Happy Valentine's Day from NOFA-NH!
Click on the headlines below to jump to specific articles, or scroll through this month's e-news at your leisure.
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 Shop NOFA-NH's Spring 2018 Bulk Order
ONLY 2 WEEKS LEFT TO ORDER!
DEADLINE: FEBRUARY 28, 2018
No minimum purchase. No shipping charges.
NOFA-NH's annual Spring Bulk Order is a collective buying program for organic farming and gardening supplies. It is an important fundraiser for the organization and proceeds help to fund important programs like providing CSA shares from local farms to underserved families, educating consumers and organic producers, and maintaining our website as an educational clearinghouse to support our network of growers, and gardeners.
NOFA-NH membership is not required to participate in the Bulk Order program, but non-NOFA members add 10% to their order. New or renewal membership can be included with your order.
Orders are delivered to Andover, Rochester, or Weare, NH the weekend of March 24-25, 2018.
Bulk Order Products Include: soil amendments, potting soil and compost, pest and weed control, organic cover crop seeds, farming and gardening supplies, organic seed potatoes, animal nutrition and more.
We are pleased to be working with the following suppliers:
- FER Fertrell/North Slope Farm Holtwood, PA
- ICC Ideal Compost Co. Peterborough, NH
- LAP Lancaster Agricultural Products Ronks, PA
- NOC North Country Organics Bradford, VT
- OGS Organic Growers Supply/Fedco Seeds/Moose Tubers Clinton, ME
- VCC Vermont Compost Co Montpelier, VT
Contact:
Bulk Order Coordinator, Denise Rico, at (603) 224-5022 and
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Thank you for your continued support!
We look forward to seeing you on pick up day!
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Register for NOFA-NH's 16th Annual Winter Conference!
Early Bird Registration Ends February 15th!
Join us for our 16th annual Winter Conference on Sunday, March 18, 2018, at Merrimack Valley High School in Concord, for all-day workshops, delicious meals, book signings, the Green Market Fair, and an evening presentation by Keynote Speaker, Dr. Daphne Miller, author of The Jungle Effect and Farmacology.
Conference Rates:
- Full-Day Conference: Includes meals & Evening Keynote with Dr. Daphne Miller: $76 ($95 after Thursday, February 15, 2018)
- KEYNOTE ONLY: Evening Keynote event with Dr. Daphne Miller: $30 ($35 after Thursday, February 15, 2018)
Online registration closes March 15, 2018.
Ticket prices increase $15 each for registrations after March 15, 2018, and walk-ins.
Volunteer! Volunteer for 4 hours (two 2-hour shifts) before/during the conference and attend for just $30!
Volunteers contribute a huge amount to the success of our conference each year.
We have a limited number of volunteer positions available.
Please note, completion of the volunteer form does not guarantee you a volunteer position.
Sign-up deadline is March 1, 2018.
You will be notified about your Volunteer role after the March 1 deadline. Apply to Volunteer Here.
NOFA-NH Annual Awards Nominations:
Each year, NOFA-NH recognizes the best of the best in our organic farming community at an Awards Ceremony during our annual Winter Conference. Please help us choose this year's awards recipients by submitting nominations in the following categories: outstanding new farmer, mentor farmer of the year, community partner of the year, leading gardener of the year, policy & advocacy leader of the year, and volunteer of the year.
Don't Forget, NOFA Members Save 20% on Tickets!
See You In March!
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ACTION ALERT
Keep Regulation of Seed & Fertilizer Local
Please contact Members of the House Environment and Agriculture Committee to oppose HB 1233 Preventing Local Regulation of Seed and Fertilizer before February 20th when we expect they will be voting on this bill.
This very broad bill seeks to take away from towns and cities regulatory authority over our local food systems, including taking away rights to manage and regulate seeds and fertilizers. This is contrary to New Hampshire's time-honored local control culture. It would also hamstring municipalities who may want to do things like enact more stringent controls on the use of fertilizers near lakes, bays, and streams or control the use of seeds associated with invasive species. Not to mention that it would take away the ability of cities and towns who may want to enact laws to promote and protect the practice of agriculture.
