NOFA Mass Winter conference

Watertown Citizens for Peace Justice and the Environment is a member of the Northeast Organic Farmer’s Association. You may be interested in the NOFA Mass Winter Conference coming up next January. The conference will feature a robust track of workshops on soil carbon restoration for all levels. These workshops can get you started on this topic, or take you deeper into the wealth of research on the mechanics, practices, and practical benefits of “carbon farming.”

It is only in recent decades that scientists have begun to more thoroughly understand the mechanics and roles of mycorrhizae, root exudates, humates, glomalin and other aspects of the soil ecosystem that are now central to our understanding of organic growing and soil nutrient cycles. Likewise, it is only recently that soil and climate sciences have converged in their progress to reveal the connections between destructive farming practices and climate change; it turns out that abusive soil practices like tillage and chemical applications not only reduce the capacity of the soil to grow healthy food—we now understand that such practices also intensify the effect of drought and flooding, damage regional watersheds, and turn soil carbon into atmospheric carbon. Farming practices that support soil carbon sequestration also can seriously mitigate these effects.

At the 2017 NOFA Mass Winter Conference, you can learn from and meet others who are working on this issue. The deadline for early bird registration is December 15.

See here for more details.