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Newsletter Archive

July 2022:  Vol. XXVIII, No. 2.  Annual Report; MOFFA Annual Report; Farm Profile: Good Neighbor Farm; Project Wingspan Field Day; 7th Organic Conference Mt. Hope, OH; and more  pdf | html.

March 2022:  Vol. XXVIII, No. 1.  Organic Intensives 2022 Report; Project Wingspan: Pollinator Program for Farmers; Book Review: Buzz, Sting, Bite; CAFOs, Gas Utilities, and the NRBP; and more  pdf | html.

December 2021:  Vol. XXVII, No. 4.  In Memoriam: Julia Christianson; Organic Intensive Topic Articles; Calling All Beginning Farmers; Farm Profiles: Old City Acres and Renegade Acres; Great Lakes Bioneers Detroit 2021: Conference Reflections; and more  pdf | html.

September 2021:  Vol. XXVII, No. 3.  Maynard Kaufman: In Memoriam; Organic Intensives Announced; Message In A Bottle From Michigan; Homogenized Farming, Part 2:  the Mechanics of the Loss of Diversity; Farm Profile: Lively Farm; and more. pdf | html.

June 2021 : Vol. XXVII, No. 2.  Marginalized Members of the Agricultural Community.  A Message from the "Chair"; MOFFA's Annual Report for 2020; Coming Soon! The Detroit People's Food Co-op; Support and Resources for Women Farmers; Book Review – One Size Fits None; Farm Profile; Homogenized Farming, Part 1:  the Mechanics of the Loss of Diversity; and more.  pdf | html.

March 2021 : Vol. XXVII, No. 1.  Seed, Food, and People's Rights.  Book Review: Oneness vs the 1%; Slow Seeds and Vintage Vegetables by C.R. Lawn; Saving Seed: It's Now or Never; Farm Profile; and more.| html.

December 2020 : Vol. XXVI, No. 4.  IFOAM: Fairness and Care Issue: Part 2.  A Message From the Chair: Reflection on Perspective; C-A-R-E by John Hooper; A New Argument For Tree Crops by Maynard Kaufman; Can You Be Fair? by Jessica Smith;  Seed to Kitchen Collaborative - an exciting organic, vegetable assessing project comes to Michigan; Life In the Stable by David Kline; Policy Corner – Presidential Transition; OEFFA Mentorship is Back in Michigan; and much more.  pdf | html.

September 2020 : Vol. XXVI, No. 3.  IFOAM: Fairness and Care Issue.  Just One Vote? by John Hooper; Book Review of Maynard Kaufman's Collected Agrarian Writings; an editorial from Linda Purdy; new board member; Policy Corner – SOE; "The Fruits of Your Labors" from David Kline about apples and how what we sow today shall be reaped tomorrow; and more.  pdf | html.

June 2020 : Vol. XXVI, No. 2.  IFOAM: Health Issue.  MOFFA's Annual Report for 2019; Dave Chapman on Industrial Organic; John Biernbaum on Integrative Agriculture for Health; "The Power of the Plate": a new paper, and a new initiative from the Rodale Institute to promote the idea that nutrient-dense food, produced regneratively, can fix our broken food and healthcare systems; A Tale of Two Farms: a story from David Kline about preserving organic farmland for the future; and more.  pdf | html.

March 2020 : Vol. XXVI, No. 1.  IFOAM: Ecology Issue.  Report from Organic Intensives;  What is IFOAM; Structural Racism in the Food System; Agricultural Plastic Recycling; Hemp Farmers Wanted; updates from the policy committee, and more.  pdf | html.

December 2019 : Vol. XXV, No. 4.  Organic Intensives Issue.  Reports from the Plymouth Orchards and Crane Dance Farm Tours; articles from OI 2020 presenters Michael Phillips, Andrew Mefferd, and jim mcdonald; updates from the policy committee, and more.  pdf | html.

September 2019 : Vol. XXV, No. 3.  Online Education Issue.  Online Learning and Farmer Training Opportunities recommended by John Biernbaum, My Online–Farming Learning Experience by Brendan Sinclair, Notes on online marketing with Local Harvest, and a new website service Local Line, Organic Intensives 2020, reports from the first two farm tours of the season, and more.  pdf | html.

May 2019 : Vol. XXV, No. 2.  Homesteading Issue.  A message from our new Chair, Jessie Smith; MOFFA's Annual Report for 2018; articles on homesteading from Maynard Kaufman, Leah Smith, and John Biernbaum; an interview with Dan Kittredge, Anneliese Abbott on food preservation, MOFFA's 2019 Farm Tours, and more.  pdf | html.

