July 2015 Newsletter

Northeast Organic Farming Association/ Massachusetts Chapter

Inside this Issue:

GMO Labeling Bill hearing September 22

pg 16

NOFA Summer Conference:

Regenerating land, body via microbiology

pg 9

Jack Kittredge to retire

pg 6

Head lettuce at Simple Gifts Farm, Amherst, MA Photo by James Burke

www.nofamass.org 2 July 2015 Newsletter

Northeast Organic Farming Association/ Massachusetts Chapter, Inc.

411 Sheldon Road Barre, MA 01005 978-355-2853 (p) 978-355-4046 (f)

nofa@nofamass.org www.nofamass.org

NOFA/Mass Board Meetings are open to all members.

For more information please contact: Executive Director, Julie Rawson

julie@nofamass.org978-355-2853

© 2002-2015 NOFA/MassachusettsNOFA/Massachusetts is a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. Contributions are tax-

deductible to the extent allowed by law.

Not a member yet? CLICK HERE

The NOFA/Mass Newsletter is published eleven times per year by the Northeast Organic Farming Association/

Massachusetts Chapter, Inc. Circulation: 5,000

Newsletter Editor: Nicole BelangerCirculation: Christine RainvilleSubmissions: Nicole Belanger

nicole@nofamass.orgAdvertising: Bob Minnocci

bob@nofamass.orgDesign: Nicole Belanger

From the EditorNicole Belanger, NOFA/Mass Communications

Director & Public Relations Coordinator

Dear readers,

When you’ve been planning something for a long time, it’s hard

to keep the cat in the bag. Will your plans come together in time? Be fully realized?

After many months of careful planning and prep work, NOFA/Mass will introduce a new newsletter format in September.

Monthly you will receive an email with a collection of abridged articles written by our staff and extended community in an easy to browse format, linking to full articles on our website.

We have been working hard to perfect this new publication and are excited to share it with you in September. Starting then, the newsletter be delivered to your email box on the 1st of the month. Keep an eye out for it, and of course, let us know what you think!

This month we also recognize Jack Kittredge’s recently announced intention to retire as Policy Director at the end of 2015. His wife, Julie Rawson, wrote a touching article on the history of Jack’s (and her own) involvement in NOFA/Mass – on page 6. Jack shares his own reflections and plans – on page 8. Thanks to Jack and Julie both for their tireless work, leadership and vision. We wouldn’t be where we are without you.

The 41st Summer Conference is just around the corner. This will be my 3rd conference and I couldn’t be more excited. With familiar and new workshops and presenters alike, what a joy to build on previous years of experience and evolving interests. Hope to see you August 14-16 in Amherst.

Here’s to continued abundance this season!

With thanks, Nicole

www.nofamass.org 3 July 2015 Newsletter

Down on the farmJulie Rawson, Executive Director and Farmer I am trying a lot of new things this year on the farm, putting into practice what I have been learning from the myriad resources offered by NOFA/Mass and the NRCS on carbon friendly farming. Though not all crops are beautiful and appropriate to write home about, we are having some successes. Last fall in all of our vegetable areas we put down carbonatite at 1000 lbs per acre, and did micronutrient applications at the following rate mixed with humates: Elemental Sulfur- 75 lbs per acre; Manganese sulfate- 40 lbs per acre; Sea Salt- 50 lbs per acre; Zinc sulfate- 5 lbs per acre; Cobalt sulfate- 4 lbs per acre; Sodium molibdate- 1 lb per acre; Copper sulfate- 5 lbs per acre; and Boron supplement (Solubor)- 15 lbs per acre. Our basic fertility plan in the spring was 10 lbs alfalfa meal per 400 sq. feet, 10 lbs soft rock phosphate, 10 gallons of worm castings and 2

gallons of our indigenous microorganism compost.

The Brussels sprouts and kale in the picture above are cranking. In these beds we did a shallow till in spring, and left the growing pathways intact (as we do with all of our beds). Our plan was to weed whack the pathways, but that machine has been down a lot so we go through when we are weeding and rip the tops off of pathway weeds or whack them with a hoe to keep them from competing. After our second weeding we spread a pint of Dutch white clover under the canopy in that 400 sq foot bed. Tomorrow we will do one more side dress to keep them in top shape: 2 gallons alfalfa, 1 quart soft rock, 1 gallon IMO compost, and 2

quarts of gypsum. They get a weekly drench of AEA’s complete liquid feed and we also foliar weekly with same in a brewed microbiology mix (T and J Enterprises) with some kelp, fish, oriental herbal nutrient and some other good Korean Natural Farming inputs.

Wednesday, July 1 it rained about 2-inches in about an hour. Coming back into those beds after the rain had slacked but not stopped (about 1/2 hour after the downpour), we found them spongy with no standing water.

For the peas shown here, we used a similar fertility plan, and in this case were able to plant after last year’s brassicas with no tillage – we just yanked the old plants and threw them in the pathways. We have not weeded at all, just gone through once with the weed whacker. We are poised for a magnificent harvest.

I saw Brendan Rockey’s YouTube video on growing potatoes with cover crops (https://youtu.be/MfwbTNK829k) and tried planting potatoes in a single row in a 4-foot wide bed along with some hairy vetch, and buckwheat. I had broadcast some oats, barley and wheat on those beds in the early spring. They came up after the fact when we tilled and furrowed the beds of potatoes. Now we are done with the hilling and have added a second application of fertility as above, also including some potassium sulfate and greensand. We are almost done with some serious mulching with hay from our hay field. I have had challenging potato bug issues in the past and am finding the most minimal pressure this year. I have been doing some thinning of the buckwheat where it

Kale and Brussels sprouts

Peas

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has gotten tall and is threatening to shade the potatoes, but plan mostly to just sit back and see what happens.

Last in the veg department, for our summer squash – which is just now in late June starting to produce – we followed the previous fertility measures, planted them about 24” apart in two offset rows in 4-foot wide beds, and then laid down some of our compost comprised of chicken manure, chicken parts, hay and leaf compost around the plants to enhance root growth for these shallowly rooted plants. You can see the vibrant green color of these plants. We need to get in there and weed them and trim the paths and add another side dressing. Initial reports from the squash are quite good.

Our apple orchard was a sad story for almost three decades. We planted most of the trees when we first came here from 1982 – 1985. 6 or 7 years ago we started spreading calcium lime and rock phosphate, a la Carey Reams. We started adding micronutrients in the numbers above around five years ago. For two years we have been spreading carbonatite, and last year we spread the IMO compost and worm castings, and humates. We also have been applying the following foliars for three years now: 1 lb solubor/acre at tight pink cluster and then again after petal fall; 1 lb copper sulfate/acre while dormant in spring and then again on November 1; 3 lbs manganese sulfate/acre at significant leaf expansion; 5 lbs zinc sulfate/

acre while dormant in late winter or 1 lb/acre at flowers at tight pink cluster and following petal fall.

