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University of Minnesota approves plan for new sustainable & organic ag programs
Adapted from a press release issued by the Land Stewardship Project April 15, 2008

A new organic dairy herd, graduate assistantships in organic research and extension, an alternative livestock Extension specialist, and a faculty position at the Southwest Research and Outreach Center in Lamberton devoted primarily to organic crops are some of the new programs contained in a plan approved by the University of Minnesota this month.

Citing the sustained growth of the organic sector over the past decade, the university developed the plan in consultation with the Land Stewardship Project, which worked to get new funding from the Minnesota Legislature for new programs in organic and sustainable agriculture.

University administrators are also exploring the creation of an Organic Advisory Task Force comprised of organic farmers, university faculty engaged in organic research and outreach, and members of the organic business community.

For more information, contact Paul Sobocinski, Land Stewardship Project state policy organizer & sustainable livestock & crop farmer, 507-430-1509; or Jim Riddle, Univ. of Minnesota Organic Coordinator for Outreach, phone 507-454-8310, email riddl003@umn.edu. Full press release may be read at http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/08/newsr_080415.htm

Washington State University puts organic ag certificate online
Adapted from a Washington State University press release issued April 21, 2008

Washington State University (WSU) is the first university in the U.S. to make a certificate in organic agriculture accessible to anyone with Internet access.

WSU’s overview of the certificate program says, “Students develop knowledge and skills that are applicable to all industries and agencies involved in the food chain – from production, processing, and delivery to policy, regulation, and education.”

The 18-unit certificate includes 3 units of a hands-on internship. Students must apply to and be enrolled in WSU in order to earn the certificate.

Completing the certificate will prepare students to manage an organic farm, work in the non-profit or government sectors involved with environmental and food safety issues, or enter the organic food industry.

As this issue of the SCOAR Bulletin goes to distribution, the fate of the 2008 Farm Bill still hangs in the balance. House and Senate negotiators are racing against the clock to agree on financing for the bill that would determine federal agriculture policy and spending for the next five years. If they can come to agreement and get the bill done (and signed by the president), it will contain a major increase in funding for organic agriculture research and extension through the Integrated Organic Program (IOP).

OFRF urges all SCOAR Bulletin readers to be prepared to apply for this increased funding. In other words: start getting your grant proposals developed now! Tom Bewick, USDA/CSREES National Program Leader in Horticulture, manages the IOP program. His goal is to release the Request for Applications (RFA) in October 2008.

Now is the time to assemble a stakeholder advisory committee that includes producers, an important program requirement. Dr. Bewick indicates that explaining how you put your committee together, how many times you met, and how priorities were set is more important than including 100 grower letters of support. Assemble your committee, start developing the key ideas for ambitious projects and thinking about budgets, and go for it! The general format of the RFA and the selection criteria will be essentially the same as in the past, so you can use the current RFA as a template. You can find the past RFA and other information on the IOP here: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/integratedorganicprogramicgp.cfm

More on the Farm Bill
Since 2002, the Integrated Organic Program has had $3 million per year in mandatory funding via the Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI). In the current version of the 2008 Farm Bill, OREI is slated to receive mandatory funding of $20 million per year for four years. This annual total would apply to the next OREI Request for Applications, expected in October 2008.

It is still not a done deal, and Congress is having great difficulty bringing the bill to final closure. It’s quite possible that they will fail and simply extend the 2002 law until sometime in 2010. In that case there will probably not be an increase for OREI. BUT if the bill does get completed, organic research and education will take a big step forward. It will be imperative that there be strong proposals submitted from every part of the U.S. If there are not enough excellent proposals to utilize these funds, they can be taken away in future years.

Posner, J.L., J.O. Baldock, and J.L. Hedtcke. 2008. Organic and conventional production systems in the Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trials: I. Productivity 1990-2002. Agronomy Journal 100:253-260.

This report from the Wisconsin Integrated Cropping Systems Trial (WICST) describes the historical roots of WICST as being an effort to determine productivity, profitability, and the environmental impact of grain and forage-based cropping systems managed with varying degrees of crop diversity and amounts of external inputs. This paper focuses on productivity of six systems that were compared for 13 years at one location and for eight years at another. Two of these systems were managed organically, e.g. without the use of synthetic pesticides and fertilizers. The article’s discussion of statistical analyses offers a valuable consideration of the challenges involved in making rigorous comparisons between complex, multivariate production systems.

Posner et al. report that when weed management was able to be done in a timely fashion, organic corn yields were 98-114% of conventional yields while organic soybean yields were 94-111% of conventional. The yield advantage of the organic systems is attributed to the benefit of crop rotation and manure application. Organic yields compared with conventional dropped to 75% for corn and 78% for soybean in years when rainy weather prevented timely field weed management. The authors write, “Field research on low-input cropping systems plainly shows that on the one hand they are more productive and promising than some have claimed, but on the other, substantial research on how to improve weed control in row-crops in these systems is needed.”

