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, Administrative Coordinator, Center for
Sustainable Agricultural Systems, 221 Keim Hall, University of
Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE 68583-0949, 402-472-2056, e-mail
CSAS001@UNLVM.UNL.EDU.
* * *
Contents:
KELLOGG GRANT TO PROMOTE INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEMS IN NEBRASKA
JOB OPENINGS
SEEKING SITE ON SUSTAINABLE FARM FOR WHEAT RESEARCH
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
COSPONSORSHIP FUNDS AVAILABLE
WES JACKSON, PAUL EHRLICH HIGHLIGHT GREAT PLAINS GRASSLANDS
SYMPOSIUM
LAW PROFESSOR COMMENTS ON INDUSTRIALIZATION OF U.S. AGRICULTURE
NEW USDA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COUNCIL
CONGRESSIONAL SUSTAINABLE AG WORKING GROUP
AQUACULTURE NETWORK ON INTERNET
DATABASE OF STATE ALTERNATIVE AG LAWS
MORE INFO ON GOPHER
NATIONAL FOREST STEWARDSHIP CONFERENCE
NEW TREND: BOUTIQUE MICROFARMS?
MADDEN SPEAKS ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
WANT TO REDUCE YOUR JUNK MAIL?
ORGANIC FARMERS LIST TOP RESEARCH PRIORITIES
DID YOU KNOW...
RESOURCES
COMING EVENTS
KELLOGG GRANT TO PROMOTE INTEGRATED FARMING SYSTEMS IN NEBRASKA
A $920,000 grant from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation will help
support formation of at least ten farmer innovation groups across
Nebraska and make funds available to them on a competitive basis
for their specific projects. The CSAS, Center for Rural Affairs,
and Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society are the grant
recipients and will provide project leadership.
Participants in the groups will be farmers and ranchers,
Extension Educators, and other interested community members.
Groups will design projects in the area of integrated farming
systems, including on-farm research and demonstration fields as
part of a community education program.
Another objective of this four-year project is leadership
development and preparing farmers for service on key decision-
making committees and organizations throughout Nebraska. Focus
will be on agricultural policies and the mechanisms for farmers
to become more involved in the political process.
The W.K. Kellogg Foundation was established in 1930 to "help
people help themselves" by providing seed money to organizations
and institutions that have identified problems and have designed
constructive action programs aimed at solutions. This project
addresses three of the foundation's focus areas: food systems,
rural development and leadership.
If you are interested in establishing a group in your area,
getting involved in the project or learning more about
activities, contact your local Extension Educator, Wyatt Fraas at
the Center for Rural Affairs, 402-254-6893, Charles Shapiro or
Tim Powell at the Northeast Research and Extension Center, 402-
584-2261.
JOB OPENINGS
The following position openings are related to the above project:
#1 Extension Educator, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
On-Farm Research Coordinator, joint leader in a four-year
Integrated Farming Systems project located in Hartington, NE. As
part of a three-organization team, incumbent will be responsible
for helping organize farmer and rancher initiated research. In
addition, the project will have components that focus on
leadership development and public policy analysis. The Extension
Educator will be part of the Nebraska Cooperative Extension
Division and report to the Northeast Research and Extension
Center District Director. Salary and benefits are based on
experience and follow University of Nebraska guidelines. This is
a grant-funded non-tenured position. For more information about
application contact: Lavon Sumption, Extension Human Resources
Officer, UNL, 211 Ag Hall, Lincoln, NE, 68583-0703, 402-472-1577.
Deadline August 1, 1994.
#2 Executive Director/Project Leader, Nebraska Sustainable
Agriculture Society
Work with an active board of directors for a private non-profit
membership organization located in Hartington, NE that advocates
adoption of sustainable farming systems. Will be expected to
solicit funding, organize farmers and tours, publish organization
newsletter, coordinate annual conference, as well as other
activities. In addition, will be joint leader in grant funded
four-year Integrated Farming Systems project with two other
organizations. Salary competitive and based on experience.
Benefits package offered. For more information, contact: NSAS,
P.O. Box 736 Hartington, NE 68739, 402-254-2289.
Deadline August 1, 1994.
#3 Western Project Organizer, Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture
Society
Work with NSAS Executive Director and board of directors. Solicit
funding, organize farmers and tours, contribute to organization
newsletter, coordinate western conference, as well as other
activities. Position location is in western Nebraska. Funding for
1/2 time but can work into full-time position for the right
person, pending new funding. Salary ... (same as #2)
Deadline September 1, 1994.