Our apple trees produced very nicely in 2013 for the first time, and took the year off last year. This year every single tree is loaded with beautiful fruit – and these are standard trees, so we are talking some as tall as 30 feet. This year for the first time we are harvesting sour cherries – we will probably get 20 lbs off of our tree. And the Juneberries are bearing for the first time.

Our chickens pass under our fruit trees once or twice per year in their mobile homes as do our two steers. We mow the hay infrequently and leave the area right under the trees to grow up tall. This week we did a midseason fertility spreading of the recipe above adding a quart of potassium sulfate with a final quantity of fertility coming to about 5 gallons per tree.

Apple tree

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Carbon UpdateJulie Rawson, Executive Director and Farmer

Organizationally we have covered a lot of ground on the topic of returning carbon to the soil since we first started prioritizing it back in February of 2014 (thanks to an impassioned speech by Graeme Sait at the Soil and Nutrition Conference). Our learning process has involved seminars and workshops with some of the best agricultural sequesterers out there, a Natural Farmer issue on the topic, and a budding relationship with the National Resources Conservation Service. Thanks to the generosity of one of our NOFA/Mass members, we are able to accomplish four new pieces of outreach material. We plan to roll them all out right around the NOFA Summer conference.

1. An informational 5-minute video created in collaboration with Ben Severance of Timber and Frame film production company. The video will feature footage from Elaine Ingham, interviewed at the 2014 NOFA Summer Conference, and with Christine Jones, interviewed while she was in Massachusetts for two seminars in September of 2014.

2. A carbon “white paper” researched and written by our Policy Director, Jack Kittredge, will offer some serious scientific background on how stable carbon is developed in the soil, delivered with a light touch and some whimsical cartoons that have been developed by Hopkinton resident John Sherffius.

3. A number of additional materials will be available in hard copy and downloadable form via our website. These will feature resources on how to build soil carbon for a variety of audiences: farmer, gardener, land manager, consumer and activist.

4. An enhanced section of our website, focus on carbon with annotated and ever updating links to the best information that we know of on this topic.

Look for these materials at the Summer Conference and online!

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www.nofamass.org 6 July 2015 Newsletter

Jack Kittredge to retireJulie Rawson, Wife and collaborator

Jack and I packed up the kids (then 2, 4, 6, and 7) and attended our first NOFA/Mass meeting in the fall of 1984. It was the annual meeting of the then quite fledgling Massachusetts chapter. (While NOFA had been around since 1971 or so, NOFA/Mass started up in 1982.) There was a big fight over by-laws that day, as I remember. However, when asked to join the board, I did. In many ways since then, Jack has been an integral part of NOFA/Mass. And after 30 active years working with the organization, Jack has decided to retire as the NOFA/Mass Policy Director on January 1.

In 1986 when the regional NOFA organization was breaking apart at the seams because the Summer Conference, of which we had attended a couple, was ending up with ever more serious annual deficits, we said to each other: “What the hell, Julie has the organizing chops and Jack the fiscal savvy. Let’s give this Summer Conference a whirl and run it under the auspices of NOFA/Mass.” So we did – for 24 years. In the late 80’s, The Natural Farmer was floating between editors. Jack volunteered to take that on in 1988, first publishing two issues per year (finances were again an issue), then three and finally up to the current four times per year.

From 1986-2002, NOFA/Mass ran our own organic certification program. Jack was on the certification committee for 12 years. As NOFA/Mass grew from a very small chapter and I took over the coordination of it (around the late 80’s),

Jack acted as my “silent partner”. He was the organization’s “go to guy” for all things financial, and also was our in-house “lawyer” (without the degree!). As we added more staff and roles to the organization, Jack moved more into the background on management issues and took on more of a policy role, building on his experience with certification and other issues and taking on the title of “Policy Director”.

In 1990 we were informed early on about a decision by the then Massachusetts Department of Food and Agriculture to spray Malathion from planes over Southeast Massachusetts because some horses were showing up with Eastern Equine Encephalitis. On the day the planes were to take off we had a picket line set up with signs and leaflets at the Fall River airport. We were on TV news across the state explaining why spraying toxic pesticides on people, farmland, gardens, lawns, wildlife, lakes and rivers over three Massachusetts counties might not be a reasonable way to protect the public health.

Jack Kittredge

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In 1997, when the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA) began to sell sewage sludge from the Deer Island Waste Water Treatment Plant in Boston Harbor under the name “Baystate Organic Fertilizer”, Jack again took offense. Observing that a certified organic farmer who used the stuff would lose organic certification, we published a white paper on sludge and descended on the State House with the troops. We got a meeting with the MWRA head and they capitulated, agreeing to pull the product. We understand they now ship it to the Western US to be applied to forests!

Jack also got us engaged in the fight against the National Animal Identification System. NAIS was an unimaginably obtuse attempt by manufacturers of electronic tagging devices and animal pharmaceuticals to require all livestock in the country to be tagged for, of course, their own good. Now we are talking not only milk cows but the five layers out back and your kid’s pet rabbit! It took several years of organizing, meetings, educating and protesting (which even included Wendell Berry vowing to go to jail if the measure were ever adopted) before we defeated it for animals not involved in interstate commerce.

Most notably, Jack took on the issue of GMO’s on NOFA/Mass’ behalf. We were one of several small organizations fighting Monsanto and ag biotech early on. Around 2002-03 most organizations dropped GMO’s as an issue (anti-GMO funding was very hard to get, believe it or not) except NOFA/Mass, Center for Food Safety, and a handful of others. Later, around five years ago, interest in GMO’s heated up again and took on the national scope that it has now. We have been stalwarts on that issue throughout. Who knows where it will go now with attempts at the federal

level to take anti-GMO legislation out of the hands of the states and our building up momentum to follow Vermont’s lead and pass a Massachusetts labeling law.

Jack has helped keep our hand in a number of other policy initiatives, working closely with Mass Farm Bureau on the ones where we agree. When NOFA/Mass jumped on the topic of soil carbon last year, Jack jumped in as our main writer and researcher on the issue. As I write this he sits at the kitchen table working on the research for his “Carbon White Paper”. It may well become his NOFA/Mass magnum opus. Look for it at this year’s NOFA Summer Conference.

Jack prepares to retire from this role in six months. He will continue as the editor of The Natural Farmer, and his desk will still be 4 feet from mine with our backs to each other in the office. The organization is raising up some really astounding staff members who have taken over parts of Jack’s previous work, and I am sure will be able to stand in for this policy role also – or perhaps this will be taken on by a new hire.

