NOFA-NH E-Newsletter: February 2022

Dear Friend of NOFA-NH,

Thank you to all who joined our 20th Annual Winter Conference to get inspired, learn new skills, network, and discover how we can build a stronger New Hampshire food system! We hope to see you again soon at our other upcoming events.

Please join us online this Thursday, February 17th to share your core organic priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill, and for our “Feeding the Family” Organic Gardening Series, six online classes led by a diverse group of experts covering a range of growing topics from February 22nd to May 3rd.

Farmers and gardeners, if you haven’t already, we hope you’ll take advantage of our Spring Bulk Order sale. Access big discounts on great products from trusted brands now through the end of the month. Order online or by mail. No order is too large or small. Plus, members pay less!

This month we’re also saying goodbye to some of our core team members: Program Coordinator Laura Angers, past President of the Board of Directors Laura Hartz, and Board Member Deneé Woods. We are grateful for the many contributions they each made to NOFA-NH through the years.

With spring comes rebirth, and we look forward to the changes afoot for our organization, along with the renewal of our annual programs as we lay the groundwork for our upcoming Farm Share and CRAFT programs.

Thank you for your engagement and support!

In Solidarity,
Team NOFA-NH

Save on Organic Farming & Gardening Supplies Now Through February 28th!

NOFA-NH’s spring Bulk Order is a collective buying program that pools orders, large and small, to offer big savings on organic fertilizers, amendments, compost, cover crop seeds, animal nutrition, organic pest control products, irrigation supplies, and much more. This year’s Bulk Order features unbeatable pricing on North Country Organics’ Pro-Gro fertilizer (top seller), organic fertilizers, compost, seed starting mixes, hard to find organic cover crop and grain seeds, and other organic seed offerings. Special orders are welcome! NOFA-NH members pay less.

Order by February 28th and pick up in Andover or Weare on March 19th or in Rochester on March 20th.

Learn More & Shop

Organic Gardening Series Begins Next Week – Workshops Cover Permaculture, Chickens, Herbs, and More

Our 4th annual Feeding the Family Organic Gardening Series starts February 22! Learn about garden planning, permaculture principles, fruit and nut trees, raising chickens, container gardening, and backyard herbs in this exciting online workshop series featuring six different speakers—Ron Christie, Nicko Rubin, Amy Antonucci, Acadia Tucker, Maria Noël Groves, and Paolamantina Grullón Livingstone.

$10 per class, $50 for the series. Members save 25%.

Learn More & Register

Share Your Farm Bill Priorities This Thursday (Online)

Farmers, please join us for a virtual meeting on Thursday, February 17th at noon to share your core organic priorities for the 2023 Farm Bill. We’ll discuss topics such as farm and market viability including label claims and fraud prevention; organic transition; USDA & NOP standards development, certification, fees, continuous improvement, and more.

Can’t attend? Share your thoughts in this Organic Farmers Association survey.

Learn More & Register

Organic Farmers Invited to Apply for Farm Share Program

We are seeking certified organic CSA farmers to participate in our 6th annual Farm Share Program, which provides limited-income New Hampshire residents with certified organic farm shares at a discounted rate. Participating farmers contribute 25% of CSA costs, NOFA-NH contributes 50%, and farm share recipients cover the remaining 25%. Farms must be NOFA-NH members, certified organic, and have an active CSA program to participate. We hope to expand the program in 2022 to increase food security and agricultural viability in the Granite State. Please help us improve the lives of our neighbors in need! Applications are due March 6, 2022.

Apply

Thank You for a Wonderful Winter Conference + Workshop Recordings Available

Thank You to our Speakers, Sponsors, Exhibitors, Staff, Board of Directors, and Attendees for a fantastic 20th annual Winter Conference! The immersive week of learning made us feel connected, energized, and inspired to work together to Build a Stronger New Hampshire Food System.

Missed the conference? There’s still time to register for the video package! Pricing is sliding scale, $50 - $80. NOFA members save 20%. All workshop recordings will be made available to ticket holders by the end of the week. Registration will remain open through the end of the month.

Please visit our virtual Exhibitor Fair to access discounts from our sponsors and shop our Conference Bookstore with MainStreet BookEnds of Warner to donate 20% of proceeds back to NOFA-NH.

Thank you again for a wonderful Winter Conference!

Get the Recordings

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Congratulations NOFA-NH’s Annual Awards Winners!

Each year, NOFA-NH recognizes the best of the best in our organic farming community at an Awards Ceremony during our annual Winter Conference. We are pleased to have awarded the following outstanding individuals and organizations in 2022.

