National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture

NEWS AND RESOURCES FROM THE FIELD

May 25, 2007

This publication will be taking a hiatus during the heat of the Farm Bill and will be replaced by a weekly Farm Bill update. You can sign up to receive Farm Bill Updates and Alerts by following this link.

IN THIS ISSUE

SPEAK UP!

Call or Write to Help Restore Healthy Competition, Markets and Rural Communities!
Call and Thank Representative Leonard Boswell (IA-3) for his support of Competition Issues

EVENTS

Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture Field Days
Various Dates through Nov 14
Field Trainings for Organic Vegetable, Herb, and Flower Producers
OR, WA, ID, AK
Various dates through September
National Hunger Awareness Day
Nationwide, June 5
Sowing Seeds: Growing a Movement
June 9-12, Washington, DC
FoodMed 2007 - The Second Conference on Local, Sustainable Healthcare Food
June 28-29th, Boston, MA
Northeastern Permaculture Summer 2007 Convergence
July 6-8, Ithaca, NY
2nd National Conference on Facilitating Sustainable Agriculture Education
July 11-14, Ithaca NY
Building Cooperation East and South: Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy
July 20-27, Asheville, NC
Taking Action for Animals
July 28-30, Washington, D.C.
Annual NOFA Summer Conference
August 10-12, Amherst, MA

FUNDING AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Healthy Corner Stores Network Survey
Reply by June 5
Faith Based and Community Organizations Initiatives

Section 515 Multi Family Housing Program Due June 29th

Section 514 Farm Labor Housing Loans and
Section 516 Farm Labor Housing Grants for Off-Farm Housing Due June 18th

Nominations Sought For SARE Administrative Council
Due July 1
More Funding Opportunities Listed on the ATTRA Website

IN THE NEWS

Bill Introduced to Restore Competitive, Fair Markets
Boswell Files Competition Bill in House
National Farmers Union Study Shows Ag Market Concentration Increasing
Fruit and Vegetable Growers Hope to Harvest More From Farm Bill
United Salad Co. Becomes Nation's First Certified-Sustainable Distributor
Brother David Andrews, CSC Steps Down as NCRLC Executive Director
Nutrition Standards Recommended for Foods at School

RESOURCES

Farming for Bees
Pollinator Conservation Handbook
Farm Energy Equipment, Funding, Fuel Sources and Technical Assistance
Marketing Strategies for Farmers and Ranchers
Small Farm Central Web Development Software for Small Farms
Farm Bill Page, News and Alerts from World Hunger Year
Free-Range Poultry Production & Marketing
Food Factoids
2 New Publications from The Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture

Marketing Local Food
Minnesota Guide to Organic Certification

National Continuing Education Program in Sustainable Agriculture from SARE
CSP Drives New Conservation on Working Lands
Regional Framework Tools from Northeast Ag Works!
Introduce Kids to the Freshest Place in Town . . . the Farmers' Market!
Moving From Conventional to Organic — What Is The Local Payoff?

QUICKLINKS

Farm Bill News
Ag Issues in Mother Earth News
Michael Pollan on the Link Between Current Commodity Policy and Obesity
A Collection of Stories about the Honeybee Crisis

GM Crops and Bees
Alarmed Beekeepers, Farmers and Scientists Voice Their Concerns

More on the Food Versus Fuel Debate
Biodiversity: Farming Will Make or Break the Food Chain
Organic Valley Farmers Call for Permanent Injunction of GMO Alfalfa
"Local Food Dude" Brings his Message to Schoolchildren
Why is Organic More Popular on Our Supermarket Shelves Than in Our Farm Fields?
Food Safety

Pet food scare prompts FDA to check imported human fare
Food Imports Often Escape Scrutiny
Food & Drug Administration Aware of Dangers to Food

Helpful Links available on the National Campaign's Website

Employment:
Internships
Events Calendar from our Partners at ATTRA
Action Alerts:

SPEAK UP!

