AMHERST, Mass, February 1, 2009 – NOFA, the Northeast Organic Farming Association, is pleased to announce the 35th Annual Summer Conference at the University of Massachusetts – Amherst.
Now more than ever, people want to know how to create and maintain a sustainable lifestyle. The NOFA Summer Conference has offered the chance to do just that for over thirty years. Ideal for those who want to gain knowledge and skills in organic farming, gardening and land care, the conference also appeals to anyone with an interest in sustainability, organic agriculture, food politics, activism, nutrition, spirituality, or homesteading.  
 
Last year’s event attracted over 1,400 people, including Priscilla Hutt Williams of Pumpkin Brook Organic Gardening in Townsend, MA. Priscilla said:  "I can truly credit my development as a gardener and landscape professional with the knowledge gleaned from various workshop presenters and keynoters over the years."
 
Over 150 workshops are offered – on topics from climate change to wine-making, honeybees to herbs, chickens to CSA’s, soil to spirituality, and much more. Running concurrently with adult workshops are exciting ones for kids and teens with creative crafts, games and projects. 
 
Friday’s keynote speaker will be Paul Stamets, mushroom expert and author of Mycelium Running: How Mushrooms Can Help Save The World. Paul has been collecting and studying mushrooms for over thirty years and been recognized by National Geographic, the Argosy Foundation, Utne Reader and numerous others for his work. He will share how we can put mushrooms to use to radically improve human and environmental health.
 
Saturday’s keynoter will be urban farmer Will Allen, founder and CEO of Growing Power. Growing Power is an organization that supports small family farms and brings knowledge about sustainable food systems to youth and adults in urban areas through training programs, workshops and demonstrations. Allen received the Leadership for a Changing World Award from the Ford Foundations in 2005 and the MacArthur Genius Fellowship in 2008. 
 
Along with information and education, the conference also offers plenty of entertainment. A traditional contra-dance, spicy zydeco dance band, drumming, special children’s programming, a teen dance and deejay, old fashioned country fair, barter event, and farmers market with local products make this a family friendly, fun weekend.
 
Dorm rooms, camping and wholesome organic meals with vegetarian and meat options are available at reasonable rates.
 
Registration material will be available in late April 2009. For more information, visit www.nofasummerconference.com or contact the NOFA Summer Conference office at (978) 355-2853 or nofa@nofamass.org.
 
About NOFA
 
NOFA is a non-profit organization of approximately 5,000 farmers, gardeners, land care professionals and consumers working to educate members and the general public about the benefits of a local organic food system based on complete cycles, natural materials and minimal waste for the health of individual beings, communities and the living planet. NOFA has chapters in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.
 
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