FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Connecticut’s
Largest Organic Food and Farming Conference Returns for 34th Year
Organic community to unite for a weekend of education,
inspiration and celebration
Derby,
CT, Feb. 1, 2016 – The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut (CT
NOFA) is pleased to invite the public to its 34th Annual Winter Conference
on March 12 and 13 at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) in Danbury. Guests
will discover new ways to strengthen Connecticut’s local food system and help combat
climate change using practices rooted in organic farming and land care. Keynote
speaker Travis Marcotte, Executive Director of the Intervale
Center in Vermont, will inspire and energize guests about building community
food systems as the conference kicks off.
Saturday
programming features more than 60 workshops taught by industry experts about
organic gardening, land care, homesteading, farming and do-it-yourself foods
including kombucha, ginger beer, wine, and fermented vegetables. Gardeners will learn how to graft fruit trees,
grow roses organically, and cultivate mushrooms while land care professionals
further their expertise in soil biology, creating landscape designs for
feathery friends, and using beneficial insects for pest management.
Jack Kittredge, longtime NOFA
Massachusetts leader and author of The
Natural Farmer newspaper, will lead a soil carbon restoration workshop
designed to teach farmers techniques for returning carbon to the soil and
restoring soil health. Farmers can explore climate change adaptation strategies
with Kip Kolesinskas, Conservation Scientist at American
Farmland Trust, and learn a practical approach to cover crops with Dr.
Elizabeth Dyck, a plant scientist and founder of the Organic
Growers' Research and Information-Sharing Network (OGRIN).
“We are very excited to present two days of
outstanding programming for our diverse and growing membership and community of
supporters” says CT NOFA Executive Director
Jeff Cordulack “and look forward to sharing inspiring
news about the power of regenerative ‘carbon farming’ to absorb carbon
from the air and help reverse climate change. Our
organic mission has never been more relevant than it is today.”
Guests
may purchase lunch tickets for $15 and enjoy their choice of delicious and
locally-sourced dishes prepared by generous lunch sponsors including Barcelona,
The Whelk, Kawa Ni, Sugar & Olives, Mill Street Bar & Table, Wave Hill
Breads, New Morning Market, Plan B and Sodexo. A complimentary
tasting of locally-roasted, organic coffee is being sponsored by Shearwater
Coffee Roasters and at lunchtime, organic teas are being sponsored by local tea producer Harney and
Sons.
Saturday
admission includes access to workshops and more than 60 organic food and farm
exhibitors. Sunday features a choice of intensive workshops for farmers and
serious backyard gardeners, including programs for beginning farmers who want
to improve their crop planning and business skills.
Register
online at ctnofa.org
for CT NOFA’s 34th Annual Winter Conference for the organic food and
farming community held on Saturday, March 12 from 8:30 am to 5:00 pm, and
Sunday, March 13 from 9:00-3:30 pm at Western Connecticut State University in
Danbury. Saturday admission is $60 for non-members and $50 for members; Sunday
admission is $50 for non-members and $35 for members; combined Saturday and
Sunday admission is $110 for non-members and $85 for members.
Thank you to our generous sponsors for their
support.
CT NOFA's 34th Annual Winter Conference is being
brought to you in cooperation with Western Connecticut State University and its
Jane Goodall Center for Excellence in Environmental Studies.
This Program is a
cooperative effort of CT NOFA, UConn Extension, the Connecticut Department of
Agriculture, and the Risk Management Agency/USDA.
About
CT NOFA
The
Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut, Inc. (CT NOFA) is the
first and leading grassroots association advocating for organic food, farming,
gardening and land care in Connecticut. We connect people in the
local-sustainable food and land care movements with organic resources and
cutting-edge educational opportunities. Our organization’s emphasis is on
training organic farmers, gardeners and land care professionals on the latest
sustainable practices; promoting organic products and practices to consumers;
and bringing attention to critical state and federal policy issues affecting
our international food system and global environment. CT NOFA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization founded in 1982 and one of the seven State Chapters of the
Northeast Organic Farming Association.
Media
Inquiries:
Contact:
Analiese Paik
Communications Director
Communications Director
203-520-3451
Jeff Cordulack
Executive Director
CT NOFA
126 Derby Avenue,
Derby, CT 06418
(203) 613-8813
END
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