Be a Better Grower Newsletter
Welcome to the NOFA/Mass newsletter series
Each week we publish original articles on the topics we care about most.
Read about the latest policy issues affecting Massachusetts farmers and consumers in our “Policy and Advocacy” newsletter, get insider farming and gardening tips from expert growers in our “Be a Better Grower” newsletter, learn to do it yourself, from food preservation to building fences, in our “Practical Self-Sufficiency” newsletter and see how our community is working to improve the food system in our “Food Justice” newsletter.
Caring for Your Soil: Understanding Soil Aggregation and Compaction
NOFA Mass2025-06-17T19:23:33-04:00March 16th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, March 2022|
By Christine Manuck, NOFA/Mass Soil Health Projects Manager Ruben Parilla, NOFA/Mass Soil Tech Coordinator, evaluating soil aggregation at Assawaga Farm (CT). Photo credit: Monique Bosch I’m frequently telling my kids, “you get [...]
How Do Plants Get Their Nutrition?
NOFA Mass2025-06-17T19:21:55-04:00May 11th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, May 2022|
By Ruben Parrilla, NOFA/Mass Soil Technical Coordinator Plants, when considering their “diet”, are our counterpart foodies. They like to have a diverse range of nutrition choices depending on their stage of growth and the [...]
Bulk Order Has Something for Every Grower
NOFA Mass2025-06-17T19:12:13-04:00January 12th, 2023|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Bulk Order, January 2023|
From Alfalfa Meal to Zeolites, the Bulk Order Has Something for Every Grower By: Richard Robinson, National Association of Science Writers I love the NOFA bulk order, both for its one-stop shopping convenience, [...]
Transform Your Lawn: Advice for Creating Beautiful Native Plant Meadows: An Interview with Owen Wormser
Liz Hamm2025-06-17T18:59:29-04:00September 5th, 2023|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: 2023 Summer Conferene, August 2023, Be a Better Grower, Owen Wormser, Paul Figueroa|
By: Paul Figueroa, Communications Director at NOFA/Mass Owen Wormser is the principal at Abound Design, which provides design and installation services with a focus on creating sustainability, regeneration, and beauty. Owen has [...]
Got Garlic? Six Fall Tips for Planting Garlic
Liz Hamm2025-06-17T18:56:01-04:00September 18th, 2023|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Farmers, Farming, Richard Robinson, September 2023, Vegetables|
By : Richard Robinson Fall is the right time to plant garlic. Like other bulbs, the goal is to have the plant establish strong roots with little to no top growth before winter sets [...]
Nurturing a Vision of Sustainable Agriculture with Mushroom Substrate
Liz Hamm2025-06-17T18:12:35-04:00December 1st, 2023|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, November 2023, Ruben Parilla, Soil Health|
By: Ruben Parrilla, NOFA/Mass Education and Technical Assistance Director Welcome to the latest edition of the Northeast Organic Farming Association, Massachusetts Chapter (NOFA/Mass) Be a Better Grower newsletter. Established in 1982, NOFA/Mass [...]
Be A Better Grower with NOFA/Mass’s Annual Bulk Order
Liz Hamm2025-06-17T18:06:54-04:00January 29th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Bulk Order, Farming, January 2024|
By Rubén Parrilla In this month’s Be a Better Grower newsletter, our Soil Health Team walks you through the benefits of one of their favorite products in the 2024 Tri-State Bulk Order. The Bulk Order is open now through January 31st, [...]
Designing a Permaculture Lawn
Liz Hamm2025-05-09T20:52:50-04:00May 9th, 2025|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: April 2025, Be a Better Grower, gardening, Homesteading, Landcare, Permaculture|
Designing a Permaculture Lawn Discover how to transform your Massachusetts lawn into a sustainable, permaculture paradise with this guide tailored for organic farmers and home gardeners. Learn to map zones, choose hardy plants, [...]
A Simple, Strong, Convenient Pea Trellis
NOFA Mass2025-05-05T18:57:03-04:00April 14th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: April 2022, Be a Better Grower|
Snap peas growing against a remesh trellis By Richard Robinson, Farmer at Hopestill Farm Peas need to climb, and do best with a sturdy trellis they can cling to. There are several [...]
Human Urine As a Fertilizer
Liz Hamm2025-04-22T21:54:33-04:00April 3rd, 2025|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Farming, March 2025, Organic Farming|
Hey, Guess What: You will learn how something as simple as human urine—an old-time fertilizer complete with good nutrients—is making crops happier and helping our planet. The Real Talk: It is not all easy—there are some tricky [...]
