ATTRAnews
DIGEST
The
Electronic ATTRA Newsletter
| March 1998 |
Appropriate
Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA)
CONTENTS:
At SSAWG, "Sustainable ag spirit outshines the storms"
Cold rain gusting along the waterfront of the Mississippi River in Memphis
did little to chill the spirits of people who gathered for the Seventh
Annual Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG) Conference
and Trade Show from Jan. 22-25. The 350 people from 13 Southern states
had set their caps on enjoying four action-packed days of good fellowship,
hearty food, workshops on sustainable farming, farm tours and a host of
other fun events.
In welcoming remarks at the historic Calvary Episcopal Church in downtown
Memphis, ATTRA Project Manager Teresa Maurer took note of that very life
force that has so characterized an American farm movement.
“What is it that drives you onward, to learn about and practice farming
a different way?,” Maurer asked. “It may not be measurable, but in
some form spirit is the heart of movements that succeed in spite of tremendous
odds.”
Maurer noted that several conference events were planned to commemorate
ATTRA’s 10th anniversary. She said the conference was a crossroads event
for the 20 ATTRA staff members in attendance — affording them a chance
to celebrate successes with others in the sustainable farming movement,
to reflect on storms weathered over the past decade and to plot the future.
“The diversity of our staff, their commitment and spirit, and our many
collaborations with others, have guided us through the first decade,” she
said. “It’s a different world than 10 years ago. There are
four times as many sustainable farming groups now; the volume of demand
for information has increased greatly and there are many more ways to get
and disseminate information. We are in the process of assessing our
impact and ways for ATTRA to best help people evaluate information and
make good farming decisions in the future.”
Following Maurer's address, conference goers were treated to an ATTRA-sponsored
reception which featured a bounty of delicious food produced by SSAWG farmers.
Among the entrees were such delights as roasted Cajun chicken, chocolate-dipped
tangerines and smoked catfish pate.
While food events were held in church facilities (founded in 1835, the
church is the oldest public building in Memphis), other conference events
were staged at the nearby Cook Convention Center. The reception set
the stage for three days of workshops (36 total), tours to Tennessee and
Arkansas sustainable farms ranging from small diversified operations to
plantations, a trade show of 50 product and service vendors, a Friday night
banquet again showcasing regionally produced food and a popular tradition
of annual SSAWG conferences, the “Organic Cotton and Alternative Fiber
Fashion Show and Auction.”
Several ATTRA specialists served as presenters and facilitators for
a number of conference workshops and panels.
Other conference sponsors included Heifer Project International, Kerr
Center for Sustainable Agriculture, Laura’s Lean Beef, the Mid-South
Fiber Network and Texas Organic Cotton Marketing Cooperative.
USDA will gather comments on National Organic Program proposals
until May 1
People now have until May 1 to comment on controversial proposed regulations
that would govern the USDA’s National Organic Program. The deadline
for comments was originally set for March 16.
The USDA came under a firestorm of protests, mainly from people
in the organic industry, after publishing the proposed regulations in the
Dec. 16, 1997, edition of the Federal Register. Agriculture officials
agreed to extend the deadline and take further comments during four public
meetings through February and March in Texas, Iowa, Washington and New
Jersey.
Written comments about the proposed rules may be sent to:
Readers with Internet access may view the proposed regulations and offer
comments at the National Organic Program website at:
Information and commentary on the organic rule issue is available at these
websites:
Organic Farmers Marketing Association Sustainable Farming Connection Sustainable Agriculture Network USDA's "Time To Act" report urges sweeping policy changes to aid
small farms
USDA's "Time To Act" report urges sweeping policy changes to aid small
farms
Issued by a 30-member commission appointed last July by Secretary of
Agriculture Dan Glickman, the report urges the federal government to end
discriminatory practices and biased attitudes towards small farms.
A Time To Act sets forth eight policy goals and 146 recommendations on
how the government can make sweeping policy changes to put small
farms on a more level playing field with corporate agriculture.
