Conference Re-cap and other ACORN news…

Well, well, well, it’s hard to believe a month has now passed since the ACORN Conference. What a whirlwind indeed! Time surely flies. As the year draws to a close, we certainly have a lot to reflect upon….

This past conference in Halifax, NS, was our biggest yet–with over 500 people, a sold-out trade show, an awesome launch at the Khyber, and from 3 years old to 70, a wider demographic of participants that ever before!

The whole shebang started out on Friday, November 11th, after 1pm (of course, we wanted to also honour Remembrance Day) with an opening keynote from ACORN President, Allison Grant (Southfield Organics), Beth McMahon (ACORN) and Sally Bernard (Barnyard Organics). Then the workshops began! We had over 40 scheduled over the course of the weekend, covering topics on Season Extension, Self Sufficiency, Urban Agriculture, Soil Health, and much more! See the full schedule here.

Dark skies and down-pouring rain didn’t deter hundreds of people from turning out though. The line up on Friday stretched between two floors! Hannah, our ever-busy registration coordinator moved fast with other volunteers to get as many people in –and dry!– as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, as a result of the inclement weather, Ann Slater’s flight was delayed, which meant the cancelation of her Friday session, ‘Practical Farmer Safety and Wellbeing.’ Luckily, she was still able to make it in time for the Kick-Off! and for her subsequent resourceful sessions on Direct Marketing.

The Kick-Off was great. What a party! We had five wonderful locally made short-films to screen in the Khyber theatre, including the debut of ACORN’s Meet Your Farmer Bike Tour Doc, by Ian Mauro & Alissa Sylvester–see here or below, and Shaani and Kaia Singh’s award-winning ‘Where The Waters Meet: Sacred Connections Within Community.’ Meanwhile, plenty of food and drinks were served downstairs, supplied by a number of excellent local establishments (PICAROONS!, jane’s on the common, Schoolhouse Gluten-free Gourmet, Planet Organic Market, Local Source Market and Seabright Market Garden), and attendants viewed a series of stunning images displayed by local photographers Stephan Hederich and Tanya Busse.

For the films, it was high priority that we had a well-working lap-top/projector/sound system. I am not exactly the ‘tech-support’ type (yet, anyway), so it was pretty great to arrive and notice that our crew of friends and volunteers had everything up and running super-smooth. From there, the 3rd floor theatre quickly filled over-capacity (people were spilling into the hallway!), for a series of agriculturally inspired films about food, farming, and community.

A small portion of the (packed!) Khyber Theatre on Friday November 11th

The weekend continued in success. The skies cleared and between Saturday and Sunday we offered two full days of workshops, including free public talks on New Farmer Training and ‘Beyond Peak Oil’-Cuba’s approach to sustainable agriculture (featuring Cuban permaculturist Roberto Perez), and Seedy Sunday. Saturday night featured the annual ACORN banquet, with over 230 attendants, a full-3 course meal of all organic, and locally sourced foods. The Silent Auction (our biggest yet), wrapped up around 10pm, with over 100 items (books, seeds, farm and garden equipment, and SO much more) won by our many participants. All proceeds go towards our up-and-coming ‘Grow A Farmer’ program, and we are so grateful for the generosity!

By Sunday, around 5pm, it was hard to believe everything was over. After months of late nights at the office, busy with plans and preparation, the biggest yearly ACORN event was now complete! As people left the hotel to catch flights, or hit the road, whether 40km back to the farm, or across a few border-lines, I departed feeling rather touched by what spirited folks we have here in the Maritimes: growing, selling and promoting quality organic food; working in bettering food policy and government strategies; and/or teaching others about the magic that exists between seed and spoon. We may have a challenging growing climate, but we most certainly have a united community of dedicated participants of all ages and expertise. How encouraging as we continue to strive for a stronger organic food system in Atlantic Canada!

For the record, many others thought the conference was swell, as well! Besides a great feature in the Coast (not online yet), see here for posts and articles from the Commoner, the Year-Round Gardener, the Halifax Media Co-op, Adventures in Local Food and the Chronicle Herald.

Until next time, save the dates everyone! The 13th Annual ACORN Conference and Trade Show will be held in Charlottetown, PE, at the Rodd Charlottetown from November 22-24, 2012.

In other news, things are now changing in the ACORN office too! Beth McMahon, ACORN’s magnificent Executive Director of the past 7 years, has taken on a new position as the Executive Director of Canadian Organic Growers (COG), Canada’s only national organization promoting organic agriculture (join now and subscribe to their fantastic quarterly magazine). Though we’re sure going to miss her around here, boy, are we ever excited about the new prospects on her horizon! In the meantime, I will continue to work on projects for new and aspiring farmers, and Theresa will continue to facilitate many fantastic developments for the New Brunswick organic community.

Thank you again to all that participated in the Conference, and to all that have supported ACORN over the past year: our members, sponsors, volunteers, speakers, farmers and food contributors, trade show exhibitors, and loved ones. What a wonderful team effort! On behalf of the ACORN staff, we wish you happy holidays and all the best in health and prosperity for the year to come!

