2012 NOFA/Mass Logo
NOFA/Mass Newsletter - May  2016

 

We all know the saying "hard work pays," and its more inviting cousin "follow your bliss." Are the two mutually exclusive? This issue shares several stories of people who came to know their passions and worked their tails off to make it happen.

Heifer Farm's Elizabeth Joseph had the spark of an interest in farming while in college and though much trial and error, hard work, and good guidance has come into her own on the farm's no-till market garden. Read in this issue more about Liz's path and process. ( And see her recent webinar on the topic.)

Sharon Gensler and Pru Smith are homesteading rock stars. Situated on a beautiful property in wild, wooded Wendall for over 30 years, they've accomplished much with experimentation, help from friends, and hard word. In this issue, Sharon interviews Pru about their complex fruit operation in advance of their June 12 workshop on the topic.

Wishing you the time and support to work hard towards following your bliss,

Nicole Belanger
Newsletter Editor & Communication Director

I met Elizabeth Joseph, or "Liz Jo" as we fondly refer to her, soon after she showed up on the scene in 2009 at Heifer Farm (then Overlook Farm) in Rutland. In NOFA/Mass there was a lot of talk and education around nutrient density in those days, and she and I found ourselves at the same workshops and conferences. She started at Heifer in 2009 as a volunteer and in 2010 she was hired as the Garden Coordinator. In 2016 she will be coming into her 8th season at the farm. Prior to Heifer she worked for a season at Mandala Farm, a diversified family farm and CSA in Maine. Liz studied English and Philosophy at the University of New Hampshire. It was in college that she was introduced to agriculture at the student-run organic garden. Most of her farming experience has happened at Heifer Farm, and she has learned a lot at NOFA conferences, by reading, through mentors, and with trial and error. 
By Sharon Gensler
A few months back, Pru and I were asked if we'd lead a NOFA workshop on the topic of homestead fruit. We're looking forward to hosting a group of curious learners at our homestead in Wendell for an Orchard Planning and Maintenance workshop on June 12. We'll demonstrate overall orchard planning, building diversity into plantings, breed selection, practical fruit growing techniques, and soil and plant health. 

In addition to keynoter Leah Penniman, social justice activist, educator and farmer at Soul Fire Farm, we are excited to announce our second keynoter, Andrè Leu, President of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM). We look forward to hearing Andrè's international work fighting climate change, his experience at the Paris climate talks in 2015, and his work regenerating his own 150 acres of depleted farm land into a lush oasis.

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For those of us who are concerned about the integrity of the organic seal, the National Organic Program's (NOP) recent announcement that they have issued a proposed rule to define animal welfare standards was a cause for celebration. Should the proposed rule stand as is, gone will be the day of poultry house "porches" and other semblances of outdoor access. Controversial physical alterations such as poultry de-beaking and cattle tail-docking will also be prohibited.  
By Sharon Gensler
I'm sad to say that we were able to attend only eight of the 13 events we were invited to in April. That means all those folks who attended those other five events missed out on the opportunity to hear about NOFA and all our programs AND you missed out on volunteering and having a great experience. Think about volunteering a few hours of your time at our outreach table - free event entrance, credit towards workshops or membership! Next time, perhaps?

By Amie Lindenboim
We've compiled this list of stories to help keep you up to date on issues impacting food and farming.

By Elizabeth Henderson
NOFA is a founding partner of the Agricultural Justice Project (AJP), a collaborative, non-profit initiative to create fairness and equity in our food system through social justice standards for organic and sustainable agriculture. Although fairness has been a basic principle in organic agriculture throughout the years, organic standards have focused on production practices for farming and processing. To bring attention to the importance of fair pricing for farm products that fully covers the cost of production and the need for respect and living wages for all jobs in the organic supply chain, AJP has developed a market-based food label for social justice and economic equity that is starting to appear on products in New York and other places throughout the country. 

