Hemp Flower for CBD at North Slope Farm

August 11th, 2023 | Posted by miker in Community Affairs | Crops Available Now - (Comments Off)

Currently we are selling Alpha Explorer CBD Hemp Cannabis Dried Flower. It is a quick growing crop that has already been harvested and cured and is available for purchase at our weekly Farmers Market on Saturdays in West Windsor (9-1). As part of the NJDA Hemp Program regulations, we had to get a lab test done, prior to harvest, to ensure there is limited THC, and you can see below that there are quite a number of active molecules in the Cannabis plant, which is why it is of great interest as a medicinal plant. Different varieties have different concentrations of active qualities, and this is why we are seeking more freedom to grow more varieties, including THC. In the Fall, we will harvest the remaining field plantings of Berry Blossom and Cherry Wine, CBD Cannabis Flower.

North Slope Farm has been trying for over a year to get West Amwell Township to support Agriculture, but the Township Committee has it’s priorities in reverse, fast tracking an energy intensive indoor Cannabis Cultivation operation, while obstructing our proposal for Cannabis Cultivation in the Sun, allowing for passive ventilation and negligible energy consumption. While the State of New Jersey CRC, has given our Cannabis Enterprise, NJ Grow Free llc, a time sensitive “Conditional Approval,” the West Amwell Township Committee has used their lawyer to obstruct and penalize our proposal, rather than supporting agriculture, like the Master Plan instructs them to.

What we have requested is to be “granted authority” from the Municipality to cultivate Cannabis in a Greenhouse. West Amwell Township has a Cannabis Ordinance that allows us to do this, but they are obstructing us by not responding to our request to present our proposal, after insulting us personally when we first requested our due process back in March of 2022, Farmers ask West Amwell Township Committee for Municipal Conditional Approval to use traditional farming practices to cultivate cannabis. – North Slope Farm > Organic Farming in New Jersey.

Unable to pursue the logical profitable crop of Sun Grown Cannabis, we have been forced to accept the less profitable but nearly identical Cannabis crop know as Industrial Hemp, which is regulated by the NJ Department of Agriculture Hemp Program. One of the issues West Amwell Township has regulated, without regard for logic, is a restriction on Greenhouse Grown Cannabis, that the odor is not allowed to be detected within 20 feet of the greenhouse. We have been growing Industrial Hemp for two years now, in the field, and while you periodically can catch a whiff of the flowering plants, it is neither persistent nor offensive. It is logical to support seasonal production of Sun Grown Cannabis on agricultural land, respecting the State and Local laws, while also preserving Farmland Assessment on the farmland not directly dedicated to cannabis. Sungrown Cannabis, grown seasonally (not year round) is appropriate for West Amwell Twp and other rural municipalities in NJ and can provide incentives for Agricultural Investment and modernization. At North Slope Farm we remain committed to seeking ways to support agriculture and the landscape and workers that agriculture can foster.

West Amwell Farm Awarded Conditional Cannabis Cultivation License, From New Jersey.

May 5th, 2023 | Posted by miker in Community Affairs - (Comments Off)

We are pleased to share that our potential Agricultural Enterprise, NJ Grow Free llc, has been awarded a conditional License for the Cultivation of Cannabis in New Jersey. The condition is that our Municipality grant us local authority. West Amwell Township has a (much amended) Cannabis Land Use Ordinance, and we seek to comply with it. Cannabis is a plant that we’d like to grow, like we grow other plants for sale. The State of New Jersey has processed our application and recognized that we have the potential to be a beneficial contributor to the economic health of New Jersey. Our priority is to build on our strengths, producing high quality products for long established markets. Our situation represents the case of a small farm, being ignored by “Big Agriculture, Local Government, and common sense government.”

North Slope Farm is a New Jersey Department of Agriculture licensed Hemp Grower, and hemp is basically the same plant as Cannabis, with different concentrations of THC. Our application to Cultivate Cannabis must navigate the roadblocks in local government, THEN, once West Amwell grants us Authority to comply with the Ordinance, (which has residual problems relating to invasion of privacy, and unfunded and unqualified review processes), we return to the State of New Jersey, Cannabis Regulatory Commission, to BEGIN the process of establishing COMPLIANCE – where our enterprise will establish protocols, and practices to ensure the safety of the community and maintain strict auditing of our production, so local and State Government can be assured of their TAXES.

