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NEWS
RELEASES
Five Schools Selected for Wind Energy Project
- October 9, 2007
Kansas Rural Center Awards Clean Water Farms-River Friendly Farm
Project Cost-Share Funds
- July 31, 2007
Center for Food Safety Challenges Ventria Water Permits
- July 16, 2007
Kansas Rural Center Announces Wind Turbines for Schools
Initiative
- July 2, 2007
Jackson County Producers Host Livestock Management Tour
-
June 25, 2007
OFRF to Fund Research and Education Grants
- June 4, 2007
USDA Approval of Drug-Producing Rice in Kansas
Poses Threat to Food Safety, Say Food Safety & Farming Groups
- May 17, 2007
Wildlife and Conservation Groups Support Farm Bill Conservation
Programs -
May 2, 2007
Center for Food Safety and KRC Oppose Cultivation of
Pharmaceutical Rice - April 24, 2007
Local Farmers Travel
to D.C. to Discuss Sustainable Agriculture in 2007 Farm Bill
- March 15, 2007
Kansas Rural
Center Supports Push For Major Farm Bill Changes -
January 22, 2007
Wind Energy Conference Sparks interest
in Community Wind - November
6, 2006
Kansas Rural Center endorses Farm
Bill Report - October 11, 2006
Kansas Rural Center Distributes Safe
Energy Quiz - September 30, 2006
Contact:
Mary Fund, Communications Director, 785-873-3431,
ksrc@rainbowtel.net
NEWS
RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Dan Nagengast, Kansas Rural Center, 785-748-0959 or
nagengast@earthlink.net
Ruth Douglas Miller, Wind Activities Director, Ks. State
University, 785-532-4596 or
rdmmiller@ksu.edu
Schools Selected for Wind
Energy Project
October 9, 2007
Whiting, Ks. - The Kansas
Wind for Schools Coordinator Dan Nagengast of the Kansas Rural
Center, and Ruth Douglas Miller at the Wind Applications Center
(WAC) at Kansas State University, are pleased to announce the
selection of five rural primary and secondary schools to receive
a Skystream 3.7 wind turbine as part of the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory’s Wind for Schools initiative. This program
will place up to five of these small, 1.8kW wind turbines at
rural schools throughout Kansas each year for the next three
years.
Applications were solicited
through the K-12 school districts’ communications networks,
through the Kansas Association of Teachers in Science, and by
word of mouth. Schools were selected on the basis of a good wind
site and strong community, school administrative and science
teacher support.
The schools selected for the
first round are:
-
Fairfield High School, USD
310, Langdon, Reno County
-
Concordia School District,
USD 333, Concordia, Cloud County
-
Ell-Saline School District,
USD 307, Brookville, Saline County
-
Sterling School District, USD
376, Sterling, Rice County
-
Walton Rural Life Charter
Elementary, Newton School District, USD 373, Walton, Harvey
County
In addition the Kansas WAC
will install an anemometer tower and instrumentation at the SE
Kansas Educational Service Center in Greenbush, near Girard,
Crawford County.
The project expects to open a
second round of proposals in January, 2008. The Wind for Schools
program aims to train young engineers for jobs in the rapidly
growing wind industry, and to increase public awareness and
understanding of wind power. Schools receiving WFS turbines are
expected to incorporate education about wind energy into their
science curricula, including how turbines work and how to
collect, process and understand the data the turbines will
provide.
For more information about
the Wind for Schools program and what a proposal entails, or for
the selected schools’ contact information, please contact Dan
Nagengast and/or Ruth Douglas Miller at the addresses below
Dan Nagengast
Kansas Rural Center
785-748-0959 or
nagengast@earthlink.net
Ruth Douglas Miller
Wind Activities Center Director - KSU
785-532-4596 or
rdmiller@ksu.edu
The Kansas Rural Center is a non-profit organization promoting
sustainable agriculture and resource use, working in
collaboration with Kansas State University and the National
Renewable Laboratory’s Wind Energy Project.
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NEWS
RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Mary Fund
(785) 873-3431
ksrc@rainbowtel.net
KANSAS RURAL CENTER AWARDS
CLEAN WATER FARMS-RIVER FRIENDLY FARM PROJECT COST-SHARE FUNDS
07/31/07
WHITING, KS — The Kansas
Rural Center recently awarded $41,356 in cost-share funds from
its Clean Water Farms-River Friendly Farm Project (CWF-RFFP) to
14 Kansas farmers. Farmers in the following counties received
funding: Brown, Cherokee, Cowley, Crawford, Franklin, Jackson,
McPherson, Osage, Reno, Riley, Russell, Wabaunsee and
Washington. Of those, ten farms are located in high-priority
Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) areas in
Kansas.
To improve the water quality
on their farm or ranch, approved projects must implement best
management practices (BMPs). Approved projects include the
following BMPs: development of alternative livestock watering
systems; fencing of ponds, creeks and wetlands to restrict
cattle access; installation of cross fencing (to protect water
sources, improve grazing distribution and distribute manure);
construction of creek crossings to reduce erosion; conversion of
cropland to grass; planting riparian area with native grass to
control erosion, and reseeding a denuded area.
“The Clean Water Farms
project is unique in that grant funds can be used for practices
common in many other conservation programs but also for
innovative ideas for protecting water quality. Any practice that
will show improvement to water quality will be considered for
funding,” Dale Kirkham, CWF-RFFP field organizer said.
Farmers and ranchers in
established or developing WRAPS watersheds are eligible to apply
for up to $5,000 in cost-share funds. (See the
CWFP page on
KRC’s website for a map of eligible
areas.) To apply, farmers must have completed the River Friendly
Farm Plan (RFFP), a self-environmental assessment, and developed
an action plan to address any problems found by the assessment.
As an added incentive, there is a $250 payment for those farmers
completing the RFFP.
Over the past two years, the
CWF-RFFP allocated over $150,000 to 48 water quality projects.
Over 12 years, the project has provided nearly $550,000 in
cost-share funds to over 140 producers to establish
demonstrations of clean water farming practices.
“Common practices include
establishment of filter strips, contour grass strips and
buffers, fencing to restrict livestock access to ponds and
streams, and development of alternative livestock water
supplies. Development of long-term crop rotations with legumes,
decommissioning out-dated livestock waste facilities, and
relocation of winter feeding sites are other possibilities for
enhancing water quality,” Kirkham said. “In fact, the program
encourages farmers and ranchers to develop innovative and
practical ways to solve water quality issues.”
Contact the Kansas Rural
Center at 785-873-3431 or
ksrc@rainbowtel.net for more information on the Clean Water
Farms Project or the River Friendly Farm Plan or visit the
KRC
website.
The project is funded by U.S.
EPA Section 319 funds through the Kansas Department of Health
and Environment and administered by the Kansas Rural Center, a
non-profit research, education, and advocacy organization
located in Whiting, Kan.
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NEWS RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Dan Nagengast
Kansas Rural Center
(785)748-0959
nagengast@earthlink.net
Center for Food Safety Challenges Ventria
Water Permits
The Center for Food Safety (CFS) has filed
comments with the Kansas Department of Agriculture on the
pending water term permit applications from Ventria for field
trials of genetically modified rice., see the attached PDF
document. CFS, a non-profit public interest organization
opposing genetically engineered food crops, has asked that the
permits be denied.
