NOFA Vermont's 33rd Annual
WINTER CONFERENCE
“Growing the Good Food Movement” February 14–16, 2015
75+ workshops, keynote speakers, roundtables, & celebration for commercial growers, gardeners, homesteaders, and food lovers. Learn more, register, & meet our exhibitors and sponsors at
www.nofavt.org/conference
Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center
Mimi Arnstein, Wellspring Farm
at the University of Vermont, Burlington
www.nofavt.org/ conference
802-434-4122 info@nofavt.org
WELCOME to the 33rd Annual
NOFA-VT Winter Conference!
February 14-16, 2015
CONTENTS Featured Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 Monday Intensives. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 Weekend Schedule & Highlights. . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Weekend Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Children’s Conference . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Featured Workshop Tracks. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Workshops. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 & 7 Lunchtime Activities. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Exhibitors’ Fair. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Saturday Night Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Meals & Food. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Location. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 The Details. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Registration Form. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 Our Sponsors. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
The NOFA Vermont Winter Conference is a highlight of the winter for Vermont’s farmers, gardeners, homesteaders and enthusiastic eaters. Please join us – and 1,500 of your fellow local food enthusiasts – for three days of learning, inspiration, good food and great conversation. Our conference theme, Growing the Good Food Movement, is intended to continue and build on the important conversations that are taking place – locally, nationally, and worldwide – about farm and food equity, building a fair and just food system where everyone has access to healthy food, and where the farmers and farm workers who grow that food receive respect and a living wage. Growing the Good Food Movement means supporting new farmers, providing technical assistance to encourage successful farms, and connecting food consumers with their food producers. These themes and more will be addressed throughout the conference – in our workshops, the photography exhibit The Golden Cage, our featured films, Saturday’s keynote address by Natasha Bowens entitled “The Color of Food: Photography & Storytelling from Farmers of Color,” and Sunday’s poetry and story slam. In addition to digging into these important issues, we’re hosting an exciting slew of localvore and homesteading workshops, gardening workshops put on by the Vermont Community Garden Network, our Annual Seed Swap with High Mowing Organic Seeds, and lots of great music, food, and chances for conversation. Use this brochure as a guide, and visit our conference website at www.nofavt.org/conference to dig deeper into the conference details. We look forward to seeing you there!
Meg Klepack NOFA Vermont Winter Conference Coordinator
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Enid Wonnacott NOFA Vermont Executive Director
NOFA Vermont · 802-434-4122 · info@nofavt.org · www.nofavt.org
FEATURED SPEAKERS SATURDAY NATASHA BOWENS
THE COLOR OF FOOD: PHOTOGRAPHY & STORYTELLING FROM FARMERS OF COLOR Through photography and storytelling, Natasha Bowens, author of the book The Color of Food: Stories of Race, Resilience and Farming, will introduce farmers and food activists of color who are revolutionizing the food system and preserving cultural foodways around the country. Their stories highlight important issues of food justice and food sovereignty such as land ownership, health, community building, and race and gender obstacles. This presentation aims to amplify the role of communities of color in agriculture while challenging the status quo of agrarian identity and teaching us that the good food movement is about more than buying local and protecting our soil. It is about preserving culture and community, digging deep into the places we’ve overlooked and honoring those who have come before us. Blending storytelling, photography and oral history, Natasha’s keynote address will show how true food sovereignty means a place at the table for everyone.
SUNDAY GROWING THE GOOD FOOD MOVEMENT: STORY AND POETRY SLAM Inspired by the revitalization of storytelling in Vermont and beyond, we’re opening our keynote stage on Sunday morning for a Story and Poetry Slam. We invite you (yes, you!) to submit a story or poem by January 23rd to be considered for inclusion in the slam.
To submit your story or poem, call the NOFA Vermont office at 802-434-4122 and ask to be connected to extension 30. Leave a message telling us your story or poem – be sure to include your name and how we can reach you! Stories and poems must be 5 minutes or shorter. Deadline for submissions is January 23. Submissions will be reviewed by our winter conference planning team and the 5 storytellers selected will be notified by February 1. Hosting the Story and Poetry Slam (and performing, as well) will be Laura BrownLavoie. Laura is a farmer, poet, performer, and youth mentor in Providence, RI, whose 2012 Winter Conference performance was one of our most popular.
The theme is Growing the Good Food Movement. Tell us a specific story or read us a poem about how you have experienced or are addressing, for example, farm or food equity, race, class, farm worker rights, or food sovereignty in your work or life.
Learn more at www.nofavt.org/conference.
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MONDAY INTENSIVES
Monday, February 16 • Billings & Waterman Lounge, UVM $50 members; $65 non-members Prices include lunch by Have Your ‘Cake Catering (The Skinny Pancake). Pre-registration is requested; we cannot guarantee lunch for walk-ins.