Far greater emphasis should be placed on sustainable agriculture, the
report states, “as a profitable, ecological, and socially sound strategy
for small farms.” It urges increased funding for sustainable
ag programs that are involved in research and information dissemination.
“Sustainable agriculture integrates three main goals — environmental
health, economic profitability, and social and economic equity,” the report
notes. “Farming systems that simultaneously pursue these three goals
hold great potential for maintaining the viability of small farms, and
they contribute to the well-being of rural communities and stewardship
of our natural resources.”
About 94 percent of the Nation’s two million farms are small farms,
with gross annual receipts under $250,000, the report found. These
farms receive only 41 percent of all farm receipts.
“A Time to Act” builds upon another USDA report, titled"A Time to Choose,”
which was issued in 1979 by Secretary of Agriculture Bob Bergland.
In that report, Bergland warned, “Unless present policies and programs
are changed so that they counter, instead of reinforce or accelerate the
trends towards ever larger farming operations, the result will be a few
large farms controlling food production in only a few years.”
Bergland’s report, issued as a new administration was taking office,
went unheeded. Today we have 300,000 fewer farmers than in 1979 and
farmers are receiving 13% less for every consumer dollar for farm goods.
The Small Farms Commission began its work in Memphis last July 28 and
held a series of meetings in six U.S. cities to gather public input.
Glickman is to reconvene the Commission within 9 months to assess progress
with the recommendations. A public progress report is to be presented at
the National Conference on Small Farms in 1999.
People can obtain a copy of "A Time To Act" by contacting:
Small Farms Report suggests expanded role, funding for ATTRA
ATTRA must have greater federal funding support if it is to meet future
demands for sustainable agriculture research and information, the “Time
To Act” report recommends.
The report recommends raising ATTRA funding to $3 million, noting that
ATTRA has operated at $1.3 million over the last 6 years as requests for
sustainable farming information to ATTRA have more than tripled.
Commission members in the report state that ATTRA through its toll-free
phone number "responds to production and marketing questions from across
the nation, mostly from small farms."
“ATTRA should be formally consulted on a regular basis to provide analysis
of what the small farm research needs are to REE agencies,” the report
finds. “With this information, USDA should collaborate with land grant
colleges, private companies, and small farmers to design machinery, equipment,
and systems appropriate for small scale agriculture.”
Happy 10th Birthday, SARE!
ATTRA wishes the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
Program a very happy 10th birthday.
As ATTRAnews was going to press, an anticipated 400 to 500 people (including
several ATTRA staffers) were gathering at Austin to celebrate a decade
of SARE involvement in sustainable agriculture. Scheduled for March
5-7 at the Austin Marriott, the conference brought together researchers,
farmers and ranchers, sustainable agriculture advocates, Extension agents
and other educators in a collaborative learning environment that featured
two days of concurrent sessions and a farm tour.
Since its inception, SARE staff members have worked to increase knowledge
about — and help farmers and ranchers adopt — sustainable farming practices
and systems. SARE oversees a competitive grants program that has
funded 1,200 projects nationwide since 1988. Forty of SARE’s
most innovative projects are detailed in a book released at the conference.
Clinton FY99: Increase sustainable ag funding House & Senate
versions of FY99 budgets due soon
President Clinton’s FY99 budget recommends funding increases for many
federally-funded sustainable agriculture programs, including ATTRA and
SARE. House and Senate budget action is expected to move quickly
in 1998.
Clinton's budget proposals and FY98 funding levels are:
ATTRA: $2M in FY99 ($1.3M in FY98)
People wishing to comment or add support for sustainable agriculture
funding items are asked to contact Amy Little or Liana Hoodes at the Campaign
for Sustainable Agriculture, P.O. Box 396, Pine Bush, NY 12566, phone:
(914)744-8448, fax: (914)744-8477, email: campaign@magiccarpet.com.
