Potluck News: July 2009
F is for Fat
A new crop of women farmers
Agro-ingenuity regional food center could be boon to farmers
Community supported fishing: right off the farm, a fresh idea for selling daily catch
Urban farmers on the rise
A locavore's fourth: life, liberty and the pursuit of really fresh produce
2009 is sweet year for maple syrup producers
Policing Connecticut's farmers markets
7/11 Forestry demonstration event, Greenfield, MA
7/18 Raising Backyard Chickens, Williston, VT
7/23 Getting Started with Organic Blueberries, Waitsfield, VT
7/29 Multi-Species Grazing for Meat Animals I, Hardwick, MA
7/30 Kneading Conference, Skowhegan, ME
8/1 Stone Construction of Dry Stone Arches, Williston, VT
8/4 Raising Meat Goats and the FAMACHA System, West Suffield, CT
8/7 NOFA Summer Conference, Amherst, MA
8/7 NOFA Organic Lawn and Turf Course, Amherst, MA
8/8 The Family Cow and Making Home Dairy Products, Randolph, VT
8/12 What's Bugging Your Garden?, Waterbury, VT
8/15 An Introduction to Bee Keeping, Westfield, VT
8/25 Grazing Basics, Great Barrington, MA
8/29 Basic Food Preservation, Randolph, VT
8/30 Grow and Make Your Own Medicine, Monkton, VT
9/12 Sustainable Garden and Landscape Design, Middlebury, VT
9/15 Multi-Species Grazing for Meat Animals II, Concord, MA
9/17 Making Natural Soaps, Richmond, VT
9/11 Maine Fare, Camden, ME
11/12 Farm-Based Education Conference, Tarrytown, NY
Executive Director, Equity Trust, Turners Falls, MA
Development Specialist, American Morgan Horse Association, Shelburne, VT
Farm-to-School Coordinator, Green Mountain Farm-to-School , Newport, VT
Nutrition and Agriculture Educator, Green Mountain Farm-to-School , Newport, VT
Farm Manager, Daloz Farm CSA, Hancock, NH
VISTA, Philabundance, Philadelphia, PA
Multiple Job Openings, The Food Trust, Philadelphia, PA
Multiple Job Openings, Community Food Resource Center, New York, NY
Path to Organic Program
Quaker Oats Community Hunger Grant
Pride of New York Specialty Crop Cooperative Advertising
Farmers Advocating for Organics Fund
Northeast SARE Research and Education Grants
Integrated Organic and Water Quality Program
Small Business Innovation Research Program Grant
Northeast SARE Professional Development Program Grant
New York Farmers Market Grant Program
Farm Aid Grants
F is For Fat
The Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation have just released an important new report "F as in Fat: How Obesity Policies Are Failing in America 2009" with state-by-state rankings. There's little good news to report with obesity rates remaining stagnant nationwide.
