CISA - Community Involved In Sustaining Agriculture

Barstow’s & Cabot Creamery: A Circular Economy in Action
2017-06-16 17:00 - 2017-07-03 18:00 (America/Halifax) | Barstow’s Longview Farm, 172 Hockanum Road, Hadley
Friday, June 16, 5pm-6pm

Barstow’s Dairy Store and Bakery

Presenter: Jed Davis, Director of Sustainability, Cabot Creamery and the Agri-Mark dairy cooperative
Hear about the Real Farm Power project and how stewardship on the farm, sustainability in manufacturing, and communication to consumers closes loops for renewable energy, resource recovery and upcycling.

Jed grew up on a dairy farm in Central Massachusetts and has worked for Cabot since 1991, the past 9 years in pursuit of Cabot’s sustainability goal of “Living within our means and ensuring the means to live.” Jed and his wife and small “herd” of children live in Waterbury, Vt.

Farm-to-Table Dinner at William Cullen Bryant Homestead in Cummington
2017-07-01 16:00 - 17:00 | William Cullen Bryant Homestead, 207 Bryant Rd, Cummington, MA, United States
Join in on a multi-course farm dinner with Wheelhouse Farm (Amherst) situated in the Bryant Homestead’s pastoral landscape. Enjoy breathtaking summer views of the Westfield River Valley as you feast on locally grown produce prepared by the talented chefs of Wheelhouse Farm. A celebration of Western Massachusetts’ agriculture, history, and culture!
This is in partnership with, and hosted by, Trustees of Reservations
Tickets purchased in advance HERE

Herbalism in the Pioneer Valley: Susan Pincus of Sawmill Herb Farm
2017-07-07 17:30 - 18:30 | Hungry Ghost Bread, 62 State Street, Northampton, MA, 01060
This unique series offers a window into herbalism from some of the foremost practitioners, teachers, growers, and product makers in our area – join us for this very special opportunity!
Are you interested in herbalism? Did you know that the greater Pioneer Valley region is one of the nation’s richest resources for quality herbal health care, education, services and products?
Come sit for an hour in the newly finished stone amphitheater and stunning medicinal garden outside Hungry Ghost Bread, surrounded by the beauty and grace of hundreds of medicinal plants.
Susan Pincus, a pioneer in the CSA medicinal herb movement, is owner-operator of Sawmill-Herb Farm in Florence. Friday, July 7, Susan will share her journey and vision, why she chose to grow medicinal herbs and start an herb CSA, as well as reflecting on what she has learned growing medicinal herbs in the Pioneer Valley and marketing them throughout the Northeast.
Sawmill Herb Farm
This series and the medicinal garden & amphitheater is presented by Local Harmony, a local non-profit dedicated to growing gardens, the environment and community through cultivation and stewardship.

Burger Fest at Barstow's Farm
2017-07-08 | Barstow’s Longview Farm, 172 Hockanum Road, Hadley
Saturday, July 8, 2017

Burger Fest is the biggest event of the year at Barstow’s Dairy Store and Bakery! The day that we sell our Barstow’s Farm Raised Beef burgers made to order on the grill – with local cut potato french fries and side salads made right in the Bakery. Old Country Road will provide live Bluegrass music noon-2pm. Free Farm Tours run noon-3pm. We will have activities for kids, games for adults, door prizes, and a great lunch on your local dairy farm!

Burgers will be served between 11am and close at 7pm. Please feel welcome to bring your own adult beverages and consume responsibly. Also, (safe) lawn games are welcome! This event is kid friendly, family friendly, and downright friendly! Tell everyone! We’ll see you at the farm!

