SARE program. Applications are due in January 1995. All funding decisions will be released in April 1995. SARE seeks proposals for RESEARCH and EDUCATION projects that address on-farm marketing and value added opportunities; enhancing soil/root interactions and health; integrating weed and disease-management systems; sustainable agriculture in urbanizing environments; fish and wildlife habitat; ornamental horticulture and turf production systems; nutrient budgeting, management and recycling; and analyzing and enhancing animal, crop and farm system health. APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 13, 1995. SARE seeks proposals for FARMER-INITIATED, FARMER-MANAGED projects that clearly define a problem or obstacle to more sustainable farming and propose innovative, specific, potential solutions. The problem or issue may be in any food production, horticultural or farm forestry area. APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 20, 1995. SARE seeks proposals for state and regional TRAINING programs through which EXTENSION personnel, and other agricultural professionals will learn about sustainable agricultural concepts and techniques and in turn educate agricultural producers and rural and urban people about sustainable agriculture. APPLICATION DEADLINE: January 27, 1995. The Northeast Region includes Conn., Del., Mass., Md., Maine, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, West Virginia and Washington D.C. For more information about any of these competitive grants programs, or to obtain a Call for Proposal or application form please contact Merideth Simpson at 802-656-0471 (voice), 802-656-4656 (FAX) or email msimpson@moose.uvm.edu. ************************************ Beth Holtzman Northeast Region SARE/ACE Programs Phone: 802-656-0554 Fax: 802-656-4656 e-mail: bholtzma@moose.uvm.edu ************************************ --- * Origin: [via Psychotronic BBS = Durham, NC = 919-286-4542]sustag- (1:3641/1) @PATH: 3641/1 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- (200) Tue 6 Dec 94 23:41 By: Pam Murray To: All Re: Nov-Dec CSAS Newsletter ---------------------------------------------------------------------- @MSGID: 1:3641/223 0006b2f0 @PID GIGO+ sn 175 at psybbs vsn 0.99 pl1 @SPLIT: 12 Dec 94 13:35:18 @3641/223 9025 01/03 ++++++++++ From: CSAS001@UNLVM.UNL.EDU (Pam Murray) @Subject: Nov-Dec CSAS Newsletter Date: 6 Dec 1994 23:41:24 -0000 @Sender: daemon@bigblue.oit.unc.edu @Message-Id: <9412062003.AA29076@wolf.ces.ncsu.edu> November-December 1994 CSAS Newsletter The Center for Sustainable Agricultural Systems (CSAS) in the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) is an interdisciplinary center formed in 1991 for the purpose of bringing together people and resources to promote an agriculture that is efficient, competitive, profitable, environmentally and socially sustainable for the indefinite future. Electronic versions of the CSAS bimonthly newsletter are sent to SANET, PENPages, and the internal IANRNEWS 10-14 days before those on our mailing list receive their hard copy. They are also available along with other sustainable ag information on the gopher: IANRVM.UNL.EDU. (Note: The electronic version is not sent to individual e-mail addresses.) To be added to the "hard copy" newsletter mailing list, or for questions or comments, contact the newsletter editor, Pam Murray, Coordinator, Center for Sustainable Agricultural Systems, 221 Keim Hall, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-0949, 402-472-2056, fax -4104, e-mail csas001@unlvm.unl.edu. * * * CONTENTS: HEIDI CARTER IS NEW EDUCATION COORDINATOR DIVERSITY AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE SYSTEMS IN THE SEMINAR SPOTLIGHT NEBRASKA AG IMPACT PROJECT SET TO BEGIN PRIVATE EXTENSION SYSTEM IN ARGENTINA CUBAN AGRICULTURE REORIENTS TOWARD SUSTAINABILITY EPA CONDUCTS SPECIAL REVIEW OF TRIAZINES CRITERIA FOR JUDGING RELEVANCY OF RESEARCH TO SUSTAINABLE AG CALIFORNIA PASSES BIOS BILL RURAL COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT RESOURCES RESOURCE GUIDE ON SUSTAINABLE AG MATERIALS BIOTECHNOLOGY AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE: A BIBLIOGRAPHY RESOURCES DID YOU KNOW... COMING EVENTS HEIDI CARTER IS NEW EDUCATION COORDINATOR We are pleased to announce that Heidi Carter has joined our CSAS staff as Education Coordinator. Heidi comes to us with several years of experience developing materials and disseminating information about sustainable agriculture. She held a similar position with the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture, and was one of the original technical specialists for USDA's ATTRA program. Heidi has a M.S. degree in range science from Texas A&M and a B.S. degree in biology from Eastern Montana College. Her on-farm experience includes working on low-input cattle and sheep