Improved soil quality, reduced disease incidence found in organic compared with conventional soils

Liu, B., C. Tu, S. Hu, M. Gumpertz, and J.B. Ristaino. 2007. Effect of organic, sustainable, and conventional management strategies in grower fields on soil physical, chemical, and biological factors and the incidence of Southern blight. Applied Soil Ecology 37:202-214.

The authors collected soils from organic, “sustainable” (synthetic fertilizers used but not synthetic pesticides), and conventional farms in North Carolina over a three-year period and analyzed the soils for numerous factors including the soil’s ability to support the growth of Sclerotium rolfsii, the fungus that causes Southern blight. The results agree with many other studies that have found increased soil water content, soil porosity, microbial respiration, microbial biomass C and N, etc. in organic compared with conventional soils. Soils from organic farms inoculated with S. rolfsii had intermediate levels of disease incidence compared with soils from conventional (highest disease levels) and “sustainable” farms (lowest disease levels). The authors speculate that the greater microbial activity in the organic soils may result in decreased incidence of disease. This paper is useful in providing a large amount of data on soils from three different cropping systems.

Long challenged by diseases and weeds, organic peanut growers are getting the help they need from the USDA-Agricultural Research Service (ARS) station in Tifton, Georgia. An article in the April 2008 Peanut Grower magazine featured grower Relinda Walker and the research done by ARS agronomist and weed scientist Carroll Johnson on her farm. Together they mastered the timing and technique of using a flex-tine cultivator to manage weeds and found it to be more effective and economical than applications of organically-approved herbicides. In 2007, ARS research geneticist Corley Holbrook and Albert Culbreath of the Univ. of Georgia (UGA) registered ‘Georganic,’ a high-yielding peanut variety that features multiple resistance to disease and is already being grown by organic farmers. Without the robust disease resistance provided by ‘Georganic’, organic peanut production in the southeastern U.S. would not be feasible.

This year, Johnson, Jeff Wilson (USDA-ARS), and UGA cooperators are starting a project that will compare four different organic transition strategies for organic peanut producers. An article on the weed management study is in press for Peanut Science.

Gigi DiGiacomo, Endowed Chair in Agricultural Systems Program with the Univ. of Minnesota, and Jane Grimsbo Jewitt with the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture published a report Minnesota’s Certified Organic Farmers Confident When it Comes to Marketing this January.

The report analyzes marketing results from Minnesota Dept. of Agriculture's 2007 Organic Farmer Survey and offers rare information on organic farmers’ marketing practices and needs. Highlights of the report:

Minnesota organic farmers use a number of different marketing strategies
Most producers find buyers through word-of-mouth
A majority of producers perceive “competition from imports” to be a problem
Producers felt that an organic buyer directory and organic price reports would be most helpful marketing resources.

Ohio State Univ. releases guide to transitioning to organic
Submitted by Deborah Stinner

Ohio State University’s Organic Food and Farming Education and Research Program (OFFER) is pleased to announce the debut of an important new educational resource for producers thinking about transitioning to organic production. A Transition Guide to Certified Organic Crop Management by Margaret Frericks Huelsman, Ph.D., is a long- awaited product. OFFER stakeholders requested that the program produce such a manual back in 1998 when the program first formed.

The manual walks a would-be certified organic producer through the National Organic Standards that relate to organic crop production. Dr. Huelsman draws on her extensive scientific and practical knowledge of organic production to provide information and guidance to help newcomers through the transition process on their land and the maze of paperwork required to be a certified organic producer. Livestock production will be part of a later manual. For more information, call Kathy Bielek, phone 330-202-3528. Cost of the manual is $15 plus postage.

Thomas Dobbs, Professor Emeritus of Economics at South Dakota State University and current W.K. Kellogg Foundation Food & Society Policy Fellow, has posted recent testimony he presented onto the Daily Kos website. Policies to foster sustainable farming and food systems Part I focuses on the U.S., while Part II focuses on Europe. All of Dobbs’s postings to Daily Kos may be accessed here: http://thomas-dobbs.dailykos.com/

The next deadline to apply for an OFRF research or education/outreach grant is July 15, 2008. Thanks to a partnership with Stretch Island Fruit Company, OFRF has significant funding available to support organic fruit research and education/outreach projects. Please note: after July, the next deadline to submit a proposal to OFRF will be November 17, 2008, a change from the December deadline OFRF has had in the past. In 2009, deadlines for proposals will be May 15 and November 16.

To read the Requests for Proposals and supplemental materials, visit http://ofrf.org/grants/apply.html. For further information, contact OFRF’s organic research specialist Jane Sooby at jane@ofrf.org, phone 831-426-6606.

More proposals needed to the National Research Initiative's Agricultural Prosperity for Small and Medium-Sized Farms program

Please consider applying for an NRI grant to conduct small and medium-sized farms research. $5 million is currently available for this program. OFRF has received word that proposals are coming in slowly, which means less competition. This also means that the funding may be reduced in the future if demand for the funds is not strong. The application deadline is June 5, 2008. Just about everyone including individuals is eligible to apply. Projects must include research-based education and extension activities. Consult the full RFA here: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/fo/smallfarmsagriculturalprosperitynri.cfm

Research & Education--Electronically submitted pre-applications due June 13
Graduate Fellow--Applications are due by May 31. Provides up to $20,000 to assist graduate students in pursuing their advanced degrees.

