These advanced workshops address key issues that growers face when tackling food safety certification. Come to these workshops to get an overview of audit considerations and expectations, hear from auditors and from growers who have become certified.

Tuesday February 9th, 2010, 9am-3:30pm: Southwest Michigan Research and Education Center (SWMREC); 1791 Hilandale Rd., Benton Harbor, MI  49022 – RSVP by Feb. 3

Tuesday February 16th, 2010, 9am-3:30pm: Detroit Eastern Market District – Sacred Heart Catholic Church; 3451 Rivard St., Detroit, MI  48207 – RSVP by Feb. 10

There is no cost to attend. Lunch will be provided, and participants can purchase the revised 240-page “Wholesale Success: A Farmer’s Guide to Selling, Post-Harvest Handling and Packing Produce” Manual for only $25 (normally $75)

Space is limited so register early!

Contact Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS) for more information or to RSVP at (517) 432-0712 or miffs@msu.edu. You must register to attend!

Beginning farmers often face the tough decision of whether and how to incorporate their farm. From my experience speaking with farmers, and reading discussion forums, blog posts, and articles, it is clear that the issue of incorporation is going to be an individual one, and that the best option is going to depend on your own particular situation.

It is strongly recommended that new farmers take the time to sit down with a lawyer, and a CPA who know farming, as well as the local laws in the area where the farm is going to be established. Often a short meeting can provide invaluable information saving a great degree of uncertainty and often money in the long run. Some Extension offices, Universities, State-run agriculture or small business organizations, and non-profits also provide advice, though these opportunities differ in different states, and I don’t have the capacity to research the opportunities in each for the purposes of this post.

I know a number of farmers who have never incorporated, but this seems to become a more problematic and risky as the farm accumulates more resources and value. Incorporating the farm can also be important in terms of tax savings, liability, and many other issues.

There are basically 3 or 4 options for incorporation of a farm:

A Partnership or LLC – (these seem to have similar benefits and drawbacks). According to one web post on Rodale’s NewFarm site the biggest to this arrangement “…is savings in self employment tax by renting ground that you own personally to the entity. But, this can be a little tricky (at least in the eyes of the IRS) depending on where you live. ”

An S-Corp – which sets the farmer up as an employee of the corporation as well as a shareholder. Earnings from the corporation are returned to the shareholders in the form of dividends. Again from a NewFarm Post: the S-Corp has the same benefit as an LLC or Partnership. Plus the farmer is freed from paying SE tax on crop earnings. The farmer pays into social security and medicare through withholding like any other employee if they pay themselves a ‘reasonable’ wage. But “there are downfalls to an S-corp. There are limitations on employee benefits to shareholders that own more than 2% of shares in the corp. This may or may not be a concern depending on the situation. The other problem with S-corps is that they really need to be profitable to make sense. If there is a farm loss every year, you could eventually be limited on the amount of that loss that flows to your personal return. This can be significant in some situations.”

A C-Corp – From NewFarm “C’s are not just for large companies and offer some significant tax benefits but unlike LLC’s or S-corp’s a C-corp pays taxes. You have the benefit of two 15% tax brackets but the earnings stay within the corp unless dividends are issued. A C-corp has more flexibility in providing benefits for shareholders. Record keeping is more complicated with this option because of shareholder meetings and such.”

Separating real-estate from the farm corporation often makes sense as well. It is also often possible to incorporate in a different state, and some states are cheaper to incorporate in than others. This may affect tax liability as well in some cases. Delaware, for example, is often chosen as a site for small businesses from all over the country because of it’s laws for incorporation and because it tends to be a cheap place to do this. The drawback is that if the corporation ever gets sued, from my understanding, you then have to travel to Delaware (or wherever else you incorporate) to deal with the litigation.

But there is another important issue that is often overlooked, and that is that incorporation does not necessarily offer complete protection from liability. For this reason Liability insurance is almost always a good idea for farmers no matter what their corporate status.

For more information on these liability issues, as well as other important financial resources, it is recommended that you visit both our Risk Management Page as well as our Farm Business Planning Page.

