Location: Hadley Public Library, 50 Middle Street, Hadley 01035 Pickup Time: September 23, 10am-12pm Inside, you will find flowering perennials, beautiful grasses, shrubs, and trees that are right at home in your landscape where they do the important work of supporting pollinators! All plants are locally sourced from growers in Hampshire and Franklin counties. Click here […]
Join Tom Sullivan at Cathy and Michael Katz's Farm in the historic landscape of The Great Meadow of Hadley. Tom will draw our attention to the bees visiting the farm's flowers, ID them to their bee family, and talk about the bees' nesting styles. We will be able to collect a few seeds from plants […]
Farmer Circles are peer learning communities for farmers interested in discussing a certain topic in an informal, supportive environment. Each circle meets for at least 12 hours over the course […]
Are you thinking of starting a small farm?Do you already run a farm and are hoping to expand? Invest in yourself and watch your returns grow through this 7-week course. Click here for more information. This course is right for you if you’ve never taken a day of financial planning in your life! It is also […]
Course Details: When: Tuesdays, January 9 – March 5, 2024, 6-8:30pm Where: MDAR office in West Springfield, or alternate western MA location dependent upon interest Registration: Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. $150 per farm. If interested, please complete the brief Growing Your Farm application and email it to Diego.Irizarry-Gerould@mass.gov, or mail a hard copy to: MDAR, Attn: […]
An overview of insurance programs relevant to vegetable and small fruit producers in New England. This workshop is intended for those with little to no prior experience with insurance and wondering what the options are and if they are right for your farm. Or for those looking for a refresher or updates. We will hear […]
A deeper dive into each individual program, one at a time, to help you decide which program is right for your farm. Regional experts from FSA and RMA will provide tips and tricks on how to be successful applying for coverage and getting a claim, including what records you need to keep and why. We […]
Are you interested in learning more about solar options for your farm? As solar panel costs have lowered and incentives have increased, more farms are turning to solar to offset electricity costs. Join this webinar to learn about site assessment, compare ground mounted and roof mounted systems, and incentives and funding available for solar projects. We […]
Author Talk: Lawns Into Meadows author Owen Wormser Sat., Feb. 10, 1:00-3:00 pm Hadley Public Library (HHCD) Tues., Feb. 13, 6:00 - 7:30 pm Storr’s Library in Longmeadow (HHCD) Intended Audience: Adults Join us for a presentation by local native plant expert, landscape designer, and author, Owen Wormser, about how to turn your lawn into […]
With our unpredictable drought-flood cycle, irrigation has become a necessity for many vegetable operations to weather the summer. Choosing the right system to fit your operation’s needs can be costly and feel overwhelming. Starting off by using an efficient irrigation system will increase plant productivity and give you tools to best manage your operation. Join […]
Author Talk: Lawns Into Meadows author Owen Wormser Sat., Feb. 10, 1:00-3:00 pm Hadley Public Library (HHCD) Rescheduled due to inclement weather - New date, Wednesday, Feb 21st, 6:00 - 7:30 pm Storr’s Library in Longmeadow (HHCD) Intended Audience: Adults Join us for a presentation by local native plant expert, landscape designer, and author, Owen […]
Presenter: Jocelyn Demuth, owner of Checkerspot Farm (Colrain) Saturday, March 2, 10-11:30 AM at Hadley Public Library (HHCD) Saturday, March 30, 2024, 10:00 - 11:00 AM at Storr’s Public Library in Longmeadow (HHCD) For all ages, including families with children in grades 3-5 Learn the basics using native plants in gardens and the diversity of […]
PurposeLocal Working Groups (LWG) are a key part of NRCS’ locally-led conservation process. They provide essential input to the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and the Conservation Districts (CDs) on the most important natural resource concerns and management strategies in their region. NRCS and the CDs use these recommendations to develop conservation solutions and […]
