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The Field & Fork Network was founded on the belief that developing a local food system is fundamental to the success and well-being of Western New York. Their mission is “to provide the building blocks to create a local food network in the eight counties of Western New York. By bringing food producers (farmers & artisans) and buyers (chefs, retailers, processors, distributors, and institutional purchasers) together, we hope to create a practical & sustainable economic engine for local agriculture.”

As part of its work to make sure environmental elements of the 2008 Farm Bill are implemented properly, Land Stewardship Project's Policy Program has developed a new Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) fact sheet. "The New & Improved Conservation Stewardship Program" (PDF/169KB) covers changes in the CSP and how contracts and payments will work.

Surface water and groundwater, irrigation, precipitation, threatened and endangered species and other water-related issues are all colorfully addressed on a "Nebraska Water Map," available free from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "We produced the map with the idea of raising the level of interest in basic water issues and facts for all Nebraskans," said UNL Water Center assistant director Lorrie Benson, who led a coalition of cosponsors to publish the map. Nebraska Ag Connection reports the map has graphics showing the High Plains groundwater aquifer, annual precipitation, how and where water is used in Nebraska, where registered irrigation wells are located, where groundwater nitrate and atrazine contamination can be found, how groundwater and surface water interact and other information.

Golden-Globe nominated, Kentucky-raised actress Ashley Judd has joined Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear to launch the first annual "Green Team Kentucky Online Film Festival." The Online Film Festival is a new initiative of the First Lady's Green Team designed to inspire, teach and encourage individuals to take steps to improve our environment. Films may be entered in three categories: (1) a 30-second Public Service Announcement that encourages Kentuckians to reduce their energy consumption; (2) a short film of 10 minutes or less that highlights environmentally friendly, energy-saving actions that anyone can and should perform; and (3) a short film of 10 minutes or less that presents an invention, new device or new idea that would help reduce energy consumption in Kentucky. Filmmakers can visit http://greenteam.ky.gov for the link to the festival's YouTube channel.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) entomologist James Cane and his colleagues are discovering more about America’s native bees that pollinate pumpkins, other squashes, and gourds. Investigations such as those that Cane leads provide new details about the extent to which wild bees can help with pollination. Cane has shown, for the first time, that male Peponapis pruinosa play a surprisingly significant role in pollinating the blossoms of yellow summer squash. In the past, less than 10 percent of pollination has been attributed to male bees.

The Kansas Department of Agriculture has announced that three projects will be funded with $106,240 in specialty crop block grant money the state received from USDA for federal fiscal year 2008. A farmers' market project of Kansas Rural Center and the Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops will receive $41,751 to promote markets and educate consumers and producers. A project to certify Kansas wines was funded at $30,000, and an Educational Program for Kansas Grape Growers and Winemakers received $33,500 in funding.

The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection has released a new guide, Starting a Dairy Goat Business, for anyone looking to get into one of the state's fastest growing agriculture sectors. The 104-page guide covers everything from an initial personal assessment to marketing, as well as herd health, milk quality, and working with processors. To receive a copy of the guide, contact Jeanne Meier, jeanne.meier@wisconsin.gov or 608-224-5121.

Daley College’s West Side Technical Institute is launching a new urban agriculture program, in collaboration with the Chicago Botanic Garden, reports Chi-Town Daily News. Students in the program will have six months of training in greenhouse agriculture, followed by a three-month paid internship in the field. Upon approval, the program will accept its first 15 students in January. “The students are involved not just in the cultivating of the produce,” says Maria Codina, the director of the West Side Technical Institute. “They are also taught how to distribute, how to sell this product.”

What is a sustainably produced wine? A feature in the San Francisco Chronicle explores some of the different routes that winemakers are taking toward sustainability. While some wineries opt for third-party certification of organic or biodynamic practices, others operate under less well-defined sustainable practices. And while some wines tout sustainability practices on the label, other wineries don't advertise their sustainable production practices, wanting their product to stand on taste alone.

The Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture has developed a simple on-line tool to help farmers, agricultural organizations, public agencies and local food and economic development groups get a "first look" at potential markets. The U.S. Food Market Size Estimator can find the approximate demand for 204 food products in every county of the United States. Products include milk, cheese and dairy foods; fresh, frozen or canned fruits and vegetables; grains; and meat, fish and nuts. The tool uses information from the USDA Economic Research Service's Food Availability Data System.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) has released the 2007 U.S. Animal Health Report, which provides a national overview of domestic animal health in the United States. The 2007 report includes a chapter devoted to a number of strategic areas specific to the veterinary services mission, including emergency planning and preparedness; avian influenza surveillance; aquatic health; national animal identification and comprehensive, integrated animal-health surveillance. The report is available online.

