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Land Stewardship LIVE-WIRE, March 20, 2006
Hello:
This is the 33rd 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) CSA Farm Directory Available
2) Dairy Pastures & Processing Included in House Tax Measure
3) Grazing Intro Workshop March 25 in New Prague
4) CSP Sign-Up Until March 31
5) 'Sowing the Seeds of Hunger' April 6 at U of M
6) 'Voices' Showing April 7 in Plainview
7) 'Voices' in Lanesboro May 6
8) Grazing Workshop April 10 in Lewiston
9) LSP 'Day on the Hill' April 19
10) Volunteers Needed for Earth Day Wetlands Rally
11) CSA Fair April 23 at Seward
12) Food & Farm Fest May 6-7
13) Sustainable Garden Tour June 3
14) Check the Calendar
15) Mill City Farmers' Market Seeking Vendors
16) Farmers Needed for April 1 'Meet Your Farmer' at St. Martin's
17) MISA Looking for Board Members
18) Want to Go to the Slow Food Conference?
19) Worth Repeating
20) Worth Repeating II
21) Worth Repeating III
22) Join LSP
1) 2006 CSA FARM DIRECTORY AVAILABLE
Okay, so a few recent snowstorms slowed the arrival of spring. But we promise warm weather will eventually make an entrance, bringing with it the kind of conditions that produce fresh, tasty fruits and vegetables. So now is the time to join 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 farm members get a weekly delivery of fresh, organic produce into the fall. LSP's annual CSA directory is now available at here. If you'd like a free paper copy, call our White Bear Lake office at 651-653-0618. To hear a discussion on how CSA farming can bring farmers and consumers together, check out LSP's podcast page
here. Ear to the Ground No. 16 features an interview with two longtime CSA farmers. To learn how to subscribe to our free podcast service, click here.
2) DAIRY PASTURES & PROCESSING INCLUDED IN HOUSE TAX MEASURE
A key committee of the Minnesota House of Representatives has passed a proposal that would provide tax credits to dairy farmers that make improvements to their operations. Included in the proposal are credits for dairy farmers who invest in pasture development and on-farm processing. That provision was added after LSP farmer-members testified at a committee hearing March 15. For details, click
here. For more on how you can help support legislative measures that are good for family farming, rural communities and sustainable agriculture, click here.
3) GRAZING INTRO WORKSHOP MARCH 25 IN NEW PRAGUE
LSP's Farm Beginnings Program is continuing its 2006 season of hands-on educational programs with a public grazing workshop Saturday, March 25, at the New Prague (Minn.) City Hall. This workshop, which runs from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., will feature Howard Moechnig, state grazing specialist for the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). He will
discuss issues important in preparing a grazing plan, including paddock location/size, watering options, lanes and monitoring. Participants are encouraged to bring aerial photos, soil maps and topographical maps of their farms to begin planning. The workshop is free for Farm Beginnings participants, and $10 for everyone else. For more information, contact Laura Borgendale in LSP's western Minnesota
office at 320-269-2105 or laurab@landstewardshipproject.org.
4) CSP SIGN-UP UNTIL MARCH 31
The 2006 sign-up for the Conservation Security Program (CSP) runs until March 31. Several Midwestern watersheds are eligible for the program this time around. For details, including fact sheets on how to sign-up and prepare for the program, click here. LSP organizer Adam Warthesen (612-722-6377 or adamw@landstewardshipproject.org)
can also help with questions you may have about CSP.
5) 'SOWING THE SEEDS OF HUNGER' APRIL 6 AT U OF M
The AIDS epidemic is affecting all aspects of African society, including the continent's ability to feed itself. In fact, in sub-Saharan Africa it has crippled the agricultural community while forcing children to undertake the responsibilities of farming. LSP is co-sponsoring a free screenings of "Sowing the Seeds of Hunger" on Thursday, April 6, at the University of Minnesota's Minneapolis
campus. This showing, which begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Mayo Memorial Auditorium on the University's East Bank (425 Delaware Street SE), is part of the National Public Health Week Film Festival, which is being put on by the U of M School of Public Health from April 3-7.
