By Jason Valcourt, NOFA Summer Conference Coordinator
The time is now for a three-week journey into the mind of our NOFA community. Beginning Monday, July 20th, the 46th Annual NOFA Summer Conference will roll out over 57 workshops with professionals representing the Northeast organic farming community. Our presenters have the depth and institutional knowledge of decades of work growing healthy food; long time farmers, Executive Directors, Non-profit organizers, self-proclaimed Soil Nerds and Garden Mavens bring their expertise to you. These are the people that make the Summer Conference workshop program the annual mid-season go-to for all things related to growing food. We are excited for you to access their wisdom and experience and to contribute to the conversation in our virtual conference.
If you are ready to register now, you can do so here. There are two registration options.
- Full admission to live sessions as well as post conference access to the video recordings for *$100 (NOFA member price, $125 for non-members.)
- Or, you can purchase the video recordings only and view them after the conference for $50.
All the workshops will be held over Zoom.
If you need financial support we have scholarship money available for you to apply for here.
See the entire program and plan what sessions you wish to attend you can peruse the full list of descriptions here. Here is another sampling of our 2020 presenters and their respective workshop topics:
Julia Latady, Farm educator currently on a year-long exploration into growing good food at home with help from a workforce of worms, cockroaches, an aquatic axolotl, chickens, and a rabbit named Senator Bunny Sanders will present: Vermicomposting – For Home or Farm.
Heron Breen, Plant breeder; Trials Manager at Fedco Seeds; program manager at Freed Seed Federation will present: Hand Pollination of Seed Crops.
Keith Zaltzberg, Principal, Regenerative Design Group & MA Healthy Soils Action Plan Project Lead joins Connor Stedman, Planner and agro-ecological designer with AppleSeed Permaculture; policy organizer and advisor, NYSH to present: Beyond Soil Conservation: 21st Century Soil Health Policy takes Root in the Northeast
Elizabeth Henderson, Retired after 35 years of farming, still busy helping build our movement will present: Five Big Lessons from 30+ Years of Farming.
Faye Mack, Advocacy and Education Director at Hunger Free Vermont and
Sarah Danly, Farm to Plate Network Manager at the Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund will present: Municipal Planning for Food Access.
Lisa McCrory, Organic, regenerative farmer at Earthwise Farm and Forest. Grazing and Whole Farm Planning consultant, artist will present: Pasture Plant Identification & Interpretation for Healthy Soil & Quality Feed.
Jack Kittredge and Julie Rawson, Certified organic farmers, editor of The Natural Farmer, and soil carbon author will present: Soil Carbon: Raising More, Better Food while Easing Climate Stress.
Kate Venne, Food Business Coordinator for the Western MA Food Processing Center and Liz Buxton, Director of Operations for the Western MA Food Processing Center will present: Food Processing: An Integral Part of the Food System.
Ibrahim Ali, Co-Executive Director of Gardening the Community in Springfield, MA will present: Building Justice Through Food: The Future of Food in Mason Square.
Ed Szymanski, Homesteader, beekeeper, gardener, nature photographer and Marian Szymanski, Avid homesteader, gardener and beekeeper will present on: Growing Beneficial Herbs for Bees.
Daniel Mays, Runs Frith Farm, an intensive no-till human-scale veggie operation in southern Maine will present on: Cover Cropping Strategies for Five Acres or Less.
Enjoy your planning. We love getting your emails, so please contact me with any questions you have about registration or the program at [email protected].