The following is a list links to articles, websites, and publications with information about farm incorporation:

Farm Incorporation Basics (Farmers of North America): http://www.fna.ca/index.php?Itemid=322&id=346&option=com_content&task=view

Incorporating Your Farm Partnership (Meyers Norris Penny): http://www.mnp.ca/media-centre/blog/2009/9/28/incorporating-your-farm-partnership

Alternative Financial and Organizational Structures for Farm and Agribusiness Firms (Purdue): http://www.ces.purdue.edu/extmedia/NCR/NCR-568.html

Farm Organization Options (Michigan State): https://www.msu.edu/user/betz/estateplanning/2004%20EstatePlnning/Mich%20Kole%20Farm%20Organization%20Options.pdf

Farm Business Arrangements: Which One for You (North-Central Extension): http://agecon.uwyo.edu/FarmMgt/PUBS/NCREPub50.pdf

Positioning the Farm Business (Purdue): https://www.agecon.purdue.edu/cab/research/articles/Positioning%20the%20Farm%20Business.pdf

Special Problems of Farm Incorporation (Article) – From the National Agricultural Law Center (NALC): http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/bibarticles/randalldesantis_special.pdf

Tax Consequences for Corporate Divisions of the Family Farm Corporation (NALC Article): http://nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/bibarticles/hoodetal_tax.pdf

LLC’s – A New Tool For Small Agribusiness (NALC Article): http://nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/bibarticles/house_limited.pdf

Incorporating the Family Farm: Considerations and Consequences (NALC Article): http://nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/bibarticles/melgren_consequences.pdf

Family Farm Corporation and the Doctrine of Corporate Opportunity (NALC Article): http://nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/bibarticles/waite_family.pdf

Ten Limitations of Farm LLC’s (NALC Article): http://nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/bibarticles/richardsongeyer_ten.pdf

Think Incorporation if Income Jumps (Farm Forum Article): http://www.farmforum.ca/articles/2008/01/business/think_incorporation_if_income_jumps.asp

Ag Opportunities: Volume 21, Number 1, January 2010 (Available At: http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac/agopp/mac1.htm)

Grow Your Farm Program is Growing

As part of the three-year Beginning Farmer Grant the University of Missouri, Lincoln University and the Jefferson Agricultural Institute will be able to expand a training program for beginning farmers. Offered in various parts of the state in 2008-2009, MU Extension’s Grow Your Farm program is a series of eight weekly seminars and three farm tours designed for new and beginning farmers as well as established farmers interested in alternative methods. Grow Your Farm is designed for prospective farmers, beginners with some experience and seasoned farmers who want to make a “new beginning” with alternative farming methods. MU Extension specialists and experienced, innovative farmers teach the sessions. Information on production techniques is relatively easy to find and use, but what many landowners need is help to develop the farm as a profitable business. With this in mind, Grow Your Farm is designed to assist the producer in creating and planning the farm as a business.

This course will help you:

• Identify and prioritize personal and family values and use them as the foundation for the farm mission statement and goals.
• Learn how to “walk the farm” to assess the land and its facilities.
• Learn to evaluate the feasibility of particular farm opportunities.
• Understand the components of a business plan and create one of your own.
• Understand financial aspects of a business plan and review popular tools to manage financial records.
• Consider different types of agricultural marketing and draft a marketing plan.
• Become familiar with a variety of legal issues that pertain to farming enterprises.
• Network with other farmers.

The Grow Your Farm course will be held in 4 locations starting in Feb. Classes are limited to 20 farms with 2 participants from each farm.

East Central Missouri
St. Louis County
To be held at the Schlafly Bottle Works in Maplewood
Dates: Feb. 16, 23, March 2, 3, 9, 13 (farm tour), 16, 23, 27 (farm tour) 30 April 6
Contact: Dean Wilson, 636-797-5057, wilsond@missouri.edu

Perry County
To be held at the Perry County Extension Center in Perryville
Dates: Feb 4, 11, 13 (farm tour), 18, 25, March 4, 11, 13 (farm tour)
Contact: Kate Kammler, 573-883-3548, kammlerk@missouri.edu

Warren County
To be held at the Warren County Extension Center in Warrenton
Dates: Feb. 18, 25, March 4, 6 (farm tour), 11, 18, 25, 27 (farm tour), April 1, 8
Contact: Shelley Bush, 636-456-3444, bushs@missouri.edu

Southeast Missouri
Butler County
To be held at the Poplar Bluff Telecommunication Community Resource Center
Dates: February 1, 8, 15, 22 and March 1, 8, 15, 22
Contact: Sarah Denkler, 573-686-8064, denklers@missouri.edu

