Seed Saving Workshops to be held in the Southeast
 The Save Our Seed Project, comprised of nine Southeastern partners, will be sponsoring three workshops throughout the Southeast this July. The workshops will be geared toward supporting and training local growers to raise certified organic seed, selected in the Southeast for use in the Southeast.
Dates and Locations Include:
July 19, 2005 at the Full Moon Organic Farm in Athens, GA, presented by Cricket Rakita
July 20, 2005 at Central Carolina Community College in Pittsboro, NC, co-presented by Doug Jones and Cricket Rakita
August 2, 2005 at Evenstar Organic Farm in Lexington Park, MD presented by renowned seed saver Brett Grohsgal and Cricket Rakita
Upon registration, attendees will be given reading assignments to complete before each workshop and there will be indoor and outdoor portions for each workshop. The focus will be on the genetics and mechanics of seed saving, disease and insect management, and selecting for pest resistance.
The workshops are free and open to the public. Preregistration is required. A wholesome dinner featuring local and organic food will be included, as well as educational materials. More information, registration, and a complete schedule of workshop events is available by contacting Cricket Rakita at (540) 984-8865 or cricket@savingourseed.org
You may also register online at http://www.savingourseed.org/pages/WorkshopHome.html
MOFGA Plans Summer-long Workshop Series
 The Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association (MOFGA) is hosting a series of workshops about sustainable farming techniques. The workshops are designed for and targeted to participants in MOFGA's Farm Apprenticeship Program, but are free and open to anyone interested. They are intended to give apprentices and other young, beginning, and aspiring farmers the chance to visit other farms, learn from farmers about their areas of expertise, and socialize with peers.
The workshops follow an informal format. They generally begin in the late afternoon with a farm tour, followed by a presentation and demonstration on the topic of the day. Participants are then invited to stay for a potluck supper and discussion.
Topics for 2005 include:
Sustainable Soil Management
Herbs for Health and Healing
Marketing Basics
Introduction to Farm Equipment
Livestock in the Farm System
Off-the-Grid Homesteading
Starting a Farm: Land, Capital, and Markets
Compost on the Farm
Straw-bale Building
Irrigation Strategies
Food Preservation
Seed Saving
Farm Wood-lot Management
For more information, contact MOFGA at (207)568-4142 or visit www.mofga.org/education.html
Cornell Study Shows Insects Developing Resistance to Bt Crops
For decades organic growers have relied on a soil bacterium called Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) as an effective yet safe pesticide. Because it degenerates rapidly in the environment, insect populations have never developed resistance to it and it remains an important control for many pests. Understanding the effectiveness of this ecologically benign control, genetic engineers have inserted genes for the bacterium in a wide variety of plants to essentially turn the plant itself into a pesticide. Since 1996, Bt Corn and cotton have been grown widely, with over 55 million acres cultivated worldwide in 2004. While the Bt crops have been effective in some cases, critics have pointed out that, among other possible health and environmental hazards, the pesticide no longer breaks down, but rather persists in the environment for months and can even be found in plant residues. This creates the opportunity for pests to develop resistance to the Bt genes, thus posing a serious danger for organic growers who rely heavily on Bt for controlling certain pests.
A recent study by researchers at Cornell University confirms the fears of organic growers and critic of genetic engineering alike. In a two-year controlled study the scientists discovered that genetically modified crops containing two insecticidal proteins in a single plant efficiently kill insects. But when crops engineered with just one of those toxins grow nearby, insects may more rapidly develop resistance to all the insect-killing plants. The study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences on June 14th also points out that several insects have developed resistance to Bt toxins in the lab, and recently, cabbage loopers (a moth whose larvae feed on plants in the cabbage family) have shown resistance to Bt sprays in commercial greenhouses.
For more information go to http://www.news.cornell.edu/stories/June05/Bt.kr.html
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