NFU New Farm Project Update – October 30th, 2011
NFU NEW FARM PROJECT NEWS
1. 4th ANNUAL FALL GATHERING INVITATION
2. BOOKKEEPING SEMINAR FOR SMALL FARM BUSINESSES
COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
3. Biodynamics- Nourishing the Earth and Ourselves
4. Just Food (Ottawa) is looking for an Organic Vegetable Farmer/Farm Team
5. Registration is now open for the Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference on December 1, 2011 at University of Guelph Kemptville Campus.
6. STEP UP Mentorship Program – Are you ready to STEP UP?
–
NFU NEW FARM PROJECT NEWS
1. 4th ANNUAL FALL GATHERING INVITATION
Dear friends of the NFU New Farm Project,
Below you will find the press release/invitation for the upcoming 4th annual Fall Gathering on Saturday December 10th, 2011 at the Golden Links Hall in Harrowsmith. A copy of the Fall Gathering poster is available on our website at http://www.newfarmproject.ca/fall-gathering/.
Pre-registration is requested by Dec. 1st to assist in planning for the event (space permitting – we recommend registering earlier!). To register online, go to http://www.newfarmproject.ca/fall-gathering/ or call Ian Stutt at 613-353-6622.
The Golden Links Hall in Harrowsmith is wheelchair accessible. All ages are welcome, however, there is not a separate room for kids to play during the program sessions.
Hope to see you there!
************************************************************************
YOUR FOOD SYSTEM: PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE – AT FOURTH ANNUAL NFU FALL GATHERING
Kingston — After another successful year of supporting farmers and our local food system, the National Farmers Union New Farm Project will hold its fourth annual Fall Gathering, Saturday December 10th. The event will be a day to celebrate and reflect on the past year in our community, as well as to look at the bigger picture of where we have come from, where we are now, and where we would like to go.
“The Fall Gathering is an event people look forward to each year,” said Dianne Dowling, president of National Farmers Union Local 316. “Our aim in the NFU New Farm Project is to build farm capacity and farm community, and the Fall Gathering accomplishes both. People who attend learn from each other, and form networks based on common interests in farming and based on the friendships and connections they make. And the local food we serve is amazing!”
The project is looking to the future this year as they have entered the 4th and final year of their funding from Heifer International. In preparation for applying for second round funding, the NFU New Farm Project has undertaken the Plan to Grow action research project to engage our community regarding the state of our local food system including exciting initiatives, barriers, and opportunities for growth. “Demand for local food is huge, growing a lot more of it isn’t going to be easy. Plan to Grow has brought important stakeholders together to set an innovative course for the training and support of our farmers into the future.” said Harris Ivens, one of the Plan to Grow co-ordinators.
The initial results of the research will be presented at this year’s Fall Gathering in the morning session following a presentation on the history of our food system from Brian Osborne. The morning sessions will serve as a springboard for the afternoon’s discussion regarding directions the project and the community as a whole can take as we strive to scale up local food production in Kingston and countryside.
The day’s program will run from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm, with the morning presentations followed by the local food lunch and networking and focused group discussion on the future of our food system. There is no registration fee, but organizers suggest participants donate between $2 and $20 or contribute some baking to the potluck dessert. Besides farmers, people involved in all parts of the food system are invited to attend. Pre-registration is requested by Dec. 1st, to assist in planning for the event. To register or get more information, go to www.nfu.newfarmproject.ca or call Ian Stutt at 613-353-6622.
About 120 people attended the 2010 Fall Gathering, a celebration of the halfway marker for the project. From the EMC article by Hollie Pratt-Campbell covering last year’s event:
“The Fall Gatherings have been amazing,” said Ian Stutt. “It’s great to see how much interest there is and how many people are coming out.” Sunday’s gathering included a panel presentation on the spirit of farming, food, and community. Panelists Bob Lovelace, Tibrata Gillies, and Wendy Luella Perkins discussed, respectively, the importance of respecting how bio-regions should, in a healthy society, affect food culture, food as a life source at all levels of production, preparation, and consumption, and be aware of the places our food comes from.
