News from NOFA/Massachusetts
November/December, 2009
NOFA/Mass Executive Director's Report
Julie Rawson
We need your help.
Despite our best efforts in 2009, our financial reserves dwindled to a dangerously low level. In this worst recession since the Great Depression we have been caught. Like all of you, we have been trimming our budget of the "niceties" like paper newsletters - sorry, folks for discontinuing this - valuable but non-income sustaining projects like our speaker's bureau, the practical skills series in its present form, the GMO updates. This year we did not give our staff their deserved pay increases, discontinued paying "rent," got rid of our Directors and Officers insurance, and generally scaled back on expenses. In the past two years we have reduced our paper usage tremendously. Gone are the days of large new member packets and December mailings with all the exciting winter offerings. And now we are scrambling to make our website state of the art, providing what you need to stay in touch with us and to sign up for all of our events on line - or download what you need and send it in.
For the person or organization who strives to stay close to the earth in all things, progress can seem overwhelming and threatening. Add to that a difficult economic climate and we are left scrambling, changing course on a dime and adapting. That is, of course, how it is done in nature - adaptation.
Here are our commitments to you for late 2009 and all of 2010:
- Our fall bulk order - about finished by the time you receive this.
- Our first ever NOFA/Mass fundraising dinner and night of fun with keynoter David Barber, November 14.
- Our first in the nation organic land care course with accreditation for those who pursue it, January 13, 14, 15, 19, 20.
- A tomato/potato late blight research and education project culminating with results at the winter conference and in the winter TNF.
- Our spring bulk order as usual, but hopefully more economically competitive - order forms available in December/January.
- Our increasingly professional winter conference with crafty and sustainable farmer Joel Salatin as keynoter this year, January 16.
- Our second annual advanced grower seminar with beloved veterinarian/educator Paul Dettloff, February 2 and 3.
- Organic Food Guide - more comprehensive than ever before, on line and completely searchable.
- A yet to be determined array of one day practical skills workshops throughout the year - scaled down and more generally applicable.
- A spring organic gardening workshop day blitz.
- A fall food preservation statewide day.
- Nutrient density field days throughout the summer.
- The NOFA Summer Conference with keynoter Sally Fallon on August 13-15.
- This newsletter now completely on line and published 6 times per year.
- E-news published monthly on line.
- Outreach to events throughout the state.
- Thoughtful, timely and cutting edge policy reporting.
- The Raw Milk network helping keep raw milk farmers in business while making this important resource available to discerning consumers.
- Gardening the Community - our flagship urban youth gardening project - providing models for urban agriculture and sustainability.
I wish I could invite each and every one of you to sit with me and help me with my NOFA email every day. There are over 100 emails that end up in just my Inbox. The organizational productivity and creativity is at an all time high. Yet, in our 27 years of existence this is the only year where we are struggling to keep our organization solvent financially. Can you help us? Cash flow is of real concern this fall as we are in a lull in our income production.
This is what we need from you:
- Donate what you can for our fall appeal.
- Attend our first annual fundraising event at the Bull Run Restaurant in Shirley, MA, and/or donate an auction item - November 14.
- Introduce us to people of means who might like to make a sizeable contribution to NOFA/Mass.
- Get your friends, neighbors, colleagues to join NOFA/Mass.
- Advise us regarding potential foundation grant opportunities.
- Publicize our events to interested individuals.
- Join the board - we still need two new members - preferably with fundraising savvy and /or financial planning expertise.
Once we pull ourselves out of this financial crunch our next priority is to build a more sustainable/larger cash reserves.
On behalf of all the staff and board members of NOFA/Mass, I humbly thank you for all that you do every day for NOFA and for organic agriculture in Massachusetts. Contact me at julie@nofamass.org or (978) 355-2853. Come on over for lunch. : Julie
Register Now for the NOFA/Mass Winter Conference 2010!
Food from Farms for Families
Registration is now open for the 23rd Annual NOFA/Mass Winter Conference, which will take place January 16, 2010 at the Technical High School in Worcester, MA. Don't miss this opportunity to hear Joel Salatin, present the keynote speech "Food from Farms for Families" which is also the theme of the conference this year. Joel will also be presenting an all-day intensive seminar "Introducing Livestock to your Farm."
This three part seminar will run concurrently with the regular workshop program. The first session, Developing a Landscape Management Plan, explores the physical attributes of your property including grass growth cycles, landscape interface of forest, fields and riparian features, access to fields through roads and lanes and different methods of delivering water to livestock. The second session, Developing Infrastructure for Movement, focuses on fencing, weather protection for different species and seasons and movement logistics. The final session, Developing Market Quality and Logistics, investigates the many options for selling the final product including an in depth look at Joel's own operation.
His farm, Polyface, Inc ("The Farm of Many Faces") represents a model of America's non-industrial food production. He strives to "develop emotionally, economically, environmentally enhancing agricultural enterprises and facilitate their duplication throughout the world while pushing environmentally-friendly farming practices toward new levels of expertise." He passionately defends small farms, local food systems, and the right to opt out of the conventional food production model. He and his extended family work fulltime together on the family farm which services more than 1,500 families, 10 retail outlets, and 30 restaurants through on-farm sales and metropolitan buying clubs. Joel is the author of six books including Pastured Poultry Profits and Salad Bar Beef. He and his farm have been featured in countless other radio, television and print media. It achieved iconic status as the grass farm featured including the New York Times bestseller Omnivore's Dilemma, by Michael Pollan. Most recently Joel has been featured in the movie Food, Inc., that explores the hidden, and often shocking, side of the nation's food industry.
