Thursday, October 29, 2009

Outstanding Youth/Uncommon Wisdom: Youth Renewing the Countryside

Down a winding country road in Garnett, Kansas stands the Bauman farm, where agriculture is a family affair. Upon purchasing the farm in 2001, the family's first farm venture was to raise pastured chickens and livestock. Today, the Baumans sell about 7,000 broiler chickens each year and an average 350 dozen eggs a week.

With the help of a grant from the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program, the Baumans experimented with pasturing different species of animals in the same area. With the "pasture stacking" project, the family increased their broiler chickens' average weight by 50 percent.

Rosanna, the eldest of the Bauman girls, explains that the weight increase was due in part to the addition of a new water system. "The project had a positive social impact on us kids," explains Rosanna. "It has led each of us to take steps towards farming sustainably."

Rosanna is just one of dozens of young people returning to the roots of American agriculture who are featured in a new book-Youth Renewing the Countryside. Produced by Renewing the Countryside in partnership with young writers and photographers across the country and with support from SARE and the Center for Rural Strategies, Youth Renewing the Countryside shares remarkable stories of young people in each state changing the world through rural renewal.

Download Youth Renewing the Countryside at http://sare.org/publications/youth.htm for free. To order print copies ($24.95 plus $5.95 s/h) visit www.sare.org/WebStore, call 301/374-9696 or send check or money order to SARE Outreach, PO Box 753, Waldorf, Maryland 20604-0753. (Please specify title requested when ordering by mail.) Discounts are available on orders of 10 or more. Allow 3-4 weeks for delivery. Call 301/374-9696 for more information on bulk, rush or international shipments.

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Distributed by SARE Outreach for the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) USDA. SARE's mission is to advance - to the whole of American agriculture - innovations that improve profitability, stewardship and quality of life by investing in groundbreaking research and education. SARE Outreach operates under cooperative agreements with the University of Maryland and the University of Vermont to develop and disseminate information about sustainable agriculture. Visit www.sare.org for more information.

For FFA members, Green is the New Blue | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star

For FFA members, green is the new blue | IndyStar.com | The Indianapolis Star

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Farmer Rancher Grant Writing Workshop

Source: Springfield News-Leader

Farmers and ranchers can learn how to write and submit proposals for grants to promote sustainable agriculture practices at a Nov.9 workshop at the Southwest Research Center in Mount Vernon.

The workshop runs from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The cost is $15, which includes lunch and workshop materials. To register, call (417) 483-8139 by November 5.

For more information or to download a grant application, see http://sare.org/ncrsare/cfp.htm

The workshop is sponsored by the Webb City Farmers Market and open to the public.

Funding for the grants comes from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program.

SARE awards grants for a wide range of ideas related to sustainable agriculture. Examples of 2009 projects include use of green manure crops, reducing parasites in yellow perch production, pasture management and vegetable production.

SARE invites farmers or ranchers operating in USDA’s North Central Region, which includes Missouri, to submit proposals that test and evaluate adaptable sustainable agriculture practices for their operations. Grants up to $6,000 for individuals or up to $18,000 for groups of three or more people from separate operations are available. SARE expects to fund about 50 projects in the region.

The deadline for submitting proposals is Dec. 3.

Wednesday, October 28, 2009

SARE's New USDA Home

The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program has a new home at USDA, the recently launched National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA). NIFA, created by the 2008 farm bill, replaces the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES).

NIFA's goal is to elevate the status of science in agriculture with the mission of using sound research and education to address some of the world's toughest problems through agriculture: global food security and hunger; climate change; sustainable energy; childhood obesity; food safety.

"I want USDA science to focus most of its resources on accomplishing a few, bold outcomes with great power to improve human health and protect our environment," says USDA Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Read the NIFA launch press release or view the launch video for more information.

SARE is proud to be part of NIFA and will continue to support cutting edge research and education projects advancing sustainable innovations to the whole of American agriculture.

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Distributed by SARE Outreach for the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and supported by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) USDA. SARE's mission is to advance - to the whole of American agriculture - innovations that improve profitability, stewardship and quality of life by investing in groundbreaking research and education. SARE Outreach operates under cooperative agreements with the University of Maryland and the University of Vermont to develop and disseminate information about sustainable agriculture. Visit www.sare.org for more information.

Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Field Days Highlight Soil Fertility on Organic Vegetable Farms

Source: http://www.midwestagnet.com/Global/story.asp?S=11353089

Madison, WI (CALS Release) Two field days in November will highlight organic soil fertility management for vegetables.

On Nov. 2, Michael Racette of Spring Hill Community Farm in Barron County will discuss his system that involves annual cover crops, extensive mulching and purchased fertility inputs. Spring Hill Community Farm is located at 545 1½ Ave., Prairie Farm, Wis.

On Nov. 4, Larry O'Toole of Growing Home's Les Brown Memorial Farm near La Salle, Ill. will talk about his use of horse manure compost, cover crops and tillage tools. The farm is located at 2539 N. 30th Road, Marseilles, Ill.

Both events will run from 1-4 p.m.

These farms are participating in a two-state project examining the costs and benefits of soil fertility management strategies on organic vegetable farms. University specialists and project staff will be at the field days to answer questions and discuss findings.

Brochures and directions to the farms are available at www.cias.wisc.edu. For more information, contact John Hendrickson:

608-265-3704 or jhendric@wisc.edu.

The field days are sponsored by the University of Wisconsin-Madison's Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS), with support from the USDA North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education.
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Wednesday, October 21, 2009

SARE Speakers Showcase Innovations at National Small Farm Trade Show & Conference

Friends:

Please join us in November when a host of SARE grant recipients plus staff from the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program will be featured at the largest annual small farm trade show in the United States-The National Small Farm Trade Show & Conference(tm). Now in its 17th year, the Conference takes place on Thursday, November 5th through Saturday, November 7th, 2009, in Columbia, Missouri, at the Boone County Fairgrounds. The theme for 2009 is "Education is the Key to Success", and the "teachers" include farmers, ranchers, youth and educators with hands-on experience.

Can you farm or ranch while protecting the environment, making a profit, and benefiting your community? These speakers say, "Yes!" and will show you how to do it. There will be 38 Farmers Forum talks featuring North Central Region (NCR) SARE Farmer/ Rancher Grant and Youth & Youth Educator Grant recipients. Sessions are 25 to 55 minutes long and run continuously throughout the three-day event. You'll hear about bioenergy, developing markets, native plants, high tunnels, berries, forestry, heritage turkeys, Angora goats, Christmas trees, poultry, bees, herbs, ginger, reducing pesticides, mushrooms, and much more. After the talks, meet the speakers and pick up free sustainable agriculture resources at the SARE Trade Show booths. Call NCR-SARE for Farmers Forum details: 1-800-529-1342.

Choose from 16 one-hour seminars at the show - two featuring SARE staff and associates. Don't miss the Conservation Planning seminar on Nov. 5 by Cheryl Simmons, NRCS National Technology Specialist and NCR-SARE Administrative Council member, or the Integrating Cover Crops seminar on Nov. 7 by Andy Clark, author of Managing Cover Crops Profitably and Coordinator for SARE Outreach.

Six short courses give you the opportunity to get in-depth information on topics ranging from agroforestry to mob grazing. Explore grant options for sustainable farming at a short course on successful Grants and Grantwriting on Nov. 7. Instructors include: Joan Benjamin, NCR-SARE Associate Regional Coordinator; Margaret Krome, Policy Program Director of Michael Fields Agricultural Institute; and Indiana farmer and SARE grant recipient, Kevin Cooley.

The National Small Farm Trade Show & Conference(tm) is sponsored by Small Farm Today(r) and sustained by Bishop & Associates; NCAT-ATTRA; Truman State University; Great Salt Lake Minerals; and USDA-CSREES Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program.

Show times are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Preregistration is $8 for 1 day, $12 for 2 days, or $15 for all 3 days, allowing attendance of the trade show, seminars, demonstrations, exhibits, shows, meetings, and Farmer's Forum. Three-hour short courses are an additional $35 each ($25 in advance).

To register, call Small Farm Today at 800-633-2535, write National Small Farm Show, 3903 W Ridge Trail Rd, Clark MO 65243, or see http://www.smallfarmtoday.com for more information.