SEEKING SITE ON SUSTAINABLE FARM FOR WHEAT RESEARCH
Dr. Stephen Baenziger, UNL agronomist, is looking for a 2-3 acre
site on a sustainable agriculture farm in south central Nebraska.
The purpose is to test advanced experimental lines and released
varieties under sustainable cropping practices. Ideally the site
should be east and south of Clay Center, not have been in wheat
the previous year, and allow the use of Round-up herbicide for
trimming back plots. All other cropping practices should be those
of the regular farm operation. For more information, contact Dr.
Baenziger, Dept. of Agronomy, U. of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68583-
0915, 402-472-1555.
SYSTEMS ANALYSIS AND SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
The following is a summary of a presentation at a symposium at
Indianapolis April 11-12, "Applied Research and Education in
Sustainable Agriculture: What Have We Learned?"
A basic tenet of sustainable agriculture has been enterprise
diversity. In practicing sustainable agriculture, enterprise
diversity is generally linked to a systems concept in which a
combination of crops or crop and livestock enterprises results in
outcomes different than might be expected from averaging them.
These different results are usually hypothesized to take the form
of lower input use, reduced risk, and greater economic returns.
Study of the integration of enterprises into systems is more
difficult than the study of single enterprises. Reactions to this
include increased interest in involving farmers in research,
multi-disciplinary analysis, and concern over philosophical
narrowness of past research. These may well be useful to better
understanding of agricultural systems, yet some major conceptual
problems accompany systems analysis.
Systems analysis is more complex than combining enterprises and
achieving average outcomes. Some progress occurs using whole farm
planning (linear programming) in which efficiencies in the use of
defined fixed resources (resources which can be used by various
enterprises) are included in the analysis and solving for a
system. However, this format is often deficient because 1)
results are site-specific, 2) enterprise yield interactions are
often ignored, and 3) long-run resources optimal to each
potential system are not selected in the analysis but are
specified.
Another approach to systems analysis has been to economically
compare two or more predetermined systems in which data are
available for each system. Two weaknesses of this approach are 1)
other systems not included may be superior, and 2) the long-run
resources optimal for each enterprise mix system generally are
not included in the analysis.
A temptation exists to allocate system advantages or
disadvantages back to individual enterprises. This is most
evident when cost budgets for specific enterprises are
constructed from costs of multiple enterprise farms. This
allocation process defeats the purpose of systems analysis and
can lead to errors when analyzing systems different from those
from which the results were derived.
Needed for comprehensive systems optimization are 1) a whole farm
analysis (determining the optimal resource mix), 2) yield
interactions, and 3) differences in annual operating inputs
resulting from integrating enterprises. In Nebraska research it
appears that all three components are important to optimum system
choice by farmers. A challenge for the future is to quantify
these system advantages to better assist in the integration
process and to provide decision support tools to farmers.
Submitted by Glenn Helmers
COSPONSORSHIP FUNDS AVAILABLE
The CSAS is interested in cosponsoring Nebraska-based seminars,
workshops, conferences, tours and other special events that are
related to sustainable agriculture and are open to the public.
The amount of funds available will depend on the number of
requests received and our budget, but should range from $50 to
$300 per activity. Your request should include information about
the event, the amount requested, and the contact person. Allow at
least two months for a reply.
WES JACKSON, PAUL EHRLICH HIGHLIGHT GREAT PLAINS GRASSLANDS
SYMPOSIUM
Wes Jackson described our need to learn about the culture of a
place before we launch into farming and ranching systems. By
"culture" he means the accumulated genetic information that is
contained in the plants, animals and microorganisms that abound
in each ecosystem--not only the people who live there and the
society that they have created. At the April Great Plains
Grasslands Symposium in Lincoln, Jackson outlined his ideal for
the study and understanding of a sense of place. Without this
basis, "we don't know what we are doing because we don't know
what we are undoing," he quoted from Wendell Berry. In the
research and education program at The Land Institute in Salina,
Kansas, Jackson said they are beginning to better understand the
complexity of the prairie ecosystem and are creating combinations
of plants in what are called perennial polycultures. In the
future these will supply food, hold the soil in place, and
approximate the native vegetation of the place. Such a system
will be more sustainable than today's extractive cultivation of a
few crops based on high inputs of fossil fuels and other scarce
resources.
