Balancing Farm & Life at Winter Conference

WINTER
CONFERENCE
SUNDAY, MARCH 5th, 2017
at Hope & Main, Warren, RI

REGISTER NOW

NOFA/ RI’s annual conference for Rhode Island Organic Farmers offers all day workshops and a potluck lunch.

Classes on Balanced Farming; Livestock workshops; Beekeeping 101; Growing for a Winter CSA; Marketing Your Farm; Farm Accounting Basics and Investment.

This year’s Winter Conference has something for everyone, be they a gardener, farmer or fan of organic foods.

Special registration rates for Students, Seniors, and
New Farmers (farming less than 10 years) 

LEARN NEW PRACTICES

Learn innovative practices, share ideas, catch up with old friends, develop new connections, and enjoy our fabulous potluck lunch.  Do you often find farming overwhelming? Is your life a little lopsided? David Hambleton, a veteran CSA grower, will share what he has done to grow a farm business that promotes a life of balance.  He’ll share what he has learned through research and practice so that you too can find balance on your farm and in your life!

David Hambleton is a farmer and farm consultant from NY’s Mid Hudson Valley.  He’s a big proponent of strategic farm planning in order to attain not just a profitable farm, but a balanced life!

SHARE IDEAS

To restore organic matter to soils and stabilize it is not only beneficial to those who manage land and crops but is also vital to our society.  Farmers, gardeners, homeowners, landscapers — anyone who owns or manages land — can follow these simple principles and not only restore carbon to the soil but help rebuild the marvelous system that nature has put in place to renew our atmosphere while providing food, beauty and health for all creation.

• Jack Kittredge and Julie Rawson, of Many Hands Organic Farm, MA and John Kenny, of Big Train Farm, Cranston, RI  lead a Round Table on Techniques For Carbon Restoration – the discussion will center on techniques to farm so that your soil continually builds while also producing quality and yield.

MAKE CONNECTIONS

The Conference features notable speakers in organic and sustainable agriculture from across Rhode Island, New England and New York, networking sessions, our annual meeting and a delicious potluck meal.

• Local Rhode Island Farmers Pat McNiff, Pat’s Pastured Farms, and
• Ben Coerper, Wild Harmony Farms,
• Lining Peng, Beekeeper, P& L Bayside Apiary
• Presentation by the RI DEM on Organic
  Certification
  Have you wondered about Organic Certification but were afraid to ask?… Or more likely too overwhelmed by the mere thought of it all?   Learn how to navigate the the process, it’s easier, more manageable, less expensive, and more rewarding than you ever thought.  Make the leap towards organically certified crops and livestock.
• Ashley Loer, Planning a Winter CSA
• Author and Farm Consultant Julia Shanks.   Julia, an entrepreneur, author, chef, and urban gardener herself, helps other food and agricultural entrepreneurs achieve and maintain financial sustainability.  Let Julia show you how to plan for profit.

NOFA/ RI Winter Conference brought to you by our generous sponsors: USDASpecialty Crop Block Program grant for farm viability via the RI Department of Environmental Management’s Division of Agriculture, Our conference host: Hope & Main, Clif Bar Family Foundation, Southside Community Land Trust, and Farm Credit East.

2017 N O F A / RI Livestock Program News

Thanks to a USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program grant, and a partnership with Southside Community Land Trust, NOFA/RI will offer livestock trainings and technical assistance beginning with two Livestock programs at our Annual Winter Conference on Sunday, March 5^th.

• Regenerative farming: How a diverse group of livestock can improve your farm’s eco-system, Ben Coerper & Rachael Slattery, Owners, Wild Harmony Farm, Exeter,  and
• Pastured Poultry – How to improve your land while making a profit with laying hens, meat chickens, turkeys, and ducks.  Pat McNiff of Pat’s Pastured Farms, RI.