Madison County
To be held in Fredericktown, MO
Dates: Feb. 2, 9, 16, 23, March 2, 9, 16, 23, Farm tour date to be determined.
Contact: Kendra Graham, 573-224-5600 ext. 8, grahamkk@missouri.edu

West Central Missouri
Lafayette/Johnson County
To be held alternately between the Lafayette (Higginsville) and Johnson (Warrensburg) County Extension Centers
Dates: Jan. 27, Feb. 3,10,17,24, March 3, 6 (farm tour), 10, 17, 24, 27 (farm tour), 31
Contact: Katie Nixon, 816-809-5074, nixonk@linconu.edu

The following article comes from our friend Mihail Kossev. All opinions expressed in the article of those of the author, and do not necessarily represent those of beginningfarmers.org or its administrators. Beginningfarmers.org did not receive any monetary or other compensation for the publication of this article – we are simply interested in helping to expand our readers’ seed sourcing options, and promoting the development of small farms and independent companies.

Know Your Seeds

Over the past century, the majority of the population has completely lost touch with the origin of their food. If the saying you are what you eat is true, what does that say about our sense of self? Our sense of each other? As a lifelong gardener, I have found that growing your own food will not only lead you towards a healthier body, but a healthier spirit. I learn many new and profound lessons in my garden daily.

My friends and I came up with the idea to open this farm somewhere along the way between a memory and a dream. We knew that over 80% of farmers in this country were over the age of 55 and asked the question, who will feed us over the next decade? I have been saving and collecting seeds as a hobby with my grandfather in Bulgaria since I was 10 years old. I’m 24 now and a handful of those crops are growing on our farm in upstate New York today.  Check out www.collectedseed.com to read more about our CSA and heirloom seed catalog.

Last year, the volatile stock market boosted garden seed sales 400% — when I watched my parents’ investments in those big companies falter the way they did, I felt good about having stock in something that has an inherent and indisputable value: heirloom seeds. I also felt great about contributing to the “small economy” in such a way where I was offering my customers an affordable (but indispensably valuable) product. And what I’ve learned from experience, you don’t need that many seeds to feed yourself, your family or your entire CSA… if you buy the right kind of seed, of course.

Many of the varieties sold through larger seed distributors are GMO and not open-pollinated. This means that they will produce a sterile fruit and you will need to repurchase those seeds again next year rather than save your own year after year. Many of those varieties are also under the litigious guise of Monsanto – the seed industry’s token “Eye of Soron” – which could pose trouble for your neighbors’ seed saving efforts as well.

We have collected the best, most resilient open pollinated organic vegetable seeds on the market (many of which I  have grown myself), all of which are available through our website. We were very careful with our choice of the highest quality seed inventory because we know that gardeners and beginning farmers all across the country deserve the peace of mind that their labor will be fruitful for them.

Nature rewards preparedness, which is why we want to reward anyone out there who is itching to get their garden/small farm ready for the 2010 season with a 50% DISCOUNT on all items before March 1^st.

Please contact Mihail at collectedseed@gmail.com with questions, comments or to place an order for heirloom vegetable seeds. If you live in the NYS Capital Region and are looking to join a CSA, please call 518-722-8239.

Thanks! -Mihail

Collected Seed Farm in Preston Hollow, NY

A great article reviewing a recent presentation on ‘Urban Homesteading’ was recently published on the Civil Eats Blog. The article, entitled DIY Life: Urban Homesteaders at Kitchen Table Talks was written by Naomi Starkman, and is available in its entirety HERE. Below is an excerpt from the article, along with it’s list of resources related to Urban Homesteading and information on upcoming workshops in San Francisco.

If you are interested in this topic, you should also check out our Urban Farming and Gardening Page at: http://beginningfarmers.org/urban-farming/

“At the most recent Kitchen Table Talks in San Francisco close to 100 City dwellers came out in the pouring rain to hear stories from local urban homesteaders, who shared their experiences and insights on ways to become more self-sufficient. Kevin Bayuk, Heidi Kooy, and Davin Wentworth-Thrasher discussed growing and preserving your own food; keeping worms; composting (including the art of the compost toilet); greywater and rainwater catchment systems; and raising goats and chickens (Heidi’s chicken, Sweet Pea, graced us with her beautiful feathers).

