Practical Self-Sufficiency 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.
2023 NOFA/Mass Winter Conference Offered a Vision for a More Cooperative Future
NOFA Mass2025-06-17T19:07:49-04:00January 23rd, 2023|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Bulk Order, January 2023, Practical Self Sufficiency|
2023 NOFA/Mass Winter Conference Offered a Vision for a More Cooperative Future By: Paul Figueroa, NOFA/Mass Communications Director NOFA/Mass celebrated its 36th Annual Winter Conference last weekend. This year’s conference, titled “Cooperative Foodways: [...]
A Farm, a Compaction Study and a Fist Full of Soil
Liz Hamm2025-06-17T18:49:44-04:00September 22nd, 2023|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Farmers, Farming, Just Roots, Landcare, Meryl LaTronica, Practical Self Sufficiency, September 2023, Soil Health|
By: Meryl LaTronica, Farmer at Just Roots In my farm fantasy, I am the kind of farmer who can walk over to a freshly prepared field and plunge my arm into the soil, [...]
Saving and Eating Sunflower Seeds
NOFA Mass2025-05-05T18:57:48-04:00August 20th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: August 2021, Practical Self Sufficiency|
Saving and Eating Sunflower Seeds Ripened sunflower, ready to harvest seeds. By Christy Bassett, Homesteader at Barefoot All Natural Farm Many people grow sunflowers for their beauty alone. Towering over [...]
Crop Diversification: A Heartfelt Guide for Organic Farmers
Liz Hamm2025-04-23T21:12:52-04:00April 23rd, 2025|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: April 2025, Farming, Practical Self Sufficiency|
Practical Skills for a Changing Climate Hey, Guess What: Today you will learn how crop diversification—a time-tested strategy using polyculture, heirloom seeds, and rotations—can increase your farm’s resilience while nurturing the soil. The Real Talk: It is [...]
Worms at Work: Your Guide to Indoor Composting 🪱
Liz Hamm2025-03-28T21:52:54-04:00March 28th, 2025|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: compost, Farming, February 2025, gardening, Practical Self Sufficiency, Soil Health|
Practical Skills for a Changing Climate Transform your kitchen scraps into nutrient-rich black gold with this beginner-friendly guide to indoor worm composting, packed with expert tips to reduce waste and boost your plants—straight [...]
Adapting Crops to Extreme Weather
NOFA Mass2025-03-11T21:54:17-04:00January 2nd, 2025|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: December 2024, Practical Self Sufficiency|
Practical Skills for a Changing Climate By: Donnie Weiss Donnie Weiss, a volunteer with NOFA/Mass, looks at how climate change affects global food systems. He explains the dangers of growing just one crop [...]
How to Make Sauerkraut and Kimchi at Home
NOFA Mass2025-03-11T21:51:01-04:00February 4th, 2025|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Fermentation, Health and Nutrition, January 2025, Practical Self Sufficiency|
Practical Skills for a Changing Climate Fermentation has come full circle: from an age-old method of food preservation, it has emerged as a pathway to sustainability, cultural heritage, and food sovereignty. Beyond adding [...]
Turn Thanksgiving Scraps Into Indoor Compost Gold
NOFA Mass2024-12-02T16:31:33-05:00December 2nd, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Composting, Farming, Homesteading, November 2024, Practical Self Sufficiency|
Practical Skills for a Changing Climate Thanksgiving brings family, feasting, and—inevitably—leftovers. But did you know that many kitchen scraps can be transformed into nutrient-rich compost for indoor plants or gardens? Even if you [...]
How and Why to Save Seeds
NOFA Mass2024-11-18T19:58:40-05:00August 30th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: August 2024, Homesteading, Practical Self Sufficiency, Seed Saving, Vegetables|
In this edition of Practical Skills for a Changing Climate, we share how-tos on saving seeds from your garden. This practice supports an independent and local food system and allows one to enjoy delicious, home-grown fruits [...]