In addition to the seminar there will be over 40 excellent workshops on organic crops, livestock, farm management gardening, landscaping and sustainable lifestyles. The workshop program is almost complete. It will include a track for beginners just starting their own vegetable garden, information for farmers wanting to learning more about business and marketing, workshops on organic apples, small fruit, growing small grains and nutrient density. Landscapers and homeowners can learn about ecological garden design and native perennials, homesteaders can enjoy cooking workshops such as baking with maple syrup, preparing nutritious meals and making dairy products in addition to spinning and weaving. Of course there are workshops on pigs, rabbits, sheep and more. There should be something for everyone! We're even planning workshops for teens this year!
Last year over 700 people attended this event and the centrally located exhibit area was a popular place to visit! It's a great place to exhibit or sell your product! This year we hope to have a Winter Farmers' Market. Do you have cheese, meat, baked goods, storage vegetables, jellies, pickles, relishes, grains or other edible items for sale? Please come and share them with folks who are hungry for local, organic products! For more information on this contact Exhibit Coordinator Tom Bratko, at tom.bratko@nofamass.org or 978-928-5646.
The complete workshop program will be on the website by early November. www.nofamass.org/conferences/winter/index.php. Online registration will be available at this time also but you can register now by downloading and mailing a registration form. Check the website frequently for updates on work exchange opportunities, the potluck lunch and more workshops as they are added! For those who are interested we offer a work exchange program. In exchange for three hours of work before, during or after the conference you receive a $25 discount on your registration fee.
Registration for NOFA members is $45 with discounts available. Registration for Joel Salatin's seminar is $115 which includes entrance to all the other conference activities. For more details contact Conference Coordinator, Jassy Bratko at jassy.bratko@nofamass.org or 978-928-5646. I look forward to seeing you there.
Tickets Still Available for "NOFA Nourishes Massachusetts," November 14
A fundraising dinner to benefit NOFA/Mass
Saturday, November 14, 2009
The Bull Run Restaurant
215 Great Road/Rt. 2A
Shirley MA 01464
Evening program includes:
- A multi-course gourmet dinner prepared by Bull Run Chef, consisting of local and organic ingredients from Massachusetts farmers and producers.
- Silent and Live Auction.
- Keynote by David Barber, co-founder of Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture and Blue Hill at Stone Barns Restaurant.
Tickets on sale now!
See www.nofamass.org/news/nov14fundraiser.php for more details
$100 per person NOFA Members
$125 per person non-NOFA Members
(includes one year NOFA Membership)
To donate items for the auction, click here and fill out this online form. For info, contact: Ben Grosscup, 413-658-5374, ben.grosscup@nofamass.org.
The Godfather of Urban Agriculture
Ruby Maddox-Fisher, Gardening the Community Summer Garden Coordinator
At the Summer NOFA Conference I had the pleasure of meeting a long time hero of mine, Will Allen, an urban farmer from Milwaukee. As a fellow urban gardener with NOFA/Mass's Gardening the Community program, I was honored. I'd always thought of Will as the Godfather of Urban Agriculture. Will's message was inspiring and brought to light the continued existence and rebirth of the food revolution.
For the past few years, many of us have been interested in the development of alternative growing systems like urban agriculture. While many of these programs exist under the non-profit model, Allen shared with us a different model that he has developed with his organization, called Growing Power. Will Allen is not only changing the way we think about local food production, and urban agriculture, this 2008 McArthur Genius Grantee is also leading the way in small and large scale composting, vermiculture, aquaculture closed-loop systems, bio-phyto remediation and soil health.
Allen's speech coincided with the 2009 NOFA Summer Conference theme of "Know Food, Know Freedom: NOFA." His keynote speech stressed the need for growers and program leaders to have a solid and innovative business plan, as well as a plan for educating the community. As the CEO for Growing Power, Will has developed a multi-level operation which highlights the marriage of endless creativity and sustainability. "You need to be able to deliver 365 days of the year," said Will, as he showcased one of the many hoop houses in operation producing greens in winter.
In his speech Will discussed the evolution and the future of Growing Power, which was founded in 1993. Growing Power "transforms communities by supporting people from diverse backgrounds and the environments in which they live through the development of Community Food Systems. While Growing Power serves as a youth education program it also serves as a 'living museum' or 'idea factory' for the young, the elderly, farmers, producers, and other professionals ranging from USDA personnel to urban planners."
Will's message brought home the importance of self-sufficiency for all growers. He noted that this was essential for longevity and survival. Will pointed out that without a real plan for how you intend to support yourself, you're setting yourself up to fail. In the type of economy that we have seen over the past few years we know that there will not always be donations, grants, or other external funding sources. For this reason, projects and programs that plan to thrive in the coming years need to be able to establish new and unique ways to sustain themselves, and generate capital. Growers need to be able to think about this sector differently. "You must become an asset to your community." says Will.
Listening to Will speak, I understood what we needed to do.
Statewide Food Preservation Workshops Inspire Eager Learners
Ben Grosscup, NOFA/Mass Extension Events Organizer
On September 19, NOFA/Mass hosted nine simultaneous workshops across Massachusetts where nearly 70 people learned new skills to preserve the Fall Harvest for winter. The workshops almost all lasted a full six hours, giving ample time to go
into detail about a wide range of food preservation topics including, canning, lacto-fermentation, pickling, drying, freezing and root cellaring.
Most of the workshops were held in the homes of presenters. This helped presenters directly demonstrate how they integrate food preservation into their kitchens and into their everyday lives. Beth Ingham, who hosted a workshop at her farm in Winchendon, summed up what the workshop meant to her: "By having the workshop at my home, I was extending the invitation to each person to consider what they might do to make food preservation work for them. There is no prescription for preserving the harvest. All you need is a few basic safety points and recipes, along with encouragement to trust your inner knowing and envision your own rhythm. This is empowering, because you can improve your health and the health of the earth without relying on profit-driven agribusinesses."
One workshop participant remarked, "It was all about the site! Being on the homestead and having the experience of actually doing the preserving means I really know how to do it, and it makes it easy for me to get started."