See how your state fared here:
Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia
A New Crop of Women Farmers
(Washington Post) - Julie Stinar once worked with some of the top names in fashion: Donna Karan, Giorgio Armani, Tracy Reese. Now she works with some completely different brand names: Cornish and Poulet Rouge chickens and Red Devon cattle. Stinar is the owner of Evensong Farm in Sharpsburg, Md., and an example of the changing face of American farming. Women always played important roles on the family farm. They kept the books, milked the cows and fed the children, often juggling another part-time job while the men worked the fields. Sometimes, they ran the farm after their husbands or fathers died. But increasingly, women such as Stinar are turning to farming on their own. According to the 2007 U.S. Census of Agriculture released this year, more than one in every 10 U.S. farms is run by a woman. In Maryland, the number of farms in which a woman is the principal operator jumped 16 percent between 2002 and 2007. In Virginia, female-run farms also grew by 16 percent. Full article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2009/06/27/ST2009062702959.html
Agro-ingenuity regional food center could be boon to farmers
(Keene Sentinel) - Erin Bickford works nearly every waking moment. She manages Abenaki Springs Farm in Walpole with her husband, Bruce, and the couple spend their days tending, picking and storing crops. And then selling them, at their own farm stand and the farmers markets in Keene and Bellows Falls. Life gets even busier when there is leftover produce -- 20 crates of tomatoes, for example, that weren't all sold at the markets. "We trade things, put them in my freezer," she said. "We just run around like mad and try to do something with them." But another, easier option may be in the Bickfords' future: a regional food center in Bellows Falls. The proposed center -- billed as a way to support local farmers and make local food more available -- includes a kitchen that can be used by the community, retail space to sell locally grown food and a food storage facility. Post Oil Solutions, a Brattleboro-based community organizing initiative, is spearheading the project. Post Oil promotes projects that support sustainability and community-building, everything from founding community gardens to organizing an energy group for Windham County. The group has been working on the regional food center project during the past few months, holding informational meetings, such as one at the Walpole library on Monday. Tim Stevenson, Post Oil's founder and executive director, presented the project to an audience consisting mostly of local farmers, backyard gardeners and farmers market employees. The idea for the center came after Post Oil employees did an informal survey in Bellows Falls, Stevenson said, discovering that the area was in need of more options for where to buy food. Bellows Falls was chosen as the location because of its easy access to Interstate 91, he said, and its proximity to nearby communities in Vermont and New Hampshire. Full article here: http://sentinelsource.com/articles/2009/06/27/news/local/free/id_361376.txt
Right off the farm, a fresh idea for selling daily catch
(AP) - Alice and Larry Hatch always bring a cooler filled with ice when they shop for seafood each week. They don't go to a supermarket or even a seafood shop. This summer they're getting their fish - whole, with eyes staring up - directly from the fishermen who caught it. A similar agriculture model has been around for decades; farmers sell portions of their harvest directly to people who take it home and prepare it for dinner. Now fishermen are getting in on the act, selling their fresh fish to people who pay in advance for a share of the catch. Full article here: http://tinyurl.com/mqljn7
Urban farmers on the rise
(Baltimore Sun) - If you asked Josh Smith where breakfast comes from, the Baltimore teen would likely say, "the girls." That would be Sugar and Spice, his family's pet chickens. Josh's mother, Liz, got the girls by mail order in April and set up a coop for them in the backyard of the family's Hamilton house, between a beehive and rows of planted vegetables. Josh, 13, and his brother, Hooper, 7, delight in feeding the ginger-colored birds treats of worms and melon and collecting the big, brown eggs that come two a day. "This is how it's supposed to be," Liz Smith said as she nestled and stroked a softly clucking Sugar. "The eggs are really delicious. Though I don't think I'll ever eat chicken again after having them as pets." The Smiths join an increasing number of urban farmers in Baltimore and around the nation who are growing their own food to save money or to control what goes into it. Or they want to better connect with their environment. Some people have chickens as pets, but many also want the eggs or meat, or a lesson for the kids about the food chain. Full article here: http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/green/bal-md.gr.chickens28jun28,0,1454737.story
A Locavore's Fourth: Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Really Fresh Produce
