Contact: Office of Communications (202 720-4623

Workshop to be Held at Alabama A&M University in Normal

WASHINGTON, April 26, 2010 – The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and the Department of Justice today announced additional details regarding the public workshop that will be held on May 21 at Alabama A&M University in Normal, Ala., to explore competition and regulatory issues in the agriculture industry. The focus of the workshop will be consolidation and contracting practices of the poultry sector. The first joint public workshop was held last month in Ankeny, Iowa.

The workshops, which were first announced by Attorney General Eric Holder and Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Aug. 5, 2009, are the first joint Department of Justice/USDA workshops ever to be held to discuss competition and regulatory issues in the agriculture industry. The goals of the workshops are to promote dialogue among interested parties and foster learning with respect to the appropriate legal and economic analyses of these issues, as well as to listen to and learn from parties with experience in the agriculture sector. Attendance at the workshops is free and open to the public. The general public and media interested in attending the Alabama workshop should register at http://www.aamu.edu/saes/FAS/DOJ_USDA/ .

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder, U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department’s Antitrust Division Christine Varney will participate in the Alabama workshop.

Additionally, USDA and the Department of Justice are adjusting two previously announced dates for the Madison, Wis. and Fort Collins, Colo. workshops. The current schedule for the workshops is as follows:

May 21, 2010: Poultry Industry (Normal, Ala.)

Specific areas of focus may include production contracts in the poultry industry, concentration and buyer power.

Alabama A&M University; Knight Reception Center, 4900 Meridian St., Normal, Ala.

June 25, 2010: Dairy Industry (Madison, Wis.)

Specific areas of focus may include concentration, marketplace transparency and market dynamics in the dairy industry.

University of Wisconsin: Union Theater in Memorial Union, 800 Langdon St. Madison, Wis.

Aug. 27, 2010: Livestock Industry (Fort Collins, Colo.)

This workshop will address beef, hog and other animal sectors. Likely issues for discussion are concentration in livestock markets, buyer power and enforcement of the Packers and Stockyards Act.

Colorado State University; Fort Collins, Colo., Dec. 8, 2010: Margins (Washington, D.C.)

This workshop will look at the discrepancies between the prices received by farmers and the prices paid by consumers. As a concluding event, discussions from previous workshops will be incorporated into the analysis of agriculture markets nationally.

Workshops cultivate skills for growing food, featuring no-till techniques that build beautiful soil and are widely adaptable to urban, rural, and suburban communities.  The upcoming season’s offerings include:
Grow Food Everywhere! held at the Omega Institute, Rhinebeck NY July 2-4 (register at eomega.org)
Earth and Spirit Retreat, at Seeds of Solidarity July 9-11 (contact deb@seedsofsolidarity.org for info)
Grow Food in Schools, at Seeds of Solidarity, August 12 (contact deb@seedsofsolidarity.org for info)

I do not have any further information about the LA Garden Show. Please see the LA Garden Show Webpage for more information.

50% Food Initiative and Small-Space Food Gardening
Westwood Library Earthday Workshop
Thursday, Apr 22, 6:15 – 7:45 PM
Free to the public
Darren Butler will read and briefly discuss the 7th Congress 50% Food Initiative and then discuss small-space food gardening, giving highlights from his workshop that has been featured in the LA Time, Fox 11 News, Good Food on KCRW, and many other local media. To contact the library for more information, please see the LA Library – Westwood webpage.


Course Scholarships for Free and Half-Price Tuition

Scholarship and Reduced-Price Attendance to:
Edible Landscaping and Perennial Food Gardening Certification Course
Ecofriendly High-Yield Food Gardening Course
(see below for dates, time, and location)

Half-price attendance ($110) is available to two low-income people for each course. To receive half-price attendance, you must meet the following qualifications:
1- Be an LA County Master Gardener or Trainee, or currently be on Darren Butler’s emailing list.
2- Earn less than $25,000 gross income per year for an individual, $35,000 gross income per year for a couple, or $45,000 gross income per year for a family.
3- To apply, contact Darren Butler at butlercdarren@gmail.com, stating that you are low-income, which course you want to attend, and that you are requesting half-price tuition.

Free scholarship attendance is available to two people for each course. To receive the scholarship attendance you must meet the above qualifications and be an active volunteer or have projects that benefit others. To apply, contact Darren Butler at butlercdarren@gmail.com, stating that you are low-income, which course you want to attend, and that you are requesting free tuition. Include a paragraph describing your volunteer work or projects for which you will apply the skills and knowledge gained in the course.

