TOPP Open Call for Farmer Mentors

Online

NOFA/Mass is currently recruiting mentor farmers that have operated certified organic farms for at at least 3 years that are interested in assisting mentee farmers as they transition their farms for certification. You do not have to be an owner of a farm to qualify as a mentor!

TOPP Open Call for Farmer Mentees

Online

If you are operating a farm and would like the assistance of an experienced organic farmer during your transition to or certification as organic, we welcome you to join our group of mentee farmers.

NOFA/Mass will be connecting farmer mentors with to farmer mentees for one year. The mentorship program is expected to commence November through December, 2023. NOFA/Mass staff will assist with helping mentee farmers navigate the organic certification process.

Soil Health Field Walk at Atlas Farm: Tillage-Reduced Cover Cropping and Planting Methods for Brassicas

Atlas Farm 635 River Rd., Deerfield, United States

Join Gideon Porth of Atlas Farm and Julie Fine of American Farmland Trust for a field walk exploring an innovative approach to tillage reduction for organic vegetables. Gideon will showcase the initial results of a trial utilizing multiple cover crops, including oats and peas, followed by buckwheat, to prepare for no-till transplanting fall kale.  This strategy reduces tractor passes by 75% and requires no tillage during the cropping season.  Gideon will share the background of the trials, the equipment, and the operations involved, and participants will be able to compare each treatment with its standard tillage control.

Growing Organic Together: A networking event for BIPOC Farmers

Global Village Farm 50 Moroney Road, Grafton

This event is a space for BIPOC farmers to explore connections with customers, markets and soil health. Together, we’ll look at the strengths, needs and opportunities within our farms, including discussions on the option of organic certification. We’ll develop an understanding around the intersections of our financial investments, love for farming and desire to serve our communities.

This is the first in a series of 5 networking & technical assistance opportunities in organic farming, specifically about certifying organic. 

Bring questions or interests about certification and whether it’s right for your farm.

Cultivar Orgánico Juntes: Un evento para crear conexiones entre agricultores (BIPOC)

Global Village Farm 50 Moroney Road, Grafton

¿Alguna vez ha pensado en sumergirse en el mundo de la salud del suelo y conversar sobre qué prácticas serían mejores para su propia granja? Este evento es un espacio para que agricultores racializades (BIPOC) puedan explorar y crear conexiones con clientes, con el mercado y con la salud de la tierra. Exploraremos nuestras fortalezas, nuestras necesidades y las oportunidades de nuestras propias granjas, incluyendo conversaciones sobre la posibilidad de certificarse como granja orgánica. Desarrollaremos un conocimiento más claro sobre la intersección entre las inversiones financieras, el amor por la agricultura y el deseo de servir a nuestra comunidad.

Hedgerows for Food and Diversity; Agroforestry on Farms and Homesteads

Many Hands Sustainability Center / Organic Farm 411 Sheldon Road, Barre, United States

With Jono Neiger as our workshop leader, we’ll first look at Many Hands Organic Farm through the lens of whole systems design. We will explore, and literally dig into, areas of the farm to see how the complexity of soils, water, vegetation, microclimates, and more are interwoven and incorporated into farm management. Finally, we will look at specific field edges to see how they might become multi-functional hedgerows.   We’ll walk through hedgerow design- looking at specific edges, identifying trees species, installation, and management strategies.

$50 – $100

Building Soil Health with Mushroom Compost

Woven Roots Farm 12 McCarty Road, Tyringham, MA, United States

Inoculate your compost with spent mushroom substrate! In this hands-on workshop, we'll show you how, and even take a peak under the microscope to see what's really going on.

$35 – $65

Suelos Saludables con Composta de Hongos

Woven Roots Farm 12 McCarty Road, Tyringham, MA, United States

Únase a nosotres en este viaje a lo más profundo del mundo del compost y el sustrato de las setas. A lo largo de esta jornada, exploraremos el mundo vivo del suelo y el micelio para aprender a integrar el sustrato usado para cultivar setas en sistemas de compostaje casero y/o de pequeña escala. Aprenderá sobre las prácticas de siembra directa, crecimiento, composta, mantillo y recolección de Woven Farms y sobre cómo incorporar el sustrato de setas en su agricultura.

$35 – $65

Setting Goals for a Food Business // Estableciendo objetivos para una empresa de alimentos

Online

Whether you’re starting, growing, or taking on a leadership role in a food business, you get to define what you want your success to look like. Join Stevie Schafenacker, independent farm and food business advisor, for an interactive online workshop about different approaches to goal setting for food businesses. We’ll talk about how to set goals that help you stay focused on what you want to achieve.

// Ya sea que esté iniciando, creciendo o asumiendo un rol de liderazgo en un negocio de alimentos, usted puede definir cómo quiere que sea su éxito. Únase a Stevie Schafenacker, asesor independiente de empresas agrícolas y alimentarias, para un taller interactivo en línea sobre diferentes enfoques para el establecimiento de objetivos para las empresas alimentarias. Hablaremos sobre cómo establecer metas que lo ayuden a mantenerse enfocado en lo que desea lograr.

Twilight Workshop: Soil Health and Compost Nutrition

Holy Hill Farm 236 Jerusalem Road, Cohasset, United States

Join us at our Twilight Grower Series,  this time at Holly Hill Farm in Cohasset! Together with NOFA-MA, Holly Hill will walk us through their compost production, show us their new compost sifter, and discuss the successes & challenges of producing their own compost for the farm. We’ll also talk about barriers to implementing this on your farm, and strategies that can improve the practicality and economics of on-farm composting.