Land Stewardship LIVE-WIRE, August 24, 2005
Hello:
This is the 26th 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) Farm Beginnings Course Deadline Sept. 15
2) Farm Beginnings Record Keeping Scholarship Available
3) Minnesota Cooks at State Fair Aug. 30
4) LSP Farm Bill Meetings Today & Aug. 31
5) CSP Field Day Sept. 8 in SW Iowa
6) Linden Hills Sales to Benefit LSP Sept. 12
7) River Arts Crawl/CURE River Revival Sept. 30-Oct. 2
8) 'Farming with the Wild' Oct. 1
9) 'Dine Fresh Dine Local' Oct. 11 in Twin Cities
10) 'Inside Tips' Farm Credit Workshops in November
11) 'Voices' to be Heard (& Seen) in SE Minn. this November
12) Help 'Voices' be Heard (& Seen)
13) Frances Moore Lappe in the Twin Cities this Fall
14) Check the Calendar
15) Worth Repeating
16) Worth Repeating II
17) Join LSP
1) FARM BEGINNINGS COURSE DEADLINE SEPT. 15
Slots in the 2005-2006 edition of LSP's Farm Beginnings program are disappearing faster than ever in the history of the nine-year-old program, but there's still time to apply before the Sept. 15 deadline. The classes, which will be held in New Prague (just south of the Twin Cities), run from the end of October until March, followed by an on-farm education component. One exciting development
this year is that Farm Beginnings is now being offered in Missouri, Nebraska and Illinois. For more information, including how to apply, see
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/05/newsr_050823.htm.
2) FARM BEGINNINGS RECORD KEEPING SCHOLARSHIP AVAILABLE
While we're talking about Farm Beginnings™, a scholarship fund remains open for course graduates to offset fees associated with the farm analysis/record-keeping program offered by the Farm Business Management Program (FBMP). Graduates have until December to apply (or until the funds are exhausted--whichever comes first). The scholarship is one way LSP is helping beginning farmers gain
the record keeping skills needed to make sound farming decisions. For details, contact Caroline van Schaik at 507-523-3366 or caroline@landstewardshipproject.org.
3) MINNESOTA COOKS AT STATE FAIR AUG. 30
State Fair food is not just corn dogs anymore. Minnesota Cooks, a program at the Minnesota State Fair's Taste of Tuesday, will bring together 14 of the area's best chefs to demonstrate how they use local, sustainably-grown ingredients to create award-wining fare for their restaurants. The third annual Minnesota Cooks program will take place on
Tuesday, Aug. 30, in the State Fair's Carousel Park, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. For details, see
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/05/newsr_050801.htm.
4) LSP FARM BILL MEETINGS TODAY & AUG. 31
Interested in helping to make farm policy better for the land and our communities? Western Minnesota Land Stewardship Project members will have an opportunity to shape the 2007 Farm Bill at a special meeting today from 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Granite Falls Kilowatt Community Center. To RSVP and for more information, contact LSP's Terry
VanDerPol at 320-981-0134 or tlvdp@landstewardshipproject.org.
On Wednesday, Aug. 31, from 6:45 p.m. to 8:30 p.m., Twin Cities area LSP members will have their shot. The Twin Cities meeting will be at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in South Minneapolis (2730 East 31st Street; phone: 612-729-8358). For more information on this meeting or to RSVP, call Mark Schultz or Adam Warthesen at LSP's Policy Program office,
612-722-6377.
Every five to six years, Congress passes a Farm Bill, which sets federal policy and provides billions of dollars nationwide to crop subsidy programs, food and nutrition support, conservation programs, rural development and other initiatives. Overall, U.S. farm policy massively subsidizes overproduction of a few intensive row crops, resulting in environmental degradation in the U.S., low crop
prices for impoverished farmers around the world, and cheap grain for large factory livestock farms. For more on what Farm Bill changes are needed, see LSP's statement, "Prosperous Farms & a Healthy Land: Reforming U.S. Farm Policy" at http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/opinions/05/opin_050307.htm.
5) CSP FIELD DAY SEPT. 8 IN SW IOWA
One recent bright spot on the farm policy horizon is the Conservation Security Program (CSP). Spend a pre-autumn day in southwest Iowa learning more about CSP, stewardship practices and performance-based measurements on Thursday, Sept. 8, from 2 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. LSP members Vic and Cindy Madsen will host the field day on their farm near Audubon.
Field day schedule:
2-3 p.m.--CSP overview: Madsens' experience; PFI farmer survey (Traci Bruckner, Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group); the CSP last year and today (local NRCS).
3-5 p.m.--Field Tour --What the Madsens are doing for their CSP dollars with supporting presentations including: wildlife enhancements (NRCS); benefits of certification and financial help for certification and transitioning to organic (Ray Kirsch, Food Alliance Midwest); multiple benefits research (Caroline van Schaik, LSP); how another watershed is
getting ready (Linda Dahl, Whitewater Watershed Project coordinator); economic returns; native prairie grasses; soil loss factors; crop rotations; nitrogen use.
5-5:30 p.m.--The future of stewardship payments and how can I sign up?
5:30-6:30 p.m.--Light meal of local foods.
6:30-7:30 p.m.--Mini sessions: broiler chickens, straw-based pork, direct marketing food.
The Madsens are at 2186 Goldfinch Ave., and their phone number is 712-563-3044.
For more information, contact Caroline van Schaik in our southeast Minnesota office at 507-523-3366 or caroline@landstewardshipproject.org. For more on CSP, check out
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/programs_csp.html.
