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GLEANINGS: n.
1. That which has been acquired by gleaning. 2. The monthly eNewsletter
of CT NOFA. [Glean:v. 1. to gather relevant information or material by
patient effort, bit by bit; to find out. 2. to gather grain or other
produce (often: left by reapers); to harvest.]
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From the Executive Director
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Happy Spring
Spring is coming on fast this year. I remember springs not too long ago when we
couldn't even plant this early. This
year the peas, spinach, carrots, beets and arugula are all up and growing
nicely already. Although this is
wonderful, with the climate chaos we've gotten ourselves into, we can't be too
relaxed about the weather and what it will bring later this year. But it is increasingly clear that growing
more of our food locally, using organic methods, is our best bet for the long
term health of humans and the environment.
More and more people and institutions understand this and
interest in things organic and in local food seems to be increasing
exponentially. The doubling in
attendance at our 28th Annual Conference is one indicator, but there
are many more. Fifty people showed up on a rainy Monday night in Milford to
learn about root cellars and growing and storing vegetables for the winter, and
classes in organic gardening at several venues have filled up. We've been contacted by new and established
community gardens to provide organic workshops for their members. Read more>
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 The new NOFA Organic Land Care site is now available and has lots of information for homeowners and organic land care professionals. Check it out! |
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Upcoming CT NOFA & NOFA Events |
"Keeping Local Food Safe, and Safe Food Local" - Steve Gilman, Organic Farming Advocate, April 9, 2010 at 7:00 PM at Brown University Laboratories for Molecular Medicine, 70 Ship Street,
Providence, RI. Sponsored by NOFA RI; more>Bill Duesing's Upcoming Talks:*April 20, 2010 - One on One Consultation Session in Woodbury. Details>
*April 22, 2010 - DEP Celebrates Earth Day at
the State Capitol - panel discussion and more>
*April 23, 2010 - Two Angry Moms documentary and panel discussion, 7 pm at Ansonia Nature Center
*May 6, 2010 - Organic Gardening Talk, 5:00-6:30 pm, at New Morning in Woodbury, CT
*May 8, 2010 - Organic gardening and compost talk and demonstration at Northwest
Park, Windsor.
10-11:30. Details>
Growing Healthy Tomatoes
May 23, 2010, 1:00-2:00 pm
Knox Parks Community Garden, Hartford
Presenter: Bettylou Sandy
Free; part of an afternoon of events at Knox Parks
Free Tomato plants for first 20 attendees
CT NOFA City Farm & Garden Tour - June 19, 2010, New Haven, CT. If you have or know of a city garden that could be featured, please let us know. Advertising and sponsorship opportunities also available. Email for more information. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Other local and regional events are now maintained on our website. If you have an event you'd like to add, send it along to the office.
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Guest Columnist
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 by Bettylou Sandy
April
showers bring May flowers is an old adage to encourage us when we we're hoping
for sunshine. At this time of year the
plants, shrubs and trees are waking up from their long winter's nap to prepare
for producing flowers, leaves and fruit.
This work of the plants requires a great deal of water to drink, to
transport the food from the soil to give energy to the plants.
I
love to watch the world seem to come to life and color at this time of
year. All of the spring bulbs, flowering
bushes and trees, the greening of the grass and the buds of the trees give us
energy and hope.
Read more> |
| Community Board |
Gulf Coast Ram available immediately. This breed is resistant to hoof rot and parasites. Ideal for an organic farm. He's virile and handsome. Used last year as a donor for heritage breed preservation. Inquiries and offers to westfieldacresfarm@msn.com
Farm / Garden Supplies For Sale - $100 for all: (located in Avon, CT) Greenhouse plastic - 24 x 32 feet, new white plastic tarp - 25 x 15 feet, Brown Kraft Weedblocker Paper - 1 new roll - 48 inches x 1,000 feet. Please e-mail: dina@edibleorganicdesign.com
Need Help in the Garden or on the Farm? - For locations within a half hour driving distance from Meriden--Call Melissa Emma 203-634-3686 or email Melissawonderbee@gmail.com
I have several years experience gardening, landscaping, and farming. I am also currently enrolled in the UCONN Master Gardeners Program.
Positions
Available - New
Pond Farm Education Center, West Redding
CT. Internships for college students interested in
sustainable agriculture and organic gardening
and
Assistant Farm Manager. Please contact Exec.
