The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Center for Sustainable
Agricultural Systems is an interdisciplinary center formed in
1991 for the purpose of bringing together people and resources to
promote an agriculture that is efficient, competitive,
profitable, environmentally and socially sustainable for the
indefinite future. This electronic version of the Center's
bimonthly newsletter is published 10-14 days before those on our
mailing list receive their hard copy. At this time there is no
charge for being on our newsletter mailing list. To be added to
the list, or for questions or comments, contact the newsletter
editor, Pam Murray, Administrative Coordinator, Center for
Sustainable Agricultural Systems, 221 Keim Hall, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0949, phone - (402) 472-2056,
fax - (402) 472-7904, email - CSAS001@UNLVM.EDU.
* * *
Contents:
DEVELOPMENTS IN PLANNING NORTH CENTRAL INSTITUTE
FOR SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS
SUSTAINABLE AG MENTOR PROGRAM
NCR SARE SPEAKERS BUREAU
UNL'S ALICE JONES NAMED SARE DIRECTOR
UPDATE ON BUFFALO COMMONS: SEMINAR BY
DEBORAH AND FRANK POPPER
LOCAL COMMENTARY ON BUFFALO COMMONS: INTERVIEW
WITH JOE LUTHER
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL COMMUNITY LINKAGES
IN THE SEMINAR SPOTLIGHT
UPCOMING SEMINARS
COALITION RECOMMENDS SUSTAINABLE AG POLICIES
SCIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY: WORKSHOP IN BELLEVUE, WA
DID YOU KNOW
RESOURCES
UPDATE: PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL ON SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT (PCSD)
* * *
DEVELOPMENTS IN PLANNING NORTH CENTRAL INSTITUTE
FOR SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS
The concept of an institute using regional resources to teach
students and others about sustainable systems was proposed
earlier this year (see CSAS July-August newsletter). The draft
proposal for an undergraduate major has been well received by
deans and members of the Sustainable Agriculture Working Group
(SAWG). The next step is to explore the specific components of
the curriculum and how this will fit into current programs in
each state. Regional faculty need to be identified and their
credentials meshed with the course lists for the major. A
regional workshop is planned by teleconference in early 1994 to
acquaint the deans and key faculty with the potentials of the
program and to discuss plans for finance, credits, and
recognition by each institution in the region.
The draft preproposal for extension training in sustainable
agricultural systems has also met with great interest both in
Cooperative Extension and in the SAWG. With the likely financing
of the 1990 farm bill Chapter 3 activities in training Extension
educators and SCS personnel, the decentralized inservice training
included in the preproposal seems to appeal to most people in the
region and at the federal level. This proposal is being
finalized for funding during the current fiscal year. A copy of
either draft proposal is available from the CSAS.
[Submitted by Charles Francis]
SUSTAINABLE AG MENTOR PROGRAM
The Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Mentor Program connects
transitional (farmers in the process of changing practices) or
beginning farmers with farmers who are successfully using
sustainable practices such as rotational/intensive grazing,
rotational or strip cropping systems, alternative crops, and
direct marketing of farm products. Participating farm families
meet one-on-one with a program mentor who assists them in
implementing desired sustainable practices. Mentors are
reimbursed for their time and expenses. The program, which began
this fall, is cosponsored by the University of Nebraska- Lincoln,
the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society, and the Center for
Rural Affairs. It is funded with a USDA-SARE two-year grant.
For more information, contact: Tim Powell, Extension Farm
Management Specialist, Northeast Research and Extension Center,
Box 111, Concord, NE 68728-0111, 402-584-2261, or Lowell
Schroeder, Mentor Program Coordinator, Rt. 1, Box 55, Stanton, NE
68779, 402- 439-5398.
[Submitted by Tim Powell]
NCR SARE SPEAKERS BUREAU
The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and
Education program has formed a Speakers Bureau and is making up
to one-half of speaker expenses (maximum of $500) available on a
competitive basis. Matching funds are the responsibility of the
host group. To receive a list of eligible speakers and an
application form, contact: NCR SARE/ACE Speakers Bureau, 207 Ag
Hall, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0701,
402-472-7981. The form must be submitted at least six weeks in
advance of the speaking date.
