Summary of the 2013 Farm Bill

by David Lynch
Colorado Land Link Director

Having failed to pass a Farm Bill as scheduled last year, Congress is trying again. Like the last several Farm Bills, the proposed Farm Bill will generally support the large consolidated corporate agriculture system.  There are no proposals on the table for systemic changes, but there have been several potentially significant amendments on specific topics that affect sustainable farmers and local food consumers. Unfortunately the Senate passed the Farm Bill without having reached agreement on any of the following amendments. Watch to see what amendments will be brought up before the House of Representatives with their version of the Farm Bill.

1.  Amendment #1042 sponsored by Senator King seeks to support small, direct-marketing farmers by clarifying the exemption for small farmers under the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA).

When the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) passed Congress two years ago, it included a very important provision that exempted small-scale, direct-marketing farmers from some of the burdensome new regulations.  The Tester-Hagan provision of FSMA was a vital protection for local food producers.

When FDA proposed regulations this year under FSMA, however, its interpretation of the Tester-Hagan provision undercut much of the intent.  Among other problems, FDA’s proposed regulations measure who is a small farmer based on all the food they sell, instead of based on the food they sell that is subject to FSMA.  The real intention of the Tester-Hagan provision was to judge size under FSMA based on the foods subject to FSMA, and Senator King’s Amendment clarifies that intention.  This will bring more farmers within the protections of the Tester-Hagan provision, preventing them from being driven out of business by new federal regulations.

 2.  Senator Tester has an amendment entitled “Classical Breeding Amendment #972”. The goal of this amendment is to support non-GMO seeds. More and more, corporations are control agriculture research and are focused on expanding their genetically engineered crops; every year farmers are left with fewer choices of seeds that are not genetically engineered. Farmers who want to avoid growing genetically modified organisms (GMOs) simply don’t have good alternatives.  And when farmers have no options, consumers have no options.
 
In the 2008 Farm Bill, Congress directed the USDA to make classical plant and animal breeding a priority for funding, but the agency imposed hurdles in the grant-making process that have undermined this Congressional mandate. Senator Tester’s amendment will prioritize the USDA’s breeding grants for classical breeding of public cultivars and non-GMO seeds.

3. There are several amendments that are dedicated to support farmer and consumer choice. Amendment #978 would require judicial review of non-GMO crops, amendment #934 would ban GMO salmon, and both amendments #965 and #1025 would support labeling requirements at both the federal and state levels.

4.  Senator Wyden’s Industrial Hemp Amendment would support American farmer’s freedom to once again grow hemp to the extent that it is allowed under state laws. Hemp is planted in many countries, and is legal to use in the U.S. – but it is not legal to plant it in the U.S. 

The seed is known for its healthy protein and rich oil. The outer fiber from the stalk can be used for clothing, canvas and rope; the inner core fiber can be used for construction and paper production.   This crop provides excellent opportunities for farmers for a sustainable, profitable crop.

5.  The 2008 farm bill included a provision for “Country of Origin Labeling (COOL)”. Senator Johanns amendment would eliminate it.

For years, American farmers and consumers have fought to get mandatory Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for food products, so that consumers could know what country their food came from.  The large meatpackers, however, don’t like this and are trying to get COOL eliminated in the Farm Bill. COOL is already the law of the land – it should not be reversed in this Farm Bill. Consumers deserve the right to know the source of their food and U.S. farmers and ranchers should be allowed to promote their products with pride.

Upcoming Events in the Garden to Cafeteria Garden!

Community Work Day

Date: Friday, May 24th
Time: 9am-12pm
Location: Garden to Cafeteria garden, Holman Ave. (by the soccer fields)

The growing season is upon us, and the garden to cafeteria garden on Holman could use some helping hands to get it ready for spring planting!  We are hoping for about 10 adults and teens to help with some heavy lifting projects to haul soil and construct raised beds. 
 
If you're interested in joining us, please RSVP to Margaret Fitch: margaret@guidestonecolorado.org, or (802)274-2870

Salida School Gardens Open House

Date: Friday, May 31st
Time: 1-4pm

Come celebrate the beginning of summer with us at the Salida School Gardens Open house at the school garden on Holman Ave. the afternoon of May 31st!  E-mail Margaret Fitch for more details:
margaret@guidestonecolorado.org

Registration is OPEN for Farmhands Summer Education Programs!

Register NOW to receive the Spring Chicken early-bird Rate for all of our Farmhands programs for Summer 2013!!