February 2019 : Vol. XXV, No. 1. A report on MOFFA's Organic Intensives 2019; 2019 Sponsors; Organizations MOFFA Supports; an update on Phil Howard's chart of the Seed Industry; MOFFA membership, both who we are and why it's important; updates on upcoming events, and more.  pdf | html.

December 2018 : Vol. XXIV, No. 4. MOFFA's new Vision Statement, and talk about MOFFA's future.  John Biernbaum's report from the Bionutrient Food Conference, and an update on the BFA's handheld food quality meter.  An article by Maynard Kaufman on climate change and the associated mass migrations of people, an excerpt from a talk recently given by David Kline at the Land Institute, and a report on the MOFFA Farm Tour at Plymouth Orchards.  Two book reviews: John Biernbaum on One Straw Revolutionary, a book about Masanobu Fukuoka by Larry Korn and another by Leah Smith about From James Joyce to Organic Farming: A Memoir by Maynard Kaufman.  A brief report on political developments,  a note from the Editor, and MOFFA news.  pdf | html

August 2018 : Vol. XXIV, No. 3. Perspectives on nutrient density. John Biernbaum reports on his discussions with Dr. Katherine Alaimo, whose field is Food Science and Human Nutrition; Dane Terrill reporst on progress with the BNA's Handheld Food Quslity Meter; guest authors Dr. Lisa A. Middlecamp-Lowder and Naturopath Melissa Malinowski give us their perspective on nutrient density.   John Hooper reports on the first of MOFFA's 2018 Farm Tours, a few words on current policy developments, announcement of 2019 Organic Intensives topics,  a note from the new Editor,  and MOFFA news.  pdf | html

May 2018 : Vol. XXIV, No. 2. A message from MOFFA's new Chair, Emily Nicholls, and a thank-you to outgoing Chair John Biernbaum; an overview by John Biernbaum of the current state of affairs in organic agriculture with links to learn more; an article by Dave Chapman and an interview with Jeff Moyer which expand on the theme; a piece by recently-named Editor Leah Smith about the plethora of certifications and their role in the relationship between organic consumers and organic farmers; an announcement of MOFFA's 2018 Sustainable Farm Tour Series in collaboration with OEFFA and an explanation of OEFFA's new Begin Farming mentorship program; an article by Catherine Lindell about her work using falcons to improve yield in orchards;  notice of the public comment period on proposed GMO labeling regulations, a note from the new Editor,  and MOFFA news.  pdf | html

February 2018 : Vol. XXIV, No. 1. An essay from George Bird, "Science, Technology and the Humanities: Towards a Successful Anthropocene"; Leah Smith discusses the potential of organic agriculture in mitigating climate change; a rundown of the winter conference season in Michigan, with reports from Organic Intensives and the Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference; two items on racism in the food system, and the farm bill; a review of recent events in the regulatory sphere and their potential effect on consumer confidence in the organic label; a report on organic activity in the U.P.,  and MOFFA news.  pdf | html

December 2017 : Vol. XXIII, No. 4. A report from the Fall NOSB meeting by John Biernbaum; an article from Cornucopia on the threat of "organic" grain imports; John Hooper reflects on 2017, as well as MOFFA's past 25 years; articles about the upcoming Organic Intenisves and the growing number of organic sessions at the Great Lakes Fruit and Vegetable Expo; a report on the new Organic Farmers Association, a national advocacy organization sponsored by the Rodale Institute; and MOFFA news.  pdf | html

September 2017 : Vol. XXIII, No. 3. A report from Dane Terrill about helping conventional blueberry farmers learn about the advantages of feeding the soil; the second part of Leah and Jessie Smith's interview with Phil Howard, as well as an article about the Open Source Seed Initiative; information about upcoming events, including Organic Intensives 2018; an article about the importance of the farm bill, and the potential threat to the National Organic Standards Board, and MOFFA news.  pdf | html

May 2017 : Vol. XXIII, No. 2.  Announcing the publication of The Organic Movement in Michigan; an Interview with Philip H. Howard by Jessie & Leah Smith; Blind Spot by John Biernbaum; MOFFA's Annual Report for 2016; several items about policy issues and upcoming events; and MOFFA news.  pdf | html

February 2017 : Vol. XXIII, No. 1.  Announcement of the upcoming Organic Intensives; a review by Jessie & Leah Smith of Phil Howard's new book, Concentration and Power in the Food System: Who Controls What We Eat?; short report from the Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference, The Disastrous Denial of Climate Change by Maynard Kaufman and Barbara Geisler; news about the proposed Organic "Check-Off" and the Final Rule on Organic Poultry and Livestock; Healthy Food, Healthy Bees Connection; and MOFFA news.  pdf | html

