Land
Stewardship LIVE-WIRE, December 19, 2003
Hello:
This is the sixth issue of "Land Stewardship LIVE-WIRE," the Land Stewardship Project's e-mail update. We send 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
* CSP Rules Released, Funding Provided
* Registration Opens for Beginning Farmer Conference
* Hop on the Farm Beginnings™ Express
* Renewing the Countryside Calendars Available
* Hothouse Pork
* Pig Power II in January
* Thanks Bobino
* Farm as Natural Habitat Still Making Waves
* We’re Looking for CSA Farmers
* Show us your creative side
CSP RULES RELEASED, FUNDING PROVIDED
Congratulations! Thanks to the many telephone calls made by people like you, the Conservation Security Program is much closer to reality. In late November, Congress announced it would provide funding for this innovative farm conservation program. And on Dec. 17, USDA Secretary of Agriculture Ann Veneman released the long delayed CSP rules for public comment. Key members of Congress and Veneman’s office received innumerable calls from farmers, environmentalists and taxpayers in general calling for CSP’s implementation. Way to go! Our Web site is full of the latest on CSP, including how the public can make comments on the proposed rules. To read a statement from LSP Policy Program Director Mark Schultz, visit http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/03/newsr_031217.html. For the latest updates on our CSP action alerts, fact sheets, press releases and other resources, check out http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/programs_csp.html.
REGISTRATION OPENS FOR BEGINNING FARMER CONFERENCE
On-line registration is now available for “The Beginning Farmer & Rancher Conference: Realities and Opportunities.” The conference, which is being co-sponsored by the Land Stewardship Project, will be held Saturday, March 27, at the Holiday Inn and Convention Center in Kearney, Neb. Visit http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/03/newsr_031210.html for details.
HOP ON THE FARM BEGINNINGS™ EXPRESS
Those interested in attending “The Beginning Farmer & Rancher Conference: Realities and Opportunities” (see above) can hitch a ride on the “Farm Beginnings Express.” This bus trip will leave La Crosse, Wis., Friday, March 26, and travel across southern Minnesota and southeastern South Dakota, picking up people along the way who want to attend this conference. During
this bus trip, riders will have an opportunity to hear about the experiences of local farmers. The fee for riding the bus is $25 ($20 for Land Stewardship Project members). For more information, contact Heidi Busse in the Land Stewardship Project’s southeast Minnesota office at 507-523-3366 or heidibusse@yahoo.com.
RENEWING THE COUNTRYSIDE CALENDARS AVAILABLE
Looking for a last-minute gift idea? The full color 2004 Renewing the Countryside calendar for Minnesota is available at any Land Stewardship Project office. The calendar is based on the Renewing the Countryside project, which publicizes stories of rural renewal. Check out http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/03/newsr_031218.html for information on getting one of these beautiful (and educational) calendars.
HOTHOUSE PORK
What’s the latest exciting trend in sustainable swine production? Greenhouses. That’s right, farmers are starting to raise hogs inside greenhouses during those long Midwestern winters, according to Mark Honeyman, an Iowa State University animal scientist who spoke at LSP’s Pig Power meeting on Nov. 20. Find out what else Honeyman and other researchers had to say and view photos of the event at http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/03/newsr_031124.html.
PIG POWER II IN JANUARY
Speaking of sustainable swine, LSP will sponsor a special meeting on raising and marketing natural pork sometime in late January at the Redwood Falls (Minn.) Community Center. One of the main focuses of the meeting will be maintaining hog herd health without antibiotics. A veterinarian, a representative from Niman Ranch and a southern Minnesota hog farmer will give presentations and answer questions. Watch www.landstewardshipproject.org for details as they are finalized. You can also get more information by contacting Terry VanDerPol in our western Minnesota office at 320-269-2105 or tlvdp@landstewardshipproject.org.
THANKS BOBINO
LSP would like to thank Bobino Café and Wine Bar for including us in its 7th Anniversary celebration on Nov. 17. Bobino marked the event with a celebration of local food, local farmers and local chefs. Proceeds from the dinner that was served were donated to LSP. For more information, including details about the menu, check out http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/03/newsr_031203.html.
FARM AS NATURAL HABITAT STILL MAKING WAVES
More than a year and a half after its publication, The Farm as Natural Habitat continues to garner praise from book critics. Check out what the New Farm’s reviewer had to say at http://www.newfarm.org/books/reviews/december/nat_habitat.shtml. And if you haven’t gotten your copy of this groundbreaking book yet, visit http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/programs_agroecobook.html for ordering information.
WE’RE LOOKING FOR CSA FARMERS
In February, LSP will be producing its annual Twin Cities Area CSA Directory. This is the eighth year of this popular publication and copies are distributed via mail and the Internet. Many farms report back to us that the directory helps them recruit members while educating the general public about the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) model. If you are planning on operating a CSA farm in 2004 that will service the Twin Cities area, we’d like to invite you to be included in our 2004 directory. The listing fee is $20 for LSP members, and $30 for non-members. These fees go toward the costs of producing and mailing the directory, which is provided free to consumers. If you are a consumer who is thinking about joining a CSA farm in 2004 and can’t wait until February to learn more, you can download the 2003 directory now. For information on getting a paper copy, call Louise Arbuckle at 651-653-0618 or e-mail her at lspwbl@landstewardshipproject.org.
SHOW US YOUR CREATIVE SIDE
In 2004, the Land Stewardship Project will be opening an on-line art gallery. This will provide a showcase for images that reflect efforts to foster and support stewardship of our food and farm system. We are asking our members to submit photos, illustrations or paintings for this Stewardship Gallery. The theme of our first gallery “show” will be “The Farm as Natural Habitat.” The deadline for these first entries is March 1. Do you have art or photos that fit that theme? We’d love to see them. An LSP panel will select some of the entries for display in our gallery.
The entries should:
* Reflect human interaction with land and farms. The art or photos do not have to include people in them, but we are not interested in wilderness scenes.
* For photos, candid shots work well, black and white or color are fine.
Entry guidelines:
* Please do not send originals.
* Send entries as digitals or scanned files. If you are using pictures from your digital camera, they will work just fine if they are JPEG files. If you are scanning the images yourself from photographs or artwork, it is better to save them in either TIFF or EPS format. When scanning, use a 150 PPI (“pixels per inch”) setting.
Send entries by March 1 to:
Brian DeVore, bdevore@landstewardshipproject.org. If you have questions, you can e-mail DeVore or call him at 612-729-6294
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