NESAWG
FARM BILL UPDATE
Senate Farm Bill: mark-up, set, no go…at least not yet
FOOD FOR THOUGHT:
Civic agriculture = sane housing
NEWS:
NY farming and climate change
Lorraine Merrill confirmed as new NH agriculture commissioner
Vermont state government to take own ‘buy local’ advice
Nourished by a life in cheese: Craft draws Northeast careerists out of offices
Environmental Group: Chesapeake Bay’s health getting worse
NJ Company that recalled hamburger meat declares bankruptcy
Presidential candidates are steering clear of agriculture issues
Effort to limit junk food in schools faces hurdles
EVENTS:
12/11-13: New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference, Manchester, NH
12/22: Holiday Farmers’ Market, Dover, NH
1/15-17: Maine Agricultural Trades Show, Augusta, ME
1/18-19, 2008: Farming for Profit and Stewardship Conference, Hagerstown, MD
1/19: Vermont Grazing Conference, Randolph Center, VT
1/19: NOFA Massachusetts Winter Conference, Worcester, MA
1/25-27: NOFA-NY Winter Organic Farming and Gardening Conference, Saratoga Springs, NY
1/26: NOFA NJ Annual Winter Conference, New Brunswick, NJ
2/7-9: PASA Farming for the Future Conference, State College, PA
OPPORTUNITIES:
Managing Director for Operations and Finance, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Pocantico Hills, NY
Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, Hunger Action Network of New York State, New York City, NY
Farmstand Co-Manager, White Dog Community Enterprises, Philadelphia, PA
Executive Director, Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), S. Deerfield, MA
Campaign Manager, The Humane Society of The United States, Gaithersburg, MD
Campaign Associate, Project Bread – The Walk for Hunger, Boston, MA
Multiple openings, Greater Boston Food Bank, Boston, MA
Multiple Job Openings, The Food Trust, Philadelphia, PA
Multiple Job Openings, Community Food Resource Center, New York, NY
Northeast SARE Farmer Grant Program
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FARM BILL UPDATE
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Senate Farm Bill: Mark-up, set, no go…at least not yet
(Sustainable Agriculture Coalition) – Negotiations picked up again last week following the two-week Thanksgiving recess as staff from Senate leadership and the Agriculture Committee leadership sorted through amendments in an attempt to reach an accord on a time agreement on the farm bill. No floor action is expected on the farm bill this week, but if agreement can be reached on how to proceed, the Farm Bill could be back on the floor next week. At this point this is by no means a certainty, but neither is it out of the question.
Any Farm Bill action in December will have to be squeezed into a tight schedule that will also include possible action on a short-term patch for the Alternative Minimum Tax, a Medicare bill to postpone increases in doctor fees, another go at expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance, the FY 08 Defense Authorization bill, a rewrite of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, the energy bill conference report (see below), and 11 appropriations bills (see below) likely to be combined into a single omnibus bill. With three weeks to go, that means, at best, the Farm Bill will see limited action.
What remains to be seen is whether the leadership might decide to allow the Farm Bill debate to begin, dispose of several major amendments, make some progress, and then halt action and come back to finish it up in late January or early February. That approach might well be best if the endgame is to get a final bill passed and signed into law during the first three months of next year. If, on the other hand, a decision is made to try to finish the whole bill in a couple of days in December by truncating the list of Farm Bill relevant amendments that can be offered down to just a handful, look for dissension to continue to reign and the process to, in all likelihood, fall apart.