Sustainable Farming & Food Systems: A Summer Pre-College Program
2017-07-09 - 2017-07-15 | UMass Amherst, Amherst, MA, 01003, United States
Are you interested in learning more about where your food comes from? Or how your food gets to your plate? And where does the waste go afterwards?
Join one of the leading university Sustainable Food and Farming programs in the nation for an immersion in sustainability and food systems. In this one-week course, students will gain hands-on experience in the local food system as well as comprehensive understanding of the U.S. Food System. This program will focus on three areas in our food system: sustainability and systems thinking, social justice, and agricultural leadership.
With a focus on sustainability, students will explore and analyze inequities present in our food system using systems thinking tools like concept mapping and iceberg models. Students will simultaneously gain hands-on experience at local farms and work with UMass projects like the Student Farming Enterprise. We will immerse in both theory and practice of organic food production and discuss the role of community engagement in revitalizing our food system.
Finally, students will have an opportunity to articulate their personal relationships to food, and lead each other in activities to deepen understanding of our personal actions and their impact our food system. We look forward to a fun and meaningful week together!
Sarah Berquist, Lecturer and Advisor, Stockbridge School of Agriculture.
High school students entering 10th – 12th grade are invited to apply at www.umass.edu/summer/precollege. Commuter or residential options available.

Scything: A Newly-popular Practical Art at Wildside Gardens
2017-07-09 13:00 - 16:00 | Wildside Gardens, 37 Fisher Place Road, Conway, MA, 01341, United States
Come join in at Wildside Gardens a well-established off-grid homestead and permaculture site in Conway, MA.

Presented by Emmet Van Dreische
Emmet owns a coppiced Christmas tree farm in Ashfield and spends the rest of the year editing scientific manuscripts, scything people’s properties and teaching spoon carving. This year he will reprise two popular workshops, the first on soil fertility and the second on how to use a scythe.

Workshop will be free of charge for Conway residents, with a small fee for others. Workshop presenters will be offered expenses plus an honorarium.
Workshop is from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, rain or shine, suggested donation $10, attendance limited to 12.
To register call 413-369-4616, or email suebridge@wildsidegarden.com.

How to Build a Healthy and Successful Food Business
2017-07-12 17:00 - 19:30 | TD Bank Conference Center, 441 Main St, Springfield, MA, United States
Business Planning for a Food Business: Anita Eliason, MSBDC
Creating a Value Added Food Product: Joanna Benoit, WMFPC
Food Industry Overview: Chef Bill Collins
Wednesday July 12, 2017
5:00 pm – 7:30 pm
TD Bank Conference Center
441 Main Street
Springfield, MA
Thanks to our Host and Food Sponsor, TD Bank, this workshop is FREE but Registration is required.
Register at: https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/FranklinCountyCommunityDevelo/HealthyFoodBizFree.html

Herbalism in the Pioneer Valley: Emma Donnelly of Blue Dragon Apothecary
2017-07-14 17:30 - 18:30 | Hungry Ghost Bread, 62 State Street, Northampton, MA, 01060
This unique series offers a window into herbalism from some of the foremost practitioners, teachers, growers, and product makers in our area – join us for this very special opportunity!
Are you interested in herbalism? Did you know that the greater Pioneer Valley region is one of the nation’s richest resources for quality herbal health care, education, services and products?
Come sit for an hour in the newly finished stone amphitheater and stunning medicinal garden outside Hungry Ghost Bread, surrounded by the beauty and grace of hundreds of medicinal plants.
Blue Dragon Apothecary
This series and the medicinal garden & amphitheater is presented by Local Harmony, a local non-profit dedicated to growing gardens, the environment and community through cultivation and stewardship.

Speakers Series: A New England Food Vision
2017-07-19 19:30 - 21:00 | Wright-Locke Farm, 78 Ridge St, Winchester, MA, 01890, United States
Wright-Locke Farm’s SPEAKER SERIES
In the spirit of inspiring and facilitating conversation in a time where it is crucial that we stay informed about the world around us, Wright-Locke Farm invites you to our 2017 Speaker Series. Join us monthly in our beautiful 1827 Barn
for an evening of discovery and discussion. Each presentation will begin at 7:30PM and allow for a follow-up Q & A session. Our Speaker Series is free and open to the public. We kindly ask you to RSVP by emailing kkneeland@wlfarm.org so we can save you a seat.
A New England Food Vision:
What can the Northeast accomplish by 2060?
July 19th at 7:30 PM (Q&A to Follow)
Molly Anderson, one of the authors, joins us to speak about how New England can meet half of its food needs by the year 2060 through repurposing land, making changes in our diets to increase health, and increasing the number of farmers in our region. The vision is ambitious, but feasible with organized effort to change the narrative we tell ourselves about food, publicize the business advantages of local food, and revitalize democracy in our region. Molly will tell us what the Food Solutions New England network is doing to bring all this about.
Molly Anderson is the William R. Kenan, Jr., Professor of Food Studies at Middlebury College in Vermont, where she teaches about hunger, fixing food systems, food sovereignty, and sustainable food systems. She collaborates on action and planning food systems at the state, national, regional, and international scales. She is a member of the Network Design Team of Food Solutions New England, which promotes the New England Food Vision.
You can learn more about the New England Food Vision here:
http://www.foodsolutionsne.org/new-england-food-vision
ALSO:
Please join us for a tasty “Paper Plate” Supper at the farm before each event. Chef Mel Carden of for goodness sake foods will be dishing out her farm-inspired homestyle dinners at our Farm Stand starting at 6PM – please visit www.wlfarm.org/paper-plate/ for details on pricing and to reserve your meal.

