Beyond GMOs to a More Honest Dialogue About Our Food
Monday, September 30th.Sally Mackenzie, Ralph and Alice Raikes Chair for Plant Science, Center for Plant Science Innovation at UNL, discusses the debate over GMOs and the future of our food supply. A 3 p.m. reception precedes the free, public lecture. Location, Hardin Hall on East Campus of UNL in Lincoln.3:30 pm-4:30 pm.Heuermann Lecture.Beyond GMOs to a More Honest Dialogue About Our Food.
Barry Lopez Public Reading
September 30th. 7pm. National Book Award winner and bestselling author Barry Lopez will be the featured guest at an event hosted by Prairie Schooner, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s international literary journal. The event will take place Sept. 30 at 7:30 p.m. in the City Campus Union ballroom and is free and open to the public. Lopez will read from his creative work, followed by an on-stage interview with award-winning Nebraska author Dr. Mary Pipher and a book signing. Lopez is one of the foremost American voices in contemporary environmental literature and activism. His nonfiction book Arctic Dreams (Vintage) won a National Book Award and he holds a Guggenheim Fellowship and five National Science Foundation Fellowships, in addition to numerous Pushcart Prizes in both fiction and nonfiction. His creative essay “Six Thousand Pieces” will appear in Prairie Schooner’s Fall 2013 issue. For more details about the event, visit http://prairieschooner.unl.edu.
Watershed Nitrogen Reduction Planning Tool Webinar
September 30. Online. By using a spreadsheet tool, watershed planners at the state or local level can evaluate expected nitrogen (N) reductions to rivers when different combinations of cropland BMPs and BMP adoption rates are considered. Minnesota state planning authorities have been using a University of Minnesota-developed tool (NBMP) to compare costs of different BMP adoption scenarios and identify the most cost-effective options for achieving N load reduction goals. An overview of this tool and its scientific foundation will be described during the webinar. http://www.anymeeting.com/SWCS
4th Annual Growing Power Regional Training Weekend
October 5-6. Amador Hill Farm and Orchard | North Branch, MN. Hands-on learning: hoophouse building, composting & vermiculture, four season growing, aquaponics, mushrooms, passive solar greenhouses, root cellars, farm & chef partnerships, orcharding, farming as business, and much more! Click here for more information. http://www.w-e-i.org/
Interpreting the Recent Food Hub Surveys Webinar
October 1. This special webinar will be a deeper dive into the Food Hub Benchmarking Study and the National Food Hub Survey Report with Gary Matteson (Farm Credit), Micaela Fischer and Rich Pirog (MSU Center for Regional Food Systems), Evan Smith (Cherry Capital Foods), and Christine Quane (Eastern Market). RSVPs ARE NOT REQUIRED. Join the webinar on Tuesday, October 1, 2013, at 2:00 pm ET. https://connect.msu.edu/richpirog
Pastured Poultry and Conservation Planning Webinar
October 1. This webinar will give participants an overview of pastured poultry operation including management techniques, facilities, challenges, and opportunities. Learn the many different considerations these producers face, how organic certification changes management, and opportunities for support from the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service. The webinar is presented by Terrell ‘Spence’ Spencer, Farmer/Owner, Across the Creek Farm, West Fork, Arkansas. This webinar is sponsored by the USDA NRCS East and West National Technology Support Centers. http://www.conservationwebinars.net/ webinars/pastured-poultry-and- conservation-planning
IOIA/OMRI NOP Processing Input Materials Course
October 3. IOIA/OMRI NOP Processing Input Materials webinar is an intermediate 200-level course. The course is geared for persons with an understanding of NOP Processing Standards and processing inspection or certification. The course is comprised of three components: pre-course self-study, the webinar, and post webinar evaluation. http://www.ioia.net/schedule_web.html#OMRIproc
Kaw Valley Farm Tour
October 5-6. Northeast Kansas. This ninth annual self-guided tour offers an opportunity to visit a diversity of farms in northeastern Kansas. Farmers offer their farms as tour stops during the two days of the tour. They will have guided tours of their individual farms and will be available to talk to you about their farm practices. Participants are responsible for transportation between farms. Many will have educational displays and some will have farm products for sale. http://www.kawvalleyfarmtour.org/index.html
Fall 2013 Grassland Seminar Series
Monday, September 30th. 3:00 pm-4:00 pm. Walter Schacht, professor, Dept. of Agronomy and Horticulture, UNL, will present “Livestock Grazing in Turkey: Was It Sustainable until the Last Century?” Free and open to the public. Lincoln.http://grassland.unl.edu/upcoming-seminars
"Botanical based stable fly integrated pest management for rangeland beef production in the Great Plains"
Tuesday, October 1st. 4:00 pm-5:00 pm. "Botanical based stable fly integrated pest management for rangeland beef production in the Great Plains" by Angela De Sapio, Entomology Graduate Student. East Campus Union on the campus of UNL in Lincoln.
