2013 Conference Brochure

31st A

nnua

l Org

anic

Far

min

g &

Gar

deni

ng C

onfe

renc

e

Sara

toga

Hilt

on &

City

Cen

ter,

Sara

toga

Spr

ings

, NY

Janu

ary

25–2

7, 2

013

Pre-

regi

ster

by

Janu

ary

11th

!G

et a

$10

disc

ount

if y

ou re

gist

er b

y D

ecem

ber 1

1th!

Visi

t ww

w.n

ofan

ycon

fere

nce.

org

to re

gist

er o

nlin

e.

NOFA-NY WINTER CONFERENCE www.nofanyconference.org2

Broc

hure

Des

ign:

Dav

id F

ord,

Art

ist M

edia

Eye

W E L C O M EW E L C O M E

www.nofanyconference.orgwww.nofanyconference.org

Broc

hure

Des

ign:

Dav

idFo

rdA

rtis

tMed

iaEy

e

WHAT’S INSIDE2 Welcome

4 Keynote Speakers

5 Special Meetings

6 Ways to Get Involved

7 Special Events

10 Schedule at a Glance

12 Friday Intensives

19 Workshop Tracks

23 Fun Th ings to Do in Saratoga

24 Scholarship Information

25 Pre-Registration Form

43 Children’s Conference & Childcare

46 How to Get Th ere, Transportation, Hotel, Ridesharing

47 Conference Sponsors

Th e Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) is an organization of organic farm-ers, gardeners, businesses, and con-sumers committed to creating a regional food system that is ecolog-ically sound and economically via-ble. Th rough education and advocacy we promote land stewardship, organ-ic food production, and local market-ing. NOFA-NY brings consumers and farmers closer together to make high quality food available to all people.

RegisterTo register for the 2013 NOFA-NY

Organic Farming and Gardening Conference use the form enclosed, go online to www.nofanyconference.org,or contact Charlene Burke, Registra-tion Coordinator at (585) 271-1979 ext. 515 or [email protected]. For general questions about the Win-ter Conference, please contact (585) 271-1979.

www.nofanyconference.org 2013 • RESILIENCE 3

W E L C O M EW E L C O M E

RESILIENCEIn January 2013, NOFA-NY will hold its 31st annual conference

with the theme Resilience. Organic farmers are no strangers to adversity. 2012 was a year

of extraordinary economic and environmental upheaval. Record heat in March was followed by two hard frosts in April, decimat-ing many early-rising crops. Th en, we descended into a protracted drought. Yet, our farmers once again plowed on (pun intended). For the unsung role organic farmers play for our health, our communi-ties, our culture, and our very survival, together we want to recog-nize and celebrate their remarkable resilience.

Each year we strive for our conference to inspire as well as in-form, and as always, the conference will be an unparalleled oppor-tunity for networking and for reciprocal teaching and learning.

We look forward to being with you in January!

Kate MendenhallExecutive Director

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

Th e success of our conference de-pends upon the generosity and hard work of many volunteers. Signing up to help is a great way to support this amazing event and get a rebate on your registration. Volunteers re-ceive a $15 rebate for each two-hour time slot that they volunteer. To vol-unteer, please send an email to Dana at [email protected] or call (585) 271-1979 ext. 517. Volunteer slots will be fi lled on a fi rst-come, fi rst-serve basis.

Early Bird DiscountAll you have to do to receive a

$10 discount is register by Decem-ber 11. You can register online at www.nofanyconference.org, cal l (585) 271-1979 ext. 515 to regis-ter over the phone, or postmark your completed registration form by December 11, 2012.

4 NOFA-NY WINTER CONFERENCE www.nofanyconference.org

K E Y N O T E R SK E Y N O T E R S

KE

YN

OT

E S

PE

AK

ER

SK

EY

NO

TE

SP

EA

KE

RS

SHINJI HASHIMOTOFrom Ichijima Tanba City in Japan, Shinji Hashimoto has been an or-

ganic farmer since 1989. In addition to his farm work, Shinji also leads Japan’s Teikei, or CSA, farmers association. His Teikei is year-round, with over 300 shares. He grows over four dozen vegetable varieties and raises free-range chickens. Th rough organizing and advocacy work, Shinji advances the cause and practices of organic farming in Japan through the Japanese Organic Agriculture Association and through other organizations such as the Interna-tional Federation of Organic Agriculture Move-ments. Since beginning his organic farm and advocacy work, Shinji and his fellow farmers have endured the massive Kobe earthquake of 1995, ty-phoons, development pressure, avian fl u, and the

catastrophic tsunami and resulting Fukushima nuclear catastrophe of 2011. As the theme of this year’s conference is resilience, there could be no more fi tting keynote presenter than Shinji Hashimoto.

SCOTT CHASKEY NOFA-NY Farmer of the Year

Scott Chaskey fi rst learned the “act of springing back” (resilience) while garden-ing on the cliff meadows of Cornwall, Eng-land during the 1980s. As a poet, an educator, a conservationist, and a community farm-er, he’s directed one of the original CSAs in this country, Quail Hill Farm, for the past 23 years. In 2012 the Quail Hill Farm seed inven-tory listed over 500 varieties. Since 1983 his employer, the Peconic Land Trust, has protect-ed over 10,000 acres of land on the east end of Long Island. A past president of NOFA-NY, he’s also served as a founding Board member of the Center for Whole Communities (Ver-mont) and Sylvester Manor Educational Farm (Shelter Island, NY). Th is Com-mon Ground, Seasons on an Organic Farm was published by Viking in 2005. He’s presently at work on a new book, Seedtime, to be published by Rodale Press in 2013.

5www.nofanyconference.org 2013 • RESILIENCE

M E E T I N G SM E E T I N G S

SP

EC

IAL

ME

ET

ING

SS

PE

CIA

L M

EE

TIN

GS

New York Small Scale Food Processors Association Meeting

Th e NYSSFPA was formed to stop the demise of New York State fami-ly farms. It works to create value-added products from farm produce in or-der to keep small farms prosperous. If interested in learning more about NYSSFPA, grab a plate and join them at their lunch meeting on Saturday.

Saturday 11:45am

NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organic, LLC Open Annual Meeting

Interested in learning more about NOFA-NY Certi-fi ed Organic, LLC? Join our Certifi cation staff us for an open meeting, bring your certifi cation questions and concerns. Management Committee Members will also be available to answer questions throughout the con-ference at the NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organic, LLC table in the Atrium.Saturday 7:15am

NOFA-NY Annual Meeting Members, this is your chance to

make your voice heard within your organization! Decisions made during this meeting will aff ect the issues that we work on and the direction that NOFA-NY takes in the coming years. Your participation is important! We will elect new members to the Board of Directors and vote on this year’s policy resolutions. If you’re not a member already, join NOFA-NY today and make your voice heard.

Saturday 12:00pm


WA

YS

TO

GE

T IN

VO

LV

ED

WA

YS

TO

GE

T IN

VO

LV

ED

W H A T ’ S H A P P E N I N GW H A T ’ S H A P P E N I N G

Sponsorship, Trade Show, and Advertising

With a crowd of over 1,200 attend-ees expected this year, sponsoring the NOFA-NY conference and par-ticipating in the NOFA-NY Trade Show are great opportunities to reach a targeted audience of poten-

tial customers. Advertising in our Conference Program is also a great way to highlight your products, services or organization to a cutting-edge organ-ic, health-conscious, and sustainably minded audience. Th ere are still spaces available, but they’re going fast! Contact Charlene Burke for more informa-tion at (585) 271-1979 ext. 515 or [email protected].

Organic Food DonationsOne of the most memorable parts of our conference is the incredible

meals. Almost all of the organic food is generous-ly donated by our farmers, business members, and supporters, and each meal is a tribute to the di-versity and bounty of New York State’s organ-ic agriculture. Please consider donating food to the NOFA-NY Winter Conference to help make it a success! Th e wholesale value of your donation can be credited towards your conference registra-tion, and any remaining value will be treated as a tax-deductible donation. Food donors are listed in the Conference Program and in the banquet hall. To contribute to the meal program, please contact Millicent Cavanaugh at [email protected] or (646) 963-0968. You can also download a food donation form at www.nofanyconference.org.

Silent AuctionConsider a donation of art, food,

services, or product to our silent auc-tion! To make a donation or learn more about the auction, contact Melissa Danielle at [email protected] or (347) 927-0226.


SP

EC

IAL

EV

EN

TS

SP

EC

IAL

EV

EN

TS


Deep Roots and New Shoots FARMER MEET & GREET

Back by popular demand—but with a twist—NOFA-NY presents the 2013 iteration of the Beginning Farmer Mixer. Th is year we’re mak-ing sure all farmers know they’re invited! We’re excited to off er this revamped celebration of farmer networking to honor our mentors, welcome our newest community members, and reconnect with ev-eryone in between. So here’s the twist—from 8:30–9:30, the event will be two simultaneous farmer networking parties happening side by side. For this special fi rst hour, farmers with many years of expe-

rience can easily fi nd each other at the Deep Roots Meet & Greet, while the aspiring and new farmers can break the ice and reconnect in the New Shoots Meet & Greet. Music, snacks, a cash bar, games and the photo booth will be available to ev-eryone. Th en, the two parties will merge for more good times with fa-miliar and new farmer friends. Don’t miss this chance—bring a friend and expect to make more con-nections while you dance to great music, take silly pictures, play bean-bag toss, eat, and strengthen the tra-dition of farmer-to-farmer support.

Friday 8:30–10:30pm

Th ursday Evening• Welcome Reception: Greet your

friends and meet new ones at a low-key reception where you will be treated to a sampling of tasty snacks and the fi rst of many musical performances by the Sylvester Manor Worksongers.

Friday Aft ernoon• Stop by the Trade Show and check

out a wide selection of tools, equipment, seeds, and services!

• Silent Auction opens

Friday Evening• Social Hour & Entertainment in the

Trade Show• Opening Ceremony & Keynote:

Shinji Hashimoto• Deep Roots and New Shoots Farmer

Meet and Greet

Saturday Morning• NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organic, LLC

Open Annual Meeting • Trade Show Opens• NOFA-NY Annual Report and

Keynote Scott Chaskey, Farmer of the Year

Saturday Aft ernoon• NOFA-NY Annual Meeting

Saturday Evening• Social Hour and Live Music in the

Trade Show • Silent Auction Winners

Announced!• Contra Dance with Russet Trio

Sunday Morning• Closing Ceremony• Last Chance to visit the

Trade Show

Th is is our 31st annual conference… Let’s celebrate!