Ventria is proceeding with plans to grow
three types of rice genetically engineered to produce
pharmaceuticals in Geary County Kansas. USDA has authorized
Ventria to plant up to 3,200 acres in Kansas . Harvest is
planned for fall 2007. Future plantings may be ten times larger
(30,000 acres). The CFS argues that the possibility of
contamination of neighboring food crops creates unnecessary and
unacceptable risks to the public and the environment. U.S. FDA
has not approved the pharmaceuticals Ventria is growing in the
rice for human consumption.
CFS argues that the water permits
"prejudicially and unreasonably affects the public interest",
and the proposed irrigation of experimental pharmaceutical crops
is not a "beneficial use" as understood in traditional Ks. water
law, and that any such water permits may impair existing water
rights.
The permits are being reviewed by the
Division of Water Resources within the Kansas Department of
Agriculture. The CFS comments can be viewed at the CFS website
at
http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/policy_com.cfm,
or by clicking on this link.

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NEWS RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Dan Nagengast
(785)748-0959
nagengast@earthlink.net
KANSAS RURAL CENTER ANNOUNCES WIND
TURBINES FOR SCHOOLS INITIATIVE
07/02/07
Whiting, Kans.—The Kansas Rural Center (KRC)
announces a three year partnership with the National Renewable
Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado for the Wind
Turbines for Schools Initiative. The initiative encourages rural
high school science teachers in Kansas to engage students in
wind energy education.
KRC serves as facilitator for the project
that will install wind turbines at approximately five rural
schools each year. Kansas State University will establish a Wind
Application Center that will serve to provide technical
assistance to rural schools and others. The project anticipates
the provision of associated curriculums for the use of the
science teachers, collection of data from each school, and the
development of other scientific projects building on the
turbines and data collection.
The project will install the Southwest
Windpower Skystream 3.7, a 1.8-kW turbine suitable for
residential use. Over 9,000 of these turbines were installed
around the country in 2006. The Skystream is the first wind
generator with the controls and invertor built into the turbine.
http://www.skystreamenergy.com/skystream/
Hardware, including the turbine, data
collection systems, and interconnection with the school’s power
supply will approach $10,000. Funding will entail seeking some
local support from the school or community, state sponsored
grants if available, the sale of green tag credits, and some
NREL support for the Data acquisition system. NREL will also
support science teacher training.
If you are a rural high school science
teacher, or know a teacher who might be interested, please
contact the facilitator Dan Nagengast at 785-748-0959 or email
him at
nagengast@earthlink.net
For more information about NREL, please
contact:
Ian Baring-Gould at 303-384-7021 or
ian_baring-gould@nrel.gov
Marguerite Kelly at 303-384-7441 or
Marguerite_Kelly@nrel.gov
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NEWS RELEASE
For more information, contact:
Connie Pantle
(785) 873-3431
cpantle@rainbowtel.net
JACKSON COUNTY PRODUCERS HOST LIVESTOCK
MANAGEMENT TOUR
06/25/07
Jackson County, Kans.—While cloudy skies
loomed to the west, approximately 40 farmers gathered at the
farm of Les Olsen near Mayetta for the Jackson County Livestock
Management Practice tour on June 14. The tour, featuring farms
throughout the county, illustrated low-cost management practices
that farmers can implement into their own livestock operations.
The first stop on the tour the Olsen farm, in
the Delaware River watershed, featured a bale ring feeding pad
demonstration as well as a livestock waterer below the pond. The
feeding pad was made from a layer of geo-textile, polypropylene
fabric, three to four inches of rock and topped with two to
three inches of agricultural lime. This feeding pad allows the
farmer to feed livestock on a solid surface, making scraping the
pad and spreading the manure on fields easier. Olsen said prior
to installing the feeding pad there was manure buildup and
runoff from the buildings across the area. He tiled the drainage
under the feeding pad, eliminating the runoff.
Olsen attributes the feeding pad to less
stress on his livestock and himself due to being cleaner. “I
don’t have to fight the mud and sludge,” he said. “And the
neighbors don’t mind doing chores!”
As another project, Olsen installed a
below-the-pond waterer in 2003. He said this relieves a safety
issue that he had for the cattle and himself. “I don’t have to
chop ice,” he said. He also fenced a pond at this point and
plans to fence the smaller pond in the pasture in the future.
Roberta Spencer, Jackson County Conservation
District manager, said that these management practices are not
just to Olsen’s benefit, “but to the water quality in the
watershed.”
At the next tour stop, Stan Brock’s farm
(three miles north of the junction of Highways 16 and 116) tour
goers were able to see the geo-textile used in another way.
Brock installed a geo-textile fabric/rock/lime feeding pad in
front of his feed bunk in one of his weaning pens. Between this
lot and two others, Stan said he feeds 1200-1300 calves. This
will serve as a true demonstration project to see how this holds
up to the usage from the calves and how it impacts water quality
on the farm and in the Delaware watershed.
Spencer said the demonstration projects were
paid for with a limited amount of money the Jackson County
Conservation District received through the Watershed and
Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) funding from the
Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE).
The final farm stop was at Joe Kennedy’s farm
nine miles west and two miles south of Holton. This stop, in the
Middle Kansas WRAPS, featured Kennedy’s spring development as
well as a storage tank, pipeline and freeze proof waterers.
Kennedy was using the creek to water his livestock and received
non-point source pollution funding through the State
Conservation Commission to make water quality changes on his
farm.
Now, with the spring development, Kennedy is
able to fence the creek and utilize the three waterers he has
installed. Excluding the livestock from the creek, reduces
livestock waste run-off as well as erosion from the livestock
traffic.
The tour concluded at Red Rock Guest Ranch,
near Solider, for a chuck wagon lunch. While at the ranch, Will
Boyer, KSU Watershed Specialist, provided the tour goers with
more information on additional livestock practices as well as a
solar pumping demonstration. Will said the cloudy weather was
perfect for the demonstration as it showed that the system still
worked—even with cloud cover.
John Bond, project coordinator for Kansas
Alliance for Wetlands and Streams (KAWS), said the best thing
about tours like this one is the farmer to farmer contact.
“Farmers are likely to listen to own their own neighbors,” he
said. “It is a great educational tool.”
Marlene Bosworth, Delaware River WRAPS
coordinator, said tours like this are one way that we can
“educate people to improve water quality in our watershed”.
“They are good practices with the farmer’s
operations in mind—the projects are on a custom basis to keep
cattle away from streams and protect water quality,” she said.
“Projects like these are key because they illustrate something
that’ll work for each farmer.”
According to Bosworth, WRAPS is a process
that involves local people and organizations in a unified effort
to identify and work on water issues that affect a watershed
area. The Delaware River WRAPS project covers the watershed area
that drains to Perry Lake Reservoir, including parts of Jackson,
Jefferson, Nemaha, Brown and Atchison counties in northeast
Kansas.
Bosworth said a comprehensive WRAPS plan for
this watershed was recently completed that identified seven
major water quality issues needing to be addressed in the
watershed. Because the major land use in the watershed is
agriculture, many of the water quality issues are related to
agriculture’s impact on water quality including: nutrient and
bacterial contamination from livestock wastes; erosion from
cropland, pastures and stream banks, and pesticide runoff. Other
issues include protecting groundwater wells; proper disposal of
hazardous wastes, and point sources related to public wastewater
systems.
