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Land Stewardship LIVE-WIRE, Oct. 19, 2004
Hello:
This is the 16th issue of "Land Stewardship LIVE-WIRE," the Land Stewardship Project's e-mail newsletter. 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
1) Holthaus to Read ‘Farm Stories’ Nov. 8 in Lewiston
2) Morris to Host ‘All Local’ Meal Nov. 4
3) ‘Voices of Minn. Farm Women’ Movie Showing Nov. 4
4) ‘Family Farms’ Art Exhibit in Winona Through Nov. 5
5) Minn. NRCS Chief to Speak at Local Foods Meal Nov. 9
6) Preparing Pastures for Winter Nov. 10
7) ‘Farming & Eating as if Nature Matters’ Nov. 15
8) ‘Thirst’ & ‘Supper’ Videos Presented
9) Check Our Calendar
10) CSP: The Next Step
11) Dine Fresh Dine Local a Delicious Success
12) CFF Files Friend of the Court Brief on Checkoff
13) Give the Gift of Stewardship
14 Food Alliance Seeking Business Development Manager
15) Communications Intern Needed
16) Worth Repeating
17) Worth Repeating II
1) HOLTHAUS TO READ ‘FARM STORIES’ NOV. 8 IN LEWISTON
Red Wing writer and poet Gary Holthaus will read from his latest book of farmer interviews on Monday, Nov. 8, beginning at 7:30 p.m., in Lewiston. The Land Stewardship Project is hosting the evening at its office, 180 E. Main Street. There is no charge but RSVPs are requested to guarantee a chair. Dessert and coffee will be served. To RSVP and for more information, call Caroline at 507-523-3366
or e-mail caroline@landstewardshipproject.org. Holthaus wrote “Farm Stories: That’s how we came to have this place” to chronicle the stories of some 40 Southeast Minnesota farm families. The book also contains an analysis of farm and trade policies as well as related social justice issues. Holthaus will also read from
“Learning Native Wisdom: Reflections on Spirituality, Subsistence, and Sustainability,” a treatise on sustainable communities and their foundation in a meaningful spiritual life. Holthaus argues that life is not just a function of economy but of “manners, ethics, respect, the way we live.” Photographs from “Farm Stories” will be on display for the evening.
2) MORRIS TO HOST ‘ALL LOCAL’ MEAL NOV. 4
The University of Minnesota-Morris Fall Feast will feature local food that’s certified by Food Alliance Midwest. The meal, which is open to the public, will be served from 4:45 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, Nov. 4, at the University’s cafeteria. Tickets can be purchased at the door. And that’s not the only way to support local food producers on Nov. 4: A farmers’ market
will be held at the University’s Oayte Hall from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, contact LSP’s western Minnesota office at 320-269-2105 or lspwest@landstewardshipproject.org. For more information on Food Alliance Midwest, visit http://www.foodalliance.org/producers/fa_midwest/midwest.html.
3) ‘VOICES OF MINN. FARM WOMEN’ MOVIE SHOWING NOV. 4
And as if a local foods meal and farmers’ market wasn’t enough, at 3 p.m. on Nov. 4 Cynthia Vagnetti's recently completed film, "Voices of Minnesota Farm Women" will be premiered in the University of Minnesota-Morris TV room. This film, which LSP is helping present, tells the story of Minnesota's heritage and legacy through oral history interviews of contemporary women
who are involved in biodiverse farming and local sustainable food systems. The project is funded by Humanities Iowa, Minnesota Humanities and the Bradshaw Knight Foundation. Produced by Vagnetti, the 26-minute video features Mary Doer, Annette and Kay Fernholz, Muriel French, Paula Marti, Robin Moore, Florence Minar, Linda Noble, Bev Struxness and Jean Peterson.
4) ‘FAMILY FARMS’ ART EXHIBIT IN WINONA THROUGH NOV. 5
LSP is co-sponsoring “Family Farms: A Tribute,” an art exhibit organized to draw public attention to the plight of family farms and the rural communities they support. The show runs through Nov. 5 at Saint Mary’s University in Winona, Minn. (Lillian Davis Hogan Galleries in the Toner Center). Paintings, drawings, prints, sculptures and photography by 14 different artists are
featured. Other sponsors include Minnesota COACT (Citizens Organized, Acting Together), Minnesota Farmers Union and Clean Water Action Alliance. Gallery hours are 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. daily, and the exhibit is free and open to the public. For more information, visit http://www.umbsn.org/#family_farms.
