NOFA-NH E-Newsletter: January 2019

NOFA-NH's annual Spring Bulk Order is a discounted, collective buying program for organic farming and gardening supplies. Shop Online now through February 28, 2019. Mail order catalog coming soon.

Apply to Participate in the Farm Share Program

Are you certified organic, a member of NOFA-NH and have a CSA? If so, apply to participate in our Farm Share Program for financial assistance providing a subsidized farm share to limited-income individuals and families. Applications due February 15, 2019.

NOFA-NH E-Newsletter: November 2019

November is NOFA-NH Membership Drive Month!

NOFA-NH provides programs that champion environmental and human health through farming, gardening, soil health, nutrition, food access, and land care practices across NH. But our work would not be possible without the vision of our members: farmers, gardeners, land care professionals, educators, environmentalists, and eaters like you! Your membership is vital to NOFA-NH as we continue to expand our programs and workshops.

By becoming a member or renewing your membership in November, you will help NOFA-NH reach our goal of adding 50 New and Renewing Members to our growing community. Please join us in creating a healthier, sustainable food system for all!

Benefits of Membership Include:

1 FREE Classified per month in our e-news and on our website
Discounts on NOFA programs and events in NH and other chapter states
A chance to be featured in our “Meet Our Members” column
Access to NOFA-NH's Member Forum
Featured on our Farm & Food Map (for certified organic farmers & producers)
A subscription to The Natural Farmer quarterly publication

BONUS Benefits This Month Only

(One per household):

5 extra raffle tickets at the 2020 Winter Conference.
$5 off any Feeding the Family Gardening Series workshop (Spring 2020)

A Standard Membership is just $45/year, and a Student/Senior Membership is $30/year. Sustaining memberships and gift memberships are also available.

Join Us Here

Save the Date for NOFA-NH's Winter Conference February 8th, 2020!

Spend Saturday, February 8th, 2020 at NOFA-NH's 18th Annual Winter Conference at a NEW location: Kearsarge Regional High School in North Sutton, NH! Attendees can look forward to fun, educational workshops, book signings, delicious food, the Green Market Fair and a keynote by Steve Gabriel, author of Farming the Woods and Silvopasture. Register Online before December 27th for 20% off regular ticket prices!

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The Food Solutions Forum Gathered and Inspired

On November 5th, NOFA-NH partnered with the NH Food Alliance, Agrarian Trust, NAMA, and others to host the Food Solutions Forum. This event brought together presidential candidates, farmers, fishermen, small business owners, workers, food producers, advocates, scientists, and the general public for a non-partisan discussion of food and agriculture. A huge takeaway from the Forum: If everyone in New Hampshire spent just $5 a week on local food, NH farms would earn $349 million - that's 1.5 times current sales! Ken Meter of Crossroads Resource Center offers a compelling report that analyzes New Hampshire Farms and Fisheries in detail.

A Great Night At "The Pollinators" Film Fundraiser, Mead Tasting, and Panel Discussion!

We are so grateful to all who came out to support NOFA-NH at our second annual Fall Film Fundraiser! Because of the dedication of supporters like you, the event was an incredible success and SOLD OUT before the doors even opened! Attendees enjoyed delicious mead and snacks, an informative discussion by our panelists, and a screening of the award-winning documentary film "The Pollinators." Special thanks go to Red River Theatres for partnering with us for this event, our engaging panelists, and all our event sponsors. Additional resources on the topics discussed in the film and by our panelists can be found here.

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New Study Suggests Bees Benefit Farmers More than Synthetic Inputs

New research from France confirms that organic farming practices can do even more than just increase pollinators and biodiversity (while producing human food). This six year study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B[iology], demonstrates that diverse pollinators can provide ecological services that result in greater crop production and higher profits for farmers as compared to the results from using inputs such as synthetic nitrogen and pesticides.

Update on HB646-FN: The Saving New Hampshire’s Pollinators Act

The New Hampshire House Environment and Agriculture Committee voted to place HB646-FN, The Saving NH’s Pollinators Act, into an interim study measure on November 7th. The Committee will begin studying the issue at the start of the next legislative session in January 2020. If passed, New Hampshire would become the fourth U.S. state to curb the use of pesticides to protect pollinator populations, joining Maryland, Connecticut, and Vermont, which have each passed similar legislation. Learn more about the national context of HB:646-FN in this Beyond Pesticides blog post. You can sign and share this petition in favor of the Act, and contact members of the Environment and Agriculture Committee expressing your support for protecting bees and other essential pollinators in New Hampshire.

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Reputable Foundation’s Report Suggests Links Between Neurotoxic Pesticides and Autism

A September 2019 literature review by the David Suzuki Foundation describes the possible links between neurotoxic insecticides and autism, noting that “pesticides are amongst the environmental factors with the highest association with autism.”

Note: The information presented in this review does not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NOFA-NH, its staff, Board of Directors, or supporters.

New Information Released on Rules for Hemp Production

At the end of October, the USDA released the highly anticipated rules outlining regulations for US hemp production promised by the 2018 Farm Bill. Senior Staff Attorney Rusty Rumley, a frequent presenter on farm law at NCAT Armed to Farm programs, has offered an insightful blog post explaining what jumped out during his initial read-through of the new rules.