The powerful "Sowing the Seeds of Hunger" shows how AIDS is affecting one farming family in northern Zambia. It illustrates how the pandemic is also endangering the lives of a growing number of widows and AIDS orphans, and undermining development across the entire region. The film is being shown in conjunction with "And the Band Played On," as part of the festival's "HIV:
Then and Now" theme. Kari Kugler, a doctoral candidate in the Division of Epidemiology at the School of Public Health, will speak in conjunction with this showing. For more information, see http://www.sph.umn.edu/filmfestival, or call Michelle Lian-Anderson at 612-626-5536.
6) 'VOICES' SHOWING APRIL 7 IN PLAINVIEW
An evening of film, food and conversation involving some of the farmers featured in "The Voices of Minnesota Farm Women" will be held Friday, April 7, at the Jon Hassler Theater in Plainview Minn. This event, which begins at 7 p.m., is a benefit fundraiser for LSP's southeast Minnesota program work. "The Voices" film will be shown, followed by a discussion on how and where
to channel the powerful impacts of sustainably-produced food so that an entire region benefits economically and environmentally. Tickets are $10 for LSP members, and $12 otherwise. Please RSVP LSP's Lewiston office at 507-523-3366 or lspse@landstewardshipproject.org. For information on how you can schedule a "Voices of Minnesota Farm
Women" showing/discussion in your community through LSP's Farm and City Food Connections program, click here.
7) 'VOICES' IN LANESBORO MAY 6
If you can't make it to Plainview, there will be an opportunity to see "Voices of Minnesota Farm Women" on Saturday, May 6, at the Lanesboro (Minn.) Community Center. This showing is sponsored by the Lanesboro Library Board and the Lanesboro Farmers' Market. For more information, call Phil Holtegard at 507-421-0216.
8) GRAZING WORKSHOP APRIL 10 IN LEWISTON
"Planning a Managed Grazing System" is the title of a workshop being held Monday, April 10, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. in Lewiston, Minn. This is the first of a series of grazing workshops being co-sponsored by LSP in conjunction with Hiawatha Valley Resource Conservation and Development, among others. There will be follow-up workshops on April 17 ("Strategies for Maximizing Forage
Production"); May 15 and May 22 ("Managing Sensitive Areas in Pastures"); June 5 ("Tour of an Established Grazing System"); June 12 and June 19 ("Pasture Monitoring"); and June 26 ("Tour of a Pasture in Development Process"). On April 10, participants will be guided through the process of developing their own grazing plans. The cost is $10 each or
$15 per family, and reservations should be made by calling 507-281-1959 (ext. 4), or contacting Caroline van Schaik in LSP's Lewiston office at 507-523-3366 or caroline@landstewardshipproject.org.
9) LSP 'DAY ON THE HILL' APRIL 19
Land Stewardship Project's "Day on the Hill" at the Minnesota Capitol will be Wednesday, April 19. This is a great chance to give legislators a broad view of the types of farms, farming systems and communities our members support, so we'd love to have as many LSPers there as possible. The day will begin with a local foods breakfast at Christ the King Lutheran Church and School in Saint
Paul. During the day, LSP members will gather to hear about the issues in play during the session, and then will fan out across the Capitol to meet with their legislators. For details, contact LSP's Terry VanDerPol at 320-269-2105 or tlvdp@landstewardshipproject.org.
10) VOLUNTEERS NEEDED FOR EARTH DAY WETLANDS RALLY
The second annual "Ducks, Wetlands & Clean Water Rally" (www.wetlandsrally.org) will be held on Earth Day (Saturday, April 22) at the Minnesota Capitol in Saint Paul. Like last year, LSP will have a booth at this event, which is a great opportunity to educate hunters and other outdoor enthusiasts about the need to support
sustainable farming and agricultural policy reform. If you would like to volunteer to staff the booth, contact LSP's Bobby King at 612-722-6377 or bking@landstewardshipproject.org.
