owell, vt launch
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/77101658] SAIL FREIGHT INFORMATION: http://www.goodeggs.com/vsfp http://vermontsailfreightproject.wordpress.com http://bit.ly/13M4AXI - wholesale sheet
the right to treat the land in beauty
Hay. Beautiful. Farmers in Transylvania have created a landscape of flower-filled hay meadows. Can they endure? By Adam Nicolson Photograph by Rena Effendi You can’t help but smile as you walk in early summer through the grass-growing valleys of Transylvania. They ooze a kind of sweet-smelling well-being, largely because these valleys in the Carpathian Mountains […]
brook farm delivers grinding corn to barge today!
by canoe! learn more about their ongoing land struggle: www.friendsofbrookfarm.org http://www.goodeggs.com/vsfp http://vermontsailfreightproject.wordpress.com http://www.vermontsailfreightproject.com/
farm planning for women greenhorns, vermont
Whole Farm Planning for Women Beginning Farmers For women with two to 10 years in farm business management. Where: Lamoille County, VT Dates: Jan. 7, 21, Feb. 4, 18, March 11, 25, April 8, 22, May 6, 20, 2014. (snow date March 18) Time: 9:30 am-4 pm Application Deadline: Nov. 15, 2013 Fees: $150-$500 Online […]
euro greens and shiva joint petition
*European Greens and Vandana Shiva launch joint petition on seed legislation * Brussels- October 2 , 2013. Today, on Mahatma Gandhi's birthday the European Greens together with Navdanya, the organization of Indian activist and scientist Vandana Shiva launch a petition on the new legislative proposal of the European Commission on the production and commercialization of […]
last chance to keep civil eats up and running
Let's not lose this powerful resource! Visit their kickstarter page and chip in. 2 Days to go! Check out some of their great work at civileats.com if you're not convinced. [kickstarter url=http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/708969873/civil-eats-food-policy-news-and-commentary-with-bi width=480] Founded in January 2009, Civil Eats is a community resource that brings together over 100 contributors as active participants in the evolving […]
seeds of discontent
[vimeo http://vimeo.com/73310470] Watch this trailer for a powerful new documentary about how supposedly well-meaning Dutch and Swedish investments can result in land grabbing and human rights abuses in one small community in Mozambique. In the northern province of Niassa, Mozambique, one company, Chikweti, set up with investments by Swedish and Norwegian churches and the Dutch […]
for your business' sake
The wonderful folks at Law for Food have got a blog going with all sorts of resources and ideas. It's a wonderful place to start dabbling in research for your own farm business, now that the season has slowed. Here's an entry on organizing as an LLC.
farm hack press
Hacking the Fields: Crowdsourcing DIY Tools for Sustainable Farming In the brave new world of farm technology, communities are inventing new tools and cutting out Big Ag. For some farmers, the fate of a tractor or combine can make or break an operation. But with their high price tag and narrow application, these massive tools […]
UVM upcoming webinars
Cold Storage Options for Beginning Produce Farmers A UVM Extension New Farmer Project webinar: Thursday, Oct. 17th, Noon - 1pm EST Vermont’s food systems are experiencing increased localization, value addition, diversification, extension of growing season and increased market demand. Crop storage can be costly and the construction and operation of an efficient and well-designed system is […]
MOFGA farmer-in-residence opportunity
This is an incredible opportunity, greenhorns. Apply! MOFGA's Farmer-in-Residence (F.I.R.) Program offers aspiring farmers committed to organic agriculture and public outreach the opportunity to live and farm at MOFGA's Common Ground Education Center in Unity, Maine. Farmers-in-Residence participate in MOFGA's Journeyperson Program, which gives new and aspiring organic farmers access to the land, resources, and support they […]
vermont sail freight news!