Problems and solutions were identified by
local people and organizations using information from scientific
water quality studies that have been conducted in the watershed.
“Because the local people will be the ones to implement water
quality solutions, we felt it best to find out from them what
the problems are and how they can be solved rather than have
someone else come in and tell us what’s wrong and how to fix
it,” Bosworth said.
The tour was organized by the Jackson County
Conservation District and sponsored by Glacial Hills RC&D;
Kansas State Research and Extension; Delaware WRAPS, and KAWS.
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PRESS RELEASE June 4,
2007
Contacts:
Jane Sooby: (831) 426-6606
Bob Scowcroft: (831) 426-6606
OFRF TO FUND RESEARCH AND EDUCATION GRANTS
Santa Cruz, CA – The Organic Farming Research
Foundation (OFRF) has released two requests for proposals for
submission to their competitive grants program.
OFRF for the first time is specifically
soliciting proposals for education and outreach projects that
are targeted primarily at organic farmers and ranchers. OFRF
will also continue to fund research to improve organic
production systems.
The next deadline for proposals is July 16,
2007.
"We're hoping to see some innovative
educational proposals," said Cynthia Connolly, an organic farmer
in Florida who heads the OFRF committee that evaluates grant
proposals. "In many rural areas, new farmers transitioning to
organic have no support, no information from Extension--nobody
is there. This outreach program might reach those farmers who
are pursuing organic agriculture."
The request for proposals (RFP) for research
grants has been revised. It now explicitly requires that
research be conducted on certified organic research ground.
There are two exceptions to this policy: when the land is not
certified for scientific reasons, or if the land is exempt from
certification in accordance with the NOP standards.
Other changes include the inclusion of the
criteria that the OFRF board uses to evaluate proposals in the
RFPs.
"These changes make our selection process
more transparent," said Jane Sooby, OFRF's organic research
specialist who manages the grant program. "Applicants can see
exactly what we're looking for in a proposal. We anticipate ever
larger numbers of high quality proposals coming in the door."
OFRF's competitive grants program is in its
15th year. OFRF has awarded 243 organic research and education
grants totaling over $1.6 million disbursed to date.
A 2006 report released by OFRF showed the
significant impact that OFRF grantmaking has had on the science
of organic agriculture, helping to establish organic research
programs at land grant colleges around the country and
leveraging at least $3.5 million in other funds to support
organic research and education.
The report on OFRF grantmaking, Investing in
Organic Knowledge: Impacts of the First 13 Years of the Organic
Farming Research Foundation's Grantmaking Program, is available
free online at
http://ofrf.org/publications/investing.html.
Upcoming deadlines for proposals are July 16
and Dec. 17, 2007. Read the new RFPs online at
http://ofrf.org/grants/apply.html. For additional
information, contact OFRF by calling 831-426-6606 or emailing
research@ofrf.org.
Results of previously funded projects are
also posted on the site at
http://ofrf.org/funded/funded.html
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 17, 2007
Contacts:
Dan Nagengast, Kansas Rural Center, 785-748-0959
Bill Freese, Center for Food Safety, 202-547-9359 x14
Bill Wenzel, Farmer to Farmer Campaign on Genetic Engineering,
608-444-0292
USDA Approval of Drug-Producing Rice in
Kansas Poses Threat to Food Safety,
Say Food Safety & Farming Groups
Tornadoes,
Floods Could Contaminate Foods With Drugs Not Approved By FDA
20,000 Citizens,
Scientists, Farming and Rice Organizations In Opposition
WASHINGTON — The Center for Food Safety, Kansas Rural Center
and Farmer to Farmer Campaign on Genetic Engineering object to
USDA’s May 16th approval of drug-producing rice cultivation in
Kansas, charging that it poses needless risks to the safety of
the American food supply. USDA’s approval permits cultivation
in the Junction City area of up to 3,200 acres of rice
genetically engineered to produce pharmaceutical compounds that
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has refused to
approve. FDA approval is not required for planting to proceed.
The groups
note that the decision comes just a week after tornadoes in the
Kansas River Valley and heavy rains caused severe flooding in
east-central Kansas, including floodwaters on the Smoky Hill
River, which passes just a mile from one of the proposed
planting sites. USDA had earlier dismissed concerns raised by
the groups that floodwaters could carry the pharmaceutical rice
into surrounding cropland and contaminate farmers’ crops with
drugs unapproved by the FDA. USDA concluded in its
environmental assessment that: “Extreme weather events are rare
and unlikely to occur in the area of the field trial.”
“About two
weeks ago, I was huddled with other travelers in a rest stop on
Interstate 70 as tornadoes were reported on the ground in the
very area where Ventria proposes to expand their production
between Junction City and Topeka,” said Dan Nagengast, Executive
Director of the Kansas Rural Center.
“I also
question whether the company has adequately engineered their
water control systems to deal with the amounts of torrential
rainfall that are quite common here. This just represents an
unconscionable food safety complication in a food-producing
region. Why grow these crops in wide open nature, when other
companies have found it possible to use genetic engineering
techniques to produce biotech drugs in confined settings where
food contamination is not an issue?”
USDA
approved the “pharma rice” plantings despite receiving 20,000
comments in opposition from citizens, scientists, farming and
rice groups. Groups opposing the scheme include the USA Rice
Federation, U.S. Rice Producers Association, Riceland Foods,
Mississippi Rice Council, Arkansas Rice Growers Association,
Missouri Rice Research and Merchandising Council, and Rice
Producers of California. In addition, fourteen independent
scientists signed a joint scientific assessment warning of
potential adverse health impacts from even trace-level exposure
to one of the rice-produced drugs.
“These
rice-grown drugs are unapproved by FDA, may be hazardous, and
whether hazardous or not could cause huge economic losses to
Kansas farmers whose wheat, soy or other crops become
contaminated with drug rice,” said Bill Freese, Science Policy
Analyst with Center for Food Safety.
“In 2002,
corn containing an experimental swine vaccine got mixed into
soybeans and regular corn, which then had to be destroyed at a
cost of several millions dollars,” said Nagengast. “Over the
past year, rice farmers have lost millions of dollars from
contamination of their crop with unapproved genetically
engineered rice grown under USDA’s watch,” he added.
“The
USDA needs to stop rubber-stamping schemes like drug-producing
crops that put farmers and the rural economies they support at
great risk,” said Bill Wenzel, National Director of
the Farmer to Farmer Campaign on Genetic Engineering. “The
USDA should be focused on representing farmers rather than
carrying water for the biotech industry,” he added.
Developed
by California-based Ventria Bioscience, the rice is engineered
with modified human genes to serve as a “biofactory” for
production of synthetic human milk proteins that have
antimicrobial and other drug-like properties. Ventria has
proposed using the rice-extracted protein drugs to treat infants
with diarrhea, and as additives in infant formulas, yogurt,
granola bars and sports drinks, among other uses.
Last
month, the Center for Food Safety released a report detailing
the potential human health impacts of Ventria’s pharmaceutical
rice and the FDA’s refusal to approve Ventria’s rice-grown
drugs. The report, “A Grain of Caution,” also disputes the need
for Ventria’s pharmaceutical rice, discussing cheap and
effective solutions for prevention and treatment of diarrhea
recommended by the World Health Organization and other public
health experts. The report notes that these existing solutions
have cut deaths due to diarrhea from 4.6 million a year in 1980
to 2 million today, and could save many more lives if adequate
funding were provided.
