NOFA annual conference scheduled for Jan. 28 at Douglass College

NEW BRUNSWICK — This year’s in-person Northeast Organic Farmers’ Association of New Jersey conference returns to the Douglass College Student Center on George Street on the Rutgers University campus.
The 2019 pre-pandemic NOFA-NJ gathering brought together nearly 400 organic farmers and backyard fruit and vegetable growers from around the Garden State over two days.
The 2023 conference will be a one-day gathering to make room for other programs throughout the year being organized by NOFA-NJ, and will be held on Saturday. Jan. 28 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Unlike the 2022 and 2021 conferences — which were held virtually — this year’s conference will have a decidedly New Jersey-centric focus, explained executive director Devin Cornia, who operates a small farm in Stockton.
“I think there are so many amazing things going on in New Jersey agriculture,” Cornia said. “There is so much diversity and innovation and progress being made [in agriculture] throughout the state, and not everybody knows about it,” he said. Cornia has worked in law enforcement in South Carolina, as a store manager at Basil Bandwagon in Lambertville and as farm manager at Sandbrook Meadow Farm, also in Stockton.
Along with NOFA-NJ, Cornia is also involved with the Hunterdon County Board of Agriculture, the Delaware Township Environmental Commission and the Ag Advisory Committee of Delaware Township, and he serves on the Farmers Market Committee for the Hunterdon Land Trust, among other ag-related citizenship activities.
“My driving mission with this year’s conference has been to celebrate the good work being done throughout the state and galvanize our community for greater success moving forward.”
“We’re a small state, so we should know a lot more about what other farmers are doing, and what other organizations and non-profits are doing as well,” he said.
Accordingly, representatives will be at the conference to explain their organizations and missions, like the Montclair Community Farm’s Foodpreneurs Program, the Outdoor Equity Alliance based on Hopewell Valley Friends of Open Space land, and the new Marksboro Mills in Sussex County.
At Marksboro Mills, “they are doing really exciting work as the home for River Valley Community Grains,” Cornia said. “They are growing and milling local grains like einkorn wheat, cornmeal and oat rye.
Furthermore he said, “too many smaller farmers are not aware of all the opportunities for support within the state, so hopefully the conference can be a meeting point for this.”
Scheduled speakers at the 33rd annual conference on Jan. 28 in New Brunswick include Jeff Moyer from Rodale Institute; Renata Barnes of the Outdoor Equity Alliance; award-winning organic farmer and educator Jess Neiderer of Chickadee Creek Farm; Richard McCoy, owner of Horticultural Services Inc.; Jared Rosenbaum of Wild Ridge Plants; agro-forestry operators Lindsay Napolitano and Johann Rinkens of Fields Without Fences and Maria Stewart of Gorgeous Goat Creamery, who will share her grants writing expertise.
A complete list of speakers, workshop topics and registration information can be found on the NOFA-NJ website, www.nofanj.org.
This year’s conference will be more interactive, Cornia said, with product tastings, an array of food choices for lunch and a social hour with more healthy food samples after the conclusion of panels and talks.
“This way, everyone has time to talk with anybody they’re interested in talking to, and to make connections that can carry on the growing season for everyone,” he said.