The "CRAFT of Farming"

CRAFT stands for Collaborative Regional Alliances for Farmer Training. It is a national program of small, independent regional alliances focused on training for farmers, farm workers, interns and apprentices. CRAFT expands training beyond the individual farm by bringing farmers, farm workers, gardeners, homesteaders, students and consumers together at educational on-farm workshops within their regional collaborative to meet colleagues and learn new skills.

Stout Oak Farm

2022 CRAFT Programs

CRAFT is in its fourth season and we have an exciting lineup of farms and presentations. Each program will be great opportunity to learn from your peers and connect with the community. This season we will have six on farm programs throughout the state and four online programs. The on farm programs involve a tour of the farm, educational session, and time to socialize and network with the host and attendees. The online sessions include presentations on farm business topics and time for questions and discussion. Please register in advance for the programs you wish to attend.

On Farm Programs

Online Programs

Program Pricing & Registration

$10 per webinar or $35 for the full series

NOFA Members receive a 25% discount

Each webinar will be recorded and available for 3 months

You can register for completed workshops and receive the recording

How to utilize co-ops and food hubs, and building successful relationships

Instructors: Allan Reetz (Hanover Co-op Food Stores) & Katelyn Porter (NH Food Hub Network)

Thursday, Oct 20th, 6-7:30PM

Learn how to access wholesale markets through both food hub and retail avenues in this 90-minute session led by Katelyn Porter (NH Food Hub Network Project Manager) and Allan Reetz (Director of Public and Government Affairs for the Hanover Co-op Food Stores). Join us for practical information and ideas you can immediately put to use, including the benefits of working with food hubs and the services they offer, and an overview of how to sell through the retail grocery sector. Learn more about what retailers and food hubs seek from vendors and some “tips & tricks” for how to successfully build a reliable sales relationship with either.

Katelyn Porter co-owns and operates Waking Web Farm: a no-till, chemical-free, small-scale CSA-based farm in Milton Mills and works for the NH Food Alliance where she coordinates the NH Food Hub Network: a group dedicated to create efficiencies and opportunities for NH’s food hub efforts.

Allan Reetz is the Director of Public and Government Affairs at the Hanover Co-op Food Stores of New Hampshire and Vermont. His work includes local and national advocacy for sustainable small-scale agriculture, affordable workforce housing, and equitable community transportation.

Financial Stability 101: Unlocking The Potential of Income Statements

Instructor: Rose Wilson (Farm Business Consultant)

Thursday, Oct 27th, 6-7:30PM

Income statements are important to any business and can do more than just show the profits and losses of your farm. During this workshop Rose Wilson will share insight on how to use your Income Statement to assess the profitability of your farm and then pair it with your production data to create productivity and profitability metrics and goals you can measure. Rose will walk through the Income Statement to explain what data goes where, and provide a template participants can fill out, take home and use on their own. This will be an interactive session, questions will be encouraged!

Rose Wilson has helped more than 420 farms and food producers with business launch, expansion, and exit; enterprise analysis; and market development. Rose's clients range from national NGO’s such as Healthcare Without Harm, to state agencies and organizations including Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources and Maine Farmland Trust, to established companies such as CROPP/Organic Valley, emerging brands such as Kingdom Creamery of Vermont, and small, mid and large-scale farms of all varieties. Rose brings a broad set of technical and people skills to each client and project and puts her clients first. In addition to serving individual clients Rose immerses herself in improving the agricultural economy through regional research on the feasibility of new crops, services and sales channels. Examples of her work include the Local Food Wholesale Market Assessment & Industry Update prepared for NOFA VT, 2019. Rose is an experienced presenter and has led numerous workshops on business life cycle and strategic planning.

Applying for USDA-NRCS Dollars for Farm Conservation Projects

Instructor: Marques Munis (USDA-NRCS New Hampshire)

Thursday, Nov 3rd, 6-7:30PM

In 2022, NRCS invested over $5 million dollars in conservation through over 225 conservation contracts with farms and non-industrial private forest land owners. NRCS-NH is anticipating a similar or larger investment in 2023. This funding is available to you for projects on your farm and property. To help you get access to this funding, this presentation will cover a variety of important subjects. How farmers can apply for conservation contracts, eligibility requirements and required forms, NRCS conservation planning process, common conservation projects adopted by NH farmers, general commitments for NRCS contract holders, how farmers receive funding through NRCS conservation contracts, strategies in applying for the two prominent conservation programs, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program, and special funding opportunities for organic and transitioning to organic farmers.

Marques Munis is the current State Program Manager for the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) and Agricultural Conservation Easement Program (ACEP) for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). He has served in this role in New Hampshire for 2 years. He spent nearly a decade as a District Conservationist in Central Arizona and a Conservation Planner on the US-Mexico border. He has a degree in Environmental Studies and Economics from Western State College of Colorado and attended graduate school at Colorado State University where he studied Rangeland Ecosystem Science. During this time he also worked for the US Forest Service and the Laramie Rivers Conservation District in Wyoming. He was raised on a small beef cattle farm in Lone Pine, California and his career path and interest in supporting agriculture and conservation grew from there.

Transforming Your Workforce: Building Fairness & Cooperation at Your Farm

Instructors: Elizabeth Henderson & Jon Magee (Agricultural Justice Project)

Thursday, Nov 10th, 6-7:30PM

Small farms thrive when the farmers have healthy relationships with each other, with workers, and with customers. When everyone is treated with respect and care, they can help make the farm more productive, safe, and resilient in the face of challenges. Elizabeth and Jon of the Agricultural Justice Project will introduce you to resources that can help your farm not only to meet the legal requirements of employment but also to become a fairer and more collaborative workplace. These resources can help you retain and attract dedicated employees, prevent injuries, resolve conflicts, persuade customers to pay fair prices for your produce, and build a workplace culture of solidarity and cooperation that benefits everyone on the farm.

Elizabeth Henderson farmed at Peacework Farm in Wayne County, New York, producing organically grown vegetables for one of the first CSAs in the country. As NOFA’s representative to the Board of the Agricultural Justice Project, she has spent two decades observing and studying work conditions on farms and farm labor policies and practices with the goal of transforming farm work into the respected vocation it deserves to be given the significance of food for humankind. She blogs at thepryingmantis.wordpress.com.

Jon Magee is a farmer, community organizer, and researcher in western Massachusetts, and serves as Technical Assistance Specialist at the Agricultural Justice Project. Since 2006, he has worked as a field hand, equipment operator, and manager on organic vegetable farms in Missouri, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. Jon has volunteered extensively as an organizer, writer, and movement builder in struggles for immigrant rights and community-led safety. Jon is passionate about building people power and learning and sharing the skills we need to get the world we deserve.