NOFA-VT 38th Annual Winter Conference: Celebrating Our Interdependence

NOFA-VT seeks to convene, to reunite, to connect, and to imagine how we might come together to build a food system for the future. This February 15-17th join NOFA-VT and several of our authors for the 38th Annual Winter Conference at the University of Vermont.

Each year, the NOFA-VT Winter Conference provides a valuable opportunity for farmers, homesteaders, gardeners, land managers, educators, producers, and other food-system activists to participate in our vibrant organic community by sharing ideas, resources, and skills and celebrate all we are making happen together.

Get ready for the weekend! We hope to see you there.

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In Farming on the Wild Side they explain the philosophical and scientific principles that influenced them as they phased out sheep and potatoes and embraced apples, pears, stone fruits, and a wide variety of uncommon berry crops; turned much of their property into a semi-wild state; and adapted their marketing and sales strategies to the new century. Featured Excerpts: Rethinking Pests, Invasive Species, and Other Paradigms A Walk on the Wild Side Rewilding Your Land

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In The Organic Farmer’s Business Handbook, Richard Wiswall shares advice on how to make your vegetable production more efficient, better manage your employees and finances, and turn a profit. From his twenty-seven years of experience at Cate Farm in Vermont, Wiswall knows firsthand the joys of starting and operating an organic farm—as well as the challenges of making a living from one.

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Today’s beekeepers face unprecedented challenges, a fact that is now front-page news with the spread of “colony collapse disorder.” Newly introduced pests like varroa and tracheal mites have made chemical treatment of hives standard practice, but pest resistance is building, which in turn creates demand for new and even more toxic chemicals. In fact, there is evidence that chemical treatments are making matters worse. Featured Excerpts: The Buzz: Bee Buyers Beware The Buzz: Beekeeping for Beginners

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In Happy Pigs Taste Better Percy offers a comprehensive look at raising organic, pasture-fed, gourmet meat. She advises readers on pasturing and feeding hogs organically, as well as managing the breeding herd and administering effective natural healthcare. In addition, she provides an overview of marketing and distribution for those looking to turn their hog farming operation into a lucrative business. Featured Excerpts: Happy Pigs Really Do Taste Better Feeding Tips and Techniques for Your Pigs Piglet Management

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The ultimate guide to growing organic grains on a small and ecological scale, The Organic Grain Grower is invaluable for both home-scale and commercial producers interested in expanding their resiliency and crop diversity through growing their own grains. Longtime farmer and organic pioneer Jack Lazor covers how to grow and store wheat, barley, oats, corn, dry beans, soybeans, pulse crops, oilseeds, grasses, nutrient-dense forages, and lesser-known cereals. Featured Excerpts: Growing Grain: A History and Holistic How-to for the Future

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In No-Till Intensive Vegetable Culture, O’Hara describes the methods he has developed, which are completely free of herbicides or other pesticides and require only a few acres of land and minimal capital investment. He asserts that this flexible, ecological methodology is as important for soil fertility as it is for his economic success. Featured Excerpts: Pros and Cons of Tillage

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Raising Pastured Rabbits for Meat offers valuable information on how farmers can build their own rabbit enterprise from scratch and includes tips on breed selection, breeding techniques, nutrition guidelines, record keeping tools, slaughtering and butchering instructions, marketing advice, and enterprise guides to help farmers plan for profitability. This is an essential guide for anyone interested in integrating rabbits onto a diversified farm or homestead. Featured Excerpts: Why Rabbit is the New Chicken Hunters’ Rabbit Stew Staying Warm with Rabbit Wool Preparing and Cooking Rabbit