December 18, 2004

Invitation to the Annual Winter Meeting of the Maryland Organic Food and Farming Association

We have an exciting line up of workshops and round table discussions--everyone will be able to take away something new. Come volunteer at the meeting and make new friends and catch up with old ones. Enjoy the auction and savor the home cooked and home grown lunch from MOFFA's farmers.

Below is the agenda and meeting registration information. If you are unsure when your membership expires, check the label on your newsletter when it arrives next week.

See you at the meeting,
Nick Maravell.

MARYLAND ORGANIC FOOD AND FARMING ASSOCIATION
14TH ANNUAL WINTER MEETING
SATURDAY JAN 8, 2005 SNOW DATE: JAN 22
MARYLAND DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
50 HARRY S. TRUMAN PKWY, ANNAPOLIS, MD 21401
Conference contact: Nick Maravell, (301) 983-2167,

8:00 REGISTRATION and SILENT AUCTION, Literature Tables

9:00 Greetings, Announcements, Board Nominations

9:30 WORKSHOPS

No-Till Organic Vegetable and Grain Production Ron Morse, Professor Emeritus, Vegetable Crops, Virginia Tech John Teasdale, Sustainable Systems Lab, USDA Beltsville Ag Research Center

High Tunnel Organic Vegetable Production Gordon Johnson, Extension Agent, Kent Co., Delaware

11:00 Break

11:10 Managing Your Risk-Jim Hanson, Prof of Ag Economics, Univ of MD

11:30 Update on Certification Issues-Karen Fedor, Organic Certification Program, MDA

11:45 New On Farm Home Processing Regulations-Alan Brench, Food Control Div, MD Health Dept

12:00 LIVE AUCTION

12:15 POTLUCK LUNCH and SILENT AUCTION

1:45 Business Meeting and Elections

2:00 WORKSHOP AND ROUND TABLE DISCUSSIONS

Soybean Rust: How Will MD Organic Farmers Respond?
Ted Rodgers and Kent Smith, Office of Pest Management Policy, ARS, USDA
Arv Grybauskas, State Field Crop Diseases Extension Specialist, U of MD

Organic Pasture and Forage Management: Techniques and Funding Opportunities
Les Vough, State Forage Extension Specialist, U of MD
Elmer Dengler, Maryland Grazing Specialist, NRCS, Annapolis, MD

Share and Learn About CSAs (Community Supported Agriculture)
Mike Klein, Good Fortune Farm. Brandywine , MD
Dave Shaw, Shaw Farms, Columbia, MD
Fay Northam, Coordinator, Mountains to Bay CSA, Sunderland, MD

3:30 Break

3:45 Closing remarks

4-5:00 COMMITTEES AND WORK GROUPS

MOFFA 14TH ANNUAL WINTER MEETING
DIRECTIONS: From US 50, Take exit 22 "Rte 655 Aris T Allen Blvd" toward Riva Road.
Take Riva Road Exit, turn right off exit ramp. Go to second traffic light, turn
right onto Harry S Truman Pkwy.
Go 1.2 miles to MDA Building on right, look for statue of cow, turn right into parking lot.

SNOW DATE: If in doubt the morning of Jan. 8, call Nick Maravell
(301) 983-2167, or (240) 793-5423.
Generally, if 3 inches or less is expected in Annapolis, the meeting will take place.

VOLUNTEERS are needed now for publicity and phone calling and for the meeting day. Contact Nick (see above).

POTLUCK LUNCH: This potluck lunch is a chance to highlight why MOFFA works for ecological organic farming and local food production. Last year there was a
stampede for the local and organic home-made goodies on the lunch table. We think that some of the record attendance was due to rumors about the great food. MOFFA farmers will prepare home grown main dishes. Beverages will be provided. All attendees are invited, but not required, to bring a potluck side
dish, salad or desert. Let us know if your contribution comes from home-grown or local products.

AUCTION: The Suzie Harrison Memorial Auction is an annual fund
raiser for MOFFA. Please bring items including home grown, home baked, and hand crafted items, agricultural related or not. Also popular are books, stays at bed and breakfasts, and donated services.

LITERATURE TABLES: No charge for displaying your literature. Exhibitors are encouraged to donate an item to the auction.

Please mail by December 31. Advance registration is encouraged to allow for better lunch planning. Registration at the door will also be permitted.
-------------------------TEAR HERE AND MAIL-------------------------------
REGISTRATION: Annual MOFFA Dues (per farm or family)
one year: $25; two years: $45 (check label for dues expiration)
Members-meeting registration (per person) $5
Non-members meeting registration only (per person) $15

TOTAL

CHECKS: Payable to "MOFFA" Send to: Mike Klein, MOFFA Treasurer, PO Box
771, Brandywine, MD 20613
Name(s)
Address
Phone:
Home
Work
Cell
email:
Check here if you want to be contacted about volunteering with the meeting.
MOFFA is a 501(c)(3) non-profit educational organization. Our mission
is to bring together growers, consumers, and retailers in Maryland to advance
education about and growth of ecological organic farming.

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This page was posted on 12/20/04