Community Farm Bill Workshop & Kick-off the formation of the Seattle Farm Bill Action Group!

Sunday August 8, 4-6:30 pm, followed by a potluck

See attached flier & announcement online here

Workshop Description:  Through interactive activities participants will learn about how the Farm Bill affects them personally and create a vision for the Farm Bill we want!  Guest speakers Ben Burkett, Sue McGann and John Fawcett-Long will help participants understand the basics of the Farm Bill, its impacts on farmers, communities and consumers in WA state, and the struggles to improve the Farm Bill in 2008, including what lessons we can learn from these past efforts to be more effective in 2012. Read more »

Position Announcement: Equity Building Programs Manager

California FarmLink seeks an Equity Building Programs Manager to work full-time at the organization?s headquarters in Sebastopol, CA. The primary function of the Equity Building Programs Manager is to maintain and build the capacity of the organization’s Individual Development Account and Farm Opportunity Loan Fund programs.

The Equity Building Programs Manager at California FarmLink (FarmLink) oversees the operation of a growing program that helps beginning and underserved farmers & ranchers by providing funds to start up or expand their agricultural operations. The goal of the program is to help participants increase assets, income, and independence through their successful ownership of independent farm
or ranching operations. Read more »

Veritable Vegetable is the oldest organic produce distributor in the U.S.  Widely regarded as the leader in our industry, we provide full service distribution of organic fresh fruits and vegetables to retailers, restaurants, schools, corporate campuses and wholesalers.  Veritable Vegetable is a women owned business, founded on principles of cooperation, participatory management, and ethical business practices.   Located in San Francisco, California, we have been creating community alliances and promoting sustainable agriculture since 1974. Please visit our website:  www.veritablevegetable.com

After 36 Years, we are still growing, approaching 108 full time staff and continuing to pioneer sustainable food systems.  We are looking for an energetic, innovative Human Resources Manager to join our executive management team and participate in our unconventional approach to doing business.

SUMMARY

The Human Resources Manager will serve as an integral member of Veritable Vegetable’s executive management team.  Responsible for developing, implementing and managing systems to ensure fair, consistent, legal employment practices in hiring, development , retention, health, and safety. Read more »

Apricot Canning Workshop

Thursday, August 5th, 5:30pm to 8:30pm
Including best practices with Jennifer Berkey from MSU Extension
King Orchards, 4620 N M-88, Central Lake

Come learn how to can apricots, or if you know how, come join in the fun of a community canning party. The workshop is limited to 8 participants. You will need to bring your own canning jars and lids. Each participant will go home with 6 quarts of apricots. Jennifer Berkey of Grand Traverse MSU Extension will give a presentation on canning safety. There will be take-home recipes, handouts, and other canning resources available. Contact Yvonne at ISLAND yvonne@artmeetsearth.org or 231-480-4515 for more information. $15

Dilly Beans and Cucumber Pickling Workshop
Thursday, August 12th, 5:30pm to 8:30pm
Birch Point Farm, 7506 E. Birch Point Rd, Traverse City

Come learn how to make and can green bean and cucumber pickles; or if you know how, come join in the fun of a community canning party. The workshop is limited to 8 participants. You will need to bring your own canning jars and lids. Each participant will go home with 4 quarts of cucumber pickles and 4 pints of dilly beans. There will be take-home recipes, handouts, and information on best practices, and other canning resources available, courtesy of Jennifer Berkey of Grand Traverse MSU Extension. Contact Yvonne at ISLAND yvonne@artmeetsearth.orgor 231-480-4515 for more information. $15

Jaki and Rob Roy 3-Day Cordwood Masonry Workshop
Friday, Saturday and Sunday, August 20th to 22nd
A partnership with Friends of Bay View
North M-88, Eastport

SOLD OUT! Contact Yvonne at yvonne@artmeetsearth.org to be added to the waiting list. Jaki and Rob Roy of Earthwood Building School are coming to Northern Michigan to teach a 3-day hands-on cordwood masonry workshop. More information here.