ENHANCING POLLINATOR POPULATIONS IN YOUR WORKING LANDSCAPE 9:00am–3:30pm This all-day workshop will provide an overview of insect pollinators and issues facing them, including pesticide toxicity, loss of floral resources and habitat, and disease and parasites. It will focus on what each of us can do to enhance pollinator populations on our farms and gardens, including keeping honeybees and building native bee populations. Participants should bring maps of their farms and gardens to use for designing pollinatorfriendly habitat, and will leave with a greater understanding and an implementation plan to enhance pollinator populations. Presenter: John & Nancy Hayden are owners of The Farm Between, an organic fruit nursery and fruit farm in Jeffersonville, VT. Maintaining a pollinator sanctuary with floral, nesting and overwintering habitat is a high priority on the farm. John has worked as a researcher, extension agent, consultant, educator and organic farmer. Nancy is a retired UVM faculty member with 25 years teaching experience in experiential, hands-on, and service learning. She has degrees in ecology, environmental engineering, art, and writing, and she keeps honeybees. Jane Sorensen is co-owner of River Berry Farm, an organic small-fruit and vegetable farm in Fairfax, VT. Jane grows and sells native plants for pollinator habitat enhancement. She is a retired landscape architect with 14 years experience and degrees in the field. She teaches Landscape Design for Pollinators at UVM.
FARMING THE WOODS: SEEING THE FOREST FOR MORE THAN JUST THE TREES 9:00am–4:00pm For too long, forest management has focused on timber and firewood as the main yields, limiting the opportunity for farmers and adversely affecting the long term heath of the forest. Steve Gabriel, author of the new book Farming the Woods, invites you to learn a remarkably different perspective on forest management: a healthy forest can be maintained while growing a wide range of food, medicine, and other products. Steve will cover cultivation of non-timber forest crops such as American ginseng, shiitake mushrooms, ramps (wild leeks), maple syrup, fruit and nut trees, and ornamentals, along with compelling stories of active forest farmers from around the country. Presenter: Steve Gabriel is an ecologist, educator, author, and forest farmer from the Finger Lakes region of New York. He currently works for Cornell Cooperative Extension doing agroforestry and education and runs Wellspring Forest Farm which produces mushrooms, duck eggs, pastured lamb, nursery trees, and maple syrup.
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SIX FIGURE FARMING FOR SMALL PLOTS 9:00am–4:00pm This workshop will provide in-depth instruction with Jean-Martin Fortier about how adopting intensive methods of production can lead to the optimization of a cropping system. Topics will include: farm set-up and design for biologically intensive cropping systems; alternative machinery, minimum tillage techniques and the use of the best hand tools for the market garden; best practices for weed and pest management; and how to develop a systematic approach to crop planning and season extension. Presenter: Jean-Martin Fortier, one of Canada’s most recognized and influential organic growers, is the author of the Market Gardener: A Successful Grower’s Handbook for SmallScale Organic Farming. His book shares the techniques, tools and technology that makes his 1.5 acre market garden productive and profitable.
GET STARTED WITH YOUR VERMONT PRODUCE SAFETY ACCREDITATION! 10:00am–4:00pm This workshop is for the vast majority of Vermont produce farmers who will be exempted from the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) but will likely need some food safety credibility to satisfy customers (and insurance companies). Get started on the Vermont-made produce safety accreditation being developed by the Vermont Vegetable and Berry Growers Association and UVM Extension. During this intensive, you will learn about this program and begin the accreditation process by drafting a practical produce safety plan for your farm, or revising the one you already have. Presenters: Hans Estrin works for UVM Extension to develop Vermont’s local fresh food markets. He co-founded the Windham Farm and Food Network, co-developed Extension’s Practical Produce Safety Program, and now coordinates the Vermont Produce Safety Accreditation Program. Ginger Nickerson coordinates the Produce Safety Program at UVM Extension’s Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Her academic training is in agroecology and she has a strong interest in agroforestry and how integrating woody perennials can improve resiliency of agricultural systems. After Tropical Storm Irene, she became very interested in looking for alternative crops for floodplains.
Visit www.nofavt.org/conference for more details
WEEKEND SCHEDULE & HIGHLIGHTS Based on attendee feedback, we are starting a little bit later on Sunday this year, to give you time to do chores, travel, or have a nice breakfast in town. Please plan to be at the fourth floor of the Davis Center promptly each day for the beginning of the morning activities.
Saturday
Sunday 8:00 am Registration & Exhibitors' Fair open; refreshments available
8:30 am Registration & Exhibitors' Fair open; refreshments available
9:00–10:30 am Keynote: Natasha Bowens 10:45 am–12:00 pm Workshop Session I
9:30–10:30 am Story and Poetry Slam 10:45 am–12:00 pm Workshop Session I
12:00–2:00 pm Lunchtime Activities (see p. 4)
12:00–2:00 pm Lunchtime Activities (see p. 4)
Lunch: 12:00–2:00 Roundtables: 1:00–2:00
Lunch: 12:00–2:00 Roundtables: 1:00–2:00
2:15–3:30 pm Workshop Session II
2:15–3:30 pm Workshop Session II
3:45–5:00 pm Workshop Session III
3:45–5:00 pm Workshop Session III
5:15–7:30 pm Saturday Social, Seed Swap
5:15-6:15 pm Ice Cream Social
WEEKEND MUSIC Edith & Bennett (Edith Gawler and Bennett Konesni) are farmers who sing, especially while working. They also play old-time fiddle, banjo and guitar for contra dances in grange halls and barns, and sing farmer’s ballads and hollers on stage in venues across North America as a part of several bands.