Kathy Harris who led the workshop in Cummington said that the workshop she gave was one of the most fun and productive that she had given in 20 years. "The group was small, maybe 7, but all were engaged and enthusiastic. We are going to meet again to do a bread and pasta making group and perhaps then again to learn making an easy cheese."
Event organizer, Ben Grosscup, said, "Every year people are making more backyard gardens and enjoying the tremendous wealth of produce available from local farms in the fall. We organized the workshop series because in order to enjoy this bounty into the winter, one needs to learn how to make food preservation techniques work for them. Even though it takes some time to do it, you can save money, lessen your dependence on the global corporate food chain, and provide wonderful flavor and nutrition all year round for your family.
NOFA/Mass to Undertake Research Initiative on Late Blight
Ben Grosscup, NOFA/Mass Extension Events Organizer
NOFA/Mass has received $5,000 from Whole Foods Market to research organic management strategies that growers - both farmers and gardeners - in the Northeast used in 2009 to mitigate the late blight. The insights collected will be presented at the NOFA/Mass Winter Conference on January 16, 2010, in the Spring 2010 Edition of The Natural Farmer, and on the NOFA/Mass website. We will survey both growers who got good tomato and potato crops despite the saturation of late blight throughout the region and those who suffered damage from the disease.
In the summer of 2009, late blight, a virulent fungus-like disease, wiped out hundreds of acres of tomato and potato plants in the Northeast, creating financial hardship and painful disappointment for many growers as well as shortages of favorite local crops for CSA members and farmers' market patrons.
At the 2009 NOFA Summer Conference, a panel of experts with over 170 participants in attendance addressed the issue from a variety of perspectives. The audio from the event is available here.
.
NOFA/Mass hopes to learn about how to ameliorate the ravages of the late blight in an organic system. We are currently designing the survey and will be seeking response from growers in MA, VT, CT, RI, NY, NJ, ME, NH, and PA.
The survey will seek response on a number of variables, including:
- seedling sources and seedling culture,
- variety selection,
- the location of the farms and gardens in proximity to others with the disease,
- dates of planting,
- level of maturity of the plants when they experienced the blight,
- farm fertility methods and
- management protocol for the tomato plants
- the use and application rates of organically-approved copper fungicides
In addition to presenting findings at our own Winter Conference, we're looking to collaborate with other NOFA chapters and organizations to continue exploring organic management techniques for successful growing.
For information on the Late Blight Survey Project, contact Ben Grosscup at ben.grosscup@nofamass.org, or 413-658-5374.
Growing rations for poultry
Rebecca Buell
For the past few months I have been researching alternative ways to feed chickens, both meat birds and layers, including the use of soy-free rations, mixing your own rations with whole grains, sprouting to increase protein, vitamin, and mineral accessibility, and growing your own feedstuffs for forage.
There is quite a bit of information about soy in modern foods on the Weston A. Price Foundation's Soy Alert at www.westonaprice.org/soy/index.html. The main concern over soy involves isoflavones, also known as phytoestrogens, though there is debate over how much of this chemical ends up in the meat or eggs. It is interesting to note that variations of phytoestrogens are present in many legumes, including alfalfa and clover (these chemicals act to naturally deter overgrazing), so simply substituting another bean or pea may not be the answer. One feed company I talked with suggested the use of canola oil as a substitute, though they admitted it performed poorly in their trial tests. Another feed company suggested fish and kelp in lieu of soy to fit the necessary amino acid profile and provide a source of protein. If you have meat scraps in your compost, this would also be a nice addition to your chicken's diet. They are omnivores and need a higher protein diet to maintain productivity.
Sprouting grains can be used as winter forage and to help increase the availability of nutrients and digestion of protein. See the links below to the Modern Homestead website for more information on incorporating this into your chicken's diet.
Much of this discussion depends on your needs, whether you are raising a small backyard flock or operate a larger farm. Raising chickens free range certainly would be the easiest way to ensure they receive all the nutrients, protein, and energy they need while cutting down on feed costs, though this may not be possible for larger operations. The way our grandparents raised chickens may have been more sustainable, but usually at the cost of productivity.
The links below provide an interesting array of information that I hope you may find helpful, including recipes for mixing your own feed. I found the first three articles especially helpful. There are also two discussion groups listed that are open to join where this topic often comes up. Lastly, I've listed books that may be useful (I haven't found all of them to read myself, yet.) If you have any questions or experiences you would like to share, please email rebecca@nofamass.org.
"Making Your Own Poultry Feeds"- 3 parts
www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Making-Poultry-Feeds-1.html
"Feeding the Flock From the Homesteader's Own Resources"-3 parts
www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Growing-Poultry-Feeds-1.html
"Sprouting to Enhance Poultry Feeds"
www.themodernhomestead.us/article/Sprouting.html
Greener Pastures Farm Chicken Recipe: www.greenerpasturesfarm.com/ChickenFeedRecipe.html
Chicken Feed, Feed Recipes and Formulas:
www.lionsgrip.com/recipes.html
Miscellaneous recipes from across the country for feeding chickens:
www.birdfarm.bravepages.com/starterx.html
Organic diets for poultry from Canadian source, about the various components in feed:
www.gov.mb.ca/agriculture/livestock/poultry/bba01s20.html
Organic Livestock Feed Suppliers Chart:
www.attra.ncat.org/new_pubs/attra-pub/livestockfeedchart.html?id=Massachusetts
Backyard Poultry Naturally (Acres USA) by Alanna Moore
Chickens in Your Backyard by Rick and Gail Luttman
Free Range Poultry by Katie Thear
Feeding Poultry: The Classic Guide to Poultry Nutrition for Chickens, Turkeys, Ducks, Geese, Gamebirds, and Pigeons by G. F. Heuser
Morrison's Feeds
Nutrient Requirements for Poultry National Research Council
Organic Chickens Group: http://tech.groups.yahoo.com/group/OrganicChickens/
(or see website http://organicchickens.homestead.com/)
Pioneer Valley Backyard Chicken Association Group: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/pvbca/join
State Considering Massive Imidacloprid Soil Drenching for Asian Longhorned Beetle: Pesticide Board Asked to Approve Three Times Current Legal Dose
Jack Kittredge, NOFA/Mass Social Action Coordinator
The State Department of Agricultural Resources is considering drenching 14 acres in Worcester and surrounding counties with 10,000 pounds of the pesticide imidacloprid to slow the spread of the Asian Longhorned Beetle (ALB). The state is considering a request from the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) arm of the USDA to allow the use of 10,000 pounds of the pesticide, a dose which is three times the current legal level.
