Potluck News: August 2009
Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch
House Approves New Food-Safety Laws
USDA will aid struggling dairy farms
Michelle Obama cultivating food policy
Going with the grain that grows in Maine
N.H. embraces 'eat local' theme during August
Late blight yields bitter harvest across region
Truck farm takes love of veggies to New York City streets
Schools look for ways to buy locally grown food
UNH and 7 other Northeast Colleges chosen for green "honor roll"
8/4 Raising Meat Goats and the FAMACHA System, West Suffield, CT
8/7 NOFA Summer Conference, Amherst, MA
8/7 NOFA Organic Lawn and Turf Course, Amherst, MA
8/8 The Family Cow and Making Home Dairy Products, Randolph, VT
8/12 What's Bugging Your Garden?, Waterbury, VT
8/15 An Introduction to Bee Keeping, Westfield, VT
8/25 Grazing Basics, Great Barrington, MA
8/29 Basic Food Preservation, Randolph, VT
8/30 Grow and Make Your Own Medicine, Monkton, VT
9/12 Sustainable Garden and Landscape Design, Middlebury, VT
9/15 Multi-Species Grazing for Meat Animals II, Concord, MA
9/17 Making Natural Soaps, Richmond, VT
9/11 Maine Fare, Camden, ME
11/12 Farm-Based Education Conference, Tarrytown, NY
11/13-14: It Takes a Region conference, Albany, NY
Grassroots Action Network Director, World Hunger Year, New York, NY
Program Manager, Farm Aid, Somerville, MA
Development Specialist, American Morgan Horse Association, Shelburne, VT
Farm-to-School Coordinator, Green Mountain Farm-to-School , Newport, VT
Nutrition and Agriculture Educator, Green Mountain Farm-to-School , Newport, VT
Farm Manager, Daloz Farm CSA, Hancock, NH
Multiple Job Openings, The Food Trust, Philadelphia, PA
Multiple Job Openings, Community Food Resource Center, New York, NY
Farmers Advocating for Organics Fund
Small Business Innovation Research Program Grant
National Farmworker Jobs Program
Out of the Kitchen, Onto the Couch by Michael Pollan
(New York Times) - The Food Network can now be seen in nearly 100 million American homes and on most nights commands more viewers than any of the cable news channels. Millions of Americans, including my 16-year-old son, can tell you months after the finale which contestant emerged victorious in Season 5 of "Top Chef" (Hosea Rosenberg, followed by Stefan Richter, his favorite, and Carla Hall). The popularity of cooking shows -- or perhaps I should say food shows -- has spread beyond the precincts of public or cable television to the broadcast networks, where Gordon Ramsay terrorizes newbie chefs on "Hell's Kitchen" on Fox and Jamie Oliver is preparing a reality show on ABC in which he takes aim at an American city with an obesity problem and tries to teach the population how to cook. It's no wonder that a Hollywood studio would conclude that American audiences had an appetite for a movie in which the road to personal fulfillment and public success passes through the kitchen and turns, crucially, on a recipe for boeuf bourguignon. (The secret is to pat dry your beef before you brown it.) How is it that we are so eager to watch other people browning beef cubes on screen but so much less eager to brown them ourselves? For the rise of Julia Child as a figure of cultural consequence -- along with Alice Waters and Mario Batali and Martha Stewart and Emeril Lagasse and whoever is crowned the next Food Network star -- has, paradoxically, coincided with the rise of fast food, home-meal replacements and the decline and fall of everyday home cooking. Full commentary here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/02/magazine/02cooking-t.html
House Approves New Food-Safety Laws
(New York Times) - In a major step toward an overhaul of the nation's food safety system, the House of Representatives passed legislation on Thursday to require more frequent inspections of processing plants and give the government the authority to order the recall of tainted foods. "No legislation like this has moved forward this far in decades to overhaul the food safety laws," said Erik D. Olson, director of food and consumer product safety issues at the Pew Charitable Trusts. "It's a pretty historic moment." House passage sets the stage for the Senate to take up the issue, though probably not until the fall. The Obama administration has voiced strong support for a comprehensive food safety revamping. The bill passed the House on a vote of 283 to 142. Democratic support was overwhelming, but Republicans were split, with 54 voting in favor and 122 against. Much of the opposition centered on lesser provisions that critics said would