By JIM KINNEY
Business writer
SPRINGFIELD - For home canning enthusiasts, juicy sun-ripened tomatoes from the garden are the taste of winter.

"It's fun," said Daniel J. Staub, of Springfield. "It makes you remember summer when you open that can."

Winchendon, MA – The Northeast Organic Farming Association/ Massachusetts Chapter (NOFA/Mass) is holding a workshop on how to preserve food from the fall harvest on September 19 from 9:00am to 3:00pm at the home of Beth Ingham on 96 Windsor Road in Winchendon Springs. The event is part of the Massachusetts Food Preservation Workshop Day, which has been organized to meet the resurgence of interest in local foods and self-reliance. Similar events will be held in 10 other towns and cities throughout the state on the same day.

First Parish Church in Newbury first planted the seeds for its organic garden three years ago when the congregation adopted its new mission as "Stewards of Earth and Spirit."

But like all good gardens, it's taken time to cultivate. From its humble beginnings, the church's garden has grown into an ongoing experiment on sustainable community that has extended well beyond the parish doors.

North Grafton - A workshop on the Infrastructure on Mixed-Livestock Farms will be held on Tuesday, September 9th, from 10am-1pm at Tufts University Farm in North Grafton, Ma. Discussions during this session will include no-till seeding, use of direct-injection liquid manure, compost, herd health, biosecurity and fencing types.