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Land
Stewardship LIVE-WIRE, November 18, 2003
Hello:
This is the fifth issue of "Land Stewardship LIVE-WIRE," the Land
Stewardship Project's
e-mail update. We will be sending this out
periodically to provide an update on activities and information related
to LSP's work. We hope you enjoy this service, and are looking for
feedback. Please send your comments to Brian DeVore at bdevore@landstewardshipproject.org. If you prefer not to receive this
newsletter, please e-mail lspwbl@landstewardshipproject.org and write
"remove LIVE-WIRE" in the subject line.
IN THIS ISSUE
* Pig Power Alternative Swine Workshop Nov. 20
* Beginning Farmer and Rancher Conference March 27
* Farm Beginnings™ Express Rolls March 26
* E-mail the White House: Stop delaying CSP
* Call Congress by Nov. 19 about CSP, EQIP
* Holiday Cheer Dec. 5, 9, 12
* LSL Will be Out Soon
* Farmer-Chef Conversation
* Worth Repeating
* Sink Your Teeth into This
PIG POWER ALTERNATIVE SWINE WORKSHOP NOV. 20
One of the nation's leading experts on alternative swine housing systems
will keynote a special "Pig Power" workshop Thursday, Nov. 20, from 9:30
a.m. to 3 p.m., at the West Central Research and Outreach Center (WCROC)
in Morris. This event is free, but participants must pre-register by
calling the Land Stewardship Project at 320-269-2105 or e-mailing
tlvdp@landstewardshipproject.org. Free-will donations for lunch will be
collected. Details are available at
www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/03/newsr_031104.html.
BEGINNING FARMER AND RANCHER CONFERENCE MARCH 27
Is it possible to get started in farming and ranching today? Learn
about the practical opportunities available for getting established on
the land at a special conference Saturday, March 27, from 9 a.m. to 5
p.m., at the Holiday Inn and Convention Center in Kearney, Neb. For more
information on the "Beginning Farmer and Rancher Conference: Realities
and Opportunities," contact Heidi Busse in LSP's southeast Minnesota
office at 507-523-3366 or heidibusse@yahoo.com. More information is also
available at
www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/03/newsr_031027.html.
FARM BEGINNINGS™ EXPRESS ROLLS MARCH 26
People interested in attending the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Conference on March 27 can board the "Farm Beginnings™ Express." On Friday, March 26, the LSP-sponsored bus trip will leave LaCrosse, Wis., and make several stops along the way. For information on how to get a seat on the bus, contact Busse at 507-523-3366 or heidibusse@yahoo.com.
E-MAIL THE WHITE HOUSE: STOP DELAYING CSP
Please send an e-mail to President George W. Bush demanding that the
administration release the draft rules for the Conservation Security
Program (CSP). Go to
www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/03/newsr_031112.html to find
out how to contact the White House.
CALL CONGRESS BY NOV. 19 ABOUT CSP, EQIP
The Congressional Conference Committee on Agricultural Appropriations is
meeting in the next day or so to decide on what will be in the Ag
Appropriations bill that will be sent to President Bush for signing into
law. There are two key conservation policy issues on the table: full
funding for the Conservation Security Program (CSP), and lowering the
amount that any one operation can receive from EQIP. Now's your chance
to make agricultural policy more focused on family farms and the
environment. Go to
www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/03/newsr_031113.html to learn
how.
HOLIDAY CHEER DEC. 5, 9, 12
LSP's offices in Lewiston, Montevideo and White Bear Lake will be
hosting holiday socials in early December. Come on over, share a treat
and meet our staff:
* Dec. 5, western Minnesota office, 103 West Nichols in Montevideo, 2
p.m. to 6 p.m.; phone: 320-269-2105
* Dec. 9, southeast Minnesota office, 180 East Main Street, Lewiston, 2
p.m. to 6 p.m.; phone: 507-523-3366
* Dec. 12, White Bear Lake office, 2200 4th Street, White Bear Lake, 3
p.m. to 6 p.m.; phone: 651-653-0618
LSL WILL BE OUT SOON
The latest issue of the Land Stewardship Letter is being printed and
should be in your mailbox by the end of November. This LSL examines how
concerned citizens can have a positive impact on land grant research,
provides updates on the latest issues related to policy and grassroots
organizing, and features a café that's trying to balance social justice
with affordable food. To find out how you can obtain back issues of the
newsletter, go to www.landstewardshipproject.org/news-lsl.html.
FARMER-CHEF CONVERSATION
On Nov. 20, LSP is convening a special meeting involving farmers and
chefs at the Dakota Jazz Bar and Restaurant in Minneapolis. This is a
follow-up to a similar meeting LSP organized last spring. We are hoping
to create a dialogue between farmers who direct market products and
chefs who support local food. The spring meeting brought up some
critical issues and challenges that both parties are faced with, and
we're hoping such meetings will help us work together to smooth the way
from farm to fork. For more information on this initiative, contact Dana
Jackson at LSP's White Bear Lake office by calling 651-653-0618 or
danaj@landstewardshipproject.org. A summary of the spring farmer-chef
meeting was published in the April/May/June Land Stewardship Letter
(www.landstewardshipproject.org/lsl/lspv21n2.pdf).
WORTH REPEATING
"It is time for the checkoffs to end. Pork farmers said so in a
referendum three years ago, and so have the courts….It is hard for a
small farmer to justify giving up any of his earnings to help pay for
advertising that disproportionately benefits gigantic corporate farms.
If the U.S.D.A. valued small farmers, as it claims, it would accede to
the courts, not to the pressure of industry groups."--The New York Times
Editorial Board, commenting on a Federal Appeals Court's ruling that the
pork checkoff is unconstitutional. For more LSP in the News items, check
out www.landstewardshipproject.org/news-itn.html.
SINK YOUR TEETH INTO THIS
LSP has developed a handy brochure on how consumers can support local
farmers who are using sustainable methods to produce food. It contains
information on certification labels such as the Midwest Food Alliance
(MWFA), resources for buying direct and tips on other ways to support a
local food system. This brief fact sheet is perfect for local foods
dinners, farmers’ markets and other similar venues. For a pdf version of
the brochure, go to
www.landstewardshipproject.org/pdf/Local_Food.pdf
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