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Alternative Agriculture News For
March 1998, from the Henry A. Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture.
Headlines:
New
Plan Boosts Clean Water Issues, But Raises Questions USDA's
1999 Budget Looks Good for Sustainable Ag Report
Calls for New Plans to Save Bt Whole
Foods Market Benefits from Boom in Organic Food Monsanto
Pays Farmers for Genetic Cotton Failures
Farmers
Fight Maryland Plan to Limit Fertilizer
Rep.
Miller's Bill Would Reduce Animal Waste Pollution
Resources
Position Upcoming
Events
Back Issues
©1998, Henry A. Wallace Institute
for Alternative Agriculture, 9200 Edmonston Road, #117, Greenbelt, MD 20770.
Phone: (301) 441-8777. E-mail:
hawiaa@access.digex.net.
This newsletter is also available to subscribers to the
sanet-mg discussion
group. To subscribe, send a message to:
almanac@ces.ncsu.edu. Leave the
subject line blank and in the body of the message type only: subscribe sanet-mg
Subscription information
for the hard-copy version is available at the Wallace
Institute website.
In addition to this monthly newsletter, the Henry A. Wallace Institute for
Alternative Agriculture publishes the American Journal of Alternative
Agriculture, a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal of research on
alternative agriculture. It is a scientific forum for disseminating technical,
economic, and social research findings about the character and requirements of
alternative agriculture systems.
The current issue (Volume
12, No. 4) features articles on:
- The effects of clover and small grain cover crops, and tillage techniques
on seedling emergence of some weed species.
- The growth of apple trees, nitrate mobility, and pest populations.
- The growth of corn roots under low-input and conventional farming systems.
- The effects of pearl millet in an arid region.
- A regional approach to soil erosion and productivity research.
Subscriptions to AJAA are $44 for libraries; $24 for individuals; and $12
for students. Find more information
about AJAA at he Wallace Institute
website.
New Plan Boosts Clean Water Issues, But Raises Questions
President Clinton last month proposed a Clean Water Action Plan that was
perceived as a boost for clean water issues, but consisted primarily of "doing
existing programs smarter," according to David Ervin, Director of the
Wallace Institute's Policy Studies Program.
The President requested
an additional $568 million in Fiscal Year 1999 to implement the plan, bringing
total expenditures on the package to $2.3 billion over five years. The plan
lists 110 key action steps, including asking for
$120 million in new assistance to states and tribes to curb polluted
runoff and encourage the adoption of enforceable controls.
The most
significant actions, according to Ervin, are a commitment to create numeric
criteria for nutrients, such as nitrogen and phosphorous, in water bodies by
2000 and initiate standards to enforce them if states do not; and a new strategy
to control runoff from cattle, poultry, and pig farms with a goal of issuing
discharge permits to the largest farms by 2005.
"These are steps in the right direction," Ervin said. "We
hope they will be done sooner, and that the criteria and standards are well set."
The plan, however, lacks an aggressive research and technology innovation
strategy, and a clear approach for solving transboundary water pollution issues,
he said.
Although the plan highlights the Conservation Reserve Program and
Buffer Initiative, the related actions raise questions, according to Kathleen
Merrigan, the Wallace Institute's Senior Analyst. The plan would cut the acres
reserved for the CRP continuous sign-up of special conservation practices,
including buffers, and the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program from 7
million acres to 5 million. Under the plan, incentive rates for buffer
enrollments continue to be "under review," and no action is taken to
add other conservation practices and high-priority partial field enrollments to
the continuous sign-ups.
USDA's 1999 Budget Looks Good for Sustainable Ag
The USDA budget submitted by President Clinton for Fiscal Year 1999, which
begins in October, contained solid funding -- and some increases -- for
sustainable agriculture programs. Here are the proposed appropriations for
several sustainable agriculture discretionary programs:
- SARE: A $10 million appropriation is requested for the Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education program, an increase from the FY98
appropriation of $8 million.
- SAPDP: A $3.3 million appropriation is requested for the SARE
(Chapter 3) Professional Development Program, the same as the FY98
appropriation.
- ATTRA: A $2 million appropriation is requested for the Appropriate
Technology Transfer for Rural Areas, an increase from the FY98 appropriation of
$1.3 million.
- OFPA: A $1 million appropriation is requested for the Organic Foods
Production Act, a doubling of the FY98 appropriation of $500,000.
In addition, the following appropriations were requested for mandatory
programs:
- CFO: A $25 million appropriation is requested for the Conservation
Farm Option, an increase from the FY98 appropriation of $15 million.
- EQIP: A $300 million appropriation is requested for the
Environmental Quality Incentives Program, an increase from the FY98
appropriation of $200 million.
- WRP: A $124 million appropriation is requested for the Wetlands
Reserve Program, a decrease from the estimated final FY98 appropriation of $219
million.
- CFSA: A $2.5 million appropriation is requested for the Community
Food Security Act, the same appropriation as FY98.
- FRA: A $100 million appropriation is requested for the Fund for
Rural America, which was appropriated $80 million in FY97. The Farm Bill did
not authorize any FRA funds for FY98.
