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06 Jan MOFGA’s Journeyperson Farm Training Program Accepting Applications

Related ATTRA Resource: Sustainable Farming Internships and Apprenticeships

Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association is accepting applications until January 14, 2019, for its Journeyperson Farm Training Program. This program is open to farms at any stage of development but best utilized by those who have an established farm business with secure land tenure and will use this program as a tangible step toward achieving their farm goals. MOFGA seeks applicants with at least two years of farming experience who are serious about operating farm businesses in Maine that will make significant contributions to the agricultural community and economy. The program includes mentorship, access to learning and funding oppo ...

06 Jan Online Tool Allows Landscape and Land-Use Change Tracking

A new open-access tool developed by US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), with support from the Google Earth Engine Team and the US Government's SilvaCarbon Program, allows anyone to track land-use and landscape changes anywhere. Collect Earth Online (CEO) is Web-based, free of charge, open to all, requires no downloads or installation, and allows users to systematically inspect any location on the Earth with satellite data. The next-generation tool makes it easier to conduct surveys, collect samples, and use crowdsourcing techniques. CEO can be accessed at http://collect.earth/ by registering on the platform.

06 Jan Video Highlights Improving Soil Health with Cover Crops

Related ATTRA Videos: Soils and Compost

A new, four-minute video from Sustainable Agriculture Reseach & Education (SARE) showcases the success of a 2016 SARE-funded project in Pennsylvania that aimed to engage more farmers in utilizing cover crops to improve soil health. Grain farmer Jeff Frey worked with Sjoerd Duiker, associate professor of soil management at Penn State University, in a project that educated farmers about the benefits of cover crops and provided seed to encourage them to begin using cover crops.

05 Jan University of Massachusetts Online Sustainable Agriculture Program Announces Spring Courses

The University of Massachusetts Stockbridge School of Agriculture offers three online degrees in sustainable agriculture: certificate, Associate of Science, and Bachelor of Science. Registration is now open for 10 courses offered during Spring 2019. Classes begin January 22, 2019, and include courses in pasture management and farm management, planning, and marketing, as well as new course offerings in small farm husbandry and soil fertility.

04 Jan North Dakota Extension Sets Field to Fork Webinar Series for Specialty Crops

North Dakota State University Extension will host the 2019 Field to Fork webinar series on Wednesdays beginning February 6, 2019, and running through April 17, 2019. In the free afternoon webinars, experts from across the region will provide information about growing, processing, and serving specialty-crop fruits and vegetables safely. Webinars are free of charge but preregistration is required. A full schedule of topics is available online.

04 Jan New York Awards Funding to Agricultural Projects to Advance Local Economies

New York has awarded more than $42 million through Governor Cuomo?s 2018 Regional Economic Development Council (REDC) initiative to support the growth of farms and food and beverage industries across the state. More than 80 agriculture-related projects received funding because they were identified as key to advancing the State's ten regional economies. Awards were made this year to projects across the state's 10 regions that support farm operations and expansions, food storage, packing and processing facilities, promotion of the State's agri-tourism destinations, craft beverage production, farmers markets, commercial kitchens and incubators, agricultural training programs, and marketing opportunities.

03 Jan Farmers Focus on Soil Health

Related ATTRA Tutorial: Soil Health

A new generation of Heartland farmers is focusing on soil health, according to a feature in The Christian Science Monitor. Farmers working on slim margins can be reluctant to change the way they operate, notes the article, citing the example of how long it took farmers to adopt no-till methods. But now "hotspots" of innovative farmers are leading a movement to make soil health a top priority by using cover crops and crop rotations. Other approaches include alternative crops--such as perennial grains--and integrating livestock and crops. The 2018 Farm Bill contains provisions that can help reward these efforts, and there's increasing awareness that improving soil health can deliver water-quality and food-nutrient benefits.

03 Jan World Resources Institute Proposes Actions for a Sustainable Food Future

World Resources Institute (WRI) has published 22 solutions to close the food, land, and greenhouse-gas mitigation gaps arising from the need to feed nearly 10 billion people on Earth by 2050. WRI presents its solutions in five topic areas: (1) reduce growth in demand for food and other agricultural products; (2) increase food production without expanding agricultural land; (3) protect and restore natural ecosystems; (4) increase fish supply; and (5) reduce GHG emissions from agricultural production. Each solution is presented with a chart illustrating the rationale behind its adoption.

03 Jan Voluntary Ecosystem Services Market Development Progresses

Noble Research Institute has provided an update on its efforts to advance ecosystem service markets (ESM) that incentivize farmers and ranchers to improve soil health systems. The development team has offered a preview of the ESM protocol to a number of food and beverage firms to seek feedback to incorporate into the final draft version of the methodology. A pilot phase will take place during 2019 and 2020, across 70,000 acres in Texas and Oklahoma that are involved in Noble Land Stewardship Program. Meanwhile, the protocol team will be drafting adaptations for the protocol to be applied to additional crop production systems and geographies around the country. NRI says that although the initial focus of the program will be on monetizing soil carbon and water quality and quantity, the program will expand over time to include additional environmental and ecosystem service attributes from working agricultural lands.