Deadline to apply for free tuition is Wed, Apr 7. Deadline to apply for half tuition is Friday, Apr 9. Courses begin on Apr 11. Scholarships and half-tuition enrollment may be awarded before the deadlines.

This is expected to be the last run of both courses in Southern California this year.
Space remains available for full-price attendance as of Apr 4.

Edible Landscaping and Perennial Food Gardening Certification Course

Ecofriendly High-Yield Food Gardening

The BC Association of Farmers’ Markets Conference & Marketing Caravan is 10 days away!

March 12th and 13th – Friday evening through Saturday (followed by the AGM), Penticton Ramada Inn, Penticton

Speaker Sessions: * Q&A with Honourable Steve Thomson, Minister of Agriculture & Lands * Jolene Brown – Award winning international speaker, marketing expert and farmer. * Annemarie Pedersen – Public & media relations expert, specializing in agriculture.

Door Prize: All registrants for the Conference will be entered to win a day of mentorship – a chance to have a one-day, on-farm consultation with a business consultant. This is a great opportunity to get valuable feedback and ideas. See website for Conference details or call 604-255-4250

University and high school students can register for FREE! To register, call 604-255-4250 or download the registration form and send it to: BC Association of Farmers’ Markets, Suite 308-2260 West 2nd Ave Vancouver, BC V6K 1H9

Sponsored by:

Contact: U.S. Department of Agriculture Office of Communications Jim Brownlee 202-720-4623 U.S. Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs Gina Talamona 202-514-2007

USDA AND DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE WORKSHOPS TO EXPLORE COMPETITION AND REGULATORY ISSUES IN THE AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY TO BEGIN MARCH 12 IN IOWA

Initial Workshop to be Held in Ankeny, Iowa, at Des Moines Area Community College, FFA Enrichment Center

WASHINGTON, Feb. 23, 2010 – The Department of Justice and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced today the agenda and panelists for the first joint public workshop, which will be held on March 12, 2010, in Ankeny, Iowa, to explore competition and regulatory issues in the agriculture industry. The workshop will be held at the Des Moines Area Community College’s FFA Enrichment Center.

The workshops, which were first announced by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack and Attorney General Eric Holder on Aug. 5, 2009, are the first joint USDA/Department of Justice workshops ever to be held to discuss competition and regulatory issues in the agriculture industry. The goals of the workshops are to promote dialogue among interested parties and foster learning with respect to the appropriate legal and economic analyses of these issues, as well as to listen to and learn from parties with experience in the agriculture sector. Attendance at the workshops is free and open to the public. The general public and media interested in attending the initial workshop should register at https://go.dmacc.edu/ffa/agworkshop.

Vilsack and the Department of Justice’s Assistant Attorney General for the Antitrust Division Christine Varney will participate in the workshop and will be joined by Iowa Agriculture Secretary Bill Northey and Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller. They will participate in a roundtable discussion with presentations on current issues affecting farmers. Two panels focusing on the competitive dynamics in the seed industry and trends in contracting, transparency and buyer power will follow. The first day of the workshops will end with an enforcer roundtable and public testimony.

The workshop schedule follows:

Opening Remarks (9:00 a.m. CST – 9:15 a.m. CST)

Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Christine Varney, Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, U.S. Department of Justice

Roundtable Discussion and Presentation of Issues (9:15 a.m. CST – 11:30 a.m. CST)

Tom Vilsack, Secretary of Agriculture, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Christine Varney, Assistant Attorney General for Antitrust, U.S. Department of Justice

Tom Miller, Attorney General, State of Iowa

Bill Northey, Secretary of Agriculture, State of Iowa

Tom Harkin, Senator, U.S. Senate (tentative)

Chuck Grassley, Senator, U.S. Senate (tentative)

Leonard Boswell, Congressman, U.S. House of Representatives (tentative)

Invited:

Chet Culver, Governor, State of Iowa

A farmer roundtable discussion and testimony will also be given at this time. Farmer panelists will be posted on the Web site at a later date.

