Michigan organic listserv-for farmers and gardeners across Michigan
From: Center for Regional Food Systems at Michigan State University
Desk of Vicki Morrone ([log in to unmask])
March 1, 2021
Farm Safety Comes in Many Forms
This article below from the Michigan On-Farm Safety team and it is focused on food safety, helping you to clean and sanitize the equipment before next season’s use. But in addition to this process, take
time to make sure every bolt is tight, moving parts sharpened and lubed and the engine is running well with good belts. The farmers need to be safe to operate the equipment without being harmed. When all equipment is well maintained and operating well there
is much less chance for injury. I hope that you can take advantage of this non-growing season and get all of your equipment in shape for this next growing season. If you are having difficulties to continue your farm operation you can get assistance through
AgrAbility, a program through the USDA and operated in Michigan by Michigan State University Extension and Easter Seals. This program can help you modify your farm equipment and farming practices to better accommodate your abilities so you can continue to
farm and get the job done. Michigan AgrAbility can be reached at +1 (800) 956-4106 or
www.MichiganAgrability.org. When you modify equipment or a system on your farm try to take all possible points into consideration, food safety, ergonomics, the safety of the workers and of course efficiency and
economics. Review the resources and incorporate what you can in your management plan, it can save you time, money and promote a healthier farming system.
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Are you considering to add solar panels to your farm? There is $upport for that!!
USDA Rural Development is currently accepting applications for FY2021 funding.
Round one applications are due March 31, 2021. Visit: https://www.rd.usda.gov/programs-services/rural-energy-america-program-renewable-energy-systems-energy-efficiency
for fact sheet and details to apply for grants.
Future competitions will be Oct. 31st &
March 31st of said year.
I am including REAP Grant Application Template for your proposed project.
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Total Project Costs of $80,000 or less
This e-mail also provides a copy of the REAP Score Sheet and the required grant application forms.
Please note additional items that should also be included in REAP Application:
·
Documentation to verify number of employees
·
Energy Audit, if applicable
·
3 Years Income Tax Returns or Projections
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Organizational Documents for Entity, if applicable
·
Copy of most recent Property Tax Bill to verify Site Ownership & Control
Projects that involve buildings in excess of 50 years of age require notification and clearance from the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO).
It is very important that you Do Not Start the Project until clearance has been received from USDA Rural Development.
For Questions Contact:
Rick Vanderbeek | Business Program Specialist
Rural Development
U.S. Department of Agriculture
3001 Coolidge Rd., Suite 200 | East Lansing, MI 48823
Phone: 517.324.5218 | Fax: 855.813.7741
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Spotlights Innovative Technologies to Build Healthy Soils
It's Time to Register!
NCAT opened registration for the inaugural Soil Health Innovations Conference, which was
postponed last year. It will now be a virtual conference, scheduled for March 8 and 9, 2021.
Emerging technologies and innovative practices have recently begun to shine a light on the importance of healthy soils for the future of sustainable agriculture. And those promising new approaches
are dawning at a time when there is a growing commitment among producers, food companies, and policy makers to improve the resilience of healthy food systems at their very root.
The conference will bring together leading experts and innovative farmers from around the U.S. to share the latest in soil science, best practices in soil management, and the emerging technologies
that will drive the future of sustainable and regenerative agriculture.
NCAT is sponsoring the conference
in cooperation with USDA Rural Development, Western Sustainable Agriculture Research
and Education (SARE), and Montana State University.
The goal of the conference is to provide an opportunity for producers and educators to examine current practices as well as the concepts, techniques, and practical applications that may be available
in the future.
The conference will be held online March 8 and 9.
Registration is now open. To
register and for more information, go to https://soilinnovations.ncat.org/register/.
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Thursdays, 4-8 p.m. |
Course Fee:
$325 - includes: All background check and training course expenses including 1,000-page training manual. There are no other out-of-pocket costs. Payments: Credit card (preferred) or check. Deadlines: Application due: March 8, 2021 |
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REGISTRATION INSTRUCTIONS (FOLLOW STEPS 1-3 BELOW) To register for this course, you will need to create an account, sign in with your email/password, and complete the registration process. To watch a video tutorial, demonstrating an
overview of the registration process, click on the following link: Online Course Registration Video Tutorial. Step-by-step instructions are below.
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE For technical assistance please contact Michigan State University Discovery Services at 517-353-8700 or email [log in to unmask].
They are available from 7am-Midnight Monday through Friday and 10am-Midnight on Saturday/Sunday. For more information about the course and instructors
click here |
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Food Safety Virtual Workshops
Do you grow vegetables that are typically eaten raw? These workshops will provide guidance to develop your farm’s food safety plan and design packing areas that
meet these needs.
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GRAIN MARKETING 101
A “nuts and bolts” workshop
to build a grain marketing plan that works.
Thursday March 4,
6-7 PM CST
Agenda & Schedule:
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6 pm CST
Attendees will learn to evaluate the marketing plan for their farms, the same way an investor looks at an investment portfolio. Producers will learn to evaluate at which levels they can safely market,
based on the break-even points for their individual farms.
This session provides a no-nonsense, easy to understand, grain marketing starting point. Beginners and experienced grain producers are encouraged to attend this session to learn from the ideas and insights presented. Audience participation is encouraged.
EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITIES
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MIFFS is Hiring!
Two positions with MIFFS ARE NOW OPEN!
MIFFS (Michigan Food and Farming Systems) is hiring to fill two positions on our team! Visit MIFFS.org to learn what MIFFS does and this organization
helps Michigan farmers and those seeking to become farmers.
