Press Release - Contact: Judith McGeary, Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance 512-484-8821; Bill Bullard, R-CALF USA, 406-252-2516; Gilles Stockton, Western Organization of Resource Councils, 406-366-4463; Mark Kastel, The Cornucopia Institute, 608-625-2042

USDA Animal ID Proposal: Farmers and Ranchers Appeal to Vilsack for Adequate Time to Respond

Forty-nine advocacy groups representing the interests of family farmers, ranchers, and consumers have formally requested that USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack extend the public comment period for a controversial new proposal that would require livestock producers in the U.S. to incur significant expense tracking animals that cross state lines.  The comment period on the proposed, “Traceability for Livestock Moving Interstate,” is scheduled to end on November 9, and the organizations have requested an additional 60 days.

“The period for public comment coincides with the fall harvest and comes during the worst drought ever recorded in some major livestock production regions,” said Judith McGeary, Executive Director of the Farm and Ranch Freedom Alliance and vice-chair of the USDA Secretary’s Advisory Committee on Animal Health.  “Our farmers and ranchers are struggling to get their crops in and save their animals, and they need more time to assess the impacts of the proposed rule.” Read more »

This is an opportunity for a qualified person interested in training to manage (with purchase possibilities) a Certified Organic, Log-grown Shiitake Mushroom farm.

We are located in a high mountain valley of the Ozarks within 55 miles of Fayetteville, Arkansas. Please read on and let us know if you see a match! For a full job description go to http://bit.ly/poJxAW

(Check out our website www.swedencreekfarm.com and www.ThePerennialPlate.com – episode 55 is a video of their trip to our farm.)

No calls at this time but please email your resume & qualifications to c2@swedencreekfarm.com

The Central New York Resource Conservation and Development Project is accepting applications for a year long, statewide training program for beginning women farmers. Women farmers – and aspiring farmers – from around New York State are encouraged to signup for the course that promotes goal setting; financial, business, and marketing plans; land and infrastructure planning; soil fertility, and planned grazing.

Applications for the third year of this program are due on Sept. 30, 2011 and are available at www.cnyrcd.org or by contacting Lauren Lines, New York State Coordinator at rcdstaff@cnyrcd.org.

Read more »

USDA NEWS from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition – August 29, 2011

New ERS Conservation Articles and Report

On Monday, August 22, USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) issued a new edition of its Amber Waves magazine, featuring two important agricultural conservation stories.

“Reducing Agriculture’s Nitrogen Footprint: Are New Policy Approaches Needed?” is a helpful quick review by Marc Ribaudo of earlier ERS publications on nutrient management and the array of possible policies to accelerate adoption, including financial assistance, compliance, and regulation. Read more…

Farmer Backlog for Federal Credit Addressed but Serious Gap Remains

On July 28, USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) transferred unneeded Guaranteed Farm Operating Loan (GOL) funds to two credit programs with higher demand – Direct Farm Operating Loans (DOL) and Guaranteed Farm Ownership (GFO) loans.  FSA has general authority to transfer a portion of appropriated funds from one loan program to another to bring spending more in line with farmer demand for credit. Read more…

USDA Proposes New Animal ID and Tracing Regulation

On Thursday, August 11, USDA’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) issued a proposed rule with national official identification and documentation requirements for the traceability of livestock moving interstate.  Read more…

2011 Conservation Innovation Grant Awards Announced

On Monday, August 22, Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack announced the 2011 recipients of the Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG).  Approximately $22.5 million will be awarded to 52 non-profit, private and public organizations addressing natural resource concerns in 40 states across the country. Read more…

New USDA Report Highlights Successes of the Wetlands Reserve Program

On Monday, August 22, USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) released a new publication highlighting the success of the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) over its 20-year history.  Read more…

Job Opening at the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (CEFS) in North Carolina – Farm Manager:  Small Farm Unit

The Center for Environmental Farming Systems (www.cefs.ncsu.edu),  is a partnership between North Carolina State University (NCSU), North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University (NC A&T SU) and the North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (NCDA&CS). Its mission is to develop and promote food and farming systems that protect the environment, strengthen local communities and provide economic opportunities in North Carolina and beyond.  CEFS includes a 2000 acre field research, extension, and education facility in Goldsboro, NC.  At the CEFS field facility, research extension, and education activities are integrated in several different ongoing projects.  An important component of CEFS is a 15-acre small farm unit that is used to teach and demonstrate organic and sustainable production practices to a wide variety of audience. Read more »