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FOOD FOR THOUGHT
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Article excerpt: The seeds of true reform are being sown throughout the country, as consumers are forging closer connections to farmers and developing a deeper policy interest in agricultural issues. This affinity between consumers and farmers has even encouraged real estate developers to build communities that blend working farms into the suburban landscape. From Massachusetts to California, subdivisions that include farms have sprouted, countering conventional notions that farmers and homeowners don’t mix. Incorporating small farms into residential developments provides multiple benefits to everyone living in the community, not to mention profits for the developers. Full article available here: http://www.thenation.com/doc/20071217/cohen
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NEWS
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NY farming and climate change
(Ithaca Journal) – Agriculture is one of the central pillars of New York state’s economy, and as our climate changes, our whole agricultural system will change in response. Granted, one’s first thought might be, “Well, warmer temperatures mean a longer growing season and think of all the cool things we can plant now!” This is true up to a point, but with warmer temperatures come new problems, new pests and losses of crops that can’t adapt to heat. Full article available here: http://www.theithacajournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071128/LIFESTYLE08/711280311/1090
Lorraine Merrill confirmed as new NH agriculture commissioner
(Foster’s Daily Democrat) – On Wednesday, the Executive Council unanimously confirmed Gov. John Lynch’s nomination of Lorraine Merrill of Stratham to serve as the state’s next agriculture commissioner. Lynch nominated Merrill, who has over 30 years experience as a dairy farmer, last month. “Agriculture remains an important part of New Hampshire’s economy and as an accomplished dairy farmer and agricultural writer, Lorraine Merrill knows firsthand the challenges facing New Hampshire farmers and the importance of agriculture here in the state of New Hampshire,” Lynch said in a press release. Merrill has been a partner in Stuart Farm in Stratham since 1975.
Vermont state government to take own ‘buy local’ advice
The state has been pushing consumers to purchase food from Vermont growers for the last four years through its “Buy Local” campaign, and now it’s looking for ways to take its own advice. According to a Nov. 1 report, the state exceeds its “Buy Local” standard of 10 percent of food dollars for state institutions going to local products, but state agencies believe they can do better. “The trend over the last few years is we’re just trying to encourage consumers to buy local products. It helps the local economy and consumers know where the food comes from and support neighbors,” said Anson Tebbetts, deputy secretary of agriculture. “Step two is to encourage bigger buyers, like institutions – colleges, state government – to work closely with farmers.” Full article available here: http://www.timesargus.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071111/NEWS02/711110384/1003/NEWS02
Nourished by a life in cheese: Craft draws NORTHEAST careerists out of offices
(Boston Globe) – At the age of 48, Bob Works came to an enviable life junction. The real estate investment firm where he was partner went public, and his payout was sizable. He could have stayed with the firm, managing properties such as One Winthrop Square and State Street Bank building in Boston, or not worked another day of his life. Instead, he and his wife apprenticed at a cheese-making farm. Nine years later, they have their own farm and turn out 6,000 pounds annually of a Pyrenees-style cheese that is sold at niche markets such as the Concord Cheese Shop and South End Formaggio. “We didn’t want a dissipated life of playing golf and drinking too much,” Works said. “We wanted real careers. We wanted to reinvent ourselves.” The Works are part of a growing group of established careerists who are stepping off their professional ladders to learn such skills as tending goats and decanting whey. Some had never so much as milked an animal, and many were solidly urban creatures with only romantic notions of one day working the land. Now, they are crowding into cheese-making schools. Full article available here: http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2007/11/27/nourished_by_a_life_in_cheese/?p1=MEWell_Pos4
Environmental Group: Chesapeake Bay’s health getting worse
