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
Pesticide Bills, Drinking Water Act on Congress' Agenda
1
Organic Industry Prepares for New Labeling Standards
2
Four Books on Family Farms Featured in NY Times Book Review
2
Resources
3
Federal Judge Upholds Vermont Law on BST Dairy Labeling
3
Weed Killers Found in Tap Water of 28 Cities
4
Bill to Stop Phase-Out of Methyl Bromide Introduced
4
Papers from Soil Workshop Featured in AJAA
4
Positions/Farm Lease
4
Upcoming Events
5
PESTICIDE BILLS, SAFE DRINKING WATER ACT ON CONGRESS' FALL AGENDA
Congress this fall could advance proposals to amend the two
congressional statutes governing pesticides, and to reauthorize
the Safe Drinking Water Act, according to a Special Report by the
Environmental and Energy Study Institute. "Farm and industry
groups are determined to revise the Delaney Clause, a Federal
Insecticide, Fungicide and Rodenticide Act (FIFRA) provision
dating back to 1958 that mandates a zero-risk standard for
carcinogenic pesticide use in processed food," according to the
report. Both FIFRA and the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act
(FFDCA) govern pesticide residues on food. "Farm industry groups
also say the current pesticide registration process is
excessive," the report said.
Efforts to repeal or alter the Delaney Clause are included
in the Senate regulatory reform bill (S. 343), the House version
of the EPA appropriations bill (H.R. 2099), and the House Food
Quality Protection Act (H.R. 1627). H.R. 1627 would amend
sections of FIFRA and FFDCA, and allow emergency suspension of a
pesticide use before engaging in a time-consuming cancellation
process; it would also encourage reregistration of minor use
pesticides. In addition, Sen. Richard Lugar (R-IN) has
introduced the Minor Use Crop Protection Act of 1995 (S. 794),
intended to ease regulations on agriculture, and a later bill (S.
1166) that includes the provisions of S. 794, eliminates the
Delaney Clause's separate treatment of raw and processed foods,
and grants EPA authority to evaluate and set pesticide tolerance
levels.
Congress is also likely to take action on reauthorizing the
Safe Drinking Water Act, the law designed to protect the nation's
tap water and underground sources of drinking water from
contamination. A House bill (H.R. 226) has been introduced that
is close to a compromise reached last year in Congress; Rep.
Thomas Bliley (R-VA) is expected to introduce a bill which will
give "more flexibility to the water industry and state and local
governments than under current law," according to the Special
Report.
Sen. Dirk Kempthorne (R-ID) has drafted a Safe Drinking
Water Act reauthorization bill, but "both Democratic and
Republican staff decline to comment on the specifics of the
legislation, which probably will be introduced this fall," the
report said.
ORGANIC INDUSTRY PREPARES FOR NEW LABELING STANDARDS
An "increasingly mature" organic industry is preparing for
the "complex" and "contentious" labeling issues of the Organic
Food Production Act, according to an article in Health Foods
Business (August, 1995). Among the issues the law addresses are
the establishment of standards and procedures for food production
and packaged goods, and clarification of basic parameters for
labeling organic products. For example, products containing at
least 95% organic ingredients may display the word "organic" on
their front label; this requirement, according to the article,
has prompted some manufacturers to increase their organic
ingredients in order to reach the 95% level and be able to use
the organic label. Although some organic manufacturers are
currently anticipating the changes made by the law, the proposed
program of standards and materials will most likely not be
published in the Federal Register until fall, 1996, and
implemented in 1997, according to Kathleen Merrigan, Senior
Policy Analyst at the Wallace Institute and member of the
National Organic Standards Board, which is responsible for
advising the Agriculture Secretary on establishing national
guidelines for organic food production, certification, and
accreditation.
FOUR BOOKS ON FAMILY FARMS FEATURED IN N.Y. TIMES BOOK REVIEW
Four books about "small farms that are struggling to stay
afloat" were featured in the cover story of The New York Times
Book Review (August 6, 1995). "The family farm," it said, "is
fast disappearing, threatened by social and market forces as well
as by technology, greed, and pollution." The books reviewed were
In Good Hands: The Keeping of a Family Farm, by Charles Fish,
about a Vermont dairy farm; Here and Nowhere Else: Late Seasons
of a Farm and Its Family, by Jane Brox, about a Massachusetts
truck farm; Epitaph for a Peach: Four Seasons on My Family Farm,
by David Mas Masumoto, about a California organic fruit farm; and
Mapping the Farm: The Chronicle of a Family, by John Hildebrand,
about a Minnesota corn, alfalfa, and soybean farm. "Possibly
these books will heighten public awareness of the fragility of
the environment and alert readers to the stewardship required if
our land and our water are to be rescued from ongoing
contamination," the review concludes.
RESOURCES
"Sustainable Agriculture Decision Cases," written and video
materials, $25, and "Sustainability: The Quiet Revolution," a 45-
minute video, $45, are available from Minnesota Extension Service
Distribution Center, 20 Coffey Hall, 1420 Eckles Ave., St. Paul,
MN 55108-6069; (612) 625-8713.