Learning Opportunities for Beginning Farmers in Illinois, 2011

On-Farm Programs: September is a wonderful month to visit Angelic Organics farm! We have a fun-filled month planned for visitors including a Family Farm Overnight on September 3-4, and many exciting food programs including Fresh Food from the Farm for Preschoolers on September 9, Winemaking on September 18, Handmade Pasta on September 18, and Cheesemaking 2: Hard Cheeses on September 25. Check out a complete list of September programs here.

Farm Beginnings Applications Due Sept. 1st: The Learning Center is now accepting applications for the 2011-2012 Stateline Farm Beginnings® program. Led by successful farmers, the program is designed to help beginning and transitioning farmers plan and launch sustainable farm businesses. Since 2005, Stateline Farm Beginnings has produced over 100 graduates, 60 percent of whom have launched more than 35 new sustainable farms in the northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin region.  The program is led by farmers of the Collaborative Regional Alliance for Farmer Training (CRAFT) and administered by AOLC. For more information on how to apply, visit the website. Read a success story from a Stateline Farm Beginnings® graduate.

USDA Biomass Crop Assistance Program Deadline Approaches for All Project Areas

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) reminds producers they have until close of business on Friday, Sept. 16, 2011, to sign up for participation in the Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) within respective project areas.

BCAP, created in the 2008 Farm Bill, helps farmers and forest land owners with startup costs of planting new energy crops that can take several years to reach maturity until harvest. BCAP is the only federal program that expedites the production of biomass crops to reduce U.S. reliance on foreign oil, improve domestic energy security, reduce pollution and spur rural job creation.

BCAP Project Areas currently accepting enrollment consist of: Read more »

Greenhorns Farmer Bartering Event in New York City. Unsold Supper. September 3. Union Square, 6 – 8 PM

Greenhorns are delighted to be partnering with OurGoods, a barter network for creative people. We heard about TRADE SCHOOL in the city and I taught a class there. Attendees could barter either a letter to the agricultural committee or agree to add their skill to our posse for Seed Circus. The people we met at the class have been our friends and collaborators ever since, working particularly on the BICYCLE powered seed circus TENT. Union seamstresses, wow seriously talented ladies who love fresh eggs.

Here are some pictures from that event. Turns out many creative people want to barter with farmers.

To reiterate. They want to trade you web design, graphic design, banners and backdrops for your market tent, and other skills your farm business needs: in exchange for flowers, produce, lard, off cuts, windfall plums for brandy, farmstays, volunteer opportunities or the prunings of your orchard. Incredible right?

But how would you negotiate the terms and how to justify all the complexities of the deal-making? Do not fear, this is not an email transaction! It is a celebratory, community transaction accompanied by deliciously prepared food in a public pavilion.

JUST SHOW UP in Union Square on September 3rd for a big free, UNSOLD SUPPER, a community barter area set up by Greenhorns and OurGoods to facilitate the particular barters between free individuals of talent. Make a CITY MISSION of it, country mice. Read more »

The South Lansing, MI Community Development Association (SLCDA) is hiring for Farmers Market Manager and Health Initiatives Coordinator Jobs

Position Overview: Manage all aspects of the South Lansing Community Development Association’s Health Initiatives Program, including nutrition and garden education program, community gardens, and South Lansing Community Farmers Market.

Responsibilities: Coordinate nutrition education program; Schedule and promote classes, taste testing’s, and outreach events; Prepare and facilitate hands-on nutrition classes to youth and adult community members; Manage grants (perform monthly financial reports, quarterly, mid-year, and end of year grant reports, grant writing, presentations to stakeholders, collaborate with grant liaison); Supervise AmeriCorps members, nutrition interns and volunteers; Oversee South Lansing Urban Gardens program; Set year-long garden education class schedule with AmeriCorps member; Develop strategic plan for community garden outreach, start-up, and maintenance with AmeriCorps member; Participate in gardening collaborations: Youth Gardening Coalition and Let’s Garden; Manage South Lansing Community Farmers Market; Market runs Saturdays, June-September; Perform outreach for recruiting vendors, outreach booths, entertainment, customers, volunteers, etc.; Sustain positive relationships with vendors, customers, volunteers, and collaborative organizations; Manage market logistics (permits, food assistance programs, market supplies, volunteers, scheduling events, etc); Work alongside volunteers in set-up, tear down and running the market each market day; Keep detailed market records; Sustain funding for market; Attend weekly staff meetings, and weekly meetings with AmeriCorps member; Write nutrition articles and program updates for quarterly newsletter, and weekly email updates. Read more »