Imidacloprid is a dangerous chemical that disrupts normal nervous function. It has been banned in countries throughout Europe and has been directly linked to Colony Collapse Syndrome, the disease killing honeybees. At "normal" dosages, the insecticide is already deadly for birds, aquatic organisms, and other wildlife. Studies conducted with animals have proven that it causes reproductive problems and damages the nervous system.
Approximately 27,000 infested trees have been cut down and chipped in Worcester already, with still more slated for removal. According to Lee Corte-Real, director of the Pesticide Board, it is possible to protect non-infested trees from the ALB by treating them with imidicloprid, that may be either soil-injected (drenching) or injected into the trunk of the tree. Both of the application methods are effective preventatives, but they each have their own drawbacks. Soil injection presents a greater impact on the environment and trunk injection is at least 30% more expensive.
APHIS has developed a national ALB eradication program (used most recently in New York and New Jersey) that relies heavily on containment by soil-injection at high levels of pesticide. In order to carry out that program in Massachusetts, however, they must obtain approval for the high pesticide dosage from the state Pesticide Board.
The Pesticide Board Subcommittee, which has the statutory authority to register pesticides in Massachusetts, has received an application for a Special Local Need (SLN) also called a 24C registration for the increase in the maximum allowed amount per acre from USDA - APHIS. The pesticide registration statute, unlike most other environmental regulations, is a based upon a risk versus benefit assessment whereby the benefits derived from the product are weighed against the potential risks from its use. The Pesticide Board Subcommittee has requested that APHIS provide additional data and maps of the proposed application area in order to better evaluate the risk benefit ratio.
Environmentalists are concerned about drenching. They argue that:
- The poison doesn't stay local. Target trees only absorb a small percentage of the insecticide used in drenching; the vast majority of the chemicals wash into nearby waterways. imidacloprid is considered to be moderately to highly mobile in soils and most of the higher dosage will never reach its intended target.
- The 14 acre treatment area lies on top of a public drinking aquifer and within hundreds of feet of streams and lakes. Runoff chemicals may seep into local waterways, potentially contaminating drinking and recreational water supplies. After similar treatments, imidacloprid has been found in wells in Canada, New York, and California.
While some oppose all use of toxins such as Imidacloprid, others reason that low doses are acceptable when the alternative is massive destruction of the state's trees. They believe that:
By directly injecting targeted trees we can save the trees, eliminate ground and surface water contamination, and limit the exposure of unintended wildlife to the deadly insecticide. Tree injection uses only 300 pounds of imidacloprid, while the proposed soil drenching would use 10,000 pounds of imidacloprid.
The Pesticide Board Subcommittee meets every month on the 3rd Wednesday, and voted on September 16th to postpone a decision. Any comments or concerns can be addressed to Pesticide Board Director Lee Corte-Real: Lee.Corte-Real@state.ma.us and Dept. of Public Health Director Auerbach: John.Auerbach@state.ma.us.
Eating in Season
Jacqueline Marsh
I don't know when I decided an outdoor oven was a good idea - maybe when I was anticipating the normal hot and swampy weather of July and August. I'd seen a few of them on farms here and there but always thought of them as an item that required a specialized builder to bring about. Well, I was wrong about that. With the book and a few long suffering friends, anyone can have one of these beauties.
What do I mean when I say "an outdoor oven"? In my case it means a wood fired, native clay, hand built structure in which one builds a fire to heat the thermal mass of the thing and then removes the fire and bakes with the stored heat. It is an ancient technique that has interpretations all around the world, and it's been amazing me with its simplicity, versatility and economy since our oven came to fruition in August.
Let me describe our building process: First I obtained the book - Kiko Denzer's Build Your Own Earth Oven. I know - what a hopelessly old-fashioned and quaint concept - a book. No YouTube videos (although you could probably find one on oven building), or extensive training required.
After digging out a hole for a foundation that would not heave in our frosty climate (about three feet down in our case) we laid a cinderblock foundation and filled it with sand that would serve to support our structure and to insulate the bottom of the oven from heat loss. This sat through one winter when we ran out of time to complete the project last year. Picking up the project this summer, I organized two work parties, one week apart. I had already assembled my materials: sand, straw, and some marvelous clayey mud that I had dug (and lugged) from a nearby riverbank. The beauty of the project lies right there - everyone has access to good-enough building soil, usually right under their feet that can be mixed with sand to form a primitive concrete that hangs together. If you can scrounge, this can be a low to no-cost project. People who have come to see the finished item are amazed to learn that it's just mud! Nothing fancier than that.
We began. The work crew piled up sand, which was the form that would support the first clay layer. Kind of like building papier mache around a balloon - once the material is dry, the form is removed to leave a void…The sand was packed firmly to make a smooth shape. Then we mixed the "concrete" - a two-to-one formula of sand-to-clay, with water to make it hang together and laid on a four-inch layer all around our sand form. There was a little head scratching about the correct moisture in the mix, but we consulted the book, did our best and pressed on. This first layer dried over night. The next day, I took a deep breath, cut a door opening through the clay layer and removed the sand form - and our clay didn't collapse!
