Growing Organically Since 1982

 

NOFA/Mass Winter Conference Hosts John Kempf as Keynote - Workshop Proposals Accepted

Workshop proposals are open. We are excited to dedicate our conference to the theme of Food As Medicine. We hope to explore the many ways we relate to food from soil health to consumer choices

 

U.S. Capitol Building

Policy Updates, Sept. 2018

Policy

Action Needed on Federal Farm Bill

If readers only skim the first few lines of this, they will hopefully glean the fact that organic agriculture is under attack in the proposed 2018 Farm Bill, and that they should contact Congress right now and over the coming weeks. With a deadline of Sept. 30th (when the 2014 Farm Bill expires), the current House draft is a major threat to organic agriculture. Please read on, take action and help mobilize your networks (nationwide) to contact their members of Congress and save organic agriculture.

Anyone who has been following the Farm Bill at all will likely have heard of the major proposed cuts and changes that the House version makes to SNAP (food stamps) benefits. The House version of the bill, which was drafted in a hyper-partisan process, also threatens the future of organic agriculture. Most notably, it totally eliminates the organic certification cost-share program, which many small organic farms rely on to cover the cost of certification. It also eliminates and compromises key conservation programs which help farmers protect our soil and water.

organic apple orchard

Pick a Farm to Pick Your Own

Members

Few things are as magical as when you first discover that food actually does grow on trees (… and on bushes, in dirt and amongst leaves). The edge of the New England woods in many of our backyards is home to wild raspberries and thorny tangles of blackberry brambles. I’m sure I’m not the only one who as a child first recognized the familiar fruits from the refrigerator, but took a minute to place them when seen on the vine. When my mom placed one in her mouth, and then told me it was okay for me to do the same, I broke out in a giddy smile, immediately storing the vital information in a part of my brain that was reserved for survival skills. This is where food comes from.

Doug Wolcik Harvesting

NOFA/Mass to Lead Northeast Study on Tillage Reduction for Agricultural Soil Carbon Sequestration

Carbon Sequestration, farmers, Soil

Three state chapters of the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) will participate in a three-year study into the soil health impacts of no-till and tillage-reduction strategies. NOFA/Mass will lead the project, working closely with CT NOFA and NOFA-NJ. The three chapters will each work with farmers in their state who are practicing tillage reduction strategies on their organic farms. This project is funded by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) Conservation Innovation Grant.

See current and archived NOFA/Mass newsletters