Friday Workshops Sessions

The extensive Pick-Your-Own at Brookfield Farm includes berries, beans, herbs, cherry and paste tomatoes, flowers, garlic, peas, pumpkins and more.

This workshop will provide a detailed overview of the proven basics of brooding, raising, and processing poultry.

Urban and suburban gardens have unique challenges and opportunities.

CSA farmers/organizers from all continents gathered in China at the 6th International CSA Conference to exchange experiences and plan further expansion of family farm-scale agro-ecological projects.

What is the co-op model and how can it help make local food systems work for people with limited food budgets?

A well-stocked pantry provides the comfort that we truly understand the source of what we eat, and empowers us to cook holistically

Come for a respite from the intense intellectual engagement of the conference!

Learn to find great heirloom tomato varieties, grow a great crop, and use your bounty creatively.

Learn options for managing sheep organically, including breeds and housing, practices for parasite control, handling, feeding and health care.

Attendees will learn organic fruit tree care from an arborist’s perspective.

Herbs can be a simple and powerful addition to your daily life, supporting holistic wellness and emotional and physical balance.

Learn about short-term effects of azomite, biochar, humates, basalt dust, and zeolites on yield and Brix in spinach and potatoes.

Cuke beetles, and squash bugs, and mildews, oh my! Cucurbits are susceptible to many many insects and diseases.

Joan will discuss what makes grass fed beef different and why it requires different cooking techniques.

Robert will address the challenges that families face when initiating the farm transition process of passing on management and ownership and show how to plan for one family gradually easing out while the other eases in.

Learn how to bring mushrooms into your home and garden!

The formal 2015-2016 Massachusetts legislative session has just ended.

Maintain your gut microbiome for optimal health With Beth Colon, M.S., owner of Holistic Nutrition Services LLC in Westborough, MA. Research is beginning to show a link between the brain and gut microbiology. How do your food choices affect your gut? Do your choices promote healthy brain development and behavior? This informative session will help... Read More

Explore numerous aspects of homesteading.

High tunnels can be a great way to grow your farm from a seasonal enterprise to a year round one, to cope with climate change, and to get significantly more sales dollars per acre. However, successful long term management requires different practices than outdoor growing and the high tunnel environment isn’t necessarily as forgiving to... Read More

With Andre Leu, farmer and President of the International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements (IFOAM), based in Australia.

Learn basic principles of good grazing management systems, from the perspective of the plants and the livestock. Using examples of real farm grazing systems, we will cover fencing, water systems, lanes, paddock sizing and acreage requirements. Understand how to use different stocking densities, pre and post grazing heights, length of rest periods, different plant species... Read More