Jackson went on to describe the Matfield Green community in Chase
County, Kansas, where a project is underway to restore the
infrastructure and vitality of the place. With minimal investment
in old houses, the school, a lumber yard, and other buildings, a
group of interested partners is working under Jackson's direction
to reinvent community in the plains. He envisions a bio-
sufficient community that produces much of its own food and
supports small business to the degree necessary to sustain the
local population, as well as relating to society at large. This
is another project of The Land Institute.
Other speakers in the conference described ongoing research and
educational efforts in the Great Plains grasslands. The
restoration of buffalo herds in Native American homeland areas is
one current project that is finding success. Use of native
species for specialty food items was described by Kay Young, who
gave examples from her new book, "Wild Seasons" (Nebraska Press,
1993). Our Center for Sustainable Agricultural Systems had a two-
day display that featured photos of current research and books
from the series, "Our Sustainable Future." There was great
interest in the new book by Jim Bender, CSAS advisory committee
member, "Future Harvest: Pesticide Free Farming" (Nebraska Press,
1994).
Paul Ehrlich of Stanford University, author of "The Population
Bomb" and other more recent titles, described the changes in
global demography over the past centuries. The predictions made
in the 1960s in their first book were gloomy, but have turned out
to be optimistic. There continues to be a wide disregard by many
nations, especially in the developed world, for the magnitude and
urgency of world population management. He called for the U.S. to
take a role of leadership in funding population planning around
the world. We have been slow in responding to this great need, he
said, and have just emerged from 12 years of near total disregard
for one of the world's most severe problems.
Submitted by Charles Francis
Editor's Note: The spring 1995 (Vol. 15, No. 2) issue of "Great
Plains Quarterly" will contain most symposium presentations.
Scientific papers will be published in Vol. 5 of "Great Plains
Research." For more information, contact the Center for Great
Plains Studies, U. of Nebraska, PO Box 880314, Lincoln, NE 68588-
0314, 402-472-6058.
LAW PROFESSOR COMMENTS ON INDUSTRIALIZATION OF U.S. AGRICULTURE
The April issue of "Successful Farming" magazine contains an
opinion piece by Neil Hamilton, professor of law and director of
the Ag Law Center at Drake University, in which he said
industrialization is restructuring American food production--
making farmers employees on their own land. He added that
contract production gives farmers limited control over the
production or marketing of their crops.
NEW USDA ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY COUNCIL
Secretary Espy has created the Agricultural Council on
Environmental Quality to promote coordination in resolving
problems and developing policy, and serve as the focal point for
USDA interaction for issues with other departments, agencies,
environmental groups and the agricultural community. For more
information contact Carole Florman, 202-720-7173.
CONGRESSIONAL SUSTAINABLE AG WORKING GROUP
May 4 was the first meeting of the House Working Group on
Sustainable Agriculture, established by Congressman Sam Farr (D-
CA) to keep Members of Congress informed of the progress of the
National Organic Standards Board and the compliance of the
Federal Organic Foods Production Act of 1990, and to ensure that
the organic foods industry is fully acknowledged in the 1995 Farm
Bill. This working group is interested in hearing from anyone
having ideas on sustainable agriculture. Contacts: Linda Delgado,
202-225-2861; Brad DeVries, 202-225-6416, bdevries@house.gov.
AQUACULTURE NETWORK ON INTERNET
AquaNIC--an electronic information center providing the latest
word on state, national or international aquaculture, is
maintained at Purdue University. For an overview and access
instructions, request document "aqua" from jhorigan@esusda.gov.
DATABASE OF STATE ALTERNATIVE AG LAWS
For over a year, The Center for Policy Alternatives has
researched state laws pertaining to alternative agriculture. The
result of this study is a comprehensive database encompassing a
wide range of legislative issues in all fifty states. Included in
each entry is the law's title, cite, year enacted, purpose, and a
brief summary of the law's elements. Excluded from the database
are laws found in every state such as those establishing soil
conservation districts or pesticide registration. The database is
available in hard copy and electronically. For more information
contact the CSAS office.
MORE INFO ON GOPHER
In the last issue of the CSAS newsletter you learned that the new
IANRVM gopher contains information about and created by the CSAS.
Now you can find information generated by the UNL Water
Center/Environmental Programs unit. The path is:
IANRVM.UNL.EDU IANRVM Information Sustainable Agriculture.