Center
for Food Safety’s “A Grain of Caution” is available at:
http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/pubs/Pharmaceutical%20Rice-FINAL.pdf
For
Center for Food Safety’s comments to USDA warning of
contamination and other risks, see:
http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/pubs/Biopharm%20Rice%20Kansas%20comments_final.pdf
Center
for Food Safety is a national non-profit membership
organization working to protect human health and the environment
by curbing the use of harmful food production technologies and
promoting sustainable agriculture. In 2000/2001, CFS was part of
a coalition that discovered widespread contamination of the food
supply with genetically engineered StarLink corn, which had not
been approved for human consumption due to concerns it could
cause food allergies. In the past year, CFS has won three cases
against USDA for the Agriculture Department’s reckless and
illegal approval of genetically engineered crops. See
www.centerforfoodsafety.org
The
Kansas Rural Center is a non-profit research, education and
advocacy organization that promotes environmentally sound
farming practices and a safe and healthy food system, benefiting
both farmers and consumers. See
www.kansasruralcenter.org
The
Farmer to Farmer Campaign on Genetic Engineering was formed
in 1999 to provide a national voice for farmers on agriculture
biotechnology. The Campaign provides education, training and
support to farmers and farm groups on agricultural biotechnology
issues.
Click the icon for a pdf version of this news release.
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NEWS
RELEASE: May 2, 2007
Contact: Steve Sorenson, Kansas Wildlife Federation 316-214-3001
Troy Schroeder, Kansas Rural Center,
785-650-3182
WILDLIFE AND
CONSERVATION GROUPS SUPPORT FARM BILL CONSERVATION PROGRAMS
Coalition to encourage Congressional Delegation to support
wildlife habitat improvement and natural resource conservation
in the Farm Bill
Wichita, KS. In an effort to
help build support for USDA Natural Resource Conservation
Programs in the next federal farm bill, wildlife, environmental,
civic and landowner organizations along with several state
agencies and private businesses today announced their formation
of the ‘Kansas Conservation Coalition,’ a cooperative
organization to help educate the general public and policy
makers on the benefits of Farm Bill Conservation Programs to
landowners and the environment.
“When you consider that over 97%
of Kansas is made up of privately held land, mostly in
agricultural production, we must have a strong conservation
title in the next Farm Bill if we’re going to have good wildlife
habitat and a healthy environment,” said Don Snider, President
of the Kansas Wildlife Federation. “Farmers, ranchers and other
landowners depend on these programs to conserve our natural
resources and improve wildlife habitat. We support their efforts
and that’s why we have formed this coalition.”
Members of the Coalition include
Audubon of Kansas, Friends of the KAW, Geary County Fish and
Game Association, the Kansas Association of Conservation
Districts, the Kansas Bowhunters Association, the Kansas Chapter
of the American Fisheries Society, the Kansas Chapter of The
Wildlife Society, Kansas Ducks Unlimited, Kansas Native Plant
Society, the Kansas Natural Resource Council, the Kansas
Nature-based Tourism Alliance, Kansas Ornithological Society,
Kansas Outfitters Association, the Kansas Wildlife Federation,
the National Rifle Association – Central Region, the National
Wild Turkey Federation, Pheasants Forever, Quail Forever, The
Kansas Canoe and Kayak Association, The Kansas Rural Center and
The Nature Conservancy - Kansas Chapter.
Designed to help ‘spread the
word’ on the benefits of the programs under the Conservation
Title of the Farm Bill to both the wildlife habitat in Kansas
and the bottom line of Kansas’s agriculture producers, the
Kansas Conservation Coalition will work to educate policy
makers, wildlife groups, agriculture producers, other
landowners, and the general public on the benefits of
conservation work on private lands.
“When you see the improvement
in wildlife habitat that has been brought about through programs
like the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP), Wetlands Reserve
Program (WRP), and the Wildlife Habitat Improvement Program
(WHIP), the value of USDA Conservation Programs to Kansas
wildlife speak for themselves,” said Barth Crouch, Regional
Wildlife Biologist for Pheasants Forever and Quail Forever.
“When you consider the help these programs give to producers and
to the environment and when you see how these programs help us
continue our outdoor recreation traditions, and improve the
quality of life of all Kansans as well as help support the
bottom lines of our farmers and ranchers, it’s easy to come
together to support the conservation title of the farm bill.”
The Conservation Title of the
Farm Bill primarily deals with locally led, voluntary natural
resource programs under the USDA Natural Resource Conservation
Service (NRCS) and the Farm Services Agency (FSA). These
programs generally work with landowners through financial
assistance in the form of cost-share dollars, incentive payments
and technical assistance through USDA County Offices to help
protect and conserve soil, water, air and wildlife habitats.
Last year over $20 million in cost-share dollars were available
to Kansas’s landowners through the Environmental Quality
Incentive Program (EQIP) alone. Additional monies were also
available to landowners through programs such as the Wildlife
Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP), the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP)
and over 3 million Kansas acres are currently enrolled in the
Conservation Reserve Program (CRP).
“Kansas
land owners work hard to make a living for their families and we
must give them an incentive to set aside parts of their property
to support habitat for wildlife, not just game wildlife, but for
all wildlife,” said Dan Haines, President of the Kansas Chapter
of The Wildlife Society. “If we are going to leave our children
a heritage, we must conserve nature's bounty so generations to
come can enjoy and appreciate our great wildlife diversity in
Kansas. The Conservation provisions of the Farm Bill accomplish
that objective if funded as originally envisioned, but last
year, only one in four land owners who applied for incentives
were able to implement conservation measures due to lack of
congressional funding.”
"It
is great that Agriculture and Wildlife groups are coming
together to support these Farm Bill conservation programs," said
Troy Schroeder of the Kansas Rural Center. "Working together we
can help better educate farmers about the programs that are
available and we can help encourage our policy makers in
Washington to support these voluntary programs that improve
water quality, provide wildlife habitats, and financial
incentives to farmers and ranchers."
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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 24, 2007
Contacts: Bill Freese or
Joseph Mendelson, Center for Food Safety, 202-547-9359
Dan Nagengast, Kansas Rural Center, 785-748-0959
Genetically Engineered
Pharmaceutical Rice Is Not the Solution to Diarrhea
Drugs in Rice Not Approved
by FDA, Will Likely Contaminate Foods
Groups Urge Ban on All
Drug-Producing Genetically Engineered Food Crops
WASHINGTON — Genetically
engineered, pharmaceutical rice is not a safe or cost-effective
solution for infants suffering from diarrhea, concludes an
exhaustive report released today by the Center for Food Safety, as
the U.S. Dept. of Agriculture (USDA) considers whether to allow
planting of the rice in Kansas this spring. The report discusses
potential adverse health impacts of the rice-grown drugs, which
have not been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration
(FDA).
Developed by California-based
Ventria Bioscience, the rice is engineered with modified human
genes to serve as a “biofactory” for production of synthetic human
milk proteins that have antimicrobial and other drug-like
properties. Ventria has proposed using the rice-extracted protein
drugs to treat infants with diarrhea, and as additives in infant
formulas, yogurt, granola bars and sports drinks, among other
uses.
The report details Ventria’s
failed attempts to gain FDA approval of its rice-grown drugs
dating back to November 2003. Ventria is seeking USDA approval to
grow up to 3,200 acres of its rice in the Junction City, Kansas
area.