(Washington Post) - Is eating locally produced food a civic duty? The folks at Kitchen Gardeners International might not call it a duty, exactly. But the group -- one of the organizations whose efforts led to the planting of a kitchen garden at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. this spring -- argues that buying and eating locally bolsters American communities and economies even as it makes for a more healthful diet, all of which might strengthen the nation as a whole. Flush with that recent White House success, KGI decided to wage a new campaign: The group asked the governors of all 50 states to "declare their food independence" by planning Fourth of July menus featuring foods from local sources. Among those who have agreed, according to KGI founder Roger Doiron, is Maryland's Martin O'Malley, whose holiday meal will include Maryland crab cakes. Well, it's a start. Doiron admits this campaign got underway late, and he has shifted his emphasis from the headline-seeking invitation to governors to the more pedestrian task of getting regular people to eat local on the Fourth. He's asking people sign on via a form he's circulating on Facebook and on the Food Independence Day Web site (http://www.foodindependenceday.org); by last week, several thousand supporters had come aboard. Full article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/06/29/AR2009062901539.html
2009 is sweet year for maple syrup producers
(AP) - Accommodating weather and a boost in the number of maple trees tapped are being credited for a bumper 2009 maple syrup crop. Sugar makers in Vermont and elsewhere produced 2.3 million gallons this winter, the most in at least 65 years, according to New England Agricultural Statistics. That's good news for cost-conscious pancake eaters and maple-loving cooks: The high supply could help keep per-gallon prices in check after a year in which they soared past $65 due to depleted supplies. "This was an awesome year," said Catherine Stevens, marketing director for Vermont maple syrup. "This year, we'll be able to meet demand for the product. Even with this economy, people are still buying maple syrup. Prices, from what I hear, will stay the same, not increase." Full article here:
http://tinyurl.com/l3ec8g
Policing Connecticut's Farmers Markets
(Hartford Courant) - The offending produce was only a few spears of asparagus, but when it appeared for sale as "Connecticut Grown" at a state-certified farmers market last August, vendors grew suspicious. They called Rick Macsuga at the state of Department of Agriculture to investigate. He quickly concluded: This was no local bunch he was dealing with. "Asparagus season in Connecticut winds up in June. We had a heart-to-heart talk with that farmer," said Macsuga, the agency's marketing director, who's also on the prowl for farmers, vendors and grocery stores trying to pawn off produce as Connecticut grown when it's not. The state's 123 certified farmers markets are coming into full bloom this time of year, and by law, vendors can sell only Connecticut-grown farm products -- no cheating allowed. Those baskets of lush, ripe blueberries labeled local had better not be from New Jersey. If they are from out of state, violators can face fines ranging from $25 to $2,500 for every commodity that's mislabeled, said Macsuga, one of the state's two inspectors. Macsuga and his colleague aren't the only ones out there checking. Call them the produce police -- the network of agriculture officials, farmers, market organizers and consumers who protect shoppers from carpetbagging cabbage. With the popularity of buying local on the rise and with new farmers markets sprouting up every year like dandelion greens, it's more important than ever to unearth the few "bad apples," who crop up, Macsuga said. Full article here: http://www.courant.com/business/hc-bogusvegetables0613.artjun13,0,875296.story
7/11
Forestry demonstration event, Greenfield, MA
A free public informational event and field walk showcasing forest stewardship and conservation practices eligible for technical and financial assistance through the United States Department of Agr...
7/18
Raising Backyard Chickens, Williston, VT
Come to this interactive workshop with suburban homesteaders Markey Read and Tim King to learn how to integrate free range chickens into your lawn and gardens without having them become a free meal...
7/23
Getting Started with Organic Blueberries, Waitsfield, VT
Join Helen Whybrow, a lifelong organic gardener and farmer, to learn about adding edible perennials to the home landscape. Siting, plantin...
7/29
Multi-Species Grazing for Meat Animals I, Hardwick, MA
Kim Denney and Rich Jakshtis have worked since 1998 to transform an abandoned dairy farm into a thriving meat CSA (www.chestnutfarms.org), providing customers with beef, lamb, pork and poultry on a...
7/30
Kneading Conference, Skowhegan, ME
The KNEADING Conference invites professional and home bakers, farmers and millers, oven builders and interested community members to participate in hands-on demonstrations and lectures on progressi...
8/1
Stone Construction of Dry Stone Arches, Williston, VT
Pre-registration is required-Please call the NOFA office at 802-434-4122 Join Vermont Horticulturist Matt Leonetti of Morning Dew Landsca...
8/4
Raising Meat Goats and the FAMACHA System, West Suffield, CT
Erica Fearn raises boer meat goats on pasture at her farm in West Suffield, CT. As a former Executive Director of the Connecticut Farm Bureau, Erica has a great deal of knowledge about the rules an...