Community Partners of the Year:

Gerald Cowan, Country 3 Corners

and

Tom Cusano, Spaulding Industrial Complex

Organic Grower of the Year:

Kate Donald, Stout Oak Farm

Mentor of the Year:

Amy Antonucci, Living Land Permaculture Homestead

Beginning Farmer of the Year:

Sue Green, Slopeside Farm

Policy and Advocacy Leader of the Year:

Gene Jonas, Hungry Bear Farm

Volunteer of the Decade:

Jack Mastrianni, Sustainable Growth Partners

Educator of the Year:

Leon Malan, Colby Sawyer College

Learn More

*NEW* NOFA-NH Membership Benefits

NOFA-NH is excited to unveil two brand-new Membership benefits: discounts on orders with High Mowing Organic Seeds and Fruition Seeds! NOFA-NH Members receive a one-time 10% discount on orders of $100 or more with High Mowing Organic Seeds, and 10% off orders with Fruition Seeds. Members should have received an email with their discount codes. Contact nikki@nofanh.org if you have questions or have not received your codes.

We’ll be revealing even more new membership benefits over the next month, so please stay tuned and renew your membership or join today!

Join NOFA-NH

Farewell and Thank You, Laura Angers!

Thank you, Laura Angers, for three excellent years with NOFA-NH! Laura began working with NOFA-NH as a volunteer in 2019. Later that same year, she was hired as our chapter’s Gleaning Coordinator. In 2020, she expanded her role in the position of Office Assistant, and in 2021 she served as our Program Coordinator, leading programs including our annual Winter Conference, Gardening Series, CRAFT, member relations, and so much more. Laura truly helped NOFA-NH grow to new heights in everything she did. We are grateful for her time with us and wish her the very best in her next chapter.

Funding Opportunities

Organic Farming Association BIPOC Farmer Mini Grants: Deadline February 28th. Apply.

Cheshire County Conservation District Monadnock Localvores Jeffrey P. Smith Farm Scholarships for Youth: Deadline March 31st. Apply.

Northeast SARE Partnership Grant Program: Deadline April 12th. Apply.

Resources for Farmers

Jumpstart to Farm Food Safety Introduction Webinar, March 1. Register.

Legal Food Hub Winter Webinar Series: 5 classes from February 16 - March 16. Register.

Access lists of Farmer Mental Health Resources through Farm Aid and the Rural Health Information Hub.

Honoring Black History Month in February and Beyond

February is Black History Month. Here are a few ways Granite Staters can honor and celebrate the Black community through food and farming this and any month.

Watch The Organic Center’s webinar, “Black Farmer Justice: Past, Present, Future.”

Shop at New Hampshire’s Black owned farms, restaurants, and other businesses using the New England Black Owned Businesses guide.

Read about African American foodways from NOFA-NH's Winter Conference speaker April Jones for Slow Food USA.

Support organizations advancing opportunities for BIPOC growers and community members, like the Organization for Refugee and Immigrant Success, the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust, and the Black Heritage Trail of New Hampshire.

NOFA Summer Conference Request for Proposals

The 2022 NOFA Summer Conference will be held in person at Hampshire College in Amherst, MA (with appropriate public health precautions and flexibility to shift online if needed). The conference will continue to offer some workshop material virtually. This year's conference theme is "Decolonizing and Regrowing Food Systems - The Work of Our Time." Sessions will be offered in a range of formats, including classic educational workshops as well as cooking classes, moderated discussions, bigger roundtable sessions, and plenaries. Creativity is welcome! The deadline to submit a proposal is March 7, 2022.

Submit

Volunteer Farmer Needed for State Committee Overseeing the Health of NH's Rivers

Here's an important opportunity for one of NOFA-NH's farmer members or supporters to help steward the health of NH’s waterways at the state level as well as through their local farming practices. NOFA-NH is seeking to nominate a volunteer representative to the New Hampshire Rivers Management Advisory Committee (RMAC). The RMAC advises on matters pertaining to river management throughout the state. The representative must be New Hampshire residents and should be a farmer. Representatives serve three-year terms and the committee generally meets quarterly.

If interested, please submit a letter of interest along with a resume or CV to nikki@nofanh.org.

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Local Food for Local Schools Reimbursement Bill Update

We worked with the New Hampshire Farm to School Network and state Representatives Alexis Simpson and Megan Murray as the forward-facing organization promoting the Local Food for Local Schools Reimbursement Bill, which would establish a New Hampshire farm to school reimbursement program. The program would incentivize New Hampshire school districts and food service directors to purchase locally grown and produced food for breakfast and lunch services in cafeterias across the state, boosting youth health and wellness through access to fresher, nutrient dense local foods, and improving agricultural viability by infusing 1.8M federal and state dollars into New Hampshire’s farm and food economy annually. NOFA-NH hosted a virtual information session about the bill, co-hosted five in-person information sessions highlighting existing Farm to School programs over the winter, and engaged the press in reporting on the opportunities posed by this important bill. Unfortunately, the bill was voted Inexpedient to Legislate by the House Education Committee in February. Despite the vote, we believe we have laid a strong foundation to re-introduce the bill in a future session and we are grateful for the support of the bill’s 10 co-sponsors.

