Higher Education News

Jerry DeWitt named Leopold Center Director; Rich Pirog appointed as Associate Director Edited from press releases AMES, Iowa -- Jerry DeWitt has been appointed Director of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, effective January 1, 2007. He had been serving a two-year term as Interim Director since November 1, 2005.

In addition to DeWitt's distinguished career with Iowa State which stretches back to 1972, DeWitt is also a renowned photographer who takes as his subject area farms and the people that work them. DeWitt has been on the Organic Farming Research Foundation Board of Directors since 1998. In February, the Leopold Center announced that Rich Pirog would become their new associate director. Pirog will continue to be marketing initiative program leader, direct the Value Chain Partnerships for a Sustainable Agriculture project, and lead the Regional Food Systems Working Group. He will provide leadership in the Center's annual competitive grant process, conduct assessments on the impacts of Center programs and coordinate special research projects and the preparation of white papers. Former Center Director Fred Kirschenmann continues to serve as Distinguished Fellow at the Leopold Center. Leopold Center's website: http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/index.htm University of California sets aside land for organic research Edited from press release written by Jeannette Warnert The University of California is designating 10 acres at the UC Kearney Research and Extension Center near Parlier for organic research. The three-year transition period needed to meet organic standards began this winter. "We are committed to serving the research needs of all segments of agriculture," said Fred Swanson, director of the Kearney REC. "Organic agriculture is an area of increasing interest and economic value to California agriculture, and we are there to provide science-based information to help growers make important production decisions." The opportunity for small farmers to transition to organic agriculture prompted UC Cooperative Extension farm advisor Richard Molinar to request that land at Kearney be designated for organic research. Molinar has maintained a one-acre plot at the research center for specialty crop field trials since 1996. Undertaking the organic transition on the one-acre research plot helped Molinar to see that researchers needed ready access to organically maintained land to study organic production. "To accurately compare specific organic and conventional practices, you need to first have the ground that organic growers would use," Molinar said. "Then we can say with validity that yes, it does work or no it doesn't." Read entire press release here: http://news.ucanr.org/newsstorymain.cfm?story=942

Agency News

Organic price reporting initiated by USDA's Ag Marketing Service; farmers and buyers wanted to report prices
Includes information from a press release issued by the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture
In response to producer demand, USDA is increasingly reporting organic prices for various crops and livestock products. Organic price reporting can be found in the Agricultural Marketing Service's (AMS) Livestock and Grain Market News. You can sign up to receive biweekly updates via email, or check the prices yourself online (details below).

Gigi DiGiacomo with the Univ. of Minnesota's School of Agriculture Endowed Chair Program is working with AMS to gather the data used for these reports. DiGiacomo is soliciting price information from organic buyers and sellers. Please contact her if you would like to know more about the price reporting or would like to participate by reporting prices: email rgdigiacomo@earthlink.net, phone 612-710-1188.

To find the reports, go to the Grains State Reports page here. Scroll down to the Upper Midwest Organic Grain and Feedstuffs report. This report presents information reported from the Upper Midwest. Information on Illinois organic prices can be found in the Value-Added Grain Survey.

To receive email updates of the price reports, go to http://usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/MannUsda/aboutEmailService.do and follow the instructions. If you have not already registered with the Marketing News, you will have to do so, which is free and involves selecting a password and then confirming your subscription. Make sure that when you go back to choose the reports that you are on the page entitled "Reports available via Email Subscription" which specifies "This page contains a list of titles from the Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) which are managed on this separate page due to the very large number of titles." (There are so many links to follow it is easy to get lost in the process.) Once you are on the AMS "reports by email page," you will have to scroll down through numerous reports in order to find the Upper Midwest and Value Added reports. Select the boxes and click on "update subscriptions."

If you have any questions about this process, please contact James Bernau, Market Reporter with the AMS Livestock & Grain News, email jim.bernau@usda.gov, phone 515-284-4460.

Farm Service Agency officer volunteers to coordinate loan applications for organic producers
Based on an article written by Harriet Behar published in the Jan./Feb. 2007 Organic Broadcaster
Tony Bowers, an officer at a Farm Service Agency (FSA) office in Wisconsin, has offered to work with other FSA agents around the country if they need assistance when approached by organic producers for FSA loans. FSA offers a variety of low-interest loans, including loans for beginning farmers and ranchers, emergency farm loans, and socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers loans. Often, loan officers are not familiar with the intricacies of organic production. Mr. Bowers is providing a valuable service by being willing to help educate other FAS officers.

For more information on FSA loans, visit the FSA website here.

Contact Mr. Bowers at phone 608-269-8136 extension 2.