Seed Competitive Dynamics Panel (1:00 p.m. CST – 2:15 p.m. CST)

Moderator:

James MacDonald, Chief, Agricultural Structure and Productivity Branch, Economic Research Service, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Panelists:

Ray Gaesser, Soybean and Corn Farmer, Corning, Iowa; Vice President, American Soybean Association; Former President, Iowa Soybean Association

Neil E. Harl, Charles F. Curtiss Distinguished Professor in Agriculture and Emeritus Professor of Economics, Iowa State University; Member of the Iowa Bar

Dermot Hayes, Professor of Economics and Finance, Pioneer Chair in Agribusiness, Iowa State University

Diana Moss, Vice President & Senior Fellow, American Antitrust Institute

Jim Tobin, Vice President, Industry Affairs, Monsanto Company

Agricultural Trends Panel (2:15 p.m. CST – 3:15 p.m. CST)

Moderator:

Phil Weiser, Deputy Assistant Attorney General, U.S. Department of Justice

Panelists:

Brian Buhr, Professor and Head of Department, Applied Economics, University of Minnesota

Rachael Goodhue, Associate Professor, Department of Agriculture and Resource Economics, University of California, Davis

Mary Hendrickson, Extension Associate Professor of Rural Sociology, University of Missouri

John Lawrence, Professor of Economics, Iowa State University

Chuck Wirtz, pork producer, Whittemore, Iowa

Patrick Woodall, Research Director, Food & Water Watch

Enforcer Roundtable Discussion Panel (3:30 p.m. CST – 4:15 p.m. CST)

Moderator:

Mark Tobey, Special Counsel for State Relations and Agriculture, U.S. Department of Justice

Panelists:

Steve Bullock, Attorney General, State of Montana

Richard Cordray, Attorney General, State of Ohio

John Ferrell, Deputy Under Secretary for Marketing and Regulatory Programs, U.S. Department of Agriculture

Stephen Obie, Director, Division of Enforcement, Commodity Futures Trading Commission

William Stallings, Assistant Section Chief, Transportation, Energy and Agriculture Section, Antitrust Division, U.S. Department of Justice

Public Testimony (4:15 p.m. CST – 5:15 p.m. CST)

This is an opportunity for those in the audience to make comments in an open forum.

Additional updates and information will be posted on the Antitrust Division’s agriculture workshop Web site at http://www.justice.gov/atr/public/workshops/ag2010/index.htm. While no streaming Web cast will be available, transcripts will be available for review at a later date on the Antitrust Division’s Web site. Individuals seeking more information on the workshops should contact agriculturalworkshops@usdoj.gov .

Tuesday February 9th, 2010, 9am-3:30pm: Southwest Michigan Research and Education Center (SWMREC); 1791 Hilandale Rd., Benton Harbor, MI  49022 – RSVP by Feb. 3

Tuesday February 16th, 2010, 9am-3:30pm: Detroit Eastern Market District – Sacred Heart Catholic Church; 3451 Rivard St., Detroit, MI  48207 – RSVP by Feb. 10

There is no cost to attend. Lunch will be provided, and participants can purchase the revised 240-page “Wholesale Success: A Farmer’s Guide to Selling, Post-Harvest Handling and Packing Produce” Manual for only $25 (normally $75)

Space is limited so register early!

Contact Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS) for more information or to RSVP at (517) 432-0712 or miffs@msu.edu. You must register to attend!

EAST LANSING, Mich. – An advanced workshop series on Good Agricultural Practices (GAP) and Good Handling Practices (GHP) is reaching out to Michigan produce growers trying to tackle food safety certification, which is being required by regional grocery stores and wholesale distributors looking to source local products. “These workshops are diving into the key risk areas of concern for
fruit and vegetable farmers as they understand certification standards and practices that wholesale and retail buyers are requiring to ensure safe food for their customers,” said Elaine Brown,  Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS). Each workshop will offer an overview of audit considerations and expectations, lessons learned and perspectives from auditors, as well as from growers who have become certified, and the buyer’s perspective on the importance of food safety certification.

These three workshops will take place on Feb. 2 at the Starting Block, Inc. kitchen incubator in Hart, Feb. 9 at the Southwest Michigan Research and Education Center (SWMREC) in Benton Harbor, and Feb. 16 at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in the Eastern Market District of Detroit from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. each day.  In addition to an auditor panel and GAP certified growers,  industry representatives from groceries and distribution centers, like Sysco, will share their retail perspective on the importance of good practices.

