Weekly Harvest Newsletter

Sustainable Agriculture News Briefs - December 1, 2004

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
* Organic Crop Rotation Study Shows Favorable Results
* Study Finds Americans Divided on GM Foods But in Favor of Regulation
* Oregon Producers Tout Environmental Responsibility
* Washington Ranchers to Launch "Cascade Range" Beef Brand
* Grant Funds Network to Aid Northeast's Grass-based Livestock Farmers
* Small Grain Performance Data Available Online

Funding Opportunities
* Life in Iowa/Leopold Center 2005 Internship Grants
* Oklahoma Integrated Pest Management Program
* Indiana's Value-Added Agriculture Grant Program

Coming Events
* ACRES USA Annual Conference
* Hygiene and Food Safety in Cheesemaking
* Direct Marketing Your Meats

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News & Resources

Organic Crop Rotation Study Shows Favorable Results
An organic crop rotation is at least as sustainable as no-till farming or chisel tillage in terms of nitrogen loss and corn yields, according to an Agricultural Research Service (ARS) study. The five-year study showed that a three-year rotation of organic corn, soybeans, wheat and a legume cover crop had nitrogen losses and corn yields similar to those on land where either chisel-tillage or no-till farming had been used. The organic rotation relied on poultry litter, soybeans and a hairy vetch legume cover crop as nitrogen sources. The study showed the highest risk of leaching nitrogen to groundwater was on fields with no-till or chisel tillage where both commercial fertilizer and poultry litter had been used. Future studies are planned to measure or estimate leaching losses.
URL: http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/pr/2004/041126.htm

Study Finds Americans Divided on GM Foods But in Favor of Regulation
A new study from the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology finds that Americans' attitudes about genetically modified (GM) foods remain divided, although their opinions appear not be deeply held and can be influenced by new information and events. The analysis, developed from a survey and focus groups conducted over the past few months, also shows that regardless of their attitudes about GM food, a majority of Americans support a strong regulatory system for GM foods, and that their discomfort increases as genetic engineering technology shifts from plants to animals.
URL: http://pewagbiotech.org/newsroom/releases/112404.php3

Oregon Producers Tout Environmental Responsibility
November's Oregon Bounty marketing campaign promotes the state's pears, hazelnuts, wine, and cheese and has a special focus on the environmental responsibility shown by producers of these products, says a story on Bend.com. “Consumers are increasingly interested in purchasing food from folks who are not only concerned about what they produce, but how they produce it,” says Katy Coba, director of the Oregon Department of Agriculture. Oregon's producers are meeting that demand by using sustainable practices such as cover crops, water conservation, integrated pest management, water quality protection and riparian restoration.
URL:http://www.bend.com/news/ar_view%5E3Far_id%5E3D19590.htm
Related ATTRA publication: Green Markets for Farm Products

Washington Ranchers to Launch "Cascade Range" Beef Brand
A group of ranchers in Snohomish County, Washington, are working together to launch a local beef brand that will help them sell their product, reports the Daily Herald. "Cascade Range" beef will be local, grass-fed beef not given antibiotics or growth hormones. Participating ranchers hope that the brand will help them access local restaurants and retailers, and retain more profit from selling their animals. The brand is set to launch soon, with a goal of selling 1,000 cattle in 2005.
URL: http://heraldnet.com/stories/04/11/15/bus_beef001.cfm

Grant Funds Network to Aid Northeast's Grass-based Livestock Farmers
The New England Small Farms Institute has been selected to receive a $110,000 federal grant through the Conservation Partnerships Initiative, reports The Republican. The New England Small Farms Institute will partner with nine other organizations to foster good conservation practices on their farms, and will form a network focused on aiding new farmers and start-up enterprises within the Chicopee River Basin. According to the Institute, the area already has more than 800 grass-based farms. These operations are helping to protect water quality while meeting demand for healthier meat products and providing improved farm incomes.
URL: http://www.masslive.com/chicopeeholyoke/republican/index.ssf?/
base/news-8/1101458917320190.xml

Small Grain Performance Data Available Online
Results of the 2004 Iowa Crop Performance Test for winter and spring small grains are available online, reports Iowa AgConnection. The winter test included wheat and triticale. The wheat test analyzed 14 hard red winter, five soft red winter, and two hard white winter varieties. The winter triticale test studied 11 named triticale varieties and two winter wheat checks. Average variety yields were 42 bushels per acre for wheat and 46 bushels per acre for triticale. The performance data reported includes grain yield, test weight, heading date, plant height, percent lodging and winter survival. The spring test included barley and oat. The barley test evaluated 16 named varieties and had average yields of 76 bushels per. The oat test included 28 named varieties and 12 experimental lines, with average yields of 141 bushels per acre. Performance data for the spring test includes grain yield, test weight, heading date, plant height, groat percentage, lodging, and disease reactions.
URL: http://www.iowaagconnection.com/story-state.cfm?Id=953&yr=2004

For more news and resources, visit the ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service Web site Breaking News section: http://attra.ncat.org/management/geninfo.html.

