CONTENTS:
In the Literature
Responses of soil microbial
biomass and N availability to transition strategies from conventional
to organic farming systems
Resources
Canadian
Organic Growers Publishes Guide to Organic Transition
Soil
Association Finds Greater Employment in Organic than in Conventional
Farming
Tilth
Producers Announces New Internet Audio Archive
Colorado
State University Publication Analyzes Emerging Issues in Organic
for USDA
New
"Smart Water Use on Your Farm or Ranch" Bulletin Available
for Free
Meetings
Rotational
Grazing Systems Workshops on Organic Dairy in Vermont
Organic Seed Alliance Announces "Producing
Organic Seed" Field Days
Northeast
Organic Farming Association to hold 32nd Annual Summer Conference
SARE Plans National Meeting Aug. 15-17
Upcoming
Workshop for USDA-ARS Organic Research Plans
Job
Opportunities
Agronomy
Specialist and Web Specialist positions with NCAT
University
of California Cooperative Extension Vegetable & Strawberry
Crops Advisor
Funding
Opportunities
Leopold
Center Releases Call for Proposals for Iowa Sustainable Agriculture
Projects
Small Minority Producer Grant
Small
Business Innovation Research Program
Agency
News
Nominations
Open for USDA’s National Agricultural Research, Extension,
Education, and Economics Advisory Board
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In
the Literature
Responses of soil microbial biomass and N availability
to transition strategies from conventional to organic farming
systems.
Tu, C., F.J. Louws, N.G. Creamer, J.P. Mueller, C. Brownie, K.
Fager, M. Bell, and S. Hu. 2006. Agriculture Ecosystems and Environment
113:206-215.
This
paper is one of the first to come out of the North Carolina State
University study comparing five strategies for making the transition
to organic certification. The authors document gradual differences
in microbial biomass and respiration rate over the course of three
years in the plots that were managed organically or with reduced-input
transition practices, providing scientific validation of the requirement
for the three-year transition period required by the national
organic standards. The authors state that "these results
suggest that reduced-input transition practices followed by 2
years of full organic management could reduce yield losses during
early transition to organic farming systems."
Resources
Canadian
Organic Growers Publishes Guide to Organic Transition
The Canadian Organic Growers have published a manual Gaining Ground:
making a successful transition to organic farming. This manual
relies heavily on grower experience and on draws judiciously on
the published literature. Along with information on production
and certification issues, it includes a useful section on economics
and marketing. The book is printed in both English and French
editions and costs $69.95 Canadian or $45.00 US. To order, visit
http://www.cog.ca/ or send an
email to publications@cog.ca.
Soil
Association Finds Greater Employment in Organic than in Conventional
Farming
The Soil Association, the world's most long-lived organic certifier
and advocacy organization, recently released a report called Organic
Works, documenting that "organic farming delivers 32% more
jobs per farm on average across the UK" than does conventional
farming. The study also found that organic farmers tend to be
younger, more optimistic, and more entrepreneurial than their
conventional counterparts. Read about the study and download it
at http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/ED0930AA86103D8380256AA70054918D/F194C3C4AE11F3578025716C00584962?OpenDocument
Tilth
Producers Announces New Internet Audio Archive
From Tilth press release
Tilth Producers of Washington is very pleased to announce the
creation of the Tilth Producers Internet Audio Archive of Selected
Conference Keynote Speeches and Workshops.
For
our initial roll-out, we have posted three memorable and informative
presentations. More will be added on an on-going basis. Our
initial features are:
· Paul Stamets - Mushrooms as Allies: Potentiating Planetary
Host Defenses through Fungi;
· Vandana Shiva - Agriculture for Life: Beyond the Suicidal
Economy of Industrial Farming and Globalized Agriculture;
· Fred Provenza - The Role of New Science in Sustainable
and Organic Agriculture (with introduction by Kent Mullinex)
Hear
these great talks for free by visiting http://www.tilthproducers.org/tilthaudio.htm
Colorado
State University Publication Analyzes Emerging Issues in Organic
for USDA
Dawn Thilmany, Associate Professor in Colorado State University's
Department of Agricultural & Resource Economics, is also serving
as USDA-CSREES's Interim National Program Leader for Organics.