Currently we are seeking a legitimate and accountable process to prove our application deserves the support of West Amwell Township, but there is a number of issues that the Township represents, that do not promote agriculture or support small farms, or even legitimate process, which is contrary to the West Amwell Master Plan, which clearly says that cannabis is an agricultural crop, and West Amwell agriculture should be encouraged and supported.

If you have questions, please call Mike, 609-647-9754. Leave a message if you’d like a reply.

Archive – Crops Avail Now, end of 2022

May 5th, 2023 | Posted by miker in Season Summary - (Comments Off)

updated December 15, 2022

Dear Customer, thank you for your support of North Slope Farm, whether we’ve been connected for Decades, or we’ve just met…

The Farm Plan for North Slope Farm, continues to evolve. Our focus is shifting, to allow more time to establish and care for Perennial Nut and Fruit Trees. These Organically Grown Food Items are scarce, in our local economy, and they seem the best, for us, to Pursue.

Also new at North Slope Farm was our Hemp crop, in 2022. We grew Joey Hemp for Seed and Fiber and Alpha Explorer CBD Hemp as a trial. We applied to our Town for Municipal Approval for the Cultivation of Cannabis but have not been treated with respect or support. Click Here to learn More..

North Slope Farm is Hosting NOFANJ.org’s Headquarters, and we will continue our investment, in offering Organic Management Opportunities, for practical Training and Experiential Learning.

We hope you stay connected with us, your interest and support, keeps the things you care about, Alive – Thank You!

With Love and Respect,

Mike Rassweiler, co-Founder, 1994

Links to Organic and Agricultural Information

March 23rd, 2023 | Posted by miker in Events and Workshops | References - (Comments Off)

Links to the Institutions that have recognized the importance of Organic Agriculture, some more profoundly than others, but all have important information that will help to Guide the Farmers that will take us into a future.

Rodale Institute – Founder of the term Regenerative Agriculture and Long Term Farming Systems Trial

Rodale Institute – Global Leaders in Organic Agriculture Research

Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS); Organic Farming

Organic Agriculture | Natural Resources Conservation Service (usda.gov)

NOFA NJ; Programs. Northeast Organic Farming Association – community support for Organics

Programs | NOFA-NJ (nofanj.org)

Rutgers Cooperative Extension – established to assist farmers and gardeners in New Jersey

Plant & Pest Advisory — Rutgers Cooperative Extension

NJ Commercial Vegetables Growers Guide, Long established guidance for NJ Vegetable Farmers.

Commercial Vegetable Production Recommendations – Vegetable Crops Online Resources (rutgers.edu)

Delaware Valley University; Organic Farming Certificate Program

Organic Farming Certificate Program | Delaware Valley University (delval.edu)

Penn State Extentension: Organic Farming

Introduction to Organic Farming: A Growing Opportunity for Pennsylvania Farmers (psu.edu)

Cornell University, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

About – Cornell Small Farms

Winter Thoughts

January 23rd, 2023 | Posted by miker in Musings from the Field - (Comments Off)

Outside the rain has been pouring down, and every farm task is muddy, wet and kinda grey.

One positive reflection is the NOFA NJ Organic Winter Conference is all lined up and sold out. We’ve put a lot into providing scholarships, to remove cost as a limiting factor, and the schedule of workshops is solid. Now we have to find a way to host more people! We’ll need a bigger space, but getting bigger requires more support. The NJ organic movement still hasn’t made it onto large corporate or even healthcare agendas, so we still are a small voice, our desires for soil, farm and community health still unheard by most, while small but meaningful connections remain the strength that keeps us going.

The USDA has heard us though, and the money to support ecological focused farming is starting to get through the gauntlet of pretenders and naysayers. There is a regional grant to promote Transitions to Organic Practices that NOFANJ is a partner organization to. We will use the Grant Supporting Funds to boost Farmer to Farmer Mentoring programs, like our Journey Person Program, focusing on helping farmers get certified Organic and benefit from the long term commitment to ecological focused farming that represents.

On the home farm front, we are trialing seed germination on Lisianthus, and other tricky crops, continuing to apply for a local Cannabis Cultivation permit, tending to some frost heaved Hazelnut Seedlings and winter chicken care, and cutting up the endless Ash borer killed trees that are falling on fences and threatening structures. Our annual Organic Certification application is submitted, we need to get our NJDA Hemp Program application filed for 2023, file taxes, and get as much administration done as possible before the weather improves, when I’ll find it hard to sit down again.