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Funding Opportunities

Life in Iowa/Leopold Center 2005 Internship Grants
Life in Iowa and the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University are partnering to offer grants that will help support summer 2005 student interns working in sustainable marketing and local food systems, and environmental and community development. Through its research and education programs, the Leopold Center supports the development of profitable farming systems that conserve natural resources. Iowa producers, businesses, organizations and communities are encouraged to propose internships that fit the Leopold Center's work and apply for a grant. A total of $15,000 will be distributed with a maximum $1,500 grant per internship position. Funds must be used to offset intern salary costs. Applications are due January 14, 2005. Matching funds are required.
URL: http://www.extension.iastate.edu/newsrel/2004/nov04/nov0419.html

Oklahoma Integrated Pest Management Program
Each year, Oklahoma State University's Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Program provides funding for projects to promote the adoption of IPM methods and address clientele needs. Proposals must be interdisciplinary in nature and reflect significant involvement and support of clientele. The results of proposed projects must be relevant to a multi-county area of the state and should help address water quality, food safety, and environmental and human protection concerns when relevant. Approximately $25,000 is available to support mini-grants in fiscal year 2005. County, area, and campus staff employed by the Oklahoma Cooperative Extension Service are eligible. Proposals must be submitted by December 8, 2004.
URL: http://www.ento.okstate.edu/IPM/2005_IPM_RFP.html

Indiana's Value-Added Agriculture Grant Program
The Office of the Commissioner of Agriculture administers Indiana’s Value-Added Agriculture Grant Fund, and has issued a Call for Proposals. The fund is a competitive grant program designed to enhance the economic value of Indiana’s agriculture commodities. The program seeks to identify research, development and educational initiatives that will increase the net worth of Indiana’s agriculture industry through value-added products and processes. Public or private companies, colleges, universities or agriculture interest groups representing business and industry in Indiana are eligible to receive grants. Applications must be received in the OCA office by 5 p.m. on December 15, 2004.
URL:http://www.in.gov/oca/grants/valueadd/2004 Grant/VA Guidelines.pdf (PDF / 131 kb)

For additional funding opportunities, visit: http://attra.ncat.org/management/financl.html.

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Coming Events

ACRES USA Annual Conference
December 9-11, 2004
Minneapolis, Minnesota
The annual ACRES USA conference has the theme this year of "Food as Medicine, Farm as Healer." The Acres U.S.A. Conference is the premier event nationwide for commercial-scale sustainable and organic agriculture. Talks by dozens of speakers will cover all facets of eco-agriculture — soils, crops, weed and insect control, livestock management — and make the connection between the soil and human and animal health as well.
URL: http://www.acresusa.com/events/events.htm

Hygiene and Food Safety in Cheesemaking
December 9-10, 2004
Burlington, Vermont
The Vermont Institute for Artisan Cheese (VIAC) at the University of Vermont is pleased to present the first in its series of courses aimed at providing technical education to cheesemakers and others interested in cheese manufacturing. During the two day course, entitled Hygiene and Food Safety in Cheesemaking, participants will explore hazards of a biological nature which are capable of causing food borne illnesses if present in cheese. To register for this course email Jody Farnham or call her at 802-656-8300.
URL: http://nutrition.uvm.edu/nfs/index.cfm#

Direct Marketing Your Meats
December 11, 2004
Albany, New York
At this workshop from the Regional Farm and Food Project, Judy Pangman of Sweet Tree Farm and Denise Warren of Stone and Thistle Farm will present a seminar on direct marketing meats from your farm. They will explain the concepts and details behind their strategies for selling pasture-raised meats for a livelihood.
URL: http://www.farmandfood.org/cal.htm

More events at http://attra.ncat.org/cgi-bin/event/calendar.cgi.

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Digital versions of recent Weekly Harvest and ATTRAnews newsletters are now available online. ATTRAnews is the bi-monthly newsletter of ATTRA, the National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.
URL: http://attra.ncat.org/newsletter/archives.html

The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service is the Web site of the ATTRA project created and managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), and funded under a grant from the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Business-Cooperative Service. Visit the NCAT Web site for more information on our sustainable agriculture projects.