It is not often that local farmers can all sit in the same room and connect. That is the goal of Bucks County Foodshed Alliance’s annual Farmers’ Forum – to create an opportunity to appreciate farmers and give them a chance to network, brainstorm, collaborate, and learn.
With the spirit of community in mind, BCFA hosted our annual Farmers’ Forum event on February 15, 2023 at the Plumsteadville Grange in Pipersville. More than 30 local farmers attended, representing a diversity of farming products and approaches. The theme of this year’s forum was “Soils: Digging Deeper.”
The keynote speaker was Lisa Blazure, a Soil Health Coordinator of Stroud Water Resource Center. Blazure’s presentation was entitled “Underground Herd Management: Stewarding Your Soil Biology,” she gave the farmers key takeaways to nurture the vital underground network that keeps our soil healthy and full of nutrients for crops: bacteria, fungus, protists, nematodes, and worms. She explained the role soil microbes play in building soil organic matter, nutrient cycling, and water management.
Following the presentation, BCFA announced their new initiative: the Farmer Dashboard – a hyper-local discussion board of vetted farmers, growers and producers that serve Bucks County. The group discussed ways that farmers can collaborate with sharing knowledge, skills, and even staff to help solve the problems they all face.
The farmers then broke into small group sessions to discuss the successes they accomplished over the previous season. A lively and supportive discussion took place.
The event was attended by local farmers, Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie, farmers market managers, representatives from the Bucks County Soil Conservation District and NOFA-NJ. Commissioner Harvie noted some ways the County may be able to assist and promote Bucks County farmers. A big thanks to the Plumsteadville Grange for providing the venue.
Ms. Blazure’s presentation was recorded, please email admin@bucksfoodshed.org if you’d like to view it.
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