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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said that the Farm Storage Facility Loan program has been amended to allow producers to build cold storage facilities to store their fresh fruits and vegetables. This program is part of USDA's 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' initiative and uses discretionary authority provided by the 2008 Farm Bill authorizing the eligibility of cold storage facilities for fruits and vegetables. "Expand the Farm Storage Facility Loan program will provide our nation's fruit and vegetable producers with new storage and marketing opportunities," Vilsack said.

Organic farming offers many benefits to pollinators but some common organic-approved pesticides and practices can be potentially just as harmful to bees and other pollinators as conventional farming systems. The Xerces Society has developed Organic Farming for Bees, a tool kit for organic growers that includes guidance on how to minimize disturbance to pollinators from farm activities, and on how to provide nest sites and foraging patches. In particular, two fact sheets provide information on toxicity to native pollinators for all major organic-approved insecticides and about pollinator-friendly organic farming practices.

A widely diverse work team recently has completed a new guide to help farmers manage cropland that is returned to production agriculture after it has been mined and reclaimed. This team is comprised of soil scientists, agronomists, coal mine operators, coal mine regulators, and farmers. They have met and worked over a period of years to produce the information in this guide, plus an earlier publication, "A Citizens Guide to Mined Land Reclamation." The new publication, "Farm Management Practices for Reclaimed Cropland," (PDF/919KB) was developed for the soils in the southern Indiana and Illinois where surface mining operations are common on agricultural lands.

Recognizing the need for affordable liability insurance for farmers market vendors, the Farmers Market Coalition has partnered with Campbell Risk Management (CRM) to help make their farmers market insurance program available at a national level. CRM’s policy provides producers with $1 million in general and product liability insurance per occurrence, with a $2 million annual aggregate limit and no deductible. This policy covers a producer’s participation at all markets he or she chooses to list on the insurance application, including all products typically seen at farmers markets, from meat and dairy to crafts and homemade cosmetics.

Energy is used throughout the U.S. food supply chain, from the manufacture and application of agricultural inputs, such as fertilizers and irrigation, through crop and livestock production, processing, and packaging; distribution services, such as shipping and cold storage; the running of refrigeration, preparation, and disposal equipment in food retailing and foodservice establishments; and in home kitchens. A new USDA-ERS analysis using the two most recent U.S. benchmark input-output accounts and a national energy data system shows that in the United States, use of energy along the food chain for food purchases by or for U.S. households increased between 1997 and 2002 at more than six times the rate of increase in total domestic energy use.

The Core Fulbright Scholar Program offers 25 awards in teaching, research or combined teaching/research in agriculture, including a Fulbright Distinguished Chair in 2011-2012. Faculty and professionals in agriculture also can apply for one of the 175 "All Discipline" awards open to all fields in 2011-2012 or for short-term grant opportunities through the Fulbright Specialist Program. Applications are due by August 2, 2010.

Jeremy Eaton, an Oklahoma farmer, thought his pond was “underutilized,” and worked out a novel way to make it pay – by raising freshwater shrimp, or prawns, in it. Eaton has been pioneering the idea for two years with help from an Oklahoma Producer Grant from the Kerr Center. This past September, he hosted a crowd of over 50 people to explain what he’s done and learned. Eaton harvested 50 pounds from last year’s initial stocking of 1,000 larvae. With all the kinks worked out of his system, he estimates that he could up that figure to 80 pounds – an 80% survival rate. Eaton’s project aims for farm-based prawn production to turn the green of pond scum into the green of cash.

The American Livestock Breeds Conservancy (ALBC) has released its 21st annual Conservation Priority List. The list is an assessment of endangered breed populations for domestic livestock and poultry breeds throughout the United States. For 2010 there are 186 breeds of livestock and poultry on the Conservation Priority List. Thirty-three mammalian breeds are listed as critically endangered and 30 poultry breeds.

The Annual Sheep & Goat Inventory (PDF/365KB) was recently released by USDA-NASS. National inventories for both species declined over the past year. U.S. sheep and lamb inventory totaled 5.63 million head on January 1st, down 2 percent from 2009. Wool production was 6 percent less than in 2008. The U.S. goat inventory totaled 3.04 million head on January 1st, and was 1 percent lower than in 2009. Non-dairy goats decreased slightly, while milk goats increased 6 percent. Angora goats were down 19 percent.

Farmers still dealing with the aftermath of wet, cool weather on their 2009 corn crop have a place to turn for help. Purdue University's new Managing Moldy Corn Web site offers information and advice both to corn growers with crop mold problems and livestock producers who might be feeding corn to their animals. "Purdue Extension pulled together the best experts from the College of Agriculture to provide Midwest farmers with up-to-date information focused on storing, marketing and feeding 2009 crop corn that might have a problem with mold," said James Mintert, Purdue's assistant director of Extension for agriculture and natural resources. "The site also provides information on how farmers can manage the risk of another mold outbreak in 2010."

