This episode is a culmination of voices and stories of our NOFA community members that visited the in person Winter Conferences. For those of you who don’t already know, most of the NOFA state chapters host an annual Winter Conference. Some are jam packed single days, others are weekend long intensives, and others have been held in a more virtual online format. None-the-less the Winter Conference is filled with workshops, presentations, and experiences for Farmers, Gardeners, Foodies, Chefs, and Agricultural and Environmental Policy advocates. And it’s one of the greatest places to connect with other people who are equally, and sometimes even more passionate about the work we’re all doing. Hear the stories and intentions of people like YOU from NY, NJ, CT, VT, MASS, RI, NH, PA and MA!

Closing the Mushroom Production Loop: Evaluating Soil Microbe Changes Following Field Application of Compost Inoculated with Spent Mushroom Substrate with host, Tony Kennette, Ruben Parilla Soil Tech Coordinator and Education Dir NOFA MASS and Elizabeth Almeida of Fat Moon Farm. In this episode we discuss the use of compost inocullated with "spent" mushroom substrate, and the scientific discoveries found regarding increased fungal activity in the soil when applied. This podcast episode is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number ONE20-378. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. To find out more about Fat Moon Farm visit https://fatmoonmushrooms.com/ To find more information on the Northeast Organic Farming Association chapter in your state please visit us at https://nofa.org/ For additional information on upcoming workshops, articles and NOFA/Mass project updates, please follow our NOFA/Mass Facebook page and join our mailing list. https://www.nofamass.org/ Music by Matt Jatkola https://mattjatkola.com/ https://mattjatkola.bandcamp.com/ https://jatk.bandcamp.com/ Music by Jason Valcourt https://www.jasonvalcourt.com/ JV on YouTube Music By Tony & The Trees https://tonyandthetrees.com/ NOFA Podcast produced and edited by Tony Kennette of https://nofanj.org/ and https://martenettefarms.com/

In this episode I am joined by Central Massachusetts cattle farmer, Ridge Shinn to discuss the amazing possibilities that good management of cattle can have on soils and land as a whole. Ridge Shinn is the founder of Big Picture Beef in Hardwick Mass. Big Picture Beef is an aggregator of grass-fed cattle and an educational resource for cattle farmers interested in a Grass-Fed paradigm. Ridge is also frequent and long time contributor with us at NOFA and most recently co-author with Lynne Pledger of the book Grass-Fed Beef for a Post-Pandemic World. This podcast episode is supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program under subaward number ONE20-378. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the view of the U.S. Department of Agriculture. More information on Ridge and Big Picture Beef you can visit the website bigpicturebeef.com To find more information on the Northeast Organic Farming Association chapter in your state please visit us at NOFA.org For additional information on upcoming workshops, articles and NOFA/Mass project updates, please follow our NOFA/Mass Facebook page and join our mailing list. NOFAmass.org Music by Matt Jatkola https://mattjatkola.com/ https://mattjatkola.bandcamp.com/ https://jatk.bandcamp.com/ Music by Jason Valcourt https://www.jasonvalcourt.com/ JV on YouTube NOFA Podcast produced and edited by Jason Valcourt

In this episode I am joined by my colleague Ruben Parilla our NOFA/Mass Soil Tech Coordinator and together we interview Lincoln Fishman of Sawyer Farm in Worthington, MA. Lincoln is presenting at our upcoming NOFA/Mass Winter Conference happening the weekend of January 14th & 15th, 2022. Lincoln Fishman is co-owner/operator of Sawyer Farm. In 2010 they started raising vegetables and livestock, and using only draft power. In 2020, Sawyer Farm started experimenting with no-till systems and an the spring of 2022, sold their team and bought a tractor to allow them to fully explore tillage-reduced systems. They currently grow most of their crops in perennial Dutch White Clover, with some high value crops in other no-till systems. More information on Lincoln and Sawyer Farm you can email him at sawyerfarmshare@gmail.com or visit their website at sawyer.farm To find more information on the Northeast Organic Farming Association chapter in your state please visit us at NOFA.org For additional information on upcoming workshops, articles and NOFA/Mass project updates, please follow our NOFA/Mass Facebook page and join our mailing list. NOFAmass.org Music by Matt Jatkola https://mattjatkola.com/ https://mattjatkola.bandcamp.com/ https://jatk.bandcamp.com/ Music by Jason Valcourt https://www.jasonvalcourt.com/ JV on YouTube NOFA Podcast produced and edited by Jason Valcourt