Oklahoma's state agriculture department has created a Farm to School website to give schools, agricultural producers and others an inside look at its program designed to put Oklahoma foods in school lunch programs. "The site was many months in the making but it was our goal to make it a site that people will visit often to see the latest farm to school news and find out about current activities," said Chris Kirby, Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food, and Forestry Farm to School coordinator.

The Johns Hopkins Center for a Livable Future (CLF) has launched a website to enable research on the critical links between agriculture and public health. The Agriculture & Public Health Gateway is a unique information resource for public health and agricultural professionals, advocacy and community organizations, policymakers, journalists and educators. Visitors can browse by subject to find reports, peer-reviewed journal articles, relevant organizations and other research tools. The Gateway’s powerful database search provides access to millions of resources related to agriculture and public health. This search tool simultaneously links Gateway users to databases from the National Library of Medicine (PubMed), the National Agricultural Library (AGRICOLA), the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (National Agricultural Safety Database) and the World Resources Institute (EarthTrends). Other Gateway resources include links to glossaries, listservs and newsletters, online photos and images, and event listings related to agriculture and public health.

On December 2, the Kansas State Department of Agriculture (KDA) will hold a public hearing on a proposed rule that would ban milk or dairy products carrying labels such as “rBGH -free”, or “rBST free”, or “no artificial hormones”, and establish rules for labeling such dairy products, says a Kansas Rural Center press release. Written comments can be submitted prior to the hearing to the Secretary of Agriculture, 109 S.W. 9th, Topeka, KS 66612, or by e-mail to: leslie.garner@kda.ks.gov .

U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Ed Schafer said that farmers and ranchers will receive $77 million in Emergency Conservation Program funds to repair farmland damaged by natural disasters in 2008. Producers will be able to use the money to remove farmland debris, restore fences and repair conservation structures which were damaged by floods, tornadoes, hurricanes, storms, wildfires, and to carry out emergency water conservation measures after severe drought.

A videoconference for fruit, flower and vegetable growers on Thursday (November 13) will emphasize using high tunnels and other techniques to increase farm profitability and sustainability. The interactive program, part of the North Central Region Organic and Sustainable Ag Video Series, can be viewed from any computer with a high-speed Internet connection by going to https://gomeet.itap.purdue.edu/hightunnels/. For individuals who can't watch the conference live, the program will be archived online at http://tristateorganic.info. The conference will begin at 7 p.m. with a brief welcome and introductions and end at 9:30 p.m.

Thanks to a new series of quality standards, consumers who fill their tanks with biodiesel will now know they are getting a consistent quality fuel. ASTM International recently published long-awaited specifications for biodiesel blends, which will bolster automaker support and consumer demand for biodiesel. The new specifications provide detailed requirements for both fuel characteristics and standard test methods. Indiana Ag Connection reports the new standards apply to all finished biodiesel blends, regardless of the type of feedstock used to make the fuel.

The people who grow America's plentiful food supply have a special place of honor during the National Farm-City Week, celebrated November 21-27. This week commemorates U.S. food producers and seeks to recognize their efforts among the nation's urban citizens. The National Farm-City Week, recognized by a White House proclamation, is organized by the National Farm-City Council, a non-profit organization dedicated to enhancing links between farm families and urban residents. The Council provides local organizations with educational programs about people who grow their food. Communities across the nation hold Farm-City events ranging from banquets to tours to job exchanges.

Preliminary data from a Leopold Center-funded project shows that perennial prairie strips planted at critical points in fields of corn and soybean have minimized soil erosion, even during periods of heavy rainfall. The project involves 14 small watersheds within the Neal Smith National Wildlife Refuge in Jasper County that are managed as restored prairie and for row-crop production. Native grasses have been planted in plots representing 10 or 20 percent of the total drainage area in each watershed, and placed at the bottom or midway up the slope. During a three-month period from April to June 30, the average sediment loss from watersheds with no prairie strips was 8.5 tons per acre, compared to an average one-half ton/acre sediment loss on the watersheds with prairie plantings. The period included 10 runoff events that produced measurable sediment loss. The Leopold Center Ecology Initiative provided an initial planning grant and current five-year-operating grant for the project. More information about the project, including a short video segment, is on the Ecology Initiative web page, www.leopold.iastate.edu/research/ecology.htm.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture announced an amendment to its National Organic Certification Cost Assistance program, first announced Sept. 18. USDA has amended the program by changing the start date from Oct. 1, 2008, to Oct. 1, 2007. The change will make funds available to a greater number of eligible persons, achieving Congress’ intent that use of cost-share funds begin with Fiscal Year 2008. The funds are available for producers and handlers of organic agricultural products in any state of the United States of America, its territories, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico (hereinafter called states).

