The Center for Sustainable Agricultural Systems (CSAS) in the Institute of
Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) is an interdisciplinary center formed in 1991 for the
purpose of bringing together people and resources to promote an agriculture
that is efficient, competitive, profitable, environmentally and socially
sustainable for the indefinite future. Electronic versions of the CSAS
bimonthly newsletter are sent to SANET and PENPages 10-14 days before those
on our mailing list receive their hard copy. They are also available along
with other sustainable ag information on our World Wide Web page:
http://ianrwww.unl.edu/ianr/csas
Note: The electronic version is not sent to individual e-mail addresses. To
be added to the "hard copy" newsletter mailing list (not sent to overseas
addresses), or for questions or comments, contact the newsletter editor, Pam
Murray, Coordinator, Center for Sustainable Agricultural Systems, PO Box
830949, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0949, 402-472-2056, fax
-4104, e-mail: csas001@unlvm.unl.edu.
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CONTENTS:
NEBRASKA IMPACT PROJECT UPDATE=20
NORTH CENTRAL REGION EVALUATES SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE TRAINING
ANNUAL MEETINGS IN NEBRASKA TO SHOWCASE INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL
FARMING
INTEGRATED FARM UPDATE: TO GRAZE OR NOT TO GRAZE?
USDA ANNOUNCES POLICY DIRECTIVE COMMITTING AGENCY TO SUSTAINABLE AG
TRANSFORMATION OF LAND GRANT UNIVERSITIES
FOOD CIRCLES: A BIOREGIONAL APPROACH
FUND FOR RURAL AMERICA
AG PRODUCTION AND NUTRITION CONFERENCE
RICHARD OLSON NAMED PRESIDENTIAL FELLOW
RESOURCES
DID YOU KNOW...
COMING EVENTS
*********************
NEBRASKA IMPACT PROJECT UPDATE
Profitability. Environmentally friendly production. Rural-urban linkages.
Getting families involved in farming. These goals =97 not necessarily in=
order
of importance =97 belong to four farmers in Adams County, Nebraska. The
farmers work as a group to meet their goals. They raise broilers on pasture,
Joel Salatin-style. They market the birds around Hastings.
Experience was the teacher for this group in their first year, 1995. The
farmers learned how to raise poultry on pasture, how to slaughter and sell
the birds, and especially how to work together. Working as a group was
essential, they say. The farmers called each other for help when problems
came up in raising the birds. They had to cooperate to buy special
antibiotic-free poultry feed to supplement what the birds got from pasture.
They also bought a portable slaughter facility to share among the group, and
they helped each other on slaughtering day at each farm. Customers came out
to the farms to buy birds and meet the farmers. In 1995 the farmers were so
successful with their enterprise that they had to raise twice as many birds
in 1996, and they plan to raise even more in 1997. The group credits their
success to the superiority of their product. Customers are pleased with the
appearance, cleanliness, and flavor of the birds. And customers like the
fact that families are involved in raising the poultry.
Besides working for themselves, the group has taught a few other farmers how
to raise and sell pastured poultry. They rent out the portable slaughter
facility when they don't need it. The group's long-term vision is to create
a sustainable local poultry industry, and they are definitely on their way.
This group did not come together on its own. The effort of a concerned local
Extension educator and the opportunity to join the Nebraska IMPACT Project
combined to provide impetus for the group to form. The IMPACT Project
provides minigrants and staff support to small groups of farmers, ranchers,
and community members. Groups design projects to address local concerns for
sustainable agriculture or community development. A steering committee made
up of members of IMPACT groups chooses projects to fund. The idea behind the
IMPACT Project is that people can do more together than alone.
Presently the IMPACT Project supports 13 groups across Nebraska. Groups'
interests include management-intensive grazing systems, leadership skills
for rural women, community gardening, organic grain and vegetable
production. And, of course, pastured poultry.
The IMPACT Project is a collaborative effort of the Nebraska Sustainable
Agriculture Society, the Center for Rural Affairs, and the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln. The CSAS was instrumental in obtaining the grant from the
Kellogg Foundation that initiated the project.
The deadline for applications for the next round of funding is February 22.
For more information, contact the IMPACT Project office at 402/254-2289,
ceruaf01@nol.org.
"We have grown faster and accomplished more [together] than we would have
trying to work separately." (Group project member)
"[IMPACT] is a creative, energizing program with great potential to guide
rural development of sustainable farming systems and communities."
(Extension specialist)
Above article submitted by Victoria Mundy
NORTH CENTRAL REGION EVALUATES SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE TRAINING
"I was pleased with the multitude of activities in state training programs
and the variety of people coming together to determine direction."