Call or Write to Help Restore Healthy Competition, Markets and Rural Communities!
http://sustainableagriculture.net/compAlert.php
We need your help to ensure that the Farm Bill is going to support our family farmers and ranchers through restoring competition and contract fairness to the agricultural marketplace. Competitive markets are what made America great — Write your congress people today to ask for a comprehensive Competition Title in the Farm Bill! For more details, visit the link above.

Call and Thank Representative Leonard Boswell (IA-3) for his support of Competition Issues
http://boswell.house.gov/article.asp?id=279
In addition to introducing a competition bill with many of the points outlined in the alert linked above, Representative Boswell did a great job yesterday introducing an amendment about Voluntary Arbitration! The amendment passed 8-6! Please call or email his office to thank him. You can send an email via the link above or call his office at 202-225-3806.

EVENTS

Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture Field Days
Various Dates through Nov 14
www.pasafarming.org
Check out the entire program at the link above. You can browse the titles, learn more about individual events and get registered online!

Field Trainings for Organic Vegetable, Herb, and Flower Producers
OR, WA, ID, AK
Various dates through September
www.seedalliance.org
Throughout the 2007 field season, Organic Seed Alliance, in partnership with USDA-RMA, is hosting a series of field trainings in Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Alaska for farmers and others teaching tools and techniques of conducting on-farm variety trials.

National Hunger Awareness Day
Nationwide, June 5
http://www.hungerday.org/content/index.php
The Senate passed a resolution that designates June 5, 2007, as "National Hunger Awareness Day''. The resolution calls on the people of the United States to observe National Hunger Awareness Day with appropriate ceremonies, volunteer activities, and other local anti-hunger advocacy efforts and hunger relief charities, including food banks, food rescue organizations, food pantries, soup kitchens, and emergency shelters; and by continuing to support programs and public policies that reduce hunger and food insecurity in the United States.

Sowing Seeds: Growing a Movement
June 9-12, Washington, DC
http://www.elca.org/advocacy/sowingseeds.html
Sponsored by the ELCA, ELCA World Hunger, and other faith Organizations. Join Bread for the World and thousands of people of faith, who will gather to launch a renewed movement to end hunger and poverty in the United States and around the world. Come to develop skills for motivating others and mobilizing faith communities, strategize ways to best influence decision-makers, and visit your representative's and senators' offices to speak out for hungry people. ELCA pre-conference June 8, women's pre-conference June 9.

FoodMed 2007 - The Second Conference on Local, Sustainable Healthcare Food
June 28-29th, Boston, MA
www.foodmed.org
As places of healing, hospitals have a natural incentive to provide food that's healthy for people and the environment in which we live. Participants will learn cost effective strategies that emphasize the unique needs of healthcare and tools to facilitate the development of healthy communities. Presentations will be geared towards senior healthcare executives, nurses, physicians, dietitians, food service directors and food procurement and distribution professionals.

Northeastern Permaculture Summer 2007 Convergence
July 6-8, Ithaca, NY
http://www.fingerlakespermaculture.org/2007nepcsummerconvergence.htm
Spend a weekend learning the basics of permaculture design in a beutiful spot in the Western Finger Lakes. Walk away with a toolbox of ecological design principles after practice on sites at the Rochester Folk Art Guild (www.rfag.org) This course is highly affordable and offers a discussion on the ethics, attitudes, and principles of permaculture as well as an exploration of natural ecology and pattern that lead to regenerative designs.

2nd National Conference on Facilitating Sustainable Agriculture Education
July 11-14, Ithaca NY
www.hort.cornell.edu/SustAgEd
Exciting opportunity to facilitate a cross-disciplinary dialogue on learning and teaching in sustainable agriculture at colleges and universities. Open to Students, Faculty, Staff, Researchers, Administrators, Extension Educators, Farmers, and Food System Practitioners who are active or interested in sustainable agriculture education at institutions of post-secondary learning. Soliciting posters, displays, multimedia resources, articles, etc. from participants (including students!) to share educational materials and resources at the conference. Submissions must be received no later than 5:00 p.m. on Friday, June 1. For more information, please visit our website, www.hort.cornell.edu/SustAgEd/ and click on Resources Exchange.

