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
* * *
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.
The latest issue (Volume 12, No. 4) features an article on
the effects of clover and small grain cover crops, and tillage
techniques on seedling emergence of some weed species. Other
articles cover the growth of apple trees, nitrate mobility, and
pest populations; growth of corn roots under low-input and
conventional farming systems; effects of pearl millet in an arid
region; and a regional approach to soil erosion and productivity
research.
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; Web site, http://www.hawiaa.org.
Table of Contents:
Research Title Clears Conference; Fund Reduced, p. 1
USDA "Bowed to Biotech Pressure" on Organic Rules, p. 2
Sidey Recounts "The Greatest Story Never Told," p. 3
Institute Elects Officers, Installs Johnson, p. 3
EPA To Crack Down on Large Livestock Farms, p. 4
Iowa Court Rejects County Ordinances on Hog Industry, p. 4
No One's Happy With Pesticide Brochure, p. 4
Positions, p. 5
Resources, p. 5
Upcoming Events, p. 5
RESEARCH TITLE CLEARS CONFERENCE; FUND FOR RURAL AMERICA REDUCED
A House-Senate conference committee last month approved the
"Agricultural Research, Extension, and Education Reform Act of
1998," or research title, which reduced the annual spending for
the Fund for Rural America. The Fund for Rural America
previously had been funded at $100 million a year for three
years, with $100 million left for Fiscal Years 1999 and 2000.
Under the new research title, that $200 million would be spread
out over five years, and an additional $100 million would be
added to the five-year total. This means the Fund would receive
$60 million a year for the next five fiscal years, bringing its
total to $300 million, but reducing the Fund's annual allocation
for the next two years. The annual amounts available within the
Fund would be $20 million for research, $20 million for rural
development, and $20 million for the Secretary of Agriculture to
allocate between research and rural development.
The research title includes a new competitive grants program
called the "Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems,"
which would allocate $600 million over five years. The program
has six priorities: food genome mapping; biotechnology; natural
resource management, including precision agriculture; food safety
and food technology; new uses and products for agriculture
commodities; and farm profitability for small and medium-sized
farms, which was added to the program at the urging of the
Wallace Institute and other sustainable agriculture
organizations. Three new programs were authorized in the
research title, though no funding amounts were specified: organic
farming research, a "Thomas Jefferson" initiative for crop
diversification, and small and medium-sized dairy and livestock
production alternatives.
"The good news is that there is significant new money for
research in this," said Kathleen Merrigan, the Wallace
Institute's Senior Analyst. "The bad news is that there are no
fundamental changes in the research and extension system. The
ugly news is that it took three years longer than we expected,
which underscores a lack of consensus about what our research
system should be doing."
USDA "BOWED TO BIOTECH PRESSURE" ON ORGANIC RULES, SAYS MAGAZINE
In its proposed national organic standards, the USDA "has
bowed to pressure from biotech interests and flouted the
recommendations of a congressionally empowered board of
representatives from the organic industry by including
genetically engineered products in its list of substances allowed
in organic food production," according to USDA documents made
public by Mother Jones magazine last month. One USDA memo "sheds
light on the agency's concerns about not including genetically
modified organisms in the proposed standards" by saying that "our
trading partners will point to a USDA organic standard that
excludes genetically modified organisms as evidence of the
department's concern about the safety of bioengineered
commodities." Another memo "demonstrates the USDA's intent to
ignore the recommendations of the National Organic Standards
Board," and a three-page chart shows "15 areas in which the
USDA's recommendations differ from the Board's." In an op/ed
piece in The Washington Post (March 22, 1998), author Reed Karaim
wrote that "organic farmers, whose business is growing by 20
percent a year, had been awaiting rules they hoped would protect
their industry. What they got were preliminary rulings with
loopholes large enough to accommodate a factory farm, an
irradiation plant and a biotech lab." Another op/ed piece in The
New York Times (March 24, 1998) by chef Peter Hoffman said the
guidelines "need to be scrapped and rewritten in accordance with
the original recommendations by the national standards board."
WALLACE LECTURER SIDEY RECOUNTS "THE GREATEST STORY NEVER TOLD"
The ability of the American farmer to produce "an abundance
of food the likes of which the world had never seen or imagined"
is "the greatest story never told," according to Hugh Sidey, who
presented the 1998 Henry A. Wallace Annual Lecture last month.
Sidey, Contributing Editor of Time Magazine and author of its
column, "The Presidency," was born in Adair County, Iowa, where
Henry A. Wallace was born. His lecture, entitled "The Greatest
Story Never Told: The Food Miracle in America," referred to a
current generation "in their 40's who have only vague ideas of
where food comes from and how it gets to them....That great
cultural foundation of plentiful food at prices that anyone can
afford is as taken for granted in our time as the air we
breathe." Looking back in time, Sidey said he sees how
"inexorably our national dialogue moved away from the production
and marketing of food. Certainly it was inevitable as cities
grew and farms thinned. The political clout was not there."
