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Weekly Harvest Newsletter
Sustainable Agriculture News Briefs - April 25, 2007
Weekly sustainable agriculture news and resources gleaned from the Internet by NCAT staff for the ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service Web site. The Weekly Harvest Newsletter is also available online.
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News & Resources
* Study Details the Economic Impact of Organic Conversion
* Experts Link Bioenergy with Rural Development
* Report Examines Barriers to Agricultural Finance in North Carolina
* Online Manure Management Tool Available
* Study Examines Taste of Cheese from Pastured Cows
* Grazing System Technology Released
Funding Opportunities
* Rural Cooperative Development Grants
* Southern Region SARE Research and Education Grant
* North Central SARE Professional Development Program
Coming Events
*
Multi-Species Grazing Conference and Field Day
* Joint Annual Meeting of the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society and the Association for the Study of Food and Society
*
Strolling of the Heifers
News & Resources
Study Details the Economic Impact of Organic Conversion
The report of a study, Determining the Methods for Measuring the Economic and Fiscal Impacts Associated with Organic Crop Conversion in Iowa, was released by the Leopold Center. This study shows that the potential regional economic impact of organic crop production exceeds that of conventional crop production. In work funded by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, researchers assessed the potential region-wide economic impact of this major switch in production practices. The project affirms existing ISU research which demonstrates that operators who choose organic methods will receive greater economic returns than those who opt for conventional practices. The study found that the economic impacts of the organic alternative were substantially larger than the conventional configuration, a significant observation for those engaged in rural and regional economic development.
Experts Link Bioenergy with Rural Development
The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reports that top international experts met recently in Rome to consider the environmental and food security impact of the rapidly-expanding bioenergy industry. Those attending the meeting agreed that governments could use bioenergy as a positive force for rural development. Some experts considered biofuel production could benefit the environment and increase food security if smallholders farmed biocrops and biomass as a source of energy for themselves and their local communities or contributed to commercial production for national or international markets. Experts also said that FAO should promptly develop guidelines for governments and potential investors to consider in bioenergy development.
Report Examines Barriers to Agricultural Finance in North Carolina
The Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA has posted a report titled Farmer and Lender Project: Strategies to Sustain Agriculture and Enhance Rural Development in North Carolina(PDF / 2.6M). The Farmer and Lender Project report examines the barriers to agricultural finance in North Carolina, and looks toward a system of debt finance that allows lenders to work with innovative farmers. The challenges in the current system are discussed, barriers are defined, and recommendation is made for a pilot project to address the problems.
Online Manure Management Tool Available
The Prairie Farmer reports the Illinois Manure Management Plan is now online. This program helps producers develop one manure management plan that makes sure they're in compliance with any or all regulations. Some features of the online version include: calculation tools to match manure application rates with crop needs and soil tests; mapping tools to draw the farmstead with its features, including buildings and storages; help with annual plan updates; recordkeeping and report forms; and a user-defined calendar that will send automatic email reminders for inspections and records.
Study Examines Taste of Cheese from Pastured Cows
Preliminary research from the University of Wisconsin Madison shows that cheese from the milk of pastured cows tastes significantly different from other cheese. A three-year study determined differences in taste and components between milk produced by cows on three different feeding regimens: pasture only, pasture and grain, and grain-based. A trained sensory panel noticed a significant grassy note affecting the flavor of the two pasture-based cheeses, while a consumer panel at North Carolina State gave highest taste ranking to the pasture and grain regimen cheeses.
Grazing System Technology Released
The American Agriculturalist reports the Lely Group (Netherlands) has introduced the Voyager, an automated grazing system. The Voyager is a robotic-based automated system for frontal grazing in pens and paddocks. Two, solar-powered robots are programmed to move the electric fence wire strung between them forward, opening a fresh strip of pasture each time. The only thing the farmer has to do for a new field is to set how much pasture per day he wants the cows to access over a specified time. The Voyager makes the calculations and releases the determined area.
> More Breaking News
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Funding Opportunities
Rural Cooperative Development Grants
Rural Cooperative Development grants are made for establishing and operating centers for cooperative development for the primary purpose of improving the economic condition of rural areas through the development of new cooperatives and improving operations of existing cooperatives. USDA Rural Development announces the availability of approximately $3.5 million in competitive grant funds for fiscal year 2007. The maximum award per grant is $200,000 and matching funds are required. Grants may be made to nonprofit corporations and institutions of higher education.
Proposals are due June 8, 2007.
Southern Region SARE Research and Education Grant
The Southern Region USDA Program on Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) is requesting preproposals for research and education activities that address issues of sustainable agriculture of current and potential importance to the region and nation. Each proposal must address one of the priority areas identified by the SARE Administrative Council: 1) limited resource farmers; 2) organic farming systems; 3) environmentally sound practices/agricultural ecosystems; 4) marketing/economic development; 5) policy, program evaluation, and quality of life; 6) component research; and 7) women in sustainable agriculture. The Southern Region includes: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Puerto Rico, and the US Virgin Islands.
Proposals are due June 1, 2007.
North Central SARE Professional Development Program
The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Professional Development Program (PDP) is requesting pre-proposals for professional development projects that provide training to agricultural professionals and educators in the Cooperative Extension Service (CES), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), other governmental agencies, and educators in the profit and non-profit sector serving the food and fiber system. The North Central Region includes Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, and Wisconsin.
Proposals are due May 25, 2007.
> More Funding Opportunities
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Coming Events
Multi-Species Grazing Conference and Field Day
May 8-9, 2007
Richland, Washington
WSU Extension will host a multi-species grazing conference followed by a field day in the Tri-Cities Washington area that focuses on using goats and cattle as a tool in an integrated approach to managing unwanted plant species commonly called noxious weeds.
Joint Annual Meeting of the Agriculture, Food and Human Values Society and the Association for the Study of Food and Society
May 30-June 3, 2007
Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
In recognition of the 20th anniversaries of the organizations' founding, the theme of the 2007 joint meeting is "Changing Ecologies of Food and Agriculture: Building on 20 Years of Scholarship."
Strolling of the Heifers
June 1-3, 2007
Brattleboro, Vermont
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.
> More Events
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 ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) and is 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.
© Copyright 2007 NCAT
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