(WJZ) – The Chesapeake Bay’s health is going from bad to worse. That’s according to an environmental group that gives bay health a D grade for the ninth consecutive year Monday. “The state of the bay is worse this year than last. We saw no improvement in any of the 13 health indicators and three of them declined,” said Will Baker, Chesapeake Bay Foundation. In the Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s annual report card on the bay health, the grade averages out to a grade of “D.” The lowest scores remain in three key areas. “That was phosphorus, crabs and water clarity. So those are what drove the score down,” said Beth McGee, CBF scientist. This year’s report found a decline in Maryland’s biggest fishery. It’s believed this year’s crab harvests will be the lowest since the 1940s. Full article available here: http://wjz.com/seenon/report.Chesapeake.bay.2.600818.html
NJ Company that recalled hamburger meat declares bankruptcy
(New York Times) – The Topps Meat Company of Elizabeth, N.J., which nearly two months ago recalled 21.7 million pounds of hamburger meat, has declared bankruptcy, according to papers filed on Wednesday in federal bankruptcy court in Newark. In the filing, Topps said the “severe economic impact of the recall” forced it to cease operations. Topps shut its doors and laid off most of its employees on Oct. 5, a week after issuing one of the largest beef recalls ever. Federal and state health officials found at least three types of the O157:H7 strain of E. coli bacteria in the plant. At least 40 people in eight states were sickened by the contamination, which raised questions about the effectiveness of inspections by the federal Agriculture Department. The agency was also scrutinized for a delay of several weeks in requesting the recall after tests showed that meat sold by Topps was linked to illness from E. coli. Federal investigators said the company failed to require adequate testing of raw beef it had bought from domestic suppliers, and it sometimes mixed tested and untested meat in its grinding machines. The probable source of the E. coli contamination was Rancher’s Beef Ltd., a supplier of Topps based in Alberta, Canada, according to the Agriculture Department. The Topps case is the most serious of 16 recalls this year involving E. coli contamination of beef. Full article available here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/24/nyregion/24topps.html
Presidential Candidates Are Steering Clear of Agriculture Issues
(Congressional Quarterly) – Of all the places in the nation, Iowa might seem the likeliest place for presidential candidates to talk about their agriculture platforms. But for the most part, Republicans and Democrats running for office have steered clear of farm policy in the Hawkeye state, even after the $286 billion farm bill (HR 2419) stalled in the Senate, making it possible leadership will revisit the bill in 2008 if the logjam is not removed. When farming has come up on the campaign trail, candidates have talked about ethanol — a topic that goes over well with Iowa corn growers — but most have avoided going into great detail about farm subsidies, conservation and other agriculture-related programs. In part, candidates are keeping a lid on farming rhetoric because it’s still possible that the Senate will pass its version of the measure before the end of 2007, making agriculture a moot point next year, say lobbyists and political analysts. But that’s not the only reason some candidates might be avoiding the subject. Most agriculture issues are regional, so farm policy can be treacherous terrain for someone trying to win votes all over the country. A farming platform that gets high marks in one state could scare off growers in another, according to Chris Peterson, president of the Iowa Farmers Union. “I think they’re scared to death to really go into this,” he said. Full article available here: http://www.cqpolitics.com/wmspage.cfm?parm1=5&docID=news-000002634906
Effort to Limit Junk Food in Schools Faces Hurdles
(New York Times) – Federal lawmakers are considering the broadest effort ever to limit what children eat: a national ban on selling candy, sugary soda and salty, fatty food in school snack bars, vending machines and à la carte cafeteria lines. Whether the measure, an amendment to the farm bill, can survive the convoluted politics that have bogged down that legislation in the Senate is one issue. Whether it can survive the battle among factions in the fight to improve school food is another. Senator Tom Harkin, Democrat of Iowa and the chairman of the Agriculture Committee, has twice introduced bills to deal with foods other than the standard school lunch, which is regulated by Department of Agriculture. Several lawmakers and advocates for changes in school food believe that an amendment to the $286 billion farm bill is the best chance to get control of the mountain of high-calorie snacks and sodas available to schoolchildren. Even if the farm bill does not pass, Mr. Harkin and Senator Lisa Murkowski, Republican of Alaska, a sponsor of the amendment, vow to keep reintroducing it in other forms until it sticks. Full article available here: http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/02/us/02school.html