How Technology is Helping—Not Replacing—Organic Farmers
Liz Hamm2025-03-17T14:30:32-04:00March 17th, 2025|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Farming, February 2025, Organic Farming|
How Technology is Helping—Not Replacing—Organic Farmers Learn how modern technology, like smart soil sensors, artificial intelligence-powered pest detection, and wearable devices for farmworker health, enhances organic farming practices. These innovations help farmers boost [...]
Can Mushroom Production Help Your Soil and Vegetable Production?
NOFA Mass2025-03-17T12:42:03-04:00March 9th, 2023|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Fungi, March 2023, Mushrooms, Soil Health, USDA|
Can Mushroom Production Help Your Soil and Vegetable Production? By: Christine Manuck, NOFA/Mass Assistant Development Director Ruben and Brittany Overshiner of Upswing Farm mix together the SMS and compost amendment piles [...]
Soil Testing and Mineral Amendments
NOFA Mass2025-03-17T12:19:53-04:00October 13th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, October 2021, Soil Health|
By Christine Manuck, NOFA/Mass Soil Health Projects Manager Soil testing plays an important role in evaluating soil health and crop management, capturing snapshots of how the biological, chemical, and physical properties of a soil [...]
Massachusetts Winter Market Trends for Growers
NOFA Mass2025-03-11T21:53:54-04:00January 2nd, 2025|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, December 2024|
Massachusetts Winter Market Trends for Growers By: Najee Quashie As winter sets in across Massachusetts, the state’s agricultural landscape continues to evolve, with shifting consumer preferences creating challenges and opportunities for local growers. [...]
Perfectly Roasted Vegetables: Grow Your Own—Organically!
NOFA Mass2025-03-11T21:51:27-04:00February 4th, 2025|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Health and Nutrition, January 2025, Vegetables|
Be a Better Grower Newsletter As winter sets in, enjoy perfectly roasted vegetables grown organically. Whether from your garden or local farms, this guide helps you grow, store, and roast sustainably. By Najee [...]
Mr. Pumpkins Bedtime Story 🥧
NOFA Mass2024-12-02T15:57:38-05:00December 2nd, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Health and Nutrition, Homesteading, November 2024|
Be a Better Grower Once upon a time, a baker named Najee Quashie took a tiny pumpkin and, with gentle care, turned it into a warm, spiced puree while a buttery crust chilled, waiting for [...]
Soil Microbes: Vital for Soil Health & Environmental Sustainability 🦠
NOFA Mass2024-11-18T19:51:15-05:00September 30th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Beginning Farmers Programming, Farming, microbes, September 2024, Soil Health|
Be a Better Grower Newsletter In this edition of the Be a Better Grower newsletter, we explore the critical role of soil microbes in maintaining soil health, promoting plant growth, and supporting environmental [...]
Julie & Anna On the Transition to Organic Partnership Program
NOFA Mass2024-11-18T19:47:04-05:00November 5th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Farming, October 2024, Organic Certification, Organic Farming, Soil Health, topp|
Julie & Anna On the Transition to Organic Partnership Program In this spooky edition of the Be a Better Grower newsletter, Najee interviews Julie Rawson (mentor) and Anna Kelchlin (mentee) on their experience with the [...]
5 Trees & Shrubs to Add to Your Crop Plan
Liz Hamm2024-08-14T14:16:47-04:00August 14th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Agroforestry, August 2024, Be a Better Grower, Big River Chestnuts, Farming, Regenerative Design Group|
This edition of Be a Better Grower discusses ways to build climate resilience into a farm or garden through agroforestry. We’re excited to share advice from the Regenerative Design Group, a farming and landscape design [...]
A different kind of potato farming?
Liz Hamm2024-07-18T17:49:39-04:00July 18th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Farming, July 2024, microbes, Soil Health|
By: Rubén Parrilla, Education & Technical Assistance Director Potatoes are an extremely versatile food – they’re delicious fried, mashed, roasted, boiled, even soaked in water with leaf mold for 48 hours! Ok, sure [...]
Plant your winter gardens now!
Liz Hamm2024-06-28T12:12:09-04:00June 28th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Farmers, Farming, gardening, Health and Nutrition, Homesteading, June 2024, Landcare|
Planning your fall garden starts now! Having a bountiful fall harvest isn’t hard, but it does require planning that begins right now. In this edition of Be a Better Grower, Richard Robinson of Hopestill Farm [...]
Why You Should Use Compost Tea this Spring
Liz Hamm2024-05-24T20:01:56-04:00May 24th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Compost Tea, Farmers, Farming, Landcare, May 2024, microbes, Soil Health|
By: Rubén Parrilla, Education & Technical Assistance Director In this edition of Be a Better Grower, we’re talking about compost tea & why you should add it to your growing plan this year! It’s no secret that here [...]
