The VINE - e-Newsletter |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Dear Friends and Supporters:
We hope you have been enjoying lots of delicious Southeastern MA produce, meats, cider and other goodies this season. With Thanksgiving just around the corner, we want to encourage all of our region's eaters to thank a farmer this holiday - with your cash. Make a side dish using veggies purchased at your neighbor's farmstand; bake your own pie with some local squash; whip up some creamy local mashed potatoes; and for heaven's sake, don't forget the cranberries. (View our list of Farm Members by category HERE and remember to check the Online Farm Guide at www.farmfresh.org for contact info and hours!)
Putting your dollars into the hands of your local food producers not only helps ensure that they can enjoy a delicious day off with their families, but it'll make you feel better knowing that the food you serve your own family came from your neighbor.
And though the holiday season would be nothing without delicious food, it would also be nothing without service. Check out the Southeastern MA Food Security Network's list of food pantries and other food programs to see where you can give a couple hours of your time this year. Let's eat well this Thanksgiving while supporting our farmers and making sure no family goes hungry.
|
|
|
Upcoming SEMAP Class:
Tuesday, November 26th, 6pm-8pm
Dartmouth Grange Shared-Use Kitchen
This hands-on workshop will cover making and handling pastry and preparing pie fillings starting with locally grown pumpkins and squash. For those interested in branching out beyond usual holiday fare, we'll also play with a few surprise vegetables that were once popular pie options in southeastern Massachusetts.
|
|
Save the Date:
SEMAP's 7th Annual Agriculture & Food Conference
Saturday, March 22, 2014
at the Greater New Bedford Regional Voc Tech
Interested in sponsoring or exhibiting at the Conference?
|
Community Events, Members and Announcements
Highlighted Markets
Winter Market at Simpson Spring Marketplace
November 9, 2013 - May 17, 2014, Simpson Spring, Easton
Sustainable Braintree's Special Indoor Thanksgiving Farmers' Market 
November 23rd, Braintree Town Hall Mall
Makepeace Farms Harvest Market & America's Hometown Thanksgiving
November 24th
Events
NOFA/MA Beginning Farmer Mentorship Program
Application Deadline: December 15, 2013
The NOFA/MA Beginning Farmer Mentorship Program pairs beginning farmers (10 years or less) with experienced farmers. By pairing mentees with experienced growers who are not their employers, the program enables aspiring farmers to gain farming experiences, skills, and perspectives that they otherwise wouldn't get in their day-to-day work. This is a 12-month commitment. In addition to mentorship, the mentees receive a $100 voucher to NOFA/Mass events. Click here to apply!
NOFA/MA Winter Conference
January 11, 2014, Worcester State University
60+ workshops! Keynote by Restoration Agriculture author, Mark Shephard.
New England Meat Conference
March 7th & 8th, Concord, NH
The goal of the New England Meat Conference is to enhance the production, processing, and marketing of sustainable, nutritious, humanely-raised, and delicious meat from New England farms and processors by providing educational and networking opportunities for meat producers, processors and consumers.
View the Conference website here.
Legal Issues: Free webinar series from Farm Commons
Follow this link to the Beginning Farmer Network of MA website to see the lineup of Farm Commons' free Legal Issues webinar series. The webinars cover everything from CSA Legal Issues (Dec. 17th) to Hosting On-Farm Events (Jan. 13th) and Food Safety Liability & Regulations (March 25th). The 8-webinar series begins with Overview of Farm Legal Issues on Dec. 2nd.
Did you miss the October 24th Food Dialogues: Boston forum on farm size at the MA State House? Hosted by the US Farmers & Ranchers Alliance, Farm Size: Does It Really Matter was a panel discussion with MA Farm Bureau Federation President Rich Bonnano, multiple farmers and ranchers of all sizes from Mass and across the nation, and even an economist, focused on the similarities and differences of small and large farms. View the entire panel discussion online here!
Looking for employment? We like these sites:
Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group's Job Page
Goodfoodjobs.com
Land Jobs Stuff Google Group Page
|
"Broccoli: Now 43% less pretentious than kale"
How do you make broccoli sexy? Leave it to the hipster ad agency, Victors & Spoils. This New York Times article on the new ad campaign for our beloved Brassica hits on a few different issues, including the marketing of healthy foods in the US and the impacts on farmers of increased demand for produce.
|
Want Your Events & Announcements in
The Vine?
Email us your events and share with our 5,000+ readers! A benefit of SEMAP Membership.
We track clicks and opens.
|
|
|
|
Please contact us with any questions, suggestions or concerns. We want to hear from you!
Sincerely,
Bridget & Kristen
|
|
|
|
|
|
