NOFA-NH E-Newsletter: March 2021

Dear Friend of NOFA-NH,

It's mud season, which means spring is just around the corner! Farmers are starting their seeds or maybe even planting, sap is boiling, and baby animals are coming into the world.

Although local produce and other products are not as abundant during this part of the year, it's an important time to support our local farmers. Visit a maple producer, purchase a CSA and contribute to a farmer's revenue as they start the season, buy meat in bulk, or shop at a local farmers' market. With your help, together we can build a stronger, more resilient food system.

Here at NOFA-NH, spring means we're in the midst of wrapping up from our Winter Conference and Bulk Order, hosting our Organic Gardening Series, coordinating our Farm Share program, and gearing up for summer and fall programs. Our work is made possible in part by support from our members and donors! To support our work, you can become a member or make a donation today.

Yours in Good Health & Healthy Food,

Team NOFA-NH

Watch the Winter Conference at Home! Videos Now Available for Purchase

Did you miss our Winter Conference? No problem! We captured the entire inspiring and educational weekend on video, now available for purchase. The videos will be exclusively available to conference ticket holders and those who purchase the video package through August 2021.

Learn More / Purchase

Join Us Live for the Organic Gardening Series or Watch it Later

Our Organic Gardening Series is underway! Join us for any or all of the remaining classes, which run weekly through April 27th and monthly from June to October.

Recordings are available for six months after each class, so it's not too late to register for the whole series or individual classes after they've already happened.

Learn More & Register

Spring Book Study with NOFA-NH & Seacoast Permaculture

This spring, join NOFA-NH and Seacoast Permaculture for a 5-part Zoom book discussion of "Think Like a Commoner" by David Bollier, every other Thursday, March 25th to May 20th, from 7:00-8:30 PM.

Access to land and other resources continues to be a huge challenge for people wanting to grow food. Creative and historical ways of addressing these barriers are being explored and discussed more and more. Join us to further that conversation!

Learn More / Register

Farm Share Applications Opening Soon

NOFA-NH partners with local farms and businesses to offer fresh, organic and nutrient dense food to our neighbors in need. Our Farm Share Program provides funds for limited-income New Hampshire residents to purchase certified organic CSA shares, also known as farm shares, at discounted prices across the state. How it works: NOFA-NH contributes 50% of funds toward each farm share, recipients contribute 25%, and farm partners donate the remaining 25%.

March Is Maple Month!

It's that time of the year again: maple sugaring season. You can support New Hampshire's maple producers by purchasing local, NH-made syrup and by visiting select sugarhouses throughout the month.

Learn More

Did you know that maple sugaring has strong Indigenous significance? Listen to the story of "Gluskabe" as told by Paul Pouliot of the Cowasuck Band of the Pennacook Abenaki people.

NH Farm to School's Spring Harvest Calendar, starting on page 7, also shares the story of "Gluskabe" along with recipes and a few fun activities.

Banning GMO Corn and Glyphosate in Mexico

The nation of Mexico is phasing out the use of glyphosate and GMO (genetically modified) corn by 2024. This is intended to protect the health of the country’s food supply and to prevent the contamination of Mexico’s wealth of ancient corn varieties. It is also intended to protect Mexico’s agricultural sector from unfair competition from subsidized corn grown in the USA. Learn about the difficulties that the Mexican government is encountering in its efforts to accomplish this in this article by The Guardian, and about why these actions (banning glyphosate and genetically engineered corn) are so important to so many of Mexico’s farmers and eaters in this opinion piece from Common Dreams.

Combatting Hunger in New Hampshire

Recently, the NH Fiscal Policy Institute held a panel to address food security. This article from the Concord Monitor shares information from the presentation about the current situation in the Granite State.

You may be glad to know that your NOFA-NH membership supports the organization’s work to bring more fresh local food to neighbors in need. NOFA-NH helped initiate the NH Feeding NH program in 2020, in partnership with the NH Food Alliance, NH Food Bank, and NH Farm Bureau. This program facilitated paid contracts to 170 local farmers for 40,000 pounds of produce, meat, and dairy delivered to 77 local agencies. We’re happy to report that the program has been extended into 2021 and we continue to participate.

Amaranth Greens: A Favorite in the Congolese Community

This month as we celebrate International Women’s Day and Farmworker Awareness Week, we offer a recipe shared by the Fresh Start Farms community. Of the twenty-four farmers who operate the 56-acre farm, nineteen are women.

Stuffed Squash with Amaranth & Greens is a favorite in the Congolese community. As explained by one of the farm's organizers, “Farmers plant amaranth alongside squash, beans, and corn and it shades the weeds. The plant is so popular that folks travel from Massachusetts and New York to stock up and freeze it for the year.”