Report Calls for New Plans to Save Bt
The Bt toxins, natural pest-control products, are threatened by the
development of genetically engineered crops which will make insects
resistant to Bt, according to a new report by the Union of Concerned Scientists.
Now or Never: Serious New Plans to Save a Natural Pest Control
recommends ways to strengthen the resistance management plans for the
three genetically engineered, or transgenic, Bt crops currently commercialized
in the United States. These three crops -- corn, cotton, and potato -- are
genetically engineered to produce Bt toxins.
"Transgenic crops
are a threat to Bt because they produce toxin throughout much, if not all, of
the plant's life," the report says. "Constant long- term exposure of
pest populations to Bt encourages survival of individual pests that are
genetically resistant to the toxin. Over many generations, the proportion of
resistant individuals in pest populations can increase, reducing the
efficacy of the Bt toxin as a pesticide."
Scientifically credible resistance management plans, which consist of
measures to delay or prevent resistance, are the key element of any strategy to
save Bt, according to the report. The scientists contributing to the UCS report
developed plans they say would substantially delay the evolution of
resistance to Bt. They make recommendations specific to each Bt crop, and
several recommendations for all three, including implementing mandatory
resistance management plans for each Bt crop, and monitoring the susceptibility
of pest populations to evaluate the success of resistance management plans.
Now or Never is $14.95 plus $3 shipping/handling from UCS
Publications, Department N, Two Brattle Square, Cambridge, MA 02238-9105; (617)
547-5552.
Whole Foods Market Benefits from Boom in Organic Food
The chief beneficiary of the boom in organic food during the past decade is
Whole Foods Market, "whose 900% growth in the 1990s has produced a
billion-dollar juggernaut with 78 stores in 17 states," according to Time
(February 23, 1998).
"Consumers aren't willing to pay a hefty
premium for organic, nor do they want to give up any of the conveniences of
shopping in large stores that stock everything from soup to lug nuts."
Whole Foods meets those goals by offering chemical and preservative-free foods,
organic produce, hormone-free meats, cruelty-free cosmetics, and ecologically
friendly household products. But the
stores also stock conventional items and non-organic produce. Having
bought out several of its competitors in the last three years, Whole Foods is
expected to grow 25% annually for the next five years.
Monsanto Pays Farmers for Genetic Cotton Failures
The Monsanto Company has begun paying settlements to Mississippi Delta
farmers who say that a strain of cotton, genetically engineered to resist
spraying with Roundup weed killer, failed to perform as promised and produced
considerable losses, according to The New York Times (Feb. 24, 1998).
"In Mississippi, Monsanto has offered settlements of several
million dollars in total to about 45 of the 60 complaining farmers,"
the article said. "At least 10 farmers have spurned offers that fall far
short of their losses."
In addition, Monsanto and the Delta Pine
and Land Company have withdrawn from sale 100,000 50-pound bags of a
different strain of genetically altered seed for reasons that the companies
say are not related to the Mississippi problems. "State and federal
agricultural experts in Mississippi, often clashing with company salesmen and
executives, have cautioned farmers about planting the new varieties too widely
too soon," according to the article.
Farmers Fight Maryland Plan to Limit Fertilizer
At hearings in Maryland last month, farmers in the Chesapeake Bay area objected
to mandatory fertilizer limits proposed by Maryland Governor Parris
Glendening as a way to control the toxic microbe called Pfiesteria.
Many
objected to the idea of enforcement teams which would ensure that farmers follow
fertilizer plans or be fined. "Fueling farmers' anger is their feeling
that they already are doing their part to protect the Chesapeake Bay by
participating in now-voluntary state programs advising them how to conserve
their use of fertilizers," wrote The Washington Post (Feb. 14,
1998).
According to the Associated Press, farmers also argued that "burdening
farmers with costs of trucking away their manure, rather than spreading it on
crop fields, could drive them out of business." Responding to criticism
that poultry pollution is linked to Pfiesteria outbreaks, the National Broiler
Council, environmentalists, and government representatives met last month in
Atlanta to develop ways for the poultry industry to "assume greater
responsibility for the environment and public health."
Rep. Miller's Bill Would Reduce Animal Waste Pollution
Rep. George Miller (D-CA) last month introduced a bill to reduce the
pollution caused by animal waste runoff from large farms and dairies by expanding
existing regulation of concentrated animal feeding operations under the
Clean Water Act.
The Farm Sustainability and Feedlot Enforcement Act would extend the
Clean Water Act to require that feed operations be inspected and that operators
monitor water quality to prevent pollution. It would also require such
facilities to adopt a whole farm waste management plan, and limit
land application of animal waste.
Although Rep. Miller's bill is similar to one introduced last year by
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), it would have EPA enforce its policies under the Clean
Water Act; Senator Harkin's bill would require USDA to enforce its policies and
approve waste management plans.
Resources
- Produce Handling for Direct Marketing ($10.50) and
Farming Alternatives: A Guide to Evaluating the Feasibility of New
Farm-Based Enterprises ($11.50) are available from Northeast Regional
Agricultural Engineering Service, 152 Riley-Robb Hall, Ithaca, N.Y. 14853; (607)
255-7654; e-mail nraes@cornell.edu.
