|
Weekly Harvest Newsletter
Sustainable Agriculture News Briefs - July 11, 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.
|
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.
|
News & Resources
* Study Finds Organic Tomatoes Have More Flavonoids
* Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture Marks 20 Years with Conference
* Guide to Variety Trials for Organic Producers Available Online
* Organic Beekeeping May Strengthen Bees
Funding Opportunities
* Northeast SARE Partnership Grant Program
* Vermont Barn Grants
* Dudley Smith Initiative
Coming Events
* American Community Gardening Association Annual Conference
* Oklahoma Grazing Lands Dollars and Sense
*
Organic Grains in Northeastern North Carolina
News & Resources
Study Finds Organic Tomatoes Have More Flavonoids
A study at the University of California Davis showed that organic tomatoes contained more flavonoids than conventionally grown tomatoes, reports The Sacramento Bee. The study, which was published online in June by the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, looked at ten years' tomatoes grown in an organic test plot on campus. Testing revealed that flavonoid levels climbed consistently in the organic crop over the period. The researchers stressed that the results might not hold true for all organic tomatoes, since production methods differ significantly. Coverage from the BBC noted that the health benefits of flavonoids are still under study, but also quoted the Soil Association policy director, "These findings also confirm recent European research, which showed that organic tomatoes, peaches and processed apples all have higher nutritional quality than non-organic."
Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture Marks 20 Years with Conference
Conference goers at the 20th Anniversary Celebration of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture on July 11 in Ames, Iowa, will have a smorgasbord of activities, happenings, presentations, displays and demonstrations to enjoy. In addition to marking the Center’s two decades of accomplishments, the conference will offer a look at the provocative present and the diverse futures of Iowa agriculture as seen by Iowa farmers, ISU researchers, and gifted citizens concerned about sustaining the land and water for the next generation.
Guide to Variety Trials for Organic Producers Available Online
As part of a 2007 focus on on-farm variety trials, Organic Seed Alliance has produced On-Farm Variety Trials: A Guide for Organic Vegetable, Herb, and Flower Producers. The 23-page publication is available free online (PDF/1.26MB). The guide discusses the benefits of conducting on-farm variety trials, covers methods for planning and carrying out trials, and aids in evaluation.
Organic Beekeeping May Strengthen Bees
While Colony Collapse Disorder is causing entire colonies of honeybees to disappear, Vermont beekeepers are little affected, says a story in The Addison Independent. Some Vermont beekeepers credit their healthy hives to organic beekeeping methods they've developed for their small-scale operations. While some honeybee operations truck their colonies from orchard to orchard, pollinating a single type of crop, these Vermont beekeepers are careful to provide their bees with a varied plant diet and only honey as supplemental food. Lack of pesticide exposure and genetic diversity are other factors they cite for keeping Vermont bees especially healthy.
Related ATTRA Publication: Beekeeping / Apiculture
> More Breaking News
Back to top
Funding Opportunities
Northeast SARE Partnership Grant Program
The Partnership Grant is for agricultural professionals who work directly with farmers—specifically Cooperative Extension, NRCS personnel, non-governmental organizations, and others operating in the farm community—who are interested in developing on-farm demonstration, research, or marketing projects related to sustainable agriculture. Proposals should be relevant to farming and sustainability issues in the northeast region, and should offer both research and outreach components so that results will be available to the wider farm community.
Proposals are due December 4, 2007.
Vermont Barn Grants
The Vermont Division for Historic Preservation has a 50/50 matching grants program to assist owners of historic agricultural buildings (barns, corn cribs, sheds, grist mills, etc.) Up to $10,000 can be awarded to assist the restoration and repair of these endangered buildings. This program encourages the continued use of farm buildings for agricultural use.
Proposals are due October 2, 2007.
Dudley Smith Initiative
The Dudley Smith Initiative is offering grants of up to $1,500 to middle school and high school teachers in the Christian County, Illinois, area to fund innovative projects that create knowledge about agriculture and its impact on the community.
Proposals are due August 10, 2007.
> More Funding Opportunities
Back to top
Coming Events
American Community Gardening Association Annual Conference
August 9-12, 2007
Boston, Massachusetts
The ACGA Annual Conference brings together hundreds of individuals from across the United States, Canada, and abroad, who are engaged in all aspects of gardening and greening. The conference includes hands-on workshops, keynote speakers, a film festival, and visits to parks, school gardens, community gardens, and other green spaces in the Boston area.
Oklahoma Grazing Lands Dollars and Sense
August 16-17, 2007
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
"Managing for Year Round Grazing" is the theme for this event featuring Jim Gerrish, American Grazinglands Services LLC, and Terry Gompert, Extension Educator with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, covering topics including winter grazing, stockpiled forages, and more.
Organic Grains in Northeastern North Carolina
August 2, 2007
Tyner, North Carolina
The Center for Environmental Farming Systems offers this opportunity to visit organic corn and soybean fields, hear about how they are managed, view weed cultivation equipment and see how it is used. Learn about fertility amendments allowed on organic farms.
> More Events
Back to top
Subscribe
to the Weekly Harvest
Comments? Questions? E-mail the Weekly Harvest Newsletter editor Mary Ann Thom at
.
Weekly
Harvest and ATTRAnews Archives Available Online
Digital versions of recent Weekly Harvest and ATTRAnews newsletters
are available online. ATTRAnews is the 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
Back to top
|
|
|
