Subject: July-Aug CSAS Newsletter
From: [email-masked] (Pam Murray)
Date: 10 Aug 1994 19:35:53 -0000
Newsgroups: alt.sustainable.agriculture

July-August 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, e-mail
[email-masked].
                           * * *
Contents:
CSAS RECEIVES SARE REGIONAL TRAINING GRANT
SARE/ACE PREPROPOSALS DUE SEPT. 16
ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS AND AGRICULTURE IN NEBRASKA
REVIEW OF "FLAT WATER: A HISTORY OF NEBRASKA AND IT'S WATER"
AGROFORESTRY AND SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS SYMPOSIUM
SEMINAR ANNOUNCEMENT
NEBRASKA PROGRAM AIMS TO ENHANCE BIODIVERSITY
BEGINNING FARMER PROGRAMS IN NE AND IA
AGRONOMY COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS
GROUPS PRIORITIZE FARM BILL TOPICS
BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF INSECTS CONFERENCE
ON-LINE DISSEMINATION OF HUMAN DIMENSIONS RESEARCH
STUDY FINDS SUSTAINABLE FARMS MORE PROFITABLE
DID YOU KNOW...
RESOURCES
COMING EVENTS

CSAS RECEIVES SARE REGIONAL TRAINING GRANT

     The University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) Center for
Sustainable Agricultural Systems (CSAS) has received a grant from
the North Central Region (NCR) Sustainable Research and Education
(SARE) Program to conduct regional training (C. Francis, UNL and
C. Edwards, Ohio State U., project leaders). A joint North
Dakota-South Dakota State U. project and portions of a Michigan
State University (MSU) proposal were also funded under this
regional umbrella project, which is being coordinated by MSU's
Dr. George Bird.  Funds for this activity were authorized in
Chapter 3 of the 1990 farm bill (FACTA), which specifies that all
Cooperative Extension agricultural agents (and other agricultural
professionals such as SCS, ASCS, certified crop consultants) will
be trained in sustainable agriculture techniques and systems by
1995. The North Central Region (12 states) is one of four
similarly organized regions.

SARE/ACE PREPROPOSALS DUE SEPT. 16

     The Administrative Council for the NCR SARE Program has
issued its call for preproposals for research, education and
demonstration projects in 1995, and has identified the following
as priority issues:
     SARE -- value-added regional food systems; sustainable
livestock systems; integration of food, environmental and
agricultural policy; alternative weed management systems; farmer
based/initiated networks; system approaches to manure management
for plants, animals and the environment.
     ACE -- environmentally sensitive areas including riparian
protection/enhancement, wetlands protection/enhancement, surface
and groundwater protection, and terrestrial avian or aquatic
habitat; environmentally sound management practices including
alternative uses of CRP lands, non-chemical pest management,
pesticide use reduction, on-farm composting, manure management,
and nutrient management.
     In addition, the Council will be issuing a special call for
proposals this fall for projects addressing quality of life and
structure of agriculture. For more information, contact the SARE
Program office, 402-472-7081.
     If you wish to submit a proposal for an interdisciplinary
project through the CSAS, contact Charles Francis or Pam Murray.
We can offer assistance with conceptualization, putting together
a project team, proposal development and project administration.