ranches. The Education Coordinator position is initially funded by a grant from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program to conduct regional training in sustainable agriculture techniques and systems. Heidi will be working with Drs. Chuck Francis (Nebraska), Clive Edwards (Ohio), George Bird (Michigan), and key contacts in all 12 states to coordinate the training projects in the North Central Region. Heidi can be reached by contacting the CSAS office. DIVERSITY AND SUSTAINABLE FUTURE SYSTEMS Evaluating the Role of Diversity in Designing a Sustainable Agriculture was the theme of a symposium at the November American Society of Agronomy annual meetings in Seattle. Following a hierarchical framework based on scale, the topics at the symposium ranged from diversity in micro-organisms and soil fauna to agroecosystems at the bioregional scale. Ann Kennedy (ARS/USDA, Pullman, WA) discussed microbial diversity and how this could contribute to sustainable agroecosystems. Agricultural and natural ecosystems have different levels of soil community diversity, a topic explored by Deborah Neher (Horticulture, North Carolina State U.). Richard Cruse (Iowa State U.) described his research with farmers on spatially diverse cropping systems, and how this related to sustainability in the long term. At the farm scale level, Leisa Huyck (Humboldt State U., Arcata, CA) and Chuck Francis (U. of Nebraska) described a process for designing a diverse farmscape. Diversity in human activity in communities and the rural/urban interface were evaluated by Lorna Butler and Coleen DePhelps (Washington State U.). Richard Olson (U. of Nebraska) described the potential importance of diversity in landscapes and watersheds. Finally, a team led by Mike Burkart (ARS/USDA, Ames, IA) illustrated the use of GIS techniques to describe diversity at the bioregional level. These presentations will be published by the ASA in a symposium proceedings edited by Olson, Francis, and Steve Kaffka (UC-Davis). The publication is partially supported by a grant from the W. K. Kellogg Foundation to the CSAS. Submitted by Chuck Francis IN THE SEMINAR SPOTLIGHT Joel Salatin, Polyface, Inc., Swoope, VA, Nov. 28. The name of the Salatin organic family farming operation reflects one of Joel's philosophies: diversity. This "Farm of Many Faces" counts among its enterprises cows, pigs, chickens, rabbits, vegetables and firewood. Joel's grandfather was a charter subscriber to "Organic Gardening and Farming" magazine. As he states in his book, "Pastured Poultry Profits" (see Resources): "I am the privileged third generation to continue the principles based on the belief that God created the Earth and established humanity as its steward, to nurture, protect and embellish. This philosophy precludes the use of toxic chemicals, debasing substances, and erosive practices, and instills instead an insatiable thirst for agricultural truth. The truth manifests itself in natural principles of plant and animal life. The farm should capitalize on these laws rather than fight against them." An example of looking to nature is Joel's use of chickens and hogs as composting machines. Four days after rotationally grazing the cows, chickens are allowed in that section to eat the flies and break up the cow patties. Beginning in January the cows eat hay in a shed where they remain clean and dry and use less energy. Corn is periodically added to the ever-deepening bedding. When the cows return to pasture in the spring, hogs are brought in to root through the bedding for the corn, composting the material in the process. These "pigerators" save on labor and fuel. Joel's slide presentation included many such examples of complementary operations. In addition to looking to nature for answers and using a systems approach in which diverse enterprises complement each other, additional themes running through his presentation included using on-farm inputs as much as possible (he makes extensive use of composting), and reducing risk by increasing the percentage of income from on-farm processing and direct marketing. The four main risks faced by farmers are weather, pests, disease and price. For a farm to stabilize its income, it needs to be insulated as much as possible from those risks. Diversity and selling valued-added products directly to the consumer are ways to accomplish that. Chickens, rabbits and firewood are processed on the farm. Joel saw his profits increase 10-fold, from $300 to $3,000 per acre, when he switched from selling trees on the stump to selling firewood. He bartered for the use of a neighbor's machine to process the trees. Joel does no advertising; he relies on free samples and then word of mouth. Since all of his customers (approximately 400) come to his farm for their products, he saves on labor, transportation and packaging