Tips from 10 Years of Garlic Research
Liz Hamm2024-04-24T15:33:39-04:00April 24th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: April 2024, Be a Better Grower, Farming, Garlic|
In this edition of Be a Better Grower, we’re excited to present an article that first appeared in the Fall 2023 edition of the Natural Farmer, where Crystal Stewart Courtens presented a detailed, two-part overview of [...]
4 Common Mistakes by 1st Time Organic Growers
NOFA Mass2024-03-29T12:37:17-04:00March 29th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Farm Business, Farming, Landcare, March 2024, Soil Health|
by Laura Davis and Annie Sholar In this edition of Be a Better Grower, Laura Davis, NOFA/Mass Certification Technical Assistance Provider, shares the four most common mistakes that she sees new organic farmers [...]
Getting Started with Soil Blocks
Liz Hamm2024-02-28T10:20:36-05:00February 28th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Farmers, Farming, February 2024, gardening|
By: Richard Robinson In this month’s Be a Better Grower newsletter, Richard Robinson, NOFA/Mass Board Member and farmer at Hopestill Farm, shares tips for making the switch to soil blocks, and shares his homemade [...]
Build Your Organic Veggie Vault: Expert Insights for Vegetable Storage
Liz Hamm2023-10-13T14:12:58-04:00October 13th, 2023|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Farming, gardening, Homesteading, October 2023, Pam Dawling, Paul Figueroa, Sustainable Market Farming, Twin Oaks Community|
Build Your Organic Veggie Vault: Exclusive Insights for Fall and Winter Storage for Your Garden Harvest: An Interview with Pam Dawling By: Paul Figueroa, NOFA/Mass Communications Director Pam Dawling has [...]
Questions about Organic Certification? The NOFA Summer Conference has some answers!
Liz Hamm2023-09-15T21:18:22-04:00September 15th, 2023|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Hannah McDonald, July 2023, Organic Certification, Organic Farming, Paul Figueroa, Summer Conference, topp|
By: Paul Figueroa & Hannah McDonald This month’s newsletter features Hannah McDonald, Regenerative Food System Coordinator here at NOFA/Mass’s Technical Assistance Program where we discuss ways NOFA/Mass can support farmers looking to become [...]
Your First Hoophouse: Design choices and building tips
NOFA Mass2022-12-16T12:34:45-05:00December 16th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, December 2022|
Photo courtesy Richard Robinson By Richard Robinson, Farmer at Hopestill Farm A hoophouse represents a major capital investment for the market gardener, and one that can pay for itself quickly and many [...]
How to Minimize Irrigation Even in the Hottest of Summers
NOFA Mass2022-11-09T15:45:57-05:00November 9th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, November 2022|
By Christine R. Nelson, NOFA/Mass Intern Photo credit: Many Hands Organic Farm The height of the 2022 growing season will be remembered for the undesirable combination of heat and drought, with all areas [...]
Growing Vegetables in a Perennial Clover Living Mulch: Part 1
NOFA Mass2022-10-12T19:58:24-04:00September 29th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, September 2022|
Sawyer Farm's Tillage Reduction Journey By Lincoln Fishman, Farmer at Sawyer Farm Lincoln Fishman at Sawyer Farm. Photo credit: Akos Szilvasi. Sawyer Farm is located in the Hilltowns of Western Massachusetts. We've [...]
Growing Vegetables in a Perennial Clover Living Mulch: Part 2
NOFA Mass2022-10-12T19:56:31-04:00October 12th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, October 2022|
Sawyer Farm's Tillage Reduction Journey By Lincoln Fishman, Farmer at Sawyer Farm Lincoln Fishman headed to the fields. Photo credit: Akos Szilvasi. In the spring of 2020, we decided to do a small [...]
Sharing the Pursuit of Biological Soil
NOFA Mass2022-08-11T17:39:44-04:00August 11th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: August 2022, Be a Better Grower|
By Christine R. Nelson, NOFA/Mass Intern SEMAP's July 2022 event at Weatherlow Farms. Photo credit Christine R. Nelson. Growers interested in learning more about soil health converged at the beautiful Weatherlow Farms [...]
Indigo as a Dyecrop in the Northeast
NOFA Mass2022-07-21T15:36:04-04:00July 21st, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, July 2022|
By Ophelia Jackson Yoko Takemura with fresh indigo plants. Photo credit: Assawaga Farm Indigo is the blue of Picasso’s Beggar and Child—of dreams, jeans, a peacock’s cheek—the blue of a black-furred creature [...]
Practical Nitrogen Management on the Vegetable Farm
NOFA Mass2022-06-08T18:29:15-04:00June 8th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, June 2022|
By Noah Courser-Kellerman, Farmer at Alprilla Farm First published in the July 2019 edition of the NOFA/Mass newsletter. Reprinted with the author's permission June 2022. Roller crimper, then coulter with an old fertilizer [...]