Director Ann Taylor for details ann@newpondfarm.org
or
203-938-2117.
For Sale or Trade: Jacob's Sheep - a very rare heritage breed. All female
and quite peaceful. Age range is 2-5 years old. Gorgeous wool. Call Ty or David
at 860-349-8054.
Farmer Wanted - Families
in the Hartford area are looking to create a CSA or buying club model for
humanely raised chickens. We would like to have them slaughtered them to be
kosher for Jews and Moslems. We are looking for a chicken farmer who can
work with us and a certified slaughterer as part of their business plan. Contact andrea@irejn.org
Organic
hay available -
1st and 2nd cutting Certified Organic
hay. Contact:
860-651-8928
Vendors Sought - newly formed Waterford market, starting Saturday, June 26th, from 9am to 1pm. Contact Melissa, waterfordmarket@att.net, 860-287-0019
Rental - farm land in Wolcott with house for rent. Looking for someone who wants to live there and set up a small operation; owner on property, but not close by. For details, contact Fred at fweik@yahoo.com or 203-233-3126.
New Farmers Market/Vendors Wanted - The Union District School Farmers' Market is a
newly established Market located on beautiful historic Main Street in South
Windsor and is looking for vendors for a biweekly, Sunday, 10am to 2pm market. The first 10 farmers to commit to the Market do not pay fees! Contact: Market Website: www.southwindsorhistory.org, Market Email: programs@southwindsorhistory.org (live later in week of 4/7/10). Phone: 860.331.9892 or 860.794.9079
Internship Opportunity - Devon Point Farm. Organic Vegetable and Flower
CSA and Grassfed Beef Farm seeking summer interns. Excellent learning
opportunity for motivated individual interested in learning how to make a
small farm profitable. Please contact Patty Taylor at
patty.taylor@lycos.com or at 860-974-9004 for a position description or
to apply.
Summer camp program at the Community Farm of Simsbury. More>
Help Wanted: Environmentally concerned gardenscape company needs self-motivated, energetic, happy gardener for installation and
maintenance of residential and commercial sites. Horticultural skills and
landscaping experience preferred. No weekends, no lawn cutting. Opportunities for advancement, competitive wages and benefits. Full or part time.
860/242.1178. NOFA & CNLA Accredited. designsofmann@comcast.net.
Positions Available - Urban Oaks Organic Farm is hiring: A Wholesale Coordinator and a Retail/CSA Coordinator. More>
Heritage breed turkey poults for sale - $8.00 each picked up at farm. Taking orders now for mixed runs on Black Spanish,
American Bronze, Narragansett and Slates. Old Maids Farm, LLC - 1099 Tryon Street, South Glastonbury, CT, 860-633-6601 or 860-918-5442
For sale - 75 Galvanized wire hoops for row covers. 74" 10 gauge $75, contact galfarmer@yahoo.com
Rain Barrel Offer - Farmington River Watershed Association is offering rain barrel and composters. Additional details here>
Position wanted - Strong, dedicated (but inexperienced) worker looking for an
apprenticeship/ internship position for the coming season. Contact Ben:
860 221 8783 / harrisbenn@gmail.com
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| New Business Member Profiles |
CT Farm Fresh Express, LLC East Haddam, CT 860-873-8760 www.ctffe.com
CT Farm Fresh Express, LLC (CTFFE) delivers
locally grown and produced foods and products to the doors of residents and
restaurants throughout Connecticut in support in small, local farms and
businesses. Founder and owner, Deb Marsden, watched
her mother travel to different stores and farm stands to feed her family with
the best food she could find. The idea of being aware of where food comes from
and how it is grown took seed in Deb and blossomed when she had children
herself. In watching the rapid growth of the suburbs and the decline of
farmland in the last 20 years, Deb realized that local farms need local support
to stay viable and therefore continue to produce food for the population to
eat. Deb put the desire to eat great food together with the desire to support
local farms and the idea of CTFFE was born.