“USDA must not allow Ventria to
grow genetically-engineered rice containing drugs that our
nation’s food and drug authority have refused to approve,” said
Joseph Mendelson, Legal Director at Center for Food Safety (CFS).
“We call on USDA to unconditionally deny Ventria’s permits.”
“Policy makers in Kansas do not
seem to have a sense of either the marginal benefits to be gained
or the high risks entailed in this enterprise,” said Dan
Nagengast, Executive Director of the Kansas Rural Center. “Clearly
the food industry, and rice farmers elsewhere in the country,
understand the risk to their businesses when contamination
occurs.” He noted that rice supplies roughly 20% of the world’s
calories.
Nagengast also pointed out that
the USA Rice Federation, representing the rice industry, had asked
USDA ‘in the strongest possible terms’ to deny Ventria’s requested
permits. The Grocery Manufacturers of America and other groups
representing the $500 billion food industry have also opposed
drug-producing food crops.
“These genetically engineered
drugs could exacerbate certain infections, or cause dangerous
allergic or immune system reactions,” added Bill Freese, CFS
Science Policy Analyst and author of the report, which references
peer-reviewed scientific articles, the National Academy of
Sciences, and FDA regulatory documents.
Freese notes that mothers of
two infants who participated in a Ventria-sponsored clinical trial
of its rice-grown drugs in Peru reported that their children had
developed allergic reactions to numerous foods, leading to a
Peruvian government investigation of the trial.
“USDA simply cannot be trusted
to keep this pharmaceutical rice out of our foods,” said
Nagengast. “Just a few years ago, corn containing an experimental
swine vaccine got mixed into soybeans and regular corn, which then
had to be destroyed. Rice has twice been contaminated with
unapproved genetically engineered rice in just the past year,” he
added.
The report also disputes the
need for Ventria’s pharmaceutical rice, and discusses cheap and
effective solutions for prevention and treatment of diarrhea
recommended by the World Health Organization and other public
health experts. The report notes that these existing solutions
have cut deaths due to diarrhea from 4.6 million a year in 1980 to
2 million today, but are not adequately funded.
“What developing countries need
most is clean water and basic sanitation facilities to prevent
diarrhea, and improved access to existing oral rehydration
solutions to treat it,” said Freese. “Even if Ventria’s rice-grown
drugs eventually prove to be safe, they would be expensive, and
divert funding from existing, cost-effective solutions that aren’t
adequately funded,” he added.
For the full report, go to
http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/pubs/Pharmaceutical%20Rice-FINAL.pdf
Center for Food Safety
is a national non-profit membership organization working to
protect human health and the environment by curbing the use of
harmful food production technologies and promoting sustainable
agriculture. In 2000/2001, CFS was part of a coalition that
discovered widespread contamination of the food supply with
genetically engineered StarLink corn, which had not been approved
for human consumption due to concerns it could cause food
allergies. In the past year, CFS has won three cases against USDA
for the Agriculture Department’s reckless and illegal approval of
genetically engineered crops.
www.centerforfoodsafety.org
The Kansas Rural Center
is a non-profit research, education and advocacy organization that
promotes environmentally sound farming practices and a safe and
healthy food system, benefiting both farmers and consumers.
www.kansasruralcenter.org
Click the icon for a pdf version of this news release.
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NEWS
RELEASE: March 15, 2007
Local Farmers Travel to
D.C. to Discuss Sustainable Agriculture in 2007 Farm Bill
Whiting, Ks. - Northeast Kansas
farmers, Laura Fortmeyer, Fairview, and Jackie Keller, Topeka,
traveled to Washington, D.C. March 6-8 to talk with members of
Congress and their staff about the national and state benefits of
funding sustainable agriculture programs in the 2007 Farm Bill.
“Though most of the attention
right now is on the overall state of the federal budget, the Farm
Bill is not just about funding,” stated Laura Fortmeyer. “The 2007
Farm Bill will reflect our nation’s vision for meeting the
nutrition, energy and fiber needs of our nation and our markets.”
“I want to see a Farm Bill that
focuses on communities rather than commodities, people rather than
products, good food rather than cheap food,” Fortmeyer explained.
“My hope is that appropriations and the 2007 Farm Bill programs
will encourage stewardship of our resource base, broad-based
economic rewards, and healthy rural communities.” Laura and her
husband Doug and their two children graze livestock near Fairview
in Brown County.
Jackie Keller operates a
certified organic farm west of Topeka where she raises milo,
wheat, soybeans, and alfalfa and clover. “We traveled to D.C.
because we strongly believe in the importance of programs that
support sustainable farming practices and the next generation of
farmers and ranchers,” she stated.
Fortmeyer and Keller, both
board members for the Kansas Rural Center (KRC), were in D.C. as
part of a delegation of over 150 farmers, ranchers, and farm and
rural advocates attending the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition’s
Roots to Reform farm policy summit. During the three-day period,
members held over 50 meetings with Congressional offices;
Fortmeyer and Keller met with staff from Reps. Boyda and Moran’s
offices and from Senators Brownback and Roberts’ offices.
The Sustainable Agriculture
Coalition is a national alliance of farm, rural, and conservation
groups, including the Kansas Rural Center, that works to support
federal policies encouraging healthy rural economies, family
farmers and stewardship of resources, and new markets for locally
or regionally produced food.
Our talks focused on several
key programs such as the Conservation Security Program (CSP), a
fully funded Value Added Producer Grant Program ((VAPG), and
better support for organic production and the Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education Program,” stated Keller. A
fully-funded CSP would offer an opportunity to begin shifting
dollars not needed for commodity payments, due to projected higher
grain prices, to conservation based support for farmers, which
provides public benefits of water quality and soil protection and
is also World Trade Organization (WTO) friendly. The VAPG provides
assistance to farmers looking for alternative marketing or value
added business options. Farmers interested in organic production
benefit from cost-share assistance to help with the transition and
from research. All of these are part of the 2007 Farm Bill being
considered over the next few months.
“These programs offer a lot of
help to smaller or mid- sized farms which are better for local
communities and encourage production using sound resource friendly
practices, according to Keller.
The Kansas Rural Center is a
non-profit research, education and advocacy organization promoting
sustainable agriculture and a sustainable food system.
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NEWS
RELEASE: January 22, 2007
Contact:
Mary Fund, Communications Director, 785-873-3431,
ksrc@rainbowtel.net
and/or;
Dan Nagengast, Executive Director, Kansas Rural Center,
785-748-0959,
nagengast@earthlink.net
Kansas Rural Center Supports
Push For Major Farm Bill Changes
Whiting, Ks.–The Kansas Rural
Center today joined hundreds of other groups around the country to
call for a more balanced farm bill – one that would make real
progress toward supporting family farms, promoting
entrepreneurship in rural America, enhancing conservation,
advancing diversity and support for socially disadvantaged
farmers, and tackling the serious hunger and diet-related health
problems facing our nation’s citizens.
A report, “Seeking Balance in
U.S. Farm and Food Policy,” was released today with endorsements
by more than 300 organizations, including the Kansas Rural Center.
The report was developed under the auspices of the Farm and Food
Policy Project, a collaboration of rural, family farm,
conservation, anti-hunger, nutrition, faith-based, public health,
and other groups.