Northwest Michigan Mushroom Forays
Saturday, August 28th, 9:30am to noon

A partnership of Grass River Natural Area and ISLAND
We will meet at Grass River Natural Area and then carpool/caravan to the hunt location.

Come take a walk in the woods to learn more about mushrooms and fungi. We’ll be searching for early fall mushrooms. Meeting monthly in the woods of Antrim and Kalkaska counties. Contact GRNA at info@grna.org or 231-533-8314 or Yvonne at ISLAND yvonne@artmeetsearth.org or 231-480-4515 for more information. $5

PLEASE NOTE: The August 1 Northwest Michigan Mushroom Forays event has been canceled.

Peter Bane and Keith Johnson Permaculture Weekend
Saturday and Sunday, August 28th and 29th
Workshops 1 to 5pm; Evening Talks 7 to 9pm

A weekend of hands-on workshops and evening talks Full details here.

Workshops will take place at Birch Point Farm, 7506 E. Birch Point Rd, Traverse City (Leelanau County)
Evening talks will take place at Higher Grounds Trading Company, 806 Red Drive, Grand Traverse Commons, Traverse City

Peter Bane and Keith Johnson of Permaculture Activist Magazine

are coming to Northern Michigan to share their permaculture expertise. For 25 years, Permaculture Activist has strived to supply information which enables people everywhere to provide for their own and their communities’ needs for food, energy, shelter, a decent life without exploitation or pollution and from the smallest practical area of land.

Weekend Schedule:
Saturday, August 28th
Workshop: The Ecological Homestead: Permaculture Food Production in Small Spaces
Presentation: Introduction to Permaculture Design

Sunday, August 29th
Workshop: The Ecological Farm: Permaculture for Big Spaces
Presentation: Gardening in Nature’s Image: Guild Design and Pest Management in the Home Garden

Contact Yvonne at ISLAND at 231-480-4515 or yvonne@ARTmeetsEARTH.org for more information or to preregister. Cost for workshops is sliding scale $25-$75
Donations of any amount accepted at evening talks.

Thanks to our sponsors!

Fox on a Hill

Eden Foods

Fernand Footwear

Neahtawanta Research and Education Center

Grocers Daughter

Green Island

Oikos Tree Crops

The May Farm

For Immediate Release

Contact: Patrick Delaney pdelaney@unitedfresh.org; 202-303-3400 ext. 417

USDA Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, Senator Lindsey Graham, House Minority Leader John Boehner Scheduled to Speak at Washington Public Policy Conference

Produce Industry’s Policy Conference Delivers Blockbuster Speaker Lineup

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The architect of Obama Administration’s “buy local” movement, one of the most important “deal makers” in the United States Senate, and one of the most recognizable faces in the House of Representatives will address attendees at the United Fresh Produce Association’s Washington Public Policy Conference in September. Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Kathleen Merrigan will speak at the conference’s Wednesday Keynote General Breakfast Session, Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) will address congressional visit attendees after Wednesday’s luncheon session and House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-OH) will join the United Fresh’s political supporters Wednesday night for dinner to benefit United FreshPAC, the association’s political action fund.

“The produce industry is in a very unique position,” said United Fresh President Tom Stenzel. “We are currently invested in the outcomes of many important discussions on Capitol Hill; from locally-grown, energy, climate change and food safety, to labor, immigration and child nutrition. Having this caliber of lineup to address many of these important issues, the Washington Conference provides our attendees, the tools needed to continue tackling these issues. Deputy Secretary Merrigan, Senator Graham and Minority Leader Boehner are each at the core of these debates in Washington and having them speak to the industry is a fantastic opportunity.” Read more »

TELL CONGRESS THAT YOU WANT A FAIR DEAL FOR FARMERS AND RANCHERS

From the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition

Farmers and ranchers who raise livestock and poultry deserve a fair deal and a level playing field with meat and poultry processors.  Some members of the House Agriculture Subcommittee on Livestock, however, would prefer to allow powerful meat and poultry packers and processers to continue to get away with unfair and deceptive trade practices.