DIY Natural Biocontrol: Garlic, Hot Peppers, and Alcohol for Pest Management ♻️
NOFA Mass2024-11-18T19:50:19-05:00September 30th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Biocontrol, DIY, Farmers, Practical Self Sufficiency, September 2024|
Practical Skills for a Changing Climate In this edition of the Practical Skills for a Changing Climate newsletter, we teach you how to create an all-natural pest spray with garlic, hot peppers, [...]
Grow Fresh Microgreens Indoors in Seven Simple Steps
NOFA Mass2024-11-18T19:47:40-05:00November 4th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Farmers, Health and Nutrition, Homesteading, October 2024, Practical Self Sufficiency, Vegetables|
Practical Skills for a Changing Climate In this edition of the Practical Skills for a Changing Climate newsletter, our volunteer, Donnie Weisse, teaches you how to grow microgreens indoors. By: Donnie Weisse Microgreens [...]
Make summer last longer with these preservation recipes
Liz Hamm2024-07-16T19:41:51-04:00July 16th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: gardening, Health and Nutrition, Homesteading, July 2024, Practical Self Sufficiency|
In this edition of Practical Skills for a Changing Climate, we’re sharing some of our favorite recipes for preserving the bounty of summer harvests for months - or years! - to come. Bring the [...]
Pollinator-friendly plants for your containers and gardens
Liz Hamm2024-05-17T13:05:44-04:00May 17th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: gardening, Landcare, MAPN, May 2024, Pollinators, Practical Self Sufficiency|
By Annie Sholar Information, tips and tricks for growers and eaters working to feed themselves and their communities. We’re renaming our Practical Self-Sufficiency newsletter. We’ll still be bringing you the same helpful, practical tips [...]
How & Why to Host a Seed Swap this Spring
Liz Hamm2024-04-16T23:08:42-04:00April 16th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: April 2024, Farming, Practical Self Sufficiency, Seedling Sale|
Did you know that well over half of all seeds sold globally are controlled by just four companies? And consolidation in the seed industry is only getting worse. This infographic shows how seed companies have [...]
A preview from our 2024 NOFA Symposium speaker
Liz Hamm2024-03-28T14:30:59-04:00March 28th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Farmers, Farming, gardening, Homesteading, March 2024, Practical Self Sufficiency, Seeds of Solidarity|
By: Annie Sholar On March 29th and 30th, the NOFA Virtual Symposium will bring together featured keynote speakers from across the Northeast to talk about important topics in agriculture and our food system. Find the schedule, [...]
Tools of the Trade
Liz Hamm2024-02-26T13:13:04-05:00February 26th, 2024|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Farmers, Farming, February 2024, Practical Self Sufficiency, Tools|
By: David Durstewitz and Annie Sholar As we move closer and closer to the start of Spring, it’s a great time to start thinking about the tools you’ll be using this growing season! [...]
Harvesting Beauty and Flavor: Expert Tips for Cultivating Delicious Edible Landscapes: An Interview with Dani Baker
Liz Hamm2023-08-17T18:37:03-04:00August 17th, 2023|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: August 2023, Practical Self Sufficiency|
By: Paul Figueroa, Communications Director at NOFA/Mass Author and farmer Dani Baker presented a workshop at NOFA’s Summer Conference in Worcester titled “Native Perennial Food Plants for Your Edible Landscape”. NOFA/Mass’s Communications Director, [...]
Homemade Baby Food and Smoothie Tips for Treats the Whole Family Can Enjoy
NOFA Mass2023-08-02T11:54:42-04:00February 17th, 2023|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: February 2023, Practical Self Sufficiency|
Homemade Baby Food and Smoothie Tips for Treats the Whole Family Can Enjoy By: Lisa Gilardi, NOFA/Mass Graphic Designer I had a baby 14 months ago, and after following guidelines for how to [...]