Read the proposed bill here.
If you'd like to get involved and receive updates and action alerts, please let us know! And we would be very interested to hear your thoughts about this bill. We will certainly pass them on as we can.
NOFA-NH will be tracking this. We'll encourage our members to contact their Representatives prior to the House Floor vote. And we will continue to track the bill after it crosses over from the House to the Senate.
We so appreciate your engagement!
Secretary: Heather Ebbs Tel: (603)
271-3125
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Announcing Exciting NEW Member Benefits!
NOFA-NH is pleased to offer some brand new member benefits that will add even more value to your membership.
As of February 1, 2018, NOFA-NH Members may post 1 FREE Classified per month on our Classifieds webpage and in our e-newsletter - a $630 value (the cost of posting 11 classifieds per year as a non-member)!
Classifieds are limited to 50 words including contact information, plus a hyperlink to the website of your choice. Images not included. Classifieds may include: farm jobs, apprenticeships, and internships, and other farm opportunities such as sales of equipment, land, and other farm related products suitable for the greater NOFA-NH community. Non-members may take advantage of this opportunity for $45 per month.
NOFA-NH members will also have a chance to be featured in the brand new "Meet Our Members" e-news column, beginning next month. Featured members will be chosen at random.
Lastly, new, renewing and sustaining NOFA-NH members will be featured in a "Welcome New & Returning Members" section of our e-newsletter with a hyperlink to their farm or farm-related business.
Not yet a member? Visit our membership page to read about all our member benefits and join our growing network!
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Greetings From the NH Farm & Forest Expo
If you attended the Farm & Forest Expo February 2nd & 3rd we hope you had a chance to stop by our table to chat with NOFA-NH Board Members and staff. This was our 12th year attending the expo, and we always love to see our members when we're out and about. If you weren't able to visit, here are some photos of our colorful booth to catch you up!
As a non-profit, we depend on volunteers at events like Farm & Forest, and other fun conferences and programs (like our upcoming Bulk Order pick up and Winter Conference). If you're interested in becoming one of our beloved volunteers, please contact us at email address [email protected] and phone number 603-224-5022.
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NOFA-NH Board Member,
Joan O'Connor
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Winter Conference Coordinator,
Monica Rico |
Commissioner of Agriculture,
Sean Jasper, at the awards program. |
Katie Doyle Smith & Paul Swegel of Pork Hill Farm, one of NOFA-NH's Farm Share Program participants, was presented with a Farm of Distinction award.
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Trump Administration Abolishes OLPP Animal Welfare Rules for Organic Farming
Organic industry leaders appealed to the Secretary of Agriculture, Sonny Perdue, last month to reinstate the Organic Livestock and Poultry Practices (OLPP) rules that would have ensured certified organic livestock and poultry are treated more humanely than their counterparts on conventional farms.
The Obama Administration finalized the new rules, which had been in development for a decade, on January 18, 2017. They would have upheld a standard of animal welfare and integrity in organic farming. After delaying their effect for nearly a year, the Trump Administration abolished them altogether in December 2017.
Scheduled to go into effect on May 14, 2018, the OLPP specified standards for organic livestock and poultry "designed to minimize stress, facilitate natural behaviors, and promote well-being," wrote Lynne Curry of Civil Eats.
The rules were hailed by farmers, consumer groups, retailers and animal welfare advocates who expected that the regulations would renew trust in the organic label, and meet with consumers expectations on animal welfare standards for organic dairy, eggs and meat.
While most certified organic producers do follow the existing USDA organic standards stating that animals are required access to the outdoors, some larger companies have been found confining animals and exploiting loopholes in the existing language. The OLPP would have created "
new standards for raising organic livestock, such as limiting tail docking and beak clipping; would require animals to have year-around access to the outdoors; and would stipulate that the indoor space is sufficiently large to allow the animals
to stand up and stretch their limbs," reported Wayne Pacelle in the Wisconsin Gazette.
"The USDA's ruling preserves the status quo," Civil Eats published.
