SEMAP's e-Newsletter
THE VINE
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COOKS CORNER
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Wild Flavors - by Eva Sommaripa & Didi Emmons
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Anxious to get your hands dirty?
 Greetings!We are so close! You can almost taste the dirt and feel the warm breezes of spring! Or, if you attend local Winter Markets, you're still enjoying the labors of greenhouse grown veggies, sweet specialty products and farm fresh eggs.
Want to grow your own this season? Brush up on your organic gardening skills by attending SEMAP's new Twilight Grower Education Series. Or attend the numerous events and opportunities (listed below) that are cropping up this spring. |
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New Workshops for Farmers & Gardeners!
TWILIGHT Grower Education SeriesJoin SEMAP, NOFA/Mass & organic farmers throughout Southeastern MA at our on-farm workshop series! SEMAP's 7-workshop series for farmers and home gardeners will offer hands-on skill building in several areas of organic specialty crop production and marketing. Learn organic growing practices directly from local farmers! CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE...
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2012 Advanced Growers' Fall Seminar
   Northeast Organic Farming Association/ Massachusetts Chapter and Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership Present 2012 Advanced Growers' Fall Seminar With Paul and Sandy Arnold Profitable Year-Round Farming and Marketing Monday, November 5, 2012 (From 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m)
Stonehill College, The Martin Institute, 320 Washington Street, Easton, MA
This one-day seminar will show how small-scale farming practices and organic systems can be used to make a livelihood throughout the year. Learn ways to make your farming operation more economically robust with well-designed farm systems, innovative techniques for extending the productive season throughout winter, intuitive methods for tracking farm productivity and expenses, and marketing techniques for success. [Download the info/registration form!]
This event is part of an educational collaboration between SEMAP and NOFA/Mass, supported in part by the USDA Specialty Crops Program through the Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources.
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THANK YOU FOR ATTENDING!
Thank you to all our sponsors, exhibitors, volunteers and speakers! What a great turn out - 200 people attended the all-day conference, participating in farm and gardening workshops from woodstove cooking, to compost tea, to seed saving! The Youth & Organic Tracks were very well attended and will be a staple addition to the conference, years to come!
 SPECIAL THANKS to WILL BONSALL of the Scatterseed Project Will Bonsall
Director, Scatterseed Project 39 Bailey Road Industry, ME 04938-4321 wabonsall@gmail.com
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Special Event!
Native Pollinators - Free Presentation!Thursday March 15th, 7:00-9:00pm Old Methodist Meeting House, 495 Main Street, Wareha m, MA
Every Homeowner, Gardener, Farmer and Environmentally Conscious Being Stands to Benefit From This Important, Fascinating & Free Presentation! Dr. Jolie Goldenetz Dollar Pollinator Habitat Restoration Specialist with the Xerces Society You can call 508-295-0211 for more information. Light refreshments including some from local artisans will be served.
Free and open to nature lovers of all ages! |
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Mass Farm to School Announcement!
Mass Farm to School Convention - March 15th, 2012
Old Sturbridge Village, Sturbrid ge, MA
Come hear food service directors, educators, students, farmers, and community members share how they are building a vibrant connection between cafeterias, dining halls, classrooms, and farms in Massachusetts.
The Convention will feature Curt Ellis, Executive Director of FoodCorps, and Abbie Nelson, former Vice President of the SNA in VT and Director of VTFEED, as well as six workshop tracks:
- Models for Successful Agriculture-Based Education
- New Ideas for Locally Grown in School Cafeterias
- Farm to School for Very Young Students
- New Strategies for Expanding Farm to School Sales
- Community Connections
- New Initiatives in Colleges
Learn more and register at: www.massfarmtoschool.org/convention.htm |
 Winter Market Look Out!
Visit the Online Farm Guide to view WINTER MARKETS in Southeastern Mass!
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Local Food Events & Workshops
Please Support Coastline's 2012 March for Meals Campaign
Saturday March 24th @ Fort Taber, New Bedford, Ma., 10am-1pm.
Every March, Meals on Wheels Association of America kicks off its March for Meals Campaign. Local Meals on Wheels providers, like Coastline, work within their communities to bring awareness to the need for elderly nutrition programs, and to raise money for local programs.
On Saturday, March 24th at Fort Taber from 10am - 1pm, we will be hosting a Fun Walk and Wellness Fair. We hope you can come out and enjoy the fresh air and a nice walk around the park, and then stop into the Community Building where we will have yoga and zumba demonstrations, health screenings, and plenty of other health and wellness information. Learn more and become a sponsor!
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Sustainable Braintree - 4th Annual Green Gala Fundraiser
Saturday, March 3rd, 2012 - 7:00pm - 11:00pm
Braintree Town Hall, One JFK Memorial Drive., Braintree, Ma.
The evening will feature: Keynote Speaker: Richard K. Sullivan Jr., Secretary, Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs.
Live Musical Entertainment by: Renato Malavasi Jazz Quartet
Catering by: Chef Anthony Columbus, owner and head chef of Columbus Catering.
