I have no idea how many readers visit this blog from my home state of Pennsylvania, but any of you that do might want to check out the annual conference coming up soon for the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture. The conference is called Farming for the Future, and it's held each year on the first Friday-Saturday in February in State College, smack in the middle of the state. This will be my fourth year attending, and I wouldn't miss it! I always come back from the conference bursting with excitement about my gardening projects for the year. I learn so much from the speakers, and my fellow attendees as well. It is both comforting and hugely energizing to be surrounded - just once in the year - by people committed to healthy food, to preserving the living soils that we depend upon utterly, to finding workable solutions to the problems agriculture is facing and will face in this century, and to teaching a new generation of farmers.
If you live in Pennsylvania and eat, you should know about PASA. If you garden or farm, or aspire to do either of these things, you'd be giving yourself a huge treat by attending this conference. The amazing selection of workshops and speakers at this year's conference is going to make it tough to choose which ones I attend. Check it out. And let me know if you'll be there!
9 comments:
Oh, shoot. It's too far away. Perhaps I can find something similar in CA. If your readers know of one, please let me know!
That looks like a great event. For any of your readers in neighboring Ohio (like me in NEOhio) might I suggest events put on by the Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association:
http://www.oeffa.org/
I have not been to any of their events, but attending one is on my list of 2010 goals.
I wish I could go! But that's a hike out from where I live (eastern PA).
I've just found your blog and see you're a fellow Pennsylvanian!
I've just moved back after ten years away and I'm loving it.
Hope the conference goes well!
I'm in eastern PA too. It's about a three-hour drive for me, and I usually carpool. There's even a carpool and roomshare forum for this conference to help keep the carbon footprint low. Rachel, I'm sure you could carpool with someone if you wanted to go. Perhaps even you as well, Tim. There are people who attend from many different states, mostly from the northeast and mid-Atlantic, but a few from farther away.
Amy, I don't know of any similar group in CA, but I'd be surprised if one didn't exist. Perhaps someone will fill us in here.
I'm going to be going to the conference on Saturday only, though my colleague Kathy Fields will be coming on Thursday and Friday. We'll all be representing her non-profit, Flint Hill Farm, in Coopersburg, PA. I've never attended, but she has. Kate, where are you in Eastern PA? Anywhere near Allentown, Bethlehem or Easton?
Sandy, how cool! I've been to Flint Hill Farm for the PASA SE potluck a few years back. I know Kathy by sight, but I can't say I know her. I will be at the conference for three days. Keep an eye out for a Kate with a Lifetime Member ribbon attached to the bottom of the admission badge. I doubt there are more than a couple of us. And I'll keep an eye out for a Sandy too! Will your affiliation with Flint Hill Farm be on your badge?
Small world!
I've never been there before and Kathy will be the one signing us up, so I'm not sure what my tag will say. I have a long brown braid down my back, and I'm 52. Those two hints may sort me ot a bit. I'll look for you!
I'll keep an eye out for you too, Sandy. See ya there!
Post a Comment