Advertising Details

Advertising in the conference program puts proof of your support and connection to the local, organic foods movement in the hands of each conference attendee.

**Advertising space is full for 2013. Contact the office if you'd like to be put on a waiting list.**

Artwork is due January 18, 2013 and must be black and white. PDF or high-resolution TIFF format preferred. Ads requiring formatting, resizing or other editing will incur an additional fee of $25. Download the sponsorship brochure & reply form by clicking here.

Non-Sponsorship advertising prices:

Half-page $250
Quarter-page $200
Eighth page $150

Exhibitors' Fair Details

Unlike many trade shows, our exhibitors' fair has an intimate, friendly atmosphere. Our two-room layout allows for more exhibiting space and gives you a choice of price options; sponsor exhibitors will always receive priority placement in Area 1.

**As of December 7, Area 1 is full, but there is plenty of room in Area 2. Please contact the office if you would like to be placed on the waiting list for Area 1.**

All Exhibitors receive:

• One four or eight foot table
• Two chairs
• Free wi-fi access
• Early lunch opportinity
• Electricity available for additional $25

Exhibitor's Fair hours:

Set up:
Friday 2/15 - 4-7 PM
Saturday 2/16 - 6-8AM

Break down:
Sunday 2/17 -  4-8 PM

Open:
Saturday 7:30AM-7PM
Sunday 7:30AM-4PM

Conference Mixer in Exhibitors' Fair area:
Saturday 5-6pm

Non-Sponsor Exhibitors' Fair Prices:

Our exhibitors' fair sells out every year and space is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Click here to download the sponsor brochure and reply form.

Thanks to Our 2012 Sponsors!

Benefactors

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Sustainers

Keynote Speakers

Saturday Events

Join us Saturday night as we unwind from one day of workshops and recharge for another!

Happy Hour with the Exhibitors
5:15-6:15pm

Light refreshments, local wine and beer offerings, and a chance to get to know our exhibitors. Refreshments sponsored by Healthy Living Market and Cafe.

NOFAvore Dinner and Dance
6:30-10:00pm; $20 + cash bar
Just want to dance? Show up at 8; we'll be taking donations at the door.

Enjoy a fantastic locally-sourced meal by Sodexo, good company, and music by the legendary Clayfoot Strutters, with contra dance calling by Rachel Nevitt!

We will also be hosting the first annual NOFA-VT Seed Swap outside the dinner hall, so bring seeds to share! Experts from High Mowing Organic Seeds will be on hand to answer your questions about seed saving and garden growing!

Also during dinner will be a story booth with the Vermont Folklife Center. If you would like to share your story about farming or food, find a partner and sign up for a 15-minute slot by emailing vera@nofavt.org, calling the NOFA-VT office at 802-434-4122, or signing up at the conference.

Want a taste of Saturday's music? Listen below.

Sponsorship, Advertising, and Exhibiting

There are many ways to support the Winter Conference while promoting your business or organization to our attendees.

Download the sponsorship brochure and reply form or visit the links below for more details.

Sponsorship
We offer a range of sponsorship options that provide many benefits, including complimentary registrations, exhibiting discounts, and advertising in the conference program and on the Winter Conference website.

Advertising
*We are no longer accepting ads for the 2012 program.*

By advertising in the conference program, each attendee will see your support and connection to the local, organic foods movement. Programs are handed to each attendee and act as a manual for the weekend.

Exhibiting
Our attendees look forward to browsing gardening tools, visiting with our sponsors, troubleshooting with experts, and making new connections to local businesspeople.

The Children's Conference

The NOFA-VT Children’s Conference is the place for all children ages 6-12 to be on February 11^th and 12^th. 

Preregistration is closed but we will have a limited number of walk-in slots available. Please arrive at 8:00am at Edmunds School if you would like to register on the day of the conference.

For parents who would like to join us for lunch at the Children's Conference ($10 per day), there will be a shuttle leaving the main entrance of the Davis Center at 12:10 each day and returning at 1:05.

Please make sure your child brings appropriate outdoor clothing: BOOTS, MITTENS, SNOWPANTS, HAT. A change of clothes is also good!