Photo: Elizabeth Ferry
We’re excited to have them at the conference to lead us in song in the mornings, provide music during our social times at lunch, and lead a community sing during Saturday’s Social.
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WEEKEND ACTIVITIES
COMMUNITY ART PROJECT
Davis Center, 1st Floor
Join local artist Bonnie Acker to create carrots and cows, farmers and fields for a large, brilliantlycolored weaving. All ages will be celebrated, and you don’t have to consider yourself an artist! There will be a place for everyone to share scissors, paper, yarn, cloth, and dreams of a Vermont – and a world – where wonderful food is enjoyed by all.
Photo: Caleb Kenna
THE GOLDEN CAGE: MEXICAN MIGRANT WORKERS AND VERMONT DAIRY FARMERS Photo and Audio Exhibit by the Vermont Folklife Center Davis Center, 4th Floor Migrant Mexican farm workers began arriving on Vermont dairy farms almost ten years ago and continue to work here, living hidden lives. Through intimate photographs and interviews, this exhibit offers a revealing portrait of dairy farmers and Mexican workers and a glimpse into their interdependent lives—what they hope for and who they are.
SPINNING & WEAVING DEMONSTRATIONS Saturday & Sunday, 9 am–5 pm Davis Center, 2nd Floor Join Carol of Singing Spindle Spinnery for hands-on demonstrations of yarn-spinning (with both a spinning wheel and a drop spindle) and circular weaving.
Photo: Elizabeth Ferry
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Carol will also be available to answer questions about felting, carding, dyeing, knitting and crocheting.
NEW FARMER COACHING Saturday & Sunday, 11:00 am–3:00 pm, by appointment only Davis Center, 3rd Floor, Student Government Atrium & Lounge Are you a new or aspiring farmer looking for land, capital, skill development or business planning advice? Attend a one-on-one coaching session with a Vermont New Farmer Project consultant to identify steps you can take to meet your priorities. By appointment only; please contact rachel@nofavt.org to sign up for a coaching session. The VT New Farmer Project is a collaboration between UVM Extension, NOFA Vermont, the Intervale Center, Vital Communities, Rutland-Area Food & Farm Link, and with funding from the USDA Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program.
SOCIAL NETWORKING Join the conversation on social media with the hashtag #nofavtWC! You can tag us on Twitter at @NOFAVT and on Facebook with @NOFA-VT.
NOFA VERMONT CHILDREN’S CONFERENCE We are always excited to welcome the next generation of farmers, gardeners, and food lovers to the conference! We encourage parents to register their children ages 5-12 at NOFA-VT’s Children’s Conference, taking place at the same time as the adult conference on the UVM campus Saturday and Sunday. At the Children’s Conference, participants attend workshops in felting and print-making, go outside for workshops on tracking and making shelters, and create their own snacks by baking in NOFA’s mobile oven, drying fruit, or making bicycle smoothies. Children also have the opportunity to create original songs and work with fabulous local artist Bonnie Acker on the Community Art Project and making Valentine’s Day cards. Look for the full schedule of events online
at www.nofavt. org/conference. The cost of registration is $30/child/ day, and space is limited, so please register early. Lunch is not included in the cost of registration. Children are welcome to join adults for lunch at the children’s price of $10. Of course, you’re also welcome to pack a bag lunch for your kids!
FEATURED WORKSHOP TRACKS
The University of Vermont Food Systems Initiative values research that has direct and positive impacts on the community it serves and beyond. These workshops demonstrate areas in which research will or has tangibly impacted our modern food system.
See all workshops on pages 6 & 7.
Saturday
Direct Marketing
Sunday
Best Practices for Opening Your Farm to Visitors Farmers & Their Soil Health Practices Why Do Good Vegetables Go Bad? Storage Crops, How They Differ & What We Can Do About It Huertas Project: Farmworker Food Access Assessing Your Livestock Markets Cold Boxes, Coolbots™, Split Refrigeration & More: Storage Systems & Controls for Your Business Exclusion Netting for Management of Spotted Wing Drosophila on VT Farms Swede Midge: a Devastating Pest of Brassica Crops in New England & Producing Quality Lamb on Pasture
Farmers’ Market Display & Merchandising Best Practices for Opening Your Farm to Visitors CSAs & Community Engagement What Makes Your Farm Business Unique: How to Identify & Promote Your Attributes Farmstands: Differences Between Staffed & Unstaffed Models Managing & Marketing a Year-Round Diversified CSA Direct Marketing workshops are intended for producers who sell through farmers’ markets, farm stands, and CSAs.
