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9. NO TIME FOR DELAY A SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE AGENDA FOR THE 2007 FARM BILL Policy Options to Enhance Economic Opportunity,Environmental Stewardship, and Rural Prosperity Submitted by: SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE COALITION October 2006 http://www.msawg.org/farmbill/NO%20TIME%20FOR%20DELAY%20-%20full%20text. pdf Provided by Midwest Ag Sustainable Working Group http://www.msawg.org/key-farmbill.html Some Key Points with reference to organic farmers. * Create within crop insurance an accessible and affordable nationwide whole farm revenue insurance option that rewards diversification, and eliminate discriminatory crop insurance measures pertaining to organic farmers. * Increase funding to $25 million for the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program, and create a new National Organic Transition Support Program designed to provide technical and financial assistance for the adoption of organic farming-based conservation practices and systems. * Fund organic research programs at a level that represents a fair share of USDA resources, including at least $15 million annually for Integrated Organic Program competitive grants and no less than $25 million annually for a new National Program for Organic Research within USDA's Agricultural 10. State E85 Plans OK Despite Approval Removal-Concern that Ethanol is corrosive to metals MIRS Capitol Capsule, Friday, October 20, 2006 The state will continue to promote and help build ethanol based fuel pumps despite a decision by a national third-party that certifies ethanol based gas pumps, to remove its approval of ethanol-based pumps because of safety concerns. Underwriters Laboratories (UL) is a third-party agency that tests products for public safety. By law, Michigan has to have a third party inspect gas pumps, so it's been using UL to test gas pumps. However, UL recently decided to nationally remove its approval of all ethanol fuel pumps. UL removed certification because it's concerned about ethanol pump safety. UL is apparently concerned about E-85's ability to break down metals that are used in the pumps, but there is no safety concern to those who use the pumps, said Bob McCANN with the Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ). "This is not an issue about the pumps being flammable," McCann said. "The concern they're addressing is that E-85 is more corrosive to metals and they want to do a test." Nationally, there haven't been any reports about concerns that E-85 pumps are flammable, McCann said. "There's not any kind of eminent danger," McCann said. Anyone who's paid any attention to state politics in the last couple of years know that politicians have been pushing to increase the state's access to ethanol based fuels. In April, Gov. Jennifer GRANHOLM <http://www.mirsnews.com/lob_bio.php?cid=532> had a press conference with GM to announce that the auto manufacturer, Meijer, the state and environmentalists would be working together to create 20 new E-85 stations. At that press conference, Lisa Webb SHARPE, the director of the Department of Management and Budget (DMB) said the state would build an E-85 station at the DMB's secondary complex by January 2007 so state fleet cars could use the fuel. A $350 million investment to create a corn-to-ethanol based plant in Caro and four additional plants were also announced. These announcements complemented a commitment from the Legislature and the Governor to give gas stations incentives for converting their pumps to E-85 pumps. However, now that the third party the state needs to certify the E-85 pumps has decided to stop certifying E-85 pumps, will the state's E-85 aspirations be put on hold? "No," said McCann said. McCann said the department heard about UL's decision Thursday. McCann said the announcement caught the department by surprise because UL never expressed any concern about the safety of the pumps. The department has been discussing the issue with the Department of Agriculture and the Office of the Fire Marshall and all three entities agree that there's no reason to stop using the ethanol pumps. "We're all in agreement that there's really no danger to using these pumps right now," McCann said. "We will continue to expand pumps in the state over the course of the next year." While the UL is conducting its investigation, the state will continue to build new E-85 pumps. Those that have already been built are OK. It's understood that those that will be built in the next year will be open to UL scrutiny once UL has conducted its investigation, McCann said. Anyone building a new pump understands that once UL starts certifying again, minor changes may need to be made to the pumps. The department does not want to use a different third party pump safety certifier because it would take just as long to get that in place as it will for UL to finish the investigation. Bob CLEARY with the Michigan Petroleum Association said he's very concerned that this will slow down the ability to get more E-85 pumps in the state. "We're very concerned and it will probably slow it down a lot," Cleary said. "There's a lot of questions still out there about E-85. It's a significant investment for a gas station to make." Insurance companies look at third party certification when they're configuring how to insure gas stations, Cleary said. So, a station that may have been considering changing an existing regular fuel pump, which is third party certified, to an E-85 pump may have second thoughts because it might increase the station's liability. "If you're a gas station owner you probably see this and take a step back," Cleary said. Clearly agreed that there isn't