Born & Fussell: Two new ATTRA techs
ATTRA recently welcomed two technical specialists to its staff.
HOLLY BORN, ATTRA marketing specialist, graduated from the University
of California at Davis in 1989 with a degree in International Agricultural
Development. While at Davis, she was involved in producing and selling
vegetables and herbs at the local Farmers’ Market.
Holly served in the Peace Corps in Togo, West Africa, from 1990
to early 1994, where she worked in small agribusiness development and management.
She received her M.A. in Agricultural Economics from Washington State University
in 1996, where her research focused on the economics of natural resource
use at the village and watershed level in Burkina Faso, West Africa.
After graduation, she worked as a data analyst and manager at a survey
research center as well as continuing research in Burkina Faso on economic
and environmental aspects of livestock rearing.
WEYMEN FUSSELL, an ATTRA horticulture and agronomy specialist,
has taught crop science and global food systems at the university level,
worked overseas as manager for multi-disciplinary rural development program
deployment, served as consultant in international agricultural development,
and worked in a role with the U.S. government which sought to provide a
bridge connecting policy ideals with grassroot realities.
Weyman’s PhD and MS background is in crop science with 20 years
of application to sustainable system education and implementation in the
U.S. and overseas. His post graduate studies and professional work
also include applications of agricultural economics to rural transformation
processes.
Before coming to ATTRA, Weyman’s interest focused his work on the needs
of small scale farmers in the Appalachia region and Georgia of the U.S.,
and internationally throughout Africa, Asia, and Latin America.
His personal history includes operation of commercial vegetable and
blueberry enterprises on his farm in east Tennessee.
Sullivan completes Holistic Management training
ATTRA Technical Specialist Preston Sullivan recently received certification
to teach Holistic Management after completing an intensive two-year training
program. The Center for Holistic Management, located in Albuquerque,
NM, certifies 8 to 10 new educators each year through its U.S. trainers
program. Sullivan will be teaching holistic management through other
NCAT projects and providing more information on the subject to ATTRA callers
who request it.
Holistic Management (formerly HRM) is a decision-making process that
is helping individuals, families, farms, businesses and whole communities
improve their quality of life and gain financial security while at the
same time enhancing the environment and their hometown community.
"Holistic managers are able to accommodate far more than just economic
factors into their decisions," Sullivan says. " They have time for more
of the things they truly enjoy, and are able to move beyond crisis management."
As the name implies, Sullivan notes, holistic management is about managing
wholes. The word "holistic" was coined by J.C. Smuts in his landmark
book, Holism and Evolution, first published in 1926. Smuts described
the function of nature in "wholes," rather than as interconnected
"parts".
Once this "holistic" perspective is internalized, many of new opportunities
open up for people, Sullivan says. People managing holistically move
their "whole" toward social, financial, and ecological sustainability.
It's a systematic way to make sustainable agriculture happen on your farm,
says Sullivan. The process incorporates goal setting, the appropriate
use of tools, financial planning, land planning, biological planning, and
careful monitoring of effects.
Last call for Internship List!
In response to public demand, ATTRA has extended until March 31 the
deadline for listings in its popular “Internships, Apprenticeships, Sustainable
Curricula Resource List.”
Farmers and people seeking sustainable agriculture experience have told
ATTRA staffers that the list has helped them to obtain hardworking, reliable
help and hard-to-find positions on farms each growing season. Word
of mouth and the list’s recent posting on the ATTRA website, where it was
given greater public exposure, have created a growing demand for list inclusion.
The current 23-page list describes intern and apprentice postings for
organic and sustainable farms across the U.S., as well as a host of nonprofit
corporations, organizations and programs. It is available by calling
ATTRA or can be downloaded at the ATTRA website.
People wishing to be included on the list can obtain the necessary information
form by phoning ATTRA staffers at 800-346-9140 or downloading
the form from the ATTRA website at:
16 pubs on ATTRA website
ATTRA’s new website has become a busy place since it was launched last
fall. Currently, an average of 142 people daily visit the site
to access information about ATTRA and sustainable farming.
