Land Stewardship LIVE-WIRE, January 19, 2006
Hello:
This is the 31st 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) Family Farming & Sustainable Ag Loses a Leader
2) 'The Real Dirt on Farmer John' Friday, Jan. 20
3) LSP's Audio Magazine Podcast Adds News Shows
4) LSP Discussion Jan. 25 in Lewiston
5) Voices of Minn. Farm Women Packets Available
6) 'Voices/Planting' Discussion Feb. 5 in Minneapolis
7) LSP Members Address 'The Future of Ag' Feb. 3 in SE Minn.
8) Wetlands Summit Feb. 4
9) Local Foods go to College Feb. 8
10) 'Family Farms' Art Show Runs Until Feb. 10
11) 'What is the Future for Family Farms?' Panel Jan. 30
12) SFA Annual Meeting Feb. 18
13) Midwest Organic Farming Conference Feb. 24-25
14) Local Food Forum & Expo March 10
15) Check the Calendar
16) It's Time to Reserve a CSA Share
17) Farmers Needed for 'Meet Your Farmer' Event
18) Center for Earth Spirituality Position
19) The Food's Above-Average & the Farmers are Good-Looking
20) Worth Repeating
21) Worth Repeating II
22) Join LSP
1) FAMILY FARMING & SUSTAINABLE AG LOSES A LEADER
The family farming and sustainable agriculture community experienced a great loss on Sunday, Jan. 8, when Preston, Minn., farmer Dave Serfling was killed in an automobile accident. The members and staff of the Land Stewardship Project send their thoughts and prayers to Dave's family, in particular his wife Diane, daughter Hannah and son Ethan. For more on Dave Serfling, see http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/06/newsr_060109.htm.
Ear to the Ground No. 8 also offers an audio tribute to the farmer (see LIVE-WIRE item 3). You can listen to that at http://landstewardshipproject.org/rss/podcast.php.
2) 'THE REAL DIRT ON FARMER JOHN' FRIDAY, JAN. 20
A Twin Cities run of the award-winning film, "The Real Dirt on Farmer John," will begin this weekend at the Regal Brooklyn Center 20, 6420 Camden Ave. N., in Minneapolis. See http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/06/newsr_060118.htm for show times.
LSP staff and local farmers will be on hand this Friday between the 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. shows to talk about the film and ways of supporting local food systems. "The Real Dirt on Farmer John" (www.therealdirt.net) is a character study/docudrama depicting a 55-year span in the life of John Peterson and his Illinois farm. Filmmaker
Taggart Siegel documents how despite numerous obstacles and setbacks, Peterson's conventional farm was successfully reinvented as Angelic Organics, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation that serves the Chicago area.
3) LSP'S AUDIO MAGAZINE PODCAST ADDS NEW SHOWS
LSP's Ear to the Ground audio magazine has added several new shows. This podcast features interviews, reviews and special features related to LSP's work. Ear to the Ground was launched Dec. 5 with a three-part series on Frances Moore Lappé's visit and the idea of "living democracy." The latest podcast is a tribute to Dave Serfling (see LIVE-WIRE item 1).
The shows are available at http://landstewardshipproject.org/rss/podcast.php. For a step-by-step guide on how to subscribe to the free Ear to the Ground service, visit http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/podcast.html.
4) LSP DISCUSSION JAN. 25 IN LEWISTON
LSP's southeast Minnesota office will be hosting a special discussion for members on Wednesday, Jan. 25, from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. "Knitting it all Together: Moving Vision to Action in our Southeast Region" will provide members an opportunity to reflect on and confirm or redirect the work happening out of our southeast Minnesota office. Members are invited to share what's on their minds
and to help mesh ideas with reality. The meeting will be held at the Church of the Brethren, three miles east of Lewiston on County Road 25. Please RSVP by calling 507-523-3366 or e-mailing lspse@landstewardshipproject.org.
