Calendar of Events
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2 events,
TOPP Open Call for Farmer Mentors
NOFA/Mass is currently recruiting mentor farmers that have operated certified organic farms for at at least 3 years that are interested in assisting mentee farmers as they transition their farms for certification. You do not have to be an owner of a farm to qualify as a mentor!
TOPP Open Call for Farmer Mentees
If you are operating a farm and would like the assistance of an experienced organic farmer during your transition to or certification as organic, we welcome you to join our group of mentee farmers.
NOFA/Mass will be connecting farmer mentors with to farmer mentees for one year. The mentorship program is expected to commence November through December, 2023. NOFA/Mass staff will assist with helping mentee farmers navigate the organic certification process.
3 events,
MAPN Monthly Meet-Up
MAPN Monthly Meet-Up
Join us to get updates from local pollinator groups, learn about legislative actions you can take to support pollinators, and then enjoy a presentation from Whitney Troy, intern for the Native Plant Trust, on the whys, hows, and whens of collecting seeds from your garden.
3 events,
Soil Health Field Walk at Atlas Farm: Tillage-Reduced Cover Cropping and Planting Methods for Brassicas
Soil Health Field Walk at Atlas Farm: Tillage-Reduced Cover Cropping and Planting Methods for Brassicas
Join Gideon Porth of Atlas Farm and Julie Fine of American Farmland Trust for a field walk exploring an innovative approach to tillage reduction for organic vegetables. Gideon will showcase the initial results of a trial utilizing multiple cover crops, including oats and peas, followed by buckwheat, to prepare for no-till transplanting fall kale. This strategy reduces tractor passes by 75% and requires no tillage during the cropping season. Gideon will share the background of the trials, the equipment, and the operations involved, and participants will be able to compare each treatment with its standard tillage control.
4 events,
Growing Organic Together: A networking event for BIPOC Farmers
Growing Organic Together: A networking event for BIPOC Farmers
This event is a space for BIPOC farmers to explore connections with customers, markets and soil health. Together, we’ll look at the strengths, needs and opportunities within our farms, including discussions on the option of organic certification. We’ll develop an understanding around the intersections of our financial investments, love for farming and desire to serve our communities.
This is the first in a series of 5 networking & technical assistance opportunities in organic farming, specifically about certifying organic.
Bring questions or interests about certification and whether it’s right for your farm.
Cultivar Orgánico Juntes: Un evento para crear conexiones entre agricultores (BIPOC)
Cultivar Orgánico Juntes: Un evento para crear conexiones entre agricultores (BIPOC)
¿Alguna vez ha pensado en sumergirse en el mundo de la salud del suelo y conversar sobre qué prácticas serían mejores para su propia granja? Este evento es un espacio para que agricultores racializades (BIPOC) puedan explorar y crear conexiones con clientes, con el mercado y con la salud de la tierra. Exploraremos nuestras fortalezas, nuestras necesidades y las oportunidades de nuestras propias granjas, incluyendo conversaciones sobre la posibilidad de certificarse como granja orgánica. Desarrollaremos un conocimiento más claro sobre la intersección entre las inversiones financieras, el amor por la agricultura y el deseo de servir a nuestra comunidad.
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1 event,
Soil Health Bi-Monthly Community Call
Soil Health Bi-Monthly Community Call
We are excited to invite you to our bimonthly Soil Health Calls! These calls are designed to provide a platform for farmers, researchers, and experts to share their knowledge, experiences, and insights on soil health. Our aim is to create a community of like-minded individuals who are passionate about improving soil health.
Our calls will cover a range of topics related to soil health, including soil biology, organic matter, nutrient management, and any topic of relevance to the NOFA community and beyond. We will also have guest speakers who will share their expertise and insights on the latest developments in the field.
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1 event,
Hedgerows for Food and Diversity; Agroforestry on Farms and Homesteads
Hedgerows for Food and Diversity; Agroforestry on Farms and Homesteads
With Jono Neiger as our workshop leader, we’ll first look at Many Hands Organic Farm through the lens of whole systems design. We will explore, and literally dig into, areas of the farm to see how the complexity of soils, water, vegetation, microclimates, and more are interwoven and incorporated into farm management. Finally, we will look at specific field edges to see how they might become multi-functional hedgerows. We’ll walk through hedgerow design- looking at specific edges, identifying trees species, installation, and management strategies.
2 events,
Building Soil Health with Mushroom Compost
Building Soil Health with Mushroom Compost
Inoculate your compost with spent mushroom substrate! In this hands-on workshop, we'll show you how, and even take a peak under the microscope to see what's really going on.
Suelos Saludables con Composta de Hongos
Suelos Saludables con Composta de Hongos
Únase a nosotres en este viaje a lo más profundo del mundo del compost y el sustrato de las setas. A lo largo de esta jornada, exploraremos el mundo vivo del suelo y el micelio para aprender a integrar el sustrato usado para cultivar setas en sistemas de compostaje casero y/o de pequeña escala. Aprenderá sobre las prácticas de siembra directa, crecimiento, composta, mantillo y recolección de Woven Farms y sobre cómo incorporar el sustrato de setas en su agricultura.