"International Erosion Control Association Products and
Services Directory" is available from IECA, 1-800-455-4322, or
(303) 879-3010.
"Animal Agriculture: Information on Waste Management and
Water Quality Issues" (GAO/RCED-95-200BR) is free from the U.S.
General Accounting Office, P.O. Box 6015, Gaithersburg, MD 20884-
6015; (202) 512-6000; fax (301) 258-4066.
"Proceedings of the Northeast Farmer to Farmer Information
Exchange," on five topics, are $3.95 for 1-3 copies, or $2 for 4
or more, plus 10% of total for shipping; topics are Apples,
Greenhouse, Livestock, Strawberries, and Sweet Corn; contact
Northeast Organic Farming Association, 411 Sheldon Road, Barre,
MA 01005; (508) 355-2853.
"Conserving Land: Population and Sustainable Food
Production" is available from Population Action International,
1120 19th St., NW, #550, Washington, D.C. 20036; (202) 659-1833;
or on the Internet: search for "gopher.igc.org" and look for
"Population Action International/" among "Organizations on the
IGC Networks Gopher/."
"Challenge and Change: A Progressive Approach to Pesticide
Regulation in California" is available from Dr. Tobi Jones,
Special Assistant for Outreach and Special Projects, Department
of Pesticide Regulation, 1020 N St., Sacramento, CA 95814; (916)
445-3931.
"Udder Sense -- Low-Cost/Sustainable Strategies of
Resourceful Dairy Farmers" is $10 from the Center for Rural
Affairs, P.O. Box 406, Walthill, NE 68067.
Sustainable Agriculture Network information available
includes "The Sustainable Agriculture Directory of Expertise,"
$14.95; "Managing Cover Crops Profitably," $9.95; "Showcase of
Sustainable Agriculture Information and Educational Materials,"
$4.95; "The Real Dirt," $13.95; "SARE/ACE Research Summaries,"
$7.50; "Sustainable Agriculture vs. Weeds," free; and "Getting
Started Electronically With the Sustainable Agriculture Network,"
free; contact Sustainable Agriculture Publications, Hills
Building, UVM, Burlington, VT 05405; (802) 656-0471.
"Biomass Resources in Arkansas" is available from Winrock
International Institute for Agricultural Development, Petit Jean
Mountain, Route 3, Box 376, Morrilton, AR 72110; (501) 727-5435;
e-mail receptionist@winrock.org
FEDERAL JUDGE UPHOLDS VERMONT LAW ON BST DAIRY LABELING
A federal judge last month upheld a Vermont state law that
requires the labeling of diary products from cows treated with a
bovine growth hormone that boosts milk production, known as BGH,
BST, or rBST. U.S. District Judge J. Garvan Murtha rejected the
dairy industry's preliminary challenge to Vermont's dairy
labeling law, which is scheduled to take effect this month. The
law is "designed to alert consumers" to dairy products produced
from cows injected with the growth hormone, according to the
Rutland Herald (August 10, 1995).
WEED KILLERS FOUND IN TAP WATER OF 28 CITIES, STUDY REPORTS
Agricultural weed killers were found in the tap water of 28
cities in 11 states tested between May 15 and July 2, according
to a study by the Environmental Working Group. The group tested
tap water for 11 weed killers in 29 cities in Illinois, Indiana,
Iowa, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska,
Ohio, and Tennessee. Herbicides in the tap water of some cities
exceeded federal health standards for weeks or months at a time,
according to the group; tap water from two-thirds of the cities
contained between four and nine pesticides or pesticide by-
products. For a copy of "Weed Killers by the Glass," send $23 to
EWG, 1718 Connecticut Ave., NW, #600, Washington, D.C. 20009;
(202) 667-6982.
BILL TO STOP PHASE-OUT OF METHYL BROMIDE INTRODUCED IN HOUSE
A bill to prevent the United States from banning the use of
methyl bromide unless a "cost-effective" alternative becomes
available was introduced in the House of Representatives last
month by Rep. Dan Miller (R-FL). Under the Clean Air Act, methyl
bromide, a pesticide which depletes the ozone layer, is to be
phased out by January 1, 2001. The House bill "threatens to undo
significant strides the U.S. has made in protecting the ozone
layer and creates an unnecessary new bureaucratic hurdle for the
approval of methyl bromide alternatives," according to the Methyl
Bromide Alternatives Network, which includes the National
Coalition Against the Misuse of Pesticides and the Pesticide
Action Network North America.
PAPERS FROM SOIL WORKSHOP FEATURED IN NEW ISSUE OF JOURNAL
A collection of papers from the International Workshop on
Establishment of Microbial Inocula in Soils: Cooperative Research
Project on Biological Resource Management of the Organization for
Economic Cooperation and Development is featured in the new issue
(Volume 10, No. 2) of American Journal of Alternative
Agriculture, the Wallace Institute's quarterly, peer-reviewed
journal of research on alternative agriculture. Other articles
discuss the effect of phosphate-enriched compost on the yield and
phosphorus nutrition of rye grass, and combining alternative and
conventional systems for environmental gains. Annual
subscriptions to AJAA are $44, institutions; $24, individuals;
and $12, students; contact the Wallace Institute, 9200 Edmonston
Road, #117, Greenbelt, MD 20770; (301) 441-8777.
