AMHERST – Three days of immersive seminars and workshops woven with key note speakers, musical performances and films are intended to raise public awareness of organic agricultural techniques that farmers use today.
From Aug. 10 to 12, the 44th annual Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) Summer Conference will consist of a gathering of farmers, gardeners and activists at Hampshire College. At the event will be educational opportunities and activities on topics relating to sustainable living, food production models and fair, healthy communities.
“Presently, the organic standards are a great concern for our community of organic farmers and consumers, and there are many opinions of what direction the movement should go,” said Jason Valcourt, a coordinator for the event. “We’ll explore through open conversation and debate whether we should be creating add-on labels, just getting in line with the USDA or creating an entirely separate labeling system that organic producers and consumers can rely on.”
Slated for Saturday evening is a discussion that will tackle the future of organic labeling and will include agricultural luminaries of advocacy and scientific backgrounds. Those include Eliot Coleman, author and founder of Four Season Farm in Harborside, Maine, Elizabeth Henderson of Peacework Farm in Newark, N.Y., Lisa Stokke, executive director of Next7.org, and Francis Thicke, a former member of the National Organic Standards Board.
Friday evening’s keynote speaker Rowen White, founder of Sierra Seed of California, is an activist focusing on local seed production and education. Saturday evening’s keynote speaker Eric Holt-Giménez, executive director of Food First, works in California to create a just and fair food system.