The Risk Management Agency (RMA) of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is offering two pilot insurance programs designed to protect honey producers from loss of production. The Rainfall Index reflects how much precipitation is received relative to the long-term average for a specified area and timeframe. The program divides the country into six regions due to different weather patterns. Pilot programs are available in select counties in North Dakota, Alabama, Colorado, Georgia, Idaho, Missouri, Montana, South Carolina, Texas and Utah. The second program, the Vegetation Index, is based on the U.S. Geological Survey's Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data derived from satellites observing long-term changes in greenness of vegetation of the earth since 1989. This program also divides the country into six regions. Pilots are available in select counties of Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Nebraska, New York, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia, and Wyoming.

Argentine researchers are making cows produce more milk by injecting them with a bovine growth hormone derived from genetically modified and cloned cows, reports a Reuters news story on Planet Ark. The scientists say their method of producing bovine growth hormone is cheaper than producing it synthetically, and call it a natural hormone. The company Bio Sidus hopes to export its technology, though it has not yet been approved for use in Argentina.

Farm Aid President Willie Nelson has sent an open letter to President-elect Barack Obama, offering "every resource that Farm Aid has available to assist you in creating a new farm and food policy that supports a sustainable family farm system of agriculture." Nelson's letter notes, "Our family farmers are a national resource with incredible potential to be the protagonists in solving the challenges we currently face," and he goes on to discuss the role that family farmers play in providing sustainable and local food and green energy.

The Standards Committee that is spearheading the development of a national standard for sustainable agriculture has elected leadership, says a Leonardo Academy press release. Marty Matlock, Director of the Center of Agricultural and Rural Sustainability at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, was elected to serve as Chairman of the Committee, while Ronald Moore, Moore Farms and American Soybean Association, will serve as Vice-Chair. Will Healy, Research and Technical Manager at Ball Innovations, will serve as Secretary; and Grace Gershuny, representing the Organic Trade Association (OTA), will hold the seat of Vice-Secretary. Leonardo Academy is now accepting applications for three open seats on the SCS-001 Standards Committee within the ‘User’ Interest Category. Anyone who uses agricultural products—including retailers and restaurants, food service companies, product handlers, processors, distributors and manufacturers—and has an interest in sustainable agriculture is encouraged to apply by November 24.

The Ohio Food Policy Council has scheduled several task force meetings for the coming month, reports Ohio Ag Connection. The Healthy Food Access Task Force will meet Nov. 21 to work on providing those in need with greater access to fresh and nutritious food. The Agricultural Viability Task Force will meet Nov. 18, to discuss the protection of Ohio farmland and water resources by encouraging the growth of food products in Ohio. The Food Assessment Task Force will meet Nov. 21, to collect and analyze information on food production and processing as well as patterns of food consumption in Ohio. The Market Connections Task Force will meet Dec. 8, to discuss ways to help farmers and businesses market their food products and develop ways to link producers and consumers in local food systems. The Ohio Food Policy Council itself will meet Dec. 1, to carry out an ongoing public/private collaboration to capitalize on the state’s potential for increasing the percentage of food grown, processed and consumed in Ohio.

Year-round access to local food continues to increase in Vermont, according to a NOFA-VT press release. The number of CSA operations in the state that offer winter shares has increased to 20 this year, up from 13 last year and just 6 the year before. Winter CSAs are offering a variety of stored root vegetables, meats, cheeses, breads, eggs, and even fresh greens from season-extending hoop houses and greenhouses. NOFA-VT offers an online listing of winter CSAs and their offerings.

USDA’s Risk Management Agency (RMA) has launched an online resource to aid farmers and ranchers in focusing on how to protect against down-side risks, as well as how best to take advantage of up-side opportunities in the market. The new resource, a sub-site of the RMA Web site called Farm-Risk-Plans.USDA.gov, allows producers to complete a risk management checklist, identify their enterprise’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, and explore a wealth of risk management information.

The two-part CD course Enterprising Rural Families can provide family businesses with the tools and skills they need to deal with challenges, both current and long term, and build business resilience. The CD is offered through the University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service (UW CES). In the first course, participants focus on the question or roles and responsibilities of family members in the family business and how these may change over time. The second course focuses on discovering what resources the family enterprise has to draw from including individual, family and business system resources.

A course on 12-month livestock-pasture-forage management will be offered January 6 to 9 on the campus of Dickinson State University. The course is designed for producers and students who want to learn more about developing pasture-forage management plans. This planning course is a cooperative project of the North Dakota State University Dickinson Research Extension Center, DSU Agricultural Department, NDSU School of Natural Resource Sciences and NDSU Animal Sciences Department. A preview of the course material is available at http://www.GrazingHandbook.com.