In case you were wondering, “urban homesteading” has been defined as:

1. Growing your own FOOD on your city lot.
2. Using alternative ENERGY sources.
3. Using alternative FUELS & TRANSPORTATION.
4. Keeping farm ANIMALS for manure and food.
5. Practicing WASTE REDUCTION.
6. Reclaiming GREYWATER and collecting RAINWATER.
7. Living SIMPLY. Developing back-to-basics homemaking skills, including food preservation and preparation.
8. Doing the work YOURSELF. Learning to do home and vehicle maintenance, repairs and basic construction.
9. Working at HOME. Earning a living from the land or hand work done at home. Developing a home-based economy.
10. Being a good NEIGHBOR. Offering a helping hand for free. Urban homesteading is a community-based way of life, not a business opportunity. Being a neighbor, not a business person.

Our three homesteaders employ almost all of these ideals and inspired us with their stories and ideas…”

Read the entire article at: http://civileats.com/2010/01/28/diy-life-urban-homesteading-at-kitchen-table-talks/

For more information on urban homesteading, check out these other great resources:

Organizations/Web Sites

Berkeley Ecology Center

San Francisco Bee Keeping Association

Urban Homesteading Institute

How to Homesteading Videos

Path to Freedom: The Original Modern Urban Homestead

Books

The Self Sufficiency Handbook

Wild Fermentation

The Self-Sufficient Life and How to Live It

Back to Basics

Homesteading: A Back to Basics Guide to Growing Your Own Food, Canning, Keeping Chickens, Generating Your Own Energy, Crafting

The Encyclopedia of Country Living

Other Resources Mentioned at the Talk

CA new greywater code and other related information from a great resource for DIY greywater design and installation

Underground Farmers Market (there’s one taking place today, Thursday, January 28 in San Francisco from 5-11pm)

Urban Chickens

Journey to Forever

An amazing list of resources from around the world on every sustainability topic imaginable.

transitionsf.org

How to test your soil for lead and other chemicals (University of Mass. Soil Lab)

Sfwater.org

Sfgro.org

Upcoming Workshops

Garden for the Environment
Urban Composting – Feb 6
Spring Vegetable Gardening – Feb 20

ECOSF
Raising Chickens in the City – Feb 21
Bakers Alley – Build an Earth Oven – Feb 27

In the December 2009 issue of the Journal of Extension, Florian Diekmann examines farmers’ informational needs and identified factors that influence their information choices.

“The results highlight the differences in farmers’ search strategies regarding type, amount, and sources of information. Findings show farmers practiced high-, moderate-, and low-search strategies to stay current on topics important to their farm business. The implications for Extension professionals are discussed.”

Read the article online at: http://www.joe.org/joe/2009december/a8.php

USDA Press Release No. 0038.10

Contact: Jennifer Martin (202) 720-8188

USDA Grant to Create Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development Center in Arkansas

WASHINGTON, Jan. 28, 2009 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) is awarding $900,000 to the Wallace Center at Winrock International, Little Rock, Ark., to run the Healthy Urban Food Enterprise Development (HUFED) Center. This center will work to increase access to healthy, affordable foods, including locally produced agricultural products to underserved communities.

“This ambitious effort will create a national center to help establish local and regional food systems and get healthy food into low-income communities, which are important components of USDA’s ‘Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food’ initiative,” said Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

Congress created the HUFED Center in the 2008 Farm Bill. The center is designed to respond to the need to redevelop a food enterprise structure in the United States to make more healthy, affordable food available in low-income areas; to improve access for small and mid-sized agricultural producers; and to promote positive economic activities generated from attracting healthy food enterprises into underserved communities. The HUFED Center will provide training and technical assistance for food enterprises and award sub-grants to eligible entities for healthy food enterprise development.

The Wallace Center supports entrepreneurs and communities as they build a new, 21st century food system that is healthier for people, the environment and the economy. HUFED will build on Wallace’s expertise in economic development through local food enterprises and will work with the National Good Food Network, a partnership of nonprofits, for-profits, researchers, government, funders and practitioners dedicated to “scaling-up” the aggregation and distribution of local food.

“The Wallace Center is a natural choice to house the Healthy Urban Food Development Enterprise Center. With years of experience in building local economies, creating new jobs, and health promotion, I have no doubt that the Wallace Center will be a tremendous asset in supporting greater access to health food, both in Arkansas and around the country,” Senate Agriculture, Nutrition and Forestry Committee Chairman Blanche Lincoln said.