NATIONAL FOREST STEWARDSHIP CONFERENCE
Over 100 non-industrial private forest landowners made
recommendations on how best to increase the number of dedicated
forest stewards at the first National Conference on Forest
Stewardship April 26-28 in Nebraska City. Conference proceedings
will be available through the Forest Service; contact Larry
Biles, 202-720-5119,lbiles@esusda.gov.
NEW TREND: BOUTIQUE MICROFARMS?
"The Trends Journal" predicts the next big fad to face U.S.
agriculture will be small "boutique farms" offering such staple
items as organic poultry, fish, meats, produce and dairy
products. Others will cultivate heirloom vegetables, which are
grown from seeds that have been passed down throughout
generations.
Primary Source: "Small to Be Beautiful in Farming's Future,"
GANNETT NEWS SERVICE, April 21, 1994.
Secondary Source: "Sustainable Agriculture Week," Institute for
Agriculture and Trade Policy, Minneapolis, April 27, 1994.
MADDEN SPEAKS ON SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
At a recent conference in Orlando, Florida, Dr. J. Patrick
Madden, Executive Vice President of the World Sustainable
Agriculture Association, gave a speech titled "Goals and
Realities of Attaining a More Sustainable Agriculture." Topics
addressed included Alternative Concepts of Sustainable
Agriculture, On the Nature of Pests and Pest Control, Synthetic
Chemical Pesticides and Fertilizers, Biological Approaches to
Pest Control, and The LISA, SARE and ACE Grants Programs. For a
copy of the speech, contact the CSAS office.
WANT TO REDUCE YOUR JUNK MAIL?
Americans receive 2 million tons of unwanted mail each year, some
of which is on slick non-recyclable paper. Before you order
something, ask that your name and address not be sold to other
companies. To get your name off of some mailing lists, write:
Mail Preference Service, Direct Marketing Association, 11 West
42nd St., P.O. Box 3861, New York, NY 10163-3861. Ask that your
name be removed from existing and future mailing lists. Contact
companies not covered by DMA directly.
ORGANIC FARMERS LIST TOP RESEARCH PRIORITIES
A national survey of certified organic farmers conducted by the
Organic Farming Research Foundation found that their top three
research priorities are: 1) to increase consumer demand for
organic products, 2) study the relationship of growing practices
to crop quality and nutrition, and 3) study the relationship
between plant nutrition and pest resistance. For more
information, contact OFRF, P.O. Box 440, Santa Cruz, CA 95061,
408-426-6606. Sidenote: The National Organic Standard Board is
expected to complete its recommendations on suggested standards
in early June.
DID YOU KNOW...
An Oklahoma firm has licensed ARS' patented process for making
100% vegetable-oil-based printing inks.
In an effort to demonstrate techniques for maintaining fish and
wildlife habitat while producing sustainable supplies of wood
products, Boise Cascade Corp. (UNL's office products supplier) is
undertaking three ecosystem and biodiversity studies covering
more than one million acres of forest and costing an estimated $8
million over five years.
According to USDA, over 50% of the nation's fruit, vegetable and
major field crop producers are applying some level of IPM;
monitoring for all crops and crop rotation for corn are among the
most widely practiced IPM strategies, use of beneficial insects
the least practiced. President Clinton hopes to see the number
raised to 75% by 2000.
The Environmental Working Group said the CRP has saved more than
32 million tons of topsoil every year in Missouri alone since it
started in 1986.
Offers to enroll land in the Wetlands Reserve exceeded
expectations by 75,000 acres, which the ASCS head said shows the
environmental commitment of American farmers.
USDA-SCS chief Paul Johnson has organized a wetlands team
composed of career SCS officials; its mission is to raise
visibility of wetlands programs and enhance coordination with
other agencies.
A survey by Progressive Farmer magazine shows 72% of farmers who
responded would choose farming again because of the lifestyle.
Smokey Bear turns 50 on August 9.
Purdue U. researchers have developed "the grain chiller," a
portable air conditioner that kills pests in grain bins with cold
air, eliminating the need for pesticides.
EPA says barely half the nation's rivers, lakes and wetlands
contain water suitable for all uses by humans and nature.
U. of Missouri economists said nitrogen and phosphorus fertilizer
will cost 10-14% more this year than last.
Leaders of a wildlands movement say 10% of the contiguous 48
states remains "wild," an amount declining by 2 million acres/yr.