See below for more photos taken by Tanya Busse (for all of them, see here) and the debut of ‘Bike to Farm!’ – our Meet Your Farmer Bike Tour documentary (Ian Mauro/Alissa Sylvester).

Over 230 attended the ACORN Banquet on Saturday November 12th.

Ann Slater (of Eschol Farms) delivers her workshops on Direct Marketing for Market Gardeners.

So much to choose! Banquet attendants place their final bids on the many amazing silent auction items.

In the midst of conference activities, somehow, some of us were all available–at the same time–for a photo! Unfortunately our fourth crew member, Theresa Richards, was busy dealing with A/V set-up and unable to attend. From left, Beth McMahon, ACORN/COG Executive Director; Lucia Stephen, ACORN Conference and Program Coordinator; and Hannah Hunter, ACORN Registration Coordinator.

Here she is! Theresa, the A/V all-star!

Roberto Perez speaks to a full audience for his session, 'Beyond Peak Oil–Lessons from Cuba's Urban Agriculture Program.'

This post was written by Lucia Stephen, ACORN Conference and ‘Grow A Farmer’ Programs Coordinator. 

Organic Week Highlights in NB!

Organic Week was well-celebrated in New Brunswick, and ACORN took a field trip to visit some of the participating locations. Below is a photo-blog of the Organic Week Highlights!

First of all, I (Theresa, NB ACORN Coordinator) was lucky to be in Fredericton earlier in the week, and Fredericton had definitely started celebrating:  here are some photos from Real Food Connections, Aura Whole Foods, Picaroons and the Blue Door!

Storefront of Real Food Connections–inside they were celebrating Organic Week!

And I just happened to meet farmer Kathy Nason from Springbrook Cranberries who was dropping off a delivery of organic cranberries in the store!

Organic Farmer Kathy Nason and awesome RFC staff!

Aura Whole Foods created some amazing organic displays–showcasing Canadian Organic products!  Aura  also posted awesome photos of the staff holding their favourite Canadian organic products–here’s Jenn (Organic Week Champion) showing off her superstar vegetables!  (see their facebook site here:  https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=216521595080139&set=pu.172131199519179&type=1&theater

Jenn's favourite Canadian Organic product: Local Organic Kale!

During Organic Week, customers at Aura Whole Foods were entered in a draw to win this AMAZING basket of Organic Goodness!

Meanwhile, at Picaroons, the taps were flowing all week with Picaroons’ organic Dark and Stormy!  For every growler sold customers were entered in a draw to win an amazing basket from Real Food Connections–great double promo!  Picaroons also had FREE ORGANIC APPLES for everyone who stopped in!  The apples were from HutLo Acres in Knowlesville, NB–what a treat!  Here’s Leah Anstis (CCNB) posing with the apples in the brewtique!

Leah Anstis enjoying Organic Week at Picaroons Brewtique!

On Monday, I also had a family meal at the Blue Door in Fredericton, who was celebrating Organic Week by featuring daily specials made with local organic meat!  On Monday, the dinner special was Slipp Farm’s chicken breast with awesome carrots and rice pilaf–I’m afraid the picture I took doesn’t do it justice at ALL–but hopefully it will give you a taste.  It was truly a great meal!

The Blue Door's organic Chicken (Slipp Farms) special–DELICIOUS!

On Friday, Beth McMahon (ACORN Ex. Dir) and I decided to take an afternoon to see what Moncton had cooked up for Organic Week–and we had a blast!

First stop was the beautiful Sequoia Whole Foods and Natural Products where Organic Week included beautiful shelf-displays, organic baked goods (made from Speerville Flour Mill‘s flour!) and product samples all week long!  On Friday, they were sampling organic cheese–yumm!  Here’s a photo of Becky and staff holding up the Organic Week banner.

Great staff at Sequoia hold up the Organic Week banner amidst beautiful shelf displays featuring Cdn Organic products!

Beth checking out another of Sequoia's awesome displays!

Sequoia also hosted David Méthot, from Amarosia Organic Gardens, earlier in the week to give a talk and meet with customers.  In addition, Sequoia’s store location hosts the Green Heaven Café, which specializes in raw and organic food–it’s a beautiful spot with AMAZING treats–be sure to stop in next time you’re hungry!

Green Heaven (located in Sequoia) cooked up delicious organic (and raw!) treats all week long!

Next we visited Dolma Foods, where Susan Linkletter’s Earth Friendly Farm organic salads were waiting for us!

Houssein Barar and Susan Linkletter celebrate Organic Week at Dolma Food!

Let's get a close-up of one of those organic salads–yumm!

And here’s a great local organic veggie display featured all week long at Dolma Food:

Dolma Foods Organic Vegetable display

And we got to taste test some of the salads which will be a part of Dolma Foods Salad Bar–featuring an organic salad selection! Trust me–it was AWESOME!

