Weekly Harvest Newsletter
Sustainable
Agriculture News Briefs - April 21, 2005
Weekly
sustainable agriculture news and resources gleaned from the
Internet by NCAT staff for the ATTRA - National Sustainable
Agriculture Information Service Web site.
News
& Resources
* More Colleges Consider Local Food for Cafeteria Fare
* Americans Aware, Supportive of Organics
* Article Examines Future of Right to Farm Laws
* Small Seed Company Provides Alternative to Corporate Model
* Nonprofit Program Encourages Ranchers to Pursue Conservation Incentives
* Oregon Reports Organic Agriculture Statistics
Funding
Opportunities
* North Central Region SARE Research and Education Grant Program
* Resident Instruction Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas
* Massachusetts Farm Viability Enhancement Program
Coming
Events
* Beef Cattle and Forage Crops Field Day
* HerbFest 2005
* International Shortcourse on Agroecology 2005
================
News & Resources
More Colleges Consider Local Food for Cafeteria Fare
With Earth Day nearing, students at some colleges and universities are
focusing their attention on trying to get campus dining services to
offer more locally produced food. At Brown University a roundtable
discussion on locally grown food helped pinpoint some of the barriers
to using local products at colleges, universities, and in public
schools, reports The
Brown Daily Herald. Participants stressed communication between
the farmer and dining services as key to providing desirable crops in workable
volumes and on schedule. Brown University already has a sustainable food program
that it is looking to expand. Meanwhile, at the University of Vermont students
have signed postcards requesting more organic and locally produced food, says
an article in the Times
Argus. A conference convened at the University brought together
local farmers, Sodexho and vendors to discuss barriers to providing more local
food on campus. Some 200 colleges and universities have implemented local food
purchasing programs.
Americans Aware, Supportive of Organics
Sixty-five percent of U.S. adults are
aware of organic foods and beverages -- and nearly as many (57%)
say they are concerned about pesticides and other chemicals used to grow their
food, according to a new national survey
from the Natural Marketing Institute commissioned
for this April’s “Go
Organic! for Earth Day” campaign. The survey also showed
that more than half (54%) of the U.S. consumers who are aware of organics go
on to purchase and consume organic foods. In other findings, two-thirds of
Americans who use organic food (44% of the U.S. population) would like organic
food to be an option for students and teachers in school cafeterias, and 65%
of general consumers – both users and non-users of organic food – perceive
organics as better for their health, while 61% perceive organic food as safer
to eat, and 55% consider organics better for the environment.
Article Examines Future of Right to Farm Laws
As land use conflicts at the urban-rural interface have evolved,
so have the laws that help mitigate such conflicts. In an article
appearing in the April 2005 issue of The Next American City,
author Samuel Krasnow considers the history of Right to Farm laws
in the U.S., examines how Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations
(CAFOs) challenge Right to Farm laws, and suggests policy tools
that can be used to protect human health and the environment, as
well as small family farmers. The article cites several state laws
and particular conflicts and court decisions. It is titled "Farm
Wars: Can 'Right to Farm' Laws Resolve Growing Land Use Conflicts?" and
is available online.
URL: http://www.americancity.org/article.php?id_article=124
Small Seed Company Provides Alternative to Corporate Model
Pacific Northwest, the magazine of The Seattle Times, recently ran a
feature article on Wild Garden Seed, a small family-run seed company in western
Oregon. Founded in 1995 by classical
plant breeder Frank Morton and his wife Karen, the business was a natural offshoot
of their business growing salad greens. Last year the company produced about
40 varieties of greens – including chicory, amaranth, epazote, and heirloom
lettuces - and sold 4,700 pounds of seed. Morton's plants are bred by hand,
and all of the seeds are organic, open-pollinated, and dried using low-tech
techniques.
URL: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/pacificnw/2005/0417/cover.html
Nonprofit Program Encourages Ranchers to Pursue Conservation Incentives
Environmental Defense, a national environmental organization with a
reputation for litigation, has found more recent success using
collaborative approaches, writes Courtney White for Headwaters News. By
adding economists to its ranks of scientists and lawyers, Environmental
Defense changed its organizational culture and began to develop a
conservation strategy based on positive economic incentives. In 2004
the group launched "Back from the Brink," a program that encourages private landowners
to explore incentive-based tools – many of which are agricultural - in
order to benefit conservation goals. "The idea is to reward private landowners
for taking on public responsibilities," said Tim Sullivan, Environmental Defense’s
Rocky Mountain director. "That means getting ranchers and farmers involved in
programs that literally put money in their pocket for activities that benefit
endangered species."
