Northeast Organic Farming Association/ Massachusetts Chapter presents
2011 Advanced Growers' Winter Seminar
With Jean-Paul Courtens and Jody Bolluyt
Systematizing a Diverse Vegetable Operation
Saturday, February 5: 8:30am to 5:30pm
Barre Congregational Church, 30 Park Street, Barre, Mass.
"NEW! January, 19, 2011: "COURTENS SPEAKS ON REFINING FARM SYSTEMS"
Download and Print Registration Form (in PDF)
To mail in with check, money order, or credit card number
This seminar presents practical information for making farms more economically viable through soil health and effective management. It is tailored to the needs of small (4 acres) and medium-scale (25 acres) diversified commercial vegetable growers who wish to refine or revamp their farm systems to enable incorporation of new equipment and hiring of employees. Regardless of his or her scale, the seminar will benefit any grower wanting to improve their farm's systems.
Small farms that market products through CSA or farmers markets are by definition highly diverse. Although the retail prices they get are higher than wholesale, many diversified farms see their profit dwindle due to lost efficiency in the field and packing house. This seminar is built on the idea that a highly diversified farm is an asset, and establishing good systems and proper procedures can decrease the cost of production for those farms, and increase their profitability.
Morning: Soil & Plant Health from a Whole Farm Perspective
Topics: soil selection, fertilizers, green manures, cover crops and compost, biodynamic practices, tillage, mulches, weed control, disease and insect control, crop rotation, and the integration of farm animals and biodiversity.
Afternoon: Planting and Harvesting Procedures, Record Keeping, and Financial Analysis
Topics: farm lay-out, pre-season planning (seeding and planting schedules and software use), greenhouse procedures for vegetable starts, tillage and planting equipment, harvest equipment, harvest efficiency and procedures, post-harvest procedures, record keeping, and CSA administration.
The seminar will be conducted as a lecture with a power point presentation. A manual of information from Roxbury Farm will be provided.
Jean-Paul Courtens and Jody Bolluyt own and operate Roxbury Farm in Kinderhook, New York. Jean-Paul was born and raised in Amsterdam the Netherlands. He completed four years of training in biodynamic agriculture and moved to the US in 1986. He founded Roxbury Farm in 1990. Jody Bolluyt was born and raised in Adel, Iowa. She completed her training at the University of Iowa majoring in botany and biology. She joined the farm in 1999. Jody and Jean-Paul spend much of their time sharing their experience with other farmers and educators.
Jean-Paul co-founded C.R.A.F.T (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmers Training) in 1993, helped establish the Vegetable Crop Production Workshop in East Troy, WI, and was a member of the N.E.O.N. (Northeast Organic Farmers Network). Jean-Paul and Jody continue to work closely with the Cornell Cooperative Extension and other educators in trials and education. They received SARE's 2004 Patrick Madden Award for Sustainable Agriculture.
Roxbury Farm is a highly diversified Biodynamic farm serving 1,100 shareholders with vegetables, fruit, beef, lamb, pork and chicken. The farm consists of 300 tillable acres of which 90 acres are dedicated to vegetable crop production and 210 acres in hay and pasture. Additional land in forest is utilized for pasturing of butcher hogs or set aside for biodiversity.
Roxbury Farm facilitates a number of procedures that allow the farm to be operated with a minimal number of workers. Someone once stated that it is not so much the equipment at Roxbury Farm that allows it to be productive and efficient, but rather that they can afford to buy the equipment because the farm is productive and efficient.
Roxbury Farm utilizes the best available equipment to lighten manual labor. The farm does this by paying for most purchases out of the operating budget, minimizing future liability and interest payments. Every capital purchase is evaluated by its ability to generate income, increase the quality of life on the farm, and foster a better flow of work.
For more information about Jean-Paul and Jody, see: www.roxburyfarm.com
Food
We're minimizing costs for this seminar by asking registrants to contribute to the meals and participate in food clean-up. We'll have a one-day coordinated potluck on Saturday, serving Breakfast before the seminar (7:00am-8:15am), Lunch in the middle (12:15-1:15pm), and Dinner after the seminar (5:45-7:00pm).
Potluck participants are asked to bring a food dish to share or to contribute money. We won't be buying and selling, but each participant should plan to bring a food contribution that has a value of $35 (including the value of your labor) and enough to provide the equivalent of 3 large meals.
The registration coordinator will take note of the item(s) you offer and confirm that your item is needed. If you prefer not to bring food, please add $35 to your registration fee, and this money will be used to pay for other needed items. This way, everybody gives, receives, and eats well. You will indicate on your registration form what, if anything, you'd like to contribute to the potluck.
Housing
If you need housing the night before the seminar in order to attend it, please contact Ben Grosscup to request help in finding a home-stay with a NOFA member living in or near Barre, MA.
Housing and Accommodations in Barre: You can also find hotels, motels, and inns in the Barre, MA.
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 $90. Any person who registers by January 22 receives $10 early bird discount. Members of any NOFA chapter or MOFGA also receive a discount of $10. 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' Winter Seminar will be honored with refunds (except for $10/person processing fee) until January 26, 2011.
Information on Previous Advanced Growers' Seminars
This page was last modified on May 24, 2011 at 12:43:39 PM.
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