The number of Minnesota school districts purchasing fresh food from local farms has more than doubled in the last 15 months, according to a survey (PDF/354KB) released today by the Minnesota School Nutrition Association (MSNA) and the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy (IATP). Sixty-nine districts reported purchasing Minnesota-grown products in 2009, more than double the figure from late 2008. Further, 77 percent of the districts now involved with farm to school initiatives expect to expand their activities in the upcoming school year, a sign that these programs are taking root and growing.

The National Agricultural Law Center has posted two new reading rooms. The new Forestry reading room is dedicated to the legal issues confronting the forestry industry. Issues such as carbon sequestration, the Endangered Species Act, global warming, renewable energy, public lands, agri-tourism, taxation, and many more interact in various ways that affect forest owners. The reading room provides information on many legal aspects of the forestry industry including an overview article, major federal and state statutes and regulations, links to important government and private websites, and access to forms and state websites on forestry as well as scholarly works concerning the various forestry topics. The new Agricultural Leases Reading Room deals with the issues that face farmers when they lease their lands or are leasing additional farmlands. The room contains a comprehensive case law index on the area, with cases involving leasing disputes to requirements under federal grazing permits.

The "Real Food Is" Video Contest is challenging students to produce a 30 second to 3 minute video that informs, inspires, and encourages student advocacy to restore connections to community, food, land, and place through Farm to Cafeteria programs. Two winners, one k-12 and one college video entry, will receive $1,000 for their cafeteria food project. Entries are due by March 29, 2010.

The NY Beginning Farmer Project and Cornell Small Farms Program have completed the annual revision of the popular Guide to Farming in NY: What Every Agricultural Entrepreneur Needs to Know. If you work with farmers in any capacity, this guide will prove a useful resource. The Guide consists of 33 fact sheets covering finding land, food processing regulations, farm vehicle safety, financing, farm taxes, and everything in between. As always, the Guide is available for free download, as a complete document or by individual fact sheet, from the Cornell Small Farms website.

During the 2010 Virginia General Assembly Session, House Joint Resolution 95 (HJ95), introduced by Delegate Edward Scott representing Culpeper, Madison and Orange County, officially establishing a Virginia Farm-to-School Week was passed with unanimous consent by both the House of Delegates and Senate. Besides establishing a Virginia Farm-to-School Week during the second week of November, HJ95 recognizes the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Virginia Department of Education, Virginia Food System Council, and Virginia Farm-to-School Work Group for their many contributions to help develop, promote, and implement Virginia’s Farm-to-School Program. In 2009, the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Virginia Department of Education and Virginia Farm-to-School Work Group coordinated the first Farm-to-School Week, where all regions of Virginia participated and 36 different locally grown Virginia foods were featured as healthy choices on school menus across the state.

The Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture sponsors the "Healthy Debate" listserv as a forum for people to discuss their ideas and opinions regarding sustainable agriculture and its intersection with politics, society, and advocacy. Healthy Debate is primarily a discussion and opinion listserv.

Two new publications on grain marketing are now available from Montana State University Extension publications. Both publications are free. "The Futures Hedge (Short Hedge)" publication introduces readers to using futures at national commodity exchanges. Advantages and disadvantages of using futures is discussed in this publication. Readers are also offered scenarios in which this grain marketing option would be a valuable tool. "Grain Contracts with Local Elevators," the second publication, is designed to help Montana grain producers understand the most basic elements of grain marketing.

Several decisions are made daily on a dairy farm – some involve cow and labor management, others address crop and business concerns, and there are a host of others in between. Unfortunately, dairy producers do not always have enough information to make the best decisions for current circumstances. The Dairy Expansion Decision Support System – a decision support system designed to explore dairy farm production and expansion scenarios and simulate specific metrics of their performance – provides critical information dairy producers need to actively manage risk on their dairies. The versatility of the program’s structure offers potential use in several other areas including providing a tool for risk management in times of great uncertainty, particularly during periods of dairy expansion; accounting for future herd growth when considering livestock housing needs; and matching the proper facility design with specific user-defined goals in mind.

A study in the March/April issue of the Journal of Nutrition Education and Behavior examines how farm-to-school programs have the potential to improve children's diets by providing locally grown produce without burdening the school's finances. Researchers at the Michigan State University, Lansing, examined why farmers, school food service professionals (SFSP), and food distributors participate in farm-to-school programs and how they characterize the opportunities and challenges to school food procurement from local farmers. Researchers identified three major reasons why SFSP participate in farm-to-school programs including:
(1) "The students like it,"
(2) "The price is right," and
(3) "We're helping our local farmer."

There were three areas that emerged from analysis of the SFSP's interviews about students/children participation in the farm-to-school programs which included:
(1) quality,
(2) influence of food service staff, and
(3) relationships with farmers.

