Every CT NOFA Farmer and Donor Is a Soil Health Hero

Jeff Cordulack, Executive Director

It’s with great pride that CT NOFA celebrates our 35^th year and the NOFA nation celebrates its 46^th. We and our member farmers and business owners continue working hard to create a healthy, organic Connecticut founded on ecologically, socially and economically just principles.  

 

I write today to convey the urgency of managing our soils so they can mitigate the effects of climate change. In this letter, I present you good news and bad news - but the short story: It is critical to rapidly promote regenerative agriculture in Connecticut and beyond. With your financial support, CT NOFA is uniquely positioned to do exactly that.  

 

This no-till transplanter places pumpkins into a freshly roller-crimped field in Woodstock, CT. Throughout winter and spring, the straight rye cover crop protected the soil from erosion, fed sugars to the soil biology and is now an effective water-holding mulch for this year's pumpkins.

The Bad News: There’s too much carbon in the atmosphere and it’s changing weather patterns for the worse.

• Carbon dioxide levels are at 400 ppm but should be near 280 ppm for a stable climate.
• Worldwide, agricultural soils are missing 50-80% of vital carbon stores due to industrial practices that harm soil life.

We now have rising seas, stronger storms, and longer periods of drought. These tough facts impact Connecticut farmers, our local food system, and everyone’s quality of life.

 

The Good News: The soil can save us! In fact, worldwide organic practices could restore proper carbon dioxide levels in just 5 years.

• The life underground works with plants in a special way that captures carbon dioxide from the air and restores it to the soil where it belongs.
• Proper soil-carbon levels greatly improve soil health and its ability to hold water.

Using regenerative farming, we can reverse climate change by letting the soil reabsorb the troublesome atmospheric carbon dioxide. Understood by experts worldwide, the soil is now being celebrated in the New York Times, Washington Post and Modern Farmer as a way to mitigate our weather woes.

 

CTNOFA has been creating an organic CT since 1982 and is now bringing new regenerative farming practices to our state. Working through our network of organic innovators and agricultural partners, we are teaching cover cropping, silvopasture, mob grazing, green manure, and handy, new low-till and no-till tools that protect soil structure.

 

CT NOFA’s brings these practices and know-how to Connecticut in many ways including:

• Year-round workshops for farmers, gardeners, and foodies including CT NOFA’s Annual Winter Conference (coming March 2017).
• By educating consumers about the greatest local sources for fresh, seasonal foods grown by Connecticut’s best farmers and businesses.
• Our internationally-recognized NOFA Standards for Organic Land Care that are constantly updated with the latest information for effective, non-toxic garden and lawn care.
• Our advocacy for legislation in Hartford and D.C. to protect the environment, our farmers, consumers and hard-working organic land care pros. (This year we led the nation with the Pollinator Bill that restricts neonicotinoid use, plans for biodiversity and more!)

Please donate today to become a CT NOFA ‘Soil Health Hero’. We urgently need your help today to train farmers in regenerative agricultural practices.

 

Your dollars help CT NOFA grow Connecticut organically and meet the growing demand for organic food, training, supplies, and farming tools that build soils for future generations.

Three Ways to Donate:

• Donate on our website by credit card 
• Mail us a check at: CTNOFA, 126 Derby Avenue, Derby, CT 06418
• Call the office at 203-308-2584

For those looking to make a greater impact, CT NOFA is also seeking donors to establish a CT NOFA fund to incentivize carbon-friendly agriculture by cost-sharing on no-till tools, cover crop seeds, advanced training and more. Let us know if this initiative interests you. (We are proud to announce our first cost-sharing donation of $6,000!) 

 

All contributions will make a big difference. On behalf of the staff, board, and CT NOFA membership, I thank you for your generous support. Please contact me anytime with questions or suggestions that may help CT NOFA achieve our organic mission.

Sincerely,

Jeff Cordulack,

Executive Director, CT NOFA

jeff@ctnofa.org | 203-613-8813

 

How We've Grown!

