Connecticut organic farming group to hold winter conference at Eastern

by Lucinda Weiss

Willimantic, CT (03/12/2024) — Connecticut organic farming group to hold winter conference at Eastern

The Northeast Organic Farming Association of Connecticut (CT NOFA) will hold its winter conference at Eastern Connecticut State University on March 23 in partnership with Eastern's Institute of Sustainability.

The conference will offer workshops on topics such as farming, seed saving, organic land care, community food security and social justice. Peer learning discussion groups also will be held. Maya van Rossum, founder of the nonprofit organization Green Amendments for the Generations, will give the keynote talk about new ways to think about and pursue environmental protection policies and legal protections.

"We are excited to welcome the Connecticut farming community to Eastern," said Patricia Szczys, director of the Institute of Sustainability. "We know that food, agriculture and land use account for a quarter of greenhouse gas emissions, so supporting local producers, regenerative practices and increasing plant components of our diet are key to addressing climate change. Eastern students and residents in eastern Connecticut will have the opportunity to learn how CT NOFA members are implementing organic methods of food production and land care all over Connecticut."

Also at the winter conference, a soil health table will have information about microscopy training to examine soil and compost. Farm workers who worked on a food-producing farm in Connecticut during the COVID epidemic will be offered help in applying for one-time $600 payments through the New CT Farmer Alliance working with the Hispanic Federation.

The conference requires registration; a sliding scale registration price based on income and a fee waiver are available: https://ctnofa.app.neoncrm.com/np/clients/ctnofa/eventRegistration.jsp?event=1791&