The report outlines ideas aimed
at providing incentives for more environmentally-friendly farming
systems; increasing conservation on working farms; reducing hunger
and soaring rates of obesity; promoting entrepreneurship and
economic development in farm and rural communities; encouraging
local food production; and reducing barriers and creating
opportunities for young and beginning farmers and ranchers getting
started in agriculture.
“KRC’s work focuses not only on
the producers of food, but on consumers and the health, safety and
availability of food to rural and urban citizens alike,” stated
Dan Nagengast, Executive Director for the Kansas Rural Center.
“Seeking the Balance is a real attempt to define how the 2007 farm
bill can provide a safer, healthier food system for all of us, and
help us play a more responsible role globally.”
A complete copy of the Farm and
Food Policy Project’s policy statement and recommendations may be
viewed and downloaded from its Web site at
http://www.farmandfoodproject.org/
The Kansas Rural Center is a
non-profit research, education, and advocacy organization
promoting sustainable agriculture and a sustainable food system.
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NEWS
RELEASE: November 6, 2006
Contact: Dan Nagengast, 785-748-0959;
nagengast@earthlink.net
WIND ENERGY CONFERENCE
SPARKS INTEREST IN COMMUNITY WIND
Whiting, KS - Over 200 Kansans
participated in the Community Wind Workshop hosted by Cloud County
Community College with Interactive Television sites at Community
Colleges in Colby, Butler County, Dodge, and Goodland, and Pioneer
Communications Center in Tribune on October 31. Numerous
legislators, energy industry professionals and farmers or others
interested in community wind attended. The workshop was sponsored
by Cloud County Community College, Kansas Farmers Union, Kansas
Farm Bureau Legal Foundation for Agriculture, the Kansas Energy
Office, Wind Powering America, and the Kansas Rural Center.
Planning for the workshop was
initiated by several people who had visited community wind
projects in southwestern Minnesota last summer as part of a joint
tour organized by the Kansas Energy Office and the Governor's
Rural Life Task Force. Participants on that trip became convinced
that locally owned wind projects could greatly benefit our rural
economy, if public policies can be changed to help instead of
hinder their development.
To that end, the organizers
brought in Jack Keers -Pipestone County Commissioner, Lisa Daniels
- Founder and Executive Director of Windustry, and Tom Wind - a
well-known community wind project consultant from Jefferson, Iowa.
The three addressed the major policy and technical obstacles
presented to those who wish to put together a project.
“It is no secret that wind
energy has become developed, quite profitably,” stated Dan
Nagengast, Executive Director of the Kansas Rural Center, one of
the sponsors, “ in those states where utilities are required to
purchase a percentage of their energy from renewable resources.”
Tom Wind from Iowa, in particular, was quite envious of the huge
Kansas wind resource, and made it clear that if Iowa or Minnesota
had Kansas’ wind, there would be an enormous effort to take
advantage of it.
Commissioner Keers spoke of the
benefits to their rural economy and tax revenues from community
owned wind. He also discussed a caucus of energy producing
counties which has had considerable success in influencing the
Minnesota legislature to recognize the value of their wind
resource, and to pass legislation which encourages development of
locally owned projects.
Other speakers included Joe
King, who walked through a Community Wind decision toolkit,
(available on CD Rom from the Kansas Energy Office) Jennifer
States, from JW Windpower LLC ( a community wind developer working
in Kansas), Joe Harkins, Special Assistant to Govern Sebelius, and
Ken Frahm from the Kansas Energy Council. Stuart Lowry
representing the Kansas Electric Cooperatives and Colin Hansen
representing Kansas Municipal Utilities, Inc. also discussed the
issues surrounding the integration of wind into their member
associations.
A legislative panel consisting
of Rep. Josh Svaty, Sen. Sharon Schwarz, Rep. Tom Sloan, Rep. Dan
Johnson and Rep. Carl Holmes. closed out the program, followed by
a brief tour of the Cloud County Community College Wind Energy
Technology Program.
Organizers will be meeting
shortly to begin exploring ways to maintain momentum. In the
meantime, farmers or cooperatives interested in understanding more
should begin talking with their local utility, and should contact
Jim Ploger at the Kansas Energy Office for the toolkit.
j.ploger@kcc.state.ks.us
Copies of all power point presentations will be available soon on
the Kansas Energy Office web site.
http://www.kcc.state.ks.us/energy/comm_wind/index.htm
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NEWS
RELEASE: October 11, 2006
Contact: Mary Fund, 785-873-3431 or
ksrc@rainbowtel.net
or Ferd Hoefner, Sustainable Ag Coalition, 202-547-5754
National Coalition Calls
for Farm Bill Overhaul to Strengthen Agriculture, the Environment
and Rural Communities; Coalition Gives Congress and Administration
Poor Grades in 2002 Farm Bill Implementation
Whiting, Ks.- The Kansas Rural
Center joins the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, a nationwide
coalition representing farm and rural interests, today in giving
Congress and the Administration low marks for key parts of the
2002 Farm Bill, and issued a comprehensive reform agenda for the
upcoming 2007 Farm Bill.
The Sustainable Agriculture
Coalition, an alliance of farm, rural and conservation groups,
gave Congress a D+ and the Administration a C- for their farm bill
efforts on ten key components of the 2002 bill. In its platform
for the new farm bill, No Time for Delay, the Coalition calls on
Congress to embrace reform and construct new policies and programs
that promote economic opportunity, environmental stewardship, and
rural prosperity.
“ While some are calling for a
“stay the course” approach to farm policy, we see a need for
substantial change if we are to meet our future food and resource
needs,” stated Mary Fund, Communications Director for the Kansas
Rural Center, a member of the Coalition and an endorser of the
report card. “Congress and the Administration have largely failed
with implementation of the last farm bill, leaving us with a
backlog of rural economic, agricultural and environmental
problems. The next farm bill is an opportunity to make a long
overdue substantial down payment on a new generation of food and
farm policy.”
“We need a farm and food system
that provides producers a decent living, offers rewards or
incentives for conservation based production practices, and that
provides consumers assurances of safe, secure and healthy food,”
stated KRC’s Fund. “Kansas needs to address where the next
generation of farmers is going to come from. We need to produce
more of our food needs locally or within the region, and we need
to take care of the most vulnerable in our society-- children, the
low income, and the elderly.” In addition to production
agriculture, the farm bill includes the food stamp and nutrition
programs.
In No Time for Delay, the
Coalition and KRC urge the federal government to adopt a series of
key policies that are urgently needed to help new farmers enter
agriculture, promote profitable family farms, enhance the
environment, and build healthy, diversified rural community
economies.
Among these policy
recommendations, the most critical for Kansas include:
-
Expanding the Conservation
Security Program to reward farmers and ranchers for effective
conservation; according to SAC and KRC, this benchmark program
authorized in the 2002 farm bill has been underfunded and narrowly
limited to a few watersheds and sustainable and organic system
approaches should receive more attention for their role in
environmental protection and resource management.
-
Making critical investments in
agriculturally-based enterprise development to strengthen rural
economies; SAC and KRC support directing significant resources
into programs that will enhance development of local and regional
food production. Programs that serve producer needs for marketing
and business development such as the Value-Added Producer Grant
Program, Farmers’ Market Promotion Program; and Organic
Certification Cost-Share and Organic transition payments, should
receive greater emphasis.
