For the past decade the Northeast Organic Farming Association of New York (NOFA-NY) has hosted the Winter Conference on sustainable agriculture. Each year the conference, hosted in Saratoga Springs, New York, features workshops and lectures on various topics including organic farming, gardening, and certification. The 2014 conference will be held January 24th through 26th and its topic is “Preserving the Past, Seeding the Future”. Past conferences have had topics such as “Resilience”, “the Cooperative Economy”, and “Diggin’ Diversity”, and have featured keynote speakers ranging from local farmers, to University professors, and community organizers. The upcoming conference will feature Gary Paul Nabhan and Brian Bennet as the keynote speakers. Gary Paul Nabhan is a writer and conservation scientist and activist. Brian Bennet is a farmer at Bittersweet Farm in Heuvelton, New York, supporter and organizer of local agriculture in his community, and the conference’s chosen Farmer of the Year for 2014. The conference will last Thursday evening through Sunday morning with workshops on Friday and Saturday, food provided by the local farmers, and many opportunities for attendees to network with fellow farmers. The NOFA-NY has many other resources for farmers beyond the Winter Conference. They offer services such as a mentor program, support farm research, and produce an annual Organic and Local Food and Farm Guide that features more than 600 farms in New York. All their efforts are in an aim to support and encourage local, organic, and sustainable farming in the northeast and beyond.
Tickets may be purchased here for the NOFA-NY Winter Conference. Registration can be by the day or for the entire weekend. If tickets are purchased before December 13th, each customer recieves a ten dollar discount.
