2012 NOFA/Mass Winter Conference
Final Workshop Descriptions
Animals
Certified Small-Scale Dairying on a Shoestring (all levels)
Sarah Fournier-Scanlon holds Taproot Commons Farm and is a micro-dairy lover and eco-hamlet tinkerer.
As we begin our second season as a raw milk CSA, we'll discuss exactly what you need to get started in certified dairying. This workshop is particularly geared toward on-farm bottling and sales, but will be applicable to most small dairy dreams. We'll move from site design and retrofit, to navigating authorities, scoring inexpensive equipment, milking options, management economics and sustainability, creative financing, grants and marketing.
From Start to Soup (intermediate)
Sean Stanton started farming 10 years ago with a batch of 25 broiler chickens. His farm has since grown to include a small herd of dairy cows, pasture-raised pigs, seasonal pasture-based broiler production and 800 laying hens.
This workshop will cover basic information on all aspects of raising laying hens on pasture, from brooding to soup chickens and all the steps in between. Areas will include feed and feeding, housing design, pasture rotation, general health, predator control and much more. Participants should be prepared to ask questions and contribute from their own experiences.
How and Why to Keep Bees in Top Bar Hives (beginner)
Christy Hemenway is the founder of Gold Star Honeybees and an advocate for healthy natural beekeeping.
This workshop is designed as a starting place for those who are interested in keeping bees in top bar hives in the coming growing season. Discussion will center around the "why" of this green, sustainable method, and include basic "how" information about getting started. Time for questions and answers included.
Watch Christy's talk "Making the Connection: Honeybees, Food, and You"
Integrated Pest Management for Beekeepers (all levels)
Dan Conlon is the president of the Massachusetts Beekeepers Association; founding member of the Northern Queen Breeders Association; member of the Russian Queen Breeders Association; and owner of Warm Colors Apiary, operating 800 colonies for honey production and 100 colonies for queen production.
Integrated pest management allows beekeepers to assist honey bee colonies at all phases of infestation. Mites, nosema, viruses and many other pests of bees can be stopped early, or after infestations become life-threatening to a colony. When and where the beekeeper intervenes is the topic of this workshop. Early intervention requires early diagnosis, and early diagnosis allows for the least invasive treatments to be applied to stop pests and allow a colony to regain its health.
Read Dan's notes on managing Russian honeybees
Integrating Livestock on a Small Farm (all levels)
**In-depth three-hour workshop.**
Dale Perkins and his wife, Ann, have a small diversified farm in Rutland, Mass.
I'll cover methods to integrate various animal species on a grass-based production system. We'll talk about sheep, goats, cattle, poultry and horses. We'll go into detail about intensive grazing and, using sheep as a model, we'll go into specifics about health, nutrition, reproduction and marketing.
Pasture Creation and Reclamation (intermediate)
Rachel Scherer: Dour biologist grows sick of computers, indulges serious cheese lust by becoming joyful goatherd. Bruce Scherer: Nature lover with tractor lust develops field restoration and invasive plant management business.
"We are what they eat" is our guiding principle in managing pasture and browsing for our goats. Herd and human health are interdependent with soil health and the forages it grows. Mineralization, fertilization and seeding based on goat nutrition will be covered, using principles applicable to other livestock. Creating pasture from "scratch" and reclaiming abandoned fields will be detailed.
Pigs and Pork Products on the Small Farm (beginner/intermediate)
**In-depth, three-hour workshop.**
Dom Palumbo owns Moon In The Pond Farm, has been a NOFA member for 20 years and has raised Large Blacks for about 12 years.
Raising pigs has many advantages for the small farm. There are lots of dos and don'ts, pluses and pitfalls and delicious possibilities. This two-part workshop will begin with an introduction to the pleasures and pains of raising porkers. For those new to pigs, this will be a fast-paced overview intended to give some tips, some awareness of what's involved and what needs to be considered. The second half of the discussion will be a similarly glancing introduction to 'value added' pork products like sausage, prosciutto, pate, cold cuts and other artisanal possibilities for the small or homestead farm.
Raw Milk Production: How and Why (all levels)
Winton Pitcoff is the coordinator of the NOFA/Mass Raw Milk Network. Cliff Hatch owns Upinngil, a diversified farm in that specializes in raw milk.
Demand for raw milk is increasing. This workshop will cover the basics that current and future dairy farmers need to know about producing, handling and selling raw milk safely and legally. We will discuss animal management, sanitation, state regulations and more.
So You Want to Raise Grass-fed Beef (all levels)
Carolyn and John Wheeler were dairy farmers prior to raising grass-fed beef. Carolyn has a master's in plant pathology, is an adjunct professor at Keene State College and is a farm viability consultant. John has an MBA and taught high school computer and business classes for 20 years.
