As we gladly welcome new board members, we must sadly say thank you and good bye to others.  First, we wish to thank David Redhage for his years of service. If David's past and present contributions to Southern SAWG and to sustainable agriculture are any indication, this is not really good bye - just see you later.  David is an agricultural economist working with The Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture as Natural Resources Economist.  There he coordinates the Producer Grant Program, provides research and program support in a variety of areas, and offers oversight and assistance for the SARE Professional Development Program.  For more information about the Kerr Center, see http://www.kerrcenter.com. 

We must also say "thank you and see you later" to Southern SAWG co-founder Helen Vinton.  Helen's energy, enthusiasm, and effectiveness are unmatched, so it is truly a loss for Southern SAWG to no longer have her as a Board member.  But, it is to the definite benefit of South Louisiana and the area's rural communities where she will devote her full attention to the recovery and rebuilding effort.  Please read the story of Helen's work with Southern SAWG and Southern Mutual Help Association (SMHA) below.

Fifteen years ago, a group of family farmers and farm advocates gathered to discuss the creation of an organization that would support and promote sustainable agriculture in the Southern region.  Among them was Helen Vinton, a long-recognized force in sustainable agriculture work in South Louisiana.  The outcome of that meeting was the founding of the Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group.

Helen attended the meeting as a representative of sugarcane growers and other family farmers through Southern Mutual Help Association (SMHA), where she still serves -- now as Assistant Executive Director and Life Quality Director.  SMHA has provided Helen the opportunity to combine her formal education in biology, environmental studies, and resource management with her spiritual passion for economic justice.

Her service with SMHA began 25 years ago as the organization's efforts centered on empowering displaced and low income farm workers through home ownership and community building programs.  That led to other technical assistance, development, advocacy, and economic empowerment projects in rural Louisiana.

Helen has dedicated much of her time to Southern SAWG over the years, serving as a member of the Board of Directors, on the State Representative Council (precursor to the Board), and as member or chairperson of countless committees and informal efforts.  Her commitment to Southern SAWG has spanned the organization's entire history, since helping to found the group in 1991 and hosting the first ever Southern SAWG Conference in New Iberia fourteen years ago.

The Annual Conference returned to Louisiana in January, 2005 - this time to the New Orleans area just a short drive from "cane country."  Helen was still working to raise awareness of issues facing Louisiana's sugarcane farm families, whose situation mirrors that of many mid-scale row crop farmers throughout the country.  The 2005 Conference provided an opportunity to further her work through tours of the area and meetings with other attendees.  The 2006 Conference was also to be held in New Orleans, but the epic destruction to the area from Hurricanes Katrina and Rita prevented that.

New Orleans was not the only target of the storms.  Katrina ripped through the eastern portion of south Louisiana, and Rita followed less than a month later along a more westerly path.  Together the storms devastated rural communities and farms from Texas to Alabama.  Even before Rita hit, though, Helen and the staff at SMHA had sprung into action.  While facilitating immediate direct relief efforts they were already conducting damage and needs assessments, coordinating fund development, and considering long-range strategy.

SMHA has taken the lead in organizing the Rural Recovery Task Force, which will continue to address the needs of the affected families and their communities through resource development and management, policy work, and the multi-phase "In-the-Field-Response" to deal with short-term and long-term challenges.  This is truly no small task, considering that over 200,000 rural families were displaced.

Helen has, of course, taken on much of this work herself -- work that will demand her full and focused attention.  For that reason, Helen Vinton announced that she is stepping down from the Board of the organization that she helped to found, an organization that has had such a profound impact on so many lives.  It was for her a difficult decision, but one that for most is entirely understandable -- Helen is needed at home.  The efforts she has initiated through Southern SAWG will persist.  And, the communities of South Louisiana affected by the hurricanes may have some greater amount of hope for the future with Helen Vinton on their side.

We encourage readers to express their thanks to Helen Vinton and visit the Southern Mutual Help Association web site (http://www.southernmutualhelp.org) to learn more about their important work.  Links on the web site offer detailed information about the Rural Recovery Task Force, SMHA's leadership role in that recovery effort, and the comprehensive food systems impact report.  The site also provides opportunities for contributing much needed funds to the recovery effort and volunteer needs.

For more information about the founding of Southern SAWG, visit the About Us (http://www.ssawg.org/about-us.html) and Founders (http://www.ssawg.org/founders.html) pages of our web site.

Farmers Market Resource Guide and Funding Opportunity

According to the US Department of Agriculture, there are more than 3,700 farmers markets in the US.  As consumers and farmers alike learn the merits of direct markets, that number will continue to rise.  Current assistance opportunities fro the USDA Agricultural Marketing Service, in the form of a resource guide and grant funding, should help strengthen markets across the country.

USDA, US Department of Health and Human Services, Ford Foundation, Kellogg Foundation, Project for Public Spaces, and other ag organizations have formed the new Farmers Market Consortium.  The FMC has recently published a Resource Guide, that includes information on direct farm market development, producer training and support, consumer education, and promotion.

The Farmers Market Resource Guide, which will be periodically updated, is available online at http://www.ams.usda.gov/ or a printed copy can obtained by contacting the Agricultural Marketing Service, 202-720-8317.

The Farmers Market Promotion Program (FMPP) of USDA provides grant funding "targeted to help improve and expand domestic farmers markets, roadside stands, community-supported agriculture programs, and other direct producer-to-consumer market opportunities.:  This is a new funding opportunity, which will support projects up to $75,000.

Instructions to apply for a grant are available in the FMPP guidelines on the AMS web site at http://www.ams.usda.gov/tmd/MSB/index.htm.  Applications and proposals are due by May 1, 2006.

Visit Southern SAWG online at http://www.ssawg.org