Register Here - https://www.nofamass.org/event/organic-on-farm-fertility/

Closed loop, on-farm fertility systems are one of the best ways to bring down costs of amendments, provide robust growing conditions for your farm, and be on the path of climate resilience and adaptability. Join us during your lunch break or while you seed in the greenhouse for this exciting webinar where we discuss how these practices fit into your on farm system as well as the organic movement at large.

Chuck will be addressing some of the specifics around his approach to closed loop fertility practices in tandem with growing and certifying organic. He’ll discuss how farms can find a sense of economic opportunity where these two worlds meet. On farm fertility does not have to be daunting, and can fit well within a certified organic farm. 

Throughout the webinar, we’ll discuss:

• Specific practices used at Freedom Food Farm [compost teas, foliar sprays, etc]

• Ways to integrate new practices into your farm plan

• How these practices qualify as certified organic

• Market opportunities for organic producers

About:

Freedom Food Farm is a certified organic farm on 80 acres in Raynham, MA. They started in 2012 and focus on growing a sustainable, full diet on a year-round basis for their community. The farm is operated by a small team of dedicated farmers.

About the Instructors:

Chuck Currie studied biochemistry and chemistry for two years at UMass Amherst before taking a sustainable agriculture course, visiting a small farm run by someone not much older than him, and instantly realizing he had wanted to be a farmer his entire life. After completing a B.S. in Plant, Soil, and Insect Science in 2005, he worked at Red Fire Farm in Granby, MA for three years before starting his own farm in Vermont. After four years farming in Vermont, Chuck moved back to southeastern Massachusetts with the goal of providing equal access to good food in more urban communities. He started Freedom Food Farm in 2012 on leased land in Johnston, RI and moved to the farm in Raynham, MA in 2014. He has farmed for over 22 years and has taught many workshops on organic, regenerative farming in New England.

Accessibility:

Closed captions will be available.

Holistic Farming for Soil Health and Climate Resiliency

Maintaining a healthy farm ecosystem both improves soils and mitigates the impacts of severe weather events. Join Chuck Currie and Marie Kaziunas of Freedom Food Farm – together they have almost 30 years of organic and regenerative farming experience! Tour their hand-scale no-till market garden and greenhouses, tractor-scale reduced tillage grain/vegetable/forage rotations, rotational grazing system, and compost production. Talk about how these systems interact to provide the tools they need to build organic matter, increase biological activity, and protect the soil, while reducing dependence on off-farm inputs. They’ll also share observations on how these systems can increase crop health, yields, and consistency.

The workshop will be followed by a potluck social hour, please bring a snack or drink if you are able.

Please Register Here

https://nofari.org/event/on-farm-workshop-freedom-food-farm-raynham-ma/

Join us for an opportunity to hear Chuck's thoughts on maintaining and building healthy soil at freedom food farm. FFF includes animal, vegetable, hay, and grain production on 50 + acres. FFF grows much of its own fertilizer and has lately taken steps towards reducing tillage at this relatively large scale.

This workshop is co-hosted by EMassCRAFT

Good fencing is a crucial part of grazing animals on your farm. Learn about different types of fencing, both permanent and temporary, as well as how to set them up and maintain them. We'll cover the benefits of rotationally grazing ruminants, the importance of a grazing plan, and how to develop and implement one on your farm. We'll also demonstrate our new fence line mower, paid for in part by a TIE grant.

Workshop co-hosted by SEMAP