Weekly Harvest, January 15, 2014

Weekly Harvest Newsletter Sustainable Agriculture News Briefs - January 15, 2014 Weekly sustainable agriculture news and resources gleaned from the Internet by NCAT staff for the ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service website. The Weekly Harvest Newsletter is also available online. Register Today for Harvesting Clean Energy Conference Registration is now open for the 2014 Harvesting Clean Energy Conference to be held in Helena, Montana, on February 4-6, 2014.  Plan to join us to learn about strategies to maximize local job creation and the economic benefits to be had from developing our clean energy resources.  Experts will discuss clean energy projects that can help cut costs and produce power or feedstocks, and how to create good, local, clean energy jobs and economic benefits. Click here to find more information and to register. News & Resources Farmers Asked to Participate in Second SARE/CTIC Cover Crop Survey FoodCorps Accepting Service Member Applications USDA Extends Deadline for Conservation Stewardship Applications Low Input Lambing and Kidding Guide Updated Hudson Valley Farm Hub Announced Environmental Stewardship by California Farmers and Ranchers Featured Funding Opportunities Good Food Financing Fair Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin Technical Assistance Connecticut Grown Joint Venture Grant Program Coming Events TEDx Manhattan: Changing the Way We Eat Local Food Summit Organic Oklahoma 2014 News & Resources Farmers Asked to Participate in Second SARE/CTIC Cover Crop Survey The USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program and the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC) are asking farmers to provide input on cover crops as a conservation option on U.S. farms. This anonymous national survey will take 10 minutes or less and is for both farmers who use cover crops and farmers who do not. Take the survey online by January 31, 2014, to be eligible for a gift card drawing. FoodCorps Accepting Service Member Applications FoodCorps is inviting applications for its next class of service members. FoodCorps recruits talented leaders for a year of paid public service building healthy school food environments in limited-resource communities. In the coming year, the program will expand with service sites in Georgia and Washington, DC. The application for the 2014 - 2015 service year is open through March 30, 2014. USDA Extends Deadline for Conservation Stewardship Applications The U.S. Department of Agriculture's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) has extended the deadline for new enrollments in the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) for fiscal year 2014 to February 7, 2014. A CSP self-screening checklist is available to help producers determine if the program is suitable for their operation. Related ATTRA Resource: Accessing the New Conservation Stewardship Program Low Input Lambing and Kidding Guide Updated Cornell University has released the second edition of its online guide, Low Input Lambing & Kidding: A Resource Guide for Managing Lambing and Kidding Efficiently Without Sacrificing Animal Well Being. This guide is a compilation of anecdotal recommendations gleaned from 40 participating farmers and the authors' experiences. Hudson Valley Farm Hub Announced The Local Economies Project of the New World Foundation has announced the creation of a multi-faceted Farm Hub in New York's Hudson Valley. The Farm Hub will serve as a regional center for farmer training, agricultural research, and demonstration of innovative farm technologies. Programs are slated to begin operations by the spring of 2015. Environmental Stewardship by California Farmers and Ranchers Featured Profiles in Stewardship: How California Farmers and Ranchers are Producing a Better Environment is an online portfolio compiled by American Farmland Trust that showcases outstanding examples of environmental stewardship by California farmers and ranchers. The case studies are two-page PDF profiles of each individual farm or ranch operation, organized by county. >> More Breaking News Back to top Funding Opportunities Good Food Financing Fair The Good Food Financing & Innovation Conference on March 13 in Chicago includes a juried Financing Fair that fosters investment in farm and food businesses by connecting entrepreneurs with funders and investors. Fair participants have the chance of a lifetime to pitch their business and get funding. Applications are due by January 20, 2014. Buy Local, Buy Wisconsin Technical Assistance The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) encourages producers selling local foods and schools, distributors, aggregators, and food hubs purchasing local foods to apply for up to $3,000 in one-on-one technical assistance from an approved consultant. Pre-application questionnaires are due by February 15, 2014. Connecticut Grown Joint Venture Grant Program This program offers competitive, matching funds to promote Connecticut agricultural products through the use of the Connecticut Grown logo or slogan. Eligible applicants include commodity associations, agricultural nonprofits, and municipalities, including agricultural commissions and farmers markets. Matching grants up to $2,995 are available. Applications are due by January 31, 2014. >> More Funding Opportunities Back to top Coming Events TEDx Manhattan: Changing the Way We Eat March 1, 2014 New York, New York and online At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. This fourth TEDx Manhattan event features numerous speakers on agriculture, food systems, and the culture of food. Talks will be streamed live online. Local Food Summit March 3, 2014 Denver, Colorado Mile High Business Alliance presents this second annual summit focused on connecting Colorado's food system to create a healthy, resilient food economy. This conference-style event will provide industry-specific opportunities for engagement, community-building, education, and problem-solving. Organic Oklahoma 2014 February 28 - March 1, 2014 Oklahoma City, Oklahoma This event is billed as Oklahoma's first sustainable and organic production conference for beginning and advanced growers. The conference addresses hands-on growing techniques, season extension, varietal selection, farm management, and more. >> More Events Back to top Subscribe to the Weekly Harvest Comments? Questions? Contact us Weekly Harvest and ATTRAnews Archives Digital versions of recent and archived Weekly Harvest and ATTRAnews newsletters are available online. ATTRAnews is the newsletter of ATTRA - National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service. The National Sustainable Agriculture Information Service - ATTRA - was developed and is managed by the National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT). The project 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. © 2014 NCAT Back to top	New Publication Life-Cycle Assessment in Agricultural Systems Question of the Week Can you suggest a way to get rid of wild onion? Ask a Sustainable Agriculture Expert Submit questions to our professional staff online ATTRA Webinars Join us January 23, 2014, for New USDA Cover Crop Termination Policy. Experts from NCAT, NSAC, and USDA will explain the new cover crop termination guidelines and then answer questions. 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!

Home | Newsletter Archives