Notes and reminders from your editor - We had a record number of attendees, 90+, at the Connecticut Organic Land Care Course in New Haven last week. Congratulations to all the new Accredited Professionals and to Ashley for organizing this week-long event!
There are deadlines upcoming for the annual Organic Land Care and Food & Farm Guides. The F&F guide is looking for farms, stores, restaurants and other businesses that support CT NOFA Farms by purchasing products. If you were not contacted recently to update your existing information, or you would like to be listed, please contact the office at 203-888-5146. The deadline for changes/additions is March 1, 2008. Accredited Organic Land Care Professionals will be soon contacted to review their information.
In order to reach as many community organizations and beginning farmers as possible, we still have scholarships available for our conferences. Please call us at the office to learn more: 203-888-5146. There are still spaces available for the Community Farming Conference on February 9, 2008.
This eNewsletter does not contain all the upcoming events and notices in order to remind everyone about the conference this Saturday. There will be another issue out next week, so keep an eye out if your notices are not yet here. If you have anything to add, just contact the office.
Thanks!
Deb
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Upcoming CT NOFA Events & News
Organic Land Care 5-day Courses - There are still spots open for the Rhode Island course. Become an Accredited Professional! If you could not make it to the Connecticut course, click here for more details.
Community Farming Conference - February 9, 2008 in New Haven, CT . Connecting towns and land trusts with land, the community groups that want a local farm, and the farmers who need land and local markets. For more information and and to register, check here.
Getting Started in Organic Farming Conference - February 16, 2008 in New Haven, CT. This conference is for anyone interested in starting or expanding an organic farm enterprise, or in converting a conventional farm enterprise to organic. Check here for details and registration.
Cultivating an Organic Connecticut Conference - March 8, 2008 in Windsor, CT. Contact Leanne Davis here to volunteer for a planning committee. There are still a few spots for vendors and exhibitors. Please contact Kim Barnes at kimberly.ann.barnes@gmail.com or 860-823-1456. Our website now has the program brochure posted and a printable registration form. Online registration will be available soon.
Color ads are coming for CT NOFA publications! If you are an advertisor, or would like to be, contact Susan Killheffer at 203-789-4577 or email her for more details. The deadline for the NOFA Organic Land Care Guide is February 15th and March 1st for the Farm & Food Guide.
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Mandatory Market Master Seminar - Wednesday, February 6, 2008 at the Middlesex Extension Center, Haddam, CT. All farmers/vendors are invited to attend. For more information, contact Rick Macsuga at 860-713-2544 or Mark Zotti at 860-713-2538.
Good Food for Change - Celebrating Local Green, sponsored by New Morning. Saturday, February 9-6:30 to 9:00 pm at the Mattatuck Unitarian Universalist Society in Woodbury, CT. For details and directions, visit their site.
NOFA-NH 6th Annual Winter Conference - Saturday, March 1, 2008 in Tilton, NH. For details, visit their website.
Ecological Landscaping Association's 2008 Conference & Eco-Marketplace - Re-Visioning the Landscape: An Ecological Approach, March 6-8, 2008, MassMutual Center, Springfield, MA. For further information refer to the ELA website.
Grass-Finished Meats Conference - March 8, 2008, 9:00 to 4:15 at the Bloomsburg Fire Hall, Bloomsberg, PA. For more information, call either David Hartman at 570-784-6660 ext. 12, email dwh2@psu.edu. Or Kris Ribble at 570-784-4401 ext. 111, or email at kris.ribble@pa.usda.gov
2008 UConn Conferences:
Perennial Plant Conference - Thursday, March 13, 2008 at the Storrs Campus. Visit this site for more information.
For the Home Gardener - Friday, March 14, 2008 at the Storrs campus in Storrs, CT. For more details, go here.
Spring Bedding Plant Program for Greenhouse Growers - various dates and locations.
For more information, visit their website.
Adult Ed Class - FOOD SAFETY FOR YOUR FAMILY:What You Don't Know CAN Hurt You. A film will be shown in each session: Session I: The Future of Food Session II: King Corn Each film will be followed by a group discussion. The class is offered through Farmington Continuing Education, and will be held at Farmington High School. It consists of two-sessions, Tuesday, March 25 and Tuesday April 01, 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM. Resident Fee $29. Non-Resident Fee $34 For more information or to register online, please go here.
Weslyan event - April 4, 2008 at Crowell Concert Hall in Middletown, CT: Shasha Seminar for Human Concerns Keynote Address: "Food, Power, and Identity". A three day event that will discuss how food shapes our identities, our public and private discourse, our politics, and our daily lives. Check here for more information.
NOFA Summer Conference - The 34th Annual NOFA Summer Conference will be held August 8 - 10, 2008 at University of Massachusetts in Amherst, Massachusetts (new location!) Mark McAfee, founder of the Organic Pastures Dairy Company, has just been announced as Saturday's keynote speaker! OPDC is the only retail approved raw organic dairy products producer in North America. A pioneer in raw organic milk production, safety and technology, Mark has been at the forefront of the movement to change raw milk law and promises to educate and inspire.
NOFA's summer conference planning committee is looking for suppliers for this summer's local organic dinner. If you are interested in having your farm's products showcased in the summer conference local meal, please contact John Ferris:
(413) 548-6930, j_david_ferris@hotmail.com
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Educational Outreach Associate Position Available - Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA) in Millheim, PA. Click here for details.
Farm Manager wanted - Stone Ridge, NY. Organic farm two hours from NYC. Salary, insurance, manager's house. March 15, 2008 - November 15. Year-round manager preferred. Email esopuscreekfarm@gmail.com or call 917-309-7511 for details and resume requirements.
Seeking Vendors - Master's Table Indoor Farm Market Fundraiser March, 1 2008 at Nonnewaug High School in Woodbury, CT. Proceeds will be used to purchase Senior Farm Market Vouchers to increase access to local foods, regardless of income. Go here for more information.
NOFA Website hosts NOFA Interstate Farmer to Farmer ExchangeA free forum for the exchange of information, products and services. Go to http://www.nofa.org/exchange/index.phpto see job postings and follow the links at the bottom to post your own job announcement.
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Connecticut News
Proposed Legislation - The proposed Act Concerning Safe Toys would make Connecticut the first in the nation to phase out all three chemicals from children's products. California last year became the first state in the country to eliminate phthalates, a controversial family of chemicals added to plastics to make them pliable, in children products. Click here to read the article from The Day. You can email Sarah Uhl at suhl@cleanwater.org or call her at 860-232-6232 to find out ways to join the letter writing and legislator contacts campaign.
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Study comparing organic vs. conventional foods in children's diets - to read the article, go here.
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