UNL'S ALICE JONES NAMED SARE DIRECTOR
Alice Jones, on leave from her position as Associate Professor of
Agronomy at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, has been named
director of the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
(SARE) program. She succeeds former director George Bird, who
served in the position for two years and has returned to Michigan
State University where he is a professor of nematology. Dr.
Jones was the program manager for the USDA water quality grants
program prior to her current position. She can be reached at:
SARE Program, CSRS- USDA, 342 Aerospace Bldg., 901 D St. SW, Box
2260, Washington, D.C. 20250-2260; telephone (202) 401-4640;
email jonesa@darth.esusda.gov. Patrick Madden, executive vice
president of the World Sustainable Agriculture Association,
continues as SARE associate director.
UPDATE ON BUFFALO COMMONS: SEMINAR BY DEBORAH
AND FRANK POPPER
In an October seminar at Nebraska Wesleyan University in Lincoln,
Frank and Deborah Popper described their studies of demographics
of the Great Plains. Based on analysis of population data,
county by county, they conclude that this region is moving toward
a concentration of people in a few regional hubs and a decrease
in viable rural communities. From this "depopulation of the
countryside" they suggest that development might best be served
through focus on the best agricultural areas in the region and
conversion of large tracts to grazing areas for native species,
the so-called "Buffalo Commons."
In contrast to previous presentations where the Poppers suggested
that this land could all pass into the public domain, they
outlined a private/public partnership that could combine animal
grazing with fee hunting, outdoor vacations, and other multiple
use of this "commons." In response to a pointed question at
Wesleyan, the Poppers said: "We are not telling you how to plan
the future of the Great Plains! We are just giving you the
statistics on population and describing what you are doing to
yourselves. You have to make the choices!"
Whether people agree with this assessment of the future or not,
the seminars and articles by Deborah and Frank Popper have
certainly stimulated much discussion about the future of the
region. This is a valuable exercise, as we evaluate where we are
and what the natural resource base will support.
Editor's note: On October 18 the Nature Conservancy officially
opened the Tall Grass Prairie Preserve in Pawhuska, Oklahoma.
According to board member General Norman Schwarzkopf, the goal is
to eventually have 1800 buffalo roaming this area.
LOCAL COMMENTARY ON BUFFALO COMMONS: INTERVIEW
WITH JOE LUTHER
The "Buffalo Commons" has received much attention since Frank and
Deborah Popper introduced the concept of a slowly depopulating
plains area. Joe Luther, a scholar of the Great Plains and
member of the faculty in Community and Regional Planning at UNL,
refutes their arguments in the August 27 issue of the University
of Nebraska-Lincoln publication, "Scarlet." He cites a recent
study from the Denver-based Center for the New West with the
title "Great Plains in Transition" that describes a region in
transformation, not in decline. Luther maintains that basic
rural values and love of the land are at the heart of this
transformation. There has been a reduction in number of small
communities, or "farm-to-market centers," since agriculture is
more expansive and transportation is more efficient. Luther
further says that farm productivity in Nebraska has never been
higher, whether measured in production per acre or per unit of
labor, which refutes the impression one would get from the
Poppers' thesis that we are in decline.
Luther continues to describe our need for new yardsticks, saying
that continued growth to larger units or 'efficiency' is not
necessarily the only model in the world. In fact, "in the case
of sustainable development, it's not the most viable." There has
been a long-standing trend toward concentration of people and
power in cities, the places where grain was stored and decisions
were made. Today with rapid telecommunications, this scene could
change. There is no longer the comparative advantage of being
close to the site of power and information.
The small town may be a viable political entity as well as a good
place to live in the future. Luther cites the tendency, even in
cities, to identify with a neighborhood, with the school, with a
shopping area. In their work in community planning, Luther and
colleagues have seen a wide range of strategies that smaller
communities are using to maintain identity and economic
viability. They see this as central to a future of sustainable
development. As Luther puts it, "The whole key to sustainable
development is to ensure that we're not taking actions today that
are going to foreclose the options of future generations."
[The preceding two articles were submitted by Charles Francis]
AGRICULTURE AND RURAL COMMUNITY LINKAGES
John Allen, UNL rural sociologist in the Department of
Agricultural Economics, presented a paper at the Harold Breimyer
1993 Agricultural Policy Seminar at the University of Missouri in
November. For a copy of the full paper containing research
references and study results, contact the CSAS.
