Henry A. Wallace Institute for
Alternative Agriculture
9200 Edmonston Road, #117
Greenbelt, MD 20770
(301) 441-8777
E-mail: hawiaa@access.digex.net
World Wide Web: http://www.hawiaa.org
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If You Are Interested in Sustainable Agriculture...
In addition to this monthly newsletter, the Henry A.
Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture publishes the
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, a quarterly,
peer-reviewed journal of research on alternative agriculture. It
is a scientific forum for disseminating technical, economic, and
social research findings about the character and requirements of
alternative agriculture systems.
Articles examining flooding in cranberry beds to minimize
insecticide and fungicide inputs, and the Illinois Soil Quality
Initiative's farmer-centered approach to developing information
highlight the latest issue (Volume 12, No. 2). Other articles
review alternative production systems' effects on the soil
erodibility factor of the Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation,
suppression of VAM fungi and micronutrient uptake by low-level
phosphorus fertilization in wheat rotations, and abstracts from
the International Conference on Agricultural Production and
Nutrition. Subscriptions to AJAA are $44 for libraries, $24 for
individuals, and $12 for students; contact the Wallace Institute,
9200 Edmonston Road, #117, Greenbelt, MD 20770; (301) 441-8777;
e-mail hawiaa@access.digex.net.
* * *
Table of Contents:
Proposed National Organic Standards -- Finally 1
Rosmann Featured in New Book on "Visionaries" 3
World Food Prize Awarded to IPM Researchers 3
Position 4
Consumer Reports Finds Two Good Reasons to Buy Organic 4
"Foreign" Wasps Effective Against Alfalfa Pests 4
North Central SARE Announces Calls for Proposals 5
Resources 5
Upcoming Events 5
PROPOSED NATIONAL ORGANIC STANDARDS -- FINALLY
The USDA last month released proposed rules for organic
production which spell out an agency-run accreditation program
for state and private organic certification agents, and the
first-ever national standards for organically grown food. The
proposed rules "take a step in the right direction, but several
deal breaker issues remain, and we need to tell USDA how to fix
the proposal," according to Kathleen Merrigan, the Wallace
Institute's Senior Analyst and a member of the National Organic
Standards Board. She praised the USDA for ending its historic
opposition to organic agriculture, saying "the willingness of
this Administration to embrace organic agriculture indicates real
progress. Strict national standards and qualified inspectors
will bolster consumer confidence and lead to market growth. The
likely outcome is that more farmers will go organic and our soil,
water, and wildlife will be better off."
"Organic growers will soon see their market get a jump
start," predicted the Kiplinger Agriculture Letter. "New
standards will boost demand by raising consumer confidence in the
organic label and creating a wider selection of organic
products." A recent poll by the Food Marketing Institute found
that 54 percent of consumers would be more likely to purchase
organic produce if it carried a national organic certification
seal; 51 percent would buy certified organic meat and poultry,
and 43 percent would buy certified processed foods.
The proposed standards, which took seven years to develop
and release, define "organic" as agricultural products produced
through a natural versus synthetic process. They also address
the methods, practices, and substances used in producing and
handling crops, livestock, and their processed products,
including producing and handling organic agricultural products;
labeling of organic products; certification of organic
operations; accreditation of state and private certifying agents;
compliance testing; equivalency of foreign organic certification
programs; approval of state organic programs; and user fees.
The proposal drew criticism from environmentalists and
organic farmers who "worried that the rules could permit use of
germ-killing irradiation, growth of genetically altered crops,
and spreading of sewage sludge as fertilizer," according to the
Associated Press. The National Organic Standards Board rejected
all three practices, about which the USDA put off a final
decision, calling for public comment on them. An editorial in
The New York Times referred to this USDA action as one of several
"troubling signs of vacillation and, perhaps, of industry or
political pressure....Whatever the value of these technologies
and practices may be, none are part of accepted organic practice,
and each offers a beachhead within the program for major non-
organic agricultural corporations."
According to Merrigan, "Our major concern with the USDA
program is the attempt by the Secretary to usurp the role of the
National Organic Standards Board in determining which synthetic
substances may be used in organic production. It is appalling to
see synthetic materials in the proposed rule that the Board
rejected for environmental and health reasons. Hopefully, USDA
will listen carefully to public comment and make important
changes before the rule becomes final."
The proposed organic standards rules are available for
public comment until March 16. Written comment may be sent to
Eileen S. Stommes, Deputy Administrator, Agricultural Marketing
Service, USDA, Room 4007-S, Ag Stop 0275, P.O. Box 96456,
Washington, D.C. 20090-6456; fax, (202) 690-4632. They can also
be sent via the Internet through the National Organic Program
home page at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop, where the rules are
posted.
