Webinar: Challenges and Opportunities Facing Organic Agriculture in the 21st Century

[Michelle]

Join Montgomery County farmers Nick and Sophia Maravell for MVG's
first Call-in Webinar on Wednesday, November 16 at 8pm!

Register Today! Here: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/25FM55S

Join us for Montgomery County's first "Know Your Farmer," Call-In
Webinar, as Montgomery Victory Gardens hosts "Challenges and
Opportunities Facing Organic Agriculture in the 21st Century," a
discussion with Montgomery County farmers Nick and Sophia Maravell.
Nick is the operator of Nick's Organic Farm in Potomac and one of only
four farmers sitting on the prestigious National Organic Standards
Board, while his daughter Sophia, who has studied organic agriculture
throughout the world, is one of our nation's new generation of
aspiring farmers. (See their full bios below.) This FREE Call-In
Webinar will be on Wednesday, November 16 at 8pm - - and we want you
to bring Nick and Sophia your questions to discuss this crucial topic!

Click here to register for MVG's Call-in Webinar "Challenges and
Opportunities Facing Organic Agriculture in the 21st Century"
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/25FM55S
(Call-in number and web link will be sent out to registrants prior to
the event)

Montgomery Victory Gardens, a leading local food advocacy project in
Montgomery County, is following up on its victory creating a new
policy on vegetable gardens in our public schools by working with
other organizations to create the Montgomery Food Council. If you
enjoy the MVG local food updates, support school gardens or want to
see a strong new Food Council in our county, then this Call-In Webinar
is a great opportunity to support our work: click here to make a
secure, 100% tax-deductible contribution to Montgomery Victory
Gardens.

And please plan to join Nick and Sophia Maravell for MVG's first Call-
in Webinar on Wednesday, November 16th at 8pm to discuss "Challenges
and Opportunites Facing Organic Agriculture in the 21st Century."Click
here to register now for this important event! http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/25FM55S

Speaker Bios

Nick Maravell is one of the true pioneers of organic agriculture in
the U.S., and has been operating Nick's Organic Farm in Potomac, MD
since 1979. He has helped to start many of the state's sustainable
farming organizations, including the Maryland Small Farm Cooperative,
the Maryland Organic Food and Farming Association, and Future Harvest
- Chesapeake Alliance for Sustainable Agriculture. Nick worked for
passage of the Maryland law establishing the nation's first state
administered organic certification program, and later worked to pass
federal organic legislation, notably working with the Montgomery
County representative who crossed party lines on the House floor to
pass the final bill by a one vote margin. In 2010, USDA Secretary Tom
Vilsack appointed Nick to the National Organic Standards Board, making
him one of only four farmers nationwide to serve on the USDA panel
tasked with forming policy recommendations for materials and practices
allowed in organic production

Sophia Maravell, Nick's 23 year old daughter, graduated from Colorado
College having co-managed the college's student-run organic farm. Her
interests led to her graduation thesis on how women farmers on organic
and sustainable farms view their role in a male-dominated profession.
Sophia currently attends The Farm School in western Massachusetts,
leanring new techniques for small-scale sustainable vegetable and
animal production. She has worked on organic farms in the U.S. as
well as in Italy, Nepal and India. Sophia represents the next
generation of U.S. farmers, interested in the power and possibilities
of agro-education, and is passionate about the vision of "beautiful
food" which gives hope for a brighter future.