ENVIRONMENTAL ETHICS AND AGRICULTURE IN NEBRASKA

     The following is a summary of a paper by Charles Flowerday,
Editor, Conservation and Survey Division, UNL. For a copy of the
complete paper contact the CSAS office.
                         *   *   *
     For the purposes of discovery, environmental ethics can be
distilled into two difficult sets of questions about people and
species that cannot speak for themselves. This is not all of
environmental ethics but it sums up a large part of the most
significant issues. These questions are: Do we have obligations
to future generations? If so, why and what are they? Do we have
obligations to other species? And if so, why and what are they?
These questions oversimplify but they provide us with interesting
points of departure. They also have implications for the ethics
of agricultural production.
     Some ethicists have argued that obligations to future
generations are moot because, even if we can assume they will
exist, we don't know anything about them, so we can't provide for
their interests. The fundamental counter-argument here is that
all interests are future interests, even in this generation, and
we have to try to prepare for them. Like cleaning up our
campsite, we should leave the planet in no worse shape than the
way we found it. These values are nearly unassailable in the
abstract but often are conveniently jettisoned once we discover
just how expensive it might be to adhere to them and contemplate
the prospect of our business or farm going broke trying to do so.
At this point the present generation often appeals to future
advancements in technology to be determined later by others.
     The consideration of other species leads to even more
perplexing issues. It involves deciding what forms of life
besides ourselves deserve moral consideration. Some arguments for
preservation of nonhuman species involve the instrumental value--
the use value--of other species. For example, arguments for
preservation of the rain forests often involve pointing out that
up to a fourth of all drugs stem from plant species, many of them
from rain forests. An economic argument with implications for
environmental ethics, particularly with regard to extinction of
species, is that closing off future options is less desirable
than keeping those options open. This is because time fosters the
fruition of certain actions by offering us more information than
we currently have about the consequences of our actions. Actions
that preserve the most flexibility possible are to be prized
economically. Another pragmatic argument has to do with the
potential to eliminate enough species that we begin to
destabilize an ecosystem. Biological diversity is generally
conceded to confer greater stability on an ecosystem.
     Finally, however, most environmental ethicists feel
compelled to discuss the intrinsic value of other species. Some
ethicists seek to extend moral consideration to nonhuman animals
based on the fact that while animals may not be able to reason,
they can suffer. Therefore, they deserve moral consideration. By
extension, some theorists reason, if a thing has a "good of its
own," it deserves respect. If it engages in self-organizing,
self-maintaining, goal-oriented behavior, it deserves respect. In
other words, plants count too. We may never settle the question
of how much. This school of thought sometimes runs into some
difficulties explaining to the unconverted why its values are
appropriate. Stopping short of abandoning this quest, these
theorists often appeal to "richness" as a value, diversity being
more pleasurable, interesting, satisfying and probably more
stable than its lack, and to "otherness" as a metaphysical
reality inspiring awe and humility.
     Another school of thought seeks ethical primacy for
ecosystems; it places less emphasis on individuals and more on
populations and the capacity of an ecosystem to achieve overall
homeostatic balance through natural selection. Aldo Leopold is
often seen as the founder of this school of thought. Leopold
coined the term "land ethic" and interpreted it to mean an
ethical posture toward all elements of the ecosystem, even its
inorganic parts. These theorists believe that the ecosystem is
the fundamental unit of value, survival and study in natural
science. Populations interact in ways that are loosely predictive
and confer a cornucopia of values on the ecosystem itself,
including its inanimate parts. The system has value because it is
a "value-producer" and "value-holder."
     Sustainable agriculture shows great promise as an
agricultural production system that is relatively respectful of
the rights of future generations and other species. Minimizing
application of synthetic chemicals enhances soil microbial life
and preserves water quality. In addition, minimum tillage and
rotating in cover crops provide greater habitat and cover for
wildlife. Soil and water conservation and maintenance of water
quality, which provide benefits to future generations, are all
key goals in any sustainable farming system. While it involves
management-intensive, site-specific farming, some specific
indexes for measuring the success of sustainable agriculture in
minimizing adverse effects on the environment are: containment of
externalities (nonpoint pollution); net energy balance; short-
term costs and benefits relative to long-term costs and benefits;
net hydrologic balance; soil nutrients and tilth; soil microbial
health; ratio of soil erosion to soil formation; land equity
position of owner/operator; level of chemical vs. biological pest
control; dynamics of populations and heterogeneity of habitat.