The April 2006 Agribusiness Marketing Report, a CSU Extension
publication, features her article, The US Organic Industry: Important
Trends and Emerging Issues for the USDA, which describes historical
trends in organic agriculture, analyzes emerging issues, discusses
international models for supporting organic agriculture, and presents
research, extension, and education needs in organic ag. Read it
at
http://dare.agsci.colostate.edu/csuagecon/extension/docs/agbusmarketing/abmr06-01.pdf
New
"Smart Water Use on Your Farm or Ranch" Bulletin Available
for Free
From SAN press release
Smart Water Use on Your Farm or Ranch, a new 16-page bulletin
from the Sustainable Agriculture Network, spotlights innovative,
SARE-funded research into a range of conservation options including
soil management, such as using compost, conservation tillage and
cover crops; plant management, featuring crop rotation, water-conserving
plants and rangeland drought mitigation; and water management
strategies such as low-volume irrigation and water recycling.
Preview
or download the entire publication at www.sare.org/publications/water.htm.
To order free print copies, please visit www.sare.org/webstore,
call 301-504-5236 or email san_assoc@sare.org.
Meetings
Rotational
Grazing Systems Workshops on Organic Dairy in Vermont
From press release
These grazing workshops will cover the benefits of Rational Grazing
or Management Intensive Grazing for its nutritional contribution
to a daily ration, its economic advantages, and as a nutrient
source for pasture and hay land. Workshops will take place on
organic dairy farms all over Vermont. Topics covered during these
workshops will include calculating paddock size and available
dry matter, ideal grazing heights, grain rations to complement
pasture, water systems, laneways, livestock health, plant identification,
and management strategies to increase the plants you want and
eliminate the plants you don’t.
Dates
and Host Farm Locations:
Monday, July 24 - at Taconic End Farm, Annie Claghorn, Catlin
Fox, Leicester, VT
Wednesday, August 9 Shaun Young, Tinmouth, VT
Thursday, August 24 - at David Child's farm, Orange, VT
Tuesday, August 29 - Bobby & Laurie LePage, Newport, VT
Monday, September 11 Bill Aquaviva, Livewater Farm, Putney, VT
Friday, September 22 - Pat Hayes, Enosburg Falls, VT
For
more information, contact Lisa McCrory, Northeast Organic Farming
Association--Vermont Dairy and Livestock Technical Advisor, phone
802-234-5524, e-mail lmccrory@together.net
Organic
Seed Alliance Announces "Producing Organic Seed" Field
Days
From press release
The Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) has announced two more dates in
their annual series of organic seed production field days. The
first will be held on July 19, 2006 from 9 am to 5 pm at Gathering
Together Farm in Philomath, Oregon, and co-hosted by Wild Garden
Seed. It will cover organic lettuce and brassica seed production,
crop-improvement strategies, and harvest and cleaning techniques.
The workshop will include presentations from Frank Morton (Wild
Garden Seed), Ken Johnson (Oregon State University), Jim Meyers
(Oregon State University), John Navazio and Micaela Colley (OSA),
and possibly others.
The
second upcoming field day will be on August 22, 2006 at Eel River
Produce in Shively, California. Topics covered will include diverse
organic seed production, crop-improvement strategies and seed-cleaning
techniques. A variety of seed crops will be on view. This workshop
will include presentations from Bill Reynolds (Eel River Produce),
Steve Peters (Seeds of Change), and John Navazio and Micaela Colley
(OSA).
To
learn more, check out the OSA website www.seedalliance.org/
Northeast
Organic Farming Association to hold 32nd Annual Summer Conference
Over 150 workshops are planned for this renowned gathering, including
numerous activities for children and teens. This year's conference
will be Aug. 10-14, 2006, at Hampshire College, Amherst, Massachusetts.
