CT NOFA Welcomes Jennifer Shaffer as Organic Land Care Program Director
January 25, 2023
CT NOFA is pleased to welcome Jennifer Shaffer as the new Director for the Organic Land Care Program. In her role, Jennifer will be developing new educational programming, managing the accreditation program, and helping to streamline and grow the long-standing project.
Jennifer has worked on issues of food access, environmental and economic justice, and parks equity for more than 20 years. Most recently, Jennifer has led the horticulture program of a public, urban green space in Manhattan toward an ecological redesign that will benefit local communities. Jennifer brings her work strong program management skills, an unshakeable commitment to the stewardship of ecologically healthy landscapes, and a lively interest in how people live in and interact with the land.
Having recently relocated to Connecticut from New York City with her family, Jennifer is enjoying reconnecting with her home state and exploring its wonderful natural places.
Jennifer studied cultural anthropology as a graduate student, earned a Certificate in Landscape Design from the New York Botanical Garden, and is an Accredited Land Care Professional through CT NOFA. She is a member of MetroHort and the Ecological Landscape Association.
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CT NOFA Launches Equipment Share Program
CT NOFA is proud to announce the launch of our Equipment Share Program. In partnership with The Hickories in Ridgefield, Connecticut, this program aims to provide both commercial farmers and home gardeners free access to both specialized equipment and expertise in a shared environment. Equipment Share days at The Hickories will include free soil analysis, seed winnowing services, nut cleaning, compost tea brewing workshops, and much more.
Advocacy News: May 2026
The Good News: CT Senator Chris Murphy has introduced a bill (bipartisan and bicameral) to increase funding for Agricultural Management Assistance to $30 million and to expand the eligible uses for these funds to include “soil health improvements, composting, implementing organic farming, and food safety certification in addition to existing authorized uses such as water management structure and soil erosion control.” Let’s thank Senator Murphy for introducing this bill!
The Bad News: The Farm Bill passed the House of Representatives on April 30, despite 320 food, farm, and conservation organizations, including CT NOFA, voicing our opposition to a bill that does not fix SNAP, does not support new and beginning farmers, and does not adequately support conservation programs or organic agriculture. Now it goes to the Senate and we need to urge both of Connecticut’s Senators to reject this Farm Bill.