                         Submitted by Charles Flowerday

REVIEW OF "FLAT WATER: A HISTORY OF NEBRASKA AND IT'S WATER"

     A definitive book on Nebraska and its water resources, "Flat
Water" brings together maps, diagrams, historical records, and
even cartoons to illustrate the importance of this vital
resource. Completely edited and assembled by Charles Flowerday
and Robert Kuzelka with a team of more than 20 authors, this is
the most current and complete reference written in popular form
that introduces Nebraska's water to a broad audience. It is a
valuable introduction for new immigrants as well as a refresher
course for knowledgeable native Nebraskans.
     Native Americans called the Platte River a "broad, flat
water," and it represented a major east-west travel route across
the territory. Many villages were located along the Platte and
other major streams. People lived with the land and prairie the
way it was, causing little major change in the landscape. "Life
in the prairie depended on water." The name "Nebraska" comes from
the Native American name for the Platte.
     An excellent chapter by Flowerday describes the pre-history
of native peoples in the region, probably living on the plains as
early as 35,000 B.C. In Nebraska the earliest artifacts found so
far date about 10,000 years ago, about the time organized
agriculture began in many parts of the world. Early nomadic
hunters and gatherers found abundant game on the plains and in
the rivers. This chapter traces the movement of native peoples
through the plains, out to other areas, and back to the area as
rainfall patterns changed. More detail is given on native
cultures in the past two millennia.
     Using early photos, diaries, newspapers, and other written
accounts, the succeeding authors give much more detail on the
development of irrigation and human settlements throughout
Nebraska. Generally presented in a historical framework, the
chapters deal with hydrology and climate (complete with detailed
maps), development of agriculture and industry based on water
resources, a new technology that evolved to what we know today as
center pivot irrigation, and the economics and policy dimensions
of water. True to its source at the University of Nebraska, the
book highlights research and education activities surrounding
water use, from early research on crop response to water to the
current annual Groundwater Festival.
     Water is a resource with unique importance in Nebraska. This
readable book is spiced with personal profiles of many who
figured prominently in the development of irrigation and water
use. Conservation of resources and multiple uses of water figure
ever more prominently, as Nebraskans grapple with the challenges
of how to manage this now scarce resource. "Flat Water" provides
a current perspective on one special dimension of this part of
prairie. From flooding to nitrate contamination, from wildlife to
municipal water supplies, this book brings opinions and facts
together in a comprehensive treatise on Nebraska's water
resources and topography. (See Resources to order.)

                            Submitted by Charles Francis

AGROFORESTRY AND SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS SYMPOSIUM

     An emerging awareness of agroforestry as an integral part of
sustainable land use systems was evident at the recent symposium
in Fort Collins, Colorado. The three-day event featured talks on
sustainable practices as well as system-wide evaluation. Dr. Thad
Box of New Mexico traced the history of land use in the U.S. from
the European invasion, through stages of exploitation and
preservation, to the current focus on restoration and broad
environmental concerns. He explored the importance of community
decisions on land use, and the need to balance the needs of all
with preserving private property rights. Box concluded that a
land ethic will provide the basis for future directions.
     Numerous papers described riparian filter strips, multiple
purpose windbreaks, alternative perennial and annual crops, and
working trees in both urban and rural ecosystems. There was more
focus on individual practices and component technology than on
systems, although a recurring theme was the over-riding
importance of interdisciplinary teams and future systems research
and education.
     Specialists from the U.S. Forest Service, Soil Conservation
Service and UNL were prominent, with 11 authors of presented
papers and 12 authors on posters. The USFS Center for Semiarid
Agroforestry and the CSAS were among 52 co-sponsors of the
activity attended by about 120 specialists from across the U.S.
Proceedings will be available at a later date.

                            Submitted by Charles Francis

SEMINAR ANNOUNCEMENT

     Dr. Paul Thompson, Director of The Center for Biotechnology
Policy and Ethics at Texas A&M University, will present two open
seminars at the East Campus Union on October 4: (1) 10:30 -
"Recombinant bovine somatotropin: the ethical issues," and (2)
3:30 - "What's holistic about holism?"