It has been a long haul together, Jack, and I doubt either of us could have been as successful as we have been in our roles with NOFA/Mass without one other. I think I am over the shock now, and will only come to you for advice once per day or so. I guess this is the first sign of organization succession that will inevitably come, with 411 Sheldon Road moving away from the role of heart and head of the organization. May it be productive for both you and NOFA/Mass. I couldn’t have accomplished what I have done for the past 31 years without you. On behalf of the organization, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

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Retirement statement from Jack KittredgeJack Kittredge, Policy Director

I am resigning as the NOFA/Mass Policy Director on January 1, 2016. I will have been in one responsible position or another for NOFA/Mass for almost 30 years by then – Certification Committee member, Office Manager, Summer Conference Co-coordinator, Fiscal Manager, Policy Director. It has been an honor to work for this organization and its members, and the cause it represents, for a major portion of my life.

I would continue if I felt I had the energy to do a good job, but I plan to continue to edit The Natural Farmer, including managing the new online website for it. I think doing those and trying to continue as the Policy Director is just too much. NOFA/Mass deserves someone with more energy for the struggles I am afraid are ahead.

In the time freed up I hope to do more of the things I enjoy on the farm and with my family. Perhaps a new project of some sort will come to mind. But I will enjoy not having the organizational responsibilities of a daily job.

I will be around after I leave the Policy Director job, of course, and will help my replacement get settled in the job. And I will certainly be in the office a good deal, where I don’t plan to pontificate any less about the troubles in the world and what ought to be done, if you are interested!

But it has been a wonderful run and I appreciate all the good people who have made NOFA such an enjoyable community – who have the courage to live out their values and explore the breath-taking natural world we live in. I may not have a chance to say goodbye to all of you personally, but I want everyone in NOFA – board, staff, members, farmers, activists – to know how proud I have been to work with you.

Support NOFA/Mass’ work

Buy local when you can, but if you do use Amazon, they will donate 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to NOFA/Mass whenever you shop on AmazonSmile. To sign up, visit www.smile.amazon.com/ch/22-2987723.

Thank you for your support!

www.nofamass.org 9 July 2015 Newsletter

NOFA Summer Conference: Regenerating land, body via microbiologyBen Grosscup, NOFA Summer Conference Coordinator

Since the widespread application of antibiotics, pesticides, fungicides, and many other anti-microbial treatments, we have witnessed the rise of the belief that microbes cause some of our biggest problems – from low crop yields to infectious disease. However, the 2015 NOFA Summer Conference will show that microbes are essential partners in solving some our biggest problems today, including widespread chronic disease and global climate disruption.

As our understanding of the soil and gut microbiomes (the microorganisms in a particular environment) has expanded, there has been an explosion of interest in regenerating these microbial communities to foster greater health in people and in agriculture. With the theme “Healing the Climate, Healing Ourselves: Regeneration through Microbiology,” this year’s NOFA Summer Conference will combine these two discussions – often carried on separately – at the same event.

The gut microbiome directly determines many health outcomes, and it can be improved by changing diet and removing environmental toxins. We’re learning that what makes a food healthy or unhealthy has much to do with whether it feeds the healthy bacteria in our digestive system or whether it feeds the bacteria that produce toxic byproducts. We’re also beginning to understand how environmental threats to our health, including GMOs, are troubling because of how they negatively affect the gut microbiome.

A healthy soil microbiome can improve the soil’s ability to transform excess atmospheric carbon dioxide into stable, soil-based carbon compounds. When we consider the benefits to planting a cover crop, we realize that when cut down, cover crop residue will decay and provide soil fertility, thereby adding a rapidly decomposing carbon source. However, from a carbon-building perspective, the bigger impact comes from the cover crop’s roots, which provide a habitat for thriving soil microbial communities capable of generating stable carbon compounds.

Ultimately strengthening plant and human immunity, and enhancing the efficiency of photosynthesis – that fundamental process by which carbon dioxide and water combine to produce all manner of carbon compounds, comes with economic benefits for farmers and quality of life benefits for eaters.

In addition to our two evening keynote sessions and five Friday pre-conferences, here is a selection of workshop highlights that address this year’s theme. You can browse full descriptions for the workshops and a complete workshop schedule here.

Workshop Highlights: Regenerating the Soil Microbiome

5) Healing Soil Through Cover Crops, Residue Management & Minerals – Reuben Stoltzfus Friday, August 14, 2:00-3:30PM

10) Northeast Dairy Challenges & Co-operative, Organic Solutions – Regina and Brent Beidler Friday, August 14, 2:00-3:30PM

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34) Productive Riparian Buffers – Connor Stedman. Friday, August 14, 4:00-5:30PM

54) On-Farm Produced Innoculants and Nutrients: A Hands-on Demo – Aaron Englander Saturday, August 15, 8:00-9:30AM 78) Soil: the Climate-Cattle Connection – Ridge Shinn. Saturday, August 15, 10:00-11:30AM 104) Raising High Quality Vegetables While Building Carbon – Julie Rawson. Saturday, August 15, 1:00-2:30PM 119) Improving Soil Health with Cover Crops – Thomas Akin. Sunday, August 16, 8:00-9:30AM

147) Movements for a Regenerative Organic Future – Ronnie Cummins. Sunday, August 16, 10:00-11:30AM

162) Composts for Specific Crops & Growth Periods – Bryan O’Hara. Sunday, August 16, 1:00-2:30PM

Workshop Highlights: Regenerating the Gut Microbiome

45) Cholesterol & Fats in Health Pt.1 of 3: Origins of Fear of These Key Nutrients - Natasha Campbell-McBride. Saturday, August 15, 8:00-9:30AM

67) Cholesterol & Fats in Health Pt.2 of 3: Chronic Disease Mechanisms & Prevention Strategies – Natasha Campbell-McBride. Saturday, August 15, 10:00-11:30AM 72) How GMOs Affect Gut and Soil Microbiomes – Daniela Connelly, MD MPH and Laura Wolfer, MA MS. Saturday, August 15, 10:00-11:30AM

91) Cholesterol & Fats in Health Pt.3 of 3: Diets to Reverse Chronic Disease – Natasha Campbell-McBride. Saturday, August 15, 1:00-2:30PM

97) Herbal Antibiotics, Antivirals (& Lyme) – Sarah Stockwell-Arthen. Saturday, August 15, 1:00-2:30PM

105) Relationship Between Soil Tilth and Human Health – Daniela Connelly, MD MPH and Laura Wolfer, MA MS. Saturday, August 15, 1:00-2:30PM

121) Making Raw Milk Kefir and Kefir Cheese – Pam Raymond. Sunday, August 16, 8:00-9:30AM

130) Treating ADHD & Autism without Harmful Medication – Jennifer Giustra-Kozek, LPC, NCC. Sunday, August 16, 8:00-9:30AM 142) Food Energetics for Health and Healing – John Kozinski, MEA. Sunday, August 16, 10:00-11:30AM 159.5) Advanced Vegetable Fermentation – Dan Rosenberg. Sunday, August 16, 1:00-2:30PM

www.nofamass.org 11 July 2015 Newsletter

Scholarship funds available for beginning farmersBrittany Sidway Overshiner, Beginning Farmer Program Coordinator

As a beginning farmer in my eighth season, I understand that making time during the growing season for personal development and self-care is a challenge. It can be hard for any farmer, especially those in their first years of starting a farm business, to break away for educational opportunities. We push the edges of daylight hours, trying to get to the bottom of the endless to-do list. Sometimes eating dinner before 9pm and showering before bed feels like an accomplishment. At least they were for me during my first few years of starting a farm.

