It's spring time, and NOFA-NH has been busy!
Click on the headlines below to read specific articles,
or scroll through this month's e-news at your leisure.
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Mark Your Calendar for NH Gives, June 6 - 7!
NH Gives is a statewide 24-hour online fundraising event (beginning at 6:00 PM on June 6
th
!) designed to build community, connect donors to local nonprofits and generate excitement about the nonprofit sector. NOFA-NH will be participating again this year, and we need your help to make 2018's NH Gives our most successful yet!
We are pleased to offer some fantastic gifts for you, our donors, so please check out our campaign page for an early look at all the goodies.
NOFA-NH uses every cent of your donations on its important programs like:
- Providing subsidized CSA shares from local organic farms to underserved families.
- Providing Gleaning services to benefit food pantries and other social service providers.
- Offering the growing community discounted prices on organic farming and gardening supplies through our Bulk Order program.
- Maintaining our website as an educational clearinghouse to support our network of growers, gardeners and more!
- Educating consumers and organic producers across the state through our Winter Conference, workshops and farm tours.
Please help us continue to provide the programs you love!
Every Donation is a HUGE Help!
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Introducing NOFA-NH's Online Store
NOFA-NH is excited to announce our
Brand New Online Store! In our shop, you'll find fun NOFA-NH branded products like bumper stickers and metal membership signs (great for your farmers market table, store, farm or farm stand), as well as NOFA books on organic farming. Every purchase helps NOFA-NH provide the programs you care about, such as subsidized farm shares for community members in need, gleaning services, educational resources, workshops, farm tours, the bulk order program, winter conference, and so much more.
Have a look around the store and become one of our first customers.
Thank you for your support!
A Sampling of What's in the Store
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Save the Date for Mondanock Food Co-op's 1 Day
Round It Up Fundraiser for
NOFA-NH's Subsidized Farm Share Program!
When? May 25, 2018
Where? Monadnock Food Co-op
34 Cypress St. Keene, NH 03431
NOFA-NH is pleased to share that we are partnering with
Monadnock Food Co-op
in Keene to hold a 1 Day Round It Up campaign on May 25th to fundraise for NOFA-NH's Farm Share Program!
The campaign date is the Friday before Memorial Day, so if you are in the Monadnock region prepping for or going to a gathering, please stop by the Co-op and round up your change after making a purchase to help fund this program.
NOFA-NH launched our Farm Share Program (aka CSA Program) in 2017 to provide subsidized Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) shares for New Hampshire individuals with limited income, especially benefitting children, families and seniors. The program connects disadvantaged individuals and families with certified organic NOFA-NH member farms to provide subsidized CSA shares consisting of a season's worth of local, fresh farm products - 15 to 30 weeks of vegetables, fruit, dairy, eggs, meat, and/or bread - that would otherwise be unaffordable for the recipients.
Funds from the campaign will go directly to helping families in the Monadnock Region through subsidized farm shares from Picadilly Farm. If you would like to contribute directly to this program, you can do so through our
donation page
or by calling NOFA-NH during our office hours (Mon. - Thurs. 10 AM - 5PM) at 603-224-5022. To learn more about NOFA-NH's Farm Share Program,
click here
.
Not in the area? You can still help by spreading the word!
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We Value Your Feedback:
Please Let Us Know How We're Doing in a Brief Survey
NOFA-NH wants to provide educational programs and information that matches the needs and interests of our members. To this end, we've developed a brief survey to capture your thoughts. Whether you're a member or not, we want to hear from you! We'll be sending out the survey in the coming weeks. Please help us understand a bit more about your background and interests by taking 5-10 minutes to fill it out.
Your values are important to us, and your thoughtful feedback helps NOFA-NH make decisions on where to focus our energies as an organization. Thank you in advance for your time.
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NOFA-NH's Video Postcard Series
At our 2013 Winter Conference, members of the organic farming community told us about their experience in a series of thirteen short videos called Video Postcards.
The topics discussed are still relevant today, along with the wisdom and insight each participant had to offer.
Visit our video archives in the
Resources section of our website to watch all the episodes and take a stroll down this piece of NOFA-NH memory lane.