NOFA-NH and other organic industry leaders participated in an organic community sign-on letter to Secretary Perdue, which was published in a full page ad in the Washington Post in January 2018.
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Study Finds Soil Microbes Can Increase Crop Yield and Reduce Fertilizer Use
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| A field study in Bangalore India. Photo Credit: Mathimaran Natarajan, University of Basel |
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A global meta-study study conducted by the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture FiBL and the University of Basel shows that soil microbes can increase crop yields by up to 40% while reducing the amount of fertilizer needed.
The study, published by "Frontiers in Plant Science," found that
beneficial soil microorganisms, also called bio-fertilizers, are particularly effective when added to the soil during sowing. Success was also found to be dependent on the amount of plant available phosphorous in the soil, making it crucial to adjust phosphorus fertilization according to the specific microbes added to the soil, as needed. The highest level of efficacy predicted is for legumes, such as beans and peas.
"In general, the use of microbes to increase yields is most promising in dry areas, such as the Mediterranean region or dry tropical regions (e.g. parts of India and Africa). In these climatic areas, the highest yield increase was achieved," quotes a
Results of the study have additional positive implications, including: potential cost savings on mineral fertilizer for farmers, reduced environmental impact of over-fertilization, increased yields in dry areas where planting occurs during the rainy season, and increased yields of nitrogen-fixing bacteria.
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Legal Guide for NH Agricultural Producers Released
The Legal Guide for New Hampshire Agricultural Producers (2017) contains 15 chapters on a plethora of legal issues and questions facing farmers in our state. Topics covered include: labor and employment law; business structures; tax laws; interstate commerce; laws surrounding the sales of foods and organic certification; milk regulations; regulations involving animal health and meat and poultry processing; municipal laws; zoning; and more.
The Guide was produced by BCM Attorneys Amy Manzelli (President of NOFA-NH's Board of Directors), Jason Reimers, and Stephen Wagner, in collaboration with the UNH Cooperative Extension.
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NH Soil Health Partnership Offers Statewide Cost Sharing Program to Retrofit Corn & Vegetable Planters to No-till
The
NH Soil Health Partnership is offering a statewide cost sharing program to retrofit existing corn planters to no-till. Through this program,
farmers will have the opportunity to turn existing corn or large vegetable planters into a no-till and receive technical assistance on the retrofit installation, and no-till planting process. Grant funding will pay 75% of the retrofit cost, and soil health assessments will be taken before/after the implementation. Technical assistance for implementing the retrofit is included at no cost to farmers.
Sign up by March 1, 2018 with your local conservation district to apply.
V
isit
www.nhacd.net for information on your local County Conservation District.
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Cheshire County Farmers' Markets, Farm Stands & CSAs Can Increase Food Access Through SNAP
The Cheshire County Conservation District is helping farmers' markets, farm stands, and CSAs obtain EBT machines to enable low income community members to shop for fresh, local produce with their SNAP dollars (also known as "food stamps"). Once farmers' markets, farm stands, and CSAs begin accepting SNAP dollars, the Cheshire County Conservation District will enroll them in the Granite State Market Match program, which doubles SNAP dollars at no cost to the retailer, and at the full benefit of the consumer.
Click here to learn more about this opportunity and how you can participate.
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How the Mesopotamian Ecology Movement is Knitting Agriculture with Autonomy in Syria
The Mesopotamian Ecology Movement (MEM) is at the heart of a democratic revolution in Rojava, Syria, also known as North Kurdistan, that has propelled itself through social justice, ecological vitality, communal living, and cooperative business.
Stemming from resistance to local issues like dam construction, climate change, and deforestation, MEM has grown from a small collection of local ecological groups to a network of "ecology councils" that are active throughout Rojava, and in Turkey. The movement's priorities include: decreasing dependence on imports, returning to traditional water-conserving cultivation techniques, ecological policy-making, promoting local crops and livestock and traditional construction methods, organizing educational activities, and working against damaging projects such as dams and mines.
