CT NOFA Workshop: Road to Organic Certification

February 27th, March 3rd, March 10th 12:00 pm – 1:30 pm CT NOFA Workshop: Road to Organic Certification

March 5, 6 and 13 NOFA 2021 Connecticut and Rhode Island Winter Conference

February 22 and 23: Harvest New England Assoc. Farmers’ Market Managers Workshop

NEW ENGLAND FARMERS’ MARKET MANAGERS SEMINAR

Harvest New England Association is pleased to announce the New England Farmers’ Market Managers Seminar. Five virtual workshops, focused on issues related to managing farmers’ markets, will be held over two days on February 22 and 23. The seminar will precede the Harvest New England Agricultural Marketing Conference and Trade Show to be held February 24 and 25. Registration is now open! There is no cost to attend.
 
Seminar topics will include discussion on market planning and promotion, community engagement and partnerships, conflict resolution, creating welcoming and inclusive markets, and the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and SNAP incentive programs. The seminar will kick-off with a workshop entitled, So Long 2020! It’s a New Year, a New Day, a New Marketplace in 2021, which will look at how farmers’ market managers can navigate the upcoming season given the uncertainties related to the Covid-19 pandemic. Workshops will include presentations and discussion with farmers market managers from across the New England region. The complete agenda, including workshop descriptions and speakers can be found here or at www.harvestnewengland.org.

Tri-State SAR Webinar Series – Improving Pasture Management for Sustainable Livestock Production

WEBINAR SERIES: IMPROVING PASTURE MANAGEMENT FOR SUSTAINABLE LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION

Tri-State SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education) Project is offering a webinar series on improving pasture management for sustainable livestock production, starting on Friday, February 19 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. This project is a professional development opportunity for agricultural service providers and farmers provided by the Northeast SARE state programs in Connecticut, Massachusetts and Rhode Island.

Webinars are open to service providers and farmers. By attending all webinars, participants will have a sound understanding of how to develop a personalized grazing plan. 

For more information, visit http://meatsystems.uconn.edu/ or contact Rachel Bespuda, Project Director, at rachel.bespuda@uconn.edu. 

To register, click here.

February 16, 2021, 6:30- 8:30 pm- Farmland Mixer

If you are a farmer in Connecticut looking for land to lease or buy, join the virtual Farmland Mixer on February 18, 2021 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. This is a great opportunity for you to talk to landowners and get other resources from service providers about how to prepare to lease or buy land. To make sure this event has the most impact possible, we are limiting the amount of attendees, so be sure to sign up early. Sign up here:  https://bit.ly/farmmixersignup

Some attendees will be asked to give a three minute pitch for the day of the mixer. Keep in mind that pitch slots are limited, so some attendees will only be permitted to listen. Service providers will also be present on the day of the mixer to answer questions that come up in conversations between farmers and landowners, and to direct you towards resources for taking the next steps. If you have any questions about the event, feel free to reach out to Will O’Meara at will@landforgood.org.

February 19, 2021 at 2:30 p.m

Join USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NCRS) and the Livestock and Poultry Environmental Learning Community (LPELC) for a webinar on PFAS and its potential effects on agricultural production on February 19, 2021 at 2:30 p.m. EST.

Even though we may not realize it, use of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a part of our everyday lives. These “forever” chemicals make up a family of over 4,000 human made compounds which have many beneficial properties such as repelling water, resisting heat and reducing friction. Since these chemicals are so persistent in the environment, they tend to accumulate over time. They can be found virtually everywhere from drinking water to plants and animals. The first PFAS webinar focused on its impacts on water and provided an overview of a few of the treatment options. This session will address PFAS in biosolids, soils, and manures. Biosolids have been land applied for decades and manures for centuries. Both have provided valuable nutrients for crop production and organics to help build soil tilth. Discussion will be centered around the potential impacts PFAS can have on agricultural production. For more information and to register, click here.