Grass-fed Beef is the IN thing now. People can't get enough of it. How can you make grass-fed beef work for you? Benefits vs. Risks. Do you have what it takes? We'll tell you what works for us and try to help you with ideas and practical knowledge about growing the animals, processing challenges, sales strategies, marketing and what we've learned through experience.
Beginning Farmers
Access to Land: Leases and Leasing (beginner/intermediate)
Kathy Ruhf is co-director of Land For Good, a New England nonprofit specializing in land access.
Leasing a farm or farmland can be a smart business decision. In this workshop we'll explore lease versus purchase, types of leases and landlords, what's in a lease, and how to negotiate a successful lease. We'll have plenty of time for discussion and questions. We'll offer resources and tools to help everyone make good land acquisition decisions.
Watch Kathy speak at the 2009 National Symposium on Food Systems and Sustainability
Agricultural Credit for Beginning and Seasoned Farmers (all levels)
Carrie Novak is the farm loan chief for USDA, with 32 years of experience with USDA. Randy Kleiner is the farm loan manager of central Massachusetts, also with 32 years of experience in lending.
The purpose of this workshop is to present what agricultural lending programs are available for farmers from the USDA Farm Service Agency. There will be an emphasis on programs available for beginning farmers. Application forms will be available as well as a general discussion on what information is needed to apply for credit, business plans and financial statements.
Finding Farmland 2.0 (all levels)
Aaron Dushku is a GIS specialist with the Natural Resources Conservation Service. He has a master's degree from Clark University in Geographic Information Sciences for Development and the Environment. Becca Weaver is the farmland matching service coordinator at the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project.
The New Entry Sustainable Farming Project's new geographic information system (GIS) mapping research and outreach campaign in peri-urban areas is finding small parcels of land for farmers to use. We'll share our research and how you can use it to find farmland in your own town. We'll also show how to use Google Earth and the web soil survey to start your farmland search from your home computer.
The Massachusetts Beginning Farmer Agriculture Alliance: A New Statewide Initiative (all levels)
Hugh Joseph is the founder of the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project and an assistant professor in Tufts University's Agriculture, Food and Environment Program. Eva Agudela is a graduate student in Tufts University's Agriculture, Food and Environment Program and the BFAA organizer with the New Entry Sustainable Farming Project.
The Beginning Farmer Agricultural Alliance (BFAA) is a new statewide collaboration of beginning farmers and farm service providers designed to expand use of farmer training and technical assistance programs and resources through referrals, coordinated development strategies, and a centralized resource clearinghouse. We will provide a BFAA update, discuss opportunities for new farmer involvement, and gather your ideas for working effectively.
Working with Farm Apprentices (all levels)
Don Zasada runs Caretaker Farm, which has worked with over 125 farm apprentices spanning three decades. Currently we hire three or four apprentices each season.
How can we all prepare the farmers of the future? Our response is through an apprenticeship program. Do you want to work with apprentices? Have you worked with apprentices? We will discuss the whys, hows, wheres, whos and whens related to our apprenticeship program.
Crops
Flower Growing for Farmers (beginner)
Nina Zinsser Booth has managed cut flower production at Land's Sake Farm since 2009.
This is a workshop for farmers looking to incorporate cut flowers into their CSA or market production. We will focus on how to plan a cut flower program that makes sense for your farm, from the simplest pick-your-own patch to fancy pants wedding and event design. We will also cover variety selection, growing tips from greenhouse propagation to post-harvest care, arranging and marketing tips, and lots of pretty pictures.
Foraging for Edible and Medicinal Mushrooms: Grand Adventures and Potential Pitfalls (all levels)
Greg Marley has been collecting, growing, eating, writing about and teaching mushrooms for 35 years.
Foraging for wild mushrooms evokes both great excitement over the possibilities of divinely delicious meals and the dread of mushroom poisoning. Join me on a tour of New England's best wild edible and medicinal mushrooms. Review of some of the most toxic mushrooms and explore the reality of "foolproof mushrooms." Learn about an ongoing wild mushroom CSA in Maine and take home a set of guidelines to assist a new forager.
Malting Local Grains for Brewing and Distilling (all levels)
Andrea Stanley is the owner of Valley Malt. She runs all the day-to-day aspects of the business. Christian Stanley is a mechanical engineer who designed and built all of the micro-malting equipment for Valley Malt.
Andrea and Christian Stanley started Valley Malt in 2010 after realizing that all malt used by brewers and home brewers like themselves, came from thousands of miles away. This workshop will discuss the current progress and challenges in growing grains in New England for malting and how the Stanleys have created a niche in the brewing industry for local and artisanal malt.