By Bill Duesing

I stopped into a nearby chain supermarket on the way home from work the other day to do a little shopping.  Just outside the entrance were piles of two kinds of bagged potting soil, both clearly labeled organic.  One even bore the OMRI seal. (This means that the Organic Materials Review Institute has found that the product is suitable for use on an organic farm according to the Federal Standards for organic agriculture.)

Once inside, I saw a big display of seed packets, proclaiming boldly that the seeds are organic and non GMO.  Many of the store's staff wore tee shirts with messages about organic on them. 

Like most of the chain's locations, this store has a separate organic/natural section as well as organic products mixed in with their conventional counterparts-vegetables and fruits, dried fruits and nuts, dairy products and pasta for example. This trend is common all over the country.  In our travels, it is only in the very rural Midwest and Intermountain west that organic products are rare.

Forty-five years after NOFA started promoting local and organic agriculture, it seems like we've won on the organic issue. Consumers get it, even as industrial agriculture and its suppliers and supporters continue their decades long resistance and/or hostility to organic. I know there is a lot more work to do to convert all of our agriculture and food systems to organic practices, but the rate of growth in sales and consumer interest mean that it is inevitable. 

According to US Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack:

America's organic industry is booming, creating important opportunities for farmers and ranchers and adding to the vibrancy of rural America. Under the Obama Administration, we've made transformative investments to help the organic sector thrive by making certification more attainable, providing more support for organic operations, and expanding international markets. As consumer demand continues to grow, USDA is here to support producers and help them access the hunger for American-grown organic products...Organic food is one of the fasting growing segments of American agriculture.

The USDA organic program has certified more than 21,900 organic operations to date — nearly a 300 percent increase since 2002. Worldwide, the USDA organic seal has become a leading global standard, with more than 31,000 certified organic operations in more than 120 countries.

According to a recent report from the Organic Trade Association, total organic food sales in this country rose 10.6 percent in 2015 to $39.6 billion. Since 2007, total organic sales have doubled.

Organic fresh fruit and vegetable sales were $13 billion last year, up ten percent from 2014.  That figure also includes estimates of sales from farmers markets, retail stores, community supported agriculture groups, mail order and online sales, as well as direct sales to consumers and exports.  It does not include the value of vegetables produced organically in the increasing number of home, community and school gardens.

Sales of organic apples have grown (12 to 15 percent a year for four or five years) while sales of conventional apples have fallen (1 to 2 percent each year).Consumers understand the value of purchasing organic food. The food market is shifting toward clean ingredients, including organic ones, in response to consumer pressure.

Another survey found that nearly three quarters of the families in this country make an effort to buy organic and that 85 percent of parents said that buying organic was extremely or very important when purchasing baby foods. And, 84 percent said the same about buying foods for their children.

Even though, according to the USDA, there was a 12 percent increase last year in the total number of certified organic farms and processors/handlers in this country, organic production doesn't keep up with the demand. In 2015, there was a 9 percent increase just in certified organic farms alone.  You can search a list of all 31,000 plus certified operations here.

According to Carl Jorgensen, the director of global consumer strategy of wellness at Daymon Worldwide (a brand-building company), “Organic is mainstream now...At the very least, three-fourths of American consumers are purchasers of organic products. That’s not a niche, that’s mainstream.” He was reacting to PepsiCo's launch of organic Gatorade.

As reported in BeverageDaily, Jorgensen said he wouldn’t be surprised to see Coca-Cola launch its own organic version flagship products in the near future in response to PepsiCo’s announcement. He cited a number of other companies, including Campbell’s and General Mills, that are taking steps to "go organic," remove GMOs* and utilize all-natural ingredients - to bring in profits from the “better-for-you” market.

Another OTA survey looked at household income, poverty rates and growth rates in what it calls "organic hotspots." Those are counties in the United States with a high level of organic agricultural activity that have neighboring counties also with high organic activity.  The Penn State agricultural economist who did the study found that in those organic hotspots median household income is over $2,000 greater and the poverty rate is reduced by more than one percent. Being an organic hotspot reduced poverty more than anti-poverty programs such as SNAP (formerly known as food stamps) and the Women, Infants and Children programs.