Herbalism in the Pioneer Valley: Brittany Wood Nickerson of Thyme Herbal
2017-07-21 17:30 - 18:30 | Hungry Ghost Bread, 62 State Street, Northampton, MA, 01060
This unique series offers a window into herbalism from some of the foremost practitioners, teachers, growers, and product makers in our area – join us for this very special opportunity!
Are you interested in herbalism? Did you know that the greater Pioneer Valley region is one of the nation’s richest resources for quality herbal health care, education, services and products?
Come sit for an hour in the newly finished stone amphitheater and stunning medicinal garden outside Hungry Ghost Bread, surrounded by the beauty and grace of hundreds of medicinal plants.
Brittany will discuss the medicinal benefits of a handful of culinary herbs and give examples of uses from her cookbook, Recipes from The Herbalist’s Kitchen…. The home spice shelf is richly medicinal, containing the potential for an entire home pharmacy of food and medicine. Brittany has blended her experience with herbal medicine into her personal and professional cooking for over ten years. Learn how incorporating culinary herbs into your everyday cooking can improve the health of mind, body, and spirit.
Thyme Herbal
This series and the medicinal garden & amphitheater is presented by Local Harmony, a local non-profit dedicated to growing gardens, the environment and community through cultivation and stewardship.

Play with Bay! Evening Wine Party on the Patio!
2017-07-21 18:00 - 20:00 | Plymouth Bay Winery, 114 Water St, Plymouth, MA, United States
Join us at Plymouth Bay Winery for a delicious evening! Sample cranberry wine and several other varieties on the gorgeous patio overlooking Plymouth Bay. Taste turkey meatballs, spreads, dips, and other snacks made with the Winery’s own wine jellies and sauces. All attendees will go home with a souvenir wine glass.
When: Friday, July 21, 6:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: Plymouth Bay Winery, 114 Water St, Plymouth, MA 02360
$15 SEMAP Members, $20 General Public
Register online at semaponline.org/wineparty

Probiotic Beverages Workshop
2017-07-22 13:00 - 15:00 | Cultivate & Bloom, 20 Hampton Court, Suite 160, Northampton, MA, 01060, United States
Whether you love the taste, the health benefits, or both, brewing your own probiotic soft drinks at home is a fun, delicious & cost-effective way to add probiotics to your diet. This class will cover how to make kombucha, water kefir & wild-fermented sodas at home. You will sample our homebrewed beverages and learn how to make your own, hands-on.
Probiotic Beverages is part of a 3 session fermentation course. If you’re intrigued by fermentation, but don’t know where to start, this is the course for you! Participants are welcome to take one or all classes in the course. Save 15% when you sign up for all three! Add all three classes to your cart and use code FERMENT at checkout.
Fermenting Vegetables – sauerkraut, kimchi, pickles
Cultured Dairy – yogurt, kefir, farmer’s cheese
Probiotic Beverages – kombucha, water kefir, fermented soda
Taught by Melody, Co-Founder of Revival
Held at Cultivate & Bloom
20 Hampton Court, Suite 160, Northampton

Basket-weaving With Materials From the Land at Wildside Gardens
2017-07-23 13:00 - 16:00 | Wildside Gardens, 37 Fisher Place Road, Conway, MA, 01341, United States
Come join in at Wildside Gardens a well-established off-grid homestead and permaculture site in Conway, MA.
Presented by Mary Lauren Fraser
Mary, now in her twenties, grew up in the Valley, and was home schooled. An expert weaver of strong, handsome baskets from willow, Mary will offer hands-on instruction on basket-weaving for all levels: materials, design and on to the finished work of art.
Workshop will be free of charge for Conway residents, with a small fee for others. Workshop presenters will be offered expenses plus an honorarium.
Workshop is from 1:00 to 4:00 pm, rain or shine, suggested donation $10, attendance limited to 12.
To register call 413-369-4616, or email suebridge@wildsidegarden.com.