More information on the HUFED Center can be found online at http://www.wallacecenter.org/our-work/current-initiatives/healthy-urban-food-enterprise-development-center/healthy-urban-food-enterprise-development-center .

USDA’s ‘Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food’ initiative emphasizes the need for a fundamental and critical reconnection between producers and consumers. The effort builds on the 2008 Farm Bill, which provides for increases and flexibility for USDA programs in an effort to promote local foods. Aimed at strengthening the connection between farmers and consumers, the initiative also aims to support local and regional food systems for Americans, increase economic opportunities for local farmers, and expand access to healthy food.

The Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food website, at www.usda.gov/knowyourfarmer , features social media tools to help focus the public conversation about farming and food, while engaging American agriculture and linking producers to customers.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people’s daily lives and the nation’s future. For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov .

The UW Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS) and UW Extension are pleased to announce the release of Scaling Up: Meeting the Demand for Local Food, profiling 11 enterprises active in local wholesale food supply chains.

To access an electronic copy of the document, please visit: www.cias.wisc.edu/farm-to-fork/scaling-up-meeting-the-demand-for-local-food/

To purchase a hard copy, please visit the UW Extension Learning Store at learningstore.uewx.edu or contact Lindsey Day Farnsworth: ldfarnsworth@wisc.edu, 608.890.2433.

BACKGROUND
Robust local food systems offer social, environmental and economic benefits. Increasingly, wholesale buyers are seeking local food and growers are looking for new local markets. To meet the demand for locally grown food and move large quantities of it into markets such as restaurants, grocery stores and institutions, local food systems must expand from farmer-direct sales of small quantities to wholesale transactions. By scaling up, local food systems may borrow economic and logistical efficiencies from the industrial food system while retaining social and environmental values such as sustainable agricultural practices and profitability for small- and mid-scale family farms and businesses.

To develop informed business development strategies for Wisconsin farmers and other supply chain start-ups, the UW-Madison CIAS and UW-Extension Agricultural Innovation Center documented and analyzed eleven models of regional food aggregation and distribution.

Community Food Enterprise Panel + Discussion: Examining the Role of CFEs in Local Economic Development

January 28, 2010 | Washington, DC + Online Audio Broadcast

REGISTER!

The Wallace Center at Winrock International and the Business Alliance for Local Living Economies (BALLE) present a pair of panels on our newly released report Community Food Enterprise: Local Success in a Global Marketplace (CFE). CFE, jointly funded by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and the W.K. Kellogg Foundation, profiles 24 locally owned food businesses in the U.S. and internationally (see complete list of featured enterprises), and examines the financial, social, and environmental performance of each enterprise. Analysis of these featured CFEs reveals milestones, challenges, and strategies for replicating successes, and demonstrates how locally owned food enterprises are an increasingly powerful driver for local economic development.

Join us for a morning panel focusing on our U.S. enterprises, or an afternoon panel on our international enterprises, at the Carnegie Endowment in Washington DC (or via live online audio broadcast). Each one offers the opportunity to hear from Michael Shuman, Project Co-Director and Lead Author, featured enterprises, and other invited guests (see speaker and event details below), as well as engage in conversation around the report’s key findings and implications. Both events are free and open to the public, and will feature a catered reception provided by Eat and Smile Foods, a DC-area catering company committed to fresh, locally sourced foods. Each DC event attendee will receive a free copy of the report; space is limited, so please register early.

CFE MORNING PANEL: U.S. Enterprises – 9:00 am to 11:00 am ET; Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Root Room

* Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, USDA

* Michael Shuman, Project Co Director and Lead Author, CFE

* Amy Emberling, Managing Partner, Zingerman’s Community of Businesses

* April Harrington, Treasurer, Oklahoma Food Cooperative

* June Russell, Manager of Strategic Development and Regulations, Greenmarket

CFE AFTERNOON PANEL: International Enterprises – 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm ET; Carnegie Endowment for International Peace Root Room

* Mercy Karanja, Senior Program Officer, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

* Michael Shuman, Project Co Director and Lead Author, CFE

* Sylvia Banda, Founder, Sylva Professional Catering Services Ltd

* Nicholas Kafka, Founding Director, Teach a Man to Fish (sister organization of Fundacion Paraguaya)

LEARN MORE ABOUT CFE! CommunityFoodEnteprise.org | BusinessWeek | Huffington Post

REGISTER!