Community & School Garden Series Sunday
Sunday
Saturday
UVM Food Systems Solutions
Community-Based Gardening: Getting Started Learning in the Garden: Adult Teaching Gardens Learning in the Garden: Curriculum Integration The Community & School Garden Track is designed for garden leaders and educators with a focus on developing leadership skills, growing food security and expanding local engagement in garden projects. Presented by the Vermont Community Garden Network, www.vcgn.org.
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BIZ & MARKETING
COMMERCIAL CROPS
FOOD SYSTEMS
Richard Wiswall Lara Dickson, Serena Fox Stan Ward Roy Henshaw Bruce Baker Lisa Chase, Calley Hastings, Judith Irving, Stephanie Smith Buzz Fervor Richard Wiswall Glenn Coville Gaelan Brown, Brian Jerose Stephen Leslie Andy Jones, Danielle Allen, Suzanne Long Vern Grubinger Chris Callahan Peter Moore
Determining Your Costs of Production
Expanding Your Brand 101
Food Traceability / Lot Tracking Solutions for ValueAdded Processors
Payroll & Tax Clinic for Farmer-Employers
Farmers’ Market Display & Merchandising
Best Practices for Opening Your Farm to Visitors
Aquaponics in Cold Climates
Farm Mechanization & Efficiencies
Growing Mushrooms on the Farm & Forest
Heat From Composting: Latest Developments & How to Match Options to Your Site
Weed Management in the Horse-Powered Market Garden
CSAs & Community Engagement
Farmers & Their Soil Health Practices
Why Do Good Vegetables Go Bad? Storage Crops, How They Differ & What We Can Do About It
"Sustainable Seafood” Compared to What? It's All Relative
Bryn Oakleaf, Ismail Samid Nicole Dehne, Miles McEvoy, Jean Richardson
Capturing the Value of Your Ugly Produce & Reducing Food Waste
USDA National Organic Program: What Does the Future Hold?
Huertas Project: Farmworker Food Access
Louis Battalen
Occupy Fair Trade: Understanding Labels & Forging a Movement
Teresa Mares, Jessie Mazar, Joseph
Enrique “Kike” Balcazar, Abel Luna
Milk With Dignity
Burmeister, Katherine Fanelli, How Scale-Appropriate Regulation Supports Prosperous Peter Susan & Ryan Hayes, Andrea Family Farms & Equitable Community Food Systems Stander
PRESENTER/S
TITLE OF WORKSHOP
SATURDAY WORKSHOPS
BIZ & MARKETING COMMERCIAL CROPS OD SYSTEMS
Maggie Donin, Eli Hersch, Jen Miller, John Smith
Making the Most of Farm Employment & Training
Abbie Nelson, Erbin Crowell, Annie Rowell, Abbey Willard Nicole Dehne , Wendy Sue Harper Pam Knights John & Sara Donegal Ginger Nickerson, Stan Ward, David Fried, Todd Hardie, John Hayden Geo Honigford, Timothy Hughes-Muse, Eugenia Doyle Justin Rich
Growing for Wholesale: the Options, Opportunities & Conditions Getting Ready for Your First Organic Farm Inspection What Makes Your Farm Business Unique: How to Identify & Promote Your Attributes Farmstands: Differences Between Staffed & Unstaffed Models Commercial Production of Elderberry: a Crop With Exciting Potential for Vermont! Up & Coming Crops: Popcorn, Sweet Potatoes & Ginger Wash it in January: Filling the Off-Season
Hannah Link, Rachel Schattman, Victor Izzo, Ben Waterman Exclusion Netting for Management of Spotted Wing Drosophila on VT Farms
Grace Meyer, Doug Paine, Bruce Hennesey, James Ehlers Fish on: Exploring Lake Champlain As a Food Source
In Their Own Words: Cultivating Future Leaders Through Amy Gifford, Student Panel Youth Farm, Food, & Nutrition Programs
Ethan Bodin, Rachel CadwalladerStaub, Vera Simon-Nobes
Farm-Based Education Through the Lens of Sustainability
Yolanda Chen, Chase Stratton, Swede Midge: a Devastating Pest of Brassica Crops in Andy Jones, Tony Lehouiller, David New England Merchant
Chris Callahan
Cold Boxes, Coolbots™, Split Refrigeration & More: Storage Systems & Controls for Your Business
Managing & Marketing a Year-Round Diversified CSA Christa Alexander
Slow Money VT Organizing Team
Slow Money Vermont: An Introduction for Entrepreneurs, Community Investors & Service Providers
Labor Laws That Every Farmer-Employer Should Know Kenneth Miller
PRESENTER/S
TITLE OF WORKSHOP
SUNDAY WORKSHOPS
HOMESTEADER
COMMERCIAL LIVESTOCK
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Wendy Sue Harper Anneli Carter-Sundqvist
Easy Great Compost
Homesteading in the 21St Century : Transitioning to a Home Based Economy
Mark Cannella, Sona Desai, John Smith, Sam Smith Joe Emenheiser Ross Conrad Joseph Kiefer
Scaling Up Egg Production: Can It Work on My Farm?