This layer dried out during the following week (we built several fires in it to help) and was ready to be completed the following weekend. Again my trusty friends arrived and we mixed sawdust (you could use chopped straw) with a thin clay soup and packed on another four inches of the insulation layer. This didn't have to dry, so we continued on with the last layer, one inch of so of clay plaster (clay, sand, chopped straw, cattail fiber and wheat paste) to finish. Incredible.
This heap of mud now hosts monthly pizza parties and weekly baking gatherings, usually attended by my trusty helpers whose handprints are in that same mud. It pays to assemble a few people to bring their baking so one can make a day of it, as the oven's specialty lies in that once you fire it for a few hours, it has enough heat to bake for a long time as it cools off. Thus you organize your weekly baking by temperature - this week it was, in order: a batch of pita, then two batches of bread, followed by three apple pies, some roasted veggies, a batch of granola bars and last, several trays of tomatoes to dehydrate in the residual heat. And it only takes a small box of wood to do all that. The treetops that came down in last spring's ice storm could have powered a county's-worth of clay ovens for life. Last night we made individual pizzas for seven people with a small branch's-worth of apple wood. Too cool.
Stop by and see it - we bake every Friday, starting at ten, and we'd love to show you how it's done. Seriously. Contact me at jmrpf@hotmail.com.
Michal Lumsden Joins NOFA/Mass Staff
Michal Lumsden has joined the NOFA/Mass staff as editor of the annual Organic Foods Guide. She brings many years of experience in editing and publication design to the job, and is excited about the new direction she will be taking the Guide. We asked her a few questions about her new role.
What do you think the purpose of the OFG is?
I see the Organic Food Guide as a tool for both producers and consumers. For the farmers and business owners, it's an advertising tool. For people looking to buy organic and sustainable farm products in Massachusetts, it's an invaluable tool. There are lots of regional agricultural organizations throughout the state, and they list farms in their specific area. But this is a statewide listing of organic and sustainable farms. That's unique.
What do you want to do to help it achieve that purpose?
For the first time ever, this year the OFG will be available only on the Web. There will be no paper copies, in part to trim expenses, in part to save trees and ink. Having an entirely online guide will let us do a few new things: First, because a Website can be updated without having to re-print paper copies, the listings won't be static. In other words, if a new organic farm starts up in Amherst next summer, we could add that listing right away. In the past, new farms or farms that for whatever reason hadn't made it into the print copy had to wait until the next issue was published in the spring.
We're also hoping to greatly expand the number of farms and businesses listed in the Organic Food Guide. This is also somewhat related to doing it only online. It used to be that organizations that weren't NOFA/Mass members would have to pay for a listing in the guide. That fee was established to pay for the cost of ink and paper used in running that listing. Since there will be no paper and ink to pay for now, we're not going to charge to list non-members. The goal is to have as many organic and sustainable farms and businesses listed to be a comprehensive tool for consumers. With that said, of course we're still encouraging people to join or renew their NOFA/Mass membership-there are still lots of perks, Julie just figured being listed in the OFG shouldn't be an exclusive thing.
Finally, because the guide will be online, we're aiming to have it much more searchable than it has been in the past. Say you live in Greenfield and you want to find the closest place to buy organic apples. There was no way to easily do that with the paper version. We're still working on how we can make the online version as searchable as possible, but it's something that Kathy Lichtfield and I really want to make happen.
How can members help or be involved with the OFG?
Because we're trying to expand the number of farms and businesses listed in the guide, if you know of any organic or sustainable producer that hasn't been listed in the past, send me their contact info. My email is: foodguide@nofamass.org. The more the merrier!
What's your experience with agriculture?
I grew up in Cleveland, Ohio, and I was a city kid through and through. In my senior year of high school, I decided I didn't want to go to college right away and instead wanted to do something different, something I'd never done before. I wanted to intentionally stretch myself. I applied to various volunteer programs. Eventually I got placed as a volunteer at Gould Farm, a working farm in the Berkshires that is also a rehabilitation program for adults with mental illness. Part of the philosophy is that living and working on a farm, and participating in some of the steps that are necessary to your physical health and well-being, will be therapeutic. When you drink a glass of milk, eat an egg or douse your pancakes in maple syrup, you feel valuable because you know that you helped feed and milk the cows, you collected eggs or you hauled sap buckets through the snow. I was supposed to work at Gould Farm for six months; I stayed a year and a half.
I left to go to UMass and pursued a career in journalism. Even though most of my writing jobs landed me in big urban areas, I seemed to always find myself attracted to stories about food, agriculture and farmers. Now I'm back at Gould Farm, where my husband is the farm mechanic and keeps bees, and I have finally started to combine my interest in both journalism and agriculture. I work part-time at Rawson Brook Farm, a dairy goat farm that makes delicious chèvre. The rest of my time is dedicated to various freelance journalism projects, gardening, and hiking with my dog.
Boston Food Program Looking to Partner with NOFA Farmers
Community Servings, www.servings.org, is a food and nutrition program, serving the critically ill in Eastern Massachusetts. Each week, we provide free medically-appropriate meals to 725 individuals and families coping with a life-threatening illness in 16 communities across 200 square miles. The nonprofit agency, based in Jamaica Plain, also serves lunch to local school kids, offers a food service job training program, and nutrition education. Last year, we added a variety of sustainable agriculture programs including a Sunday farmers' market, weekly CSA and Community Supported Fisheries (CSF), and a beautiful herb garden done in partnership with the United Nations' The Growing Connection. Community Servings is also in the midst of a sustainability study of its kitchen operations, led by Sustainable Food Systems of Wallingford, CT, in hopes of further greening the work of the kitchen and delivery efforts.
