Public Opinion: Florida’s Food
The UF/IFAS Center for Public Issues Education (PIE Center) recently conducted a public opinion survey of Floridians’ perceptions of food issues. The survey included questions about consumers’ perceptions of food security, food safety, and genetically modified organisms (GMOs). The research was made publicly available this week and a webinar will take place December 4 that will highlight research results. To find out more about this research and hear Doug Archer, associate dean for research at UF/IFAS share his reaction, visit the PIE Center’s website: www.piecenter.com/food. Information on how to connect to tomorrow’s webinar can be found below under “Webinars”.
USDA Seeking Comments: Communication and Collaboration in Diverse Agricultural Production Systems
The U.S. Department of Agriculture is soliciting comments to identify ways to foster communication and collaboration among those involved in diverse agricultural production systems in order to further agricultural coexistence. Please see the attached flyer for more detailed information. They are accepting comments via email, person, mail, and phone until January 3.
Northeastern Integrated Pest Management Center Seeks Director
The Northeastern IPM Center, based at Cornell University in Ithaca, NY, is accepting applications for a director. Details at: http://www.northeastipm.org/ipm-in-action/current-news/director-of-the-northeastern-ipm-center/ or https://cornellu.taleo.net/careersection/10161/jobdetail.ftl?job=372710&lang=en&sns_id=. This is an academic staff position (Senior Extension Associate) with Cornell Cooperative Extension. Review of applications begins January 6, 2014 and the search committee hopes to have the new director on board by April to dovetail with the retiring director. Direct questions to Nancy Cusumano, nec2@cornell.edu.
STUDENTS: Agricultural Innovation Prize
The Howard G. Buffet Foundation and the University of Wisconsin-Madison announced October 2 the launch of the 2014 Agricultural Innovation Prize in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. The competition is open to U.S. undergraduate and graduate students across all academic disciplines and runs through spring 2014, when teams will compete for the chance to win $215,000 in prize money, with a grant prize of $100,000; making this the largest agriculture-focused student competition in the world. The contest encourages student teams to develop innovative plans to address social and agricultural challenges within food systems, improving the standard of living and quality of life for the world’s population. Submissions are invited beginning December 1, 2013 and will end February 28, 2014. Start thinking about your ideas now! Find out more about the competition here.
Webinars
FoodCorps Model of Teaching Kids About Healthy Food
Wednesday, December 4, 1:00 PM EST
Description: They are t-shirted and tilling up soil in schools across the country. And this year, thanks to a new partnership, FoodCorps service members have USDA at their side. Join us to learn more about FoodCorps’ model of teaching kids about what healthy food is and where it comes from, building and tending school gardens, and bringing high-quality local food into public school cafeterias. Deb and Rachel will also showcase how FoodCorps is successfully partnering with Extension at the state level in five regions (University of Connecticut Cooperative Extension, University of Maine Cooperative Extension, North Carolina 4-H, Michigan State University Extension, and New Jersey’s Rutgers University Cooperative Extension). Additionally, Susan will describe how University of Minnesota Extension has strategically supported farm to school throughout Minnesota by collaborating with partners to provide training and develop materials. Susan will also highlight Extension staff roles that promote farm to cafeteria work and resources including their online farm to school toolkit, research briefs, and training materials.
Presenters: Debra Eschmeyer, FoodCorps Co-Founder, and Rachel Spencer, Arkansas FoodCorps Fellow, Susan DeBlieck, Extension Educator in Community Food Systems with the University of Minnesota Extension
Connection information: Please plan to connect 5-15 minutes early to ensure you are connected on time, the meeting will begin promptly at 1:00 p.m. EST.
Audio
· Call the toll-free number (from your telephone, audio is not available over the computer): 1-800-988-0278
· When prompted, provide the operator with the participant pass code: 7486005#
Live Meeting
· Click on (or copy and paste) this link to join the meeting: https://www.livemeeting.com/cc/usda/join?id=JKSZ6W&role=attend
· You will be prompted to type in your name, email, and organization. Once you hit “continue” you will be joined with the meeting.
Floridians’ opinions of GMOs, food safety and food security: What happens when people don’t believe the facts?
Wednesday, December 4, 2:00 PM EST
Description: Three of the most contentious issues in agriculture come head-to-head in the PIE Center’s newest public opinion survey and upcoming webinar. Genetically modified organisms, or GMOs, have led to genetically modified food, new crop traits and greater control over a food’s genetic structure. Food safety practices avoid foodborne illnesses and potentially severe health hazards, while food security refers to the availability and accessibility of food among a growing population. PIE Center researcher Joy Rumble will share Floridians’ opinions about these issues, followed by Associate Professor Kevin Folta, who will discuss the public’s surprising reactions to the science behind GMOs.
Presenters: Joy Rumble, UF/IFAS Department of Agricultural Education and Communication; Kevin Folta, UF/IFAS Horticultural Sciences
Connection information: Register here: http://www.centerpie.com/easy-as-pie/.
Interpreting USDA Fruit & Vegetable Inspections: Does the shipment make good delivery?