The map of organic hotspot counties is not surprising.  They are concentrated in the Northeast, upper Midwest and along the West Coast.  The only hot spot in Connecticut is in southeastern Connecticut, but we are surrounded with hotspot counties on Long Island, in much of Massachusetts and in the Hudson Valley.  The study found that the hot spots are concentrated in states with non-profit organizations that provide both certification and educational programs and services for farmers and those where the state provides certification services.  The NOFA chapters in New York and Vermont provide certification and education as do the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association and the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture. Baystate Organic Certifiers, formed from the NOFA/Mass certification program, provides certification services in Massachusetts and Connecticut.  In Rhode Island, New Hampshire and New Jersey, the state provides certification. At the time when certification programs were first established prior to the October 2002 effective date of the National Organic Program, CT NOFA was still an all-volunteer organization without the resources to create a USDA accredited certification program. We encouraged the Connecticut Department of Agriculture to become a certifier, but their application was rejected. That was the time when Governor Rowland was trying to get rid of the Department of Agriculture so there weren't the resources needed to fix the application and reapply.

All this presents us with two questions.

1. With greater consumer enthusiasm and more economic success, why hasn't organic grown even faster?  For an answer, look to the playbook of the tobacco, pesticide, lead and fossil fuel industries or read the new book Dark Money by Jane Mayer. Or read this piece about Agroecology, a traditional and mostly organic agricultural system.  The eminent agroecologist Professor Miguel Altieri put it this way:

The issue seems to be political or ideological rather than evidence or science based. No matter what data is presented, governments and donors influenced by big interests marginalize agroecological approaches focusing on quick-fix, external input intensive 'solutions' and proprietary technologies such as transgenic crops and chemical fertilisers. It is time for the international community to recognize that there is no other more viable path to food production in the twenty-first century than agroecology.

2. And, what about the other issues that have been important for NOFA over the last nearly five decades: local production, food justice and climate change?  We're working on all of those through our beginning farmer programs, our work with the Agricultural Justice Project and the new Carbon Farming Initiative. We probably don't have another 45 years to make great progress on these issues.

Clearly, we've got a lot more growing to do.

*Labeling GMOs is another issue where consumers and, increasingly, consumer products companies are getting it.  This essay by long time organic farmer and NOFA member Elizabeth Henderson is important in this context.

Harbor Harvest's "Thrill of the Grill" Event Features CTNOFA Farm and Food Members

The Thrill of the Grill

Saturday, June 11

2:00-5:00 pm

at Harbor Harvest

7 Cove Avenue, Norwalk

$20 per person includes all demos and tastings

Proceeds benefit CT NOFA

Harbor Harvest is pleased to announce they are now delivering to the immediate East Norwalk community via Pedego's zero-emission electric cargo bicycle.

Explore artisan foods and craft beers from around Connecticut and New York as you meet the makers and enjoy tastings at Harbor Harvest. Then join Harbor Harvest's chefs and butchers at the grills out back where they'll share proper techniques for smoking and grilling their locally sourced, pastured meats and fresh fish as you enjoy more tastings.

Boston Brewing Company will be on hand with their Cicerone (a beer sommelier!) who will provide craft beer pairings for guests. Coney Island Brewery will release their Mermaid Pilsner on draft for the first time in Connecticut at this event.

Enjoy live music by local artist Canyon, recently nominated the "best singer song writer in CT 2016" throughout the event.

Meet these local farmers and artisan food makers as you sample their food:

• Simpaug Farms, Ridgefield, CT, sustainably grown vegetables
  Simpaug Farms is a 250-acre property in West Suffield, Connecticut. The word Simpaug is an indigenous place name recorded by early settlers in Connecticut. Much of the property is included in the Connecticut Department of Agriculture’s Farmland Preservation Program. Under this designation the land is required to be used solely for the purpose of agriculture, and is protected from other development.
  Member CTNOFA and signatory to the Farmer's Pledge.
  
