There's no better way to support our long march to an organic Connecticut than joining or renewing your membership.
 
Our members fuel our work providing organic-themed workshops, advocacy, and events that celebrate local foods, farmers and ecological heroes. As a member, you become part of our vocal community of farmers, gardeners, land care professionals, educators, chefs and consumers committed to growing Connecticut organically.

All donations are tax-deductible. Please give generously.
 
The 2018
FARM & FOOD GUIDE Sponsor
 
New Morning Market has generously underwritten the Connecticut Farm & Food Guide - 2018 edition! Thank you!

Stop in their Woodbury location for local organic produce, prepared foods, fresh juices, and a wide selection of organic provisions and beauty products.
JOBS: Check the Community Board for CT NOFA member posts about jobs and items for sale. 

EVENTS: Check out the Local Event Calendar for events by CT NOFA members and partners.

CSA: To find yourself a tasty CSA subscription, check out the CSA website. 
CT NOFA's
2018 Farm and Food Guide 
 
Dear Farmers, Gardeners, Land Managers & Organic Fans:
 
Thank you for being a part of the local organic movement. Your choice to buy & grow organic and ecologically sustainable products is creating a more organic Connecticut, each and every day. Yard by yard. Farm by farm. Plate by plate. We are helping the soil thrive by teaching people how to reap the benefits of 'going organic'. 
 
That said, we are pleased to announce the brand new Connecticut Farm & Food Guide 2018  - our signature publication & online guide to finding organic near you.

This handy reference is made possible thanks to our membership, advertisers, and New Morning Market in Woodbury, CT - our generous 2018 Farm & Food Guide Underwriter. THANK YOU TO NEW MORNING MARKET & TO ALL OUR MEMBERS!

All CT NOFA members will receive a copy in their mailboxes THIS WEEK! Look inside and you will see it is packed full of local farms, farmers' markets, landscapers and businesses around the state who are CT NOFA members.

Produce section at New Morning Market, Woodbury, CT. In April & May, the store is featuring CT NOFA information and collecting donations at the register. On April 21, CT NOFA staff will be onsite for New Morning's huge Earth Day celebration! 

So toss your fresh copy  Connecticut Farm & Food Guide 2018 in your bag or car for the next time you are 'out and about' in Connecticut. Or use it to plan your next weekend adventure through the countryside. If you misplace it, no problem. The 2018 Guide is always online for quick reference at www.ctnofa.org.  
 
WANT A COPY? Join CT NOFA today. Get the new Farm & Food Guide mailed to you right away. Plus, as a BONUS* for new and renewing members, receive NOFA's Intro to Organic Lawns & Yards by Sarah Little, Ph.D. This comprehensive booklet w ill get you on your way to organic soil management and landscapi ng. (*While supplies last; offer valid until June 1, 2018).
 
Best regards,
 
Jeff Cordulack, Executive Director 
[email protected] | (203) 613-8813
Healthy Soil, Healthy Gardens
Small Scale Practices for Soil Improvement
and Carbon Sequestration
with Sharon Gensler of NOFA Mass 
Hanson Building | Beardsley Zoo 
Saturday May 5, 2018
10:00 am to 1:00 pm 

 
Join CT NOFA on  Saturday May 5, 2018 from 10:00am to 1:00 pm in the Hanson Building on the grounds of the Beardsley Zoo for an educational course with Sharon Gensler (NOFA Mass) for Healthy Soil, Healthy Gardens: Small Scale Practices for Soil Improvement and Carbon Sequestration. $20 NOFA or Zoo Members. $35 non-members.

Many people are concerned about climate change and search for ways to lessen its impact and lower their carbon footprint. Sharon Gensler, homesteader, organic gardener and educator of 38 years, will teach the general public and growers alike to better understand and implement regenerative-growing techniques.
Maintaining living plant cover is one of the essential practices of bui lding soil health.
 
This workshop provides practical guidance on using cover crops in a small-scale, non-mechanized, no-till context to improve soil health for growing more nutritious food, more vibrant ornamentals and for sequestering atmospheric carbon into the soil. These practices remove carbon from the atmosphere and sequester it in soil while improving soil quality and providing more nutritious food.
 
This talk is geared to gardeners and homesteaders.  It will address the overall issues and teach specific techniques that they can implement and it will inspire them to take action.  Many scientists, researchers, agricultural innovators, and governments are advocating for these techniques. It has been said that if we increase the quantity of carbon contained in soils by .4% per year, we can halt the annual increase of carbon in our atmosphere and in fact, decrease the level to below 350ppm. 
 
Questions? Email us at: [email protected] or leave a message in the office: (203) 308-2584.
 
 
 
Organic Management 
of Invasive Plants
with Michael Nadeau of Wholistic Land Care Consulting
  Hanson Building | Beardsley Zoo 
Wednesday May 16, 2018
10:00 am to 3:00 pm
 
Join CT NOFA on  Wednesday  May 16, 2018 from 10:00am to 3:00 pm in the Hanson Building on the grounds of the Beardsley Zoo for a hands-on course with Mike Nadeau of Wholistic Land Care Consulting speaking on Organic Management of Invasive Plants. $70 NOFA or Zoo Members. $85 non-members.
 
 
 
Mike will cover the organic management and removal of invasive plants. Please bring gloves, hand pruners or loppers, and other digging tools that you have on hand. Mike will start the day with a brief presentation on invasive plants and how to manage and remove them organically. We will then head out to the zoo grounds for field-work including plant identification, organic removal techniques, and tool choice.
 
 
 
 
Questions? Email us at: [email protected] or leave a message in the office: (203) 308-2584.
  