Building Cooperation East and South: Eastern Conference for Workplace Democracy
July 20-27, Asheville, NC
http://east.usworker.coop/
Hosted by the Federation of Southern Cooperatives / Land Assistance Fund and Southern Appalachian Center for Cooperative Ownership. Members of worker cooperatives and other democratic employee-owned businesses, as well as support organizations and scholars, will gather for problem-solving and movement-building discussions. Organizations and individuals interested in creating good, locally-owned community-based jobs are especially encouraged to explore this promising strategy for economic and social development.

Taking Action for Animals
July 28-30, Washington, D.C.
www.TakingActionforAnimals.com
The largest national conference of the animal protection movement, designed to motivate, inspire, and teach skills to advocates from around the globe. This year's conference, among other topics and training sessions, will have a special focus on the theme of taking action for farm animals.

Annual NOFA Summer Conference
August 10-12, Amherst, MA
http://www.nofamass.org/conferences/s2007/index.php
Northeast Organic Farming Association's 33rd Annual Summer Conference. Hazel Henderson and Bill McKibben are featured speakers. More details will be available at the link listed above as they become available.

FUNDING AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Healthy Corner Stores Network Survey
http://www.zoomerang.com/survey.zgi?p=WEB226G5WWHN2B
Reply by June 5
The Healthy Corner Stores Network (HCSN) will bring together people from across the country to share information about best practices and lessons learned, and to brainstorm about how to address common challenges. If you are working to bring healthier foods into corner or small-scale stores in undeserved communities, or just considering getting involved with this work, we welcome your participation in this network. If you are interested in participating, please complete our brief survey to provide basic information about your work and feedback on possible call topics and network activities. The online survey is takes just a few minutes to complete.

Faith Based and Community Organizations Initiatives
http://www.usda.gov/fbci/
Section 515 Multi Family Housing Program Due June 29th
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rd/nofas/index.html#hsgp
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/mfh/brief_mfh_rrh.htm
Rural Rental Housing Loans are direct, competitive mortgage loans made to provide affordable multifamily rental housing for very low-, low-, and moderate-income families; the elderly; and persons with disabilities. This is primarily a direct mortgage program, but its funds may also be used to buy and improve land and to provide necessary facilities such as water and waste disposal systems.

Section 514 Farm Labor Housing Loans and
Section 516 Farm Labor Housing Grants for Off-Farm Housing, Due June 18th
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rd/nofas/index.html#hsgp
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/rhs/mfh/brief_mfh_flh.htm
The Farm Labor Housing Loan and Grant program provides capital financing for the development of housing for domestic farm laborers. Funds can be used to purchase a site or a leasehold interest in a site; to construct housing, day care facilities, or community rooms; to pay fees to purchase durable household furnishings; and to pay construction loan interest.

Nominations Sought For SARE Administrative Council
http://www.southernsare.org/forms.htm
Due July 1
This year the Council is seeking one producer, one NGO representative and one agribusiness representative for the Southern Region SARE Administrative Council. All nominees must be familiar with sustainable agriculture and its impact on the environment and rural communities. Nominees representing women in agriculture, minorities and farm laborers are especially welcome. The new Council members will serve a three-year term starting December, 2007. Duties of the Administrative Council include attendance at two council meetings each year, February and August. Each meeting is expected to last two days.

More Funding Opportunities Listed on the ATTRA Website
http://attra.ncat.org/funding/

IN THE NEWS

Bill Introduced to Restore Competitive, Fair Markets
http://www.worc.org/media/csra3_07.htm
Wyoming Senator Mike Enzi (Rep.-Wyoming) has introduced the Captive Supply Reform Act, S. 1017, with bipartisan support. The bill would limit meatpacker control of the cattle market by requiring more transparent transactions and firm base prices for cattle supplied under advance contracts. Four multi-national packing firms control the markets, in part through captive supplies, or cattle owned or contracted by the packers. Cosponsors are Senators Byron Dorgan (Dem.-North Dakota), Kent Conrad (Dem.-North Dakota), Chuck Grassley (Rep.-Iowa), and Craig Thomas (Rep.-Wyoming). The bill would restore competition in the market for livestock contracts by requiring a fixed base price on contracts and marketing agreement and requiring that contracts be traded in open, public markets.