Last but certainly not least, we visited the Corn Crib–where farmer Larry Slipp was hosting a free organic barbeque!  Unfortunately, my pictures from this are a bit washed-out, but I think you’ll get the picture.  People were pretty excited about this and the staff at the Corn Crib were too!  The Corn Crib was also giving away delicious samples of organic popcorn all week, and on Thursday, they had chef Carson Edwards (from the Dune View Inn) doing cooking demonstrations!  Organic Week was a big hit at the Corn Crib!

Lovely staff at the Corn Crib posing with the Organic Week banner!

Free! BBQ with beef from Larry Slipp's Organic Farm: Happy Organic Week from Corn Crib!

Larry Slipp cooking up Burgers at Corn Crib for Organic Week!

Larry Slipp cooking up free organic burgers at Corn Crib last Friday for Organic Week! One pleased passer-by exclaimed, "Wow, where can I get these" and promptly went inside to purchase a pack of patties!

Thanks to everyone who participated in Organic Week this year–farmers, retailers, restaurants and consumers alike!  Together we’re starting to increase awareness and understanding about what organic means in Canada, and how we can eat to save the world!

Productive organic farming; destructive GM feed!

Lately, there has been some interesting research making the news talking about the benefits of organic farms, and the risks of GM food.

Recently, a report on the Farming Systems Trial was released. This is a 30-year comparison of organic and conventional agriculture conducted by the venerable Rodale institute in Pennsylvania. We know that the effects of organic farming (especially changes in the soil) may not be visible in only a short trial. Farmers prefer that researchers study actual working organic farms, however, to do a true comparison you really need a research trial where you can look at two systems side by side.

Three different farming systems were studied:

1. An organic rotation (corn, soybeans, corn silage, wheat and red clover-alfalfa hay) with added manure that would be common on a dairy or beef operation
2. A shorter organic rotation including corn, soy, wheat and legume cover crops
3. A conventional corn-soy rotation that used synthetic fertilizer, pesticides and (starting in 2008) GMO crops

All of the systems grew corn or soybean in their rotation so that researchers could compare between those crops.

This has been a really influential research project. Many researchers have used this trial to study the how organic farming affects crop yield, farm profitability, soil characteristics, greenhouse gas emissions, energy use, and effects on groundwater.

So what are the take-home messages? The report summarizes them as:

• Organic yields match conventional yields.
• Organic outperforms conventional in years of drought.
• Organic farming systems build rather than deplete soil organic matter, making it a more sustainable system.
• Organic farming uses 45% less energy and is more efficient.
• Conventional systems produce 40% more greenhouse gases.
• Organic farming systems are more profitable than conventional.

I encourage you to check out the report for more details about each of these points. But this photo was my take home message:

(Courtesy of the Rodale Institute 2011)

Isn’t it amazing? The soil on the left is from the organic trial, the soil on the right is from the conventional one.  Research has shown that the organic systems have higher soil organic matter, microbial biomass, carbon, and nitrogen. In years with low rainfall, high yields from the organic system demonstrated the benefit to increasing organic matter – the organically managed soil holds water more effectively and resists drought.

This trial provides another example of how organic growers can compete with conventional farmers, and help better the environment too!

The second study that hit the news recently was a review of 19 different research papers looking at the effects of GMO crops fed to animals, published in Environmental Sciences Europe 23:10. The crops of concern (corn and soybean) included genes that allowed them to tolerate the herbicide glyphosate (Roundup Ready) or, in the case of corn, had other genes that produce their own pesticides. The authors reviewed the studies and performed a meta-analysis of rat toxicity data from several trials.

The findings were disturbing: liver and kidney problems were observed in animals in many of the trials, and the results tended to differ between males and females. So why are these crops having negative effects on animals? The researchers explain that the crops contain pesticides that are toxic, and the effects of this in the diet are emerging through poor weight gain and effects on organs. Roundup Ready crops have been engineered to survive being sprayed with this herbicide (glyphosate). The resulting crops have residues from the herbicide and can absorb the herbicide (and adjuvant) into their cells. Roundup has been shown to be toxic to hepatocytes, which are the cells that make up the liver.

Crops like Bt corn produce an insecticide themselves, through the insertion of mutated genes from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt). So, you directly eat the toxin they are producing. In the trials reviewed, male rats fed Bt corn had smaller kidneys that were malfunctioning. While the results were statistically significant, many of the trials (including those sponsored by biotech firms) concluded that the results were too small to be ‘biologically significant’. The study’s authors felt this was dismissive of actual effects – if health effects were apparent after only a short trial, then long-term problems may emerge.

They also questioned if the methods used by some of the researchers were sound. Most of the research done used very few animals, and the feeding trials were three months or less. They suggest using longer toxicological tests that assess other parameters (such as hormones and reproductive effects), and test pregnant females and several generations to determine if the effects are chronic in nature.

Given the short duration of the testing of all of these GM crops, it feels like we are all part of a much larger research trial. It is good to see some researchers are beginning to question the science done by biotechnology firms and herbicide producers. It makes me more committed to eat organic whenever possible; the best way to eliminate your exposure to GM food and pull yourself out of the giant experiment!