 
Farm Pollinator Dinner & Soirée 
A Dinner Party & Fundraiser
with CT NOFA and Sugar & Olives 
Sugar & Olives | Norwalk, CT
Saturday June 2, 2018
6:30 pm to 9:00 pm 

 
Join CT NOFA and Sugar and Olives on  Saturday June 2, 2018 from 6:30 pm to 9:00 pm at Sugar & Olives in Norwalk  for an exclusive dinner party hosted by Chef Jennifer Balin to celebrate bees, butterflies, and local organic farmers who provide pollinator habitat on their farms. Dinner followed by a "Pollinator Party" with dancing into the late evening. $150 per person. 

Our summer dinner with Executive Chef and Sugar & Olives Owner Jennifer Balin will feature a wonderful selection of local, organically-grown produce harvested to achieve maximum nutritional value. Sugar & Olives seeks to educate diners and cultivate the relationship between farms and families. Sugar & Olives supports CT NOFA's mission to ensure the growth and viability of organic agriculture, organic food, and organic land care in Connecticut. Together businesses and communities can improve our food system. We hope you'll join us in June!
 
Questions? Email us at: [email protected] or leave a message in the office: (203) 308-2584.
 
 
 
 
March 10, 2018 | Danbury, CT
Thank you to everyone who made OrganiConn 2018 a success!

Presenters, vendors, restaurants, volunteers, attendees and sponsors: you made OrganiConn possible. Our hope is that you learned something that has fueled your passion for organic living, whether that's a new gardening technique or the truth behind certain foods labeled organic. OrganiConn exists to bring into one building those whose lives have been marked with a desire for an organic lifestyle and build on that community year over year. Over 620 of you attended, and we hope you'll join us next year! If you'd like to leave us a comment or suggestion for next year's OrganiConn, fill out this survey.
 

A big thank you to our 2018 Sponsors! 


 
Featured Business Members 

Urth Farms  
207 Oak Street
New Britain, CT 06053 
(860) 604-8679
 
Urth Farms, located in the city of New Britain, is a
3.5 acre certified-organic urban farm that has practiced organic farming methods for the past 17 years. They pride themselves on offering a wide variety of the highest quality produce, including tomatoes, kale, peppers, avocado, grapefruit,
oranges, and more. 
 
Urth Farms is one of the oldest urban farms in the U.S., and it is also has one of the most compelling stories. Founded in 1999 and funded via a state grant, the farm (then known as Urban Oaks) brought new life to the North Oak neighborhood of New Britain. Urth offers both summer and winter CSAs in half and full shares. To learn more about what Urth Farms offers, click here. 
 
 Wholistic Land Care Consulting 
169 Bowne Road
Sharon,  CT  06069
(860) 364-5696

Michael Nadeau's thirty plus years in the organic landscaping business have positioned him as one of the leading authorities in the field of sustainable organic and ethical land care strategies in the US. Michael helped develop both the Northeast Organic Farming Association's Standards for Organic Land and Lawn Care, and the NOFA Organic Lawn and Turf Course Manual, the only 100% organic manual for the care of athletic fields and home lawns. He is a published writer on subjects including ecological, sustainable, and organic land-care topics.
 
Nadeau offers on-site consultations, site planning: analysis & design, wetland & upland restoration, lawn alternatives: shade & woodland gardens, wildflower meadows, soil health & soil testing, compost & compost tea applications, restoration plans, land restoration with native plants, invasive plant evaluation & management, permaculture designs, rain gardens & stormwater management, organic pest management, organic vegetable & herb gardens. To contact Mr. Nadeau, visit his website. 

Harrington's Organic Land Care
70 Highland Park Drive
Bloomfield, CT 06002
(860) 243-8733
At Harrington's Organic Land Care, they are committed to creating a safer, healthier, greener environment. Since 1987, Harrington's has created landscapes that are naturally healthy and self-sustaining. Using expertise and  top-of-the-line organic products, they provide clients  with lush green healthy landscapes without relying on harsh  chemical pesticides and or inorganic salt based fertilizers.  Harrington's takes a proactive approach to plant healthcare by enhancing plants' natural health and resistance to pests. This approach minimizes the use of chemicals over time. 
 
Check out all of Harrington's offerings on their website. 
"Our passion from day one has been educating and teaching people and businesses how to transition from chemical dependent to organic and sustainable."
Want to Put Spare Time Towards Creating an Organic Connecticut?
Volunteer with us, in the office or on the Board of Directors.
 
CT NOFA was founded by volunteers and their collaboration brought about many great changes in Connecticut. Their accomplishments led to the first Organic Certification program in the state, to the now famous Winter Conference which started as potluck gatherings, the development Farmer's Markets, the pesticide ban on school grounds, and so much more!   Your time volunteering could simply be helping in the office or you can apply to be on the Board of Directors!  
 
If you would like to get involved and create meaningful change with CT NOFA, contact Executive Director Jeff Cordulack to talk about your interests, skills and the organization's needs. You never know where it will take you! CONTACT:  Jeff Cordulack | [email protected] | 203-613-8813
In the News...

Brookfield Winery Turns to Organic Growing
News Times | February 4, 2018

New York Times | March 6, 2018 

The Hill | March 12, 2018 

UK to set goal of restoring soil health by 2030
Tree Hugger | March 14, 2018 

Nature.com | March 15, 2018

Morning Ag Clips | March 21, 2018  

Now available:
  • Introduction to Organic Lawns and Yards 
  • NOFA Standards for Organic Land Care - 6th edition 
Shop at New Morning Market!
- Goodness is in -
 


newmorn.com

Visit New Morning Market during the month of April to donate to CT NOFA at check out. 
2018 Digital Sponsors