Soil Carbon Proxy Testing Can Help You Help Your Soil
NOFA Mass2022-02-14T12:37:23-05:00August 12th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: August 2021, Be a Better Grower, Soil Health|
By Christine Manuck, NOFA/Mass Soil Health Projects Manager Soil organic matter is essential to healthy soils. Acting as a sort of “control center”, it regulates a soil’s physical, chemical, and biological properties. Every soil starts with a baseline level [...]
Planning Your Garden
NOFA Mass2022-02-02T19:45:04-05:00February 2nd, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, February 2022, gardening|
By Richard Robinson, Farmer at Hopestill Farm, Sherborn, MA Now is the time to plan what will go where No matter what size your garden is, it is helpful to have a plan for what [...]
Strategies for Increasing Production Resiliency
NOFA Mass2022-01-13T11:12:37-05:00January 12th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, January 2022, Winter Conference|
Winter Conference Workshops for Growers By Christine Manuck, NOFA/Mass Soil Health Projects Manager Given the increased frequency of climate-related severe weather events and pandemic-related food chain and supply issues, we believe the need for [...]
Eight Bulk Order Items NOFA Farmers Love
NOFA Mass2021-12-16T12:03:55-05:00December 16th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Bulk Order, December 2021|
By Richard Robinson, Farmer at Hopestill Farm, and the NOFA/Mass Bulk Order Team For me, the arrival of the NOFA Tri-State Bulk Order is, like the arrival of the seed catalogs, a harbinger of spring, [...]
A Primer on Sustainable Soil Management
NOFA Mass2021-12-02T16:10:19-05:00July 7th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Farming, gardening, July 2021, Soil Health|
By Christine Manuck, NOFA/Mass Soil Health Projects Manager As with every living thing, what you get out of soil is related to what you put into it. Transitioning our mindset of soil from an inorganic [...]
NOFA/Mass Soil Testing and the Bulk Order Go Hand in Hand
NOFA Mass2021-11-18T10:06:02-05:00November 12th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Bulk Order, November 2021|
By Christine Manuck, NOFA/Mass Soil Health Projects Manager At NOFA, we love being a resource for fellow farmers and gardeners, through education and outreach, supporting pollinators and sustainable agriculture policy, and by making healthy [...]
Correlating Produce Nutrient Levels with Soil Management
NOFA Mass2021-09-08T14:52:56-04:00September 7th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, September 2021, Soil Health|
Profiling Assawaga Farm, Freedom Food Farm and A&K Produce By Christine Manuck, NOFA/Mass Soil Health Projects Manager NOFA/Mass has been leading a project funded by the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), “Correlating Healthy Soil Practices with [...]
Five Great Hoes for the Market Gardener
NOFA Mass2021-06-09T16:34:12-04:00June 9th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Farming, gardening, June 2021|
By Richard Robinson, Farmer at Hopestill Farm Even those of us who are all-in on no-till gardening know weeds will still pop up, and must be controlled. By choosing a hoe that is best suited to the [...]
Three 2020 Garden Successes I’m Growing Again in 2021
NOFA Mass2021-06-07T12:20:19-04:00March 17th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, gardening, March 2021, Vegetables|
By Richard Robinson, Farmer at Hopestill Farm Tokyo Bekana, collards, and Panisse lettuce were the standout new additions to my garden in 2020. I’m looking forward to growing more, and selling more, of each this season. One [...]
Key Insights from the Climate Adaptation Fellowship: Part 2
NOFA Mass2021-06-07T12:19:47-04:00March 17th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Carbon Sequestration, Farming, Landcare, March 2021, Soil|
We Need to Talk About Nitrous Oxide Emissions By Caro Roszell, NOFA/Mass Education Director and Soil Carbon Program Coordinator In our February newsletter, I shared some takeaways and resources around Massachusetts and New England [...]
Field Corn and Dry Beans in the Garden: Staple crops to feed your family and community
NOFA Mass2021-06-07T12:17:54-04:00April 14th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: April 2021, Be a Better Grower, Farming, gardening|
By Noah Courser-Kellerman, Farmer at Alprilla Farm Photos by Paul Cary Goldberg and Sophie Courser-Kellerman Garland Flint Corn in the field at Alprilla Farm A perfect early fall meal from the garden: [...]
Pepo, Maxima, and Moschata: Know your Cucurbits!
NOFA Mass2021-06-07T12:13:32-04:00May 12th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Be a Better Grower, Farming, gardening, May 2021|
By Richard Robinson, Farmer at Hopestill Farm When you choose your winter squash, pay attention to the species. Some are easier to grow than others! As I write this in May of 2021, I am roasting [...]