5) 'VOICES OF MINN. FARM WOMEN' PACKETS AVAILABLE
Educational packets for use in programs featuring LSP's film documentary, "Voices of Minnesota Farm Women," are available from the White Bear Lake office (651-653-0618). LSP is seeking volunteers to present programs in their communities this winter and spring. Training and materials will be provided. To volunteer or for more information, contact Dana Jackson at 651-653-0618 or danaj@landstewardshipproject.org.
LSP's southeast Minnesota office is planning on showing the movie sometime later this winter or in early spring. For details, contact Caroline van Schaik at 507-523-3366 or caroline@landstewardshipproject.org.
6) 'VOICES/PLANTING' DISCUSSION FEB. 5 IN MINNEAPOLIS
While we are on the subject of "Voices of Minnesota Farm Women," there will be a showing/discussion of that film, as well as a video of the play, "Planting in the Dust" on Sunday, Feb. 5, at Prospect Park United Methodist Church, 22 Orlin Ave., Minneapolis. For details, visit www.prospectparkchurch.org, or call
Dana Jackson at 651-653-0618.
7) LSP MEMBERS ADDRESS 'THE FUTURE OF AG' FEB. 3 IN SE MINN.
LSP members Mary Jo Forbord, Larry Gates and Mike Rupprecht will participate in a panel discussion on "The Future of Agriculture" Friday, Feb. 3, at the Jon Hassler Theater, 412 West Broadway, Plainview, Minn. The discussion, which will also feature Fred Kirschenmann, a Distinguished Fellow at the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, will begin at 7:30 p.m. This event, which
is being sponsored by the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota and the Rural America Institute for the Humanities and Community, is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Gary Holthaus at 651-388-8959, or Mary Jo Forbord at 320-760-8732.
8) 'WETLANDS SUMMIT' FEB. 4
LSP's Adam Warthesen will be speaking at a Wetlands Summit on Saturday, Feb. 4, at Normandale College in Bloomington, Minn. For more information, call 651-221-0215, or e-mail ikes@minnesotaikes.org.
9) LOCAL FOODS GO TO COLLEGE FEB. 8
LSP's Dana Jackson will be on a panel discussing the use of local foods at colleges on Wednesday, Feb. 8., at the College of St. Benedict in Collegeville, Minn. Details can be gotten by calling 320-363-3364.
10) 'FAMILY FARMS' ART SHOW RUNS UNTIL FEB. 10
"Family Farms: A Tribute" is being presented at the Northfield (Minn.) Arts Guild until Friday, Feb. 10. For the particulars, see http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/05/newsr_051219.htm.
11) 'WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR FAMILY FARMS?' PANEL JAN. 30
The Northfield League of Women Voters will moderate a panel discussion called, "What is the Future for Family Farms?" on Monday, Jan. 30, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. (snow date is Jan. 31). This will be held at the Northfield Arts Guild in conjunction with the "Family Farms: A Tribute" art show (see item 10). For more information, contact Stephanie Henriksen at 507-645-7086 or
dkamis@rconnect.com.
12) SFA ANNUAL MEETING FEB. 18
The 15th annual Meeting of the Sustainable Farming Association of Minnesota will be held Saturday, Feb. 18, in Little Falls, Minn. This year's theme is: "Cultivating Common Ground: Linking Health and Sustainable Agriculture." For details, call 866-760-8732, or visit www.sfa-mn.org.
13) MIDWEST ORGANIC FARMING CONFERENCE FEB. 24-25
LSP is helping sponsor the 17th annual Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference, Feb. 24-25, in La Crosse, Wis. Over the years, this conference has evolved into one of the nation's premier gatherings for organic agriculture. The conference's organizers are now accepting volunteer and scholarship applications. "Organic University" will be held on Feb. 23 at the same location. For more
information, call 715-772-3153 or visit www.mosesorganic.org. For a little background on the history of the conference, see page 9 of the Oct./Nov./Dec 2005 issue of the Land Stewardship Letter.