Parking/drop-off information: Edmunds School parking lot is accessible from Maple Street, between South Willard and South Union Streets. Transportation to and from the conference is the responsibility of parents or guardians.  We will also be offering shuttle rides to and from Edmunds for those adults who with to attend the local foods lunch.

Taking place just down the road from UVM at Edmunds Elementary School on Main Street in Burlington, the Children’s Conference provides a variety of exciting and hands-on workshops to inspire and teach our young people about agriculture, cooking, nutrition, animals, the environment, and much more!  With a talented crew of experienced farmers, chefs, and educators to lead our many workshops and activities, youth will have a fun-filled learning adventure.  Kids will explore topics from sourdough-making to seed science and farm animals to birdhouse-building. Snacks and a local foods lunch are included. 

Children can attend the Children's Conference even if no adult is attending the Winter Conference.

Please note: Space is limited—pre-registration is strongly encouraged.  There will be few walk-in registrations available.  Please use the form on page 25. We also ask adults joining us for lunch to pre-register and add $10 per adult, per day. Thanks! Once we have received your registration we will send you an information packet about the children’s conference.

Schedule:

Workshop presenters include: Green Mountain Farm to School, Winooski Valley Parks District, Circus Yoga, VINS

Conference activities subject to change.

The Children’s Conference is funded in part by the generous support of the Johnson Family Foundation. 

Interested in presenting or volunteering next year?  Contact info@nofavt.org

Winter Conference Registration

We hope you'll join us for the 31st annual Winter Conference!

Pre-registration is CLOSED. Walk-in registration starts at 8:00 AM on Saturday and Sunday at UVM's Davis Center.

If you are interested in the volunteer discount ($15 for a 2-hour commitment), please contact us before the conference to sign up. These jobs fill up fast, especially slots that do not overlap with workshop sessions.

New and aspiring farmers can sign up for a coaching session with mentors from the Vermont New Farmer Network. These sessions will help you create a strategy for your farm business focused on your goals. Space is limited. Sign up now!

Discounts Available:

• Volunteer: $15 discount per 2-hour shift. You must contact the office to arrange your volunteer opportunity.
• The scholarship deadline has passed.

Please note: no discounts are applicable to children's conference registrations.

Rideshare & Accomodations

We currently have rooms blocked at two local hotels: the Best Western and the Doubletree across the street. Make a weekend out of it!

• The Best Western’s rate of $75.00 per night is available until February 1.
  Click here to book a Best Western room online or call 1-800-371-1125
• The Doubletree’s rate of $92.00 per night is available until February 1.
  Click here to book a Doubletree room online or call 1-802-658-0250

We've also set up a blog to facilitate home-sharing. If you have room to offer or need a place to crash, visit nofavt.wordpress.com.

Looking for a ride? Have room in your car?
We've created a group on ridebuzz.com to facilitate ridesharing. Please click here to offer or search for a ride.

Winter Conference Press

Thank you for your interest in the 2012 NOFA Vermont Winter Conference. For more information or a press pass, please contact Caitlin Gildrien, Outreach Coordinator, at caitlin@nofavt.org.

• Press Release 11/16/11 - NOFA Conference to Focus on Resiliency, Collaboration
• Press Release 1/4/12 - NOFA Conference offers hands-on workshops for gardeners, localvores
• Press Release 1/12/12 - Farmers get inspired at 30th NOFA conference
• Press Release 1/23/12 - Children's conference reaches the next generation of localvores

• Click here to download a high-res NOFA Vermont logo
• Click here to download a photo of Vern Grubinger, Saturday keynote speaker
• Click here to download a photo of Wendy Johnson, Sunday keynote speaker

2011 Media Coverage:

Weekend NOFA Conference creates links - WCAX, 2/13/11

Blood, Syrup, and Samosas: Rendering the tastes of place at NOFA - Seven Days, 2/16/11

