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NOFA-NJ Schedules
Organic Farming Field Days
PENNINGTON, NJ. The
Northeast Organic Fanning As
sociation of New Jersey (NOFA
NJ) is offering four educational
field days for the 2003 growing
season. All events are open to the
public free of charge, but pre-reg
istration with the NOFA-NJ of
fice is requested.
The first event will take place
Tuesday, June 10, from 6 p.m. to
8:30 p.m. at Cherry Grove Farm
in Lawrence Township, N.J.
Entitled “Get Your Hands
Dirty: Evaluating Soil Health,”
the evening will feature hands-on
activities for testing key indica
tors of soil quality, including per
colation rate, aggregate stability,
bulk density, compaction, and
pH. The program will be led by
Dan Kluchinski of Mercer Coun
ty extension, Dr. Joe Heckman of
the New Jersey Agricultural Ex
periment Station, and Chris
Smith of the USDA Natural Re
sources Conservation Service.
One-on-one soil test consultations
will be available on a first-come,
first-served basis during a pre
meeting, brown bag dinner hour.
Cherry Grove Farm consists of
two independent farm businesses.
Cherry Grove Organic Farm
CSA, operated by Matt Conver,
grows certified organic vegetables
and flowers for sale at farmers
markets and through a Commu
nity Supported Agriculture pro
gram, while Cherry Grove Farm
proper markets grassfed beef,
pork, lamb, and free range eggs
under the direction of Kelly Har
ding. Both farmers will be on
hand at the event to talk about
their operations and answer ques
tions.
NOFA-NJ’s second summer
event is scheduled at the Muth
Family Farm, 1639 Pitman-
Downer Road, Williamstown,
N.J. on Friday, June 20, from 10
a.m. to 3 p.rn.
Sponsored in cooperation with
The Rodale Institute (Initiative
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Systems, USDA-CSREES), The
Northeast Organic Network
(NEON), and Rutgers Coopera
tive Extension of Gloucester
County, this field day will focus
on “Transitioning to Organic
Vegetable Production in South
Jersey.”
Bob and Leda Muth will give a
tour of their 27-acre, second
generation farm, one-third of
which is now certified organic,
and describe how they have ad
justed their marketing, equip
ment, and soil management strat
egies as they have transitioned
from conventional vegetable pro
duction. Other speakers and top
ics will include Dr. Anu Rangara
jan of Cornell University’s
Department of Horticulture on
“Ramping Up Research and Ed
ucation in Organic Agriculture,”
Gloucester County Extension
Agent Michelle Infante-Casella
on “Cover Crop Rotations,”
Erich Bremer of NOFA-NJ on
“Complying with the National
Organic Program,” and David
Wilson and Matt Ryan of The
Rodale Institute on “Research
Results from the Farming Sys
tems Trials” and “Using Com
post Teas.” Registration for this
event is requested by June 16.
Lunch will be served.
NOFA-NJ will continue its
“Summer Sunday Farm Tour”
series on June 22 at Keller Farm,
601 Moss Mill Road, Germania,
N.J. From 2 p.m. to 4 p.m., farm
er Jim Brandt will host a tour of
his nine-acre mixed vegetable
and poultry farm in Atlantic
County. NOFA-NJ certified since
1998, Jim sells to restaurants and
at his on-farm stand. He also has
a strong interest in alternative en
ergies, using solar panels, a geo
thermal heat pump, and a wind
mill to power the farm.
Refreshments will be served.
On Wednesday, July 9, NOFA
NJ will host “An Organic Success
Story” Field Day at Spiral Path
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Farm in Loysville, just west of
Harrisburg.
This event is offered in cooper
ation with the Pennsylvania As
sociation for Sustainable Agricul
ture (PASA). Spiral Path is a
60-acre, diversified farm serving
wholesale markets as well as a
250-member CSA. In 2001 it was
selected as one of eleven ‘focal
farms’ for the Northeast Organic
Network (NEON).
The NEON focal farm project
is conducting case studies of how
exceptional organic farms in the
Northeast manage soil fertility,
pests, weeds, and other systems.
Farmers Mike and Terra
Brownback will give a tour, while
NEON researchers Ami Ranga
rajan, David Conner, Chuck
Mohler, and Brian CaldwellU
summarize NEON findings with
regard to farm budgeting, crop
rotations, and pest management.