Farm-to-Table Dinner at Szawlowski Farm/Honey Pot Farm
2017-07-23 16:00 - 19:00 | Szawlowski Farm, 108 Main St, Hatfield, MA, United States
Join The Food Bank for a unique open-air dining experience by the banks of the Connecticut River as you gather around a shared table with culinary experts, local farmers and other Food Bank supporters.
Event Web Site: https://www.foodbankwma.org/events/farmtotable/

This family style, multi-course dinner will be prepared by Wheelhouse Farm Truck & Catering, featuring the day’s harvest from Honey Pot Farm, Swazlowski Farm, and other local growers. Enjoy an intimate evening of exceptional food with discussions highlighting volunteer opportunities available to you to make a positive impact in our community.
The Food Bank is proud of their longstanding relationship with area farmers, who partner with The Food Bank to ensure that everyone has access to healthy food, regardless of their circumstances. Last year, one million of the ten million pounds distributed was grown right here in the Pioneer Valley by 28 local farms.
All proceeds from the event will benefit The Food Bank of Western Massachusetts. Together, with your support, we can continue to cultivate these partnerships and put more fresh food on dinner tables across our region.
Schedule
4:00 PM – Arrive and gather.
4:15 PM – Tour of Szawlowski Potato Farm.
4:45 PM – Guests take their seats.
5:00 PM – First course served and speaker.
6:30 PM – Concludes formal part of event and guests gradually depart.
Menu

Starter Snack
Bruscetta of summer squash and pesto with a variety of cherry tomatoes
Drink
Tulsi-lemon balm iced tea
Salad
Mixed baby greens with roasted carrots and fennel, radish, pumpkin seeds, spiced yogurt dressing
Side
Israeli couscous with grilled summer vegetables, feta, lemon and herbs
*Rice for gluten-free guests
Main Course
Grilled lamb kefta
Summer vegetable risotto with pecorino and mint
Dessert
Apple-raspberry-rhubarb crisp with vanilla ice cream
*Please let us know well in advance if you have any food allergies, and we’ll do our best to accommodate.
Attire
Outdoor casual with comfortable shoes.
Rain Policy
Should there be inclement weather, we will call with a rescheduled date.

Tickets purchased in advance HERE.

Beneficial Bugs Workshop at Nasami Farm
2017-07-26 10:00 - 11:00 | Nasami Farm Nursery, 128 North Street, Whately, MA, 01093
Tour the greenhouses at Nasami Farm to see how common pests are successfully managed with biological controls—intentionally released insects, mites, nematodes, and micro-organisms—instead of pesticides. Scout for some of these beneficial bugs and their prey. Learn about the grisly fate of an aphid that encounters a predatory wasp. Bring a hand lens and sun protection.
Wednesday, July 26, 2017, 10-11 a.m.
Location: Nasami Farm Nursery, Whately, MA
Program Code: HOR2959
Instructor: Kate Stafford
Fee: $13 (Member) / $16 (Nonmember)

American Community Gardening Association 38th Annual Conference
2017-07-27 - 2017-07-30 | Capitol Community College, 950 Main St, Hartford, CT, United States
At Capitol Community College, downtown Hartford, CT, July 27-30, 2017.
The conference was last in New England 10 years ago!!

This year:

Longer workshops on Thursday afternoon
Network Reception at the elegant Society Room Thursday evening
Mark Winne, national Food Policy Council consultant, founder Hartford and Connecticut Food Policy Councils
Workshops covering cutting edge horticulture practices to community gardening start-up and sustainability to school/youth gardening curricula to innovative health and workplace programs, and MORE
Friday evening films at City Steam
Choice of all-day Tour excursions to major community gardening and urban agriculture programs in Connecticut and Massachusetts, including a bicycle tour option in Hartford
Saturday evening Gala with silent auction and music
Sunday morning intensives
Networking, networking, and networking.