-
Addressing in a comprehensive
fashion the needs of beginning farmers and ranchers; the average
age of farmers is well over 50; fewer young people are entering
farming; SAC and KRC support incentives to encourage the next
generation of farmers and especially those wanting to enter
local/regional food production.
The timing of the report and
report card coincides with an election-season break in the debate
on the 2007 Farm Bill. That debate is anticipated to accelerate
early next year when the new congressional session begins. Both
chambers of Congress have already held a series of hearings on the
direction of the next farm bill.
“While members of Congress are
home for the election recess, citizens should start dialogue with
them about the farm bill,” said Dan Nagengast, KRC Executive
Director. “The next Congress should head back to Washington ready
to break the cycle of business as usual with the next farm bill
and set about to do a much better job of aligning policy with
public support for family farms, the environment, and nutrition
needs.”
In its “Farm Bill Report Card”
the Coalition gave failing or low grades to both the Congress and
the Administration for their repeated actions to channel the
limited funding promised in the 2002 Farm Bill for conservation,
research and rural development into other, ill-advised uses. Both
branches of government were also downgraded for making these cuts
while not taking any action to stop the million dollar production
subsidy checks to mega farms at the expense of family farmers,
taxpayers and the environment.
Click the icon to download the Executive Summary of the report.
Click the icon to download the 2002 Farm Bill Implementation
Report Card.
A Synopsis of Key
Recommendations plus the full text of "No Time for Delay: A
Sustainable Agriculture Agenda for the 2007 Farm Bill" are
posted at www.msawg.org
The Sustainable Agriculture
Coalition represents grassroots farm, rural, and conservation
organizations from across the country that together advocate for
federal policies and programs supporting the long-term economic
and environmental sustainability of agriculture, natural resources
and rural communities.
The Kansas Rural Center
is a non-profit research, education and advocacy organization
promoting a sustainable agriculture and food system.
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News Release:
September 30, 2006
Contact: Mary Fund at 785-873-3431,
ksrc@rainbowtel.net
or Dan Nagengast at 785-748-0959
nagengast@earthlink.net
Kansas Rural Center Distributes Wind Energy
Quiz
Whiting, Ks.- The Kansas Rural
Center (KRC) is distributing an Energy "Quiz" on renewable
electrical energy to guide citizens as they talk to candidates
this fall. "As energy issues rise to the forefront of political
debate and decision making, we've taken a strong interest in how
alternative or renewable energy sources are considered," stated
Dan Nagengast, KRC Executive Director.
One area of particular interest
is Kansas' abundant wind energy resource and its possible
contribution to not only a clean source of electrical energy but
its value to rural communities.
Kansas will soon be asked to
approve a number of new power plants that will be powered by
imported coal. Over 150 new coal plants are being proposed in the
U.S. alone, and 850 in the world. This comes at a time when global
scientific consensus is moving rapidly toward the need for
alternatives to coal that do not pollute with Mercury (a toxin),
Nitrous Oxide (smog), Sulpher Dioxide (acid rain), and atmospheric
Carbon Dioxide (a major source of greenhouse gases that contribute
to global warming).
According to KRC, full
discussion of alternatives for non-polluting renewable forms of
electrical energy is needed. "Public policy that promotes and
encourages the development of our wind energy has the potential to
infuse a large new income stream into our economy," state
Nagengast.
KRC's energy quiz was developed
to offer citizens and candidates some basic information on wind
energy, how other states have developed it and benefit, and what
kinds of policies we need in Kansas. It also reference sand links
to other resources as discussion and debate on this critical issue
heats up.
The KRC website has both a long
version of the quiz complete with background and resource links,
and a short version for easy printing and hand-out. They may be
downloaded here.
Or contact KRC at 785-873-3431
for more information.
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ANNOUNCEMENTS
High Plains Food Coop Launched
The High Plains Food Coop (HPFC) is
looking for member producers to sell products in the Denver metro area and
along the Front Range. The new food coop will launch in May 2008.
The food coop has been guided by the
Ogallala Commons, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union with a Rural Development
Grant, and the Oklahoma Food Coop. Organizing committee members from several
HIgh Plains states have met regularly and worked closely with the Oklahoma
Food coop to launch the HPFC.
The HPFC will match producers in the High
Plains Region with consumers in the Front Range through an online ordering
and delivery system. The main goal of the cooperative is to increase the
direct to consumer market opportunities for small and medium sized
producers. The objectives are to increase income for producers, bring fresh
and local products to Denver and create a unified business to support
everyone in between.
Demand:
Currently, there are very few locations
in the Front Range to buy quality, locally grown agricultural products. With
the closing of the Boulder Cooperative Market there is a large gap between
Whole Foods and Farmers Markets. While both entities operate successfully,
Whole Foods is often viewed as a large corporation and although there is a
healthy farmers market scene in the Front Range they operate only a few
months out of the year. The need for a consistent, local and healthy
alternative in the Front Range is huge! The HPFC will fill this need in the
marketplace but can not operate without the products to fill the demand.
Consumer Surveys:
After surveying the target market, the
initial results are:
-
Over 85% of the surveys list fresh
produce and meats (poultry, beef, and pork) as the items they will most
likely purchase followed by herbs, gift items and other.
-
The consumers list organic, local or
natural as high priorities and will pay more money for the appropriate
products.
-
100% are comfortable ordering from an
online system and picking up their order.
-
There are several consumer bases very
interested in becoming members including Weston A Price Foundation, Kaiser
Permanente, Slow Food and Denver Health Producer Involvement.
The ultimate aim of the cooperative is to
allow sales and distribution channels designed to keep the producer on the
land. Transportation models will allow for the producer to drive a shorter
distance to drop off the orders and be paid promptly for the product.
Although the system will be established with as little imposition of time as
possible the producer must be an active and committed member of the
cooperative.
The producer responsibilities include:
-
Logging into the online system at a
predetermined time of the month to list products, quantities and prices of
the products that are available to sell and deliver for the order cycle.
-
Ensuring delivery of the ordered product
in appropriate packaging to the closest drop off point
-
Ensuring the quality and safety of the
product
-
Participating in special events and
providing materials/stories for the cooperative marketing effort
-
Responding to customer inquires promptly
Please come to the Producer Meeting
March 28th!
Click the icon to download the HPFC brochure.
For more information contact Chris Sramek at (785) 626-3640 or visit
www.highplainsfood.org
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2008 Renewable Energy and Energy
Efficiency Improvements Program Announced: $36 million in funding available
Farmers, ranchers and rural small
businesses have new opportunities to install energy efficiency upgrades and
new renewable energy systems.
USDA Rural Development has released its
NOFA (Notice of Funding Availability) for this year's Section 9006 clean
energy grant and loan guarantee program. The program rules are similar to
last year's, with a few changes. Congress recently boosted total 2008
funding for this program from $23 million to $36 million in recognition of
the value and demand for Section 9006.
Below are key changes for 2008:
-
Grants: (This is opportunity
RBCP-08-REEEP) For grants, the USDA is
making $15.9 million available for 2008 (though more may come later from
unused loan guarantee allocations). The USDA has established two grant
cycles this year, with application deadlines of April 16th and June 16th.
50% of the grant funding will be set aside for each cycle. Applications not
funded in the first cycle will be reconsidered in the second cycle.