June 3 - August 15

 
Farmhands Youth Education Programs provide hands-on, experiential farm & ranch education opportunities for children of all ages, families and youth organizations!  

Farmhands programs have expanded this year both in numbers of programs and teaching locations!  We have offerings for the following age distinctions: 4 and Under, 5 and Under, 5-7 Years, 7-10 Years, 10 and Up.  Teaching locations include the historic Hutchinson Homestead, The Morgan Center, Moonstone Farm and The Salida School Gardens.

There are numerous summer programming opportunities to choose from, including:

• Little Sprouts programs for the youngest members of the family and their parents/grandparents

• Weekly garden programs

• 4-day camps at the historic Hutchinson Homestead

• 4-day garden, farm and ranch camps

• Saturday Drop-in programs at the Hutchinson Homestead

• Special Contract Group opportunities available

Advance Registration Required for all programs.  To see a complete list of program descriptions, dates, ages, cost, locations and additional registration information, click HERE.

For more information, contact andrea@guidestonecolorado.org or call (719)445-9855

 

Land Link Forum

Colorado Land Link Initiative  

Strategic Planning Forum

March 8th and 9th, 2013

 Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort 

Nathrop, CO

About the Forum

Guidestone is organizing this forum on Land Link to explore the initiative as an important tool to preserve Colorado’s vital agricultural resources by linking next generation producers with retiring farmers, ranchers and landowners and providing educational resources and training opportunities.

This event is designed to: 

• Provide informative speakers and workshops regarding various aspects of Land Link
• Introduce Guidestone’s Land Link program, database and developing resources
• Discuss potential partners and collaboration possibilities
• Strategize for a statewide Land Link program
• Access expertise and experience of other farm and land link programs nation-wide
• Explore training and educational opportunities

Highlights of the event include:

• The Friday evening Keynote Address by John Salazar, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture.
• Saturday morning, Guest Speaker, John Baker, Farm Transition Specialist of the National Farming Transition Network will share his experience and expertise in assisting with the development of other landlink programs in the U.S.

Who should attend?

• Agriculture service providers
• Conservation Specialists
• Educators in farm transition
• Government officials
• Nonprofit leaders
• Local food organizers

Schedule of Events

Friday, March 8th

1:00-5:00pm:  Registration and Exhibit Hall Opens- 
Join us to network with other statewide agricultural service providers and learn about local food initiatives and producers in our region.

1:00-4:00pm: Conservation Easement Workshop-
Hosted by Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas (LTUA) and presented by Andrew Mackie, Executive Director and invited guest speakers. In this workshop we will discuss how conservation easements work and the legal requirements for entering into such an agreement. We will also discuss the benefits available to landowners from the Colorado State Tax Credit to the Federal Deduction. In addition, we will go over the steps of setting up a conservation easement and the required due diligence procedures. The workshop is recommended for any landowner that is interested in learning more about protecting their land and any other individual that wants to know more about this major conservation tool. For additional information call the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas at 719-539-7700.

6:00-9:00pm: A Celebration of Colorado Agriculture- 
Join us for a Colorado local foods dinner with a Keynote Address by John Salazar, Colorado Commissioner of Agriculture.  A Sixth-generation farmer and rancher, Salazar served three terms represnting Colorado's 3rd Congressional District and was a member of the House Agriculture Committee.  Before his time in Congress, Salazar served in the Colorado General Assembly for two years.  The evening will also include local entertainment and a silent auction to benefit Guidestone.

 

Saturday, March 9th

8:00-9:00am:  Breakfast, Registration, Exhibit Hall

9:00-10:00am:  A National Perspective on Land Link Programs 
Guest Speaker, John Baker of the National Farming Transition Network will share his experience and expertise in assisting with the development of other landlink programs in the U.S. He will address strategies for a successful Colorado initiative and the lessons learned through other landlink efforts.

10:00-11:00am:  Colorado Land Link- A Pathway for Farm Transition
Representatives from Guidestone, Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, and Colorado State University Extension will discuss current efforts in their partnership to develop a statewide Land Link initiative and provide a framework for the afternoon strategic planning sessions.

11:00am-12:00pm: Community Land Trust -Panel Discussion
 Hosted by the Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas (LTUA), this panel will include representatives from community-based Land Trust organizations from throughout the state to discuss the vital role that these organizations can play in preserving agricultural resources and promoting land link efforts.

