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Weekly Harvest Newsletter
Sustainable Agriculture News Briefs - October 3, 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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Share The Harvest: Please forward this newsletter to friends and colleagues who might be interested in the latest sustainable agriculture news, funding opportunities, and events.
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News & Resources
* New Voices Contest Seeks Innovative Vision for Sustainable Agriculture
* Newsletter Looks at Future of Farmers' Markets
* Farmers Market Promotion Program Grants Awarded
* USDA Funds Bee Health and Protection Research
* SARE Sponsors Photo Contest
Funding Opportunities
* Strategic Agricultural Initiative, EPA Region 2
* Minnesota Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant
* Illinois Farmers' Market Advertising Grant Program
Coming Events
* Holistic Decision Making For Farmers
* Grazing America '07 Conference
* American Livestock Breeds Conservancy Conference
News & Resources
New Voices Contest Seeks Innovative Vision for Sustainable Agriculture
SARE is proud to announce its New Voices contest, which will give "New Voices" in agriculture the opportunity to share their ideas with the leaders of the sustainable agriculture community at SARE's 20th Anniversary New American Farm Conference, to be held March 25-27, 2008 in Kansas City, Missouri. The winning entry will be presented at the closing plenary session of the conference. Top finalists will also be invited to participate in leadership sessions at the conference at SARE's expense. SARE seeks written, audio, and/or video submissions that articulate emerging perspectives and illustrate an inspirational and pioneering vision for the advancement of sustainable agriculture over the next 20 years. The deadline for entries is December 7, 2007.
Newsletter Looks at Future of Farmers' Markets
Making Places, the newsletter of the Project for Public Spaces, devotes its September issue to "The Future of Markets," with features on successful markets, local food, and economics of public markets. In addition, a panel of experts discusses the future for markets, noting how immigrant populations support markets and how markets strengthen urban-rural connections, as well as considering whether markets should opt for year-round sales or permanent facilities.
Related ATTRA Publication: Farmers' Markets
Farmers Market Promotion Program Grants Awarded
USDA has announced 23 grants totaling $900,000 under the Farmers Market Promotion Program. The awards will aid local governments, nonprofit and economic development corporations and agricultural cooperatives in 16 states and the District of Columbia. Funds will support projects that establish, expand and promote farmers markets and other direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities. A list of projects by state, with brief project descriptions, appears online.
USDA Funds Bee Health and Protection Research
USDA recently announced funding for a 4-year Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP) to research ways to improve the health and protection of honeybees, which are facing serious threats that have the potential to heavily impact the nation's food supply. The overall goal of the Protection of Managed Bees CAP is to improve the health of managed bee populations in agricultural systems. The research USDA is seeking to fund is expected to address genomics, breeding, pathology, immunology and applied ecology that explain the cause behind dwindling bee populations.
Related ATTRA Publication: Beekeeping/Apiculture
SARE Sponsors Photo Contest
In celebration of its 20th Anniversary, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program is sponsoring a photo competition. SARE is looking for photos from all corners of the nation that depict groundbreaking innovations, people and partnerships advancing the frontier of sustainable agriculture in America. The top four photos, one from each of SARE's regions in the United States, will receive grand prizes of free attendance and accommodations at SARE's 20th Anniversary conference, to be held March 25-27, 2008, in Kansas City, Missouri. The deadline for entries is October 31, 2007.
> More Breaking News
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Funding Opportunities
Strategic Agricultural Initiative, EPA Region 2
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 2 is soliciting proposals to help implement the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) and to support efforts by the agricultural community to "transition" away from high risk pesticides (Organophosphates, Carbamates, and Fumigants) to the use of less and reduced risk pesticides, alternative methods of agricultural pest control, and sustainable practices in food production. The program supports grants for education, extension, demonstration, and studies for FQPA transition and reduced risk practices for pest management in agriculture. The Program anticipates funding one proposal for up to $100,000.
Proposals are due November 9, 2007.
Minnesota Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Grant
The Minnesota Department of Agriculture will provide up to $25,000 to individuals or groups on a competitive basis for sustainable agriculture research or demonstration projects in Minnesota. Grants are awarded to innovative, promising and worthwhile demonstrations of sustainable agricultural methods or systems in Minnesota. Eligible recipients include Minnesota farmers, individuals at Minnesota educational institutions, non-profit organizations, and local natural resource agencies. Priority is given to projects that are farmer initiated. All non-farmer initiated projects must show significant collaboration with farmers.
Proposals are due January 18, 2008.
Illinois Farmers' Market Advertising Grant Program
The Illinois Farmers Market Advertising Grant Program will provide farmers markets up to $7,500 to help with advertising and promotional expenses during the 2008 season. The funds were awarded to the Illinois Department of Agriculture through the federal specialty crop program and will be distributed as part of Opportunity Returns, the Governor's pro-active, comprehensive economic development strategy designed to spur more economic growth and create jobs across Illinois. More than $175,000 in total is available.
Proposals are due November 7, 2007.
> More Funding Opportunities
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Coming Events
Holistic Decision Making For Farmers
November 2-3, 2007
Williamsport, Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture presents this two-day workshop that will provide a framework for decision making that has proven itself in helping farmers to consider long term ecological, economic and social consequences of their decisions. Participants will learn and practice holistic goal setting, and how to test decisions against those goals in ways that improve your ability to heed the interdependence of the ecosystem processes, social networks, and economic questions in the wholes over which you as farmer-managers exercise the most control. Because the instructor operates a sheep dairy that produces value-added products, this workshop may prove particularly useful to those considering adding value-added ventures to their existing farm business.
Grazing America '07 Conference
November 1-3, 2007
Austin, Texas
American Grassfed Association hosts this event with keynote speakers and breakout sessions on topics including humane husbandry, beginning and small acreage farming, certification, butchering and labeling.
American Livestock Breeds Conservancy Conference
November 2-4, 2007
Sanford, North Carolina
The 30th Anniversary conference of ALBC is titled "Traditional Breeds, Modern Skills: Sharing 30 Years of Breed Conservation." Programs will include hands-on workshops on husbandry, management, and selection of rare breeds at local farms, as well as seminars on rare breed products production, processing, marketing, and breeding strategies.
> More Events
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Harvest and ATTRAnews Archives Available Online
Digital versions of recent Weekly Harvest and ATTRAnews newsletters
are available online. ATTRAnews is the bi-monthly newsletter
of ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service.
 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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