8/7
35th Annual NOFA Summer Conference, Amherst, MA
NORTHEAST ORGANIC FARMING ASSOCIATION 35TH ANNUAL SUMMER CONFERENCE AUGUST 7-9, 2009 UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, AMHERST, MA 150 workshops on organic farming, gardening, land care, sustainability...
NOFA Organic Lawn and Turf Course, Amherst, MA
This one-day, intensive course will provide state-of-the-art information for managing lawns and turf organically and is geared toward land care professionals, groundskeepers and municipalities who ...
8/8
Making Home Dairy Products, Randolph, VT
$10 for NOFA members & apprentices, $15 for non-members Pre-registration is required-Please call the NOFA office at 802-434-4122 Farmers Stuart and Margaret Osha of Turkey Hill Farm will share ...
8/12
What's Bugging Your Garden?, Waterbury, VT
Are bugs eating your garden? Do you want to do be able to identify insects in your home and garden? Jon Turmel, the Vermont State Entomol...
8/15
An Introduction to Bee Keeping, Westfield, VT
Farmer Gerard Croizet will discuss care of the bees from spring visits to winterizing the hives. Rosemary Croizet will cover cleaning wax...
8/25
Grazing Basics, Great Barrington, MA
Sean Stanton sells raw milk, raises pigs, turkeys and chickens for meat, and has 700 laying hens. The farm (www.northplainfarm.com) is organic and grass-based, and sells products directly to restau...
8/29
Basic Food Preservation, Randolph, VT
Join life-long organic gardener Henry Homeyer, gardening columnist and author of The Vermont Gardener's Companion, for a workshop on basi...
8/30
Grow and Make Your Own Medicine, Monkton, VT
Don't let the next flu pandemic catch you unprepared. Join clinical herbalist Julie Mitchell to learn the ins and o...
9/12
Sustainable Garden and Landscape Design, Middlebury, VT
We all want our gardens to be satisfying, beautiful, and yet sustainable, in short, easy on the gardener and gentle on the earth. This wo...
9/15
Multi-Species Grazing for Meat Animals II, Concord, MA
Jennifer Hashley and Pete Lowy raise meat and laying chickens, heritage pigs and sheep on their farm in Concord (www.peteandjensbackyardbirds.com). This session will cover issues around pastured po...
9/17
Making Natural Soaps, Richmond, VT
Lynne Gavin of Sunflower Soaps will teach you the basics of making natural soaps. Come explore both the cold process method ...
9/11
Maine Fare, Camden, ME
Maine Fare is a gathering that brings together food lovers, Chefs, gardeners, food writers, farmers, and food-based Enterprises to show the world that food in Maine goes far beyond lobsters and blu...
11/12
Farm-Based Education Conference, Tarrytown, NY
The 2009 Farm-Based Education Conference will be held in New York's Lower Hudson Valley (35 miles north of New York City) on November 12-14, 2009. The 2009 Farm-Based Education Conference will pr...