The Subcommittee held a hearing last week that focused on a new set of USDA rules that would restore competition and contract fairness to livestock and poultry markets.   The new rules, mandated by the 2008 Farm Bill, are strongly supported by NSAC and have been praised by major farm organizations including the National Farmers Union, the American Farm Bureau Federation, and the Ranchers-Cattlemen Action Legal Fund-United Stockgrowers of America (R-CALF USA) and by more than 60 other organizations including NSAC who signed this letter last week in support of the new rules.

Several members of the House Agriculture Subcommittee, however, made crystal clear that they were firmly allied with large corporate packers and processors and had little concern farmers and ranchers.  Chairman David Scott (D-GA), Ranking Member Randy Nuegebauer (R-TX), Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), Jim Costa (D-CA), Steve King (R-IA), Walt Minnick (D-ID), David Roe (R-TN) and Michael Conaway (R-TX) spent the good part of two hours slamming the proposed regulations.  They expressed alarm over the potential consequences for some of the most powerful and wealthy corporations in the nation, whose unfair and deceptive practices and sheer market power over those who produce our food could be curtailed by the regulations.   They rebuffed the concerns of USDA Under-Secretary Edward Avalos who testified that part of the drastic decrease in our farming population is in response to packer and processor market concentration and the lack of fair prices and fair dealing in the marketplace. Read more »

USDA Press Release No. 0386.10

Contact: Kent Politsch (202) 720-7163; kent.politsch@wdc.usda.gov

WASHINGTON, D.C., July 26, 2010 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today announced that a general sign-up for the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) will begin on August 2, 2010 and continue through August 27, 2010. During the sign-up period, farmers and ranchers may offer eligible land for CRP’s competitive general sign-up at their county Farm Service Agency (FSA) office. The 2008 Farm Bill authorized USDA to maintain CRP enrollment up to 32 million acres. Jim Miller, Agriculture Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agriculture Services, made the announcement on behalf of Secretary Vilsack during a conference call with reporters.

“America’s farmers and ranchers play an important role in improving our environment, and for nearly 25 years, CRP has helped this nation build sound conservation practices that preserve the soil, clean our water, and restore habitat for wildlife,” said Miller. “Today’s announcement will help us create a greener and healthier America, and I encourage all interested farmers and ranchers to contact their local FSA office to learn more how to take advantage of this opportunity.” Read more »

In December, the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) launched a  3-year pilot program to provide cost-share funding to farmers who want to extend the growing season on their farms by using high tunnels (sometimes referred to as hoop houses).  Click here to read the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s last update on the program.

CHEF & RESTAURANT FIELD DAY

Monday, August 2, 10 am

FARM TOUR OF RED FIRE FARM

Please join CISA and the Chefs Collaborative on August 2 for a Chef & Restaurant Field Day at Red Fire Farm.  The Field Day is meant for chefs, restaurant owners, cooks, and servers who work with local farms and/or are interested in learning more about farming and local food. The Field Day is part of the RAFT (Renewing America’s Food Traditions) Heirloom Grow-Out, a project of the Chefs Collaborative, and is being organized with support from CISA (Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture).

Red Fire Farm, 7 Carver St, Granby MA, is a certified organic farm producing a wide variety of vegetables, flowers, fruit and plants.  The Field Day will be a fantastic chance to meet the farmers who grow fresh, high-quality ingredients and to learn more about farming in New England.  Come learn about CISA’s Local Hero program and what Red Fire and other local farms, restaurants and cooks are doing to help restore heirloom vegetable varieties through the RAFT Grow-Out project.

If you want to attend the Field Day, please RSVP to Devon Whitney-Deal at devon@buylocalfood.org by Friday, July 30.  If you have any questions you can email Devon or call her at 413-665-7100 x22.

USDA Press Release No. 0382.10

Contact: USDA Office of Communications (202)720-4623

WASHINGTON, July 21, 2010 – Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack today released the following statement in response to his conversation with Shirley Sherrod:

“Today, I reached out to Shirley Sherrod to apologize. I also told her I was sorry for the pain this caused her and her family and friends. I reacted too quickly. I should have taken the time to listen and learn. While I cannot change what happened, I can try to make something out of this difficult incident.”