RESOURCES
"SARE 1994 Project Highlights." For a copy of the annual report,
contact the communications official of the nearest regional SARE
office (North Central: Lisa Jasa, Lincoln, NE, 402 472-7081).
"Protect Your Groundwater: Education for Action," $6.95 + $3.50
s&h, Publications Dept., League of Women Voters, 1730 M St., NW,
10th floor, Washington, D.C. 20036; 202-429-1965.
"Pesticides and Groundwater: A Guide for the Pesticide User," $4,
payable to NRAES, from Northeast Regional Agricultural
Engineering Service, Cooperative Extension, 152 Riley-Robb Hall,
Ithaca, N.Y. 14853-5701, 607-255-7654.
Database of over 400 community-supported agriculture farms around
the U.S. Contact Bio-Dynamic Association, PO Box 550, Kimberton,
PA 19442, 215-935-7797.
"1994 National Organic Directory," $34.95 + s&h, Community
Alliance with Family Farmers, PO Box 464, Davis, CA 95617.
"How to Control House and Stable Flies Without Using Pesticides,"
free, USDA-ARS, Rm 120, Bldg. 305, BARC-E, Beltsville, MD 20705,
301-504-8274. (Note: The March 1994 issue of USDA-ARS'
"Agricultural Research" contains a good article on this topic.)
"RTD Updates: Pest Scouting," (Feb. 1994), USDA-ERS, 1301
New York Ave. NW, Rm 524, Washington, DC 20005-4788, 202-219-
0436.
"Environment and Agriculture: Rethinking Development Issues in
the 21st Century," $24.95, Winrock Publication Sales, PO Box
0363, Arlington, VA 22209-0363, 703-525-9430.
"Wetlands Walk" materials provide the lay person with an
introduction to wetlands, EPA, Susan Handley, 206-553-1287.
"1994 National Organic Directory: A Guide to Organic Information
and Resources," Community Alliance with Family Farmers, 916-756-
8518.
The UNL Center for Biotechnology has a library of materials
(print and video) to lend or make copies of for IANR staff. For a
list of materials, contact the Center for Biotechnology, 402-472-
2635.
"Clean Water and Thriving Farms: Mutual Goals in Sustainable
Agriculture," $5, the Minnesota Project, 1885 University Ave. W.,
St. Paul, MN 55104, 612-645-6159.
"Understanding the Human Element in Agricultural Resource
Conservation," Soil and Water Conservation Society, 7515
Northeast Ankeny Road, Ankeny, IA 50021-9764, 515-289-2331.
"Future Harvest: Pesticide Free Farming" with accompanying
teaching manual, $21 + $2.50 s&h, University of Nebraska Press,
PO Box 880484, Lincoln, NE 68588-0484, 402-472-3584. (Ask for
information about other books in the "Our Sustainable Future"
series.)
COMING EVENTS
Contact CSAS office for more information:
July 5-9 - 5th International Symposium On Earthworm Ecology, Co-
lumbus, OH.
Aug. 4 - Leopold Center Annual Conference, Ames, IA.
Aug. 7-10 - Agroforestry and Sustainable Systems Symposium, Fort
Collins, CO.
Aug. 7-10 - "Catch the Conservation Wave," Soil and Water Conser-
vation Annual Meeting, Norfolk, VA.
Aug. 8-11 - Applied Aspects of Insect Biological Control (for
graduate students and biological control implementers), Hickory
Corners, MI.
Aug. 18-21 - Symposium on Sustainability of Range Livestock
Production in the West, Billings, MT.
Aug. 13-21 - International Conference on Organic and Sustainable
Agriculture, Beijing.
Sep. 6-8 - National Symposium, "Allelopathy in Sustainable
Agriculture, Forestry and Environment," Rajasthan, India.
Sep. 18-21 - Sustainability of Range Livestock Production Systems
in the West, Billings, MT.
Oct. 2-6 - International Conference on Modern Agriculture and the
Environment, Rehovot, Israel.
Oct. 23-31 - International Sustainable Agriculture and Food
Security Week, Washington, DC.
Nov. 1-3 - North Central Biological Control of Insects
Conference, Lincoln, NE.
Nov. 21-25 - Systems-Oriented Research in Agriculture and Rural
Development, Montpellier, France.
Pam Murray, Administrative Coordinator
Center for Sustainable Agricultural Systems
U. of Nebraska-Lincoln
v: 402-472-2056 f: -7904