new england young farmers, get on this list serve!

Hey everyone,

Just a reminder that our next YFN is TOMORROW!  All are welcome – don’t let the “Young” part of “Young Farmer Night” keep you away!!

We will be meeting at 6pm at the Anawan Grange, 118 Bay State Rd, Rehoboth, MA.  There will be a meet & greet, potluck, and panel discussion featuring folks involved with organizations such as the Farm Bureau, RI Agricultural Partnership, National Young Farmers’ Coalition and the New England Farmers’ Union.  Please bring a potluck dish to share and your own plate & fork!

Carpool update: 

Rides needed from Boston and Berkley, MA

Rides offered from South County (leaving from Richmond, RI) and Providence

Reply to this email and post on the Facebook page if you need a ride or have one to offer!

Hope to see you all there!

-Becca, Margiana & Tess

COMPLETE YFN 2013 SCHEDULE

norwell farms seeks field assistants

Located in Norwell, Massachusetts, Norwell Farms is a community-supported farm that strives to bring our community together through nutritious seasonal produce, engaging volunteer opportunities, and local outreach.

This season, we will actively crop 5 of our 7.5 acres, with the remainder of the acreage in soil-building cover crops.  We focus on growing high quality heirloom and open-pollinated produce for an 85-member CSA, a retail farm stand, and local farmer’s markets.  We farm without the use of chemical herbicides, pesticides, or synthetic fertilizers and are taking steps to achieve organic certification.

Field Assistant Description:
Norwell Farms is looking for two Field Assistants who are passionate about hands-on, fast-paced farm work.

full time farm assistant position

Gaining Ground farm is looking for a full-time seasonal assistant farmer. We are an 5 acre nonprofit farm in Concord, MA. Our mission is to grow organic food for hunger relief with the help of volunteers of all ages and abilities. All of our produce goes to food pantries and meal programs in the metro-West & Boston area.

Job Description:
- Average of 40 hours per week throughout the season, April through October
- Includes greenhouse work, transplanting, weeding, harvesting
- Managing volunteer groups of varying numbers, ages, and abilities
-Answering questions/informal education about the farm with all visitors
-Use of tractor and rototiller
-Basic carpentry and farm upkeep

lead teacher at wright-locke farm

April Vacation / Summer Education Program Lead Teacher

Wright-Locke Farm in Winchester, MA is now hiring Lead Teachers for both its April vacation and summer education programs. Lead Teachers should be 18 years or older with the exception of former Counselors-in-Training (CITs) who are at least 16 years old.

A Lead Teacher’s responsibilities include:

• Execution of lessons and activities
• Teaching lessons and leading activities

siena farms seeks apprentices

Sudbury, MA.

We are seeking reliable, hardworking, and dedicated individuals motivated by a strong interest in sustainable agriculture to join our 2013 apprentice team. As an ambitious and innovative farm operation that has grown over seven years to include a four-season CSA and year-round farm store, Siena Farms offers a unique learning environment. Apprentices will participate broadly in the farm’s daily operations, including production, harvest, and marketing, and will work closely with the management team. Training will be both formal and informal, and apprentices will gain extensive hands-on experience. Those with demonstrated aptitude for a particular aspect of our operation will be encouraged to take on responsibility in that area, with the potential to return for additional seasons.

Full description and additional information available at sienafarms.com/jobs.php

native plant salesperson position

Seasonal Native Plant Sales – Nasami Farm Nursery
New England Wild Flower Society seeks a full time/part time Seasonal Native Plant Salesperson for our retail sales area at Nasami Farm Nursery in Whately, MA.  Responsibilities include plant and merchandise sales and care, managing plant orders, and providing excellent customer service. This position offers the additional opportunity to learn about native plant propagation, participate in educational classes and gain practical gardening experience.

Skills
The successful candidate will demonstrate excellent communication skills, work well independently,  have a strong desire to learn, and enjoy working with customers.  The candidate must have botanical interest and understanding and a basic familiarity with horticultural practices. Knowledge of native plants is a strong plus.

NOFA/mass: spring cheese-making workshop series

Online registration for the Spring 2013 NOFA/Mass Cheese-making Workshop Series is open. See here for a full listing of all six workshops: http://www.nofamass.org/events/type/cheese-making

The workshop series takes place at dairies and cheese-making operations throughout Massachusetts. This series provides instruction and training on making a wide variety of cheeses on a small scale without a lot of investment in equipment. These workshops are led by professional cheese-makers, and they are meant for people interested in learning cheese-making for the first time or honing their skills.

Each workshop provides an opportunity to ask questions and gain direct experience in cheese-making. Instruction is hands-on, and participants will be grouped into teams to do the work. Milk is normally supplied to each participant so that they can take home the cheese made during the workshop. Instructors will also provide a general understanding of the cheese-making process. Workshop enrollment is limited to 10 participants.

this weekend! national farmers union convention

New England is hosting the 111th Anniversary National Farmers Union Convention March 2-5, 2013, at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. Producers from across the country will gather to set the policy priorities for 2013. Join them so your needs are heard and advocated for by one of the oldest agricultural organizations in the country!

The conference theme is Making Waves In Agriculture. USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, who hails from western Massachusetts, will deliver the keynote address. Panels will tackle international agriculture, conservation compliance, farm safety, women in agriculture and scaling up to meet demand. Check out the agenda.