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NOFA-NH at Greenerborough
NOFA-NH Board Members Joan O'Connor and Sarah Laeng-Gilliatt shared an exhibitor table at the Greenerborough Fair on Saturday, May 5
th at the Peterborough Community Center in Peterborough, NH. This annual event is intended to accelerate progress toward a future of resilience and sustainability by focusing on how New England families can grow and choose food, energy, housing and lifestyles to improve our health and happiness. The fair included activities for children and families, a farmer's market, panels for sustainability professionals and an exhibition of like-minded organizations, with products, techniques and services aimed at increasing sustainability.
Thank you, Board Members, Joan and Sarah, and to all who attended Greenerborough!
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Registration is Open for NOFA's Summer Conference
Early Bird registration
for NOFA's Summer Conference is open, offering 20% off registration through June 27th. There is also a 15% discount for groups of 5 or more.
Scholarship opportunities are available for those who would like to volunteer some time for a discounted conference rate. Farm Workers and Apprentices also have a special opportunity to apply for free conference registration through a
scholarship application
.
As one of the benefits of membership, NOFA-NH members receive roughly a 20% discount on conference pricing. If you haven't become a member yet, this is another great reason to join! You can sign up or renew your
NOFA-NH membership here.
When's the conference? August 10 - 12, 2018 at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA.
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Volunteer for NH Gleans this Spring and Summer!
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 in New Hampshire. Gleaning Coordinators and volunteers harvest food from farms and farmers markets that have not been distributed or sold, and then donate them to organizations that supply food to community members in need.
NOFA-NH's Gleaning Coordinator is looking for volunteers to help with gleaning around the Seacoast this spring and summer. If you'd like to volunteer,
please sign up here.
This is a great way to get outside, do some fantastic volunteer work and make new friends at the same time.
Last year, the program's coordinators collected 163,592 pounds of food that was distributed to 85+ community partners. With your help, we can make 2018 even more successful!
Questions? Get in touch! Email us at [email protected] or call 603-224-5022.
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Update on House Bill 1233
Unfortunately, House Bill 1233 passed early this month in the Senate.
Thank you to all who expressed your concerns and opposition by attending and speaking at the hearing in April, signing petitions, calling and emailing your Senators, and spreading the word about this issue with friends, neighbors, family and colleagues.
Please reach out if you have any remaining thoughts, questions, or concerns. It helps us to hear your particular idea on this bill and how you think it might impact you.
Your engagement is paramount, and we value your commitment to organic and sustainable agriculture. If you are unsure of your legislators, but would like to know for future advocacy opportunities,
click here for your representatives, and for your senator,
click here. Thank you again for all your efforts.
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Protect Organic: Reject the House Farm Bill
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The proposed Farm Bill has put the Senate Agriculture Committee under immense pressure to weaken organic standards. Pending Senate Farm Bill legislation could gut the authority of the National Organic Standards Board, putting corporate interests above the needs of family farmers.
We know that the organic farming community is deeply alarmed by this threat. The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) determines which materials can be used in organic farming and is the heart of the transparent, democratic process that upholds the integrity of the organic seal. Eroding the board's authority could end organic as we know it.
KEEP THE ORGANIC STANDARDS STRONG!
Consumer trust in the organic seal and the future of American organic family farms is at stake. We need more support for organic in the Farm Bill, not a sneak attack aimed at opening up the organic standards to special interests.
TAKE ACTION
Call Senator Leahy (202) 224-4242 and ask for his leadership in continuing to defend the NOSB. Ask to speak with a staffer in agriculture, or simply leave a message with whoever answers the phone.
Talking points:
- I'm calling as a constituent and an organic farmer/consumer.
- I urge Senator Leahy to oppose any attempts to weaken the organic standards in the Farm Bill. First and foremost, I urge Senator Leahy to oppose any changes to the National Organic Standards Board.
- I urge Senator Leahy to protect organic programs like certification cost-share and organic research.
- I want Senator Leahy to create a level playing field for U.S. organic family farms and stop organic import fraud.
Unfortunately, t
here's a lot to be disenchanted with in the proposed Farm Bill. For a detailed list of issues you should be aware of, read the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition's (NSAC) recent blog post on the Top 10 Reasons to Reject the Farm Bill.