December 2016 :  Vol. XXII, No. 3. Continuing the theme of "What is Organic?" : Evolutionary Acceptance by John Hooper; what An Organic Landscape might look like by Jessie Smith; a report on the status of "organic hydroponics" after the fall NOSB meeting; What Do You Stand For? by Leah Smith; a preview of Organic Day at GLEXPO, and a note about MOFFA and Grand Rapids bakery/cafe Field & Fire; announcement of the topics chosen for Organic Intensives 2017, a report on the High Bionutrient Crop Production workshop co-sponsored by MOFFA, and MOFFA news.  pdf | html

September 2016 :  Vol. XXII, No. 2.  Continuing the theme of "What is Organic?" : Ethics, Esthetics & Ecology:  Why I Farm Organically by Amy Newday; Observations from the USDA Organic Hydroponics Task Force; What Looks Like Organic But Is Not? by Leah Smith; The Future of Organic Farming in a Changing Climate by Maynard Kaufman; Internships Inspire ...; The IFOAM Guiding Principles; MOFFA’s Response to the Proposed Rule on Organic Livestock and Poultry; Dan Kittredge to Speak in Lansing; Looking Forward to GLEXPO; and MOFFA news.  pdf | html

May 2016 :  in a return to the original numbering system, Vol. XXII, No. 1.  Several perspectives on "What is Organic?", and the reasons for seeking certification, or not. A review of the book Farmacology – Total Health from the Ground Up.  MOFFA's Annual Report for 2015, and a report on Organic Intensives 2016. Information about the Farm Guide for 2016 and a book currently in progress on the history of the organic movement in Michigan, response from readers, and MOFFA news.  pdf | html

December 2015 : Economics of Organic Farming.  Dan Rossman on field crop projections; Leah and Jessie Smith on the economics of farming and consuming organic; other perspectives from Dane Terrill, John Biernbaum, and John Hooper, plus additional resources, a follow-up on Carbon Sequestration, notes from MOFFA's meet-and-greet at GLEXPO, the final report from the high tunnel grant, and MOFFA news.  pdf | html

October 2015 : Seed Saving Issue.  Essays by Amy Newday and John Edgerton, Leah Smith, Jessie Smith, and John Biernbaum on saving seed, plus info on Organic Day and MOFFA activities upcoming at GLEXPO in December, a tribute to Ivan Morley, and MOFFA news.  pdf | html

July 2015 : Carbon Sequestration Issue.  Essays by Maynard Kaufman, Leah Smith, Dane Terrill and John Biernbaum on carbon sequestration, plus ridge tillage, extracting heat from compost, persistent herbicide damage through animal manure, and MOFFA news.  pdf | html

March 2015 : Education Issue.  Reports from Organic Intensives and the MSU Organic Reporting Session, fresh & dried flowers, healthy bees, hydroponic systems & organic certification, and more, plus MOFFA news.  pdf | html

December 2014 : Soils Issue.  Compost, cover crops, and overall soil health, plus MOFFA news.  pdf | html

October 2014 : Harvest Issue.  Canning, dehydration, cold storage on the farm and in the basement, storing grains, preparing the soil for next spring, harvest-time books, MOFFA news.  pdf | html

July 2014 : Announcing 'Organic Intensives', articles on marketing, electronic usage survey, and more.  pdf | html

March 2014 : Member statements on why they joined MOFFA, an update on the Farm Guide, farmers' stories about the Farm Guide, a report on the 2014 Organic Reporting Session, 2013 Annual Report, and more.  pdf | html

December 2013 : Legislative Issues in 2014, MOFFA's response to the FDA on the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), Upper Peninsula AgBioResearch Station, Organic Survery 2014, Farm Bill, Farm Guide, Reports from the Annual Meeting, and more.  pdf | html

October 2013 : Farm Bill, Cost Share and the Organic Farmer from Linda Torony, Harvest Notes from Lee Arboreal, Non-GMO Month, Specialty Crop Block Grant, Farm Guide, Hoophouse Gala, Organizational Issues, Annual Meeting, Educational Opportunities, and more.  pdf | html

May, 2013  :  MOFFA Membership, Carbon Credits, Organizational Issues, Student Organic Farm 10th Anniversary, and more.  pdf | html

March, 2013  :  2012 Annual Report, 2013 Guide to Growers and Farms, Organic Farmers and MSU Researchers meet, New Board and Staff, 'Adaptive Organics' by Lee Arboreal, Report on the 20th Anniversary Event, and more.  pdf | html

October, 2012 : Volume 2, Issue 5.  html

July, 2012 : Volume 2, Issue 4.  html

June, 2012 : Volume 2, Issue 3.  html

March, 2012 : Volume 2, Issue 2.  html

January, 2012  :  Volume 2, Issue 1.  pdf

Older newsletters (1990-2010) are available at http://moffaorganic.org/newsletters/moffa/.

 

 

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