By Casey Parks, The Oregonian

HILLSBORO — All day long, Steve Radtke works on land that is not his.

If he could, he would own the ground he tills and harvests. But acres aren’t easy to come by these days, so Radtke pursues his farming dreams on someone else’s soil.

As more people choose to eat locally grown food, more metro residents are turning to farming, the Oregon Farm Bureau says. That’s good news to advocates who worried that newer generations would reject farming. But as more people choose agricultural careers, they’re learning there’s one missing commodity: land.

Renting has become an attractive option for new farmers, who lack the money or the family connections to buy a farm, as well as for older farmers who are transitioning into retirement but want their land to keep producing food.

There’s enough demand for rent agreements that a new organization, iFarm Oregon, has formed to connect the new generation of farmers with landowners through an interactive Web site and monthly get-togethers.

“Younger people, urban eaters, are really intrigued by the idea of farming,” said Michele Knaus, who works with Friends of Family Farmers, the nonprofit that runs iFarm. “There has been so much in the media that has made farming sound less like something your great grandparents did and more like something that you can actually do.”

To read the full article, click HERE

From Salon.com

It’s not just kids and dirt. From indoor fish farms to business training for refugees, a slide show of 11 pioneers

Urban farmers are coming to the rescue in dozens of city neighborhoods where you’re about as likely to find a fresh tomato as you are to find a unicorn on the sidewalk. But if “urban farmer” calls up visions of an old hippie hoeing a quaint little patch of sunflowers in the shadow of high-rises, think again. Modern urban farming is about block parties with DJs and cooking lessons. It’s raising fish in indoor tanks and getting outdoor education in city schools. It creates meaningful jobs for inner city youth who learn to plan food systems and cultivate crops. But most of all, it’s about ingenuity. Urban agriculturists see potential where others sees blight, seeking out vacant lots and neglected open spaces, looking at what they have within arm’s reach rather than thinking about what’s missing.

This slide show is a tour of some of the country’s most innovative approaches to urban agriculture. These are farms and gardens created in the service of education and activism. Whether they’re training entrepreneurs, teaching kids to grow organic kale, or producing food from plots no bigger than your living room, the urban approach to farming is about feeding, not being fed.

View the slide show

Roots of Change Roots of Change (ROC) believes that the best way to make the food system sustainable is to connect and support the people and parts within the system that have the knowledge, roles, relationships and commitments required to successfully manage a rapid transformation.

Congress starts to work early on 2012 Farm Bill – An early hearing held by the House Committee signals possible big changes for farmers.

Little City Gardens - A micro business model aims to educate consumers while directly providing healthy foods for San Francisco.

Nitrate contamination spreading in California communities – California’s water supply suffers from longterm use of fertilizer.

Composting: It’s Easy and Awesome for the Environment – Save money and reduce your carbon footprint by learning easy techniques to properly compost.

Farmers Cope with Roundup-Resistant Weeds – A new type of super weed emerges posing a risk for farmers- may cause lower crop yields, rising costs and higher food prices.

Farms as revenue-producing attractions – The rising popularity in agro-tourism adds a profitable dimension for the farming sector as well as fun for the general public.

Alice Waters’ push for local, organic setting national agenda – Her controversial influence on the food movement: from school district to Washington.

Farmland and Food: Re-Connected – More people are making the connection between food (local or otherwise) and the necessity of farmland protection.

How to start a Crop Mob – A new type of collaboration between farmers; a “Crop Mob” creating community through shared work and shared meals.

Uniting the State of the Food Movement – A personal view from ROC President Michael Dimock about the WK Kellogg Foundation Food & Commmunity Conference addressing issues of a healthy food and agriculture system.

The SSDPG grant program is geared towards providing technical assistance to small, socially-disadvantaged agricultural producers through eligible cooperative and association of cooperatives. Grant projects must provide technical assistance to socially disadvantaged producers that have averaged $250,000 or less in annual gross sales in the last years. The applicant must be from a rural area, with a population less than 50,000 people; applicants from small towns are prioritized. The membership or board of the cooperative that is applying must be comprised of at least 75 percent socially disadvantaged producers.