This article was adapted from NOFA-VT. Click here to read the full Action Alert.
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The Unveiling of the Proposed GMO Labeling Rule
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In accordance with a disclosure law passed in 2016, the USDA has released a much anticipated proposal for a new
rule requiring food companies to disclose when their products contain genetically modified ingredients on the label. The intent of the rule is to provide a mandatory uniform standard on GMO labeling that will help consumers make decisions when purchasing food.
Food companies will have 3 options for labeling: a one-sentence declaration, an icon like the USDA Organic label, or a digital marker such as a QR code that leads shoppers to a website for more information.
The proposed rule includes a few caveats. For one, instead of adopting broadly used language like, GMO, "genetically modified" or "genetically engineered," the proposed rule will use the terms "bioengineered food" or "bioengineered food ingredient" on the label. There may also be labeling exemptions for food products made with some refined genetically modified sugars and oils, or for products containing those ingredients in amounts beneath a certain threshold, reports the
Washington Post.
The Agricultural Marketing Service of the USDA
will seek public comments for 60 days, that is until July 3, 2018.
Advocacy groups are organizing a coordinated campaign on this - please stay tuned for more details and specific action items. The rule is intended to be finalized on July 29th, a deadline set by Congress when it passed the disclosure law in 2016.
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The Impact of Big Ag on Family Farms
ActionAid USA has produced two videos about the threats that agribusiness poses to family farmers, communities, and the environment in rural America. "The Mighty Buck" and "Get Big or Get Out," feature interviews with Iowa farmers and community members to show the impact of the spread of agribusiness on local communities and economies, the environment, and the family farm.
The videos were produced with support from the National Family Farm Coalition and grassroots organizations in Iowa.
To watch the videos and read more about the project
click here
.
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CA Wins Appeal to Classify Gyphosate as a Probable Carcinogen
In our
January e-news, we reported that the state of California deemed glyphosate worthy of being added to Proposition 65, a state list that requires notification and labeling of all chemicals known to cause cancer, birth defects or other reproductive harm, and prohibits their discharge into the state's drinking waters. The decision required glyphosate products - such as Monsanto's herbicide, RoundUp, and many other pesticides - bear a label warning potential buyers that its ingredients can cause adverse health effects.
The vote was influenced by a 2015 report from the World Health Organization's International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), which deemed glyphosate "a probable human carcinogen." In response to California's decision, a dozen national and midwestern agricultural groups, including Monsanto, took the state to court.
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New & Improved Organic Regulations Passed in the EU
Last month, the EU passed new organic regulations that keep pesticides out of organic foods, improve the well-being of animals used in organic production, and secure the use of soil in the definition of organic. These new regulations are meant to provide more certainty to consumers regarding the quality of organic food.
The new rules also streamlined the regulations on imports, and supported a series of rules that will strengthen organic production in the European Union. Read the full article
here
.
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Meet Our Members! Introducing Britt Phillips
NOFA-NH's knowledgeable and passionate members make our organization great. Each month, we'll make our community a little closer by introducing you to one of our invaluable members.
Name and Occupation: Britt Phillips, Owner & Operator of an organic lawn care service
How long have you been a member of NOFA-NH? Since 2008! That was right around the time I really started to know a lot more about organics, organic food and organic farming. When I started opening my eyes to that, I realized I wanted to go down this path instead of a conventional one.
Why did you become a member of NOFA-NH? It was an organization that was very much in alignment with my beliefs and my philosophies and it was great to become part of a group where we all sort of have that bigger vision: that from a health stand point we want take care of ourselves, each other, and mother nature.
How has NOFA-NH impacted your business? I would say through the people that are NOFA-NH members. In particular, Lauren Chase Rowel, who is also someone involved in organic land care, and some of the other members. There was actually a period of time when we did have an organic land care group through NOFA-NH, but unfortunately - and I know it's the same thing with the farmers - you get really busy especially this time of the year, and especially as a single business owner. I just recently hired my first employee! I couldn't sustain putting my time into the organic land care group.
Beyond NOFA-NH, from a bigger standpoint, the NOFA organization in general was a huge support of my business foundationally, and one of the reasons I got into this business. I did the five day organic land care course, which was through NOFA/MASS and CT-NOFA at the time.
So, NOFA was an organization that I was starting to have a bigger connection with. The NOFA-NH members were a big help to my business with wisdom, support, and advice - just having conversations and talking. Even though [most members] are in the organic farming business and I'm in the organic land care business, we're both in business. So there's a lot to learn from each other. And the more I think about it, I realize I'm friends with a lot of NOFA people!
What's your number one priority for NOFA-NH this year? I did think it was important to have a NOFA-NH group that was specifically for NH organic land care professionals. This group was 3-4 years ago. I believe all of us were accredited organic land care professionals through NOFA/MASS and CT-NOFA. Eventually, once I train my employee, I'd like to investigate that piece again. I think it's really important. When you think about the bigger picture: there are organic farmers, but depending on where they are in the state, there might be a development right next door [that's spraying their lawns]. I feel the organic land care piece is so connected to the organic farming piece. And it was really nice to hang out with other organic land care people like myself. It's good to connect like that.
What advice do you have for anyone thinking about becoming a NOFA-NH member? I would say go ahead and do it! Become a member because it's an awesome group of people first off, and I think support is such a big part of this whole thing. What we're all trying to do with this organic movement, and sustainability movement, and regenerative movement in terms of land, and soils, and the food that we're growing, and the land care piece of it, and how we're caring for land, I just think it's really important [to support each other].
Generally, it's an awesome education. There are classes and seminars. You'll get all kinds of educational experiences you can take advantage of through NOFA-NH. Again, if you're interested, do it because you're trying to support this. The more people that get involved with these types of organizations the more change we're going to make. I don't know if activism is the right word, but it's a good way to be active in this type of a movement that's been going on for a long time, but that we're trying to sustain and teach to new people. Become a member because we're trying to keep all this alive, and going, and getting somewhere!
Does your business have any upcoming events you'd like to share with the community? Yes! It's a neat little event called the
Dandelion Festival at the Remick Country Doctor Museum & Farm in Tuftonboro on Saturday May 19th. We all know there's a stigma against dandelions, but this event is going to have all things dandelions, and what you can do with dandelions, and they asked me to the come to the festival. So, I'm going to be there as a lawn person in support of dandelions!
About this column:
NOFA-NH members with farms and farm related businesses are eligible to be featured in this column. Featured members are chosen by random lottery.
Click here
to become a member or renew your membership.
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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 became new members and renewed their membership in April and May 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
Head Gardner in NH's White Mountains: Seasonal Position, starts immediately. Previous experience required. The World Fellowship Center has 4 acres cleared for farming and a greenhouse. The goal is to provide top quality organic vegetables for our guests and staff.
Email resume and cover letter to [email protected]. Questions? 603-447-2280. Worldfellowship.org.
Full & Part-Time Positions Available at Tracie's Community Farm in Fitzwilliam, NH: Full and Part-Time positions available at Tracie's Community Farm in Fitzwilliam, NH! Employees at Tracie's learn a wide range of farm skills and many of our employees have gone on to management positions at other farms. Visit Tracie's Community Farm for more information! E-mail: [email protected]. Phone: 443-994-4629
WANTED TO BUY: 1-3 Acres 20 Miles of Antrim // Bear Tree Zendo, a local Zen group, needs a small piece of land (one to three acres) within twenty miles of Antrim to build a small local meditation hall (zendo). Woods, field, old pasture, going back to trees, etc. Quiet essential. Continued use arrangement, hay or sugaring possible. Call 603-748-5006 and leave a message.
About This Section:
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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Monadnock Food Co-op
NOFA Farm Share Fundraiser
Burger Night at Brookford Farm
Friday, May 25
Canterbury, NH
May 31 - June 1
Brattleboro, VT
Strolling of the Heifers Weekend
May 31 - June 1
Brattleboro, VT
Beyond the Farmers' Market
Friday, June 1
Craftsbury Common, VT
Wednesday, June 6
Canterbury, NH
NH Gives - Support NOFA-NH
Wednesday - Thursday, June 6 - 7
New Hampshire
August 1 - 31
New Hampshire
August 10 - 12
Hampshire, MA
What's happening in neighboring states?
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