In this episode I interview Mary Sage Napolitan and Evan Abramson about their collaborative work on re-establishing ecologically diverse landscape to the properties of Island Grown Initiative in the town of Vineyard Haven on the island of Martha’s Vineyard. Mary Sage and Evan are presenting their work on this project at our upcoming NOFA/Mass Winter Conference happening the weekend of January 14th & 15th 2022. Mary Sage Napolitan is the Regenerative Landscape Manager at Island Grown Initiative. Born and raised on the island, her work focuses on collaborative design, farms as an intersection of social & environmental issues in the landscape, and perennial and native foods for ecosystem health and food sovereignty. Evan Abramson is the Founder and Principal of Landscape Interactions, creating functionally diverse and ecologically resilient landscapes for campuses, conservation properties, farms, municipal parks, and more and is responsible for over 300 acres of habitat installed in the Northeast United States, specifically targeting at-risk bee, butterfly and moth species. You can find more information on Mary Sage and Island Grown Initiative at igimv.org More information on Evan Abramon and Landscape Interactions as well as the downloadable .pdf of this project and others, visit landscapeinteractions.com To find more information on the Northeast Organic Farming Association chapter in your state please visit us at NOFA.org For additional information on upcoming workshops, articles and NOFA/Mass project updates, please follow our NOFA/Mass Facebook page and join our mailing list. NOFAmass.org Music by Matt Jatkola https://mattjatkola.com/ https://jatk.bandcamp.com/ Music by Jason Valcourt https://www.jasonvalcourt.com/ JV on YouTube NOFA Podcast produced and engineered by Jason Valcourt

NOFA/Mass Winter Conference Highlight - When and How To Kill (Winter) Cover Crops With Arthur Siller In this episode we’re drawing another highlight from our annual NOFA/Mass Winter Conference that happened remotely in January 2022. We join University of Massachusetts at Amherst PhD student Arthur Siller as he outlines four different cover crop killing strategies that we can employ, and he also overviews our primary winter cover crops and their management strategies. Arthur Siller is a PhD student in the Hashemi lab at University of Massachusetts at Amherst’s College of Natural Sciences Stockbridge School Agriculture. They have extensive experience in sustainable farming practices, doing current research on cover crop termination strategies to reduce off-farm resources and improve soil health. You can find more information on Arthur Siller and the programs of UMass Amherst’s College of Natural Sciences Stockbridge School of Agriculture at stockbridge.cns.umass.edu To find more information on the Northeast Organic Farming Association chapter in your state please visit us at NOFA.org For additional information on upcoming workshops, articles and NOFA/Mass project updates, please follow our NOFA/Mass Facebook page and join our mailing list. NOFAmass.org Music by Matt Jatkola https://mattjatkola.com/ https://mattjatkola.bandcamp.com/ https://jatk.bandcamp.com/ Music by Jason Valcourt https://www.jasonvalcourt.com/ JV on YouTube NOFA Podcast produced and edited by Jason Valcourt

In this episode I interview my colleague Andrew Laurion to discuss the bioremediation project underway in Springfield, MA. We talk about the changes in the soil, the properties and the community now that this project has been underway for two years. Andrew Laurion is the Bioremediation Project Coordinator for NOFA/Mass and the Youth Program Coordinator of the food justice organization Gardening the Community (GTC) in Springfield, Massachusetts. Andrew is also an avid urban grower, a woodworker and loves his role mentoring the youth and helping to create healthy, sustainable communities To find more information on the Northeast Organic Farming Association chapter in your state please visit us at NOFA.org For additional information on upcoming workshops, articles and NOFA/Mass project updates, please follow our NOFA/Mass Facebook page and join our mailing list at NOFAmass.org. Music by Matt Jatkola https://mattjatkola.com/ https://mattjatkola.bandcamp.com/ https://jatk.bandcamp.com/ Music by Jason Valcourt https://www.jasonvalcourt.com/ JV on YouTube NOFA Podcast produced and edited by Jason Valcourt