SP

EC

IAL

EV

EN

TS

SP

EC

IAL

EV

EN

TS

FILM SCREENINGSGrowing Farmers (18 min.):

Th is documentary features beginning farmers on Long Island and will be followed by discussion with the fi lm’s maker, Hilary Leff ! Friday 8:30pm

My Father’s Garden (60 min.): A documentary on the use and misuse of technology on the American farm. Friday 8:30pm

Uncanny Terrain (60–90 min.): Th is fi lm chronicles the plight of Japanese organic farming within the radiation zone of the horrifi c Fukushima nuclear disaster. (Th is is a sneak peek at this great fi lm—it’s still in production.) Saturday 8:30pm

Th e Making of an Organic Farmer (90 min.): Th is is a story of a farmer who lost 328 of the 350 acres of his family farm, then reemerged years later to build one of the most successful organic farms in America. Saturday 8:30pm

Farm Hack Farm Innovation Exhibition

Calling all farmers! Have you designed a tool that better fi ts the scale and ethics of your farm? NOFA-NY and the National Young Farmers’ Coalition are teaming up to highlight your farm innovations! Farm Hack is a farm-er-driven community to develop, document and build tools for resilient agriculture.

Bring your innovative tools and implements for display, or if more con-venient, their designs or photos. Whether for tillage, transport, power gen-eration, processing, seeding, or spinning—everything is welcome. Posters representing informal farmer-led fi eld research are also welcome. Ques-tions? Contact sophie.ackoff @gmail.com.

Saturday late morning–Sunday

Th e Flavor of Local GrainsA tasting of products made with local grains

Many in our community (grow-ers, millers, and bakers) are work-ing hard to scale up the production of grains in the Northeast. Mean-while, NY consumers are discover-ing a whole new world of fl avor in our breads, pastries, and pastas. Join us for a guided tasting where you can smell, taste, and contemplate the fl a-vor of local grains! What a great way to start off the conference!


SP

EC

IAL

EV

EN

TS

SP

EC

IAL

EV

EN

TS


Contra Dance with Th e Russet Trio & Fern Marshall Bradley

For those of you who attended last year’s contra dance, you’ll be happy to know that Th e Russet Trio and Fern Marshall Bradley will be joining us again for 2013! For those of you who didn’t make it to the dance, you’re in for a treat. Th e Russet Trio combines traditional Irish themes with a mod-ern energy that’s sure to get your toes tappin’. And for those of you who are

new to contra danc-ing, Fern Marshall Bradley is the perfect caller to help you get started. When Fern isn’t calling for con-tra dances, she is et-diting our New York Organic News. Saturday 8:15pm

OTHER SPECIAL EVENTSTrade Show

Th e Trade Show runs through the Winter Conference and features a wide array of exhibitors and vendors.

Silent AuctionBid on great items and support NOFA-NY’s programs! All proceeds sup-

port NOFA-NY’s annual work, including our Winter Conference, Organic Field Day Series, and policy work. Th e silent auction highlights our friends’ and members’ products, crafts, talents and generosity.

BookstoreOkay, so maybe it’s not a special “event,” but it is special to have such

a great bookstore at the conference just for you! Browse, buy, and in oth-er ways enjoy a diverse selection of writings on organic agriculture, cul-ture and life. Th is store will also include works of conference presenters and attendees.

Book Signings Th roughout the conference, we’ll highlight authors of books included in

our bookstore, with select authors who will be available to sign your copy and chat with you about topics of mutual interest!


6–9pm Registration 7–10pm Welcome

Reception

SC

HE

DU

LE

AT

A G

LA

NC

ES

CH

ED

UL

E A

T A

GL

AN

CE

FRIDAYFRIDAYJanuary 25

SATURDAYSATURDAY • • January 26THURSDAYTHURSDAYJanuary 24

S C H E D U L ES C H E D U L E

Key to Workshop TracksKey to Workshop Tracks(f) fruits & herbs(v) vegetables(l) livestock(dg) dairy & grazing(gf) grains & field crops(bf) beginning farmer(va) value-added

processing & marketing

(gh) gardening & homesteading

(uf) urban farming(pp) people & policy(o) potpourri

9am–4:30pmFULL DAY INTENSIVES • (v) Cracking the Distribution

Nut • (l) Internal Parasites in Sheep

& Goats IPM/FAMACHA Workshop

• (va) From Seed to Shelf: Value-Added Production for Food Processors

10:30–10:50am Coff ee/Snack Break

9am–12:15pm MORNING INTENSIVES • (dg) Farm Facility

Improvements • (bf) Starting from Square

One: Creating a Farm to Match Your Values, Goals, Skills & Resources

• (va) Books & Payroll on a Small Family Farm

• (uf) Th e City Becomes the Farm: Whys & Hows of Urban Food Production

• (gh) Homestead Brewing • (v) Streamline Your CSA • (v) Soil Health & Advanced

Organics: New Directions in Soil Management

• (o) Introduction to Certifi cation Workshop

12:15 Trade Show & Silent Auction open

12:15–1:15pm Lunch

1:15–4:30pm HALF-DAY AFTERNOON INTENSIVES • (f) Forest Farming of

Shiitake, Specialty Mushrooms & More

• (v) Soil Health & Advanced Organics: New Directions in Soil Management

• (va) Understanding Restaurant Systems

• (dg) Cream of the Crop, No Kidding

• (gf) Grain Production from Field to Table in the Northeast: Supporting Small Scale Grain Farming with On-Farm Flour Milling

• (bf) Sustainable Farming by the Books: Whole Farm & Enterprise Budgeting Shop Talk

• (bf) Hosting Apprentices: Creating a Legal, Fun & Mutually Benefi cial On-Farm Work-Learn Program

• (pp) Food Council Policy Forum2:40–3:00pm Coff ee/Snack

Break4:45–6:15pm Welcome,

Opening Remarks & Keynote: Shinji Hashimoto

6:15–7:15pm Social Hour & Entertainment in Trade Show

7:00pm Dinner8:30–10:30pm Deep Roots

& New Shoots Meet & Greets

8:30pm Films: Growing Farmers & Uncanny Terrain

9:00pm Registration closes

6:30–7:15am Yoga7:00am Breakfast7:00am Registration, Silent

Auction, Trade Show open7:15am NOFA-NY Certifi ed

Organic, LLC Annual Meeting

8:00–9:15am SATURDAY MORNING SESSIONS I• (f) Insure Th ose Apples &

Diversifi ed Crops! • (v) Growing, Harvesting,

Storing & Marketing Garlic in the Northeast

• (l) Animal Processing for Organic Farmers

• (dg) Poultry for Improved Pasture & Profi ts

• (gf) Researching High Value Grains for the Northeast Food System

• (bf) Irrigation Basics: Because a Rain Dance Doesn’t Always Work

• (va) Successful Farmers Cooperatives: Creating & Sustaining Successful Marketing Cooperatives

• (gh) Sow Local: Integrating Seed Saving & Plant Breeding into Your Small Farm or Garden

• (uf) Producing Food for Urban Consumers: A Panel on Planning & Marketing

• (pp) Th e New Traditional American Diet

• (o) Getting Bigger Can Mean Getting Better

9:45–11:45am NOFA-NY Annual Report & Farmer of the Year Keynote: Scott Chaskey

11:45am–1:00pm Lunch 12:00–1:00pm NOFA-NY

Annual Meeting 11:45am–1:00pm

NYSSFPA Annual Meeting

1:15–2:30pmSATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSIONS I • (f) Organic Strawberry

Production • (v) Intermediate High Tunnel

Management • (l) Enterprise Hogs• (dg) Principles of Grazing

Livestock • (gf) Beans Don’t Come From

the Store & Other Real Crop Stories

• (bf) Getting in the Side Door: Selling to Retailers for Beginners

• (va) Adding Value: Using Renewable Energy on the Farm


SC

HE

DU

LE

AT

A G

LA

NC

ES

CH

ED

UL

E A

T A

GL

AN

CE

SATURDAYSATURDAY • • January 26A T A G L A N C E A T A G L A N C E

7:00am Breakfast7:00am Registration,

Trade Show, Silent Auction Pickup open

8:00–9:15am SUNDAY MORNING SESSIONS I • (f) Making the Leap from

Sustainable to Organic: Stone Fruit Production in the Northeast

• (v) Using & Breeding Vegetable Varieties in Organic Systems

• (l) Mineral Supplements in a Certifi ed Organic Pastured Poultry Operation

• (dg) Grazing through Uncertainty

SUNDAYSUNDAYJanuary 27

SUNDAYSUNDAYJanuary 27

• (gh) It’s Been a Long Row to Hoe

• (uf) Urban Gardening in Cuba • (pp) Weathering the Storms:

Developing Resilience During & After Disaster

• (o) Th e Rebirth of Agriculture in Native American Communities: Haudenosaunee Corn

2:45–4:00pmSATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSIONS II• (f) Small Scale Herb

Propagation • (v) Advanced Weed

Management for Vegetable Farmers

• (l) Effi cient Management Techniques to Lower Inputs during Lambing and Kidding

• (dg) Finding the Bottom Line • (gf) Amber Waves Farm:

Growing New Wheat in the Hamptons on Long Island

• (bf) Weed Management for Beginning Farmers

• (va) Food Processors Marketing Stories: What Worked & What Didn’t

• (gh) Kitchen Cosmetics & Herbal Skin Care

• (uf) Traditional & Non-Traditional Fruit Production in Northeastern Cities

• (pp) GMO Labeling: Where Do We Go From Here?

• (o) Worksongs on Diversifi ed Small Farms

4:15–5:30pmSATURDAY AFTERNOON SESSIONS III• (f) Growing Fruits Amid an

Uncertain Climate • (v) Off -Grid Farming:

Challenges & Opportunities of Running a 300-Member CSA on Solar & Wind Power

• (l) Making Draft Power Work for Your Farm

• (dg) Innovative Dairy Marketing

• (gf) Mills, Stills & Malt Houses: Replicating Successful Models for Processing Regional Grains

• (bf) Pest Management for Beginning Vegetable Growers

• (va) Preserving Tradition for Market: New Fermentation Technology for Longer Shelf Life

• (gh) Foraging Fun: Fungi & Otherwise

• (uf) Beginner’s Urban Livestock

• (pp) Th e Ins & Outs of Scale Appropriate Food Safety Measures

• (o) A Life of Resiliency: Living on Less (Strategies for Survival During Economic Collapse)

5:30–6:45pm Social Hour & Music in the Trade Show

7:00pm Dinner7:00pm Tradeshow closes,

Registration closes, Silent Auction Bidding closes

7:30pm Silent Auction Winners Announced – Pick up items!

8:30pm Contra Dance with the Russet Trio & Fern Marshall Bradley

8:30pm Film Screenings: My Father’s Garden & Th e Making of an Organic Farmer

• (gf) Organic Cash Grain Yields & Economics

• (bf) Beginning Farmer Panel: Stories & Discussion about Discoveries in the Field

• (va) Self-Promotion for Everyone

• (gh) Preserving Your Old Garden Friends: Your Favorite Tools

• (uf) Integrating a Vegetable Garden into a Middle School Science Program

• (pp) Protecting NYS Water, Air & Soil from Fracking: Where Are We Now?