This on-farm tour will focus on energy use and conservation in high tunnel and greenhouse production. Energy costs can be substantial in a smaller diversified production system and reducing electric bills can help your bottom line. Register Here About the presenter: Chris Lent is an Agricultural Specialist working out of Pennsylvania for the National Center for Appropriate Technology […]
Cool Bugs and Native Plants: Adventures in Native Plant Gardening for Beginners and Families Presenter: Jocelyn Demuth, owner of Checkerspot Farm (Colrain) Saturday, March 2, 10-11:30 AM at Hadley Public Library (HHCD) Saturday, March 30, 2024, 10:00 - 11:00 AM at Storr’s Public Library in Longmeadow (HHCD) For all ages, including families with children in […]
Presenter: Tom Sullivan of Pollinators Welcome landscape design Thursday, Jan. 25, 10:00 - 11:00 Bernardston Senior Center (Franklin CD) Thursday, Feb. 22, 6:00 - 7:00 PM Northfield Public Library (Franklin CD) Saturday, Mar. 30, 1:00 - 2:30 PM Hadley Public Library (HHCD) Tuesday, Apr.16, 6:00 - 7:30 PM Storr’s Library, Longmeadow (HHCD) Tom's work as […]
Welcoming Pollinators Home Presenter: Tom Sullivan of Pollinators Welcome landscape design Thursday, Jan. 25, 10:00 - 11:00 Bernardston Senior Center (Franklin CD) Thursday, Feb. 22, 6:00 - 7:00 PM Northfield Public Library (Franklin CD) Saturday, Mar. 30, 1:00 - 2:30 PM Hadley Public Library (HHCD) Tuesday, Apr.16, 6:00 - 7:30 PM Storr’s Library, Longmeadow (HHCD) […]
Register Here Please join us on Wednesday June 26th at 6pm at the Hadley Senior Center for a workshop on ditches and storm water management in agricultural settings. This workshop is intended for farmers and members of conservation and agricultural commissions. We will hear from the MA Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) on the agricultural exemption, […]
Date: Saturday, June 29, 2024. Rain Date: Saturday, July 13Time: Farm Tour from 9:30 to 11:30. Socializing from 11:30 to 12:30.Cost: FreeLocation:195 River Rd, Sunderland, MA With each year that passes, extreme weather events become more frequent and erratic, and itbecomes harder and harder to make a living as a farmer. In response to climate […]
Register here! Come check out Atlas Farm’s 3 acre experiment with strip-tilled winter squash in a perennial clover living mulch, and living clover/rye pathways in five acres of tomatoes. We’ll look at a no-till drill, strip-till equipment, and strip-cultivation equipment. Atlas Farms’ trials have implications for tillage reduction and soil health for conventional and organic […]
Date: Saturday, July 27th, 10:30-11:30AM. Location: Jones Library, 43 Amity St, Amherst To register, send an email to : Programs@Joneslibrary.org Just because food is not consumed, doesn’t mean it is waste! Instead, food scraps should enter a biological system to decompose naturally, nourish myriad organisms as it breaks down, and return to the earth as […]
Less is More: Eco-Friendly Fall Garden Cleanup free webinar with Heidi Dollard of the Massachusetts Pollinator Network Tuesday, Oct. 29 at 7:00 PM Re-think your fall cleanup to benefit pollinators, birds, and reduce pollution. The traditional “garden cleanup” is harmful to beneficial wildlife and adds to greenhouse gasses. By doing less, you can do more […]
A 12 Step Program Description: Many people now realize the importance of pollinators and other essential wildlife. They want to make their yard pollinator-friendly, but don’t know where to start. […]
The “little things that run the world” are in big trouble: Insect populations are plummeting, and many species are headed for extinction. This spells disaster for our food supply, our […]
You have chosen and planted your native plant garden or meadow, and a few years later, whatever design you planned is no longer in place.Some plants have spread, others seem […]
In this talk, Amy will focus on the current biodiversity crisis; the evolutionary history among native plants, insects, birds and fungi, and how these interdependent relationships among diverse species are […]
This talk includes a brief introduction to the biodiversity crisis, explaining why providing habitat for pollinators is essential for maintaining a sustainable ecosystem. Amy will show that pollinators not only […]
Lawns are ecological dead zones. 40 million acres are devoted to lawn in this country; the largest irrigated crop. Mowers emit at least 16 million tons of CO2 per year. […]