"People learn differently, and we need a whole array of methods to get the
message out."
These comments surfaced at a joint meeting between the North Central
Administrative Council and representatives from state Professional
Development Programs (formerly referred to as Chapter 3) in Kansas City on
November 17-18. The objectives were to review state and regional programs in
sustainable agriculture training and to provide direction for the future.
Agenda items included state reports, a discussion on integrating the
different grant programs, and an overview and planning session on the North
Central Sustainable Agriculture Training Program (NCSATP). We observed a
substantial increase in partnerships with groups outside Extension for
designing and delivering sustainable agriculture training.
Monday's discussion focused on one key question: How do we link results from
research, producer, and training grants and make sure the information gets
out? Rob Myers, director of the national SARE program, announced that a
database listing all grants with key words would soon be available. Beyond
the technical approach, many participants remarked that more farmers and
community members must be involved in the process, with more input from the
local level.
State sustainable agriculture coordinators reviewed the NCSATP and made
recommendations for the next few years. One valuable benefit has been the
interaction with people from various backgrounds who are interested in
sustainable agriculture. The workshops instilled a sense of community and
"recharged batteries" for those people who feel isolated in their daily work
environments. Suggested topics for future workshops included:
- Regional curriculum presentation;
- Economic impact for the individual producer;
- Sustainable agriculture and rural community development;
- Showcase of producers who have made a transition to sustainable systems.
The group wanted the workshops to continue to emphasize face-to-face
communication, but to use distance technologies where appropriate.
Activities may involve moving information on practices to downlink
locations, broadcasting farmer interviews, or designing video tours of
site-specific demonstrations. We appreciated one adminstrator's remark,
"I've come to respect farmer knowledge=97that's a big change for me."
Above article submitted by Heidi Carter and Charles Francis
ANNUAL MEETINGS IN NEBRASKA TO SHOWCASE INNOVATIVE STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESSFUL
FARMING
Mark your calendar for the 1997 Annual Meetings of the Nebraska Sustainable
Agriculture Society and the Nebraska Fruit and Vegetable Growers, to be held
February 21-22 in Columbus. Themed Grow Better, Not Bigger, this year's
meetings will feature two days of exciting speakers and interesting=
workshops.
Keynote presenters include North Dakota farmer Fred Kirschenmann and Iowa
State University rural sociologist Cornelia Butler-Flora. Kirschenmann will
discuss innovative agricultural strategies in light of the future direction
of greater economy and market. He will present value-added agriculture and
direct marketing approaches for sustaining family farms. Butler-Flora will
discuss how different kinds of farming contribute to the economic and
environmental well-being of rural communities. She will share her years of
research experience in the Midwest.
Workshop topics include biological control of pests in fruits and
vegetables, sizing equipment to farming operations, organic gardening,
manure management, and raising poultry on pasture.=20
The event is co-sponsored by the CSAS and the Organic Crop Improvement
Association, Nebraska Chapter 3. For more information, call the NSAS at
402-254-2289, or visit the new NSAS Web page at:
http://www.netins.net/showcase/nsas
INTEGRATED FARM UPDATE: TO GRAZE OR NOT TO GRAZE?
This is a question asked by farmers who are concerned about the impact of
grazing crop residues during the fall and winter on future crop production.
While the grazing of corn stalks and sorghum stubble during the winter
months is common throughout the Midwest, little information is available on
the influence of grazing on subsequent crop yields.
When the Integrated Farm was initiated in 1992 at the University of Nebraska
Agricultural Research and Development Center, one of the primary goals was
to maximize utilization of resources on the farm, such as crop residues for
livestock grazing. Several experiments have been conducted under different
environmental conditions during the past three years to determine if winter
grazing affects crop yields, soil compaction, and residue cover. Results of
these studies show no decrease in crop yields, an increase in surface soil
compaction, and a decrease in percent residue cover following fall and
winter grazing of crop residues.
Under two center pivot irrigation systems, cows grazed irrigated corn stalks
for 60-70 days from late November to early January. One-half of the land
under each center pivot was in corn, while the other half was in soybeans,
and the following year crops were rotated. Part of the field was left
ungrazed for comparison between grazed and ungrazed corn stalks. In the
spring soybeans were no-till planted into the corn stalks. Soybean yields
were compared for grazed and ungrazed areas in the fall. Irrigated soybean
yields were similar for grazed and ungrazed areas each year, averaging 55
bu/ac for both over the three-year period.
Under dryland conditions, the effect of grazing has been investigated in a
three-year corn-grain sorghum-soybean rotation. All three crops have been
grazed by calves through the winter months and compared to ungrazed areas.
