Henry A. Wallace Institute for
Alternative Agriculture
9200 Edmonston Road, #117
Greenbelt, MD 20770
(301) 441-8777
E-mail: hawiaa@access.digex.net
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If You Are Interested in Sustainable Agriculture...
In addition to this monthly newsletter, the Henry A. Wallace
Institute for Alternative Agriculture publishes the American
Journal of Alternative Agriculture, a quarterly, peer-reviewed
journal of research on alternative agriculture. It is a
scientific forum for disseminating technical, economic, and
social research findings about the character and requirements of
alternative agriculture systems.
Articles in the current issue (Volume 11, No. 1) cover low-
input, on-farm composting; a case study on evaluating the
sustainability of alternative farming systems; soil and water
conservation and improved crop management effects on watershed
productivity in India; a review of the literature on economic
methods for comparing alternative crop production systems;
expansion of the organic food market in Denmark; a South Dakota
case study comparing organic and sustainable fed cattle
production; and effects of free-range chickens and geese on
insect pests and weeds in an agroecosystem. Subscriptions to
AJAA are $24 a year for individuals; $12 for students; and $44
for libraries. Contact the Wallace Institute, 9200 Edmonston
Road, #117, Greenbelt, MD 20770; (301) 441-8777; e-mail
hawiaa@access.digex.net
Alternative Agriculture News: Table of Contents
Congress Approves New Food Safety Legislation 1
Senate Increases/Maintains Sustainable Ag Programs' Funding 2
"Overzealous" Pesticide Use Threatens Pollinators 3
Low-Input Composting Featured in AJAA 3
Positions 3
Ten Companies Join EPA's Pesticide Stewardship Program 4
World Food Prize Requests Nominations 4
Wallace Institute's President's Council Named 4
Resources 5
Upcoming Events 5
CONGRESS APPROVES NEW FOOD SAFETY LEGISLATION, KILLS DELANEY
CLAUSE
Congress late last month passed the Food Quality Protection
Act, an overhaul of the laws regulating pesticide residues in
food. The bill eliminates the Delaney Clause, which bars even
trace amounts of cancer-causing pesticides in processed foods,
and replaces it with a single standard for both fresh and
processed foods. That standard allows only those levels of
pesticide residues that have a "reasonable certainty of [causing]
no harm." It would prohibit the use of pesticides that result in
more than one case of cancer per million people if consumed at
average levels during a lifetime.
The EPA called the bill a "comprehensive overhaul to
strengthen the nation's food safety system that regulates
pesticides on foods." In addition to replacing the Delaney
Clause with a new standard, the bill includes new provisions to
protect the health of infants and children from pesticide risks
by requiring "an explicit determination that the allowable levels
of pesticide residues on food are safe for children," according
to the EPA. It also requires the EPA to consider children's
sensitivity and exposure to chemicals when setting pesticide
limits.
Other provisions allow the EPA to require manufacturers to
provide information about the possible health effects pesticides
may have on reproductive and developmental health; give the EPA
the authority to require chemical manufacturers to disclose
information beyond current laws about their pesticides; and
require distribution in major U.S. food stores of health
information about pesticides on foods and "how consumers can
avoid those health risks," the EPA said.
SENATE INCREASES OR MAINTAINS SUSTAINABLE AG PROGRAMS' FUNDING
The U.S. Senate late last month increased or maintained the
funding levels approved by the House of Representatives in June
for sustainable agriculture programs in the 1997 Fiscal Year. A
House-Senate conference is expected to meet in the near future to
resolve the differences between the two versions of the USDA
appropriations bill.
Here is a summary of what the Senate approved for
sustainable agriculture programs, compared to what the House of
Representatives approved:
SARE: An $8.1 million appropriation was approved for the
Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program; the House
approved $8 million.
SATDTP: A $3.4 million appropriation was approved for the
Sustainable Agriculture Technology Development and Transfer
Program; the House approved $3.3 million.