Assessing Your Livestock Markets
Apitherapy: Health & Healing With Hive Products
Building Quebec Bread Ovens With Schools & Communities
Featured Tracks:
Jenny Prince Ross Conrad Nick Zigelbaum Chet Parsons Wesley Bascom Joe Emenheiser, Chet Parsons Tradd Cotter Kalyn Campbell Mika McDonald, Kenzie McDonald
Whole Health Gardening: Bringing Nutrient Density to Your Backyard Working With Honey Bee Queens Lab-Approved Practices for Small-Scale Raw Milk Production How the Maintain a Healthy Flock of Sheep & Healthy Sheperd Pastured Goose Production Challenges & Opportunities Producing Quality Lamb on Pasture Cultivating Mushrooms for Everyone: Simple & High Yielding Home & Homesteading Techniques Home Scale Mozarella Making How Plants Make Us More Human: An Evolutionary Perspective
Marie Frohlich
Aaron Guman, Nicko Rubin
Practical Home-scale Permaculture
Taking Care of Your Brain With Food, Herbs & Fun
Bruce Howlett
Rotational Grazing With Few Livestock
Mary Brackett
Clotilde Hryshko
Planning the Garden for Year Round Eating
Step By Step Healing Using the GAPS Diet
Lee Reich
Kiwifruits for Backyards & Markets
Brooks Miller, Anna Santini
Peter Burke
Indoor Gardening: Seed to Salad in 7 Days
Preserving the Harvest: Hams & Bacon
Lee Reich
Compost Tea: True Elixir or Snake Oil?
Jacques & Pauline Couture
Andrea Chesman
An Overview of Food Preservation
Maple Sugar & Other Treats
Helen Fields, Stephen Greene, Abby Foulk, Deirdre Holmes
Learning in the Garden: Curriculum Integration
Kate Westdijk
Lisa Hoare, Denise Quick
Learning in the Garden: Adult Teaching Gardens
Local Food, Local Medicine
Susan Munkres, Libby Weiland
Community-Based Gardening: Getting Started
UVM Food Systems Solutions Community & School Garden Series Direct Marketing (See page 5 for more information about our featured tracks.)
Mike Gerhart
Sarah Flack
Preventing Grazing Pitfalls: Learning From Our Cows & Pastures
Homebrewing
Brooks Miller
Pigs: Creating the Right Conditions for Success
Betzy Bancroft
Brian Jerose
Livestock Manure Management
Herbal Medicine Making
Bay Hammond
Homeopathy for Commercial Livestock Farms
Tara Whitsett
Kara Fitzgerald, Ryan Wood-Beauchamp
A Vegetable Farmer's Perspective on Making the Most From Your Garden
Fermenting By Season
Fearn Lickfield
Spiritual Stewardry: Working With Energetics of Place
Farm & Sing: Putting the Culture Back in Agriculture
Chris Chaisson, Kirk Jones
Natural & Mechanical Cooling Methods for Farm & Homestead Storage
Edith Gawler, Josh Karp, Bennet Konesni, Maria Schumann, Kristin Urie
Tradd Cotter
Mycoremediation of Contaminated Soil & Water
Moving Water With Water: Building Your Own Hydraulic Josh Brill Ram Pump
Markey Read
Dense Planting Methods for Raised Beds
Hernandez, Marie Frey
Workshop schedule subject to change; visit WWW.NOFAVT.ORG/CONFERENCE for workshop descriptions, session information, & the most up-to-date listing.
LOCALVORE
F HOMESTEADER COMM. LIVESTOCK LOCALVORE
LUNCHTIME ACTIVITIES
SOCIAL ACTION ZONE 12:00–2:00 pm • Davis Center, 3rd Floor Come learn about and get involved in the important work being done by several of Vermont’s advocacy organizations. Issues included in this year’s social action zone include the next steps for the GMO Labeling campaign, the new Milk with Dignity campaign launched by Migrant Justice, and more!
ROUNDTABLES & DISCUSSION GROUPS
HATHA YOGA CLASS
1:00–2:00 pm • Davis Center, 4th Floor
Saturday & Sunday 12:00–1:00 pm Davis Center, 1st Floor
Join NOFA staff, presenters, and fellow farmers and gardeners for an open-forum discussion on a topic important to you. Saturday: • Let’s Talk About Food Justice • National Organic Program Discussion with Miles McEvoy, NOP Director • Balancing Work and Family • What is Humane? How to Think About – and Use – Agriculture’s Most Slippery Word • Vermont Policy Roundtable
Sunday: • Vermont Community Garden Network Statewide Gathering • Beginning Farmer Q&A Session with Vern Grubinger, UVM Extension • Real Talk: What is “Real” Food? • Farm Transfer/Transition Challenges • Plant Breeding Discussion with John Navazio, Johnny’s Selected Seeds
Come enjoy an hour of gentle movement, breath work, rest, and rejuvenation during your conference day. Mats and props provided. All levels are welcome! Farmer Maggie Donin completed her yoga teacher training with the Shivshakti School of Yoga and Healing Arts in Vermont.