NEBRASKA PROGRAM AIMS TO ENHANCE BIODIVERSITY

     A new program of the National Biological Survey will use
geographic information systems to analyze Nebraska's critical
habitat with the aim of achieving greater conservation of
biological diversity. The three-year Nebraska GAP Analysis
Program being initiated this summer will be cooperatively managed
by James Merchant, associate director of the UNL Center for
Advanced Land Management Information Technologies (CALMIT) and
Dennis Jelinski of the UNL Forestry, Fisheries and Wildlife
Department. Objectives are to map existing statewide vegetation
and other land cover, determine present distributions of native
animal species, determine the extent and importance of places of
native species richness, compare distributions of vegetation
communities with existing land uses, compare places of species
richness with existing land uses, and provide an objective basis
for statewide and national biodiversity management strategy.
Maps of species-rich areas, individual species of concern and
vegetation types will be overlaid on maps of land ownership and
land use--showing where conservation efforts need to be targeted.
For details contact James Merchant at 402-472-7531.

Source: "Resource News," Summer 1994, Conservation and Survey
Div., Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources, UNL.

BEGINNING FARMER PROGRAMS IN NE AND IA

     The Nebraska Beginning Farmer Sustainable Agriculture
Project is co-sponsored by the Center for Rural Affairs,
University of Nebraska-Lincoln, and Nebraska Sustainable
Agriculture Society.  The three-year project helps farmers
develop and test sustainable strategies to get started. Two
companion programs are: (1) Sustainable Agriculture Mentor
Program which connects transitional or beginning farmers with
farmers successfully using sustainable practices, and (2) Land
Link which introduces young farmers to near-retirement farmers.
Contacts: (1) Lowell Schroeder, 402-439-5398; (2) Wyatt Fraas,
402-254-6893. (See Resources for Beginning Farmer report.)
     The Iowa Legislature has just established a "Beginning
Farmer Center" with a first-year appropriation of $100,000. The
center, which is part of the state's extension service, is
required to develop and coordinate beginning farmer education
programs and provide services that facilitate transfer of farm
operations from retiring to beginning farmers. Contact: John
Baker, 800-747-5465.

AGRONOMY COMMITTED TO SUSTAINABLE SYSTEMS

     The following are comments by the head of the UNL Agronomy
Department.
                           *   *   *
     Ninety-six percent of Nebraska's land is used in production
agriculture, either as row crops or as forage and range. The
natural ecosystem of Nebraska is prairie grassland which is used
predominantly for livestock production. Hence, agriculture is the
primary land steward for Nebraska and agriculturalists are the
impact ecologists.
     Rarely has agriculture been given credit for its efforts in
natural resource management and ecology. The lack of credit is
often due to poor communications and not to different goals
between agricultural and non-agricultural groups. The irrigators
in the Platte River Valley and Omaha residents both have an
interest in maintaining the quality of our aquifers. Since one
out of every two jobs in Nebraska is agriculturally related, both
groups also have an interest in maintaining the economic health
of agriculture. This is why the UNL Agronomy Department has and
will continue to have a strong emphasis on agricultural
profitability and sustainability which includes water and
environmental quality and natural resource management and
conservation. No system is sustainable if it is not profitable.
     We are increasing our efforts and understanding of complex
systems. In partnership with other academic units and with
private industry, we are learning how to measure air quality,
water quality, soil quality, plant health, and food quality. The
ability to measure is critical to our developing sustainable
agricultural systems. However, the most difficult part of our
research, teaching, and extension efforts will be to develop and
communicate integrated systems. Science is remarkably successful
at breaking a complex problem into smaller ones that can be
solved. However, the true test of our skills will be to
synthesize what we have learned from the individual experiments
into an agricultural system that conserves our natural resources
and quality of life while providing increasingly profitable
farming or ranching in a globally competitive market.

Source: Remarks by Stephen Baenziger, Head of UNL Agronomy Dept.,
in Spring 1994 issue of the "UN-L Agronomy Newsletter."

GROUPS PRIORITIZE FARM BILL TOPICS

     Over 200 diverse organizations will launch a "Campaign for
Sustainable Agriculture" to influence the 1995 farm bill via
press events, community meetings, action alerts, letters and
visits to Congress. Heading up this effort are the National
Sustainable Agriculture Coordinating Council (NSAAC) and regional
Sustainable Agriculture Working Groups (SAWGs). At a national
meeting earlier this year 20 campaign topics were identified as
priorities. For a list of the topics or to become involved,
contact Amy Little, NSAAC, 32 N. Church St., Goshen, NY 10924,
914-294,0633, or your regional SAWG organizer.