Listening to the news it appears that being focused on local production of healthy food and valuable crops remains important as ever. Arrogant individuals exemplified by the Murderer Putin, and lying politicians closer to home, leave me certain that the pressing crises of Poverty and Refugees and world climatic tragedies will be untended. We are going to face increasing demands on decreasing resources and locally viable communities will be the last bastions of sanity and security. What happens close to home, how we handle disagreements and protect each others freedoms, how we provide for our needs, producing food, tending valuable resources and remembering those less fortunate than ourselves, will define us.

I am grateful for the incredible luck that has brought me to this time and place, I am invested in trying to make good choices about my impact on the earth and my communities health, and I know that for the most part, all humans want the world to be a safe and healthy place, if for no other reason than to have it be safe for their families and friends. Putin will eventually be brought down, kids will get better than us at navigating social media hype, and clarity of purpose will reassert itself, as scarcity and challenges sort out the next decades. Thank you to the Great Spirit for life on Earth, to teachers and mentors for guidance, to friends and family for joy and purpose, and the endless list of things to do for opportunity.

Monthly Summary – May 2014

January 23rd, 2023 | Posted by Anna B in Administration | Monthly Summary - (Comments Off)

Monthly Summary– May 2014

Logs reviewed and summary prepared by Anna Blank

General Observations: Despite a few challenges, including cold temperatures in the 40’s and low 50s, as well as a handful of equipment troubles & infrastructure adjustments, things here at North Slope are chugging along and another great season is beginning to unfold. Farmers markets are up and running, tomatoes and flowers are being planted in the field, and the greens are thriving!

Equipment (59.5 hrs): Kubota: 12, JD2240: 10, Ford4600: 8.5, IH140: 12, Walking Mower: 6, BCS Rototiller: 2, Weed Wacker: 9. (5/5) Kubota mower readied for action: fluids checked, radiator screen cleaned and blades sharpened. (5/27) Crew ready for busy day pre thunderstorms but setback due to multiple equipment troubles. Flat tire on JDS loader, busted wrench while loosening bolts but repairs were finished. IH140 wouldn’t start, but with determination MR got it to start and worked on ripping furrows for tomato planting.

Administration (35.5 hrs.): (5/7) MR prepared reference documents to record setbacks from property line issues regarding high tunnels. (5/8) Final official review of Greenhouse introductions including physical descriptions & design of the structures, management processes like heating, circulation, ventilation, watering, checking thermostats, etc. Also discussed supplies needed for seeding, use of the watering wand and hose, germinating heat mats, tags, GH order forms, etc.

Infrastructure (124 hrs): (5/1) Chickens in the mud from all the rain leading up to this first week of May. Coops moved within fence to nice grass. Lots of mowing and weed whacking to do around the farm as a result of a rainy spring. (5/5) General maintenance including mowing of 579 south field, farm perimeter and diversions, market garden, corner garden and roadside edges. (5/7) JT and MR cleared bushes from access lane along 579. (5/8) Box truck came back from full service – fluid checks & inspection. Test run for walk-in cooler yielded ‘No Shut Off’ & temperature dropped below 25 degrees. Had to use box truck as back up refrigeration. (5/25) Billy goat mower in farmhouse yard, front west of the farmhouse weed wacked. Lots of poison ivy discovered in the southeast corner; will have to be decked out in full armor to defend against ivy attack. (5/28) JT & RM made repairs to irrigation system (gauge and coupler) in flower field as well as repaired the main line in the tomato field.

Greenhouse (165.5 hrs): (5/8) Full crew on seeding flats for market sales. (5/20) Crew potting on tomatoes, peppers and eggplants. Begun seeding 4-pack succession, nearly done at the end of the day. (5/23) JT and AM finished last seeding of tomatoes to 406s (for new high tunnel) and 4 packs for sales. Stringing and clipping tomatoes in Ralph’s house so as to maintain upright growth. (5/25) JT discovers that zinnias in NE corner of greenhouse were nommed on, potentially by rodents.

Composting (58.5 hrs): Compost continually dug up and sifted for potting and seeding. Compost from big compost piled used on several occasions to prepare BGBs, field beds and corner garden beds. (5/7) MR loaded ATV wagon, JT, RM and AM composted 4 BGBs, 1 corner garden bed and 9 flower beds (1 load per bed). (5/20) Composted and broad forked BGB SW (3 beds) as well as BGB on North side of asparagus (2 beds). (5/27) Compost spread in flower field and furrows in preparation of tomato planting.

