BEGIN:VCALENDAR PRODID;X-RICAL-TZSOURCE=TZINFO:-//com.denhaven2/NONSGML ri_cal gem//EN CALSCALE:GREGORIAN VERSION:2.0 BEGIN:VEVENT DESCRIPTION:Beekeeper and organic grower\, Sanne Kure Jensen will give an introductory talk on &ldquo\;Beekeeping in an organic environment&rdquo \; as well as a session on &ldquo\;Attracting pollinators and bees to yo ur crops and gardens.&rdquo\;\nBackyard beekeeping is growing in popular ity. Some people keep honeybees because they love to eat honey\; some wi sh to improve their health or pollinate their gardens or crops. A beekee per for eight years\, Kure-Jensen will discuss the essential equipment ( woodenware\, bee-suits\, smokers\, etc.)\, how to install bees in a hive \, what to watch for and how to harvest honey. Attendees will learn why bees swarm and how to collect swarms to grow an apiary.\nKure-Jensen&rsq uo\;s Beekeeping presentation will cover value-added products like candl es\, salves and cosmetics made with beeswax\, honey or propolis. She wil l stress the importance of organic practices to farms\, gardens and lawn s. Attendees will learn where to get more information including attendan ce at the RI Beekeepers Association spring Bee School&rsquo\;s 5-week an nual spring course. Learn more at www.ribeekeeper.org/beeschools.php.\nP articipants in Kure-Jensen&rsquo\;s Pollinator program will learn the va lue of attracting native insects and bees to their farm or gardens to in crease vegetable and fruit yields and improve local food security. As mu ch as 70% of foods raised around the globe require insect or animal poll ination. Sanne will discuss food crops that rely on native pollinators\, the food\, water and habitat needs of pollinators and ways to help them thrive. Pollinators include honeybees\, bumblebees\, flies\, butterflie s\, moths\, beetles\, birds and bats.\nShrinking habitats\, routine agri cultural and landscape chemical use and diseases threaten many native po llinators and managed honeybees. Hedgerows and landscapes of native plan ts welcome a variety of pollinators. Kure-Jensen will stress the importa nce of organic practices and native plants to farms\, gardens and lawns. Attendees will learn where to get more information on native pollinator s including the Xerces Society.\nKure-Jensen is the Administrator for NO FA/RI and a regular contributor to \;Country Folks\, Country Folks G rower \;and \;Wine &\; Grape Grower\, bringing regional and n ational attention to agriculture and horticulture in southeastern New En gland. Her work has been published in the newsletters of Holistic Manage ment International (HMI)\, Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA)\ , RI Beekeepers Association\, RI Nursery &\; Landscapers Association (RINLA) and RI Tree Council. You can read Sanne&rsquo\;s work at her blo g: www.sannekurejensen.wordpress.com. \;\nA NOFA Accredited Organic Land Care Professional and Rhode Island Certified Horticulturist (RICH)\ , Sanne has lectured across southern New England on Beekeeping and Ecolo gical Landscape Design. Her gardens were featured in the \;Sakonnet Times \;and were open for two URI Master Gardener Tours and Blithewo ld&rsquo\;s Intimate Garden Tour. Kure-Jensen has been quoted in Newport Life \;magazine and \;The Rhode Island Gardener&rsquo\;s Compan ion. \;She is a RI Coastal Resource Management Council (CRMC) Certif ied Invasive Plant Manager\, URI Master Gardener\, RI Tree Steward and a member of the Rhode Island Nursery &\; Landscape Association. \; \nLearn more or register for the NOFA Mass Winter Conference at www.nofa mass.org/winterconference. \; URL:http://bristol-warren.patch.com/events/northeast-organic-farming-asso ciation-of-massachusetts-nofa-mass-winter-conference SUMMARY:Northeast Organic Farming Association of Massachusetts (NOFA Mass ) Winter Conference LOCATION:486 Chandler St\, Worcester\, MA 01602: 486 Chandler St\, Worces ter\, MA END:VEVENT END:VCALENDAR