MIFFS Veterans in Ag Network Coordinator position description can be found at here
Michigan Family Farms Conference Coordinator position description can be found
here
Applications are due by COB March 6th
Email any questions to [log in to unmask]
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Job Title: |
Program Director Horticulture/Landscapes
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Location: |
Food Innovation Center at Kalamazoo Valley Community College. Kalamazoo, Michigan |
Full-Time/Part-Time: |
Full Time. Visit :
https://jobs.kvcc.edu/postings/3635 for application and info |
Pay Rate: |
$60,000 per year |
Position Type: |
Staff |
Department: |
Food Safety |
Job Summary: |
Are you a seasoned, sustainability-minded professional in the horticulture or landscape management field, looking to increase your impact
by building a cutting-edge new training program? Do you want to be a part of an exciting, interdisciplinary academic team that is breaking down barriers between health, food, economic prosperity, and environmental resilience in southwest Michigan? Kalamazoo
Valley may have the perfect opportunity for you. Kalamazoo Valley Community College has received grant funding to develop and launch a new certificate and degree program in Sustainable
Systems for Horticulture, Agriculture, and Urban Landscapes. The industry-informed program will draw on existing KVCC programs in sciences, agri-foods and trades, and build upon the interdisciplinary approach of the health-food-sustainability cluster of programs
housed at the Bronson Healthy Living Campus. The temporary position of Program Director of the Sustainable Systems for Horticulture, Agriculture, and Urban Landscapes program (SPD)
will have primary responsibility for implementation of the grant-funded project. The successful candidate will work with the Director for Sustainable Food Systems, Dean of Business and Industrial Trades, other faculty and academic administrators, and the Food
Innovation Center Production Manager, and be supported by an industry consultant and advisory group, in order to:
The ideal candidate for this role will need to have excellent written and verbal communication and be skilled in collaboration. |
Closing Date: |
03/15/2021 |
Special Instructions to Applicants: |
This is a temporary three year grant funded position.
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Research assistant II at Michigan State University-Kellogg Biological Station, Hickory Corners
https://careers.msu.edu/en-us/job/504768/research-assistant-ii
Go to this link for full job details and application process.
Job no: 691335
JOB SUMMARY:
Primary responsibilities of this position include: managing and leading in-season field research, preparation, planting, and harvesting of the GLBRC and LTER research sites; communicating with professors,
graduate and undergraduate students, university staff, industry and farm cooperators, and other stakeholders; designs and establishes field research plots; data management including data collection from field research plots, compilation, analysis, and publication
of the data; oral and written communication of research results to stakeholders; operation and maintenance of research equipment to complete research protocols; daily field research inspection and maintenance to meet all research objectives.
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SEEKING YOUR PARTICIPATION TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
Winter-Spring 2021 Pilot Study Recruitment
Cover crops
offer many
benefits, such
as soil
health and
conservation, weed
and pest
control, and climate
resilience. However,
these benefits
depend on
the successful
growth of
cover crops, which
can be
highly variable
due to
a range
of environmental
and management
factors (e.g., soil
type, climate,
planting strategies)
that differ
across farms.
Given this,
we plan
to partner with
farmers across
the Great
Lakes region
to understand
patterns of
cover crop performance
and provide
site-specific recommendations
for cover
crop management.
By sharing information
about cover
crop management
practices, and
conducting a
brief sampling protocol
to estimate
cover crop
biomass, partnering
farmers will
contribute to
a data-driven effort to improve cover crop
outcomes.
Participants must
have at
least one
field currently
planted in
an overwintering
annual cover crop.
For each
cover cropped
field, participation
includes: 1)
completing a
brief online
survey (~15 minutes)
asking questions
about different
aspects of
cover crop
management, and
2) collecting height
measurements and
ground cover
photos of
your cover
crops to
help us estimate
biomass at
peak growth.
If you
have multiple
fields planted
to cover
crops, we
invite you to
complete this
protocol for
more than
one field
based on
your availability
and interest. We
will analyze
the survey
and field
data to
identify factors
that explain
variation in
cover crop growth
in order
to provide
improved management
recommendations. All
information collected will be
anonymous.
Pilot study participants will be compensated $75 for their time and efforts.
Please contact [log in to unmask]
with any questions or if you’d like to participate.
Thank you!
Etienne Herrick, PhD Student Jennifer Blesh, Associate Professor
University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability
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Seeking participants of Early Child Care Educators in Focus Groups
You are invited to participate in a focus group discussion about farm to early care and education (farm to ECE) with the Michigan Farm to ECE Network. Participants will be compensated
for their participation.
We’re asking childcare providers, farmers, and families to join us for virtual on the topics of local food, nutrition education, and gardening with children between the ages of 0-5
in childcare settings. We are interested in talking with people who have experience with farm to ECE as well as those who have not had a chance to use farm to ECE.
Farm to ECE is a group of strategies and activities that childcare providers can use to increase children’s access to healthy local foods, gardening opportunities, and education about
food, nutrition, and agriculture. Classroom taste tests, farm field trips, and including local foods in menus are some examples of farm to ECE that you may be familiar with.
The Michigan
Farm to ECE Network is a collaboration between organizations, ECE providers, farmers, and families that seeks to improve access to healthy food,
increase nutritional awareness and health outcomes, and support ECE providers as they work to improve children’s learning environments.
Would you be interested in joining us? Visit CLICK
HERE TO LEARN MORE: information, including dates and times for discussions, as well as a brief questionnaire to help us learn more about potential participants.
If you have any questions, please contact Meagan Shedd at [log in to unmask].
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Vicki Morrone
Organic Farming Specialist
Center for Regional Food Systems at Michigan State University
480 Wilson Rd
East Lansing, MI 48824
517-282-3557 (cell)
sorrone11 (skype)
Diversity is having a seat at the table, inclusion is having a voice, and belonging is having that voice be heard.