Boswell Files Competition Bill in House
http://tinyurl.com/2p32fj
Representative Leonard Boswell (IA) has filed The Competitive and Fair Agricultural Markets Act of 2007 to increase competition in the agricultural marketplace. The Boswell legislation (H.R. 2135) changes existing rules governing the marketplace to increase fairness, access and to balance the power of producers with dominant packers. The Boswell legislation will address anti-competitive market practices in all of agriculture, not just livestock; provide producers with greater protection from contract abuse by packers and processors; require USDA to establish a more professional office with legal and investigative expertise to enforce market related laws; and clarify portions of the Packers & Stockyards Act that have confused judges.

National Farmers Union Study Shows Ag Market Concentration Increasing
http://www.nfu.org/wp-content/2007-heffernanreport.pdf
Agricultural market concentration is rising steadily, according to a study released today by National Farmers Union. A study conducted by Drs. Mary Hendrickson and William Heffernan of the University of Missouri revealed increased concentration in every industry except ethanol production. The study documents that the top four beef packers dominate 83.5 percent of the market, four pork packers control 66% of that market and the top four poultry companies process 58.5 percent of the broilers in the United States. The retailing industry has been gradually increasing its degree of concentration, with the top five companies controlling 48% of U.S. food retailing, compared to 24% a decade ago. NFU's Tom Buis credited the decrease of consolidation in the ethanol market to public policy initiatives that encourage diversification and discourage monopolization. To address this issue, NFU is supporting the 8 provisions promoted by the National Campaign's Competition and Concentration Committee, as noted in the action alert in the "Speak Up" section above.

Fruit and Vegetable Growers Hope to Harvest More From Farm Bill
After years of derision and obscurity, the nation's fruits and vegetables are finally getting the respect they deserve. Long dismissed as mere "specialty crops" and all but ignored by the powerful lawmakers who fashion the federal government's massive farm bill every five years, fresh produce is now promoting itself in a major way and is positioned to be a big winner in this year's legislative sweepstakes. In the past two years, groups such as the United Fresh Produce Association, the Western Growers Association, the Florida Fruit & Vegetable Association and the National Potato Council started to band together. Their goal: to make sure peaches, strawberries, limes and the like get a larger slice of the federal pie.

United Salad Co. Becomes Nation's First Certified-Sustainable Distributor
One of the largest produce companies in the Pacific Northwest, United Salad Co. and its subsidiary Duck Delivery, have been certified for sustainable business practices under rigorous standards of the nonprofit Food Alliance. The 75-year-old, family-owned and operated wholesaler passed a third-party audit for sustainable business practices at its 140,000-square-foot facility in Portland, Ore., and at its 125,000-square-foot warehouse in Seattle, which operates as Duck Delivery of Washington, Inc. Portland, Ore.-based Food Alliance is a non-profit that certifies farms, ranches and food processors for sustainable agricultural and production practices such as safe and fair working conditions, reduction of pesticide use and toxicity, healthy and humane care for livestock, no genetically modified crops or livestock and no hormones or non-therapeutic antibiotics. Businesses that meet Food Alliance's standards, as determined by a third-party site inspection, are allowed to use the non-profit's green eco-label to claims for social and environmental responsibility, which differentiates products and can strength brands. To date, Food Alliance has certified 270 farms and ranches in 17 U.S. states and one Canadian province, which manage over 4.3 million acres of range and farm land.

