Pioneer Valley Regional Agricultural Conference

2020 Pioneer Valley Regional Agricultural Conference on January 18th from 9am to noon at the Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School in Northampton.

This is a free event. Doors open at 8:30am. The snow date is on January 25th at the same time and place.

Farmers, foresters, landowners, landscapers and others will have the opportunity to meet others in the field and discuss issues that concern them.

We are very excited about our three presentations:

Can Dairy Farms make it in the Pioneer Valley? Denise Barstow, Barstow’s Longview Farm

Barstow’s Longview Farm is a sixth and seventh generation owned-and-operated dairy farm in Hadley, MA. Thanks to business diversification and a supportive community, the Barstow family has continued to produce nutritious food, steward the land and landscape, and preserve a way of life despite a very rocky milk market. Learn about this family operation and discuss how policies, regulations, and town planning can make or break a family farm.

Hadley is Heaven (and Farming is Purgatory) Wally Czajkowski, Plainville Farm

The Czajkowski Family has been farming in the Pioneer Valley since 1914.  Wally’s Plainville Farm in Hadley is a diverse organic and conventional farm that produces asparagus, green beans, hemp, winter squash, and other crops.  Wally will discuss how they attract and retain a large workforce and navigate a rapidly changing labor law and regulatory environment. He’ll present on stewarding his land, improving soil health, and developing relationships with local supermarkets.  He’ll also discuss how the Town of Hadley supports agriculture and is a model for how other towns and cities can support and grow a strong and resilient local food economy.

What to know before growing Hemp Taryn La Scola, MDAR Division of Crop and Pest Services

Agricultural hemp comes with its own set of complex rules and permits.  Taryn will explain the permit process and help clarify current rules and regulations for hemp growers. She’ll discuss advocacy efforts to improve state regulations for hemp growers. She’ll also discuss what farmers need to know about how to prepare their farms to grow hemp and what the evolving market looks like for hemp and CBD oil.