Henry A. Wallace Institute for
Alternative Agriculture
9200 Edmonston Road, #117
Greenbelt, MD 20770
(301) 441-8777
E-mail: hawiaa@access.digex.net
Table of Contents
Administration Backs Extended Conservation Programs 1
Stauber Approved by Senate 2
Midwest Organic Alliance Launched in Twin Cities 2
Resources 2
Consumers Support Fees to Fund Sustainable Ag Programs 3
Agroforestry Association Releases Policy Paper 4
IPM-Sustainable Ag Coalition Links Approaches 4
Contract Hog Farms Stir "Complex Emotions" 4
Positions 5
Upcoming Events 5
ADMINISTRATION BACKS EXTENDED CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
The USDA's conservation and environmental programs "should
be extended, made simpler, and made more workable for
agriculture," according to the Administration's 1995 Farm Bill
recommendations, released last month. In seeking "a gradual
transition to a more market-oriented farm sector," the
Administration's proposal is based on the principles that "the
federal government must continue to ensure consumers a safe and
wholesome food supply," and that "investment in research must be
emphasized and maintained while ensuring that research is focused
on top-priority problems in agriculture, resource use, and rural
areas."
Among the Administration's Farm Bill recommendations are:
Conservation Reserve Program: "Reauthorize this highly
beneficial program and [allow enrollments] that result in a CRP
that contains the most environmentally sensitive lands."
Coordinated Conservation Assistance: "Improve performance
of the many conservation programs conducted by state and federal
agencies through a coordinated assistance initiative."
National Natural Resources Conservation Foundation:
"Create a foundation to foster effective, functional partnerships
between government and the private sector, and to expand the
ability of the Natural Resources Conservation Service to
accomplish its mission and to develop innovative, long-term
solutions to natural resource problems."
Pesticide Regulation: "Modernize procedures for setting
tolerance levels for pesticide residue, food safety
considerations for children, registration procedures of minor-use
pesticides, incentives for reduced-risk pesticides, and
registration renewal procedures."
National Research and Education Priorities: "Federal
research activities should evolve to reflect new national
research priorities. Research should focus on: enhancing
economic opportunity; protecting natural resources and the
environment; having a healthier, better-educated citizenry;
reducing risk for consumers and farmers; and enhancing global
competitiveness."
STAUBER APPROVED BY SENATE TO BE USDA UNDER SECRETARY
Karl Stauber, former vice president of the Northwest Area
Foundation and former member of the Wallace Institute's
President's Council, was confirmed by the U.S. Senate last month
to become the first Under Secretary of Agriculture for Research,
Education, and Economics (REE). He had previously been the
Deputy Under Secretary for Small Community and Rural Development.
At his confirmation hearing before the Senate Agriculture
Committee, Stauber said, "My vision for REE is a simple one: we
must provide world-class research and education that will
increase economic returns and opportunities to current and future
American farmers, ranchers, and all rural residents; ensure a
safe and affordable food and fiber supply to consumers; support
and enable natural resource conservation; and maintain and expand
the global competitiveness of American agriculture."
When asked about implementing the USDA-EPA agreement
announced last year to promote the development of innovative
pesticide alternatives, Stauber said, "The development and use of
alternatives to chemical pesticide practices will be a high
priority at USDA. We do need safe and abundant highly nutritious
food, but we also need to protect our environment for the future.
I will guide our programs in that direction."
MIDWEST ORGANIC ALLIANCE LAUNCHED IN TWIN CITIES
The Midwest Organic Alliance, an initiative to increase the
demand for and supply of regionally-produced organic foods, was
launched last month in the Twin Cities, Minnesota. It hopes "to
foster linkages among regional growers, processors, and
distributors to move more organic foods from field to grocery
shelf, and to attract more farmers to organic agriculture,"
according to the Alliance. The organic foods will come from
Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, North Dakota, and South Dakota; the
Alliance will work with grain producers, such as the Northern
Plains Organic Marketing Cooperative in North Dakota, and dairy
cooperatives, such as CROPP in Wisconsin. It will also implement
a marketing program built around a regional organic label, and
work with retailers to integrate organic products into mainstream
grocery stores. The Alliance is a project of Cooperative
Development Services in Wisconsin, and is funded for three years
by The Pew Charitable Trusts. For more information, contact Ann
Woods, Director of the Alliance, (612) 593-2790.
RESOURCES
"1995 Farm Bill Working Group Paper Series," by the National
Center for Food and Agricultural Policy (NCFAP), and Hubert H.
Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs, is a series of an Overview
and six Working Group Reports: Overview (NCFAP-95WG-00); Working
Group #1: Land Use, Conservation, and Environment (NCFAP-95WG-
01); Group #2: Price and Income Stability (NCFAP-95WG-02); Group
#3: International Trade and Marketing (NCFAP-95WG-03); Group #4:
Food and Consumer Issues (NCFAP-95WG-04); Group #5: Rural
Development (NCFAP-95WG-05); and Group #6: Research and Education
(NCFAP-95WG-06). Reference the report number and send $5 for
each report, $30 for the set, to Publications, NCFAP, 1616 P St.,
NW, 4th floor, Washington, D.C. 20036; Internet papers are at
http://hillnet.com:80/farmbill/.