How Much: $250 (members early) to $360 (non-member late) conference registration. Registration to start in May 2017. Scholarship applications available in February.
Hotel options at Hartford Hilton, Hartford Holiday Inn, Residence Inn, and Hartford Radisson, starting at $104 plus taxes for a double room (See the “Where to Stay” tab for more information).
Easy access via train or plane (Bradley airport).
Early registration ends JUNE 16.

https://communitygarden.org/conference/

Herbalism in the Pioneer Valley: Speaker TBA
2017-07-28 17:30 - 18:30 | Hungry Ghost Bread, 62 State Street, Northampton, MA, 01060
This unique series offers a window into herbalism from some of the foremost practitioners, teachers, growers, and product makers in our area – join us for this very special opportunity!
Are you interested in herbalism? Did you know that the greater Pioneer Valley region is one of the nation’s richest resources for quality herbal health care, education, services and products?
Come sit for an hour in the newly finished stone amphitheater and stunning medicinal garden outside Hungry Ghost Bread, surrounded by the beauty and grace of hundreds of medicinal plants.
This series and the medicinal garden & amphitheater is presented by Local Harmony, a local non-profit dedicated to growing gardens, the environment and community through cultivation and stewardship.

River Valley Ice Cream Ride
2017-07-29 | Unity Park, 1st Street, Turners Falls, MA, 01376, United States
Ice Cream Ride Registration is open!
Register Here
The River Valley Ice Cream Ride blends the best of summertime fun – bikes, gorgeous roads and ice cream. And, it supports Pioneer Valley organizations working to strengthen our communities, build our agricultural economy and enhance biking in the beautiful Pioneer Valley of Massachusetts!
Whether you’re a daily cyclist or only get your bike out a few times a year, this ride has options for you. It’s a great event to share with the whole family or with cyclists of varying abilities. One route features a scenic off-road bike path option that young families can enjoy.
We’re thrilled to have Bart’s Homemade as our ice cream partner for this event. Bart’s has been making delicious ice cream right here in the Connecticut River Valley since 1976. The Bart’s truck will be on site at Unity Park and we’ll be scooping some of our favorite flavors at each rest stop.
While some may disagree, a diet of only ice cream is not the best health choice. So, we’ve engaged the chefs from The People’s Pint to prepare a summer-fresh lunch using the best local ingredients from valley farms and producers. You’ll find delicious, fresh-from-the-field foods on the table at Unity Park including another valley favorite, Real Pickles, our locally-delicious dill pickles.
You’ll also find great local sounds emanating from Unity Park with FlavaEvolution, a truly unique jazz quartet. With just three horns and bass (no piano or drums) they are playing something altogether fresh in the Pioneer Valley, creating a sound that crosses a chamber string ensemble with modern jazz, 1970’s soul, and beautiful balladry.
And kids will love the face painters, glitter tattoo artists, balloon animals and other activities! This is truly a family celebration of cycling, summer and ice cream.
Three routes to serve every cycling appetite:

The Kiddie Scoop Loop, seven (7) miles along the Canal Side Rail Trail in beautiful Turners Falls, MA. See the Kiddie Scoop Loop
The Single Scoop Loop, twenty five (25) miles through Connecticut River Valley towns of Montague, Sunderland and Deerfield, Massachusetts. See the Single Scoop Loop
The Double Scoop Loop, fifty (50) miles which adds gorgeous riding in Gill and Northfield, MA to the Single Scoop Loop above. See the Double Scoop Loop