Back in the early years of managing Medway Community Farm (MCF), the farm I continue to manage today, I would set out to attend conferences and workshops with the best of intentions. It was far too easy for me to cancel last minute because the zucchini still has to be picked, or I had to prepare beds for planting before the rain. That still happens, but now that I have a full time partner and a larger staff, it’s been much easier to make time for mid-season educational opportunities. In retrospect, I wish I had set a budget for my farm to allow me to confidently make time for scheduled events by paying for a little extra help. It’s a hard line item to justify in a tight budget, but if a farm can’t take care of it’s farmer, then how can it be sustainable?

Unfortunately time isn’t the only challenge for beginning farmers. With tight start-up budgets and financial uncertainty, or low wages from full time farm employment, fitting a conference into a personal budget can be hard to manage.

In 2010, my first year starting Medway Community Farm, I also worked full time on other farms in the area. My yearly net was quite low. I was earning farm crew wages at my other

jobs and waiting tables in the off-season to make ends meet. Being a “suburban farmer”, I was struggling to pay rent and the rest of my bills. By December my bank account had dwindled frighteningly close to zero. It was a critical time for me to attend the NOFA Winter Conference, as I was setting out to start a CSA and manage MCF full time. Through the Work Exchange scholarship offered by NOFA/Mass I was able to attend free of charge. Not only did I learn valuable information, I got to speak with the vendors I helped unload – exposing me to new sources of seed and supplies for my upcoming season.

The benefits of participating in educational opportunities go beyond information learned. They also provide chances for networking and socializing with other farmers, plus you get to sit for an extended period of time - not on a tractor. By prioritizing time for learning and self-improvement beginning farmers are establishing a healthy habit that encourages personal and professional development. By taking a step away from the daily grind and immediate needs of the farm, the farmer is able to gain a small dose of perspective, which is sometimes unattainable when bent over a broken tractor implement or waist deep in weeds.

The challenge of managing a start-up farm can be overwhelming. Talking to peers and listening to their experiences gives me more confidence than any satisfied customer or successful crop. I rely on my network of farming “neighbors” (within 45 minutes of our farm) for troubleshooting, advice and celebration of successes. By attending EMass CRAFT workshops and local farming events I have been able to grow that network.

The Summer Conference brings farmers from

With the Summer Conference around the corner, and a strong line up of summer and fall workshops, the Education Committee of NOFA/Mass is eager to see all of

our beginning farmer scholarships used before the end of 2015. Beginning farmers (anyone who has been farming for less than 10 years) are invited to apply for

scholarship funding to cover up to 50% of conference and workshop fees.

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across New England into the same classrooms, cafeteria, and dorm buildings. Inevitably participants meet someone new, or deepen a relationship with an acquaintance when attending the conference. These relationships, combined with inspiring and informational workshops in an atmosphere that promotes collaboration around the growth and development of our regional, organic food system, leads to a stronger network of growers. I encourage everyone to come to the

conference with a smile and an open attitude, ready to engage with other participants.

Beginning farmers, I encourage you to take advantage of this scholarship and attend the Summer Conference or a NOFA/Mass workshop before the end of this year. If you are not a beginning farmer, consider sharing this scholarship opportunity with those in your network. Help us spread the word!

Request for Winter Conference workshop proposalsDeadline: September 1

Stacie Brimmage, Winter Conference Workshop Coordinator

I know it’s sort of crazy to already be thinking about January, but we are very excited to put together a Winter Conference workshop selection that will inspire conference goers on what is sure to be a colder day than today. Participants include seasoned and beginning farmers, urban homesteaders, backyard gardeners, food activists, and many other engaged learners.

We are interested in workshops that will provide participants with skills that they can test out in the winter. Some ideas include, best practices for livestock caretaking in the winter, growing food indoors, mushrooms, sprouting, greenhouse production, and seed starting. We are also interested in the following topics:

• Season extension • Urban gardening or farming, gardening in small spaces • Healthy food access, farm & food policy • Growing specialty crops organically • Livestock & beekeeping • Farm management, irrigation & machinery • Homesteading skills, food preparation & preservation, soap making • Carbon sequestration • Soil & human health

Workshops will be accepted on a rolling basis. To submit a workshop proposal, please visit www.nofamass.org/events/wc. If you have any questions or would like to submit a proposal offline, please contact me at wcworkshops@nofamass.org or (508) 579-0725.

To apply for a beginning farmer scholarship please visit www.nofasummerconference.org and click the registration link. Scroll

down to find the link to the beginning farmer scholarship.

Questions? Email me! Brittany@nofamass.org.

These scholarships are made possible by the Walsh Foundation.

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NOFA/Mass Winter Conference: Save the date - January 16Cathleen O’Keefe, Winter Conference Coordinator

Save the date for the 29th NOFA Winter Conference, January 16 at Worcester State University. The conference features 70 workshops and exhibitors; children and teen conference, a keynote speech by Ben Burkett, family farmer and coordinator of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives; and much more.

Ben Burkett is a farmer and the current director of the Mississippi Association of Cooperatives, a local arm of The Federation of Southern Cooperatives (FSC). The Federation, an umbrella organization now composed of 35 co-ops representing 12,000 African American farm families from Texas to North Carolina, assists farmers in retaining land and developing economically self-sufficient communities. Member co-ops purchase supplies and receive marketing, financial and technical assistance through the Federation. Ben is involved in several co-ops, believing that that is the only way you can make it in the rural south. Mr. Burkett is also on the Via Campesina Food Sovereignty Commission and is a board member of the Community Food Security Coalition (CFSC).

He has traveled to Senegal, South Africa, Kenya, Nicaragua, Lebanon, and Zimbabwe with FSC, exchanging knowledge and information with small-scale farmers. He in turn hosted West African honey, rice and vegetable producers who visited the United States to learn irrigation, marketing and packaging techniques from African American farmers.

Ben Burkett

Looking for local, organic produce in season?

Check out the NOFA/Mass Organic Food and Products Guide!

Find farms and businesses all across the state selling the products you want!

(You can search by region or product.)

theorganicfoodguide.com

www.nofamass.org 14 July 2015 Newsletter

Considering new ways to include volunteers in our workSharon Gensler, Outreach CoordinatorWhat does NOFA/Mass mean to you? Does it have a place in your heart? What would inspire you to volunteer? These and other questions have been on my mind and I’m hoping that you as a member or newsletter reader might explore them more fully with me.