Great Door Prizes and more...
Winning ticket for the St. John USVI Getaway!
------------------------------------------------- Visit SEMAP at...
New Bedford Home Show - March 3rd & 4th
New Bedford Greater Regional Vocational Technical High School
1121 Ashley Boulevard, New Bedford There will be a myriad of demonstrations offered at exhibitor booths, cooking demonstrations and more. Exhibitors will be offering discounts and specials that are exclusive to the 2012 Home Show. This is a show you don't want to miss. SEMAP will be there as a resource for families seeking to connect to local farms and food in Southeastern MA. Stop by the SEMAP booth to learn more about CSAs (community supported agriculture), 'going local without going crazy' ideas as well 'seed bomb' demonstrations for children.
11:00 a.m. - 4:00 p.m. Admission to the show is just $5.00 and children under 12 are free.
------------------------------------------------- Farmer Potluck @ Allen's Neck Friends Meeting House - Friday March 16th, 2012
5:30pm, 739 Horseneck Rd., Dartmouth, MA - BRING A DISH TO SHARE! ALL FARMERS ARE WELCOME!
It all started with a snow storm... The SEMAP TedX event this past January brought together an unexpected amount of growers, but few public members - so what did we do? We had an amazing potluck with farm fresh preserves, fresh pulled carrots, salad greens and root veggies!
"Let's keep this going!", they cried! We hope this will be a start to similar monthly or quarterly meet-and-greet events in the agricultural community. There are many 'new' farmers in the Westport/Dartmouth area looking to connect with those who have farmed the area for generations.
Come meet each other and strenghthen the ag community in Southeastern MA!
RSVP to Sarah Cogswell, 508-542-0434 or scogswell@semaponline.org -------------------------------------------------Marshfield Agricultural Commission presents "the Backyard Farm and Garden"Saturday, March 24th @ the Marshfield Senior Center, 9:30am - 1:00pm
Free Lectures on agricultural topics scaled to the backyard enthusiast.
The Marshfield Agricultural Commission presents "the Backyard Farm and Garden" Free Lectures on agricultural topics scaled to the backyard enthusiast.
9 lectures run from 9:30-1:00pm on Saturday March 24th at the Marshfield Senior Center. Participants my attend up to 3 lectures. Topics include Food Preservation methods including Canning, Drying/Freezing and Root Cellars, Herb Gardening, All About Dairy Goats and Making Goat Milk Products and many more!!
------------------------------------------------- Easter Egg Hung & Daffodils for Kirah Spring Kick-Off
Date: Saturday, March 31 (Rain or Shine) Time: 10:00 a.m.
Egg Hunt Fee: $5 per child
The annual Tihonet Village Easter Egg Hunt will be held on March 31, at 10:00 a.m. Easter Eggs will be hidden for children ages 2 to 8 to find. Colored eggs are assigned to each age group with plenty to go around! Make sure to keep an eye out for the special eggs! All participants will receive a goodie bag from the Easter Bunny after the egg hunt is complete. Bring your Easter baskets and your camera! Space is limited, advance registration and payment are strongly recommended.
The fee is $5 per child. To sign-up visit www.tihonet.com or call 508.295.1000. -------------------------------------------------Visit SEMAP at...
Agriculture Day at The State House - Tuesday, April 3rd, 2012
How big is agriculture in Massachusetts? Approximately $489 million dollars of revenue is generated annually, and Commonwealth farmers are responsible for maintaining almost 520,000 acres of open space! Please join us on April 3, 2012, when farmers and agriculture officials from across the Bay State come together to visit their legislators to discuss issues and legislation which affects their farms and local communities. Read more...-------------------------------------------------Plymouth County Conservation District Annual Tree & Plant Sale
Pick-up Days: April 21 & 22
Order by: April 11
The Plymouth County Conservation District (PCCD) will be holding its' Annual Tree and Plant Sale on April 21 & 22, from 9-4 on Saturday and 9-noon on Sunday, in Tihonet Village, Wareham, MA. Deadline to order is April 11th.
To view the color brochure visit www.plymouthcountyconservation.org. |
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Sustainable Food & Community Job Postings!
Contractor: Southeastern Massachusetts Food Security Network Coordinator
The Southeastern Massachusetts Food Security Network seeks a contractor for a 6-month position to assist in improving the coordination and communications of a network of organizations working to improve food security in Southeastern Massachusetts (Westport to Wareham, MA). Deadline: March 9th, 2012
Read more...
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Volunteers Needed!
Become a SEMAP Volunteer! - Find more information on our Volunteer page!
Volunteer with SEMAP at the following fun events!
New Bedford Home Show - March 3rd & 4th
Monthly Twilight Farm Meetings - April through Oct., 2012
Contact Sarah @ scogswell@semaponline.org
Volunteer time slots in 2hr increments - Great way to learn more about sustainable food & farming!
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Happy Eating!
Sincerely,
Sarah Cogswell
SEMAP Program Director
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