Executive Director, Equity Trust, Turners Falls, MA
Equity Trust seeks an executive director to be a dynamic leader of a small, national, nonprofit organization. The executive director will work in close collaboration with staff and board to further define, develop and implement programs, convey the organization's ideas and issues to clients and the public, and build relationships with organizations and constituencies connected with the work of Equity Trust. The executive director will work with the board to plan for and oversee expanded program capacity. Last day to apply: July 15, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/342430-166/c
Development Specialist, American Morgan Horse Association, Shelburne, VT
The American Morgan Horse Association is seeking a development specialist to play a key role in planning and implementing fundraising initiatives for the organization. The ideal candidate will have a track record in corporate fundraising and annual giving, and should possess excellent relationship-building, public speaking, organizational, writing, and interpersonal skills. Last day to apply: August 1, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/341995-315/c
Farm-to-School Coordinator, Green Mountain Farm-to-School , Newport, VT
Green Mountain Farm-to-School (GMFTS) is a nonprofit organization promoting the health and wellbeing of Vermont's children, farms and communities by providing programs to connect schools and farms through food and education.The primary responsibilities of the Farm-to-School Coordinator will be to develop, grow, present, and evaluate the GMFTS' Farm-to-School Network and provide general operational and administrative support. Last day to apply: August 24, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/341961-172/c
Nutrition and Agriculture Educator, AmeriCorps Member, Green Mountain Farm-to-School , Newport, VT
Green Mountain Farm-to-School (GMFTS) is a nonprofit organization promoting the health and wellbeing of Vermont's children, farms and communities by providing programs to connect schools and farms through food and education.The primary responsibilities of the Educator will be to develop, grow, present, and evaluate GMFTS educational programs and provide general operational and administrative support. Last day to apply: August 15, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/341423-263/c
Farm Manager, Daloz Farm CSA, Hancock, NH
The Farm Manager is responsible for all aspects of the Certified Organic CSA operated at Daloz Mill and Farm in Hancock, NH. Primary activities include designing and implementing a 5 acres garden for the benefit of approximately 80 member families and management of the farm crew (staff and/or interns). Last day to apply: August 18, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/341392-213/c
VISTA - Urban Gleaning , Philabundance, Philadelphia, PA
Philabundance, the largest food bank and food rescue organization in the Delaware Valley is seeking an Urban Gleaning VISTA. Philabundance works to end hunger and malnutrition in the Delaware Valley by rescuing surplus food and distributing it to local organizations serving people in need. Last day to apply: July 27, 2009 Permalink: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/338566-170/c
Multiple openings, Greater Boston Food Bank, Boston, MA
The Greater Boston Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England, and one of the largest food banks in the country, distributing more than 25 million pounds of food annually to a network of more than 600 member hunger-relief agencies. For more info, see: http://www.gbfb.org/aboutUs/CurrentOpenings.cfm
MULTIPLE JOB OPENINGS, THE FOOD TRUST, PHILADELPHIA, PA
The Food Trust is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization improving the supply of affordable food and good nutrition in the mid-Atlantic region. The mission of The Food Trust is to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food. For more info, see: http://www.thefoodtrust.org/php/about/jobs.php
Path to Organic Program
The Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture is pleased to bring the Path to Organic Program to our farming community. Part of the $500,000 appropriation will provide technical assistance to farmers in transition to organic agriculture and the rest of the funding will be provided to participating farmers. Assistance will be available to producers who are currently in the three-year transition process as well, as those who have not yet begun the process, which is required by the USDA National Organic Program. Due date: July 31, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.agriculture.state.pa.us/agriculture/cwp/view.asp?a=3&q=152673
Quaker Oats Community Hunger Grant
Quaker Oats is offering grants for projects that will help combat hunger in your community. The Quaker Go Grant program will select twenty winners each month from April through August 2009. Winners will each receive a $500 cash grant to fund their projects. Application deadlines for the monthly awards are March 31, 2009, April 30, 2009, May 31, 2009 and June 30, 2009 and July 31, 2009. Due date: July 31, 2009 For more info, see: http://quakeroats.promotions.com/gogrants/splash.do
Pride of New York Specialty Crop Cooperative Advertising
Pride of New York is offering its members an expanded cooperative advertising program for specialty crops, to now include television and radio as well as cooperative funding for print, point of purchase and promotional items. Cooperative funding will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. Reimbursements of up to $5,000 per member are offered for qualifying advertising. For more info, see: http://www.agmkt.state.ny.us/RFPS.html