Proposals are due July 27, 2010. For application template and guide visit http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/ssdpg/ssdpg.htm.

USDA Press Release No. 0268.10

Contact: USDA Office of Communications (202) 720-4623

75,000 More Acres Expected to be Enrolled in Wetlands Reserve Program

WASHINGTON, May 14, 2010 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced funding for the Natural Resources Conservation Service’s (NRCS) Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) that will add an expected 75,000 additional acres to the approximately 2.2 million acres currently enrolled in the program. The funding will go to wetland conservation projects in 22 states and Puerto Rico.

“Healthy wetlands play several critical roles in protecting our environment, including improving water quality, preventing flooding and soil erosion, and creating and maintaining the best possible wildlife habitat,” said Vilsack. “Farmers, ranchers and other private landowners play a critical role in protecting our wetlands, and the funding announced today will provide even more opportunities to maximize wetland values and ensure that these important natural resources survive for generations to come.”

The funding availability announced today totals nearly $175 million, and will be distributed to the following states: Read more »

USDA Press Release No. 0267.10

Contact: Michael Jarvis (202)720-8998, Michael.jarvis@ams.usda.gov; Billy Cox (202) 720-8998, Bill.cox@ams.usda.gov

Washington, May 14, 2010 — Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA had completed tough new food safety standards for ground beef purchased by the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) for Federal food and nutrition assistance programs including school lunches.

“The health of our school children is a top priority at USDA, and today we are moving ahead quickly with plans announced earlier this year to ensure that food provided to nutrition programs is as safe and nutritious as possible,” Vilsack said. “The new standards announced today ensure our purchases are in line with major private-sector buyers of ground beef and are part of our continued effort to employ the best scientific knowledge to increase the safety of our nutritional programs.” Read more »

Position: DeLano Farms CSA Manager at the Kalamazoo Nature Center, Kalamazoo, MI.

Summary of Position: The DeLano Farms Manager position is a regular, full-time position with responsibilities including, but not limited to, overall management of the DeLano Farms with emphasis on the development of a Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) model.  Responsibilities include crop production, planning and management, staff supervision, budget management, planning, and shareholder relations.  This position will work with KNC educators in providing opportunities for the public to experience and learn about sustainable agriculture.  The DeLano Farms Manager reports to the Vice President of Education of the Kalamazoo Nature Center and works closely with the all KNC staff.  The position is full-time year round with a seasonally variable work schedule and will be required to be on-call with the farm at all times. Read more »

Start Date: July 1st, 2010

People’s Grocery is a community-based organization in West Oakland that develops creative solutions to the health problems in our community that stem from a lack of access to and knowledge about healthy, fresh foods. Our mission is to build a local food system that improves the health and economy of the West Oakland community.

People’s Grocery is facing exciting times: we have a new strategic plan, ambitious 3 years goals, and increasing access to the resources we need to change the food system in West Oakland. We are looking for a Program Director who will be a strong and supportive leader for the program staff, someone who can provide context for programming and who will drive the overall strategy of programs at People’s Grocery. We are looking for someone deeply grounded in local grassroots activism that also has familiarity with national work; someone who can keep our local programs healthy and resident-driven while also allowing our programs to play a role in the national food justice conversation. The Program Director will report directly to the Executive Director and interact deeply with the senior team. Read more »

USDA Press Release No. 0266.10

Contact: USDA Office of Communications (202) 720-4623

DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE AND USDA ANNOUNCE SCHEDULE AND PANELISTS FOR AGRICULTURE WORKSHOP IN ALABAMA

Poultry Workshop to be Held at the Ernest L. Knight Reception Center at Alabama A & M University

WASHINGTON, May 14, 2010 – The Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced the schedule and panelists for the second joint public workshop on competition and regulatory issues in agriculture, which will be held on May 21, 2010, in Normal, Ala., at the Ernest L. Knight Reception Center at Alabama A & M University. The workshop, the second of five, will focus on the poultry industry.

