Gleanings
June 2015
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Coming Together;
Connecticut's Beginning & Experienced Organic Farmers,
contracts experienced organic farmers from around the state to provide short-term technical assistance to Connecticut's beginning farmers.
More about the program
HERE
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From the Interim Executive Director
Greetings all,
With the much-welcomed rain, we are all off and running this spring. Here's what we've been up to:
 The 6th year of the Beginning Women Farmer Program just graduated another 12 farmers, with the final session held at alum/mentor Phoebe Browning's B4&After Farm in Woodbridge. We're still waiting to hear about funding to continue this program; meanwhile, there's more about it here.
On May 30th, thirty aspiring and experienced gardeners attended our 2nd Suburban Homesteading workshop in Wallingford. It was the perfect spring day for talking about greenhouses, seed starting and how you might incorporate lots of different types of food into one small yard. It was great fun and we plan to continue a series like this throughout the summer and fall.
Our June 11th Step Up to the Plate event has now been changed to an online auction. We should have all the great items posted soon, so check here and we'll let you know when it's ready to go live and start the bidding.
 Farmer's markets are now getting started again, so meet and get to know your farmers, ask questions about their methods and practices. Other than growing it yourself, it's the best way to make that connection to the choices you make every day on what to eat and how to support the local growers. If you don't have a copy of the Farm & Food Guide, here's a link and we'd also be glad to send you a copy.
Best Spring wishes to all,
Deb Legge - Interim Executive Director
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Step Up to the Plate! 
We are pleased to announce that you do not need to leave your home to Step Up to the Plate! We will now be holding an online auction so that you can support CT NOFA and ConnFACT so that we can continue to do our critical work from the comfort of your own home. We will be announcing the details and more auction items, so check our event page and you'll see how it easy it can be to support CT NOFA and ConnFACT. |
Product and Process
by Bill Duesing
To understand the importance of organic agriculture, we need to look beyond the difference between the possible pesticide contamination of conventional produce and the possible blemishes of organic produce.
Organic farming and gardening work by using the processes that have allowed the Earth to evolve to its current beautiful and exciting state.
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Organic Land Care Program Taking Action to Protect LI Sound
The next phase of the GSI project has begun at Three Rivers Community College. Check out the latest here>
Announcing the 2015/2015 Accreditation Course dates!
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Hindinger Farm Strawberry Festival
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Hayrides, food, live entertainment, and strawberries! See their website for more details.
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NOFA Organic Land Care
online Organic Lawn Care Certificate course.
Click
HERE for more information.
Amherst, MA
Registration is now open~
Register early for the best discounts!
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Whole Foods 5% Donation Day at all Whole Foods stores in Connecticut
September 17th
*Save the Date*
5% of that day's net sales will be donated to CT NOFA!
More details to come!
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Business Member Profiles
Organic Products for landscape professionals.
We offer organic products, and advice on how to use them and promote them to customers! Paul Saltanis, a NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professional, has over 20 years of experience using and promoting organic lawn, tree care and tick and mosquito control with his previous business, Country Green, Inc. (now part of SavaTree).
Let him direct you through the maze of products to help you provide a quality program for your clients that will get the results they expect.
We want our bread, "the Wilton bread" (now from Norwalk), to continue to be, as so many of our customers put it, "the best bread I have ever had." We want to help people, young and older, learn how good bread is made. We do hands-on lessons at community centers and at the bakery for adults and children, starting at four years old. We describe how we make our bread and how to care for it on the back of each bread bag. We also make addictive chips and croutons and have added a line of authentic and irresistible pastries. All Wave Hill Breads and pastries are entirely hand-crafted in the Old World artisan tradition.
We and our growing team of bakers, delivery people, farmers' marketeers, and store samplers, all gain great satisfaction from the enthusiastic response to our creations.
Haven't seen your business featured here yet? Fill out this form to give us more information on your CT NOFA member business!
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CT NOFA Members in the Spotlight
Guy Beardsley was thanked by the City of Shelton for years of managing the Shelton Farmers Market. The Shelton Herald has the story.
Wells Hill Farm and The Hickories were recently featured on a television show. Read more here.
Bill Duesing of Old Solar Farm made the front page of the
CT Post, discussing weather conditions affecting CT farmers.
This Stamford Advocate
article mentions Alan Gorkin of Lake Avenue Farm, and our own Deb Legge, each speaking at respective workshops.
Cricket Hill Garden celebrated their 26th annual Peony Festival last month. The Register-Citizen tells the
story.
The June issue of New Haven Living magazine is chock full of CT NOFA members this month! The issue includes an article on Rocky Corner Cohousing; and an article on organic food delivery businesses, featuring CT Farm Fresh Express; and while no members are mentioned in it, there is an informative article on starting a family garden. Check it out! (sign-up needed to read articles).
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In the News
Welcome to Rachel Murray, who has officially joined the Land For Good team as a Connecticut Field Agent. Read the full story here>
CT farmers markets are still looking for vendors! The CT DoAG site has a list of markets in need of vendors. More>
The USDA announced that it is making $30 million available to farmers, ranchers and food entrepreneurs to develop new product lines. Funding will be made available through the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program. The deadline to apply is July 2, 2015 online or July 7 via paper submission. Details here>
USDA's Farm Service Agency (FSA) still has nearly one billion dollars available for farm loans to help family farmers across the country buy land. More>
Check out some of the stories from last month's March Against Monsanto. More>
Research finds that organic systems provide more value than conventional agriculture. More> GMO-free infant formula hits the shelves. More> Vineyards using sustainable pest management are seeing an unexpected increase in butterflies. More> Neil Young to put out anti-Monsanto album. More>
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| School Garden Network News Growing and Learning
GVI's Reservoir Community Farm Launches Fundraiser
After a suspected arson fire destroyed the community building at Reservoir Community Farm, a fundraiser has been launched to rebuild. Read about the good things the Community Farm does and how you can help them continue their mission.
We'd love to share your school garden with our readers! Feel free to
send in any articles, news, photos or any questions you may have.
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Deb Legge
Gleanings Editor
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