Brother David Andrews, CSC Steps Down as NCRLC Executive Director
Former National Campaign Board Member, Brother David Andrews, CSC, executive director of National Catholic Rural Life Conference (NCRLC) has resigned, effective May 30th. During his 13 years as executive director, Br. Dave advanced the work and presence of the organization to the Church, rural America and global efforts supporting family farmers and rural communities. In his letter to the Board, Br. Dave said he deeply appreciates his many years serving within NCRLC as Executive Director, which followed ten years as a member of the Board of Directors and its committees. He also expressed his "appreciation of the wonderful staff with whom I've been working for these past years." He plans to relocate to the Chicago area and will remain involved in various commissions and networks as part of his abiding commitment to sustainable livelihoods in rural and agricultural communities. If you would like to express your appreciation for his many years of service, you can write him at or send a letter to 4625 Beaver Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50310.

Nutrition Standards Recommended for Foods at School
http://www.iom.edu/CMS/3788/30181/42502.aspx
At the request of Congress, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) Committee on Nutrition Standards issued a report recommending strict guidelines for foods and drinks made available to students in public schools. The IOM suggested that foods and beverages which compete with school nutrition programs, including those sold in vending machines and at school stores, be limited to nutritious fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and low-fat or non-fat dairy products. The proposals would banish most potato and corn chips, cheese curls, candies, snack cakes, sugary sodas, sports drinks, and punches with minimal fruit juice — foods that have been implicated as causing rising childhood obesity rates. Although the IOM standards are voluntary, pressure is already building to make them mandatory.

RESOURCES

Farming for Bees
http://www.xerces.org/pubs_merch/Farming_for_Bees.htm
This newly updated booklet outlines ways to protect and enhance habitat for native crop pollinators in the farm landscape. It includes advice on simple changes that can be made in farm management for the benefit of native bees, as well as information on how to enhance or provide important habitat features, such as nest sites and forage. This publication also includes lists of plants that support the most important crop pollinators in California's Central Valley.

Pollinator Conservation Handbook
http://www.xerces.org/pubs_merch/PCH.htm
This is the first comprehensive book on the conservation of native bees, butterflies, and other native pollinator insects and is an indispensable resource for gardeners, farmers, and managers of parks, recreational areas, and wild lands. The Handbook guides the reader through the steps needed to create and enhance habitat for insect pollinators. The Handbook also contains an extensive, up-to-date resource section and ideas for educational activities.

Farm Energy Equipment, Funding, Fuel Sources and Technical Assistance
http://attra.ncat.org/farm_energy/farm_energy_main.php
This database includes sources of information for farmers and ranchers interested in solar, wind, anaerobic digesters, biodiesel and ethanol. The database is not yet complete and ATTRA would appreciate any feedback about layout or usability as well as resources that should be added.

Marketing Strategies for Farmers and Ranchers
www.sare.org/webstore
Marketing Strategies features innovative SARE-funded research in a range of marketing options. Throughout, farmers and ranchers share how farmers markets, CSA, tourism, direct meat sales, season extension, adding value, restaurants, media campaigns, and the Internet improved their livelihoods as well as their outlook on life. The bulletin includes a section on evaluation and business planning, plus a full list of in-depth resources on alternative farm marketing options.

Small Farm Central Web Development Software for Small Farms
http://www.smallfarmcentral.com
This service allows farms to create an internet presence with an easy online control panel interface at a low cost. Small Farm Central delivers advanced functionality for your farm's website such as an uploadable photo gallery; automated mailing list; farm blog; automated survey collection; networked recipe and variety board; and more. We also offer an optional CSA add-on that allows you to give a unique login and password to each of your CSA members.

Farm Bill Page, News and Alerts from World Hunger Year
http://worldhungeryear.org/fslc/faqs2/farm_bill2.asp
The Farm bill page includes background, policy platforms, perspectives and analysis, and resources for taking action. While you're at the Learning Center, visit the updated News and Alerts page, which features weekly news clips, action alerts, and articles on community food security.