5) MINN. NRCS CHIEF TO SPEAK AT LOCAL FOODS MEAL NOV. 9
“Celebrating Food From Our Land” is the theme of a Pride of the Prairie local foods event Tuesday, Nov. 9, beginning at 5:30 p.m., at the Shooting Park in Alexandria, Minn. Bill Hunt, Chief of the Minnesota Natural Resources Conservation Service, will keynote this event. Come join us to celebrate the culture, the bounty and the diversity of foods produced in west central Minnesota.
This event will feature fantastic local foods, and attendees will have an opportunity to share their ideas on how to build momentum for local food in the Alexandria area. The caterer will be Bistro To Go, a local business that’s passionate about the quality of locally produced food. The cost is $15, and seating is limited, so reserve your spot before Nov. 4 by calling LSP’s western
Minnesota office at 320-269-2105, or e-mailing lspwest@landstewardshipproject.org.
Pride of the Prairie is a collaborative initiative of LSP, the West Central Regional Sustainable Development Partnership Board, students and staff of the University of Minnesota-Morris, West Central Research and Outreach Center, FoodRoutes Network, Agricultural Utilization Research Institute, USDA Community Food Security Program, Sustainable Farmers Association of Minnesota, area food producing
farmers and citizens. For more information, visit http://www.prideoftheprairie.org.
6) PREPARING PASTURES FOR WINTER NOV. 10
“Preparing Pastures and Cattle for Winter” is the subject of the West Central Research and Outreach Center’s last pasture walk of the season. The walk will be held in the Morris, Minn., area on Wednesday, Nov. 10. For more information, contact Dennis Johnson at 320-589-1711 or dairydgj@mrs.umn.edu.
7) ‘FARMING & EATING AS IF NATURE MATTERS’ NOV. 15
“Farming and Eating as if Nature Matters” is the title of a noon talk LSP's Dana Jackson will give Monday, Nov. 15, at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy, 2104 Stephens Avenue South, Minneapolis. Parking is in the rear. This event is free and open to the public--bring your lunch so you can stuff your face while filling your brain with some exciting ideas on food and farming.
For more information, contact Julia Nerbonne at 651-287-3308 or http://www.hecua.org/programs/es/.
8) ‘THIRST’ & ‘SUPPER’ VIDEOS PRESENTED
The Environmental Action Team (EAT) of the First Congregational Church of Minnesota is presenting two fascinating videos in the next several weeks. On Nov. 17, the video “Thirst” will be shown. This award-winning film describes corporate attempts to privatize the earth’s water supplies. On hand for a post-film discussion will be Jack Ballenger, co-founder of the Minnesota Water
Alliance. On Dec. 1, “Deconstructing Supper” will be shown. This film, which was reviewed in the July/August/September 2004 issue of the Land Stewardship Letter, follows chef John Bishop around the world as he investigates whether genetic engineering is a boon or a bane to our food and farming system. On hand for a post-film discussion will be a
local chef as well as Mark Muller, Director of the Environment and Agriculture Program at the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy. These films are open to the public and will be shown at the church at 500 8th Avenue in Minneapolis. If you are planning on attending, please RSVP Jo Anne Rohricht at 651-645-6043.
9) CHECK OUR CALENDAR
Whew! As you can see from the above listings, it can be difficult to keep abreast of the latest happenings this time of year. But our on-line calendar can help. For the latest on meetings, field days, showings and other activities, check out http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/index-calendar.html.
10) CSP: THE NEXT STEP
The good news is that USDA has finally implemented the Conservation Security Program (CSP), after 18 months of delay. As of the end of August, 2,188 farmers have been accepted into the program in 18 watersheds that were selected around the U.S. by USDA. The bad news is that USDA’s implementation of CSP falls far short of what Congress intended when it created CSP. That’s why LSP
recently submitted recommendations to the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service on how to make CSP the program the law intended. To view the letter, visit http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/opinions/04/opin_041005.html.
