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

What is "Pink Slime"?

A product the industry calls "lean, finely textured meat" has been a fixture in the ground beef served in the free school lunch program and fast food hamburgers for years. But after Chef Jamie Oliver demonstrated how "pink slime" is made on his TV show last year, and media reports suggested it may not be as safe as the government claims, alarm among consumers began surging.

This excerpt was taken from a recent NPR article that discusses both the bacterial health hazards of pink slime, as well as the process of making it supposedly safe for human consumption.  As is the case with so many industrial food products, at the root of the issue it all comes down to price.  Despite all the processing, pink slime is slightly cheaper than regular ground beef, and so is a significant component in free school lunches and much of the ground beef that's sold in grocery stores.  As consumers, however, we can't know for sure what ground beef has it and what doesn't, because the packages are not required to be labeled.


Sound familiar?  It should.  The recent initiative to label pink slime on ground beef is not entirely dissimilar from our efforts to label Genetically Modified Organisms.  It all comes back to us as consumers having a right to know what's in our food. We should not have to pay extra to have ground beef ground up in front of us so that we can know for sure that it doesn't contain ammonia treated trimmings.  We should not have to assume that every non-organic product that contains corn or soybeans has GMOs because we can't know for sure.  Proper labeling is necessary in order to make informed food choices, and being able to make those informed choices is our right.

To learn more about what I meant above by "ammonia treated trimmings", check out this video with Chef Jamie Oliver that explains the process behind pink slime.



Have a great afternoon,
Melissa

30th Annual Winter Conference Recap and Call to Action

Our Winter Conference last Saturday the 3rd had nearly 600 attendees, our biggest turnout yet!  It was a wonderful event, packed with workshops, vendors, and a great keynote speech by Jeffrey M. Smith.  This week we've been reviewing incoming evaluations from the event, and have had overwhelmingly positive feedback.  If you attended the conference we'd like to give you our most heartfelt thanks for being a part of our largest event of the year and helping to make it really special and momentous. And if you volunteered with us, we want you to know that this event could not have run so smoothly without you.  Thanks to everyone for your continued commitment to local sustainable food and to our mission to provide reliable access to that food for our communities.

Jeffrey M. Smith during his keynote

The big issues discussed at this year's conference are very important.  It is critical that everyone take action and make their voice heard in order to pass legislation currently being discussed in Hartford.  Preventing the repeal of the school pesticide ban and passing the GMO labeling bill are two initiatives that we need your support on in order to succeed.

You have the opportunity to let your state and Federal legislators know that you want to know what is in your food.  

There are at least three levels of GMO labeling initiatives you can be a part of:

1. A Letter from Congress to ask the FDA to label GMOs. Ask your Representative and Senators to sign on.
Click here for an easy pre-written way to let congress know that you want to know what's in your food. Senator Barbara Boxer (CA) and Representative Peter DeFazio (OR) have authored a bicameral Congressional letter and will be urging their fellow Members on Capitol Hill to sign onto their letter.

2. A petition to FDA asking them to label GMOs.
A legal petition (Docket # FDA-2011-P-0723-0001/CP) has been filed with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) calling on the FDA to label genetically engineered (GE) foods. Visit JustLabelIt.org to learn more and to sign!

3. The Connecticut Bill to label GMOs which is closest to home.
The Bill, Officially called HB 5117: An Act Concerning Genetically Engineered Foods, is picking up momentum! Representative Roy first introduced the bill in mid-February and since then several legislators from both parties have expressed support, and Jeffrey Smith was invited to speak on the issue at the Capitol Building on March 2. Now we need Connecticut's consumers and voters to show their support! To find your legislator, click here. You can write your own letter to them, or send ours.

And for those who want to attend something in person:
CT GMO Labeling Bill Informational Meeting and Q&A
What Are GMOs and What Does the Bill Mean for Consumers?
Saturday, March 10, 10-12 noon
Pequot Library, Southport, CT
free and open to the public

Please also contact your state representatives to let them know that you want your children to play on school grounds that are free of chemicals, and that overturning the school pesticide ban is therefore unacceptable.  Working together we can turn the tide of sentiment in our favor.