Univ. of Illinois receives organic grants from governor's program
Edited from press release
Governor Rod R. Blagojevich on March 16 announced $270,000 in grants to promote the development of innovative farming practices that are profitable and conserve natural resources. The grants, which are part of the Governor’s Opportunity Returns regional economic development strategy, will be distributed through the Illinois Department of Agriculture’s Sustainable Agriculture Grant Program.

Three of the grants have been awarded to Univ. of Illinois to support organic research. These are:

• University of Illinois Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Administration, Champaign. A Research-Based Program to Sustain Illinois Organic and Alternative Farms, $24,948.
• University of Illinois Department of Crop Sciences, Urbana. Transition to Organic Systems: How to improve the use of Winter Cover Crops to enhance nitrogen cycling and reduce nitrate leaching. $24,880.
• University of Illinois Office of Sponsored Programs and Research Administration, Champaign. The performance of wheat, soybean, tomato and pumpkin in conventional, best management and organic cultural systems. $24,818.

Funding Opportunities

Regional IPM Centers funding available
From CSREES announcement
The Cooperative State, Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES) is pleased to announce the release of the 2007 Request for Applications (RFA) for the Regional Integrated Pest Management Centers.

The goal of the Regional Integrated Pest Management Centers (IPM Centers) is to promote the development and implementation of IPM by facilitating collaboration across states, disciplines, and purposes. IPM Centers will establish and maintain information networks, build partnerships to address pest management challenges and opportunities, evaluate the impact of IPM implementation, communicate positive outcomes to key stakeholders, and manage funding resources effectively.

Applications must be submitted to Grants.gov by March 30, 2007, 5 p.m. Eastern Time. Please view the full RFA on the web at http://www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/fundview.cfm?fonum=1640

Note that in fiscal year 2007 there are some major changes regarding submission of proposals to CSREES, so please allow extra time to make sure your institution is registered with Grants.gov, to familiarize yourself with the electronic submission process and the new forms, and for submission.

EPA's Community Action for a Renewed Environment (CARE) Program releases Request for Proposals
From EPA announcement
The Community for a Renewed Environment (CARE) program is a unique community-based, community-driven, multimedia demonstration program designed to help communities understand and reduce risks due to toxics and environmental pollutants from all sources. The CARE grant program will help communities form collaborative partnerships, develop a comprehensive understanding of the many sources of risk from toxics and environmental pollutants, set priorities, and identify and carry out projects to reduce risks through collaborative action at the local level.
Closing Date: April 9, 2007.

The Request for Proposals and supplementary information may be accessed through the CARE website at http://www.epa.gov/care/

Farmers Market Promotion Program solicits proposals
From AMS press release
You are invited to submit proposals under the Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) for Fiscal Year 2007. The primary objective of FMPP grants is to help eligible entities improve and expand domestic farmers markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, and other direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities. Agricultural cooperatives, local governments, nonprofit corporations, public benefit corporations, economic development corporations, regional farmers’ market authorities, and other entities as the Secretary may designate are eligible for FMPP funds.

Approximately $1 million has been allocated for the FMPP program, with a maximum of $75,000 for any one proposal. Matching funds are not required.

Application forms and program guidelines are also available at the AMS Marketing Services website at Farmers Market Promotion Program. The deadline for submitting a FMPP application is the close of business on April 13, 2007.

Risk Management Agency's Community Outreach and Assistance Partnership Program issues Request for Applications
From release
Partners funded through this program conduct risk management and crop insurance education, community outreach and assistance, and research and development activities. This program will support a wide range of innovative outreach and assistance activities in farm management, financial management, marketing contracts, crop insurance and other existing and emerging risk management tools, specifically targeted at certain specialty crops or crops produced by small, limited resource, socially disadvantaged, or beginning farmers and ranchers.

According to an analysis conducted by OFRF, between 2002-2005 RMA granted more than $9 million to support 33 organic projects, representing 10% of the funding granted through RMA’s programs.

Application materials can be downloaded from the RMA website at
http://www.rma.usda.gov The closing date for the receipt of an application is 5 p.m. Eastern time on May 1, 2007.

The Risk Management Agency contact person is David Wiggins, National Outreach Program Manager, email: david.wiggins@rma.usda.gov, phone 202-690-2686.

CA Strawberry Commission issues Request for Proposals
Edited from press release
The California Strawberry Commission invites qualified researchers from public and private research organizations to request funding for projects that will directly benefit the California strawberry industry. Applied and basic research projects that clearly benefit the California strawberry industry will be considered. Applicants are not limited to those from California.

One of the Commission's priorities is projects that address strawberry production without the use of fumigants, specifically in organic cropping systems. Other proposed organic strawberry research will also be considered.

May 1, 2007, is the deadline for proposals. Find out more important details about applying by reading the full RFP here, or contact Dan Legard, Strawberry Commission Director of Research, at email dlegard@calstrawberry.org, phone 831-724-1301.