In this episode I am joined by two of my NOFA colleagues Monique Bosch from our CT NOFA chapter as well as Ruben Parilla of NOFA/Mass and they introduce us to the world of microscopy. We discuss the advantages of looking at your soil and compost under the microscope to determine the state of affairs and influence your soil management strategies. Monique Bosch, is the Organic Land Care Coordinator and the Soil Health Technician at CT NOFA and an avid microscopy enthusiast. Ruben Parilla, is the NOFA/Mass Soil Tech Coordinator and is also an avid microscope enthusiast. Microscope Favorite of our guests: https://www.lwscientific.com/products/revelation-series You can find more microscopy info and resources from CT NOFA at ctnofa.org/microscopy You can find Soil Health and microscopy info and resources at nofamass.org and navigate to the soil health technical services page. To find more information on the Northeast Organic Farming Association chapter in your state please visit us at NOFA.org For additional information on upcoming workshops, articles and NOFA/Mass project updates, please follow our NOFA/Mass Facebook page and join our mailing list. NOFAmass.org Music by Matt Jatkola https://mattjatkola.com/ https://mattjatkola.bandcamp.com/ https://jatk.bandcamp.com/ Music by Jason Valcourt https://www.jasonvalcourt.com/ JV on YouTube NOFA Podcast produced and edited by Jason Valcourt

In this episode I am joined again by our NOFA/Mass Soil Tech Coordinator, Ruben Parilla. We interview Yoko Takemura of Assawaga Farm in Putnam, CT. This material is based upon work supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture, through the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. Yoko Takemura owns and operates Assawaga Farm with her husband Alex Carpenter in Putnam, CT. Since 2016 they’ve grown organic vegetables with an emphasis on Japanese varieties, flowers and fruits on less than an acre using no-till and regenerative practices. Here’s our conversation with Yoko where we discuss their approach to soil health and various no-till practices. You can find more info on Assawaga Farm at assawagafarm.com and on FB and Instagram at Assawaga farm To find more information on the Northeast Organic Farming Association chapter in your state please visit us at NOFA.org For additional information on upcoming workshops, articles and NOFA/Mass project updates, please follow our NOFA/Mass Facebook page and join our mailing list. NOFAmass.org Music by Matt Jatkola https://mattjatkola.com/ https://mattjatkola.bandcamp.com/ https://jatk.bandcamp.com/ Music by Jason Valcourt https://www.jasonvalcourt.com/ JV on YouTube NOFA Podcast produced and edited by Jason Valcourt

In this episode I am joined again by my NOFA/Mass colleague, Soil Health Projects Manager, Christine Manuck. We interview Meryl Latronica, Director of Farm Operations at Just Roots in Greenfield, MA. We continue our conversations with farmers working within our Compaction Mitigation grant as a collaboration with an MDAR 2020 Specialty Crop Block Grant titled Accelerating Soil Health Through Compaction Mitigation: A Data-Supported Peer-to-Peer Farmer Learning Project. Meryl Latronica is the Director of Farm Operations at Just Roots. She is a dedicated and experienced production farmer, farm-based educator, community organizer, mentor to new farmers and devoted member of the New England farm community. She has been focusing her work on balancing intensive organic vegetable production with a commitment to building strong communities around food and farms. Just Roots provides educational programming on the farm, in schools and in the community and has a mission to create equitable access to healthy local food in Western Massachusetts, and work toward just, vibrant, and sustainable farm and food systems everywhere. You can find more info Meryl and Just Roots and the various programs they support at JustRoots.Org To find more information on the Northeast Organic Farming Association chapter in your state please visit us at NOFA.org For additional information on upcoming workshops, articles and NOFA/Mass project updates, please follow our NOFA/Mass Facebook page and join our mailing list. NOFAmass.org Music by Matt Jatkola https://mattjatkola.com/ https://mattjatkola.bandcamp.com/ https://jatk.bandcamp.com/ Music by Jason Valcourt https://www.jasonvalcourt.com/ JV on YouTube NOFA Podcast produced and edited by Jason Valcourt

In this episode we’re drawing more highlights from our annual NOFA/Mass Winter Conference that happened remotely in January 2022. First we join Natural Farmer, Marco Thomas for an introduction to the Natural Farming technique of collecting of Indigenous Micro Organisms (IMOs). Then, we join Richard Robinson of Hopestill Farm for a deep dive into mulching, and his impassioned reasons for using leaves as mulch as possible. Marco Thomas is a natural farmer in Central Virginia, and is the founder of Microbes by Marco producing small batch craft inputs for soils. His work is focused on building soil and cultivating microorganisms to enhance his own garden and urban farm and he is guided by the principles, “Do as nature does.” and “Focus on the natural way.” Richard Robinson began organic gardening over 40 years ago and became a serious farmer in 2004. He grows certified organic vegetables, small fruits, and Christmas trees at Hopestill Farm in Sherborn, MA. Richard has also a member of the NOFA/Mass Board of Directors since 2017. You can find Marco Thomas at MicrobesbyMarco.com and on Instagram at: marco_is_growing More information on Richard Robinson and Hopestill Farm can be found at Hopestill.com To find more information on the Northeast Organic Farming Association chapter in your state please visit us at NOFA.org For additional information on upcoming workshops, articles and NOFA/Mass project updates, please follow our NOFA/Mass Facebook page and join our mailing list. NOFAmass.org Music by Matt Jatkola https://mattjatkola.com/ https://mattjatkola.bandcamp.com/ https://jatk.bandcamp.com/ Music by Jason Valcourt https://www.jasonvalcourt.com/ JV on YouTube NOFA Podcast produced and edited by Jason Valcourt