I’ve been asked to develop a more active volunteer base within the organization. I’ll be surveying board members, staff and the membership in the coming months. However, I could use a few of you now to be part of a think tank/ idea developer/sounding board. So, if you have ideas or want to help shape NOFA’s volunteer efforts, please contact me at outreach@nofamass.org.

There are no events on the July calendar so far. Do you know of any? Let me know!

Interested in helping staff the NOFA/Mass outreach table at any of these upcoming events? Get in touch! Remember to check the outreach website as we may add events as we become aware of them.

Upcoming eventsAugust 21-23: Heath Ag FairAugust 21-23: Boston Green FestAugust 29-30: Wachusett Farm Fresh Festival, PrincetonSeptember 20: Tattersall Farm Festival, HaverhillSeptember 26-27: North Quabbin Garlic & Art FestivalSeptember 26: Bristol Honey Festival

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Join medal-winning Team NOFA/MassCathleen O’Keefe, Team NOFA/Mass Captain

Be a part of medal-winning Team NOFA/Mass at the 2015 Battle Green 5/10K Run & 5K Walk on November 1st. This year, we aim to create a team of 50 fundraisers to generate $25,000 for NOFA/Mass’ policy work and educational programs. Help us meet our goal! Sign up now at www.crowdrise.com/teamnofamass. In addition to the amazing team camaraderie and chance to win prizes, all fundraisers enjoy an organic potluck lunch after the race.

Meet Mary DeBlois, 3-year team member and founding mother of Team NOFA/Mass:

Hi Everybody,

This harvest season, I am again running a 10K for NOFA/Mass on November 1st in Lexington, and I am asking you to join Team NOFA/Mass, too. There is so much work to be done to ensure a healthy food system, and NOFA/Mass is committed to the challenge.

The latest scientific research brings full circle the connection between soil, human and planetary. Study after study confirms that organic agriculture and land care are a significant and critical factor in the removal of carbon from the atmosphere and its storage, long-term, in the soil. Though fossil fuel emissions are ruling the headlines with regard to climate, organic farming methods will not only reverse climate change, but will also improve soil nutrition and soil moisture. This will enable farmers to produce superior crops and conserve water, all at a lower cost. A win-win.

NOFA/Mass is pulling out all the stops to educate farmers, gardeners, land care practitioners and consumers as to the research and to these new practices. Team NOFA/Mass is running and walking to support this important work, with a goal of raising $25,000. I’ve pledged to raise $2000 and would so appreciate if you joined our team! Sign up for

the team now at www.crowdrise.com/teamnofamass.

Thank you so much for saving the date: November 1st. Looking forward to seeing YOU and our 48 teammates in Lexington. Walkers and families are welcome!

All the best in health,

Mary DeBlois NOFA/Mass Board Member

Mary DeBlois at finish line

www.nofamass.org 16 July 2015 Newsletter

GMO Labeling Bill Hearing September 22 Save the Day and Come to Boston! Jack Kittredge, Policy Director

The bill to require labeling of most foods containing GMOs sold in Massachusetts, H. 3242, will be heard by the Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture on September 22, 2015 at 1pm. The fact that we have 154 legislative sponsors among the members of a 200-person legislature (both houses!) seems to have persuaded the powers that be on Beacon Hill that this is a popular cause. They have given us Gardner Auditorium for the hearing, the largest room available to the legislature. That is the hall in the basement of the State House which seats 600.

We have a commitment from the chair of the committee to let anyone who will be observing Yom Kippur the next day testify first, so they can have time to return home before sundown.

Calling all farmers! To help us prepare for the hearing we are trying to put together an even better list (than we use 2 years ago) of farmers who believe GMOs should be labeled. If you are willing to have your name and farm name and town on such a list, email the coalition with those items at MAR2KGMOs@gmail.com

We are also planning a rally at the State House on that day, so there will be plenty of time to pose for press pictures, be interviewed on TV, and have a chance to catch up on this and related issues by listening to the speakers. Check our website for details as we get closer to the date.

Speaking of related issues, we should mention here two pending pieces of federal legislation that you should know about.

The DARK (Deny Americans the Right to Know) Act (H.R. 1599) has been modified to include even more draconian provisions restricting our rights and promoting those of Monsanto and ag biotech companies. If passed the DARK/Monsanto Protection Act 2.0 would:

• Block all state laws requiring mandatory GMO labeling, including a Vermont GMO labeling law set to go into effect next July

• Effectively block FDA from creating a national mandatory GMO labeling system

• Block all non-GMO claims (including the NON-GMO Project’s) until USDA creates a non-GMO certification program

• Block all state and local efforts to protect farmers and rural residents from the economic and environmental impacts of GMO crops, including pesticide drift

• Prevent food companies from suggesting that non-GMO products are better than GMO products.

www.nofamass.org 17 July 2015 Newsletter

Right now the bill is still in the House of Representatives. It is not expected to be coming up for a full vote until sometime in September. CTo learn more about it,visit http://bit.ly/1qvsfWx.

The other federal bill looming over our heads is the Trans-Pacific Partnership. This is the one which just barely received “fast track” authority from Congress on June 24. That means that the entire bill, which comes up for a vote this fall, must be voted up or down, without amendment. The reason for pushing for fast track treatment is that the bill is so sweeping as to touch almost every aspect of American life and countless amendments would be offered to ease its impacts.

The basic idea of the TPP is a treaty, like that of the Free Trade Agreements and World Trade Organization which preceded it. In the name of “free trade” the treaty binds the US to positions

favoring certain special interest groups. This destroys the ability of a country to adapt to changing times and demographics, locking in policies which would easily have been changed in a democracy not so bound. The penalty for a country to violate the treaty would be substantial fines levied by a special non-judicial international trade court.

On GMO labeling, for instance, the TPP would give any company which felt its profits were hurt because of a law labeling GMOs the right to sue the offending government. That government (state or federal) would have to terminate the requirement for labeling (it would be considered a “barrier” to free trade) or pay fines to the damaged company.

To find out more about the TPP, visit: www.citizen.org/tpp.

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Open Daily 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. (413) 625-9411

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Green Fields Market144 Main Street, Greenfield

Monday - Saturday 8 to 8 p.m.Sunday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

(413) 773-9567Two blocks from the Energy Park

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www.nofamass.org 18 July 2015 Newsletter

Homesteading observations: Fruit abundance & KimchiSharon Gensler, HomesteaderRain on the roof, what a wonderful sound. Makes my heart sing especially after last month’s worry about drought. We’ve had the perfect combination of sunny days, regularly interspersed with deep soaking rain.

Everything is growing and looking great. Right now the strawberries are coming in hand over fist, so it’s been hard keeping up with them. The rain plumps them up and the sun sweetens them to perfection. We’ve already frozen over 40 pints of sliced berries, twice as much as usual. I had to tell Pru to stop or there wouldn’t be room for veggies in the freezer! Now, we have turned the patch over to friends to enjoy. Three kids ages 1.5, 4 and 7 had a “tummy filling” experience grazing last Sunday, all red hands and mouths!