Maple Syrup 101 (beginner)
Leslie Cox has been the farm manager of the Hampshire College Farm for the last 15 years. He grew up on a large cash crop dairy farm in western New York, and has maple sap running in his veins…
I will talk about the history of sugar and maple syrup production in the Northeast. I will talk about the season, equipment, production of maple products and how and where to get started. This is a beginner, please-ask-questions workshop. I will use pictures from the Hampshire College Farm's maple operation to show how we make maple syrup in Amherst, Mass.
Nutrient Dense Certified Organic Fruit (all levels)
Julie Rawson: Fertility and flavor are my guides. Jack Kittredge: The pruning master.
We raise lots of small fruit pretty handily (raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, some minors). We also do well at peaches and pears. Apples and plums are coming along. We will share with you our fertility protocols and philosophy, pruning techniques, cultural tips, and areas of challenge. We raise our fruit in amongst many animals and vegetables.
Small-Scale Wheat Production (all levels)
Tevis Robertson-Goldberg runs a diversified farm, raising a bit of everything.
I will talk about our experiences adding wheat into our vegetable crop rotation, including methods, tools and techniques. I will also discuss what I have learned about methods employed historically that work better on a small-scale than the modern methods used by industrial agriculture.
Farm Economics, Management & Equipment
CSA Planning, Outreach and Communications (beginner/intermediate)
Cecelia Duran is the CSA manager for The Food Project's Lincoln CSA.
The workshop will be divided into three sections: planning, outreach and member communication. The first part will give an overview of the winter planning process used at one of The Food Project's CSAs. The second will discuss strategies for outreach, with the final section focusing on all aspects of member communication. My experience is with a nonprofit farm, but the information covered should be relevant to all. Bring questions!
Fencing Options for Wildlife Control (all levels)
David Kennard designs and sells fence systems throughout New England and is the "go-to" guy for agricultural fencing.
Wildlife pressure on crops, whether a backyard garden or a commercial enterprise, has increased significantly, resulting in damage or loss to both perennials and annuals. This workshop will provide several fencing options, both electric and non-electric, to protect your crops from various wildlife critters.
Finances of Farm Fertility (intermediate/advanced)
Derek Christianson is a farmer and community educator at Brix Bounty Farm.
Investing in farm fertility can positively impact the farm's bottom line. Join us for a workshop covering the nitty-gritty of farm fertility budgets (both nutrients and dollars). This winter more than 40 percent of our wintertime CSA shareholders voluntarily purchased a "Deep Nutrition Share," helping the farm to fund our capital fertility plan.
Resolving Conflicts for Better Business and Customer Relations (beginner)
Courtney Breese manages the Agricultural Mediation Program at the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration. Mette Kreutzmann manages programs and conducts trainings for the Massachusetts Office of Public Collaboration.
This interactive workshop provides an introduction to basic communication and conflict resolution skills to assist producers in addressing conflicts that arise in day-to-day operations (e.g. dealings with customers, suppliers and neighbors). Participants examine their perceptions of conflict and learn techniques for managing and resolving conflict. All are encouraged to bring their experiences and questions.
Simple Strategies for Food Safety: Good Agricultural Practices for New and Small-scale Producers (all levels)
Ethan Grundberg is New Entry Sustainable Farming Project's technical assistance coordinator and has worked in the wholesale food distribution industry in California. Eva Agudela is New Entry Sustainable Farming Project's technical assistance intern.
A food safety plan is essential for access to retail and institutional markets and protecting your farm against liability. We will provide tools and examples of how to implement low-cost and practical solutions to practice food safety in your fields and how to develop efficient wash stations. Other practical and easy-to-understand resources for Good Agricultural Practices and Good Handling Practices will be discussed.
Solar Thermal/Hot Water Applications for Farms (intermediate)
Jess Cook is the program manager for the Massachusetts Farm Energy Program with Berkshire-Pioneer Resource Conservation and Development. Andy Brydges is a senior director for renewable energy generation with the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center.
This workshop will introduce solar thermal opportunities for farms, drawing on the Massachusetts Farm Energy Program's technical assistance offerings and Best Management Practice Guide, as well as feasibility and financial support available through the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center. Participants will review typical applications for solar hot water on Massachusetts farms, equipment options, average energy and cost savings, and funding opportunities.
Food & Cooking
Curing Ham (beginner)
Andreu Cabre is an aspiring 3D artist who happens to play at being a farmer. Originally from Catalonia, he's lived in Massachusetts for close to 20 years. He loves cooking, and raising/growing what he cooks.
