Home News & Events Alternative Agriculture News -- July '97

Headlines:
Organic Sales Increase by 26 Percent in 1996
Glickman Announces Actions Addressing Concentration
Wallaces Farmer Asks: Future Farms -- Family or Factory?
Resources
Poultry Industry Is Polluting Potomac River
University of California Offers More Research Funding
SARE Report Highlights Advances in Grazing Systems
Positions
Upcoming Events

©1997, Henry A. Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture, 9200 Edmonston Road, #117, Greenbelt, MD 20770. Phone: (301) 441-8777. E-mail: hawiaa@access.digex.net.

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In addition to this monthly newsletter, the Henry A. Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture publishes the American Journal of Alternative Agriculture, a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal of research on alternative agriculture. It is a scientific forum for disseminating technical, economic, and social research findings about the character and requirements of alternative agriculture systems.

The current issue (Volume 11, No. 4) includes articles on a first study of managing vertebrates in cover crops, the links between pesticide use and pesticide residues, and production-side progress and demand-side constraints in sustainable agriculture in the Corn Belt. It also features abstracts from the conference on "Environmental Enhancement Through Agriculture," sponsored by the Wallace Institute, Tufts University, and American Farmland Trust in November, 1995, are also in the new issue of the Wallace Institute's quarterly peer-reviewed journal of research on alternative agriculture.

Subscriptions to AJAA are $44 for libraries; $24 for individuals; and $12 for students.

Organic Sales Increase by 26 Percent in 1996

Sales of organic grocery and dairy products increased by 26 percent in 1996 to a total of $3.5 billion in sales, an increase from $2.8 billion in sales in 1995, according to Natural Foods Merchandiser (June, 1997). Last year marked the seventh consecutive year organic sales increased by at least 20 percent; exports and direct sales increased from $714 million in 1995 to $872 million in 1996.

The best-selling category of organic food was grocery and dairy, with $633 million in sales; organic dairy sales alone accounted for $120 million, an increase of about 50 percent in 1996. Frozen and refrigerated foods accounted for $283 million; bulk products, $242 million; herbs, $191 million; bakery, $117 million; produce, $89 million; and miscellaneous, $395 million.

Sales of "natural products," which include organic foods and beverages, dietary supplements, and all-natural personal care products, increased by more than 25 percent in 1996 to $11.5 billion; 1995 sales were $9.17 billion. Last year was the fourth consecutive year the natural products industry reported double-digit growth.

Organic market expansion has been strong for several reasons, according to Natural Foods Merchandiser. There are more convenience and gourmet items being offered; there is more and varied produce; and more restaurants are featuring organic offerings. Distributors also cite a geographic expansion -- "there is greater interest, and new accounts, in cities away from typical organic hotbeds," according to the magazine.

A separate article in Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine (July, 1997) asked if a higher grocery bill for organic foods guarantees "better nutrition, taste, or safety." It concluded that "nobody has ever been able to show that organic food is any better nutritionally than any other food," but that "whether organic foods are safer depends on which danger you're trying to guard against." Organic meat and poultry are leaner, which makes them "healthier," the article said.

Glickman Announces Actions Addressing Concentration

Agriculture Secretary Dan Glickman last month announced several new actions in regulatory enforcement, research and education, and market information "to address concentration in agriculture and promote competition in markets," according to the USDA.

Among the actions are several which respond to concerns that USDA's research "does not sufficiently benefit small farmers," the USDA said. In order to "ensure that USDA's research addresses problems of small and medium-sized farming operations," the Research, Education and Economics mission area has arranged for the National Academy of Sciences to conduct an independent review of the Department's research program.

In addition, the Secretary is emphasizing a specific focus within the newly created Fund for Rural America (see Cuts Threaten Rural Program) to encourage proposals for additional research on concentration and for development of programs and practical strategies that will help farmers successfully compete in concentrated and global markets, according to the USDA. A request for proposals has been published with selection of proposals to be based on a competitive review process.

"I continue to be concerned about the concentration of more and more of the agriculture industry into fewer and fewer hands," Glickman said. "We must take all possible steps to promote opportunities for successful small and medium-sized operations."

More information about these actions is available on the USDA's World Wide Web Home Page at http://www.usda.gov.

Wallaces Farmer Asks: Future Farms -- Family or Factory?

The pork industry is undergoing complicated and major changes," and the future structure of this important business is being shaped now," according to a series of articles in Wallaces Farmer (May, 1997).