For more information on CSP in general, check out http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/programs_csp.html, or call LSP’s Policy Program at 612-722-6377.
11) DINE FRESH DINE LOCAL A DELICIOUS SUCCESS
At least 200 dining parties showed their support for local farmers on Oct. 5 during the first annual “Dine Fresh Dine Local” event. This was a special one-day culinary event involving 13 Twin Cities restaurants. Participating restaurants donated a portion of the day or evening's proceeds to LSP, Food Alliance Midwest and Minnesota Grown for their work in promoting sustainable farming
and healthy local foods. Thanks to everyone who supported this event. For more details about Dine Fresh Dine Local, visit http://www.dinefreshdinelocal.com, or call 651-698-5586.
12) CFF FILES FRIEND OF THE COURT BRIEF ON CHECKOFF
The Campaign for Family Farms (CFF), joined by 49 farm groups with members in all 50 states, filed an “amici curiae” (friend of the court) brief with the U.S. Supreme Court on Oct. 18 asking the high court to uphold lower court decisions that found the mandatory beef checkoff unconstitutional. The Supreme Court’s decision will likely decide the future of many unpopular checkoff
programs, including the mandatory pork checkoff. Disregarding lower court rulings on the pork and beef checkoff, the Bush Administration opted to petition the Supreme Court on the constitutionality of mandatory checkoffs. The Supreme Court will hear oral arguments on the mandatory beef checkoff on December 8, with a decision in early 2005. The amici curiae brief and other documents related to
the pork checkoff case can be viewed at: http://www.flaginc.org/news/Checkoff/checkoff.htm. LSP is a founding member of the Campaign for Family Farms.
13) GIVE THE GIFT OF STEWARDSHIP
In a few short weeks, the holiday season will be upon us and we will once again be barraged with commercial messages urging us to buy, buy, buy. As an alternative this year, consider giving stewardship gifts in honor of your friends and family -- to support beginning farmers, promote healthy local food, and advance democracy and grassroots organizing. Look for an alternative stewardship gift
"catalog" to arrive in your mailboxes from LSP in early November.
14) FOOD ALLIANCE SEEKING BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT MANAGER
Food Alliance Midwest is seeking someone to lead its market development program, which is focused on increasing demand for the Food Alliance certification program throughout the Midwest. Central to this program is the cultivation and maintenance of “market partner” relationships with distributors, processors, retailers and food service companies who commit to source and promote Food
Alliance certified products. This person is also responsible for sales and marketing of Food Alliance’s consulting, custom certification and other fee-based services to the food and agriculture industry.
For more information, contact: Jim Ennis, Project Director, Food Alliance Midwest, Blair Arcade West, Suite Y, 400 Selby Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55102. Deadline for letters is Oct. 20, or until the position is filled. For more on Food Alliance Midwest, visit http://www.foodalliance.org/partners/fa_midwest/midwest.html.
15) COMMUNICATIONS INTERN NEEDED
LSP has a communications internship available. This internship will provide hands-on experience in all aspects of nonprofit external communications. The position is not paid and is ready to be filled as soon as possible. The location of the internship may be in either South Minneapolis or White Bear Lake, Minn. The deadline for application is Nov. 3. For
a complete description of the internship, contact Louise Arbuckle at 651-653-0618 or lspwbl@landstewardshipproject.org.
16) WORTH REPEATING
“A strong incentive driving the decentralized food system model is that it provides powerful, low-cost food safety and food security assurance. When food production and sources are not concentrated and centralized, it becomes much less vulnerable to attacks of terrorism and disease.” – from the report, "Creating a Bright Future for Livestock Farmers in Minnesota"
(http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/04/newsr_041001.html)
17) WORTH REPEATING II
“A program established for working farmland and working farmers, CSP should recognize and reward actual conservation benefits produced by farmers and ranchers, which in turn also provides incentives for farmers and ranchers to address and solve critical resource problems, producing tangible benefits to the public at large and our nation’s lands.” – LSP Policy Program
Director Mark Schultz, in a letter to the USDA commenting on the Conservation Security Program Interim Final Rule (http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/opinions/04/opin_041005.html)
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