add burdensome bureaucracy for farmers. The legislation seeks to remedy problems in the food safety system that have been discussed for decades. Its chief sponsor, Representative John D. Dingell, Democrat of Michigan, said it would "fundamentally change the way in which we ensure the safety of our food supply." The measure would require the Food and Drug Administration to conduct inspections every 6 to 12 months at food processing plants that it deems high-risk. These could include plants that have experienced food safety problems in the past or that handle products that spoil easily, like seafood. Full article here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/31/us/politics/31fda.html
USDA will aid struggling dairy farms
(AP) - The Agriculture Department is helping struggling dairy farmers by raising the price paid for milk and cheddar cheese through a dairy price support program. The department estimates the temporary increases, which will be in place until October, will boost dairy farmers' overall revenue by $243 million. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said Friday that the price increase will provide immediate relief, helping to keep dairy farmers on the farm while they weather what he called "one of the worst dairy crises in decades." Many dairy farms around the country have been in danger of closing as milk prices have hit lows and operational costs have skyrocketed, and lawmakers from high-producing dairy states have been pushing the department to temporarily boost the prices. Full article here: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5j7RZ2EsYpY-xQadb6AxbZBU_xdvgD99PEP902
Michelle Obama cultivating food policy
(Washington Post) - It was the ultimate photo op - 36 smiling fifth graders eating a healthful meal they'd cooked themselves at a picnic table in the first lady's garden. The story line was as simple as it was seductive: They came. They planted. They harvested. In three short months, Michelle Obama had accomplished what other food advocates could only dream about. Good food was no longer just virtuous. It was cool. That was easy. Now what? Full article here: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/07/14/AR2009071400669.html
Going with the grain that grows in Maine
(Portland Press Herald) - When artisanal bakers and farmers get together this weekend at the third annual Kneading Conference in Skowhegan, they'll have lots to talk about - and celebrate. For years, Maine bakers have bemoaned the lack of locally-grown wheat that could help them create fresher, better-tasting bread products. Now the issue is finally taking a giant leap forward with a new $1.3 million federal grant that will be used to develop organic wheat farming in Maine and Vermont. The grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture will fund a four-year project that brings together scientists, farmers, bakers and millers from both states to expand organic wheat production in New England, once a bread basket of the nation. Ellen Mallory, a sustainable agriculture specialist with the University of Maine Cooperative Extension Service who is leading the project, estimates that Maine produces 200 to 500 acres of organic wheat. Vermont produces about the same. "It's hard to get a handle on what the demand really is, but we know that we're well below supplying that demand," Mallory said. Full article here: http://pressherald.mainetoday.com/story.php?id=273544&ac=Food
N.H. embraces 'eat local' theme during August
(Foster's Daily Democrat) - Governor John Lynch has proclaimed August as NH Eat Local Month! Each of the four weeks has a theme: "Visit a Farmers Market", "Family to the Farm" (visit a farmstand or farm), "Share the Harvest" (providing food for those in need), and "Looking Ahead" (preserving and storing food for the winter). Last year, the first week of August was declared "NH Eat Local Week", and was marked by local dinners and other events, and more interest is anticipated in this month-long celebration of New Hampshire's farmers and their harvest. New Hampshire residents and visitors are showing unprecedented interest in local food, and this celebration offers a great opportunity to feature New Hampshire grown foods. Visit www.nheatlocal.org for event and activity information. Full article here: http://tinyurl.com/nuyqgl
Late blight yields bitter harvest across region