- University of California Statewide IPM Project Annual Report is
available from the Project, University of California, One Shields Ave., Davis,
CA 95616; e-mail ipmig@ucdavis.edu.
- Walnut Production Manual, 317 pages, is $35 from University of
California, DANR Communication Services, 6701 San Pablo Ave., Oakland, CA 94608;
1-800-994-8849.
- 1998 Directory of Flower & Herb Buyers is $10 from Prairie Oak
Seeds, P.O. Box 382, Maryville, MO 64468; (816) 582-4084.
- Wisconsin Farmers' Views on Livestock Expansion is available from
the Program on Agricultural Tech. Studies, 1450 Linden Dr., #146, UW-Madison, WI
53705; (608) 265-2908.
Position
- Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association seeks applicants for its
apprenticeship program, to work year-round on farms in Maine; contact MOFGA,
Dept. H, P.O. Box 2176, Augusta, ME 04339; (207) 622-3118.
Upcoming Events
For additional listings, see
the
Sustainable
Agriculture Network's Calendar of Events.
- March-November, classes in draft animal power, small-scale farming,
blacksmithing, and woodworking will be held in Kalamazoo, MI, by Tillers
International; for catalog, contact Tillers, 5239 South 24th St., Kalamazoo, MI
49002; 1-800-498- 2700; e-mail TillersInt@aol.com.;
on the Internet,
http://www.wmich.edu/tillers/
- March 22, "40 Acres and 15 College Kids: Lessons Learned After 25
Years," a lecture by Chip Planck, will be held at the Accokeek Foundation,
3400 Bryan Point Road, Accokeek, MD 20607; (301) 283-2113.
- March 23-24, "Ensuring Safe and Healthy Food: Finding the Right
Solutions," the 21st annual National Food Policy Conference, will be held
in Washington, D.C.; contact Public Voice for Food and Health Policy, 1012 14th
St., NW, #800, Washington, D.C. 20005; (202) 347-6200.
- March 24, Women in Agriculture Symposium will be held in Greensboro, N.C.;
contact Mary Mafuyai, Cooperative Extension Program, North Carolina A&T
State University, P.O. Box 21928, Greensboro, N.C. 27420-1928; (336) 334-7734;
e-mail
mafuyai@ncat.edu.
- March 25 (Atlanta, GA), March 26 (Knoxville, TN), March 27 (Raleigh, N.C.),
and March 31 (Rochester, N.Y.), April 3 (Des Moines, IA), April 6 (Detroit, MI),
April 14 (Tacoma, WA), and April 17 (New Brunswick, N.J.), Community Food
Security Training Workshops will be held, sponsored by Community Food Security
Coalition; in N.Y., N.J., contact Mark Winne, Hartford, CT, (860) 296-9325; in
GA, TN, N.C., contact Kate Fitzgerald, Austin, TX, (512) 385-0080; in IA, MI,
and WA, contact Andy Fisher, Venice, CA, (310) 822-5410.
- March 25-26, "Grazing in the Northeast: Assessing Current
Technologies, Research Directions, and Education Needs" will be held in
Camp Hill, PA; contact Northeast Regional Agricultural Engineering Service, 152
Riley-Robb Hall, Cooperative Extension, Ithaca, N.Y. 14853; (607) 255-7654;
e-mail nraes@cornell.edu; on the
Internet, http://rcwpsun.cas.psu.edu/NRAES
- April 2, 37th Annual Southern Regional Science Association Meetings will be
held in Savannah, GA; contact Andy Bernat, Southern Regional Science
Association, (202) 606-9235; e-mail
andrew.bernat@bea.doc.go.
- April 3-5, "Beyond Pesticides: Empowering Communities for Change,"
the 16th National Pesticide Forum and 7th Annual California Pesticide Organizing
Conference, will be held in Watsonville, CA; contact National Coalition Against
the Misuse of Pesticides, 701 E St., SE, Washington, D.C. 20003; (202) 543-
5450; e-mail ncamp@ncamp.org.
- April 6-7, First National Mitigation Banking Conference will be held in
Washington, D.C.; contact Terrene Institute, 4 Herbert St., Alexandria, VA
22305; 1-800-726-4853 or (703) 548-5473; e- mail terrinst@aol.com.
- April 15-17, "Team Wetlands: 101 Ways to Win for Wetlands" will
be held in Arlington, VA; contact Terrene Institute, 4 Herbert St., Alexandria,
VA 22305; 1-800-726-4853 or (703) 548- 5473; e-mail
terrinst@aol.com.
- April 25-28, "Rally for America's Real Places: Best Practices in
Heritage Development and Cultural Tourism" will be held in Chicago, IL;
contact National Center for Heritage Development, 5520 Connecticut Ave., NW,
Washington, D.C. 20015; information available on the Internet at
http://www.nchd.org.
- April 27-28, Amish Community Study Tour will be held; contact Ed Martsolf,
A Whole New Approach, 1039 Winrock Dr., Morrilton, AR 72110; (501) 727-5659.
©1998 Committee for
Sustainable Farm Publishing
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