The NFU New Farm Project, which aims to build farm capacity and farm community, runs from 2008 until 2012 and is funded by Heifer International, a non-profit organization whose goal is to help end world hunger and poverty through self-reliance, sustainability and environmental responsibility. Initiated by NFU Local 316 (Frontenac, Lennox and Addington Counties and Kingston), the project reaches beyond those boundaries into neighbouring counties.
Since their inception they have continued to build farm capacity through training and financial support for new and revisioning farmers, the CRAFT internship program, and equipment sharing co-ops. The wide range of workshop topics covered in the last year have included Green Manure & Cover Crops, Raising Goats, Lacto-Fermentation, and Heritage Ironwork & Welding, and much more.
-xxx-
Media requests: contact Dianne Dowling, 613-546-0869, or dowling@kos.net
Ian Stutt, 613-353-6622, or ianstutt@newfarmproject.ca
2. BOOKKEEPING SEMINAR FOR SMALL FARM BUSINESSES
Monday November 14th, 1 – 4 PM
This seminar will explore ways to organize your bookkeeping system that will serve your business management needs and enable you to file your tax returns more easily. Participants should come prepared to share what works for them and to describe the challenges they have with keeping up with their paperwork.
During her professional career as a Certified General Accountant, Linda Van Hal has helped many new businesses set up their bookkeeping systems and for 36 years has been “keeping the books” for her husband’s automotive and farm equipment repair business on Wolfe Island.
Directions:
The seminar will be held at the CFDC boardroom at 4917 HWY 38 in Harrowsmith (the building with green awnings at the main intersection in town). Max 15 participants.
To register for this workshop, please visit http://www.newfarmproject.ca/farming-training/.
COMMUNITY BULLETIN BOARD
3. Biodynamics- Nourishing the Earth and Ourselves
Guest Speaker: Titia Posthuma
When: Thursday November 3, 2011 from 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Where: Mulberry Waldorf School, 25 Markland Street
Titia will discuss:
- • The relationship between Biodynamic farming and Waldorf education
- • The importance of biodynamics in food and nutrition
- • Nourishing our bodies so we can attain our full potential
Titia Posthuma has been a student of science and the philosophy of agriculture, land stewardship and environmental issues for many years. She works with apprentices and has led many workshops and lectures focussing on the Biodynamic concept of the farm as one organism. Titia bought her 200 acre property, Ravensfield in 1981. It is a young, pioneer farm one hour north of Kingston, situated on the Canadian Shield, a rough, rocky patch with thin soil and lots of trees.The core activity of the farm is a one acre intensive market garden worked largely with hand tools and some help from horses.
Suggested donation of $5 to $10
- 25 Markland Street, Kingston
- Mulberry Waldorf School
- 613-542-0669
- www.mulberrywaldorfschool.ca
4. Just Food (Ottawa) is looking for an Organic Vegetable Farmer/Farm Team
Just Food (Ottawa) is looking for an Organic Vegetable Farmer/Farm Team to run a longer-term business from our new Farm site – planned to start Spring 2012.
Request for Expressions of Interest
Just Food, in collaboration with its many partners, is establishing a multipurpose, community food and sustainable agriculture hub. It is located in the eastern part of the Ottawa NCC Greenbelt, and well served by Highway 417, public transit and bike paths. As headquarters for Just Food, planned features of the Hub include viable (ecologically and financially) farm enterprise demonstration, a farmer incubation training program (in partnership with FarmStart, Guelph), partner-based entrepreneurial sites (e.g. permaculture, youth enterprise, Food Bank gardens, apiary), farmer training and supports, community garden demonstration/training sites and a community seek bank. We aspire to add infrastructure to support food distribution and storage capacity for a broader group of local producers, a commercial-standard kitchen to support value-added enterprises and skills-based school/community food and gardening programs (workshops, courses, after-school programs, etc.)
