Weekly Harvest, June 17, 2015

Weekly Harvest Newsletter Sustainable Agriculture News Briefs - June 17, 2015 Weekly sustainable agriculture news and resources gleaned from the Internet by NCAT staff for the ATTRA Sustainable Agriculture website. The Weekly Harvest Newsletter is also available online. News & Resources Report Assesses Economic and Health Impacts of Local Foods Whole Farm Management Course for Beginning Farmers Offered Online Guide Offered for Food Hubs Selling to Restaurants New Report from The Organic Center Examines How Organic Farming Supports Pollinator Health Land Management Practices Key to Carbon Retention as Biofuel Use Grows Mapping Project Shows Most Americans Could Eat Locally Funding Opportunities Specialty Crop Research Initiative Food and Farm Communications Fund Northeast SARE Research and Education Grants Coming Events Annual Soil and Water Conservation Society Conference Northern Nut Growers Association Annual Meeting Pagosa Verde Symposium: Community Benefits of Renewable Energy and Sustainable Agriculture News & Resources Report Assesses Economic and Health Impacts of Local Foods The Illinois Public Health Institute and Crossroads Resource Center have released Exploring Economic and Health Impacts of Local Food Procurement online in PDF. The report highlights strategies for communities to add locally sourced food to their institutional food systems, recommends ways to conceptualize and measure economic and health impacts, suggests effective funding strategies, and includes Critical Analysis of Economic Impact Methodologies. The report features original qualitative research in case studies of five diverse communities nationally. Whole Farm Management Course for Beginning Farmers Offered Online Oregon State University Small Farms Program's course Growing Farms: Successful Whole Farm Management is now available nationally online. The course is intended for people who are considering starting a farm business, those within their first five years of farming, and others who may be considering major changes to their farm business. The self-paced, online course runs from June 30, 2015, through October 31, 2015. Guide Offered for Food Hubs Selling to Restaurants Local Food Marketplace has released a free online whitepaper, Food Hub's Guide on Selling to Restaurants. The publication covers best practices for whom to approach, developing a marketing plan, planning for growth, and a list of dos and don'ts. Related ATTRA Publication: Tips for Selling to Restaurants New Report from The Organic Center Examines How Organic Farming Supports Pollinator Health The Organic Center's new report, The Role of Organic in Supporting Pollinator Health, compiles results from more than 70 peer-reviewed studies, demonstrating that organic farming has an important role to play in supporting the health of pollinators. Studies showed that organic farming practices alleviate many threats to honey bees and that organic farms support significantly more pollinators. Land Management Practices Key to Carbon Retention as Biofuel Use Grows Researchers at the U.S. Department of Energy's Argonne National Laboratory recently published a study showing the importance of land management practices as cellulosic materials become more heavily used as ethanol feedstock. This study's modeling showed that increased use of residues for ethanol production could significantly reduce soil carbon-storage capability, as well as plant productivity. Related ATTRA Publication: An Introduction to Bioenergy: Feedstocks, Processes and Products Mapping Project Shows Most Americans Could Eat Locally A farmland-mapping project by University of California, Merced Professor Elliott Campbell explored the potential of every American city to obtain food locally. The results indicate that more than 90% of U.S. residents could eat food grown or raised within 100 miles of their homes. >> More Breaking News Back to top Funding Opportunities Specialty Crop Research Initiative Through the Specialty Crop Research Initiative, USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture addresses the critical needs of the specialty-crop industry. Grants support research and extension that address key challenges of national, regional, and multi-state importance in sustaining all components of food and agriculture, including conventional and organic food-production systems. An estimated $49 million in matching funding is available. Applications are due by July 2, 2015. Food and Farm Communications Fund The Food and Farm Communications Fund offers grants to non-profit organizations for creative, innovative, and out-of the-box forms of communication that help make clear the links between domestic and global food systems and their implications and that make clear the links between farms and their cultures and landscapes. Grants from $10,000 to $100,000 are available. A letter of inquiry is due by July 1, 2015. Northeast SARE Research and Education Grants Northeast SARE seeks proposals for research, education, and on-farm demonstration projects. The emphasis is on projects that lead directly to improved farming practices and an enhanced quality of life for farmers and rural communities. Projects must involve farmers and other stakeholders. Awards typically range from $30,000 to $200,000. Pre-proposals are due by June 30, 2015. >> More Funding Opportunities Back to top Coming Events Annual Soil and Water Conservation Society Conference July 26-29, 2015 Greensboro, North Carolina "Coming Home to Conservation: Putting Science into Practice" includes plenary, concurrent, and poster sessions, as well as conservation tours and technical workshops on critical, current issues facing soil, water, and environmental sustainability. Northern Nut Growers Association Annual Meeting July 26-29, 2015 La Crosse, Wisconsin NNGA is partnering with UW-Extension, the UW-Madison Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems, and the Upper Midwest Hazelnut Development Initiative in organizing this 106th annual meeting. The meeting will feature technical sessions with a focus on perennial polycultures, hazelnuts, and the business of processing and marketing nuts. It will also feature talks on a wide range of nut-growing topics and a tour. Pagosa Verde Symposium: Community Benefits of Renewable Energy and Sustainable Agriculture August 27-28, 2015 Pagosa Springs, Colorado This annual symposium focuses on direct-use geothermal and other technologies. Keynote speakers and expert panelists will emphasize sustainable economic diversity. Participants can look forward to discussion of Colorado's conservation of natural resources, renewable energy projects, and 21st century agriculture. >> More Events Back to top Subscribe to the Weekly Harvest Comments? Questions? Contact us Weekly Harvest Archives Digital versions of recent and archived Weekly Harvest newsletters are available online. ATTRA was developed and is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). The program is funded through a cooperative agreement with the United States Department of Agriculture's Rural Business-Cooperative Service. Visit the NCAT website for more information on our other sustainable agriculture and energy projects. © 2015 NCAT Back to top	New ATTRA Publication Tips for: Working with a Veterinarian Question of the Week How can I decide whether producing organic small grains is right for me? Ask a Sustainable Agriculture Expert Submit questions to our professional staff online ATTRA Webinar July 9 ~ Organic Certification through the Texas Department of Agriculture Register now! ATTRA Spanish Newsletter Subscribe to Cosecha Mensual (Monthly Harvest), ATTRA's Spanish-language e-newsletter ATTRA is on Facebook! We feature breaking news on sustainable agriculture topics several times a week. Add us to your Facebook friends list today!

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