Changes to the Organic Standard

As of June 2011, the Canadian Organic Standard and Permitted Substances List have been updated. This is the third revision since the original publication date. You may be wondering “Why so many changes?” Some of the amendments are corrections or clarifications, and others are more substantive – to allow the standard to adapt to new information, changes in the sector (such as availability of ingredients or materials) or research findings.

Some highlights of the June 2011 revision:

Parallel Production (5.1.2): The prohibition on all parallel crop production that was put in place in 2008 has now been lifted for some forms of production. These are:

• Perennial crops (already planted)
• Agricultural research facilities
• Seed production
• Vegetative propagating materials and transplants

These changes were advocated by many growers in our region and in other areas of Canada. This revision brings us in line with standards in the EU, but is more restrictive than in the US where all forms of parallel production are allowed. Split production (where you can produce different crops conventionally and organically on the same farm) has always been permitted.

If you are producing crops in parallel production, there are going to be some tighter requirements. Producers must have clear separation between organic and non-organic products, and maintain accurate records at all stages of production and sale. Certification bodies will need an inspection of both organic and conventional crops before harvest and a production audit after harvest, to ensure there is no chance for cross contamination.

This amendment proved to be controversial; while most farmer organizations were in favour of the change, a blog hosted by the Organic Federation of Canada had many negative comments from concerned consumers (and some farmers too). As always, organic farms are required to have a plan of eventual transition of their farm to 100% organic.

Initial Application Dates: For new crop producers, the first certification application must be filed 15 months in advance of the date you plan to market your product for the following products:

• Field crops (5.1.1)
• Maple (7.2.8)
• Greenhouse in-ground production (7.5.1)

This brings the standard in line with the Organic Product Regulations. So, if your harvest begins in early July, then you would need to have your application in by March 31 of the previous year. On the other hand, if you are a maple syrup producer and you plan to begin sales in March 2012, you should have submitted your application by the beginning of December 2010. Note that this only applies to new applicants, not existing producers (although it’s always good to get your application in on time and avoid those late fees!).

A few more notable changes for crops are that the requirements for maple syrup production will now apply to birch syrup (7.2), and the harvest of wild crops must occur 1 km from potential sources of contamination like dumps or golf courses (7.6.4).

Bedding for livestock can now be non-organic if organic is not available (6.8.1.h). Similar to the requirements for organic seed, you need to conduct a search and contact known organic producers. If you do use non-organic bedding, it cannot be produced from genetic engineering, and like mulch, must be uncontaminated for 60 days prior to harvest. This would allow the use of fertilizers but not post-emergent herbicides or desiccants (used to dry down some crops prior to harvest).

Livestock: there were many changes made to these sections to better reflect current good management practices and animal welfare considerations.

For Ruminants fed silage, section 6.4.3c states that at least 15% of total dry matter in the ration must be from long fiber forage (>10 cm stem length). This replaces a previous requirement that asked producers to use dry hay, which was argued to be impractical in humid climates or during especially rainy seasons.

Poultry (6.8.11) – this section was reworked to add a number of new clauses, including:

• Birds can be confined if there is an emergency situation threatening bird health (keep records to document why) (11.1c) or during onset of lay (11.1e).
• Ducks & geese need to have access to a water area, which should be designed to minimize contact with wild waterfowl (11.2)
• Housing must provide enough drinkers and feeders, and access to enough nests according to best management practices (11.3). What are best management practices? Check the National Codes from the National Farm Animal Council
• Access to perch area of 18 cm/hen, but this can include nest rails or raised flooring areas (11.4)
• Coops with slatted floors should have a minimum of 30% solid floor area (11.6)
• Natural light must be provided; if it is supplemented with artificial then normally the total duration of light should not be more than 16 hours/day (11.8.)

For Pigs/Wild Boars (6.8.13), the following changes apply:

• Limit of 2.5 sows/ha for farrow-to-finish operators; the farms must have access to sufficient land to spread manure (13.1)
• Their housing must allow access to the outdoors (13.2) and an area for rooting (13.7)
• Pigs may be restrained to protect piglets or for sows in heat; this is for a maximum of five days (13.3)
• Piglets should not be weaned <4 weeks of age (earlier is permitted only if animal welfare is compromised) (13.4)
• Nose rings are not allowed (13.8)

Cleaners, disinfectants and sanitizers not on the Permitted Substances List may now be used only if permitted products are demonstrated to be ineffective (8.3.8). There are stricter requirements if non-PSL products are to be used. Testing must be done to demonstrate that the cleaner/sanitizer/disinfectant can be effectively removed from all organic food-contact surfaces; this removal will need to be documented after each cleaning to ensure no contamination of organic food. The effluent from cleaning will need to be neutralized before disposal.

Hope that all makes sense! Please get in touch if you have any questions about these changes or any aspect of transition to organic farming – we can help you find the answers you need.