URL: http://www.headwatersnews.org/WhiteED.htm
Oregon Reports Organic Agriculture Statistics
The Business Journal--Portland published information this week on the
economic role of organic farms in Oregon, based on statistics collected
for the first time by the U.S. Census of Agriculture. The Census
information shows that 1.3 percent of Oregon farmers are certified
organic producers, and they produce commodities worth $9.9 million.
While those numbers are comparatively low, they do reflect a steadily
growing trend in organic certification over the past few years,
according to Oregon Tilth, a major certifying agency in the state.
Census data also revealed that the typical organic farm is a family
operation of less than 50 acres that produces less than $10,000 per
year in sales of organic products. Beef, fruits and nuts, and
vegetables are the most popular organic crops in the state, with fruits
and nuts having the highest total produced value. The story also notes
that organic processing is on the rise in the state.
URL: http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2005/04/11/daily21.html
For
more news and resources, visit the National Sustainable Agriculture
Information Service Web site's Breaking News section: http://attra.ncat.org/management/geninfo.html.
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Funding Opportunities
North Central Region SARE Research and Education Grant Program
The Research and Education (R&E) Grant Program provides funds to collaborative teams of scientists, farmers, institutions, organizations, and educators who are exploring sustainable agriculture through in-depth research projects or education/demonstration projects. NCR-SARE anticipates that roughly $1.5 million will be available to fund approximately 12 to 15 grant projects, with individual grants not to exceed $150,000 total, for projects lasting up to three years. The North Central Region includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin. Pre-proposals are required for this program, and must be received by June 15, 2005.
URL: http://www.sare.org/ncrsare/cfp.htm
Resident Instruction Grants Program for Institutions of Higher Education in Insular Areas
The Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service
(CSREES) announces the availability of grant funds and requests
applications for the Resident Instruction Grants Program for Institutions
of Higher Education in Insular Areas (RIIA) for fiscal year (FY)
2005 to strengthen the capacity of these institutions to carry
out resident instruction, curriculum, and teaching programs in
the food and agricultural sciences, and to improve their ability
to meet their unique needs. CSREES anticipates the amount available
for support of this program in FY 2005 will be approximately $475,000.
CSREES anticipates that at least one consortium grant will be awarded.
Insular areas include: (1) the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico;
(2) Guam;
(3) American Samoa;
(4) the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands;
(5) the Federated States of Micronesia;
(6) the Republic of the Marshall Islands;
(7) the Republic of Palau; and
(8) the U.S. Virgin Islands. Applications are due June 15, 2005.
URL: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/rfas/higher_ed_insular.html
Massachusetts Farm Viability Enhancement Program
The Massachusetts Department of Agricultural Resources invites
responses from Massachusetts farmers who wish to participate in the
Farm Viability Enhancement Program. Farmers must be willing in Phase I
to commit sufficient time to properly participate in the business
planning process, and, if they advance to Phase II, farmers must be
willing to agree to implement agreed upon components of a viability
plan, and to place their agricultural land under an Agricultural
Covenant. To be eligible, farmers must own at least five acres of land
that has been in active agricultural use for the past three years.
Awards of up to $75,000 are possible for farms meeting program
conditions. The open enrollment period extends until June 30, 2005.
URL: http://www.mass.gov/agr/programs/farmviability/index.htm
For
additional funding opportunities, visit: http://attra.ncat.org/management/financl.html.
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Coming Events
Beef Cattle and Forage Crops Field Day
May 5, 2005
Mound Valley, Kansas
The Beef Cattle and Forage Crops Field Day will be held at the Mound
Valley Unit of the Kansas State University Southeast Agricultural
Research Center. Topics to be addressed include alternative watering
systems, electronic decision aids for grazing management, and
alternative forages.
URL: http://www.oznet.ksu.edu/news/sty/2005/forage_crops041205.htm
HerbFest 2005
June 4, 2005
Coventry, Connecticut
HerbFest is sponsored by the Connecticut Herb Association. Its mission
is to promote herbal education and highlight the use of herbs to live a
healthier life. Workshops and a panel discussion will be featured. Over
30 herbal and craft vendors will offer a variety of herbal products,
unique crafts, handmade soaps, fresh eggs, maple syrup, and more.
URL: http://www.topmostherbfarm.com/herbfest/index.htm
International Shortcourse on Agroecology 2005
July 10-23, 2005
Santa Cruz, California
University of California Santa Cruz presents the sixth International
Shortcourse on Agroecology. This year the course has a special focus on
"Using Agroecology for Building Community Connections in Food Systems." The course
will consist of lectures, demonstrations, and field applications of agroecology.
URL: http://www.agroecology.org/shortcourse.htm
More
events at: http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/index.php.
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2005 NCAT
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