SNR Research Seminar - National Drought Mitigation Center
Wednesday, October 2nd. 3:30 pm-4:30 pm. Dr. Michael Hayes, Mr. Mark Svoboda, Dr. Cody Knutson, Dr. Tsegaye Tadesse, and Mr. Brian Fuchs from the National Drought Mitigation Center and the School of Natural Resources will present a seminar entitled "From Lewellen to Delhi: Drought Risk Management for the World." http://snr.unl.edu/aboutus/when/seminarseries.asp? seminarseriesid=22#seminar4
“Construction and potential applications of engineered minichromosomes in plants”
Fall 2013 Biotechnology / Life Sciences Seminar Series. Dr. James Birchler, University of Missouri. Wednesday, October 2nd. 4:00 pm-5:00 pm. “Construction and potential applications of engineered minichromosomes in plants,” will be presented by Dr. James Birchler, University of Missouri. A reception will be held at 3:30 p.m. The event is open to the public. Open to the public. Website:http://biotech.unl.edu/
"Water, Food Security and Agro-Technology: Current Challenges Placed in Historical Context"
Carrol R. Pauley Memorial Lecture. Thursday, October 3rd. 7:00 pm. Paul Thompson,University of Toronto, will deliver the 2013 Carroll R. Pauley Memorial Lecture titled "Water, Food Security and Agro-technology: Current Challenges Placed in Historical Context" Location: Great Plains Art Museum, 1155 Q St., Hewit Place, Contact: David Cahandcahan2@unl.edu
Nebraska Statewide Arborteum
The FDA Food Safety Modernization Act: What it Means for You and Your Farm WebinarFall Plant Sales. Friday, October 4th. 12:00 pm-5:00 pm. Plants for sustainable landscapes--prairie and woodland natives, trees, shrubs, grasses... http://arboretum.unl.edu/plant-sales Contact: Bob Henrickson, 402-472-2971, rhenrickson2@unl.edu
October 3rd. U of I Extension, along with Illinois Stewardship Alliance, Illinois Farmers Market Association and the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition will present a webinar on October 3 covering the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA). The webinar will run from 3 to 4:30 p.m. There is no charge for the webinar, but registration is required. http://web.extension.illinois.edu/ registration/?RegistrationID= 8819
Legal and Financial Clinic
Thursday, October 3. Grand Island. Call the Farm Hotline at 800-464-0258 to sign up.
"Biodiversity Conservation in the Himalayas: Efforts and Needs"
Tuesday, October 1. 4 – 5:30pm. University of Wyoming. Contact, Brenna Marsicek, 766-6240, brenna.marsicek@uwyo.edu. Talk by Prof. Ram Chaudhary, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Co-sponsored by UW Ecosystem Science and Management and UW Biodiversity Institute. Watch online at, http://www.uwyo.edu/biodiversity/events.html
Seafood Safety
September 30th. 2pm Central. Seafood is a nutrient-rich food that provides high quality protein, long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and several important minerals and vitamins. Research during the last two decades has shown that seafood consumption is closely linked to health benefits such as improved coronary health in adults and improved cognitive development in infants and children. While health benefits greatly outweigh risks for the general population, there is concern that contaminants in some species of fish may pose risks for some select populations. However, the problem of reduced seafood consumption, due to price, availability, or undue caution may be the greatest risk for populations throughout the U.S. and other countries. This webinar will discuss the benefits and risks of eating cooked, undercooked, and raw seafood, as well as ways to minimize risks. The websitewww.seafoodhealthfacts.org will also be shared with the audience. https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/marinecop
Don't Bug Me Webinar: Home Invaders
October 2nd. 1pm. Every fall insects including ladybugs and kudzu bugs come into houses looking for a place to spend the winter. Learn about these insects and how to evict them. See http://www.extension.org/pages/69129/dont-bug-me- webinar-series-continues for more information about this webinar.
October meeting of the small and backyard flocks CoP
October 3rd at 2:30pm Central. The Small and Backyard flocks community of practice will be holding monthly planning meetings the first Thursday of every month - starting with this meeting on October 3. The agenda, and instructions for participation, will be posted on this page before October 3. If you follow this event, you will be notified when the agenda is posted. https://connect.extension.iastate.edu/poultry
NCTA Farmers Market
Saturday, October 5th.
Do You Have Enough Insurance?
