Weekly Harvest Newsletter
Sustainable
Agriculture News Briefs - June 1, 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
* Guide Aids Understanding of Federal Commodity Payments
* Organic Produce Continues to Command Price Premium
* Mobile Slaughter Facilities Could Help Niche Producers
* Michigan Asparagus Growers Tackle Fresh Pack Market
* Forage-fed Appalachian Beef Shows Less Fat, More Omega-3
* California Winegrowers Battling Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter
Funding
Opportunities
* American Lamb Board Matching Grant Program
* Northeast SARE Farmer/Grower Grants
* Assistance to High Energy Cost Rural Communities
Coming
Events
* Niche Grains: Flax and Low-Lin Soybeans Field Day
* Horse Progress Days 2005
* Grazefest Mississippi 2005
================
News & Resources
Guide Aids Understanding of Federal Commodity Payments
The Rural Advancement Foundation International - USA has released a new publication
explaining how field crop commodity programs work. The
Non-Wonk Guide to Understanding Federal Commodity Payments (PDF
/ 4 MB) is an attempt to explain how field crop commodity programs work, and
what these programs mean to the budgets of family farmers. The 30-page publication
goes through the payments that farmers receive, how they are calculated, and
how they fit together.
Organic Produce Continues to Command Price Premium
An outlook report published by the USDA Economic Research Service in
May says that price premiums for organic produce are continuing, even
as the organic market expands. Price Premiums Hold on as U.S. Organic Produce
Market Expands examines trends in organic prices and market margins for broccoli,
carrots, and mesclun mix. The data show that, while organic wholesale price premiums
for mesclun mix are narrowing, wholesale and farmgate premiums for broccoli and
carrots remain strong. The data from
the report, with monthly organic farmgate and wholesale prices for broccoli,
carrots and mesclun mix, are available online.
URL: http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/vgs/may05/vgs30801/
Mobile Slaughter Facilities Could Help Niche Producers
The Montana legislature recently passed a measure that authorizes state
inspection of mobile slaughter facilities, reports the Billings
Gazette. Currently, mobile units are used to slaughter animals for
personal consumption, but state inspection of the units means that
producers will be able to sell their meat to restaurants, individuals,
and stores across the state. The units will cater to small-scale niche
marketers and will reduce stress on animals by virtually eliminating
the distance they are shipped to slaughter. A farmers' cooperative in
Washington State has a successful mobile slaughter program in place,
and several other states are considering the concept.
URL: http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=1&display=rednews/
2005/04/30/build/state/40-slaughter.inc
Related ATTRA Publication: Alternative
Meat Marketing
Michigan Asparagus Growers Tackle Fresh Pack Market
Asparagus growers in Michigan, facing low prices in the canned and
frozen asparagus markets, are working their way into the fresh pack
market, says a feature from Michigan Land Use Institute. While South
American imports drove asparagus prices lower, they also helped build a
market for the vegetable, and now Michigan growers are taking advantage
of their location to supply fresh asparagus in their region. The
farmers' efforts have been aided by the Select Michigan promotional
campaign that helped publicize the in-state asparagus industry and keep
prices higher for fresh asparagus that didn't have to travel thousands
of miles. The growers have also worked to develop distribution chains
that keep the asparagus cold en route, to maintain quality. Michigan
asparagus growers have formed a cooperative, to position them for the
fresh-food market and demonstrate their ability to reliably supply
product.
URL: http://mlui.org/growthmanagement/fullarticle.asp?fileid=16870
Forage-fed Appalachian Beef Shows Less Fat, More Omega-3
A three-year research project on forage-fed Appalachian beef shows that
it may be a hit with health-conscious shoppers, reports Georgia FACES.
The University of Georgia analyzed beef raised solely
on forages in Virginia and West Virginia, and found the fat content of
the forage-finished steaks to be 40
percent lower than that of grain-finished steaks. In addition, the
forage-fed beef had higher
concentrations of omega-3 fatty acid, and a better ratio of
omega-6-to-omega-3, as well as being higher in fat-soluble
vitamins like Vitamin E and beta carotene. It also had double
concentrations of conjugated linoleic acid. According to the story, the
project will continue this fall, as researchers begin taste-panel
studies and start
comparing three types of forage feeding systems.
