Jim Lukens

The Southern SAWG Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Jim Lukens, long-time member of our leadership, has been named Executive Director. Jim brings to this position deep experience in sustainable agriculture in the South. A founding member of the Southern SAWG Board of Directors, he was president from 1999 to 2004, and has served in a number of other roles through the years. Jim has also provided expertise and leadership to many other organizations, including the Arkansas Farmers’ Market Association, the Institute for Alternative Agriculture (now the Henry A. Wallace Center for Agriculture and Environmental Policy at Winrock International), and the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN) Committee.

Beginning his career as a farmer in Kansas, Jim has worked for more than 30 years with sustainable agriculture organizations. He served for thirteen years with the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) in several capacities, including as program manager for NCAT’s Sustainable Agriculture Program, and project manager for the Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA) program. Most recently, he managed the Fayetteville Farmers’ Market in Fayetteville, Arkansas, and served as executive director of Multigrain Media, a non-profit organization that brings public attention to community issues and provides media services to community-based organizations using television, radio, and print productions.

We look to Jim to build on the current achievements of Southern SAWG and help the organization grow into new arenas in the future, while maintaining, as he says, “the exciting edge that has made it successful.”

Be sure to take some time at the upcoming conference to say hello to Jim and welcome him to the community.

We are pleased to announce that the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation has awarded Southern SAWG with a $150,000 grant for expansion and enhanced integration of two vital Southern SAWG program areas: Community Food Systems (CFS) Development, and Policy Education and Advocacy. (To learn about these program areas, visit www.ssawg.org and click on What We Do.)

Through this grant, Southern SAWG will facilitate training and technical assistance in both policy change and local food system development to community-based organizations in the 13-state Southern region. Specific activities associated with this project include the following: one-on-one technical assistance for developing community food groups; training in how to access federal programs for community food systems projects as well as in advocacy for important changes in food and agriculture policy and regulations; improved access for Spanish speaking constituents to educational resources for community food projects; and expansion of Southern SAWG’s capacity to evaluate and assess projects.

The Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation assists people in the Southeastern U.S. to build just and caring communities that nurture people, spur enterprise, bridge differences, and foster fairness. The Foundation’s mission is to help people and places move out of poverty and achieve greater social and economic justice. The Foundation supports organizations and networks that work across race, ethnic, economic and political differences to make possible a brighter future for all.

We are thrilled that the Mary Reynolds Babcock Foundation will be supporting Southern SAWG to create a more sustainable food and agricultural system by providing the educational programs and technical assistance most needed by community groups and family farmers developing locally based programs in their locales.

The Senate passed a Farm Bill on Friday, December 14, 2007, which establishes federal food and farm policy and provides for program funding of $286 billion over the next five years. The Senate Bill includes both victories and disappointments for family farm, community food, and sustainable agriculture advocates. Wins include an expanded and improved Conservation Security Program; mandatory funding for Community Food Project grants; expanded support for beginning and minority farmers; clarifying language that removes procurement restrictions for farm-to-school programs; and a new Livestock Title that will help promote fair markets and protect rights of contract farmers. Among the disappointments: a lack of mandatory funds for Value Added Producer Grants; and no reforms to make commodity subsidy programs more fair and cost-effective.
       
From here, the Farm Bill goes to Conference Committee, in which members of Agriculture Committees from both houses of Congress meet together to reconcile differences between the House of Representatives and the Senate versions (which cover many important points). This will be our final--AND VITAL--point for action; hopefully we can retain the best parts of both bills. The final Farm Bill that comes out of Conference must then pass both the Senate and House and be signed by the President before it becomes law.
       
Southern SAWG holds monthly open conference calls on farm policy and the Farm Bill. For more on the Farm Bill, and a full schedule of Southern SAWG policy calls during 2008, click here. You’ll also want to participate in the Policy Track at the Southern SAWG 2008 Conference in Louisville, KY – January 16-19.  You can find these exciting sessions throughout the program.

Happy New Year! from Southern SAWG

Southern SAWG's January 16 - 19, 2008 Galt House Hotel and Suites Louisville, KY

Conference Pre-Registration
Ends January 7, 2008

The deadline to pre-register for our Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms Conference is rapidly approaching. January 7, 2008 is the cutoff date for pre-registration (and reduced cost). But if you miss this deadline, that doesn’t mean you cannot participate in the conference. We’ve got a fantastic program this year and we know you’ll kick yourself for missing it. We’ll make room for you! Just come on up to Louisville and we’ll register you on-site. To see our great program click here.

We strongly recommend pre-registering if you don’t want to miss out on pre-conference courses or field trips. While we still have room in most, some are already sold out. To make sure the pre-conference activities you wish to participate in are still open, go to the conference program page. As courses or field trips fill, we’ll mark them on this page. 