Ride Your Bike, eat Ice Cream, do good!
The River Valley Ice Cream Ride is produced to support a variety of organizations who are steadily enhancing life in the Pioneer Valley. River’s Edge Cycling donates all profits from the ride to these and other non-profit organizations working to improving the character, economy and nature of our local communities.
Turners Falls Riverculture is a partnership of leaders from the arts and business communities, committed to enhancing and promoting cultural programming in Turners Falls, MA. Their work includes promoting cultural events, helping to create an attractive environment for business and residents, and developing work and living spaces that draws creative individuals to live, work, and create in this charming riverside community.
CISA has been strengthening farms and building the local food economy since 1993. Their Be A Local Hero, Buy Locally Grown public awareness campaign is the longest-running and most comprehensive buy local program in the United States. Over 400 Pioneer Valley farms and related businesses benefit from the Local Hero marketing and educational efforts that build public demand for local farm products. CISA’s important work helps strengthen the financial viability of hundreds of farms who produce locally-grown foods and protect the scenic working landscape that makes the Pioneer Valley such a beautiful place to visit and ride.
MassBike Pioneer Valley is the local chapter of the Massachusetts Bicycle Coalition. MassBike has been championing safe and accessible cycling in the Commonwealth for nearly 40 years. Throughout its four decades, MassBike has worked with communities across the Commonwealth to promote a bicycle-friendly environment and encourage bicycling for fun, fitness and transportation.
Bike to Bovines!
Along the way, riders will gain some insights into the importance and value of local food production here in the Valley. And what local food is more fun than ice cream!? We’ll visit Mt. Toby Farm in Sunderland and Upinngil Farm in Gill to meet some of the hard-working cows (and their farmers) and see some of the work that goes into producing local foods. Throughout the Single Scoop and Double Scoop Loops, riders will see how active, viable agriculture helps create and protect the landscape that makes the Pioneer Valley such a pleasant place to live, work and play.
Join us in the charming community of Turners Falls, MA on Saturday, July 29, 2017 for this fun and delicious cycling event. We’ll gather at the Town of Montague’s scenic Unity Park along the banks of the Connecticut River.
Double Scoop Loop (50 miles) starts 9:00 AM
Single Scoop Loop (25 miles) starts 10:00 AM
Kiddie Scoop Loop (5 miles) starts 11:00 AM
Help Support Pioneer Valley communities, Farms and Biking
Registration Fees (includes marked & supported route, rest stops, lunch and Unity Park Activities)

Double Scoop Loop (50 Miles)

Adult 18 & over $75
Junior (under 18)* $35

Single Scoop Loop (25 miles)

Adult 18 and over $60
Junior (under 18)* $30

Kiddie Scoop Loop (7 miles)

Adult 18 and over $30
Junior (>10 and < 18)* $15
Kiddie (under 10) ** Free

* Must be accompanied by an adult.
** Must be accompanied by parent or guardian.
River Valley Ice Cream Ride Cancellation Policy

Seymour and Wheelhouse Present: Sunday Farm Dinner with Just Roots
2017-07-30 16:00 - 20:00 | Seymour, the pub, 5 Bank Row, Greenfield, MA, United States
Just Roots is so excited to be teaming up with our friends from the Wheelhouse food truck to present a Just Roots Sunday farm dinner! Wheelhouse is using all fresh local ingredients from Just Roots to design a beautiful menu that diners can choose from a la carte, or as a full coursed meal! And on the beverage side, we’ll be teaming up with the folks from Artifact Cider to make a suggested pairing menu of beer, cider and wine. We’ll be serving food from 4-8, come join us!
Just Roots is an amazing non profit with a bold and beautiful mission of “Increasing access to healthy, local food by connecting people, land, resources and know-how.” Find out more about their vision and projects here:
http://justroots.org/
And please come support them and this event on Sunday!
Tickets not required. Info HERE.

3rd Annual Farm to Tapas
2017-07-30 17:00 - 20:00 | MA
Join us for an evening of local food, drink, and fun! SEMAP and TLI present our twist on the traditional farm to table dinner, 3rd Annual Farm to Tapas. The most fun and delicious summer event on the South Coast! We’ve invited over a dozen local restaurants and caterers (all sourcing local ingredients, of course) to prepare their own tapas station. Guests will be able to sample delicious tapas, desserts, and drinks from each station. Live music, live and silent auctions, local beer, wine & cocktails. Open bar!
When: Sunday, July 30, 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM
Where: The Historic Home & Farm of Joseph Keith III, 775 Horseneck Rd, Westport, MA 02790
$35 Farmers, $95 General Admission
Register online at semaponline.org/farmtotapas