* * *
A 1992 USDA SARE report prepared by the Sustainable Agriculture
Quality of Life Task Force defined the meaning of quality of
life:
"Quality of life is a product of the terms by which people relate
to each other, socially, politically, and economically; and the
terms by which people relate to other elements of their physical
and biological environment. Sustainable agriculture is an
evolutionary, integrated systems approach to production and
marketing that represents a renewing, socially-responsible
partnership of people and place." For over four decades rural
sociologists have been asking the question of whether agriculture
production, especially the increasing corporate structure of
farming, has a negative influence on the quality of life of rural
residents. Research that links agricultural production
structure, especially farm size, to rural communities and the
overall quality of life of rural residents is quite clear. Small
family owned and operated farms have a positive impact on the
quality of life of rural Americans. Keys to enhancing the
quality of life in rural areas include facilitating the
development and maintenance of small to medium sized family
farms, while at the same time implementing policies to support
infrastructure development, especially telecommunications, in
rural areas.
IN THE SEMINAR SPOTLIGHT
We have been fortunate to have several excellent speakers on the
UNL campus over the past few months. Here are brief highlights:
* * *
MARK DRABENSTOTT, vice president and economist, Federal Reserve
Bank of Kansas City, "Agriculture's Bold Future," Sept. 24.
Three main forces shaping agriculture since 1980 are: 1)
restructuring of financing the industry (financial housekeeping);
2) changes in international markets; and 3) a quiet revolution in
the way the food system does business. The key questions for the
future are: 1) who will farm? 2) what products will be produced
and to whom will they be sold? 3) where will opportunities lie?
Noting that farm families can only extract 10-15% of gross sales
for family living expenses, Drabenstott believes farming in the
future will be the province of the big. He also sees that:
farmers will bear a bigger share of the risk as government
reduces what it underwrites and safety nets are lowered; farmers
will pay more attention to management spread, as do the food
companies with which they are doing business; and farmers of the
future will be master bridge builders in forming new alliances.
Regarding competitiveness, Drabenstott said we have two choices:
1) sell in world markets and cut costs dramatically, or 2) sell
more value-added where the profit margin is wider.
[Notes by Pam Murray]
MEENA DALAL, professor of economics, Wayne State College,
"Economic Development/Biodiversity and Women, Oct. 15 (World
Food Day).
Calling herself a humanist economist, Dalal said anthropologists
suggest women invented horticulture as a response to survival.
Because the hunting/gathering process that took men away from
home yielded unstable supplies, the women who stayed close to
home learned how to start root, vegetable, and fruit production.
Civilization really took off when planting and harvesting
progressed to grain production because grain could be stored --
allowing people to do things other than producing food (pyramids
could now be built by slaves fed food made from stored grain).
Today (based on 1983 data) women account for two-thirds of the
world's labor, but only receive 10% of the world's income and own
1% of the world's property. There is growing awareness that
these are not only women's issues, but are really human concerns
vital to our future.
Editor's note: Throughout the developing world, women produce
most of the agricultural products and are the backbone of
farming. They produce 80% of the food in sub-Saharan Africa, 46%
in the Caribbean, 31% in North Africa and the Middle East, and
50-60% in Asia.
[Notes by Pam Murray]
PAUL THOMPSON, professor of philosophy and agricultural economics
and director of the Center for Biotechnology Policy and Ethics,
Texas A&M University, "Agrarianism and Agricultural Policy," Nov.
1.
Dr. Thompson traced the evolution of the agrarian tradition in
the U.S. from Thomas Jefferson to Ralph Waldo Emerson and finally
to such contemporary figures as Wendell Barry. He noted the
emphasis placed by these thinkers on the virtues of hard work
that are encouraged by life in an agricultural setting.
Most modern analyses of agricultural policy draw on ethical
theories that emphasize either the necessity of not violating
individual rights or the importance of consequences in choosing
among alternative policies. The agrarian tradition, on the other
hand, argues for the importance of allowing people to behave and
interact with others virtuously regardless of universal rights or
calculations of beneficial and harmful consequences. Thompson
suggested that this agrarian tradition has had a strong influence
on the formulation of U.S. agricultural policy. Although the
strength of this influence may be declining today, it is unlikely
to disappear completely from the arena of agricultural politics
in the U.S.