• (o) Organic Nutrition from a Medical Perspective: Scientifi c Evidence that Supports Health Benefi ts of Organic Food

9:45–11:00am SUNDAY MORNING SESSIONS II • (f) Organic Apple Roundtable• (v) Grower Roundtable: Focus

on Solonaceas • (l) Farm-Raised Poultry • (dg) Breeding for Great

Grazers • (gf) Grains, Grease &

Gears: Preventive Tractor Maintenance

• (bf) Working With Volunteers & Temporary Labor

• (va) A Close Look at Teikei: Th e Japanese Version of CSA

• (gh) Introduction to Home Brewing

• (pp) Organic Integrity: Are Th ere Synthetics in My Organics?

• (o) Botanical Illustration for Plant Identifi cation & Appreciation

11:30am–12:00pm Closing Ceremony

12:00–1:30pm Lunch & Last Chance to Visit Trade Show

1:30pm Trade Show closes & Safe travels!


INTENSIVE SESSIONS: INTENSIVE SESSIONS: Full DayFull Day9:00am–4:45pm9:00am–4:45pm

FR

IDA

Y IN

TE

NS

IVE

SF

RID

AY

INT

EN

SIV

ES

F R I D A Y • J A N U A R Y 2 5F R I D A Y • J A N U A R Y 2 5

CRACKING THE DISTRIBUTION NUT (Intermediate, Advanced)

Join farmer cooperatives, wholesale aggregators, and small and large re-gional distributors for a day of discussion and networking, moderated by Madison County Agricultural Economic Development’s Beth McKellips. Th is workshop’s goals are to boost farm sales to distributors in 2013 by trou-bleshooting some of the barriers to the distribution system and forming new relationships between farms and wholesalers. Farmers, learn the con-crete details of how wholesale distribution operations work, follow along the process of building a distribution chain with Skidmore College, discuss the challenges and opportunities for larger distribution for your farm, and meet potential wholesale customers. Distributors, meet the farmers that want to sell to you and discuss what you need to work with local, organic producers.

INTERNAL PARASITES IN SHEEP AND GOATS: IPM/FAMACHA© Workshop (Intermediate)

Th is workshop is designed to help sheep and goat farmers develop inte-grated parasite management (IPM) programs. Tatiana Stanton of Cornell University and Katherine Petersson of the University of Rhode Island will cover the basics of internal parasite control (parasite life cycles, eff ects of nutritional and pasture management) and then move on to serious discus-sions of dewormer resistance, judicial use of dewormers, and progress on deworming alternatives. Th e workshop will provide lots of hands-on train-ing in doing fecal egg analyses (bring a refrigerated sample from one ani-mal/farm) and on monitoring techniques such as the FAMACHA© Anemia Guide. Farmers completing the workshop will receive a FAMACHA© card and certifi cation.

FROM SEED TO SHELF: Value Added Production for Food Processors (Beginner, Intermediate)

Get sound advice on how to move your produce from your fi elds to your farm stand or farmers’ market as value-added products. Th e rules and regu-lations are myriad, but the hurdles can be jumped in one season with proper planning. Topics covered in this workshop include kitchen design, licensing, required classes, insurance, water tests, inspections, scheduled process, nu-tritional labeling and other labeling requirements. More details than you can think of will be covered! Presented by Beth Linskey, Liz Beals and Jeri Woodhouse of the New York State Small Scale Processors Association.


FR

IDA

Y I

NT

EN

SIV

ES

FR

IDA

Y I

NT

EN

SIV

ES


INTENSIVE SESSIONS: INTENSIVE SESSIONS: Half DayHalf DayMorning • 9:00am–12:15pmMorning • 9:00am–12:15pm

FARM FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS (Advanced)

Are you wondering what invest-ments will generate the highest re-turn on your farm? Investments on dairy farms can be large when you are talking feed storage, barns, milk-ing systems, and equipment. Join farmers Vaughn Sherman, Paul Tillotson and Jason Karszes, Cor-nell University, and learn how to de-termine the best return on your investment. Learn tips for what to know before signing with a contrac-tor and about business planning tools and resources.

STARTING FROM SQUARE ONE: Creating a Farm to Match Your Values, Goals, Skills and Resources (Beginner)

When starting a farm, hands-on experience is essential. Equally im-portant, though more often over-looked, is developing a process for navigating the thousands of complex decisions you’ll need to make, and for planning for a manageable start-up. Erica Frenay of Shelterbelt Farm and Angela Nelson of Daily Harvest Farm will lead you through activities and help you create written farm/family plan goal statements. Th ese goal statements will help you determine what social, physical, bi-ological, and fi nancial resources you can draw from to create your farm, and help you assess your skills so you can prioritize the next steps in your learning process. If you take the time to do these things as you are just getting started, they will con-tinue to keep you on track and guide the growth of your farm for many years. Th is workshop is recommend-ed for aspiring and starting-soon beginning farmers, and is intention-ally fi rst in the schedule to help you shape your conference experience!



INTENSIVE SESSIONS: INTENSIVE SESSIONS: Half DayHalf DayMorning • 9:00am–12:15pmMorning • 9:00am–12:15pm (continued)

BOOKS AND PAYROLL ON A SMALL FAMILY FARM (Beginner)

How do you know your cost of production? What is a fair price for your product? What do you need to know in order to write payroll checks for farmworkers in New York State? Th ese important questions come up when running a farm busi-ness. Raymond Luhrman of Fox Creek Farm, a 250 member CSA, and Brian Caldwell, Cornell Universi-ty, will explain the answers to these questions. Th e workshop will cover cost of production, increasing prof-it, evaluating farm enterprises, hir-ing help, navigating regulations, and a payroll bookkeeping exercise. Th e workshop will end with a Q&A round table discussion.

THE CITY BECOMES THE FARM: Whys and Hows of Urban Food Production (All Levels)

Learn from three pioneering ur-ban farmers. Ben Flanner of Brook-lyn Grange (Queens and Brooklyn); Travis Klami of Streetlight Gar-dens (Albany); and Deborah Greig of East New York Farms (Brooklyn) will get the conversation going with their ideas and real-life stories of farming within a city. Find out their perspectives on the challenges and rewards associated with urban spac-es and markets. You will learn many unique aspects of urban farm set-ups such as neighbor and community relations, permission and require-ments for urban space usage, rooftop soil installments, space-appropriate infrastructure, usable soil on urban land, season extension, small-scale fruit production and more! Th is half-day session will also be a time for networking, experience sharing and collaboration to help build the net-work of urban farms in New York.

FR

IDA

Y IN

TE

NS

IVE

SF

RID

AY

INT

EN

SIV

ES



HOMESTEAD BREWING (Beginner, Intermediate)

Th is workshop will cover the ba-sics in brewing your own beer and ale from grains. Victoria Kombol will show how to select malted grains for beer, choosing hops or other herbs for bittering, as well as demonstrat-ing the simple process for brewing beer in the homestead with just a few supplies. Modern techniques will also be covered but no chemistry in-volved. Hands-on fun!

STREAMLINE YOUR CSA SYSTEMS (Intermediate, Advanced)

Join your experienced CSA farm-ers Andy Fellenz of Fellenz Family Farm, Paul Martin and Evangeline Sarat of Sweet Land Farm, and Ted Blomgren of Windfl ower Farm as they discuss and show how they de-signed effi cient, profi table physical systems to make their CSAs work better. Each farm will share con-crete examples of how they eff ective-ly grow and handle CSA crops, with ideas on how to streamline opera-tions. Systems covered include fi eld layout and growing techniques; har-vest, washing, and packing; and both on-farm and remote share distribu-tion. Th is workshop will close with a farmer-to-farmer CSA problem-solv-ing session.

SOIL HEALTH AND ADVANCED ORGANICS: New Directions in Soil Management (Intermediate, Advanced)

Sustainable soil management and building long-term resilience in-volves maintaining good soil health: biologically, physically and chemical-ly. Cornell Soil Health Team members Bianca and Daniel Moebius-Clune will cover some basic principles: from understanding your soil type and quality, what soils need to do for your crops, and how constraints im-pact your crop, to soil health testing and interpretation. Th ey will then discuss management of constraints (including nutrient constraints as well as biological and physical con-straints), some approaches for long-term soil building for resilience, and will provide resources for learning more about available management options.

INTRODUCTION TO CERTIFICATION WORKSHOP (Beginner)

J o i n s t a f f m e m b e r s f r o m NOFA-NY Certified Organic, LLC for an introduction to the organic certification standards and process of certification. If you are thinking of certifying your farm or business, this FREE workshop is for you. Cer-tifi cation procedures and paperwork will be reviewed, and participants will have plenty of chances to ask questions specifi c to their farms or businesses.

FR

IDA

Y I

NT

EN

SIV

ES

FR

IDA

Y I

NT

EN

SIV

ES



INTENSIVE SESSIONS: INTENSIVE SESSIONS: Half DayHalf DayAft ernoon • 1:15–4:30pmAft ernoon • 1:15–4:30pm

FOREST FARMING OF SHIITAKE, SPECIALTY MUSHROOMS, AND MORE (Beginner, Intermediate)

Join experienced commercial shii-take mushroom growers and oth-er experts on forest farming to learn how to turn logs into income through forest cultivation of spe-cialty mushrooms. Th is workshop explores the basics on how to grow shiitake and other gourmet and me-dicinal mushrooms, including tree species selection, laying yard man-agement, fruiting, value-added op-portunities, marketing as well as an opportunity for attendees to inocu-late their own shiitake logs. In addi-tion to shiitake mushrooms, oyster, lion’s mane and wine cap mushrooms will be covered, as well as other non-timber forest products including gin-seng and ramps.

SOIL HEALTH AND ADVANCED ORGANICS: New Directions in Soil Management (Intermediate, Advanced)

Join experienced farmers as they detail innovative soil management programs in vegetable operations. Sandy Arnold of Pleasant Valley Farm, Dan Kittredge of the Bion-utrient Food Association, and Zach Wolf at Th e Farm at the Locusts will discuss a range of strategies that build soil and produce quality crops. Bring your questions for these pan-elists as you learn some of the ways growers are creatively balancing compost and minerals, integrating animals, cover crops, and fi eld rota-tion, using mulches, inoculating and maximizing microbial populations, monitoring and testing soil quality, and more.

FR

IDA

Y IN

TE

NS

IVE

SF

RID

AY

INT

EN

SIV

ES



UNDERSTANDING RESTAURANT SYSTEMS (Intermediate)

Learn the details farmers need to know to better work with restau-rants, including how restaurants work (what are their schedules, staff -ing, space, logistics, fi nances, tim-ing, and ingredient needs?), how to approach restaurant sales, how to present yourself and your farm, what crops are most wanted, pricing, de-livery and packing logistics, invoic-ing, crops of higher value, what not to do, communication, and more. Chefs Gabe McMackin and Jason Wood will explain the ins and outs of the business from the restaurant point of view, and answer your ques-tions on how to start or streamline your farm’s restaurant sales.