In this episode I am joined by our NOFA/Mass Soil Tech Coordinator, Ruben Parilla. We interview soil scientist, Dr. Justin Richardson, from University of Massachusetts Amherst, about the state of the invasive Jumping Worm in the Northeast. Dr. Justin Richardson is an Assistant Professor of Geosciences at UMass Amherst working in the field of Biogeochemistry. Dr. Richardson studies metals and metalloids, examining metals due to their role as essential nutrients for ecosystems and toxicity to plants and humans. He also studies forest soils due to their impact on forest resources and their illustrative nature of vegetation-soil-rock interactions. You can find more of Dr. Richardson’s work and many publications on his website Soilbiogeochemist.com To find more information on the Northeast Organic Farming Association chapter in your state please visit us at NOFA.org For additional information on upcoming workshops, articles and NOFA/Mass project updates, please follow our NOFA/Mass Facebook page and join our mailing list. NOFAmass.org Music by Matt Jatkola https://mattjatkola.com/ https://mattjatkola.bandcamp.com/ https://jatk.bandcamp.com/ Music by Jason Valcourt https://www.jasonvalcourt.com/ JV on YouTube NOFA Podcast produced and edited by Jason Valcourt

NOFA/Mass Winter Conference Highlight - Seed Sovereignty Means Land Sovereignty In this episode we’re drawing highlights from our Round Table discussion on Seed Sovereignty at this year’s annual NOFA/Mass winter conference. You will hear two inspiring opening statements that preceded the discussion from Amirah Mitchell and Luke Jeffries. You can find Amirah Mitchell at Sistahseeds.com and on Instagram at SistahSeeds. More information on Luke Jeffries and Kenhteke Seed Sanctuary can be found at kenhtekeseedsanctuary.com as well as on Facebook To find more information on the Northeast Organic Farming Association chapter in your state please visit us at NOFA.org For additional information on upcoming workshops, articles and NOFA/Mass project updates, please follow our NOFA/Mass Facebook page and join our mailing list. NOFAmass.org Music by Matt Jatkola https://mattjatkola.com/ https://mattjatkola.bandcamp.com/ https://jatk.bandcamp.com/ Music by Jason Valcourt https://www.jasonvalcourt.com/ JV on YouTube NOFA Podcast produced and edited by Jason Valcourt Biography Information Amirah Mitchell is a farmer, seedkeeper and community educator. She holds a B.S. in Horticulture from Temple University and has worked in agriculture since 2007. She has worked on urban farms in Massachusetts, Georgia and Pennsylvania, including four years at Truelove Seeds, a Philadelphia-based farm and seed company. Currently, Amirah is working to start her own farm business, Sistah Seeds, growing heirloom seeds from across the African Diaspora. Luke Jeffries is a Mohawk from Tyendinaga, Mohawk Territory. He is a language learner, avid gardener, and Project Coordinator for Ratinenhayénthos, who operate the Kenhté:ke Seed Sanctuary in Tyendinaga. They have rematriated a seed collection in the last few years and have been working to ensure that the living collection remains viable for future generations.