6) LINDEN HILLS SALES TO BENEFIT LSP SEPT. 12
On Monday, Sept. 12, 10 percent of store sales at Linden Hills Natural Home will be contributed to LSP. Located at 2822 West 43rd Street in Minneapolis, Minn., Linden Hills Natural Home offers earth-friendly, local and sustainable products for homes, gardens and pets. For information, call 612-279-2479, or visit http://www.lindenhills.coop.
7) RIVER ARTS CRAWL/CURE RIVER REVIVAL SEPT. 30-OCT. 2
Several LSP members will be featured at the 2nd Annual Upper Minnesota River Arts Crawl and CURE River Revival in western Minnesota from Sept. 30 to Oct. 2. Get the skinny at 877-269-2873 or http://www.curemnriver.org.
8) 'FARMING WITH THE WILD' OCT. 1
Can farming and wildlife habitat co-exist? LSP and the North Star Chapter of the Sierra Club will co-sponsor a "Farming with the Wild" field day Saturday, Oct. 1 at Philadelphia Community Farm near Osceola, Wis. Details are still being worked out. For more information, call LSP's Dana Jackson at 651-653-0618 or e-mail her at danaj@landstewardshipproject.org.
9) 'DINE FRESH DINE LOCAL' OCT. 11 IN TWIN CITIES
Restaurants, farmers and diners in the Twin Cities area will have a chance to support local, sustainably-produced food during the second annual "Dine Fresh Dine Local" event on Tuesday, Oct. 11. This special one-day culinary event will take place at select restaurants across the metropolitan area. Find out how you can get some good chow and support
sustainable food and farming at http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/05/newsr_050802.htm.
10) 'INSIDE TIPS' FARM CREDIT WORKSHOPS IN NOVEMBER
Two credit workshops designed to provide inside tips and hands-on practice for beginning farmers and others will be held in November. The southeast Minnesota workshop will take place Nov. 4 and 5 and will be repeated in Montevideo on Nov. 11 and 12. For details, contact Caroline van Schaik (caroline@landstewardshipproject.org) in southeast
Minnesota
at 507-523-3366 or Michele Skogrand (lspwest@landstewardshipproject.org) in western Minnesota at 320-269-2105.
11) 'VOICES' TO BE HEARD (& SEEN) IN SE MINN. IN NOVEMBER
The new film, Voices of Minnesota Farm Women, will be presented in early November by LSP's southeast Minnesota office in Lewiston. This showing will feature a special appearance by filmmaker Cynthia Vagnetti. Vagnetti's outstanding photo exhibit will be on display and there will be an opportunity to meet some of the featured farmers in person (many are LSP members). A discussion of the film
and related issues will follow. Call LSP's Lewiston office at 507-523-3366 or e-mail caroline@landstewardshipproject.org for details.
12) HELP 'VOICES' BE HEARD (& SEEN)
There's more good news about Voices of Minnesota Farm Women: LSP will be promoting the film as a focus for food and agriculture programs. Through the Farm and City Food Connections Program, we will develop a study/action packet to accompany the film, (available in both VHS and DVD) and offer it for rental or purchase from the White Bear Lake office. The packet will contain a written introduction
to read before showing Voices, a set of discussion questions for use following a showing, several reprints of articles related to themes in the film, a bibliography, and a guide for follow-up action.
Would you like to volunteer to show Voices and lead a discussion about it for a church group, food co-op, citizens' group, or community meeting? The program will be suitable for both urban and rural settings in any state. Training and support will be available to make this experience comfortable and rewarding. To get involved, contact Dana Jackson in LSP's White Bear office at 651-653-0618
or danaj@landstewardshipproject.org.
To purchase a copy of Voices, contact Louise Arbuckle in our Twin Cities office at 651-653-0618 or lspwbl@landstewardshipproject.org.
13) FRANCES MOORE LAPPE IN THE TWIN CITIES THIS FALL
It's looking likely that author/activist Frances Moore Lappe will be returning to Minnesota later this fall for a special LSP event (possibly mid-November). If you missed her when she spoke in Winona in February, here's your chance to hear Lappe's thoughtful insights on how strong local democracies can help alleviate hunger around the world. Her latest
book, Democracy's Edge, is coming out in November, so her visit will be very timely. The event will be in the Twin Cities, but other details are still being hammered out. Watch future LIVE-WIREs and the Land Stewardship Letter for the latest. In the meantime, you can learn more about Lappe's work at http://www.smallplanetinstitute.org.
14) CHECK THE CALENDAR
For the latest on meetings, field days and other activities, check out the LSP calendar at
http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/index-calendar.html
15) WORTH REPEATING
"Sustainable agriculture is a key component in the program. We have a very strong ethic about the land. It needs to be cared for as a resource for the future." -- Farm Beginnings graduate Kristi Fernholz, quoted in the Mix. (http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/itn/05/050801.htm)
16) WORTH REPEATING II
"Nothing goes as you plan when you're working with nature. Being able to see what comes as an opportunity and not an obstacle is huge. And when we get done [teaching] them, that's how they are." -- Farm Beginnings mentor Dan French, quoted in the Catholic Spirit
(http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/itn/05/050622.htm)
17) JOIN LSP
The work of LSP, including the LIVE-WIRE, is supported by the donations of people like you. To become a member, give a gift membership, or donate an extra gift above your membership, see http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/index-joinus.html. If you have
questions about membership, contact cathye@landstewardshipproject.org.
LSP_LIVE-WIRE is Land Stewardship Project's e-mail newsletter. To unsubscribe or to change your options or password visit: http://www.communityforum.net/mailman/listinfo/lsp_live-wire.
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