CREAM OF THE CROP, NO KIDDING (Intermediate)

Always dreamed of adding an on-farm creamery to your business? Join Joyce Henion of Acorn Hill Farm to learn how she began pro-cessing goat milk in a certifi ed home kitchen while establishing her mar-ket and building an on-farm cream-ery. Gain a better understanding of the rules and regulations for on- farm processing and how to develop a creamery. Joyce will also speak on how she has worked to establish mul-tiple markets and products from her goat farm and what it takes to keep up with ever-increasing regulations.

GRAIN PRODUCTION FROM FIELD TO TABLE IN THE NORTHEAST: Supporting Small-Scale Grain Farming with On-Farm Flour Milling (Advanced)

Th is session will feature a Vermont pioneer grain grower and proces-sor, Ben Gleason of Gleason Grains, who will share his 30-year journey of producing fl our from farm-raised grains and the model for his suc-cess. Dr. Heather Darby and Erica Cummings will bring the partner-ing University of Vermont and Northern Grain Growers Association into the discussion. Dr. Darby has motivated grain farmers throughout the northeast with her energy and dedication to enhancing grain crops. Erica Cummings will delve into the mysteries of grain quality and how testing grains provides greater crop potential.

FR

IDA

Y I

NT

EN

SIV

ES

FR

IDA

Y I

NT

EN

SIV

ES



SUSTAINABLE FARMING BY THE BOOKS: Whole Farm and Enterprise Budgeting Shop Talk (Beginner)

Ready to start your agricultur-al enterprise? Just getting going on your own and wondering what to ex-pect, fi nance-wise? Explore the path from start-up to sustainable busi-ness in small working groups, led by farm and value-added business owners: Melissa Madden, of Th e Good Life Farm; Greg Mol of Farm-er-Ground Flour; Silas Conroy and Johanna Brown of Crooked Car-rot Community Supported Kitch-en and Evangeline Sarat of Sweet Land Farm. Th is workshop will cover whole farm budgets, enterprise bud-gets, fi nancial decision making and planning as it relates to about-to-start and new farmers.

HOSTING APPRENTICES: Creating a Legal, Fun, and Mutually Benefi cial On-Farm Work-Learn Program (Intermediate, Advanced)

Th is intensive will cover aspects of hosting farm interns and apprentic-es ranging from legal issues to eff ec-tive training of new farmers. Topics will include diversifying training methods, participating in CRAFT or farmer networks, empowering ap-prentices as they consider farm-ing on their own, fair compensation and limiting the host farm’s liabili-

ties. Christy Asbee and Kenneth Miller of Law for Food will provide the legal background so farm em-ployers and farm workers will un-derstand what laws apply and how they can change practices to comply with labor laws. Dave Hambleton of Sister’s Hill Farm and Wendy Burkhart-Spiegel of Poughkeepsie Farm Project will relate their expe-riences as mentors and hosts of ap-prentices and interns and engage the audience to think creatively about off ering apprenticeships.

FOOD COUNCIL POLICY FORUM (All Levels)

To assure a supply of healthy, clean, locally grown food to all the people who need and want it, projects are underway around New York State to coordinate food policy and planning. Th is workshop will be an opportuni-ty for the statewide food policy coun-cil network to share updates on the great projects underway, and make plans for future work together. SJoin Elizabeth Henderson, NOFA-NY, Samina Raja, University of Buff alo Department of Urban and Regional Planning, and Mark Dunlea of Hun-ger Action Network of NYS, as they share the latest policy and planning eff orts throughout New York State. Th is workshop is FREE (no lunch included).

INTENSIVE SESSIONS: INTENSIVE SESSIONS: Half DayHalf DayAft ernoon • 1:15–4:30pmAft ernoon • 1:15–4:30pm (continued)

FR

IDA

Y IN

TE

NS

IVE

SF

RID

AY

INT

EN

SIV

ES


W O R K S H O P T R A C K SW O R K S H O P T R A C K S

FR

UIT

S &

HE

RB

SF

RU

ITS

& H

ER

BS

INSURE THOSE APPLES AND DIVERSIFIED CROPS! (All Levels)

Between late frost and summer drought, 2012 posed challenges for apple, fruit, and vegetable growers across NY state. Join RMA crop in-surance specialist Gene Gantz to learn about the individual crop and collective coverage options available to protect your farm’s income against next year’s challenges. For farm lev-el information contact a crop in-surance agent ( list available at: www.rma.usda.gov/tools/agent.html or FSA/USDA.)

Saturday 8:00am

ORGANIC STRAWBERRY PRODUCTION (Intermediate)

Join Gayle and Mike Th orpe of Th orpe’s Organic Family Farm to learn more about growing certifi ed organic, matted ribbon row straw-berries on commercial scale. All as-pects of production will be covered, including variety selection, planting, mulching, maintenance, pest man-agement and marketing.

Saturday 1:15pm

SMALL SCALE HERB PROPAGATION (Intermediate)

Kingbird Farm’s Karma Glos de-scribes and discusses greenhouse herb propagation. Th is workshop covers seeding, cuttings, potting mixes, pot choices, greenhouse man-agement and plant sales.

Saturday 2:45pm

GROWING FRUITS AMID AN UNCERTAIN CLIMATE (Intermediate, Advanced)

Th ere’s something funny going on out there! And regardless of wheth-er the compost hits the fan now or in 50 years, the question is ‘what are you going to do about it?’ Join Red Jacket Orchard’s Mike Biltonen for a lively discussion on climate change, how it may aff ect your farms and your farming practices, and what you can do to be prepared. Fo-cus will be on small and tree fruits commonly grown in the Northeast.

Saturday 4:15pm



FR

UIT

S &

HE

RB

SF

RU

ITS

& H

ER

BS

GROWING, HARVESTING, STORING AND MARKETING GARLIC IN THE NORTHEAST (Intermediate)

Ed Fraser, long-time garlic farm-er, and Crystal Stewart, Cornell University agriculture specialist, will present best practices for grow-ing garlic. We will discuss variety selection, soil preparation, planting methods, fertility needs, disease and pest identifi cation, weed man-agement, harvesting, post-harvest handling, and marketing. Exam-ples of tools, machinery, and cultur-al practices from farms throughout the Northeast will be presented.

Saturday 8:00am

INTERMEDIATE HIGH TUNNEL MANAGEMENT (Intermediate)

Andy Fellenz built his fi rst high tunnel in 2004 and now has six tun-nels covering approximately 15,000 sq.ft. on his farm in Phelps, NY. His CSAs are supplied with greens from the high tunnels from May through December. Crops for family use have been harvested year-round. Andy will discuss his production methods including tools he uses to reduce labor requirements, crop rotation through the tunnels, soil conditioning and fertility manage-ment, pest and disease control in the tunnels, and how GAPs certifi -cation impacted his tunnel produc-tion methods.

Saturday 1:15pm

MAKING THE LEAP FROM SUSTAINABLE TO ORGANIC: Stone Fruit Production in the Northeast (Intermediate, Advanced)

Red Jacket Orchard ’s Mike Biltonen will discuss the status of stone fruit production in the north-eastern United States, beginning with production practices as they relate to sustainable stone fruit production. Mike will also outline a sustainable production system suitable for advanced IPM practic-es that those wishing to go organic can employ. Topics covered: basics of orchard design; insect/disease/weed management; crop and vari-ety selection; and adaptations to boost chances of success.

Sunday 8:00am

ORGANIC APPLE ROUNDTABLE (All Levels)

Join organic apple growers in this discussion of varieties, growing techniques, challenges and oppor-tunities of organic orchards. Brian Caldwell of Hemlock Grove Farm facilitates this space for growers to share experiences and learn from others about what worked and what didn’t in this particularly diffi cult apple season.

Sunday 9:45am



VE

GE

TA

BL

ES

VE

GE

TA

BL

ES

ADVANCED WEED MANAGEMENT FOR VEGETABLE FARMERS (Intermediate, Advanced)

Join Andrew Dygert of Remem-brance Farm and Paul Martin and Evangeline Sarat of Sweet Land Farm for a close look at mechanical weed management systems used on organic vegetable farms. Learn about the tractors, tools, and techniques that can save time, money, and your back.

Saturday 2:45pm

OFF-GRID FARMING: Challenges and Opportunities of Running a 300-Member CSA on Solar and Wind Power (All Levels)

Fox Creek Farm farms off the grid, creating all electricity needed on the farm using small wind and a 2.8kW solar array. Learn how the farm manages the off -grid challeng-es while growing and harvesting for their 300 member CSA on their land-locked site, provides a living for the farmers and a reasonable income for their farm hands, and does all this with very little debt.

Saturday 4:15pm

USING AND BREEDING VEGETABLE VARIETIES IN ORGANIC SYSTEMS (Intermediate)

For more than a decade, both Cor-nell’s Department of Plant Breed-ing and High Mowing Seeds have been breeding and selecting in or-ganic systems for traits and varieties that sustainable and organic farm-ers have specifi cally asked for. We will highlight both sets of breeding eff orts, discuss ways to successfully use resistant varieties on farms in-cluding limitations of resistance, and have an open dialogue with growers on what their needs and questions are concerning disease resistant varieties.

Sunday 8:00am

GROWER ROUNDTABLE: Focus on Solonaceas (All Levels)

Join fellow New York organ-ic growers to discuss the challeng-es and opportunities of cropping the members of this profi table yet tricky family. Th is moderated roundtable discussion will focus on what worked and what didn’t amid 2012’s heavy climate stress, pest pressure, and disease loads. Discussion topics will cover growing techniques (including trellising, grafting, mulching, and high tunnels), disease and pest pre-vention and control, and ways grow-ers are adapting growing techniques to deal with potential weather ex-tremes. Bring your problems and successes to share!

Sunday 9:45am



ANIMAL PROCESSING FOR ORGANIC FARMERS (Advanced)

What are the processing options for organic livestock producers? Join Dave Hardy of Organic Valley, Bill Eklund of Eklund Farms and Richard Beckwith of Hilltown Pork, Inc. for a round table discussion about process-ing options. Hear fi rst-hand the ser-vices that are available to farmers, on farm processing options, regulations and what opportunities are head for farmers and processors.

Saturday 8:00am

ENTERPRISE HOGS (Beginner, Intermediate)

Learn from Brad Marshall of Th e Piggery how to build a business plan for growing pastured hogs at diff er-ent levels of scale. Th e workshop will cover the why and how of pasturing hogs with a focus on the economics of it at diff erent production levels. Learn of opportunities for potential markets and options for fi nancing as well.

