Passing on the Gift – Summer 2012 Newsletter
- Introduction & POG News
- NFU New Farm Project Giving
- Gifts in Progress
- Successful Pass-ons
1. Introduction & POG News
Welcome to the third annual Passing on the Gift update, to reflect on the successes of the project and the farm community we support. In these newsletters we will provide updates on the gifts the project has given to farmers, and gifts that have been successfully passed on, as well as gifts in progress or waiting to happen.
Hopefully these updates will help to facilitate future gift giving as well – by letting folks know about what gifts others are looking to give. You might notice a workshop of interest, a talent you are in need of, or an animal or two you would like to add to your operation. If that is the case – let us know and we will help make the connection!
For those of you new to the project, Passing on the Gift is at the very core of the New Farm Project. Each year we support farmers with gifts of livestock, horticulture (seeds, plants, etc…), equipment, training, and these farmers in turn agree to “pass on the gift” by sharing something of their own with others in the farming community – thereby magnifying the impact of the original gift. You can read more about it in the Passing on the Gift section of our website at http://www.newfarmproject.ca/passing-on-the-gift/.
2. New Farm Project Giving
To date, the NFU New Farm Project (funded by Heifer International) has invested the following money into our local farm community:
- $ 5,660 in Livestock spending
- $ 16,700 in Horticulture spending (fruit trees, seed, plants, etc)
- $ 54,430 in Agricultural equipment spending
- $ 58,340 in Training spending (Conference bursaries, NFP workshops and events, training resources)
That brings the grand total to $ 135,130 in total invested in local farm community!
3. Gifts in Progress
The following folks are looking to pass on the gifts they have received from the New Farm Project. See anything you like? If so, let us know – we can help get the ball rolling on workshops, or facilitate a connection to pass on livestock, knowledge, etc… If you are listed here and see something that needs to be updated, please contact us as well.
If you are struggling to think of an appropriate gift, there are plenty of volunteering opportunities available within the project – including helping with the Fall Gathering or the Food Down the Road – just let us know!
| NFP Participant | Gift Received | Gift to be “Passed On” |
| Suszane Neimanis-Klug and Jeff Klug | CSA conference bursary, seed | Host workshops – CSA related events (facilitating, planning) |
| Joanne Chamberlain and Andy Devette | wheel hoe, 2 stirrup hoes, earthway seeder, row cover | Educating on planning and building farm infrastructure |
| Craig Simpson and Sadiqa Kahn | fruit trees | Tree cuttings to new farmers |
| Nancy George | labelling software, rhubard plants | No contract submitted yet |
| Coral Sproule | Guelph conference bursary | Offer workshops and farm tours |
| Kim and Dave Perry | Poultry, fencing equipment | Beef grading workshop |
| Margaret Vallieres | Horticultural therapy conference bursary | Collaborate with community gardens to promote accessibility |
| Aric McBay | Conference bursary | Offer “Exploring the Small Farm Dream” workshop locally |
| Karen and Maarten ten Cate | Conference bursary, seed, honey bottling tank | Provide bees, hive equipment and mentoring to new beekeepers |
| Paul Adam and Rachel O’Dell | Fencing and seed | Host workshop on intensive rotational grazing |
| Heather and Zach Van Wagner | Fencing, seed, row cover | Host workshops on poultry production and low-tunnels and season extension, garlic and seed potatoes |
| Kim and Glen George | Rototiller | Share rototiller with neighbours, host workshop and farm tour |
| Stacey Hubbs | Conference bursary | Host farm tour, offer training to other new farmers |
| Michael Egan | Cover crop seed | Offer workshop on cash cropping, fruit production and grafts/rootstock for other farmers |
| Jocelyn Wattam | Conference bursary | Pass-on knowledge gained from conference with fellow farm workers and CRAFT Kingston interns |
| Alex Ireland and Jan Broeders | Conference bursary and greenhouse infrastructure | Offer seedlings from greenhouse, workshops and farm tour |
| Brian Voith | Dariy goats | Dairy goat, housing Poultry Kit Equipment |
| Sarah MacKenzie | Seed, irrigation equipment | Sheep, sheep management workshop, host a farm tour |
| Kristine Swaren and Malcolm Williams | Honeybees, beehives and accessories, seed | 2 colonies and beehives as “starter kits” |
| Jonathan Latour and Joanna Kowalczyk | Seed, farm equipment | Offer workshop on microFIT program |
| Dale Horeczy | Poultry, seed, plants, fencing | Hens, herb plants, and cheese-making workshop |
| Evan Quigley | Fruit tress and berry plants | Cuttings from trees and plants |
| Eric Kempmann | Baby chicks, Poultry equipment | Instructional document for raising meat chickens with photos and personal experience |
| Caitlin Hynes-Dobson and Kyle White | 3 British Milk Sheep | Offer workshop on homestead cheese making and farm tour of cheese facility and cheese cave |
| Janette Haase & Community Harvest Garden | Topsoil and stirrup hoe | Offer workshop on organic gardening for garden participants and donate garden veggies to Hot Meal Programs |
| Alex Bourne and Amanda Wilson | Greenhouse frame, poly and lumber | Grow lights & rotoiller |
| Wendy Banks | Nursey stock | Offer workshop on starting seeds and organize a multiple producer workshop |
| Oliver Haan | Portable generator for freezers in market trailer | Mentoring within NFU and with youth (i.e. 4H) |
| Nathalie Banger | Conference bursary for Explorer’s Course | Volunteer hours with NFP |
| Jesse Archibald | Forage seed and books on roational grazing | Offer workshop on grass-fed beef on farm |
| Jenna Empey | Vegetable seeds | Offer workshop on lato-fermentation or On-farm poultry processing |
| Rosie Stopford | Conference bursary for Bring Food Home conference | Volunteer hours with NFP |
| Dairy equipment co-op | Cream separator and butter churn | Butter-making workshop |
| Stuart Oke | Berkshire weiner pigs | Meat donated to local meal provider program |
4. Successful pass-ons
The following farmers have already completed all or part of the pass ons. Thanks to all of you for helping to keep this community growing!