In the Literature

Sneak preview of SCOAR's National Organic Research Agenda posted on the web
After several years in preparation, OFRF will soon publish its National Organic Research Agenda, a project of the Scientific Congress on Organic Agricultural Research (SCOAR). This document compiles the priority research topics identified by the organic farmers, ranchers, and researchers brought together at a series of SCOAR meetings beginning in 2001, and provides context for understanding these topics. The general subject areas covered are Soil: Microbial Life, Fertility Management, and Soil Quality; Systemic Management of Plant Pests: Weeds, Insects and Diseases; Organic Livestock and Poultry Management Systems; and Breeding and Genetics. A pre-publication draft is available on-line at http://ofrf.org/networks/scoar_products/nora2007_formatted_final.pdf

The manuscript is currently being designed and will be printed and released in its final format by mid-May 2007.

University of California releases organic olive production manual
From press release written by Lyra Halprin
In response to growing demand for organic olive oil and an increasingly competitive market, University of California Cooperative Extension farm advisors and researchers have produced an organic olive production manual.

Organic Olive Production Manual provides detailed information for growers on production issues, economics, pest control, harvest, and organic certification and registration. The 112-page publication includes 45 photographs. Co-authors include Paul Vossen, David Chaney, Alexandra Kicenik Devarenne, Joseph H. Connell, William H. Krueger, W. Thomas Lanini, Jeffrey A. Creque, Stephen R. Gliessman, Ray Green, and L. Ann Thrupp.

The manual, ANR Publication 3505, may be ordered from the UC ANR Communication Services' Web site at http://anrcatalog.ucdavis.edu . The cost is $18.

Organic Olive Production Manual is the first in a series of publications produced with funding from the California Department of Food and Agriculture’s "Buy California" Initiative and the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Other publications will address organic production of vegetables, winegrapes, and strawberries.

Research Findings

UC Davis food scientist attacks organic in recently published paper

Winter, C.K., and S.F. Davis. 2006. Organic foods. J. of Food Science 71:R117-R124.

The Institute of Food Technologists has once more maligned organic food safety by publishing tenuous conclusions in a "peer-reviewed" scientific paper. Winter and Davis spend a good portion of the article explaining how pesticide residues really aren't harmful to consumers' health. They also take recent findings that organic foods may be higher in polyphenolic compounds and extrapolate that to suggest organic foods may also be higher in other plant secondary compounds which may actually prove to be toxic, using the example of furanocoumarin in (non-organic) celery. The authors make the unsubstantiated claim that because antibiotics are not allowed in organic livestock production, "food animals produced organically have the potential to possess higher rates of bacterial contamination than those produced conventionally." While the authors present themselves as offering an unbiased review of the literature, the article actually reveals a bias against organic foods and organic practices.

Resources

New organic strawberry cost study released
A new addition has been made to UC Davis's Dept. of Agricultural and Resource Economics series of cost studies, this one on sample costs to produce organic strawberries. View the report here.

Organic Center report critiques FDA's approval of cloned animal products
From press release
A new Critical Issue Report released by the Organic Center questions the Food and Drug Administration's (FDA's) decision to allow meat and milk from cloned animals to enter the food supply.

One of the arguments made by the FDA is that clones are “virtually indistinguishable” from normal progeny and therefore may enter the food supply. “Virtually indistinguishable is not a scientific standard,” says Jim Riddle, organic outreach coordinator at the University of Minnesota, and author of the report. “The FDA report shows that subtle changes occur in four to seven percent of animals.”

Animal cloning is not allowed for organic production under the USDA National Organic Program. Find out why the FDA is not giving consumers the big picture.

Click here to download the Cloning Critical Issue Report.

Sustainable Ag Network releases new marketing resource for farmers and ranchers
From press release
Marketing Strategies for Farmers and Ranchers, a 20-page bulletin recently revised by the Sustainable Agriculture Network, features innovative SARE-funded research in a range of marketing options, including additional resources for further information. Throughout, farmers and ranchers share how farmers markets, CSA, tourism, direct-marketing, season extension, adding value, restaurants, and/or the Internet improved their bottom line.

Marketing Strategies is the latest of a series of publications that feature the most creative research funded by SARE. Preview or download the entire publication at www.sare.org/publications/marketing.htm. To order free print copies, visit www.sare.org/Webstore, call 301/504-5411 or email san_assoc@sare.org. Agricultural educators may place orders for print copies in quantity at no cost.