http://www.goodeggs.com/vsfp http://vermontsailfreightproject.wordpress.com http://bit.ly/13M4AXI - wholesale sheet
tilth producers conference, washington
TILTH PRODUCERS ANNUAL CONFERENCE OPEN FOR REGISTRATION Seattle, WA - Tilth Producers of Washington is pleased to announce registration is open for its annual conference at the Yakima Convention Center, November 8-10. The conference is open to all and typically attended by 400 organic and sustainable farmers, orchardists, ranchers and industry representatives. The 3-day conference […]
american grassfed conference, california
American Grassfed Association 2013 Conference Growing the Culture of Simple, Honest Food October 31 -November 2, 2013 San Diego, California Please join us in beautiful San Diego as grassfed producers, nationally recognized experts, chefs, consumers, academics, processors, distributors, food artisans, and others dedicated to the sustainable and healthy production of grassfed and pastured meats gather […]
sad music video about young farmers
[vimeo=http://vimeo.com/75962134]
a great revision of a classic
A well-worn favorite on our bookshelf, Keeping A Family Cow, is out again in a revised and updated edition! Joann S. Grohman wrote the book back in the early 1970s, but it is just as relevant to greenhorns of today. Check it out at Chelsea Green. The cow is the most productive, efficient creature […]
young & beginning farmer mixer!
On October 19th, local heirloom seed savers and worker-owned co-operative Southern Exposure Seed Exchange will be hosting a Young Farmer's Mixer to facilitate an enriching community building experience, provide networking opportunities and have fun. We want to provide young farmers and young farmer recruits with access to examples of financially viable business models for new farms, homesteading resources and land […]
taking stock
Another great course from UVM: Taking Stock, A UVM Extension class for people with 5 or more years of experience operating a farm business Where: Rutland, VT Dates: Nov. 11, Dec. 9, 2013 & January 13, 2014 Time: 10 am - 3:30 pm Early registration deadline: Oct. 13: Cost: $110 Registration deadline: Oct. 27, Cost: $150 Registrations received after Oct. 27 will be subject to a […]
gill tract update
A Family Field Day & Community Forum on The Gill Tract Farm: Laboratory for a Resilient Future Dig in the soil, learn how it was formed, what it meant to those who stewarded it before us, and what it could mean for our future. Sunday, October 13th 10am-4pm 10am-Noon Open Field! Play on the farm, harvest, and […]
henry george: poverty and progress, an audio experience
Listen HERE LibriVox recording of Progress and Poverty, by Henry George. Read by Tim Makarios. What I have done in this book, if I have correctly solved the great problem I have sought to investigate, is, to unite the truth perceived by the school of Smith and Ricardo to the truth perceived by the schools of […]
questions about the sail freight schedule?
Here are the answers. (remember, we depend on the wind and the tide.) MECHANICVILLE oct 11 Location & Time: Town dock 5pm Event: Reception with Peter Bardunias, President of the Southern Saratoga Chamber of Commerce; Tom Mahoney, of The Express; and Mechanicville Mayor Anthony Sylvester a conversation with Captain Steve Schwartz and Erik Andrews Thank you […]
irish farmers very direct at ploughing championships
President says young farmers need land Helping young farmers to access land is the greatest challenge facing modern agriculture, President Michael D Higgins said at the opening of the National Ploughing Championships in Ratheniska, Co Laois, yesterday. He said Irish farming had changed “profoundly” since the championships were last held in Ratheniska in 1943, and […]
a reminder...
