Thanks to Our Sponsors!

Benefactors

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Sustainers

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Contributors

Clean Yield Asset Management	Co-op Insurance Company	eOrganic
Gardener's Supply Company	Johnny's Selected Seeds	Lintilhac Foundation
Red Wagon Plants	Resource Management, Inc.	Sugarsnap
UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture	Vermont Bread Company	Vermont Community Loan Fund
Wellscroft Fence Systems, LLC

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Supporters

Cabot Creamery Cooperative	Cedar Circle Farm	Center for Whole Communities	Champlain Valley Printing/Reprodigital	Coombs Family Farms
Drip Works	Efficiency Vermont	Fedco	Get Real - Taste the Truth	Harris Seed
North Country Organics	Upper Valley Coop	UVM Plant and Soil Science Department

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Friends

Albert Lea Seed	Cooperative Fund of New England	Dairy Farmers of America	Drew's LLC
FarmPlate	Deep Root Organic Cooperative	Intervale Center	Maine Potato Lady
North American Kelp	Nourse Farms, Inc	Rural Vermont	Shelburne Farms
UVM Extension Rural & AgVocRehab	UVM Sociology Department	Vermont Agribility	Vermont Community Foundation

The 2012 Winter Conference is funded in part by the USDA Risk Management Agency.  The RMA provides risk management and financial tools to Vermont's farmers with information through education and outreach programs.  More information is available at www.rma.usda.gov.

Exhibitors' Fair

Always a favorite aspect of our conference, the Exhibitors' Fair features local businesses, agricultural experts, and organizations involved in food and farming.

*NEW!* Please join us Saturday night for Happy Hour with the Exhibitors at 5:15, featuring local beer and wine, with refreshments from Healthy Living Market and Cafe.

This year's exhibitors include:

• Acadian Organic Fertilizer
• Alltech
• BCS/O'Neill & Associates
• Center for an Agricultural Economy
• Chelsea Green
• City Market
• Cooperative Fund of New England
• Davis Center Exhibitor
• Deep Root Organic Co-op
• Drip Irrigation Systems
• eOrganic
• FarmPlate
• Green Mountain Compost
• Hanover Coop
• Healthy Living
• High Mowing Organic Seeds
• Hunger Mountain Coop
• Institute for Energy & the Environment, Vermont Law School
• Intervale Center/Intervale Conservation Nursery
• Johnny's Selected Seeds
• McGill University - MacDonald Campus
• New Village Farm
• Northeast SARE
• NOVIC - Nothern Organic Vegetable Improvement Collaborative
• Progressive Asset Management
• Risk Management Agency
• Rural Vermont
• Shelburne Farms
• Singing Spindle Spinnery
• Sterling College
• The Children's Initiative
• Tierra Farm
• Total
• USDA NASS
• USDA NRCS
• UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture
• UVM Department of Continuing Education
• UVM Extension Rural & Ag VocRehab & VT Agribility
• UVM Extension VT Rebates for Roll Bars Program
• UVM New Farmer Project
• Vermont Agency of Agriculture
• Vermont Association of Conservation Districts
• Vermont Compost Company
• Vermont Migrant Farm Worker Solidarity Project
• Vermont's Local Banquet Magazine
• Wellscroft Fence Systems, LLC
• Weston A Price Foundation/Farm to Consumer Legal Defense Fund
• Wormpost Vermont

Keynote Speakers

Saturday We are proud to welcome Vern Grubinger as our Saturday keynote. Vern has worked with and for farmers for 30 years and has worked for the University of Vermont Extension since 1990. Currently the statewide vegetable and berry specialist and coordinator of the USDA 's Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, Vern is a valued partner of NOFA-VT and a key resource for commercial vege table and berry growers throught the state. We asked Vern to share his vision of the future of Vermont's agriculture through his keynote address. He says, "The resilience of Vermont's food system is challenged by many factors, including climate change and weather extremes, reliance on fossil fuel, loss of good farmland , and consolidation of food processing, distribution and retailing. Strategies for addressing these challenges are emerging as part of an ongoing transformation in how people think about food: that it must be managed with systems approaches; that local and regional food systems create synergies unrelated to 'efficiency'; and that good food supports physical, economic and cultural h ealth. This presentation will highlight some of these strategies and the farms involved with them, celebrating the progress being made and suggesting new actions for the future."

