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

nofa vt blog

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.


The Farming on the Wild Side cover 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


the organic farmer's business handbook 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.

 


Natural beekeeping 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


 happy pigs taste better 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


organic grain grower 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


no-till intensive vegetable culture 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


raising pastured rabbits for meat 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

Enter your email to sign up for our newsletter and save 25% on your next order

Recent Articles

worms in soil

Soil Is Alive: What Lives In Our Soil?

Ever wonder what worms and centipedes are doing as they crawl through your soil? They’re actually working to improve the soil’s health, which benefits the environment and all living things in the long run. The following is an excerpt from Farming on the Wild Side by Nancy J. Hayden and John P. Hayden. It has been adapted…

Read More
mushrooms

Growing Shiitake Mushrooms in a Garage or Yard

Learn how to grow shiitake mushrooms in almost any environment, including your yard and even your garage!

Read More
extend the growing season

How to Extend the Growing Season

Winter may be coming, but that doesn’t mean you should put away those tools just yet! Extend the growing season past the first frost with a few modifications.

Read More
mini-forests

The Magic of Mini-Forests

“Hannah Lewis describes a gift to a despairing world…There may be no single climate solution that has a greater breadth of benefits than mini-forests…[and] can be done by everyone everywhere.”—Paul Hawken, from the foreword Mini-forests are simple to create, satisfying, and can get us closer to improving our climate and future. Read the foreword by Paul…

Read More
pumpkins

Gourdness Gracious! The History of Pumpkins and Gourds

When you think of pumpkins, do you think of Halloween or a sweet dessert? But how did pumpkins become the holiday staple they are today?  Keep reading to learn more about the rich history of this sweet fall edible icon! The following is an excerpt from The Seed Detective by Adam Alexander. It has been adapted…

Read More