Organic farming conference coming to UMass Amherst
The 34th Annual Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Summer Conference will be held on campus Aug. 8-10 after many years at Hampshire College.
NOFA says the summer conference is not just for farmers, and it features workshops and speakers on organic agriculture, food politics, sustainability, activism, nutrition, homesteading and spirituality.
More than 200 workshop presenters will share their knowledge and experience on a range of topics, from global warming to wine-making, honeybees to herbs, chickens to CSA’s, and soil to spirituality. Running concurrently with the adult workshops are gatherings for kids and teenagers with creative crafts, games and projects. The Aug. 9 schedule also includes a Grazing School organized by Mass Grass, a Massachusetts grazing group. The Grazing School features seven workshops and a pasture walk for both beginning and experienced graziers.
The keynote speaker on Friday, Aug. 8 will be Arden Andersen. Holistic medical practitioner, expert in human and agricultural nutrition, author, and educator, Andersen will share his extensive knowledge on the link between healthy agricultural practices and healthy people.
The keynote speaker on Saturday, Aug. 9 will be Mark McAfee, founder of the Organic Pastures Dairy Company (OPDC) in California. OPDC is the only retail approved raw organic dairy products producer in North America. A pioneer in raw organic milk production, safety and technology, McAfee has been at the forefront of the movement to change the laws regarding raw milk.
The conference also offers plenty of entertainment. Families from all over the Northeast come to the conference to enjoy a traditional contra-dance, a spicy zydeco dance band, drumming, special children’s programming, an old-fashioned country fair, and local products from the farmers market.
For more information about the conference, visit www.nofamass.org or call Julie Rawson at (978) 355-2853 or e-mail julie@nofamass.org. For on-campus questions contact Conference Services at 545-2591.
August 3, 2008.
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