Two volunteers in yellow participate
in the potluck lunch

If you are working up an appetite from contacting your state representative, check out some recipes from the Winter Conference's potluck lunch we've posted here.  These recipes are centered around winter food, specifically greens, and are a great way to tide yourself over before the heart of planting season begins.  Thanks to Chef John Turenne, farmer Wayne Hansen and Dr. Leigh White for providing these delicious ideas!

Don't forget to check out the pictures of our conference online!

Have a wonderful day!

Three Workshops in Three Weeks!

Saturday, March 10: Soils and Compost
10:00am - 12:00pm
Common Ground High School
358 Springside Avenue, New Haven, CT
Join the Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut at Common Ground High School and Urban Farm in New Haven, CT to learn about building healthy soil to grow healthy plants including composting methods.  CT NOFA's Executive Director, Bill Duesing will be sharing his expertise and experience in fostering healthy soil biology as a foundation for successful plant growing.  Tom Rathier, Emeritus Soil Scientist from the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station will be on hand to discuss soil testing for lead contamination and how to read test results. The workshop is $10 per person. 
At the conclusion of the workshop we will be having a Beginning Farmer Brown Bag Lunch Social from 12:00 to 1:00.  Bring lunch (we'll bring the Cider from High Hill Orchard in Meriden) and meet some fellow Connecticut farmers.

Saturday March 17: Starting Seedlings
10:00am - 12:00pm
Common Ground High School

Bettylou Sandy at a past CT NOFA workshop

CT NOFA invites you to learn about starting your own vegetables and flowers from seed.  Demonstrations for both planting and transplanting, plus a list of which plants are set out by seedlings and which ones are directly sown by seed into the ground. This workshop will be taught by CT NOFA's Vice President and veteran workshop teacher Bettylou Sandy of Bettylou's Gardening and Shannon Raider, Common Ground's Farm Manager (who also did a seed-starting presentation at the Getting Started in Organic Conference)! The workshop is $10 per person.

Tuesday March 20: Greenhouse & High Tunnel Winter Growing

9:00am to 12:00pm Star Light Gardens 54 Fowler Ave Durham, CT

David Zemelsky of Starlight Gardens

Join us again on the first full day of Spring! David Zemelsky will lead a tour of his greenhouses and high tunnels.  David is a certified organic grower of many types of greens for both farmers' markets and wholesale.  John W. Bartok, Jr., UConn Extension Professor Emeritus and Agricultural Engineer will be there to address greenhouse design and to talk about ways to improve greenhouse efficiency and function. The workshop is open to anyone who is interested in learning more about greenhouse growing.  We are planning to also have a Beginning Farmer Lunch Meet and Greet after this workshop, either on the farm or a nearby restaurant, if you're interested in coming to lunch please let me know (kristiane@ctnofa.org).  The workshop cost is $20 for members and $30 for non-members.

David's Greenhouses were badly damaged by last year's
snow and ice storms, we're glad hes up and running for
our workshop this year!

For more information: visit www.ctnofa.org and click on the workshop you would like to attend.  You can register for the Greenhouse & High Tunnel workshop online and the rest you can either mail in a form or give us a call (203-888-5146). 

See you at our upcoming workshops!
Best,
Kristiane

Jeffrey Smith talks about GMOs at the Capitol Building

Jeffrey Smith addresses concerned citizens, legislators and
the press on March 2 at the Capitol Building.

Jeffrey Smith was kind enough to speak at the Capitol Building on March 2 in support of Connecticut's proposed GMO labeling law, HB 5117.
The first portion of the program was a Press Conference where Jeffrey Smith explained the science of genetically engineered foods and why he, and so many other consumers, scientists and activists, are concerned about their potential threats to the food system and to human health.  Jeffrey Smith was hosted by Representative Richard Roy (D-Milford) who has been the leader in writing and introducing the GMO-labeling bill.  Even more exciting were the ten or so state representatives who joined Mr. Smith and Rep. Roy at the podium to discuss their support of the labeling bill.  The bill already has remarkable bipartisan support, because the "Right to Know" is simply a right! There is no debate or political agenda attached to consumers having the right to know precisely what is in the food they eat and feed their families.

Jeffrey Smith and Rep. Roy are joined by members of both
parties expressing their support for HB 5117.