• B4 & After Farms, Woodbridge, CT: Oui Charcuterie hand crafted salami
  
  B4 & After Farms is a family run, woman-owned, organic farm in Woodbridge, Connecticut. Heritage breeds of animals and heirloom vegetables are raised and harvested in a humane, sustainable manner that utilizes holistic management practices.In 2007 the farm started as an organic, urban farm in New Haven, Connecticut producing food for the family and friends. It has grown into a 13 acre forest farm that now provides for the community as well. The farm currently offers heritage pork, heritage turkey, eggs and seasonally has foraged foods, vegetables, honey and maple syrup for sell to private, retail and farm to wedding consumers. Member CTNOFA.
  
• Walden Hill, CT:  Acorn-finished pork
  Walden Hill is a New England based company striving to to build a better future for the place we call home and the people who live in it. Owners Jen and Tylan are committed to a future of family farming done right. By utilizing acorns, high in healthy omega-3 fats, they keep their pigs happy and healthy. They only raise heritage breed hogs, never use hormones or antibiotics and use humane certified slaughterhouses to ensure they are supporting the best possible livestock industry. The result is exquisite – premium acorn pork that has a rich nuttiness with a deep savory flavor. Whether fresh or dry cured, its unique profile will not disappoint.
  
• Jane's Good Food, Westport, CT: Jarred pickles, carrots, beans, and more!
  Jane’s Good Food is all about the flavor. Cool crisp pickles. Warm spiced peaches and smooth vanilla pears. They start with ripe juicy fruits and veggies, fresh from local orchards and farms. Then add only real, honest ingredients like pure vanilla from Madagascar, Saigon cinnamon from Vietnam, and rosemary from Jane’s garden. Nothing you can’t pronounce, and nothing artificial. For some, eating real authentic food like this is a new idea, but not for Jane’s! Take a bite, enjoy the moment, and spark your own memories with the classic authentic flavors of Jane’s.
  
• Red Bee Honey, Weston, CT: Red Bee specializes in single nectar source honeys including blueberry blossom, apple blossom, and squash blossom.
  Marina Marchese has authored two books: Honeybee: Lessons from an Accidental Beekeeper and The Honey Connoisseur. This entrepreneur is a beekeeper, an author, a honey sommelier, the visionary behind Red Bee ® Artisanal Honey, and founder of the American Honey Tasting Society. Red Bee’s collection of single-origin honeys is sought out by celebrity chefs, Relais & Chateaux restaurants, and fine cheese and artisan food shops all over the country.

Tickets are $20 per person and advance purchases are advised as space is limited. Call 203-939-9289 or email harborharvest7@gmail.com.

Ticket proceeds benefit CTNOFA. Harbor Harvest, 7 Cove Avenue, Norwalk, CT.

CT NOFA Accepts 3 New Journeypersons! Spotlight on Ben Harris

CT NOFA is proud to announce the next round of Journeyperson farmers to take part in the 2 year program funded by a grant from the National Institute for Food and Agriculture through the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. The Journeyperson program strives to support farmers in the education gap between apprentice and independent farmer and to provide resources and opportunities for prospective new farmers who have completed an apprenticeship to further develop skills they need to farm independently.  

This year we have accepted 3 beginning farmers into the program: Ben Harris of Root Down Farm CSA in Coventry, Josiah Venter of Ro-Jo Farms in Bethany and Roger &  Issabelle Phillips of Sub Edge Farm in Farmington. 

Ben Harris. photo by Weston Monroe/Cara Paiuk

Today's blog spotlight will focus on beginning farmer Ben Harris.

Last Minute Winter Recipes for Thanksgiving!

You know you support your farmers around Thanksgiving when....

• You get a thrill hunting for the perfect butternut squash at the farmers market
• You visited your local farm MONTHS ago to reserve your holiday turkey
• You take a trip to High Hill Orchard to pick delicious apples for your homemade pies
• You are counting down the days to crack open the hard cider you have been fermenting for what seems like forever
• You have mapped out the days cooking schedule down to the minute

nom nom nom nom 

Show your family members who's boss when it comes to holiday cooking with a few of CT NOFA's favorite recipes for these cold months ahead.

My thanksgiving line-up wouldn't be complete without the Kale and Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes made fresh with the recipe from Wild Carrot Farm. 

Click "read more" for the full recipe!