a variety of innovations for the CSA model.

• Nutrient Density Track: Presenting principles of biological farming aimed at improving crop nutritional quality for a variety of scales and applications. Own own Connecticut farmer, Bryam O'Hara from Tobacco Road Farm in Lebanon, CT will be teaching a workshop in this track.

• Organic Land Care Track: Attending these workshops qualifies participants for credits in the NOFA Organic Land Care Program. Other AOLCP credit opportunities can be found on our website.

• Permaculture Track: Presenting permaculture approaches to organic agriculture and ecological design.

• Winter Growing and Season Extension Track: Presenting innovations from the farm to the home scale for growing and storing crops year round

View a full list of tracks by visiting the Summer Conference website.  You can also register for the conference here.  For a list of registration fees, click here.  We can't wait to see you at the conference!

Happy Solstice!
-Melissa

Looking for a Job This Spring?

If you are looking for a farming or agriculture related opportunity this planting season, check out our community board.  We have many new postings opening up for the new (and early) farming season, so now's the time to take a look!

Here are a couple of opportunities that are so new we haven't even had time to post them yet:

Community Gardener (New Haven)
Status: Part Time 20-25 hour a week beginning mid-March through mid-October
Salary: $15.00 per hour

The LCS Community Gardener will work directly with Day Program clients to develop, manage, and maintain the Liberty Springside Community Garden -- a shared community garden. The selected individual will work closely with both clients of LCS and the Westville Community Land Trust. The gardener is expected to interact daily with clients of LCS, and oversee all operations of the garden.

The selected individual must be knowledgeable in understanding and interacting with the homeless population LCS serves, as well as knowledgeable in horticultural best practices for organic gardening.

Requirements:
The individual must possess a valid Conn. Driver's license, and have reliable transportation.
Must be willing to work an occasional weekend if necessary.
Must be able to climb stairs, climb in and out of vehicles, lift up to 25 pounds, work in changing weather conditions.
Must be able to use most gardening equipment including roto tiller, shovels, trowels, etc.

Mail, fax or email resumes to:
Liberty Community Services, Inc.
Human Resources
129 Church St , 2nd Floor
New Haven , CT 06510

PFP Seeks Garden Education Apprentice
The Poughkeepsie Farm Project is a non-profit organization that works toward a
just and sustainable food system in the Mid-Hudson Valley by operating a
member-supported farm, providing education about food and farming, and
improving access to healthy locally-grown food.

We're seeking a dependable and good-natured apprentice with an active interest in food and education as well as an interest in working towards a just and sustainable food system; good communication skills; the ability to take initiative and a desire to be a part of bringing about positive community change.

To apply, please fill out our application (available at the website) and email
it along with your resume to jamie@farmproject.org
For more information, please visit our website, farmproject.org or
http://farmproject.org/content/work-opportunities

A Successful Starting Seedlings Workshop

Bettylou Sandy shows students well mixed potting soil

Many students with a wide variety of gardening experience were present at our Starting Seedlings workshop this past Saturday at Common Ground High School and Farm in New Haven, CT.  Co-taught by Common Ground farmer Shannon Raider and longtime gardener and CT NOFA board vice president Bettylou Sandy, the workshop had a great mix of basic information for beginners and more technical training for those who are more experienced.  Bettylou and Shannon kept the workshop well structured in order to provide the most pertinent information for attendees, starting out with a description of the importance of planning and organization, then moving into talking about supplies, temperature, potting mix, water, and light.  Afterward, they discussed the process of planing seeds, germination, and transplanting into a garden setting.  Throughout the class they interspersed opportunities for the students to see and feel this process for themselves, from passing around seeds, to inviting everyone to stick their hands in a bucket of soil to feel the texture.

Shannon Raider and Bettylou Sandy hold
up a properly filled and planted set of
seedling cells

One important thread that carried through the entire workshop was the importance (both ecologically and financially) of reusing existing materials already present in the average household as seed starting supplies.  After all, there's no need to go out and buy brand new seed starting containers if you have egg cartons, grocery store berry packaging, or any other container that can be divided into cells.  Many of these recycled items also have transparent lids or toppers that when closed make perfect greenhouses for starting seedlings, and are an easy and inexpensive way to extend your growing season.

If you missed this workshop, there are still more opportunities get in on the action. Our series of workshops at Common Ground this spring are not yet over! Our Organic Gardening Workshop on Saturday May 5th offers instruction and seasonal tips on what can be planted in your garden now and what must wait for warmer weather. Learn how to prep your garden beds, plan your plantings, deal with early garden pests, and improve soil fertility using organic methods.  At only $10 per person, this a great opportunity to expand your knowledge at a low cost.

If you want to see more photos from our Starting Seedlings Workshop, check out our Flickr page here.  To see our other events this spring, check out our website.

Have a great afternoon and enjoy the warm weather!
-Melissa

Why Local Farming is Important

Rebecca Kline of New Haven Farms stands at the site
of a proposed community garden in New Haven. 

An excerpt from a recent Huffinton Post Article about our local (and impressive) Common Ground Farm and High School reads, "In a 1787 letter to George Washington, Thomas Jefferson wrote, 'Agriculture is our wisest pursuit, because it will, in the end, contribute most to real wealth, good morals and happiness.' In short, farming produces not only food, but also the foundation for a good life." Growing the number of farms in our state addresses more than just food access and nutrition; it also fills a cultural void that has been present in our country ever since industrial agriculture stole the spotlight from traditional community-based means of food production. Without local farms available in and around the places where we live and work, we suffer emotionally and culturally as well as physically. In communities where there aren't many remaining farms, losing another one can be especially unsettling, as is the case with Purdy's Farm in Greenwich, one of only two farms left in the town.

