NOFA-NH E-Newsletter: April 2020

Apply for the NOFA-NH Farm Share Program!

Applications for our Farm Share Program are open through April 24!* We are delighted to partner with the following farms in 2020 to offer 41 nutritious farm shares for community members in need: Abenaki Springs Farm, Brookford Farm, Local Harvest CSA, Mountain Heartbeet, Picadilly Farm, Pork Hill Farm, Stonewall Farm, Stout Oak Farm, and Work Song Farm.

Learn More & Apply

*There has been tremendous demand for the Farm Share Program. We are updating our website regularly to reflect share availability. Please check the website before submitting an application.

Bulk Order 2020 a Big Success Thanks to the Volunteers

A big shout out to the 15 NOFA-NH members who came out to help load customer orders for the 2020 bulk order. Together they loaded 2,061 items weighing 67,054 pounds. Customers and volunteers were able to adhere to the COVID-19 protocol, which eliminated close contact. We couldn’t have done it without our dedicated volunteers. A huge thank you goes out to them!

Thank You to the Bulk Order Pick-up Site Owners!

The bulk order pick-up sites are donated by three very generous New Hampshire businesses. They receive our shipments, unload the pallets with their forklifts, and safely store our products until pick-up day. Their generosity makes our annual bulk order possible. Another huge thank you goes out to them as well!

Belletetes Building Product Specialists (Andover)

Country 3 Corners (Weare)

Spaulding Ave Industrial Complex (Rochester) *owner of The Stove Barn, Concord

COVID-19 & Our Food System

COVID-19 is impacting the local food market and our food system as a whole. State and regional organizations are working hard to help producers, consumers, and distributors. NOFA-NH has curated a list of resources to help our community with the pandemic. A couple resources are listed below, or view the full list here.

A Food Access map showing dozens of locations to find food across the state.
A working spreadsheet connecting food, resources, labor, and technical assistance.

The Moment for Food Sovereignty Is Now

In the face of uncertainty surrounding COVID-19, individuals and communities are turning to gardening to create food security. As many rush to establish or expand their home gardens, a broader movement is brewing.

Legislative Efforts Supporting Organic Farming & Local Food

It is extremely inspiring and heartening how active and organized the national food movement has been in response to COVID-19—working tirelessly to meet the immediate needs of farmers, fishermen, and eaters in this challenging time and hopefully to build resilience for years to come.

Click here for a useful, detailed overview of legislative efforts in play right now designed to support Organic Farming. It includes an opportunity for you to add your voice to these important initiatives.

Read more & Act

Farming in Forests Could Sustain the Planet

“[Agroforestry] methods can avoid many of the pitfalls of our current food system, which has caused a precipitous decline in biodiversity and currently contributes around a third of global emissions . But forest farming also provides an incentive to protect existing forests themselves, by giving them an economic reason to remain standing, rather than being logged or cleared.”

Resources for Farmers During COVID-19

Guidance from the NH Department of Agriculture, Markets & Food

Curated List of Resources by the NH Farm Bureau

NSAC Takes a Closer Look at Farmer Relief Package

Guide to the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act

American Farmland Trust’s Farmer Relief Fund

Building Farm Resilience: Resources from Cornell Small Farms Program

DAMF Produce Safety Program Suspended Due to COVID-19

The FDA has issued a “Partial Stop Work Order” to all states and territories whose work involves federally funded produce safety work as governed by the Food Safety Modernization Act’s Produce Safety Rule. This applies to inspections, on-farm readiness reviews, on-farm educational or technical assistance activities, and any in-person education & outreach activities—including in-person trainings. NH farmers must still comply with the Produce Safety Rule Section 112.5 as it applies to their operation.

Grant Funding for Farmers Markets & Local Food Products

The USDA’s Agricultural Marketing Service has announced the availability of over $27 million in funding to support direct-to-consumer and local food marketing projects through the Farmers Market and Local Food Promotion Program (FMLFPP). The program supports projects with a direct farmer-to-consumer focus (CSA programs, roadside farm stands, etc.) and programs focused on developing and expanding local and regional food business enterprises.