Thursday, December 5, 2:00 PM EST
Description: The Perishable Agricultural Commodities Act (PACA) Division has a customer service line (800-495-7222) that allows the produce industry to call and get real time answers to real time problems. The majority of the questions asked by the industry relate to USDA inspections. More specifically, “Does the load make good delivery or not?”. So, if you have ever had a question regarding a USDA inspection certificate or wondered how those inspection results affect your company, then you definitely should join us for this webinar.
Presenters: Jacob Garcia, Marketing Specialist for PACA
Connection Information: Register for the webinar here.
Connecting Beginning Farmers to New Markets: Start-up Advice & Resources for Gaining Access to Farmers Markets
Wednesday, December 11, 3:00 PM EST
Description: Farmers markets are a growth industry in Virginia and the nation and a great venue for new farmers to reach customers and sell products. This panel discussion covers three related themes to help you gain access to farmers markets. First, learn about farmers markets in the state, unique marketing opportunities and resources available to assist in marketing and promotion through the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). Next, learn a few “best practices” for applying and participating in a local market. There are many variations in farmers markets. How do you find the best fit for your business? How do you apply? Third, learn the ins and outs of accepting SNAP benefits (food stamps) at the farmers market or by applying for your own machine as a new vendor, discussed by our Virginia Cooperative Extension, Family Nutrition Program. And don’t miss the question and answer session at the end of the panel discussion!
Panelists: Leanne DuBois, VA Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services, Virginia Grown Program; Ellen Stewart, Blacksburg Farmers Market; Meredith Ledlie, Virginia Cooperative Extension
Connection information: Pre-registration is not required. Go to http://connect.ag.vt.edu/access2farmersmarket/ to participate.
Free Farm Commons Webinars
Various Dates
Description: The nonprofit firm Farm Commons is hosting a series of free webinars this winter on a variety of legal issues faced by farmers who sell directly to consumers. Registration is now open for all webinars at www.farmcommons.org/webinars. All webinars are at 6pm CST.
· Community Support Agriculture Legal Issues –December 17
· Hosting On-Farm Events –January 13
· Workers and Employees –January 28
· Selling Products to Larger Buyers –February 10
· Starting a Farm –February 25
· Adding Value to Farm Products –March 10
· Food Safety Liability and Regulations –March 25
Resources
PBS Video on UF/IFAS Fruit and Vegetable Breeding Program
Florida Crossroads made a 28 minute video entitles “Seeds of Change” featuring the UF/IFAS plant breeding efforts to create new varieties of blueberries, strawberries, tomatoes, and other crops, and the ways these programs have influenced Florida industry. For those who are not familiar with UF/IFAS development of new plant varieties, it is well worth the watching: http://thefloridachannel.org/video/seeds-of-change/.
From farm income to food consumption: Valuing USDA data products
This report, released from The Council on Food, Agricultural and Resource Economics, outlines eight questions to provide a framework for making more informed and subjective judgments about the relative merits of competing data products. In addition, the report also emphasizes recommendations for further research, understanding the extent of data use across Federal agencies and streamlining data collection to more closely match how and when they are most useful. The report can be accessed on C-FARE’s website at www.cfare.org/datareview.
Farmer Knows Best
A new user forum on NCAT’s ATTRA website, called Farmer Knows Best, offers more than a dozen topical areas where you can start a conversation or contribute to the conversations already going on. ATTRA sustainable-ag experts will be joining in too. Farmer Knows Best just started, so this is your chance to get in on the ground floor of the conversations. Please pass the word to anyone you know who would be interested. The details are in the attached documents or you can find out more by visiting www.attra.ncat.org.
Access Agriculture
The website of Access Agriculture features training videos and related audio files on a wide range of topics of service providers working with farmers in developing countries. Videos are available in over 40 international and national languages, the selection of which is entirely demand-led. All video and audio files are freely downloadable after you have registered. By registering you will also be kept informed on a two-monthly basis about new videos made available or other key events related to video-mediated rural learning. Register at: http://www.accessagriculture.org/.
No-Till and Cover Crop Innovations Increase Dairy Profits
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program highlights research in the Northeast that determines the benefits of cover crops, no-till and shorter-season corn silage varieties. Read the full article here.
USDA Farm to School Census Results Released
A nationwide census on farm to school activities shows promising results. Over 38,000 schools with 21 million students serving over $350 million in local food. Census results can be accessed online, at www.fns.usda.gov/farmtoschool/census/.
Conferences & Workshops
Small Farms & Alternative Enterprises Events Calendar
Various Dates
The University of Florida, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences has a thriving Small Farms & Alternative Enterprises (SFAE) Extension Program. This program offers many different workshops at various locations around the state. Here’s a taste of a few events coming up:
· Starting a Successful Hydroponic Business, Hobe Sound, FL, December 15-16
· Small Scale Mushroom Production, Live Oak, FL, January 24
Like what you see? There’s more! For a complete list of events, workshop details, and registration information, visit the SFAE Events Calendar. Check back frequently for updates on opportunities near you!