(Boston Globe) - Slumped in his tractor, Ari Kurtz looked out at his fields, where rotting fruit and gnarled plants fringed with dead leaves were all that remained of what should have been a bountiful tomato harvest. In just the past week, Kurtz, the farm manager at Lindentree Farm, lost the season's crop, a half-acre field that at this time of year typically yields up to 2,400 pounds per week, to a contagious fungus that has spread to farms and home gardens across the Northeast. "You have to understand how disappointing this is,'' said Kurtz, who added that in 20 years of farming he has never seen such a virulent crop disease. "They looked wonderful; then we looked everywhere, and they were dying.'' Produce farmers in Massachusetts and elsewhere in New England - already struggling with one of the wettest, coolest summers in recent history - are now battling late blight, a fungus with tiny spores spread by the wind that rots tomato and potato plants. It is the same disease that was responsible for the 19th-century Irish potato famine. Organic farms, including Lindentree, have been hit especially hard by the outbreak, because they cannot use the strong, synthetic fungicides that work best to protect their harvest. "This has been one of the most challenging years organic farmers have faced in the Northeast,'' said Bill Duesing, president of the Northeast Organic Farming Association. Organizers recently canceled Slow Food Connecticut's heirloom tomato festival, Duesing added, because tomatoes are too scarce and the farm that hosts it is too soggy. Full article here:
http://tinyurl.com/mj6ypc
Truck farm takes love of veggies to New York City streets
(Mother Nature Network) - Ellis and Cheney, the duo behind award-winning documentary King Corn, knew that they needed to do more than just dump a bunch of dirt into the back of Cheney's old gray Dodge. New York City-based green roof company Alive Structures showed them how to do it right, with a root barrier, erosion blanket, drainage mat and special lightweight soil made out of Styrofoam, clay and organic matter. Now, they've got a truck bed full of lettuce, broccoli and other veggies grown from heirloom seeds. Naturally, Cheney and Ellis decided to film the project, using a solar-powered time-lapse camera mounted on the roof of the truck for some of the shots. The series of musical video shorts includes original songs by The Fishermen Three, with excerpts available for viewing on YouTube. Full article here: http://www.mnn.com/food/farms-gardens/stories/truck-farm-takes-love-of-veggies-to-new-york-city-streets
Schools look for ways to buy locally grown food
(The Capital) - Schools across Maryland are taking the first steps to include more locally grown food in their cafeterias, but it will be a long, bumpy road to get there, participants in a conference in Crownsville learned yesterday. Still, there was a clear determination to do what it takes to get more local food into schools, not only for its nutritional benefits for children, but also as a boon to farmers and local economies. "Maryland Farm to School: A Ripe Opportunity" was how one presenter put it. "We really look for people who are asking how, not why," said Jane Storrs of the Maryland Department of Agriculture, who helped organize the event at Indian Creek School in Crownsville. "We are thinking priority versus possibility." Full article here: http://www.hometownannapolis.com/news/top/2009/07/30-31/Schools-look-for-ways-to-buy-locally-grown-food.html
8/4
Raising Meat Goats and the FAMACHA System, West Suffield, CT
Erica Fearn raises boer meat goats on pasture at her farm in West Suffield, CT. As a former Executive Director of the Connecticut Farm Bureau, Erica has a great deal of knowledge about the rules an...
8/7
35th Annual NOFA Summer Conference, Amherst, MA
NORTHEAST ORGANIC FARMING ASSOCIATION 35TH ANNUAL SUMMER CONFERENCE AUGUST 7-9, 2009 UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS, AMHERST, MA 150 workshops on organic farming, gardening, land care, sustainability...
NOFA Organic Lawn and Turf Course, Amherst, MA
This one-day, intensive course will provide state-of-the-art information for managing lawns and turf organically and is geared toward land care professionals, groundskeepers and municipalities who ...
8/8
Making Home Dairy Products, Randolph, VT
$10 for NOFA members & apprentices, $15 for non-members Pre-registration is required-Please call the NOFA office at 802-434-4122 Farmers Stuart and Margaret Osha of Turkey Hill Farm will share ...
8/12
What's Bugging Your Garden?, Waterbury, VT
Are bugs eating your garden? Do you want to do be able to identify insects in your home and garden? Jon Turmel, the Vermont State Entomol...