BIOLOGICAL CONTROL OF INSECTS CONFERENCE

     A conference on biological control of insects will be held
Nov. 1-3 in Lincoln.  Co-sponsored by the CSAS and the North
Central Regional Research Committee for Biological Control of
Pest Arthropods, the conference will focus on the biology,
identification and use of different natural enemies in insect
management.  Breakout sessions will address the specifics of
biological control in corn, grain sorghum, alfalfa, turf and
ornamentals, livestock and horticultural crops.  Live and
preserved natural enemies will be available in a laboratory
session.  Registration is $95 ($25 for students) and will include
a comprehensive biological control publication.  Contact: Nancy
Fields, conference coordinator, 402-472-2844.

ON-LINE DISSEMINATION OF HUMAN DIMENSIONS RESEARCH

     To better understand human interactions in global
environmental change, both researchers and policy makers need a
faster means to circulate research papers and reports and to
promote interdisciplinary interactions. The Consortium for
International Earth Science Information Network (CIESIN) Human
Dimensions Kiosk available on Internet contains: unpublished
scholarly papers for which feedback or comment from scientific
colleagues is desirable; papers or reports in less accessible
publications, working papers, background information or data; and
comments on material in the CIESIN Kiosk. Access is via FTP, E-
mail, Gopher, or World Wide Web.
     CIESIN is an independent, publicly funded consortium of six
research universities and a research institute. Its mission is to
provide access to and enhance use of environmental data and
information worldwide.
     Send e-mail message to learn more about CIESIN
([email-masked]) or the Kiosk service ([email-masked]),
or call 517-797-2727.

STUDY FINDS SUSTAINABLE FARMS MORE PROFITABLE

     A new study by the Minnesota Department of Agriculture and
the Land Stewardship Project found that four farmers in southern
Minnesota who use sustainable methods, such as chemical-free crop
production and management intensive livestock grazing, are more
profitable than their neighbors.  Although the average size of
the four farms was less than the average for the area (282 acres
vs 451), profit margins were 8-47% higher.  One pork production
enterprise that produces a fraction of the number of pigs of the
average operation was three times as profitable.  (See Resources
to order the study.)

DID YOU KNOW...

USDA research shows that exports have a greater impact on growth
of rural employment than on general employment in the U.S.

USDA survey shows U.S. cropland shrank by about 39 million acres,
or 9.2%, in the 10-year period ending in 1992.

SCS says CRP enrollments will have contributed to a 66% reduction
in soil erosion on the nation's most highly erodible land by the
end of 1994--dropping to 6 tons/acre/year from 17.5 in 1985.
Keith Collins, asst. secy. of ag. for economics, predicted 1/2 to
1/3 of currently enrolled CRP acres will return to production
when contracts expire, resulting in 15 million more acres planted
to major crops.

University of Georgia professor Dr. H. Ronald Pulliam was named
director of the National Biological Survey of the U.S. Dept. of
Interior, which began operations Oct. 1, 1993.

Fred Kirschenmann of North Dakota says 90% of all foods in the
supermarket are derived from four raw foods: corn, soybeans, rice
and wheat.

Under the Great Plains Conservation Program, USDA-SCS shares 50-
80% of the cost of helping farmers stop soil erosion.

The British government has tripled funds allocated to sustainable
agriculture demonstration projects in the interests of reducing
pesticide use.  The chemical industry is providing an additional
12 million pounds.

Today's farmers capture an average of 26 cents of every dollar
spent on food at the store, compared to 37 cents in 1980.

The PA Ag Dept. and Penn State U. have a new 800 service to help
encourage IPM and reduce pesticide use by up to 50%.

RESOURCES

"Flat Water: A History of Nebraska and It's Water," $20 + $1.50
s&h (add 5% tax for NE residents), Conservation & Survey
Division, University of Nebraska, 113 Nebraska Hall, Lincoln, NE
68588-0517, 402-472-3471.