These ungrazed areas have been maintained the past four years and will
continue to be maintained so any long-term effects of grazing can be
identified. The three-year average yields for soybeans, corn and grain
sorghum showed no difference between grazed and ungrazed plots.
Other trials investigating the effect of winter crop residue grazing after
one to three years show no effects on subsequent crop yields from grazing.
These results suggest that if cattle are removed from stalk fields in early
March before fields thaw and become muddy, crops should not be affected by
grazing. If cattle are allowed to graze later in the spring, tracking caused
by cattle may require tillage prior to planting.
Soil bulk density, an indication of soil compaction, was increased on the
0-6" depths in tracks from cattle taken in the spring of the year. Residue
cover was reduced as much as 25% in corn, 20% in grain sorghum, and 34% in
soybeans following winter grazing compared to ungrazed areas. While these
factors did not affect yield, they may affect runoff following significant
rainfall on erodible land.
A final trial evaluated winter grazing of corn stalks under ridge-till and
conventional tillage systems. There has been no consistent effect on corn
yields following grazing of stalks after three years. Observations also
suggest that ridges can be maintained on a ridge-till system even after
being grazed for four years. Ungrazed areas will be maintained in several
fields to continue evaluating long-term effects of grazing on crop yields
and soil properties.
Above article submitted by Gary Lesoing
USDA ANNOUNCES POLICY DIRECTIVE COMMITTING AGENCY TO SUSTAINABLE AG
In October USDA announced a new agency-wide policy directive expressing its
commitment to sustainable agriculture, based on a Memorandum on Sustainable
Development issued by Secretary Dan Glickman. That memorandum supports
sustainability throughout the Department's programs, and culminates the
year-long work of the 50-member interagency Sustainable Agriculture Working
Group, which examined barriers to adopting more sustainable farming methods.
It also responds to recommendations from the President's Council on
Sustainable Development.
"The purpose of this memorandum is to state the Department's support for
policies, programs, activities and education in sustainable development,
including sustainable agriculture, sustainable forestry and sustainable
rural community development, and to establish a mechanism to coordinate
these efforts across the Department," the memorandum reads.
"USDA is committed to working toward the economic, environmental and social
sustainability of diverse food, fiber, agriculture, forest and range
systems. USDA will balance goals of improved production and profitability,
stewardship of the natural resource base and ecological systems, and
enhancement of the vitality of rural communities."
In its report, "Toward a More Sustainable American Agriculture," the
Sustainable Agriculture Working Group identified 33 ways for the USDA to
overcome barriers to sustainable agriculture, including:
* Promoting systems-based research and education efforts by developing
scholarships for post-graduate research and education programs on
sustainable agriculture, continuing support for the SARE program, and
establishing awards programs to identify and reward university and
Agricultural Research Service (ARS) scientists who incorporate
systems-oriented approaches in their research and education programs.
* Involving producers, especially those with sustainable agriculture
expertise, in developing research priorities, making funding decisions,
conducting research projects and implementing education efforts based on
research results. This might include planning, conducting and evaluating
research within the ARS and the National Research Initiative.
* Examining the use of current research reporting mechanisms, such as
Current Research Information System (CRIS), for documenting sustainable
agriculture research. Where CRIS or other systems are used in research
evaluation, such as in the ARS, the use of sustainable agriculture-relevant
criteria in project planning and reporting should be considered.
* Encouraging agricultural scientists to include relevance to sustainable
agriculture in their research activities, and encourage collaboration on
interdisciplinary systems projects.
Secretary Glickman has also established a USDA Council on Sustainable
Development to follow up on the recommendations of the Working Group and the
President's Council. Copies of "Toward a More Sustainable American
Agriculture" are available from USDA/CSREES/Partnerships, Room 3868 South
Bldg., 1400 Independence Ave., SW, Washington, DC 20250, 202-720-5203.
Source: Alternative Agriculture News, November, 1996=20
TRANSFORMATION OF LAND GRANT UNIVERSITIES
"There is a growing recognition of the need for education and research that
expand and improve technological options for sustainable production systems
that enhance the compatibility of farm profitability, environmental quality,
and human communities," according to a recent report from the National
Research Council's Board on Agriculture. The report summarizes the changing
realities of agriculture in the U.S., including higher production levels,
more stable productivity, and lower real prices for food to the consumer. It
also describes the role of larger corporations in the food system, the
impact of concentration of land and resources, and the need for increased
relevance in education to deal with change. Of particular interest to our
Center was the observation that alternative farming technologies are
becoming more widely accepted, and that environmental quality and community
viability are important measures of success in the food system. There is
growing concern about "food safety, water and air quality, soil/water/energy
conservation, wildlife habitat, open space, and (healthy) family farms and
rural communities." The report is summarized in the American Journal of
Alternative Agriculture (Vol. 11, 1996). Copies of the report, Colleges of
Agriculture at the Land Grant Universities, are available for $35 plus $4
s/h from National Academy Press, 2101 Constitution Ave. NW, Lockbox #285,
Washington DC 20005.
