Southern
SAWG Newsletter, Volume 3, #6
July 2007
This month we take a walk on the wild side, in two very different arenas, from insights into nature’s agricultural partners, wild pollinators, to the rough and tumble world of Capitol Hill as things heat up on the 2007 Farm Bill.
If it seems that Farm Bill updates and action alerts are becoming almost daily events, it is because the time is rapidly approaching for the House of Representatives to produce their finalized version of this legislation that profoundly affects us all in many ways. So we continue to bring you Farm Bill news, and urge you to stay informed and communicate with your representatives and key agricultural committee members in your state. Together we can make our voices heard and help create more sustainable food and agriculture systems in the South and the U.S.
On a tamer note, we also bring you the scoop on a new free publication from the Sustainable Agriculture Network, events in Georgia and Texas, and a reminder to save the dates for the 2008 Southern SAWG annual conference in Kentucky.
And so we wish you all the joys, wild and mild, of summer.
--Your friends at Southern SAWG
| All
About the Birds and the Bees Wild Pollinators: Agriculture’s Forgotten Partners |
| The report includes steps to increase diversity and the abundance of floral resources, as well as information about native bees and their nests, what you can do to promote bee nesting success, an illustrated chart of native bee pollinated crops and requirements, and farm stories. |  Photo courtesy of David Cappaert, Michigan State University, Bugwood.org |
The Wild Farm Alliance (WFA) promotes a healthy, viable agriculture that helps protect and restore wild Nature. WFA produces materials and programs to assist farmers in maintaining and increasing habitat for native species and ecosystems while maintaining productivity, and conducts primary outreach through publications, workshops, on-farm assistance, and briefing papers like Wild Pollinators. For more information visit www.wildfarmalliance.org or call 831.761.8408.
| Have You Heard? |
Southern SAWG’s annual conference, Practical Tools and Solutions for Sustaining Family Farms, will be held January 16 to 19, 2008, at the Galt House, in Louisville, KY. Watch for updates in upcoming issues of the e-News.
| New!
Rangeland Management Strategies Bulletin Free from SAN |
Rangeland Management Strategies, a free 16-page bulletin published by the Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), features innovative research funded by the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program on creating and sustaining a healthy range. Throughout, researchers and ranchers share goals and successes in winter and multi-species grazing, managing forage and other vegetation and protecting riparian areas. Read more…
Rangeland Management Strategies is the latest of a series of publications that feature the most creative research funded by SARE. Preview or download the entire publication here. To order print copies, visit http://www.sare.org/Webstore, call 301.504-5411or e-mail san_assoc@sare.org. Agricultural educators may place orders for print copies in quantity at no cost.
As the national outreach arm of SARE, SAN produces a wide variety of excellent publications for sustainable farmers and ranchers, many of which are available for free. Visit SARE's publication index for complete listings and ordering information. For more information about SARE grant opportunities and other SAN resources, visit http://www.sare.org.
| Business
Planning for Small-Scale Producers Workshop in Georgia July 31 at the Georgia Farm Bureau, Macon |
Learn the critical business planning and management skills necessary to sustain and grow your farming enterprise. Inspired by the short course presented by Dr. Marion Simon of Kentucky State University at the Southern SAWG Annual Conference this past January, Georgia Organics invited Dr. Simon to present this workshop. Topics include:
- The importance and uses of business planning
- The roles of business planning
- Assessing your farm's resource inventory
- Identifying strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to the operation
- Developing and using enterprise budgets
- Financial analysis for the farm.
For more info or to register click here or call 678.702.0400.
| Southern SAWG e-News Server Is Changing |
Starting with the August, 2007 issue, the Southern SAWG e-News will be delivered by a new listserv host. Look for a special SSAWG e-News bulletin in early August with helpful hints to avoid spam filter issues and keep the e-News coming to you without interruption.
| It’s Crunch Time With the Farm Bill |
With the 2002 Farm Bill set to expire September of this year, the 2007 Farm Bill is all the buzz on Capitol Hill (D.C.) these days. The question of the hour, and one of vital interest to Southern SAWG constituents is, “Will the Farm Bill be reformed to balance the benefits it provides and help promote safe food, clean environment, healthy people, and viable family farms?” This remains to be seen. Farming organizations, private industry associations, public sector groups, and masses of public citizens are all weighing in on the debate.