Meetings

Crops n' Critters Conference
March 20-21, 2007, Bridport, Vermont
From press release
This conference, organized by Univ. of Vermont Extension and Northeast Organic Farming Association—Vermont, will offer many unique learning opportunities for producers interested in sustainable grain and non-ruminant livestock improvement. Day 1 will focus primarily on organic grain production. An excellent group of speakers will present information on disease management, on-farm grain breeding, variety improvement, cover cropping, equipment innovations, and feeding homegrown grains. Day 2 will provide you with learning opportunities on poultry and swine management, feeding, marketing and genetics. A panel of producers will share with you the opportunities and challenges of raising poultry and swine in our region. Join us for a great time and help us continue to build connections among farmers and the land. A fee will be charged. For more information, contact Heather Darby, email heather.darby@uvm.edu, phone 802-524-6501.

Organic Dairy Open House and Producer Workshop
April 24-26, 2007, CSU Chico, California
The new organic dairy facility at Chico State will be formally dedicated at the open house April 26, which features speakers ranging from California Dept. of Food and Agriculture Secretary A.G. Kawamura, to Organic Valley's Chief Marketing Executive Theresa Marquez. Dairy nutritionist Jerry Brunetti has also been invited to speak. The two-day producer workshop prior to this event will offer sessions on holistic herd health and a two-part "grazing school." Non-organic as well as organic producers are welcome. To register or for more information, contact Cindy Daley, Dairy Unit Supervisor, email cdaley@csuchico.edu, phone 530-898-6280.

Introduction to Organic Pasture Management
March 29, 2007, Grafton, Massachusetts
From release
Northeast Organic Farming Association—Massachusetts is presenting a workshop on organic pasture management featuring grazing specialists Willie Gibson, Northeast Organic Farming Association—Vermont Organic Dairy and Livestock Technical Assistant; Stephen Herbert, UMass Extension Educator and Professor of Agronomy; and Larry Shearer, dairy farmer and SARE Grazing Educator, will discuss organic rotational grazing systems, management intensive grazing systems, pasture fertility and soil health. Barbara Miller, Grazing Specialist with USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Massachusetts, will give an overview of technical assistance and cost-share programs available through NRCS. $10 registration fee, $5 for NOFA members. Please register by March 22. For more information, contact Kate Rossiter, email krossiter@nofmass.org, phone 413-625-0118.

For more information on the NOFA Massachusetts Organic Dairy Program, please visit
http://www.nofamass.org/programs/organicdairy/index.php

Organic Orcharding Workshop Series
April 21 and May 12, 2007, Unity, Maine
From MOFGA website
The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) is offering a series of 3 day-long sessions, covering theory and hands-on practice in organic fruit tree and orchard management. The first session was held in early March. The sessions are designed for beginner to intermediate orchardists managing backyard plantings to larger orchards. The topics for the next two sessions are:
Saturday, April 21: Grafting fruit trees and spring orchard care. Learn to propagate and reproduce your favorite fruit tree varieties. Several methods will be covered, from bench grafting (indoors) of rootstock to outdoor grafting (top working) of established trees of various ages. Spring orchard care, fertilization and more.
Saturday, May 12: Late spring & early summer orchard care
Join several experts for an early-season exploration of organic disease and insect strategies, including lectures, discussions, question and answer periods inside and out. Learn what to expect in your orchard and how to manage it.

Cost: $25.00 per workshop. To register: download a registration form (PDF) or
call 207-568-4142.

Educational Opportunities

8th Annual International Agroecology Shortcourse
July 8-July 21, 2007, Santa Cruz, California
The course will be held at the University of California, Santa Cruz and will focus on Action Education and training in agroecology. You will receive hands-on training in ecological design and sustainable food systems management; engage in lectures and discussions on agroecology; and visit organizations and farms working with sustainability
issues.

For more information, contact Bee Vadakan, email vvadakan@ucsc.edu, phone 831-459-5818, or visit http://www.agroecology.org/shortcourse/index.html.

Entrepreneurial Sustainable Agriculture Training: Alternatives for Processing, Packaging, Labeling, and Marketing in Retail/Internet Environments.
May 29, 2007, Logan, Utah
The training workshop is designed to train two-person teams who will then return to their sub-region and conduct additional trainings. We encourage participation of Extension faculty, USDA Rural Development, NRCS, and other USDA agency personnel, non-profit organizations, grocer associations, banking institutions and other federal, state, and private agricultural professionals. You are required to register and attend as a two-person team consisting of one service provider and one agricultural producer.

For more information, please see http://extension.usu.edu/wrdc/wsare_ag_trng_main.cfm

This is the 16th in a series of occasional bulletins providing selected information on organic research programs, positions, funding, and reports, as well as news about SCOAR itself. These reports are sent via email to registered SCOAR participants. For previous bulletins, registration and other information about SCOAR, see http://ofrf.org/networks/scoar.html.

Your feedback is welcomed. Send comments to jane@ofrf.org

Organic Farming Research Foundation, 303 Potrero St. #29-203, Santa Cruz, CA 95060
tel. 831-426-6606, scoar@ofrf.org, ofrf.org.