But there is light on the horizon. Of late there has been a new resurgence in the number of new people, many of whom have never farmed before, developing an interest in local sustainable agriculture. In New Haven, the same city in Connecticut that Common Ground calls home, a nonprofit called New Haven Farms has set its sights on creating a new urban community farm that aims to feed 250 people in the surrounding area. Additionally, other nonprofits and farming organizations like the NOFA state chapters have implemented programs to help teach and train a new generation of farmers.

If you are interested in starting a sustainable farm and want to learn more about taking the first steps, join CT NOFA and a group of other established and prospective farmers this Saturday at the Getting Started in Organic Farming Conference in Rockfall, CT. Come and learn about the topics that are most integral to starting your farm - land access, leasing, marketing, and more. To learn more about the conference and to register, check out our website. Working together, we can change the culture of farming in our state and in our country.

Have a great day!
-Melissa

Turning Away from Corporate America Toward Farming

Courtesy of the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

There's been a lot of buzz lately about young people becoming increasingly interested in farming and specifically in organic production.  Back on the 12th, NPR ran an article on it's food blog, The Salt, about a push among young people to abandon corporate life in favor of a more agrarian alternative.  Disillusioned with stifling corporate values, and in response to an economy where the daily grind is less likely to yield positive results, thousands of people are returning to the land.  Another recent article by MSNBC points out that, although farming is inherently risky and expensive getting started, agriculture has fared better than many other parts of the economy during the recession.  Many young people see farming as a calculated risk; one that has a greater likelihood than an office job of working out to their advantage, whether the gains lay in profits or in emotional well-being.  With more than 60% of current farmers over the age of 55, we need a new generation of young farmers to prevent reliance on an ever-decreasing number of producers.

If you are getting started as an organic farmer and need some help tackling big challenges like land access and marketing, register for our Getting Started in Organic Farming Conference to be held Saturday, January 28, 2012 at the CT Forest and Park Association in Rockfall, CT.  Don't miss this opportunity to network with other new farmers and learn from the experts about how to be successful.  You can learn more and register here.  If you've been farming for less than 10 years you may qualify for a scholarship: find out here.

Have a wonderful afternoon!
-Melissa

Are You a New or Transitioning Organic Farmer?

Register today for our Getting Started in Organic Farming Conference to be held Saturday, January 28, 2012 at the CT Forests and Parks Association in Rockfall, CT!  A new article by Grist shows that new farmers cite land access and funding as the major stumbling blocks against becoming established in the industry, but that apprenticeships, local partnerships, and CSAs represent areas of growth.  Attending the conference will help beginning organic farmers become more familiar with available resources, both in areas of growth and in areas of need, and will help to give a well-rounded perspective through exposure to broad themes as well as technically specific topics.  Click here to learn more and to register!

You can also get involved with your local congressperson to change the upcoming Farm Bill.  The Bill process is now restarting, and Congress needs to be reminded why our nation needs a Farm Bill that is responsive to current changing agricultural needs.  Tell your congressperson to sponsor the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Opportunity Act of 2011, which fixes, funds and improves USDA programs, as well as adds new programs to help young and beginning farmers succeed.  The process of getting started as a farmer should be easier, and it can be easier, if we exercise our rights and let our voices be heard.

Have a great evening!
-Melissa

Events Galore!

This winter we have a flurry of events that promise to be both exciting and educational.  Read on to learn more:  

Get ready for our upcoming NOFA chapter Winter Conferences!  Six NOFA chapters are holding conferences between January and March with great speakers, workshops, and events for all.  Visit the chapter websites to learn more and to register.  If you've been farming for less than 10 years, you may also qualify for a scholarship - your local NOFA chapter can let you know if you do.

If you missed our Organic Land Care Annual Gathering last Tuesday, you can check out photos from the event on our Flickr page here. 

Registration is continuing for our NOFA chapter OLC Accreditation Courses!  If you'd like to take the course, or just want to learn more, check it out here.

Thanks!
-Melissa

Six-Month Training Course in Organic Gardening and Farming

Students of the Farm & Garden Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture

The University of California, Santa Cruz, has announced their UCSC Farm and Garden’s Apprenticeship in Ecological Horticulture.  The program, hosted by the Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, is an intensive six-month course in organic farming and small-scale sustainable farming.  The program does not begin until April 2012, however the application deadline is September 30.

According to the program’s website: “The six-month Apprenticeship offers instruction and daily work experience in organic gardening and farming, focusing on ecological interactions amongst plants, soils, climate, insects, and pathogens. In a hands-on education approach, apprentices work alongside staff in the greenhouse, gardens, fields, and orchards, as well as attend lectures, demonstrations, and field trips. Apprentices are exposed to the different aspects of growing plants organically on both a hand-dug garden scale and a tractor-cultivated field scale. The apprentices selected to attend the course each year are interested in practical training that will prepare them to teach others and/or to run their own operations.”

Graduates have established their own commercial farms and market gardens, run community gardens and work on international development projects.  There are 39 apprentices each year representing geographic, age and ethnic diversity.  There are also scholarships available for people of color and/or people from disadvantaged backgrounds and also the Simply Organic Scholarship for an apprentice with financial need.

For more information

visit: http://casfs.ucsc.edu

email: casfs@ucsc.edu

or call: 831-459-3240