Planting (233.5 hrs): (5/5) IH140 used to rip beds in 579 South (Flower) field. All 22 beds ready for compost! (5/7) TH seeded next succession of salad mix & the rest of the crew planted parsley in corner garden. (5/9) Lots of planting today. Five rows of flowers in flower field: marigolds, bells, strawberry fields, safflower and zinnias. Veg C also planted with 2 beds of kale, 3 chard and 1 cabbage/fennel. (5/14) More planting in Veg C south: kale, red & yellow beet transplants. Also added 4 more rows of flowers in flower field. (5/16) Big day for tomato planting! TH demonstrated planting of tomatoes in cow pots. From east to west in Ralph’s house: black cherry, sungold, striped german at 18” for spacing. (5/20) Next succession of salad planted, as well as 2 more beds of carrots. (5/27) Full crew tomato planting (5 beds) using favorable furrow method in field. Lots of clumping called for 4 passes through each furrow. Clumps cleared out by hand and left on edge of furrow to be chopped by tiller. TH spread fertilizer and rototilled to incorporate fertilizer. (5/30) First years seeded one bed of carrots each, all steps from composting, to raking, seeding with the single row seeder and rolling. TH & MR showed and explained specific techniques.

Crop Care (150.5 hrs): Maintenance and cultivation throughout the month including hand weeding, scuffle hoeing and wheel hoeing in all areas of the farm including BGBs, greenhouses, corner garden and field beds. (5/2) First scuffle hoeing of BGB SE. Some toscano kale replaced due to frost damage. Weeded NW fruit trees in market garden. (5/6) Weeds pulled from perennial flowers and strawberries in the 579 field. Beets, kale, cabbage, broccoli in Veg C scuffle hoed, and garlic cultivated with the wheel hoe. (5/14) Drip tape laid on beds in Veg C. Not a whole lot of rain this month so keeping up with irrigation was a constant.

Harvesting (305.5 hrs): (5/2) MR gives harvesting intro to JT, RM & AM including the importance of a sharp knife, clean crate and personal hygiene. Harvested mizuna, arugula, kale, tat-soi and radishes form Ralph’s house, as well as scallions that overwintered in CSR field. (5/14) First field harvest of happy greens from BGBs! Harvested radishes from kale bed, an example of ‘intercropping’. (5/26) Tomatoes cleared out of hoop house. Harvested 8 small tables of stinging nettle.

Handling (89.5 hrs): (5/1) Major purge and sanitation of Walk-in cooler and wash area. Weekly handling of crops harvested for markets. (5/16) JT on handling salad mix (62#) for weekend market. MR trained JT on proper handling and bagging techniques to minimize damage to fragile leaves. (5/20) Post-harvest handling workshop in Trenton; JT, AM & RM attended. (5/21) Crew discussions in the am regarding the webinar and how it fits into NSF operations: what is done well, what can be improved, etc. MR showed slide show introduction to the basic steps of handling at NSF to promote veggie freshness and safety.

Marketing (136 hrs): (5/2) 1^st wholesale seedling order to WEC. (5/3) First West Windsor Farm Market. Greens were smaller than last years, though only seeded 5 days later. Colder temperatures leading up to the first harvest may have played a role in this. (5/23) Beautiful day for Summit market. Beat sales of previous year by nearly $300!) (5/28) Received inquiry from Cherry Grove Farm for Stinging Nettle for their annual cheese).

Special Projects (6.5 hrs): (5/3) Willow trunks planted near new high tunnel in hopes of establishing a windbreak. (5/5) MR calls Soil Conservation District to inquire about approval requirements for setting up a high tunnel. Two tunnels at 30×96 = 2,880 sq. ft each will fulfill their requirements. (5/19) MR met with soil conservationist to get NRCS perspective on building greenhouses in the central west field. Was told that the 2 pending will be approved and that the total potential will be based on existing waterways.

TH harvested 6.5 lbs. of bamboo shoots from patch near seeding shed; approx. one hour of work in the rain. Bamboo shoots sold at market for $4 a pound! (5/22) TH harvests Lambs quarters bunches for sale. (5/6) After string checking the level of the high tunnel ground posts it was discovered that the 3 NW posts need to be excavated and reset.

Weather:

Week 1: Heavy rains leading into the first day of May. First week sunny with temperatures in the 40s and low 50s. Warming and drying by the end of the week.