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Letter to Policy Makers on Impacts of Climate Change on Agriculture

This year’s devastating losses from extreme weather have brought home the urgent need to address the climate crisis and its impacts on agriculture. Now is the time to join thousands of other farmers and ranchers across the nation to ask policy makers and federal administrators to help us meet the challenges of a changing climate. Please consider signing the letter below to voice your concerns about climate change impacts on agriculture in the United States and to call for solutions that invest in our rural and agricultural communities. Please note, we sincerely value the support of all but are specifically seeking signatures from farmers and ranchers for this effort.

Read More & Sign

Solar Arrays Can Benefit Farmland in a Changing Climate

Sheep pasture and solar panels? The two may be a more likely pair than you think! This suggested reading from Energy News Network discusses current research on installing solar arrays on active farmland. Current experiments are being conducted with solar arrays located in cranberry bogs, sheep and beef pastures, and sunflower and bee fields. This is an important option to explore in a time when concerns about renewable energy and climate change are growing.

Meet Our New NOFA-NH Staff Members!

Deneé R. Woods
NOFA-NH Intern

Deneé joined our staff in August as a NOFA-NH Intern. She is currently finishing her B.A. in Communication & Media Studies and Marketing at Plymouth State University. Deneé comes with years of experience in customer service, administrative support, strategic and digital marketing, writing, event planning, and sustainable food. Previous to attending college, she raised backyard poultry, rabbits, and vegetables in northwestern Illinois where she grew up. In her time at NOFA-NH, she has worked alongside Nikki on daily office tasks and programs like Share the Bounty Day and The Pollinators Film Screening. Deneé lives in Campton, NH with her husband and two dogs.

Laura Angers

Gleaning Coordinator

Laura joined our staff this month as the new Gleaning Coordinator. She previously worked at Cedar Circle Farm and Education Center, where she was the Marketing and Communications Coordinator. Her experience includes digital marketing, retail (produce) sales, event planning, and helping coordinate CSA and education programs. Laura is looking for organizations and individuals interested in participating in the gleaning program in the Plymouth/Grafton County area: volunteers, farms, farmers markets, food pantries, soup kitchens, etc. Visit nhgleans.org or contact her at plymouth@nhgleans.org for more information.

Kathleen Dunn Jacobs

Finance Coordinator

Kathleen has been an artist, teacher, and non-profit/business owner and manager for over 29 years. She has a deep background in management, budget administration and marketing for both profit and non-profit organizations. Kathleen is currently the Marketing and Education Director for the Concord Center for the Visual Arts, Concord, MA, where she develops, promotes and manages arts educational programing. She teaches painting and drawing, both in the US and abroad. She is an artist, who has been painting the natural landscape for the past 25 years. Her graduate thesis work was entitled: Reconstructed Landscape Paintings: A Reconsideration of Nature In the Age of Climate Change. Because of the respect and concern she feels for the natural environment, she wants her artistic work to give proper bearing to their subject matter, nature. She is a graduate of Lesley College of Art and Design (MFA) and the University of MA, Amherst, (BFA). Kathleen lives with David Miller in Contoocook, NH, with their sixteen-year-old son, Evan. They own and operate Grounding Stone Farm, a pick-your-own, certified organic blueberry farm.

Thank You for Supporting NOFA-NH at Whole Foods Market Community Giving Day!

A hearty Thank You goes out to all who made their way to Whole Foods Market in Nashua or Bedford on October 17th for Community Giving Days. Our staff and board had a great time at both locations, speaking with shoppers and sharing the mission of NOFA-NH. We are so grateful for this opportunity!

Thanks to the generous donations from Whole Foods Market and our other Share the Bounty Day supporters, we have officially raised enough funds to more than DOUBLE the budget for our 2020 Farm Share Program! This is an exciting development for the program, and we look forward to bringing the Farm Share Program to more families and individuals in need across New Hampshire in 2020.

Support NOFA-NH on Giving Tuesday December 3

Giving Tuesday is a global movement of charitable giving that takes place every year on the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. Consider supporting organic agriculture in New Hampshire on this year's Giving Tuesday, December 3rd, by giving the gift of a NOFA-NH Membership or making a donation!

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Shop Indie Local This Holiday Season!

The holiday season is here, which means it's the perfect time to shop indie local! Shop Indie Local is a time to celebrate locally owned businesses. This campaign inspires individuals to take positive action by boosting the ripple effect of economic and community benefits received when they spend dollars at locally owned and independent businesses. Shop Indie Local reminds individuals that the holiday season is full of friendly, community-centered alternatives to gift giving.

Meet Our Members: Introducing Mark Wilson and Mari Princiotta and Marimark Farms, LLC

NOFA-NH's knowledgeable and passionate members make our organization great. That's why we offer our members with farms and farm-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. Featured members are chosen by random lottery.

Note: The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of our members and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of NOFA-NH, its staff, or Board of Directors.

Welcome New & Renewing Members

Thank you to our NOFA-NH Members who became new members and renewed their membership in October & November 2019.

Renewing Members: Athena's Bees, Reagan Bissonnette, Fat Peach Farm, Hop N Hen Farm, Little Hill Farm, Swampy Acres Farm, and Youngs Farm

New Members: Ancient Fire Mead & Cider, Beeline Skin Care LLC, Hall Apiaries, Moonlight Meadery, New Hampshire Audubon, Roots Café, Sap House Meadery, and Jamie Elizabeth Young

Classifieds

Organic Farm Manager Wanted on Long Island

Youngs Farm was founded in 1893 and is one of the few remaining working farms in Nassau County. We have approximately 15 acres of land in production. Roughly ⅓ of that land is rotated into cover crop annually. $50,000.00 to $80,000.00/year + benefits. Email info@youngs.farm for more full job description and more information.

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.

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.