As we sit painfully gazing past our screens to the foliar psychadelia of lakeside champlain -- up to our ears in cargo logistics, porch overflowing with seaweed, pickles, syrup and gorgeous sacks of pinto beans... A reminder to others strapped to computers, Please! Order Cargo from our sail barge! HERE IS THE PLACE: www.goodeggs.com/vsfp
not farmland without farmers
Keep Farmland for Farmers By LINDSEY LUSHER SHUTE and BENJAMIN SHUTE CLERMONT, N.Y. — WHEN we went looking in upstate New York for a home for our farm, we feared competition from deep-pocketed developers, a new subdivision or a big-box store. These turned out to be the least of our problems. Though the farms best […]
farm commons
a tremendous resource on farm law! Worth a look. Farm Commons.org Farm Commons provides the proactive legal services sustainable farmers need to become the stable, resilient foundation of a community-based food system. Farm Commons provides business legal services to farmers, creates useful legal education resources, and educates attorneys on issues relating to community-based farmers around […]
wisconsin rising
awesome film! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7nIV22Eqw04] Wisconsin Rising tells the story of how Wisconsin became a testing ground for the nation in 2011. It was the canary in the coal mine as big money and power waited to see how far they could push people’s rights, in a political environment where corporations have greater and greater clout and […]
conflict negotiation
Farmers and Landowners: Learn to Negotiate and Manage Conflict Are you a farmer trying to lease land? A landlord renting to a tenant? A food producer seeking entry into an existing wholesale or restaurant market? Whether transacting a lease, a sales agreement or a worker contract, farmers and landowners benefit from good negotiating skills – […]
two row wampum renewal campaign
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOaFJbFhQzE] Democracy Now! Interviews Onondaga Leader Oren Lyons, Pete Seeger On International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples. The Two Row Wampum Renewal Campaign, a partnership between the Onondaga Nation and Neighbors of the Onondaga Nation (NOON), is developing a broad alliance between the Haudenosaunee and their allies in New York and throughout the world. […]
uvm farmer training
Though the tomatoes and melons of this season are still in full force and the fall bounty is yet to come, it is time to daydream about 2014. The UVM Farmer Training Program is now accepting applications until October 31 for early admission to the 2014 cohort! (After that admission will be rolling until spots and the waitlist […]
help kickstart apitronics!
Apitronics is a wireless platform designed for the outdoors, with a mission to help farmers become more efficient and productive by using networks of sensors and switches. They create electronic Bees, who work together and communicate with the Hive. Each Swarm—the Hive and its Bees– functions as a unit and is unique to its environment. For […]
forever farms radio
if you're in need of a little weekend inspiration, we highly encourage you to check out Forever Farms Radio -- the show is a weekly 5 minute feature that airs on a local community radio station (WERU 89.9, weru.org) at 6.30am on Mondays, and highlights farmers who work on farms in agricultural easements, and talks about their success, […]
farmers need health care
We know you've been busy bees in the fields, but you may want to take a moment to jump on the computer and check out the changes coming to national health insurance. Answer a short list of questions and get answers and options. Starting October 1st, you can apply and buy health insurance: https://www.healthcare.gov/
Maker Fair features farmhack
[vimeo=https://vimeo.com/73504647] Open Sourcing our Food System With Farm Hack At first glance, the maker movement might seem a world apart from the analog domain of soil, plants, and food. You can’t eat an Arduino after all. At least that’s what I thought. While microcontrollers are indeed inedible, it’s exciting to see how makers are building devices […]
free ag business training from L+I, washington state
Free Agricultural Business Training WHEN: Friday, November 15, 2013, 7:30am - 4:15pm WHERE: Department of Labor and Industries, 7273 Linderson Way, SW, Tumwater, WA 98501 COST: FREE! Pre-registration highly recommended because this training will fill up. Email, Mail or Fax a copy of the attached registration form to: EMAIL: [email protected]; MAIL: Dept. of Labor & Industries, Attn: Oscar Cerda, PO BOX 44400, Olympia, WA 98504-4400; […]
this is the farm podcast
another episode is up! We'll continue to periodically remind you of this helpful and inspirational podcast. 'This Is The Farm' - a podcast by the Texas Young Farmer Coalition. This week is Brad Stufflebeam, who is brilliant and very excellent. You can find it here: http://www.texasyoungfarmers.org/episode-5-brad-stufflebeam-of-home-sweet-farm/ or subscribe to it here through iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/this-is-the-farm/id599474623 Brief synopsis On […]
kale david vs. chicken goliath
A funny and timely film about intellectual property rights and bullying! [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h_8UHX8FRGY] A Defiant Dude
uvm seeks your input
Are you an aspiring, new or experienced farmer? We are looking for your input on how farm labor does (or does not) play a role in your farm plans! Take the survey now... The UVM Extension New Farmer Project is working to develop education and training to help managers of Northeast small scale and diversified farms develop […]