Week 2: Mix of sunny and overcast days, temperatures in the low 50s. Gusty breeze from the South East toward the end of the week.

Week 3: Starts off sunny with temperatures in the mid-40s. Still quite chilly at night. Rainy end to the week; 2” on Thursday and 1/2’” on Friday.

Week 4: Week starts off hot; 85 degrees on Monday! Tuesday showers with thunderstorms in the forecast. Most of the week remains overcast and mild in the mid-70s. Sunny weather returns on Friday.

Market Sales: Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4 Week 5 Market Total

WWFM– $1,158 $1342 $1156 $1381 $1210 $6247

SFM – $2185 $2470 $2285 $2670 $9610

Market Monthly Total: $15,857

YTD Market Total: $15,857

Farm Consulting – Technical Service Provider

December 15th, 2022 | Posted by miker in Special Projects - (Comments Off)

Farm Consulting – Mike Rassweiler

NorthSlopeFarm.com

609-647-9754

Over 25 years’ experience using Organic Management Practices to produce crops in NJ.

Special Interests: Whole Farm Planning, Natural Resource Conservation, Regenerative Strategies, Labor, Training, Elements of Operations and Enterprise.

Consultation Minimum $80. Rate $80/hr,

research, labor and meetings billed by project.

Written Summaries of Consultations, including recommendations, references and critical issue listings, on request.

Archive – Crops Avail Now: end of 2020

December 15th, 2022 | Posted by miker in Season Summary - (Comments Off)

Below is an Archive of the “Notice to our Customers” about our change of operations, following the difficult season when the Covid Pandemic, up ended all our lives. North Slope Farm served our customers faithfully through the Covid Shut down, bringing produce to market, adjusting to the challenges of serving customers while maintaining Covid Safety Protocols. It just happened to also be our last year with Vegetables as our primary cash crop, and the posting below is in honor to the memory, of the season of 2020, and the importance of an operation’s ability to redefine itself, as times and priorities change…

updated November 20, 2020

Dear Customer, thank you for your support of NorthSlopeFarm, whether we’ve been connected for Decades, or we just met, last week…

This is the morning, of my last official vegetable harvest day. And I’m sorry to report that the crops I had counted on, have not grown vigorously enough to be harvested.

This is the challenge of growing crops, at the ends of their viable seasons. We are lucky, in NJ, because there is great Opportunity for Agricultural Enterprises to connect with a market, and grow a viable business.

Loyal customers of North Slope Farm, have gotten us to where we are today, and I am very grateful.

The Farm Plan for North Slope Farm, continues to evolve. Our focus is shifting, to allow more time to establish and care for Perennial Nut and Fruit Trees. These Organically Grown Food Items are scarce, in our local economy, and they seem the best, for us, to Pursue.

Unfortunately, the shift in focus, means that our Traditional Focus, on Organic Vegetables, must yield time and attention. Our practical agricultural constraints, have always made Vegetable Production, a risky business. It was a great focus for training, and we ran a Training Program, for Ten Years.

This Saturday, will be our last Market for 2020. In 2021, we expect to bring to Market, Fresh Flowers, Specialty Herbs, Eggs, Specialty Organic Fruits, and Ultimately (2025) Organic Hazelnuts.

North Slope Farm is Hosting NOFANJ.org’s Headquarters, and we will continue our investment, in offering Organic Management Opportunities, for practical Training and Experiential Learning.

We hope you stay connected with us, your interest and support, keeps the things you care about, Alive – Thank You!

With Love and Respect,

Mike Rassweiler, co-Founder, 1994

The Following items are what you can expect at Market:

Winter Squash

Carrots

Napa, small

Turnips

Kale, loose, limited

Onions

Eggs; small flocks, organic feed, free range. $8 / Dozen

Dried Specialty Herbs

West Amwell Township Prohibits Traditional Agricultural Practices to cultivate legal crop

September 20th, 2022 | Posted by miker in Community Affairs - (Comments Off)

Regarding Agricultural Opportunity in our Town, and the current prohibition against it.

Under the name “NJ Grow Free llc” my wife and I and another farmer shared our business plan with the Township Committee asking “municipal approval” to apply for a NJ State license, to grow cannabis, using our existing, traditional production practices, augmented with State Law security guidelines and monitoring requirements, this February.

The State of NJ allows Cannabis to be grown by Traditional Farmers, in the Sun, both in greenhouses and in the open air. The State law provides guidance for security, consistent with the Indoor growing that West Amwell Twp currently allows.