[Notes by Wes Peterson]
JOHN IKERD, professor of agricultural economics and coordinator
of Sustainable Agricultural Systems Program, University of
Missouri, "Economics and Quality of Life Issues in Sustainable
Agriculture," Nov. 3.
Sustainable agriculture is like a four-legged table full of food
and the quality of life. The legs represent environmental
soundness, resource conservation, productivity and profitably.
All four legs must be raised at the same time or the table will
tip and the food and quality of life will slide off. Humans have
the philosophical right to tip the balance in their favor, but
they also have the responsibility to prevent that tipping from
occurring too far too fast. Conventional farming, with its focus
on increasing production and continuous cropping, may be an
example of that happening today. Sustainable agriculture
practices help balance the table. Sustainability can maintain
agricultural productivity. One study showed that from 1985-1992
Iowa farmers reduced nitrogen fertilizer use on corn nearly 19
percent while yields were maintained, and in 1992 yields were 145
bu./acre -- an all-time record. Ikerd believes this was due to
better nutrient management -- the corn received as much nitrogen
as before, but less was wasted. He added that Iowa farmers saved
an estimated $80-89 million during 1989-90 through better
fertilizer management. Ikerd challenged the U.S. to build a
sustainable system and teach other nations about sustainability.
He concluded that the post-industrial, knowledge-based society
should shift from increasing agricultural production to enhancing
the productivity of people.
Editor's note: Contact the CSAS for a copy of the paper
containing Ikerd's seminar remarks. Also, a videotape of his
seminars is available for loan to UNL personnel upon request.
[Notes by Cheryl Alberts]
RICARDO SALVADOR, agronomy professor, Iowa State University, "Pop
Agroecology and the University Researcher," Nov. 19.
Definition of Agroecology (from The Green Dictionary, Prentice
Hall): "An interdisciplinary field of study focusing on applying
ecological principles--such as biogeochemical cycles, energy
conservation and biological diversity--to the design and
management of agricultural systems and on their
interrelationships with the biological, economic, political, and
social systems of the wider world."
Based on Australian Arthur Miller's model, Salvador described a
new way of looking at research in the university system.
'Reductionism' describes the division of larger systems into
small and more easily understood components; the assumption is
that knowing the parts can lead to knowing the whole through
universal truths that can be applied to any system. 'Holism'
uses this same objective analysis, but considers the importance
of interactions and how they influence the performance of
systems. 'Humanism,' in contrast, follows the belief that the
individual human is the ultimate determinant of truths. And
'mysticism' suggests that there are dimensions beyond what can be
scientifically understood, and includes those factors that are
not easily measured in current economic or numerical terms. Most
people who suggest agroecology as an integrating discipline
include some of each of the above "isms;" at the very least, we
need to look beyond reductionism as the basis for our study of a
complex future in agriculture.
Salvador shared the following quote from Richard Norgaard of the
University of California-Berkley: "Conventional scientists strive
to bring new technologies derived from modern science to
traditional farmers so they might become 'developed.'
Agroecologists strive to understand how traditional systems
'developed' to enhance the science of ecology so that modern
agriculture might be made more sustainable."
[Notes by Pam Murray]
COMING SEMINARS
Two nationally known figures in the sustainable agriculture arena
will visit us early in 1994. The following seminars will be in
the East Campus Union and are open to the public:
CLIVE EDWARDS, professor and former head of the Entomology
Department, The Ohio State University, will present two seminars:
1) "Importance of Systems Integration to Sustainable
Agriculture," Jan. 20, 4:00-5:30; and 2) "Integrated Weed
Management As a Major Component of Integrated Lower-Input
Cropping Systems," Jan. 21, 2:00-3:30.
MATT LIEBMAN, agricultural ecologist and program coordinator of
the Sustainable Agriculture Program, University of Maine, will
present two seminars: 1) "Sustainable Development and Resource
Use in the Northeast U.S.," Feb. 17, 3:30-5:00; and 2) "Crop
Diversity, Tillage Practices and Insect Seed Predators as
Components of Weed Management Strategies," Feb. 18, 2:00-3:30.