In this episode I’m joined by Suzie Flores of Stonington Kelp to discuss her adventures in farming…the sea. We discuss the tools and practices of ocean farming as an introduction to what it takes to farm on the water, how an entire season of ocean farming progresses and the developing industry that is thriving in East Coast waters. You can learn more about and Suzie and Jay’s work at StoningtonKelpCo.com and also on Instagram as StoningtonKelpCo For additional information on upcoming workshops, articles and NOFA/Mass project updates, please follow our NOFA/Mass Facebook page and join our mailing list. NOFAmass.org Music by Matt Jatkola https://mattjatkola.com/ https://mattjatkola.bandcamp.com/ https://jatk.bandcamp.com/ Music by Jason Valcourt https://www.jasonvalcourt.com/ JV on YouTube NOFA Podcast produced and edited by Jason Valcourt

In this episode I’m joined by my colleague Christine Manuck, who leads our NOFA/Mass Soil Health Program and we interview Julie Rawson, owner of Many Hands Organic Farm in Barre, Massachusetts and formerly the executive director of NOFA/Mass. We discuss a variety of compaction mitigation methods that she employs in her management practices on her fully diversified farm and get a glimpse into her three decades of experience running Many Hands. You can find out more about the practices and products of Many Hands Organic Farm at MHOF.net as well as on various social platforms. https://mhof.net https://www.instagram.com/manyhandsorganic/ https://www.facebook.com/manyhandsorganicfarm For additional information on upcoming workshops, articles and NOFA/Mass project updates, please follow our NOFA/Mass Facebook page and join our mailing list. NOFAmass.org Music by Matt Jatkola https://mattjatkola.com/ https://mattjatkola.bandcamp.com/ https://jatk.bandcamp.com/ Music by Jason Valcourt https://www.jasonvalcourt.com/ JV on YouTube NOFA Podcast produced and edited by Jason Valcourt

In this episode I interview Dan Kittredge, founder and Executive Director of the Bionutrient Food Association. We discuss both Dan’s and the BFA’s origins, soil health philosophy and practices and the bionutrient meter – a hand-held, non-invasive consumer-priced spectrometer that can be used to get relative nutritional scores off of food at point of purchase with a flash of light. Dan Kittredge has been an organic farmer for more than 30 years and is the founder and executive director of the Bionutrient Food Association (BFA), a non-profit whose mission is to “increase quality in the food supply.” Known as one of the leading proponents of “nutrient density,” Dan works to demonstrate the connections between soil health, plant health, and human health. https://Bionutrient.org For additional information on upcoming workshops, articles and NOFA/Mass project updates, please follow our NOFA/Mass Facebook page and join our mailing list. NOFAmass.org Music by Matt Jatkola https://mattjatkola.com/ https://mattjatkola.bandcamp.com/ https://jatk.bandcamp.com/ Music by Jason Valcourt https://www.jasonvalcourt.com/ JV on YouTube NOFA Podcast produced and edited by Jason Valcourt

In this episode I sit down with Deb and Ricky to discuss the challenging endeavor of farming and we get into some methods they employ to keep their farming lifestyle vibrant and nourishing. https://seedsofsolidarity.org/ https://makinglovewhilefarming.org/ https://www.youtube.com/user/TheCardboardMethod

Noah Kellerman and his partner Sophie run Alprilla Farm in Essex MA. They rotate four acres of storage vegetable crop for their winter CSA with two acres of grains for human consumption. The farm is run using a system of rotational tillage using a mix of tractor, ox and human power to care for the soil and grow the best crops they can. Noah is a tinkerer, striving to tighten nutrient cycling on his farm at every level from small scale no till equipment design to crop, tillage and cover crop sequences. For more information on Noah or Alprilla Farm: http://alprillafarm.com/ https://www.nofamass.org/ https://mattjatkola.com/ https://www.jasonvalcourt.com/ NOFA Podcast produced and edited by Jason Valcourt

This year marks NOFA’s 50th year since the first summer meeting happened in June of 1971 and we celebrate with a fantastic NOFA Summer Conference program July 31 - August 6th.

In this episode we discuss making your own amendments for the garden or farm with commonly available ingredients and simple recipes with author and gardener Nigel Palmer. Nigel Palmer is the author of “The Regenerative Growers Guide to Garden Amendments”, Nigel is a lifelong gardener relying on the amazing complexity of nature to inspire his gardening practices. We are all experimental gardeners given a new canvas each year. He develops curriculum for and instructs the Sustainable Regenerative Garden Program at The Institute of Sustainable Nutrition. TIOSN.com Additional Resources from Nigel can be found here: https://www.nofamass.org/podcast-fans/ For additional information on upcoming workshops, articles and NOFA/Mass project updates, please follow our NOFA/Mass Facebook page and join our mailing list. NOFAmass.org Music by Matt Jatkola https://mattjatkola.com/ https://mattjatkola.bandcamp.com/ https://jatk.bandcamp.com/ Music by Jason Valcourt https://www.jasonvalcourt.com/ JV on YouTube NOFA Podcast produced and edited by Jason Valcourt