For more details and to register online, visit http://www.nofa.org/index.php.
SARE
Plans National Meeting Aug. 15-17
This year's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
National Meeting will be hosted by the North Central region, featuring
the theme "Midwest Homecoming: Sharing a New Tradition of
Sustainability." Keynote speakers include Winona LaDuke,
Mark Ritchie, and Frank and Carol Popper. Over 30 educational
sessions representing projects from around the country will be
offered. The meeting will be Aug. 15-17, 2006, in Oconomowoc,
Wisconsin. For details and registration, please visit http://www.sare2006.org/,
e-mail registration@SARE2006.org,
or call 800-328-2851.
Upcoming
Workshop for USDA-ARS Organic Research Plans
The USDA Agricultural Research Service (ARS) will hold a planning
meeting for the Integrated Agricultural Systems National Program
(NP207) during the week of October 23rd in Atlanta, Georgia. The
"customer input" portion of the meeting will be Oct.
24th & 25th, 2006 (Tuesday and Wednesday). The NP207 Integrated
Systems program is emerging as the primary coordinator for ARS's
growing organic research portfolio. Using input from producers,
scientists and others, this workshop will generate the program's
research plans and outcomes for the next five years. For more
details, contact Jeffrey Steiner, Natural Resources and Sustainable
Agricultural Systems National Program Leader, at Jeffrey.Steiner@ARS.USDA.GOV;
or Nadine Kessler, phone 301-504-4636, e-mail Nadine.Kessler@ARS.USDA.GOV.
–Mark Lipson
Job
Opportunities
Agronomy
Specialist and Web Specialist positions with NCAT
From NCAT press release
The National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT), a private
non-profit organization, helps people by championing small-scale,
local, and sustainable solutions to reduce poverty, promote healthy
communities, and protect natural resources. NCAT has two positions
open:
Web
specialist with
good graphic and design skills. The position is based in the administrative
offices located in Butte, Montana. Minimum requirements are an
equivalency of a BA or BS degree in Computer Science or Computer
Engineering and experience working on user-friendly and eye-catching
websites. NCAT is looking for a computer specialist to work with
its computer services team to develop, design and/or maintain
websites and webpages. Salary is dependent upon qualifications
and experience. Applications will be accepted through July 21,
2006 or until a suitable candidate is identified.
Program
specialist to help American farmers and ranchers transition
to sustainable crop production. This position will be part of
NCAT’s Farm Energy team which responds to increasing requests
from farmers and farm organizations for technical assistance on
energy questions. The position will be based in NCAT’s Butte,
Montana office. Minimum requirements include farm-based experience
and a BS or MS degree or equivalent in agronomy with particular
attention to forage crops, cropping systems, biofuel production
or a related field in agriculture, such as soils. Particular attention
will be given to applicants with experience or a proven interest
in biofuels (including biodiesel and/or ethanol) and in helping
farmers reduce their on-farm energy costs. Applications will be
accepted through July 24, 2006 or until a suitable candidate can
be identified.
To
apply, persons interested in being considered for the position
must submit a cover letter highlighting relevant skills and experience,
a current resume, and a completed NCAT application form. Other
materials may be required. For full position announcements, please
visit http://www.ncat.org/about_join.html
University
of California Cooperative Extension Vegetable & Strawberry
Crops Advisor
From UC press release
The Vegetable/Strawberry Farm Advisor has responsibility for conducting
an educational and applied research program for the vegetable
and strawberry industries in Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo
Counties. The advisor will identify and assess the needs of clientele;
conduct surveys and field trials addressing identified problems;
and develop appropriate educational outreach programs to bring
about improved practices among the clientele.