As one component of the hub, we are seeking an enterprise farm (whether that be an individual, couple, or partner-based operation) that would sub-lease an acreage of land at market rates and conduct a viable, organic vegetable+ business. We are seeking a farm business plan that includes a Community Shared Agriculture component, endeavouring to attract clientele from within the adjacent Blackburn Hamlet community predominately. This would serve to publicly model and inspire visitors to the farm and reacquaint them with their food system, while also encouraging new and transitioning farmers, including those on the incubator farm plots, to adapt to the urban market using green technologies and sustainable farming techniques.
We are interested in speaking with farmer/farm teams that are interested in running their own business within a broader vibrant, community setting.
The best fit will be a farm team who:
- -follows organic management practices
- -is internally-driven to keep their enterprise in top shape as a cornerstone of a public site
- -is interested in working cooperatively with Just Food and other enterprises on the farm based on agreements to ensure safe and effective use of the farm
- -is interested in educating the community (this work would be outside of your farm business and contracted through Just Food)
- -wants to manage farm internships in their business each year.
A property-management contract with Just Food for the overall site is a possibility and could provide supplemental income. There is a potential to reside on or near the farm property in the future, however presently the farm team would need to have their own residence.
Interested and want to learn more?
Please send an email with a few brief paragraphs outlining your farming experience, what you would hope to achieve within the next five years of business at this site, what attracts you to this opportunity, and any other pieces you’d like us to know. We will then contact those interested to set up a time to discuss the project in greater detail.
If you want to view the property and are in the vicinity, please visit anytime – 2389 Pepin Court, Ottawa.
The deadline to submit expressions of interest is November 4th, 2011 to moe@justfood.ca.
5. Registration is now open for the Eastern Ontario Local Food Conference on December 1, 2011 at University of Guelph Kemptville Campus.
This event is a bilingual conference designed to build stronger collaborative relationships among Eastern Ontario local food organizations and to provide technical information on key topics needed to build the sector.
Details and Registration Information are available at: www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/food/events
6. STEP UP Mentorship Program – Are you ready to STEP UP?
The Canadian Farm Business Management Council, Canadian 4-H Council, Canadian Young Farmers’ Forum, and Canada’s Outstanding Young Farmers’ Program, have joined forces to unveil the all new STEP UP mentorship program.
STEP UP is an on-farm learning placement that matches those planning or considering a farming career with an experienced farm manager so that they can learn critical aspects of farm business management in a hands-on setting.
We are accepting applications for Mentors and Mentees now! http://www.farmcentre.com/Features/TheNewFarmer/Resources/StepUp/ Farmers are looking to connect with a Mentee, the sooner you apply the better!
The mentors available:
Maplane Beef Farms
Mentor: Keith McConnell
Location: Owen Sound, Ontario
Maplane Beef Farms is a third generation family-owned and operated agricultural business which has been in existence since 1925. Maplane Beef Farms includes a 500 head back grounding operation of Charlais steers, as well as grain and hay production, with fine tuned specialization in top quality horse and dairy hay. Visit ww.maplane.com, to learn more. At Maplane Beef Farms, a Mentee will have the opportunity to learn about equipment, crops, and cattle. A Mentee matched with Keith will also be able to learn about bookkeeping, budgeting, human resource issues, marketing, and purchasing decisions.
H and L Koelen Farms Ltd.
Mentors: Harry & Leony Koelen
Location: Paisley, Ontario
Sow Farrowing operation and recipients of the 2007 Outstanding Young Farmers Award of Canada!
A Mentee at H and L Koelen Farms Ltd. will have the opportunity to learn about cost of production, sow productivity, and new technology.
Ferme Rêveuse
Mentors: Kornel & Olga Schneider
Location: Curran, Ontario
Dairy / Crop Farm
Bilingual
A Mentee at Ferme Rêveuse will have the opportunity to learn about a low cost production business strategy, grass management, organization, and troubleshooting.
Glad Crest Farm
Mentors: Chris & Jeannie Judd
Location: Shawville, Quebec
Dairy / Crop Farm
Bilingual
A Mentee at Glad Crest Farm will have the opportunity to learn about cost of production, teamwork, human resources, as well as crop and breeding management.