NOFA-NH E-Newsletter: December 2021

Dear Friend of NOFA-NH,

Happy Holidays! Thank you for helping us celebrate our 50th year and reflect on all that NOFA-NH has accomplished since its formation in 1971.

In the decades since, organic agriculture has become more important than ever before. We know that small to mid-sized organic and regenerative farms are a solution to the crises we’re experiencing today—climate change, corporate power, factory farming, food insecurity, and species extinctions to name just a few.

As 2021 comes to a close, we’re looking ahead to many opportunities to come together and build stronger, more equitable, local, and regional food systems for a healthier planet and healthier communities. We hope you’ll join us in 2022 for a Winter Conference focused on this topic, Organic Gardening series to learn how to grow your own food, and the Bulk Order program so you can have an excellent season and harvests.

Be inspired by what we can change locally with actions here in our home state! Join us for a documentary screening of The Seeds of Vandana Shiva and post-film panel discussion, an informational session about new Farm to School legislation, and a winter book study of A Small Farm Future.

But we can't achieve our mission alone. To co-create this vision, we need your help. You can be a part of continuing this movement into the next fifty years by making a donation, becoming a NOFA-NH member or signing up to volunteer today.

In Gratitude,

Team NOFA-NH

Register for NOFA-NH's Winter Conference by January 2 to Save!

Registration is open for our virtual 20th Annual Winter Conference! Attend 20+ workshops over the course of a week, February 6-12, 2022 to learn skills and gain knowledge to help build a stronger food system in the Granite State.

Help us celebrate the leaders in NH’s organic movement at our Annual Meeting during the conference. Please submit nominations here by December 31st.

Learn More & Register

Vandana Shiva Film & Panel Discussion on January 9

The Seeds of Vandana Shiva, a feature-length documentary, presents the remarkable life story of the Gandhian eco-activist, agro-ecologist and brilliant scientist, Vandana Shiva. Watch the film online (you’ll get access for 48 hours), then join our panel to discuss it.

Panelists include: Olivia Zink of Open Democracy and Kate Duesterberg of Cedar Circle Farm & Education Center. More to be announced!

Cost: $5-25 suggested donation

Learn More & Register

Winter Book Study: A Small Farm Future

This winter, join NOFA-NH and Seacoast NH Permaculture members for a 6-part Zoom book discussion starting January 6th! We'll be reading "A Small Farm Future: Making the Case for a Society Built Around Local Economies, Self-Provisioning, Agricultural Diversity and a Shared Earth" by Chris Smaje.

$10 for NOFA-NH members / $15 for non-members. Pre-registration required, limited spots available.

Learn More & Register

Bulk Order Coming Soon!

Save on soil amendments, cover crop seed, animal nutrition products, farming and gardening supplies, and more with NOFA-NH's Spring Bulk Order Program—a collective buying program for small and large-scale organic farmers and gardeners. NOFA membership is not required. Non-members add 10% to their orders.

The Bulk Order Store will be up and running online in just a few weeks. Orders are due February 28, 2022. Stay tuned!

Conversations with the Founders

In honor of NOFA’s 50th anniversary, we were delighted to speak with some of our founders, earliest volunteers, members, and board members about our organization’s beginnings, covering topics including the most important things NOFA accomplished in its first 50 years, our most pressing tasks for the future, advice for beginning farmers, favorite memories, overcoming hardships, and so much more.

Visit Our 50th Anniversary Archive & Watch

We are grateful to the many individuals who helped grow NOFA and the organic farming community in New Hampshire through the years, and to all those who continue to carry the torch alongside us.

Local Food for Local Schools Events

The Local Food for Local Schools Reimbursement program, submitted as a bill to the New Hampshire legislature this fall, will 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 as well as the economic viability of local farms.

Last week, New Hampshire state legislators, representatives from the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets and Food, and media joined NOFA-NH and its fellow NH Farm to School Network members at Fresh Start Farms in Manchester for a luncheon highlighting forthcoming farm to school projects and legislation in New Hampshire. Read NHPR’s coverage of the event here and a post-event press release here.