In Rojava, schools teach ecology as a fundamental principle, and a series of school gardens have been built with the help Slow Food International and the Rojava Ministry of Water and Agriculture in villages around the city of Kobane so that children can learn about the region's biodiversity and how to care for it. Fruit trees, figs, and pomegranates are grown instead of monocultures, some even on lands formerly destroyed by ISIS.
Read the full article by Sean Keller in Local Futures to learn more about the incredible work being done in Rojava.
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We're Calling For Board Members! Could That Be You?
Hi There, Reader! We're still looking for enthusiastic individuals to join our fun and dynamic volunteer Board of Directors. Won't you grow with us?
Are you dedicated to supporting the local and organic food movement? Passionate about building and sustaining healthy communities? Interested in working with the NOFA Interstate Council on regional efforts to bring about positive and lasting change?
Do you have some strong executive skills that you would like to share with your favorite farming organization? Are you good at managing money, raising money, thinking strategically, managing people?
If any of the above resonates with you, get in touch!
We know that life is busy and your time is valuable, so we promise not to waste it.
If you'd like to learn more about our Board of Directors and Staff,
click here.
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Your Support Matters! Help NOFA-NH Thrive
NOFA-NH uses every cent of your donations on its important programs like providing CSA shares from local farms to underserved families, educating consumers and organic producers, and maintaining our website as an educational clearinghouse to support our network of growers, gardeners & more.
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Welcome New & Returning Members!
Thank you to our NOFA-NH Members who renewed their membership in January 2018:
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Renew Your Membership, Join Today, or Give the Gift of NOFA-NH Membership!
We've streamlined to just two membership levels:
- Student/Senior Membership: $30 (Available to full-time students currently enrolled in school and persons over 65 years old)
- Standard Membership: $45 (Available to everyone)
Check out a list of member benefits on the membership page of our website. A year's Membership to NOFA-NH makes a great gift any time of year! Call our office to purchase the gift of organic for your loved ones: 603-224-5022.
Current memberships
will continue for one year from the date you joined.
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Classifieds
Certified Organic Seedlings. Over 300 varieties of vegetables, herbs and flowers. Please see a complete list of plants at our website. Pre-order for best choice. Greenhouses are open Memorial Day weekend (May 25-28) from 9 am to 5 pm. Good Earth Farm Weare, NH.
www.goodearthfarmnh.com
The Dairy & Livestock Manager (DLM) at Appleton Farms is responsible for implementing The Trustees grass-based, dairy and beef programs at Appleton Farms and supervises farm staff responsible for the day-to-day care and management of all livestock and livestock program infrastructure.
About This Section:
As of February 1, 2018, NOFA-NH Members may post 1 free Classified per month on our
Classifieds page
and in this e-newsletter. Non-NOFA-NH members may post a Classified in the e-news and on our website for $45 per Classified per month. To inquire about this program and to share a Classified with our community, contact [email protected].
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NOFA-NH Winter Conference
Early Bird Registration Deadline
Thursday, February 15
Register Online
Winnipesaukee Beekeepers School
Thursday, Feb. 15 & 22, and Mar. 8
Tuftonboro, NH
Farm Equipment for Beginners
Friday, February 16
Meredith, NH
NH Grazering Conference
Saturday, February 17
Concord, NH
NOFA-VT Winter Conference
February 17 - 19
Burlington, VT
Tuesday, February 20
Keene, NH
The Basics of Farm Succession Planning
Friday, February 23
Durham, NH
Seacoast Eat Local Winter Farmers' Market
Saturday, February 24
Rollinsford, NH
NH Food Alliance FINE Metrics Webinar
Tuesday, February 27
Webinar
Order Deadline for NOFA-NH's Bulk Order
Wednesday, February 28
Shop Online
NH Food Alliance 2018 Statewide Gathering
Friday, March 9
New London, NH
Seacoast Eat Local Winter Farmers' Market
Saturday, March 10
Exeter, NH
CT NOFA's Winter Conference
Saturday, March 10
Danbury, CT
Farm/Food Matchmaking Program
Tuesday, March 13
Concord, NH
NOFA-NH's Winter Conference
Sunday, March 18
Concord, NH
What's happening in neighboring states?
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