I will show how to cure a ham, from the salting, what to expect, what to look for, some background about the technique, why to do it, some precautions, and how to cut it.
Making Fresh Mozzarella (intermediate)
Rich Perna is the director of dining services at Worcester State University.
So many of us have slipped into an impersonal way of shopping where everything is packaged and sealed shut in big stores. Why not try to make your own cheese? Bring back some of that earthy feel in your own home where food is more of a celebration than just a pit stop. It is easier than you think and I will teach you how.
Simple Lacto-fermentation (all levels)
Beth Ingham has been farming and preserving the harvest for 20 years.
Learn how to turn the harvest into sauerkraut, kimchee, beet kvass, ginger carrots, pickles and other lacto-fermented products. I will lead you through all the steps, from what supplies you need to how to chop, fill the jars and have delicious product. We will discuss what lacto-fermentation is, and the health, environmental and economic benefits of this method of food preservation.
Using a Pressure Canner (beginner/intermediate)
**In-depth three-hour workshop.**
Kathy Harrison is the author of Just in Case: How to Be Self Sufficient when the Unexpected Happens.
This double workshop will provide the participants with the opportunity to follow the pressure canning process from start to finish. We will cover the basics of choosing equipment, minimizing safety concerns, processing food, checking for completion of seals and storing and using the finished product. If you are ready to take the step of canning meat or vegetables, this workshop is for you.
Gardening and Greenhouse
Basic Organic Gardening (beginner)
Stan Ingram is a barefoot grower since way back, and is currently farm manager at Coonamessett Farm.
This workshop is geared for the beginning organic grower, whether you are growing in a backyard, on acres or on a deck. I will cover how to build and maintain a healthy soil, some strategies for dealing with unwanted visitors, and some ideas for extending your growing season.
Watch Stan lead a tour around Coonamessett Farm
Crop Sequences and Fertility Plans for Productive Large and Medium-sized Gardens (beginner/intermediate)
Steve Walach's garden beds generally yield more than two pounds of vegetables per square foot.
Commercial growers deal in acres, gardeners generally in 100-square-foot increments. High tunnel greenhouses extend growers' seasons through winter, whereas most gardeners limit themselves to Memorial Day starts and Labor Day finishes. Learn how low-tech row coverings plus strategically timed seeding schedules, crop sequences and fertility treatments can make the home gardener almost as productive as the pros — and nearly year-round.
Edible Forest Gardens: Growing a Food Paradise (intermediate)
Jonathan Bates owns PermacultureNursery.com and homesteads with friends in Holyoke, Mass.
Want to see permaculture plantings that work? Through images and discussion enjoy a thriving edible forest garden that produces loads of fruits, roots, shoots, greens, seeds, flowers, mulch, eggs, knowledge and fun. Come learn how to use the plants (and other yields) from this permaculture paradise in your own garden.
Hedgerows for Farm and Homestead (intermediate)
Jono Neiger is a dedicated teacher and practitioner of ecological design and permaculture. Sebastian Gutwein is an urban homesteader, designer, artist and craftsman in the Pioneer Valley.
Field, garden and farm edges are often overlooked and considered a management headache. But at the edges there are many opportunities. Well-designed hedgerows are important multi-functional spaces. We will focus on hedgerow design and function, species selection for productive edges, specialty crop management at the edges, incorporating habitat elements, windbreaks and hedgerows in urban and suburban settings.
Low Tunnels for Vegetables (all levels)
Bryan O'Hara has been growing vegetables at Tobacco Road Farm in Lebanon, Conn., for 20 years.
Low tunnels are short hoop tunnels used to protect crops to extend their growing season. They are inexpensive, quick to put up and take down, and are used extensively to grow crops through the winter season in our climate. Explicit details on their use will be presented.
Practical Seed-Saving Skills (intermediate)
Amy LeBlanc runs a certified organic farm, Whitehill Farm, in western Maine.
We'll review the actual seed-saving process for most common garden vegetables, and list the vegetables that are not practical in New England. We'll have an in-depth discussion about the challenges presented by corn and the cucurbitae, isolation in general, hand pollinating, and season extension for longer season crops.
The Quarter-Acre "Farm" (intermediate)
Larry Siegel is a homesteader.
An 11,000 square-foot garden can be productive, beautiful, rewarding and maintained by one person using hand tools. Mine provides the annual needs of a household of six adults with enough surplus to peddle at a farmers' market and trade off for a variety of goods and services. I will share my experiences from gardening on the same piece of earth for 35 years.