Earlier this month we got our first glimpse of what direction Congress is taking with the new Farm Bill, and we in the sustainable ag communities see that we have a lot more work to do. On July 6, House Agriculture Committee Chair Collin Peterson (D-MN) released his Farm Bill mark up (proposal) for consideration by the committee. While this proposal is by no means the final say, it is a strong indicator of the direction the Bill is likely to take. Once the committee reaches agreement, the Bill will go the House floor for approval. The Senate will develop its own version of the Farm Bill and the two versions will need to be reconciled before being sent to the President for his signature.
The House Agricultural Committee Chairman’s proposal includes several potential wins from the perspective of Southern SAWG constituents, but Southern SAWG and partner organizations believe it needs major revisions if it is to achieve a balanced approach to farm and food policy. In a recent Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (SAC) update, SAC’s Policy Director Ferd Hoefner characterized Chairman Peterson’s Farm Bill proposal in the following way:
The bottom line on the commodity
title is it is a status quo proposal
with some rebalancing, almost no reform, and some backsliding. The
question for the farm bill going forward is whether such a
proposal…[should] be acceptable on the floor of the House as
part of a bill that slashes the Conservation Security Program, provides
no funding for food stamp and nutrition improvements, provides almost
no funding for rural development programs, and only provides modest
funding for local food initiatives. Expect an intense focus
on
that question over the course of the next four weeks.
-- Excerpt from July 7 Weekly Update, Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
-- Excerpt from July 7 Weekly Update, Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
While not a rosy picture at this point, intense debate in Congress is really just getting underway. The time is ripe for change. Southern SAWG and partners encourage everyone to contact your Congressional representative to tell them what you think and feel the Farm Bill needs to include. And, stay posted and ready to respond vigorously to e-mails you may receive, or join a Southern SAWG Farm Policy Committee conference call to learn what local, regional and national partners are doing and to voice your interests and concerns. Like a comet or certain cicada insects, Farm Bill reauthorization only comes around every five to seven years. Remember, it affects us all. Don’t miss this opportunity to have your voice heard on this important farm and food policymaking process!
Southern SAWG and the Farm Bill
Southern SAWG, through its Farm Policy Education Program is at the front of the 2007 Farm Bill discussion, helping to make sure the sustainable agriculture voice of the South is heard in the debate. SSAWG is a co-signer to the Farm Bill Platform advanced by the Farm and Food Policy Project.
To Stay Posted on Farm Bill News
Considering signing up for:
- Action Alert E-Mail List Server which includes a link to Farm Bill Digest published by the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
- Weekly Update published by the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
- Farm Bill Action Center for updates, alerts, and good background Farm Bill info
- Community Food Security Coalition for Farm Bill analysis and updates featuring a community food projects viewpoint
| Farm
Policy Receives Growing Attention in Texas: Farm & Food Leaders Training in September |
A two-day workshop in Texas provides a model for building grassroots leadership on current issues relating to food and farm policies. Facilitated by the Texas Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, multiple groups are working to build the network of leaders in their state who are informed and equipped to better communicate about farm and food policies in their communities.
The largest state in our region has a lot of ground to cover, and this is the first time that representatives of such a broad spectrum of interests will gather to share their issues, learn from veterans of policy change advocacy, and plan how to work together to make a difference. Encompassing non-profit and faith-based groups; farmers’ market, co-op, and food bank managers; environmental activists; community leaders; teachers; school food program directors; and others, participants will engage around legislation and policy initiatives that include:
- Farm Bill
- Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)
- National Animal ID System (NAIS)
- Farm to School Programs
- Food Sovereignty & Fair Trade
- Agriculture and the Environment
- Genetic Engineering
- Dairy
- Water
- Animal Welfare
Contact: Brad Stufflebeam, TOFGA, info@tofga.org, 979.836.3135.
Visit Southern SAWG online at
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.
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