Free-Range Poultry Production & Marketing
www.Free-RangePoultry.com
http://www.back40books.com/get_item_978-0-918779-04-5_free-range-poultry-
This classic book first published in 1996 has been completely revised and updated as of December 2006. The revised edition contains up-dated feed formulas (including a discussion on poultry nutrition and meat and bone meal), illustrated and extended information on artificial insemination of chickens and turkeys, new skid designs and an up-dated section on marketing. The section on direct marketing to restaurants and farmer's markets is highly detailed as is a complete section on slaughter details and the advantages of building an on-farm processing plant.

Food Factoids
http://foodsystemfactoids.blogspot.com/
From Tim Crosby: I have created a blog to house factoids related to various food including agriculture, energy, nutrition, and obesity. My goal is to have a place to house facts and their sources that I come across during research and that can be used with confidence. Please let me know if you are aware of any similar collections. The impetus for this work was a meeting of Seattle school food advocates looking for short articles to fill school newsletters. If you have any sourced facts that love to use, please send them my way or post them on the blog. The majority of my interest right now is on the intersections of food and energy: how much energy we use to grow and move the food we eat. It is ALOT. If anyone knows of some recent research that highlights these issues please pass it on.

2 New Publications from The Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture
Marketing Local Food
www.misa.umn.edu/Marketing_Local_Food2
Marketing Local Food is a handbook designed to help Minnesota farmers explore the various options for marketing local food. It introduces the basics of different marketing systems, suggests resources and includes profiles of farmers who are selling farm products directly to consumers via farmers' markets, roadside stands, CSAs, on-farm stores; as well as information and profiles about selling indirectly via retail food establishments or food services. While focused on Minnesota, there is a lot of information in here that could be useful to farmers in other states as well. Contact the MISA office at to request print copies.

Minnesota Guide to Organic Certification
www.misa.umn.edu/organic_certification2.html
Jim Riddle served as the lead author on this publication. He formerly chaired the National Organic Standards Board, and is currently co-coordinating the Organic Ecology Program at the University of Minnesota (www.organicecology.umn.edu). This book walks you through the entire process necessary to achieve organic certification, explains terminology, and discusses the costs and benefits of certification. Minnesota-specific information includes certifiers active in this state and state-level programs to support organic farmers, but the majority of the book is based on the National Organic Program rules and is relevant nationwide. Again, contact the MISA office at to request print copies.

National Continuing Education Program in Sustainable Agriculture from SARE
www.sare.org/coreinfo/ceprogram.htm
The course provides a detailed introduction to sustainable agriculture and what it means for farmers, ranchers and communities. Perhaps most important, it explains how sustainable concepts and principles relate to the roles of educators as they try to improve farming and ranching systems. The course is presented in an interactive, Web-based format and includes a variety of activities, real-life examples and links to other sites offering information, resources, and assistance to help agents in their work. The course is self-paced so participants can complete it on their own schedules.

CSP Drives New Conservation on Working Lands
http://tinyurl.com/37ca7r
The Conservation Security Program (CSP) is designed to reward current excellence in conservation, and to encourage farmers to strive for even higher conservation outcomes. Now that CSP is in its third year, it is a good time to ask how well is it doing at motivating farmers and ranchers to add even more conservation to their operations. The Conservation Security Program Drives Resource Management — An Assessment of CSP in 5 Midwestern States is now available from the Minnesota Project at the link above.

Regional Framework Tools from Northeast Ag Works!
http://www.northeastagworks.org/4.html
Northeast Ag Works! is a region-wide project to propose, promote and support public policies that foster and sustain our region's agriculture and food system. They promote a regionalist framework to evaluate and promote public farm and food policies at all levels; they address federal, state and inter-state policy barriers and opportunities. They provide legislators and advocates with research, tools, resources and forums.
Tools that can be used by all regions are available at the link above, including
+ "Are We Being Served?" A Regional Framework for U.S. Farm and Food Policy
+ "Regional Policy Checklist" A tool to evaluate policies and policy proposals for their responsiveness to regional characteristics and needs.

