Winter Conference Season Kicks Off with NOFA Joint Keynote Presentation by Ira Wallace
January 6, 2023
Kick off conference season with this free webinar!
The seven chapters of the Northeast Organic Farming Association have been working to develop food security programs and learning opportunities throughout our region. This winter, each chapter will be implementing various workshops at our Winter Conferences that discuss topics to build self resiliency, grow agriculture communities, develop systems for improved access, increase land access, and reduce climate decline. To kick off our Winter Conference season we have invited the NOFA/Mass Keynote Speaker Ira Wallace, of the Southern Exposure Seed Exchange, to share with us the importance of food security and how seed saving continues to play such an important role in feeding our communities. We will also meet representatives of the NOFA chapters to learn more about the food security work being done in our states.
Ira Wallace is a worker/owner of the cooperatively managed Southern Exposure Seed Exchange (SESE). Ira started saving herb and flower seeds in the 1970’s and became professionally involved in the seed business in 1998. At SESE she coordinates education and outreach as well as co-managing variety selection and new seed grower contracts with SESE’s network of 70+ seed producing farms. Ira also conducts variety trials for SESE and researches and documents the history of varieties offered in the annual catalog. Southern Exposure offers over 700 varieties of open-pollinated heirloom and organic (500+ USDA certified organic) seeds selected for flavor and regional adaptability. It is the oldest company in the southeast focusing on heirloom, organic, open-pollinated seeds. Since 1983 Southern Exposure has been helping people in the southeast get control of their food supply by supporting sustainable home and market gardening, seed saving, and preserving heirloom varieties.
This virtual event is free of charge. Register to attend here.
Learn more about CT NOFA’s own Winter Conference workshop schedule (and register for the conference) here, and consider donating to our Farm Share and other programs to support our community food security efforts.
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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.
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Our vision is that every person is able to live their life with healthy food, clean water and air, community, livelihood, dignity, and purpose within the means of our life-giving planet. We seek that vision on every level, from our households and farms to our communities, states, bioregions, nation, and world. For that vision to be fulfilled, every person, no matter their origin or circumstances, must have all their basic human needs met without degrading the air, water, soil, ecosystems, and climate which we have been given and on which we depend for our lives.