Join NOFA-NH and the NH Farm to School Network for a virtual information session and live Q & A to learn more about the Local Food for Local Schools Reimbursement program on Friday, January 21st from 12:00-1:00 p.m. Learn more about this exciting opportunity to support NH students and our state’s food system from Rep. Alexis Simpson (primary bill sponsor) and Rep. Megan Murray (bill sponsor). Hear how similar programs are working in our neighboring states, the efforts of the NH Farm to School Network, and how you can help ensure this vital bill becomes a law. This is a free online event.

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Indian Farmers' Strike: Popular Solidarity vs. Industrialized, Corporate Interests

A glimmer of light for these dark times: the massive, persistent Farmers’ Strike in India (which was supported by a wide spectrum of the Indian public) has achieved three of its major goals. Prime Minister Modi has been compelled to back down from his efforts to dismantle existing laws that had functioned to protect small-scale farmers from unfair market pressures. Here’s a good overview.

In October 2021, the NOFA Interstate Council (to which NOFA-NH belongs) signed a letter supporting the farming communities’ resistance to the dangerous restructuring that these laws sought to impose. As a cautionary tale, this letter recounts what happened to farming and farm communities in the U.S. when federal support for fair pricing systems (parity) was jettisoned in favor of faith in ‘free markets.’ This is a situation that is highly relevant to the current crisis in U. S. dairy.

Thinking About CSA (Community Supported Agriculture)

Are you thinking about next year’s CSA—as a farmer, as a conscious eater? NOFA-NH actively supports CSAs with its Farm Share Program to support food access. As you probably know, these agreements were originally championed as a tool for sharing risks and benefits between growers and eaters. By wisely “paying now and enjoying later,” customers partner financially with the local farms that will provide them with optimally nutritious, pesticide-free food throughout the growing season; food that is fairly and ecologically produced by members of their own community.

Here’s a glimpse into current global thinking about CSAs from URGENCI recorded at October’s conference in Brazil. (NOFA-NY’s Elizabeth Henderson is URGENCI’s honorary President.) Hear people from around the world report on CSAs and other arrangements that help them co-create lively food systems that are sustainable, localized, and just.

Watch

A Tale of Organic Food Fraud and Controversy

Between 30 and 40 percent of food produced in the United States goes to waste, contributing to carbon emissions, harmful effects on human health, and many other environmental and economic costs. NOFA-NH Education and Policy Committee member Gene Jonas, of Hungry Bear Farm, explores this phenomenon and what’s being done about it.

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Food Waste: Facts and Solutions

NH Receives Funding for Water Infrastructure

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced $72 million dollars in funding for upgrades to New Hampshire’s water infrastructure. EPA administrator Michael Regan also urged states to address contamination from PFAS chemicals. While New Hampshire has some of the strictest limits for PFAS in the country, deficiencies around the state are still occurring.

Are there PFAS contaminations near you? Check this EWG map.

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Ambitious Targets for Organic Agriculture in Europe

The European Union is looking to organic agriculture to help address climate change. Its Farm to Fork strategy, adopted in 2020 and strengthened in October 2021, sets forth ambitious 2030 targets: a 50% cut in greenhouse gas emissions from agriculture, a 50% cut in pesticide use and a 20% cut in fertilizer use. The policy also calls for increasing the percentage of organic farmland from 8.1% to 25% by 2030.

Technical Assistance for Farmers and Food Businesses

Farmers and food business owners in Belknap, Carroll, Cheshire, Coos, Grafton, and Sullivan counties are eligible for a team of coaches tailored to their needs. Technical assistance is offered in areas such as: business planning, financial planning, recordkeeping, understanding land access, production planning, enterprise and cash flow analysis, and more!

Learn More & Apply

Partners include: Vital Communities, Land for Good, New Hampshire Community Loan Fund, and the ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture Project.