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EVENTS
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12/11-13
New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference, Manchester, NH
New England Vegetable & Fruit Conference and Trade Show will include 27 educational sessions over 3 days, covering major vegetable, berry and tree fruit crops as well as various special topics. A Farmer to Farmer meeting after each morning and afternoon session will bring speakers and farmers together for informal, in-depth discussion. This conference is special because it is put together with close collaboration between growers and Extension from across the region. For more info, see: http://www.nevbc.org/
12/22
Holiday Farmers’ Market, Dover, NH
Set your table with local food! Over 20 vendors with be at the Holiday Farmers’ Markets, at the McIntosh Atlantic Culinary Academy at 181 Silver Street in Dover NH (exit 8e off the Spaulding Turnpike) from 9am – 2pm on Saturday December 22nd. Sponsored by McIntosh Atlantic Culinary Academy and Seacoast Eat Local. For more info, see: www.seacoasteatlocal.org/holidaymarkets
1/15-17
Maine Agricultural Trades Show, Augusta, ME
Visit over 100 exhibit booths to find out what’s new, and attend seminars and meetings held by various organizations to learn about the latest developments in the ag arena. For more info, see: http://www.getrealgetmaine.com/visit/trades_show.html
1/18-19, 2008
Farming for Profit and Stewardship Conference, Hagerstown, MD
The most comprehensive annual sustainable agriculture educational event in the mid-Atlantic region features keynote speaker Cynthia Barstow, pre-conference intensive workshops, and conference sessions led by the area’s best researchers, extension experts and experienced farmers. Topics include high tunnel production, small-scale equipment, honey production, marketing, and many more. For more info, see: http://www.futureharvestcasa.org/08conference.html
1/19
Vermont Grazing Conference, Randolph Center, VT
The 12th Annual Vermont Grazing Conference will feature Missouri grazier Greg Judy as keynote speaker. The schedule includes themed tracks for dairy, meat, poultry, diversified farming, animal management, soil and forages, consumer interests, and grazing partnerships. The conference is co-organized by the Vermont Grass Farmers Association and the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture. For more info, see: http://www.uvm.edu/~pasture/?Page=conference2008.html
1/19
NOFA MASS Winter Conference, Worcester, MA
45 workshops on crops, gardening, farm management, sustainable lifestyles, organic land care, livestock, renewable energy and more! For more info, see: http://www.nofamass.org/conferences/w2008/index.php
1/25-27
NOFA NY Winter Organic Farming and Gardening Conference, Saratoga Springs, NY
“Organic Solutions” is the theme for this conference that includes workshops, a trade show and organic marketplace, and keynote speakers. Full-day and half-day intensive workshops are offered. For more info, see:
http://www.nofany.org/events/2008conference/nofanyconference08.htm
1/26
NOFA NJ Annual Winter Conference, New Brunswick, NJ
Held every year for almost two decades, NOFA-NJ’s Winter Conference is the premier gathering for the organic & sustainable food, farming, gardening community in the state. With an impressive mix of sessions, topics will include vegetable rotations and soil health, ingredients for a great farmers market, why and how to buy local, pest-free fruits, composting, pruning, cut flowers, farm to school, cheese-making, pastured egg production, food preservation, and more! Whether you are a new or experienced farmer / gardener, land conservationist, market manager, chef, educator, or interested consumer, there is certain to be something for you. Conference fee: $55 / $40 for NOFA-NJ members. Local, organic lunch: $12. For full details, contact (609) 737-6848 For more info, see: http://www.nofanj.org/events.htm
2/7-9
PASA Farming for the Future Conference, State College, PA
This 17th annual conference presented by the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture has the theme “Ready to Go: Sharing the Sustainable Story.” The schedule includes an extensive selection of workshops, speakers, pre-conference tracks, and a kids’ conference. For more info, see: http://pasafarming.org/conference2008/
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OPPORTUNITIES
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Managing Director for Operations and Finance, Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture, Pocantico Hills, NY
