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CONFERENCE
PROGRAM
9:15
- 10:45 am
Cover Crops, Tillage & Rotation: Putting
it all Together for Vegetable Production
- Vernon Grubinger, University of Vermont
www.uvm.edu/vtvegandberry
This session will explore what creative farmers are doing to maintain
soil health over the long haul by minimizing tillage, increasing the use of
cover crops, and utilizing cropping systems that enhance diversity over time
and space while meeting the economic needs of the farm.
Pomona’s Secrets: Hardy,
Delectable, Pest-free Fruits
Lee Reich – www.leereich.com
HANDOUTS – Click here!
Meet some fruits, such as shipova, medlar, Nanking
cherry, and lingonberry, that have delectable flavors and are easy to grow and
cold-hardy. These fruits are free of pest problems, require no more than a
little, or no, pruning. And if that’s not enough: some are borne on
ornamental plants. The potentials for organic commercial production and/or
"luscious landscaping" will be discussed.
SOLVIVA: Replacing Petroleum on
the Farm & Homestead
Anna Edey, Solviva – www.solviva.com
Technologies and methods today are capable of heating and cooling our
buildings, generating electricity, providing food and transportation, and
managing wastewater and solid wastes
in ways that reduce pollution and depletion of resources by 80% or more. Solidly based on more than 20 years of
experience, hear about the art of sustainable solar-dynamic bio-benign design
in order to live and farm better with less cost (today and tomorrow).
Transitioning to Organic
Beekeeping
Ross Conrad, VT
Chemical resistance is building. In fact, there is evidence
that chemical treatments are making the problem worse. Ross will discuss the current state of
beekeeping in the United
States and cover long-term methods of
keeping bee hives healthy and strong without the use of toxic chemicals and
antibiotics.
Changing the Cheap Food
Mentality
Hugh Joseph, Tufts
University
Why is food “cheap?”
And what is “quality?”
This session reviews the
environmental and public health implications, and how we can change this cheap
food mentality. Designed for
institutions and all consumers of food.
Natural Animal Health
Susan Beal, DVM
What are the most important things that you can do to keep your animals
healthy? With “whole-farm
thrivingness” in mind, Dr. Beal will cover planning and preventive
methods, including farm management, grazing, nutrition, and animal selection,
as well as a variety of natural, herbal, and homeopathic treatments for cattle,
small ruminants, and horses.
Cut Flower Varieties that Work
David Delbo, Dave’s Flowers
Chrissy Thern, Cherry Grove Organic Farm
Jenny Carleo, Rutgers Cooperative Extension, Cape May
Veteran flower growers will speak about the 10 best cut flower
varieties, with ease of growing, cutting, and profitability in mind. Also, hear about the results of
two years of flower trials by Rutgers
University researchers.
11:15
am - 12:30 pm
Perennial Vegetables
Eric Toensmeier, Nuestras Raices
www.perennialvegetables.com
Perennial vegetables – you mean like asparagus and rhubarb? Yes! And dozens more which can be grown
in New
Jersey. Crops like sea kale, skirret, fragrant spring
tree, water celery, and groundnut can provide years of harvests with very
little labor once established. This workshop will introduce species, sources,
and techniques.
Designing and Managing Irrigation for Small Farms
Linda Peterson, USDA-Natural Resource Conservation Service
Interested in setting up
irrigation? Or curious if you are
doing it right? Learn what to
consider, including potential water sources, filtration needs, types of
irrigation suitable to typical crops, and pipe and fitting needs, as well
operating for different soil and crop needs.
Nutrition 101: Local, Seasonal,
Organic
Sharon Vecchiarelli, To Nourish – www.tonourish.info
Chef Will Mooney, The Brothers Moon – www.brothersmoon.com
HANDOUTS –
Click here
From practical advice to
supportive research, learn why and to how to source the healthiest food around. The session will close with a seasonal
cooking demonstration (and recipes) by one of New Jersey’s
best “Jersey Fresh” chefs!
Creating a Model of Local Food Purchasing for Institutions
Lindsay Gilmour, Fair Food Project, White Dog Community Enterprises
www.whitedogcommunityenterprises.org
Tegan Hagy, The Food Trust, Mid-Atlantic Farm to School
Coordinator
www.thefoodtrust.org
Chef Gary Giberson, The Lawrenceville
School
Thinking about freshening up your school or hospital or workplace
cafeteria? Look at goals,
barriers and solutions from the view-point
of different stakeholders and discuss the commitment and collaborations that
are essential to success. To close,
six simple steps towards success from a chef!
Creating Successful Markets
Chris Heitman, Project for Public Spaces, NYC
www.pps.org
Through their innovative
research, grantmaking and technical assistance programs, PPS has an
unparalleled perspective on how markets work. This presentation will cover the
crucial elements, including: the right mix of vendors and products; a strong
sense of place; solid economic and operational underpinnings; and a firm
commitment to the surrounding community.
Good Neighborly Relations: 10
Things Farmers Can Do!
Dave Kimmel, SADC
Dan Kluchinski, Rutgers Cooperative
Extension
Farmer Panel
In this the most densely
populated state, being able to interact well with neighbors and others is
an important skill. Hear from this panel of farmers on the positive
things they've done to build and maintain good relationships with
neighbors and townships.
Raising Eggs on Pasture
Jean Nick & Tom Colbaugh, Happy Farms, PA
An egg flock is a great way to
get started with animals. Learn
about selecting hens, housing, feeding, watering, and pasturing; as well as
collecting and packing eggs. Marketing too.