12:00pm-1:30pm: Lunch, Exhibit Hall and Break

1:30-4:00pm: Colorado Land Link Strategic Planning- Interactive Summit 
Participants will engage in a facilitated discussion that will examine the goals and desired outcomes of a statewide land link intiative, take inventory of current programs, initiatives, and resources, and identify the resources needed  and collaboration opportunities for an effective statewide or regional program.

4:00-5:00pm: Outcomes of Strategic Planning Sessions and Closing Remarks

Lodging and Meals

Meals: Forum Registration includes dinner on Friday night, breakfast on Saturday, and lunch on Saturday.  If you have dietary restrictions, please make note in your registration form.

Lodging: Participants are encouraged to stay on site at Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort.  Guidestone has a number of rooms being held with a group rate ($99 for hotel room, $50 pp for shared cabin) for forum attendees.  Please contact Mt. Princeton Resort directly to book your room and let them know this is for the Guidestone event.

To Register, click HERE !

Guidestone is pleased to be hosting this forum with the following Sponsors and Partners:

Gratitude

Gardens are such a ripe metaphor for the Thanksgiving season; the cornucopia of the harvest reminding us all of the abundance we can experience through a garden harvest, a bountiful feast and the loving relationships of family and friends.

On this Thanksgiving, all of us at Guidestone would like to extend our gratitude to our volunteers, participants, partners and this community that values healthy local food.  Best wishes for an abundant and thank-filled holiday!

Land Link - Sustainablility and Resilience

written by Andrea Earley Coen
Education & Outreach Director, Guidestone

Just after Hurricane Sandy swept up the East Coast,  a friend shared a link to a New York Times article (included below) about the ideas of sustainability and resilience.  The article got me thinking more about those ideas in regards to Guidestone's work, and this blog is based on those musings...

There is an interesting conversation that is currently taking place across many sectors of society, discussing the differences between sustainability and resilience, and the necessity of both to ensure communities thrive within unpredictably changing environmental conditions.

Resilience implies the short-term ability to respond effectively to dynamic, unforeseen, potentially catastrophic situations.  Sustainability on the other hand addresses the causes of these potentially unforeseen situations and works toward solutions.  For example, from an Ecology perspective, resilience would be the ability to assist a prey animal species to adapt and rebound from overhunting by an overpopulation of it’s primary predator.  Sustainability in this same scenario would focus on the factors that led to overpopulation of that predator and work towards ecological balance in this predator-prey dynamic. 

When applied to the idea of food systems, resilience refers to the ability to manage different parts of the food supply chain during a limited-time event (i.e. major storm) while sustainability addresses the larger-scale needs of ensuring a local food system that can cope with changing environmental conditions.

For an informative article recently published in the New York Times, post-hurricane Sandy, in regards to the paring of these ideas, click here.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/03/opinion/forget-sustainability-its-about-resilience.html?pagewanted=all

For a more in-depth look at sustainability and resilience in food systems, click here to read an article on the University of Vermont’s Food Feed blog.
http://learn.uvm.edu/foodsystemsblog/2012/10/22/resilience-and-sustainability-in-the-food-system/

Guidestone and the Central Colorado Land Link Initiative 

Within Guidestone, sustainability and resilience are two sides of the coin that Land Link is working to address in regards to land access and local food production. 

Resilience comes by helping bolster the local food economy on many levels. The Central Colorado Land Link Initiative (CCLLI) increases opportunities in farming and ranching by connecting retiring farmers, ranchers and landowners with next generation farmers and helping to create equitable, secure, and affordable access to agricultural land through various management and lease agreement structures. 

Guidestone’s sustainability comes through it’s demonstrated commitment to organizational strength through building the capacity of our staff and volunteers, developing a diverse funding strategy, and establishing strategic partnerships.  In regards to the CCLLI, this includes the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union, Land Trust of the Upper Arkansas and CSU Extension.

Land Link Currently:

We have had an incredible outpouring of interest on our Land Link database with over 100+ registered users from across the country, over 40 of which have also submitted farmer applications and are inspired and enthusiastic to begin new or move existing agricultural operations to the Arkansas Valley region and throughout Colorado.  There is a high demand for land opportunities to accompany this burgeoning group of aspiring farmers!

Please contact andrea@guidestonecolorado.org to learn more about the Land Link program and how you could get involved or visit www.guidestonecolorado.org/Land-Link to submit a land listing.


And if you would like to join us in this conversation of land link and local food systems...

 

Land Link Forum - Save the Date!  