Stone Barns Center for Food and Agriculture is a farm, a kitchen, a classroom—an exhibit, a laboratory, a campus. The mission of this nonprofit, member-driven collaboration is to celebrate, teach and advance community-based food production and enjoyment, from farm to classroom to plate. Last day to apply: January 25, 2008 For more info, see: http://www.idealist.org/en/job/252407-30
Policy and Advocacy Coordinator, Hunger Action Network of New York State, New York City, NY
Hunger Action Network is seeking an energetic, organized and passionate individual to be our Policy and Advocacy Coordinator. Last day to apply: January 31, 2008 For more info, see: http://www.idealist.org/en/job/253490-192
Farmstand Co-Manager, White Dog Community Enterprises, Philadelphia, PA
The Farmstand Co-Manager will oversee the day-to-day operation and manage The Fair Food Farmstand, White Dog Community Enterprises’ retail location at the Reading Terminal Market. Located in the historic Reading Terminal Market, the Fair Food Farmstand carries a variety of fresh produce, meats, poultry, dairy, eggs and cheese from organic and sustainable farms throughout the southeast Pennsylvania region.Last day to apply: January 28, 2008 For more info, see: http://www.idealist.org/en/job/252608-57
Executive Director, Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA), S. Deerfield, MA
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture (CISA) is currently seeking candidates to fill a full-time Executive Director position. This position reports to the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors. Please send cover letter, resume and salary requirements to [email protected] . Complete job description can be found at www.buylocalfood.com . Job will remain open until filled. Interviews will start January 2nd.
Campaign Manager, The Humane Society of The United States, Gaithersburg, MD
The Humane Society International, the international arm of The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), in Gaithersburg, Maryland, seeks a Campaign/Outreach Manager to oversee and coordinate international animal protection campaigns. Last day to apply: December 18, 2007 For more info, see: http://www.idealist.org/en/job/247253-139
Campaign Associate, Project Bread – The Walk For Hunger, Boston, MA
The Campaign Associate is responsible for the recruitment and motivation of corporations and community organizations to participate in, and raise pledges for, the 2008 Walk for Hunger. Employment in this position begins January 14, 2008 and ends June 6, 2008. Campaign Associates report to the Campaign Coordinator and work as part of the campaign team. Last day to apply: December 28, 2007 For more info, see: http://www.idealist.org/en/job/248575-280
Multiple openings, Greater Boston Food Bank, Boston, MA
The Greater Boston Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England, and one of the largest food banks in the country, distributing more than 25 million pounds of food annually to a network of more than 600 member hunger-relief agencies. For more info, see: http://www.gbfb.org/content/main.cfm?sca_id=27&cu_id=12
MULTIPLE JOB OPENINGS, THE FOOD TRUST, PHILADELPHIA, PA
The Food Trust is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization improving the supply of affordable food and good nutrition in the mid-Atlantic region. The mission of The Food Trust is to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food. For more info, see: http://www.thefoodtrust.org/php/about/jobs.php
MULTIPLE JOB OPENINGS, FOODCHANGE, NEW YORK, NY
FoodChange (formerly known as the Community Food Resource Center) is dedicated to helping low-income New Yorkers gain and maintain access to nutritious food, income support and decent housing. For more info, see: http://www.foodchange.org/employment/employment.html
Northeast SARE Farmer Grant Program
The goal of the Farmer grant program is to develop, refine, and demonstrate new sustainable techniques and to explore innovative ideas developed by farmers across the region. To apply, you must be a farmer in the Northeast SARE region, made up of Connecticut, Delaware, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia, and Washington, D.C. Grants average about $5,200, and are capped at $10,000. Due date: December 18, 2007 http://www.uvm.edu/~nesare/FGinfo.html
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Potluck is a monthly e-newsletter sponsored by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) and is supported in part by the Lawson Valentine Foundation and the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation. It is distributed via NEFOOD-L, the listserv for sustainable food systems in the Northeast generously hosted by Tufts University. In case you know of someone who you think would be interested in receiving Potluck, please invite them to subscribe to NEFOOD-L by going here: https://elist.tufts.edu/wws/info/nefood