Fred Kirschenmann to Speak; CBF Is Keynote Sponsor

Farmer, writer and sustainable agriculture thought leader Fred Kirschenmann will deliver the keynote address at the 2011 Annual Conference in January. The conference theme is We Are What We Eat: Community Health Through Sustainable Agriculture.

The Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) is keynote sponsor of the conference. "It's a great honor for us to be able to work with Future Harvest-CASA to bring Fred here and we’re always glad to be supportive of Future Harvest-CASA’s amazing Annual Conference,” said Michael Heller, who manages CBF's Claggett Farm in Upper Marlboro, MD. 

Future Harvest-CASA thanks CBF for its ongoing support of not only the Annual Conference, but projects such as Amazing Grazing and farmer field days. We'd also like to thank conference sponsors who have already made their commitments: platinum sponsor MARBIDCO and silver sponsors Maryland Agricultural Educational Foundation (MAEF) and One Straw Farm.

The Annual Conference will be January 14-15 at the Pearlstone Center in Reisterstown, Maryland. Check the conference page at futureharvestcasa.org for updates as session descriptions and registration information become available. 

Diversified Sustainability, Marketing Dairy, Heritage Breeds, Sustainable Winemaking

Visit the Calendar of Events at futureharvestcasa.org for full field day descriptions and online registration.

Economic, Environmental and Social Sustainability

Monday, September 27; 3 pm - 5 pm

Clagett Farm

Upper Marlboro, Prince George's County, MD

Free; Advance registration required

Presented in partnership with the Maryland New Farmer Training Program

Three Creameries & Their Strategies: Marketing Your Dairy Products

Tuesday, September 28; 10 am - 4 pm Keswick Creamery

Newberg, Cumberland County, PA

$15 Future Harvest-CASA/PASA members; $25 all others; includes lunch

Presented in partnership with Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA)

Finding a Niche for Heritage Breeds: Preserving Heritage, History & Genes

Wednesday, October 6; 10 am - 4 pm Stonecroft Highlands

Petersburg, Huntingdon County, PA 

$15 Future Harvest-CASA/PASA members; $25 all others; includes lunch

Presented in partnership with PASA

Making Great Wine Sustainably

Wednesday, October 13; 2:30 pm – 5 pm Black Ankle Vineyard

Mount Airy, Frederick County, MD

Free; Advance registration required

Presented in partnership with Maryland Wineries Association

Want to lower your carbon footprint while learning? If you're interested in carpooling to any of these field days with farmers from your area, visit the Future Harvest-CASA Facebook page or call 410-549-7878.

Did you know that Future Harvest-CASA is a member of the Environmental Fund for Maryland (EFM)? EFM represents more than 20 local conservation organizations in payroll contribution plans throughout Maryland and the Washington DC area, including the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC) and the Maryland Charity Campaign (MCC).

Last year, Future Harvest-CASA received more than $3500 through EFM contributions. These contributions helped us to produce our signature Annual Conference and to expand our programs this year with more member communications, field days and what promises to be an even more incredible Annual Conference in 2011.

Fall is the time for workplace giving campaigns, so look for pledge cards in your workplace, and encourage friends, relatives or neighbors to consider choosing EFM and designating their contribution to Future Harvest-CASA. The number to support us in the CFC is 49830. For the MCC, check your employers' handbook. For more information, visit Environmental Fund for Maryland on the web at efm.org, call 410-752-2644 or e-mail This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

The National Organic Program administers a cost-share program for certified organic producers and handlers. After receiving certification, participants may be reimbursed up to 75% of costs related to organic certification, not to exceed $750 annually. They must comply with NOP regulations for organic production or handling and have received certification or renewed their certification within the established timeframe. This is a great opportunity for organic operators to offset the rising cost of certification, and it can also make certification affordable for those who wish to enter the organic market.  

How to Apply: Work with your state agencies and certifiers to submit a complete application as soon as possible. Find the contact for your state program on the National Organic Program website. The state agencies can provide further information and application packages.

MD Food Policy Group Prepares to Educate Legislators

This summer Future Harvest-CASA has been collaborating with the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene Office of Chronic Disease Prevention, which organized three Food Policy Workgroup meetings. Major areas of recommendations from these workgroups will be presented at a Maryland Food Policy Summit on September 22.

The goal is to educate legislators on the key food policy issues facing Maryland with a focus on those that touch on healthy food access, childhood obesity, and chronic diet-related disease. Some of these include:

• Promoting EBT usage at farmers’ markets and support for associated administrative costs;
• Promoting supply and demand side interventions to use existing corner store infrastructure for better healthy food access in food deserts;
• Addressing the logistical challenges of supplying local food to institutions;
• Establishing a Maryland Food Policy Council;
• Streamlining processes to promote food policy changes similar to the “Green and Grazing” Campaign;
• Funding agricultural preservation; and
• Providing incentives for cottage industries to process local foods.

We encourage our members to get involved in this important process of raising the awareness of our legislators on the connection between the health of our local agriculture and of our communities. If you are interested, please email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

About Future Harvest-CASA 

Alice Chalmers, Executive Director

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ;

443-243-2998

Renee Brooks Catacalos, Community Outreach Coordinator

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; 301-675-2299

Amanda Behrens, Website Manager

This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it ; 443-841-5978 

futureharvestcasa.org or "like" us on Facebook

As a member of Future Harvest-CASA, you benefit from being part of a network of farmers, agricultural professionals, landowners and consumers living and working in the Chesapeake region. Future Harvest-CASA promotes profitable, environmentally sound and socially acceptable food and farming systems that work to sustain communities.

Click here for membership information.

Tel: (410) 549-7878

futureharvestcasa.org