This year’s Field Days features a tour of Cliff and Maggie
Hawbaker’s farms in South Central PA.
2016 NODPA Field Days: September 29 & 30, 2016
Chambersburg Mennonite Church
1800 Philadelphia Avenue, Chambersburg, PA 17201
We are excited to announce that the 16th Annual NODPA Field Days will be heading to South Central Pennsylvania for the first time, where we will meet for 2 days of farm tours, educational workshops and plenty of time to meet with our fellow farmers, educators and organic dairy industry businesses. Field Days will be at the Chambersburg Mennonite Church Hall on Thursday and Friday, September 29th and 30th, 2016.
The program is shaping up to be filled with topics that are relevant to today’s organic dairy farm families and will feature a farm tour of Cliff and Maggie Hawbaker’s Hamilton Heights Dairy Farm and Emerald Valley Farm in South Central Pennsylvania’s Franklin County. These certified organic dairies consist of 689 acres of pasture and hay crop with an additional 140 acres of rented land. They got into grazing in 1998 by letting the cows out onto pasture for 2 to 3 hours every day and today they raise their 450 head dairy cow and replacement heifer herd on 100% pasture throughout the year. For several years Cliff has focused on intensive grazing management and is a proponent of once-a-day milking. Their milk products are marketed through Trickling Springs Creamery in Chambersburg, PA.
We are pleased to announce that John Kempf, founder of Advancing Eco Agriculture will be attending Field Days and will be giving the keynote address on Thursday evening, following the NODPA Annual Meeting Banquet. (Go to page 10 for a profile of Kempf.) John Kempf is an internationally recognized lecturer on the topic of biological agriculture and plant immunity who founded Advancing Eco Agriculture (AEA) in 2008. His vision for AEA is both innovative and traditional, a company that strives to make an impact, blending the values of commerce and community while changing agricultural practices in ways that benefit farmers and the planet as a whole. AEA’s goal remains educational: helping as many farmers as possible see with their own eyes, and on their own farms, how viable regenerative agriculture can be. Over the past 8 years, AEA has consulted with thousands of farmers across North America and abroad. Their complete soil and plant nutrition programs have enabled farmers to grow high-yield, high-quality crops that are naturally resistant to disease and insect pests. John remains a part of the Amish community in Northeast Ohio in which he was raised. John has spoken at many national and regional conferences and seminars, including at the United Nations, where he skillfully discusses the larger social and environmental impacts of food, agriculture, and ecology. We look forward to his keynote address at the 16th Annual NODPA Field Days.
The program will be filled with information sessions, discussions and educational workshops that focus on the important and timely issues facing all organic dairy farm families. In addition, we will have a full trade show, our annual social hour and banquet featuring delicious local and organic food, and NODPA’s Annual Meeting on Thursday evening. Our Producer-Only meeting takes place bright and early Friday morning, and will follow a continental breakfast.
Meeting attendees will be able to visit the diverse trade show throughout the meeting, and will have many opportunities to meet new people and catch up with old friends. More information on the program will follow in the July NODPA News and online at www.nodpa.com, so for now, SAVE THE DATE and begin planning to join us in September. Look for Sponsorship and Trade Show information and opportunities in your email and mailboxes in the next couple of weeks.
For more information or if you have questions about sponsoring or exhibiting at the 16th Annual NODPA Field Days, contact NODPA Field Days coordinator Nora Owens any time at noraowens@comcast.net or 413-772-0444.
Directions
It is recommended that you use a GPS or do a Mapquest or Google search for the best directions from your location. Chambersburg PA is southwest of Harrisburg PA, just off US 81 and near US 76 and Route 15. The Chambersburg Mennonite Church, 1800 Philadelphia Avenue, Chambersburg, PA is 2.5 miles away from US 81, exit 17.
Accommodations
There are a number of moderately priced motel accommodations in Chambersburg PA. Visiting travel websites such as www.kayak.com or www.expedia.com will help you locate good lodging options in the area. Camping and RV sites are available nearby at Twin Bridge Meadow Family Campground, 1345 Twin Bridge Rd, Chambersburg, PA 17202, (717) 369-2216 (10 minute drive) http://www.twinbridgecampground.com/ or Lincoln Dell Camping, 198 Black Gap Rd, Fayetteville, PA 17222, (717) 352-2437 (15 minute drive) (no website).
About NODPA
The mission of the Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance is to enable organic dairy family farmers, situated across an extensive area, to have informed discussion about matters critical to the wellbeing of the organic dairy industry as a whole. Contact: Ed Maltby, Executive Director, by phone, 413-772-0444, or by email, ednodpa@comcast.net. Visit the website at: www.nodpa.com or www.organicmilk.org. If you have questions about the NODPA Field Days, contact Nora Owens, NODPA Field Days Coordinator, at noraowens@comcast.net or call 413-772-0444.