Reviewing the era of Henry Wallace, Sidey referred to the
"good things happening in the world" then that Wallace had put in
motion. "Almost every week the family newspaper had stories
about new terraces being built, tree shelters being planted, farm
ponds dug," he said. "The electric lines stretched farther and
farther into the county, and the 4-H clubs became a young army.
When I fly across the country these days and I see the glint of
thousands of farm ponds in the setting sun, when I glimpse the
graceful designs of crops in contours and the enduring
shelterbelts that march from Canada to the Gulf, I think that
these are the fingerprints of Henry Wallace put down on our land
over the last 65 years, a stunning legacy from an uncommon man."
But today the population of Adair County is roughly half of what
it was when Henry Wallace was born there, and the farms are twice
or three times as large, Sidey said.
"We could use another Henry Wallace, or maybe many Henry
Wallaces, and not necessarily those who experiment with new crops
and have technical skills in growing and marketing food," Sidey
said. "The time calls for men and women who understand this is a
quietly crucial moment for our exuberant, well-fed nation.
Decisions made now will as in Wallace's day echo through the next
65 years. Henry Wallace above all else understood the crisis of
his time -- spiritual as well as physical -- and the need for
bold action to use and preserve this greatest of all resources --
our land and those people who tend it."
WALLACE INSTITUTE ELECTS NEW OFFICERS, INSTALLS JOHNSON
The Wallace Institute Board of Directors last month elected
new officers for the coming year, re-elected three members, and
installed one new member. The newly installed member is Paul
Johnson, former Chief of the USDA's Natural Resources
Conservation Service and now a farmer in Iowa. The new President
is Cornelia Butler Flora, Director, North Central Region Center
for Rural Development, Iowa State University; Vice President is
Dr. Frederick Magdoff, Professor, Department of Plant and Soil
Science, University of Vermont; Secretary is Christine (Cass)
Peterson, owner/operator, Flickerville Mountain Farm and
Groundhog Ranch; and Treasurer is Jose Montenegro, Director,
Rural Development Center, Salinas, California. Members re-
elected for a second term were Dr. Frederick Kirschenmann,
manager, Kirschenmann Family Farms; Frederick Magdoff; and James
Stephenson, Executive Director, Pamlico-Tar River Foundation,
North Carolina. The Board also conducted a major discussion of
the findings of a report prepared by Robert Gray of Resource
Management Consultants that is part of the Institute's long-range
planning process currently underway.
EPA TO CRACK DOWN ON LARGE LIVESTOCK FARMS
The EPA has proposed increasing its regulation of large
livestock farms, also called animal feeding operations or factory
farms. Of the approximately 450,000 animal feeding operations in
the country, about 6,600 are large concentrated units. The EPA
would set new standards for allowable levels of waste flows from
poultry and swine facilities by 2001, and from cattle and dairy
operations by 2002. The plan also calls for aggressive
enforcement of Clean Water Act permit requirements,
implementation of expanded regulatory and permitting tools by the
EPA and the states, and an increase in the number of concentrated
animal feeding operations that are regulated and permitted under
the Clean Water Act. EPA and the states would fully regulate and
issue Clean Water Act permits to the largest operations by 2002,
and fully regulate and permit all others in impaired watersheds
by 2005. Copies of the draft strategy are available on the
Internet at http://www.epa.gov/owm.
IOWA COURT REJECTS COUNTY ORDINANCES ON HOG INDUSTRY
The Iowa Supreme Court last month declared Humboldt County's
livestock ordinances to be invalid because they were inconsistent
with state regulations. The county enacted the ordinances in
1996 in response to citizen concerns about "the potential of
groundwater pollution and abandonment of waste storage
facilities," according to Feedstuffs (March 9, 1998). "The long-
awaited verdict sparked elation among producer leaders who
believe county ordinances will stifle expansion of Iowa's hog
herd. Some producers, however, fear the ruling will fuel pork
industry consolidation in the state and promote an environmental
catastrophe and moratorium like one adopted last year in North
Carolina, and a similar ban being considered in Oklahoma." The
Supreme Court justices concluded that the county ordinances were
"irreconcilable" with state regulations, and conflict with rules
administered by the Department of Natural Resources.