"Farmers are getting older and their facilities are wearing out. Environmental challenges affect all operations, large and small. New players add yet another dimension, as contracting becomes common." An Iowa State University economist "states his belief that family producers have the most profit potential when they own the entire production process" -- yet one hog farmer featured in the article "is worried that the political climate favors corporate hog 'factories' over small and mid-sized family farmers." Another farmer "feels it is important to preserve the integrity of Iowa's rural communities."

According to Iowa Governor Terry Branstad, "People want farms like they grew up on. That is not going to happen. It's just not economical." But, he concludes, "we can provide a future for family farm production agriculture ... .We need to look at policies that will encourage family farm production agriculture using cooperatives and value-added processes."

Articles in both Wallaces Farmer and The Furrow (Summer, 1997) explore low-cost alternatives to confinement for successfully finishing pigs. "Hooped structures are a viable alternative for housing grow-finish pigs," according to Wallaces Farmer. They fit moderate-sized operations, provide an opportunity for younger people to get started without high costs, and offer a way for older farmers to continue raising hogs in a low-cost way.

The Furrow agrees: "Low-cost housing can help smaller pork producers compete against large confinement operations. With pasture farrowing, inexpensive hooped buildings, or remodeled facilities, it's possible to get started or expand without making a large capital investment."

Resources

• "Adding Values to Our Food System: An Economic Analysis of Sustainable Community Food Systems" is $24.95 from Integrity Systems, 7101 Goodwin Road, Everson, WA 98247; (360) 966-2504; e-mail fentonp@pacificrim.net.
• "Organic Growers in Regulated Pest Management Districts: A Guide to Changing the Rules" is $3 from Norma Grier, Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, P.O. Box 1393, Eugene, OR 97440; (541) 344-5044; e-mail ngrier@pesticide.org.
• "Clearing the Air," a study of particulate pollution in rural areas, is available from the Environmental Working Group on the World Wide Web at http://www.ewg.org.
• "Production Practices and Sample Costs for Organic Raisin Grapes in the Southern San Joaquin Valley in 1997" is available from Laura Tourte, Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis, CA 95616; (916) 752- 9376; e-mailljtourte@ucdavis.edu.
• "Making World Agriculture More Sustainable" is $30 plus $4 shipping/handling from World Sustainable Agriculture Association Publications, 8554 Melrose Avenue, West Hollywood, CA 90069; (310) 657-7202; e-mail WSAA@compuserve.com.
• "The Status, Opportunities and Needs for Agroforestry in the United States" is $6 from the Association for Temperate Agroforestry, c/o Dr. D.B. Hill, Forestry Department, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY 40546-0073.
• "Biopolicy for the Future -- Cooperation or Confrontation Between North and South" is available from Development and Peace Foundation, Gotenstr. 152, D-53175 Bonn, Germany.

Poultry Industry Is Polluting Potomac River

Waste from the poultry industry in Virginia and West Virginia "flows downstream and threatens years of effort and billions of dollars spent to clean up the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay," according to a front-page article in The Washington Post (June 1, 1997).

"The dramatic boom in the West Virginia chicken industry -- it grew by more than 200 percent in the last decade -- has alarmed environmentalists and federal officials, who say the water here is now so polluted that people risk getting sick if they canoe or swim in it or rely on wells for tap water."

The poultry industry has also greatly increased in Virginia, resulting in "startling levels of contamination ... in areas of heavy chicken farming in the Shenandoah Valley," according to the article.

Seven West Virginia rivers or streams that feed the Potomac were added last year to a state list of polluted waterways, and waste from the poultry industry was the main reason an environmental group, American Rivers, put the Potomac River on its list of "endangered rivers." West Virginia officials are "relying on a voluntary approach: encouraging farmers to clean up their practices -- such as improving storage of waste and disposal of dead birds," the article said. "If that doesn't clean the water, state officials say, they'll require those and other steps."

University of California Offers More Research Funding

The University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SAREP) has increased its funding of research and outreach projects, and is accepting applications until August 1. Due to a one-time allocation from the California Legislature, the program has an additional $375,000 to award for grants than in the last several years.

A request for proposals is available by mail from SAREP, University of California, Davis, CA 95616; telephone, (916) 752-7556; e-mail, sarep@ucdavis.edu; or on the World Wide Web, http://www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/. For more information, contact Bev Ransom at (916) 754-8546; e-mail baransom@ucdavis.edu.

SARE Report Highlights Advances in Grazing Systems

The USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Program has funded projects that "show management-intensive grazing is more profitable for producers and better for the environment," according to the program's "1997 Project Highlights" report.