"The Keystone National Policy Dialogue on Agricultural
Management Systems and the Environment," the final report, is
available from the Keystone Center, P.O. Box 8606, Keystone, CO
80435; (303) 468-5822.
"Farming More Sustainably in the South: Nine Farmers'
Stories, 1994," is $6.50 from Southern Sustainable Agriculture
Working Group, P.O. Box 324, Elkins, AR 72727; (501) 292-3714; e-
mail HN3551@handsnet.org
"Ending Agricultural Entitlement: How to Fix Farm Policy" is
$5 from the Progressive Foundation, 518 C St., NE, Washington,
D.C. 20002; (202) 546-4482.
"Farmers' Markets and Rural Economic Development" is $4 from
Media Services Resource Center, Cornell Business and Technology
Park, Building 7 and 8, Ithaca, N.Y. 14850; (607) 255-2080; e-
mail distcent@cce.cornell.edu
1995 National Organic Directory is $34.95 plus $3 shipping
from Community Alliance with Family Farmers, P.O. Box 464, Davis,
CA 95617; (800) 852-3832.
"Restoration Forestry" is $26.95 plus $4 shipping from
Friends of the Trees Society, P.O. Box 1064, Tonasket, WA 98855;
(509) 485-2705.
"How Much Is Enough? A Regional Wildlife Habitat Needs
Assessment for the 1995 Farm Bill" is available from Wildlife
Management Institute, 1101 14th St., NW, #801, Washington, D.C.
20005; (202) 371-1808.
"Pesticides, Rice Productivity, and Farmers' Health" is
available from International Rice Research Institute, P.O. Box
933, 1099 Manila, Philippines; telephone (63-2) 88-48-69.
CONSUMERS SUPPORT FEES TO FUND SUSTAINABLE AG PROGRAMS, POLL
FINDS
A majority of Americans -- 84 percent -- "are willing to pay
at the supermarket check-out line the few dollars a year it would
take to fund programs to cut farmers' reliance on agricultural
chemicals," according to a new poll released by the Center for
Science in the Public Interest (CSPI). The poll found the
majority would be willing to pay $2 per year per family member to
reduce pesticide use. "That would result in $500 million in
additional funding for sustainable agriculture," according to a
report on the poll. The poll also found that 86 percent of
Americans think federal and state agriculture agencies should
teach farmers how to use fewer pesticides and other chemicals.
CSPI calls for state-by-state implementation of modest taxes or
fees on agricultural chemicals, with funds earmarked "to teach
farmers proven techniques of 'sustainable' agriculture that
reduce use of chemicals while maintaining high crop yields and
quality." Copies of "Funding Safer Farming: Taxing Pesticides
and Fertilizers" are $5 from CSPI, Pesticide Tax Report, 1875
Connecticut Ave., NW, #300, Washington, D.C. 20009.
AGROFORESTRY ASSOCIATION RELEASES FARM BILL POLICY PAPER
The Association for Temperate Agroforestry (AFTA) has
released a policy paper on "Opportunities for Agroforestry in the
1995 Farm Bill," including a policy statement, recommended policy
actions, and issue papers on six topics: the Agroforestry
Concept, Rural Economic Development, Field and Landscape Buffer
Zones, Land Retirement Programs, Integrated Production Systems,
and Resolving Rural/Urban Interface Conflicts. Policy actions
recommended by AFTA for agroforestry are specified under
partnerships, USDA leadership, research and development,
technology transfer and application, and technical assistance and
landowner incentives. For more information, contact AFTA,
Department of Forestry, Michigan State University, East Lansing,
MI 48824; (517) 353-4751; e-mail mgold@msu.edu
IPM-SUSTAINABLE AG COALITION LINKS APPROACHES
An ad hoc group of about 30 leaders from the integrated pest
management (IPM) and sustainable agriculture research and
education communities has embarked on a program to inform
congressional and university policymakers about the links between
IPM and sustainable agriculture. It will detail "the unique
advantages of the IPM and sustainable agriculture approaches and
their linkages," including their "systems and ecologically-based
approaches, contributions to long-run as well as short-term farm-
level profitability, site-specificity, and dedication towards
reduced reliance on and risk from pesticide use." The IPM-
sustainable agriculture consensus-building process was organized
by Ann Sorenson of American Farmland Trust and Ferd Hoefner of
Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, and facilitated by Kitty Smith
of the Wallace Institute. For more information, contact Dr.
Sorenson, AFT, Center for Agriculture in the Environment, P.O.
Box 987, DeKalb, IL 60115; (815) 753-9347.
