Land Stewardship LIVE-WIRE, June 19, 2006
Hello:
This is the 36th 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) Permaculture Presentation June 21
2) Southeast Minnesota Forage Expo June 23
3) 'One River Mississippi' June 24
4) Grazing Workshop June 26 in SE Minn.
5) CSP Field Day July 14
6) Goats & Flour Mill Featured at Field Day July 15
7) 'Forestry for Birds' Field Day July 15
8) Ag Justice Presentation July 16 & 19
9) LSP Policy Open House July 19
10) Farm Beginnings CSA Tour July 21-22
11) New Farmer Featured on Podcast
12) Local Foods at 'Horticulture Night' July 27
13) Kickapoo Country Fair July 29-30 in SW Wis.
14) LSP Hog Roast Aug. 5 in SE Minn.
15) Grass-fed Label Comments Due Aug. 10
16) Minnesota Cooks Aug. 29 at State Fair
17) LSP Needs Volunteers at the Fair
18) LSP West Membership Appreciation Night Sept. 7
19) Winter CSA Field Day Sept. 9
20) Check the Calendar
21) Buy Direct From Local Farmers
22) Worth Repeating
23) Join LSP
1) PERMACULTURE PRESENTATION JUNE 21
A presentation by Geoff Lawton, managing director of the Permaculture Research Institute in Australia, will be held Wednesday, June 21, in Minneapolis. The cost is $25, and the presentation will begin at 7:30 p.m. at the Hope Community Room, 611 E. Franklin. For details, contact Patrick Thomas of the Permaculture Collaborative at 763-607-3462, or visit www.permaculturecollaborative.us/Events/Events.
2) SOUTHEAST MINNESOTA FORAGE EXPO JUNE 23
LSP members Dan and Cara Miller of Spring Valley, Minn., will host the Southeast Minnesota Forage Exposition on Friday, June 23. During the past few years, this event has evolved into a very popular and informative field day on rotational grazing and forage production. Details click here.
3) 'ONE RIVER MISSISSIPPI' JUNE 24
LSP member Julie Andrus is helping organize a special "One River Mississippi" dance performance at the Stone Arch Bridge in Minneapolis on Saturday, June 24, beginning at 7 p.m. Andrus is looking for volunteers at the Stone Arch Bridge to perform in the dance, as well as to help with the logistics during the performance. Contact her at 612-623-4988, or visit www.onerivermississippi.org.
4) GRAZING FIELD DAY JUNE 26 IN SE MINN.
LSP is co-sponsoring a grazing workshop Monday, June 26, at a farm near the southeast Minnesota community of Nodine. For more information, contact LSP's Caroline van Schaik at 507-523-3366 or caroline@landstewardshipproject.org.
5) CSP FIELD DAY JULY 14
The Koether family will host a field day on the Conservation Security Program (CSP) Friday, July 14, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., near the northeast Iowa community of McGregor. This field day, which is being co-sponsored by LSP and Practical Farmers of Iowa, will highlight the Koethers' use of CSP farming practices on their certified organic grass-based livestock farm. The Koethers are LSP members
and Greg Koether is on LSP's Federal Farm Policy Committee. Watch http://www.landstewardshipproject.org in future weeks for details. More information is also available by contacting LSP's Adam Warthesen at 612-722-6377 or adamw@landstewardshipproject.org; or Teresa Opheim at 515-232-5661.
6) GOATS & FLOUR MILL FEATURED AT FIELD DAY JULY 15
Dry Weather Creek Farm will host a public Farm Beginnings tour Saturday, July 15, from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Mark and Wendy Lange are Farm Beginnings graduates who raise meat and dairy goats and process their organic grains into flour on-farm. There will be a $5 charge for LSP members, and a $10 charge for nonmembers. For more information, contact LSP's Amy Bacigalupo at 320-269-2105, or amyb@landstewardshipproject.org.
7) 'FORESTRY FOR BIRDS' FIELD DAY JULY 15
LSP is co-sponsoring an on-farm field event titled "Forestry for Bird Habitat in the Driftless Area" Saturday, July 15, near the southeast Minnesota community of Rushford. For details, call David Wilson at 608-723-6377 (ext. 135).
8) AG JUSTICE PRESENTATION JULY 16 & 19
Presentations on the Agricultural Justice Project (AJP) and the development of a socially just food label for small family farmers and their workers will be given on July 16 and July 19 in Minneapolis and Viroqua, Wis., respectively. Representatives from RAFI-USA, the Farmworker Support Committee and Quality Certification Services will give the presentations. AJP has been developing agricultural
social justice standards for a domestic fair trade program. They are currently working on a pilot project for verification and implementation of those standards. The meetings will be a great opportunity to find out more about the domestic fair trade movement and the ongoing pilot project.
On July 16, the presentation will be at Wedge Community Co-op, 2105 Lyndale Avenue South, Minneapolis, from 6:45 p.m. to 8:45 p.m. On July 19, the presentation will be at Western Wisconsin Technical College in Viroqua, 220 S. Main Street (Rm. 115), from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Please RSVP if you can, stating which meeting you will be attending. To RSVP, or for more information, contact Joe Riemann
at 612-465-8810 or
joe@wedge.coop.
9) LSP POLICY OPEN HOUSE JULY 19
The LSP Policy Program's 5th Annual Open House will be held on Wednesday, July 19, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. LSP will provide grilled brats, burgers and veggie burgers, and refreshments. Bring a dish to share and a chair to relax in. There will be a brief presentation on LSP's recent work and a silent auction fundraiser. This is great way to introduce someone to LSP and its work. If you have an
item that you could donate to the silent auction, or have any questions, contact LSP's Mike McMahon at mcmahon@landstewardshipproject.org or 612-722-6377.
