ABOUT THE TWILIGHT SERIES

SEMAP’s Twilight Grower Series offers farmers and food producers the chance to connect with and learn from one another. This farmer-to-farmer educational workshop series takes place on farms across the region, allowing hands-on learning and networking opportunities. While this series is open to everyone, it is particularly geared towards commercial growers. Unless otherwise noted, all our Twilight events are FREE.

Previous topics for the Twilight Grower Series have included pest management, alpaca basics, high tunnel winter growing, soil health, and more! Childcare will be available for free at all SEMAP Twilight Events!

If you have a request for our next Twilight topic, or would like to host a workshop on your farm, please contact Heather Meehan at hmeehan@semaponline.org.

For more events, check out the farm visit series organized and hosted by our friends at Eastern Massachusetts CRAFT (Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training) and the Young Farmers’ Network Young Farmer Nights.

 

2025 TWILIGHTS:

Workshops & Twilight Grower Series

Cooperative Farming at Osamequin Farm

Twilight/Young Farmer Night

Osamequin Farm, Seekonk

May 15th, 6-8 pm

This collaboration with the Young Farmer Network will take place at Osamequin Farm in Seekonk. We will have 4 farms / farm business's sharing their experiences of farming on shared land! We'll be breaking off into groups at the beginning of the tour to focus on the growers that share land at Osamequin Farm. The 4 Farms that will be highlighted are Hocus Pocus Farm, Apache Blooms, P&L Bayside Apiaries, & Outer Spaces Ecological Landscaping.
 
During a time where farmland is becoming harder to find, we hope to use a few of this years Young Farmers Nights to highlight alternative ways to land access... one being joining up with a farm like Osamequin to share land with other growers!
 
An artistic image of a slug describing a Young Farmer night on May 15th from 6-8 pm
https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSd8VvIW_6viXAw0P4ZQrDpTbpZqNwKmUU9OGK6…
Building a Diversified Farm Business in the First Five Years + Pest Walk

Twilight

Night Owl Farm, Franklin

June 26th, 5-7 pm

This Twilight workshop will focus on building a sustainable farm business, particularly in the critical first years, and diversifying market channels to maximize success. Night Owl Farm leans into Ali Oakley's background as a former teacher and runs a summer program for kids, a wide range of public workshops, a seedling sale, CSA, and online store.

We will also be joined by Susan Scheufele, a vegetable production specialist from UMass Extension, who will lead us in some pest identification and discussion of pest life cycles, one of the keys to managing pests without pesticides.

Register Here

Image of a farmer in her greenhouse with seed trays in the background
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/ask5n3j/lp/fb046d0f-d5ce-4903-8198-7…
Growing and Harvesting Grain

Twilight/Young Farmer Night

Freed Seed Federation, Dartmouth

July 19th, 4-6 pm

Details TBA

Artistic drawing with text saying Here and There
Pest Management on Corn & Irrigation Control

Twilight

Four Town Farm, Seekonk

July 31st, 4-6 pm

Presented with UMass Extension. Chris Clegg grows 45 acres of sweet corn for sale at his farmstand and wholesale accounts. UMass Extension staff will discuss pest management in sweet corn focusing on weeds and insects, and Chris will explain how they have learned to control their biggest pest—BIRDS!—using netting which also helps with corn ear worm moths. We will also hear about the multiple water sources and irrigation tools Chris utilizes to keep crops watered across the many disparate fields that make up the farm, and how to manage food safety risk associated with different water sources. 

Register Here

Two people holding bundles of freshly harvested sweet corn
On Farm Fertility

Twilight

Benson's Pond Cranberries, Middleboro

August, Date TBA

Details and registration forthcoming

An image of a man standing in a cranberry bog, scooping cranberries into a harvesting chute
Cover Crop Field Walk

Twilight

Wishing Stone Farm, Little Compton RI

August, Date TBA

Collaboration with the University or Rhode Island. Details and registration forthcoming

An image of a single head of grain drooping with farm field in the background
Livestock Fencing for Rotational Grazing

Twilight

Freedom Food Farm, Raynham

September 11th, 5-7 pm

Collaboration with the Young Farmer Network. Good fencing is a crucial part of grazing animals on your farm. Learn about different types of fencing, both permanent and temporary, as well as how to set them up and maintain them. We'll cover the benefits of rotationally grazing ruminants, the importance of a grazing plan, and how to develop and implement one on your farm. We'll also demonstrate our new fence line mower, paid for in part by a TIE grant.

Register Here

Cows
https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/3aem45z/lp/774b6f90-055c-492d-b5f3-9…