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1 event,
Setting Goals for a Food Business // Estableciendo objetivos para una empresa de alimentos
Setting Goals for a Food Business // Estableciendo objetivos para una empresa de alimentos
Whether you’re starting, growing, or taking on a leadership role in a food business, you get to define what you want your success to look like. Join Stevie Schafenacker, independent farm and food business advisor, for an interactive online workshop about different approaches to goal setting for food businesses. We’ll talk about how to set goals that help you stay focused on what you want to achieve.
// Ya sea que esté iniciando, creciendo o asumiendo un rol de liderazgo en un negocio de alimentos, usted puede definir cómo quiere que sea su éxito. Únase a Stevie Schafenacker, asesor independiente de empresas agrícolas y alimentarias, para un taller interactivo en línea sobre diferentes enfoques para el establecimiento de objetivos para las empresas alimentarias. Hablaremos sobre cómo establecer metas que lo ayuden a mantenerse enfocado en lo que desea lograr.
1 event,
Twilight Workshop: Soil Health and Compost Nutrition
Twilight Workshop: Soil Health and Compost Nutrition
Join us at our Twilight Grower Series, this time at Holly Hill Farm in Cohasset! Together with NOFA-MA, Holly Hill will walk us through their compost production, show us their new compost sifter, and discuss the successes & challenges of producing their own compost for the farm. We’ll also talk about barriers to implementing this on your farm, and strategies that can improve the practicality and economics of on-farm composting.
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2 events,
Developing a Business Plan // Desarrollo de un plan de negocios
Developing a Business Plan // Desarrollo de un plan de negocios
Are you ready to turn your food business dream into a plan? Come learn about how to research, estimate, and pull together all the pieces of a business plan in this online workshop presented by Stevie Schafenacker, independent farm and food business advisor. We’ll spend most of our time focusing on creating a plan that’s by you and for you, but we’ll also talk about components of a business plan that are essential to applying for funding. //
¿Está listo para convertir su sueño de negocio de alimentos en un plan? Venga a aprender cómo investigar, estimar y reunir todas las piezas de un plan de negocios en este taller en línea presentado por Stevie Schafenacker, asesor independiente de empresas agrícolas y alimentarias. Pasaremos la mayor parte de nuestro tiempo enfocándonos en crear un plan hecho por usted y para usted.pero también hablaremos de los componentes de un plan de negocios que son esenciales para solicitar financiación.
MAPN Monthly Meeting
MAPN Monthly Meeting
Our next meeting is coming up! Join us as we host David Falk and Tori Antonino to get tips and tricks on fall garden care that supports pollinators (hint: there's a lot less to do than you think!).
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1 event,
Rich and Healthy: No-till for Successful Farms and Gardens – sold out
Rich and Healthy: No-till for Successful Farms and Gardens – sold out
If you a farmer or experienced gardener seeking to start, transition to, or advance no-till methods this inspiring day is for you!
Simple tools and no-till techniques build healthy soil, reduce labor and cost inputs, promote climate resilience, and increase your connection to the land.
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2 events,
Optimizing Farm Movement with Cynthia Flores
Optimizing Farm Movement with Cynthia Flores
Understand better body mechanics and movement patterns in order to increase productivity and help decrease on-farm injuries. Time will be spent in an interactive atmosphere moving through four basic movement patterns: hinge, squat, push and pull, along with the importance of core stability. Each participant will leave with tips focused on ways to improve their overall movement patterns and work-related well-being.
Go Nuts Bi-Monthly Community Call
Go Nuts Bi-Monthly Community Call
Go Nuts! is our bi-monthly informational call on agroforestry. During this call, we will discuss all things related to agroforestry, from planting and tree establishment to infrastructure and consumer access.
This includes insight into the variety of species of trees and shrubs and their various applications as well as discussing more technical elements such as soil health or animal integration. All of these discussions are grounded in the relevancy of agroforestry as a unified food systems solution, and how it can help sustain our environment, improve soil health and boost community resilience.
2 events,
Revelando a los Jardineros Ocultos: Aprovechando las Asociaciones Microbianas para Suelos Florecientes – se ha cancelado
Revelando a los Jardineros Ocultos: Aprovechando las Asociaciones Microbianas para Suelos Florecientes – se ha cancelado
A bilingual event. Únete a nosotros en un viaje inmersivo hacia el mundo intrincado bajo nuestros pies, un reino de microorganismos que poseen las claves para la vitalidad del suelo y la salud de las plantas. En este cautivador taller, nos sumergiremos profundamente en el fascinante mundo de las asociaciones microbianas que impulsan nuestros ecosistemas.
Unveiling the Hidden Gardeners: Harnessing Microbial Partners for Thriving Soils – cancelled
Unveiling the Hidden Gardeners: Harnessing Microbial Partners for Thriving Soils – cancelled
Join us for an immersive, bilingual journey into the intricate world beneath our feet – a realm of microorganisms that hold the keys to soil vitality and plant health. In this captivating workshop, we'll delve deep into the captivating realm of microbial partnerships that power our ecosystems.