March 8-9, 2013

Mt. Princeton Hot Springs

Please join Guidestone in this forum on land link, local foods and agriculture.  The 2-day event will include a keynote speaker, presentations, discussion and networking opportunities, delicious meals highlighting local foods of our area and a Friday evening social event, all held at the beautiful Mt. Princeton Hot Springs Resort.  More details to come!

For info on the Mt. Princeton Resort, go to www.mtprinceton.com

Pumpkin Patch Thank You!

 On behalf of Guidestone’s Board of Directors and staff, we would like to extend a resounding thank you to everyone in the community who participated in our 6th Annual Pumpkin Patch Festival, this year held at the Hutchinson Ranch.  It was a wonderful weekend of festivities, and we are grateful to all the attendees, volunteers, sponsors and partners that helped make the weekend a success!

Abby & Wendell "Hutch" Hutchinson

We would like to specifically thank the following individuals, organizations and animals for helping make the Pumpkin Patch such a great event: Art & Abby Hutchinson and the staff and animals of the Hutchinson Ranch, Ralph Ogden of Arkansas Valley Trail Rides and his team of wranglers, draft horses and ponies, Dennis Fischer and his John Deere tractor, Weathervane Farm for providing pumpkins, Colorado Grown Distribution Center, GARNA and all of our hard-working and positive volunteers: Deb Bass, Shannon Bevington, Michael Blazewicz, Ruby Brown, Leslie Champ, Charis Cheeseman, Travis & Ann Colbert, Cecilia & Tess Darracott, Tami Deal, Christi Lee Delaney, Karen Fortier, Michael Hayes and students from Horizons Exploratory Academy, Nancy Hunt, Angie Jensen, Emily Karls, Karen Lacy, Elizabeth Laesecke, Samantha Lane, Karen & Kelsey Lundberg, David Lynch, Claudia Mann, Melissa McKenna, Amy McMillan, Dee Miller, Anne Oliver, Mesa & Lily Pinto, Danielle Riggio, Seth, Caitlin & Juniper Roberts, Joan & Randy Roberts, Beth Sather, Claire Shepard, Susan Skye, Kristine Smock, Faith Spino, Isaac Stackonis, Betsy Steinberg & Family, Josh & Sam Visitacion, Mark Zander. 

Linda, Jack, Steve & Greg

Thanks as well to the following musicians for sharing their talent and creating such a festive atmosphere!  Pierce Gresham, Sam Pankratz, Carl Meinecke, Drew Murzda, Elisha McArthur, Dave Tipton, Greg Walters, Linda Lovell, Jack Chivvis and Stephen Smalzell.

We also would like to thank the following businesses for their sponsorships or in-kind donations: Arkansas Valley Trail Rides, LiveWell Chaffee County, The Eddyline Restaurant and Brewery, Erin’s Organics Geothermal Greenhouse, Simple Foods, Izze, The Chip Peddler, Ploughboy, Scanga’s, Hutchinson Ranch Grass-Fed Beef, Mountain Phoenix Coffee Roasters, City On A Hill Roastery and Sweetie’s Bakery.

All of the proceeds from the Pumpkin Patch go to support Guidestone’s Farmhands Education Program, which provides hands-on, experiential farm & ranch education programs to school groups, children and families.  Guidestone is a Chaffee County-based non-profit dedicated to strengthening the local food economy through the preservation of agricultural resources and education.

Community support is invaluable to the success of these programs, and we are grateful to be part of such an enthusiastic community that supports local food and local agriculture.  Thanks again, and best wishes for a cozy winter.  We hope to see you on the farm again soon!

Tom Pokorny & Jen Visitacion at the welcome table!

Warm regards,
Guidestone Staff: Jennifer Tucker Visitacion, Andrea Earley Coen and Margaret Fitch
Guidestone Board: Brian England, Tom Pokorny, Judie Anders, Erin Oliver, Paul Houser and Derald Brady.

Pumpkin Patch crowd in the barn

Watching apples go through the cider press!

Making corn husk dolls

Chip & Dale waiting for a wagon load of kids to head out to the pumpkin patch

Joan & Randy Roberts ready to sell pumpkins and gourds

Busy hands at the craft table

Simpler Times Bluegrass Band taking advantage of late afternoon sunlight on Friday evening

Getting ready for a pony ride

Art & Wendell "Hutch" Hutchinson enjoying the festivities

Dennis Fischer and his hard-working John Deere tractor delivering folks to the barn

Angie Jensen working the cider press with some enthusiastic helpers