By Jason Valcourt, Summer Conference Coordinator

As winter begins to thaw, the fields call us back to tend  and cultivate another season of healthful bounty. And as the USDA organic standards degrade even further in the face of the National Organic Standards Board allowing Hydroponics into organic certification and animal welfare regulations taking a huge step backward, the need for conscientious local food producers becomes more necessary than ever. What a time for organic farmers and gardeners to get better at doing their part to infiltrate the food system with the healthiest, most conscientious food possible!

Mark your calendar for August 10-12, 2018 when we will gather on the campus of Hampshire College for the 44th NOFA Summer Conference as a community set on maintaining transparent and upstanding food production methods consumers can rely on in good faith. Each summer the NOFA community looks toward its regional summer gathering to help keep the fabric of healthful organic practices in tact and to learn from the successes of many amazing people doing their part.

This year NOFA will host keynote speakers Rowen White and Eric Holt-Giménez, over 120 workshops from all seven NOFA states, live entertainment, our annual contradance and country fair, as well as many family friendly activities. We gather together in 2018 to deepen and enliven our awareness of how all success in the organic movement is deeply connected to the wisdom of various cultures that have utilized and honed agricultural techniques that paved the way for organic farmers today.

From the nitty gritty of running a prison garden, to intercropping your garlic with faba bean, this year's workshop program has - very literally - just about everything. Get outside and hands on by grafting and pruning fruit trees, or by heading out on a guided mushroom walk. Tour the Hampshire College heritage pig breeding program, learn how to make your own fermented wild sodas, dig into balancing the soil nutrient food web, explore the concept of lean farming, create a vision for the future of organic, join dialogues on reparations and advancing the rights of farmworkers, and rediscover the indigenous crops of the far northeast. Looking to learn about different cultures of the world? Dive into Kaitiakitanga, the Maori concept of "guardianship" in regenerative agriculture; or the ancient Mexican Tetzkatlipoka diet of balanced nutrition. The conference is shaping up to offer a packed schedule, and we hope you take advantage of it!

Our Saturday foodie experience is growing more flavorful by the minute! We are excited to welcome the  African Alliance of Rhode Island to offer their delicious fare. You'll be able to try some of their famous Joloff and other delights, as well as purchase their carrot, apple or bitter ball jams to add some African flavor to your own dishes at home.

Summer Conference registration opens on May 1st! Scholarships and Work Exchange opportunities will be available on a first come first serve basis. We also have additional scholarships available to marginalized communities who would like to join us. Please be in touch if your group is interested. 

Find out more about the conference at  www.nofasummerconference.org!

*This article comes from the NOFA/Massachusetts  2018 April Issue  Newsletter, and is r e-printed with permission from NOFA/Massachusetts.

Encourage Members of the

Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee

to VOTE NO on House Bill 1233 

- A bill preempting local regulation of seeds and fertilizers - 

 

This bill has passed the house and is expected to be heard in Senate Committee on April 24th (though this date is not set in stone -  let us know if you'd like to receive final confirmation of the date when it is set).

 

Please call Committee Members at the numbers below (or email them), to register your opposition to the bill.

 

Talking Points:

House Bill 1233 could be a significant threat to a vibrant, local, and sustainable food system-a vast web of entities and relationships that hard-working farmers and food system advocates have been dedicated to rebuilding over the past decades. 

 

It is vital that these initiatives be supported and encouraged in order to provide food security and resilience in the years ahead.  Furthermore, ecological well-being, on which we all depend, as well as community fabric, require diverse and locally-rooted practices that are adapted to the specifics of New Hampshire's cultures and ecosystems.   And yet, House Bill 1233 seeks to strip local communities from having an ability to regulate seeds and fertilizers, unless communities do so as part of their planning and zoning powers.

 

The very broad language of this bill includes just about every aspect of a food system.  Though some claim that this bill doesn't preempt much that doesn't already exist in state law, it can be seen as an end-run around our food systems.  If the claim that it doesn't do more than already exists, then much of it is redundant and not necessary.

 

The broad language of the bill prevents municipal regulation of seed "products."  Furthermore, seeds are the basis of almost all crop farming (including nursery and greenhouse production). In New Hampshire, this represented 53% of the market value of agricultural products sold in 2012 (according to the Agricultural Census). 

 

Local control, a basic tenet of New Hampshire governance, and a long-established part of our state culture is threatened by this broadly-worded bill that represents significant state overreach.  Local control fosters accountability, innovation, and responsiveness to local community and ecosystem needs.

 

This bill could create much legal confusion, as well as financial and/or legal hardship for towns and farmers.

 

This bill represents a solution to problems that don't exist here, while having the potential of creating many unintended consequences.

 

To Oppose This Bill, Contact the Following Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee Members:

 

Committee Aide: Griffin Roberge, 271-2878, SH 103

 

Members:

 

Kevin Avard, Chairman, ( District 12) 271-4151,  [email protected]

 

Jeb Bradley, V. Chairman, ( District 3) 271-2609,  [email protected]

 

Daniel Innis, ( District 24) 271-3077, 285-1150 (cell),  [email protected];  [email protected]

 

Martha Fuller Clark, ( District 21) 271-3092,  [email protected]

 

Dan Feltes, ( District 15) 271-3067,  [email protected]

 

 

Thank you for your engagement!

NH Gleans is a network of organizations working to increase the availability of fresh and local produce distributed through food pantries, soup kitchens, community suppers and schools throughout NH that harvests food from farms and farmers markets that would otherwise not be distributed or sold. In 2017, the program's coordinators collected 163,592 pounds of food that were distributed to 85+ community partner organizations.

NOFA-NH is pleased to be a part of this grant-funded program through a partnership with New Hampshire Farm to School and the Seacoast Gleaning Coordinator. You can help ensure this program continues at the same level as previous years by making a tax-deductible donation to help fund gleaning activities in the Seacoast region.

 

Click here to learn more about the program and how you can participate.