8/15
An Introduction to Bee Keeping, Westfield, VT
Farmer Gerard Croizet will discuss care of the bees from spring visits to winterizing the hives. Rosemary Croizet will cover cleaning wax...
8/25
Grazing Basics, Great Barrington, MA
Sean Stanton sells raw milk, raises pigs, turkeys and chickens for meat, and has 700 laying hens. The farm (www.northplainfarm.com) is organic and grass-based, and sells products directly to restau...
8/29
Basic Food Preservation, Randolph, VT
Join life-long organic gardener Henry Homeyer, gardening columnist and author of The Vermont Gardener's Companion, for a workshop on basi...
8/30
Grow and Make Your Own Medicine, Monkton, VT
Don't let the next flu pandemic catch you unprepared. Join clinical herbalist Julie Mitchell to learn the ins and o...
9/12
Sustainable Garden and Landscape Design, Middlebury, VT
We all want our gardens to be satisfying, beautiful, and yet sustainable, in short, easy on the gardener and gentle on the earth. This wo...
9/15
Multi-Species Grazing for Meat Animals II, Concord, MA
Jennifer Hashley and Pete Lowy raise meat and laying chickens, heritage pigs and sheep on their farm in Concord (www.peteandjensbackyardbirds.com). This session will cover issues around pastured po...
9/17
Making Natural Soaps, Richmond, VT
Lynne Gavin of Sunflower Soaps will teach you the basics of making natural soaps. Come explore both the cold process method ...
9/11
Maine Fare, Camden, ME
Maine Fare is a gathering that brings together food lovers, Chefs, gardeners, food writers, farmers, and food-based Enterprises to show the world that food in Maine goes far beyond lobsters and blu...
11/12
Farm-Based Education Conference, Tarrytown, NY
The 2009 Farm-Based Education Conference will be held in New York's Lower Hudson Valley (35 miles north of New York City) on November 12-14, 2009. The 2009 Farm-Based Education Conference will pr...
11/13-14
IT TAKES A REGION: A WORKING CONFERENCE TO BUILD OUR NORTHEAST FOOD SYSTEM, ALBANY, NY
This year, NESAWG's annual conference takes on some hard issues. As a region, we need to grow our thinking and our work to develop a truly sustainable and resilient food system. We will get beyond ...
Grassroots Action Network Director, WHY, New York, NY
The Grassroots Action Network ("The Network) is one of three program areas that, together and in partnership with other organizations, are building a global movement to address the systemic causes of and solutions to persistent hunger and poverty. In particular, the Network identifies and champions the work of innovative grassroots hunger and poverty organizations that promote self-reliance among the people they serve, especially those organizations who are embracing a community food security model. Last day to apply: August 14, 2009 More info here: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/344423-30/c
Program Manager, Farm Aid, Somerville, MA
Farm Aid is looking for a full-time Program Manager to join our small office. Primary purposes of the job are to provide administrative and substantive support to Farm Aid's Grant Program and Farmer Resource Network and to serve as the principle farm and food issues researcher and writer. Last day to apply: August 7, 2009 More info here: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/345379-306/c
Development Specialist, American Morgan Horse Association, Shelburne, VT
The American Morgan Horse Association is seeking a development specialist to play a key role in planning and implementing fundraising initiatives for the organization. The ideal candidate will have a track record in corporate fundraising and annual giving, and should possess excellent relationship-building, public speaking, organizational, writing, and interpersonal skills. Last day to apply: August 1, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/341995-315/c
Farm-to-School Coordinator, Green Mountain Farm-to-School , Newport, VT
Green Mountain Farm-to-School (GMFTS) is a nonprofit organization promoting the health and wellbeing of Vermont's children, farms and communities by providing programs to connect schools and farms through food and education.The primary responsibilities of the Farm-to-School Coordinator will be to develop, grow, present, and evaluate the GMFTS' Farm-to-School Network and provide general operational and administrative support. Last day to apply: August 24, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/341961-172/c
Nutrition and Agriculture Educator, AmeriCorps Member, Green Mountain Farm-to-School , Newport, VT
Green Mountain Farm-to-School (GMFTS) is a nonprofit organization promoting the health and wellbeing of Vermont's children, farms and communities by providing programs to connect schools and farms through food and education.The primary responsibilities of the Educator will be to develop, grow, present, and evaluate GMFTS educational programs and provide general operational and administrative support. Last day to apply: August 15, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/341423-263/c