Of the 16 ATTRA publications downloadable on the website, the latest
offerings are: Beef Farm Sustainability Check Sheet
and St. Johnswort as an Alternative Crop
Beef forage workshop planned
ATTRA technical specialists, under a Southern Region SARE Professional
Development Program grant, are planning a 3-day workshop on integrated
beef-forage systems June 22-24 at the Middle Tennessee Experiment Station,
Spring Hill, TN. Interested parties can call ATTRA technical specialists
Ron Morrow or Ann Wells at 800-346-9140 to be included on a workshop information
mailing list.
New or revised ATTRA Materials
Call 1-800-346-9140 and ask for :
Current Topic — St. Johnswort as
an Alternative Crop
Worms for Composting (Vermicomposting)
Marketing Channels: Pick-Your-Own & Agri Entertainment
Today's quote
"It is our resolve that small farms will be stronger and will thrive,
using farming systems that emphasize the management, skill, and ingenuity
of the individual farmer. We envision a competitive advantage for
small farms realized through a framework of supportive, yet responsible,
government and private initiatives, the application of appropriate research
and extension, and the stimulation of new marketing opportunities.
As small farms and farmworkers succeed in this nurturing environment, not
only will they continue their valuable contribution to the nation’s food
supply, but they will also fuel local economies and energize rural communities
all across America. In the process of flourishing, small farms will contribute
to the strengthening of society, communities and the nation."
P.O.
BOX 3657
FAYETTEVILLE,
AR 72702
PHONE:
1-800-346-9140 --- FAX: (501) 442-9842
At SSAWG, "Sustainable ag spirit outshines the storms"
USDA will gather comments on National Organic Program
Proposal until May 1
USDA's "Time to Act" report urges sweeping policy
changes to aid small farms
Small Farms Report suggests expanded role,
funding for ATTRA
Happy 10th Birthday, SARE!
Clinton FY99: Increase sustainable ag funding
Born & Fussell: Two new ATTRA techs
Sullivan completes Holistic Management training
Last call for Internship List!
16 pubs on ATTRA website
Beef forage workshop planned
New or revised ATTRA Materials
Today's Quote
Eileen S. Stommes
DeputyAdministrator,
Agricultural Marketing Service
USDA, Room 4007-S, Ag Stop 0275
P.O. Box 96456
Washington, D.C. 20090-6456
fax, (202) 690-4632.
Pest Management at the Crossroads
http://www.pmac.net/nosrule.htm
http://web.iquest.net/ofma
http://sunsite.unc.edu/farming-connection/
http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/san/htdocs/hypermail/
“A Time to Act” — a 120-page report issued in January by the USDA National
Commission on Small Farms — should be on the “must read” list for
all people involved in sustainable agriculture and the effort to save family
farming in the U.S., before it is too late.
Jennifer Yezak Molen
National Commission on Small Farms
PO Box 2890, Washington, DC 20013
phone: 202-720-0122
email: smallfarm@usda.govThe report is also on the Internet at:
http://www.usda.gov/news/news.htm.
CFO (Conservation Farm Option): $25M in FY99 ($15M in FY98)
CFSA (Community Food Security Act): $2.5M (Same as FY98)
EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives): $300M ($200M in FY98)
FRA (Fund for Rural America): $100M in FY99 ($80M in FY97. No
funds FY98)
OFPA (Organic Foods Production Act): $1M in FY99 ($500,000 in FY98)
SAPDP (SARE Professional Development Program): $3.3M in FY99 (Same
as FY98)
SARE: $10M in FY99 ($8M in FY98)
WRP (the Wetlands Reserve Program) : $124M in FY99 ($219M in FY98)
http://www.attra.org.
-- "A Time To Act," Report of the USDA National
Commission on Small Farms, January, 1998
webmaster@attra.org