Carl Russell, a horse-logger and forestry consultant from Vermont, will teach two workshops at the NOFA Summer Conference and Northeast Animal-Power Field Days, at University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Aug. 12 to Aug. 14.

Russell specializes in ecological forestry and low-impact timber harvest with draft animals. Carl and his wife, Lisa McCrory, own and operate Earthwise Farm & Forest, a 150-acre diversified enterprise, where they raise organic vegetables and grass-fed livestock, use draft animals for logging and field work, and offer workshops.

Carl Russell and Lisa MCrory are the original organizers and producers in of Northeast Animal-Power Field Days, and the founders of Draft Animal Power Network.

More than 225 workshops, at this Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) event include farming, gardening and land care to draft animals in farming and forestry; plus homesteading, sustainability, nutrition, food politics, activism. This is a family event with concurrent (and supervised) workshops designed for children and teens, plus music and dance, an old-fashioned country fair, farmer's market, and games.

Keynote speakers are Ignacio Chapela and Eric Toensmeier.

Chapela is actively involved in debates on technology policy and the consequences of declining biodiversity. An associate professor of biology at the University of California, Berkeley, and a senior scientist at the Norwegian Center for Biosafety, Dr. Chapela exposes both the ecological dangers of genetic engineering and the political crisis of accountability that threatens food security.

Toensmeier has spent 20 years exploring edible perennial agro-ecosystems and authored the award-winning book Perennial Vegetables and co-authored Edible Forest Gardens with Dave Jacke. Eric studies the potential of perennial farming systems to mitigate climate disruption and to provide a stable source of food and livelihood for communities in the Northeast and around the globe.

For registration, call (413) 230-7835. General conference information, contact Ben Grosscup, conference coordinator at ben.grosscup (at) nofamass.org, or call (413) 549-1568.

“No matter how much machinery replaces the horse, the work it can do is still measured in horsepower . . . even in this space age. And although a riding horse often weighs half a ton, and a big drafter a full ton, either can be led about by a piece of string if he has been wisely trained. This to me is a constant source of wonder and challenge.” – Marguerite Henry

An array of workshops and hands-on activities for children ages 5 to 12 will take place concurrent to adult workshops. The Saturday afternoon Country Fair features games such as apple bobbing, cow plop, corn cob gnaw, veggie art, pie-eating contest.

The first-ever “So You Think You Can Grow” contest is part of the festivities, Saturday, Aug. 13. This tasting competition is open to anyone brave enough to submit their produce to the most selective of judges, the fair-goers.

(All entries must have been personally grown by the submitting contestant.) Four categories will be judged: Tomatoes, carrots, sweet peppers, cantaloupe. Full program at this link to NOFA.