URL: http://georgiafaces.caes.uga.edu/storypage.cfm?storyid=2508
California Winegrowers Battling Glassy-Winged Sharpshooter
California winegrowers are voting this month on a self-assessment
program that would fund continued research on the glassy-winged
sharpshooter, says KTVU.com. The tax of $3 per $1000 of grapes sold
would provide money for continued research on controls for the insect,
which spreads a vine disease called Pierce's Disease that can be fatal
for grapevines and also threatens other plants. Meanwhile, the
winegrowers will soon have a new tool to use against sharpshooter
infestations. Last week a parasitic wasp from Minnesota was approved by the USDA
for use as a biocontrol agent in California, reports The
Sacramento Bee. This
wasp will join four others used in the state's biocontrol program, but the
Minnesota wasp is outstanding for its winter-hardiness and the number of offspring
it produces.
URL: http://www.ktvu.com/news/4529624/detail.html
Related ATTRA Publication: Kaolin
Clay for Management of Glassy-winged Sharpshooter in Grapes
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
American Lamb Board Matching Grant Program
The American Lamb Board is now soliciting 2005 Matching Grant Program
proposals. The ALB developed the Matching Grant Program to expand its
marketing and promotions activities by creating collaborative
partnerships with industry organizations. Industry organizations are
invited to submit proposals that expand or strengthen the market for
American Lamb. The projects funded in 2004 expanded ALBs efforts to
educate consumers, retailers and chefs at the local level. A total of
$40,000 is budgeted for 2005 grant funding. The grants require a 1-to-1
cash match from the grant recipient. The deadline for receiving grant
applications is July 8, 2005.
URL: http://www.americanlambboard.org/index.phtml
Northeast SARE Farmer/Grower Grants
The Northeast Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
program (SARE) has recently released updated application materials
for its Farmer/Grower grant program. These grants support Northeast
farmers who want to explore innovative sustainable practices on
their farms. To apply, you must be a full- or part-time commercial
farmer in Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, Maryland,
New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
West Virginia, Vermont, or Washington, D.C. Community farms and
farms associated with a nonprofit institution may apply, but only
if they are growing and selling agricultural products under the same economic
constraints that affect commercial growers. Farmer/Grower Grant applications
can be downloaded from the Northeast
SARE Web site, or a printed application can be requested by
calling (802) 656-0471 or by emailing nesare@uvm.edu.
The deadline for applications is December 6, 2005.
URL: http://www.uvm.edu/%7Enesare/FGinfo.html
Assistance to High Energy Cost Rural Communities
The USDA's Rural Utilities Services High Energy Cost Grant Program
offers financial assistance to provide, improve, or reduce the costs of
energy generation, transmission, and distribution services for rural
communities with home energy costs that are over 275 percent of the
national average. Grants may be used for the acquisition, construction,
installation, repair, replacement, or improvement of energy generation,
transmission, or distribution facilities in high energy cost
communities. On-grid and off-grid renewable energy projects, and
implementation of energy efficiency, and energy conservation projects
are eligible. Estimated total program funding is $19.5 million.
Applications are due July 25, 2005.
URL: http://fedgrants.gov/Applicants/USDA/RD/RUS/
USDA-RD-RUS-HECG03-2/Grant.html
For
additional funding opportunities, visit: http://attra.ncat.org/management/financl.html.
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================
Coming Events
Niche Grains: Flax and Low-Lin Soybeans Field Day
June 21, 2005
Washington, Iowa
This event is the first in the 2005 series of field days hosted by
Practical Farmers of Iowa. The event looks at organic flax: production
tips; flax variety comparison; market options and outlook, on a farm
with 300 acres farmed organically.
URL: http://www.practicalfarmers.org/news_details.asp?ID=&I=54
Horse Progress Days 2005
Lebanon, Pennsylvania
July 1-2, 2005
Horse Progress Days is the only trade show in the world focusing on newly designed and manufactured horse-powered farming and logging equipment, all demonstrated by a variety of breeds of draft horses and mules. Hitches of 1-12 animals demonstrate plowing, hay making, produce planting and lots of other farm-related activities.
URL: http://www.ruralheritage.com/progress/
Grazefest Mississippi 2005
July 22-23, 2005
Jackson, Mississippi
Pasture-based farmers, chefs, and representatives from farm
organizations and the farm products and services industry gather for
presentations, panel discussions, a trade show and food festival.
URL: http://www.usgrassfed.com/_wsn/page4.html
More
events at: http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/index.php.
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2005 NCAT
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