April 22nd, 5-7 pm – Cover Crop Field Walk at Hornstra Farms
Twilight
Join SEMAP and Umass Extension for a field walk at Hornstra Farm’s Lakeville Field focusing on Cover Cropping, with a special emphasis on harvesting cover crops as a livestock feed. We will survey the range of cover crops in place at Hornstra farms, including winter rye and triticale. Artie Siller from Umass Extension will be available to answer your cover cropping questions. This field walk is made possible by a grant from Ocean Hour Farm. Through the same grant, SEMAP is able to purchase cover crop seeds and provide seeding services for interested farmers.
About the Farm: Hornstra Farms has been a family owned and operated business for over one hundred years. Fourth generation owner John Hornstra and his wife, Lauren, moved Hornstra Farms from Hingham to neighboring Norwell, Massachusetts in 2009. Opening an on site farm store and dairy bar in 2014 allowed them to provide their milk, handcrafted ice cream, and farm churned butters to the public.
Important Note about Location and Parking: This tour will take place at Hornstra Farms’ Field in Lakeville, MA– NOT their farm store. There is a dirt road at the corner of Crooked Lane and Stetson Street that leads into the fields. Cars can park alongside the dirt road.
Winter 2025 Lunch & Learn Series
Financial Strategies for Farmers and Fishermen: Building Resilience and Wealth in Unpredictable Times
Managing and growing wealth can be challenging for any business, but farmers and fishermen face unique hurdles like seasonal and year-to-year income variability. Unpredictable factors, such as weather, can impact crop yields, fishing conditions, and sales at outdoor markets or farm stands. Finding financial professionals who understand these challenges can be difficult, making it harder to build resilient agricultural businesses, plan for retirement, and prioritize health and well-being for owners and employees.
Join us for a January Lunch & Learn series designed specifically for farmers and fishermen with variable net income. This series will focus on making informed financial decisions around healthcare, tax and retirement strategies, estate tax planning, self-employment taxes, and managing cash flow to support wealth building and sustainable business growth.
These free, virtual workshops are open to all and are 12-1pm on Wednesday January 8, 15 and 22. Below, find more information and links to RSVP for each workshops.
January 8th – Fishing Partnership
Navigating Healthcare for Farmers and Fishermen: Making Informed Financial Decisions
Fishing Partnership, certified by the MA Health Connector and MassHealth, helps farmers and fishermen navigate health insurance options. With unpredictable income, making health insurance decisions can feel overwhelming. This workshop will cover MA healthcare programs, eligibility, maximizing Advanced Premium Tax Credits, estimating variable income, and leveraging Simplified Employee Pension (SEP) plans to support retirement while managing net income and benefits. Discover practical strategies to leverage benefits for improved health and financial stability.
Link to Webinar Recording
January 15th – The Carrot Project
Asset Planning When You Have Variable Net Income
Managing investments in equipment, infrastructure, land, employee benefits, and personal health insurance and retirement can be challenging, especially when sales and net income fluctuates year to year. In this workshop, Jeff Cole from The Carrot Project will explore practical strategies to navigate these complexities and provide insights to help you determine the right time to take your business to the next level.
Link to webinar recording
Jan. 22nd – GatherWealth Investment Management
Discover Financial Freedom: A Workshop for Farmers
As a farmer, unpredictable income cycles and changing markets can make financial planning a challenge. Join Sean Reilly, Certified Financial Planner (CFP) with GatherWealth Investment Management, for a workshop tailored to your needs. Learn how a CFP can complement your team, explore retirement savings options like Roth IRAs, SEPs, and 401(k)s, and discover strategies for setting financial goals, optimizing cash flow, and minimizing tax burdens and planning for estate taxes. Whether you’re just starting or refining your plan, this session offers practical tools to secure your financial future.
Link to Webinar Recording
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! View highlights from the 2022 series here.
2024 TWILIGHTS & WORKSHOPS
March 19 –How to Be a Green Apple in a Sea of Red: Clarifying Your Farm’s Brand with Good Egg Marketing
Webinar
Having a clear, consistent, and compelling brand helps your local farm or food business attract loyal customers. Your brand is about so much more than your logo; it encompasses everything about you: how you got started, what you offer, your values, and your unique style or personality. This interactive session will show you how to choose words and images that make your website, social media, and other marketing tactics more effective.
