AG CONFERENCE
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HELP SUPPORT US |
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RECIPE OF THE MONTH
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Candied Carrots 1 pound carrots 2 tablespoons butter 1/4 c. packed brown sugar Cut carrots into 2-inch pieces. Place carrots in a pot of water and bring to a rolling boil. Let cook for about 20 minutes, or until tender to your liking. Drain the carrots and return to pot. Stir in butter and brown sugar. (Add pinch of salt and pepper if desired.) Cook over low heat for 3-5 minutes, or until sugar is bubbling.
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MONTHLY MARKET
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CONTACT US
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Executive Director
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MARCH 2015
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Between the recap of our successful annual Agriculture and Food Conference, this month's Spotlight, and some great information on upcoming events, the Vine is full to the brim with great information, so I'll keep these remarks brief. I will say that we've finally made it: we are finally turning the corner to spring, and hopefully the warm weather will follow soon. We've all had enough of the winter, and whether or not you are a farmer, grower, or just love fresh, local food, it's ok to be more than a little excited about springtime. On behalf of the staff and board of directors, I can assure you that SEMAP shares that excitement!
CSAs are starting to fill up, nurseries and greenhouses across Southeastern Massachusetts are humming with activity, and everyone is preparing their favorite short sleeved shirt in anticipation for warmer weather. Just like the farmers and growers we support, we haven't been simply hibernating here at SEMAP. Kendra and I have been working hard to continue the programming and outreach we began last year. Coming off the heels of a very well-attended and enjoyable Ag and Food Conference, we are looking to build on our successes and are proud to be working with the Board to make a more robust and responsive SEMAP.
We need you to be successful. Whether it is a donation, participation at our events, spreading the word to others, or just continuing to "buy local" whenever possible...anything you can do to reaffirm our mission (to preserve and expand access to local food and sustainable farming in Southeastern Massachusetts through research and education) is an appreciated contribution to SEMAP. Thank you for your continued support, your patience as we have endeavored to rebuild and reaffirm the organization, and your dedication to local agriculture. As always, please let us know how we are doing. I can be reached at [email protected]
-Jason
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BUY LOCAL BLURB |
It's great to be able to look outside my window and finally see some grass! Spring is coming, slowly, but surely. It'll be a good day when I can finally make it over to my compost bin and, who knows, maybe one day it'll even be warm enough to start gardening.
With a new season, comes new opportunities. There are a lot of great farm jobs available, as well as farmers markets looking for vendors. We also have a couple of great advertising opportunities available...Our 2015 Local Food Guide will be published in just a couple of months. If you would like to see your farm or business listed as a producer or seller in our guide, please renew your SEMAP membership and submit this form. Not a farmer or a local food business? Ad space is available in the guide as well. We're also partnering with the SouthCoast Insider to create a page devoted to local farms and related businesses. This is a great magazine to advertise in, with a circulation of 30,000. Advertisers on the farm page receive a 40% DISCOUNT in price. If interested in any of these opportunities, please email me at [email protected].
Also, please join us on April 2nd for our Fortifying our Foodshed event. It's FREE AND OPEN TO THE PUBLIC with hors d'oeuvres served and a cash bar. We'll have a few guest speakers with focus on food policy and building a resilient food system in Southeastern Massachusetts. It's going to be informative and fun and a great networking opportunity. Hoping to see you there!
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VEGETABLE FARMING by Derek Christianson
| Hard to imagine amid the spring thaw and abundance of moisture from the melt that our minds turned toward irrigation on the farm this past week. We spent the early part of this past Thursday bringing surface irrigation lines to our recently reassembled field house. Although we typically run mini-wobblers in the fieldhouse to ensure good germination of greens, we took the time to set up our drip irrigation system which will be utilized when our summertime nightshades replace the greens in early May. So out came header lines, drip line fittings, & drip tape, carried through the icy snow.
Over the years we utilized a number of different suppliers for irrigation supplies on the farm, including Nolt's Produce Supply in Pennsylvania. Brookdale Fruit Farm is popular regional resource utilized by many growers (located in Hollis, NH) in Eastern Massachusetts. Closer to home Progressive Grower carries a full line of irrigation supplies and is a good place to start. Click here to continue reading...
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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NOFA/Mass Growing Vegetables For Health, Quality, and Profit
Sunday, March 22nd
Learn about profitable, small-scale vegetable production throughout the 2015 growing season at Brix Bounty Farm.
Pollinator Health for Agriculture and Landscapes
Thursday, March 26th
UMass will host experts from New England Extensions to cover important topics in pollinator health.
NOFA/RI Winter Conference
Sunday, March 29th
Join NOFA/RI for a day of interesting workshops and seminars and a potluck lunch.
Ag Day at the State House
Tuesday, March 31st
Growers and other advocates of MA agriculture attend meetings with their legislators to discuss governmental priorities impacting agriculture in the Commonwealth.
Fortifying our Foodshed
Thursday, April 2nd An evening discussing the past, present, and future of agriculture in Southeastern Massachusetts, with focus on food policy and building a more resilient food system.
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' Markets for the 2015 season.The Downtown Market runs Thursdays, 2-6; The Clasky Common Market is Saturdays 9-1;and the Brooklawn Park Market runs Mondays, 2-6. If you are interested please contact Kimberly Ferreira at 508-979-1500 or kimberly.ferreira@new bedford-ma.gov.
GoodFoodJobs.com
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WANT YOUR EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS IN THE VINE?
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