ROSMANN FEATURED IN NEW BOOK ON "VISIONARIES"
Ron Rosmann, a member of the Wallace Institute's
President's Council, is featured in Eco-Pioneers: Practical
Visionaries Solving Today's Environmental Problems, a 462-page
book recently published by MIT Press at the Massachusetts
Institute of Technology. The book by Steve Lerner devotes one
chapter to each of 25 "ecological innovators" who are "modeling
ways to log forests, grow food, raise livestock, manufacture
goods, construct houses, build transportation systems, generate
power, reuse materials, reduce waste, and design sustainable
communities while minimizing damage to the web of life." The
chapter about Rosmann is entitled "Sustainable Agriculture Takes
Root Among Family Farmers in Iowa." Rosmann "moved through a
number of stages" on his family farm: "he started out as a
conventional farmer who used both pesticides and chemical
fertilizers; subsequently he took to farming with a minimum of
agrochemicals; and more recently he adopted strictly organic
methods."
There are two main reasons Rosmann switched to organic
farming: first, "he found that by using ridge tillage, crop
rotation, and integrated pest management, he simply didn't need
herbicides or pesticides." The second reason "was purely
economic. Times are hard for small family farms in the Midwest,
Rosmann notes, and economies of scale are forcing farmers to
either become bigger or specialize. Rosmann found that by going
organic he could access a niche market and command a
significantly higher price for his produce."
Other people involved in sustainable agriculture who are
featured in the book are Sally Fox, a pioneer cotton grower who
breeds naturally colored cotton; Jack Turnell, a cattle rancher
who "experiments with sustainable techniques;" and Kenny Ausubel,
who provides gardeners with organically grown seeds and protects
seeds from extinction.
WORLD FOOD PRIZE AWARDED TO IPM RESEARCHERS
The 1997 World Food Prize has been awarded to Dr. Ray F.
Smith and Dr. Perry L. Adkisson, "whose leadership in developing
and implementing new approaches to agricultural pest control has
sparked a worldwide environmental revolution," according to the
World Food Prize Foundation, sponsor of the $250,000 award. Dr.
Smith is credited with the pioneering work that laid the
foundation of IPM ideas; Dr. Adkisson applied Dr. Smith's ideas
in the field.
"In the early 1970s, Dr. Smith and Dr. Adkisson led massive
research projects involving hundreds of scientists from many of
the country's land-grant universities. Through these projects,
IPM programs were developed for a wide variety of crops,
including many fruits and vegetables, alfalfa, soybeans, sorghum,
peanuts and rice....The growth and adoption of IPM programs have
cut insecticide applications on U.S. crops by half. In the
cotton industry alone, U.S. farmers save $1 billion annually in
reduced pesticide costs."
The World Food Prize is given annually in recognition of
those who have advanced human development by improving the
quality, quantity, or availability of the world's food supply.
For more information, contact the Foundation, 601 Locust St.,
#350, Des Moines, IA 50309; (515) 245-3783; e-mail
wfp@netins.net; on the Internet, http://www.wfpf.org
POSITION
Minnesota Project seeks an Executive Director; application
deadline is February 1; send resume with three references to
Minnesota Project, 1885 University Ave. W, #315, St. Paul, MN
55104; for full job description, call (612) 645-6159; e-mail
water007@gold.tc.umn.edu
CONSUMER REPORTS FINDS "TWO GOOD REASONS" TO BUY ORGANIC FOOD
There are "two good reasons to seek out organic food, one
personal and one societal," according to an article entitled
"Greener Greens? The Truth About Organic Food" in Consumer
Reports (January, 1998). "Organic food guarantees you a diet as
low in pesticide residues as possible," the article concludes.
"On a public scale, organic agricultural practices are much less
harmful to the environment than conventional chemical
agriculture." The article tested a thousand pounds of produce
from across the country for pesticide residues and taste, but did
not test it for nutritional value. It concluded that "organic
foods had consistently minimal or nonexistent pesticide residue;"
that "organic fruits and vegetables [are] as attractive and tasty
as their conventional counterparts;" and that "buying organic
food promotes farming practices that really are more sustainable
and better for the environment -- less likely to degrade soil,
impair ecosystems, foul drinking water, or poison farmworkers."
"FOREIGN" WASPS EFFECTIVE AGAINST THREE DESTRUCTIVE ALFALFA PESTS
Two "foreign" wasps called P. digoneutis and P. conradi are
being investigated for their ability to be effective biological
controls against three plant bugs: the alfalfa plant bug,
tarnished plant bug, and lygus bug, according to an article in
Agricultural Research (December, 1997). Researchers at the
USDA's ARS Beneficial Insects Research Laboratory in Newark, DE,
are importing and testing beneficial insects from other
countries, and have found that P. digoneutis "has the potential
to control the two lygus bugs on alfalfa forage and seed crops
over wide areas of the northern United States." P. conradi
attacks the alfalfa plant bug, they found. "Using biological
controls is better than chemicals for controlling pests in
northeastern alfalfa," said ARS researcher William Day.
"Chemical insecticides add to crop production costs and...kill
parasites previously established by our lab that now control
three other pests of alfalfa."