It's an Exciting Time: Vt. NOFA attracts 1,000 - Herald of Randolph, 2/17/11

Author promotes radical homemaking - Burlington Free Press, 2/18/11

McKibben says farm numbers are up at NOFA-VT winter conference - Country Folks, 2/28/11

Friday Night Events

Opening Reception: 4-9pm; $10 + cash bar

Taking place at Main Street Landing in downtown Burlington (see below for map), we are pleased to offer an opening reception to start the conference off right! Enjoy local wine and beer, light appetizers, and tastings from Friday's workshops, including crisp apple slices and sweet honey. Sugarsnap Catering will provide additional tasty snacks and the Skinny Pancake will run the bar. $10 includes admission to our feature film, Queen of the Sun.

Film Screening: Queen of the Sun
6-7:30pm; $5, free to those attending the Opening Reception

QUEEN OF THE SUN: What Are the Bees Telling Us? is a profound, alternative look at the global bee crisis from Taggart Siegel, director of THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN.

Taking us on a journey through the catastrophic disappearance of bees and the mysterious world of the beehive, this engaging and ultimately uplifting film weaves an unusual and dramatic story of the heartfelt struggles of beekeepers, scientists and philosophers from around the world including Michael Pollan, Gunther Hauk and Vandana Shiva. Together they reveal both the problems and the solutions in renewing a culture in balance with nature.

Map to Main Street Landing

View Larger Map

Workshops

At the 30th Annual NOFA Vermont Winter Conference, we welcome all who want to engage in conversation about complex food systems that are based in community, land stewardship, and resiliency. Whether you’re a gardener, homesteader, commercial farmer, researcher, forager, chef or consumer, you are certain to find something at the Winter Conference to enrich your skills, inspire your goals and deepen your understanding of resilient food and farm systems.

Read on below to learn about workshops for and about:

• Homesteaders & Gardeners
• Commercial Vegetable, Fruit, and Herb Growers
• Renewable Energy
• Hands-on workshops
• Commercial Dairy and Livestock Farmers
• Farm and Food Policy
• Community Food Systems

Homesteader/Gardener

This track is built to intrigue, inspire, and honor those working with land and food on small scales. Ben Falk, of Whole Systems Design, LLC, will introduce you to the adaptive design of one Mad River Valley farm and will inspire you to reap the rewards of land used creatively and efficiently. Those interested in fig cultivation, blueberry plant care, mushroom foraging, apple grafting, seed saving and small-scale poultry systems will have opportunities to learn from experts. Wendy Sue Harper will explain how to design and care for a robust home composting system, and Nicole Dehene of Vermont Organic Farmers will help conscious consumers understand the intricacies of food labels. Didi Emmons, chef, culinary herb expert, and author of the cookbook Wild Flavors, joins us to share how flavor, community and the biology of plants unite in a farm-to-plate culinary ethic.

Commercial Fruit, Vegetable and Herb Growers

Over 15 workshops for commercial growers will provide opportunities to broaden technical skills and share best practices while engaging in conversation on climate-adaptable farming. Fred Kirschenmann, Distinguished Fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, will examine eroding ecological capital and Cornell Researcher, Jonathan Comstock will address the effects of climate change on farmers in the Northeast. Entomologist Ann Hazelrigg will give a workshop on the management of pests currently in our region and those to expect next season and beyond. Nicole Dehne and Dave Rogers of NOFA-VT will also prepare you for the future in a discussion of upcoming changes in organic standards. Ginger Nickerson and Hans Estrin will host a panel discussion to explain GAP Audits, Practical Food Safety Trainings and how farms can implement food safety plans at present to save time later. Mark Canella of UVM will talk about responsible money management, Deb Neher, Chair of UVM’s Plant and Soil Science Department will examine soil microinvertebrates and ecological functions in soil and Andrew Sparda of Woods End Laboratories will present on assessments of soil respiration. The program expands even further as several noted presenters offer workshops on greenhouse seedling management, drip irrigation systems, rice cultivation and cereal grain processing.