Sunday Wendy Johnson is a Buddhist meditation teacher and organic gardening mentor who lives in the San Francisco Bay Area. Wendy is one of the founders of the organic Farm and Garden Program at Green Gulch Farm Zen Center in Marin County, Wendy is the author of Gardening at the Dragon’s Gate (Bantam, 2008) and a prize-winning garden columnist for Tricycle: The Buddhist Review. In 2000 she and her husband, Peter Rudnick, received a Sustainable Agriculture Award from the National Ecological Farming Association. Wendy is a 15-year mentor and advisor to the Edible Schoolyard Project in North Berkeley and a founding instructor in the innovative Indian Valley Farm and Garden Project, established in 2009. Wendy's keynote will address "The Ground of Resilience." Wendy says, "Deep ecological farming and dynamic community are rooted in the wild resilience of the living earth. As the 2011 growing season delivered tempestuous weather and economic uncertainty from Burlington to Bangladesh, we were reminded how deeply our lives intertwine with the elemental world. In these times of challenge and change, what are the practices that ground and sustain us? How do we emerge with renewed focus and bravery and cultivate the Ground of Resilience?"

 

Mid-day Activities

There are a number of activities available for your mid-day break!

Lunch
Saturday & Sunday, 12:30 – 2:00 pm
Locally-sourced, mostly organic lunch catered by Sodexo.  Meat, vegetarian, and vegan options are all available. Thanks to all the local producers who contributed to this year's lunch menu!

Social Action Table
Saturday & Sunday, 12–2 pm
Join NOFA Vermont and Rural Vermont to learn more about current agricultural and food-related issues, legislation and policies at the state and  federal levels that are of importance to Vermont's farmers and local food system. Your involvement makes a difference!

Health Screening and Farm Safety Booth
Saturday & Sunday, 10 am – 4 pm
Free health screenings, farm safety information, and health access surveys will be offered by a partnership of the University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health Sciences, The Vermont Farm Health Task Force, The Vermont Department of Health, Fletcher Allen Health Care and the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH).

The free screening booth will focus on non-fasting cholesterol, blood pressure readings, and private skin cancer risk screenings. In addition there will be information on farm safety, including hearing and vision protection and roll-over protection structure use. The booth will be staffed by Vermont health professionals and staff of NYCAMH.

Yoga  
Saturday & Sunday ,12:15 – 1:15 pm
Connect with your conference community and learn some great ways to relieve the everyday aches and pains of farm and garden life. Take a break from sitting and enjoy a yoga class offered by our certified yoga instructors, Kelli Mae Willis & Sam Schafer-Joel on Saturday, and Julie Epstein on Sunday. Kelli Mae, Sam and Julie are staff at Evolution Yoga in Burlington, VT.  A mat and comfy clothes are recommended, but not necessary.

Film: Silenced Voices
Saturday & Sunday, 12:15 – 1:15 pm
Vermont migrant farmworker José Obeth Santiz Cruz was killed in a farming accident in December 2009. The VT Migrant Farmworker Solidarity Project sent a delegation to Mexico to help return his remains and made a documentary film to share his family and community coming to terms with the young workers death and present personal stories of migration to Vermont.

Their experiences highlight the conditions that force migrants from their agricultural communities in Mexico and draw attention to some of the hardships endured by Vermont's migrant farm workers. The film was produced and directed by Gustavo Terán, Brendan O’Neill and Sam Mayfield for the VT Migrant Farmworker Solidarity Project and will be followed by a discussion about farm worker and food system justice organized by the VTMFSP. More information at www.vtmfsp.org.

Peace Corps Presentation
Saturday & Sunday, 12:15 – 1:15 pm
The U.S. Peace Corps, now in its 50th year, is actively seeking Volunteers (no upper age limit) to serve overseas for 27-month terms in numerous program areas including: Agriculture, Environment Education, Health, Business / NGO Development & Information Technology, and Youth & Community Development.

Come to this lunchtime session to learn more about Peace Corps and hear from several Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV), including some noteworthy local “Aggies”.  This session will be facilitated by Greg Flatt, RPCV - Mali (Agriculture Extension ’97-’99), PC Recruiter for VT, farmer, CSA coordinator, and local food security  enthusiast.