Farm Manager, Daloz Farm CSA, Hancock, NH
The Farm Manager is responsible for all aspects of the Certified Organic CSA operated at Daloz Mill and Farm in Hancock, NH. Primary activities include designing and implementing a 5 acres garden for the benefit of approximately 80 member families and management of the farm crew (staff and/or interns). Last day to apply: August 18, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.idealist.org/if/i/en/av/Job/341392-213/c
Multiple openings, Greater Boston Food Bank, Boston, MA
The Greater Boston Food Bank is the largest hunger-relief organization in New England, and one of the largest food banks in the country, distributing more than 25 million pounds of food annually to a network of more than 600 member hunger-relief agencies. For more info, see: http://www.gbfb.org/aboutUs/CurrentOpenings.cfm
Multiple openings, The Food Trust, Philadelphia, PA
The Food Trust is a nationally recognized nonprofit organization improving the supply of affordable food and good nutrition in the mid-Atlantic region. The mission of The Food Trust is to ensure that everyone has access to affordable, nutritious food. For more info, see: http://www.thefoodtrust.org/php/about/jobs.php
Farmers Advocating for Organics Fund
The Farmers Advocating for Organics (FAFO) fund provides a way for our cooperative's farmers to identify and support key issues facing the organic marketplace and organic agriculture. The organic farmers of CROPP Cooperative, who produce the high quality organic products for Organic Valley® and Organic Prairie®, voluntarily contribute to the fund on an annual basis, and a committee of CROPP farmers reviews proposals and decides how to distribute the funds. The FAFO Farmer Committee accepts proposals from individuals and organizations seeking funding for particular projects or programs dedicated to furthering organic education, organic farming or product research, and organic advocacy. Due date: September 1, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.organicvalley.coop/our-story/donations/fafo-fund/
Small Business Innovation Research Program Grant
The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program at the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) makes competitively awarded grants that are to qualified small businesses to support high quality, advanced concepts research related to important scientific problems and opportunities in agriculture that could lead to significant public benefit if successful. Topic areas include Forests and Related Resources; Plant Production and Protection - Biology; Animal Production and Protection; Soil and Water Resources; Food Science and Nutrition; Rural Development; Aquaculture; Biofuels and Biobased Products; Marketing and Trade; Animal Manure Management; Small Mid Size Farms; Plant Production and Protection - Engineering. Due date: October 1, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.csrees.usda.gov/funding/sbir/sbir.html
National Farmworker Jobs Program
Announcement of a Program Year (PY) 2009 grant competition for the Arkansas, Hawaii, Indiana, Maine, and Nebraska service delivery areas for operating the National Farmworker Jobs Program (NFJP). The NFJP is designed to serve economically disadvantaged persons who primarily depend on employment in agricultural labor performed within the United States, including Puerto Rico, and who experience chronic unemployment or underemployment. Qualifying participants are typically those persons employed on a seasonal or part-time basis in the unskilled and semi-skilled manual labor occupations in crop and animal production. Through training and other workforce development services, the program is intended to assist eligible migrants and seasonal farmworkers and their families to prepare for jobs likely to provide stable, year-round employment both within and outside agriculture. Due date: September 1, 2009 For more info, see: http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW&oppId=48730
Potluck is a monthly e-newsletter sponsored by the Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (NESAWG) and is supported in part by the Lawson Valentine Foundation and the Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation. It is distributed via NEFOOD-L, the listserv for sustainable food systems in the Northeast generously hosted by Tufts University. In case you know of someone who you think would be interested in receiving Potluck, please invite them to subscribe to NEFOOD-L by going here. To contact the editor, please contact Roger Doiron, here: [email protected]