Nationally Known Grazing Author to Lead ‘Profits from Livestock’ Workshops Sept. 9-10 in Alexandria, Minnesota

Nationally known grazing expert and author Greg Judy will lead two days of workshops on how farmers and landowners can produce profits from pastured livestock Sept. 9-10 at the Broadway Ballroom in Alexandria. The charge for both days is $80, which includes meals. Attending one day of the workshops costs $50, which also covers meals (a limited number of scholarships are available). Pre-registration is required; to register and for more information, call the Land Stewardship Project’s Julia Ahlers Ness at 320-269-2105, or e-mail janess@landstewardshipproject.org. Click here to download the registration form.

Also, a limited number of rooms are available for workshop participants at a discounted rate of $109 at the Hampton Inn in Alexandria if booked before Aug. 26. Call 320-763-3360 to make your reservation.

Read more »

Shiitake Logs: grow your own edible mushrooms! Hosted by Brooklyn Grange; With Expert Nick Laskovski of Dana Forest Farm
September 10th 5pm-7pm; Price: $40 per person; ORDER TICKETS HERE

Join the farmers at Brooklyn Grange as they inoculate several dozen fresh cut maple logs with shiitake spores under the guidance of mushroom farmer Nick Laskovski. Nick will be joining us from Waitsfield, VT where he grows certified organic shitake mushrooms and is running a shiitake research project sponsored by the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program (SARE). A single shitake log can yield over a pound of mushrooms per year and will grow for up to four years, and we at the Grange are thrilled to be adding these tasty shrooms to our farm selection.

The workshop will last roughly two hours, and participants are invited to purchase an inoculated half-log for $10 to bring home. Bring a drink and a snack to enjoy as you watch the sunset from our rooftop farm.

If you or someone you know is interested in fighting poverty by strengthening farms and rural communities, consider applying for one of the three VISTA Jobs at the Rural Advancement Foundation (RAFI)-USA. VISTA is a national service organization that provides a living allowance, modest benefits, and an education stipend at the completion of one year of service. Applications are due by August 31. Apply through the VISTA portal,  http://www.americorps.gov/for_individuals/overview/index.asp. The following three positions are open:

• Come to the Table Project Help faith communities in North Carolina relieve hunger and support local farms through the Come to the Table project at RAFI. RAFI is a non-profit working to cultivate markets, policies and communities that support thriving, socially just and environmentally sound family farms. This position requires experience and comfort with diverse communities and faith traditions, including rural and low-income communities; writing, editing, and documentation skills; demonstrated dedication to community-led solutions; familiarity with issues in food security and agriculture; computer proficiencies in WordPress, multimedia, Web design, and Adobe CS a plus; reliable transportation and a valid drivers’ license; and event-planning experience. Spanish-language proficiency is a plus. Duties will include developing profiles of model ministries, providing technical assistance to low-resource projects, fielding requests for information, recruiting and engaging new membership in committees, and representing Come to the Table in state and local networks.
• Farmer Counselor Network Save small family farms in financial crisis by helping RAFI develop a farmer-counselor network. RAFI is a non-profit working to cultivate markets, policies and communities that support thriving, socially just and environmentally sound family farms. The farmer-counselor network will provide financial planning assistance and counseling for the farmer to lenders and other agencies. This position requires knowledge of financial planning strategies, knowledge of sustainable agriculture and environmental farming practices, strong personal organization, strong written and verbal communication, and experience using MS Office software. Duties will include conducting a program evaluation of the farmer counselor program, developing database of prior clients, and developing a draft farmer-counselor manual.
• NC Farmer Veteran Coalition Serve returning military veterans entering agricultural careers by helping RAFI develop a branch of the national Farmer Veteran Coalition. RAFI is a non-profit working to cultivate markets, policies and communities that support thriving, socially just and environmentally sound family farms. This position requires familiarity with veteran transition issues, knowledge of sustainable agriculture and environmental farming practices, knowledge of community organizing, strong personal organization, strong written and verbal communication, and experience using MS Office software. Military veterans are encouraged to apply. Duties will include assessing educational needs through surveys, organizing learning teams, developing a customized farmer veteran curriculum, and providing experiential learning opportunities.