14) LOCAL FOOD FORUM & EXPO MARCH 10
Signatures Restaurant in the southeast Minnesota community of Winona will be the site of a local food forum and expo on Friday, March 10. This event will bring together producers, processors and anyone who buys and eats food. The focus will be on exploring the needs and opportunities of a food system that feeds us all right here. Keynotes, panel discussions, displays and a locally-sourced lunch
will be featured. For more information, contact Caroline van Schaik in LSP's Lewiston office at 507-523-3366 or caroline@landstewardshipproject.org.
15) CHECK THE CALENDAR
Hear that sound? It's the noise of thousands of chairs being arranged for all those winter meetings and conferences. Check out the LSP calendar at http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/index-calendar.html. Details on events can also be found on our Press Releases page at http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/news-pr.html.
16) IT'S TIME TO RESERVE A CSA SHARE
The sun made an appearance the other day, and that can mean only one thing: spring will indeed arrive in 2006. With spring comes fresh produce and one of the best ways to get that produce is through a share in a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farm. There are over two-dozen CSA farms serving the Twin Cities region alone. These farms sell "memberships," and in return these farm
"members" get a weekly delivery of fresh, organic produce into the fall. LSP is currently working on its annual CSA directory, which should be available by March 1. In the meantime, you can view our 2005 listing of CSA farms at http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/csa.html. By the way, if you are a CSA farmer who would like
to be included in the directory, please contact LSP's White Bear Lake office at 651-653-0618, or lspwbl@landstewardshipproject.org.
17) FARMERS NEEDED FOR 'MEET YOUR FARMER' EVENT
Joining a CSA farm is the ultimate way of putting a face behind your food. Speaking of which, St. Martin's Table (2001 North Riverside, Minneapolis, Minn.) will be hosting a "Meet Your Farmer" open house on Saturday, April 1. This should be a great opportunity for farmers and consumers to get together and learn how they can support each other. Organizers of the event are still looking
for farmers to participate. If you're interested, call Dave Anderson at 612-339-3920.
18) CENTER FOR EARTH SPIRITUALITY POSITION
The School Sisters of Notre Dame are accepting applications for a full-time Coordinator of the Center for Earth Spirituality and Rural Ministry at the Mankato, Minn., site. Responsibilities include implementing educational and spirituality programs, managing community gardens, managing a resource room and maintaining mailing lists and a newsletter. This position requires a diverse and varied
schedule. Resumes will be accepted through Feb. 3. For more information, call 507-389-4284 or e-mail bduchene@ssndmankato.org. Sister Kathleen Mary Kiemen can also answer questions at 651-690-2533 or kkiemenssnd@yahoo.com. You can apply by writing to: School Sisters of Notre Dame, 170 Good Counsel Drive,
Mankato, MN 56001 EOE.
19) THE FOOD'S ABOVE-AVERAGE & THE FARMERS ARE GOOD-LOOKING
If you happen to be listening to Public Radio's Prairie Home Companion (prairiehome.publicradio.org) during the weekend of Feb. 11, you may notice the cast sounding particularly happy and satisfied. That's because the show will be running on vittles supplied by western Minnesota farmers, many of them LSP members. The Pride of the
Prairie (www.prideoftheprairie.org) local foods program has been tapped to supply Prairie Home's cast and crew with food while they are performing in Morris, Minn., on Feb. 11. Maybe if the chow is good enough it will become a staple at the Chatterbox Café.
20) WORTH REPEATING
"As you can probably tell, I love farming." -- the late Dave Serfling, writing in the commentary, "Why I continue farming (and why you should care)" (http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/lsl/lspv17n6.html#COMMENTARY)
21) WORTH REPEATING II
"You have over one million creative farmer minds out there in the country. If you tell them the environmental results that you want and give them financial incentive to achieve them, they will find a way to deliver." -- Dave Serfling, in testimony before the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee (http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/pr/newsr_010731.html)
22) 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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