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What’s New in Michigan Organic AG?
Sept 25-Oct 7, 2007
1. Stabenow helps
Michigan with specialty crop subtitle
2.
Farmers Market Educational Sessions will be featured at the 2007 Great
Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo
3.
“Farm it Forward” Workshop Helps Farm in Transition
Notice of Position Openings
4. Opening for an Organic Education
Program Coordinator
Events
5. Open House and tour the Community Kitchen
Trailer –Monday, October 22, 4:00 - 7:00pm
6. Organic
Tree Fruit Projects Field Day
7. New Realities of Planned Grazing and Pasture Management . Friday,
November 9, 2007, 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m.
8. Tri-State Organic IP Video Session 5, Introduction to Organic
Markets and Certification. November 15, 2007, 6:00 – 8:30 p.m. EST/5
– 7:30 p.m. CST
9.
10. Organic
Research Symposium Call for Papers. December 14, 2007
11.
12. Northern
13. Grant
opportunity for Farmers through SARE. Due Dec 3, 2007
14. Localvore
Community Breakfast Lansing, Nov 17 8a.m.-11.a.m
Decided to bring this to the front page from the Blasts
section- this is a historic piece of legislation that will benefit
For
the first time, the Senate Farm Bill will recognize fruits and vegetables,
which make up more than half of
From
the Senator's office-
U.S. Senator Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
today announced that the Senate Committee on Agriculture has, for the first
time, recognized the importance of fruits and vegetables by creating a new
specialty crops subtitle and has approved over $3 billion to fund specialty
crops provisions.
Specialty crops- the fruits, vegetables and other
crops that keep America healthy- make up half of the nation's agricultural cash
receipts, but have traditionally received little recognition in previous farm
bills. This legislation is of particular importance to Michigan, which grows
more diverse crops than any other state except California and is a national
leader in the production of numerous specialty crops, including blueberries,
apples, cherries, asparagus, and celery.
And
that is not all this bill will do- there are provisions for alternative energy,
childhood and seniors nutrition, conservation, farmers' markets, organic
research, disaster relief and much more. Read the release for the whole
breakdown.
more over the flip...
wizardkitten :: Stabenow helps Michigan with
specialty crop subtitle
The Senate Farm Bill also places a
high priority on alternative energy, conservation, rural development and
nutrition policies. From provisions to assist in the research and production of
cellulosic ethanol to loans to encourage the building of biofuel refineries,
the Farm Bill will serve to assist
Also included are numerous provisions encouraging
environmental stewardship, investing in our rural communities, and improving
our nutrition programs to provide healthier alternatives to those in need.
Stabenow provisions in the bill include reauthorization of a program to protect
the Great Lakes by controlling soil erosion and a "Buy American"
provision directing the United States Department of Agriculture to enforce
current law, which states that all federal funds and all purchases for use in
the National School Lunch and Breakfast programs must be from American farmers
and growers.
Even
those who are normally against farm subsidies are applauding this bill.
Stabenow has pushed for months for the provisions, lining up
senators to back her plan to shift agriculture policy away from the traditional
commodity crops -- wheat, corn, soybeans, cotton and rice -- that still get the
most federal funding. She got praise on Thursday from Ken Cook of the
Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit organization that opposes most federal
farm subsidies and pushed for more fruit and vegetable programs.
"Debbie Stabenow is now a key leader on
agriculture policy," Cook said. "She really did carve this out and
put pressure on the committee to accommodate these growers."
But
trouble looms in the form of Dick Lugar.
Sen. Richard Lugar of Indiana, the
top Republican on the committee, plans to introduce an amendment that would
sharply curtail commodity subsidies when the bill reaches the Senate floor,
likely the week of Nov. 5.
First
If all goes well, this could be a big win for
2.
Farmers Market Educational Sessions will be featured at the 2007 Great Lakes
Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo
The 2007 Great Lakes Fruit, Vegetable and Farm Market Expo will feature
special educational sessions on farmers markets on Thursday, December 6.
“This is a great time to network with fellow farmers,
vendors and market managers and to learn more about opportunities for
optimizing marketing, sales and management at farmers markets,” said Dru
Montri, Michigan Farmers Market Association project manager.
The Expo runs from December 4-6, 2007 in
Thursday will feature all-day sessions on farmers markets,
including up-and-coming trends, marketing tactics and market
sustainability. The morning session, titled, “Marketing Inspiration
for Farmers Markets and Their Vendors,” is focused on how markets can
better market themselves, boost sales and attract more customers. The
afternoon session, “Plastic Money Comes to Farmers Markets,” will
explore the growing trend of having Electronic Benefits Transfer at markets and
the benefits of accepting debit and credit cards.
To coincide with these sessions, the Michigan Farmers Market Association
(MIFMA) is holding its founding meeting where charter members will vote on
bylaws and elect the organization’s first board of directors.
Charter memberships for MIFMA will be available until November 15, 2007.
The farmers market educational
sessions have been organized by the C.S. Mott Group for Sustainable Food
Systems at