Saturday 1:15 pm

EFFICIENT MANAGEMENT TECHNIQUES TO LOWER INPUTS DURING LAMBING AND KIDDING (Advanced)

Th is workshop will focus on meth-ods to manage birthing effi ciently without sacrifi cing animal wellbeing. Tatiana Stanton of Cornell Univer-sity will go over some of the practices that experienced Northeast farmers have developed to reduce labor and expenses during the birthing season as well as successful methods to fos-ter kids and lambs, and labor saving practices for artifi cial rearing. We’ll also discuss management consider-ations when lambing or kidding on pasture.

Saturday 2:45pm

MAKING DRAFT POWER WORK FOR YOUR FARM (All Levels)

Starting with a brief discussion about the reasons to farm (or not) with draft horses, Tim Biello and Matt Volz of Greyrock Farm will talk about the day-to-day and broad-er logistics of draft powered farm-ing. Th is workshop will focus on (1) Selecting and getting the horse: in-frastructural considerations and working the draft horse throughout the year; (2) Caring for the horse!: daily care, training, basic feed, far-rier and veterinary considerations; and (3) How draft horses are used at Greyrock Farm. Bring questions spe-cifi c to your plans.

Saturday 4:15pm

LIV

ES

TO

CK

LIV

ES

TO

CK


Workshops continue on page 27

LIV

ES

TO

CK

LIV

ES

TO

CK

To fi nd fun activities in the Saratoga region, visit www.discover-saratoga.org. Here are a few highlights:

Saratoga Winter MarketTh e Saratoga Winter

Farmers Market is open Saturday from 9am to 1pm. It is located at the Division Street Elementary School, 220 Division Street.

Mineral Baths – Roosevelt Baths and SpaSoak in natural mineral baths daily from 9 am–7 pm. Reservations

recommended: (800) 909-0088.Snowshoeing and Cross Country Skiing

Saratoga Spa State Park has a network of winter trails for walking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing (map is available). Th e state park off ers snowshoe rentals. Bring your own skis—they do not rent cross-country skis. For more info, call (518) 584-2535.

Fun Th ings to Do Fun Th ings to Do in Saratoga in Saratoga

SpringsSprings


MINERAL SUPPLEMENTS IN A CERTIFIED ORGANIC PASTURED POULTRY OPERATION (Advanced)

Does feeding choices such as col-loidal clay, powdered rock minerals, a mineral supplement blend, granular humates, or combinations of these minerals and humates contribute to better grain utilization, healthi-er meat and less polluting manure in an organic pasture poultry farming operation? Join Carly Del Signoreof Tide Mill Organic Farm and learn about their fi ndings on how min-eral supplements aff ect the health, growth rate and nutritional content of Cornish cross broilers.

Sunday 8:00am

FARM-RAISED POULTRY (Advanced)

Interested in raising your own chicks? Join Karma and Michael Glos of Kingbird Farm to learn about breeding, incubating and brooding farm-raised chicks. Hear the bene-fi ts of raising your own replacement poultry and gain tools to help you mitigate challenges that may arise.

Sunday 9:45am


Scholarships Available We’re pleased to announce that we’ll again be able to off er a number of

scholarships to this year’s conference thanks to generous support from our members and the USDA-NIFA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Pro-gram. To learn more about receiving a scholarship or to fi ll out an ap-plication, please visit www.nofany.org/events/2013scholarships, or call our offi ce at (585) 271-1979 ext. 511. All applications must be received by 11:59am on December 3, 2012. Applicants who do not receive scholar-ships will still be eligible for the Early Bird Discount. All scholarship re-cipients must volunteer two hours at the conference.

JOSH LEVINE SCHOLARSHIP FUND

Th e Josh Levine Memorial Scholar-ship Fund was established to honor an inspiring young farmer and NOFA-NY member who died tragically in 2010 in a tractor accident. Josh was a husband, a father, the Farmers Market Manager at Quail Hill Farm on Long Island, and a gifted photographer who contribut-ed to our New York Organic News. As a tribute to Josh’s love of organic farming and his support to the larger organic community, NOFA-NY has created the Josh Levine Memorial Scholarship Fund to support begin-ning farmers to attend future NOFA-NY conferences. Each year we select beginning farmers who show exceptional promise to receive these Josh Levine Scholarships as funds allow. Please support this fund generously!

FARMER EDUCATION FUND

NOFA-NY also stewards a Farmer Education Fund to help farmers with fi nan-cial need to attend the con-ference. Please help us bring more farmers to the confer-ence; support generously!

Att endeesAdult Name (1) ____________________________________________________________

Adult Name (2) ____________________________________________________________

Child Name (1) _________________________________________________ ( _______ )

Child Name (2) _________________________________________________ ( _______ )

Child Name (3) _________________________________________________ ( _______ )

Farm/Company ____________________________________________________________

Type of Farm: Veg/Fruit Dairy Livestock Grains Other

Billing Address ____________________________________________________________

City, State, Zip _____________________________________________________________

County ________________________ Phone _____________________________________

Email ____________________________________________________________________

2013 WINTER CONFERENCE: ResiliencePre-Registration Form: Postmark by January 11th!

Visit www.nofanyconference.org to register online.

age

age

age

Pre-Registration Deadline: January 11, 2013Registration includes breakfast and lunch. Dinners are available for $16 each.

Adult #1 Non-member MemberFull Conference (Friday–Sunday) $315 $235

Friday: Full Day $150 $110Friday: Morning $ 90 $ 70Friday: Afternoon $ 80 $ 60

Saturday: Full Day $125 $ 95Sunday: Full Day $ 90 $ 65

Friday Workshop Selections: am pm Yes – I would like to attend the free Food Policy workshop. Yes – I would like to attend the free Intro to Certifi cation workshop. I need a copy of the Certifi cation Packet: $32.40.

Adult #2 Non-member MemberFull Conference (Friday–Sunday) $315 $235

Friday: Full Day $150 $110Friday: Morning $ 90 $ 70Friday: Afternoon $ 80 $ 60

Saturday: Full Day $125 $ 95Sunday: Full Day $ 90 $ 65

Friday Workshop Selections: am pm Yes – I would like to attend the free Food Policy workshop. Yes – I would like to attend the free Intro to Certifi cation workshop. I need a copy of the Certifi cation Packet: $32.40.

Students receive a 20% discount on the cost of registration: Please call our offi ce or visit the website for student registration. Valid ID required.

Children’s Conference or Childcare Conference (ages 6–13) Childcare (ages 3–5) Fri Sat Sun Fri–Sun or Fri Sat Sun Fri–Sun $40 $40 $40 $100 $40 $40 $40 $100 Child 1 or Child 2 or Child 3 or

Volunteer Opportunities Yes! I would like to volunteer at the 2013 NOFA-NY Winter Conference.

Please contact me.

Cancellation and Refund PolicyRefunds requested prior to January 11th will be charged a $25 processing fee. No refunds after January 11th. No exceptions.

TotalsSUBTOTAL of All Sections Above $

DONATION to the Farmer Education Fund $

DONATION to the Josh Levine Memorial Scholarship Fund $

EARLY BIRD DISCOUNT (−$10 per Adult: Dec.11th Deadline) $(–)

TOTAL ENCLOSED $____________________________________Must be postmarked by January 11th.

Visit www.nofanyconference.org or call our offi ce for late registration. Additional fees apply.

Breakfasts and lunches are included in the cost of registration. Children ages 5 and under eat free!

Please make checks payable Credit Card Informationto NOFA-NY.

Submit form and payment to: Card #

NOFA-NYAttn: Conference Registration

Expiration Date: _____ / _______ CCID# _______

249 Highland AvenueRochester, NY 14620 Signature For questions, please call

Date (585) 271-1979, ext. 515.

Membership Gardener @ $40 Consumer @ $40 Green Individual @ $20

(does not include print publications) Family @ $60

Farm @ $60 Nonprofi t @ $75 Business @ $125

Membership Subtotal: $ ________


W O R K S H O P T R A C K SW O R K S H O P T R A C K SWorkshops continued from page 23

DA

IRY

& G

RA

ZIN

GD

AIR

Y &

GR

AZ

ING

POULTRY FOR IMPROVED PASTURE AND PROFITS (Beginner)

Th is workshop will discuss the benefi ts and challenges of certifi ed organic pastured poultry and ex-plore the basics of brooding, pas-turing, processing and marketing organic pastured poultry; and the benefi ts of pasturing poultry for soil and poultry health. Discussion will include the economics of organ-ic pastured poultry. Join Margaret Bruegel of Roo Haven Farm and Chris Browder of Browder’s Birds as they discuss their own experience in starting and building small or-ganic pastured poultry farms in New York State.

Saturday 8:00am

PRINCIPLES OF GRAZING LIVESTOCK (Beginner)

Th is seminar will explain the ba-sics of how pasture plants grow, which grasses and legumes are best suited for this region, and how they respond to livestock grazing dur-ing the diff erent time of the grow-ing season. Join Dave Roberts of NRCS as he explains techniques to improve pasture quality and forage quantities, enhancing desirable for-age plants while decreasing weeds and other poorer quality forages.

Saturday 1:15pm

FINDING THE BOTTOM LINE (Advanced)

Interested in low grain and no-grain livestock management? Join Anne Phillips to learn how Triple 3 Livestock uses a low grain diet while managing a seasonal herd. Learn management techniques to improve forages, maintain healthy livestock and how to avoid common mistakes while positioning your herd for a low or no-grain diet. Listen to one farm’s story of their journey to low grain farm management.

Saturday 2:45pm


INNOVATIVE DAIRY MARKETING (Intermediate)

Milk Not Jails is a grassroots, statewide campaign for sustain-able, regional development and a dairy marketing and distribution company. Learn more about how Milk Not Jails is working to in-crease opportunities for farmers and about its unique marketing ap-proach. Find out how your farm can get involved.

Saturday 4:15 pm

GRAZING THROUGH UNCERTAINTY (Advanced)

Th is focuses on planning grazing strategies to prepare for the unex-pected, be it drought, fl ooding, in-sect damage or any number of other natural as well as human caused di-sasters. Good pasture management can determine livestock stocking rates, paddock residency periods, lbs. of forage produced—but how do you

manage when the forage is simply not there? Do you overgraze or feed hay? What are the long-term eff ects of decision made during emergen-cies? Join Dave Roberts of NRCS and learn how to be prepared for the unexpected.

Sunday 8:00am

BREEDING FOR GREAT GRAZERS (Advanced)

Want to improve your pasture genetics? Join Paul and Phyllis VanAmburgh of Dharma Lea, LLC to learn how to develop a breeding program that focuses on pasture based genetics. Hear how the VanA-mburghs have bred their cowherd for genetic strengths for grazing and learn the management tech-niques they use to optimize genetic potential. Also, learn management techniques for natural and artifi -cial insemination, how to develop a breeding program and where to source pasture based genetics.