Our clients might include a single mom struggling to feed her kids during chemotherapy for breast cancer, an older man sick with kidney disease and in need of a strict renal diet to complement his dialysis, or a family coping to care for a parent in the final stages of HIV/AIDS. Community Servings delivers flash-frozen meals in 25 different specialized diets, feeding the sick individual, their caregiver and any dependent children. We even offer a menu for finicky kids!
In order to provide the freshest and most appetizing foods to our sick clients, the program has made a commitment to local foods and partnerships with local farmers. "Our clients are losing their appetites, so we need to deliver the most beautiful and culturally-appropriate foods possible, if we want to motivate them to eat during their illness. That means farm-fresh!" said David Waters, CEO. The agency recently met with NOFA's Julie Rawson to discuss partnering with farmers to promote NOFA's work through Community Servings' network of supporters, as well as how to best access local foods for the meals program. We are always interested in donated produce, even overripe foods left from farmers' markets, which we can often cook off before they spoil. But we are also eager to develop partnerships with Massachusetts farmers to grow specific crops on a wholesale basis to meet the needs of the meals program, which produces 2000 meals per day. "We spend over $700,000 per year on food, and we'd like to keep as much of that local as possible," said Waters. Of particular interest might be summer and fall squashes, tomatoes, greens, herbs and fruit, and our chef has the flexibility to adapt the menu to suit an unexpected windfall.
As a 20 year old nutrition program, Community Servings is interested in addressing the growing problems associated with urban food deserts by partnering to bring more all natural and organic produce and ingredients to those who can least afford to access wholesomely grown, nutritious foods. Indeed, we believe that eating well in the face of a critical illness is a basic human right.
Heaven's Harvest Farm of New Braintree sells and distributes its CSA through Community Servings, selling about 90 shares in the Jamaica Plain neighborhood. Silverbrook Farm of South Dartmouth and Millbrook Farm of Concord both participate in our Sunday market, along with Big Sky Bakery. Offering EBT, the market has the highest redemption rate for food stamps of any market in Boston. Cape Ann Fresh Catch partners on the Community Supported Fisheries program. Community Servings also works closely with The Food Project, accessing surplus produce from their markets and welcoming their student growers to volunteer in the kitchen to see the benefit from their hard work to the local community.
Our philosophy is "community serving community," engaging individuals and business to help feed the sick through mutually beneficial partnerships. In addition to working with local growers, the agency has relationships with 150 different restaurants in metropolitan Boston that support two large scale fundraising efforts, LifeSavor and Pie in the Sky, a Thanksgiving pie sale that sells 10,000 donated pies to benefit the meals program.
Farmers interested in discussing partnerships with Community Servings should contact Edith Murnane, Social Enterprise Manager at Community Servings at emurnane@servings.org or 617-522-7777.
Federal Crop Insurance Available for Organic Growers
The United States Department of Agriculture's Risk Management Agency (RMA) recognizes organic farming practices as good farming practices and offers crop insurance programs for wide range of organically grown crops. Coverage is available for 1) certified organic acreage, 2) transitional acreage being converted to certified organic acreage in accordance with an organic plan, and 3) buffer zone acreage. RMA offers organic coverage for crops for which a premium rate has been published in the RMA Actuarial documents or under an approved written agreement.
Price election and dollar amounts of coverage are currently based on the dollar amounts used for conventional coverage. Premium rates are adjusted to recognize any additional risks for organic practices. RMA has recently commissioned a study of organic risks and prices; the study may lead to improvements to future crop insurance programs.
A list of insurable crops can be found at www.rma.usda.gov/policies/. Any questions concerning organic coverage should be directed to a licensed Federal Crop Insurance Agent. A complete list of local licensed agents can be obtained on the web at www.rma.usda.gov/tools/ or through your local Farm Service Agency Office.
Strolling of the Heifers Microloan Fund for New England Farmers
Deadline November 27, 2009
The Microloan Fund for New England Farmers next application deadline is November 27th, 2009. Loan applications for amounts ranging from $1,000 to $10,000, for terms up to 5 years, will be accepted from prequalified applicants. Applications will be limited to farms located in Western Massachusetts (Berkshire, Hampshire, Hampden and Franklin Counties) with a primary focus on small loans to small-sized farms that use sustainable and organic methods (or are moving toward them), and that are marketing at least a portion of their products to local markets. Eligibility is limited to farms with 250 acres, or less, in active production, and annual gross revenue of $250,000 or less. Acceptable purposes for the loans are capital investments and other expenses that help improve efficiency or quality, or that expand production and sales; repairs necessary to maintain farm operations; short term operating needs such as inventory, supplies or labor; and emergency funds to deal with business interruptions from fire, natural disasters, or other unforeseen events. Prequalification questionnaires are available at www.thecarrotproject.org/farm_financing or at info@thecarrotproject.org or Dorothy Suput at 617-666-9637.
We will also be hosting an educational workshop The Microloan Fund for New England Farmers - Is it right for my farm? If you are asking yourself if credit is right for your business or want to find out more about the Microloan Fund for New England Farmers as well as other financing and business planning resources. Please join us at 10 am on Wednesday, November 4th in the conference room at the Massachusetts Department of Agriculture offices in Amherst. To learn more or register view our website, www.thecarrotproject.org, or contact workshop@thecarrotproject.org or call 617-666-9637.
Grant proposals for renewable energy and efficiency projects
Workshop series on technical assistance and financial incentives for farms and forest product businesses.
Amherst, MA-Want to learn more about funding available for your renewable energy or energy efficiency project? Attend one of a series of free workshops for farmers and forest product business owners about financial incentives available through the state and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 9007 Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), and Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), both part of the current federal Farm Bill. These workshops are sponsored by the MA Woodlands Institute (MWI), Berkshire-Pioneer Resource Conservation and Development Area (RC&D), Patriot RC&D, and the Massachusetts Farm Energy Program (MFEP). MFEP is a statewide collaborative effort to streamline technical and financial assistance available to Massachusetts farmers for reducing their energy demand and increasing their profits. Workshop and information sessions will include an overview of technical and financial assistance programs, eligibility requirements, and anticipated application announcements.