From Honey to Mead
NOFA Mass2022-12-22T10:11:30-05:00December 22nd, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: December 2022, Practical Self Sufficiency|
By Christy Bassett, NOFA/Mass Communications Director Making mead can be as simple or as complex as you'd like to make it. One of the oldest ways to preserve food is through fermentation. [...]
Lard and Butter Pie Crust
NOFA Mass2022-11-28T15:35:20-05:00November 24th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: November 2022, Practical Self Sufficiency|
By Christy Bassett, Homesteader at Barefoot All Natural Farm Making a pie is a special occasion for me, since we don’t typically eat a lot of refined flour or sweets. But once in a [...]
Kombucha, a Love Story
NOFA Mass2022-09-16T14:37:05-04:00July 14th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: July 2022, Practical Self Sufficiency|
By Ophelia Jackson Listen to a recording of this article by the author Since I started brewing kombucha over three years ago, what began as a simple project in my mom’s [...]
Kombucha Brewing Part II: The First Fermentation
NOFA Mass2022-09-16T14:25:12-04:00August 18th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: August 2022, Practical Self Sufficiency|
By Ophelia Jackson, NOFA/Mass Intern To the uninitiated, a SCOBY can certainly look a little strange—unappetizing, alien, grotesque even, belonging more in a Hogwarts classroom than their own home kitchen. Despite its appearance, though, [...]
Kombucha Brewing Part III: The Second Fermentation
NOFA Mass2022-09-16T14:22:52-04:00September 16th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Practical Self Sufficiency, September 2022|
By Ophelia Jackson, NOFA/Mass Intern Ingredients, left to right: ginger/kombucha puree, raspberry hibiscus preserves, spicy honey, Tazo lemon strawberry tea, Celestial Peppermint and Raspberry Zinger teas. Photo credit: Ophelia Jackson At once [...]
Late Season Cilantro
NOFA Mass2022-06-17T06:39:47-04:00June 17th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: June 2022, Practical Self Sufficiency|
By Ophelia Jackson, Gardener and NOFA/Mass Intern Listen to a recording of this article by the author Flowering cilantro Summer in the garden is a heady season, a season [...]
Simple Edible Spring Flower Recipes
NOFA Mass2022-06-14T18:32:58-04:00May 20th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: May 2022, Practical Self Sufficiency|
By Christy Bassett, Homesteader Listen to this article read by the author here: The arrival of warm weather in May brings out blooms in full force. If you’re just waking [...]
Thoughts On Mending
NOFA Mass2022-04-20T21:46:54-04:00April 20th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: April 2022, Practical Self Sufficiency|
By Andrea R. Caluori, Artist & Farmer Photo credit: Andrea Caluori I grew up in the Bronx, New York on Bainbridge Avenue, in a small neighborhood closeby to a vibrant street full [...]
Simple Steps to Sprout Mung Beans
NOFA Mass2022-03-23T18:08:10-04:00March 23rd, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: March 2022, Practical Self Sufficiency|
Rice pasta with caramelized onions, chickpeas, curry, cultured vegetables, sprouted mung beans, served on a bed of arugula. Photo credit: Priscila Espinosa. by Priscila Espinosa @mysproutchange Why I Love Sprouted Mung Beans [...]
Sugarin’ on the Homestead
NOFA Mass2022-02-16T14:58:03-05:00February 16th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: February 2022, Practical Self Sufficiency|
Sugarin’ on the Homestead* *Originally written and shared in the February 2012 issue of the NOFA/Mass newsletter. Revised and reprinted February 2022. Artwork by Jocelyn Langer By Sharon Gensler, Homesteader The optimist [...]
Herbs for Seasonal Affective Disorder
NOFA Mass2022-01-27T15:42:49-05:00January 19th, 2022|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: January 2022, Practical Self Sufficiency|
St. Johnswort flowers. Photo credit: Hannah Jacobson-Hardy By Hannah Jacobson-Hardy, Herbalist at Sweet Birch Herbals *Reprinted with permission from sweetbirchherbals.com The winter is long in New England and many people suffer from [...]