Science-based Organic Grape Production
Bryan Hed, Penn
State Grape
Center
http://research.cas.psu.edu/Erie/plant_path.htm
Learn how to grow grapes
organically in the northeastern U.S.,
including challenges and pitfalls, as well as research-based information on
cultural techniques and disease management strategies.
Afternoon
12:30 - 2:00 pm
Local, Organic Lunch
Prepared by Whole Foods Market - Princeton
2:00 - 3:15 pm
Farm & Garden Composting Systems and Tools
Dave Wilson, The Rodale Institute
www.therodaleinstitute.org
Learn about the The Rodale Institute's composting operation
including our innovative equipment for effective and efficient compost
production, as you requested, and in addition tips and applications of backyard
composting techniques including the fundamentals of composting and compost
use.
Fearless Pruning
Lee
Reich
HANDOUT – Click here!
Take the mystery out of
pruning, so that lilacs, blueberries, roses -- all trees and shrubs, in fact --
can be pruned to look their best and be in vibrant health. After going over the
many benefits of pruning, we’ll take a look at the tools for the job and
then -- most important -- discuss how plants respond to various types of
pruning cuts. After that, we enter the "real world" with the how,
why, and when of pruning various groups of plants.
Building Restaurant Success, Working with Local Farmers
Leslie McEachern & Amy Chaplin, Angelica Kitchen, NYC
www.angelicakitchen.com
Are you a chef
wondering how to do this profitably, or a curious customer? From the day-to-day
specifics to the general philosophy, hear from the owner and executive chef how
this win-win strategy has created restaurant success, delicious food, and great
relationships for over 30 years.
How to Get Funds to Try
Something New on the Farm
Vernon Grubinger, University of Vermont &
Farmers
www.uvm.edu/~nesare
If you have an
innovative idea that you'd like to test on your farm, consider a Northeast SARE's farmer grant. This session will explain
how they work and what makes for a successful application. Other possible
sources of funding for farmers from USDA will also be described that support
the development of new business
ventures.
Nutrition Education on Farms & In Schools
Meredith Taylor, Isles, Inc. – www.isles.org
Stacey Antine, HealthBarn, USA – www.healthbarnusa.com
Eric Tadlock, Fernbrook Farms – www.fernbrookeducation.org
Nutrition education is
essential for our youth, both in and out of our schools. Learn about both non-profit and
for-profit models that are changing the way young people think about food and
the way they eat.
Managed Intensive Grazing: Tips, Traps, and Tricks to the Art
Judy Gifford, St. Brigids Dairy Farm
www.stbrigidsfarm.com
On an oasis of green in a
county rich with corn, soybeans and wheat, St. Brigids Dairy has developed
their sward, soil and Jersey herd into a
sustainable livestock production system. Learn from their mistakes and
successes during their transition from wheat to worms in this interactive
session.
Does New Jersey
Agriculture REALLY Matter?
Brian Schilling, Rutgers Food Policy Institute
http://www.foodpolicyinstitute.org/
It is very important
to elevate policy discourse in Trenton
and in local town halls to a level where policy decisions are informed and
shaped by sound, credible information.
In the spirit of policy discourse, this presentation asks the hard
question and takes a critical look at farm economics in the state.
3:30 - 4:45 pm
Year-Round Growing in Tunnels and Greenhouses
Mark
Dornstreich, Branch Creek Farm
Mike
Baki, Community Supported Garden at Genesis Farm
The demand for year-round local food is there. From the history to practical farmer
advice, learn how you too can fill it!
Getting Started with Home Food Preservation
Louise Aucott
HANDOUT
– Click here!
Eat local all year long! This
session will introduce essential concepts in home canning, food dehydration,
freezing, salting, and root-cellar use.
Individual patterns of consumption, as well as the pros and cons of
various crops will be addressed, with a question and answer at the end.
Farm Bill Update
Amy Hansen, NJ Conservation
Foundation – www.njconservation.org
Emily Brown Rosen, National
Organic Standards Board
Hugh Joseph, Tufts University
So what happened to the 2007
Farm Bill? Learn about its status, including
current funding levels for organic agriculture programs, conservation,
farm to school, as well as other programs to help farmers and communities.
Transitioning to Organic
Production
Erich Bremer, NJDA Organic Certification Program
Farmer & Processor Panel
Are you a farmer or processor
interested in going organic? Learn
from the experts (the certifier & the certified) about why and how, from economic
incentives to the federal rules and regulations to the fundamental principles
of organic agriculture.
The Future of Markets
Chris Heitman, Project for Public Spaces, NYC
www.pps.org
Since it now seems that nearly
every city coast-to-coast has at least one farmers market, what is left for the
movement to accomplish? Plenty.
The Atlas of American Cheese
Jeffrey Roberts, Cow Creek,
VT
www.theatlasofamericancheese.com
Whether you are a farmer or consumer, join us for an introduction to
the landscape of American artisan cheese. Jeff Roberts will discuss his
research on artisan cheese producers, their impact on organic and sustainable
agriculture, and prospects for the future. Cheese-tasting, anyone?
Diary of a Small Farm Start-up: Years 1 &
2
Barbara Corbin, Sun Meadow Farm,
NJ
Starting out can be an exciting but scary process. Hear how this farm started a small,
successful CSA. Barbara will share
her family's experiences, including pre-season planning, recruiting members,
and on-farm infrastructure will be addressed.
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