Healthy Living
Getting Organic and Local Foods into the Mainstream Health System, panel discussion (all levels)
Moderated by Jack Kittredge. Stacia Clinton is a Healthy Food in Health Care associate at Health Care Without Harm. Amy Collins is an emergency room physician and head of the Green Committee at MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham. Dennis Irish is a former Worcester City Council member and is Vanguard Health System's current vice president for marketing, governance and community relations. Gisele LeBlanc is a clinical nutrition manager at UMass Memorial Medical Center.
Thoughtful practitioners and administrators in mainstream health organizations - clinics, hospitals and HMOs - are increasingly conscious of the role good food plays in supporting health and reducing healthcare costs. How can such people work with farmers and the organic community to get such food to their patients: Sponsor farmers' markets, subsidize CSAs, run home cooking classes? Come ready to brainstorm answers.
The Health Risks of Genetically Modified Foods (all levels)
Ed Stockman is an organic farmer, biologist and former NOFA/Mass organic extension educator.
We are all (including our children and grandchildren) part of the largest feeding experiment ever conducted. Genetically modified foods have not been adequately tested, are not labeled and are not regulated to any meaningful degree. Workshop participants will be introduced to the documented human health dangers of genetically engineered food. I will discuss how we can stop the madness and remove genetically modified organisms from our food supply. Prior to the workshop, participants should watch the film "The World According to Monsanto," at www.topodocumentaryfilms.com/the-world-according-to-monsanto/.
Read one of Ed's articles on genetically modified organisms in agriculture
Our Regional Food System (all levels)
Julius Jones is the urban farm manager and community gardens coordinator at the Regional Environmental Council in Worcester, Mass. Liz Sheehan Castro is the project manager with the Worcester Food and Active Living Policy Council.
This workshop brings together representatives from various aspects of the food system to discuss how we can build a regional food system that is accessible and fair for all, from producer to consumer. We will hear from our panelists and will also work in smaller groups to engage participants in articulating their vision for a fair, regional food system.
Land Care
Bioretention Practices for Stormwater Management (all levels)
Paul Iorio is an independent consultant providing bioretention consulting, design and installation services.
Bioretention practices such as rain gardens and tree filter systems are increasingly being used to provide low impact stormwater pollutant management reducing the negative impact of insensitive land development. Soil and plant systems can effectively be engineered to remediate impacted stormwater prior to being infiltrated and reintroduced to the groundwater aquifer. Physical, biological and chemical interactions serve to "cleanse" stormwater providing an alternative to conventional "end of pipe" practices.
Conservation Design and Implementation Strategies (intermediate/advanced)
Monique Allen is a seasoned landscape professional and conservation commissioner offering her expertise in successful project development.
Landscape and agricultural development within conservation jurisdictions requires a shift from both conventional design and standard implementation strategies toward a more environmentally focused paradigm. Learn to weave these seven techniques into your existing methods to ensure a successful union with your conservation commission, your community, and a better outcome for these valuable lands.
Organic Lawn Care (all levels)
Bernadette Giblin has been a NOFA accredited organic land care professional since 2005 and owns Safeground Organic Landcare.
Grass doesn't belong everywhere yet isn't the enemy, either. Learn when and where to grow lawn free of synthetics, pesticides and in the most ecologically responsible way that sequesters carbon. Learn how to make peace with your weeds and learn their benefits.
Urban Streetscapes: Treating Stormwater and "Greening" the Public Realm (all levels)
Julie Dyer Wood is a watershed scientist with the Charles River Watershed Association.
Through the Blue Cities Program, Charles River Watershed Association (CRWA) has partnered with many communities and resident groups to design and construct multiple low-impact development stormwater treatment systems in urban and suburban neighborhoods. CRWA works with stakeholders to identify and implement opportunities for stormwater treatment that provide additional community benefits such as additional street trees and passive parklands. Come hear about our experiences, successes and lessons learned.
Policy
The 2012 Farm Bill (intermediate)
Rebecca Nemec is a graduate student at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy and most recently served as a policy intern at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition. Jennifer Obadia is an instructor at Tufts University's Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She teaches courses on nutrition policy and programming and urban agriculture.
Congress will draft a new farm bill this year. Learn how this comprehensive piece of legislation can support beginning and organic farmers and help us to rebuild our local and regional food systems. Find out how to get and stay engaged on federal farm policy.
Organic Seed vs. Monsanto: The Lawsuit Challenging Patents on Seed (all levels)
Daniel B. Ravicher executive director of the Public Patent Foundation and a lecturer in law at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law.
This session will discuss the currently pending lawsuit filed by the Public Patent Foundation on behalf of NOFA/Mass and 82 other family farmers, seed businesses and organic agricultural organizations against Monsanto Company to challenge the chemical giant's patents on genetically modified seed.