FILM SCREENINGS 1:00–2:00 pm • Terrill Hall, 1st Floor Sunday: Food Chains
Saturday: Silenced Voices The death of Vermont migrant farmworker José Obeth Santiz Cruz in a farming accident in December 2009 was the spark that led to the creation of Migrant Justice. This film documents a family and community coming to terms with this death and shares stories that draw attention to the conditions and economic policies that force migrants from their homes in Mexico and shed light on harsh living and working conditions on Vermont dairy farms. It is a call for action to build a fair and just food system that supports dignified livelihoods for farmworkers and farmers everywhere. Brendan O’Neill from Migrant Justice will join us for a discussion following the film.
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Vermont premier! In this exposé film, an intrepid group of Florida farmworkers battle to defeat the $4 trillion global supermarket industry through their ingenious Fair Food program, which partners with growers and retailers to improve working conditions for farm laborers in the United States. The film focuses on a highly-lauded group of tomato pickers from Southern Florida—the Coalition of Immokalee Workers or CIW—who are revolutionizing farm labor. Their story is one of hope and promise for the triumph of morality over corporate greed – to ensure a dignified life for farm workers and a more humane, transparent food chain. Producered by Eric Schlosser and others, this is Food Chains’ Vermont Premier!
EXHIBITORS’ FAIR Saturday, 8:00 am–7:30 pm & Sunday, 8:30 am–4:00 pm • Davis Center, 2nd Floor With books, tools, and crafts for sale, along with information and materials from agricultural businesses and conference sponsors, the Exhibitors’ Fair is the place to be when not in a workshop. (Note: most exhibitors cannot accept credit cards. An ATM is available on the first floor of the Davis Center.) • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
ADAK Farm Systems Alliance for a Healthier Vermont Animal Welfare Approved Bees Wrap, Inc. Catamount Solar Center for Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Law School Champlain Valley Compost Chelsea Green City Market Cooperative Fund of New England Dancing Bee Gardens Deep Root Organic Co-op Eventide Farm The Farm Between The Fertrell Co. Gardeners’ Supply Company Green Mountain College Grow Compost of Vermont High Mowing Organic Seeds Honeycomb Baskets
• Howland Tools • ImageTek Labels • Institute for Applied Agriculture and Food Systems at Vermont Technical College • Johnny’s Selected Seeds • Kreher Enterprises, LLC • Metta Earth Institute • Migrant Justice Project • Neighboring Food Co-op Association • Organic Valley • Perfect Circle Farm • Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs • Rob Rock Ag Machine & Tool • Rural Vermont • Singing Spindle Spinnery • The Skinny Pancake • Sodexo • Sterling College • Stonyfield • Taproot Threads
• Two Bad Cats, LLC • USDA Risk Management Agency • USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service • UVM Food Systems Spire • UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture • Vermont Agency of Agriculture • Vermont Agricultural Credit Corporation • Vermont Agricultural Resilience in a Changing Climate Initiative at UVM • Vermont Agritourism Collaborative • Vermont Bread Company • Vermont Campaign for Health Care Security Education Fund • Vermont Community Garden Network • Vermont Coffee Company • Vermont Department of Taxes • Vermont Edible Landscapes
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Vermont Farm Bureau Vermont Farm Fund Vermont FEED The Vermont Folk Life Center Vermont Foodbank Vermont Historical Society Vermont Law School Center for Agriculture and Food Systems Vermont Organic Farmers Vermont SARE Program Vermont Soap Vermont Sustainable Jobs Fund Vermont’s Local Banquet Weston A. Price Foundation Wellscroft Fence Systems, LLC Whole Farm Services Yankee Farm Credit
Please see www.nofavt.org for the most up-to-date listing!
SATURDAY NIGHT EVENTS SATURDAY SOCIAL
4th ANNUAL SEED SWAP
5:15–7:30 pm Davis Center, 1st and 2nd Floors
5:15–7:30 pm Davis Center, 1st Floor
Our popular conference social gathering is back! Enjoy appetizers and wine and beer selections while you chat with friends and visit with the exhibitors.
Hosted by our friends at High Mowing Organic Seeds, the Seed Swap is the perfect place to expand the biodiversity of your farm or garden.
This year we’re excited to feature Edith Gawler & Bennett Konesni sharing old-time fiddle tunes, Swedish dance tunes, and farmer’s ballads, and hollers — plus a community sing with the participants from their work song workshop! The Community Art Project and the 4th Annual Seed Swap will also be happening during this time. Hors d’oeuvres are generously provided by our friends at Sugarsnap Catering. Cash bar.
Please bring your clearly labeled seeds to share! An expert from High Mowing will be on hand to answer questions, and we’ll provide packets in which to take home your new seeds.
NOT READY TO TURN IN YET? Looking for something fun to do after the Mixer? We invite you to head downtown and enjoy some of our great local restaurants, many of which support NOFA Vermont through our Share the Harvest fundraiser. Visit www.nofavt.org/conference for a list of suggestions!
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MEALS & FOOD
There’s no better way to connect with your fellow conference-goers than over a delicious meal. Join us for locally-sourced and organic snacks and lunch each day, appetizers at the Exhibitors’ Fair Mixer, and our famous ice cream social on Sunday!
