Northeast Organic Farming Association/ Massachusetts Chapter
presents
2011 Advanced Growers' Fall Seminar
With Harvey Ussery
The Modern Homestead
Friday, November 4 and Saturday, November 5, 2011
(From 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. on both days)
Barre Congregational Church, 30 Park Street, Barre, MA
Download and Print Registration Form (in PDF form)
To mail in with check, money order, or credit card number. (Online registration not available)
New: See full schedule of topics to be presented by Harvey Ussery at the seminar
New: Read article on Harvey Ussery by Mindy Harris for the NOFA/Mass news
This two-day seminar focuses on achieving greater food independence using innovative models for increasing production on the homestead and small farm. The seminar will present an integrative, whole-systems approach to achieve maximum diversity and biological efficiencies that imitate nature while minimizing reliance on purchased solutions. Learning methods for soil care, cropping, and livestock husbandry, the participant will gain confidence in declaring their independence from the prevailing agricultural system.
Topics covered include:
* Soil care that minimizes tillage, understanding how the soil food web and natural soil fertility informs systems of feeding the soil with composts, mulches, and cover crops.
* Preventing crop damage by insects through support of biological diversity.
* Livestock husbandry: strategies include natural feeding and remedies, and "stacking" of species.
* Mushroom cultivation for edibles, medicinals, and recycling woody "wastes."
* Converting organic "wastes" into resources using earthworms and soldier grubs, which create compost while also providing high-protein feeds for poultry, pigs, or farmed fish, reducing dependence on purchased feeds.
* Natural food storage to enable you to eat fresh and local produce year-round; lacto-fermented foods, and season extension, winter salad greens.
The seminar will be conducted as a lecture accompanied by an extensive series of slides to illustrate the core ideas. Each participant will receive an information-dense, 40-page handout. Harvey's book will be available for purchase throughout the seminar.
Harvey Ussery and his wife Ellen are activists in the local foods movement. They produce all their own poultry and eggs, and grow most of their own vegetables, year-round, on three good acres in northern Virginia-and further reduce dependence on the supermarket by purchasing most of the remainder of their food from local producers. Harvey has contributed frequently to Mother Earth News, Backyard Poultry, and Countryside & Small Stock Journal. His book, The Small-Scale Poultry Flock, forwarded by Joel Salatin, to be published by Chelsea Green in October 2011, just in time for the NOFA/Mass Fall Seminar, sets a new standard for holistic poultry husbandry.
For more information on Harvey Ussery and his work, see his homepage: www.themodernhomestead.us
And read Harvey's Extensive Article Contributions in the following publications:
Logistics
Food - We're minimizing food costs by asking registrants to contribute to shared meals and participate in clean-up. For both days of the seminar, we will serve breakfast (7:00am-8:15am), lunch (12:15-1:15pm), and dinner (5:45-7:00pm). Participants in the shared meals are asked to bring food or contribute money. We would appreciate organic vegetables, meat, or dairy products, especially if you produced it yourself. Mira Nussbaum will prepare these raw ingredients. You may bring a prepared dish instead if you prefer. We won't be buying and selling, but each participant should plan to bring a food contribution that has a value of $50. The food coordinator, Mira Nussbaum, project_dirt@hotmail.com, will confirm with you that your item is needed. If you prefer not to bring food, please add $50 to your registration fee, and this money will be used to pay for other needed items. This way, everybody gives, receives, and eats very well.
Housing and Accommodations for the Seminar: Find hotels, motels, and inns in the Barre, MA area and learn about our plan for housing seminar participants with area residents who support NOFA.
Transportation - On the registration from, there is an opportunity to indicate your interest in being connected with seminar attendees in your area who also wish to carpool to the event.
Directions to the Seminar and Parking: Plan your trip to Barre, MA.
Registration Cost
The registration cost for the seminar is $150. Any person who registers by October 21 receives $10 early bird discount. Members of any NOFA chapter or MOFGA also receive a discount of $15. Pre-registration is required and seminar enrollment is capped at 100 people -- first come, first served. Ask any questions and ensure space availability for last minute registrations by contacting: Ben Grosscup, Event Coordinator, ben.grosscup@nofamass.org, 413-658-5374
Policy on Registrations, Cancellations, and Refunds
Registration forms can be sent by postal mail, or scanned and sent by e-mail attachment to ben.grosscup@nofamass.org. No other online registration is available. Registrations will be accepted on a first come, first served basis and are acceptable only once payment (check or credit card) is received. Cancellations for the 2011 Advanced Growers' Fall Seminar will be honored with refunds (except for $10/person processing fee) until October 25, 2011.
Information on Previous Advanced Growers' Seminars
This page was last modified on November 02, 2011 at 8:42:24 AM.
Translate this page: 
|