Slaughter Requirements and the Small Farm: The Need for a New Approach (all levels)
Brad Mitchell is director of government affairs at the Massachusetts Farm Bureau. Judy Gillan is director of the New England Small Farm Institute.
There is a huge demand for locally produced meat in the northeast, but there are many regulatory challenges in meeting this demand. This workshop will examine the current status of slaughter and meat processing (including poultry) policy and regulations in Massachusetts and how small farms fit, and don't fit, into the current system. We will give some examples of innovations that meet the needs of small farms and some of the successes and conflicts that have arisen with these efforts. We will also discuss efforts to change legislation and how you can get involved.
Practical Skills
Chainsaw Safety, Use and Maintenance (beginner/intermediate)
David Lockesmith is a farmer and timber harvester with over 20 years experience in these fields of work.
We will cover all areas of chainsaw safety, use and maintenance. This class is a must for those who intend to use a saw with no prior instruction. I will have multiple saws and proper safety clothing on hand to demonstrate to the class.
Knot Tying Skills for Around the Farm (beginner/intermediate)
This workshop will be geared toward both teens and adults.
Meggie Winchell is an outdoor educator, science teacher, homesteader, women's empowerment facilitator and personal growth coach. Jesse Poutasse is an energy advisor at the Center for Ecological Technology, a homesteader, beekeeper and outdoor educator.
This is a hands-on workshop where participants will learn and practice basic knot-tying skills. Ever wondered how to improve your method for stringing up tomato plants, how to best secure that wheelbarrow to the trailer, or how to effectively attach two short pieces of rope together to get the length you need? If so, come on down! Knots covered will include: the half hitch, clove hitch, square knot, bowline, truckers hitch, rolling hitch, and the double sheet bend.
Straw into Gold - Creative Wheat Weaving (beginner)
This workshop will be geared toward both teens and adults.
Kathy Morris is a homesteader and a member of the National Association of Wheat Weavers.
Weaving straw into symbolic designs is as old as the cultivation of grains. Braiding straw or palm leaf is also symbolic of Massachusetts. More people braided and made hats than were employed in the textile mills. Participants will learn three techniques and weave wheat into a "Sunspray," which symbolizes the sun, clouds and a rainbow, and was believed to bestow prosperity on the household. This is an adult workshop open to anyone 8 years or older.
Wool: Fine to Coarse, It's all Good (all levels)
Betsy Alspach is a fiber addict and educator, and has been published in Spin Off magazine. Christine McClusky will be presenting with her.
We will present common and rare animal fibers used in spinning, from fine to coarse, give uses for all, and discuss the value of preventing extinction of rare, endangered breeds. This is not a class that will teach spinning skills, however participants will have the chance to card and comb, and perhaps spin, samples. Participants are encouraged to bring hand cards, combs, a wheel or drop spindle if possible.
Soil and Fertility
Basic Steps for High-Quality Crop Production: An Overview of the Year (all levels)
Dan Kittredge is a farmer, father, husband, entrepreneur and nonprofit director.
We will cover a number of steps that growers can follow to address limiting factors in their crop production, starting with soil tests and mineral balancing, proceeding to seed inoculation and sizing, potting soil, tillage, fertigation and irrigation, foliar sprays, conductivity and brix monitoring, and plant visual analysis symptomatology.
Calcium, Silica, & Boron: Mineral Synergies for Plant Health (intermediate/advanced)
Derek Christianson is a farmer and community educator at Brix Bounty Farm. Steve Murray is the field manager at Brix Bounty Farm.
Calcium plays a critical role in healthy cells and healthy plants. In this workshop we'll focus on the steps necessary to optimize Calcium in plant metabolism through an in-depth examination of Calcium, Silica, & Boron in our soil and plant systems. Attendees are encouraged to review Hugh Lovel's ACRES article "The Biochemical Sequence of Plant Nutrition" (http://bit.ly/v1Sxht )in advance of the conference.
Permaculture for Farmers 201: Carbon Farming (intermediate/advanced)
Ethan Roland organizes the 2012 Carbon Farming Course and designs farms for www.appleseedpermaculture.com.
Carbon farming captures carbon in your farm soil to enhance productivity, increase profitability, and combat climate change. We'll look at the six basic carbon farming technologies (holistic management, Keyline farming, perennial agriculture, food forestry, soil foodweb and terra-preta/biochar), explore case studies of working carbon farms, and discuss the role of carbon markets in financing regenerative agriculture.
Teen
Community Youth, Community Farms (all levels)
This workshop will be geared toward both teens and adults.
