Maryland Organic Food and Farming Association, c/o Val Bolger, Treasurer

PO Box 36 Tracys Landing, MD 20779 www.marylandorganic.org

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Press contact:

Holly Heintz Budd

410-257-6713

443-975-4181(cell)

budd13@verizon.net

PRESS RELEASE

For Immediate Release

January 25, 2012

Maryland Organic Association to Hold Conference in Annapolis

MOFFA, the Maryland Organic Food and Farming Association, announces its 21th Annual Winter Meeting, on Saturday February 18, 2012, from 8 am to 5:00 pm, at the Maryland Department of Agriculture Building, 50 Harry S. Truman Parkway in Annapolis.

Join farmers, consumers, advocates, and National Organic Program members, in a panel discussion to answer:  What Does Organic Mean to Me?

MOFFA Chairperson Holly Budd asks, “Has the term ‘organic’ been co-opted or watered down?

Is organic:  sustainable, local, compatible with the local and global ecology? 

Is organic more than the details of what's on a list?  What about claims of ‘beyond organic’?”

There will be informative presentations, panels, and workshops for farmers and gardeners in search of new ideas, techniques, and inspiration, as well as networking opportunities for consumers and distributors, looking for good sources of local, organic food. 

Presenters include:  Patty Lovera, Assistant Director of Food & Water Watch, Jenny Tucker, Associate Deputy Administrator for the USDA National Organic Program, Ron Morse, Integrated Organic Weed and Pest Management: Role of Crop Rotation and Intensive Cover Crop/Vegetable Crop Sequences Jerry Brust, organic fertility and Kaolin clay pest control research, Cerruti Hooks, controlling stink bugs with organic controls, Lauren Kolb, reduced tillage system and her work on organic weed control, Don Brubaker, Fertrell, Livestock Management, Health, and Nutrition, Rick Hood, Summer Creek Farm, potting mix, Mike Tabor, Licking Creek Bend Farm, Organic Christmas Tree Production.

Jay Feldman, the Executive Director of Beyond Pesticides will be the Keynote Speaker at the MOFFA Winter Meeting.  Jay has dedicated himself to finding solutions to pesticide problems after working with farmworkers and small farmers.  Jay has helped to build Beyond Pesticides' capacity to assist local groups and impact national pesticide policy. He has tracked specific chemical effects, regulatory actions, and pesticide law. He is very familiar with local groups working on pesticides and has helped develop successful strategies for reform in local communities. His work with media has helped to bring broader public understanding of the hazards of pesticides. Jay has a Masters in urban and regional planning with a focus on health policy from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University (1977), and a B.A. from Grinnell College (1975) in political science.

Attendees are encouraged to bring a dish to share for the potluck lunch, one of the highlights of the meeting.

Attendees can bring seeds to exchange with the other participants in the MOFFA Seed Swap.

There will be a silent auction fundraiser.  Members are encouraged to bring an auction  item.

Members may bring display materials; table space is available in exchange for silent auction item donations.

Registration is $20 for non-members and $5 for members. Membership is $25 for one year or $45 for two years. Registration is at the door. For more information, go to www.marylandorganic.org or contact Holly Heintz Budd at 443-975-4181

Maryland Organic Food and Farming Association (MOFFA) was established in 1991 as a non-profit organization. MOFFA strives to build a sustainable network of individuals and organizations that support small farms, family gardens and ecologically sound businesses.

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