We intentionally planted mulberry and bush cherry near our strawberry and raspberry area in hopes that they would serve as an alternative and preferred fruit source for our feathered friends. They are also loaded with fruit this year and it really seems to work rather well. I love watching the bush and tree “alive” with the movement of the birds. Cedar waxwings, robins, bluebirds, Baltimore orioles, scarlet tanagers, and LBB’s (little brown birds) all are having a feast. Hopefully, at least some of them also enjoy insects as part of their diet. We have to come up with an alternative fruit for them during blueberry season as well. It’s hard to be scolded and dive-bombed by the usually peaceful birds while harvesting. They think they deserve more than us! I mean really, who does all of the work?

It really looks like it’s going to be a fantastic fruit year all round. We’ve been thinning plums, apples and pears as the branches are heavily laden. Pru has been propping up many branches so they don’t break under the weight of the developing fruit. The next hurdles will be two persistent insects, the plum curculio and then the southern fruit fly, which could affect the amount and quality of the fruit.

The rain/sun combination has also helped the cover crops thrive; early plantings of a field pea,

oat, field radish, and Sudan grass cocktail have reached over three feet in height with deep roots. This amount of greenery allows for increased photosynthesis and the deep, dense root systems not only increase organic matter but are also pathways for depositing liquid carbon into the soil. The soil itself is moist, has a great crumb and is teeming with worms. My guess is that it is also chock full of microbes, fungal mycelium, and a host of other beneficial life forms.

I cut some beds back and now have a large quantity of biomass, some of which I left on the cut bed. The rest will be used as mulch around the tomatoes. I immediately planted buckwheat through the stubble, so that I’ll get a second cover started to protect and improve soil health, inhibit weeds and create beneficial insect habitat. This approach of letting the cover crop grow to a point just short of maturity not only helps increase soil carbon, but also will lower the amount of imported farm supplies (mulch and soil amendments).

The variety of edible vegetables has increased: kale, lettuce and other salad greens, carrots, beets, turnips, radish, scallions, Asian greens, snow peas (just picked a colander full), summer squash, pea greens, garlic scapes and, by the time you read this, cucumbers, green beans, peppers and cherry tomatoes. Ah, the homesteaders challenge - how to keep up eating and preserving.

Here’s my favorite recipe for Kimchi, passed on to me by my friend Cheryl. Kimchi is a Korean pickle consisting of veggies now abundant in the garden or farmers’ market. It is a great way to preserve some of these early veggies and is packed with nutrients and gut friendly enzymes. If you like hot food, it is very tasty as a side dish/salad/condiment. It is an almost instant soup when added to a miso broth with soba (buckwheat) noodles. Yum.

Hope you enjoy the growing, eating and sharing of your homestead/garden crops as much as I do.

www.nofamass.org 19 July 2015 Newsletter

Kimchi - Korean Pickled Vegetables Prep Time: 4 hours

Modified from recipe found at www.vegetarianrecipesandcooking.com

This recipe will make quite a lot; it will fill a gallon jar.

Ingredients: 1 large pickle jar, or similar container 2 heads Napa cabbage or Pac Choi, shredded 2-3 large carrots, shredded1 cup daikon radish or turnip, shredded 2 tbsp sea or Kosher salt (approx.) Not regular table salt 3 heaping tbsp fresh ginger, chopped or grated (easier to grate if frozen first) 6 scallions, diced/sliced (I have also just used a whole bunch and excluded the onion below)1/2 medium onion, chopped4 large cloves garlic, chopped4 tbsp red pepper flakes (or chili flakes) –modify to taste1 t. toasted sesame oil1/4 cup wheat-free soy sauce1 tbsp honey/maple or 2 tbsp sugar

WaterDirections: Sterilize glass jar and lid in boiling water for 1 minute.

Coat shredded cabbage, radish, and carrot with sea salt in a large bowl and toss/massage. Let sit for 3-4 hours until cabbage is just barely limp. Mix pepper flakes with about 1 cup of water and let sit for about 2 hours until water is a very deep, red color. Combine pepper-water mixture, sweet, ginger, scallions, sesame oil, and soy sauce with the salted, shredded vegetables and place in the sterilized jar. If you have juice from a previous batch, add some of that as it will speed up the process and “deepen” the flavor. Fill jar the rest of the way with water. Press down mix so that everything is submerged. If you have a plate or weight, place this on top. Place lid on loosely; the kimchi often will bubble over as it ferments. Let kimchi sit in cool dry place, without opening, for 3-4 days to properly ferment. You may need to press down what is on top occasionally as it ferments if you have not weighted it down.

Learn more and sign up at

BostonOrganics.com

We partner with local

farmers to bring organic produce to the

people of Boston.

Building bridges between those who care

The State Agriculture Councils of The Humane Society of the United Statesseek to ensure that animal production is

humane and environmentally sustainable.

To learn more, visit humanesociety.org/agcouncils.

www.nofamass.org 20 July 2015 Newsletter

From across the web, some interesting things we’ve read this monthAmie Lindenboim, NOFA/Mass Policy Organizer

Click on title to read each article

GMOs

Great GMO 101 Infographic

Laboratory rat feeds contaminated with pesticides and GMOsGMOwatch.orgNew study throws doubt on findings of safety in pesticide and GMO studies.

Pope Francis slams GMOs and pesticides for environmental and social damageSustainablepulse.comPope Francis slams both GMOs and pestcicides in a draft of his major environmental document that was leaked Monday. He has also called for the financing of independent and interdisciplinary research to study GMOs.

GMO ban takes effect in Jackson CountyJacy Marmaduke - The OregonianFiguring out how to enforce the new regulation may prove complicated.

Protect your right to know Mark Mellman – The HillHow do you expect voters would react to members of Congress supporting a bill that tramples on the rights of states and localities, creates a government bureaucracy to replace a private system that’s working and takes away consumers’ right to know what’s in the food they eat? GMO labels make good senseMarta Tellado, President and CEO of Consumer Reports - CNN

Experts calling for change to nation’s food safety systemAndrea Kaufman - Aspen JournalismThe current food safety system in the U.S. needs to be transformed, former Food and Drug Administration commissioner Margaret Hamburg said Thursday during an Aspen Institute Spotlight Health program.

What Bill Nye got wrong in his about-face on GMOsDoug Gurian-Sherman and Margaret Mellon - Civil EatsThe Science Guy’s errors let the pesticide/biotech industry off the hook.