SNACKS AND REFRESHMENTS
THE NOFA OVEN
Davis Center, 2nd Floor Free to conference attendees
Stop by NOFA Vermont’s mobile, wood-fired oven outside the Davis Center’s first floor exit on your way to workshops and get some tasty roasted roots!
Our hospitality table is stocked with snacks from local food producers, cider, and tea. Coffee will be available by donation from Vermont Coffee Company, in the Exhibitors’ Fair Area 2.
LUNCH Saturday and Sunday, 12:00–2:00pm Davis Center, 4th Floor $16/adult; $10/child 6-12; free for children under six The UVM Sodexo team will be offering locally-sourced buffet lunches on Saturday and Sunday. Buffet meals will include your choice of entrée, salads, and dessert. Vegetarian, gluten-free and dairy-free options will be available. Lunches do sell out! The number of meals we can serve is limited; we strongly recommend purchasing a lunch when you pre-register. Other options to eat on campus are limited, especially Sunday. You are also welcome to bring a bagged lunch with you and join us in the dining room! Lunch for Monday Intensives will be provided by Have Your ‘Cake Catering (The Skinny Pancake). Please note any food restrictions or allergies on your registration form.
SATURDAY SOCIAL Saturday, 5:15-7:30 pm Davis Center, 1st & 2nd Floors Free to conference attendees Join us for a social gathering and finish those great conversations you started in workshops or at lunch. The Mixer will feature appetizers provided Sugarsnap Catering and a cash bar. See page 9 or visit www.nofavt.org/ conference for more details.
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SUNDAY ICE CREAM SOCIAL Sunday, 5:15-6:15pm • Davis Center, 1st Floor Free to conference attendees Thanks to the generosity our friends at Strafford Organic Creamery, the Sunday Ice Cream Social is one of our bestloved conference traditions. Join us for fun, laughter and dessert!
THANKS TO OUR FOOD DONORS! Our delicious snacks and meals would not be possible without the generous support of local farms and businesses. We thank them for their support! • Cabot Creamery • Deep Root Organic Co-op • Organic Valley • Skinny Pancake • Sodexo
• Stonyfield Farm • Strafford Organic Creamery • Sugarsnap • Vermont Coffee Company
Would you like to support our local meals and snacks with a donation of food? Contact Meg Klepack at winterconference@nofavt.org!
The 2015 Winter Conference will take place at the University of Vermont campus in Burlington, VT. The Davis Center will serve as the main hub, with workshops in nearby classrooms. Parking in the Jeffords and Given lots is free, ample, and within walking distance to the Davis Center. Monday intensives will take place in Waterman Lounge & Billings Student Center.
LOCATION
LODGING & RIDES The Doubletree rate of $104.00/night is available until January 13th. Two night stay minimum. Call 1-802-6580250 or visit www.nofavt.org/conference for a link to their online reservation form.
Rooms are available for conference attendees at Best Western and Doubletree hotels in Burlington. The Best Western rate of $83.00/night is available until February 1st. Call 800-371-1125 and refer to group number 407855 for the NOFA-VT conference rate.
Visit www.nofavt.org/conference for other transportation and accomodation options.
To park from I-89, bear right onto East Ave.
From I-89 North or South: Take Exit 14W. Proceed west on Route 2 (Williston Road, which becomes Main Street), bearing right onto East Avenue after the Sheraton hotel. Take the next left onto Carrigan Drive and follow signs to parking lots.
Jeffords Lot
Given Lot
To park from Route 7 & downtown, turn right on Spear Street & follow curve to cross Route 2.
Entrance Davis Ce to nter
Pe d pa estr thw ian ay
is C
ent
er
GPS Location: 63 Carrigan Drive, Burlington, VT
To workshops and Monday Intensives
Dav
From Route 7 & downtown: Turn onto Main Street (Route 2 East), and proceed uphill to a right turn on Spear Street. Immediately merge left. Get into the center lane to cross Route 2/ Main Street. You are now on East Avenue. Take the next left onto Carrigan Drive and follow signs to parking lots.
TO PARK AT UVM
To Route 7, waterfront, & downtown
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THE DETAILS
REGISTRATION REGISTER EARLY AND SAVE! USE THE ATTACHED FORM OR REGISTER ONLINE BY FEBRUARY 4th AND SAVE $20 OFF THE WALK-IN PRICE. NOFA members receive an additional discount—use the registration form to become a member and attend at the lower rate. Please check in at the Davis Center, 1st Floor, prior to attending workshops.
LOCATION
SCHOLARSHIPS
The Winter Conference will take place at the University of Vermont campus in Burlington, VT.
NOFA Vermont makes every effort to keep rates affordable, in part through our scholarship program.
See page 11 for more details and directions.
The Winter Conference Scholarship is available to NOFA Vermont members, and is supported through donations from members and conference attendees.
VOLUNTEERING Interested in volunteering at the Winter Conference? It’s a great way to participate in the conference, and save money on your registration, too! A two-hour volunteer shift earns you a $15 discount and the satisfaction of helping the conference run smoothly. Limit two shifts per attendee.
