NOFA Massachusetts: Conferences/Workshops

About Us Join NOFA/Mass NOFA/Mass Staff & Board Jobs at NOFA/Mass Diversity Unclassifieds Why Buy Organic 10 Reasons to buy Organic Bequests Advertising Rates NOFA/Mass Store

Free Newsletter Print Newsletter Archive NOFA/Mass in the News Genetic Engineering News

Beginning Farmer Program Organic Land Care Program Raw Milk Network Youth Urban Gardening Project Organic Food Guide Ask Farming and Gardening Questions Bulk Order Program Organic Certification Program

NOFA/Mass Outreach Volunteer at NOFA/Mass Backyard Chickens Information Campaign against Genetic Engineering Stop NAIS Town to Town GE Campaign Archive

Summer Conference Winter Conference Soils Building Workshops Fall Seminar: The Modern Homestead Soil and Nutrition Conference Cheese-making Workshops Growing Greens and Roots in Winter Beef, Dairy, and Pigs CSA Management Workshops Gardening, Poultry, Food Preservation Twilight Wild Edibles Walks Boston Workshops Boston Workshops: Beekeeping SE Mass Education Events

Apprentice Listing List of CSAs in Massachusetts Organic Livestock Feed and Resourses Organic Food Guide Farm Sales Tax Exemption Late Blight Reference Nutrient Density Reference National Organic Standards Northeast Agriculture Education Directory Search the Site Related Links

NOFA/Massachusetts Organic Farming Conferences/Workshops

NOFA/Mass Conferences

NOFA/Mass Winter Conference:
The 25th Annual Winter Conference will be held Saturday, January 14, 2012 in Worcester. John Jeavons to keynote.
For more information check this link.

August 10-12, 2012: NOFA Summer Conference
Save the date for the 38th Annual NOFA Summer Conference, at UMass/Amherst, MA. Frank Morton and Representative Chellie Pingree have been confirmed as keynote speakers. Registration opens May 1, 2012.
For more information check www.nofasummerconference.org

2012 NOFA/Mass Education Events

The following educational opportunities are presented by the NOFA/Mass Education Department. The contact for all of these programs (except where noted otherwise) is Ben Grosscup, ben.grosscup@nofamass.org, or 413-658-5374. Each of these programs has its own registration form. You can download them from the website, or request them from Ben.

February 9-11, 2012: Soil and Nutrition: An Education & Coalition-Building Conference
In Northampton, MA, the conference begins with a day-long seminar with John Kempf on strategies for raising quality produce from healthy soil, followed on second day with a collaborative symposium of regional experts on managing soils for quality. Strategic Action Working Conference on the third day. Three-day Registration is $145, with $10 discount for NOFA membership and $10 discount for early registration (by January 26, 2012).
Info at: www.nofamass.org/seminars/winterseminar.php

February and March, 2012: Growing Greens for the Winter Market Workshop Series
These 5 workshops provide information on growing and marketing winter greens on a commercial or home scale, in a greenhouse, hoop house or caterpillar tunnel. Workshops held in Amherst on February 4; in Natick on February 7; in Dartmouth on February 18; in South Egremont on February 25, and in Winchendon Springs on March 10. Registration for each workshop is $30, with $5 discounts for NOFA membership and for early registration (14 days before the workshop). Info at: www.nofamass.org/programs/extensionevents/wintergrowing.php

March to May 2012: Spring Cheese-making Workshop Series
These 8 workshops provide hands-on training on making a wide variety of cheeses on a small scale. Workshops held in Gill on March 10, April 14, and May 12; in Williamstown on April 21; in Hardwick on April 28; in Sterling on May 5; in Petersham on May 19; and in Foxboro, MA on May 26. Registration for the workshops ranges from $110 to $60, with $5 discounts for NOFA membership and for early registration (14 days before the workshop).
Info at: www.nofamass.org/programs/practicalskills/cheesemaking.php

April through July, 2012: Food Self-Reliance Workshop Series
These 8 workshops teach how to produce more of your fowl, eggs, and vegetables at home, and to preserve it. Backyard Poultry Workshops: in Hatfield on June 9; in Hubbardston on April 21; in Northborough on June 16. Organic Gardening Workshops: in Winchendon Springs on May 5; in Groton on June 2. Food Preservation Workshops in Winchendon Springs on September 8; in Groton on August 25; in Barre on September 22. Registration for each workshop ranges from $45 to $30, with $5 discounts for NOFA membership and for early registration (14 days before the workshop).
Info at: www.nofamass.org/programs/extensionevents/self-reliance.php

May through September, 2012: Soils Building Workshop Series
These 4 workshops present how these farms are incorporating principles of biological fertility management to enhance soil fertility with the aim of improving the nutritional quality of crops. Workshops held in Dartmouth on May 12 and June 17; in Barre on July 22; and in Lincoln on September 15. Registration for each workshop is $30, with $5 discounts for NOFA membership and for early registration (14 days before the workshop).
More info will be posted at: www.nofamass.org/programs/extensionevents/nutrientdensity.php

Summer 2012: Organic, Pastured Beef, Dairy, and Pigs Workshop Series
These 4 workshops will provide information on basic management as well as some innovative ideas to bring sustainable husbandry to the next level. Workshops held in Hardwick on May 26; in Barre on June 30; in Sheffield on July 15; in Great Barrington on August 25. Registration for each workshop ranges from $35 to $30, with $5 discounts for NOFA membership and for early registration (14 days before the workshop).
Info at: www.nofamass.org/programs/extensionevents/beef-dairy-pigs.php

May 31 and July 26, 2012: Twilight Wild Edibles Walks
Professional environmentalist and wild foods enthusiast, Russ Cohen, will lead two walks in Eastern Massachusetts (location TBA). Participants will learn about identifying, sustainably harvesting, and preparing numerous edible wild plant and mushroom species. Registration for each workshop is $30, with $5 discounts for NOFA membership and for early registration (14 days before the workshop).
More info will be posted at: www.nofamass.org/programs/extensionevents/wildedibles.php

October and November, 2012: How to Run a Successful CSA
This workshop series features three successful CSAs where the farmers explain the details (e.g. fertility, organization, crop timing, labor management, marketing, and recordkeeping) of making this creative business model work. Workshops in Waltham on October 27; in Williamstown on November 3; and in Winchester, NH on November 10. Registration is $35, with $5 discounts for NOFA membership and for early registration (14 days before the workshop).
Info at: www.nofamass.org/programs/extensionevents/successfulcsa.php

September to November 2012: Fall Cheese-making Workshop Series
Dates and locations to be announced in June 2012.

November 5, 2012: Profitable Three-Season Growing and Marketing
In Southeast Massachusetts (location TBA) Sandy and Paul Arnold of Pleasant Valley Farm in Argyle, NY will give the 7th in a series of NOFA/Mass Advanced Growers' Seminars. They will outline practices for making the small farm financially viable including high tunnels, winter market storage, greenhouse production, marketing, and record-keeping. Registration is $60, with $5 discounts for NOFA membership and for early registration (by Oct. 22, 2012).
More info will be posted at: www.nofamass.org/seminars/fallseminar.php

This page was last modified on March 08, 2012 at 11:52:22 AM. Translate this page: