Monsanto Gives $10,000 Grant to UMass Agricultural Learning Center

UMass Amherst has received a $10,000 grant from the Monsanto Fund, the philanthropic branch of the Monsanto Company. Monsanto is an agricultural biotechnology corporation. The grant will go to UMass' new Agricultural Learning Center.

The Agricultural Learning Center will be established on the north side of the Amherst campus, which University officials say will be a living classroom for two hundred students, and open to the public.

John Purcell is vice president of technology development at Monsanto, and a UMass Amherst graduate. He says the Agricultural Learning Center is a good fit for the Monsanto Fund. He says the fund's goal is to give back to communities where Monsanto operates.

"As we looked at what the intentions were, what the goals were of this program, it was very consistent about agriculture, about education, and those are things that we value, and things we try to support in communities where we work and where we live."

Purcell says his studies in biochemistry and entomology at UMass were the foundation for his career in agriculture. He says his work at Monsanto centers on developing new technologies to increase agricultural production.

"When you look at agriculture over the last several decades, there's been a lot of emphasis now on how do we continue to learn how plants grow, and how do we take advantage of modern technologies like genomics, like understanding modern breeding techniques, to understand how do we actually bring into that plant the power to be successful and to yield more?"

Monsanto's grant to the Agricultural Learning Center is unrestricted. As of July, the university had raised $500,000 for the center. It hopes to raise a total of $5 million to make the center fully operational by 2014.

 Original Article Here

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Sustainability: Water, the fight against wasting “Blue Gold” begins with agriculture

The growing demand for water is closely linked to the continuous increase in food production, and water pollution that renders enormous amounts of water unsuitable even for industrial uses. But the way to reduce our "water footprint" exists, starting from reducing the amount of fresh water taken from the natural cycle.
There are 7 billion of us on Earth today. If we continue at this rate of growth, in 2050, there will be 9 billion people on our planet. To provide everyone with drinking water and food, we will also need 70% more water resources than currently used.

Water is already scarce today, as we are reminded by the United Nations Environmental Programme (Unep) report, written in cooperation with the International Water Management Institute (IWMI): "Currently, 1.6 billion people live in areas of physical water scarcity and this could easily grow to 2 billion soon if we stay on the present course. With the same practices, increased urbanization and changing dietary patterns, the amount of water required for agriculture in terms of evapotranspiration would increase from 7,130 km3 today to 70-90% more (which is between 12,050 and 13,500 km3) to feed 9 billion people by 2050.

Globally, human beings use 54% of all accessible freshwater, of which 70-80% is used for irrigation (source: UNESCO-WWAP 2003; UNESCO, 2009). Despite this, more than 1 billion people do not have access to drinkable water and half of the world's population live in countries where aquifer levels are dropping and the aquifers are running dry.

In addition to the problems of local and regional water shortage, there is water pollution that renders enormous amounts of water unsuitable even for industrial uses. Every day, 2,000,000 tons of human waste are dumped into waterways and, in developing countries, up to 70% of industrial wastewater is disposed of directly into the sea and rivers without treatment.

As of today, 41% of the world's population live in environments characterized by "severe water stress," that indicates the absence of sufficient water to meet agricultural, industrial and domestic needs (source: World Resources Institute, 2000). According to FAO projections, it is predicted that this percentage will rise to two thirds of the world's population by 2025.
To quantify agriculture's impact on water consumption, just think that it takes 500 liters of water to obtain 1 kg of wheat, 450 for an ear of corn and 70 for one apple (Unesco IHE data)

"The agricultural sector is therefore facing a challenge without precedent in the story of mankind, and innovation, that includes fertilizers, plays a decisive role because it represents the only possibility for optimizing production in a sustainable manner, reducing waste. Fertilizers in particular, by replenishing nutrients in the soil, help produce food without the need to increase the acreage of farmlands, with considerable water savings in terms of irrigation," states Francesco Caterini, president of Assofertilizzanti.

But there is also another way of reducing water consumption. Mutti, a manufacturer of tomato concentrate, purée and pulp, is the first company in Italy, and among a few in the world, to have calculated the amount of water consumed in its production, from growing the tomatoes to the finished product, availing itself of the scientific assistance of theWWF and the Department for Innovation in Biological, Agri-Food and Forestry Systems at the Università della Tuscia (Viterbo).

"Mutti is a virtuous case because it is one of the first companies in the world to quantify, with the official Water Footprint Network methodology, a concrete reduction target, measurable and challenging, " said Stuart Orr, Freshwater Manager of WWF International. "It is an innovative project that has made it possible to identify more efficient solutions, actively involving the agricultural chain in virtuous processes for the environment."

This experimental project, based on the effective calculation of the entire production chain's water footprint, examined the amount of water stored in each product. Given that 83% of the company's water footprint comes from growing the tomatoes, Mutti focused most of its attention on farmers, with a campaign for increasing awareness and support for rationalizing the use of water resources in agriculture.
Mutti has committed itself to working towards reducing the two main components of its water footprint, the blue one relative to the amount of freshwater taken from the natural cycle for agriculture or industrial purposes, and the gray one relative to the amount of water polluted.

 Original Article Here

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NAFSN Would Accelerate Agricultural Development – Namoale

The New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition (NAFSN), an initiative to lift 50 million people out of poverty over the next 10 years through sustained agricultural growth, was yesterday launched in Accra.

Initiated by the G-8 nations, African countries and the Private sector, the New Alliance for Food Security and Nutrition is a response to many African Countries strong commitment to the promotion and protection of food security and nutrition, articulated in multiple settings since 2003

Nii Amasa Namoale, Deputy Minister for Food and Agriculture, on behalf of the Minister, Mr Kwasi Awhoi, launched the project and said the initiative had been designed to accelerate the implementation of programmes started by African countries themselves to urgently address the twin problems of food security and nutrition in Africa.

He said the issue of food security and nutrition involve many dimensions including food availability, affordability, nutritional quality and safety, access to and cost of finance to farmers, public expenditure in agriculture, research and development, and private sector investment in agriculture.

Nii Namoale said: "The initiative is seen by government as an opportunity to enhance the focus and level of investment and accelerate the implementation of Medium Term Agriculture Sector Investment Plan".

He said for decades, the G-8 and other developed countries had engaged with African partners to address the challenges and opportunities in Africa for sustainable growth and development.

He said, however, that it had been recognised that international assistance alone could not fulfill the objectives which were even more pressing now as Africa’s role was expanding in the global economy.

Nii Namoale said under the initiative, agriculture related agencies in Ghana needed to marshal efforts and resources in partnership to accelerate modernisation and achieve sustainable food security outcomes, reduce poverty and end hunger.

He said engagement of decentralised levels for their roles and contributions to the growth and development of the agriculture sector and rural livelihoods was crucial to the success of the programme.

Mr Donald Teitelbaum, outgoing United States Ambassador to Ghana, said the G-8 and African leaders had been working on the initiative to ensure comprehensive agriculture development on the African continent.

He said G-8 members were supporting the Global Agriculture and Food Security Programme with a pledge of $1.2 billion over three years in existing and new donors for the public and private sector windows.

He said the G-8 and African partners have designed country cooperation framework in Ethiopia, Ghana and Tanzania.

Mr Teitelbaum said some multinational and nine private sector companies in Ghana had signed letters of intent to support Ghana’s agriculture sector.

He said late President Atta Mills was one of the few African leaders who were invited to attend a meeting in Camp David concerning the initiative.

He said late President Mills recognised that heavy investment in agriculture would go a long way to boost food production and ensure nutrition for the people.

 Original Article Here

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Namibia: New Policy on Forestry Management Mooted

MATHIAS HAUFIKU,

The agriculture ministry has called for the urgent re-opening or establishment of new wood processing factories in the regions with rich forestry resources, to counter the illegal harvesting and cross-border shipping of wood products from the country.

"We cannot take a backseat and allow our natural resources to leave the country unprocessed," said a visibly agitated agriculture minister, John Mutorwa, this week.

The agriculture ministry ordered a temporary suspension of the issuance of logging permits early this month.

A fresh policy on the sustainable management and economic use of forestry products is now being mooted and Mutorwa is looking at the Directorate of Forestry, together with the National Forestry Council, "to come up with a draft policy document on how to sustainably manage and utilise forest products economically".

According to the minister, the country needs a new policy on the management of forestry products for the benefit of the entire country.

"It is unacceptable to have big trucks transporting unprocessed natural resources out of our country at the expense of our fellow Namibians," said Mutorwa. "During my childhood days we had wood-processing factories here at Omauni, Rundu and even in Katima Mulilo, which provided schools with desks and chairs.

But after independence all the factories started closing. We need to re-introduce or re-open these factories," he said during the signing of management agreements with 19 communities for the newly-gazetted community forests.

Each community is now in possession of an agreement that bestows it with the right to administer the protection and sustainable use of wood and other non-wood resources in the forests.

The suspension of forestry permits for sawn timber was triggered by an increase in the number of uncontrolled logging activities in the country.

New Era reported recently on the huge volumes of sawn timber being transported from the north-eastern regions for profit often without the necessary documentation.

"The establishment of processing factories will boost the development of the country because local products such as fish, diamonds and even wood will leave the country as finished products," said Mutorwa.

"We should not become complacent, even if we get assistance from elsewhere we should not take a backseat. We must also focus on availing more funds for projects like these," he proposed.

 Original Article Here

                

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Dover Public Library to host talk on sustainable agriculture Sept. 8

DOVER —

Dover Public Library will be hosting a talk on sustainable agriculture titled “Coming Home to Eat” at 10 a.m. on Sept. 8.

The program, which will feature Joel Kurtz of Wholesome Valley Farm, will focus on sustainable farming, Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) and the health and economic benefits of eating locally and organically.

Wholesome Valley Farm, located outside of Wilmot, is a 120 acre farm that raises produce and animals naturally, without the use of chemical sprays, antibiotics or growth hormones.

The Dover Public Library is located at 525 N. Walnut St., Dover. For more information or to register for this free event, call 330-343-6123 or visitwww.doverlibrary.org.

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Thomas P. DiNapoli: Agriculture big business in NY

ALBANY —

New York state continues to be a leading agricultural state with 36,300 farms producing $4.7 billion in products annually, according to a report released today by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. New York ranks among the largest producers in the nation for some goods, including ranking second in wine production.

“While farming in New York is mainly a small, family business, its economic impact is widespread,” DiNapoli said. “Farming supports thousands of New Yorkers in a variety of industries and services, such as food processing, trucking and tourism. Farms also protect open space and improve public health by meeting the rising demand for nutritious, locally grown food. We need to do all we can to make sure New York farmers can successfully continue their way of life.”

The report was announced at the New York State Fair, a showcase for New York’s agricultural community since 1841.

Most of the state’s regions contribute significantly to New York’s agricultural production, with the Finger Lakes region leading the way with 30 percent of statewide agricultural sales. The North County accounts for 14 percent while Central New York produces 12 percent.

Milk remains New York’s largest farm product, accounting for almost half of the state’s agricultural sales in 2010. New York was the nation’s fourth-largest milk producer and ranked first in the production of cottage cheese and sour cream. Further, New York is well on its way to being a national leader in the production of Greek-style yogurt.

New York was the second-largest producer of wine in the nation behind California, producing 36 million gallons of wine in 2010. The volume of wine grape production, which accounted for about 35 percent of the state’s grape production, rose by 17 percent in 2010.

New York had 374 wineries in 2012, more than triple the number in 2000, according to the New York Wine and Grape Foundation. Three-quarters of the wineries were located in three areas: the Finger Lakes and surrounding counties, Long Island, and the Hudson Valley.

DiNapoli’s report provides details on New York’s agricultural sector, including:

Apples are New York’s largest fruit crop with the state ranking second nationally in apple production.

Yogurt production reached 553.67 million pounds in 2011, more than double the amount produced in 2008.

New York was the second-largest producer of maple syrup and cabbage in the United States in 2010.

The average New York farm is smaller than 200 acres, less than half the national average.

Suffolk County on Long Island is New York’s top producer of floriculture, pumpkins and sod.

ains F� S w i ��f � es three more years of time and investment before the line is finally ready to go on the market.

 With this heavy investment of time and resources, Fox works hard to ensure that the data used to make the decision to register a variety is of good quality. A breeding program struggles when pertinent information cannot be obtained, which can happen for any number of reasons. If the weather is too dry, then assessment of disease resistance cannot be done. If a location is heavily wind damaged, lodging resistance cannot be estimated. Frosted grain cannot be used to make grain quality decisions. Having multiple test locations, as Fox does, helps to avoid these obstacles, while also providing additional opportunities to see specific plant stress conditions that are difficult to create in a breeding nursery environment. "I run a fairly big wheat breeding program; having material at various locations helps to protect the program from losing material all together and ensures getting an adequate amount of data to make good decisions each year.

 "I measure my success based on variety surveys: if farmers grow my varieties, then I must be doing a good job. This is more important to me than counting the number of my scientific publications. I am proud when farmers grow my varieties."

 Being ecosensitive, Fox is planning to implement a carbon neutral system in his house in Winnipeg to supplement water and heating; he also plans to build a rain collector and has been composting for years. Using fewer resources makes sense to him, as well as using them wisely.

 Fox dreams of being the best wheat breeder in Western Canada and of the Winnipeg Jets winning the Stanley Cup. “Then, Canada could feed its hockey players the best organic wheat varieties! After all, we already have Kane wheat, and one of the Jets star players is named Evander Kane....”


 (This article was written by Nicole Boudreau, Organic Federation of Canada, on behalf of the OACC with funding provided by Canada's Organic Science Cluster (a part of the Canadian Agri-Science Clusters Initiative of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Growing Forward Policy Framework).  The Organic Science Cluster is a collaborative effort led jointly by the OACC, theOrganic Federation of Canada and industry partners. OACC newspaper articles are archived atwww.oacc.info one month after publication. For more information: 902-893-7256 oroacc@nsac.ca.)

 Original Article Here

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A passion for new organic varieties

 In 2004, after attending an organic field day seminar organized by Dr. Martin Entz, Fox decided to try his hand at breeding cultivars for organic production. Seven years later, Fox now has a well established organic-based wheat breeding program and is beginning to identify varieties that are adapted to organic growing conditions. This program forms the basis of the organic cereal crop breeding research activity of the Organic Science Cluster.

 Why breed specifically for organic production? The agroecology of organics is different; there is restricted nutrient availability, the microflora of the soil is different and weed pressure is a big constraint. The breeding program aims to generate varieties that yield highly under this organic agroecosystem. Then, it will be possible to study why these varieties are adapted to organic, and what features these plants have that the conventionally bred cultivars do not.

 "Some of the conventional varieties are very appropriate for organic production, others are not," notes Fox. "Lots of things are the same between conventional and organic breeds; it is not an easy task to determine what is different. We are chasing physiological features of cultivars that make them better suited to organic production rather than conventional, but we don't yet really know what those features are," confirms Fox.

 "The worst case outcome for breeding organic wheat would be to find out that the conventional and organic environments don't differ. But, if you finally argue that they are the same, I will only have done more wheat breeding which isn't so bad." However, he believes that the materials generated while creating novel varieties for organic agriculture will be useful in demonstrating adaptation to organic production and will provide the basis for research projects to elucidate these adaptation factors.

 Fox observes that some plant traits may be valued differently in conventional and organic production systems. As an example, shorter plants are preferred in conventional agriculture, as they tend to be more resistant to lodging while supporting heavy spikes. In organic situations, taller plants may be more appropriate, because they may be more competitive with weeds and will tend to grow less tall due to nutrient stresses.

 Building a breeding program takes time, requiring eight to twelve generations of selection and testing. It all begins with an initial cross. After seven generations of segregation, a new line is adequately inbred and represents a potential new cultivar. However, six more years of testing are typically required to identify a new cultivar suitable for registration. "Once this happens, the seed grower can start multiplying a cultivar for commercial use," explains Fox, which requires three more years of time and investment before the line is finally ready to go on the market.

 With this heavy investment of time and resources, Fox works hard to ensure that the data used to make the decision to register a variety is of good quality. A breeding program struggles when pertinent information cannot be obtained, which can happen for any number of reasons. If the weather is too dry, then assessment of disease resistance cannot be done. If a location is heavily wind damaged, lodging resistance cannot be estimated. Frosted grain cannot be used to make grain quality decisions. Having multiple test locations, as Fox does, helps to avoid these obstacles, while also providing additional opportunities to see specific plant stress conditions that are difficult to create in a breeding nursery environment. "I run a fairly big wheat breeding program; having material at various locations helps to protect the program from losing material all together and ensures getting an adequate amount of data to make good decisions each year.

 "I measure my success based on variety surveys: if farmers grow my varieties, then I must be doing a good job. This is more important to me than counting the number of my scientific publications. I am proud when farmers grow my varieties."

 Being ecosensitive, Fox is planning to implement a carbon neutral system in his house in Winnipeg to supplement water and heating; he also plans to build a rain collector and has been composting for years. Using fewer resources makes sense to him, as well as using them wisely.

 Fox dreams of being the best wheat breeder in Western Canada and of the Winnipeg Jets winning the Stanley Cup. “Then, Canada could feed its hockey players the best organic wheat varieties! After all, we already have Kane wheat, and one of the Jets star players is named Evander Kane....”


 (This article was written by Nicole Boudreau, Organic Federation of Canada, on behalf of the OACC with funding provided by Canada's Organic Science Cluster (a part of the Canadian Agri-Science Clusters Initiative of Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada's Growing Forward Policy Framework).  The Organic Science Cluster is a collaborative effort led jointly by the OACC, theOrganic Federation of Canada and industry partners. OACC newspaper articles are archived atwww.oacc.info one month after publication. For more information: 902-893-7256 oroacc@nsac.ca.)

 Original Article Here

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Airport job won by JS Agriculture

Jez Abbott

Company aims to reduce bird-strike ratio as part of maintenance contract at London City Airport.

JS Agriculture has landed a grounds maintenance contract at London City Airport and is looking at a new grass-seed regime to try and prevent birds from damaging plane engines.

Managing director John Straka said the three-year contract will see his team look after 20ha of land on a strip that sees up to 600 aircraft taking off and landing every day. Health and safety is a major issue because the land is surrounded by water.

"Another big issue is birds," he added. "We will help establish a long-grass policy. This could involve reseeding the whole airfield. This site was built on an old dockland so we are looking at new strands of grasses.

"Birds and aeroplanes don't mix. Too short a sward attracts predators looking for grubs and smaller birds for seeds, which in turn attract the bigger birds. The problem soon escalates. If the grass is too long, birds also swoop for seed. Grass should be eight inches tall and thick in sward to deter birds from landing.

"This is a developing science. Just one bird striking an engine can cause a write-off worth £1m and if the authorities deem the airport has not done enough to minimise risks, it could be liable. It's our job to reduce the bird-strike ratio.

"This is a unique aspect of grounds maintenance - it's not just cutting grass, there are safety issues. Each airport is different in geography, soils, access and size. Heathrow is so vast that temperatures vary by two degrees from one side to the other."

JS Agriculture already handles grounds upkeep at Heathrow, Gatwick, Southend and Southampton Airports. Work includes conservation management and railway devegetation. Its other clients have included the Ministry of Defence and British Gas Transco.

City airport view

"We are pleased to welcome JS Agriculture to our airport and look forward an improvement in the habitat management. We are a small team and we want JS Agriculture to become an integral part of that team." - Kevin Wincell, airside operations manager, London City Airport

 Original Article Here

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Tunisia: Agriculture Minister Announces Measures to Improve Water System

Tunis — Agriculture Minister Mohamed Ben Salem announced several measures to improve the water system and speed up the achievement of new projects in this area. The aim, he said, is to ensure drinking water supply next summer and avoid the disturbances recorded this year.

It had been decided, at a working session chaired by Interim Prime Minister Hamadi Jebali, to transfer part of water of the North to the Governorate of Sfax through canals with a length of 120 km, at a cost estimated at 1 million dinars (MTD), he indicated, adding that works would last 9 months.

At a press briefing held Wednesday in Kasbah, the Minister said the National Water Exploitation and Distribution Company (SONEDE) had already launched tenders to this end.

Similarly, the pumping station of Karkar, Governorate of Mahdia, will be reinforced by 500 liters/second for 1.5 MTD.

It was also decided to create a water treatment plant at the level of the Oued Nabhana dam (Kairouan) with a budget of 1.4 MTD to be operated when consumption increases in summer.

He also announced the drilling of 6 deep wells in Sfax with a budget of 5.5 MTD and 4 wells in Sidi Bouzid with investments estimated at 4.2 MTD.

 Original Article Here

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Texas Department of Agriculture Todd Staples awards $800,000 to schools, community organizations to fight obesity

Grants fund obesity prevention programs to encourage healthy eating, active living

AUSTIN – In an ongoing effort to promote healthy lifestyles while battling childhood obesity, Agriculture Commissioner Todd Staples today announced $809,979 has been awarded to 158 schools and community organizations to expand or enhance obesity prevention and nutrition programs. The grants are administered by the Texas Department of Agriculture’s 3E’s Grant Programs, created to encourage better nutrition and healthier lifestyles among Texas schoolchildren.

“Taxpayers are picking up the tab for poor eating choices,” Commissioner Staples said. “If we are going to win the battle against obesity and its costly effect on our citizens, we must engage Texans of all ages to take personal responsibility to live a healthy lifestyle. The 3E’s Grant Programs reward schools and community organizations who invest in health and nutrition programs that teach children about the 3E’s of Healthy Living − Education, Exercise and Eating Right. This knowledge gives children the power to make their own healthy lifestyle decisions.”

According to the Texas Department of State Health Service, if current trends continue, 75 percent of Texas adults will be overweight or obese by the year 2040, with taxpayers picking up a tab as high as $39 billion a year for obesity-attributable health care costs. The 3E’s Grant Programs incentivize the creation of new nutrition education programs in schools and childcare institutions, and reward the expansion of existing nutrition education programs in public schools.

Waco Independent School District will use a 3E’s grant to expand its Weekend Backpack Program, which sends food-insecure children home with nutritious, easy to prepare, non-perishable food on weekends and school holidays.

In Corsicana, Advance Child Care Inc. established a 52-week program called You Got 2 Move It that integrates nutrition education and fitness activities for children. The main goal of the program is to provide parents and educators with information and tools to get children to become more active. The program also provides daily feedback to parents about what their children are eating.

“With the attention on childhood obesity in America, it is critical that we educate children during their developmental stage about proper nutrition and daily exercise,” said Max Taylor, president and CEO of Advance Child Care Inc. “Nutritional curriculum that accomplishes these objectives, along with nutritional guidance to the parent, will go a long way toward the fight against childhood obesity.”

 Original Article Here

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Agriculture, aquaculture debated in land use case

Amanda Kerr,

YORK — What is an animal and is aquaculture a form of agriculture? Those were two key questions a judge must determine in a land use case between York County and a Seaford resident who asserts he can have a commercial oyster farm at his home without permission from the county.

After more than an hour of testimony and arguments Wednesday in York-Poquoson Circuit Court, Judge Alfred Swersky deferred ruling to review case law as well as state and local laws.

Seaford resident Anthony Bavuso filed his appeal in February after both York County Zoning Administrator Mark Carter and the York County Board of Zoning Appeals said Bavuso could not operate a commercial oyster farm at his home in the York Point subdivision without a special use permit.

Carter along with York County and the York County Board of Supervisors are named in the appeal.

Bavuso's argument centers on the county's table of land uses which lists aquaculture and farming as permitted uses in the zoning district where Bavuso lives. The appeal also claims that commercial oyster farming is protected under Virginia's Right to Farm Act which restricts localities from enacting zoning ordinances that prevent farming including requiring a special use permit.

During the hearing Wednesday, Bavuso's attorney Scott Reichle focused his arguments on the county's definitions of animal and agriculture. The county defines an animal as any vertebrate species except fish. An agricultural animal is defined as all livestock or poultry, with livestock including horses, ponies, bison, cattle, sheep, goats, alpacas, llamas or "any other animal specifically raised for food or fiber."

York defines agriculture as the use of land for a bona fide agricultural operation. York can only regulate activities on land, which includes the docking of a workboat and offloading of the seafood.

The Virginia Marine Resources Commission regulates oyster aquaculture in the state's rivers.

Michael Osterling, the executive director of Shellfish Growers of Virginia, testified that in his opinion aquaculture is a form of agriculture.

"Oyster aquaculture is comparable to any type of land agriculture with privately owned ground with seed that is planted, maintained and harvested," he said.

Carter testified that whether an oyster is an animal or aquaculture is agriculture is moot.

"Whatever you call it, he needs a special use permit to offload it," he said.

While the table of land uses does list aquaculture and agriculture as permitted uses for Bavuso's property, Jim Barnett, county attorney for York, explained that because the primary use of Bavuso's property is residential he needs a special use permit for the oyster farm as a home occupation.

Reichle said based on Barnett's argument, Bavuso could have an oyster farm if he "bulldozed his house." Reichle also asserted the Right to Farm act would trump the special use permit requirement for a home occupation.

After the hearing, Reichle said it is likely the judge will issue a written opinion instead of holding another hearing to issue a ruling.

 Original Article Here

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Drought Challenges All Aspects of Agriculture

Bob Stallman

One of the greatest attributes of a general farm organization such as Farm Bureau is that it represents farm and ranch families who raise all different types of food and fiber. At the same time, one of the biggest challenges facing a general farm organization is that it represents farm and ranch families who raise all different types of food and fiber. This summer’s drought brought that fact clearly into focus.

For the third time in four years, corn prices have topped $7 a bushel. This year, the price has shot past $8. Livestock farmers and ranchers are painfully seeing their revenues melt due to lack of forage supplies and high feed costs. Compounding their pain are low prices in the short term due to more animals going to market so they do not have to be fed.

Feeling tremendous economic pressure, livestock producers are calling for relief. One highly visible target is our nation’s Renewable Fuels Standard. Many are calling for a waiver. In addition to the drought itself, they blame the government’s renewable fuels mandate for higher feed costs. If Farm Bureau just represented cattle, hog or poultry growers, it would be pretty easy to determine our position. Similarly, if all of our members grew only corn, our position would be steadfast.

American agriculture is a big tent. Farm Bureau policy supports livestock producers. It also supports expanding renewable fuels to the maximum amount possible. Therein lies the rub.

So, how does a general farm organization reconcile these two positions, which are both held as fundamental and vital, in a year like this?

The simple answer is with great difficulty and a lot of conversation. But the complexities of this issue trump simple logic. The economics behind renewable fuels reflect a new reality that goes well beyond the mandate. At today’s energy and livestock prices, a bushel of corn is simply worth more passed through a vehicle’s tail pipe than it is passed through a chicken or a hog’s stomach. In fact, one can make a strong case that a bushel of corn is worth close to $10 per bushel by extracting all the energy and leaving the protein for an animal feed.

Nearly the entire petroleum refining industry is set up to refine oil to 84 octane content, with ethanol added to boost it to 87 octane. It is actually cheaper for the refining system to produce 87 octane gasoline using ethanol than it is to refine oil to a full 87 octane.

It took the RFS mandate to convince the oil companies of that fact. It is fairly certain that oil companies would revert to a full oil-based fuel – and raise the price of gasoline – if the renewable mandate were removed.

Further, with oil in the $80-$90 per barrel range, one recent study suggested that waiving the RFS in the short-term would only lower the price of corn by roughly 25 cents. Another suggested that corn prices next year would be affected anywhere between nothing and $1.30 per bushel.

What we are really facing is a problem of low grain stocks and of holding enough reserves to get through this temporary situation. Let me be emphatically clear on this point: re-creating a government stocks program does not work for any sector of production agriculture. History shows that significant price swings are a natural part of the marketing cycle – even before ethanol and exports were players in the agricultural sector. One must go back to the 1930s to find the last time we had a severe drought but did not have the dead weight of government stocks hanging over the market. And we saw price swings then very similar to what we are witnessing today.

As farmers and ranchers, whether a producer of crops or livestock, we know weather and markets are fickle, taking the shape of friend one minute and foe the next. Risk protection tools help smooth out those peaks and valleys, always with an eye toward a better tomorrow.

But there is no denying the fact that livestock producers are in a period of fundamental change. The challenges they face cannot be minimized. As an organization, Farm Bureau will continue to have the internal discussion and work through our policy process as we always have. We are all of agriculture and will work toward finding the solution that represents the combined will and wisdom of our diverse membership. We are all in this together and we are in it for the long haul.

 Original Article Here

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FAO - Food and Agriculture Organization of the Uni : Greener cities crucial to African food security

Greener cities improve food security, employment and the environment.

30 August 2012, Rome - Africa's urban population is growing faster than that of any other region, but many of its cities are not keeping pace with the increasing demand for food that comes with that growth. A new FAO publication says policymakers need to act now to ensure that African cities will be "green" enough to meet their nutrition and income needs in a sustainable way.

The publication, Growing greener cities in Africa, is the first status report on African urban and peri-urban horticulture - the home, school, community and market gardens that produce fruits and vegetables in and around the continent's cities.

The report draws on surveys and case studies from 31 countries across the African continent, and makes recommendations on how cities can better prepare to face the rapidly increasing demand for food and other basic amenities.

Many African countries have recorded strong, sustained economic growth over the past decade, leading to more urbanization and raising hopes of a new era of shared prosperity. But increasingly, urban areas also draw people in search of a way out of rural poverty, only to find little, if any improvement in their lives.

More than half of all urban Africans live in slums, up to 200 million survive on less than $2 a day, and poor urban children are as likely to be chronically malnourished as poor rural children.

"The challenge of achieving a "zero hunger" world - in which everyone is adequately nourished and all food systems are resilient - is as urgent in African cities as it is in rural areas," reads the foreword by Modibo Traoré, FAO Assistant Director-General for Agriculture and Consumer Protection.

"African policymakers need to act now to steer urbanization from its current, unsustainable path towards healthy, 'greener' cities that ensure food and nutrition security, decent work and income, and a clean environment for all their citizens," the foreword continues.

The book was released in advance of the sixth session of the World Urban Forum in Naples, Italy (1-7 September). The Forum was established by the United Nations to examine one of the most pressing problems facing the world today: rapid urbanization and its impact on communities, cities, economies, climate change and policies.

By the end of the current decade, 24 of the world's 30 fastest growing cities will be African. The publication cites surveys showing that between 2010 and 2030, the urban population of sub-Saharan Africa is projected to double, from about 300 to 600 million.

Sustainable market gardens

Growing greener cities in Africa voices particular concern about the future of market gardening - the irrigated, commercial production of fruit and vegetables in designated or other urban areas.

Market gardening is the single most important source of locally grown, fresh produce in 10 out of 27 countries surveyed, and the number-two source in six other countries. But market gardening has grown with little official recognition, regulation or support. In some cities, it is becoming unsustainable: to maximize returns, market gardeners have increased the use of pesticides and polluted water.

The publication urges national governments and city administrations to work together with growers, processors, suppliers, vendors and others to give market gardens and urban and peri-urban agriculture the political, logistical and educational support necessary for sustainable development.

Among the specific recommendations, policymakers are advised to zone and protect land and water for market gardens, and encourage growers to adopt FAO's " Save and Grow" farming model. Save and Grow seeks to boost yields while conserving and enhancing natural resources. It includes applying the right amount of appropriate, external inputs at the right time - such as pesticides, fertilizers and seeds.

FAO and urban gardening

FAO's Programme for Urban and Peri-urban Horticulture helps cities to ensure a year-round supply of affordable, fresh produce that meets the nutrition needs of their populations. It does that, first, by promoting market gardening, usually within 30 kilometres of city centres.

FAO also supports action to help low-income urban households to "grow their own", as a way of improving the quality of their diet, saving cash to spend on other needs, and earning income from the sale of surpluses.

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Ministry of Agriculture of the People's Republic o : Food prices unlikely to be affected by global hikes

BEIJING Aug 29 (Chinadaily) -- Having an ample stockpile of food and having had a bumper summer harvest, China is unlikely to be affected by the current surge in food prices seen in the international market, said Nie Zhenbang, former head of China's State Administration of Grain.

"China has sufficient grain reserves that have been put away by governments at all levels," Nie said. "In the meantime, the country also saw a bumper summer harvest. These things will enable China to keep its food prices stable."

He made those remarks during a recent interview with China's Outlook magazine. His words came partly in answer to warnings about the world's food supply that were issued by international organizations such as the World Bank and the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations in response to the extreme weather conditions seen in the United States and other countries that produce lots of food.

Nie said China, which produces more food than any other country, has had a bumper summer harvest of wheat and rice, growing enough of those grains to meet the domestic market's demand for them. He said the existence of this sufficient supply will fend off the consequences of rising food prices in the international food market.

At the same time, he noted that China obtains more than 70 percent of the soybeans it consumes through imports.

So an increase in the international price of that crop could cause it to cost more in China, Nie said.

"But the general effect on China's food prices will be small and is unlikely to lead to increases in China's consumer price index," he added.

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North West

Elfas Torerai
The province has established a team of experts from different sectors to spearhead the resuscitation of agriculture in the province. The development is in response to calls by the African Union Commission (AUC) that all countries on the continent should reposition agriculture as a top priority as a way of fighting hunger and poverty.

AUC and the New Economic Partnership for Africa’s Development (Nepad) came up with an initiative, the Comprehensive African Agriculture Development Programme (CAADP) that would coordinate all efforts to reposition agriculture as the mainstay of African economies.

Speaking at the establishment of the province’s team in Mafikeng recently, Nepad’s planning and coordinating agency representative Dr Tobias Takavarasha said: “Agriculture is one of the core priority result areas for Nepad and it is through effective implementation of the programme’s objectives that agriculture would be best positioned as an engine for growth.”

The provincial CAADP team was tasked with among other things facilitating processes that would culminate into the signing of the CAADP compact at national level, the designing of agriculture and food security investment plans, which would outline provincial priorities and financial requirements for these plans.

Takavarasha said the team would also need to foster public-private sector partnerships by stimulating the private sector to support the programme in various ways and advocating the alignment of other activities, policies and programmes with the CAADP.

Some of the members of the team are from agricultural unions, community based organisations, financial institutions and government departments.

In her address to the team, provincial agriculture head of department Dr Mmamakgaba Mogajane promised that necessary support would be given to enable the team to perform its duties.

She urged the team to maintain constant communication on progress made in implementing their terms of reference.

Department MEC Desbo Mohono said she was confident the team would work hard to make sure the province’s inputs would be included in the national CAADP because agriculture is one of the main pillars of the local economy.

“We have placed the future of the province’s agriculture in your hands and we remain confident that you will use your experience in agriculture as your yardstick in taking stock of what we have in the province and identifying gaps that must be bridged.”

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Agriculture students should study business: survey

EMC news - High school students considering a career in agriculture in the next five years should focus on acquiring marketing, management and other business skills according to a new cross-Canada survey conducted by Farm Credit Canada (FCC) and Agriculture in the Classroom Canada.

About 2,000 FCC members - producers and agribusiness owners across Canada - were asked in April 2012 to list the skills they believe young people need to be successful in agriculture.

In addition to marketing, management and business skills, respondents also identified knowledge, understanding of agriculture, and technology as priorities for young people who want to work in the industry.

Producers are currently enjoying high prices, which may represent a short-term spike. The long-term economic outlook, however, looks positive for well-educated, young people venturing into the industry.

World farm commodity prices are expected to remain high over the next decade, fuelled by high demand and from rapid income growth in developing countries, according to a recent report by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development and the United Nations food agency.
original Article Here
"Given that one in eight jobs in Canada are in the agri-food industry, there are a lot of opportunities for young people," says Greg Stewart, FCC president and CEO. "As the industry grows in complexity, so does the need for great business acumen."

FCC is working in partnership with Agriculture in the Classroom Canada, a national group focused on promoting agriculture education and awareness in schools across Canada.

For more information, visit www.aitc.ca.

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Wal-Mart joins agriculture sustainability group

 Michael Hirtzer

Aug 28 (Reuters) - The world's largest retailer Wal-Mart Stores Inc has joined an alliance of other Fortune 500 companies, including Cargill and Kellogg Co, seeking to make agriculture more sustainable.

The Field to Market alliance was started three years ago by the non-profit Keystone Center to improve agricultural productivity and reduce the use of natural resources. It includes farm groups, grain handlers and food makers but Wal-Mart is the first retailer in the group and now its largest member.

"We have pretty ambitious goals to sell products that are sustainable and this is directly within that framework," Rob Kaplan, Wal-Mart's senior manager of sustainability, said of the new partnership.

The group studies major crops and works with farmers to make agriculture more environmentally friendly. A report released earlier this summer highlighted how six crops -- corn, cotton, potatoes, rice, soybeans and wheat -- are now being produced more efficiently than they were in the last three decades.

On one project sponsored by Field to Market, General Mills Inc worked with 25 wheat growers in Idaho to learn how to maximize the use of fertilizer and other products used in farming, such as seed, insecticides and herbicides.

Wal-Mart is seeking to eliminate 20 million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions from its global supply chain by the end of 2015. Last year, the company said it turned 1.2 million pounds of cooking oil recovered from its stores into biodiesel, soap and a supplement for cattle feed.

Other members of the alliance include Bunge Ltd, Coca-Cola Co and the National Corn Growers Association.

 Original Article Here

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Creemore business wins agriculture award

Michael Gennings

CREEMORE - The Creemore 100 Mile Store was presented a Premier’s Award for Agri-Food Innovation Excellence in Guelph on Monday. 

Fareed Amin, deputy minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, presented a regional level award to store founders Jackie Durnford and Sandra Lackie.

“I congratulate these local winners on their achievements,” Guelph MPP Liz Sandals said in a news release. “Their hard work and innovative ideas help make our agri-food sector and rural communities stronger.”

The store was recognized for the financing model that allowed it to get off the ground.

“A new model of micro-financing has produced a store that carries local food products, giving Simcoe County farmers a market, consumers fresh local groceries and the 47 shareholders a thriving business,” the province said in a news release. “The way it works is that each Class A share is worth $1,000 and offers a return on investment in five years, although some have already realized their returns since the store began.”

Shareholders are local women, or women with ties to the local community.

Durnford said the award was presented on the store’s fourth anniversary.

“It was fantastic,” she said. “We were really thrilled. It’s sort of a vote of confidence from your peers.”

The business had to apply for the award late last year.

“You make an application, state your innovation and explain it. And then the application goes to a review panel of your peers and out of all the applications they decide who will get an award,” Durnford explained.

More than 200 award applications were submitted this year.

Durnford said they had no clue how their application would be received. She said winning is a real honour.

The store learned in June, in a confidential letter, that its application was successful.

The awards were handed out at the Royal Canadian Legion in Guelph. The province said the ceremony recognized 11 regional winners.

A total of 50 regional awards are being handed out across Ontario this summer. From these, five will be chosen and awarded with the Premier’s Award, a Minister’s Award and three Leaders in Innovation Awards at the Premier’s Summit on Agri-Food in October.

The province says the agri-food sector is one of Ontario’s leading industries, contributing more than $33-billion to the economy each year.

Durnford noted that since the Creemore 100 Mile Store opened it’s seen tremendous growth.

“Business has certainly grown and changed since we started,” she said. “We’re in the same space but we’re probably carrying almost 1,000 products now. We probably started off with 50 or 100.”

Durnford and Lackie work in the store – located on Mill Street in village – along with three part-time staff.

Why has the business been so successful? Durnford is quick to respond.

“We came at it from a food end. It was all about bringing the best taste to the table,” she said.

 Original Article Here

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City wants input on urban agriculture

Residents’ growing interest in urban agriculture has spurred the city of Fort Collins to seek input regarding whether land use rules should be modernized to include it.

Under current municipal land use rules, designating urban agriculture as the main use of a property requires additional processing and review throughout most of the city. The existing code is devoid of definitions for agricultural activities within the city, such as community-supported agriculture, community gardening and urban farming.

“Our goal is to make changes which reflect the desires of the whole community regarding urban agriculture,” said Lindsay Ex, the city’s environmental planner. “In other words, we want to acknowledge the citizens practicing new types of agriculture, but we also want to make sure these practices are compatible with our neighborhoods.”

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Study shows hope of greater global food output, less environmental impact of agriculture

Can we have enough to eat and a healthy environment, too? Yes -- if we're smart about it, suggests a study published in Nature this week by a team of researchers from the University of Minnesota and McGill University in Montreal. Global demand for food is expected to double by 2050 due to population growth and increased standards of living. To meet this demand, it is often assumed we will need to expand the environmental burden of agriculture. The paper, based on analysis of agricultural data gathered from around the world, offers hope that with more strategic use of fertilizer and water, we could not only dramatically boost global crop yield, but also reduce the adverse environmental impact of agriculture.

"We have often seen these two goals as a trade-off: We could either have more food, or a cleaner environment, not both," says lead author Nathaniel Mueller, a researcher with the University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment and a doctoral student in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences. "This study shows that doesn't have to be the case."

Mueller and colleagues used management and yield data for 17 major crops to take a big-picture look at how much water and nutrients it would take to bring under-performing farmlands to meet their food production potential. They also looked for places where fertilizer use could be cut down without substantially reducing crop yield. They found:

We could boost production 45 to 70 percent for most crops. The greatest opportunities for yield improvement are found in Eastern Europe, sub-Saharan Africa, East Asia, and South Asia.

Different inputs serve as limiting factors depending on the region and crop. Nutrients, for example, appear to be limiting corn production in Eastern Europe and West Africa and wheat production in Eastern Europe, while nutrients and water appear to limit rice production in Southeast Asia.

Worldwide, we could decrease nitrogen use 28 percent and phosphorus use 38 percent without adversely affecting yields for corn, wheat and rice. China stands out as a hot spot of nutrient overuse, but other areas, like the United States, Western Europe, and India, also have room to improve.

With strategic redistribution of nutrient inputs, we could bring under-performing lands worldwide to 75 percent of their production potential while only increasing global nitrogen use 9 percent and potassium use 34 percent -- and reducing phosphorus use 2 percent.

The researchers caution that their analysis is at a coarse scale and that many other factors, including land characteristics, use of organic fertilizers, economics, geopolitics, water availability and climate change will influence actual gains in crop production and reductions in adverse environmental impacts. Nevertheless, they are encouraged by the strong indication that closing the "yield gap" on under-performing lands -- previously identified as one of five promising points for meeting future food needs, along with halting farmland expansion in the tropics, using agricultural inputs more strategically, shifting diets and reducing food waste -- holds great promise for sustainably boosting food security.

"These results show that substantial gains are indeed possible from closing the yield gap -- and combining these efforts with improved management of existing lands can potentially reduce agriculture's environmental impact," Mueller says. "They also offer concrete suggestions as to where and how we can focus future efforts. This work should serve as a source of great encouragement and motivation for those working to feed the 9-billion-plus people anticipated to live on this planet in 2050 while protecting Earth's indispensible life support systems."

 Original Article Here

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New policy on forestry management mooted

OMAUNI – The agriculture ministry has called for the urgent re-opening or establishment of new wood processing factories in the regions with rich forestry resources, to counter the illegal harvesting and cross-border shipping of wood products from the country.

“We cannot take a backseat and allow our natural resources to leave the country unprocessed,” said a visibly agitated agriculture minister, John Mutorwa, this week.  

The agriculture ministry ordered a temporary suspension of the issuance of logging permits early this month.

A fresh policy on the sustainable management and economic use of forestry products is now being mooted and Mutorwa is looking at the Directorate of Forestry, together with the National Forestry Council, “to come up with a draft policy document on how to sustainably manage and utilise forest products economically”.

According to the minister, the country needs a new policy on the management of forestry products for the benefit of the entire country.

“It is unacceptable to have big trucks transporting unprocessed natural resources out of our country at the expense of our fellow Namibians,” said Mutorwa. “During my childhood days we had wood-processing factories here at Omauni, Rundu and even in Katima Mulilo, which provided schools with desks and chairs.

But after independence all the factories started closing. We need to re-introduce or re-open these factories,” he said during the signing of management agreements with 19 communities for the newly-gazetted community forests.

Each community is now in possession of an agreement that bestows it with the right to administer the protection and sustainable use of wood and other non-wood resources in the forests.

The suspension of forestry permits for sawn timber was triggered by an increase in the number of uncontrolled logging activities in the country.

New Era reported recently on the huge volumes of sawn timber being transported from the north-eastern regions for profit often without the necessary documentation.  

“The establishment of processing factories will boost the development of the country because local products such as fish, diamonds and even wood will leave the country as finished products,” said Mutorwa.

“We should not become complacent, even if we get assistance from elsewhere we should not take a backseat. We must also focus on availing more funds for projects like these,” he proposed.

 Original Article Here

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Russia wheat news boosts grains

U.S. wheat futures rose 3.5% Wednesday ahead of a meeting of Russia's agricultural ministry later this week, amid fears the big wheat-exporting country may curb grain exports.

Traders speculated that a cut in Russian exports could boost demand for U.S. wheat. The Russian ministry will meet Friday, after trimming its forecast last week for the country's 2012 grain harvest, which includes wheat and other crops, to 75 million metric tons, amid a drought in that country. Russia previously projected 75 million to 80 million tons.

Chicago Board of Trade wheat futures for December delivery settled 30 1/4 cents, or 3.5%, higher at $9.05 3/4 a bushel. Kansas City Board of Trade December wheat settled up 28 3/4 cents, or 3.2%, at $9.22 a bushel. MGEX December wheat finished 31 1/4 cents, or 3.4%, higher at $9.55 a bushel.

Traders on Wednesday focused on the upcoming meeting of Russia's agricultural ministry because it issued downbeat crop projections after two earlier meetings this month.

"The alarm bells go off when they schedule these meetings," said Jason Ward, an analyst with Northstar Commodity, a Minneapolis brokerage.

In 2010, Russia barred grain exports amid a severe drought.

Earlier this month, the U.S. Department of Agriculture estimated that Russia will produce 43 million metric tons of wheat, down from 56.23 million last year.

Still, Mike North, a broker with Platteville, Wis.-based First Capitol Ag, called traders' emphasis on potential reductions in Russian exports pure speculation. "We've been talking about that for two months. Will that happen Friday? Maybe."

Analysts said the wheat market was overdue for a rise in price after stumbling in recent sessions. Wheat futures also drew support from concerns about dry weather in Australia, another major producer, as farmers there prepare to plant wheat next month.

The rally followed a five-day slide for U.S. wheat futures. Wheat prices have been under pressure because of sluggish export demand for U.S. wheat and generally high global supplies.

Higher wheat prices provided a lift to corn Wednesday. Corn and wheat often follow each other because both are used in animal feed.

Corn futures also continued to draw support from ongoing concerns about this year's U.S. crop, which has been hit hard by a record-setting drought. Corn futures for December delivery settled up 18 cents, or 2.3%, at $8.13 1/2 a bushel.

 Original Article Here

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