Florida Grape Growers Association Annual Conference
January 10-11, 2014
The 2014 FGGA Annual Conference will be held on January 10 and 11, 2014 at the Quality Inn Riverfront, Palatka, FL. Breakout sessions include topics such as improving efficiency, yield and gross income, starting a vineyard, pesticides and disease prevention, winemaking, marketing, berry fruit and other non-grape winemaking, and other relevant topics. The full agenda, registration information, and FGGA membership information can be found by visiting their website.
AGRItunity 2014
January 24-25, 2014
Bushnell, FL
Friday, January 24 is Shock-A-Pond Workshop or Farm Tour in Sumter County, Florida.
Saturday, January 25 is the trade show and conference, with a dozen workshops in three concurrent sessions. Details and registration at http://AGRItunity2014.eventbrite.com
Annual Meeting of the Society for Range Management
February 8-13, 2014
Orlando, FL
Save the date for the Annual Meeting of the Society for Range Management. The meeting will be held in Orlando, Florida at the Caribe Royale! This 67th meeting goes from Saturday February 8th to Thursday February 13th and will have speakers pulled from academia to working ranches. The conference is packed with overlapping workshops and sessions pertinent to researchers, Extension, ranchers, and policy makers. There are outings to Disney Wilderness Preserve, Deseret Ranch, Wild Florida, and Orlando Brewing in addition to the Gala featuring The Bellamy Brothers! More information coming soon.
New Technology for Commercial Vegetable Production –IST for Extension ONLY
February 26, 2014
Various Sites
A unique program is planned for Wednesday, February 26, 2014 (12:00 to 4:50 EST). The program is offered to county faculty as an In-Service Training opportunity (IST # 30753), “New Technology for Commercial Vegetable Production (II).” You can register online at http://pdec.ifas.ufl.edu/ist/list.pl. There is also an opportunity for licensed applicators to earn up to 5 FDACS-approved CEUs in 4 categories (Ag Row, Ag Tree, Demo/Res, and Private) for recertification credit (FDACS Program # 16706). The event will originate via Polycom from 1308 Fifield Hall. A detailed agenda is attached. Professor Lehmann, Chair of the IBI Board (http://www.biochar-international.org/board/advisorycommittee), will talk to us: 
Additionally, if you'd like to host a local site for colleagues and students, please contact David Liu (guodong@ufl.edu) with the following:
1. Your host site's IP address.
2. Your host site's physical location.
3. The name of a person on-site who is an approved FDACS CEU provider.
National Food Hub Conference
March 26-28, 2014
Raleigh, NC
Mark your calendars! The Wallace Center and the National Good Food Network Food Hub Collaboration will host a National Food Hub Conference March 26-28, 2014 in Raleigh, NC. There will be pre-conference tours, compelling panes and speakers, and plenty of opportunities for networking. If you missed the 2012 National Food Hub Conference you can read the proceedings here. More details will be announced soon.
7th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference
April 15-18, 2014
Save the date for the 7th National Farm to Cafeteria Conference: Powering Up, which will be held in Austin, April 15-18, 2014! The conference will convene a diver group of stakeholders from across the farm to cafeteria movement –more than 1,000 food serve professionals, farmers, educators, youth leaders, policy makers, advocates, state/federal agency professionals, entrepreneurs, public health professionals and others –working to source local food for institutional cafeterias and foster a culture of food and agricultural literacy across America. Explore the new conference website to preview the event and to learn more about the host city and other travel details. Registration will open in January 2014, and a request for workshop proposals will be released in September 2013.
Florida Sheep, Wool, and Herding Dog Festival
April 25-27, 2014
The MSA Membership Spring Meeting will be held in conjunction with the MSA sponsored sheep, wool & herding dog festival. Check out workshops held on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Find out more information here: www.floridasheep.com.
Joint Conference: 16th Annual National Value-Added Agriculture Conference & The Northeast Regional Center for Rural Development “What Works III” Conference
May 13-15, 2014
Save the date for this joint conference held in Baltimore, MD. The theme of this conference is “Enhancing food security and rural viability through innovative food system practices and opportunities”. The call for abstracts is currently open through December 15, 2013. See the attached flyer for more information about the conference and how to submit your abstract today.
Funding Opportunities
FSA Microloans
The Farm Service Agency offers direct farm operating loans with a shortened application process and reduced paperwork designed to meet the needs of smaller, non-traditional, and niche type operations.
Whole Foods Market Local Producer Loan Program
Whole Foods Market is providing up to $10 million in low-interest loans to independent local farmers and food artisans. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis.
League of Environmental Educators in Florida Grants List
This website gives a great list of grants available for various types of community and classroom projects. Really worth perusing. Due dates vary by grant.
http://leef-florida.org/core/item/topic.aspx?s=0.0.110.37432&tid=85010
Kelly Monaghan
Program Assistant
Florida SARE Program, UF/IFAS & FAMU
Center for Sustainable and Organic Food Systems
3031 Mc Carty Hall D, PO Box 110310, Gainesville, FL 32611
Ph:(352)273-3508; Fax: (352)392-8196
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