Get the Recipe

Food Justice Certification with AJP

The Agricultural Justice Project supports and recognizes farmworkers, farmers, and food system stakeholders who are making the vision of justice in the food system a reality. AJP’s Food Justice Certification program standards are designed with the goal of changing relationships among the people who work on farms and to gain fair prices and agreements for farmers so that they can pay living wages to their workers and to themselves.

Resources to help you achieve these goals on your farm:

Conserving Vegetable Ranch: Donations by March 31st Doubled

Help in the final stretch of fundraising to conserve Larry Pletcher’s certified organic Vegetable Ranch in Warner. Five Rivers and Larry Pletcher are collaborating to place a conservation easement on 118 acres of ecologically important farmland and forest.

Conserving the farm will prevent future development and make agricultural use more financially viable for future farmers. Donate now and your gift will be doubled by a generous matching gift from the Thomas W. Haas Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation. Five Rivers is working to close the fundraising gap by March 31st and needs your help to protect this local treasure.

Watch Video & Donate

21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge

Sign up for the FSNE annual 21-Day Racial Equity Habit-Building Challenge starting on April 5th! In its seventh year, the Challenge is a great way to learn about the history and impacts of racism on our current food system while inspiring participants with resources and tools to build racial equity in their work and lives. People from all over the country participate in the Challenge, coordinated by the Food Solutions New England network in order to raise awareness, shift attitudes and change outcomes.

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Soil Health and Community Resilience: Stories from the North

The Vermont Healthy Soils Coalition and Littleton Food Co-op, in addition to more than 30 local community organizations and businesses, are offering a six-part online webinar series focused on soil health and community resilience in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont and the North Country of New Hampshire. Recordings are available.

Remaining sessions: Mar. 24, Apr. 7, Apr. 21.

NOFA Summer Conference Call for Proposals

NOFA is seeking workshop proposals from presenters for both virtual and in-person programming. As always, proposals for all manner of topics relating to food systems, food preparation and storage, all levels of gardening and all things farming are welcome. Proposals will be accepted through March 31, 2021.

Members Invited to Join NOFA-NH's Listserv

Connection is one of the many things we value at NOFA-NH. We invite you to connect with fellow farmers, gardeners, and eaters on our NOFA-NH member listserv.

Meet Our Members: Introducing Emma Dooley

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.

Welcome New & Renewing Members

Thank you to our NOFA-NH Members who became new members or renewed their memberships in February 2021.

New Members:

Patricia Anastasio, Dr. Linh Aven, Bascom Farm, David Brower, Joe Bulger, Emma Dooley, The Educational Farm at Joppa Hill, Fowl Manor Farm, Valerie Kolb, Kaylin Lustig, Kelly Marshall, Howard Maurer, Aron Qasba, Waxing Moon Gardens, Carol Weeks, Megan Young

Renewing Members:

Peter and Dina Bock, Phil Browne, Chanticleer Gardens, David Coe, Coffin Cellars Winery, Martha Coutts-Eisenberg, Michelle Fischer's Fine Gardening, Full Moon Farm, Susan Fuller, Sherry Gould, John Harvey, Peter Higbee, Amy Lamb, Vincent Mamone, Andrew Messenger, Micro Mama's, Kirsten Hale Provost, Eric Sawyer, Stonewall Farm, Acadia Burgess Tucker

Classifieds

Grow an Extra Row for Lil' Free Farmstands (Nashua)

Calling all backyard gardeners! Growing an extra row to donate can increase our local food supply of fresh nutritious food that we can in turn share with families in need through our Lil' Free Farmstands. If you don't grow you can donate and we'll buy it from NH farmers to give to those in need! To read more click here: www.grownashua.org/share

Groh Farm Seeking PT Seasonal Farm Assistant (Wilton)

Groh Farm in Wilton, NH is seeking a part-time seasonal farm assistant. Groh Farm is entering a new phase in it's development. As we start a new Biodynamic/organic market garden (2½ acres), it is a perfect opportunity to experience the learning and excitement of a start-up with a very experienced farmer (+25 years). The position is 15 to 25 hours per week starting in early May and running until late October. It is a paid hourly position with no housing available. Tasks will include, but not be limited to, harvesting, washing and packing produce, weed control, bed prep, and transplanting. It involves working outdoors in all types of weather, and lifting of items up to 50 lbs. To apply contact Matt Pearson at zone7matt@gmail.com with a resume and letter indicating what interests you about the position.

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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