The Roundtable on Sustainable Biofuels (RSB) is an international effort bringing together farmers, companies, non-governmental organizations, experts, governments, and inter-governmental agencies concerned with ensuring the environmental, social, and economic sustainability of biofuels production. The RSB invites applications from organizations interested in serving on its governing stakeholder chambers, including farmers and growers of biofuel feedstocks, smallholder farmer organizations, rural development and food security organizations, rights-based NGOs, indigenous people's organizations, and environment and conservation organizations. For more information, visit www.rsb.org or contact Matt Rudolf at rsbamericas@gmail.com.

The USDA National Organic Program recently released a new Access to Pasture rule for organic livestock production. The Northeast Organic Dairy Producers Alliance (NODPA) has put together a web page with extensive information and guidance on this rule. The page has information on the Rule and provides resources that are easy to understand and very accessible. As we learn and receive more information we will post it and explain how it might impact producers in the future.

The recording and presentation slides from the Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network's (NMPAN) webinar on natural curing of meats are now posted online. On this webinar, meat scientists, a processor, and an organic meat marketer explain ingredients, processes, and challenges to natural curing, along with product labeling and regulations.

This guide provides an outline of practices for the management of external arthropod pests such as flies, lice, mites and grubs on organic dairy farms. Left uncontrolled, these pests negatively impact animal health and production. The organic dairy IPM guide (http://www.nysipm.cornell.edu/organic_guide/dairy.pdf) is 39 pages long and comes in 2 versions; one for viewing on screen and one for potential printing.

Geraniums may hold the key to controlling the devastating Japanese beetle, which feeds on nearly 300 plant species and costs the ornamental plant industry $450 million in damage each year, according to scientists with the Agricultural Research Service (ARS). The beetle, Popillia japonica Newman, can feast on a wide variety of plants, including ornamentals, soybean, maize, fruits and vegetables. But within 30 minutes of consuming geranium petals, the beetle rolls over on its back, its legs and antennae slowly twitch, and it remains paralyzed for several hours. The beetles typically recover within 24 hours when paralyzed under laboratory conditions, but they often succumb to death under field conditions after predators spot and devour the beetles while they are helpless. ARS entomologist Chris Ranger at the agency's Application Technology Research Unit in Wooster, Ohio, is working on developing a way to use geraniums to control the beetles.

The 2010 Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) National Organic Initiative is a nationwide special initiative to provide financial assistance to National Organic Program (NOP) certified organic producers as well as producers in the process of transitioning to organic production. Applicants must either have an organic system plan that meets the NOP guidelines or certify that they are working toward one. Organic producers can receive up to $20,000 per year or $80,000 over six years through this initiative. Participants must apply by March 12, 2010.

Michigan State University's W.K. Kellogg Biological Station dairy herd set itself apart last summer when it moved to a new pasture-based facility featuring robotic milking and an energy-efficient design. The facility is again being recognized as a pioneer facility, this time for its Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design silver certification. It is the only agricultural operation to earn such certification in the United States. The U.S. Green Building Certification, which administers the LEED program, requires any LEED-certified newly constructed facility to be at least 15 percent more energy efficient than current building codes dictate. The KBS dairy facility is 38 percent more energy efficient.

This video from Cooking Up a Story features Frank Morton, a Willamette Valley organic seed breeder. Frank shares his expert knowledge of how plant breeding techniques have evolved, and the importance of the selection process in producing organic seeds that carry the desired mix of plant traits.

Lots of leaves growing in easy reach of a cow's tongue means less time and less land needed to raise beef cattle, according to Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and DairyNZ (New Zealand) scientists. Ranchers may be able to tell how long to leave cattle in a pasture, and how large to make the pasture, by the height and leafiness of plants growing there, according to Stacey Gunter, research leader at the ARS Southern Plains Range Research Station in Woodward, Okla. The reason for this real-life pasture study is that most studies of grazing behavior are done on "artificial seedings," specially planted pastures, or small plots that are fairly uniform. To provide the best possible recommendations to ranchers, Gunter and Gregorini integrated studies of the standard type with "in field" pasture conditions which are much less uniform.

The Leopold Center has awarded grants for 19 new projects covering a wide range of activities to help farmers take advantage of new opportunities related to local foods and renewable energy, and encourage a transition to alternative systems that protect the environment while using fewer outside inputs. The 2010 grants include 10 new projects in the Marketing and Food Systems Initiative. Topics range from transportation needs within Iowa's "foodsheds" and food safety training for growers, to improving veterinary care for organic livestock producers and creation of a new working group to focus on food access and health issues. Six new grants are part of the Center’s Ecology Initiative that focuses on innovative ways to create diversified farming systems in Iowa. Topics range from extended crop and biomass rotations to the interaction between buffers and field tile drainage.