Presumably the WPP Research Site. Google image search did me no favors with this one.

Well, if you hadn’t noticed from the torrential downpours that are threatening to soak through my bookbag and ruin all of my books, spring is upon us, and to commemorate that fact UIUC’s own Woody Perennial Polyculture Research Site is celebrating with its first-ever Spring Field Days festival, to take place May 10th and 12th.

Located on the corner of Lincoln and Windsor, the WPP Research Site was founded on a noble vision; to restore the biogeochemical cycle of the Midwest, a region thats current system of corn/soybean rotation has been damaging soil quality for years, while still recognizing the need for large-scale crop production in our modern world. According to their website, “the system studied here attempts to break down the dichotomy between ecological restoration and agriculture” while also breaking through the barriers separating nature and ourselves. The WPP attempts to recreate the structure and function, as well as test the feasibility of a more natural ecosystem. Quite the noble goal indeed.

So, that brings us to the Spring Field Days. Taking place May 10th and 12th (no 11th!) from noon to 2, and open to the public as well as free of cost, visitors to the event can expect to:

• learn about the site’s history and background
• ask questions about the theory behind the WPP system
• meet the site’s leaders
• explore the current research projects
• walk around and interact with the trees first-hand

The trees part has me. Have to love blooming trees in the springtime. Although the event is free, the organizers would prefer if you registered, as to provide them with an estimate of how many people to expect. You can register right here, and the registration requires nothing more than your name, email, and the answers to several questions.

So, once again

Where: Corner of Lincoln Ave. & Windsor Rd.

When: May 10 and 12, 12-2pm

Link to picture of location

Contact info: (708) 476-9929 or wppresearch@gmail.com

I would also like to recommend going to WPP’s website and checking out where they’re all about, it’s really quite fascinating stuff. Here’s a link to it.

Have fun, and try to stay warm. Note the emphasis on try.

According to APHIS, invasive species most often find their way to their new environs through passenger baggage, Internet-purchases plants and plant products, firewood, and outdoor gear, among other ways, as well. That’s where APHIS comes in. Through their work, they have eradicated said Japanese beetle from Illinois, where it had been wrecking  local vegetation for decades, as well as the boll weevil from the South and the European grapevine moth from California.

However, APHIS stresses that it cannot succeed in its efforts alone. To do that, it needs an informed populace that are aware of the ways that invasive species can be introduced, in order to prevent that from happening. To that effect, the Ag Department has launched www.hungrypests.com, which includes helpful info and interactive maps in both English and Spanish. Also included in the website are feeds to its Twitter and Facebook pages, so you can keep in touch anytime, anywhere.

Have a good day everybody, and check your luggage for strange beetles.

Merrigan has been considered a success in the organic community, advocating for beginning farmer programs, the National Organic Program, and the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative. As such, the organic community will be pushing for a replacement that holds the same beliefs regarding organics as Merrigan, as she was a ardent supporter of the industry in her short time at the USDA.

Merrigan put out a statement through her office on the 15th, stating “I hope that during my tenure, I was able to help open USDA’s doors a little wider, inviting new and discouraged constituencies to participate in USDA programs…I am able to leave fully confident that, USDA will thrive and continue to improve its service to the American people.”

Whoever the new Deputy Secretary will be, he or she will face some serious challenges going into the future, the most serious of which being the stalled Farm Bill, which has yet to even reach Congress for a vote.

Goodfoodjobs.com

This job board and blog was created in 2010 by two friends from Cornell University and has grown into a very diverse national job board that job listing for everything from cheesemonger to farm apprentice to market manager. The site is easy to use and always has up to date listings. It’s a great place to start if you’re interested in working at any step in the food system.

Growfood.org

Growfood.org is a non-profit website focused on connecting farmers in sustainable agriculture with people eager to work in the field. The site hosts listings from around the United States and abroad that range from short farmstays to internships to year round positions. Also, the site has a general message board for members to communicate and share their experiences in agriculture.

helpx.net

Help Exchange (HelpX) focuses on connecting travelers with farms for volunteer/farmstay opportunities. The website was started in 2001 by Rob Prince after his experiences travelling through Australia and New Zealand and working on many farms in those countries. The site has farms from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other countries. While many of the posts are for short-term stays, there also a number of farms looking for full-season or year round stays.