Will Conklin is an arborist, carpenter, sawyer and youth worker.
This workshop will focus on engaging local youth on local farms. Greenagers, a program of the Center for Peace through Culture, works toward this through youth volunteering and summer youth employment on farms. Benefits to the community, to farms and to youth will be discussed, as well as ideas for building an organization around these ideas.
Healing the Community by Healing the Soil (all levels)
This workshop will be geared toward both teens and adults.
Thidi Tshiguvho is the development and research coordinator at the Worcester Roots Project. Her research focus is on environmental justice, youth development and community participation. Thidi also serves as a professor of geography at Worcester State University.
This workshop will focus on soil lead remediation techniques that Worcester Roots is currently developing to turn contaminated yards into lead-safe playgrounds. In particular, we will introduce the audience to the theoretical context of our approach of "healing the community by healing the soil." We will explain our evolution from focusing on remediation techniques that limit children's exposure to contaminated soil to methods that would permanently get rid of the lead, by biologically transforming it into inaccessible forms. Participants will also receive handouts of our low-cost do-it-yourself manual to create a lead-safe yard.
Food for Thought (all levels)
This workshop will be geared toward both teens and adults.
John Wang is the intern program coordinator for The Food Project.
The Food Project Interns - our most experienced high school aged youth - will demonstrate ways in which they engage and mobilize external community members to make positive change in the food system. This highly interactive and experiential learning curriculum will cover the history and practice of The Food Project, as well as focusing on issues of food systems and food justice.
Peruse a photo essay composed by John about some of The Food Project's activities
Knot Tying Skills for Around the Farm (beginner/intermediate)
This workshop will be geared toward both teens and adults.
Meggie Winchell is an outdoor educator, science teacher, homesteader, women's empowerment facilitator and personal growth coach. Jesse Poutasse is an energy advisor at the Center for Ecological Technology, a homesteader, beekeeper and outdoor educator.
This is a hands-on workshop where participants will learn and practice basic knot-tying skills. Ever wondered how to improve your method for stringing up tomato plants, how to best secure that wheelbarrow to the trailer, or how to effectively attach two short pieces of rope together to get the length you need? If so, come on down! Knots covered will include: the half hitch, clove hitch, square knot, bowline, truckers hitch, rolling hitch, and the double sheet bend.
Making Pickles (beginner)
Didi Emmons is the author of the recently released "Wild Flavors" cookbook and she teaches inner-city teens in Boston at the Haley House Bakery Cafe. Eva Sommaripa began growing herbs and greens for her family 42 years ago. She now raises more than 200 varieties of herbs, greens, flowers and wild edibles for restaurants around New England and New York, as well as for Whole Foods.
We will prepare funky-looking winter vegetables, such as Hubbard squash and turban squash, combining them with salt, garlic and some fragrant plants like local lemon grass, to make a jar of sweet pickles that you can bring home and eat in two weeks.
Raising Chickens in an Urban Backyard (intermediate)
This workshop will be geared toward both teens and adults.
Steve Gag has a chicken coup, an apple orchard, a garden and a solar array on 14,000 square feet. Naomi Geffken provides the brains and brawn for the chicken project.
Learn how to raise chickens in an urban setting from two experienced Boston chicken farmers. We'll tell you our story with plenty of pictures and tips on how to raise healthy, organic chickens in the city without raising your neighbor's ire.
Straw into Gold - Creative Wheat Weaving (beginner)
This workshop will be geared toward both teens and adults.
Kathy Morris is a homesteader and a member of the National Association of Wheat Weavers.
Weaving straw into symbolic designs is as old as the cultivation of grains. Braiding straw or palm leaf is also symbolic of Massachusetts. More people braided and made hats than were employed in the textile mills. Participants will learn three techniques and weave wheat into a "Sunspray," which symbolizes the sun, clouds and a rainbow, and was believed to bestow prosperity on the household. This is an adult workshop open to anyone 8 years or older.
Supporting a High School Composting and Gardening Program (all levels)
This workshop will be geared toward both teens and adults.
Karen DiFranza is founder of Hands to Earth, Educating for a Sustainable World.
The Quabbin Composting and Organic Gardening Program has been in operation since 2008. Produce and garden product sales help to support this successful high school program, where students take on major responsibilities creating and marketing value-added products at farmers' markets and festivals.
Youth as Change Makers: Engaging Youth in Food Justice and Community Development (beginner)
This workshop will be geared toward both teens and adults.
Carrie Petrik-Huff, a geosciences graduate student, has been committed to sustainable agriculture for the past 11 years and is passionate about empowering youth. Catherine Bryars, an Amherst undergrad and Atlanta native, adores education as empowerment and raises worms righteously!