10) FARM BEGINNINGS CSA TOUR JULY 21-22
Farm Beginnings will hold a public tour at Featherstone Farm, a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) produce operation, July 21-22 near the southeast Minnesota community of Rushford. For details, contact LSP's Karen Stettler at 507-523-3366 or stettler@landstewardshipproject.org.
11) NEW FARMER FEATURED ON PODCAST
Speaking of Farm Beginnings, what's it like to be a new dairy farmer? Get some insights straight from the source by checking out the latest installment (No. 21) of LSP's Ear to the Ground podcast.
12) LOCAL FOODS AT 'HORTICULTURE NIGHT' JULY 27
LSP will sell locally-produced foods at the annual "Horticulture Night" Thursday, July 27, at the West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris, Minn. LSP will be serving smoked brats made from pork raised on local farms from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. If you'd like to volunteer to help serve the food, contact Michele Skogrand at 320-269-2105 or lspwest@landstewardshipproject.org.
13) KICKAPOO COUNTRY FAIR JULY 29-30 IN SW WIS.
In celebration of America's rural heritage and the vital role of farming in the country's past, present and future, LSP is helping Organic Valley Family of Farms put on the third-annual Kickapoo Country Fair on Saturday, July 29, and Sunday, July 30, in La Farge, Wis. LSP staff members will be present at the fair to discuss sustainable agriculture policy and the nationally recognized Farm Beginnings
training program. LSP's booth will be located in the nonprofit section of the fair. For details, including a poster you can download and post in your community, click here.
14) LSP HOG ROAST AUG. 5 IN SE MINN.
Former LSP staffer Richard Ness will keynote LSP's annual southeast Minnesota "Food, Family and Farming" summer celebration/hog roast, Saturday, Aug. 5, at the John and Donna Bedtke farm near Plainview. For more information, contact our Lewiston office at 507-523-3366 or lspse@landstewardshipproject.org.
15) GRASS-FED LABEL COMMENTS DUE AUG. 10
For the past few years, LSP staff and members have been working to get the USDA to develop a national standard for labeling grass-fed meat. All of the work has paid off -- the government recently released a proposed standard. The public has until Aug. 10 to send comments to the USDA on the proposal. After all the comments are considered, a final labeling standard will be issued. For details
on how to make your voice heard and what LSP and its allies would like to see in the final labeling standard, see the Jan./Feb./March 2006 Land Stewardship Letter (page 10), or contact LSP's Terry VanDerPol at 320-269-2105 or tlvdp@landstewardshipproject.org.
16) MINNESOTA COOKS AUG. 29 AT STATE FAIR
The 4th annual Food Alliance Midwest "Minnesota Cooks" event will be held at the Minnesota State Fair Tuesday, Aug. 29. This annual event, which is co-sponsored by Renewing the Countryside and Minnesota Farmers Union, brings farmers, consumers and chefs together over great food. The event will be at the State Fair's Carousel Park (near the Grandstand). Volunteers are needed to help
out at this event. For more information, contact Katie Edwards at kedwards@foodalliance.org, or 651-265-3684.
17) LSP NEEDS VOLUNTEERS AT THE FAIR
While you're at the State Fair (Aug. 24 to Sept. 4), make sure to stop by the new Eco-Experience at the Progress Center building. Part of the Eco-Experience will be devoted to food and agriculture, and LSP will be present during one of the days of the exhibit. In fact, if you would like to volunteer to work at the LSP display, contact our White Bear Lake office at 651-653-0618.
18) LSP WEST MEMBERSHIP APPRECIATION NIGHT SEPT. 7
LSP's western Minnesota office will feature a hog roast on the banks of the Minnesota River at its membership appreciation night Thursday, Sept. 7, from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. The event will be at Memorial Park in Granite Falls, Minn. The meal will start at 6 p.m., and there will be a silent auction to help raise funds for LSP's work. Bring a dish to share and consider canoeing the river while you're
there. For details, call 320-269-2105, or e-mail lspwest@landstewardshipproject.org.
19) WINTER CSA FIELD DAY SEPT. 9
Garden Goddess Produce in the western Minnesota community of Milan will host a public Farm Beginnings field day Saturday, Sept. 9. Farm Beginnings graduate Carol Ford has built a customized solar greenhouse that allows her Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operation to produce vegetables in the winter. There will be a $5 charge for LSP members, and a $10 charge
for nonmembers. For more information, call Amy Bacigalupo at 320-269-2105, or amyb@landstewardshipproject.org.
20) CHECK THE CALENDAR
We've got more events on tap than the Midwest has dew points in July. See http://www.landstewardshipproject.org/index-calendar.html for the latest. Details on events can also be found on our Press Releases page.
21) BUY DIRECT FROM LOCAL FARMERS
Looking for a way to get fresh, local food from LSP farmer-members? The 2006 Stewardship Food Network is the perfect resource. It lists farmers from the Upper Midwest who are direct-marketing vegetables, meat, dairy products, eggs and other items. It also lists restaurants and other businesses that utilize locally produced foods whenever possible. It's available on LSP's website here.
For a paper copy, contact your local LSP office.
22) WORTH REPEATING
"When you start using different management techniques that keep the money here, that's farm economic growth, that's rural economic growth." -- Iowa farmer Roger Lansink, speaking in the Jan./Feb./March 2006 Land Stewardship Letter.
23) 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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