Farmers Advocating for Organics Fund
The Farmers Advocating for Organics (FAFO) fund provides a way for our cooperative's farmers to identify and support key issues facing the organic marketplace and organic agriculture. The organic farmers of CROPP Cooperative, who produce the high quality organic products for Organic Valley® and Organic Prairie®, voluntarily contribute to the fund on an annual basis, and a committee of CROPP farmers reviews proposals and decides how to distribute the funds. The FAFO Farmer Committee accepts proposals from individuals and organizations seeking funding for particular projects or programs dedicated to furthering organic education, organic farming or product research, and organic advocacy. Due date: September 1, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.organicvalley.coop/our-story/donations/fafo-fund/
Northeast SARE Research and Education Grants
The Research and Education program funds outcome-based projects offering research, education, and demonstration projects that engage farmers as cooperators in the exploration of sustainable farm practices. Projects should be directed toward research results that will translate quickly into farmer benefit, and farmers, extension staff, and other stakeholders should be involved in planning project content. Due date: July 31, 2009 For more info, see: http://nesare.org/get/research-and-education/
Integrated Organic and Water Quality Program
In a unique fusion of two programs, USDA has released a request for applications for the Integrated Organic and Water Quality Program (IOWP). IOWP combines the National Integrated Water Quality and Organic Transition Programs. The combined program's purpose is to explore the changes in water quality and/or water quantity associated with certified organic farming practices. Projects must integrate research, education, and extension. Up to $220,000 per year may be requested for projects 1-3 years in duration.
Due date: July 24, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&flag2006=false&oppId=48019
Small Business Innovation Research Program Grant
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) makes competitively awarded grants that are to qualified small businesses to support high quality, advanced concepts research related to important scientific problems and opportunities in agriculture that could lead to significant public benefit if successful. Topic areas include Forests and Related Resources; Plant Production and Protection - Biology; Animal Production and Protection; Soil and Water Resources; Food Science and Nutrition; Rural Development; Aquaculture; Biofuels and Biobased Products; Marketing and Trade; Animal Manure Management; Small Mid Size Farms; Plant Production and Protection - Engineering. Due date: October 1, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/sbir/sbir.html
Northeast SARE Professional Development Program Grant
The Professional Development program funds outcome-based projects that train Cooperative Extension educators and other agricultural service providers in sustainable techniques and concepts. Projects must be directed toward increasing the skill and understanding of these service providers, and be consistent with SARE's larger goal of broad farmer adoption of sustainable practices. Due date: July 31, 2009 For more info, see: http://nesare.org/get/professional-development/
New York Farmers Market Grant Program
This grant program provides up to $25,000 in matching funds for the construction, reconstruction, improvement, expansion, or rehabilitation of farmers' markets in New York State. Due date: July 27, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.farmersmarketcoalition.org/ny-grantprogram/
Farm Aid Grants
Farm Aid offers grants in three categories. Grants in this category fund organizations or projects that seek to strengthen what Farm Aid calls the Good Food Movement, the growing number of Americans reaching for and demanding family farm-identified, local, organic or humanely-raised food. These grants build connections between farmers and consumers, creating new markets for family farmers. Helping Farmers Thrive grants fund organizations or projects that assist farmers transitioning to more sustainable and profitable farming practices, find alternative markets, or start a new farming operation as well as provide support services to farm families in crisis. Taking Action to Change the System grants fund organizations or projects that promote fair farm policies and grassroots organizing campaigns to defend and bolster family farm-centered agriculture. These grants enable advocates to strengthen the voices of family farmers and promote their interests on a local, regional and national level. Due date: August 1, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.farmaid.org/site/c.qlI5IhNVJsE/b.2723745/k.9953/Grant_Guidelines.htm
Potluck is a monthly e-newsletter sponsored by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) and is supported in part by the Lawson Valentine Foundation and the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation. It is distributed via NEFOOD-L, the listserv for sustainable food systems in the Northeast generously hosted by Tufts University. In case you know of someone who you think would be interested in receiving Potluck, please invite them to subscribe to NEFOOD-L by going here. To contact the editor, please contact Roger Doiron, here: [email protected]