Renewable Energy

Energy – its on farm uses and sources – runs deep in many conference workshops this year. We welcome Andy Jones and Lee Blackwell to discuss energy efficient cooling systems for vegetables, John Williamson of Stateline Biofuels and Lynda Prim of NOFA-VT on oilseeds for liquid fuel, and Paul Harlow of Harlow Farms on solar PV. Looking for more? Stay tuned to find out whether 2012 is the year that NOFA-VT will offer a 6-hour intensive workshop on renewable energy projects on-farm. Check back often!

Hands-On

This year’s Winter Conference will offer five hands-on workshops to animate your mid-February kitchen. Cow’s milk is transformed as Turkey Hill Farm’s Margaret Osha walks you through home cheese making. Betzy Bancroft, of the Vermont Center for Integrative Herbalism will teach teas, tinctures and salves to keep you well through the winter months and beyond, while farmer-chefs from New Farms for New Americans will explore vegetables popular in some Asian and African cuisines and how they can be cultivated or foraged right here in Vermont. The Real Picklers come to town to teach pickle and kraut preparation and discuss the history, microbiology, and health benefits of lacto-fermented foods. Vermont Cranberry Company’s Cranberry Bob continues the fermentation beat and presents on making your own fruit wines. Bring a notebook and your appetite!

Livestock/Dairy

Pasture and animal health is the focus of the Livestock and Dairy category this year. New presenters Dr. Samuel Yoder, VMD, Dr. Annemarie Yoder, DVM, Gordon Barnaby, of Corner Rail Fence Company, and Alethea Bahnck of Vermont Heritage Grazers join the Winter Conference to present on organic wormers for ruminants, basic veterinary procedures, do-it-yourself fence maintenance and alternative feed for pigs. Conference veterans Heather Darby and Sid Bosworth will address flood related pasture, feed and vaccine issues. Sarah Flack will teach the fundamentals of grazing systems and Bruce Hennessey will explore season extension grazing. Steven Judge of Bob-White Systems and Margaret Osha of Turkey Hill Farm will explore the operation of micro dairies and Nicole Dehne and Dave Rogers of NOFA-VT will keep you up to speed in “What’s Coming Down the Pike in Organic Standards.”

Policy

Workshops in the spirited Policy category are sure to rustle feathers. NOFA-VT’s own Dave Rogers will lead a discussion of genetically modified crops, while Dan Ravischer of the Public Policy Institute will outline the latest in the pending Organic Seed v. Monsanto lawsuit in which NOFA-VT is a plaintiff. Barbarina Heyerdahl will present on her experience as a lobbyist and activist for sustainable agriculture and resilient communities, and Bill McKibben may join the conference to invigorate the activist in all of us.

Community Food Systems

The Community Food Systems category provides a wide umbrella under which people, labor, land and food come together. Listen as a farmer, UVM researcher, state worker and non-profit leaders answer and ask hard questions about food security and the future of an equitable, sustainable food system in Vermont. Robb Kidd of Rural Vermont will address food sovereignty and Kristopher Flack of Fresh Start Community Farm farm will explore community farming as a means to build local food systems. The Domestic Fair Trade Association and the Migrant Farmworker Solidarity Project will co-present on labor issues on Vermont farms and in the greater food system. Grace Gershuny and Joey Klein will reflect on NOFA Vermont as the organization nears its 41st birthday and keynote speaker Wendy Johnson will present on strength, respect, and work that is grounded in the mentor-mentee relationship.

Full workshop descriptions will be coming soon - so stay tuned!

Download Winter Conference Program

Click here for a print-quality, high-resolution PDF.

Click here for a smaller PDF file.

Friday Intensive Seminars

This year we are featuring several day-long seminars on Friday. These will take place at Main Street Landing in downtown Burlington from 10am to 4pm on Friday, February 10.

Click for more information in each topic:

• Advanced Orchard Health for Sustainable Fruit Production
  
• Nose-to-Tail Butchery: The Beauty of the Beast
  
• Organic Beekeeping
  
• Renewable Energy Options On-Farm and Alternative Fuels for Greenhouses
• Weed Management in a Wetter, Warmer Climate

Cost: $55 member, $65 non-member. Lunch is included. Pre-registration required.