NORTH CENTRAL SARE REGION ANNOUNCES TWO CALLS FOR PROPOSALS
The North Central Region of the SARE program is calling for
proposals for professional development projects (PDP) in
sustainable agriculture, and proposals for a Professional
Development Program coordinator and region-wide training project.
Applications for the PDP grant competition must be received by
February 13; applications for the PDP coordinator and project are
due February 20. Applications are available from the North
Central SARE office, (402) 472-7081; e-mail
sare001@unlvm.unl.edu; on the Internet,
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/ncrsare. For more information, contact
Dr. George Bird, PDP Coordinator, North Central SARE Region,
(517) 353-3890; e-mail bird@msue.msu.edu
RESOURCES
"Paddock Shift: Changing Views on Grassland Farming" is
$25.95 from Stockman Grass Farmer, P.O. Box 9607, Jackson, MS
39286; 1-800-748-9808.
"The Control of Internal Parasites in Cattle and Sheep," EAP
Publication #70, $7.95 plus $2 postage; "Cover Cropping in Potato
Production," EAP Publication #71, $4.95 plus $2 postage;
"Mechanical Weed Control In Cereals," EAP Publication #72, $4.95
plus $2 postage; and "Treating Mastitis Without Antibiotics," EAP
Publication #69, $7.95 plus $2 postage; all are available from
Ecological Agriculture Projects, Macdonald Campus, McGill
University, 21,111 Lakeshore Road, Ste. Anne de Bellevue, Quebec,
Canada H9X3V9; (514) 398-7771; e-mail info@eap.mcgill.ca; on the
Internet, http://www.eap.mcgill.ca
"Public Programs for Private Forestry: A Reader on Programs
and Options" is $20 from American Forests, 1-800-368-5748;
findings are available on the Internet at http://www.amfor.org
"Time for a Change: Pesticides and Wine Grapes in Sonoma and
Napa Counties, California" is $5 plus $2 shipping from
Californians for Alternatives to Toxics, P.O. Box 1195, Arcata,
CA 95518; (707) 822-8497; e-mail cats@igc.org
UPCOMING EVENTS
February 2, Northeast Farmers Direct Marketing Conference
and Trade Show will be held in Sturbridge, MA; contact Charlie
Touchette, Federation of Massachusetts Farmers' Markets and
conference chairman, (413) 527-6572.
February 9-13, "Take Your Farm to School with the Biodynamic
Method," Part 2, will be held at the Michael Fields Agricultural
Institute, W2493 County Road ES, East Troy, WI 53120; call (414)
642-3303.
February 10, "Managing Manure in Harmony with the
Environment and Society" will be held in Ames, IA; contact Paul
Miller, Soil and Water Conservation Society/North Central Region,
(515) 284-4370; e-mail paul.miller@ia.nrcs.usda.gov
February 13-15, Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working
Group's Annual Gathering will be held in Rochester, MN; contact
Duane Hovorka, MSAWG organizer, 409 310th St., Elmwood, NE 68349;
(402) 994-2021; e-mail dh43048@navix.net
February 21, "Farming and Communities: Building a
Sustainable Food System," the annual winter conference of the
Northeast Organic Farming Association of Vermont, will be held in
Randolph, VT; contact NOFA-VT, P.O. Box 697, Richmond, VT 05477;
(802) 434-4122.
February 24, "North American Farmers' Direct Marketing
Conference" will be held in Victoria, BC, Canada; contact Brent
Warner, Southern Vancouver Island Direct Farm Marketing
Association, (250) 656-0941; e-mail BWARNER@galaxy.gov.bc.ca
February 24-28, "Advanced Organic-Biodynamic Vegetable
Production Workshop" will be held at the Michael Fields
Agricultural Institute, East Troy, WI; contact Gail Kahovic at
MFAI, (414) 642-3303.
February 26-27, Ethanol Policy and Marketing Conference,
sponsored by the Renewable Fuels Association, will be held in
Albuquerque, N.M.; contact Bryan & Bryan at (719) 942-4353.
February 26-March 1, Biofach, the World Trade Fair for
Organic Food and Natural Products, will be held in Frankfurt,
Germany; contact OKOWELT Veranstaltungs-GmbH, Industriestr.12, D-
91186 Buchenbach, Germany; phone +49 (0) 91-71-96-10-0; e-mail
info@biofach.de
February 28, "Wise Choices, Bright Futures: 1998 Annual
Meeting of the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society" will be
held in Aurora, NE; contact Cris Carusi, NSAS, (402) 254-2289; e-
mail cecarusi@hartel.net
February 28 is the deadline for paper abstracts for "Organic
Agriculture: Credibility for the XXI Century," IFOAM '98; contact
IFOAM 98, MAPO, Av. Santa Fe 873, (1059) Buenos Aires Argentina;
phone +54-1-314-0928; e-mail ifoam-98@satlink.com
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