Learning Organics

ACORN Notebook

The following are resources created by ACORN and links to notes taken at ACORN educational events or events ACORN attended. Considerable time has been taken to write these up, so we hope you find them valuable!

Click here to listen to a lecture by Jon Steinman on the solutions to food safety issues.

To learn more about Jon Steinman's Deconstructing Dinner click here.

CSA Manual: This ACORN publication profiles the basics of operating a CSA in Atlantic Canada, as well as overviews of many CSA's in the region. Note: this is a large file (13MB), so it's going to take some time to download.

Under Cover is a booklet that reviews various cover crops that can be used in Atlantic Canada, including guidance on each and farmer feedback. It also includes where to find seed and costs (2008 information).

Click here for the 2009 Conference Notes

ACORN 2009 Conference Presentations:

Field to Plate Harvesting for Profitability by Kent Coates of Nature's Route Farm

Choosing and Using High Tunnels by Av Sing and Josh Oulton

The Family Farm Succession Plan materials by John Anderson

Record-Keeping for the Organic Audit and Integrity by Rowena Hopkins and Roxanne Beavers

OACC Presents: Can Organic Systems Provide Food Security in Atlantic Canada/Environmental Goods and Services associated with Organics by Ralph Martin

Great Greenhouse Tomatoes by Tim Livingstone

Cost of Production 101 by Mark Bernard, Lori Kittilsen and Jamey Coughlin

Animal Welfare in Organic Systems by Jane Morrigan and Sue Cheeseman

Organic Landscaping by Richard Wetmore

Organic Opportunities for Wholesale in these Economic Times by Cynthia Barstow. Scaling up: Appropriate Equipment Selection for the Organic Farm

Scaling up: Appropriate Equipment Selection for the Organic Farm by Roxbury Farm

How to Talk to Customers about Organics by Cynthia Barstow

Soil Matters Workshop with Fred Magdoff (November 10-13, 2008)

1. Ecology, Agriculture & Soils

2. Importance of Soil Organic Matter

3. Soil Health and its Management

4. Understanding Soil Tests

Food Bank Farm CSA, notes from the 2008 Guelph Organic Conference

Crop Rotations with Ann Slater: notes from her 2008 ACORN regional workshop

Organic Grain and Oilseed Forum (March 6, 2008)
Note: these are large pdf files and can take some time to download...

ACORN Organic Conference 2008 (see complete conference notes)

Organic milk and cheese-making (view pdf of powerpoint) with Ronald Alary, Les Fromagiers de la Table Ronde (QC)

Record-keeping for the organic audit and integrity with Rowena Hopkins and Roxanne Beavers. Watch the video of this workshop from 2007.

Managing forages for optimal pasture and livestock performance with Mike Price, NB Department of Agriculture and Aquaculture, and Herman Mentink, Kipawo Holsteins

Creative financing: growing your organic business (view powerpoint) with Tom Manley, Homestead Organics

ACORN Organic Cranberry Workshop presentations (June 2008):

ACORN Organic Conference 2007

Watch our featured speakers Klaas and Mary-Howell Martens talk about the big picture:
Part one Part two Part three Part four Part five

Watch Av Singh's workshop on Getting into Organics:
Part one Part two Part three Part four

Roxanne Beavers discusses record-keeping for the organic audit trail
Part one Part two Part three Part four Part five

Charles Levoke looks at Community Supported Agriculture (CSA)
Part one Part two Part three Part four Part five