11) CSA FAIR APRIL 23 AT SEWARD
Seward Co-op's fifth annual Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Fair will be Sunday, April 23, from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. This fair, which will be held at 2111 East Franklin Avenue in Minneapolis, gives consumers a chance to meet CSA farmers, compare their crop share offerings side-by-side, and determine the share that best fits their family's needs. For details, call 612-338-2465, or visit www.seward.coop.
12) FOOD & FARM FEST MAY 6-7
The 2006 Community Food and Farm Festival will be the weekend of May 6-7 at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. This annual event is a great opportunity to meet farmers and learn how they produce food using sustainable methods. LSP is looking for volunteers to help staff our booth at the Festival. For more information, click here.
13) SUSTAINABLE GARDEN TOUR JUNE 3
The annual Southeast Minnesota Sustainable Garden Tour and Dinner is set for Saturday, June 3, in the gardens of Barb and Martin Nelson of rural Winona. For details, contact Karen Benson in LSP's Lewiston office at 507-523-3366 or lspse@landstewardshipproject.org.
14) CHECK THE CALENDAR
It's still March but already many spring and summer field days, meeting and events are on the docket. LSP's Louise Arbuckle has typed her keyboard to a crisp trying to keep up with all of them, and is updating our web calendar constantly. To see the latest results of her efforts, click here. Details on events can also be
found on our Press Releases page.
15) MILL CITY FARMERS' MARKET SEEKING VENDORS
The new Mill City Farmers' Market, which will be located near downtown Minneapolis on the Mississippi Riverfront, is seeking farmers. The market's organizers are still looking for cut flowers, bedding plants and window box gardens, chicken and other poultry, eggs, dairy products, pork products and homemade food products. The market will be held on Saturdays, June 10 to Oct. 21. A luncheon will
be held for potential vendors on Wednesday, March 29, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Participants can meet other vendors and see the market site firsthand. The luncheon will be at the Mill City Museum, ADM Conference Room, Floor 6, 704 South 2nd Street, Minneapolis. Please RSVP to Marjorie (651-247-4275) by Friday, March 24.
16) FARMERS NEEDED FOR APRIL 1 'MEET YOUR FARMER' AT ST. MARTIN'S
No fooling -- St. Martin's Table (2001 North Riverside in Minneapolis) will be hosting a "Meet Your Farmer" open house on Saturday, April 1, from 8:30 a.m. to 10 a.m. 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.
17) MISA LOOKING FOR BOARD MEMBERS
The Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) at the University of Minnesota is seeking people who would like to serve on its board of directors. Applications or nominations for the board will be accepted until Friday, April 7. For more information, visit www.misa.umn.edu, or call 1-800-909-6472.
18) WANT TO GO TO THE SLOW FOOD CONFERENCE?
The 2006 international Terra Madre "Slow Food" conference will be held Oct. 26-30 in Turin, Italy. This event will feature over 5,000 sustainable food producers, chefs, and university representatives from over 150 countries getting together to discuss how to create a sustainable "world community of food." Slow Food USA is looking for delegates interested in attending this
year's event. LSP member-farmer Audrey Arner, who attended the first Terra Madre conference, says people can be nominated to go, or can nominate themselves. Either way, the deadline for applications is March 27. For more information, see www.slowfoodusa.org.
19) WORTH REPEATING
"We feel sustainability is something you can do over and over again without damage to the environment and to the community."— farmer & Food Alliance Midwest producer Jim VanDerPol
20) WORTH REPEATING II
"When you try to take away those laws, you create havoc in the local community. When people feel they no longer have a voice, they find that upsetting." -- LSP organizer & farmer Paul Sobocinski, speaking on Minnesota Public Radio about local township democracy
21) WORTH REPEATING III
"The CSA concept to us has always been about more than just vegetables. It's about relationships -- the relationship we have with our members, the relationship that they have with each other, and then also with the land." -- CSA farmer Patty Wright, speaking on Ear to the Ground No. 16
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, click here. 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 www.communityforum.net/mailman/listinfo/lsp_live-wire.
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