Research and Education preproposals--June 1
Graduate Student preproposals--June 1
Professional Development Program preproposals--June 4

The California Strawberry Commission seeks to fund new research in strawberry production that will directly benefit the California strawberry industry. Producing strawberries without fumigants is one of the priority research areas for the commission. Proposals are due May 5. For more information, visit the commission website at http://www.calstrawberry.com/research/rfp.asp or contact Dan Legard, email dlegard@calstrawberry.org, phone 831-724-1301, or Sofia Hernandez, email shernandez@calstrawberry.org, phone 831-724-1301.

Agronomy/Cropping Systems Specialist and Horticulture/Marketing Specialist, Louisiana, with NCAT/ATTRA

These are two of the current job openings with the National Center for Appropriate Technology/Appropriate Technology Transfer to Rural Areas (NCAT/ATTRA). Applications are due soon so find more details on the NCAT job listings web page at http://www.ncat.org/jobs.php

We are a 10-year old organic farm/CSA near Atlanta, Georgia and are looking for a new farmer. Gaia Gardens has a 10-year history of organic gardening and a flourishing 64-share CSA. We have 1.5 acres tillable land, ½ acre of blueberries and figs, 300’ of muscadines & scuppernongs, plus ¼ acre for future expansion of orchard/vineyard. We have a heated greenhouse, a walk-in cooler, three complete irrigation systems (well, pond, county water), garden shed with tools, a 4-wheel tractor, a 2-wheel walk-behind tractor. We also have access to classroom, commercial kitchen and dining area for workshops. We have a garden committee to support you and your endeavors and are only 10 minutes from downtown Atlanta. The gardener leases all this for only $12 per year in exchange for farming sustainably and running the CSA.

Open House will be May 4, 2008. If you are not in the Atlanta area or cannot attend our open house, please send your résumé, a listing of your experience & education, recommendation letters, and an essay about why this operation interests you and what challenges you foresee. We’ll set up phone interviews with you. Mail to: Karen Minvielle, 2201 Dancing Fox Road, Decatur, GA 30032, phone 404-373-5059, website www.eastlakecommons.org , email karen@kirakai.com or gardenersearch@eastlakecommons.org.

Assistant Professor, Alternative Agricultural Systems, Plant Science Department, South Dakota State University.

This is a 10-month (2 month additional salary to be renewed annually for 5 years) tenure-track faculty position (50% research, 40% teaching, and 10% extension).

developing a nationally recognized and extramurally funded research program in alternative agricultural systems;
publishing results of research projects in peer-reviewed journals;
developing courses and providing leadership in alternative agricultural systems academic programs.

Required qualifications include: Ph.D. in soil science, agronomy, or a related field; sound understanding of alternative agricultural systems; demonstrated ability to conduct and publish research findings; strong desire and ability to teach and train undergraduate and graduate students; effective verbal and written communication skills.

Applications will be accepted until May 15, 2008 or until a suitable candidate is identified. For questions about the position, contact Dr. Vance Owens at 605-688-6088 or vance.owens@sdstate.edu. To apply, visit https://YourFuture.sdbor.edu , search for the position, and follow the electronic application process.

The Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) is seeking an agroecologist for the Food and Environment Program’s exciting campaigns advocating fundamental changes in government policy, corporate practices, and consumer choices to enable America’s farmers to produce healthy food in a safe and sustainable manner.

Duties: The successful candidate for this position will work with the Food and Environment Program staff scientists/policy analysts, lawyer, lobbyist, and outreach organizers to transform U.S. agriculture by encouraging and enabling sustainable food systems; exposing and correcting defects in the current industrial food production system, including the impacts on climate; and changing public opinion of industrialized agriculture.

research and write technical and policy reports that advance the program’s advocacy goals, particularly on agriculture and climate issues;
provide research and other technical support to advance program goals promoting sustainable food systems;
research and write technical comments, statements, and testimony on program issues;
participate in developing campaign goals, strategies, and tactics; and
represent UCS in scientific, press, and public sectors.

Comprehensive knowledge of the scientific and public policy issues associated with agriculture and climate
Ph.D. in an agricultural or biological science, preferably agroecology, and including expertise in agriculture, soils, climate gases, modeling, and a strong background in chemistry
Capacity to conduct full life cycle analyses of agricultural systems in terms of their contributions to greenhouse gases
Understanding the role of science and advocacy in shaping public opinion and policy debates
Strong analytic and project management skills
Excellent writing and public speaking skills
Ability to communicate and work effectively in groups

To apply: Send a cover letter and resume via email to food@ucsusa.org by June 2. Electronic submissions only. No phone calls. See full job description on the web here: http://www.ucsusa.org/ucs/about/jobs-at-ucs.html

This is the 19th in a series of occasional bulletins providing selected information on organic research programs, positions, funding, and reports, as well as news about SCOAR itself. Original items may be reproduced with attribution to OFRF. 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