• Click here for a map to Main Street Landing

Advanced Orchard Health for Sustainable Fruit Production
For commercial growers

Fruit tree culture has been stuck in allopathic mode for far too long, solely seeking out short-term fungicides and antibiotics to destroy disease-causing organisms from without. We never understood that the tree’s own immune ability could be coupled with the stimulation of friendly microbes to defeat disease from within. Join orchard health expert Michael Phillips for a day of in-depth orchard care geared towards fruit producers looking for sustainable and nature-based production techniques.  Register here. 

Nose to Tail Processing
For farmers, homesteaders, and home cooks

Butchery is a cornerstone in an artful food system. This intensive workshop will educate you in the time-honored tradition of butchery.  Instructors Frank Pace, Head Butcher at Healthy Living Market, Sam Ehrenfeld of Greyrock Farm, and Sam Fuller of NOFA Vermont will guide you through a hands-on lesson in making fresh sausage. 

Discussion will focus on whole animal processing, cooking techniques for various cuts of meat and the chefs will demonstrate how to make several types of charcuterie including bacon, pate, salami, and ham.  Get intimate with your food as you roll up your sleeves and engage with this venerable art.  Register now!

Organic Beekeeping
For homesteaders & commercial farmers

This workshop provides an introduction for folks interested in small scale and backyard beekeeping. Featuring Local bee expert Ross Conrad, this workshop will present a balanced view of natural and organic beekeeping topics and practices including: location and equipment requirements; basic honey bee biology; sourcing bees, swarming as an expression of the bees vitality; presence and mindfulness in the bee yard; non-toxic pest and disease control; and an appreciation for the role that pollinators and beekeepers play within the Earth's ecosystem.  Register here. 

Weed Management in a Wetter, Warmer Climate 
For advanced, commercial growers

In a higher CO2 climate, weed physiology is changing and weed management systems must adapt as well. This workshop brings together three experts in weed management.

Dr. Lewis H. Ziska, plant physiologist, will examine weeds' shifting geographical ranges, competitiveness, resistance to control and reproductive responses in our warmer, wetter climate.

Dr. Eric Gallandt is a professor of Weed Ecology whose practical research focuses on reducing the germinable weed seedbank with soil disturbance, cover crops,  elevated seeding rates or inter-row hoeing and selective use of seed predators.

Tom "Geo" Honigford, of Hurricane Flats in South Royalton, Vermont, has a zero tolerance attitude towards weeds at his 8 acre diversified vegetable operation. Honigford will discuss several weed species and equipment and systems for their management, why he weeds at least every two weeks, and how his long-standing zero-tolerance philosophy is paying off.  Register here. 

Renewable Energy Options On-Farm and Alternative Fuels for Greenhouses
For commerical growers

Using renewable energy on farm can be simple in theory and complicated in practice. The first half of this full day workshop will outline how to conduct an on-farm energy audit and various options for financing renewable projects, while the second half will look at real on-farm solutions to alternative energy and greenhouse heating.  Register here. 

Agenda

10:00 - Welcome

10:15—Rose Wilson – Sustainable Business Planning

Rose specializes in marketing, business planning, and business development for farms, non-profits and small businesses.  She will discuss opportunities for farmers to receive support in integrating renewable energy into their greater farm management plans.

10:30— NRCS and Efficiency Vermont—Efficiency and Conservation 

There is financial help available for Vermont farmers looking to assess and retrofit their farm systems.    Bob Kort of Vermont Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and Jenn Osgood of Efficiency Vermont will provide an overview of auditing processes, assistance programs and some next steps to take once your audit is complete.

11:00— Chad Farrell, Encore Redevelopment

Encore Redevelopment specializes in project development services for renewable energy systems and manages the financing, permitting and construction of these projects for owners and investors.  Encore's Principal, Chad Farrell, will outline the details and opportunities associated with both farm-owned projects and third party financing models. He will share several examples of how farmers are diversifying their income streams through investing in and/or hosting renewable energy systems on their land.