Parking

Parking for this year's Winter Conference is in the Given and Jeffords lots at UVM. These are both a short (3-5 minute) walk from the Davis Center.

Please click here for a general map of the UVM campus.

 

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 contra dancing with music by the legendary Clayfoot Strutters!

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. 

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's Conference Registration	1st Child	Additional Children
Saturday OR Sunday ONLY	$25	$20
Saturday AND Sunday	$45	$35
Adult Lunch at Children's Conference	$10	$10

Click here to register!

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:

8:00 - 8:15	Registration & Check-in
8:15 - 8:45	Entry activity
8:45 – 9:05	Group Orientations
9:05 - 10:30	Workshop Session I
10:30 – 10:50	Snack Break!
10:50 – 12:15	Workshop Session II
12:15 – 1:00	Local Foods Lunch
1:00-1:45	Children:  Outdoor Recess or Indoor Option:
2:00 - 3:25	Workshop Session III
3:25 – 3:45	Snack Break!
3:45 – 4:45	Whole group activity (outdoor and indoor environmental/outdoor education)
5:00	Parents arrive.  Pick up, pack up and head out!

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

Conference activities subject to change.

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.

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

• Register Online
•  Click here to download a registration form to mail in. (PDF)
  

Scholarships are available! Click here for Scholarship Information.

Please note: If you would like to apply for a scholarship, you cannot register online. Please read the scholarship information before registering.

Registration Fees

Adult Registration	Member	Non-member
Saturday OR Sunday ONLY	$50	$60
Saturday AND Sunday	$95	$115
Lunch (per person, per day)	$15	$15
Friday Intensive (lunch included)	$55	$65
Opening Reception (Friday night)	$10	$10
Film Only (Friday night)	$5	$5
Saturday Night Dinner & Dance	$20	$20
Children's Conference Registration	1st Child	Additional Children
Saturday OR Sunday ONLY	$25	$20
Saturday AND Sunday	$45	$35
Adult Lunch at Children's Conference	$10	$10

Discounts Available:

• Early bird: $5 discount per adult registration if received by January 24.
• Volunteer: $15 discount per 2-hour shift. You must contact the office to arrange your volunteer opportunity.
• Farmer: $5 discount per adult registration (maximum $10 per farm)

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

Winter Conference Scholarship Information

We make every effort to ensure that our conference is accessible to everyone. To this end, there are several scholarship opportunities for the 2012 Winter Conference. Scholarships are limited, so we encourage early application - don't wait until the deadline! Please apply before registering for the conference. Applicants who do not receive scholarships will still be able to register for the conference regular rate.

The deadline for the Flood-Impacted Farmer Scholarship has been extended to February 6.

The deadline for other scholarships was January 24th, 2012.

1. Flood-Impacted Farmer Scholarship

Farmers who were impacted by Tropical Storm Irene can apply for the Flood-Impacted Farmer Scholarship, set up by the NOFA-VT Emergency Farmer Fund. The scholarship covers up to $60 per day towards conference registration for two people per farm (excluding meals Saturday and Sunday and social events). Deadline: February 6. Download an application here to mail in with your completed registration form.

2. General Scholarship

Thanks to donations from members, friends, and conference sponsors, we have a general scholarship fund which can cover up to 50% of registration costs (does not include meals or social events). NOFA Vermont members needing financial assistance to attend the conference may apply for this scholarship (Deadline is January 24th.) If you would like to support our scholarship program, donations can be made when you register.

3. Beginning Farmer Scholarship

Like last year, we also have scholarships available specifically for beginning farmers (defined as those who have been farming for ten years or fewer). This scholarship covers 100% of the registration fee (does not include meals or social events), and is supported by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, Grant #2010-49400-2184. Deadline is January 24th.

Please do not apply for more than one scholarship. For questions regarding scholarships, please contact the NOFA office:  434-4122, info@nofavt.org.

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

 

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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!

Children's Conference Documents

Please click here to download the informational packet about the 2012 NOFA Vermont Children's Conference.

Please contact the Liz Gleason, the Children's Conference Coordinator with any questions: elizabeth.j.gleason@gmail.com

Thanks!

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.