To request a calendar of
events, event brochures, or to reg
ister for one of these events, con
tact Bonnie McGee at (609)
737-6848 or bmcgee@nofanj.org,
or visit the NOFA-NJ Website at
www.nofanj.org.
Texas To Host 2003 Cattle Industry
DENVER, Colo. More than
a thousand cattlemen and
women from throughout the
country are expected to gather
this summer in Dallas, Texas, as
three of the industry’s leading or
ganizations conduct the 2003
Cattle Industry Summer Confer
ence. The event is scheduled for
July 22-26 at the Dallas Adam’s
Mark Hotel.
The theme of the Conference
is “Create Change: Shape the
Future Together!” and pro
ducers are invited to bring their
ideas and participate in the vari
ous industry meetings and events
during the convention. The
sponsors of the conference
are the Cattlemen’s Beef
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New Farm Show Team
(Continued from Page A 1)
years of experience in a number
of organizations to his new posi
tion as Farm Show director. A
Harrisburg resident, Nielsen most
recently served as chief executive
officer of the Pennsylvania Alli
ance for Association Advance
ment. He has also served as a
senior-level executive at the In
ternational Association of Con
vention and Visitor Bureaus,
Pennsylvania Academy of Family
Physicians, and Metzner-Nielsen
Associates.
Nielsen’s work has included bi
partisan relations, creative organ
izational growth strategies, and
financial development. He has a
master’s degree from Lincoln
University.
“With his extensive business
and professional experience,
team-oriented leadership style,
and results-focused management
practices, (Nielsen) will lead the
Farm Show Complex as it devel
ops a stronger event base and
strengthens its fiscal position,”
Wolff said.
Nielsen could not be reached
for comment before Lancaster
Farming press time this week.
As new chief of Show Manage
ment, Weaver will be responsible
for coordinating the activities of
the livestock show section, the
agriculture/equine show section,
and the non-agricultural show
Summer Conference
Promotion and Research Board,
the National Cattlemen’s Beef
Association (NCBA), and Ameri
can National Cattle Women, Inc.
(ANCW).
Several “Industry Issues Fo
rums” are slated for Thursday ’
morning, July 24. NCBA state
and regional caucus meetings
and council meetings will follow
that afternoon. Joint industry
committee and NCBA policy
committee meetings will be con
ducted on Friday, July 25.
The Cattlemen’s Beef Board
will conduct its business meeting
on Saturday morning, July 26.
The NCBA also will conduct its
board of directors meeting that
day.
’O*S.
section.
Weaver is a fourth-generation
owner and manager of Weaver
land Valley Farms in New Hol
land and a former vice president
and manager for Trileaf Tobacco
Company. He is a member of the
Pennsylvania Farm Bureau, Na
tional Cattlemen’s Beef Associa
tion, and the Garden Spot Young
Farmers Chapter.
“(Weaver’s) strong agricultural
background and knowledge base
will be critical for his new posi
tion at the Farm Show,” Wolff
said.
The Pennsylvania Department
of Agriculture’s Farm Show Bu
reau operates and maintains the
60-acre Farm Show Complex to
help promote agriculture and
commerce. The complex contains
20 acres under one roof and has
more than one million square feet
of exhibition, conference, and
banquet space.
Recent construction to the
complex added 350,000 square
feet of exhibition space, an Expo
sition Hall totaling 175,000
square feet, an equine arena, and
a new livestock barn. In addition
to four state-sponsored shows,
the complex hosts more than 200
trade shows, exhibits, and activi
ties annually.
For more information, contact
the Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture at (717) 787-4737, or
visit www.agriculture.state.pa.us.
Registration and hotel inform
ation will be available May 9
through the National Cattle
men’s Beef Association’s
(NCBA) Convention and Meet
ings Department, (303) 694-0305.
Registration fees range from $95
for ANCW members and $lO5
for NCBA or CBB members to
$205 for non-members.
More information and the reg
istration brochure also will be
available in the May 9 issue of
the Beef Business Bulletin. Up
dated schedule information is
continually available on the in
dustry’s Website www.beef.org.
(Click on the Events link.)
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