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Northeast Organic Farming Association/ Massachusetts Chapter and Real Food Campaign present...

Soil and Nutrition: An Education and Coalition-Building Conference

Featuring leading thinkers and practitioners of building healthy soils, this conference aims to grow the movement for enhancing soil fertility as a basis for the long-term ecological and economic sustainability of farming, the environment, and our society as a whole. Each of the three days is organized with a different format. Participants are invited to listen and share, as we all deepen our soils knowledge.

Seminar with John Kempf, National and international speaker on soil fertility, farmer consultant, and proprietor of Advancing Eco-Agriculture

John speaks in clear practical language about scientific understandings of plant eco-systems and how the health of people is connected to healthy land and quality produce. He will explain three stages of plant health, and how by reaching each stage we can grow plants that are not only nutritious, but resistant to soil-borne and airborne fungal disease and insect damage. He will present practices and principles that we can take to the field - practical applications of what this information means for us as farmers and how we can generate disease and insect resistance with nutrition.

• Read a full outline of John's Seminar.
• Read John's article in Acres, "Carbon Building, Carbon Cycling"
• Read the education page on John's Website.

Envisioning the Social and Ecological Implications of Soil-building Systems That Aim For Quality

Plenary Speakers: Dan Kittredge, director of the Bionutrient Food Association and John Kempf

Collaborative Symposium with Regional Experts on Managing Soils for Quality

Confirmed Presenters include:

• Derek Christianson, CSA farmer, Brix Bounty Farm in Darmouth, MA
• Doug Flack, diversified grass and vegetable farmer in Enosburg Falls, VT
• Dan Holmes, diversified livestock farmer enhancing pasture fertility, Peterborough, NH
• Dan Kittredge, director, Bionutrient Food Association, North Brookfield, MA
• Jack Lazor, organic dairy farmer and producer of Butterworks Yogurt in Westfield, VT
• Bryan O'Hara, soil building pioneer on his vegetable growing operation in Lebannon, CT
• Julie Rawson, organic farmer striving for nutrient density in Barre, MA
• Stephen Storch, biodynamic grower on Long Island, NY

Read full bios on the presenters above.

Strategic Action Working Conference

Participants will discuss building on the knowledge of building healthy soils to affect the broader world, forming work groups on areas of common interest. The sessions will be facilitated to foster a spirit of collaboration and the continued development of collective knowledge. By identifying some key strategies for action, we can achieve goals that could otherwise not be developed by just individuals or single organizations. (More info to come soon.)

Registration Cost

The registration cost for the seminar is $90 for Thursday, February 9. It is $60 to register for the other two days: Friday, February 10 and Saturday, February 11. If registering by January 26, 2012, you receive a $10 early bird discount if registered for all three days. Members of Real Food Campaign, any NOFA chapter, or MOFGA also receive a discount of $5 per day registered (up to $15).

Registration info and more details at: www.nofamass.org/seminars/winterseminar.php

Sponsoring Organizations

NOFA/Mass is a community of farmers, gardeners, landscapers and consumers. We are working educate our members and the general public about the benefits of local organic systems based on complete cycles, natural materials and minimal waste for the health of individual beings, communities and the living planet.

The Bionutrient Food Association (BFA) (parent organization of Real Food Campaign) is a nonprofit research, education and advocacy organization whose objective is to improve quality in the food supply. BFA identifies interdisciplinary parameters that result in optimum soil vitality; educates growers on the principles necessary to achieve this result in the field; and advocates for and facilitates the mainstream availability and consumption of bionutrient food.

The Real Food Campaign works directly with Farmers in the field – discovering, uncovering and sharing information that can improve farm operations, and ultimately lead to greater crop quality and improve the health of those who eat it.

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Thank you to our generous sponsors: