Workshops

SESSION ONE

9:00 am - 10:30 am

  • Speakers: Dee Levanti (Land For Good)-Moderator; Matt Tracy (Southside Community Land Trust), Eduardo Tovar Lopez (New Entry Sustainable Farming Project), Molly Cohen & Lucia Kearney (Wolf Tree Cooperative/Pea Shoot Farm [Quinta Arvejita]), Sasha Wolfe (Hocus Pocus Farm)

    Farmland Access and Affordability is one of the greatest challenges facing farmers in our world, and particularly in this region. This panel discussion will bring together speakers with a deep understanding of these challenges who are part of organizations exploring innovative solutions to connect farmers with land. Eduardo Tovar Lopez will speak to New Entry Sustainable Farming Project's successful incubator program, Matt Tracy will share about Southside Community Land Trust's urban agricultural model, Molly Cohen and Lucía Cueto Kearney will present the creative model of collaborative land ownership between Wolf Tree Cooperative and Pea Shoot Farm (Quinta Arvejita), and Sasha Wolfe will speak to their experience running Hocus Pocus Farm on shared farmland at Osamequin. The conversation will be moderated by Deanna Levanti, Westport Farmer and regional Land for Good Field Agent.

  • Speaker: Julie Raymond (Bittersweet Gardens)

    Julie Raymond is the dedicated farmer-florist behind Bittersweet Gardens, based on the South Shore of Boston. Cultivating a diverse array of blooms on less than half an acre, she supplies her thriving wedding floral business, which serves clients across Boston, Cape Cod, and Rhode Island. Julie also provides fresh flowers to the New England Wholesale Flower Exchange. With over 25 years of experience, she has masterfully refined her crop selections to align with the ever-evolving demands of the wedding industry. Join Julie as she shares her dynamic journey—filled with twists and turns, triumphs, and everything in between.

  • Speaker: Sharon Hoskins (Brilliant Dahlia Flower Farm)

    There is something charming, practically fairy-tale, about spending a few hours on a flower farm, picking your own beautiful blooms. Picture yourself on the farm, on a gorgeous day, which has just the right amount of breeze that keeps you cool and gently moves the wispy clouds in the sky, while the song birds chatter softly in the background. All that, while you pick the perfect blooms to bring home. When you sign up for PYO, it's easy to imagine that your day will look exactly like the above, and maybe it will. Sharon will talk about the possibility of this perfect day and also discuss the amount of work and planning that goes on behind the scenes for the farmer to prepare for PYO events to make it as perfect as possible for the attendees. Her farm first hosted several PYO events in 2024 and they are preparing for additional dates in 2025.

  • Speakers: Danny Badger (MIT Sea Grant), Rachel Hutchinson (WHOI Sea Grant)

    Aquaculture Internships for Massachusetts (AIM) is a unique aquaculture workforce development collaborative partnership between MIT Sea Grant, WHOI Sea Grant, and Barnstable County Cooperative Extension. Interns participating in this year-long program are paid to rotate work at different regional farms and to try out different roles in the aquaculture industry. Danny Badger from Sea Grant and Rachel Hutchinson from WHOI Sea Grant will share insights and answer questions about the pilot year of this innovative workforce development program.

  • Speakers: Dan Ward, Ward Aquafarms in Bourne, MA

    Explore the operations of a new, local, state-of-the-art aquaculture hatchery and nursery in Bourne with an overview by owner of Ward Aquafarms, Dan Ward. Learn more about where your shellfish seed comes from and ask questions and the process.

  • Speakers: Geoff Kinder (Paradox Acres) & Ridge Shinn (Northeast Grass-fed Beef Initiative)

    Ridge Shinn of the Northeast Grass-fed Beef Initiative and Geoff Kinder of Paradox Acres LLC talk about the current state of the beef industry and its impact on soil health. They will present an alternative path forward with cows as heroes: sequestering carbon, enriching and increasing topsoil, providing food and jobs in agriculture. Ridge and Geoff will lead a conversation about regenerative land management.

  • Speakers: Shauna Ferry - Westport Dairy & Pine Hill Farms

    Shauna takes us on a journey through her experiences building a raw milk dairy and diversifying into value-added products. Learn about the reasons behind their diversification, the successes and challenges of their operation, and the research and strategy that guided their product choices. Shauna will also share insights into their upcoming projects and the considerations driving their future plans. Whether you're curious about innovation in dairy or looking to expand your own business, this talk offers inspiration, practical advice, and plenty of room for discussion.

  • Speakers: Albert & Heather Brandon (Brandon Family Farm)

    Brandon Family Farm grows over three acres of Certified Organic strawberries on their farm in West Kingston, RI.This includes over two acres dedicated to their popular Pick Your Own. They have been growing strawberries, in addition to over 40 different kinds of fruits and vegetables, for the last ten years. In this workshop they will share the various growing methods they have experimented with over the years and where they have found greatest success.

  • Speakers: Dom Fernandes (Fresh Meadows Farm) & Cass Gilmore (Benson's Pond Cranberries)

    As margins continue to shrink, traditional models of sustainably growing cranberries are becoming increasily challenging. Two cranberry growers lead a discusion on seraching out new marketing options targeted at creating competitiveness and sustainablity at their farms in the face of the current challenges.

  • Speakers: Mike Roberts (Roots Farm)

    Mike Roberts of Roots Farm will discuss tools and techniques for keeping weeds at bay in the no-till intensive small plot farm. The presentation will cover specific management tools including cultivation, occultation, solarization, flame weeding, and stale seed beds. In addition, Mike will discuss strategies for putting everything together into a holistic weed management program for your farm.

  • Speakers: Chuck Currie (Freedom Food Farm)

    Grains are an excellent soil builder in a vegetable rotation, and you can eat them too! Learn the basics of growing and processing grain for human consumption including variety selection and planting.

  • Speakers: Stacy Entel (Land & Sea Together, Round the Bend Farm)- Moderator, Lauren Croteau (Heart Beets Farm), Anna & Siedric (Revival Road Farm), Sajo Jefferson (Not our Farm)

    Many farms struggle with employee retention and providing a pathway for professional growth to their workers. This panel provides an opportunity to hear from a talented group of career farmers who have a half century's worth of experience amongst them. In this discussion moderated by Stacy Entel (Round the Bend Farm, Land & Sea Together), speakers will talk about their experience as career farmers, what support systems have enabled them to continue on this path including what practices employers can put in place to support employees who want to make farming their career. They'll also discuss how they've navigated individual decisions around seeking out management roles, starting their own businesses, or finding the right farming job for them to stay in long term.

  • Speakers: Sean P. Reilly (GatherWealth Investment Management) & Cian Danzell (The Carrot Project)

    In this session you will be guided through scenarios of strategies to manage farm profitability, subsidized healthcare eligibility and costs, income tax strategies, saving for farmer retirement, and growing your business profits thoughtfully with these multiple factors at play. We will mix farm financial and retirement expertise to discuss meeting your farm and household needs in the short and long term. This session will address the following farmer concerns: Can I afford to grow my business if I will owe more taxes and receive less healthcare subsidy for my family? How do I find the scale and income sweet spot for my business, managing for a combination of profits, healthcare costs, income taxes, and saving for retirement? How do I plan for variable income years? How do I use my farm financials to inform decision-making? This workshop builds off topics in SEMAP’s January Lunch and Learn series, but having attended the series is not a prerequisite.

  • Speakers: Nate Sanders (Marion Institute's Grow Education), Margie Brennan (Portsmouth AgInnovation Farm), Zaria Griffith (South West Boston Community Dev. Corporation, moderater Melissa McKenna (Norfolk Aggie High School)

    It is always true that our future lies with the upcoming generation of youth and young adults. Nowhere is this more true than our agricultural and food systems. This workshop will highlight programs that are doing creative and innovative work around engaging youth in agriculture. The importance of this work underscores our food security, environmental sustainability and an increased agricultural workforce.

SESSION TWO

10:45am - 11:45am

  • Speakers: David Epstein, Meteorologist & Horticulturalist (Growing Wisdom)

    Dave will look at the current climate situation and outline prediction models for our climate in the coming decades as well as reasons why things are changing. The session will also go into detail on how long-range climate models work. Participants should expect to leave with a better understanding of climate change and the impacts it can have on the farming industry.

  • Speaker: Anna Jane Kocon (Little State Flower Co.)

    Anna Jane Kocon owns Little State Flower Company, a 5 acre heavily diversified flower farm in Tiverton RI. In this workshop, she will discuss how she has expanded her season to produce high quality cut flowers year round through her perennial production as well as utilizing her heated and unheated greenhouses.

  • Speaker: Myrna Greenfield (Good Egg Marketing)

    Boosting customer loyalty will help you increase sales and create lasting relationships with your customers. We’ll discuss strategies and tools that keep customers coming back. During this session, you’ll map out a simple customer retention plan for the coming year.

  • Speakers: Dr. Lorraine O'Connor, Chief Veterinary Health Officer, (MDAR);
    Dr. Valerie Koenig Veterinary Services Epidemiologist (USDA)

    Join members from the MDAR's Division of Animal Health in a panel discussion on updates about the Avian Flu. This discussion will give participants both the federal and state perspectives on the virus and response activities.

  • Speakers: Lisa McKeag (UMass Extension Vegetable Program)

    Agricultural water contaminated with human pathogens has played a role in foodborne illness outbreaks and is a focus of FSMA Produce Safety regulations, which require growers to assess the quality of the water they use on their farm. This workshop covers current requirements of the FSMA Produce Safety Rule and the Massachusetts Commonwealth Quality Program (CQP) for assessing agricultural water risks. It also covers strategies for managing risk as well as the results of a recent water quality survey of farms conducted by UMass Extension.

  • Speakers: Sam Corcoran, PhD (UMass Extension Soil and Plant Nutrient Testing Lab)

    Is “get better at cover cropping” one of your 2025 resolutions? Get ready to cross this one off your list. This workshop is designed for farmers new to cover cropping or seeking to use cover crops more effectively, whether you are a beginner or an experienced grower. We’ll cover the basics, including what it is and why we do it, selecting the right cover crop species, establishment and termination, and impacts on cash crops that follow. This workshop is the first part of an educational series, and will be followed by a “Cover Cropping 201” webinar, held in March.

  • Speakers: Rich Pederson (Southside Community Land Trust)

    In this session, we will talk about sustainable, low cost, and low till soil care practices for building healthy soils. All are welcome, but this talk is targeting small to medium scale growers as well as city growers.

  • Speakers: Ed Lowe (Samoset Apiary)

    A Basic introduction to Honeybees and Beekeeping. We will look at the dynamics of a Colony of Honeybees, the History of Beekeeping and the evolution of Beehives, Explore different types of Beehives throughout the world. We will talk about the tools needed and general startup costs of Basic Bee Husbandry.

  • Speakers: Ashley Folin (Bristol Aggie), moderator; Lily Dias, Nick Riolo, Christina Russell

    Recent alumni from Bristol Aggie and Norfolk Aggie High Schools' will share their stories and journeys from high school student, to graduate, to starting their own businesses! They will discuss their individual businesses, why they started them and the decisions and experiences along the way. If you're a current high school student who is thinking about starting your own business, interested in agriculture as a career path or just want to hear great life experiences from recent alumni, this workshop is for you! This workshop is for teenagers only. 

Lunch in the Student Commons Cafeteria

12pm - 1:45pm

  • Lunch is catered by Destination Soups in New Bedford (the cornbread was baked by The Baker in New Bedford). 


    Lunch Menu: Salad, Pulled Chicken, Roasted Root Vegetables, Coleslaw, Cornbread and Vegan Chili We sourced from local farms and businesses for breakfast and lunch, with the help of Coastal Foodshed: 



    Brennan’s Local, Carver MA

    DaSilva Farm, Rehoboth MA

    Equal Exchange (coffee & Tea)

    Flying Carrot Farm, Dartmouth MA

    Heart Beets Farm, Berkley MA

    Holiday Brook Farm, Dalton MA

    Hornstra Farms, Norwell MA

    Ivory Silo Farm, Westport MA

    Little State Flower Co., Tiverton RI

    Skinny Dip Farm, Westport MA

    Wishing Stone Farm, Little Compton RI

    Plimoth Grist Mill, Plymouth MA

    Westport Dairy, Westport MA


  • Compost Collection by Black Earth Compost

    Food scraps from SNEACTS are being diverted from the waste stream and turned into compost by Black Earth Compost. The compost, a nutrient rich soil amendment, is returned to local farms, backyards, and community gardens to grow more food, creating a local, regenerative nutrient cycle. Black Earth Compost is sustainably sourced from our communities for our communities. To learn more about their FARMWORKS program, delivery of compost or soil blends visit www.blackearthcompost.com. 

  • Join the arboriculture department for a workshop on chainsaw maintenance and safety, designed to enhance your skills and confidence in operating chainsaws in your discipline. Participants will learn best practices for maintaining chainsaws, ensuring optimal performance, and following critical safety protocols in the field.

  • Whether you have a future Aggie student in your family or just want to see the great renovations and new buildings, join Bristol Aggie students for an hour tour of the campus. We'll check out the Floral Center, Agricultural Mechanics, the Natural History Museum, the Veterinary Science Center, and the new dairy barn and robotic milker. Tours will meet at the registration table and leave every half hour: 12:00 pm, 12:30 and 1:00.

SESSION THREE

2:00pm - 3:30pm

  • Speakers: Martin Feehan (MA Fish & Wildlife), Tyler Hertzwig (RI DEM), Hunter, Kevin O'Dwyer (Langwater Farm), Ryan Burke (MDAR), Derek Christianson (Brix Bounty Farm)

    The acute increase in the deer population in our region is a pressing issue for our farms, food and flowers. Join representatives from the RI Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM), Massachusetts Fish & Wildlife and Hunters for a round-table discussion on current issues, herd numbers and strategies to help address this pressure. From Deer Damage Permit programs, and fencing solutions, this panel will help farmers understand present tactics and future solutions.

  • Speaker: Melissa Adams (MDAR), Julie Viveiros (USDA-FSA) Dawn M. Wilhelmsen (USDA-FSA), João Filipe Tavares-Carreiro (USDA-NRCS), Brittany Lewis (American Farmland Trust)

    If you didn't already know, there are many grants and opportunities available to help farmers and aquaculture succeed and thrive! Oftentimes it's hard to know where to look or find these resources. Join representatives from Mass Department of Agricultural Resources (MDAR), Farm Service Agency (FSA) and the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to learn about their grant and loan programs, where to find them and how to apply. This workshop will help farmers and aquaculturists find the resources and money available to help invest in their businesses.

  • Speaker: Elspeth Robertson-DuBois (Finicky Farm)

    Finicky Farm is based in Northfield, Massachusetts and rotationally grazes 180 Katahdin ewes (plus their lambs) on solar arrays in three counties of MA. We also do some conservation grazing for invasives management and pasture restoration with our herd of 60 Boer- cross does. We will share some of the pros/cons of mobile grazing and some tips for what worked out for us in terms of leases, insurance, infrastructure and more. We will also share some the tips and tricks that we’ve used to make our systems work and what changes we are planning to make in the future. Please bring your questions about grazing under solar panels or questions about rotational grazing sheep or goats- we will try to answer as many as we can.

  • Speaker: Pat McNiff (Pat’s Pastured)

    Join us for an engaging talk on poultry basics, covering everything from brooding to slaughter. Whether you're raising chickens for eggs or meat, ducks, or turkeys, this session will guide you through the essentials of poultry production. We'll also discuss strategies to maximize efficiency and profitability. Perfect for beginners and experienced producers alike!

  • Speakers: Sue Scheufele (UMass Extension Vegetable Program)

    Planning ahead is an important piece of the puzzle in managing agricultural pests successfully. When we wait until an outbreak occurs, our options for bringing it back under control are fewer, more costly, and efficacy is limited. Learn about the process of IPM planning and get resources to help guide you, including how to get help from a pest expert at UMass Extension. Participants will also learn about a new partnership between NRCS and UMass Extension designed to increase grower access to financial assistance from NRCS to implement IPM practices like using insect exclusion netting, shade cloth, crop scouting, pest monitoring, and sprayer calibration. This workshop is best suited to vegetable and fruit producers.

  • Speakers: William McCaffrey, Old Earth Orchards

    This presentation is for anyone considering adding a small planting of apples, pears, or stone fruit to their business or homestead in Southeastern New England, with an inclination toward holistic practices.  We'll take a cursory glance at rootstock and variety selection, reputable nurseries, orchard design considerations, potential virtues of adding fruit trees to your landscape, regionally-specific pitfalls, and where to look to expand your horticultural knowledge.  We will not get into detail with spray regimens, financials, pruning techniques, grafting, or similarly sexy subjects!

  • Speakers: Joy Gary (Boston Farms Community Land Trust), Theresa Strachila (GrowBoston), Ibrahim Ali (Umass Extension), Marcos Beleche (Four Corners Main Street)

    The panelists will explore urban farming challenges and opportunities from their individual perspectives and experiences with the intent of highlighting the benefits and return on investment of urban farming as a basis for continuing and even expanding investments in urban farming.

  • Speakers: Skip Paul (Wishing Stone Farm)

    Skip Paul has been a vegetable grower for 40 years and half of his 52 acres is in cover crop every season. He is not no-till but a low till convert who balances bare fallow techniques with biennial cover crop choices that build soil structure and water capacity. Skip will be discussing interseeding cover crops into his fall brassicas and seasonal choices for best covers.

  • Speakers: Calla Pederson (URI)

    Agriculture and global food security are increasingly vulnerable as climate change continues to raise global and regional temperatures and increase occurrence of variance in extremes. In the United States, broccoli is a popular vegetable, important for its nutrition and economic contributions alike. However, its future production is at risk as broccoli prefers cooler climates, especially in the weeks leading up to harvest. Temperatures above this threshold lead to failure to develop, damage, and unmarketability. Calla Pederson, URI graduate student, conducted variety trials of 12 heat-tolerant broccoli cultivars using a randomized block design and three staggered planting dates throughout the summer of 2024. We aim to determine a subset of heat-tolerant broccoli varieties that perform the best, using standard measures of quality and yield, in Rhode Island’s microclimate. Results are still in progress, but growers attending this session will learn about our findings.

  • Speakers: Paul Gove (Gove Farms), Tiferet Rose (Seed to Seed Farm School), Steve Murray (Heart Beets Farm)

    Attracting and maintaining a skilled and happy workforce is paramount to any successful business. Nowhere is this more true than in agriculture and on farms. This workshop will highlight some new and well-established farms and programs looking at developing a sustainable, well-trained and happy agricultural workforce.

  • Speakers:Jamie Pottern (AFT), Nick Wildman (DNRT), Melissa Adams (MDAR), Jay Rosas (MDAR), Dee Levanti (Land For Good), Barry and Courtney Rocha (Walt's Farm)

    Southern New England has some of the most expensive farmland in the country. Farmland protection is a powerful tool to keep farmland in agriculture and make farmland more affordable and accessible to the next generation of farmers. This workshop is geared to farmers who are seeking access to land and considering farming on conserved land; and to landowners who may own farmland and are considering conservation options for their land. Workshop attendees will learn about the basics of land protection tools, programs and resources offered by land trusts and the state to conserve land, and opportunities and challenges for farming on conserved or land trust-owned land. Attendees will hear from land trust and state agency representatives, as well as directly from farmers who will share their experiences accessing and farming on conserved land. There will be time for questions.

  • Speakers:Steve Hadcock (Cornell Cooperative Extension)

    Are you considering starting a farm business or recently launched one? Unsure where to find the guidance you need to succeed? Join Cornell Cooperative Extension Educator, Steve Hadcock, as he showcases a wealth of federal, state and regional resources to help you boost your chances of success. Steve will cover essential topics, including financing, federal income taxes, insurance, USDA programs, Massachusetts-specific resources and support available from Cornell Small Farms.

SESSION FOUR

3:45pm - 4:45pm

  • Speakers: Desiree Robertson-DuBois (American Farmland Trust)

    Have you ever been asked for a grazing plan or are you curious about what goes into planning your grazing for an entire season? Or are you wanting to dial in something about your grazing system but aren’t sure how? This workshop will outline some of those details and the how-tos of building a grazing plan, tools that will help you make decisions and some tips on when, where and how to build in flexibility in your systems to fit with your herd/flock and landbase. Are you thinking about working with NRCS? Do you know about the variety of programs and technical/financial assistance that they offer for rotational grazing and why? We will talk a little about how to engage with your NRCS conservation planner to make the most of that assistance. Bring your questions!

  • Speaker: Benoit Azagoh-Kouadio (Round the Bend Farm)

    A discussion of the effective methods used at Round the Bend Farm to reduce exposure, transmission and infection of farmers with Lyme disease and other tick-borne illnesses. Learn proven strategies for keeping farm staff and family safe as well as perspectives on healing difficult infections.

  • Speaker: Camille Abdel-Nabi (Long Lane Farm)

    Camille Abdel-Nabi of Long Lane Farm in Warren will share best practices for producing organic greens year round. Camille has over a decade of experience running her farm, which has three high tunnels and a nursery where they grow their increasingly popular microgreens. All of their products are grown using organic and no-till practices. These practices and their attention to detail produce a high quality, delicious, and nutritious product.

  • Speakers: Derek Christianson (Brix Bounty Farm)

    Derek Christianson of Brix Bounty Farm in Dartmouth will lead a discussion on enabling plants to thrive in a dry season with an emphasis on minerals needed for optimum water use efficiency and handling abiotic stress.

  • Speakers: Cian Dalzell (The Carrot Project)

    In this session you will be guided through aspects of preparing for a farmland purchase and agricultural loan. You will learn about financing concepts, application preparation, finding financing and the loan process. We will share through examples, examining scenarios of farmland purchase, and share solutions to affordability issues. This session will address the following farmer concerns: Can I afford a farm? What are the costs of purchasing and owning land? What steps do I take to prepare to purchase, finance and steward farmland? I haven’t been successful in obtaining a loan or grant in the past, how can I be a more competitive applicant? I’ve heard there grants coming up I can leverage for a farmland purchase, what are they?