CONTRACT HOG FARMS STIR "COMPLEX EMOTIONS" IN IOWA, REPORTS
NEWSPAPER
Hog farming in Iowa has "become the focus of a high-tech,
corporate form of agriculture" which is "stirring complex
emotions in rural Iowa, where hogs are a part of the culture,"
according to The Wall Street Journal (May 4, 1995). "The
efficiency of these megafarms is matchless, lowering the cost of
producing pork and driving some farmers out of the business," the
article said. Traditional hog farming until recently was "one of
the few fairly dependable sources of profit in an uncertain
population. Pigs also have helped a lot of young people get
started in farming, earning the moniker 'mortgage-lifter.'" But,
according to the article, last year the increasing number of hogs
controlled by corporate firms helped to send U.S. prices to their
lowest level in 20 years, below the cost of production for most
family farmers. Some 4,000 Iowa farms gave up hogs. "Yet
resistance to corporate control helped sink an earlier livestock
business in Iowa -- chickens -- and some are concerned that
bucking hog factories could cost the state another industry,"
according to the paper.
POSITIONS
Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture seeks a Grassroots
Field Coordinator in a half to full-time, six-month job; send
resume, writing samples, and phone numbers of three references to
Amy Little, Director, Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture, 12 N.
Church St., Goshen, N.Y. 10924; (914) 294-0633; fax (914) 294-
0632.)
Nick's Organic Farm seeks part-time farm workers; no living
facilities; contact Nick Maravell, 8565 Horseshoe Lane, Potomac,
MD 20854; (301) 983-2167.
Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems,
University of California, Santa Cruz, seeks an Agroecology
Training Coordinator (job #95-04-30); call (408) 459-2011 for
further information.
UPCOMING EVENTS
June 26-29, a course on Draft Horse Management, will be held
at Sterling College; six other courses will be held during the
summer; contact Sterling College, Craftsbury Common, VT 05827, 1-
800-648-3591.
June 28-30, International Alternative Fuels Conference &
Trade Show will be held in Milwaukee, WI; contact Jill Miller,
International Fuels Conference, P.O. Box 1283, Brookfield, WI
53008; (414) 783-7005 or (800) 447-5088.
July 2-16, Permaculture Design Course, Kingston, Nova
Scotia; July 28-30, Permaculture Rendezvous, Orcas Island, WA;
and August 6-20, Permaculture Design Course, Orcas Island, WA,
will be sponsored by Friends of the Trees Society; contact FOTS,
PO Box 4469, Bellingham, WA 98227; (360) 738-4972.
July 3-14, Analysis and Design of On-Farm Research, and July
17-August 4, Economic Analysis of Proposed Technology and Policy
Changes in Small Farm Livelihood Systems, will be held at the
University of Florida, Gainesville; contact University of
Florida, International Programs/FANR, Training Unit, P.O. Box
110329, Gainesville, FL 32611-0329; (904) 392-1965; e-mail
ITD@GNV.IFAS.UFL.EDU
July 5-8, Building Rural Infrastructure; July 7-8, Road
Building and Excavation; July 10-14, Blacksmithing for
Toolmakers; and July 17-21, Agricultural Tools and Implements;
classes will be held at Tillers International; contact Tillers,
5239 South 24th St., Kalamazoo, MI 49002; (616) 344-3233.
July 10-11, "Industrialization of Heartland Agriculture:
Challenges, Opportunities, Consequences, and Alternatives" will
be held in Minneapolis; contact Department of Agricultural
Economics, North Dakota State University, (701) 231-7441.
July 19-22, "Food, Culture, Trade, and the Environment" will
be held in Seoul, Korea; contact Pesticides Action Network/Asia,
P.O. Box 1170, 10850 Penang, Malaysia; call (60-4) 657-0271.
July 22, Farm and Family Independence Day will be held at
Rodale Institute Research Center, Kutztown, PA; contact Rodale
Institute, 611 Siegfriedale Road, Kutztown, PA 19530; (610) 683-
1427.
July 23-26. Fourth North American Agroforestry Conference
will be held in Boise, ID; contact Dr. Linda Hardesty, Department
of Natural Resource Sciences, Washington State University,
Pullman, WA 99164.
July 27-29, Alternative Livestock Conference will be held at
the University of Minnesota, St. Paul; contact Judy Sunvold,
Minnesota Extension Service, 1-800-367-5363.
August 6-9, 50th Annual Meeting and Expo of the Soil and
Water Conservation Society will be held In Des Moines, IA;
contact SWCS, 7515 N.E. Ankeny Road, Ankeny, IA 50021; 1-800-THE-
SOIL, extension 18.
August 11-13, Second Annual CFSA and Southeastern
Permaculture Summer Mountain Gathering will be held near
Burnsville, N.C.; contact Carolina Farm Stewardship Association,
115 W. Main St., Carrboro, N.C. 27510; contact Tony Kleese, (919)
968-2481, or Chuck Marsh, (704) 683-4946.