| NFP Participant | Gift Received | Gift “Passed On” |
| Eric Williams | CSA conference bursary | Instruct workshop on vegetable production |
| Chris Wooding | CSA conference bursary | Instruct 1/2 day course grain production or prepare booklet on key aspects of same |
| Emily Dowling | CSA conference bursary | Instruct workshop on vegetable production |
| Kathy Rothermel | CSA conference bursary, Guelph conference bursary | Table talk x 2, NFP volunteer hours, organize Seedy Saturday 2010, organize WI producers group |
| Sharon and Will Freeman | CSA conference bursary and seed | Organized preserving workshop and chairing Open Farms 2010 & 2011 event |
| Megan Joslin | CSA conference bursary, Herbalism conference bursary | NFP volunteer hours, herbalism workshop for Transition Kingston |
| Tibrata Gillies and Mandy Green | Milking equipment | Organize cheese making, woodlot mang’t workshops |
| Frank Misek | Irrigation equipment, wheel hoe, seed | Volunteer hours with NFP (Project Committee, FDTR Committee, Fall Gathering Food Team) |
| Dale Williams | Fencing equipment | NFP volunteer hours (Project Committee & POG Team, organizing fencing workshop |
| Lorrie and Al Boyd | Fencing equipment | Hay bales passed on to neighbour farmer |
| Vicki Emlaw and Tim Noxon | Cornwall conference bursary x 2, Guelph bursary, stirrup hoe, seeds | Hosting a farm tour, organizing workshops on marketing, field cultivation |
| Tom Waller and Allaine Nordin | Greenhouse frame | Lacto-fermentation, biodynamics, soil testing workshops, cedar-rail building workshop |
| Christine Bliss | Artificial insemination training | Dairy goat |
| Tanya Hammond | Fruit trees, Mantis rototiller | Plant cuttings donated |
| Tim Lyon | Soil blockers, seeder, row cover, digging fork, Conference burasry x 2 | Training volunteers at garden, seeding workshops, classroom ag education |
| Coral Sproule | Guelph conference bursary | Volunteer hours with NFP (Fall Gathering Food Team) |
| Scott Irving | Guelph conference bursary | Offer workshop to students on soil |
| Kim and Dave Perry | Poultry, fencing equipment | Turkeys to families in need, NFP volunteer hours |
| Andrea and Orrie Cumpson | Wheel hoe | NFP volunteer hours and helping to organize scything workshop series |
| Julian Gregory | Guelph conference bursary | Conference report |
| Thor Hansgen | Seed course, Cornwall, Peterborough conference bursaries | NFP volunteer hours |
| Karen Kimmett | Organic Potato Production workshop | Table talk with Jennifer Greer, sharing info/seed with KHSS |
| Growing, Gardening and Gathering Group | Rototiller | Share tiller amongst group, prepare template for equipment sharing co-ops |
| Beekeepers group | 3-frame honey extractor | Share the extractor with other beekeepers |
| Sarah and Brian Stutt | Conference bursary | NFP volunteer hours |
| Pat and Rick Dawson | Pigs | NFP volunteer hours |
| Greg Williams | Conference bursary | NFP volunteer hours |
| Poultry processing sharing group | Plucker, scalder, cones | Share poultry kit with other farmers |
| Wendy Luella Perkins | Conference bursary | Volunteer hours with NFP (POG Team) |
| Kaitlin Byrick | Conference bursary | NFP volunteer hours |
| Oak Street Garden | Rototiller | Share tiller with gardeners, education projects and gardens tours for Kingston residents |
| Brian Voith | Dariy goats | Housing Poultry Kit Equipment |
| Post-hole auger Co-op | Post-hole auger | Share auger with group members, workshop on fencing |
| Dale Horeczy | Poultry, seed, plants, fencing | Soap-making workshop |
| Karen Holmes and Kevin Wenkoff | Conference bursary, Beekeeping supplies | Volunteer hours with NFP, Spirituality of Food and Farming workshop |
| Brian and Ruth Burt | Pots for growing sweet potatoes | Volunteer hours with NFP (Project Committee, FDTR Committee) |
| Katherine Rothermel | Conference bursary for Organic Seed Alliance Conference | Organize Seedy Saturday event |
| Bob Chambers and Michelle Thomas | Conference bursary for Explorer’s Course | Instruct a welding and blacksmith workshop |
| Louise Cooper | Conference bursary for Bring Food Home conference 2011 | Organize and lead a workshop on top bar beehives |