Presenter Myrna Greenfield is a farm and food marketing consultant at Good Egg Marketing, an author, and a frequent speaker at conferences and events.
May 25 – Young Farmer Night collaboration at Rosasharn Farm
Rosasharn Farm, Rehoboth
In collaboration with the Young Farmer Network, we will take a tour of Rosasharn Farm and learn about a diversified family operation consisting of a veggie CSA, Nigerian dwarf goats and livestock guardian dogs. Something special about Rosasharn Farm is that it is one of the first farms to have hosted a Young Farmers Night through The Young Farmer Network! We’ll be celebrating with a bonfire and potluck to follow :] Bring instruments if you have them and a tasty treat to share if it’s in your capacity.
June 12 – Twilight Meeting at Tangerini’s Farm in collaboration with UMass Extension
Tangerini Farm, Millis
Join Tangerini Farm, the UMass Extension Vegetable Program and SEMAP for a twilight meeting!
- Steve Chiarizio of Tangerini Farm will describe the new tile drainage system and bioreactor that they installed at the farm last year with the help of Massachusetts FSIG funding. A representative from Alleghany Services, who installed the system, will also be on-hand to answer questions.
- Maria Gannett, UMass Extension Weed Specialist, and Sue Scheufele, UMass Extension Vegetable IPM Specialist, will talk about sweet corn weed and insect pest management options.
Presentations 4-6 pm, followed by a light supper.
June 28 – Young Farm Night at Sharing the Harvest
Sharing the Harvest Farm, Dartmouth
In collaboration with Young Farmer Network, we will be taking a tour of Sharing the Harvest to learn about their close relationship with food banks, non-profit farming, and some new growing practices they have been trialing to create a more resilient farming system on the land. Potluck and yard games to follow the tour! The ocean is close, so bring your bathing suit.
July 23 – Protecting and Promoting Farmland in Your Town: A special webinar for municipalities in SE Mass.
Webinar
MA is losing farmland faster than we can save it. Towns play an important part in ensuring land remains available for future generations of farmers. Local policies make a big difference in whether farms succeed or fail. This webinar will share information about farmland protection tools and funding sources to help protect farmland in your town.
Topics will include: why protect farmland in Massachusetts, tools to help farmers access farmland, ways to support farmers through town planning, funding sources for permanent land protection, and success stories from southeastern Massachusetts.
October 2 – Realizing Value in Grazing: Building relationships with land owners and restoring soil health
Paradox Acres @ Gidley Farm, Dartmouth
Geoff Kinder of Paradox Acres will share his experience developing a rotational grazing program to restore overworked hayland, improve soil health, and produce higher-quality feed. Geoff will discuss his strategies for building strong partnerships with landowners and how he manages over 200 acres across nine different properties to grow his grazing business. He will be joined by Gidley Farm owners Marjorie Waite and Neal Weiss, Gidley Farm manager Ben Waite, John Duke of NOFA-MA Soil Health, and Desiree Dubois of American Farmland Trust. After the pasture walk, join us for a cookout.
October 24 – Unlocking Your Land’s Potential: A webinar on partnering with farmers for successful land leasing
Webinar and Panel discussion
Are you interested in partnering with a farmer to unlock your land’s potential? Join us as we explore the challenges farmers face in accessing affordable farmland and the benefits landowners gain by leasing their land. We’ll cover various types of farming operations, from hay production to small-scale vegetable farming, and guide you on assessing your land’s suitability for farming. Learn what farmers need, how to find the right one, and create a successful lease. Bring your questions for our panel of landowners sharing real-world experiences in successfully working with farmers.
October 30 – Writing and Negotiating Successful Farmland Leases
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm @ Bristol Aggie (Large meeting room on second floor of Student Commons)
Leasing is essential for many farmers, offering opportunities but also presenting challenges and risks. A well-written lease is key to setting clear expectations and building a solid relationship with landowners. We will explore the key components of farmland leases and discuss how they serve as tools for establishing long-term, successful relationships. We’ll review various lease examples, highlight common pitfalls, and provide strategies to address potential conflicts. Bring your lease, questions, and stories to share for an interactive discussion on improving your leasing experience.