This is Your Chance to Learn
from Joel Salatin

Joel Salatin will present at our Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms Conference for the first time ever this year. He will lead two conference sessions, one on multi-species grazing, and another on marketing strategies at Polyface Farm. He will also deliver the keynote address, “Healing the Planet, One Plate at a Time.” Come prepared to learn and be inspired!  

Joel Salatin, farmer, keynote speaker and local food evangelist. Photo by Charlie Woodroof  ©2006.

Joel is well-known for his pioneering farming operation and his passion for family farms and local food systems. He will share his unique farming and marketing practices in his two conference sessions. In his keynote address, he’ll explain the necessity of our work. Get ready! Joel Salatin says, “We are in the redemption business: healing the land, healing the food, healing the economy, and healing the culture.”

With hard work, common sense and more than a bit of ingenuity, Joel has made Polyface Farm a success using “radical” innovations like chicken tractors and pigaerators. Joel has authored five books that are very popular in the sustainable agriculture community. His speaking and writing reflect dirt-under-the-fingernails experience punctuated with mischievous humor. He passionately defends small farms, local food systems, and the right to opt out of the conventional food paradigm. Learn more…

Conference Lodging Update

Conference lodging at the Galt House Hotel and Suites is now limited. To make a reservation, call 800.THE.GALT and remember to ask for the Southern SAWG room rate.  

We have arranged for overflow lodging at the Holiday Inn, seven blocks away from the Galt House, for $88. To make a reservation, call the Holiday Inn directly at 800.626.1558. Remember to ask for the Southern SAWG group rate.

We want to make sure your lodging needs are met so you can attend this event. If you experience problems securing lodging at the Galt House or at the Holiday Inn, please contact us immediately: jean@ssawg.org.  

We Want Your STUFF!

We are still looking for donations for our silent auction.  New (or nearly new) farm related item such as tools, implements, bulbs, fertilizers, pest controls, nonperishable foods, handcrafted goodies, labor or services, B&B weekends or even gift certificates are being sought. Got something to donate? We want it! But please let us know at your earliest convenience by sending us your completed silent auction donation form. For a copy of the form, click here.

See You in Louisville!

The Galt House, located on the banks of the Ohio River, offers magnificent views of the river and downtown Louisville. It’s within walking distance of many downtown attractions, including: Louisville Slugger Museum, Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft, Kentucky Center for African American Heritage, Muhammad Ali Center, Louisville Glassworks, Frazier Historical Arms Museum, Louisville Science Center & IMAX Theater, and Louisville’s hot new 4th Street Live entertainment complex, brimming with eateries, retailers, pubs and clubs of every genre and even an upscale bowling alley. Add value to your conference trip by staying an extra day or two after the conference to take in some of the attractions. We look forward to seeing you there.

As the work of Southern SAWG grows, the Nominating Committee of the Board of Directors is looking for people who would like to be considered as candidates for Board membership. To qualify, you need to embrace the mission and support the goals of Southern SAWG, live in the Southern region (Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia), and be willing to serve a three year term. Board responsibilities include fiscal oversight, strategic visioning and direction, active participation in board meetings and select committees, and strong support for the Executive Director.

The Board seeks a membership that reflects the diversity of Southern SAWG and includes individuals who have specific skills, such as planning, fiscal management, personnel management, fundraising, and communication. Members of the Board play key roles in planning and developing the goals, strategies, and activities of Southern SAWG. If you would like to learn more or be considered for nomination, contact Charlie Maloney, Nominating Committee Chairperson, at dayspringfarm@aol.com, or 804.785.9401.

The largest sustainable agriculture conference in Texas will be facilitated by the Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (TOFGA), bringing together the farmers, ranchers, consultants, organizers, chefs, and national leaders who are making a difference in the local food revolution.

Learn the latest in organic growing and sustainable agriculture, tour local farms, eat local food, enjoy a movie screening and trade show, and return home inspired about how to bring local food to your community and school system.
 
Featured speakers include Jeffrey Smith, author of Seeds of Deception, the acclaimed exposé of genetically engineered foods; Sally Fallon, author, nutrition researcher, and founder of the Weston A. Price Foundation; Howard Garrett, the “Dirt Doctor," host of the radio talk show The Natural Way; and Jim Hightower, former Texas Agriculture Commissioner, public speaker, and author; along with 25 other presenters from around the country.
 
For more information visit Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Assoc, write to info@tofga.org, or call 979.836.3135.  

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We welcome your feedback and suggestions—

please write to us at news@ssawg.org

Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group, Inc. (Southern SAWG) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 1991 to promote sustainable agriculture in the Southern United States.