USDA Release No. 0033.10

Contact: Office of Communications (202) 720-4623

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack Announces Millions to Promote U.S. Food and Agricultural Exports

WASHINGTON, Jan. 26, 2010-Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced the allocation of $234.5 million to 70 U.S. trade organizations to help promote American food and agricultural products overseas.

“In today’s highly competitive international markets, we must provide our exporters with the resources they need to compete overseas during the 21st century,” said Vilsack. “When you consider the current global financial crisis, increasing production in key competitor countries and aggressive use of export promotion tools by our competitors, USDA’s market development programs are more important than ever.”

The funding announced today was allocated under the Market Access Program (MAP) and the Foreign Market Development (FMD) Cooperator Program, both administered by USDA’s Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS).

The MAP uses funds from USDA’s Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) to share the costs of overseas market development and promotional activities with U.S. nonprofit agricultural trade organizations, state regional trade groups, and cooperatives. Activities conducted with MAP funding include market research, consumer promotions for retail products, technical capacity building, and seminars to educate overseas customers.

Under the FMD program, USDA’s CCC establishes a partnership with nonprofit U.S. agricultural trade organizations. Funding priority is given to organizations that represent an entire industry or are nationwide in membership and scope. Program activities focus on reducing market impediments, improving the processing capabilities of importers, modifying restrictive regulatory codes and standards in foreign markets, and identifying new markets or uses for U.S. products.

For more information about FAS’s market development programs, contact the Office of Trade Programs at (202) 720-4327, or visit www.fas.usda.gov/mos/marketdev.asp

For a list of those receiving allocations, and the $ amount, click HERE.

Registration opens for Oregon State University’s Feb. 27 Oregon Small Farms Conference

Mas Masumoto will give the keynote speech. He is an organic farmer in California and the author of six books.

By Tiffany Woods, 541-737-2940, tiffany.woods@oregonstate.edu
Source: Linda Brewer, 541-737-1408, linda.brewer@oregonstate.edu

CORVALLIS, Ore. – The Oregon State University Extension Service has opened registration for its 10th annual Oregon Small Farms Conference on Feb. 27 in Corvallis.

The daylong event is geared toward farmers, agriculture professionals, food policy advocates and managers of farmers markets. Mas Masumoto, an author and organic farmer from California, will give the opening speech in which he’ll talk about the challenges facing small farmers, the role they play and new relationships around food.

Fourteen sessions will be offered on topics that will include:
•       Funding energy improvement projects;
•       Agri-tourism;
•       Farm internships;
•       Cover crops for soil fertility;
•       Small-scale grain production;
•       Alternative poultry feeds;
•       Alternative meat marketing strategies;
•       The business of farmers markets;
•       Electronic benefit transfer system for farmers markets;
•       Partnerships for access to healthy foods.

Farmers may participate in a session that will meet the mandatory face-to-face training requirement for enrollment in the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) fruit and vegetable voucher program. This is one of many opportunities to begin farm enrollment for 2010.

Speakers will include farmers, OSU Extension faculty and U.S. Rep. Kurt Schrader, a member of the House Committee on Agriculture.

To register for the conference, go to http://smallfarms.oregonstate.edu or call 541-766-3556.

The cost, which includes lunch, is $35 per person or $60 for two people from the same farm or organization through Feb. 16. After that, the fee rises to $40 per individual and will be $45 at the door. The conference will take place at the LaSells Stewart Center on campus.

The Kalamazoo Nature Center (Michigan) has a wonderful opportunity for the right person. We are seeking a motivated individual to be our Farm Manager. This person will be responsible for developing an educational, sustainable, working farm. This is part of the Nature Center’s plan to promote the importance of sustainable local healthy foods. A short job description is below.

Web Site: www.NatureCenter.org

DeLano Farms Manager
The DeLano Farms Manager position is a regular, full-time position with responsibilities including, but not limited to, overall management of the DeLano Farms with emphasis on the development of a Community Supported Agricultural (CSA) model.  Responsibilities include crop production, planning and management, care of animals, staff supervision, budget management, planning, marketing, procurement, and shareholder relations.  This position will work with KNC educators in providing opportunities for the public to experience and learn about sustainable agriculture.  The DeLano Farms Manager reports to the Vice President of Education of the Kalamazoo Nature Center and works closely with the all KNC staff.  The position is full-time year round with a seasonally variable work schedule and will be required to be on-call with the farm at all times.