Several SARE grants are funding research in shifting from confinement-based livestock systems to raising cows, sheep and hogs on pastures offering a mix of grass and legumes. Also highlighted in the report are articles on Community Supported Agriculture, the benefits of pasturing hogs, how black-eyed peas cut insecticide use in pecan orchards, and several other research and on-farms projects.

For a copy of the report, contact Valerie Berton, SARE Communications Specialist, 0322 Symons Hall, University of Maryland, College Park, MD 20742; (301) 405-5270; vberton@wam.umd.edu

Positions

• Mount Air Farm seeks resident couple to manage small diversified organic farm and retail store; applicants must have college degrees in animal science; send resumes to William Keller, 4503 Mount Air Farm, Crozet, VA 22932; (804) 823-4242.
• Clinch Powell Sustainable Development Initiative, a regional non-profit organization, seeks a Sustainable Farm Products Market Development Specialist; three to five years of specialty and/or product marketing is essential; send resume and cover letter by August 30 to CPSDI, PO Box 791, Abingdon, VA 24212; call (540) 623-1121 for more information.
• National Center for Appropriate Technology seeks a technical specialist in agriculture, and a technical specialist in marketing/farm management; applications are due by August 15; for applications and information, contact Marlene Breese, Administrative Assistant, NCAT/ATTRA, PO Box 3657, Fayetteville, AR 72702; (501) 442-9824.
• American Farmland Trust seeks a summer intern for its Federal Policy Division; mail or fax resume, cover letter, and writing sample to Federal Policy Internship Manager, American Farmland Trust, 1920 N St., NW, #400, Washington, D.C. 20036; fax (202) 659-8339.

Upcoming Events

For additional listings, see the Sustainable Agriculture Network's Calendar of Events.

• July 28-29, "Prairie Pastures: Native Plants and Wildlife for Rotational Grazing Systems" will be held in Howard County, IA; contact Laura Jackson, Department of Biology, University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA 50614; (319) 273-2705; e-mail jacksonl@uni.edu.
• July 28-30, a workshop on alternative farming systems, sponsored by the North Central Sustainable Agriculture Training Program, will be held in Morris, MN; contact Heidi Carter, North Central Region SARE Program, (402) 472-0917; e-mail csas007@unlvm.unl.edu.
• July 31, "Science and Stewardship: Adding Value for A More Sustainable Agriculture," a Farmer's Field Day, will be held in Chestertown, MD; contact Chesapeake Farms, 7321 Remington Drive, Chestertown, MD 21620; (410) 778-0141.
• August 2, the Illinois Stewardship Alliance's Stewardship Farm Tour will be held in Monticello, IL; contact tour sponsors at (312) 641-5575 or (217) 498-9707.
• August 3-5, "Organic Rules! Are We Ready?," the Organic Farming Research Foundation's third national business and regulatory leadership conference, will be held in Oakland, CA; contact Erica Walz or Bob Scowcroft, OFRF, PO Box 440, Santa Cruz, CA 95061; (408) 426-6606; e-mail research@ofrf.org.
• August 3-6, "Exploring the Opportunities for Agroforestry in Changing Rural Landscapes," the 5th Conference on Agroforestry in North America, will be held in Ithaca, N.Y.; contact Agroforestry Conference, Cornell University, 206 RPCC, Ithaca, N.Y. 14853; (607) 255-6290.
• August 8-10, the 23rd Annual Summer Conference of the Northeast Organic Farming Association will be held in Amherst, MA; contact Julie Rawson, NOFA, 411 Sheldon Road, Barre, MA 01005; (508) 355-2853.
• August 11, an organic farm tour will be held in Kennewick, WA; contact Suzanne Shillander, Washington State Department of Agriculture, (360) 902-1877.
• August 13-17, 60th Annual Meeting of the Rural Sociological Society will be held in Toronto, Canada; contact the Society, Rabel Burdge, Treasurer, c/o Department of Sociology, 510 Arntzen Hall, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225; (360) 650-7571.
• September 4-6, Sustainable Tree Care Conference will be held at the University of California, Los Angeles; contact Patrick McCullough, (818) 248-4425.
• September 8-9, "Farming Systems Analysis: Tools to Accomplish the Task," a workshop for farmers and farm service providers in Minnesota, Iowa, and Wisconsin, will be held in Madison, WI; contact Michelle Miller, UWEX-Agronomy, 1575 Linden Drive, Madison, WI 53706; (608) 262-7135; e-mail mmmille6@facstaff.wisc.edu.

Home News & Events Alternative Agriculture News -- July '97