Introduce Kids to the Freshest Place in Town . . . the Farmers' Market!
www.brainchildpress.com.
"All About Farmers' Markets: A Teaching Guide for Classrooms, Camps, and Community Programs," is now available to help children make the connection between the land, the food we eat, and our health and well-being. Designed for use with the picture book "A Visit to the Farmers' Market," the 116 page guide is filled with original games, songs, and activities for PreK - 2nd grade classrooms, and includes ideas for field trips and parent involvement.

Moving From Conventional to Organic — What Is The Local Payoff?
www.leopold.iastate.edu/research/marketing_files/woodbury.htm.
In work funded by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, David Swenson and Liesl Eathington of the ISU economics department and Craig Chase, an ISU Extension farm management field specialist, show that the potential region-wide economic impact of organic crop production exceeds that of conventional crop production. The project, "Determining the methods for measuring the economic and fiscal impacts associated with organic crop conversion in Iowa," affirms existing ISU research which demonstrates that operators who choose organic methods will receive greater economic returns than those who opt for conventional practices. Next, the economic impact of that difference was measured considering all linkages with the regional economy. The study found that the economic impacts of the organic alternative were substantially larger than the conventional configuration, a significant observation for those engaged in rural and regional economic development. The executive summary and full report can be found at the link above.

QUICKLINKS

Farm Bill News

Ag Issues in Mother Earth News
This month's Mother Earth News has number of articles about Food and Farming, including an article on the Farm Bill by Willie Nelson and an article about NAIS by Jack Kittridge. There is even more in the print edition
http://www.motherearthnews.com/
http://www.agmatters.net/attachments/Interview_with_NFFC_s_George_Naylor.doc
http://www.agmatters.net/attachments/Organic_Farm_Bill_Hearing.doc

Michael Pollan on the Link Between Current Commodity Policy and Obesity
http://www.agmatters.net/attachments/You_Are_What_You_Grow.doc

A Collection of Stories about the Honeybee Crisis
GM Crops and Bees
In the US, the Sierra Club has been among those asking whether GM crops are responsible for the massive instantaneous die-offs of millions of honey-bees, which some say are slowly assuming catastrophic proportions.
http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7670

An article in Der Spiegel, Germany's most influential news magazine, also asks if the decimation of bee populations in the US and Germany is a result of GM crops.
http://www.gmwatch.org/archive2.asp?arcid=7676

http://www.agmatters.net/attachments/Are_biotech_crops_killing_bees.doc
http://www.agmatters.net/attachments/NY_Times_Bee_Story.doc
http://www.agmatters.net/attachments/Are_mobile_phones_wiping_out_our_bees.doc
http://www.agmatters.net/attachments/another_NYTimes_Bee_Story.doc

Alarmed Beekeepers, Farmers and Scientists Voice Their Concerns
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=9213661&ft=1&f=1001

More on the Food Versus Fuel Debate
http://tinyurl.com/ywsxgl

Biodiversity: Farming Will Make or Break the Food Chain
http://www.commondreams.org/archive/2007/05/03/945/

Organic Valley Farmers Call for Permanent Injunction of GMO Alfalfa
http://sev.prnewswire.com/food-beverages/20070417/AQTU52217042007-1.html

"Local Food Dude" Brings his Message to Schoolchildren
http://www.agmatters.net/attachments/Local_Food_101.doc

Why is Organic More Popular on Our Supermarket Shelves Than in Our Farm Fields?
http://tinyurl.com/35mbfa

Food Safety
Pet food scare prompts FDA to check imported human fare
http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/04/24/food.melamine/index.html

Food Imports Often Escape Scrutiny
http://tinyurl.com/2za3kd

Food & Drug Administration Aware of Dangers to Food
http://www.agmatters.net/attachments/FDA_aware.doc

Helpful Links available on the National Campaign's Website
Employment:
http://www.sustainableagriculture.net/employment.php
Internships
http://www.sustainableagriculture.net/internships.php
Events Calendar:
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/index.php
Action Alerts:
http://www.sustainableagriculture.net/alertsMain.php