Farm Report: February 2003

All is well here at the Seeds of Change Research Farm. Those of us in Northern New Mexico, like much of the Southwest region, are thankful for the unusual amount of precipitation El Nino weather patterns have brought this month. We are all hopeful that these winter storms will help stave off the drought predicted to occur this summer.

For many farmers and gardeners, winter provides time to reflect on the previous growing season and to become reinvigorated for the upcoming year. It is a good time to meet with others, exchanging experiences, ideas, information and inspiration. I had the good fortune of attending two amazing conferences since writing the last farm report, and would like to share with you a few words about them. At each conference, Seeds of Change was represented on a panel that discussed the current situation concerning organic seed and the implications of the new organic standards as stipulated in the 2002 National Organic Plan. Audience members at these panel discussions posed very pointed questions to the panelists, stimulating some interesting and valuable conversation. If you wish to learn more about issues addressed at the organic seed panel/discussion at the Ecological Farming (Eco-Farm) Conference, please see Micaela Colley's informative review of the event in this month's newsletter.

The 23rd annual Eco-Farm Conference, held January 22nd - 25th at the Asilomar Conference Center in Pacific Grove, California, brought together approximately 1100 individuals interested or involved in some aspect of our international food system. The theme of this year's conference was "Planting Local Values in a Global Environment." The conference provided a diversity of participants with the opportunity to broaden their perspectives and visions, share and learn information and ideas, and gain an increased sense of community and purpose. The beautiful coastal setting of the conference center entices all to wander down to the beach between workshops, renewing body and spirit as the mind is challenged and expanded over the three-day event.

Seeds of Change, along with a number of other businesses from around the United States, set up an information booth which attendees could visit throughout the conference. I had a great time meeting other conference-goers and sharing in their excitement for the upcoming growing season. Several of the farmers who grow seed for Seeds of Change stopped by the booth to visit as well. It was wonderful to match faces with names and talk with them about their experiences growing seed for us.

I have never attended a conference offering such a vast diversity of workshop topics. Whatever agricultural topic you may be interested in, it is likely to be addressed at Eco-Farm. A few examples from this year included the following: "Biodiesel for Powering Farm Equipment and Transportation;" "Opening the Heart of the Farm to Community;" "Postharvest HandlingÐWhat Every Organic Facility Should Know;" "Wildlife Friendly Farming;" "Organics in the Land Grants;" "Buying Practices and Grower Relationships of Natural Foods Chain Stores;" "Central Asian and Russian Food Security Projects;" and "Grafting and Small-Scale Nursery Practices;" Imagine that much variety per workshop session! The only problem is narrowing down to which sessions you want to participate in over the three days.

I was heartened by the constructive dialogue between the audience members and the presenter(s) that occurred during the workshops I went to. It was apparent to me that the attendees of the Eco-Farm Conference were there to gain new understanding, both of one another and of the current state of sustainable agriculture efforts. For me, the highlights of this conference were the opening and closing plenary sessions given by Anna Lappe and Dr. Vandana Shiva, respectively. Both women did a phenomenal job of relating what is occurring around the globe to what can be done locally to address issues of sustainability and social justice, challenging and inspiring us all to act. I would strongly encourage any of you interested in attending this conference next year, or simply in learning more about the Ecological Farming Association, to visit their web site at www.eco-farm.org.

More recently, I attended the New Mexico Organic Farming and Gardening Expo, "The Southwest's Premier Conference for Organic Agriculture," held at the Glorieta Conference Center near Santa Fe, New Mexico. This two-day conference offers intensive workshops that are more specific to issues facing farmers and gardeners in the Southwest. I loved this conference because it provided a wide variety of useful and practical information to those of us growing in this region. Many local businesses and organizations, including Seeds of Change, set up informational booths to educate and interact with the conference-goers.

The Expo is a smaller event than Eco-Farm, which instilled a special sense of community and intimacy between its attendees. It was a reunion of sorts for many. The keynote speakers were Wes Jackson, co-founder of The Land Institute in Salina, Kansas, and Deborah Madison, noted chef, author, and supporter of sustainable agriculture. Both speakers offered refreshing thoughts on today's sustainable agriculture movement, daring us all to think and act outside the box when looking for solutions. This is a wonderful conference for Southwesterners in particular. If you are interested in participating next year, contact The New Mexico Organic Commodity Commission in Albuquerque, NM at (505) 266-9849.

Attending Eco-Farm and the Expo this winter has left me itching to get back into the fields this spring! With my body rested and my mind full of many new ideas and inspirations, I feel completely renewed for the 2003 growing season. I hope you have had a wonderful winter as well, and I look forward to sharing in future newsletters how our year at the Research Farm is progressing.

Cheers!
Jordan Rainwater, Seeds of Change Associate
and the entire crew at the Research Farm

Photo captions: (top to bottom) Micaela Colley, Farm Manager, working the Seeds of Change booth at Eco-Farm. Dr. Vandana Shiva delivering the closing plenary session at Eco-Farm. L-R, Jordan Rainwater, Steve Peters, and Micaela planning the 2003 grow-out at the research Farm.