Above article submitted by Charles Francis
FOOD CIRCLES: A BIOREGIONAL APPROACH
"Most people have lost contact and lost control of their food systems," we
were told by Rev. Ben Kjelshus of the Kansas City Food Circle at a recent
regional workshop. He described the high degree of concentration of food
industry business in the hands of a few multinational corporations. Ben
offered two illustrations on how we are physically separated from
production: (1) an average food molecule travels more than 1000 miles from
field to table, and (2) Missouri imports about 70% of its food from outside
the borders. Equally important is a cultural separation =97 people do not=
know
where food comes from nor how it is produced. He contends that a majority of
citizens would be more concerned about soil erosion, costs of pesticide
contamination, and social impacts of the separation of people from their
source of food if they were more aware of how the system works.
The Kansas City Food Circle Project is a "holistic, ecologically based
approach in dealing with the food system. It connects farmers, small-scale
food producers, retailers, consumers, nutritionists, public advocacy and
extension agencies, community activists, and others to work for a
sustainable and sensible food system for communities. The mission is to
develop an integrated, sustainable, sensible, and just food system that
promotes the regional production of food for distribution and consumption
primarily within the region. Food circles reclaim our responsibility for and
control over our food supply." Their activities include:
- distribution center that links a cooperative store with Kansas Rural
Center growers;
- brochure listing farmers' markets and community supported agriculture
(CSA) groups;
- monitored hotline and voice mail number to inform consumers about local
growers;
- newspaper articles on how to join buying clubs, farmers' markets, CSAs,
and the Circle.
These activities are designed for public education on the environmental and
health dimensions of dependence on an industrial food system, increased
demand for regionally grown organic food, and promotion of a viable family
farm system that results in long-term stewardship of the land.
Above article submitted by Charles Francis and Heidi Carter
FUND FOR RURAL AMERICA
It is anticipated that the call for proposals for the new USDA-CSREES
program, Fund for Rural America (FRA), will be issued in mid-December, with
a probable due date in late February. FRA will focus on practical issues,
emphasize multi-disciplinary approaches, integrate teaching, research and
extension, and encourage multi-agency and multi-university efforts. General
purposes of the FRA program are:
- increase international competitiveness, efficiency, and farm=
profitability;
- reduce economic and health risks;
- conserve and enhance natural resources;
- develop new crops, new crop uses, and new agricultural applications of
biotechnology;
- enhance animal agricultural resources;
- preserve plant and animal germplasm;
- increase economic opportunities in farming and rural communities;
- expand locally owned value-added processing.
CSAS director, Charles Francis, invites you to visit with him about the
possibility of developing a proposal for submission through the CSAS.
Contact him at 402-472-1581, csas002@unlvm.unl.edu.
AG PRODUCTION AND NUTRITION CONFERENCE
The International Conference on Agricultural Production and Nutrition will
be held in Boston, March 19-21, 1997. Organized by the Tufts University
School of Nutrition Science and the Henry A. Wallace Institute for
Alternative Agriculture, this conference will examine all aspects of the
relationship between the quality/safety of food and the production systems
used to raise it. Besides biological and technological aspects, the
conference will also deal with consumer attitudes, regulatory issues, and
agricultural development strategies. Speakers from 15 countries will offer a
total of 50 presentations, including reports on new research, reviews of
current knowledge and research needs, analysis of conceptual and
methodological problems, and discussions of public policy implications. The
conference is intended for researchers, farmers, consumer groups, the food
processing and marketing industries, and agencies concerned with
agricultural policy and public health. For a program summary or a
registration form, contact William Lockeretz, 617-627-3223,
wlockeretz@infonet.tufts.edu, or the CSAS office.
RICHARD OLSON NAMED PRESIDENTIAL FELLOW
Agronomy graduate student Richard Olson, who works with CSAS director
Charles Francis on several projects, was named a Presidential Graduate
Fellow for the 96-97 academic year. Richard designed the curriculum for and
coordinated the farming systems student intern program, and co-designed a
new agroecology course which he helped teach last spring. He was senior
editor of Exploring the Role of Diversity in Sustainable Agriculture,
published last year by the American Society of Agronomy, as well as author
or co-author of three chapters in the book. Richard is helping to develop a
series of regional workshops on ecological design of future farming systems.