any reason for someone to be afraid to use the pumps because they're not dangerous. What he is concerned about, is station liability. If E-85 is corroding pumps, people who use E-85 might go back to the station and try to sue it for corroded gas tanks. "I think they're doing the best they can really do," Cleary said about how the state's handling the situation. "It's just, how long is this going to take? Sometimes it takes years but I don't think it will in this case because of the pressure in the industry and political pressure. Jean Doss J. Doss Consulting, LLC 216 N. Chestnut Street Lansing, MI 48933-1021 Ph: 517/999-3165 Cell: 517/202-2302 Fax: 517/484-3332 email: [log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> 11. California Lawmakers Make Plans To Get Spinach Back On Track Representative Sam Farr, D-Carmel, and State Sen. Jeff Denham, R-Merced, are working to get to the bottom of the spinach situation. Farr is said to be planning a private meeting Oct. 27 with growers from California's Salinas Valley as well as researchers and state and federal officials to discuss what needs to be done to prevent E. coli from making its way into bags of fresh produce. Chairman of the state Senate Agriculture Committee, Denham has announced that a joint hearing of the state Legislature's agricultural committees on the E. coli outbreak will be held in about six to eight weeks. Denham scheduled the hearings nearly two months down the road to give officials more time to investigate how the contamination occurred. The committees reportedly will collaborate with the California Department of Food and Agriculture, the Center for Disease Control, and the Department of Health Services. The joint hearing will review the investigation and discuss ways to prevent future problems with fresh produce. Whether new legislation is necessary to prevent a future outbreak also will be discussed. In other news, California lettuce is still not welcome in Mexico. The ban stems from a voluntary recall of lettuce from a California grower, The Nunes Co. Test results later indicated that the lettuce from Nunes Co. was not contaminated with the deadly strain of E. coli bacteria. According to one report, Mexico may lift the ban after it receives FDA results, which may come later this week. 12. Pollinators crash Researchers wonder where all the pollinators have gone. Losses imperil plants, and maybe, the food supply By John Donnelly, Globe Staff | October 19, 2006 WASHINGTON -- Pity the honeybee, hummingbird, and bat. And possibly us. What struck me this year is that all wasps (V. germanica)nests for miles around here died off in mid summer. I heard that this seems to have started last year in other areas. Larvae at different stages of developement were present with adults to feed them and then in a short time the whole nest died out adults and larvae together. I checked on some twenty paper nests and found all extinct with insects dead inside. Cause unknown.I would like to find out if anyone as seen something similar. John in Ireland At Michigan State University Dr Rufus Isaacs studies pollinators in agriculture systems and so I asked him if he was aware of such a problem in Michigan. He is not and replied that he has seen plenty of wasps in his area (home garden and research)>and offered this web site for your reference about pollinators. I heard the story last night on Living On Earth on NPR: http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=06-P13-00042&segmentID=7 <http://www.loe.org/shows/segments.htm?programID=06-P13-00042&segmentID= 7> This discusses the role of pollinators in our environment and their fate or survivability. Also all you farmers have you every considered enhancing your buffer strips with flowering native plants to encourage beneficial insects, including parasitic wasps? Well MSU has a project studying which native plants offer the best habitat for beneficial insects. Here is their web site that includes lists of the top candidates. Even if you can't plant your buffer zones with natives perhaps you could incorporate them on the boarder rows of your field? Here is a web site with info on many native plants and the work that has been done using native plants to attract beneficial insects. http://ipm.msu.edu/plants/home.htm 13. DON'T MISS THIS FILM SERIES (and FARMERS MARKET) SPONSORED BY AGRICULTURE & HEALTH ALIVE: "Food, Farming, Health, Education and Native Culture" Wednesdays, 7 p.m. (doors open at 6 p.m.) Wealthy Theater, 1130 Wealthy SE, Grand Rapids *Admission is $5 for adults and $2 for seniors and students. Light dinner and snacks available before films and during intermission. Shop at the farmers market in the theater lobby, too! Nov. 1 -- Juliette of the Herbs, 75 min., and Homeopathy, 60 min. Nov. 22 -- Animal Health, 25 min.; and A Minnesota Organic Dairy Farm Operation, 25 min.; and Small Ruminants: Sheep and Goats, 47 minutes Dec. 6 -- 3 films followed by a panel discussion: Impact of Fresh, Healthy Foods on Learning and Behavior, 18 min.; Creating a School Garden: The Hollywood Elementary Story, 22 min.; Mixed Greens: Growing Kids who Grow Gardens, 8 min. Dec. 20 -- Wrath of Grapes, 16 min. and Covering New Ground: Wisconsin's Sustainable Agriculture, 60 min. This film series continues through April 2007. For details, contact [log in to unmask] or call 616-677-6176. Tom Cary Sustainable Agriculture and Local Food Systems Program West Michigan Environmental Action Council 1007 Lake Dr. SE Grand Rapids, MI 49506 (616) 451-3051/-3054 (fax) [log in to unmask] If you would like to access previous postings to the Mich-Organic listserv you can copy and paste the following URL into your browser address bar http://list.msu.edu/archives/mich-organic.html