CORPORATIONS

Concerns over Monsanto’s bid to acquire the world’s largest supplier of pesticidesThe Diane Rehm Show - NPRAnti-trust regulators in the U.S. and elsewhere are evaluating Monsanto’s recent bid to acquire the world’s top seller of crop pesticides. What could consolidation in the seed and pesticide industries mean for farmers? We take a look at the market power of Monsanto. Food flavor safety system a ‘black box’Chris Young - Center for Public IntegrityThe Flavor and Extract Manufacturers Association - a secretive food industry trade group that has no in-house employees, no office of its own and a minuscule budget - serves as the de-facto regulator of the nation’s flavor additives.

Monsanto in the middle of upcoming congressional fight over GMO labelingChuck Raasch - St. Louis Post-DispatchMonsanto Co. and other biotechnology giants are throwing support behind a bill to create new national standards for genetically engineered crops, in a move critics say is intended to head off more meaningful regulation.

Syngenta spurns second Monsanto bid, citing antitrust risksChemical & Engineering NewsSeeds and agricultural chemicals firm Syngenta has turned down a revised takeover offer from rival Monsanto, calling the amount inadequate and saying antitrust hurdles are too risky.

www.nofamass.org 21 July 2015 Newsletter

Whole Foods faces FTC mislabeling investigationThe Cornucopia Institute Weathering a dramatic 14% drop in shareholder value, the iconic grocer Whole Foods Market now faces consumer fraud accusations. This comes on the heels of the beleaguered grocer also dealing with a related and escalating protest concerning its new in-house rating system for conventional and Certified Organic produce.

TRADE

TTIP talks: Food fights block EU–US trade deal Laurence Peter – BBC NewsFood safety issues such as GMOs and pesticides are a major stumbling block in EU-US talks aimed at creating the world’s biggest free trade zone.

EGGS

Egg prices soar 60 percent as avian flu slams MidwestTom Philpott – Mother JonesRetail egg prices have risen from an average of $1.22 per dozen in mid-May to $1.95 this week, the US Department of Agriculture reports. That’s a 60 percent jump in just a month—a reflection of the massive toll being exacted by an avian flu outbreak that has ripped through the Midwest’s egg-laying farms.

FARMERS

West Coast Grange Wars: A reborn farmers’ movement takes on corporate agricultureJohn Collins – In These Times Reviving the Grange—good story on history and politics of the Grange movement. (Disclosure: features author’s former boss.) Seed sharing movement wins big with new legislation

Cat Johnson – ShareableSince the crackdown on seed libraries by some U.S. states last year, organizers (including Shareable) around the country have been working

to protect seed sharing. In both Minnesota and Nebraska, bills that specifically exempt non-commercial seed sharing from commercial seed laws were recently signed into law.

CONSUMER

Are you paying too much for organic food?Elizabeth Grossman – Civil EatsA first of its kind study shows organic agriculture earns farmers significantly more, and suggests it might be worth the price.

FDA cuts trans fat in processed foods FDANote that the FDA classifies most GMOs as “Generally Recognized As Safe” (“GRAS”) as well.

BEES

Bees are literally worrying themselves to deathDavid Wallace-Wells – New York MagazineThey’re dying of stress, which is stressing us out. But we’ve only got ourselves to blame.

Bees feeding on fungicide-dosed flowers develop health issues, studies say

Brandon Keim - The GuardianWhile insecticides are a known deadly threat, two studies find that bees exposed to fungicides are smaller, sickly and declining in ‘chemical cocktail’ farmlands.

CLIMATE

Think climate change will be good for plants? Think againSuzanne Jacobs – Grist.org Heads up, plants: Climate change is winding up for a one-two punch right in the stomata.

www.nofamass.org 22 July 2015 Newsletter

NOFA/Mass Workshops & Events

Visit nofamass.org/events for workshop additions and updates.

Growing Certified Organic Cut FlowersWednesday, July 29 - 3pm to 5:30pmNatick Community Organic Farm, Natick, MACost: NOFA/Mass Member $25 (Walk-In cost $30); Non-member $31 (Walk-in cost $36)Learn about all aspects of organic flower production. The workshop will explore harvest and post-harvest of certified organic cut flowers, weed management, marketing and selling, and strategies for season extension. This is fantastic opportunity for those who are just starting or those who would like to transition to organic flower production. Instructor: Lynda Simkins

2015 NOFA Summer Conference – Save the date!Friday, August 14 – Sunday August 16, 2015University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MACost: Prices range. Early bird pricing through July 17. Features three days with 144 workshops on farming, gardening, nutrition, land care, food politics and much more. The conference is fun for the whole family with 100+ exhibitors, contra dance, country fair, organic meals, in-depth pre-conferences, meet-ups and children and teens conferences.

Budget conscious accommodations are available, including camping and dorms. Group registration discounts and limited scholarships and work exchange opportunities are available.

This year’s keynote speakers are Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, a medical doctor and nutritional consultant, and Ronnie Cummins, a consumer activist and regenerative agriculture advocate. The theme for this year’s Conference is “Healing the Climate, Healing Ourselves: Regeneration through Microbiology.”

Organic Apple GrowingSunday, August 23 - 2pm to 4:30pmOld Frog Pond Farm, Harvard, MACost: NOFA/Mass Member $25 (Walk-In cost $30); Non-member $31 (Walk-in cost $36)Spend the afternoon in the orchard, where over fifty varieties of apples are growing. She will discuss her yearly schedule of care, show how she has grafted a number of rows to change Red Delicious trees to new varieties, and share all things practical about planting, staking, and protecting young trees. You will also walk through the farm’s new Asian pear orchard and learn about growing this delicious fruit. Instructor: Linda Hoffman

Growing Vegetables For Health, Quality, and ProfitSunday, September 13 - 2pm to 5:30pmBrix Bounty Farm, Dartmouth, MACost: NOFA/Mass Member $36; Non-member $45Enterprise Analysis & Profitability and Fall Fertility Practices Including Soil Analysis - a focus on alliums, lettuce, and tomatoes. (Includes season extension with late blight resistant tomatoes, downy mildew resistant fall lettuce varieties, and leek harvesting efficiencies.) Instructor: Derek Christianson

www.nofamass.org 23 July 2015 Newsletter

Organic, Nutrient-Dense Dinner and Fruit Production TourSaturday, September 26 - 3:30pm to 8pmMany Hands Organic Farm, Barre, MACost: $75, pre-registration is required.Join us for a fall farm dinner at the working farm home of the NOFA/Mass Executive Director and Policy Director, Many Hands Organic Farm (MHOF). Participants will savor a fresh, healthful, organic and uniquely delicious dinner, lovingly grown and prepared by Julie Rawson, Jack Kittredge and the MHOF staff. Enjoy an intimate pre-dinner tour of the MHOF fruit operation - large, small and minor certified organic fruit, led by Julie and Jack.