5 Ways to Simplify the Holidays
NOFA Mass2021-11-23T17:37:14-05:00November 23rd, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: November 2021, Practical Self Sufficiency|
In light of the way many Americans celebrate traditional holidays with food and gifts, we asked Kelley Dennings from the Center for Biological Diversity to share some of her suggestions for simplifying the festivities and [...]
Hen of the Woods
NOFA Mass2021-10-20T21:41:39-04:00October 20th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: October 2021, Practical Self Sufficiency|
Foraging, processing and preserving tips for mushroom hunters Our first foraged Hen of the Woods. Auburn, MA October 2021. By Christy Bassett, Homesteader at Barefoot All Natural Farm Earlier this month, we [...]
Make at Home Backpack Snacks from Local Fruit
NOFA Mass2021-09-16T16:16:25-04:00September 16th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Practical Self Sufficiency, September 2021|
By Christy Bassett, Homesteader at Barefoot All Natural Farm Back to school, fall hikes, road trips. September spurs many of us to pack a bag and head out of the house for hours at a time. Luckily, it’s also peak [...]
How to Make Raw Butter
NOFA Mass2021-07-15T07:56:04-04:00July 14th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Health and Nutrition, Homesteading, July 2021, Livestock, Practical Self Sufficiency, Raw Milk|
By Christy Bassett, Homesteader at Barefoot All Natural Farm Real, raw butter is just about impossible to source in Massachusetts unless you make it yourself. That’s because raw (unpasteurized) milk can only be sold unprocessed on the farm where it was collected straight from the cows. No [...]
Wild Rose Medicine*
NOFA Mass2021-06-17T13:53:31-04:00June 17th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: June 2021, Practical Self Sufficiency|
By Jade Alicandro Mace *Reposted with permission. See original article here. Wild Rose. Photo courtesy Milk and Honey Herbs. It's that special time of year again when the Valley is awash with [...]
3 Ways to Preserve Garlic Scapes
NOFA Mass2021-06-17T12:33:01-04:00June 17th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Health and Nutrition, Homesteading, June 2021, Practical Self Sufficiency|
Garlic scapes ready to be harvested By Christy Bassett, Homesteader at Barefoot All Natural Farm Garlic scapes come but once per year, but that doesn’t mean that their flavor needs to escape you once the harvest [...]
Making Maple Sugar at Home
NOFA Mass2021-06-07T12:19:11-04:00March 25th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: March 2021, Practical Self Sufficiency|
By Christy Bassett, NOFA/Mass Communications Director and Homesteader at Barefoot All Natural Farm If you live in New England and enjoy making and preserving your own food, trying your hand at maple sugaring is [...]
Hatching Chicks at Home
NOFA Mass2021-06-07T12:17:15-04:00April 23rd, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: April 2021, Farming, Homesteading, Livestock, Practical Self Sufficiency|
By Christy Bassett, NOFA/Mass Communications Director and Homesteader at Barefoot All Natural Farm Nothing signals spring quite like the chirps of baby chicks. As soon as the year turns the corner into March, with warmer weather [...]
Ethically Foraging Wild & Medicinal Plants
NOFA Mass2021-06-02T14:30:44-04:00May 20th, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Health and Nutrition, May 2021, Practical Self Sufficiency|
By Hannah Jacobson-Hardy, Herbalist at Sweet Birch Herbals Hannah Jacobson-Hardy, Community Herbalist The sounds and sights of spring unfurling renew a sense of hope. Wild edibles and spring ephemerals are shooting up [...]
Setting Up Your Brooder and Caring for Juvenile Poultry
NOFA Mass2021-06-02T14:30:07-04:00May 21st, 2021|Categories: Newsletters|Tags: Homesteading, Livestock, May 2021, Practical Self Sufficiency|
By Christy Bassett, Homesteader at Barefoot All Natural Farm Last month we talked about the process of hatching chicks at home. If you decided to take on the adventure of incubating eggs and hatching out chicks without [...]