Leslie’s technique of using horses, which seems unorthodox and old-fashioned to us now, was the de facto method of tilling the land up until the Post World War II period. After that, the mechanization of society nearly made agricultural horses obsolete, but Leslie, citing the unsustainabilty of modern agriculture, sees room for a workhorse renaissance. “People are attracted to the way of working with animals, of being back in touch with nature, of regaining a kind of rhythmic elegance to our lives,” Leslie was quoted as saying in the Times‘ write-up.

Stephen Leslie and his horses

Horses are an integral part of Leslie’s “closed-loop” method of agriculture, in which the food produced on the farm goes towards feeding the animals, and the animals go on to help produce the food, thus creating one of the most environmentally-friendly systems of agriculture available. However, the drawbacks of farming with horses are daunting, as it takes a certain temperament to work with live animals, as well as care and upkeep that tractors do not require. For instance, Leslie must check his team’s hooves every day before starting to look for cuts and stuck stones that may damage or infect the hoof. Additionally, the learning curve for working with live animals can be very steep. Leslie’s partner had both of her tibias broken by a pair of runaway horses, an injury that took years to fully recover from. For “four or five years afterwards” Leslie had apprehension taking his horses out, forced to balance his fears with maintaining a calm temperament for the sake of the horses.

For his part, Leslie does not see this extra work as a drawback, but as a part of a rewarding lifestyle. The work gives Leslie a connection to the animals, which gives people, in his opinion, “a deeper self-understanding”. To that end he has written his own book, The New Horse-Powered Farm: Tools and Systems for the Small-Scale, Sustainable Market Grower, a guide for anyone considering horse-powered farming and wondering how to get started. The book has received positive reviews from experts on the subject, with Joe Mischka, the Editor and Publisher of Rural Heritage magazine writing that “this comprehensive treatment of the subject provides the beginner or transitional farmer with the resources needed to succeed, as Leslie takes no shortcuts in his research and presentation of material” (via Chelsea Green Publishing).

Will horse-led agriculture ever be the dominant form of production that it once was 70 years ago? Very unlikely, as the process requires an amount of time and a temperament that most do not or don’t want to invest in with the option of heavy machinery available to them. However, it is there, which is something that couldn’t be said even 20 years ago, and it is starting to be recognized more and more as both environmentally friendly and personally rewarding to those who have the mind for it.

A link to where you can get more info on Leslie’s book

The New York Times article

All quotes except the one via Chelsea  Green Publishing via the New York Times

The pesticide-as-the-reason argument gained much traction in March 2012 when two research teams both suggested that bees that consumed a form of pesticide called a neonicotinoid suffered massive side-effects. Among the studies’ results were that bee colonies that came into contact with neonicotinoids saw an 85% drop in their queen bee populations and a 100% increase in “lost” bees that disappeared while foraging.

In lieu of these newfound warning signs, the European Union has decided to ban three such neonicotinoid pesticides, imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam, from use on corn, oil seed rape, sunflowers and a myriad of other crops for a period of two years. Leading the way on the proposal were France and the Netherlands, which have both experienced sharp declines in their own bee populations in previous years, and Avaaz, an anti-pesticide interest group, which has gathered over 2.5 million signatures in favor of the ban. “This if the first time that the EU has recognized that the demise of bees has a perpetrator: pesticides,” said Luis Morago of Avaaz, who also said the decision could be “a tipping point in the battle to stop the chemical armageddon for bees.”

However, as is the case with all controversial topics, not everyone agrees that the ban was necessary. Germany, the home of the pesticide-producing giant Bayer, and the UK both do not fully support the ban and abstained from voting in a March referendum that proved inconclusive based on EU voting laws – the 13 yeas, 9 neas and 5 abstentions were not enough to show a clear majority. It was this lack of a majority that allowed a panel of EU-sponsored environmental experts to make the decision to ban the pesticides, following closed door talks that began on April 29.