"An Agriculture That Makes Sense: Profitability of Four
Sustainable Farms in Minnesota," $5 + $2.90 s&h (add 6.5% tax for
MN residents), Land Stewardship Project, 14758 Ostlund Trail
North, Marine on St. Croix, MN 55047, 612-433-2770.

"In Good Tilth," $15/yr., aims to educate consumers, farmers,
gardeners and politicians about the benefits of organic
production. Oregon Tilth, PO Box 3588, Portland, OR 97208, 503-
285-8279.

"Best Management Practices for Nitrogen Fertilizer and Water Use
in Irrigated Agriculture," 30-min. video with study guide, $20,
California Dept. of Food and Ag., 1220 N St., Rm A-372,
Sacramento, CA 95814, 916-643-5340.

"Financing Alternative Agriculture: Model State Initiatives for
Financing the Conversion to Alternative Agricultural Practices,"
Center for Policy Alternatives, 1875 Connecticut Ave. NW, Suite
710, Washington, DC 20009, 202-387-6030.

"Washed, Peeled--Contaminated," $10 + $3 s&h, Environmental
Working Group, 1718 Connecticut Ave., NW, #600, Washington, DC
20009, 202-667-6982.

"International Workshop on Sustainable Land Management for the
21st Century," proceedings of June 1993 workshop, Cindy LaValley,
International Workshop Organizing Committee, University of
Lethbridge, 4401 University Drive, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada
T1K3M4, 403-329-2244.

"Profitable Ideas for the Small Farm," reprint from "Growing for
Market," $10, Fairplain Publications, PO Box 3747, Lawrence, KS
66046, 913-841-2559; 12-issue subscription to "Growing for
Market" is $26/yr.

"Beginning Farmer Sustainable Agriculture Project Interim
Report," $4 and "Competition and the Livestock Market," $5 (add
5% tax for NE residents), Center for Rural Affairs, PO Box 736,
Hartington, NE 68739, 402-254-6893.

"Worm Digest," quarterly newsletter about worms and worm
composting, $4.50/yr., Worm Digest, Box 544, Eugene, OR
97440-9998.

"Clean Water and Agriculture," education packet, $5, The
Minnesota Project, 1885 University Ave. West, #315, St. Paul, MN
55104, 612-645-6159.

"When Conservation Reserve Program Contracts Expire: The Policy
Options," proceedings of Soil and Water Conservation Society
conference held in Feb. 1994, $25 + $3.50 s&h ((add 5% tax for IA
residents), SWCS, 7515 Northeast Ankeny Rd, Ankeny, IA 50021-
9764, 515-289-2331.

COMING EVENTS

Contact CSAS office for more information:

Sep. 8 -- Thompson Field Day, Boone, IA.

Sep. 8-9 -- 10th Annual Women In Agriculture Conference, Kearney,
NE.

Sep. 18-21 -- Sustainability of Range Livestock Production
Systems in the West, Billings, MT.

Sep. 18-21 -- National Public Policy Education Conference, focus
to include changing food and ag policy in 1990s, environmental
policy issues, and elements of sustainable rural policy, Boise,
ID.

Sep. 21-23 -- 14th Annual National Rural Families Conference,
Manhattan, KS.

Oct. 4 -- Paul Thompson seminars, UNL campus.

Oct. 12-14 -- Management Intensive Grazing Workshop, Linneus, MO.

Oct. 24-28 - Down to Earth: Practical Applications of Ecological
Economics, San Jose, Costa Rica.

Nov. 1-3 - North Central Biological Control of Insects
Conference, Lincoln, NE.

Nov. 2 -- Annual meeting of Holistic Resource Management Nebraska
Branch, North Platte, NE.

Nov. 18 -- Ag at the Crossroads annual conference, Lincoln, NE.

Dec. 6-7 -- Soil Health: The Basis of Current and Future
Production, Decatur, IL.

Pam Murray, Administrative Coordinator
Center for Sustainable Agricultural Systems
U. of Nebraska-Lincoln
v: 402-472-2056  f: -7904