October 3rd. 8pm. Mary M. Martin, area extension educator will present the second session in a series on avoiding Financial Pitfalls . . . Being Underinsured. Every day we are exposed to many risks which can cause a financial loss. Insurance is a tool for financial security. This session will help you look at insurance as a risk management strategy. Which type of insurance do you need? How much insurance can you afford? And what do the experts tell us are insurance pitfalls?http://www.uwyo.edu/ces/money/webinar.html
Opportunity
Goat Bacon
Goats for sale! 10 billies and 10 does, born in April from a closed herd. Fed only grazing forages since being weaned. 50 to 70 pounds. Contact me soon before they head to the sale barn. Troy Kash-Brown, 402-476-9616, please leave message.
Cattle Load to Kearney
I have 5-6 yearlings (~400-500lbs) that I would like to take to Kearney sale barn in October (preferably 10/2 or 10/16). Just checking if there were any larger loads headed that way that had room for mine or smaller loads that we could group together to at least fill my/your stock trailer. I'd be coming from the Hebron, NE area in South Central/East Nebraska. jkyoachim@gmail.com
Position Available
My current helper/apprentice/whatever has rented a small farm and will be leaving me in a couple months to grow veggies organically in Iowa. My long-time back up helper has also gotten the job of her dreams managing a production greenhouse - also in Iowa. I wish both of these wonderful young women every success, but that leaves me with at least one hole to fill. So . . . does anyone know of a young person out there who would be interested in a job in an organic greenhouse environment? 32-40 hours per week, Jan - May, with the possibility of extending employment through the summer field season for the right person. Some flexibility in scheduling; could be combined with college classes. Must be able to lift 40 lbs and carry it 20 feet, communicate effectively in English, and show evidence of interest in sustainable ag/hort. The ability to work in a hot, humid greenhouse environment for 8 hours at a time is required. A sense of humor would be a definite plus. This ain't no job for delicate ladies or young dudes who are unaccustomed to sweating or physical work. Competitive wages, depending on experience. Position can be (and has been) used as an academic internship. Under the right circumstances, this position could be (and has been) split into two 20 hour positions. Opportunities to gain experience on neighboring organic/sustainable farms could also be available. I will do whatever I can to provide training in the ares of interest to the employee/apprentice. Seven of the last eight persons to hold this position have gone on to f/t jobs in their areas of interest/expertise. If you know someone that might be interested, please have them email me at gene@heartlandorganics.netand I will send them a job description.
Sign-on Letter Opportunity
Dear Friends of Organic Farmers, Organic Farmers in Oregon need our help and they need it NOW. The farmers face the imminent prospect of losing the ability to protect themselves because out-of-state biotech interests are working behind the scenes to end local control and a local county's ability to establish protection for farmers including creating GE-Free zones. Ending local control is bad policy and the potential impact will adversely affect every American. http://action.fooddemocracynow.org/sign/ stop_oregons_Monsanto_ Protection_Act_special_ session/
Organic Farm Opportunity
Belgrade, NE. Auction of approximately 20 acres on September 28th. It would be a great property for someone who would like to have a property that has been chemical free and already includes a 2400SF organic garden – plus a lot of other nice features. They’re having open house times on Saturday, 9/21 and Monday, 9/23 from 1pm to 6pm both days. The link to the information is here:https://www.proxibid.com/asp/Catalog.asp?aid=70876 (it’ s the 2nd property listed on the page)
Heritage Breed Roosters
We have 5 Buckeye cockerels available, 4mo old. $10 ea or $30 for all 5. http://www.albc-usa.org/cpl/buckeye.html Contact Crystal at darbysprings@gmail.com
Upcoming
IPM Practices to Do Now for Next Season
October 7. Jacob Wilson, Lincoln University, is the presenter. : http://agebb.missouri.edu/mac/agopp/calendar.htm
Burning on Private Lands with Consultants
October 9. 12:00 pm. Consultants play a large role in the amount of prescribed burning that is conducted on private lands. John Stivers will address the importance of planning, techniques, procedures and other issues he faces in conducting a large, successful burn program on private lands. He will also describe some of the obstacles he faces when burning on private lands. http://www.forestrywebinars.net/webinars/ burning-on-private-lands-with- consultants
Around the beginning of August, there is a literal red-shift at farmers markets, as brightly colored tomatoes, apples, and beets roll in. The deeply colored fruits and vegetables are beautiful to behold and delicious to eat . . . but that's not all!
As a child, I often wondered what sort of monstrous creature would lay a huge, purple-black egg, for surely the eggplant was named after such an egg laid by such a creature. Imagine my relief, tinged with disappointment, when I eventually learned that the first eggplants, grown in China, were small, ivory, and egg-shaped, with a delicate pearly skin--just like an ordinary egg.
When I go out on hot summer days, I often trade my bottle of water for a cool cucumber--or two, or three. The clean flavor and crunch make cucumbers much more satisfying and thirst quenching, not to mention more nutritious, than plain old water--or even newfangled vitamin water.