The Township Committee ignored us, without offering any justification why a Town whose Master Plan says Agriculture is important, and Cannabis is an Agricultural Crop would be prohibited, while energy intensive indoor production is allowed.

I shared the Master Plan language and page references, for those unaware that our Master Plan clearly states it’s support for Cannabis and Agriculture, at the April 6, 2022 Township Committee meeting, please see the link below.

Township Committee minutes 4/6/22

https://www.westamwelltwp.org/sites/g/files/vyhlif6411/f/minutes/4-6-2022tcm.pdf

Members of the committee may not be interested in the new opportunity that legal cannabis cultivation offers, but you should appreciate the significance of the potential to earn more money per unit of crop grown. Everyone speaks of the decline of agricultural viability, and this is the first obvious potential to actually offer new markets and earning potential.

Right now the Cannabis ordinance is a mess, it contradicts our master plan and promotes energy sucking indoor cultivation as the only way forward. As a long term, WAT farmer, I need to speak up, that the opportunity for a farmer like me to benefit from this new niche market, is real, and should be actively supported, not ignored.

We would grow one or possibly two successions, on a small scale, within a State Licensed, approved, secured alarmed fenced area, with minimal smell, due to the diffuse nature of natural production, outdoors, using sun for energy.

The crop would be harvested and sold with as little as two months of flowering, so only a brief time would there be smell, or risk of theft.

All these factors are very different from the indoor, constant intensive yearround production, and excluding traditional farmers because folks are afraid of the unknown is just hurtful to farmers who are trying to promote Agricultural Viability.

The Ag community should know, this Cannabis Ordinance contradicts our master plan, is a bad ordinance, involving a quasi legitimate review process and excludes farmers from planting a legal crop, for no justifiable reason.

The Ordinance can be fixed by replacing the current prohibition of Outdoor Cultivation with, “Outdoor and greenhouse cultivation of Cannabis is permitted following the Guidance of NJ State Law.”

Also to ditch the unfunded, ill advised, extraneous local review process, relying instead on NJ State law, and the simple process of Municipal approval according to an improved Ordinance, and NJ State Licensing and Regulation.

Thanks for your attention to this important opportunity for Traditional Agriculture. I encourage the committee to seek justification of the current prohibition against Traditional Agricultural Viability, see for yourself if this Cannabis Ordinance “serves to promote Agriculture as a positive contributor to West Amwell’s economy…”

I can be available, as a long term resident and established farmer of West Amwell, to represent the relevance of this topic, at your convenience.

Mike Rassweiler

NorthSlopeFarm.com

NJ Grow Free llc

Organic Farm Tour at North Slope Farm

September 7th, 2022 | Posted by miker in Events and Workshops - (Comments Off)

Organic Farming in New Jersey remains our best means to build soil health and work towards a healthy future. Focus on life and diversity, support small farmers and production systems that reflect these values. Organic Farmers use compost and careful management to work with nature’s gifts of life and productivity, struggling with the same challenges as conventional agriculture, but developing farmer skills and Organic Practices as a means to augment and build natural systems, to provide for “regenerative agriculture systems,” and building rather than destroying our potential and the resources for future generations.

At North Slope Farm, farm managers Colleen and Mike have focused on Cut Flower production as our primary cash crop. During the tour you will see the Flowers that are yielding now and discuss the practices we use to manage our production system.

We will also visit Hemp Seed production and recently planted, quick growing Hemp CBD crop. This crop has been planted using our Favorable Furrow method, which dramatically reduces tillage of the soil and is proving the suitability of eco focused priorities to produce this climate resilient crop. Organic Hemp and Cannabis in NJ, promise great opportunity for traditional Agriculture, once local governments get over confusion about the opportunities and best management practices.

Hazelnuts are another crop that holds great potential for NJ Organic Agricultural Opportunity, and North Slope Farm is at the forefront of the implementation of the New Rutgers Hazelnut Varieties. This year’s drought has been hard on our new Orchard, and Covid interruptions in seedling production has caused years of delay in getting established, but we are invested and already seeing encouraging viability. Another crop that may provide significant value and resiliency for Organic Operations, we can provide durable protein rich nut crops, right here, so New Jersey can build our Food Security, even during the current climate crisis.

Questions about the event, call Mike at 609-647-9754, and please register at NOFANJ.org.