NO ONE'S HAPPY WITH DRAFT CONSUMER PESTICIDE BROCHURE
A draft version of an EPA consumer brochure about pesticides
on food has "become the government brochure that everyone loves
to hate -- and for totally opposite reasons," according to The
Washington Post (March 11, 1998). Industry representatives "feel
strongly that the brochure goes overboard in endorsing organic
food," while "environmental and consumer groups, on the other
hand, believe the brochure fails to inform people on the risks of
pesticides and delivers a mixed message," the article says. The
brochure, which must by law be available in supermarkets by
August, is available on the Internet at
http://www.epa.gov/fedrgstr/EPA-PEST/1998/January/Day-14/s-
p925.htm.
POSITIONS
Wayne County (N.Y.) Agriculture and Farmland Protection
Board seeks an agricultural economic development specialist;
contact Wayne County Personnel Office, 26 Church St., Lyons, N.Y.
14489; (315) 946-5883.
Independent Television Service seek a Midwest-Based rural
outreach coordinator for a PBS series, "The Farmer's Wife;" send
resume, letter, and references to Pamela Calvert, Outreach
Manager, ITVS, 51 Federal St., #401, San Francisco, CA 94107;
(415) 356-8383, ext. 242; e-mail Pamela_Calvert@itvs.pbs.org
Nick's Organic Farm seeks part-time workers; contact Nick
Maravell, 8565 Horseshoe Lane, Potomac, MD 20854; (301) 983-2167.
Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group seeks a part-
time grassroots organizer; send resume, references, writing
sample, and cover letter to Kris Thorp, Center for Rural Affairs,
P.O. Box 406, Walthill, NE 68067; (402) 846-5428.
Center for Rural Affairs seeks staff to work on rural and
farm policy reform initiatives, and Nebraska state policy; for
description, contact the Center, P.O. Box 406, Walthill, NE
68067; (402) 846-5428.
RESOURCES
"The Economic Merit of Animal Manures as a Source of Plant
Nutrients or Energy Generation" is $13 from UC Agricultural
Issues Center, University of California, Davis, CA 95616; (530)
752-2320.
"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
May 1 is the deadline for abstract submittals for the 1999
International Erosion Control Association Conference and Trade
Show in Nashville, TN, Feb. 22-26; and the Asia-Pacific
Conference and Exposition on Ground and Water Bioengineering for
Erosion Control and Slope Stabilization, to be held in The
Philippines, April 19-21, 1999; contact IECA, P.O. Box 4904,
Steamboat Springs, CO 80477-4904; 1-800-455-4322; e-mail
ecinfo@ieca.org
May 4-6, 28th Annual BioCycle National Conference on
Composting and Recycling will be held in Kansas City, MO; contact
BioCycle, 1-800-661-4905.
May 12-13, "Working with Wetlands and Wildlife" will be held
in New Orleans, LA; contact Wildlife Habitat Council, 1010 Wayne
Ave., #920, Silver Spring, MD 20910; (301) 588-8994.
May 17-19, National Extension Tourism Conference will be
held in Grantville, PA; contact Conference and Short Courses
Office, Pennsylvania State University, 306 Ag Admin Building,
University Park, PA 16802; (814) 865-8301; e-mail grp1@psu.edu;
on the Internet,
http://www.cas.psu.edu/docs/casconf/nercrd/NTC/ntc.html
May 22-24, "EarthSpirit Rising" will be held in Cincinnati,
OH; contact EarthSpirit Rising, 553 Enright Ave., Cincinnati, OH
45205; (513) 921-5124.
May 27-29, Specialty Conference on Rangeland Management and
Water Resources will be held in Reno, NV; contact American Water
Resources Association, 950 Herndon Pkwy., #300, Herndon, VA
20170; (703) 904-1225; e-mail awrahq@aol.com
May 27-31, Seventh International Symposium on Society and
Resource Management will be held in Columbia, MO; contact Dr.
Sandy Rikoon, ISSRM Co-Chair, University of Missouri-Columbia,
Rural Sociology, Sociology Building 108, Columbia, MO 65211;
(573) 882-0861; e-mail ssrsjsr@muccmail.missouri.edu; on the
Internet, http://www.ssu.missouri.edu/ssu/issrm
May 30-June 1, "Medicines from the Earth" will be held in
Black Mountain, N.C.; contact Medicines, P.O. Box 3427, Ashland,
OR 97520; 1-800-252-0688.
May 31-June 5, "Ethics and the Culture of Development:
Building the Sustainable Economy" will be held in Havana, Cuba;
contact American Friends Service Committee, Latin America and
Caribbean Programs, 1501 Cherry St., Philadelphia, PA 19102;
(215) 241-7159; e-mail idlac@afsc.org; on the Internet,
http://www.afsc.org/cubahome.htm
May 31-June 2, "Agricultural Biotechnology and Environmental
Quality: Gene Escape and Pest Resistance" will be held in
Greenville, S.C.; contact Department of Plant Pathology and
Physiology, Clemson University, 118 Long Hall, Box 340377,
Clemson, S.C. 29634; (864) 656-5734.
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