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Edible Wild Plant Walk
Saturday, May 21 ~ Greenfield, MA
Learn to identify edible wild plants and medicinal herbs, respectfully harvest each plant and use them for making salads, soups, and skin care products. We identify spring ephemerals such as ramps, dandelion, Japanese knotweed shoots, burdock root, and nettles.

Tuesday, May 31
Sometimes less is more. Learn organization strategies from Ben Hartman, an experienced farmer who has improved his farm management based on Lean principals, originally designed by the Japanese auto industry. Lean allows him to cut waste, increase profit and make his farm more environmentally sustainable.
Sunday, June 12 ~ Wendell, MA
1:30pm to 4:00pm
Join long time orchardists Pru Smith and Sharon Gensler for an afternoon workshop on small-scale homestead orcharding - orchard planning, building diversity into plantings, breed selection, practical fruit growing techniques, and soil and plant health.

Holistic Cattle Health and Handling
Sunday, June 19 ~ West Brookfield, MA
Matt Koziol will discuss what farmers need to know to keep their animals healthy and productive. Starting with the nutritional requirements for livestock, particular attention will be paid to reading and responding to cattle behavior in order to reduce stress for both cow and farmer.

Medicinal Herb Production
Sunday, June 26 ~ Sunderland, MA
Learn the ins and outs of commercial medicinal herb production, from field to drying room. The workshop will also focus on post production handling and herb drying for teas, oils, and other value added products.

Webinar: Profitable Urban Farming on Leased Land
Tuesday, June 28
When growing on small acreage is it critical to maximize yields of high value crops to create a profitable business. This workshop will include some growing techniques and some business strategies.

Small-Scale Dairy: Goat Health and Lactation
Sunday, July 10 ~ Lexington, MA
We will explore preventative and holistic approaches to goat health and lactation, with a focus on high quality nutrition and behavioral care. This focus supports a healthy herd, longer lactation periods, higher levels of production, and a higher quality product, whether milk, yogurt or cheese.

Cocktail Cover Crops: Trials and Techniques
Monday, July 25 ~ Barre, MA
This workshop will explore how to select, mix, and establish various cover crop mixtures to enhance biodiversity, efficiently capture and recycle nutrients, and sequester carbon in the soil.

Growing Cut Flowers for Profit - Part 2
Wednesday, August 3 ~ Natick, MA
Learn about weed and water management, the tricks to properly dead head and pick, arrangement strategies, season extension, and many other harvest and post-harvest techniques.

NOFA Summer Conference
August 12 - 14 ~ Amherst, MA
2016 Keynoters: Leah Penniman & André Leu
A weekend of skill building, inspiration and entertainment.

 See more upcoming workshops at www.nofamass.org/events.

May 5, Dighton, MA
Full-day course on the principles of Conservation Biological Control and how to support beneficial insects on your farm through habitat enhancements, farm management practices, pesticide protection, and other on-farm conservation strategies (PACE 5 CEU, CCA 6 CEU)

Plant Sale & Gardeners Gathering
May 7, Springfield, MA

Free Fence Building Clinic
May 7 & 8, Harrisville, NH
Wellscroft Fence Systems will host its 29th annual agricultural fencing clinic. 

West Brookfield Ag Com Boot Camp-Bee Inform
May 9, West Brookfield, MA
MDAR's Chief Apiary Inspector Kim Skyrm and Chief Pesticide inspector Tayrn LaScola will provide an update on Pollinator Health. This will include information on the State and Federal status of pollinator health, including and addressing issues such as diseases, forage, pesticides and hive health. 2 Pesticide Credits

REC's Annual Plant Sale & Spring Garden Festival
May 21, Worcester, MA

Integrative Health Festival
May 22, Springfield, MA
Dr. Stephanie Seneff, the keynote speaker, will discuss her research on the most widely used herbicide on the planet (Roundup) and the ill effects on human health and the health of the planet.

 
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