Written by Roxanne Beavers, ACORN Extension Specialist. Have an organic question on certification or transitioning? Email Roxanne (Roxanne @ acornorganic [dot] org)

Road Trip!

Yahoo! The ACORN staff left our Sackville (NB) office on Monday morning, heading to the Hants County coastline to make some long-awaited visits to ACORN member farms!

As we drove down the winding highway 215, our staff all went a little photo snappy as we were reminded of the beauty of this region of Nova Scotia–a seemingly great place to find gorgeous farmland (see pics below)!

This trip was organized to finalize details for the upcoming Nova Scotia “Meet Your Farmer” bike tours–being held on Sunday, August 7^th  (save the date!). Funded in part by Stonyfield Dairy, ACORN’s project is the proud recipient of the top national prize in Stonyfield’s Profit for The Planet program. Designed for more than just cycling-enthusiasts, this project is about pure enjoyment: beautiful scenery, organic farms, local food tastings, and an easy-going pace. The Meet Your Farmer bike tours are intended to provide people with a memorable summertime experience as well as a deeper connection to their local food producers.

As we drove along the picturesque road, we envisioned the 10km bike tour, nearly six weeks away, mapped out with activities, rest-points and a bounty of fresh fruit and veggies, ripe and ready for consumption! Freshly picked organic blueberries anyone? Sounds like an ideal snack after the exercise of a bike ride. The ride will then end with an IncrEdible Picnic and local food celebration!

So back to the day trip… We stopped in at Selwood Green and toured the greenhouses with owner/farmer Norbert Kungl; Ironwood Wood farm, owned and operated by Rupert Jannasch; Southfield Organics, run by Allison Grant, current President of the ACORN board of directors; and two ACORN members who offer organic farm-based apprenticeships during the growing season: Oak Manor Farm, managed by Jamie Cornetta for the past twenty years, and Horse and Garden Organic Farm, run by Charlotte Harper. Besides checking in with these busy farmers, we also met their cats, dogs, chickens, boars, ducks, horses, pigs, and cows that also contribute to the farm-land in one way or another.

Despite the endless rain of this Maritime spring, veggies are certainly green, healthy and growing on these farms! We learned of the benefits that a high tunnel can bring (see Rupert’s tomatoes below), and fully realized the crop delays that can come with long stretches of grey skies. Regardless of unfortunate weather circumstances, these farmers are maintaining positive attitudes and are all busy prepping their CSAs and market stands.

It was a great day and we are already looking forward to our return in August with a crew of cyclists and crossing our fingers for bright, sunny skies!

Check out the new blog for the Meet Your Farmer bike tours, designed by our lovely new intern and ACORN bike-tour coordinator, Erin Orsztynowicz. Registration will soon be available so keep checking the site for regular updates as we confirm more details!

For those in New Brunswick, mark Sunday August 14^th for the Meet Your Farmer bike tour in Bouctouche!

For those in Prince Edward Island, stay tuned for the date announcement (we’re thinking early September)!

Check out the photos below, and to view a full gallery, see here.

The Walton Look-out

Tomatoes growing at Ironwood Farm!

A beautiful view of (part of!) Ironwood Farm, one of the stops along the NS Meet Your Farmer bike tour.

Ms. President, Allison Grant, of Southfield Organics, greeting Frisco the boar at Oak Manor Farm.

A beautiful view from Oak Manor Farm, in Summerville, NS.

Brassicas growing at Southfield Organics.

Allison Grant, of Southfield Organics, Newport, NS.

At last! The first salad greens of the season! Freshly harvested from Horse and Garden Organic Farm.

 

Organic Pricing

This post will be short and sweet.

Many members wonder if they are pricing their products well and are interested in knowing what others are selling for. ACORN has tried to collect this information locally, but at the height of production, no one is really answering/returning our phone calls!

In the absence of local information, we thought to share with you other pricing resources from across North America which will provide some guidance. If you know of others, let us know. But at the end of the day, you should really know what your Cost of Production is, because staying in business is Priority #1.

Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario (July 2010)

http://www.efao.ca/index.cfm?pagePath=Market_Prices/Vegetables&id=27243

Maine Organic Pricing Index (May 2011)

http://www.mofga.org/Publications/OrganicPriceReports/tabid/260/Default.aspx

Rodale’s Organic Pricing Reports (June 2011)

http://newfarm.rodaleinstitute.org/opx/product_choose.php 

BC Organic Wholesale Prices

http://www.certifiedorganic.bc.ca/rcbtoa/services/prices.html

 

 

 

 

 

Lending A Hand: Volunteer Farm Labour

For those of you interested in volunteering on a farm–or hosting volunteers on your farm–the latest issue of Small Farms Canada, features a great series of articles–from the pros and cons of volunteering, to the legalities and liabilities of volunteer farm labour, and even how to optimize an on-farm volunteer experience.