The ban will, by estimates, cause the loss of 50,000 jobs and 17 billion dollars over its two-year life span, but experts thought that the risk of further bee population loss merited the ban. The hope is that bee populations will rise in the two-year time frame in which the pesticides will be banned, thus giving credence to the theory that pesticides are, in fact, the cause behind the death of so many bees.

Presumably the WPP Research Site. Google image search did me no favors with this one.

Well, if you hadn’t noticed from the torrential downpours that are threatening to soak through my bookbag and ruin all of my books, spring is upon us, and to commemorate that fact UIUC’s own Woody Perennial Polyculture Research Site is celebrating with its first-ever Spring Field Days festival, to take place May 10th and 12th.

Located on the corner of Lincoln and Windsor, the WPP Research Site was founded on a noble vision; to restore the biogeochemical cycle of the Midwest, a region thats current system of corn/soybean rotation has been damaging soil quality for years, while still recognizing the need for large-scale crop production in our modern world. According to their website, “the system studied here attempts to break down the dichotomy between ecological restoration and agriculture” while also breaking through the barriers separating nature and ourselves. The WPP attempts to recreate the structure and function, as well as test the feasibility of a more natural ecosystem. Quite the noble goal indeed.

So, that brings us to the Spring Field Days. Taking place May 10th and 12th (no 11th!) from noon to 2, and open to the public as well as free of cost, visitors to the event can expect to:

• learn about the site’s history and background
• ask questions about the theory behind the WPP system
• meet the site’s leaders
• explore the current research projects
• walk around and interact with the trees first-hand

The trees part has me. Have to love blooming trees in the springtime. Although the event is free, the organizers would prefer if you registered, as to provide them with an estimate of how many people to expect. You can register right here, and the registration requires nothing more than your name, email, and the answers to several questions.

So, once again

Where: Corner of Lincoln Ave. & Windsor Rd.

When: May 10 and 12, 12-2pm

Link to picture of location

Contact info: (708) 476-9929 or wppresearch@gmail.com

I would also like to recommend going to WPP’s website and checking out where they’re all about, it’s really quite fascinating stuff. Here’s a link to it.

Have fun, and try to stay warm. Note the emphasis on try.

According to APHIS, invasive species most often find their way to their new environs through passenger baggage, Internet-purchases plants and plant products, firewood, and outdoor gear, among other ways, as well. That’s where APHIS comes in. Through their work, they have eradicated said Japanese beetle from Illinois, where it had been wrecking  local vegetation for decades, as well as the boll weevil from the South and the European grapevine moth from California.

However, APHIS stresses that it cannot succeed in its efforts alone. To do that, it needs an informed populace that are aware of the ways that invasive species can be introduced, in order to prevent that from happening. To that effect, the Ag Department has launched www.hungrypests.com, which includes helpful info and interactive maps in both English and Spanish. Also included in the website are feeds to its Twitter and Facebook pages, so you can keep in touch anytime, anywhere.

Have a good day everybody, and check your luggage for strange beetles.

Merrigan has been considered a success in the organic community, advocating for beginning farmer programs, the National Organic Program, and the Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food initiative. As such, the organic community will be pushing for a replacement that holds the same beliefs regarding organics as Merrigan, as she was a ardent supporter of the industry in her short time at the USDA.

Merrigan put out a statement through her office on the 15th, stating “I hope that during my tenure, I was able to help open USDA’s doors a little wider, inviting new and discouraged constituencies to participate in USDA programs…I am able to leave fully confident that, USDA will thrive and continue to improve its service to the American people.”

Whoever the new Deputy Secretary will be, he or she will face some serious challenges going into the future, the most serious of which being the stalled Farm Bill, which has yet to even reach Congress for a vote.

Goodfoodjobs.com

This job board and blog was created in 2010 by two friends from Cornell University and has grown into a very diverse national job board that job listing for everything from cheesemonger to farm apprentice to market manager. The site is easy to use and always has up to date listings. It’s a great place to start if you’re interested in working at any step in the food system.

