A reader recently suggested a great YouTube channel full of permaculture videos, it’s call the Permaculture Science Channel

http://www.youtube.com/permascience

Don’t forget to visit our Permaculture Page if you are interested in this topic

The AgricultureB2B.com Resource Directory is a comprehensive listing of all things agriculture in the North America and worldwide.

The directory features listings in thousands of categories – from companies to farms and feed suppliers to training and transportation and everything in-between.

believe that the farmer has always been in the forefront, embracing new ideas and technology, recognizing the keenness of the competitive edge upon which they balance their livelihoods.

National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition Weekly Roundup

USDA News

5/28/10 – 30 Days To Comment on VAPG Rule The long anticipated proposed rule for the Value-Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program was published in today’s Federal Register.  The comment period for the proposed rule is only 30 days with comments on the regulatory provisions due by June 28, 2010.

5/28/10 – Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program Rule is Out with NOFA to Follow Today’s Federal Register included the interim final rule for the Rural Microentrepreneur Assistance Program (RMAP), one of NSAC’s 2008 Farm Bill priority program.  The interim rule goes into effect on June 28, 2010, but the USDA will be taking public comments until July 27, 2010.

5/28/10 – Funding for Energy Audits and Renewable Energy Development Assistance On Thursday, the USDA Rural Business-Cooperative Service announced the availability of $2.4 million dollars in competitive grants for energy audits and renewable energy development assistance to agricultural producers and rural small businesses as part of the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP).

5/25/10 – Mobile Slaughter Units and Untapped Markets On Tuesday USDA’s Food Safety Inspection Service (FSIS) published a compliance guide to help operators of mobile slaughter units understand the regulatory requirements that pertain to them.   It should also be must reading for entrepreneurs considering building a mobile slaughter facility.

5/25/10 – Organic Research RFA Focuses on Environmental Services USDA is making $4.7 million available through the Organic Transitions integrated research, education, and extension program to fund projects examining environmental services provided by organic agriculture that contribute to climate change mitigation and support soil conservation.

By Judy Scott, 541-737-1386, judy.scott@oregonstate.edu
Source: Betty Faller at 541-389-8088 or minicollege2010@gmail.com.

CORVALLIS, Ore. – Amateur and professional gardeners, as well as trained Master Gardener volunteers, are invited to sign up for the 27th annual Gardeners Mini College July 28–31 at Oregon State University. Early registration for this popular conference is due June 14 and can be done online.

The theme is “Beyond Backyard Basics: The Science of Sustainability.” Read more »

Farm Succession Workshop - June 23-24, 2010 in NW Iowa (Sioux County Extension). Additional info | Register Online

The International Farm Transition Network will host their annual conference July 20-23, 2010 in Ohio. More information

Beginning Farmer Center and Leopold Center release Enterprise Budgets - Popcorn, Beekeeping, Sheep, Sorghum, Sweet Corn, and more to come

Investing for Farm Families Course helps farmers plan for a secure future. Sponsored by eXtension Read More

Managing Tough Times web site
ISU Extension site with resources for families and households,businessess and communities, farming in today’s changing economy, managing dairy finances, and more.

Do you want to retire from or start into farming? The Farm On Program can help. New opportunities added for beginning farmers.

GLYNWOOD AND ITS AFFILIATE LILA LAUNCH THE MODULAR HARVEST SYSTEM™, A NEXT-GENERATION MOBILE SLAUGHTERHOUSE, IN DELAWARE COUNTY, NY

With Unique Attributes and a Plan to Rotate to Several Docking Locations throughout the Hudson Valley, the MHS is poised to dramatically benefit small to mid-size livestock farmers, their communities and the growing number of consumers who demand access to locally-raised meat.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  May 24, 2010

Cold Spring, NY — Glynwood, a non-profit organization in the Hudson Valley whose mission is to save farming, along with its affiliate Local Infrastructure for Local Agriculture [LILA], have launched a mobile, modular slaughterhouse that is the first of its kind.  Currently docked in Delaware County, NY, the Modular Harvest System [MHS]™ is an innovative, next-generation approach to
the humane slaughter of livestock.

“We believe that the MHS will help ensure the future of livestock production in our region and beyond,” says Judy LaBelle, President of Glynwood.  “From the very beginning, Glynwood has  envisioned the development of this unit to be a model for replication.  We know there are other regions with situations very similar to the Hudson Valley, where a mobile unit might well be the catalyst for a revitalized system that will enable smaller farmers to reach the rapidly growing market for regional, pasture-raised meat products.“

Unique Qualities and Advantages of the Modular Harvest System™ The MHS has an innovative design that includes four mobile modules that come together to form a processing facility; it is highly efficient with a daily processing capacity of 20 cattle (more for smaller animals).  It can currently process cattle, sheep, and goats.  In the future we hope to add a separate module for the processing of pigs.   The MHS meets all USDA requirements, offering livestock farmers the certification necessary to reach the broadest possible markets in which to sell their products.

The MHS is the first mobile unit in the United States that has the capability for in-unit slaughter of large animals, enabling the entire process to be conducted indoors for safer, more sanitary processing.  Its independent component system [see fact sheet below for additional details] enables an operational flexibility that can adapt to different docking site and municipal requirements, providing an added efficiency that can’t be achieved in a single unit facility. Read more »

SCOAR is a collaboration of producers and scientists whose mission is to plan and promote research and information exchange for understanding and improving organic agricultural systems.