+ On Monday night, there’s a Beginning Farmer Mixer! There’ll be talk about what sort of policy change will encourage the development of new, sustainable farm businesses, and also some good old fashioned shit-shooting. It will be a great way to meet young and beginning farmers from all over the country. 

apprentice opportunity in MA

Weir River Farm seeks market garden apprentices for 2013.  Weir River Farm, located in Hingham, Massachusetts, is a property of the Trustees of Reservations. The farm sustainably raises livestock and vegetables and provides educational opportunities for adults and youth. The 4.5 acre market distributes organically-grown produce through a community-supported-agriculture program, a local farmer’s market, restaurants and hunger relief donations.

register now! national farmers union convention

New England is hosting the 111th Anniversary National Farmers Union Convention March 2-5, 2013, at the MassMutual Center in Springfield, Mass. Producers from across the country will gather to set the policy priorities for 2013. Please join us so that New England’s voice can be heard!

The National Farmers Union (NFU) has demonstrated its support of New England producers through its advocacy for farm bill programs that reward conservation, beginning farmers, organic production, dairy reform, and more. Let’s welcome NFU to our great region, and keep the interests of New England’s producers at the forefront of the national agricultural policy agenda.

The conference theme is Making Waves In Agriculture. USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, who hails from western Massachusetts, will deliver the keynote address. Panels will tackle international agriculture, conservation compliance, farm safety, women in agriculture and scaling up to meet demand. Check out the agenda.

With your participation, New England will indeed make waves in agriculture this year. Please register so we know you’re coming!

grange potluck in MA on feb 20 !

Shake off the winter blues with a potluck gathering in Southeastern MA !

Wednesday, Feb. 20th, 2013 – 5:30pm @ The Anawan Grange Hall, Rehoboth, MA [DIRECTIONS]. Meet new farmers and old friends while enjoying home cooked (and grown) potluck delights. YFN is teaming up with the Southeastern Massachusetts Agricultural Partnership (SEMAP) and the Beginning Farmer Network of MA (BFN) to host this event. Join us and learn about what these organizations have to offer, as well as what upcoming events and opportunities are out there for beginning farmers.  Families welcome!

To help us get a sense of how many people plan to come, register (free) at: http://events.r20.constantcontact.com/register/event?oeidk=a07e6vp6tcce7aff0e9&llr=jp7zj6bab

land listing from Trustees of Reservation, early enlightened conservationists

The Trustees of Reservations Seeks Proposals for Farmland

The Trustees, a statewide non-profit land trust, is seeking farmer proposals for up to 8 acres of land in Ashfield, MA.  The land is non-contiguous, a mix of rolling and flat, accessible by public roads, probably most suitable for animals.  There is a large barn available for storage, washing station, CSA pickup, etc. and there is irrigation available.  There is no on-site farmer housing.  The Trustees are seeking a farmer with a business plan who wants to run their own operation in partnership with The Trustees.  There is no fee for the land.  Send proposals or questions to Ellie at elobovits@ttor.org
For more information about the Trustees go to www.thetrustees.org

nursery internship

Internship: New England Wild Flower Society’s Nasami Farm Native Plant Nursery

New England Wild Flower Society offers a 6-month native plant nursery propagation internship for 2013 at Nasami Farm in Whately, MA. The oldest plant conservation organization in the United States, the Society is a leader in regional plant conservation programs and native plant studies. Nasami Farm, the Society’s native plant nursery, produces plants for habitat restoration, wildlife landscapes, garden displays and sale to the public. Interns assist in many facets of nursery operations and gain hands-on experience identifying, propagating, and cultivating North American native plants in a nursery setting. Candidates should possess some botanical understanding, familiarity with horticultural practices, an interest in native plants of the Northeast, excellent communication skills and a strong desire to learn. Application deadline is February 1, 2013. Click here (http://www.newfs.org/jobs/internships/) for a more detailed description and contact information.

cheese making and dairy farm apprenticeship

Cricket Creek Farm is a small grass-based dairy in Western Massachusetts. We make several award-winning artisanal farmstead cheeses from the milk of our herd of Brown Swiss and Jersey cows (currently milking about 25 cows).  We are looking for a dynamic team of 4-5 apprentices to join us for 2013-14. We have two types of apprenticeship opportunities here, on the farm and in the creamery.
Both farm and creamery apprentices attend farmers markets, help with the CSA and general farm maintenance and upkeep. For both the farm and creamery apprenticeship, experience is preferred.  For more information about our apprenticeship and how to apply, check out our website at www.cricketcreekfarm.com.  thanks + looking forward to meeting you!

honkfest

The HONK! Festival is a revolutionary street spectacle of
never-before-seen proportions that will converge for the seventh time in Davis Square, Somerville, MA, from Friday, October 5 through Monday, October 8, 2012!

Wondering what HONK! is all about?
Watch a great video!

Follow us on Twitter for @honkfest updates,
be our friend on Facebook, or sign up for our e-mail list.

Want some HONK! in your home? Please consider hosting some musicians. Email housing (at) honkfest (dot) org if interested.

Much more info at honkfest.org

Across the country and around the world, a new type of street band is emerging. Acoustic and mobile, borrowing repertoire and inspiration from a diverse set of folk music traditions – New Orleans second line brass bands, European Klezmer, Balkan and Romani music, Brazilian Afro Bloc and Frevo traditions, as well as the passion and spirit of Mardi Gras and Carnival– these “honkers” all share a commitment to several core principles. Metaphorically speaking, they honk their horns for the same reasons motorists honk theirs: to arouse fellow travelers, to warn of danger, to celebrate milestones, and to just plain have fun.