The bill's supporters include Rep. Tony Hwang (R-Republican), Rep. Andy Maynard (D-Stonington), Rep. Diana Urban (D-Stonington-North Stonington), Kim Rose (D-Milford), T.R. Rowe (R-Trumbull), and several more (I was unable to write down all of their names!)
After the press conference, Rep. Roy and Mr. Smith answered audience questions about labeling, terminator seeds, cross-pollination and contamination, how the proposed bill extends to meat and dairy, and a number of other technical questions.
After the forum ended the audience discussed the issues over coffee while some of us bought Mr. Smith's books.  The audience included farmers, landscapers, activists and conservationists reflecting the same diversity in support of the bill as the representatives supporting the bill.  A few people noted that a couple biotech supporters, and even lobbyists were present for the talk.  Jeffrey Smith's compelling talk and question and answer session along with a fired-up audience might be making them a little nervous . . . .

Jeffrey Smith and Representative Roy answered audience questions for a
long period of time after the press conference.

After drinking coffee with all those GMO-labeling supporters, a number of the bill's early supporters, including CT NOFA Executive Director Bill Duesing, Pat Bigelow CT NOFA Board Member Janet Heller, and luckily, myself, had lunch (thanks to Analiese Paik with Fairfield Green Food Guide and Sallie Hersen who was instrumental in setting up the Press Conference at the capitol) with Jeffrey Smith and Representative Roy.  Mr. Smith discussed his transition into GMO activism, how he has managed to remain "un-squelched" and also his perspective on the Connecticut labeling bill.

Connecticut's long-time GMO-Labeling bill supporters join Jeffrey Smith
and Representative Roy for a healthy, delicious raw and organic lunch.

Show your support for the labeling bill by writing your Connecticut legislator! 

Here's to  healthy minds, bodies and senses of activism!
Best,
Kristiane

See Jeffrey Smith on Friday at the Legislative Forum or on Saturday at the Winter Conference

The leading consumer advocate promoting healthier non-GMO choices, Jeffrey M. Smith, is the author of the world's bestselling and #1 rated book on the health dangers genetically modified organisms (GMOs).

His first book Seeds of Deception: Exposing Industry and Government Lies about the Safety of the Genetically Engineered Foods You're Eating masterfully combines the art of storytelling and investigative reporting. His second book, Genetic Roulette: The Documented Health Risks of Genetically Engineered Foods, is the authoritative work on GMO health dangers. It includes 65 health dangers, linking GMOs in our food to toxic and allergic reactions, infertility, and damage to virtually every internal organ studied in lab animals.

Mr. Smith has counseled leaders from every continent, campaigned to end the use of genetically engineered bovine growth hormone (rbGH or rbST), and influenced the first state laws in the United States regulating GMOs. An admired keynote speaker around the globe, Mr. Smith has been described as "a life-changer".  Former US National Institutes of Health scientist Candace Pert describes Jeffrey as "the leading world expert in the understanding and communication of the health issues surrounding genetically modified foods."


He is the executive director of the Institute for Responsible Technology, producer of the films Hidden Dangers in Kids' Meals and Your Milk on Drugs—Just Say No!, writes an internationally syndicated column, Spilling the Beans, has a regular blog on the popular Huffington Post, and is followed on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

Get a preview of some of the health dangers from GMOs with this video.

You have TWO opportunities to see Jeffrey Smith this weekend!

Attend the Environment Committee’s special news conference and legislative forum this Friday, March 2, 2012, from 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 pm. The Environment Committee will hold a news conference, followed by a legislative forum on Genetically Modified Organisms (GMO’s) sponsored by State Representative Richard Roy. Following the news conference supporting HB 5117, An Act Requiring the Labeling of Genetically-Engineered Foods, national expert on the subject, Jeffrey Smith, will lead a legislative forum on the subject.  A question and answer session will follow. Please arrive early to find parking, then head to the Old Appropriations, Room 310 at the Capitol in Hartford, CT.

And then of course, your second opportunity is at the 2012 CT NOFA Winter Conference on Saturday at Manchester Community College.  We already have hundreds of people registered and are expecting many many more! Registration before the conference is encouraged, but we accept walk-ins too!