The first in the series, To WWOOF or not to WWOOF, was of particular interest to me as it shared the experience of four farms that have participated in the World-Wide-Opportunities-on-Organic-Farms organization, a network that many friends of mine have used while traveling abroad. The article provided insight into what volunteer farm labour is all about, raising issues of communication, accommodation and expectations.

I concluded that while WWOOFing exists to provide those interested in agriculture with an opportunity to learn, education is not the main focus of the exchange. It is certainly an interesting and low-cost means to travel, but many volunteers are often not 100% engaged with the labour, as they can be more distracted by their new surroundings and their next destination. One farmer found that WWOOFers are generally looking for a “relaxed reconnection with their food”, but that doesn’t always translate into a greater commitment than 4-hours per day (WWOOFers are expected to work 4-6 hours/day in exchange for room and board).

For farms that are looking for greater commitment, free room and board are just the beginning of establishing an attractive volunteer farm position. These days, diligent and efficient volunteer workers may be difficult to come by–especially considering the frequently early rises and long work hours that do not put dollars in their pockets! So there needs to be another incentive:

Education. Free education! With university tuition on the rise and limited job offerings, finding anything for free is still such a pleasure, right?

For some, the idea of exchanging volunteer work for a rich education seems a utopic situation. The opportunity to work outdoors, learn about ecological connections, and to develop a deeper understanding of the earth and how local food systems can really work are elements a typical educational program rarely provides. It is a fine balance though­ and long days (and patience) will be required from both the farmer and volunteer.

Volunteering (WWOOFING or otherwise) is not for everyone. And unfortunately some don’t realize this until they have signed up for a lonnnggg season, resulting in unhappy experiences for both the volunteer and the farmer.

So the question is: What kind of experience are you looking for?

According to the WWOOF Canada website:

WWOOF is an exchange – In return for volunteer help, WWOOF hosts offer food, accommodation and opportunities to learn about organic lifestyles.

Comparatively, the mandate for SOIL (a national sustainable farm apprenticeship program) states:

SOIL links Canadian farmers willing to take on and train apprentices with folks wanting to work and learn on an organic farm using sustainable practices. We aim to create apprenticeships which transfer lasting knowledge to both the farmer and the apprentice.

With those two statements in mind, your decision to offer–or participate in–an on-farm volunteer program may become clearer.

If you’re travelling and looking for an interesting place to stay and learn, and willing to do some physical work then WWOOFING might be for you. Similarly, if your farm is busy and you’re unable to devote enough time to educate on the agricultural reasons for the tasks being done, but you’d appreciate some volunteer help, you may be an ideal WWOOF host. It’s also an opportunity to meet people from other cultures and backgrounds, without leaving home.

For those seeking more formalized agricultural education (such as ecology, marketing, business management and more), organizations like SOIL exist to provide a farm-based, experiential learning strategy.  These apprenticeship-type programs have proven to help volunteers develop and succeed in their subsequent agricultural endeavours (or else determine that farming is not for them!).

Apprentice-based programs offer farmers an opportunity to be empowered in a new role as a teacher, providing knowledge for future farmers. Longer-term programs may also provide you new inspiration, ideas and the possibility to learn new technology and skills from apprentices. Some apprentices may even stay on as permanent staff.

Whatever you decide, make sure that you (as volunteer or farmer) have a clear understanding of expectations. If you are signing up for a longer-term commitment, put something in writing (an email will do). Volunteering on a farm requires a good working relationship–and just like a strong marriage–communication is the key to success.

ACORN–a year in review

I just finished writing our Annual Report for our Maritime Province government funders (ACORN receives about 5% of our annual funding from each Maritime Department of Agriculture). We were all impressed to see just what had been done in a year’s time with only one full-time staff, interns and contractors. If you’ve ever wondered what we spend our time on, or why you should pay $30 to join ACORN, here are the highlights from 2010/2011:

