The U.S. Department of Agriculture has announced that $22 million in federal funds are available for organic certification cost assistance. The funds are available for producers and handlers of organic agricultural products in any state of the United States of America, its territories, the District of Columbia and the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico.
 
Under the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 (the new Farm Bill) the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program will allocate funds in proportion to the number of organic producers and handlers within each state. The states will reimburse each eligible producer or handler up to 75 percent of organic certification costs, up to $750.
 
To be eligible, an organic production or handling operation must be located within a qualified state, comply with the USDA National Organic Program regulations for organic production or handling, and have received certification or continuation of certification by a USDA-accredited certifying agent.
 
Applications by states for federal assistance and cooperative agreements must be requested from and submitted to: Robert Pooler, Agricultural Marketing Specialist, National Organic Program, USDA Stop 0268, Room 4008-S, 1400 Independence Ave. SW, Washington DC 20250-0264; 202.720.3252; fax 202.205.7808.
 
This money will also be available again in 2009 and each year for the next five years. 
 
Contact your certifying agent or your State Department of Agriculture to learn how to access these funds. For more information, visit the National Organic Program website.

Southern SARE Accepting Proposals for 2009 Producer Grants and On-Farm Research Grants Deadline is November 17, 2008

Southern Region Sustainable Research and Education (SARE) Producer Grants are open to farmers and/or ranchers or producer organizations in the U.S. Southern Region. The grants have maximums of $10,000 for individual producers and $15,000 for producer organizations, to be used within two years.

Southern SARE On-Farm Research Grants are open to Extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Non-Governmental Organization personnel who work with farmers in the U.S. Southern Region. Applicants must work with at least one cooperating farmer or rancher and can apply for up to $15,000, to be used within two years. For more information...

These two grant programs have identified nine broad focus areas. Proposals are invited that address: soil health, beneficial insect habitat, alternative crops/livestock, organic agriculture, marketing, sustainable grazing systems, improving the sustainability of existing farming practices, appropriate technology, and agroforestry.

Proposals for both programs are due by November 17, 2008. Full information and instructions can be found in the calls for proposals. You may also write or call 770.412.4787.
 

First Bill Protecting Farmers Against GE Lawsuits Passed by California Legislature

Landmark legislation protecting California's farmers from crippling, controversial lawsuits related to genetically engineered (GE) crops was passed in August by both houses of the Legislature with strong bipartisan support and is now awaiting Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's signature.

The bill, sponsored by diverse organizations, brings much-needed regulation to GE crops, enacting protections against lawsuits brought against California farmers who have not been able to prevent the drift of GE pollen or seed onto their land and the subsequent contamination of their non-GE crops. Currently, farmers with crops that become contaminated by patented seeds or pollen have been the target of harassing lawsuits brought by biotech patent holders, particularly Monsanto. The bill also establishes a mandatory crop sampling protocol that biotech companies must follow when investigating alleged violations.  Read more…  
 

The complete conference program and registration information are now posted on the Southern SAWG website. Just one look at the program and you'll know you can't miss this one. Check it out, and chat it up at www.ssawg.org.

Southern SAWG Board of Directors  New Deadline to Apply is November 15

Southern SAWG is seeking people who would like to be considered as candidates for membership on the Board of Directors. Southern SAWG seeks to expand board membership in keeping with the growth of the organization, reflecting the diversity of Southern SAWG, and including 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.

To qualify, applicants 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.

November 15, 2008, is the new deadline to submit a letter of interest and resume. To send materials, or for more information, contact Charlie Maloney, Nominating Committee Chairperson: dayspringfarm@aol.com; 804.785.9402; or write Dayspring Farm, 942 Buena Vista Rd., Cologne, VA  23181-4010.

Georgia's White Oak Pastures Opens an On-Farm Processing Plant

Will Harris owns and operates a grassfed beef operation in Early County, Georgia, that has been in his family for 142 years. His commitment to the principles of sustainability and stewardship has led them to open an on-farm state-of-the-art, USDA-inspected processing plant. "We no longer pollute the environment and stress our cattle by hauling them all over the country for harvest and distribution," he explains.

Describing the operation as a gamble that he hopes will pay off, Will says, "I literally bet the farm. I never wanted to be in the beef processing business, but to stay in the grassfed business, it became a necessity." He explains that running a processing plant is a very specialized and complicated business, and requires "jumping through a number of regulatory hoops." However, hauling cattle to the nearest facility 100 miles away was not something that he liked to do, nor did he consider it sustainable. It also limited him to processing twelve head a week. To stay in business, he had to get production up and eliminate the stress and cost of transportation. Will is now aiming to process fifty head per week.

Will credits the Georgia Department of Agriculture, which he found to be entrepreneur-friendly, as well as OneGeorgia Authority, for supporting the project. He also is glad to have recruited Brian Sapp, a talented artisan meat-cutter with a Masters degree in meat science, to run the processing plant.


In addition to meeting Certified Humane and USDA-approved grassfed protocol, which forbids the use of artificial hormones, confinement feeding, animal by-products, and antibiotics, the Harris farm is now certified organic. The cattle are locally born and raised, and the farm and packing plant are Animal Welfare Approved by the Animal Welfare Institute. Another feature of the operation is that the processing plant is a zero-waste facility, using a digester to transform waste into organic fertilizer, and a 30,000 gallon septic system to recycle wash-down water.

The Harris's market their products through Whole Foods, Publix, and natural foods distributor Tree of Life, and their on-farm retail store is now open for business. They also are working with SYSCO's Buckhead Beef to sell to restaurants. Their beef has won a number of awards, including the Grand Prize in the 2008 Flavor of Georgia contest.

Will has a well-tuned sense of humor, but he seemed to be only partially joking about his advice to others who may want to open a processing facility: "Don't try this at home!" As for his outlook for the future… "I'll get back to you."

Will Harris shares his time and expertise with other producers, educators, and business people, and serves on the Board of Directors of Georgia Organics. He was featured as a presenter at the Grazing Georgia workshops that were held in Tifton and Watkinsville, Georgia, in the spring of 2007, as part of Southern SAWG's Professional Development Program supported by Southern SARE. Be sure to catch Will at Southern SAWG's upcoming conference in January in Chattanooga, where he will participate in one of our excellent sessions, Rebuilding Local Livestock Infrastructure and Processing: Reshaping Policies and Regulations.

To learn more, visit the White Oak Pastures website.

Carolina Sustainable Agriculture Conference October 31 - November 2, 2008 Anderson, SC

Join the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association in their 23rd annual Sustainable Agriculture Conference, featuring farm tours, an organic certification workshop, in-depth workshops, and many shorter workshop sessions. A pre-conference event, "Sustainable Food Systems for Your Community," will take place on October 30. Click here for more information…

---

See more exciting events… 

---