Photo: Elizabeth Ferry
If you’d like to sign up, please contact Maddie or Becca at the NOFA Vermont office at 802-434-4122 or email info@nofavt.org prior to February 4th. You must confirm a volunteer position with the office before taking the volunteer discount.
For details about eligibility, please visit www.nofavt.org/ conference, or call the NOFA-VT office at (802) 434-4122 for an application. Scholarships do not cover the cost of meals. Scholarship application deadline: January 23, 2015. If you are able, please help us make the conference accessible to members who could not otherwise afford to attend with a contribution to the scholarship fund. Your donation is tax-deductible and can be included when you register for the conference.
REGISTRATION REFUNDS We appreciate your support of our annual Winter Conference! If plans change and you are unable to attend the conference after you have registered, NOFA-VT will reimburse 75% of your registration cost until February 4th. Any refund requests after the 4th will receive a 50% reimbursement, less the cost of meals and credit card fees. All refund requests must be made in writing. Refund checks will be mailed two weeks after the conference.
QUESTIONS? Contact us at 802-434-4122 or info@nofavt.org
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REGISTRATION FORM 1 [OR REGISTER ONLINE AT WWW.NOFAVT.ORG] To register additional attendees, please copy or download another form. Clip and mail by February 4 and save $20 off walk-in rates. Name (1): Name (2): Farm/Business: Address: Email: City/State/Zip: Phone: Child Name & Age (1):
1
REGISTRATION & FEES Walk-in registration rates will increase by $20 per person per day.
Adult 1
Member Non-member
Lunch
Saturday
$65
$80
$16
Sunday
$65
$80
$16
Enhancing Pollinator Pop.
$50
$65
included
Farming the Woods
$50
$65
included
Produce Safety Accreditation
$50
$65
included
Six Figure Farming
$50
$65
included
Monday Intensives:
TOTAL for Adult 1: $ Adult 2
Lunch
Saturday
$65
$80
$16
Sunday
$65
$80
$16
Enhancing Pollinator Pop.
$50
$65
included
Farming the Woods
$50
$65
included
Produce Safety Accreditation
$50
$65
included
Six Figure Farming
$50
$65
included
Monday Intensives:
TOTAL for Adult 2: $ Child 1 Lunch
Saturday $30 Sunday $30
$10 $10
Child 2 Lunch $30 $30
$10 $10
TOTAL for Children: $ If you are purchasing lunch, please note any dietary restrictions:
2
MEMBERSHIP
Become a member today and register at the discounted rate! Your membership supports NOFA Vermont’s year-round programming and entitles you to a host of benefits - visit www.nofavt.org/join to learn more. Not sure if you're a member? Call the office at (802) 434-4122. New Renewing I am already a member Sustainer - $250 Sponsor - $100 Business - $50 Farm/Family - $40
Individual - $30 VT Basic - $20 (VT Basic does not include The Natural Farmer)
Membership name:
Member Non-member
Children’s Conference
Child Name & Age (2):
Register online! Snap the QR code or visit www.nofavt.org/conference to register securely online; pay by credit card or mail a check.
3
PAYMENT
Add the totals for each section here. Please note that no discounts are applicable to Children's Conference registration.
Adult 1 Total Adult 2 Total Children's Conference Total NOFA Vermont Membership Tax-deductible contribution to Scholarship Fund
$ $ $ $ $
Subtotal: $ Volunteer Discount
(Please contact the office before taking a volunteer discount. Subtract $15 for 2 hours)
-$
Farmer Discount
(Available through pre-registration, excludes Children’s Conference. Subtract $5 per adult, maximum $10 per farm)
-$
Total enclosed: $ Please make checks payable to NOFA Vermont and mail to: NOFA Winter Conference • PO Box 697, Richmond, VT 05477
Pre-registration must be postmarked or take place online by February 4. After that, please register on-site (walk-ins welcome). Please note: you will not receive confirmation of this registration. Additional information will be mailed to Children's Conference registrants.
NOFA VERMONT PO BOX 697 RICHMOND, VT 05477
Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Permit No. 165 Burlington, VT
Return Service Requested
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS!
Please visit www.nofavt.org/conference for the most up-to-date list of conference sponsors.
PATRONS
BENEFACTORS
FOOD SYSTEMS SPIRE
SUSTAINERS
SUPPORTERS
CONTRIBUTORS • Hunger Mountain Co-op
• Vermont Coffee Company
• Albert Lea Seed • Cedar Circle Farm • Champlain Valley Compost • Clean Yield Asset Management • Cooperative Insurance Companies • Drews, LLC • Efficiency Vermont • The Fertrell Company
• The Farmhouse Group • Green Mountain Power • Harris Seeds • ImageTek Labels • Lintilhac Foundation • North Country Organics • Nourse Farms • Rural Vermont • Shelburne Farms
• UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture • Vermont Agricultural Credit Corporation • The Vermont Farm Bureau • Wellscroft Fence Systems, LLC
MEDIA SPONSOR: VERMONT’S LOCAL BANQUET