ATTRA: A 1.3 million appropriation was approved for the
Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas. The House
deleted the funding.
OFPA: A $500,000 appropriation was approved by both the
Senate and the House for the Organic Foods Production Act.
WRP: No dollar amount was specified for the Wetlands Reserve
Program, but the language approved by the Senate and the House
limits enrollment to 130,000 acres, 30,000 more than last year's
level.
EQIP: Both the Senate and the House approved a $200 million
appropriation for the new Environmental Quality Incentives
Program, as mandated in the farm bill.
Fund for Rural America: Both the Senate and the House
approved a $100 million appropriation for the new Fund, as
mandated in the farm bill.
The House had deleted funding for the USDA's Pesticide Data
Program, which tests produce for pesticide residues, but the
Senate restored the program's $11.5 million funding.
"OVERZEALOUS" PESTICIDE USE THREATENS POLLINATORS, SAYS TIME
MAGAZINE
Pollinators such as honeybees, butterflies, and other bees
are "in trouble, threatened by encroachment on open spaces, the
felling and fragmentation of forests, industrial pollution and
overzealous pesticide use," according to an article in Time (July
15, 1996). In parts of the Southwest, the article says,
"excessive pesticide spraying of Mexican cotton fields just
across the border has reduced populations of two moth species
that pollinate certain cactus; as a result, the cactus flowers
have withered and dropped." Another example cited is the
tallgrass prairie, an area which has shrunk from 5 million acres
to only 200 acres. Butterflies are the main pollinators of the
grasses and flowers in tallgrass prairie, but the variety of
vegetation is decreasing as the butterflies are forced to forage
for nectar in smaller prairie fragments. Because native insects
are effective pollinators for crops such as blueberries and
cranberries, farmers and entomologists are "actively encouraging
native species....The rising star of the native pollinators is
the blue orchard bee, a handsome metallic-blue creature that can
pollinate an apple orchard with an efficiency that would shame
even the hardworking honeybee."
LOW-INPUT COMPOSTING, ALTERNATIVE CASE STUDY FEATURED IN JOURNAL
Articles on low-input, on-farm composting of high C:N ratio
residues, and a case study on evaluating the sustainability of
alternative farming systems are featured in the newest issue of
American Journal of Alternative Agriculture (Volume 11, No. 1),
the Wallace Institute's quarterly, peer-reviewed journal of
research on alternative agriculture. Other articles focus on
soil and water conservation and improved crop management effects
on watershed productivity in India; a review of the literature on
economic methods for comparing alternative crop production
systems; expansion of the organic food market in Denmark; a South
Dakota case study comparing organic and sustainable fed cattle
production; and effects of free-range chickens and geese on
insect pests and weeds in an agroecosystem. Subscriptions to
AJAA are $24 a year for individuals; $12 for students; and $44
for libraries. Contact the Wallace Institute, 9200 Edmonston
Road, #117, Greenbelt, MD 20770; (301) 441-8777; e-mail
hawiaa@access.digex.net
POSITIONS
Slippery Rock University seeks applications for a tenure-
track appointment in an innovative Master of Science in
Sustainable Systems program beginning January, 1997; send
application letter, resume, transcripts, and three current
letters of recommendation to Bruce G. Boliver, Chair, Search
Committee, Slippery Rock University, Slippery Rock, PA 16057.
Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and
Education/Agriculture in Concert with the Environment seeks a
program director, a full-time non-tenure track position located
at the Georgia Experiment Station in Griffin, GA; closing date is
September 1 or until position is filled; send application letter,
curriculum vitae, and list of three references to Dr. Gerald
Arkin, University of Georgia, Georgia Station, 1109 Experiment
St., Griffin, GA 30223-1797; (770) 412-4787; e-mail
dirgrf@gaes.griffin.peachnet.edu
Stratford Ecological Center seeks an Education Coordinator
to continue a program for children which focusses on promoting
ecological and agricultural literacy and environmental awareness;
send letter of intent, resume, and three references by October 1
to Jeff Dickinson, Director, Stratford Ecological Center, 3083
Liberty Road, Delaware, OH 43015; (614) 363-2548.