POSITIONS/FARM LEASE
Rural Vermont seeks an Executive Director; send resume,
references, and cover letter to Search Committee, Rural Vermont,
15 Barre St., Montpelier, VT 05602.
North Carolina State University seeks a Ph.D. level graduate
assistant to begin studies under a SARE grant on soil quality;
contact Dr. Jean Ristaino, Department of Plant Pathology, NCSU,
Raleigh, NC 27695-7616; (919) 515-3257; e-mail Jean
Ristaino@NCSU.edu
Center for Rural Affairs seeks a Research and Technology
Policy Project Leader who will also serve as Policy and Outreach
Director for the Consortium for Sustainable Agriculture Research
and Education; deadline is October 13; contact Elizabeth Bird at
the Center, P.O. Box 406, Walthill, NE 68067; (402) 846-5428.
For lease: 900-acre organic farm, for $1 per year; contact
John Bastian, 90 Chemin Morgan, Weir, Quebec J0T 2V0, Canada; fax
(514) 271-4012.
UPCOMING EVENTS
October 1, "Biodynamic Practitioner Program" starts at Rural
Development Service Group; contact RDSC, HC 69 Box 62, Rociada,
NM 87742; (505) 425-5457.
October 5-8, "Gardens: Pathways to Community," the annual
conference of the American Community Gardening Association, will
be held in Portland, OR; contact Leslie Pohl-Kosbau, Portland
Parks and Recreation Community Gardens, 6437 S.E. Division St.,
Portland, OR 97206; (503) 823-1612.
October 7-8, "The Politics of Sustainable Agriculture" will
be held at the University of Oregon; contact Stuart Shulman,
Department of Political Science, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR
97403-1284; (503) 346-4868; e-mail stu@gladstone.uoregon.edu
October 10-11, "The Next Generation of Legal, Regulatory and
Marketing Issues Facing the Organic Products Industry" will be
held in Oakland, CA; contact Organic Farming Research Foundation,
P.O. Box 440, Santa Cruz, CA 95061; (408) 426-6606.
October 10-14, Symposium marking the 50th anniversary of the
Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations will be
held in Quebec City, Canada; contact Symposium Secretariat, 65
rue Sainte-Anne, #100, Quebec, Quebec, Canada G1R 3X5; (418) 691-
7849.
October 14-15, "Introduction to Blacksmithing" and "Ox
Driving;" October 17-21, "Animal-Powered Development;" and
October 31-November 5, "Oxen Basics" will be held at Tillers
International, 5239 South 24th St., Kalamazoo, MI 49002; (616)
344-3233.
October 14-15, Future Harvest Festival will be held in
Westminster, MD; contact Marty Rice, Maryland Organic Food and
Farming Association, (301) 371-4814.
October 22-25, "New Crops: New Opportunities, New
Technologies" will be held in Indianapolis, IN; contact
Continuing Education, Business Office, Purdue University, 1586
Stewart Center, Room 110, West Lafayette, IN 47907; (317) 494-
7220.
October 25-26, "Privatization of Technology and Information
Transfer in U.S. Agriculture: Research and Policy Implications"
will be held at the University of Wisconsin, Madison; contact
Steven Wolf, 420 Agriculture Hall, 1450 Linden Drive, University
of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706; (608) 262-6049; e-mail
wolf@ssc.wisc.edu
October 27-29, "Whole Farms, Whole Foods, Whole Lives," the
fifth Annual Urban-Rural Conference, will be held at Michael
Fields Agricultural Institute, East Troy, WI; contact Gail
Kahovic, (414) 642-3303.
October 31 is the deadline for abstracts for the 11th
International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements'
Scientific Conference, to be held in Copenhagen, August 11-15,
1996; contact IFOAM '96, Blegdamsvej 4, DK-2200, Copenhagen N,
Denmark; phone 45 35 37 20 96; e-mail ifoam96@login.dknet.dk
November 1 is the deadline for applicants for the six-month
training course in Organic Gardening and Farming, offered by the
Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems; contact
Apprenticeship Information, Center for Agroecology, UC Santa
Cruz, 1156 High St., Santa Cruz, CA 95064; (408) 459-2321.
November 1 is the deadline for abstracts for the Sixth
International Symposium on Society and Resource Management, to be
held May 18-23, 1996, at Penn State University; contact A.E.
Luloff, Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociology,
111 Armsby Building, Penn State, University Park, PA 16802; (814)
863-8643.
November 6-8, "Linkages Among Farming Systems and
Communities" will be held at Iowa State University; contact North
Central Regional Center for Rural Development, 317 East Hall,
Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-1070; (515) 294-8321; fax
(515) 294-2303.