-
Loan Guarantees: USDA will review
and decide applications for loan guarantees on a continuous basis, but
must be received by USDA no later than June 16th. Applications for
combined loan guarantee-grants will be reviewed bi-weekly and USDA also must
receive those applications no later than June 16th. The USDA has provided
funding resulting in $205 million in loan guarantees (leveraging $19.9
million from original Congressional funding).
On-Line Applications:
Use this form to submit your application online.
These are the instructions for the form.
Loan guarantee applications can only be submitted in paper form.
Click the icon for the Notice of Funds Availability.
Further Information: Further
information on the program including frequently asked questions, official
application forms and templates, checklists, tips, case studies, application
instructions and regulations can be found at
www.farmenergy.org.
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Kansas Department of
Commerce unveils
two new loan programs for agricultural producers
Funding to assist agritourism operators, non-traditional crop,
livestock producers
December 13, 2007
Contact: Joe Monaco (785) 296-3760
The Kansas Department of
Commerce has announced two new loan programs to help agriculture
producers who are developing agritourism operations or
transitioning to non-traditional crop or livestock production.
The two loan programs –– the
Agritourism Attraction Development Loan Program and the
Diversified Farm and Specialty Production Loan Program –– are
designed to encourage diversification among Kansas rural
producers, who are increasingly incorporating non-traditional
activities and production lines into their traditional operations
as a way to generate additional income.
“We all know that it’s becoming
harder for the traditional farmer to remain viable,” said
Secretary of Commerce David Kerr. “But many Kansas producers are
discovering that they can generate new revenue by making their
farm an agritourism attraction or by producing non-traditional
crops and livestock. These new loan programs will encourage that
diversification and allow rural producers to explore new avenues
within the ag industry.”
Agritourism is defined as the
crossroads of traditional agriculture and tourism. Examples
include tourists visiting a working farm, ranch, winery or any
agricultural operation for enjoyment, recreation, activities,
education, shopping, dining or lodging. Non-traditional crops or
livestock are defined as those not tracked by the Kansas
Agriculture Statistics Service.
Loan program descriptions
are as follows:
-
Agritourism Attraction
Development Loan Program
The Agritourism Attraction Development Loan Program is
designed to help new and existing agritourism operators enhance
their business operations. Agritourism is often described as the
crossroads of traditional agriculture and tourism. Examples
include tourists visiting a working farm, ranch, winery or any
agricultural operation for enjoyment, outdoor recreation,
activities, education, shopping, dining or lodging. Applicants
must be registered with the Kansas Department of Commerce as an
Agritourism Operation. Loan amounts will vary by project.
-
Diversified Farm and
Specialty Production Loan Program
The Diversified Farm and Specialty Production Loan Program is
designed to assist Kansas agriculture producers in transitioning
to non-traditional crops or livestock as a means to add value to
the farm. Non-traditional crops or livestock are defined as those
not currently tracked by the Kansas Agriculture Statistics
Service. Projects cannot be an expansion of an existing operation.
Applicants must exhibit the potential for the project to generate
and sustain additional revenue streams for the farm operation.
Loan amounts will vary by project.
For complete loan program
information, including guidelines and a downloadable application,
visit
www.kansascommerce.com or contact BioProducts Specialist Lyle
Peterson with the Kansas Department of Commerce at (785) 296-6080
or
lpeterson@kansascommerce.com
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New website for Local Foods
in Kaw Valley
The Kansas River Valley Local
Foods Project website is now up and running. For information on
locally produced foods and their availability see
www.kansasrivervalley.com. This is a joint Kansas State
University and Kansas Rural Center initiative designed to connect
local farmers and ranchers with institutions, school systems,
restaurants, and buying clubs that are looking to purchase larger
wholesale quantities of locally produced foods in the Kansas River
Valley area. Please browse the website and encourage buyers and
producers to join and participate.
For more information contact
Pete Garfinkel, Local Foods Liaison, 785-313-4033 or
krvfoods@ksu.edu
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TIME TO
REGISTER SENSITIVE CROPS
The season for spray damage
is upon us. If you have a commercial crop or a certified
organic crop that is sensitive to drift, especially 2,4-D
ester, you can register it with the Kansas Department of
Agriculture. The registration program will help protect you
from damage by careless applicators since they are supposed to
stay current with the registry and avoid spray activities that
could potentially harm crops listed on it.
To register your crop, see
the KDA website:
http://www.ksda.gov/pesticides_fertilizer/content/177
download the registration form, complete it and mail in to KDA.
From the same web page you
can also download several publications related to safe use of
pesticides.
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NEW
FARMER'S MARKET IN WESTON MISSOURI
The Weston, Missouri Chamber Of
Commerce is proud to announce the Grand Opening this April 28th of
a new Farmer's Market at the south end of Main Street in downtown
Weston.. The opening of the new Farmer's Market is the same
weekend as the Annual Flea Market at the Historic Burley Tobacco
Warehouse and the Annual Park Board Flower Sale.
The Market booths are open to
any person that raises or grows their farm products within 100
miles of Weston. The Market will be open at 7:00 am every Saturday
from April 28th through September 29th. Any person interested in
being a Vendor at the Market must contact the Farmers Market
Committee as soon as possible for an application. Vendors may call
Mary or Mel at Beverlin's Statuary (816)-640-5500, or by e-mail
marybev48@yahoo.com
The Chamber feels that the
Farmer's Market will be a great addition to the downtown area and
will benefit both the residents of Weston and the surrounding
area, as well as the local growers. Residents will benefit from
the opportunity of getting fresh home grown farm products and
growers will benefit from sales to local residents as well as the
many visitors to historic Weston.
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Directory Available for Kansas Water Festivals
The Kansas Festival Field Guide connects
local organizers,
volunteers, supporters, and participants in the over 35 water festival
events serving students and communities in over 55 counties across the
state. Through showcasing the creativity, ingenuity, and positive
community impact of current water festival organizers, this online
directory also aims to provide ideas and inspiration for new water
education events.
Please visit
http://www.kacee.org/festivals
to enjoy a virtual tour of
water education events across the state, and help spread the word about
this exciting new resource.
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INTERESTED
IN WORKING ON A FARM AND LEARNING ABOUT FARMING?
"Growing Growers" is a new
program in Kansas City to train farmers in local food production. The goal
is to increase the number and effectiveness of small farms that grow food
organically and/or sustainably in the Kansas City metro area. The program
offers Apprenticeships on Local Farms.
Apprentices get hired to do an
average of 20 hours a week of field work on farms in the Kansas City
metropolitan area, attend 10 classes in basic farming practices (Soil
Management for Organic Growers, Plant Production, Pests, Diseases and Weeds,
and so on), and also receive one-on-one training from their Host Farmer.
Most of the apprenticeship
positions begin in March. For more information, visit
the Growing Growers
website or call Katherine Kelly at 913-488-1270.
Growing Growers is primarily
funded by a grant from the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and
Education Program through K-State Research and Extension and the University
of Missouri, Columbia, partnered with the Kansas Rural Center and the Kansas
City Food Circle.
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PLAN TO GROW MARKET WORKSHOPS AVAILABLE
Could your farmers' market benefit from
investing in a plan to grow your local farmers' market? Would you like to
have your farmers' market board on the same page throughout the market
season? KRC offers custom designed planning workshops within your
community to grow your market. If you are interested, please contact Jerry
Jost at (785) 766-0428 or
jjost@kansasruralcenter.org
You may download a descriptive
brochure by clicking on this link.

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