Home What's Hot Sustainable Farming Connection Where farmers find and share information. What's Hot Inside The Beltway -- August  2000[8/2/2000] -- Ag policy update from the Midwest Sustainable Agriculture Working Group. Link to Alternative Agriculture News -- August 2000 21st Century Lives:  Joel Salatin -- If you missed the pioneering grazier, pastured poultry producer, and relationship marketer on ABC News, you can read the text or view the video.  emarket farm -- Resources for farmers markets and market farmers. CropChoice.com -- An alternative news source for American farmers about GMOs (genetically modified organisms). Organically Speaking e-Newsletter -- Articles and information on environmental and agricultural issues, organic waste management, farming, sustainability, stewardship and ecological balance. 1,000 Ways to Sustainable Farming -- SARE-funded project seeks farmers and ranchers for profiles, case studies. Gifts and Graces of the Land -- Multimedia includes inspirational images  and the wise words of sustainable farmers. Avery vs. Salatin Debate -- Sustainable farmer and think-tank analyst square off on talk radio. Northern Plains sustainable Agriculture Society -- Includes direct marketing directory, newsletter articles, position papers and more. Greenbook '99 -- A decade of tools -- Excellent collection of reports (mostly .pdf files) from the Minnesota Dept. of Ag. Sustainable Ag program.  Topics include alternative crops, soil fertility, fruits and vegetables and livestock. Market Farming discussion group -- Production-oriented mailing list for small-acreage farmers of small acreage making a living providing food and fiber to consumer-direct markets. Hoop House Building -- Step-by-step photo essay at the brand-spankin' new (12/99) Practical Farmers of Iowa website. Sustainable pork production -- At Texas Tech University.  Outdoor pig topics, a tour and information about the sustainable pork farm, and much more. Barn Owl Headquarters -- Help control rodents by attracting these predators.  Nest box designs, produccts and info attract raptors, bats and other beneficial wildlife. American Livestock Breeds Conservancy -- A nonprofit membership organization working to protect nearly 100 breeds of cattle, goats, horses, asses, sheep, swine and poultry from extinction.  Great profiles of rare breeds. New Farm Options -- A wealth of information on alternative enterprises and value-added marketing opportunities from Univ. of Wis. Extension.  While there are still some information gaps that need to filled, you won't find a site with more to offer.  Be sure to check out the Alternative Field Crops & Livestock database, business planning resources and discussion group.  Highly recommended. Seed Savers Unite -- Organic farmers collaborating with USDA's National Plant Germplasm System to preserve traditional plant varieties. Rural America -- A column in In Motion edited by the Missouri Rural Crisis Center features articles on family farm, livestock, GMO, environmental and other issues. On the Prairie -- This educational resource is great for helping kids understand and appreciate prairie ecology.  Kids agree, the  build a prairie page is a way cool interactive feature.  Next best thing to a field trip. How to conduct research on your farm or ranch -- New guide from USDA-SARE program, also available in print and .pdf formats. 10 Reasons why farmers should think twice before growing GE crops -- Well-documented advice from agronomist Dr. Ann Clark, Univ. of Guelph.  New vegetable production guide -- "Sustainable Vegetable Production from Start-Up to Market" is a 280-page book for experienced vegetable growers, newbies and educators.  Penned by Vern Grubinger, vegetable and berry specialist and director of the Univ. of Vermont's Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the guide includes in-depth profiles of 32 vegetable producers, sample budgets, and sections on financial planning, marketing, soils, composting, rotations, cover crops, equipment, irrigation, pests, diseases, weeds, season extension and more.  Targeted for Northeast growers, but also valuable in other regions. Whole Earth Magazine -- Special section in Summer '99 issue "Farms -- Globalocal Soy." Web versions of two features, Donella Meadows' Poor Monsanto and Soybean of Happiness. Back issues cover many other sustainable ag issues, including soil, Natural Systems Agriculture by Wes Jackson, Visions for Rural Kentucky by Wendell Berry, and more. Seedsaving and Seedsavers' Resources -- One-stop shop of links to seedsaving techniques, sources of organic, heirloom, open-pollinated and non-GMO seed and plants, seed-swapping, varietal information and more. Organic Valley / CROPP Cooperative -- The largest producer of certified organic dairy in the United States, a farmer owned and operated marketing