TEN COMPANIES JOIN EPA'S PESTICIDE ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
PROGRAM
Ten companies and associations have joined the EPA's
Pesticide Environmental Stewardship Program, created to encourage
pesticide users in agricultural and non-agricultural settings to
develop approaches to pest control that are safer than
traditional chemical methods. The companies joined the program
as "charter supporters," a role for "groups with significant
influence over pest management practices, but not directly
engaged in using pesticides," according to the EPA. The 10
companies are Aqumix Inc., Cloverdale, VA; Bay Area Stormwater
Management Agencies Association, San Francisco, CA; Campbell Soup
Co., Camden, N.J.; Del Monte Foods, Walnut Creek, CA; Gempler's
Inc., Mt. Horeb, WI; General Mills, Minneapolis, MN; Gerber
Products Co., Fremont, MI; Glades Crop Care, Inc., Jupiter, FL;
National Farm*A*Syst/Home*A*Syst Programs, Madison, WI; and the
United States Golf Association, Far Hills, N.J. For more
information about the program, call 1-800-972-7717.
WORLD FOOD PRIZE REQUESTS NOMINATIONS
The World Food Prize Foundation requests nominations for the
1997 World Food Prize, which recognizes outstanding individual
achievement in improving the quality, quantity, or availability
of food in the world. The Prize emphasizes the importance of a
nutritious and sustainable food supply for all people. Nominees
should be individuals who have worked successfully toward this
goal in any field involved in the world food supply, including
agricultural science and technology, nutrition, social sciences,
and other related fields. For a brochure detailing the
nomination process, contact The World Food Prize Office of the
Secretariat, David Acker, College of Agriculture, Iowa State
University, Ames, IA 50011-1050; (515) 294-8454; e-mail
bjelland@iastate.edu or http://www.netins.net/showcase/wfp
MEMBERS OF WALLACE INSTITUTE'S PRESIDENT'S COUNCIL NAMED
Anne K. Vidaver, President of the Wallace Institute, has
announced the members of the 1996-1997 President's Council,
formed six years ago to provide guidance and support for Wallace
Institute activities in promoting a more sustainable agricultural
system in the United States and abroad.
Members are: Dr. Charles Benbrook, Benbrook Consulting
Services; Norman A. Berg, Washington Representative, Soil and
Water Conservation Society; Hon. George E. Brown, Jr., U.S. House
of Representatives; Ron Ellermeier, farmer, Glenvil, NE; Robert
Gray, Resource Management Consultants; Ralph Grossi, President,
American Farmland Trust; Dr. R. Jim Hildreth, Elmhurst, IL; Ms.
Dana Jackson, Land Stewardship Project; Dr. Dennis R. Keeney,
Director, Leopold Center; Hon. Patrick J. Leahy, U.S. Senate; Dan
Martin, Director, World Environment and Resources Program,
MacArthur Foundation; Dr. Ned S. Raun, Stillwater, OK; Ronald L.
Rosmann, farmer, Harlan, IA; R. Neil Sampson, Executive Vice
President, American Forestry Association; Edward Sills, Pleasant
Grove Farms, Pleasant Grove, CA; Dr. David G. Topel, Dean,
College of Agriculture and Director of Experiment Station, Iowa
State University; and Dr. Stephen Viederman, President, Jessie
Smith Noyes Foundation.
RESOURCES
Structural Adjustment, the Environment, and Sustainable
Development, a World Wildlife Fund book, is $25 plus $4.75
shipping (CA residents add 7.25% sales tax, Washington, D.C.
residents add 5.75% sales tax) from Island Press, Box 7, Dept.
2AU, Covelo, CA 95428; 1-800-828-1302.