COALITION RECOMMENDS SUSTAINABLE AG POLICIES
Critical steps for pursuing pesticide reduction goals and
incorporating sustainable agriculture into the Clinton
Administration's budget and policy priorities were outlined in a
letter sent to the Administration in November and signed by 106
national and grassroots farm, rural, environmental, consumer,
business, and religious organizations. In the letter three
initial steps were supported: 1) increase support for federal
programs which constitute the "fundamental building blocks for
fostering a more sustainable agriculture;" 2) revise the
objectives and procedures of the water quality and integrated
pest management programs, and coordinate them more closely with
sustainable agriculture initiatives; 3) retool technical
assistance and educational resources, and retrain USDA personnel
to make the system more capable of implementing sustainable
agriculture and reduced pesticide use programs. Contact CSAS for
a copy of the complete letter.
Source: "Alternative Agriculture News," Henry A. Wallace
Institute for Alternative Agriculture, Nov. 1993.
SCIENCE AND SUSTAINABILITY: WORKSHOP IN BELLEVUE, WA
"Reshaping Agricultural Research and Education" was the theme of
a three-day workshop sponsored by Washington State University and
the USDA/SARE program in late October. Karl Stauber of the
Northwest Area Foundation led off the workshop with a survey of
different visions of the future:
- A "utopian vision" that reflects a liberal view of the common
good, that envisions solutions based on discovery of "better
mousetraps," but that puts humankind on a perpetual treadmill of
technology that eventually exhausts our natural resources.
- A "romantic vision" that confronts humankind with a choice
between complacency and business as usual and the overwhelming
need to preserve nature at all costs, even as we struggle to
define individual rights and property and how this undermines the
common good.
- An "ecocentric vision" of common good that is emerging with
focus on natural resources, science based on new standards, and a
unique responsibility of humans for themselves and all other
species; this includes a systems perspective, need to optimize
activities based on a variety of values, use of knowledge to
further survival of all species, and recognition that ecosystems
have their own rational sets of values.
[Submitted by Charles Francis]
UPDATE: PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL ON SUSTAINABLE
DEVELOPMENT (PCSD)
The PCSD held its second meeting October 18 in Washington, DC
(see CSAS July-August newsletter for background on the PCSD).
The following is from a report posted on the Sustainable
Agriculture Network (SAN) by Gabriel Hegyes and Tracy Irwin
Hewitt.
* * *
In his opening remarks Vice President Al Gore stressed the
importance of the PCSD work on policies that reconcile economic
and environmental objectives. He also mentioned the importance
of a philosophical shift away from single problem analysis to
systems approaches for problem solving.
The task forces formed at the first meeting are: Principles,
Goals and Definition of Sustainable Development; Public Linkage,
Dialogue and Education; Sustainable Communities; Energy; Natural
Resources Development and Environmental Protection; and
Eco-efficiency. During the task force reports, sustainable
agriculture was only mentioned in passing. The highlights listed
below were discussion points during the task force sessions, and
should not be considered as administration policy, or the policy
of the PCSD.
- Suggested that the definition of sustainable development used
by the Bruntland Commission be used to guide the PCSD: "meeting
the needs of the present without compromising the ability of
future generations to meet their own needs."
- Identified four connected themes of sustainable development: 1)
eco- efficiency, 2) economic progress, 3) fairness, and 4)
options for market mechanisms.
- Decided to establish regional teams to analyze the key problems
and successes of representative watersheds. Each team will
identify the key economic activities in the watershed that have
exemplified sustainable development, contributed to resource
degradation or have declined because of unwise use.
- Defined eco-efficiency as: "minimizing environmental impact
while maximizing economic and social gain. Society must create
the context needed to integrate eco-efficiency into business
culture; supportive policies, regulations and economic
incentives; an expanded and more broadly available technological
base; and public values."
Sustainable agriculture was stressed at several points during the
afternoon session. It was recognized that ecological farming
must be approached within the overall context of U.S.
agricultural policy. Jonathan Lash, World Resources Institute,
wondered out loud about where it should reside: as part of the
Sustainable Community, Eco- efficiency or Natural Resources task
force? There was some discussion of making this a cross-cutting
issue or a task force of its own.
Editor's Note: In early December a Sustainable Agriculture task
force was added. PCSD meetings scheduled for 1994: January 13,
April 18, July 22, and October 28. Meetings will alternate
between Washington, DC and other sites, and will also be open to
the public.
DID YOU KNOW...
Ron Kroese, co-founder and former executive director of the Land
Stewardship Project at Marine, Minn., has been named president of
the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) which
administers ATTRA.