Wwoof.org

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is a program that provides a directory of organic farms that welcome volunteers. Then volunteers can contact farms that they are interested in visiting and set up a farmstay with the farm directly. In exchange  for the accommodations,  volunteers work on the farm and learn about organic and sustainable agriculture. There are independent WWOOF organizations in many countries around the world, and like helpx.net, WWOOF is a good way to gain farming experience while traveling in the United States or abroad.

More Boards

For more job boards and other resources, you can visit the SAEA and the Green Collar Blog. These both have many more places to look for an exciting way to work in sustainable agriculture.

The county board is hopeful that the council can spur growth in the use of local foods, with Democrat Alan Kurtz of Champaign saying “Anything that expands local food production is beneficial.”

Local Democrat Alan Kurtz, of Champaign

The Democrat-led effort also sets a sunset provision for March 2014, when the county board will assess the effectiveness of the council and the need for continuing it.

However, not everyone on the board was happy with the outcome of the vote. All 9 “nay” votes came from board Republicans, apprehensive of the bureaucracy the council may create. “I have yet to see anything a government entity starts that doesn’t turn into a boondoggle”, said Stan James of Rantoul (this leads to the question of why someone with that outlook would even get into government, but that’s a discussion for another day).

If you’re interested in listening to the audio of the meeting, you can find it here, along with the minutes of many other county board meeting.

Have a good night everybody.

*All quotes come from the Champaign News-Gazette

image via NSAC (sustainableag) on twitter

associates for either marketing, food systems, and rural development issues or conservation and farm programs issues. Associates will draft policy papers, advocacy material, blog posts and other documents related to current issues in agriculture and lobbying for sustainable agriculture. These positions offer a great opportunity to get involved with the political aspect of creating sustainable food systems.

NSAC was founded in 2009 when the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (SAC) and the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture (NCSA) merged. SAC had been working for decades to organize and represent sustainable agriculture groups across the country and develop various federal programs such as Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program. NCSA was founded in 1994 to function as a working alliance among various groups to develop and promote sustainable agriculture policy. Together as NSAC, this organization aims to promote sustainable agriculture through policy development and change.

You can find more information about these job openings here and more information about NSAC here.

change the word “film” to “grant” and you got it!

The Ceres Trust, a private charity-based trust that supports the advancement of sustainable and organic agriculture, recently announced that they will be accepting applications for their competitive Organic Research Initiative, worth up to $10,000 each, until May 1, 2013. The ORI, now in its fourth year, is available to graduate and Ph.D. students planning to do research in the Midwest during research roughly in the time frame of the 2013-14 calendar year.

The goal of the research of a successful applicant will help to achieve one or more of the following: 1) improve organic farm systems; 2) facilitate the transition of conventional farms to organic methods; or 3) help make existing organic farms more productive and profitable. Applicants are also expected to conduct their research on operating organic farms in conjunction with organic farmers, as well as present their finding by at least September 30, 2014.

The sum the Ceres Group is offering is hefty, and so, logically, the application process looks to be demanding and competitive. Full information on the grants can be found on the trust’s website in pdf form. Remember, the deadline is May 1, which is still a ways off, but these sort of things tend to sneak up on you. Get on it now, and save the future you a lot of time and worry.

The event is free and open to the public but registration is encouraged

11:00- 11:25
Dr. Doug Gurian-Sherman
Beyond the hype: What have we learned from 17 years of agricultural genetic engineering
Dr. Doug Gurian-Sherman is a senior scientist in the Food & Environment Program at the Union of Concerned Scientists (UCS) where he focuses on agricultural biotechnology and sustainable agriculture. He will provide an evaluation of the current role of GMOs in US agriculture, and discuss why they are not, on balance, improving sustainability. Doug is the author of numerous papers and reports, including No Sure Fix: Prospects for Reducing Nitrogen Fertilizer Pollution through Genetic Engineering, Failure to Yield: Evaluating the Performance of Genetically Engineered Crops, and CAFOs Uncovered: The Untold Costs of Confined Animal Feeding Operations. He formerly served as senior scientist at the Center for Food Safety in Washington, DC., was founding co-director and science director for the biotechnology project at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, and worked at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) where he was responsible for assessing human health and environmental risks from transgenic plants and microorganisms and developing biotechnology policy. Before joining the EPA, he worked in the Biotechnology Group at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. He served on the Food and Drug Administration’s inaugural advisory food biotechnology subcommittee. Doug has a doctorate in plant pathology from the University of California Berkeley.