Learn more

Learning Opportunities While You're Safe at Home

Check out these educational resources while you’re safe at home!

NOFA-NJ Organic Gardening Webinar Series (Use your NOFA-NH Member Discount!)

List of Webinars Curated by NOFA-NY

NOFA/Mass Resiliency Skills Online Gatherings; Click here For Episode 1: Seed Starting Systems at Home (Free!)

Recordings from the Bionutrient Food Association’s 2019 Soil & Nutrition Conference (Free, on YouTube)

Oregon State University’s Vegetable Gardening Course (Free through April)

Should the NOFA Summer Conference Go Virtual?

Given the current global pandemic and the uncertainty of when we might be able to gather together again, NOFA/Mass is considering an online-only format for the NOFA Summer Conference. The conference normally takes place in Amherst, MA in August. Please take a moment to respond to a brief survey and share your thoughts, interests and availability for an online version of the Summer Conference.

Take the survey

Welcome New & Renewing Members

Thank you to our NOFA-NH Members who became new members and renewed their membership in February & March 2020.

New Members:

Abenaki Springs Farm, Edward Staub

Renewing Members:

Timothy Ainsworth, Martha Coutts-Eisenberg, Paul and Deb Doscher, Laura Hartz, Ron and Lois Laurence,

Natalie Reid, Robert Snow, Tim Winship, Work Song Farm

Classifieds

Looking for Pre-Teen or Under 15 Yr Old Morgan, Fjord, or Drafty Pony

Looking for free or near free: pre-teen or under 15Yr old type Morgan, Fjord, or Drafty pony, small horse to work on our NoTill 6 acre Mid-NH Permaculture farm. Ideally it would be trained to ride/drive and 12:2-14hds. We have had a Belgian and Percheron and Morgan's in the past but need a smaller draft animal to work with. This would be a forever home for a sound & sane equine partner. Contact Chris at (978) 887-2751.

NOFA-NH Members may post 1 free Classified per month on our Classifieds page and in this newsletter. Not yet members may post a Classified in the e-news and on our website for $45 per Classified per month. To inquire about this program and to share your Classified with our community, please contact info@nofanh.org.

Please Note: The views and opinions expressed in these classifieds are those of our members and sponsors, and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NOFA-NH, its staff, or Board of Directors. We reserve the right to reject content deemed unsuitable or inappropriate for our readership and distribution.

Upcoming Events

Please check in with event hosts about possible cancellations.

NOFA-NJ Organic Gardening Webinars through April 23rd

April 16: CDFA Webinar on Disaster Recovery for the Food System. (Free webinar offered by NOFA-NY and Cornell)

April 16: The Farmer's Office Webinar on Practical Implications for Applying the Farm Management Tools. (Free webinar offered by NOFA-NY and Cornell)

April 22: Groundswell Center for Local Food & Farming Online Wholesale Workshop: Building and Sustaining Successful Relationships. (Free webinar offered by NOFA-NY and Cornell)

May 4: NOFA/Mass Min Till Monthly Farmer Call. All calls 7-8 pm. Dial 413-259-8022 to join. (By phone)

May 5-26: NOFA-NJ Edible Landscaping with a Permaculture Twist Webinar Series

May 6: Organic Spring 2020: An IFOAM North America Town Hall Meeting (Online)

May 8: Seacoast NH Permaculture Perennial Vegetable Introduction (Portsmouth)

Future NOFA/Mass Min Till Farmer Call Dates: Mon July 6, Mon Aug 3, Mon Sept 7, Mon Oct 5, Mon Nov 2, Mon Dec 7. All calls 7-8 pm. Dial 413-259-8022 to join.

What's happening in neighboring states?

NOFA/Mass Events | NOFA-VT Events | MOFGA Events