•  ACORN was the only regional organization partner for Canada’s first “Organic Week” and successfully developed special events and/or promotions in every Atlantic Province;
• Worked with partners (OTA, ACOA, AAFC and provinces) to hold an Educational Mission to Boston for Expo East and All Things Organic, including coordinating the first Atlantic Canadian organic trade show exhibit for industry;
• Represented Atlantic Canada at the first Canadian Organic Extension Meeting in Banff, AB, and have continued work on the initiative;
• Completion of white paper on the extensive use of unsubstantiated organic claims across Maritimes;
• Accepted invitation to sit on the Organic Value Chain Roundtable and attended Winnipeg meetings;
• Organic Grains Market Study marked the completion of the four-year Organic Grains Network project;
• Continued Organic Berry Network with regional researchers meeting, two newsletters, and conference workshop stream;
• Expanded the third year of Organic Transition Services with NRC-IRAP partnership through hiring of a new Coordinator, Roxanne Beavers, in addition to Rupert Jannasch;
•  Three webinars held with transition team–organic standards, potting soil, incorporating livestock into vegetable production–as well as in-person farm meetings in each province;
• Two surveys conducted on CSAs–one for members (400+ responses) and one for businesses (30+ responses)–with results shared with CSA network and members;
• ACORN completed the 11^th annual organic conference and trade show in Fredericton with close to 500 participants, 50 workshops, and over 35 exhibitors;
• New Organic Farmers Forum held, drawing over 70 people from across Atlantic Canada;
• First Organic Kids Conference held in Atlantic Canada with 21 children, aged 4-12;
• Meeting for regional organic inspectors held to discuss critical issues and training needs;
• CFIA/Canada Organic Office consultation provided for inspectors and certifiers;
• Secured Career Focus grant to assist with hiring of SOIL Apprenticeships (sustainable farm apprenticeship program) regional coordinator;
• Implemented the Local & Organic campaign in Nova Scotia with new brochure and signage for all certified producers;
• Continued work with NB-ACORN committee with two in-person meetings for the NB Strategic Plan, prioritization exercise, and hiring of project coordinator. ACORN also lead the NB organic program funding request and certification cost-sharing initiative;
• Worked with PEI COPC to provide strategy, budgets, and RFP framework for developing its provincial strategic planning process;
• Provided Nova Scotia with NB survey and background information, as well as industry outreach, to ensure success in its provincial strategic plan process;
• Organization of APEX table for organic businesses;
• French on-line resources updated and revised;
• Creation of new farm grants wiki for information sharing across agricultural sector;
• Participated in Growing Forward II consultations;
• Regional statistics developed in partnership with Anne Macey.

This list is by no means exhaustive, and there are many more projects and responsibilities that ACORN has been involved in over the year. We also update the organic database for all certified farms and businesses in Atlantic Canada, as well as CSAs, farmers markets, organic retailers and more. We are active in the development of the Canada Organic Standards and the national organic products regulation–ensuring continued rigour for organics.

ACORN is also a leading source of information on organic agriculture for both farmers and consumers. In the past year alone, the organization has issued twelve e-newsletters (with more than 2000 subscribers), four member newsletters, two PEI newsletters, one New Brunswick newsletter, two Grains Network newsletters and two Berry Network newsletters. We also attend events and speak at various meetings across the region.

Not a member? Please consider joining ACORN today. For any member renewals or new memberships received by May 30th, you’ll be entered into a draw to win a night’s stay at the Holiday Inn in Oromocto! You are also entitled to our sincere appreciation.

It has been another outstanding year for ACORN and we greatly appreciate the on-going financial and in-kind support from all its partners. ACORN is extremely appreciative of the assistance received from the Maritime Provinces and support of the organic industry generally.

Webinar resources for organic growers

One of the best ways to learn about new or interesting practices in agriculture is to talk to someone face-to-face.

Reading about farming can only take you so far; inspiration and detailed information can come from great human resources. Talking to expert growers or researchers at on-farm workshops, tours, and conferences like the fabulous ACORN conference (coming up in Dartmouth NS in November 2011!) is great, but what do you do when you can’t leave the farm?

High gas prices combined with too much to do during the growing season make traveling impractical for most of the year. Fortunately, the Internet comes to the rescue!

A webinar from CFBMC on Root Cellars

 

This winter, I’ve become a lover of webinars – online seminars. They have become popular as a way to discuss agricultural topics, driven (in Canada) by the Agriwebinars offered by the Canadian Farm Business Management Council. A computer with highspeed Internet is all that us necessary to get started.

There are two ways to experience a webinar: live and archived. Attending a live webinar is great if you have questions for a presenter. There is usually a ‘chat’ mechanism where you can type in or email your questions to the presenter to get answers – an amazing chance to talk directly to resource people. Archived webinars don’t allow this interactivity, but are great when you can’t attend the session ‘in person’. I sometimes set up a webinar to run while I am doing something else (like laundry) and feel much smarter after that hour is up!

So what’s out there for organic growers?

Agriwebinar.com – the Canadian Farm Business Management Council site

This site has a ton of webinars on business, marketing and financial topics useful for both organic and non-organic growers at a variety of scales. There are also some covering more practical techniques. You will be asked to register before you view a webinar, but it’s a simple process that you only need to do the first time you visit the site.

This spring, an Ontario grower (Tarrah Young) presented a cool one on Root Cellars, discussing a variety of different styles and showing how they transformed their swimming pool into a root cellar! There were also several webinars presented this year by the Canadian Organic Growers based on their publications: these are interesting and definitely useful for new farmers.

• Transition to Organic Livestock Production
• Making the Transition to Small Scale Organic Produce Farming
• Recordkeeping for Organic Growers

You can also check out two sessions that were cosponsored by ACORN in 2010:

• Creating a Successful Farm Apprenticeship Program with Rowena Hopkins
• The Organic Plan for New and Established Growers with Rupert Jannasch

Also, there are some presentations sponsored by the Certified Organic Association of BC – a worthwhile one to watch is Jane Morrigan’s Using Grandin-like Principles in Livestock Production: Small Things Sure Can Make a Difference

OACC:

The Organic Agriculture Centre of Canada presented some Seminars in 2008 for organic practitioners that are now posted online. Principles of Organic Horticulture was presented by Frédéric Thériault from Tourne-Sol Cooperative Farm (the same farm as Dan Brisebois, a popular presenter at this year’s ACORN conference) and covers different options for rotations and different fertility amendments.