Managing Grazing Land for Increased Health, Productivity and ProfitMonday, October 5 - 9am to 5:30pmCricket Creek Farm, Williamstown, MACost: NOFA/Mass Member $75; Non-member $94Passionate about purveying profitable pastures? Did you know the answers are right under your feet? Join in on the “grass whispering” with veteran grass farmer and grazing professional Troy Bishopp as he leads participants through the plant-animal-microbe dynamic of managing grazing land. Workshop topics will include practical goal-setting; pasture planning and recordkeeping; measuring grass production and fertility; grazing management techniques; reading the soil surface; improving animal and financial performance; infrastructure concerns: and learning to use pasture systems that reduce stress and fun to use. Instructor: Troy Bishopp

3rd Annual Team NOFA/Mass 5/10K Run & 5K WalkSunday, November 1Genesis Battlegreen Run, Lexington, MAAre you excited to help NOFA/Mass raise money to support its mission? Do you want to be part of a group that is excited and motivated? Does the idea of taking a walk/run in historic Lexington appeal to you? If you answered yes to any of these questions, be a part of medal-winning Team NOFA/Mass!

2016 NOFA/Mass Winter ConferenceSaturday, January 16Worcester State University, Worcester, MACost: Varies - See registration page. Join us for our annual one-day conference, which features 70 workshops and exhibitors; keynote speeches with Ben Burkett, family farmer and coordinator of the Federation of Southern Cooperatives; children’s conference and more.

Submit a workshop proposal now, before the September 1st deadline. The conference draws about 1,000 people from Massachusetts and neighboring states. Participants include seasoned and beginning farmers, urban homesteaders, backyard gardeners, food activists, and many other engaged learners.

www.nofamass.org 24 July 2015 Newsletter

To organic farmers everywhere for treating their animals and the earth with care and treating us with some of the finest organic ingredients around, thanks.Howe Farm, VTOne of the Organic Valley family farms that supply milk for our yogurt

www.nofamass.org 25 July 2015 Newsletter

Looking for help? Have something to sell? Have land to lease? Place a classified ad!

Find out more at www.nofamass.org/classifieds

CLASSIFIEDS

Maine Land for Sale Contact: Joyce Shelleman; joyce.shelleman@gmail.com or Shawn Losier (207) 838-4663 Secluded quiet 16 acre Maine property centrally located accessible to I-295, 50 mins. Portland, 30 mins. Midcoast. Four outbuildings offer 3 bay polebarn, large heated workshop, 2 car garage, oversized garden shed, storage. 3 lg. fields. 3 BR 2 BA farmhouse w/open living rm., HWBB heat & woodstoves, greenhouse room, more. MLS# 1211288. $244,990.

Looking for Farmland and Farmers. Contact: Dave; knoctover@yahoo.com Seeking 10 or more acres of farmland to purchase near Montague; farmer(s) wanted to manage. Hoping to preserve landin trust; have vision/evolving plan. Could become education and/or retreat center. Me: organic gardener in environmental field who wants to invest in community, not the stock market. Contact me if you have land OR farming skills - write NOFAFARMLAND in subject line.

Small Farm For Sale in Rutland, MAContact: Robin Peters; dancingstonefarm@aol.com; 508.886.6541c.1800 Colonial farmhouse on 3+ acres, historic site. Post/beam +additions, modern systems, intricate old-fashioned charm. 3 bedrooms, 2.5 baths, library/guest, upstairs laundry, living room w/fireplace, den, dining room, eat-in kitchen. Lots of light. 3 enclosed porches, work rooms, attached carriage house, barn. Numerous vegetable, herb, and ornamental gardens; blueberries, raspberries, fruit trees, beehives (optional!). $279,000.

www.nofamass.org 26 July 2015 Newsletter

Community HappeningsEvents

Webinar: USDA Fruit & Vegetable Market News Organic ReportingThursday, July 16 - 2pmThe Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) invites you to learn about: Fruit & Vegetable Market News and how it works; The scope of their organic reporting capabilities; How to use AMS’ Market News Portal to access organic data and reports; How you can put Market News Organic reports to work for you. The webinar is free. Register by visiting bit.ly/FVWebinarMN071615.

Solidarity Saturday Tour Saturday, August 8 - 10amSeeds of Solidarity, Orange, MAExperience our farm, home and education center that integrate solar greenhouses, energy efficient buildings, abundant market gardens, solar electric and hot water systems. Free tour, no pre-registration. Donations to support our youth and community programs appreciated. If you wish, bring a potluck dish for lunch to share. You may plan to stay to take our afternoon workshop as well! More info: seedsofsolidarity.org/workshops-and-events/

Open Meeting: Domestic Fair Trade for the NortheastFriday, August 14, 9am - 12:30pmAt NOFA Summer Conference, Campus Center 903Those engaged and interested in projects and organizing related to Domestic Fair Trade are invited to the free “Open Meeting: Domestic Fair Trade for the Northeast”. Free to attend. Please RSVP to elizabethhenderson13@gmail.com.

First-ever Massachusetts Soil ConferenceThursday, September 17 - 9am - 4pmHeifer Farm, Rutland, MAUnderstanding soils is critical to conservation and land use planning that supports sustainable agriculture, forestry and greener urban, suburban and rural communities. This one-day conference will focus on soil information resources available through the USDA Soil Survey. We’ll provide updates on recent changes to the data and help you understand how to use it. The day will include classroom workshops and field demonstrations.More info: worcesterconservation.org/massachusetts-soils-conference-47.html

www.nofamass.org 27 July 2015 Newsletter

New and Renewing NOFA/Mass Members in JuneLisa AlexanderTrevor Bayard-MurrayGordon Bemis, John Bemis, and Brian CramerPaul BenjaminJane BindleyJassy and Tom BratkoAmy and Andy BurnesHelene CahenCraig CheesmanHedy ChristensonBetsy A ColburnSusan Coles and Courtney SchlosserAndrew CoxJohn DelmolinoMaureen Doyle

Ashley DriscollChristie Dustman, MCLPRobin FieldingDon FranczykJessica GoldhirschRoss and Alicia HackersonIndia Hoeschen-SteinMark JohnsonGeorge Kenty and Jennifer RyuBenjamin KniazJohn KnowlesGreg LuckmanDonna MackieLucy McKainJohn MiglioriniKathy MorrisGeoffrey and Nora Neale

Frederick M. NewcombeJim O’BrienKenneth OlesDan PrattSally and Steve PullenMary RemingtonDrucilla RobertsAlan SchultzRonald SilvaCarol and Kevin SmithSarah Stockwell-ArthenMary TrumbauerAnn UppingtonAmy VickersJessica WozniakThe Infinity Healing GroupCasey Farm

717-687-9222 • www.LancasterAg.com

Naturally Interested in Your Future

Soil Nutrition

Animal Health & Nutrition

Garden & Human Products

Agricultural Seeds

www.nofamass.org 28 July 2015 Newsletter

www.nofamass.org 29 July 2015 Newsletter

COMPANY

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NOFA/ Massachusetts411 Sheldon Road Barre, MA 01005