The workshops, which were first announced by Attorney General Eric Holder and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Aug. 5, 2009, are the first joint Department of Justice/USDA workshops ever to be held to discuss competition and regulatory issues in the agriculture industry. The goals of the workshops are to promote dialogue among interested parties and foster learning with respect to the appropriate legal and economic analyses of these issues, as well as to listen to and learn from parties with experience in the agriculture sector. Attendance at the workshops is free and open to the public.

The general public and media interested in attending the Alabama workshop should register at: www.aamu.edu/saes/FAS/DOJ_USDA/ Read more »

USDA Press Release No. 0265.10

Contact: USDA Office of Communications (202) 720-4623

WASHINGTON, May 14, 2010 – Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan today announced the Transition Incentives Program (TIP) – a new program under the Conservation Title of the 2008 Farm Bill – to encourage retired or retiring owners or operators to transition their land to beginning or socially disadvantaged farmers or ranchers.

“Ensuring that our nation’s land is returned to production using sustainable methods is critical not only for our future food supply, but also for the economic future of our rural communities,” said Merrigan. “Access to land is one of the greatest challenges faced by new farmers. The Transition Incentives Program is one more tool in the USDA toolkit to protect family farms and support beginning and socially disadvantaged farmers.” Read more »

Join us on May 20, 2010 at 4:00 pm for a workshop on Nutrient Management for Vegetable Crops. The training will be held at 1471 Bridge St, Dracut, Ma.

The Field Training will begin at 4:00 pm and will end at approximately 6:00 pm. This is the 5th workshop in the Spring/Summer series. To view a schedule of all New Entry Sustainable Farming Project workshops, please go to www.nesfp.org.

Please register in advance by replying to mboekholder@comteam.org. The cost for each field training is $15, free for New Entry graduates.

Position:
Responsible for the coordination and implementation of Tomato Mountain Farm’s 10-acre production field with sales and distribution to CSA, farmers markets, and in-house kitchen. This is a full-time, salaried position beginning immediately.

Company:
Tomato Mountain Farm, LLC is a certified-organic, produce farm located in Brooklyn, WI. Specializing in high-quality tomato production, TMF grows a wide variety of organic produce for sale at markets, through our CSA program, and for use in value-added jarred products including salsa, preserves, soup, pasta sauce, and more. Particularly committed to fostering healthy soil life, TMF strives to farm in ways that do not merely reduce environmental degradation but increase organic matter, adding value back to the land. You can visit www.tomatomountain.com

for more information.

Qualifications:
- Experience: 1 year prior experience in sustainable production farming or similarly transferable experience; priority given to candidates with experience in managing daily operations and field staff.
- Education: Background in biology, agricultural, or consumer sciences preferred.
- Skills: Excellent written and oral communication skills; strong interpersonal, supervisory, planning, and training skills; excellent organizational skills.
- Capabilities: High energy and enthusiasm; work well with a wide range of people; work well under pressure; handle multiple tasks at once; adapt to changing situations on a daily basis.

Duties:
Manage 10-acre production field & greenhouse operation.  Includes crop planning, supply ordering, tillage, fertility, care, harvest and handling, irrigation, crop rotation; Train, supervise, evaluate field workers (4-5); Facilitate participation in Chicago, Madison, and Milwaukee area farmers’ markets throughout growing season; Manage harvest, packing, and distribution of CSA orders June 1 – December 21; Supervise and coordinate care, maintenance, cleanliness and organization of production fields, greenhouses, irrigation, equipment, tools, stations, sheds and related spaces.

Minimum expectation of 50-60 hrs/week.

Compensation:
$1000-2000/month to start; commensurate with experience.