He has also edited or written four previous books and numerous technical
reports and publications. Thank you for your contributions to sustainable
agriculture, Richard!
RESOURCES
Pest Management at the Crossroads. $29.95 + $6/$9 domestic/international
s&h. This product of a two-year Consumers Union project will serve as a
"roadmap" for a multi-year effort by CU, and hopefully other organizations
and institutions, to change the focus of pest management policies, and the
direction of public and private investment patterns in new pest management
technology and systems. Details about the book and much more can be obtained
at the Web site: http://www.pmac.net. Phone orders: 301-617-7815; fax
orders: 301-206-9789; e-mail orders: pmac@pmds.com; or order from Web site.
Pesticide Runoff and Water Quality. Free. Nebraska Cooperative Extension
publication discusses computer model simulations of pesticide runoff,
factors influencing pesticide runoff, and suggestions for Best Management
Practices. Water Center/Environmental Programs, 103 NRH, Lincoln, NE
68583-0844, 402-472-3305, psis@unlinfo.unl.edu.
Alternatives in Agriculture. $10. 1996 annual report of research on the
Thompson farm in IA. Topics covered include crops, livestock, cover crops,
alternative weed management, economics, water quality and soil health.
Thompson On-Farm Research, 2035 190th St., Boone, IA 50036-7423,=
515-432-1560.
Agroforestry for Farms and Ranches: An introduction to using tree and shrub
practices in sustained agricultural systems. Free. Bruce Wight, USDA
National Agroforestry Center, East Campus - UNL, Lincoln, NE 68583-0822,
402- 437-5178, ext. 36; Bruce_Wight@ftw.nrcs.usda.gov.
Organic Production: Recent Publications and Current Information Sources.
Free. Alternative Farming Systems Information Center, National Agricultural
Library, USDA, Room 304, 10301 Baltimore Ave., Beltsville, MD 20705-2351,
301- 504-6559; electronically at http://www.nal.usda.gov/afsic.
Growing Together: Community Gardening and Food Security. Free. New handbook
covers all the details of establishing a community garden. Other available
publications include a complete "how-to" manual for starting a farmers'
market and "Growing Smart," a compilation of Texas sustainable agriculture
success stories. Sustainable Food Center, attn. Garden Guide, 434 Bastrop
Hwy, Austin, TX 78741, 1-800-882-5592.
Synergy Magazine. $22/yr in Canada (+ $3 to U.S. addresses). Quarterly that
publishes stories about organic/sustainable agriculture and related issues
based in the western provinces and northern plains states. Synergy Magazine,
Box 8803, Saskatoon, Sask., S7K 6S6, synergy@link.ca.
DID YOU KNOW...
The Integrated Farm produces 2,500 to 3,000 tons of compost annually to be
used on the Agricultural Research and Development farmland.
COMING EVENTS
Contact CSAS office for more information.
Jan. 28-Feb. 2 =97 North American Farmers' Direct Marketing Conference:
Linking Science to Sustainable Industry Development, Albuquerque, NM
Feb. 6 - 7 =97 Farmer-Led Watershed Initiatives Conference, Mankato, MN
Feb. 19-23 =97 World Aquaculture 97, Seattle, WA
Feb. 21-22 =97 Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society and the Nebraska=
Fruit
and Vegetable Growers annual meetings, Columbus, NE
Mar. 3-9 =97 The Netherlands Farm Tour, The Netherlands
Mar. 12-14 =97 Cover Crops, Soil Quality and Ecosystems Conference,=
Sacramento, CA
Mar. 19-21 =97 International Conference on Agricultural Production and
Nutrition, Boston, MA
June 25-28 =97 3rd International Interdisciplinary Conference on the
Environment, Boston, MA
(http://www.assumption.edu/html/academic/conf/iicecall.html)
July 23-26 =97 Soil and Water Conservation Society Annual Conference=
(focusing
on ecosystem management within watersheds), Toronto, Ontario
July 30-31 =97 Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture's 10th Anniversary
Conference,=20
Ames, IA
Aug. 5-8 =97 U.S.-China Conference on the Environment, Beijing
(http://www.goodnet.com/~global/confs.htm)
# # #
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Pam Murray, Coordinator
Center for Grassland Studies and
Center for Sustainable Agricultural Systems
PO Box 830949
University of Nebraska
Lincoln, NE 68583-0949
phone: 402-472-9383
fax: 402-472-4104
e-mail: csas001@unlvm.unl.edu