Growfood.org

Growfood.org is a non-profit website focused on connecting farmers in sustainable agriculture with people eager to work in the field. The site hosts listings from around the United States and abroad that range from short farmstays to internships to year round positions. Also, the site has a general message board for members to communicate and share their experiences in agriculture.

helpx.net

Help Exchange (HelpX) focuses on connecting travelers with farms for volunteer/farmstay opportunities. The website was started in 2001 by Rob Prince after his experiences travelling through Australia and New Zealand and working on many farms in those countries. The site has farms from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and other countries. While many of the posts are for short-term stays, there also a number of farms looking for full-season or year round stays.

Wwoof.org

World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms (WWOOF) is a program that provides a directory of organic farms that welcome volunteers. Then volunteers can contact farms that they are interested in visiting and set up a farmstay with the farm directly. In exchange  for the accommodations,  volunteers work on the farm and learn about organic and sustainable agriculture. There are independent WWOOF organizations in many countries around the world, and like helpx.net, WWOOF is a good way to gain farming experience while traveling in the United States or abroad.

More Boards

For more job boards and other resources, you can visit the SAEA and the Green Collar Blog. These both have many more places to look for an exciting way to work in sustainable agriculture.

The county board is hopeful that the council can spur growth in the use of local foods, with Democrat Alan Kurtz of Champaign saying “Anything that expands local food production is beneficial.”

Local Democrat Alan Kurtz, of Champaign

The Democrat-led effort also sets a sunset provision for March 2014, when the county board will assess the effectiveness of the council and the need for continuing it.

However, not everyone on the board was happy with the outcome of the vote. All 9 “nay” votes came from board Republicans, apprehensive of the bureaucracy the council may create. “I have yet to see anything a government entity starts that doesn’t turn into a boondoggle”, said Stan James of Rantoul (this leads to the question of why someone with that outlook would even get into government, but that’s a discussion for another day).

If you’re interested in listening to the audio of the meeting, you can find it here, along with the minutes of many other county board meeting.

Have a good night everybody.

*All quotes come from the Champaign News-Gazette

image via NSAC (sustainableag) on twitter

associates for either marketing, food systems, and rural development issues or conservation and farm programs issues. Associates will draft policy papers, advocacy material, blog posts and other documents related to current issues in agriculture and lobbying for sustainable agriculture. These positions offer a great opportunity to get involved with the political aspect of creating sustainable food systems.

NSAC was founded in 2009 when the Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (SAC) and the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture (NCSA) merged. SAC had been working for decades to organize and represent sustainable agriculture groups across the country and develop various federal programs such as Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program and the Conservation Stewardship Program. NCSA was founded in 1994 to function as a working alliance among various groups to develop and promote sustainable agriculture policy. Together as NSAC, this organization aims to promote sustainable agriculture through policy development and change.

You can find more information about these job openings here and more information about NSAC here.

change the word “film” to “grant” and you got it!

The Ceres Trust, a private charity-based trust that supports the advancement of sustainable and organic agriculture, recently announced that they will be accepting applications for their competitive Organic Research Initiative, worth up to $10,000 each, until May 1, 2013. The ORI, now in its fourth year, is available to graduate and Ph.D. students planning to do research in the Midwest during research roughly in the time frame of the 2013-14 calendar year.

The goal of the research of a successful applicant will help to achieve one or more of the following: 1) improve organic farm systems; 2) facilitate the transition of conventional farms to organic methods; or 3) help make existing organic farms more productive and profitable. Applicants are also expected to conduct their research on operating organic farms in conjunction with organic farmers, as well as present their finding by at least September 30, 2014.

The sum the Ceres Group is offering is hefty, and so, logically, the application process looks to be demanding and competitive. Full information on the grants can be found on the trust’s website in pdf form. Remember, the deadline is May 1, which is still a ways off, but these sort of things tend to sneak up on you. Get on it now, and save the future you a lot of time and worry.