For a full job description and application information click ‘Read More’ Read more »

All organic fruit growers are invited to respond to a grower survey for Organic Tree Fruit Association

The Organic Tree Fruit Association is seeking information from tree fruit growers who are using organic production practices and/or who have an interest in learning more about organic management. As professional growers association, it is OTFA’s purpose to serve the interests of ALL organic tree fruit growers, large and small, certified and uncertified, member and non-member.

OTFA is inviting you to respond to a GROWER SURVEY. The survey is easy to access and will take just a few minutes to fill out. The information you provide will allow OTFA to assess grower needs, plan future events and develop educational materials.

In addition, OTFA has initiated the Organic Tree Fruit Research Program to address challenges of managing orchards organically in the Midwest and other humid regions. The program will facilitate research appropriate to the region by identifying potential collaborators in on-farm research projects. If you are interested in participating in on-farm research, please indicate your interest and fill out contact information in the space provided at the end of the survey.

It’s easy! Just copy and paste the address into your browser: http://spreadsheets.google.com/viewform?formkey=dENLQ3NvUEdsY3V0N1ZXUmk2cHlITUE6M

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Tuesday voiced his support for Douglas Fisher, the state’s agriculture secretary.

Fisher’s future had been a subject of speculation at a Board of Agriculture meeting in Burlington County on Friday. Fisher, formerly a seven-year Democratic Assemblyman from Cumberland County, began his $141,000-per-year cabinet post less than a year ago. The post has no set term.

Fisher “has proven to have a deep appreciation for New Jersey’s agricultural community,” Christie said.

From the CourierPostOnline.com

The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition provides an updated “quick-guide” to federal programs and grants for farmers, ranchers, food entrepreneurs, and the researchers, educators and community groups who serve them.

This chart is a one-stop shop for links to the relevant USDA program websites (where they exist), brief descriptions of programs, and important dates and deadlines.

Find it Here: http://sustainableagriculture.net/publications/grassrootsguide/farm-bill-programs-and-grants/

USDA Press Release No. 0022.10

Contact: Office of Communications (202) 720-4623

PRESIDENT OBAMA, SECRETARY VILSACK ANNOUNCE INTENT TO NOMINATE DR. ELISABETH HAGEN AS USDA UNDER SECRETARY FOR FOOD SAFETY

WASHINGTON, January 25, 2010— President Obama today announced his intent to nominate Dr. Elisabeth Hagen as the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Under Secretary for Food Safety. Hagen will serve with Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack.

“There is no more fundamental function of government than protecting consumers from harm, which is why food safety is one of USDA’s top priorities,” said Vilsack. “We can and must do a better job of ensuring the safety of meat and poultry products regulated by USDA, and Dr. Hagen brings the background, skills, and vision to lead USDA’s efforts to make sure that Americans have access to a safe and healthy food supply.”

The Food Safety mission of USDA includes the Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), which is the public health agency in the U.S. Department of Agriculture responsible for ensuring that the nation’s commercial supply of meat, poultry, and egg products is safe, wholesome, and correctly labeled and packaged. When the President announced the creation of the Food Safety Working Group last March, he said, “In recent years, we’ve seen a number of problems with the food making its way to our kitchen tables….That is a hazard to public health. It is unacceptable.” President Obama charged Secretary Vilsack and Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, the co-chairs of the Food Safety Working Group, with working to upgrade our food safety laws for the 21st century; foster coordination throughout government; and ensure that we enforce these laws to keep the American people safe. As part of this effort, Secretary Vilsack has instituted a top-to-bottom review of USDA’s food safety regulations.

Dr. Elisabeth Hagen is currently the USDA’s Chief Medical Officer, serving as an advisor to USDA mission areas on a wide range of human health issues. Prior to her current post, she was a senior executive at FSIS, where she played a key role in developing and executing the agency’s scientific and public health agendas. She has been instrumental in building relationships and fostering coordination with food safety and public health partners at the federal, state, and local level.

Before joining the federal government in 2006, Hagen taught and practiced medicine in both the private and academic sectors, most recently in Washington, DC. She holds an M.D. from Harvard Medical School, and a B.S. from Saint Joseph’s University. Dr. Hagen completed her specialty medical training at the University of Texas Southwestern and the University of Pennsylvania, and is board certified in infectious disease. She is married and lives with her husband and two young children in Northern Virginia.