This workshop will create space for a conversation on how to create innovative programming for youth concerning agriculture and food justice. Participants will hear from SOL Garden youth, from Seeds of Solidarity Farm in Orange, Mass., about their experiences participating in a pioneering food justice education model. Moreover, participants will be inspired to engage the next magnificent generation in cultivating food and community.
Urban Agriculture
Healing the Community by Healing the Soil (all levels)
Thidi Tshiguvho is the development and research coordinator at the Worcester Roots Project. Her research focus is on environmental justice, youth development and community participation. Thidi also serves as a professor of geography at Worcester State University.
This workshop will focus on soil lead remediation techniques that Worcester Roots is currently developing to turn contaminated yards into lead-safe playgrounds. In particular, we will introduce the audience to the theoretical context of our approach of "healing the community by healing the soil." We will explain our evolution from focusing on remediation techniques that limit children's exposure to contaminated soil to methods that would permanently get rid of the lead, by biologically transforming it into inaccessible forms. Participants will also receive handouts of our low-cost do-it-yourself manual to create a lead-safe yard.
Raising Chickens in an Urban Backyard (intermediate)
This workshop will be geared toward both teens and adults.
Steve Gag has a chicken coup, an apple orchard, a garden and a solar array on 14,000 square feet. Naomi Geffken provides the brains and brawn for the chicken project.
Learn how to raise chickens in an urban setting from two experienced Boston chicken farmers. We'll tell you our story with plenty of pictures and tips on how to raise healthy, organic chickens in the city without raising your neighbor's ire.
Urban Beekeeping 101 (beginner)
This workshop will be geared toward both teens and adults.
Jean-Claude Bourrut has been a beekeeper for 20 years and has a dozen hives in Boston and surrounding suburbs.
You want to help honey bees because they are threatened. Maybe you need to produce your own raw honey for your allergies. You are simply fascinated by social insects that will bring you closer to nature. But you live in an urban or suburban setting. Here is your opportunity to discover what it takes to start beekeeping in such settings. We will discuss regulations, set-up, hives, where to get bees, beekeeping materials, costs, time, a beekeeper's year, pests, diseases and natural management.
Worcester: A Case Study of Food Justice Work (all levels)
Casey Burns is the Food Justice program director at Regional Environmental Council. She has her master's degree in environmental science from Clark University. Hanh Lam is a graduate of the YouthGROW program, a sophomore at Worcester State University and a current staff member at REC.
Staff members from the Regional Environmental Council will provide an overview of the food justice programs and initiatives in Worcester, including farmers markets, community gardens, youth agriculture and education and cooking classes. We will share best practices as well as challenges that may be applied to other urban settings.
Youth & Education
Community Youth, Community Farms (all levels)
This workshop will be geared toward both teens and adults.
Will Conklin is an arborist, carpenter, sawyer and youth worker.
This workshop will focus on engaging local youth on local farms. Greenagers, a program of the Center for Peace through Culture, works toward this through youth volunteering and summer youth employment on farms. Benefits to the community, to farms and to youth will be discussed, as well as ideas for building an organization around these ideas.
Food for Thought (all levels)
John Wang is the intern program coordinator for The Food Project.
The Food Project Interns - our most experienced high school aged youth - will demonstrate ways in which they engage and mobilize external community members to make positive change in the food system. This highly interactive and experiential learning curriculum will cover the history and practice of The Food Project, as well as focusing on issues of food systems and food justice.
Peruse a photo essay composed by John about some of The Food Project's activities
Supporting a High School Composting and Gardening Program (all levels)
Karen DiFranza is founder of Hands to Earth, Educating for a Sustainable World.
The Quabbin Composting and Organic Gardening Program has been in operation since 2008. Produce and garden product sales help to support this successful high school program, where students take on major responsibilities creating and marketing value-added products at farmers' markets and festivals.
Youth as Change Makers: Engaging Youth in Food Justice and Community Development (beginner)
Carrie Petrik-Huff, a geosciences graduate student, has been committed to sustainable agriculture for the past 11 years and is passionate about empowering youth. Catherine Bryars, an Amherst undergrad and Atlanta native, adores education as empowerment and raises worms righteously!
This workshop will create space for a conversation on how to create innovative programming for youth concerning agriculture and food justice. Participants will hear from SOL Garden youth, from Seeds of Solidarity Farm in Orange, Mass., about their experiences participating in a pioneering food justice education model. Moreover, participants will be inspired to engage the next magnificent generation in cultivating food and community.
This page was last modified on December 19, 2011 at 11:22:51 AM.
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