Category Archives: Activism & Organizing

The Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training

  By Farm Aid | May 21, 2013 - 9:00 am | , , ,
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The Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training – or CRAFT— is a farmer-led coalition that helps to prepare the next generation of farmers. The program started in 1994 in upstate New York and has since spread across the U.S. and Canada.

CRAFT networks offer a unique opportunity for new and beginning farmers to share ideas, resources, and skills through a variety of formal and informal learning.  Apprentices participate in regular gatherings at local farms where mentor farmers talk about a range of issues for farm operations. Collaborative on-farm learning fosters farmer-to-farmer relationships and creates a social network within the local community for people just starting out in agriculture. Programing includes: farms interns/apprentices, mentoring, field days, technical assistance, workshops, conferences, social gatherings, strategic business planning courses, farm incubators, and more.

Below are just a few of the many CRAFT projects happening across the country. Click here to learn about additional CRAFT groups, and contact CRAFT@learngrowconnect.org or 815-389-8455 with any questions.

 

Chesapeake CRAFT

Maryland, Virginia, Maryland

Chesapeake CRAFT was founded in 2010 and has grown significantly since then. The program offers farm tours and potlucks throughout the growing season to build the regional farming network. Events, like farm tours, take place on twelve Mondays throughout the growing season starting at 3:30pm. They are followed by a potluck dinner. The next farm tour is June 3rd at Common Good City Farm in Washington, DC. The fee for joining Chesapeake CRAFT is $150.00, which includes attendance of all farm staff to any CRAFT event during the season. For more information e-mail chesapeakecraft@gmail.com.

 

Sierra CRAFT

California

Farmers who make up this CRAFT group stem from Sierra, Plumas, Yuba, Nevada, Placer and Eldorado Counties in the Sierra Mountains of California. The group provides on-farm field days throughout the year for farmers and ranchers, a listserv, and farm business planning classes—all to create an exchange of information between area farmers. Sierra CRAFT is funded by a grant from the Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program of the USDA.

 

CRAFT Southeast

Tennessee, North Carolina

CRAFT Southeast launched in 2012 with a goal to strengthen sustainable farming in the Southern Appalachian region. The groups started with funding provided by the Beattie Foundation, and by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture. Established farmers and aspiring farmers alike are encouraged to join. Contact Cameron with questions at 828-338-9465 or cameron@organicgrowersschool.org

 

Kentucky CRAFT

Kentucky

KY CRAFT focuses on the bond between mentors and interns as a vital way to grow careers in organic farming. Their mission is to not only broaden future farmers’ awareness of sustainable agriculture opportunities, but also to showcase a variety of regional operations. The group holds monthly workshops and hosts a community calendar that displays field days and other events hosted at KY CRAFT farms.

 

Northwest Lower Michigan CRAFT

Michigan

The Northwest Lower Michigan CRAFT is all about community. Farms that want to join must do two things: 1) host a CRAFT event during the growing season; and 2) allow their interns and apprentices to attend CRAFT events. Events generally consist of farm tours, a 30-60 minute demonstration of a farming skill, and a potluck meal. Hosting farms may join CRAFT for free; individuals not connected to a member farm can attend events for a recommended donation of $5-10 per tour. Contact Amanda Kik at 231-622-5252 or amanda@artmeetsearth.org for more information.

 

North Fork Valley CRAFT

Colorado

The North Fork Valley CRAFT runs a lecture series as well as farm tours on participating farms throughout the growing season. There is also an intern Round Table dinner that includes sharing current events, experiences and support systems. The next CRAFT program is a Large Scale Compost workshop on June 4th. Upcoming classes include fruit growing, and permaculture. Contact Lynn Ruoff at lynnruoff@gmail.com or 970-319-9434 for more information.

Upcoming Food Sovereignty Summit in Wisconsin

  By Farm Aid | March 20, 2013 - 3:00 pm | , , ,
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The Oneida Nation, First Nations Development Institute, Intertribal Agriculture Council and Northeast Wisconsin Technical College invite you to this year’s Food Sovereignty Summit. Learn from Native nonprofits and Native nations about best practices in the areas of food sovereignty and food systems.

This year’s summit will be held April 15-18 in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
 
The summit offers three professional training tracks (though attendees can attend sessions in multiple tracks): 

Track 1: Sustainable Agricultural Practices

Track 2: Community Outreach and Development

Track 3: Business Management, Finance and Marketing

Registration rates are as follows:

Student–$80.00 for full conference
Food Producers–$100.00 for 1 day /
$150.00 for full conference
Non-Food Producers–$150.00 for 1 day / $250.00 for full conference
—–

Click here for more information and to see a summit schedule.

Are You Counted? USDA Extends Ag Census Deadline

  By Farm Aid | March 4, 2013 - 10:39 am |
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It’s not too late to be counted in the U.S. Census of Agriculture!

Farmers and ranchers across the country are heeding the call to have their voices heard and their farms represented in the 2012 Census of Agriculture. With 1.4 million Census forms returned, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) thanks everyone for speaking up by sending in their Census form.

For those who missed the deadline, USDA reminds producers that their farm is important and needs to be counted. As a result, Census forms are still being accepted.

Farmers and ranchers can return their forms by mail or online by visiting a secure website, www.agcensus.usda.gov. Federal law requires all agricultural producers to participate in the Census and requires NASS to keep all individual information confidential. Anyone with over $1,000 in ag sales in 2012 is considered a farmer for the Census of Agriculture.

*Those that didn’t receive a questionnaire in the mail should sign up at the same site by March 31 and USDA will send them a questionnaire.

Certified Pesticide Drift Monitor Trainings in Iowa

  By Farm Aid | February 25, 2013 - 9:00 am | ,
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Pesticide Action Network North America (PANNA) created the “Drift Catcher” to help communities document and provide proof of chemical exposure to pesticides. A Drift Catcher is a simple, inexpensive and scientifically robust device that collects air samples that can be analyzed for pesticides. PANNA’s one-day trainings teach farmers, farmworkers, and anyone living in agricultural areas to operate Drift Catchers and document pesticide drift at the local level.

PANNA is holding upcoming Pesticide Drift Monitor Trainings in Iowa on March 9th and 10th. Those interested should apply as soon as possible by filling out this short questionnaire.

OFRF Leads First-ever Organic Phone Flash Mob!

  By Farm Aid | September 18, 2012 - 12:56 pm | , ,
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Pick up the phone and join Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) in their first Organic Phone Flash Mob to Congress! At 3:00 pm on Wednesday, September 19th, OFRF will lead the callers at the Organic Trade Association’s annual Organic Summit and at home in dialing their representatives to ask for their support of organic initiatives, research, cost share and transition assistance programs for farmers in the 2012 Farm Bill.

For more information and a short prepared script, visit OFRF’s blog. For your representatives’ contact information, view this public database and search by zip code or by state.