REAP funding supports a diverse range of clean energy technologies and energy efficiency. In 2009, REAP awarded fourteen Massachusetts rural small businesses and farmers $2,409,327 in grants and $1,569,000 in loan guarantees; EQIP provided $1.9 M to Massachusetts agricultural producers for nine photovoltaic, wind, and anaerobic digestion projects and thirty one energy efficiency projects including cranberry auto-start irrigation systems and greenhouse thermal blankets and fans. Information will also be provided about state programs that fund energy projects, including the Renewable Energy Trust, MDAR's Agricultural Environmental Enhancement Program, and MA-DOER funding opportunities.
The workshops will be held:
November 10, 9:30 am - 12:30 pm, MA Department of Agriculture Office, Conference Room, 101 University Drive, Suite C4, Amherst, MA
December 16, (Snow Date: Dec 18) 9:30 am - 12:30 pm, Lanesborough Town Hall, Community Room, 83 N. Main St, Lanesborough, MA
Classifieds
Heirloom Harvest in Westborough, MA, a 17-acre certified organic CSA and community farm, is now looking for an assistant farm manager with minimum four seasons experience. I need an enthusiastic tractor operator for both primary and secondary tillage (cultivation). Must be familiar with all aspects of vegetable production, from greenhouse through post-harvest handling. Position also includes some management of farmhands, workshares, and volunteers. This farm has a work commitment for shareholders, so frequent interaction with children and adults requires you to be a warm, welcoming presence while helping keep everyone on task. The assistant farm manager will work two days a week independently from the farmer during harvest season. Experience with farmers' markets would be a plus too. CORI check required. Position will begin April 4, 2010 and continue full time through the end of October. Pay: $600/week salary, workman's comp, farm produce, one-week paid vacation, sick days. Contact farmer John Mitchell at farmer@heirloomharvestcsa.com with your letter/email of interest. Email if you have questions - or call. 508.963.7792.
Seeking like minded folks! Four Winds Farm in Great Barrington, MA may be offered for sale in its entirety or in small parcels as part of a eco-type community under exploration.There is the potential to develop a small "village" community as zoning laws have changed to promote conservation of land. Total is 23 acres. It is the home of a non-profit, The LivingLearning Collaborative. There is a small organic market garden, an apple orchard that is slowly being brought back, a beautiful farmhouse, dilapidated barn, woodland and overgrown pasture. Walk to town center and beach. If you are interested in any aspect of this, or have other ideas, please contact MaryBeth via fourwindsfarmgb@aol.com.
For Sale: 2004 BCS Brushmower. 20" wide, for use with hand tractor. Great for preparing cover crops before tilling in. Barely used. Paid $800, will take best offer. Call Leslie Chaison at 413-369-4020, or email lesliechaison@comcast.net.
A FARMER/FARM MANAGER is sought for the Massaro Farm, a beginning CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) farm, in Woodbridge, Connecticut. This working farmer should have practical experience and education in organic farming methods and farm business planning. This person will have use of a farm of about 59 acres with 12 currently tillable acres as well as two barns and future housing; she/he will work closely with a non-profit board which will provide additional resources and educational programming. The position is expected to begin by winter, 2009. Financial arrangements are to be negotiated. Interested persons may visit the web site www.massarofarm.org and send a resume, including education and experience, to csa@massarofarm.org or contact Jinny Schneider at 203-393-3721 for further details.
The Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) is seeking an Education and Outreach Coordinator to work with the Executive Director and other staff to lead the organization's farmer, gardener, consumer, and small business educational initiatives including the annual conference, field day series, and general education and outreach. The position requires a self-starter who has a background in and/or experience in organic farming, event planning experience, and excellent organizational skills. The person must be passionate and knowledgeable about organic farming and gardening and have staff management experience. The Education and Outreach Coordinator is based in the new NOFA-NY office in Rochester, NY and reports to the Executive Director. Details are available at www.nofany.org/opportunities/nofa-ny_education_outreach_coordinator.pdf.
Seeking Land: Nuestras Raices and Lutheran Social Services offer assistance to some of Massachusetts' newest farmers. We are seeking a long-term lease for up to ten acres of vegetable production with irrigation potential within 20 minutes of Holyoke and West Springfield. Storage structures, greenhouse and tractor use/hire desired. The site(s) will likely host a variety of cultures and operations ranging from .25 acre to 5 acres in size. Opportunity to mentor or lease to a single new grower if preferred. Please contact Shemariah Blum-Evitts, 413.787.0725 , sblum@lssne.org.
NOFA/Mass on Facebook and Twitter!
For regular updates on all NOFA/Mass news and events join the Northeast Organic Farming Association, Massachusetts Chapter group on Facebook at www.facebook.com or follow us on Twitter at http://twitter.com/NOFAMass.
Resources
Be sure to take advantage of the NOFA/Mass forum, at www.nofamass.org/forum/index.php, where anyone can post questions and join in discussions about farming, gardening, and sustainable living.
OFRF has a resource and information page about the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for organic farmers: click here
NOFA-NY has published Organic Dairy Handbook: A Comprehensive Guide for the Transition and Beyond. To order the guide or its companion self-assessment workbook, see www.nofany.org or call 607-625-6632.
Worth watching: A powerful video of dairy farmers speaking truth to power is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Q65ROKo7DA.
Calendar of Events
November 10, 2009: Website Tools for e-Commerce and Agritourism: Hands-on workshop for farms in direct sales and agritourism, Randolph, VT. Learn how to use online tools for your farm website. Find out how Google Analytics can help you get to know your visitors and what they are looking for. Increase the number of visitors to your site using Search Engine Optimization (SEO) techniques. Contact gail.makuch@uvm.edu or call 802-257-7967 ext. 10.
