News & Events

USDA Ordered to Disclose
"Biopharm" Sites in Hawaii

In response to a law suit filed by environmental watchdog groups Earthjustice and The Center for Food Safety, On August 5th U.S. District Court Judge David Ezra ordered the USDA to identify the locations where four companies including Monsanto and Prodigene, have been given permits to conduct open-field tests controversial Biopharm crops. The ruling could have wide ranging implications for the biotech industry which typically conducts its research at undisclosed locations.

Earthjustice filed the suit in an effort to force the USDA to conduct environmental impact statements before allowing open-field crop research. Biopharming is a relatively new area of genetic engineering where common plants like corn are manipulated to produce nonfood items, such as drugs or industrial chemicals. Organic growers, environmental scientists and others fear that these biopharmed crops could contaminate traditional crops or be released into the environment in other ways. Over 4,000 field tests of genetically engineered crops have been conducted in Hawaii, more than anywhere else in the world, including more than two dozen tests of biopharm crops.

For more information: www.organicconsumers.org/ge/biopharm111303.cfm

The Common Ground Fair in Unity, Maine

On September 24, 25, & 26, 2004 the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) will transform its year-round educational center in Unity, Maine into the Common Ground Country Fair, a celebration of rural, sustainable living. The gates open at 9:00 AM each day. As many as 50,000 people are expected to attend making this one of the largest events of its kind anywhere.

At the Fair you can make connections with organic farmers and vendors of Maine crafts, agricultural and environmentally friendly products. You can sample organic foods featuring Maine grown ingredients; listen and watch performers, livestock demonstrations, horse shows, a donkey and mule show or participate in a manure toss competition and walk the organic gardens and orchard. The Fair offers something for everyone, including a dynamic Children's Area, with magic, puppets, music, arts and crafts, and its own demonstration area.

Each year the old blends with the new with MOFGA's emphasis on educational opportunities. Some of these offerings you could have attended in the 1800's, some only now, and some are works-in-progress. They are designed to help you achieve a sustainable lifestyle that respects the world and all the lives it encompasses. Here are just a few of the many talks or demonstrations:

• Plowing with Teams and Single Horses
• Drip Irrigation
• Sufi dancing
• Herbs for Pets
• Biodiesel Fuel
• Permaculture in Maine
• Gourmet Culinary Herb-mixes and Use

Permaculture from Vancouver to Texas

Urban Permaculture Workshop, Vancouver, BC
September 18th and 19th, 2004

Explore Permaculture design and sustainable urban gardening in this workshop specifically designed to present some strategies for people who live in the urban environment. Gregoire Lamoureux from the Kootenay Permaculture Institute brings his skills as permaculture designer, consultant and teacher. Theory includes lectures, discussion and slide presentation. The practical includes hands-on experience and design exercise in planting a winter harvest garden.

To register or for more Information contact
Vancouver Permaculture Network, www.alternatives.com/vpn -or-
Kootenay Permaculture Institute:
Email:spiralfarm@yahoo.com,  Website www3.telus.net/permaculture

Weekend Permaculture Fundamentals Class
in Downtown Austin, Texas: Sept. 18 - Nov. 7, 2004

8-day course led by Dick Pierce, Selwyn Polit, and other Austin area instructors/designers, offering practical training and skills in sustainable living. The course will cover design principles and technologies that apply to your home, workplace, and community. Intended for: homeowners, apartment dwellers, farmers, foresters, land developers, city planners, architects, teachers, and many others.

For free intro classes and more information: www.austinprogressivecalendar.com
Contacts: Selwyn 512-926-7876, selwyn@austintx.com
Dick at 512-744-1941, dpierce@ail.org

ARS to Promote Collaborative Seed Breeding and Production in the Northeast

Workshops run by the Agricultural Research Service (ARS)are a big part of a collaborative crop-seed breeding and production effort aimed at small-scale growers in the northeastern United States.

The Public Seed Initiative is an on-farm breeding and seed-production project involving the ARS Plant Genetic Resources Unit (PGRU) in Geneva, N.Y.; Cornell University's departments of plant breeding and horticulture; the Cooperative Genome Project of the nonprofit organization Oregon Tilth; and the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) of New York.

According to PGRU plant geneticist Larry Robertson, the project connects small seed producers with seed companies, university researchers, nonprofit groups and government agencies. It also seeks to improve distribution of new vegetable varieties, spread knowledge about small-scale commercial seed production and plant breeding, improve regional growers' capacity to provide commercial-grade seed and produce vegetable varieties specially adapted to the needs of organic and regional market farmers.

The project's series of full-day, hands-on workshops cover all aspects of seed cleaning and processing. The centerpiece of the sessions is a mobile seed-processing unit equipped with many small-scale, seed-cleaning devices.

This year's first workshop was held last weekend in Amherst, Mass., at NOFA's Massachusetts Summer Conference, Other workshops are scheduled for Sept. 8 at the Green Thumb in Water Mill, N.Y.; Sept. 14 at PGRU in Geneva; Sept. 24 and 25 at the Common Ground Country Fair in Unity, Maine; Oct. 7 at Lockwood Farm in Hamden, Conn.; Oct. 22 at Peacework Organic Farm in Newark, N.Y.; and Nov. 8 at Gorzynski's Ornery Farm in Cochecton Center, N.Y.

Preregistration is required for most of these workshops.
Information is available online at www.plbr.cornell.edu/psi, by phone at (315) 787-2396 and by e-mail at tferrin@pgru.ars.usda.gov.

Austin's Green Corn Project Plans Fall Gardening Blitz
The Green Corn Project (www.greencornproject.org), is a non-profit group in Austin, Texas which installs and helps tend gardens of vegetables and herbs for underserved Austin area families. During the weekends of Sept. 18th and 25th, GCP will plant 20 such gardens, include gardens of individual Austin families, homeowners through Habitat for Humanity, one Austin Indep. School District school teaching plot (Andrews Elementary), the South Rural Community Center (a far southeast Travis County, county- and state-funded low-income multi-purpose facility), and Clarksville gardens (a new central Austin community garden site). In fact, we've this year been setting up a program to get recipient gardeners to start their own starts from seeds. This program is the newest in our group's aim for more gardener self-reliance, to go along with our educational work on seasonal plantings and nutritional alternatives to high sugar, salt, and fatty diet habits.

To get involved contact Wayne Kamin at (512) 322-9640.