Temporary Position Opening: Organic Farming Research Foundation Lead Researcher for a project documenting the many potential benefits of organic agriculture

The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) seeks a Lead Researcher to conduct a comprehensive review of U.S., Canadian, and European scientific literature on the environmental and social impacts of organic agriculture, including economic impacts on farms and society as a whole (“multifunctionality”). The Lead Researcher will produce an approximately 40-page report on the potential multiple benefits of organic agriculture in North America with specific policy and research recommendations and an annotated bibliography.

Applications are due to OFRF June 18. The position will begin July 1. Project completion is expected to be March 2011. Read more »

Dairy Farm Assistant

Various dairy tasks available depending on skills. Must be very reliable with attention to detail. If you live in Sandusky County, Ohio near our farm, we would have available daily part-time work for the right person. To discuss details call Jackie at 419-603-8066.

Americorps VISTA Community/School Garden Summer Program Coordinator – Leelanau County

The MSU Extension – Leelanau County office is accepting applicants for an AmeriCorps VISTA volunteer position for ten weeks this summer, for the dates June 14 – August 20th.

Qualifications:

• College degree
• Excellent communication and organizational skills
• Enjoy working with children
• Experience with culinary arts and/or gardening
• Be passionate about promoting the consumption of home grown and locally grown produce
  

Other desirable skills:

• Teaching experience
• Computer skills in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Publisher
  

Description: This job requires the ability to work independently as well as collaboratively.  Activities may include (but are not limited to: 1) providing support to school and community garden programming; 2) assisting with social marketing and programming promoting consumption of local produce in Leelanau County; and 3)  support Bridge Card implementation at Leelanau County Farmers Markets.

Pay: Compensation for this position is $208 per week, plus a $1000 educational award that can be used toward future classes or student loans (or $250 cash).  Position is based on 35 hrs per week (flexible schedule).  The position will be based in Suttons Bay, Michigan.

How to apply: Applicants should apply by sending a cover letter and resume as soon as possible – by May 25th (to MSU Extension –Leelanau County, 8527 E. Government Center Dr., Suite 107, Suttons Bay, MI  49682.  Or via email:  schmi345@msu.edu.

Position Description
Fair Food Network (FFN) is a national nonprofit dedicated to building a more just and sustainable food system. We work at the intersection of food systems and social equity to guarantee access to healthy, fresh and sustainably grown food, especially in underserved communities. We implement model programs and bring the right people together to generate ideas, share resources and promote policy changes that will repair our food system.
FFN’s Double Up Food Bucks Project is an innovative way to encourage low-income consumers to use their federal food assistance benefits to purchase fresh produce at farmers’ markets in Detroit and across the State of Michigan, as well as at participating gas stations, convenience stores, and other participating outlets in Detroit. The project will be run like a small grants program where each selected farmer’s market/outlet will become an official Double Up Food Bucks site. Read more »

The Michigan State University Organic Farmer Training Program is a nine month intensive training program in year-round organic farming focusing on diversified production of vegetables, flowers, fruits and herbs for local markets. The program emphasizes student learning in hands on farm management and decision making as well as development of necessary farming skills and knowledge. The program prepares graduates for careers in organic farming, urban agriculture / community gardening, and other sustainable agriculture related careers. To learn more about the program visit www.michiganorganic.msu.edu <http://www.michiganorganic.msu.edu/> under the beginning farmer tab or visit the SOF web site www.msuorganicfarm.com <http://www.msuorganicfarm.com/> . If you would like to access a searchable archive of the all the previous Mich-Organic listserv postings copy this URL and paste in your browser address field http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html <http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html>

From The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC)

USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) has released a comprehensive report on Local Food Systems drawing together findings from the existing academic literature and ERS analysis.  The report is divided into five main sections:

• local food definitions
• characteristics of local food suppliers
• demand for local food from consumers and institutions
• government programs and policies affecting local food systems
• and existing research on the benefits of local food systems. Read more »

By Sara Rubin, The Atlantic

Salinas, California, is known as America’s salad bowl, but each fall, as evening temperatures drop in Steinbeck’s home valley, farmers pack up and head south to what the industry simply calls The Desert. From November to March, major suppliers of lettuce, spinach, arugula, and radicchio all farm in and around Yuma, Arizona, a small town of steakhouses, strip clubs, and retirement communities. Their production accounts for more than one third of the country’s annual leafy greens.

Seemingly permanent factories in Salinas are dismantled, packed into trailers, and reconstructed in The Desert in time for the first harvest, relying on veteran farmers to determine when the crop will be ready. Glimmering steel tanks used for washing greens in a chlorinated bath, giant driers that tumble the washed greens, and conveyors that gently move the fragile leaves along and into bags for retail are all portable. And with the crop and the factory go many undocumented workers.

But many of the harvesters who painstakingly kneel to cut each head of lettuce may choose not to work in Arizona this fall in the wake of its new, hostile immigration law, putting the produce industry in a potentially dangerous position. Maria Machuca, a United Farm Workers spokesperson, believes that “farm workers will be part of the main target,” noting that Cesar Chavez—who, incidentally, was born just outside of Yuma—would likely have perfectly fit the profile of “suspicious” under the law’s broad definition. “It’s going to have an impact,” she says. “Some of them are talking about not going back.”

The Department of Labor estimates that of the country’s 2.5 million farm workers, most of whom are Hispanic, 52 percent are undocumented. The UFW believes the figure is actually 80 to 90 percent, making the industry a prime target for enforcement. Deportation is relatively inconsequential for some harvesters in Yuma, since many are seasonal workers who commute daily from Mexico, where they board buses just north of the border for a 20-minute ride to the fields. But many of the year-round migrants who follow the crops from Salinas to Yuma and back again—and who account for up to 40 percent of Arizona lettuce harvesters—live full-time in the U.S., and for them, to risk deportation is to risk estrangement from established communities and families.

To read the full article click HERE