"Monitoring Sustainable Agriculture with Conventional
Financial Data" is $7 (MN residents add 6.5% sales tax) from Land
Stewardship Program, 2200 4th St., White Bear Lake, MN 55110;
(612) 653-0618.
"A Guide Through America's Farm Past," the 1996 Farm Museum
Directory, is $5.50 from Stemgas FMD, Box 328, Lancaster, PA
17608.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Now through September 28, the Annual Farm and Market Tour
Series will be held throughout Ohio; for full listing, contact
Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association, (614) 294-3663.
September 3-8, "The Permaculture Convergence: Connecting
with Community" will be held in Almonte, Ontario, Canada; contact
Maureen McEwan, RR1, Almonte, Ontario, K0A 1A0; (613) 256-1224.
September 5, the Thompson Farm Field Day will be held in
Boone, IA; contact the Thompson Farm, 2035 190th St., Boone, IA
50036-7423; (515) 432-1560.
September 9-11, "Biocycle '96 -- Composting and Organics
Recycling...50% and Beyond" will be held in Portland, ME; contact
BioCycle, 419 State Ave., Emmaus, PA 18049; 1-800-661-4905.
September 10-13, National Small Farm Conference will be held
in Nashville, TN; contact Alvin Wade, Tennessee State University,
Nashville, TN; (615) 963-5533; or Denis Ebodaghe, USDA-CSREES,
Washington, D.C.; (202) 401-4385; e-mail
debodaghe@morrill.esusda.gov
September 12 ("Greenhouse and Nursery," Encinitas, CA) and
September 21 ("Landscape and Gardening," Marin, CA), Sustainable
Agriculture Production Techniques Conferences will be held;
contact Committee for Sustainable Agriculture, (916) 756-6967.
September 13-15, Biointensive Sustainable Mini-Farming
Workshop will be held in Seattle; contact Ecology Action, 5798
Ridgewood Road, Willits, CA 95490; (707) 459-0150.
September 13-15, "Practical Biodynamic Seed Growing for
Farmers and Gardeners" will be held in Loveland, CO; contact
Biodynamic Farming & Gardening Association, P.O. Box 550,
Kimberton, PA 19442; 1-800-516-7797.
September 18 is the deadline for abstracts for the
International Conference on Agricultural Production and
Nutrition, sponsored by Tufts University School of Nutrition
Science and Policy and the Wallace Institute, to be held in
Boston, MA, March 19-21, 1997; mail three copies of the abstract
to William Lockeretz, School of Nutrition Science and Policy,
Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155; inquiries can be made by e-
mail at wlockeretz@infonet.tufts.edu
September 21, "Organic Country Fair: Celebrating Local
Organic Agriculture" will be held in Pennington, N.J.; contact
Donna Batcho, Northeast Organic Farming Association of New
Jersey, (609) 737-6848.
September 23, "Survival in the 21st Century: Priorities for
Agricultural Research," the 45th annual meeting of the
Agricultural Research Institute, will be held in Bethesda, MD;
contact ARI, 9650 Rockville Pike, Bethesda, MD 20814; fax (301)
530-7007.
September 26-29, "Branching Out: Linking Communities Through
Gardening," 17th Annual Community Gardening Conference will be
held in Montreal, Canada; contact American Community Gardening
Association, c/o San Francisco League of Urban Gardeners, 2088
Oakdale Ave., San Francisco, CA 94124; (415) 285-7584.
September 28, 3rd Annual Country Living Field Day will be
held in Augusta, OH; contact Ohio State University Extension,
(330) 627-4310.
September 28-29, the Second Annual Future Harvest Festival
will be held at the Carroll County Agriculture Center,
Westminster, MD 21157; contact Marty Rice at Maryland Organic
Food and Farming Association, (301) 371-4814; fax (301) 371-8923.
September 30-October 4, "Seed Saving and Production" will be
held at Newfarms, HC69, Box 62, Rociada, N.M. 87742; (505) 425-
5457.
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