02 Jan EcoFarm Announces 2019 Sustie and Justie Awards

The Ecological Farming Association will present its Steward of Sustainable Agriculture Awards (Susties) and the Advocates for Social Justice in Sustainable Agriculture Awards (Justies) at the annual EcoFarm Conference Awards Banquet on January 25, 2019. The Sustie Award honors those who have been actively and critically involved in ecologically sustainable agriculture and have demonstrated their long-term, significant contributions to the well-being of agriculture and the planet. The Justie Award honors those who has been active advocates for social justice as a critical aspect of ecologically sustainable agriculture and food systems. The 2019 winners are featured online: Doron Comerchero and Food What?! and Melissa K. Nelson, Ph.D for the Justies, and Russ Lester & The Lester Family, Dr. Pamela Marrone, and Will Scott Jr. for the Susties.

02 Jan Texas Passes Heirs Property Legislation

Related ATTRA Podcast: Land Loss in African-American Communities

In December, Texas became the tenth state to pass the Uniform Partition of Heirs Property Act, reports KBTX-TV. The law provides inherited property protections to vulnerable, low- and middle-income families with tenancy-in-common ownership. Under this type of ownership, sales can be forced by a minority owner and, at a partition sale, properties often sell for far less than market value. Texas A&M University School of Law professor Thomas W. Mitchell found that these sales disproportionately affect African-American, Hispanic and Latino, and Native American families, which led him to craft legislation that would help resolve the problem.

02 Jan University of Georgia Experts to Present at Georgia Organics Conference

University of Georgia scientists and staff members will be presenting research results at the Georgia Organics Conference slated for February 8-9, 2019, in Tifton. Topics will include high-tunnel production, cover crops, and nitrogen fertility management in organic systems, as well as marketing. In addition, events, workshops, and field trips to farms in south Georgia will be offered as part of the event. Scholarships and opportunities to volunteer are available, as well.

31 Dec Planning for Transition Period Important for Organic Switch

Related ATTRA Publication: Organic Certification of Farms and Businesses Producing Agricultural Products

Gigi DiGiacomo, co-author of Organic Transition, a Business Planner for Farmers, Ranchers and Food Entrepreneurs, offered some guidance for farmers transitioning to organic production in a feature in Minnesota Farm Guide. DiGiacomo advised farmers to plan for the three-year transition period when crops cannot yet be sold as organic, but yields can drop due to changing management practices. She emphasized producers' need for three business plans during transition: the conventional plan they began with, a plan that takes them through the three-year transition period, and a final plan for organic operation when transition is complete. DiGiacomo says that a gradual transition of part of a property at a time can be one way to offset transition costs, as can transitioning land while it's in alfalfa. She also suggests beginning transition in the fall, so that the third year's fall crop can be marketed as organic.

31 Dec Goats Recycle Christmas Trees

Related ATTRA Publication: Tips for Marketing Sheep and Goat Products: Vegetation Management Services

In many parts of the country, people who are looking for a final use for their real Christmas trees are donating them to flocks of goats. Goat Dispatch, a landscape management company in Minnesota, is accepting donated trees as feed for its flock for the fifth year. In other locations from New Jersey to Colorado, goat owners accept real trees and wreaths to provide their goats a nutritious and entertaining feed.

31 Dec Online Exhibit Features Leaders in Preserving Heirloom Seeds

The stories of nine small seed companies that are leaders in preserving heirloom seeds are presented in an online exhibit from Seed Savers Exchange, The Rise of Heirloom Seeds. "This first wave of heirloom seed companies did not offer seed catalogs in response to consumer demand. Instead, they created it," says Seed Savers Exchange in the introduction to the exhibit. The feature includes the stories of Alan and Linda Kapuler of Peace Seeds, Suzanne Ashworth of Del Rio Botanicals, Craig Dremann of Redwood City Seeds, Steve Sando of Rancho Gordo, Mike Dunton of Victory Seeds, Tom Wagner of Tater Mater Seeds, Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, Bill McDorman of High Altitude Garden Seeds and Seeds Trust, and Glenn Drowns of Sand Hill Preservation Center.

28 Dec Organizations Working for Food Equity and Health Outcomes

A "Michigan Good Food Stories" feature on Rapid Growth Media takes a look at how food equity relates to health outcomes. A charity food system that was meant to be temporary, but has become entrenched, has contributed to poor health outcomes for low-income people. Several organizations and programs are working to help build strong local food systems in Michigan that can sustain local producers and improve health food access for all income brackets. Advocates say that improvements in both agriculture and education are needed to achieve food equity.

28 Dec Iowa Seeks Reviewers, Comments for Specialty Crop Grants

Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship is accepting applications for grant funding through the Specialty Crop Block Grant program to support projects that enhance the competitiveness of specialty crops grown in Iowa. The Department is establishing a Review Committee to help review, evaluate, and make recommendations on grant proposals submitted. Those interested in participating in the Review Committee should have knowledge of specialty crops, and/or grant writing or grant management experience, and the ability to devote the necessary time to complete the review process. Applications to participate are due by February 5, 2019. The Department is also asking specialty crop stakeholders and organizations to submit public comments on program priorities. The comments will help identify priorities, establish the criteria used to evaluate the projects proposed, and determine how the reviews are conducted. Comments received by March 1, 2019, will be presented to the review committee to assist in prioritizing projects.