UMass Amherst is pleased to host NOFA's annual conference and to provide several workshops led by UMass faculty and staff. These include:
Amanda Brown, Lecturer of Sustainable Food and Farming, Stockbridge School of Agriculture will lead a tour of the UMass Agricultural Learning Center covering projects including: student farm, pollinator conservation, Food For All, urban agriculture, beekeeping, using bio-char, and alternative heating sources for off the-grid greenhouse growing.
Tom Smiarowski and Paul Russell, Agricultural Risk Management Specialists with UMass Extension. They will give an overview of the five areas of agricultural risks (production, marketing, financial, legal & human) and discuss steps to manage them including government programs that can help in managing agricultural risk.
Brianna Mann, Stockbridge School of Agriculture Gradate within the Sustainable Horticulture Program will help attendees gain awareness of how perspectives play a role within a group settings and how they influence the decisions we all make each day in our lives
Lilly Israel: Certified permaculture designer and manager of the UMass Permaculture gardens will offer a tour of the gardens at Franklin Dining Commons. This is a growing space featuring over 150 edible plant species, which has become a hub for hands-on learning at UMass.
Lisa McKeag, Program Staff, UMass Vegetable Production, will teach participants how to identify and scout for pests. She will cover scouting techniques, determining action thresholds, and other integrated pest management strategies to help you manage vegetable pests preventively and ecologically.
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