Contact: Claire Hermann Come to the Table Project Coordinator/Communications Associate RAFI-USA (919) 542-1396 x207 www.rafiusa.org – www.cometothetablenc.org

PRESS RELEASE: The University of California (UC), Davis, this fall will launch a new undergraduate major focused on agricultural sustainability.

The Bachelor of Science degree in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems uniquely integrates several subjects to provide students with a thorough understanding of the many issues facing modern farming and food systems, including production, processing, distribution, consumption and waste management.

“This is an exciting addition to the college that reflects a change in how we think about food and agriculture,” said Neal Van Alfen, dean of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “Students will gain a broad perspective of what it takes to put dinner on the table in an era of greater demand and fewer resources.”

Students will focus on the social, economic and environmental aspects of agriculture and food — from farm to table and beyond. The program is designed to help students obtain a diversity of knowledge and skills, both in the classroom and through personal experiences on and off campus.

Nine faculty members from eight departments are affiliated with the new degree program. Read more »

New York City Department of Education School Food Garden-to-Cafe Internship – Position Description

The Office of SchoolFood is seeking culinary interns for its Garden to Café Program. Garden to School Café is a program of NYC Department of Education, NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets and NYC Parks & Recreation, GrowNYC, and GreenThumb.  The program connects school gardens and school meals through lunchtime harvest events and educational activities.  The purpose is to increase students’ consumption of fresh vegetables and knowledge of healthful foods, farming and the local food system.

Qualifications: The ideal candidate will have professional culinary skills combined with the creative ability to handle fresh product in a variety of cafeteria settings. He/she must be self-motivated, highly organized, proactive, detailed oriented, creative and have good inter personal skills.

Responsibilities: Assisting with SF Garden to Café harvest events at various NYC schools; Hands on preparation and cooking of fresh produce with SF Chefs and field staff; Assisting with food and: training demonstrations in schools; Interacting with students, teachers, and administration during harvest events.

This is an outstanding opportunity for someone to use their culinary and nutrition skills to help students make healthier food choices. The internship is for October and November. If you are interested in applying for this position, contact: Whitney Reuling, SchoolFood Garden to Café Program, 44-36 Vernon Boulevard, 4^th Floor, LIC, New York 11101, wreuling@schools.nyc.gov – Phone: 718-707-4329. Visit our website @ www.opt-osfns.org/osfns

USDA Press Release No. 0328.11; Contact: Tanya Brown, 202-690-4585

USDA Makes Funds Available to Meet Urgent Credit Needs of Producers

WASHINGTON, July 28, 2011 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced today that a high demand for guaranteed farm ownership and direct farm operating funds has prompted USDA to transfer appropriated funds between programs as authorized by law, to meet the urgent credit needs of producers, including beginning and minority farmers and ranchers.

“Demand is strong for direct operating loans and guaranteed farm ownership loans, while demand for subsidized guaranteed operating loans has stabilized,” said Vilsack. “With these funds, we can help thousands of producers establish and maintain their family farming operations and obtain long-term credit assistance through a commercial lender.”

The transfer will make an additional $100 million in loan funds available for the direct operating loan program, providing 1,600 small, beginning and minority farmers with resources to establish and maintain their family farming operations. In addition, $400 million in loan funds will be made available for the guaranteed farm ownership loan program giving an additional 1,000 family farmers access to commercial lending backed by USDA. Both programs had run out of funds resulting in a backlog of approved but unfunded loan applications.

This measure will allow all of the backlogged loans to be funded and provide sufficient funds to meet the needs of new loan applicants for these programs while at the same time leaving sufficient funding for the subsidized guaranteed farm operating loans program to meet the expected demand for fiscal year 2011. Producers needing additional direct operating or longer term guaranteed farm ownership loans funds are encouraged to make application at their local Farm Service Agency office. See http://www.beginningfarmers.org/funding-resources/ to learn more.