Sunday 9:45am


DA

IRY

& G

RA

ZIN

GD

AIR

Y &

GR

AZ

ING



RESEARCHING HIGH VALUE GRAINS FOR THE NORTHEAST FOOD SYSTEM (Intermediate)

Julie Dawson, Michael Davis, Dav id B ensc her a nd M a rk Sorrells will cover technical aspects of producing high-value grains in the Northeast, including variety choic-es, seed quality, agronomic and post-harvest management and accessing regional markets. Wheat and spe-cialty grains such as spelt, emmer and einkorn will be discussed. The fi rst year of results from the Organ-ic Research and Extension Initiative project “Value Added Grains for Lo-cal and Regional Food Systems” will be presented.

Saturday 8:00am

BEANS DON’T COME FROM THE STORE, AND OTHER REAL CROP STORIES (All Levels)

If dry beans are in your soup and you still don’t know how they got there, join Erick Smith and Anne Riordan of Cayuga Pure Organ-ics and learn the real art of dried bean production. Learn about seed choice, harvest, cleaning, storage and markets. Cayuga Pure Organics will share the journey and reveal the real story of producing value-added crops.

Saturday 1:15pm

AMBER WAVES FARM: Growing New Wheat in the Hamptons on Long Island (Intermediate)

Join Amanda Merrow and Katie Baldwin as they separate the grains from the chaff in redefi ning the breadbasket of the East End at Am-ber Waves Farm in Amagansett. Th ey will share their story of reintroduc-ing hard red and soft white winter wheat to the silty loam soils of the Hamptons and discuss seeding, har-vesting, milling and marketing strat-egies for bringing the wheat to the table.

Saturday 2:45pm

GR

AIN

S &

FIE

LD

CR

OP

SG

RA

INS

& F

IEL

D C

RO

PS


MILLS, STILLS, AND MALT HOUSES: Replicating Successful Models for Processing Regional Grains (Intermediate, Advanced)

Grain production in the Northeast has been “scaling up” over the past several years and part of that eff ort is to increase the number of grain processing facilities from mills and distilleries to malt houses and pas-ta shops. A short documentary video of processing facilities will be fea-tured along with Elizabeth Dyck, from OGRIN and June Russell from NYC Greenmarkets, who made the fi lm. In addition, Andrea and Christian Stanley of Valley Malt, and Joel Elder of Tuthilltown Spir-its—all featured in the fi lm—join the session.

Saturday 4:15pm

ORGANIC CASH GRAIN YIELDS AND ECONOMICS (Intermediate, Advanced)

Th is workshop examines the yields, costs and net returns for corn, soybeans and spelt in rotation, based on results from the Cornell Organ-ic Cropping Systems Project. Strate-gies for transition periods will also be covered. Matthew Ryan, Cornell University weed specialist, will eval-uate weed thresholds in organic sys-tems and added fertility challenges.

Sunday 8:00am

GRAINS, GREASE, AND GEARS: Preventive Tractor Maintenance (All Levels)

Th e farmer is getting ¼ to ½ of the engine life of major fl eet operators on identical engines. Th e diff erence is that the farmer often neglects en-gines and the fl eet operator has a rig-id schedule for maintenance. Learn from grain farmer and former die-sel mechanics instructor/repair shop owner Th or Oechsner the basics of tractor preventive maintenance. From oil changes to air fi lter service, learn about preventive care involved in planter settings, oil viscosity, torque, timing, and more. Th is work-shop is relevant to any scale of farm. Th is session is the next best thing to your own backyard mechanic!

Sunday 9:45am


GR

AIN

S &

FIE

LD

CR

OP

SG

RA

INS

& F

IEL

D C

RO

PS



BE

GIN

NIN

G F

AR

ME

RS

BE

GIN

NIN

G F

AR

ME

RS

IRRIGATION BASICS: Because a Rain Dance Doesn’t Always Work (All Levels)

Th is workshop will help growers of all experience levels, but espe-cially those new to the fi eld or con-sidering important infrastructure changes, make choices and decisions about irrigation needs for their oper-ations. After gaining understanding of crops’ water usage, we will learn information regarding both over-head and drip irrigation systems, de-velopment of water resources, and pumping systems. Mike Madison of Belle Terre Irrigation and Lou Johns of Blue Heron Farm will unite their practical and technical experience for this session.

Saturday 8:00am

GETTING IN THE SIDE DOOR: Selling to Retailers for Beginners (Beginner)

Th is workshop will help beginning farmers navigate non-direct market-ing options such as selling to small grocers, co-ops and restaurants. Nick Bauer and Brandon Bissell-Evans of Honest Weight Food Co-Op will discuss making contacts, what is expected of the farmer by retailers, sales and produce-providing practic-es, and knowing what your products are really worth. Th ey hope to help you make the most of your products, and to create good lasting relation-ships with your future clients.

Saturday 1:15pm

WEED MANAGEMENT FOR BEGINNING FARMERS (Beginner)

Andrew Dygert of Remembrance Farm will instruct beginning farm-ers about the tools (physical and virtual) and information needed to make decisions on preventing and combatting weed pressure on an or-ganic farm. You will cover a broad spectrum of weed management tech-niques, including but not limited to diff erent types of cultivation, cov-er cropping, stale seed bedding, and various kinds of mulch. Discussion will focus on pros and cons of each method and which techniques work for which crops.

Saturday 2:45pm

PEST MANAGEMENT FOR BEGINNING VEGETABLE GROWERS (Beginner)

Th is workshop is for new farmers unfamiliar with insect and disease pests: what they look like, how they work, and all the various terms used to describe them. Abby Seaman, farmer at Glendale Farm and Vege-table IPM Coordinator for Cornell’s IPM Program, will guide you through all of this information, which you’ll need to make the best use of the re-sources that are available to help with pest management on the farm. Beyond basic biology and terminol-ogy, participants can expect to learn how to scout for pests, understand management manuals and what to think about for preventing and man-aging pest problems.

Saturday 4:15pm


BEGINNING FARMER PANEL: Stories and Discussion About Discoveries in the Field (Beginner)

Th is panel of beginning farmers will outline specifi c issues they faced in the fi eld and the methods they used to combat these production and marketing quandaries. Topics will include soil-building, growing cut fl owers organically on a farm scale and making the labor and market-ing numbers work on a new farm. Denis Lepel, Lake Stone Family Farm; Jennifer Elliot, Tiny Hearts Farm; and Douglass DeCandia, West Chester Food Bank, will share their stories in the style of a research panel. Th is will set the stage for all participants to ask questions or share trials and successes as begin-ning farmers. Don’t miss this chance to share and learn from beginning-farmer peers in a setting that cele-brates you as researchers, innovators and mentors.

Sunday 8:00am

WORKING WITH VOLUNTEERS AND TEMPORARY LABOR (Beginner)

Learn how to begin mutually ben-efi cial relationships between you and your volunteers/WWOOFers! Discover methods of management that help bring farmers and a la-bor force to a more resilient place. Jacob Eisman brings ten years’ ex-perience living and working at Six Circles Farm, which has relied ex-clusively on volunteer work since its inception. According to Eisman, the farmers have often tailored tasks to suit the needs and comfort of work-er-visitors while maintaining a productive farm. Th is will be an in-teractive workshop—come prepared to move around and act out scenari-os to help us dig deeper into manage-ment and learning styles.

Sunday 9:45am


BE

GIN

NIN

G F

AR

ME

RS

BE

GIN

NIN

G F

AR

ME

RS



VA

LU

E-A

DD

ED

PR

OC

ES

SIN

G &

MA

RK

ET

ING

VA

LU

E-A

DD

ED

PR

OC

ES

SIN

G &

MA

RK

ET

ING

SUCCESSFUL FARMERS COOPERATIVES: Creating and Sustaining Successful Marketing Cooperatives (Advanced)

Deep Root Organic Co-op was founded in 1986 and now consists of 15 member farms in Vermont and Québec. Th e co-op recognized over $2.2 million in revenue in 2011, distributing over 84,095 cas-es of produce to customers across New England. Learn from Anthony Marisciotta, Sales Manager of Deep Root, how cooperative enterprises put people before profi t, are commu-nity owned, accountable to members, successful businesses, strengthen lo-cal economies, are resilient, and can build a better world.

Saturday 8:00am

ADDING VALUE: Using Renewable Energy on the Farm (All Levels)

Tom Szulist worked as a stock-broker for 29 years and left the business to grow organic garlic and vegetables and distribute value-add-

ed products. In 2009, Tom and his wife Vivianne Szulist formed Sing-er Farm Naturals. Learn from the success of Singer Farm Naturals, as Tom and Vivianne show how they took advantage of existing resourc-es and structures on their farm, then added solar and wind systems to cre-ate a showcase of production sus-tainability. You will marvel at the amount energy produced and saved and you will learn about the costs of a similar system as well as the incen-tives and grants available to farmers and businesses.

Saturday 1:15pm

FOOD PROCESSORS MARKETING STORIES: What Worked and What Didn’t! (All Levels)

Listen and learn from the expe-riences of three food processors who successfully address the goal of marketing—getting your name brand into the marketplace. Cheryl Rogowski speaks from personal ex-perience on the benefi ts of network-ing that the 2nd-generation Rogowski Farm uses to establish its products in markets. Tom Szulist of Sing-er Farm Naturals will talk about starting a new project within the framework of an older farm. Jeri Woodhouse of A Taste of the North Fork brings her experience in custom packaging, which often clinches the sale of value-added products for the wholesale and retail customer.

Saturday 2:45pm


PRESERVING TRADITION FOR MARKET: New Fermentation Technology for Longer Shelf Life (Advanced)

After six years of experience and two years of collaborative re-search with the Canadian Dept. of Agriculture’s Food Research & De-velopment Centre (FRDC), Bio-Fer-mentation of Canada has developed a lacto-fermentation technology for cabbages, carrots, beets, radishes and other vegetables. Gary Caldwell of Caldwell Bio Fermentation Can-ada and Anthony Marisciotta of Deep Root Organic Marketing Co-operative in Vermont will discuss methods of production and the chal-lenges of marketing lacto-fermented products for wholesale distribution.

Saturday 4:15pm

SELF-PROMOTION FOR EVERYONE (All Levels)

Shy or gregarious alike will learn new tips and techniques for im-proving in-person networking and marketing skills. You will practice using these tools through role-plays, small group exercises and group discussion. Th is lively workshop is presented by Dan Livingston, of Wholeshare, and Rebecca Heller-Steinberg of Extended Har-vest and Mother Earth News Home-steader of the Year.

Sunday 8:00am

A CLOSE LOOK AT TEIKEI: Th e Japanese Version of CSA (All Levels)

Keynote speaker Shinji Hashimoto will tell the story of his farming from working as produce manager for the Kobe food coop to running a small organic farm that markets most of its products through a multi-farm Teikei. Like many US organic farmers, Shinji trains interns—but their pay is provided by his local government in exchange for them settling to farm locally! Th is is just one of many inno-vations we can learn about from the Teikei movement in Japan.