 11:30—Caleb Elder, AllEarth Renewables

Caleb Elder, of AllEarth Renewables, will discuss the importance of the VT Group Net Metering rules for farms installing renewable energy systems. Group Net Metering allows farms to install solar or wind generation wherever they have the best resource (ridgeline for wind, barn roof for solar, etc.) and then apply the credits to multiple accounts. Caleb will also discuss some different AllEarth Renewables projects installed on farms in VT over the past two years.

12:30—Lunch catered by The Skinny Pancake

1:30—Alternative Fuels for Greenhouses

Heat Capture and Transfer from Aerobic Composting

Heat Capture and Transfer from Aerobic Composting is a valuable tool for farms seeking to reduce dependence on fossil fuel and grid based energy systems. Farms generating or having access to compostable feedstock can glean heat for space, water, greenhouse and other needs. This is a valuable technology for holistically focused farm operations.  Joshua Nelson and Brian Jerose run AgriLab Technologies, LLP and teach courses on composting and sustainability at Green Mountain College.

Outdoor Cordwood Gasifiers for Greenhouse Heating

High Ledge Farm maintains just over 4,000 sq feet of greenhouse space for bedding plant production and for growing greenhouse tomatoes and winter greens. Paul was interested in installing an alternatively fueled heating system following a devastating propane tank failure that led to a fire which destroyed almost all the farm’s buildings including his greenhouses in the spring of 2009.  In this workshop, Paul Betz will share why he chose to install a cord wood gasifier and how it provides energy security.  

Wood Pellet Central Heating Systems for Greenhouses

Ease your impact on the environment and lower your operational costs by heating your greenhouse with wood pellets. Workshop participants will learn about the operational costs, environmental, and local economic benefits of heating with wood pellets verses oil or propane.  The workshop will review a case study of a greenhouse wood pellet user and will discuss fuel cost comparisons, operational and maintenance requirements, and the origins and processes used to create wood pellets.  Andy Boutin is founder of Pellergy, LLC, a manufacturer of wood pellet central heating systems.

4:00 Closing. Opening Reception in the Lake Lobby begins.

Child Care

Childcare • Ages 2–5

Cost per 75 minute workshop session: $10 for first child, $5 for each addition child from the same family.

*As of January 21, there has been very little interested in childcare indicated to us. If you would like this service to be available, please let us know when you pre-register!*

If there’s enough interest, we will offer a supervised childcare option for children aged 2–5. Childcare is by drop-off only, and available only during workshop sessions. It is not intended as all-day care. Workshops are 75 minutes, and parents will be charged by the workshop session.

Available on first come, first serve basis. Maximum number of children allowed in the room will be 10. If you are interested in childcare as a service, please indicate when you register. (This does not obligate you or reserve a space, only allows us to gauge the level of interest.)

Please check back here for more updates!

Children's Conference

Is your child attending the Children's Conference? Click here for details & important forms!

Please welcome the Children’s Conference to the University of Vermont campus! The Davis Center’s Livak Ballroom will come alive with stories, singalongs, art projects, guided movement, lunch- time parades, feathery friends and bike-powered blenders. Kids will join their parents for lunch, then move off campus for a field trip each afternoon.

The Saturday field trip to ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center will educate and delight about the Ecology, Culture, History, and Opportunity for stewardship in the Lake Champlain Basin and beyond. Kids are active learn- ers at ECHO as they explore more than 70 live species of animals and more than 100 interactive exhibits.

On the Sunday field trip to the Flynn Center for Performing Arts, a professional teaching artist will engage kids in an afternoon of creative capers that bring local food systems to life. This special outing is designed to dynamically  deepen your child’s connections with science, eco systems, life cycles of plants and more.

Included in the cost of registration:

• Creative activities in the Livak Ballroom, Davis Center, UVM
• Transportation to ECHO Center (Saturday) and the Flynn (Sunday)
• Entrance to ECHO Center (Saturday) and programming at the Flynn (Sunday).
• Snacks

Lunch is not included in the registration cost. Children are welcome to join adults for lunch at the Children’s price of $10. Of course, you’re also welcome to pack a bag lunch for your kids!