“As we know, Shirley has a unique and compelling story to tell. She and her family endured discrimination and overcame adversity. Fighting to advance justice and equality, she has helped farmers who were struggling to keep their land, fought for women in need of social and economic justice, and African-American men and women who faced discrimination. As USDA’s Georgia State Rural Development Director, she worked to promote economic opportunity for all people by enabling job creation and business growth. And Shirley has shown tremendous character through the events of the last few days.”

“Shirley and I talked about a unique opportunity at USDA. With all that she has seen, endured and accomplished, it would be invaluable to have her experience, commitment and record of service at USDA. I hope she considers staying with the department.”

“I did not handle this situation well. I will continue to review the circumstances that brought us to this day and I am committed to making sure it does not happen again.”

“As part of this effort, I also want to renew my firm commitment to put behind all of us the USDA’s past record on civil rights. While we have made some progress over the last 18 months, more work is needed.”

In an interview broadcast this week, Detroit Mayor David Bing said that in the next 30 to 60 days his administration will make an announcement for a “really good size” urban farm initiative.  Currently, there are two major proposals for large scale farming: the Hantz Farms proposal for large-scale commercial, high-tech agriculture (beginning with a 40-acre parcel); and the Recovery Park
proposal by the Shar Foundation to create a 2,000-acre food production, processing and distribution center to generate thousands of jobs for their clients, recovering addicts. Shar is slated to begin with a 30-acre pilot farm. Bing did not say which of these initiatives (or another project) would be the subject of his announcement.

In the interview, Bing also expressed reservations about large scale urban agriculture. Bing stated that the city was “not going to go full steam ahead….We want to look at a template, and see if it makes good economic sense before we commission a large portion of land to anyone.” Bing added that “if we’re going to look at the agricultural industry as something that has success in Detroit, it’s got to be a well-thought out designed plan, and we’re not there yet… but there are a lot of people showing a lot of interest in getting on-board…and we’re going to be open-minded to it.”

To listen to the interview, go to http://bit.ly/9HFYDJ

“Building the Good Food Revolution”

Early bird registration until August 15. Register today!

Learn the ins and outs of the food system at the Growing Power National -International Farm Conference. Early bird registration is until August 15th. Registration is only $275 for all three days including delicious local and organic meals. The menu is prepared by Will Allen himself. We want to guarantee your meals at the conference are delicious, nutritious and memorable.  Register today to reserve your spot!

REGISTER

Don’t miss the exciting line up of Speakers

Grace Lee Boggs is an activist, writer and speaker whose more than sixty years of political involvement encompass the major U.S. social movements of this century: Labor, Civil rights, Black Power, Asian American, Women’s and Environmental Justice. Born in Providence, R.I. of Chinese immigrant parents in l915, Grace received her B.A. from Barnard College in l935 and her Ph.D. in Philosophy from Bryn Mawr College in l940. Read more

Dr. Judith Palfrey is currently the Director of the Children’s International Pediatric Center and is working to establish training and service programs in international sites based on her experiences in the United States. She is the author of five books including Community Child Health (Praeger Press, 1994) and Child Health in America (Johns Hopkins Press, 2006). Read more.

Watch Dr. Judith Palfrey’s speech at First Lady Michelle Obama’s Let’s Move Launch.

Will Allen Read more about Will.

First Lady Michelle Obama (invited) http://www.letsmove.gov/

Urban Aquaculture Track

Learn about growing your food yourself, using aquaponic technology.  This workshop is designed to educate, enlighten, and inform participants, whether novices or experts, operating small or large facilities, in urban or rural environments about the critical aspects of aquaculture including fin fish husbandry and biology, water quality, system design and technology and fish health.

Workshop includes: Production System Technology; Production Systems Water Chemistry; Adopting the Vertically Integrated Approach; General hygiene practices; Mortar and Brick natural systems; Fish Processing Workshop

See Fred Binkowski explain this track : Urban Agriculture : Fish from Freshwater

Many more tracks to be announced soon!

Exhibit Booths are still available. Be an exhibitor at this conference !

For more information on the conference, please visit our official website at www.growingpowerfarmconference.org