Sunday 9:45am


VA

LU

E-A

DD

ED

PR

OC

ES

SIN

G &

MA

RK

ET

ING

VA

LU

E-A

DD

ED

PR

OC

ES

SIN

G &

MA

RK

ET

ING



GA

RD

EN

ING

& H

OM

ES

TE

AD

ING

GA

RD

EN

ING

& H

OM

ES

TE

AD

ING

SOW LOCAL: Integrating Seed Saving and Plant Breeding into Your Small Farm or Garden (Beginner, Intermediate)

Saving seeds was once an integral part of farming and gardening but today, biotech and pharmaceutical corporations control the bulk of seed resources. Ken Greene of the Hud-son Valley Seed Library will explore how we got to this point and delve into what we can do to preserve, de-velop and reclaim our genetic and cultural seed resources for the future by saving and sharing seeds.

Saturday 8:00am

IT’S BEEN A LONG ROW TO HOE (Beginner, Intermediate)

Larry Siegel shares his philos-ophy, secrets and humor in main-taining his quarter acre Vermont homestead garden. Larry has been gardening successfully for over 35 years with a hoe, hand-weeder, spade and wheelbarrow. Larry empha-sizes practical methods sprinkled with some homegrown Larry Siegel philosophy.

Saturday 1:15pm

KITCHEN COSMETICS AND HERBAL SKIN CARE (Beginner, Intermediate)

Forager, herbalist and author Dina Falconi will off er a feast for the body and soul! Using all natu-ral ingredients, Dina will share her favorite master recipes for creating natural body care products. Learn from a master herbalist how to make all your own customized non-toxic personal care products in your own kitchen.

Saturday 2:45pm


GA

RD

EN

ING

& H

OM

ES

TE

AD

ING

GA

RD

EN

ING

& H

OM

ES

TE

AD

ING


FORAGING FUN: Fungi and Otherwise (Beginner, Intermediate)

Come into the forests, the mead-ows, back alleys and bogs with Petra Page-Mann of Firefl y Farm as she takes you from mushroom to leaf, from root to seed and explore the extraordinary edible and medici-nal abundance of our bioregion. Pe-tra will provide inspiration balanced with know-how, stories and samples of local tinctures and chanterelle butter.

Saturday 4:15pm

PRESERVING YOUR OLD GARDEN FRIENDS: Your Favorite Tools (All Levels)

Experienced gardeners need to learn to sharpen hoes, shears, clip-pers and knives properly to keep them working great for more years to come. Robbie McIntosh is a home-steader and musician who cares for his garden tools as he cares for fi ne instruments. Robbie will show us how to extend the life of tools made of wood, metals and plastic. Partici-pants are encouraged to bring a dull or broken tool and the where-with-all to fi x it!

Sunday 8:00am

INTRODUCTION TO HOME BREWING (Beginner)

Do you enjoy a good brew? Brew-master Victoria Kombol will cover the basics of home brewing with sim-ple recipes that any creative cook will enjoy making. You’ll come home with the tools to impress your friends and family with your own tasty beverages.

Sunday 9:45am



PRODUCING FOOD FOR URBAN CONSUMERS: A Panel on Planning and Marketing (Intermediate, Advanced)

Karen Washington of Farm School NYC, Chris Wayne of New Farmer Development Project, and Sean Cummings of Binghamton Urban Farms and VINES will share their perspectives on the poten-tial that lies within close communi-ty-producer ties, as well as ways to seek out and create those connec-tions from a variety of angles. Panel-ists will share approaches to feeding diverse urban communities and ideas for new markets appropriate for farmers to sell and for communi-ty members to buy culturally-appro-priate aff ordable food. Th is will be an interactive discussion!

Saturday 8:00am

URBAN GARDENING IN CUBA (Beginner)

When Cuba lost access to Soviet oil and trade in the early 1990s, the country faced an immediate crisis—feeding the population. In Havana, Cubans worked together to turn va-cant lots, school playgrounds and backyards into urban vegetable gar-dens and worker-run food coopera-tives. Th ese intrepid urban producers have successfully implemented the largest organic urban gardening pro-gram in the world today through cooperation, conservation and com-munity resilience. Cameron Kelly, returning from her sixth trip to Cuba, will present slides and stories of this inspirational experiment in urban agriculture.

Saturday 1:15pm UR

BA

N F

AR

MIN

GU

RB

AN

FA

RM

ING



TRADITIONAL AND NON-TRADITIONAL FRUIT PRODUCTION IN NORTHEASTERN CITIES (Advanced)

Eric-Michael Rodriguez, Weeks-ville Heritage Center, and Mike Mitchell, NY Restoration Proj-ect, will teach best practices to han-dle a variety of urban fruit growing challenges. Th is workshop will cov-er growing woody and uncommon herbaceous fruit plants and answer the big questions of soil contamina-tion and environmental pollution, space and light limitations, site as-sessment and specimen selection, heirloom varieties, disease preven-tion and organic treatments, and fruit species not traditionally grown in the Northeast. Workshops partic-ipants will leave the workshop with an intellectual toolbox to aid their urban fruit-growing endeavors.

Saturday 2:45pm

BEGINNER’S URBAN LIVESTOCK (Beginner)

In this workshop, participants will explore the benefi ts and require-ments for keeping chickens, rab-bits, bees, and other types of small livestock, all of which can be stew-arded in backyards and on rooftops. Megan Paska, Brooklyn Home-steader and Seven Arrows East, will relate her experiences as an urban livestock farmer and off er sugges-tions on how to get started on your own. Issues including space and maintenance requirements, manure management, neighborly relations and tapping into the waste stream to minimize the costs associated with raising backyard livestock will be discussed.

Saturday 4:15pm

INTEGRATING A VEGETABLE GARDEN INTO A MIDDLE SCHOOL SCIENCE PROGRAM (Beginner)

Wayne Gottlieb, science teach-er at DeWitt Middle School in Itha-ca, will present the successes and setbacks of a garden-based learning program. He will describe how the 6,000 sq. foot garden came into ex-istence in this suburban school set-ting and relate his experiences in integrating the garden activities into the 7th grade science curriculum. He will also discuss how the garden has impacted the rest of the school community.

Sunday 8:00am

UR

BA

N F

AR

MIN

GU

RB

AN

FA

RM

ING



PE

OP

LE

& P

OL

ICY

PE

OP

LE

& P

OL

ICY

THE NEW TRADITIONAL AMERICAN DIET (Intermediate)

Th ese days, the American public is bombarded with nutritional facts, fallacies and diet fads from every an-gle. Nutritionist and author Michele Jacobson will draw on solid scientif-ic research while exploring the tra-ditional diets of the world. Jacobson will demonstrate how we can com-bine the best aspects of nutritional-ly superior foods from other cultures to create a new traditional American diet.

Saturday 8:00am

WEATHERING THE STORMS: Developing Resilience During and Aft er Disaster (All Levels)

Th is moving discussion among farmers from New York and Ver-mont will remind us of the insights and strategies that develop in times of personal and environmental di-saster. Ryan Wood-Beauchamp and Kara Fitzgerald, Evening Song Farm, Lisa Bloodnick, Bloodnick Family Farm, and Lisa Engelbert, Engelbert Family Farm, will share inspirational stories of how commu-nity support helped them persevere in the face of the devastating storms and fl oods of 2011.

Saturday 1:15pm

GMO LABELING: Where Do We Go From Here? (All Levels)

Th is interactive workshop led by Dr. Michael Hansen, Consumers Union, and Dave Rogers, NOFA-VT, will focus on the status of state and national-level eff orts to require la-beling of genetically modifi ed foods. Both Hansen and Rogers will speak about battles won and lost, and dis-cuss current legislation and the le-gal aspects of enforcing labeling laws as well as updates on important sci-entifi c developments. Join in for learning eff ective strategies to in-sure success in the battle for eff ec-tive labeling.

Saturday 2:45pm



THE INS AND OUTS OF SCALE-APPROPRIATE FOOD SAFETY MEASURES (All Levels)

While all food must be safe in the marketplace, the regulations govern-ing how that food is produced can-not be one-size-fi ts-all. In the Food Safety Modernization Act of 2010 Congress established an alternative process and government-fi nanced training to address the diff er-ing needs of small-scale producers. Steve Gilman, NOFA Interstate Council Policy Coordinator, will ex-plain how this mandate is translat-ed into regulations by FDA. Come learn about the ins and outs of pol-icy-making, the gaps in Good Agri-cultural Practices (GAPs) and fi tting alternatives for bona fi de farm food safety practices.

Saturday 4:15pm

PROTECTING NYS WATER, AIR, AND SOIL FROM FRACKING: Where Are We Now? (Intermediate)

Over the past few years, industri-alized gas drilling, known as frack-ing, or more formally, as “high volume horizontal hydrofracking,” has become a raging controversy in New York State. Th is workshop led by Krys Cail, Chair of NOFA-NY’s Policy Subcommittee on Fracking, will help you understand where the movement to ban fracking has come from, what it has accomplished to date, and where it is going. Join us in moving forward to protect our farms, forests and rural land from harm that has been infl icted in oth-er states. Th is will be a multi-media presentation.

Sunday 8:00am

ORGANIC INTEGRITY: Are Th ere Synthetics in My Organics? (All Levels)

What does organic mean these days? Are there really “bad things” allowed in organic production? Join a lively discussion with Liana Hoodes, NOFA-NY Certifi ed Organ-ic, LLC Management Committee, to talk about what organic is, what it means for farmers, whether you can trust the label, and why you should be working hard to preserve high-in-tegrity organic production.

Sunday 9:45am

PE

OP

LE

& P

OL

ICY

PE

OP

LE

& P

OL

ICY



PO

TP

OU

RR

IP

OT

PO

UR

RI

GETTING BIGGER CAN MEAN GETTING BETTER (Intermediate, Advanced)

Since 1972, Hawthorne Valley Farm (HVF) has been producing high quality biodynamic and organ-ic foods while providing farm-based learning experiences for children and adults. Today, HVF is a 400-acre Biodynamic farm, which includes dairy cows, vegetables, a cream-ery, organic bakery, sauerkraut cel-lar, and more. Rachel Schneider, M a r t i n P i n g a n d S t e f f e n Schneider will tell the story of how HVF grew through its commitment to education, to maintaining its mis-sion to inspire stewardship of the land in the community, and through producing an abundance and variety of organic foods.

Saturday 8:00am

THE REBIRTH OF AGRICULTURE IN NATIVE AMERICAN COMMUNITIES: Haudenosaunee Corn (All Levels)

Haudenosaunee traditional corn, cultivated by Native farmers in the northeast for more than 500 years, embodies indigenous knowledge, cul-

ture, and history. Th e White Corn Project at Ganondagan State Histor-ical Site in Victor, NY seeks to pre-serve and revitalize this important crop and the many foods that can be made from it. James Jamison, Ga-nondagan State Historical Site, and Jane Mt. Pleasant, American In-dian Program at Cornell University, will describe corn cultivation and his-tory in the Iroquois (Haudenosaunee) communities from the 16th century through contemporary times.