Living Situation:
It is much preferred that the Field Manager lives on-site in the farm house along with most of our other full-time employees. Irregular hours are common and much easier to accommodate for on-site employees. We work toward a regular schedule as much as possible, but dancing around weather systems does not often afford the luxury of a 20-minute commute.

On-site, salaried employees are provided with room and board as part of their compensation.  Rooms are private with shared bath and include usual amenities – wireless internet, washer and dryer, access to all common areas. Board includes produce from harvest, a monthly grocery stipend, and group lunches.

Application Instructions:
Please send your resume and cover letter to: tomatomountain@wekz.net

From: http://www.scribd.com/doc/30908774/Biochar-and-Sustainable-Agriculture

Biochar has the potential to produce farm-based renewable energy in a climate-friendly manner and provide a valuable soil amendment to enhance crop productivity. If carbon offset markets develop, biochar can provide income for farmers and ranchers who use it to sequester carbon in soil. This publication will review the current research and issues surrounding the production and use of this emerging biomass energy technology and explore how biochar can contribute to sustainable agriculture. Biochar is the product of turning biomass into gas or oil with the intention of adding it to crop and forest production systems as a soil amendment.

- National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service  http://attra.ncat.org/ ”

Biochar was initially linked to the exploration and archeological study of early human settlement and soils.

These early studies of soils being enriched from what appears to be the deliberate mixing of burned biomass in soils around human

settlements helped spark more recent interest in biochar. These deposits of enriched soils, known as terra preta in the Amazon region

of South America, have a fascinating history of scientific study of their own (Lehmann et al, 2004).

More current studies of biochar are focused on its role in a growing demand for biomass-based energy sources that can mitigate

greenhouse gas emissions and slow climate change.

In addition, biochar has the potential to enhance soil quality and soil carbon sequestration.

A secondary source of interest in biochar comes from the growing need to develop low-cost and healthier biomass-fueled stove technology.

Article includes sections on:

• What is biochar?
  • Importance to farmers and ranchers
  • Increased fertility
  • Moisture retention
  • Soil pH balancing
  • On-farm and community-based bioenergy production
  • Potential income off sets, fuel and soil amendments
• Relationship to climate change and soil carbon sequestration
• Limits of biochar and climate change: The fuel-versus-food debate

• Summary: The future of biochar for sustainable agriculture:

“Biochar has very promising potential for the further development of sustainable agriculture production systems. Also, biochar production provides a great potential for worldwide climate change mitigation that goes beyond its

uses in agricultural production alone. The research on the many complex issues related to biochar production systems is growing very quickly and will be needed to more fully understand the implications for food systems,

the environment and bioenergy production. Finally, biochar could play an important basis for rural economic development because its production can be scaled down for smaller communities closer to biomass sources”

Farm-to-School Program Director
Green Mountain Farm-to-School (GMFTS) seeks a dynamic, mission-driven food systems professional with strong communication and organization skills to support the growth of our organization.  The primary responsibilities of the Farm-to-School Program Director will be to develop, manage, grow, present, and evaluateGMFTS’ Farm-to-School programs and provide general operational and administrative support.  The Farm-to-School Program Director will lead our Farm-to-School team as GMFTS grows to serve 21 schools in 2010.  This is a full-time position with salary and benefits commensurate with experience.    Complete job description at http://greenmountainfarmtoschool.org/employment.php
To Apply: Submit a cover letter, resume, and writing sample (non-fiction, 3 pages or less) to jobs@gmfts.org. Position opened until filled. EOE.

About Green Mountain Farm-to-School
Green Mountain Farm-to-School is a nonprofit organization promoting the health of Vermont’s children, farms and communities by providing programs to connect schools and farms through food and education. In the 2010-2011 academic year,GMFTS aims to serve 21 school communities in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont with school gardens, educational programming and fresh local farm foods, benefiting over 3,000 students. For more information about GMFTS, please visit www.greenmountainfarmtoschool.org .