A
minimum of a Master’s degree in either Plant Science or
Pest Management, or closely related discipline is required. Training
and/or experience in vegetable production, entomology, plant pathology,
pomology, and postharvest physiology is preferred. Demonstrated
ability to: (1) communicate well in public speaking and write
at a level appropriate for clientele at various levels of education
and experience; (2) teach effectively and motivate people; and
(3) work independently, and as a team member. Fluency in Spanish
is highly desirable.
Application
packets must be received on July 21, 2006 (open until filled).
View full listing on the web at http://ucanr.org/jobdescript/strawveg.pdf
Funding
Opportunities
Leopold
Center Releases Call for Proposals for Iowa Sustainable Agriculture
Projects
From Leopold Center press release
Iowans with research and demonstration ideas for the Leopold Center
for Sustainable Agriculture are invited to submit their pre-proposals
by mid-August. A Request for Pre-proposals (RFP) with information
on the application process is now available from the Leopold Center
office or on the Center’s web site at www.leopold.iastate.edu/research/rfp/2006.htm
.
Investigators
representing any Iowa nonprofit organization/agency and/or educational
institution (such as soil and water conservation districts, schools
and colleges, and regional development groups) may submit pre-proposals;
there are no restrictions on project partners or collaborators.
Pre-proposals
are due August 14, with most project funding to begin in early
2007. The two-page concept papers will be reviewed by Center staff
and Advisory Board members to assess the technical merit and relevance
to the Center’s mission.
Small
Minority Producer Grant
Provides funds for cooperatives or associations of cooperatives
whose primary focus is to provide assistance to small minority
producers and whose governing board and/or membership is comprised
of at least 75 percent minority members. Deadline is July 28,
2006. For more information, see www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=9926
Small
Business Innovation Research Program
The purpose of the SBIR program is to provide an opportunity for
US-owned, for-profit small business firms to submit innovative,
applied, research and development projects that address important
problems facing American agriculture and have the potential to
lead to significant public benefit if the research is successful.
Research proposals are accepted in any of the following topic
areas: 1) Forests and Related Resources; 2) Plant Production and
Protection - Biology; 3) Animal Production and Protection; 4)
Soil and Water Resources; 5) Food Science and Nutrition; 6) Rural
and Community Development; 7) Aquaculture; 8) Industrial Applications;
9) Marketing and Trade; 10) Animal Manure Management; 11) Small
and Mid-Size Farms; and 12) Plant Production and Protection -
Engineering. Applications are due Sept. 1, 2006. For more details,
see
www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=10051
Thank
you to Kim Leval, Center for Rural Affairs, for links to federal
grant opportunities.
Agency
News
Nominations
Open for USDA’s National Agricultural Research, Extension,
Education, and Economics Advisory Board
USDA is taking nominations for 12 vacancies on the National Agricultural
Research, Extension, Education, and Economics (NAREEE) Advisory
Board. The Board was established in the 1996 farm bill to “…..provide
advice to the Secretary of Agriculture and land-grant colleges
and universities on national priorities and policies related to
agricultural research, education, extension, and economics."
Required forms and a nomination letter must be postmarked or faxed
to USDA no later than July 31, 2006. In addition, USDA encourages
nominees to have letters of support. Instructions for submitting
nominations and required forms are posted on the web at http://www.nareeeab.com/nominations/20060512_001_letter.asp.
The 12 openings are as follows:
* Category A. National Farm Organization
* Category C. Food Animal Commodity Producer
* Category E. National Animal Commodity Organization
* Category F. National Crop Commodity Organization
* Category K. National Human Health Association
* Category P. Hispanic-Serving Institutions
* Category R. Non-Land Grant College or University with a historic
commitment to research in food and agricultural sciences
* Category T. Transportation of Food and Agricultural Products
to domestic and foreign markets
* Category V. Food and Fiber Processors
* Category AA. Private Sector Organization involved in International
Development
* Category CC. Research Agency of the Federal Government Other
than USDA
* Category DD. National Social Science Association.
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This is the 12th 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://www.ofrf.org/scoar/index.html
Your
feedback is welcomed. Send comments to jane@ofrf.org
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