There is no cost to attend, but the value is more than $50 per person and includes lunch. Participants will have the opportunity to purchase the revised, 240-page “Wholesale Success: A Farmer’s Guide to Selling, Post-Harvest Handling and Packing Produce” Manual for only $25, which retails for $75. FamilyFarmed.org developed this “Wholesale Success” manual to build the capacity of Midwest farmers to meet the burgeoning demand for local food. It features comprehensive sections on issues like building buyer relationships, food safety and calculating return on investment, along with crop profiles with specific harvesting, cooling, storage and packing information on fruits and vegetables grown in the Midwest.

For more information or to RSVP, please contact the Michigan Food & Farming Systems (MIFFS) office at (517) 432-0712 or miffs@msu.edu. A flyer is also available for viewing and download at http://www.miffs.org/media/GAP GHP Workshops10.pdf.  Space is limited, so register early to save your spot, as participants will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. Registration is required in advance to ensure adequate meals and materials.  Please register by the following dates for each session: Thursday, Jan. 28 for the session in Hart; Wednesday, Feb. 3 for the session in Benton Harbor, and Wednesday, Feb. 10 for the session in Detroit.

These workshops are funded by a Specialty Crop Block Grant. Other sponsors include: MIFFS, the Michigan State University Product Center for Agriculture and Natural Resources, Michigan State University Extension, the Michigan Department of Agriculture, the Starting Block, Inc. regional kitchen incubator, SWMREC and the Eastern Market Corporation.

Part 1: starting a vegetable garden from scratch
Learn how to start a vegetable garden from scratch in raised beds, containers and straight in the ground. Class covers sowing seeds, preparing garden soil, containers, and maximizing harvests organically. Includes tips on lawn removal, drip irrigation, compost, introducing fruit trees and more.

Hands-on element: You’ll cultivate garden soil and prep containers where vegetable crops and more will be planted in Part 2 of this series. You’ll also get a head start on the season by sowing seeds in trays to take home.

$50 includes seeds and materials

Saturday February 6 | 10am – noon or 1pm – 3pm

Saturday March 6 | 10am – noon or 1pm – 3pm

Part 2 – installing a vegetable garden, and more
Learn by doing. Practice installing a vegetable and fruit garden in the beds and containers prepped earlier in Part 1 of this series.

Learn about spacing and grouping plants appropriately, what to plant where, crop rotation, companion planting and beneficial insects. Includes tips on making your own organic fertilizer.

$50

Sunday January 24 | 10am – noon or 1pm – 3pm

Sunday February 14 | 10am – noon or 1pm – 3pm

Sunday March 14 | 10am – noon or 1pm – 3pm

Build a Permanent Herb Bed with Maya Dailey

January 23, 2010 from 8am to 12pm – The Farm at South Mountain Build a Permanent Herb Bed with Maya Dailey HANDS-ON, Limit 20 people Suggested Donation $20 Everything you wanted to know about creating a garden bed especially for growing vibrant, flavorful herb… Organized by Administrator | Type: hands-on

“Each year our Farming for the Future conference seems to get bigger and better. In addition to our normal offering of exciting workshops and keynote speakers on Friday and Saturday, our Pre-Conference sessions have become a major part of the overall experience for many participants. Thursday evening has grown into a very special time, filled with good food and musical fun for the whole family. Sometimes our annual gathering seems more of a big family reunion than anything else!

The past year has been one of financial hardship for many Americans, both farmers and non-farmers alike. But very little momentum has been lost in terms of building food systems that feature more locally and sustainably raised farm products. Everywhere I go I hear about new farmers’ markets and existing ones going year-round, bigger CSA memberships, more stores buying from local farmers and restaurants featuring local food, and the list goes on.

But we are all increasingly aware that sales of local food are only part of the solution to the overall challenges we face as a society. There is a much larger reason why we farm, and a more significant responsibility we acquire in choosing to serve our own communities as a priority. Ultimately, our local focus has a global significance, in learning how the peoples of the world can be fed and the natural environment restored from the brink of an unfolding disaster at the same time.

We look forward to welcoming you to this, our 19th edition of one of the largest and most respected gatherings of sustainable ag enthusiasts anywhere in the country. Come join us as we explore the great sustainable challenge now before us, providing a livable tomorrow for our families, our communities and, indeed, the entire world.”

- Brian Snyder, PASA Executive Director

Download the comprehensive Conference brochure at: http://www.pasafarming.org/conference2010/pdf/brouchure_2010.pdf

Register for the Conference at: http://www.gifttool.com/registrar/ShowEventDetails?ID=1946&EID=5895

Visit the Conference web page at: http://www.pasafarming.org/conference2010/index.cfm