Learn More

Further Learning Throughout the Food System

Watch the “Seeds of Vandana Shiva” panel discussion, hosted by NOFA-NH & Seacoast NH Permaculture featuring speakers Kate Dusterberg, Olivia Zink, Tony VanWinkle, and Tiana Baca.

Support the Capital for Cooperative’s Act, aimed at allowing co-ops access to essential Small Business Administration financing tools and loans.

Meet Our Members: Introducing Ayn Whytemare and Found Well Farm

NOFA-NH's knowledgeable and passionate members make our organization great. That's why we offer our members with farms and food-related businesses eligibility to be featured in the 'Meet Our Members' e-news column. Each month, we make our community a little closer by introducing you to someone new. Please contact us if you'd like to be featured!

Welcome New & Renewing Members

Thank you to our NOFA-NH Members who became new members or renewed their memberships in January 2022.

New Members:

GreenLife NH, Headwaters Homestead LLC, NOK Vino, Orange Door Farm, Jean Rogers, The Greener Patch Farmstead, Lisa Tapley

Renewing Members:

Amy Antonucci, Lorna Austin, Clothespin Farm, Coffin Cellars Winery, Edith Couchman, David Foster, Jean Foster, Anthony Graham, Little Brook Farm, Dr. Mario Reinaldo Machado, John McLaughlin, North Family Farm, Lisa Nute, Pike Hill Farm Cut Flowers, Plowshare Farm, Pumphouse Farm LLC, Tony Rosa, Jr., Lisa Schmitt, Stout Oak Farm, Twin Maples Farm, Waking Web Farm, Windcrest Farm, Winnipesaukee Woods Farm

Classifieds

Garden Coordinator, Camps North Woods and Pleasant Valley (Tuftonboro)

YMCA summer camps in Tuftonboro, NH seek a Garden Coordinator to manage our beautiful camp garden, promote sustainability, and teach camper gardening lessons. Must love sustainable agriculture / local food! Click here to find out more.

Windswept Farm Is Hiring (Andover, NH)

Would you like to work on a farm this season? Learn and bring your knowledge to growing a variety of vegetables and fruits to be delivered to farmers market. tjgallagher13@yahoo.com

Join the Team at Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center (East Thetford, VT)

Cedar Circle is hiring a Production Crew Lead, Processing Area Lead, Full-Season Production Crew, and others across all departments. Contribute to our local food system and work on a farm that is dedicated to our natural environment, community engagement, education, research, and the wellbeing of our staff! https://cedarcirclefarm.org/about/employment

2022 Job Opportunities at Stout Oak Farm (Brentwood)

2022 Job Opportunities at Stout Oak Farm in Brentwood, NH! Our Certified Organic vegetable farm is seeking an Assistant Field Manager and a Wash/Pack & Retail Assistant. Visit the Jobs Page at stoutoakfarm.com for more information!

Holly Hill Farm Seeks Farm Manager (Cohasset, MA)

Holly Hill Farm is seeking a farm manager to run greenhouse and sales operations. Responsible for all aspects of seedling propagation, post-harvest management, direct to consumer sales at the plant sale, farm stand, and farmers market. Commitment to regenerative agriculture is a must. Contact Meredith 781-383-6565, https://hollyhillfarm.org/employment-opportunities-1

Plowshare Farm Community Seeks Live-In Vegetable Gardener (Greenfield, NH)

Seeking experienced organic gardener to grow food for 50 people in anthroposophically-guided lifesharing community. Will coordinate with other gardeners who work with people with special needs in our gardens. Will share interest in community's festival life, biodynamics, and human beings. Biodynamic training preferred, strong interest a must. 603-547-2547, service@plowsharefarm.org Link: www.plowsharefarm.org/gardener

Hungry Bear Farm Is Hiring (Mason)

Hungry Bear Farm in Mason, NH grows a wide variety of produce to organic standards. We are seeking enthusiastic people to help with all aspects of farm work including weeding, harvesting, transplanting, washing, storing, bed preparation etc. Pay commensurate with experience. Contact Gene at 978 935-1797 or gene@hungrybearfarm.com.

Farmers ISO Used Greenhouse/Greenhouse Parts

We are seeking to buy a greenhouse that is in the realm of 400-600 square feet. Please see more details and contact info provided here.

Job Opening: Production Manager at Real Pickles (Greenfield, MA)

Real Pickles is a worker-owned co-operative in Greenfield, MA, producing organic fermented vegetables from Northeast-grown produce. We are seeking a highly-qualified individual to be our next Production Manager. Please see our full job posting and application info here: https://realpickles.com/2022/01/were-hiring/

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.