HELP VOLUNTEER!
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We are currently recruiting volunteers for our Ag & Food Conference on March 1st.
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BECOME A SPONSOR
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We are still accepting applications for sponsors, exhibitors, and vendors for our 8th Agriculture & Food Conference.
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| HELP SUPPORT US | 
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MEET OUR MEMBERS
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CONTACT US
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Executive Director
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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2/23, Farmland Seeker Forum,Bristol Aggie, Dighton, MA
1/26, Winter Networking + Annual Meeting Bristol Aggie, Dighton, MA 3/1, 8th Annual Ag & Food Conference, Bristol Aggie, Dighton, MA
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FEBRUARY 2015
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From time to time, I've been asked by friends, family members, and others along my travels about how they can best support local agriculture. Naturally, buying local is a big part of that. I've said it many times, and it seems that the philosophy is really starting to permeate the lives of everyday folks. We have people who are, for lack of a better word, consumers...but they are thoughtful ones, and they want to make better, healthier choices.
But what does "buying locally" mean? Well, it means different things to different people but, ultimately, it's about making thoughtful choices. And that leads us to our first way in which we can support agriculture:
1) Ask Questions
It's easier to source foods at markets, but a bit more challenging when you head out to eat. Try to find out where your favorite restaurants' food comes from. Of course, we can't all afford to grow tomatoes indoors, but there are plenty of items available for local restaurants to purchase that are sourced locally, even in the dead of winter. Beef, poultry, pork and dairy come to mind. My favorite restaurants are the ones that tell me from what farm their vegetables, dairy, or meats come. It helps me build a connection with local agriculture, and I'm sure that the restaurant owners have noticed it is good business for them as well. When you see a farm name attached to an ingredient, your meal ceases to be something hastily produced and becomes something familiar and comforting. More and more restaurants are being proactive about waving the "buy local" banner, and I'm sure more will follow. As a customer, a polite inquiry certainly couldn't hurt. Click here to continue reading...
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 BUY LOCAL BLURB | |
Our Ag & Food Conference is right around the corner! This annual conference is great for farmers, gardeners, and foodies. There will be many different workshops to choose from with a little bit of something for everyone. We'll also provide a fresh, locally sourced lunch, catered by M&C Cafe of New Bedford, and there will be plenty of exhibitors and vendors to visit as well. Register now and get our early bird price (through February 15th)...only $25 for SEMAP members! Great deal! Not a member? Sign up now to help support SEMAP and get great discounts on all of our events.
We're still recruiting volunteers for our Conference. All interested individuals can fill out this form or email me at kmurray@semaponline
.org. We're also still looking for sponsors and exhibitors. If interested, contact Jason at jwentworth@semaponline.org by February 13th.
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VEGETABLE FARMING by Derek Christianson
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In southern Bristol County we've dodged the worst of the snowfall the past few weeks, at least in comparison to the folks north of us. We've taken quite a break from fieldwork on the farm and I've been appreciating our decision to delay winter CSA distributions originally scheduled for late January/early February. Leaving us plenty of time to catch up on office work (read: tax preparation ) and celebrate the winter season with our young daughters.
We were a bit slower reassembling our fieldhouse on the new farm last fall, so didn't get the greens seeded down in November/December as planned; instead we'll look forward to a nice bounty of later winter/early spring greens. Last week we were doing a final round of bed prep and came across more than a few spuds which escaped our harvest efforts last fall; our fieldhouse was sited on land which we planted potatoes in 2014. The potatoes under cover since early December were just breaking their dormancy and beginning to sprout ever so slightly. Although we typically reserve our fieldhouse beds for high value crops, I've been interested in trying an early crop of potatoes seeded down in late February... for harvest in early June (a la Eliot Coleman) - while not practical in most seasons, I reckon the late construction of the fieldhouse might give us an opportunity to see how potatoes can fair under cover.
Click here to continue reading...
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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Monday, February 23rd
Searching for farmland? Join us for an afternoon of learning on topics including finding and analyzing land, land tenure options, and more!
Monday, February 23rd
Our annual winter networking meetings offer opportunities to connect with your fellow growers, potential buyers, chefs, and eaters.
Harvest New England Agricultural Marketing and Trade Show
February 25th and 26th
Sessions on new marketing ideas, promotion, business planning, ag-tourism, managing farmers' markets, ag comms, and more!
SEMAP 2015 Ag & Food Conference
Sunday, March 1st
Workshops for farmers, gardeners, and consumers. Featuring a local lunch and Agricultural Service Provider & Business Trade Show.
Sustainable Business Network Local Food Trade Show
Tuesday, March 10th
This event is ideal for restaurants and institutional buyers interested in buying more locally produced products.
NOFA/RI Winter Conference
Sunday, March 29th
Join NOFA/RI for a day of interesting workshops and seminars and a potluck lunch.
For a more detailed event listing visit SEMAPonline.org/events
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RESOURCES
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The Online Farm Guide
Farmers: Keep your farmfresh.org listing up-to-date! The online farm guide, farmfresh.org, is a go-to for anyone looking for local foods, beverages and farm fun. Eaters: Visit www.farmfresh.org to find local food near you.
The Beginning Farmers Network of MA has resources for beginning farmers, including an ever-expanding calendar of events statewide, helpful tips from guest bloggers, a jobs board, and a referral network. Get in touch or check out the BFN/MA site today to find the help you're looking for. See links to Young Farmer Nights (RI & MA super fun farm visits!) and New Entry's brand new publication, An Entrepreneur's Guide to Farming in Massachusetts.
Members joining SEMAP between now and March 15th will automatically be eligible for listing in our 2015 Local Food Guide. The guide contains SEMAP member farms and local food businesses, as well as a list of farmers markets & CSAs in our region.
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| JOBS AND OPPORTUNITIES |
Mass in Motion New Bedford is currently looking for vendors for the New Bedford Farmers' Market for the 2015 season.The Downtown Market runs Thursdays, 2-6 and the Brooklawn Park Market runs Mondays, 2-6. If you are interested please contact Kimberly Ferreira at 508-979-1500 or kimberly.ferreira@newbedford-ma.gov.Colchester Farm is hiring a field and harvest assistant for the 2015 season. More details here.
GoodFoodJobs.com |
WANT YOUR EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THE VINE?
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