NOFA-NY would like to announce two upcoming June field days: “Alternative Meat Markets and Halal Production” and “Certified Hay and Grain Rotations for a Successful Organic Farm Plan”.
“Alternative Meat Markets and Halal Production” will take place from 11:00 AM-2:00 PM on Wednesday, June 20th at Norwich Meadows Farm in Norwich, NY. During this workshop, Zaid Kurdieh will explain how Norwich Meadows Farm has expanded their farm to include on-farm Halal Processing. Attendees will learn the basics of Halal processing, discuss strategies for securing alternative meat markets, and will go home with an understanding of the regulations associated with adding on-farm processing to a farm business, as well as the challenges that produces may encounter when first entering an alternative market.

The “Certified Hay and Grain Rotations for a Successful Organic Farm Plan” goes from 10:00 AM- 1:00 PM on Friday, June 22nd at Mitchell Farms in Avoca, NY. This on-farm field day will feature Jeff and Denise Mitchell at they give a tour of their 200-acre farm. Jeff and Denise will also discuss the on-farm trials that they have been conducting, including the use of farm-harvested red clover seed and frost seeding experiments, as well as trials of food grade wheat, oats, buckwheat, and hay. Weed control, natural re-seeding vs. frost seeding, and other on-farm experiments will be observed prior to grain harvest.

Registration: Please register by calling Stephanie Backer-Bertsch at NOFA-NY at 585-271-1979 x 509, or by registering online at http://www.tinyurl.com/nofanyevents. Registration for Alternative Meat Markets is FREE for NOFA-NY and PASA members and $15/ non-members. Registration for Certified Hay and Grain Rotations is FREE for NOFA-NY members and $15/ non-members.

“Alternative Meat Markets and Halal Production” is supported by USDA Risk Management Agency, Education and Community Outreach Program and the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA).

“Certified Hay and Grain Rotations for a Successful Organic Farm Plan” is supported by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, Grant #2009-49400-05878.

NOFA-NY, Inc. is an organization of consumers, gardeners, and farmers working together to create a sustainable regional food system which is ecologically sound and economically viable. Through demonstration and educational opportunities, we promote land stewardship, organic food production, and local marketing. NOFA-NY brings consumers and farmers closer together to make high quality food available to all people.