The Center for Policy Alternatives announces the release of two
new publications.
1) "Financing Alternative Agriculture: Model State Initiatives for
Financing the Conversion to Alternative Agricultural Practices"
- As inadequate financing is often the largest hurdle for farmers to
overcome in switching to alternative practices, the Center has prepared a
report listing several of the most effective approaches used by states to
provide this much needed support. The report includes the following policy
models:
a) Agricultural Loan Authority Act
b) State Land Lease Program
c) Linked-Deposit Program
2) "Case Study in Groundwater Protection: Wisconsin's Atrazine Regulation"
- In continuing our work on the "Database of State Alternative Agriculture
Laws," the Center periodically develops in-depth summaries of the creative
state laws which might be used as models in other states. The "Wisconsin
Atrazine Study" examines in detail the provisions of Wisconsin's "Ag30"
law and the effects it has had upon both the environment and the
agricultural industry in the state. Our study concludes that although
"Ag30" is innovative in its use of zoning to improve groundwater quality,
it has several weaknesses that must be addressed before it can be
considered a model policy.
* Also of interest: the Center's "Database of State Alternative
Agriculture Laws" (January, 1994) is now available on disk in hypertext
format.
Both reports and the disk are currently available at the Center for Policy
Alternatives. Contact: Whitney Chamberlin.
The Center for Policy Alternatives, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite 710
Washington, DC 20009; voice (202) 387 6030, fax (202) 986 2539