US Extension: eOrganic

Looking further afield, I was thrilled to discover a portal for US organic agriculture extension information. Called eOrganic.info, it connects educators, researchers, and farmers and presents recent news, extension articles, and links to webinars and research presentations on You Tube. As the topics are specific to the US context, there is some variation from what we do up here but the production information is pretty relevant. They have a big list of available Webinars, including…

• Cover Crop Selection
• High Tunnel Production and Low Cost Tunnel Construction
• Grafting for Disease Management in Organic Tomato Production
• Transitioning Organic Dairy Cows Off and On Pasture
• Third-Party Audits for Meat Processors

This winter, ACORN offered three workshops using this format, covering topics like Changes to the Organic Standards, Including Livestock on your Vegetable Operation, and Preparing Potting Soils. They aren’t archived online, but the presentations can be emailed to you if requested. We used a combination of telephone conference call and slideshow so that attendees could ask questions over the phone. This led to some great discussion among growers across the Maritimes.

Are there any disadvantages to webinars? Although the technology is pretty advanced, you may encounter technical difficulties. I have a Mac, and in some webinars the slideshow panels are cut off so I can’t see the whole slide. Someone more tech-savvy than I could probably figure out a solution. You may start a presentation only to find it is not to your liking (although it’s easier to turn off a webinar than to sneak out of a workshop early)! Finally, the biggest disadvantage is that it keeps me indoors in front of a computer when I could be putting my newly learned skills into practice. On that note, I’m logging off now.

Written by Roxanne Beavers, ACORN Extension Specialist. Have an organic question on certification or transitioning? Email Roxanne (Roxanne @ acornorganic [dot] org)

Springtime Subjects

Well, well, well. Is it safe to say winter is over? It is nearing the end of April and I shiver at the thought of further snow forecasts (we are expecting more here in Sackville!). But the crocuses are up and the seedlings are getting started. And now is a perfect time to go over some food-related resources – from CSA options to gardening tips – available to get you excited for the months ahead.

The ACORN website is a rich source of information available for gardeners and food lovers alike, and for whatever interests you, there are certainly plenty of resources to share. Such as…..

1)  CSAs!

Many CSA farms are now taking orders for the season! For those of you unfamiliar with the term CSA, it stands for Community Supported Agriculture, a growing market for farmers, providing another great avenue for folks to get more acquainted with their local organic food producers. It involves a system through which customers sign up for a share in the farm at the beginning of the season, and receive a regular box of food from the farm, that may come weekly or bi-weekly. What fills these boxes depends on the season, and the type of CSA offered. Though many CSAs in the Maritimes are based with vegetables and fruit, there are also producers offering meat, fish, bread and full meal CSAs.

Check out the ACORN database to search for a full listing of CSAs in the Maritimes. Many of the farm websites are indicating their offerings for the season, and they are looking for your support!

2)  Growing!

It’s not too late to place your seed order! Whether you’ve got a few milk crates kicking around, (even some old rubber boots!), participate in your local community garden (or would like to develop one), or already have a large plot of land, you can certainly grow some delicious food to provide for yourself and others.

There are four primary – and fantastic – organic seed sources in the Maritimes that still have plenty of seeds available, but order now as they are going quick!

Annapolis Seeds (not certified)

Hope Seeds (ACO Certified)

Pumpkin Moon Farm (ACO Certified)

Veseys Seeds sells certified organic seed potatoes, garlic and seeds.

These farms all have online catalogues for you to peruse – with photos!

*FYI to our lovely local producers: there is a big market for certified organic seed potatoes that is in need of expanded supply! Many sources have already sold out for the season and certainly, for long-term planning these may be good to include in your business and growing plans!

If you are looking for some, Fred Dollar from Kentdale Organic Produce Inc. in PEI has just informed us that he’s got some available! See here for contact info.

3) Greenhouses!

Let’s be frank folks, Maritime weather ain’t consistent, and sometimes consistency is particularly necessary for small growing plants.

Certainly, having an accessible greenhouse can allow for some flexibility while you prep the earth for food growing! While there are some lucky folks that have found successful ways of maintaining local greens all through the dead of the winter, now’s a great time to consider affordable and simple ways to create your own. Chard, tomatoes and flowers (and many others!) can all be started up right now and the use of some window panes can be all that you need to build that necessary bit of shelter!

If you don’t have one, don’t fret! It’s not too difficult to establish. The ACORN website features several articles on greenhouse production (just type GREENHOUSE in our search directory) and there are plenty of resources available on how to create one affordably and easily (such as this).

So out with the old, and in with the new!

This is the season of new beginnings and there is never a wrong time to start learning about growing organic food!

HAPPY SPRING EVERYONE!

With love from,

The ACORN office.