Saturday 1:15pm

WORKSONGS ON DIVERSIFIED SMALL FARMS (All Levels)

Th e Sylvester Manor Work-songers will lead a participatory worksong workshop to help farmers explore how to use music to bring joy, effi ciency, arts, and community into their fi elds. Between songs, there will be a guided discussion focusing on the mechanics of how worksongs “work” in fi elds, barns, and other settings. Th is workshop brings new insights to the table, based on the experiences of several diff erent mu-sicians working and singing at three diff erent farms in 2012.

Saturday 2:45pm



A LIFE OF RESILIENCY: Living on Less (Strategies for Survival During Economic Collapse) (All Levels)

Community and environmental activist Tanya Fields will share her strategies for engaged, holistic liv-ing in the South Bronx. Learn how to live fully while being cognizant of your carbon footprint, consump-tion and eating local without break-ing your pockets. She will be joined by urban farmers Jalal Sabur and Sarah Wilford who share strategies and experiences for creating resil-ience in communities that struggle with everyday hardship.

Saturday 4:15pm

BOTANICAL ILLUSTRATION FOR PLANT IDENTIFICATION AND APPRECIATION (Intermediate, Advanced)

Botanical illustration has been used for centuries as a way to de-pict and identify plants. Join Wendy Hollender, Hollengold Farm and in-structor at NY Botanical Gardens, as she describes the techniques used in drawing over 50 wild edible plants. Th rough the techniques of botanical drawing, you will learn about plants and appreciate them even if you do not consider yourself an artist.

Sunday 8:00am

ORGANIC NUTRITION FROM A MEDICAL PERSPECTIVE: Scientifi c Evidence that Supports Health Benefi ts of Organic Food (All Levels)

Environmental and sustainability arguments for organic products are understood by both the farmer and the consumer. Th e nutritional bene-fi ts of local organic food are less es-tablished and currently debated in popular media. Th is workshop, led by Sharon Ostfeld-Johns, a medical student from an organic farm fam-ily, will provide a variety of scien-tifi c facts, concepts, and references about the health benefi ts of organic products focusing on nutrition, im-proved immune function, and the avoidance of ingesting pesticides and herbicides.

Sunday 9:45am

PO

TP

OU

RR

IP

OT

PO

UR

RI


ADVENTURE IN THE SKIDMORE COLLEGE WOODS

You’ll want to bundle up for our adventure in the Skidmore Woods with Stephen McCann and William Conway, both enthusiastic summer farm interns and students at Skidmore. We’ll learn some winter survival skills, try our hand at ori-enteering, and enjoy some wild and crazy play before fi nding our way back to the conference center. Please come dressed warmly for this out-doors experience with appropriate coat, boots, hat, and mittens.

1:10–4:45pm

Saturday

PLANNING YOUR OWN MARKET GARDEN

Clare Fraser (13), and her sis-ter Sara Fraser (10), started a mar-ket garden when they were 11 and 8 years old. Th ey were inspired by the concept of square foot garden-ing. You can be, too! Th is workshop will give you the skills you need for planning your own garden. We’ll also get to know each other by play-ing games.

8–9:45am

[Friday]

COME PLAY WITH WORMS!Master Composter Abby Lublin

invites us to play with worms! We’ll play welcome games, get comfortable with each other and some adorable worms, and make worm bins to take home. We’ll prepare fresh fruits and vegetables and feed our scraps to the worms. Abby is the founder of Col-lard City Growers in Troy, New York and spends her summers learning how to garden and enjoy vegetables alongside neighborhood kids.

8:45am–12:20pm

J U S T F O R K I D SJ U S T F O R K I D S

CH

ILD

RE

N’S

CO

NF

ER

EN

CE

CH

ILD

RE

N’S

CO

NF

ER

EN

CE

SATURDAYSATURDAY

Each year we encourage attendees to bring their children ages 6–13 to attend our special Children’s Conference!

Space is limited, so register early. Children’s Conference Coordinator Rebekah Rice will be available throughout the conference to keep things running smoothly! Check out this year’s schedule:

Lunch Parents will need to pick up their children

promptly at 12:20pm; no children’s programming or childcare will be off ered during lunch.

FRIDAYFRIDAY


YOUNG FARMER’S CIRCUSIn our Young Farmer’s Circus,

participants will learn partner ac-robatics, dance, and simple percus-sion. Th en we will add some sparkles to ourselves and put on a special show! Leah Penniman and Jonah Vitale-Wolff are organic farmers, educators, parents, and activists who like to enjoy life through creative expression.

9:45am–12:00pm



FARMS AND COMMUNITY Th is afternoon we’ll explore

farms and community while creat-ing a patchwork quilt. Everyone will design a farm on their own fabric patch, and then we’ll piece together a community of farms. Stephanie Scavelli is a professional vegeta-ble gardener and manages the Chap-paqua Farmers Market.

1–2:45pm

SATURDAYSATURDAYJ U S T F O R K I D SJ U S T F O R K I D S

CH

ILD

RE

N’S

CO

NF

ER

EN

CE

CH

ILD

RE

N’S

CO

NF

ER

EN

CE

NUTS ABOUT LOCAL If you aren’t already nuts about

local, you will be after this all-lo-cal snack fest. We’ll crack as many New York State nuts as we can get our hands on, husk and pop pop-corn, fi nd the stars in apples and pears, and snack until we’re full. Monya Relles is always happy to play games, eat snacks, or take on a farming challenge.

2:45–4:15pm

EMBROIDERY EMBELLISHMENT

Joi n f a r m g i r l a nd a r t i st Rosemary Glos to use simple em-broidery embellishment to add de-tail to your farm quilt squares. Learn how to embroider vegetables and flowers and even create your own designs! We’ll have a chance to em-bellish what we made earlier in the afternoon, start on new squares, or strengthen and build connections in the overall quilt.

4:15–5:45pm


J U S T F O R K I D SJ U S T F O R K I D S

CH

ILD

RE

N’S

CO

NF

ER

EN

CE

CH

ILD

RE

N’S

CO

NF

ER

EN

CE

CHILDCAREChild Care will be available for youth ages 3–5 that includes many ac-

tivities to keep your young ones engaged and inspired! Full program will be available soon online at www.nofanyconference.org. Pre-registration is required, and no childcare services will be off ered during lunch. Parents should plan to pick up their children promptly after the morning sessions end, and then again following the afternoon’s last workshop.

Friday: 8:45am–12:15pm and 1:15–4:45pm Saturday: 7:45–11:55am and 1:00–5:45pm Sunday: 7:45am–12:00pm

Sunday

RESILIENT STRUCTURES John Inman is an architect who

enjoys working on community build-ing projects. We’ll create resilient structures using minimal materials. What is strong? What is not? Let’s fi gure it out together!

8–9:45am

THE ART OF SALAD: Become a Conscious Foodie

Become a conscious foodie while learning about the relationship be-tween healthy food, wellness, and the environment. Talia Arnow is a senior at Skidmore College who loves making local, nutrition rich, and vegetarian meals. We’ll use scrub-bers, knives and shredders to pre-pare winter vegetables, and then create beautiful and delicious salads for our midmorning snack.

9:45–11:15am

SUNDAYSUNDAY

CELEBRATE COMMUNITY Celebrate community in song by

creating one together in this song-writing workshop. When we’re done writing our song, we’ll perform it for the younger children and par-ents when they come to pick up. Cathy Winter is a long-time singer-songwriter who does workshops in camps, libraries, and schools.

11:15am–12:15pm




HOW TO GET THERETh e Saratoga Hilton534 Broadway, Saratoga Springs, NY 12866 • 888-866-3591 • www.thesaratogahotel.com

Hotel AccommodationsHotel rooms are available at a

rate of $95/night, based on dou-ble occupancy. In order to receive this discounted rate, you must identify yourself as a NOFA-NY Conference Attendee. To make a res-ervation, please visit the Winter Conference Hotel Reservation site at www.nofany.org/hotel and use the

Promotional Code AJBV or call the Hilton Reservations Department at (888) 866-3596. Interested in shar-ing the cost of a room with a room-mate? If you would like to be paired with another attendee who is look-ing for a roommate, please contact us at: [email protected].

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATIONAir: Albany International Airport (ALB) www.albanyairport.com.Train: Amtrak off ers direct service to Saratoga Springs. Use discount code X93L-958

when you call Amtrak at (800) 872-7245 or log on to www.amtrak.com.Bus: Greyhound, Adirondack Trailways and Pine Hill Trailways service Saratoga Springs.Taxi: Saratoga Central Dispatch (518) 584-2700.

SAVE GAS & MONEYShare a Ride!

Are you concerned about carbon emissions and/or interested in saving a few bucks? Sharing a ride to the conference is a great way to tackle both issues at once. Visit the NOFA-NY Rideshare Page to either off er or request a ride from anywhere in the region: www.nofany.org/bfam/bulletin-board.

DRIVINGFrom the North: Take Adirondack Northway (I-87 South) to Exit 15. Turn right at

exit. At the 4th traffi c light, turn left onto Rock St. At stop sign, turn right onto Maple Ave. Th e Saratoga Hilton parking lot is on your right.

From the South: Take NYS Th ruway (I-87 North) to Exit 24. Follow Step 2.

From the East: Take Massachusetts Turnpike (I-90 West) to NYS Th ruway. Take Exit B-1 onto “I-90 Bypass.” Cross Hudson River and immediately exit onto I-787 North. Exit onto Rt. 7 West, follow to Adirondack Northway (I-87). Follow Step 2.

From the West: Take NYS Th ruway (I-90 East) to Exit 24. Follow Step 2.

Step 2 – Take Adirondack Northway (I-87 North) to Exit 15. Turn left at exit. At the 5th traffi c light, turn left onto Rock St. At stop sign, turn right onto Maple Ave. Th e Saratoga Hilton parking lot is on your right.


United States Department of AgricultureRisk Management Agency

An employee-owned company

Downto EarthFARMERS MARKETS- formerly Community Markets

Go Mobile, Buy Local.

THANKS TO OUR 2013 THANKS TO OUR 2013 WINTER CONFERENCE SPONSORSWINTER CONFERENCE SPONSORSPATRON OF ORGANICSPATRON OF ORGANICS

PLATINUMPLATINUM

GOLDGOLD

SILVERSILVER

NO

N-P

RO

FIT

OR

G.

U.S

. PO

STAG

E

PAID

P

ER

MIT

NO

. 139

6 R

oche

ster

, NY

Pre-

regi

ster

by

Janu

ary

11th

!G

et a

$10

disc

ount

if y

ou re

gist

er b

y D

ecem

ber 1

1th!

Visi

t ww

w.n

ofan

ycon

fere

nce.

org

to re

gist

er o

nlin

e.

Documents

2013 Conference Brochure