11:25-11:50
Professor Mike Gray
Lessons from the Past Ignored: Western Corn Rootworms and Resistance to Bt
Mike will discuss some of the unintended consequences of GE crops and provide his recommendations for how to move forward to best take advantage of molecular tools to secure sustainable production. His research and extension interests have revolved around the management of the western corn rootworm, especially its adaptation to crop rotation. Mike is frequently invited to discuss integrated pest management (IPM) issues on national and regional levels related to corn and soybean insect management. In 2008, Mike began serving as a program leader in the Energy and BioSciences (EBI) Institute at the University of Illinois. His EBI team is focused on discovering pests that influence the biomass production of perennial grasses such as switchgrass and Miscanthus that may be used as feedstocks for biofuels in the future. In 2008, it was Mike’s honor to serve as President of the Entomological Society of America, the largest professional society of entomologists in the world. He currently serves as a Professor in the Department of Crop Sciences and as Assistant Dean for the Agriculture and Natural Resources Extension Program, College of ACES, University of Illinois.

11:50-12:15
Mary-Howell Martens
Why organic farmers don’t want GMOs on their farms
She will share her experiences and explain challenges to organic co-existence with conventional agriculture. She is an organic farmer who currently serves on the Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21). She farms and owns and operates Lakeview Organic Grain, an organic grain/feed business, in New York along with her husband Klaas Martens and three children. They have been farming organically since 1993 and currently raise 1400 acres of organic corn, soybeans, small grains, field peas, winter peas, dark red kidney beans, and edamame soybeans along with organic cows, pigs, chickens. The Martens have won numerous awards including the 2008 Patrick Madden Award for stewardship, the Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture leadership award, and EcoFarm’s prestigious ‘Sustie’ award. Mary-Howell has written about farming and organic agriculture for ACRES USA and Rodale Institutes New Farm Magazine. She has testified before the House of Representatives Subcommittee on Horticulture and Organic Agriculture and served on the Cornell University College of Agriculture and Life Science Dean’s Advisory Committee, the New York Agriculture and Markets Organic Agriculture Advisory Committee, and her county Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors.
12:15-12:40
Professor Gerhart Ryffel
Orgenic plants, gene manipulated plants compatible with organic farming
Gerhart is a molecular biologist who worked at the Institut für Zellbiologie (Tumorforschung), Universitätsklinikum Essen, in Essen, Germany. His main research concentrated on gene regulation in normal and defective development using cell cultures and transgenic frogs. In the last few years he became interested in the discussion on the potential of GMO in agriculture. Dr Ryffel proposes to develop ‘orgenic plants’ which are a new category of GM plants based on new technologies that he asserts are compatible with organic farming. These orgenic plants do not contain herbicide resistance genes to avoid herbicide application in agriculture. Furthermore, they either contain genes that are naturally exchanged between species, or are sterile to avoid outcrossing if they received a transgene from a different species. He hopes these GM plants will be acceptable to most skeptics of GM plants and facilitate the use of innovative new crops.

12:40-1:05
Leon Corzine
Biotechnology: my family, my farm, my customer, our future                                                                                      Leon is a family farmer who lives and works in Assumption IL, he is the former president of the National Corn Growers Association.  He currently serves on the Advisory Committee on Biotechnology and 21st Century Agriculture (AC21) and on the National Corn Growers Association’s Relations Committee and as chairman of the Biotechnology Working Group.

1:00-1:40
Reception with refreshments

1:45-2:55
Panel Discussion

If you would like to submit a question to the panel in advance please email ASAP@illinois.edu by April 20. Questions from the floor will also be welcome.