Join staff from the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), Mass Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), Mass Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), and the Hampden-Hampshire Conservation District (HHCD), to discuss strategies […]
Join staff from the Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS), Mass Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), Mass Department of Environmental Protection (MassDEP), and the Hampden-Hampshire Conservation District (HHCD), to discuss strategies […]
Lawns are ecological dead zones. 40 million acres are devoted to lawn in this country; the largest irrigated crop. Mowers emit at least 16 million tons of CO2 per year. […]
You have chosen and planted your native plant garden or meadow, and a fewyears later, whatever design you planned is no longer in place. Some plants have spread, others seem […]
You have chosen and planted your native plant garden or meadow, and a fewyears later, whatever design you planned is no longer in place. Some plants have spread, others seem […]
Many people now realize the importance of pollinators and other essential wildlife. They want to make their yard pollinator-friendly, but don’t know where to start. This talk will step you […]
Invasive plants are one cause of declining pollinator populations, loss of native plants, and are hastening the extinction of many animal species.. Learn which plants are invasive and how to […]
This talk includes a brief introduction to the biodiversity crisis, explaining why providing habitat for pollinators is essential for maintaining a sustainable ecosystem. Amy will show that pollinators not only […]
Join us for a soil health field walk on June 12 from 4:30-6 pm at Bardwell Farm. With the utilization of limited tillage, zone tillage, no till and cover cropping, […]
Join us for this free on-farm event, where we’ll be reviewing soil management techniques, complemented by revealing their microscopic allies. We’ll start with a field walk to discuss practices such […]
Register here! Unfortunately, we have decided to CANCEL tomorrow’s field walk at Hampshire College Farm due to weather concerns. We will be in touch with information about a rescheduled event when […]
Join the Hampden-Hampshire Conservation District for an evening at Preservation Orchard, home to Carr’s Ciderhouse and Meadowfed Lamb, for a unique farm walk and fall social celebrating local agriculture, community, […]
Rain date: Sunday, September 28th, 10 AM - 1 PM Curious about biochar and how it supports soil health and climate resilience? Join us at Big River Chestnuts in South […]
Register Here Dormant season pruning of fruit trees is one of the best tools farmers and gardeners have in maintaining and optimizing orchard and fruit tree health! It is also […]
Registration Required - Register Here The Hampden-Hampshire Conservation District (HHCD) is hosting a Local Working Group - because no one understands the challenges facing our land and natural resources better […]
NOFA/Mass Registration Required - Register Here Your farm’s fertility plan doesn’t have to be a guessing game. With the right tools and approach, it can be grounded, methodical, informed and […]
Register Here May in the Northeast brings a mix of warming days and sometimes stubbornly cool, wet soils. In this one-hour call, we’ll focus on transplanting into variable spring conditions, […]
Location: Pioneer Gardens Farm, 425 Greenfield Rd, Deerfield, MA 01342 Register here This workshop at Pioneer Gardens in South Deerfield, MA will bring farmers and irrigation system designers together to […]
Register and Learn More Here Join Just Roots and NOFA/Mass for a farmer-to-farmer field walk exploring how soil health practices can take shape on a small, diversified production farm. We’re […]
Register Here Join us for this full-day workshop about the physical component of soil health where we’ll explore the essential principles that shape soil structure and vitality. This intensive will […]
Register Here Managing a farm at the right scale is essential to finding your place within the broader network of Massachusetts growers. If you’re considering expanding your operation— or questioning […]
Location: Good Bunch Farm, 221 N River Rd, Shelburne Falls, MA 01370 Register here As the number of growing days increases and temperature and precipitation extremes are more frequent, producers […]