Northeast Organic Farming Association/ Massachusetts Chapter
and Real Food Campaign present
Soil and Nutrition:
An Education and Coalition-Building Conference
February 9-11, 2012 (Thursday to Saturday)
First Churches, 129 Main St, Northampton, MA
NEW! January, 23, 2012: Farmers to Descend on Northampton to Talk Crop Quality
Download and Print Registration Form (PDF)
To mail in with check, money order, or credit card number. (Online registration not available)
Sponsor the Soil and Nutrition Conference (PDF)
and promote your products and services to a concentrated community of soil innovators.
Featuring leading thinkers and practitioners of building healthy soils, this conference aims to grow the movement for enhancing soil fertility as a basis for the long-term ecological and economic sustainability of farming, the environment, and our society as a whole. Each of the three days is organized with a different format. Participants are invited to listen and share, as we all deepen our soils knowledge.
Thursday, February 9, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.: Seminar with John Kempf
National and international speaker on soil fertility, farmer consultant, and proprietor of Advancing Eco-Agriculture.
John speaks in clear practical language about scientific understandings of plant eco-systems and how the health of people is connected to healthy land and quality produce. He will explain three stages of plant health, and how by reaching each stage we can grow plants that are not only nutritious, but resistant to soil-borne and airborne fungal disease and insect damage. He will present practices and principles that we can take to the field - practical applications of what this information means for us as farmers and how we can generate disease and insect resistance with nutrition.
*** Read a full outline of John's Seminar here.
Read John's article in Acres, "Carbon Building, Carbon Cycling".
Read John's article from his newsletter, "Crop HEALTH Transitions"
Read the education page on John's Website.
Thurs.7:30 p.m. Envisioning the Social and Ecological Implications of soil-building systems that aim for quality
(This public lecture is open to the public for a $10 suggest donation)
Speakers: Dan Kittredge, director of the Bionutrient Food Association and John Kempf
Friday, February 10, 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.: Collaborative Symposium with Regional Experts on Managing Soils for Quality.
Presenters include:
- Derek Christianson, CSA farmer, Brix Bounty Farm in Darmouth, MA
- Dan Holmes, diversified livestock farmer enhancing pasture fertility, Peterborough, NH
- Dan Kittredge, director, Bionutrient Food Association, North Brookfield, MA
- Jack Lazor, organic dairy farmer and producer of Butterworks Yogurt in Westfield, VT
- Bryan O'Hara, soil building pioneer on his vegetable growing operation in Lebannon, CT
- Julie Rawson - Many Hands Organic Farm, Barre, MA - mixed livestock, poultry, vegetables and fruit
- Stephen Storch, biodynamic grower on Long Island, NY
Read full bios on the presenters above
There will be 4 sessions:
1. 8:30am to 10:15am: Bio-dynamics and Energetics Panel (John Kempf, Dan Kittredge, Stephen Storch)
2.10:30am to 12:15pm: Fruits and Vegetables Panel (Derek Christianson and Bryan O'Hara)
3. 1:45pm to 3:30: Pasture, Forage, Grain, Grass, and Animals Panel (Dan Holmes, Jack Lazor, Doug Flack, and Julie Rawson ) Read Session Three Outlines.
4. 3:45pm to 5:30pm: Wrap-Up Panel: All panelists gather to ask questions of each other and to take questions from conference participants.
Fri. 7:30 p.m. Social Networking Activity
A chance for young farmers to meet older farmers, for both to meet each other, and to have some fun.
Saturday, February 11: Strategic Action Working Conference.
Participants will discuss building on the knowledge of building healthy soils to affect the broader world. Work groups will be formed to take action on:
- Defining research priorities that serve the needs of growers.
- Broadening public understanding of soil health and crop quality.
- Linking an understanding of soil health with institutions charged with caring for human health.
The sessions will be facilitated to foster a spirit of collaboration and the continued development of collective knowledge. By identifying some key strategies for action, we can achieve goals that could otherwise not be developed by just individuals or single organizations.
Read outline for Day 3 sessions
For more information, contact: Ben Grosscup, ben.grosscup@nofamass.org, 413-658-5374.
Food
We're minimizing food costs by asking registrants to contribute to shared meals and participate in clean-up. For the 3 days of then conference, 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 $70 if registering for 3 days; $50 if registering for 2 days, or $30 if registering for 1 day. 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 $70 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. You will indicate on your registration form what, if anything, you'd like to contribute to the potluck.
Home Stays
In order to reduce costs and foster networking among attendees, event organizer, Ben Grosscup, will pair out-of-town conference attendees with NOFA members and supporters near Northampton who are willing to host you on the nights of Feb 9 & 10, 2012 (Thurs & Fri). Please request a home stay on your registration form, if needed. We ask that guests bring a small non-monetary gift of thanks to their hosts.
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.
Find directions on the Website of First Churches.
During the weekday, many people will find that the easiest parking location is the City of Northampton's Parking Garage at 85 Hampton Avenue.
For a map from the parking garage to First Churches, click here.
Registration Cost
The registration cost for the seminar on Thursday, February 9 is $85. The cost to register for both of the other two days (Friday, February 10 and Saturday, February, 11) is is $60. If registering by January 26, 2012, you receive a $10 early bird discount if registered for all three days. Members of Real Food Campaign, any NOFA chapter, or MOFGA also receive a $10 discount if registered for all three days. There is a $10 on-site registration fee.
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' Winter Seminar will be honored with refunds (except for $10/person processing fee) until January 30, 2012.
Information on Previous Advanced Growers' Seminars
This page was last modified on February 04, 2012 at 3:21:16 AM.
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