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 Vonne's Victory Gardens, LLC
Westport, CT
203-227-1876
www.vonnesvictorygardens.com
Vonne's Victory Gardens designs, installs and maintains organic vegetable and herb gardens for businesses and residences in the Fairfield county, Connecticut area. She can also offer organic farm tours for small groups and businesses and can assist with honeybee hive and laying hen/coop setup and installations.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Green Earth Agriculture North Branford, CT 866-374-5101 www.greenearthag.com Green Earth Agriculture is a wholesale agricultural supply distribution company. We specialize in organic, green and eco-friendly products for environmentally conscious farmers, landscapers and home growers. Our goal is to help cultivate the widespread use of eco-friendly farming practices and lower the use of harmful or toxic chemicals. We are a family owned and operated company. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The LaurelRock Company Wilton, CT 203-544-0062 www.laurelrock.com
A team of landscape architects, landscape designers, horticulturists and skilled crews dedicated to enhancing the lives of our clients by creatively improving and effectively maintaining their landscape environment. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Scott's Yankee Farmer, LLC East Lyme, CT 860-739-5209 www.scottsyankeefarmer.net
We are family owned and operated by Tom & Karen Scott, presently with over 100 acres of fresh fruit and vegetables under cultivation. Check our website for more information.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Arbor Services of CT, Inc.
Washington Depot, CT 860-868-1930 www.arborct.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Connecticut Herb Association Newington, CT www.ctherb.org ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Devon Point Farm Woodstock, CT 860-974-9004 www.devonpointfarm.com
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Lyons Insurance & Financial Services
Bolton, CT
860-257-0022
Website
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McArdle's Florist & Garden Center
Greenwich, CT 800-581-5558
www.mcardles.com
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Gerbert & Sons Landscaping & Irrigation, Inc.
Stamford, CT 203-324-3817 www.gerbertandsons.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Natural Family Health, LLC North Haven, CT 203-980-0465 www.naturalfamilyhealthllc.com ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Rising Sun Landscaping Simsbury, CT 860-670-6768
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SIG Insurance-Nationwide Agribusiness
Stamford, CT
203-359-0880 www.insurancect.net ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Stillmeadow Farm, Inc.
Stonington, CT 860-535-4200
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The Local Beet, Inc. Chester, CT 860-526-5554
www.thelocalbeetshop.com
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Wakeman Farm/GVI Town Farm
Westport, CT
203-530-7413
Website
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Help support our business
members!
If you'd like add logos, pictures or additional text to your listings, send them along to the office. |
| Members In the News |
Emily Brooks and the Edibles Advocate Alliance has launched Shared Harvest CT, a website that focuses on locally produced foods in a
buy/sell/trade/barter/donate platform.
CT NOFA Board member John Turenne, Sustainable Food Systems, has been involved with chef Jamie Oliver's "Food Revolution" project. More>
Member Jane Maher testified recently in favor of the "pickle bill" and farmer Anita Kopchinski is mentioned in this related news story.
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| Featured Regional Organization |
Connecticut Agricultural Education Foundation, Inc. - 2010 Ag Literacy Event. Presented in partnership with Connecticut Department of
Agriculture & Connecticut Poultry Association.
Connecticut Agriculture in the Classroom is pleased to
announce its 2010 Connecticut Ag Literacy Event. This event supports its mission of fostering
awareness, understanding, and appreciation of agriculture and the food, fiber,
flower, forestry and fuel systems.
During 2010, volunteers throughout the state will go into classrooms to
read a book with an agricultural theme and talk to students about
agriculture. The book will be donated to
the school library with a special bookplate recognizing the donors, Connecticut
Agricultural Education Foundation, Connecticut Department of Agriculture and
the Connecticut Poultry Association as partners in this 2010 Connecticut Ag
Literacy Event.
If you have questions, please direct them to
Eleanore Provencal, Connecticut Coordinator for Ag in the Classroom. Eleanore can be contacted at eleanore@ctaef.org |
| Other Items of Interest |
Connecticut food Bank's "Plant a Row for the Hungry" Program
Late blight update from the UConn Home & Garden Education Center
New ATTRA publication, Start a Farm in the City - lots of resources, particularly for contaminated soils
NRCS Organic Initiative application date extended to April 16, 2010. More>
Cornell University has added additional online resources for organic growers.
Sustainable Food Jobs website
Seafood Watch Program
Pennsylvania Wildlife Publication - Neighborly Natural Landscaping:Creating Natural Environments in Residential Areas
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Let us know what you think of the expanded format. We'd like to add additional member profiles and other news of interest. If you have any stories, articles, notices or suggestions for this newsletter, please send them along.
Many thanks,
Deb
203-888-5146
ctnofa@ctnofa.org
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