November 13-14: It Takes A Region: A Working Conference To Build Our Northeast Food System, Albany, NY. This year, NESAWG's annual conference takes on some hard issues. As a region, we need to grow our thinking and our work to develop a truly sustainable and resilient food system. We will get beyond the jargon, myths and fuzzy concepts to come away with a shared vision, coherent strategy and concrete plans. We'll draw upon the exciting efforts already underway in our region and nationally, including alternative supply chain networks, research projects, infrastructure initiatives and policy advocacy. We'll address scale, size, and geography to reach beyond political boundaries and sector "silos." For more information, contact Kathy Ruhf, NESAWG coordinator, at nesawg@nesawg.org.
November 17-18: NYSERDA's 9th Annual Innovations in Agriculture Conference, Hilton Garden Inn Troy, NY. Greater attention to green power production and rising prices in energy, fertilizer, and feed present challenges to New York State's economic prosperity. The Innovations in Agriculture conference is designed to assist New York farms in integrating energy-efficient and sustainable production methods to profit from new opportunities arising from these challenges. This year's conference will greatly expand the scope of energy as it relates to agriculture compared to previous years. Topics include: how future farms will adapt to climate change; agriculture's role in the development of renewable fuels for heating & transportation; the spectrum of controlled environment agriculture: current research and best practices; energy efficiency opportunities for farms; the current status of the Anaerobic Digester program; and federal and state funding opportunities. For more information, please visit: www.nyserda.org/InnovationsInAgriculture/default.asp.
On Saturday December 12, 2009, the Deerfield Agricultural Commission will host the 6th gathering for Western Mass Agricultural Commission members, farmers, and interested friends of agriculture at Deerfield Town Hall, 8 Conway Street, South Deerfield. On Saturday, January 9, 2010, Hancock Shaker Village will host the 7th gathering for Western Mass Agricultural Commission members, farmers and interested friends of agriculture. The morning part of each gathering will feature a roundtable for all Ag Commissions and others to explore current projects and share successes and challenges. It will be followed by a high-powered panel on Current Legal and Policy Issues for Agriculture (For farmers and Ag Commission members) shared by MDAR Assistant Commissioner Nathan L'Etoile, General Counsel Bob Ritchie, Cris Coffin of American Farmland Trust, and State Representatives Denis Guyer and Steve Kulik. The afternoon, also for farmers and Ag Commission members, will feature a panel and exhibits focusing on sources of funding for farmers - grants, loans, incentives, energy programs, and others. The agenda is available at www.buylocalfood.org/upload/resource/agcomagenda.pdf and a registration form is at www.buylocalfood.org/upload/resource/agcomregistration.pdf.
December 13-16: Fourth National Conference on Grazing Lands, Reno/Sparks, Nevada. This conference will provide you with a forum for discussion and exchange of grazing land information, technology, scientific and applied research, and to see new products and services. The National GLCI and its Program Committee wants to have the best of the best
farmer/rancher speakers at this year's 4th National Conference on Grazing Lands (4NCGL). General information about the conference and online registration (NEW!) is available at
www.glci.org/4NCGLindex.htm.
The 9th annual NOFA Course in Organic Land Care will be held January 13, 14, 15, 19 and 20, 2010 at the Parker River National Wildlife Refuge, 6 Plum Island Turnpike, Newburyport, MA. This 5-day intensive course trains and accredits professionals to practice organic land care (caring for land without the use of synthetic pesticides or soil amendments). It is recommended for landscapers, designers, municipal and parks employees, horticulturists, master gardeners and entrepreneurs. Visit www.organiclandcare.net for more information or call Kathy Litchfield at (413) 773-3830 or email: kathy@nofamass.org.
January 22 & 23, 2010: 14th Annual VT Grazing & Livestock Conference, Lake Morey Resort, Fairlee, VT. Keynote speaker Brian Moyer of Rural Vermont. Preconference workshops on business planning, winter animal management and weed control with Kathy Voth. Over 30 workshops on sustainable livestock production, with topics such as pasture-based research, grazing season extension, soil fertility & productivity, local beef marketing, high quality hay production, transitioning dairy farms to rotational grazing, small ruminant parasite management, swine, poultry and more. For more information, visit www.uvm.edu/pasture
January 22-24, 2010: Circles of Caring: NOFA-NY's 28th Annual Organic Farming and Gardening Conference, Saratoga Springs, NY. Join us for more than 80 workshops, 3 keynote speakers, organic trade show, entertainment, and local organic meals. Information about Registration, Sponsorships, and Trade Show is available online at www.nofany.org. For more information contact Greg Swartz (570) 224-8515 conference@nofany.org.
January 29-30, 2010. Second Annual Winter Green-up Grass-fed Conference, Century House, Latham, NY (Albany Co.). This year's conference will be expanded in response to last year's attendee feedback, and there will be more time to interact with the speakers, the vendors, and each other. All the food served will be locally grown and raised this year. Speakers will include Dr. Allen Williams, Terry Gompert, Troy Bishopp, Mark DeBoo, and Ken Jaffe. Sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Albany County. For more information, visit www.diamonddangus.com.
Spring and Fall, 2010: Empowering Beginning Women Farmers through Whole Farm Planning. Holistic Management International has been funded through the USDA's Beginning Farmer Grant to teach beginning women farmers the tools of whole farm planning. Groups are forming in New Hampshire, Vermont, Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, and New York. Classes will begin in December 2009. Participants must attend the 6 sessions that will take place over the winter of 2010 and 4 farm tours that will take place during the spring and fall of 2010. Each session will be on a Saturday and last 7 hours. There will be farm mentors also available. If you are a woman farmer who has been farming less than 10 years, or if you would like to participate as a farmer mentor, contact Kelly Coleman, Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) & Massachusetts WAgN, 413-665-7100; kelly@buylocalfood.org.
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