cooperative, CROPP distributes dairy, eggs and vegetables from more than 160 small to mid sized family farms in 10 states. Their Organic Trader lists organic feed grains, forages, livestock and more for sale. Biological Control: A Guide to Natural Enemies in North America -- Photographs and descriptions for approximately 100 natural enemies of of insect, disease, and weed pests in North America. Avery vs. Salatin Debate -- Sustainable farmer Joel Salatin and think-tank analyst Dennis Avery -- who both reside in tiny Swoope, Va. -- square off on talk radio (82K). smallfarms.com -- Hawaii small farmer Glenn Oshiro started this database-driven site to connect consumers and farmers directly, eliminating the middleman. Officially opens Sept. 1, but you can sign up now. Listings start at $29/year. Corporate Pigs -- Simple text and photo essay shows how "factory farms hog-tie rural communities." Nothing gory, unless manure spills make you squeemish. While you're at the Corporate Watch website, check out the Greenwash Award they presented to Monsanto a few years back. Those aren't Monarch butterflies in the Monsanto graphic, are they? Gifts and Graces of the Land -- Photojournalist Cynthia Vagnetti's images and the wisdom of sustainable farmers captured on RealAudio make an inspirational multimedia presentation. Farming for Profit, Stewardship & Community -- These 10 tip sheets from the USDA SARE program list publications and links especially for small-scale farmers and ranchers. (Large-scale operators will find them helpful, too.) Topics include: soil quality, marketing, pests, organic production, livestock, weeds, planning, networking, diversification, and agroforestry. Highly recommended. Whole Farm Planning -- Tools for managing complex farming systems profitably. Includes back issues of the Whole Farm Planner newsletter and local contacts for the Great Lakes Whole Farm Planning Network. A Guide to USDA and Other Federal Resources for Sustainable Agriculture and Forestry Enterprises -- Your tax dollars at work. A great online listing of federal programs that foster innovation 1,000 Ways to Sustainable Farming -- SARE-funded project seeks farmers and ranchers for profiles, case studies. prairiefare.com -- Five western Minnesota farmers, working with the Land Stewardship Project, use this new website to sell beef, pork, poultry, apples and other products. They also share information about their goals and farming practices. For more examples, see 'Net Marketing. Organic Farming Research Foundation -- Offers modest grants for research projects to help foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming practices. Features online newsletter and summaries of their National Organic Farmers' Survey. Educational and Training Opportunities in Sustainable Agriculture -- Lists hundreds of institutions, organizations and farms across the U.S. and around the world that offer education and training. Compiled by the USDA's Alternative Farming Systems Information Center (AFSIC). Growing 'International Markets' -- A humorous look at an exciting new "crop." Fertile Ground Books -- New home of the agAcess book catalog. Lots of sustainable ag titles, farming reference books and much, much more. Tool box measures success from the ground up -- New resource helps farmers track soil quality, wildlife, water, and quality of life as well as finances. Missouri Alternatives Center Link List -- Extensive list of mostly university publications on everything from "Asparagus to Watermelons, and Aquaculture to Worms!" Mobile Calf-Grazing Module -- Keeps calves healthy while helping them reap the benefits of pasture at an early age. Pigs on Pasture -- Take a virtual tour of the Gunthorp farm at American Farmland Trust's grassfarmer.com site. While you're there, stop by and see Tools for Graziers, innovative solutions including a windscreen, shade trailer, and more. Online Cover Crop Video -- See innovator Steve Groff kill cover crops with a stalk chopper and no-till transplant tomatoes into thick residue (.avi or .wav). Read about his pioneering No-Till Transplanting into Cover Crops system. Low-Stress Livestock Handling -- Herding methods and facilities that put less stress on you and your stock. Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas -- ATTRA's online versions of the program's most-asked-for publications -- farmscaping for biocontrol, livestock, fruit, herbs, mushrooms, organic certification and more. Hot Links -- Sites worth surfing. In fact, they used to be on this page. What's New -- Comprehensive chronological listing of additions to this site. Top of Page Home What's Hot Also at SunSITE: ·InterGarden ·Permaculture ·Herb Homepage ©2000 Committee for Sustainable Farm Publishing Please read about our usage permission policy and disclaimer. 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