ATTRA Program Manager Jim Lukens is the new chairman of the
Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), succeeding Jill Auburn of
the University of the California Sustainable Agriculture Research
and Education Program.
In August the EPA announced a new policy that will give priority
to applications for registration of pesticides that have been
shown to have a less dangerous impact on humans and the
environment.
Nationwide, no-till farming last year totaled about 28 million
acres-- roughly 10% of all acres under cultivation.
The Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture went from an
annual budget of $85,000 in 1982 to a projected 1993 budget of
nearly $900,000.
According to USDA-ERS, 41% of U.S. farmers now rent all or part
of the land they farm, and half of U.S. farm landlords reside
outside the communities where the farms are located.
At the end of November EPA announced that phaseout for the
fungicide methyl bromide has been extended one year to Jan. 1,
2001. Methyl bromide has caused 5-10% of current worldwide ozone
depletion; U.S. is responsible for 43% of use.
Dec. 1 USDA announced a $15-million program for converting land
inundated by this summer's floods into wetlands.
RESOURCES
"Federal Grade Standards for Fresh Produce: Linkages to Pesticide
Use (AIB-675)," report from ERS-NASS, 1-800-999-6779, $9.
"Agricultural Policy and Sustainability: Case Studies from India,
Chile, the Philippines, and the United States," WRI (World
Resources Institute) Publications, PO Box 4852, Hampden Station,
Baltimore, MD 21211, $14.95 + $3 s&h.
USDA-ERS Ag Resources Situation & Outlook Report, Oct. 1993,
features three special articles: a report on the factors
affecting agrichemical use in corn production, a look at
pesticide use by tillage system in corn and soybeans, and an
analysis of nitrogen application timing in corn.
Mid-South Directory of Agroforestry Producers and Researchers,
150- page directory includes information about operations and
projects of 278 agroforestry farmers, extensionists, consultants
and researchers in 20 states. Limited copies available free from
Winrock International, c/o Fee Busby and Brenda Swain, Route 3,
Box 376, Morrilton, AR 72110-9537.
"How to Make Compost: An Instruction Video," Agroecology Program,
U. of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, (408) 459-4140, $15.
"Greenbook '93 -- Report of Energy and Sustainable Agriculture
Program Activities," Minnesota Dept. of Ag., 90 West Plato Blvd.,
St. Paul, MN 55107, (612) 296-7673.
"The Illinois Sustainable Agriculture Network's 1992 On-Farm
Participatory Research Program," ISAN, PO Box 648, Rochester, IL
62563, (217) 498-9705, $5.
"On-Farm Composting Handbook," Northeast Regional Agricultural
Engineering Service, 152 Riley-Robb Hall, Ithaca, NY 14853-5701,
(607) 255-7654.
"Sell What You Sow: The Grower's Guide To Successful Produce
Marketing," by Eric Gibson, New World Publishing, 3701 Clair Dr.,
Carmichael, CA 95608, $25.
"Biological Control of Insect Pests of Cabbage and Other
Crucifers," North Central Region Publication 471, available from
ICCS, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 105 ACB, Lincoln, NE
68583-0918, $8 + $2.75 s&h ($5.50 for UNL individual orders).
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Contact our office for more information:
Jan. 16-18 -- "Which Roe To Hoe," 13th annual conference of
Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society, Fargo, ND.
Feb. 10-11 -- "When Conservation Reserve Program Contracts
Expire...The Policy Options," sponsored by Soil and Water
Conservation Society, Arlington, VA.
Feb. 14-15 -- "Sustainable Ag.: The Quiet Revolution," conference
at St. Paul, MN.
Feb. 16-17 -- Nebraska Fruit & Vegetable Growers Conference &
Trade Show, Columbus, NE.
Feb. 25 -- "Alliance of Farm and Community," meeting on Community
Supported Ag., Omaha, NE.
Feb. 26 -- "Sustainable Ag. and Quality of Life," Nebraska
Sustainable Agriculture Society Annual Meeting, Columbus, NE.
Apr. 11-12 -- "Applied Research and Education in Sustainable
Agriculture: What Have We Learned?" (originally scheduled for
Sep. 30-Oct. 1, 1993), Indianapolis, IN.
Apr. 19-20 -- Second National IPM Symposium/Workshop, Las Vegas.