Certified Organic and Transitional Farmers Eligible for Funding

The Organic and Transitional Education and Certification Program (OTECP) is a new USDA program designed to help certified organic and transitional operations offset costs including educational event registration fees, soil testing for micronutrient deficiencies, and eligible transitional expenses. Farm Service Agency (FSA) is accepting OTECP applications for fiscal years 2020 and 2021 through January 7, 2022. Applications for the fiscal year 2022 will open at a later time.

Funding Opportunities

Rural Energy for America Program (REAP): Loan guarantees and grants for renewable energy systems, energy efficiency improvements, energy audits and development assistance. New scoring prioritizes COVID-19 in rural communities, equitable access to RD programs, and distressed communities in Vermont and New Hampshire.

NH Farm Future Fund: Provides funding for farm viability planning in concert with the conservation of important agricultural soils.

Get Published in The Natural Farmer, NOFA’s Quarterly Publication

The Natural Farmer (TNF) is seeking submissions for its Spring 2022 issue. Whether you’re a farmer, gardener, food justice activist or homesteader, you are invited to submit: technical articles, stories, or interviews; opinion pieces on trending topics in agriculture; book reviews, photographs, or seasonal recipes.

The Spring theme is LAND TENURE - including access, intergenerational relationships, history, and more, and the submission deadline is February 1st. If your writing is published in TNF, you will receive a free year subscription to the paper.

Submit

Meet Our Members: Introducing Kevin & Jen French and Full Moon Farm

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. 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 November 2021.

New Members:

Coastal Waters Chartered Public School

Renewing Members:

Reagan Bissonnette, Captain Woodbury Guesthouse, Chanticleer Gardens, Cheshire Garden, Hop N Hen Farm, Local Harvest CSA, Carl Querfurth, Nadine San Antonio, Slopeside Farm, Temple Mountain Permaculture, Andru Volinsky

Classifieds

4,600±SF Processing/Packaging Plant on 3± Acres (Grand Isle, VT)

4,600±SF Processing/Packaging Plant on 3± Acres in Grand Isle, Vermont. Auction: 12/16/021 @ 3PM (Reg. @ 2PM). Offices, processing rooms, packaging, refrigeration break room, restrooms. Well-maintained, fully equipped. Meat processing, cheese, wine, brewery, hemp, CBD… Check with zoning for your ideas. Thomas Hirchak Co. 800-634-7653. THCAuction.com (NH Lic. #3058)

The Temple Wilton Community Farm is Seeking a Biodynamic Vegetable Grower (Wilton)

The Temple-Wilton Community Farm (Four Corners Cooperative), in Wilton NH, is seeking an experienced biodynamic vegetable grower, beginning with the 2022 season. Click here for details. Please send a letter of interest and a resumé or description of your farming experience (especially your biodynamic experience) to Brian Drayton, at drayton.be@gmail.com.

Seeking 2 Farm Managers: Field Operations and Sales & Greenhouse Operations (Cohasset, MA)

The Friends of Holly Hill Farm, Inc. is a nonprofit, educational organic farm that grows on 2 acres in coastal Cohasset, MA. We are hiring TWO farm managers, one for Field Operations and one for Sales and Greenhouse Operations. https://hollyhillfarm.org/employment-opportunities-1

Cedar Circle Farm Is Seeking Director of Agriculture (East Thetford, VT)

Cedar Circle Farm is seeking a Director of Agriculture to lead the organization’s diverse production departments, including annual and perennial flowers, vegetable and fruit production, and research. All areas of production work together with the Director of Agriculture toward the goal of transitioning to regenerative farming with a focus in building soil health and maintaining profitable production. Click here for the full job description.

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.

NOFA-NH's Winter Conference Book Store

Hosted by Main Street Book Ends

MainStreet BookEnds of Warner is a family owned, independent bookstore serving NH since 1998. They share a strong commitment to community, local farmers, children, teachers, local artists and authors, and all who enjoy reading the printed word. MainStreet BookEnds is proud to once again be the bookseller for NOFA-NH’s Winter Conference.

Books by conference presenters and others are available through our Winter Conference Book List! When placing a book order, be sure to write "NOFA-NH" in the comments. As always, 20% of proceeds from book sales go back to support NOFA-NH throughout 2021!

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