UF/IFAS Sarasota County Extension
Agriculture/Natural Resources Timely Topics

Annie's Project is Coming!

Annie’s Project is coming to Sarasota County Extension starting Feb 10, 2010!  This six-week course is designed especially for farm/ranch women. Sessions will combine lecture, discussion, individual and small group activities, and computer training to gain the understanding and knowledge necessary to be active and in-volved farm partners.  The total cost is only $25/person and space is limited.  For a registration form see this link below:

Annie's Project Brochure

 

Workshop – Vineyard Management and Amateur Wine Making Basics - October 31, 2009

Agenda :
8:30 am Registration (coffee doughnuts )
9:00 Antonio Fiorelli
“Vineyard management”
9:30 Questions
9:35 Amateur wine making basics
“From start to drink”
10:00 Questions
10:15 Sarasota & Manatee County Extension Future
Grape Program Announcements
Robert A. Kluson, Ph.D, - Sarasota County
Ervin Shannon – Manatee County
10:30 FGGA Manasota chapter Meeting
11:30 Lunch.
Workshop Cost :
Option #1 – $15 workshop includes
Coffee doughnuts, workshop
And lunch (chicken coleslaw & potato)
Option #2 - $35 workshop includes
Coffee doughnuts, FGGA one year
membership, workshop, and lunch
(chicken coleslaw & potato)
Space is limited.

Rosa Fiorelli Winery and Vineyard
4250 CR 675 Bradenton, FL 34211
Phone: (941)322-0976
Fax: (941)322-8208
Email: rfwinery1998@aol.com
Call or email reservation
by October 29, 2009

New: Phillippi Farmhouse Market

Early January 2010 will be the Grand Openning of the new Phillippi Farmhouse Market in Sarasota County.  From noon to dusk this special event will feature music, food and fun for the whole family.  This special event will benefit the restoration fund for the Farmhouse at the Phillippi Estate Park and will be repeated every Wednesday from November to April.  The venders will highlight foremost local farmers selling locally and FL grown foods. The exact date will be announced soon!

'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food

'USDA Launches 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' Initiative to Connect Consumers with Local Producers to Create New Economic Opportunities for Communities'  See the Youtube video of USDA Secretary Vilsack's anjnouncement at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tms8ye8mw_k.  For more information read the USDA press release below:

• View the Web Release

Small Farm Conference a Highlight for Florida Farmers

Written by: Nola Wilson, Marion County Small Farms Extension Agent & Small Farms Conference Executive Committee

At least 800 farmers and agriculture professionals participated in the 2009 Florida Small Farms Conference, held August 1 & 2 at Osceola Heritage Park located in Kissimmee, Florida.

This ground-breaking 1st annual event hosted by UF-IFAS/FAMU-CESTA included 30 educational sessions, over 75 educational and industry exhibitors including a multi-species animal exhibit. Two days of education included topics related to: alternative energy, food policy and regulations, livestock, business and marketing, organic and sustainable farming and horticulture with nearly 100 speakers representing UF-IFAS/FAMU-CESTA Extension, industry representatives, Department of Agriculture and farmers.

The conference kicked off with an inspiring welcome address from Charles Bronson, Florida Commissioner of Agriculture expressing there is a place for small producers in the agriculture system. “…we need small farmers …” He shared his thoughts about the Farm to Fuel Summit and the importance of becoming a more self–sustaining country less reliant on foreign oil. Another important part of the morning kick off was the Florida Innovative Farmer Awards presented to three producers for their innovation in developing and sustaining their small farm enterprise. The awards were presented to a lamb producer, pastured-poultry producer and organic citrus and vegetable producer.

A Farm to Table lunch was another highlight at the conference showcasing 20 farms that provided vegetables, meat or value-added products. A delicious meal was prepared by Chef Tony and staff with Savor Osceola Catering Co. using farm direct products.  The luncheons brought awareness to the diversity of farmers and products available for a local food system. During lunch Keynote speaker John Ikerd, Professor delivered a passionate speech about his truth on the past, present and future of agriculture. He told us a story about the year 2050 and what that could look like based upon decisions we are making today. His truth was farming in the year 2050 will look very different stating “Today’s local foods movement is not only transforming farming, it is also helping to shape a new and better future of humanity – one person at a time. One by one, by our individual food and farming choices, we are not only creating more farms, better farms, and smaller farms, we are also creating a new and better food system and a new and fundamentally better way of life.”

One of the most important results from this conference is the level of networking opportunities that transpired. Many participants shared their gratitude to have the opportunity to attend such a life changing event. 

More information about the next statewide conference will be coming soon at www.smallfarms.ifas.ufl.edu. Opportunities to be an exhibitor sponsor and/or food supplier will be available.

Links to the galleries and download pages are immediately below and remember that you may download files individually or all of them at once simply by choosing the "archive.zip" file
located at the top of the file list on all of the download pages. Thank you and enjoy the images courtesy of the IFAS
Photography Department.

Friday July 31st

• Gallery
• Hi Res Downloads

Saturday August 1st

• Gallery
• Hi Res Downloads

Sunday August 2nd

• Gallery
• Hi Res Downloads

 

Florida Farm Link Website Revamped!

Florida FarmLink launched in June 2009, after a long-awaited revamp.  This is a networking and classifieds tool for all of us in the local food, local farm community.  This site is ours -- all of ours, from Pensacola, to Jacksonville, to Homestead and beyond - we are going to show the rest of the country Florida's commitment to family farms, small farms, local farms, and building stronger community-based economies.

Sign up for free, and list your services, items for sale/wanted, and more.  Let your contacts know that they can list their services -- from well-drilling, tree-spading, local food catering, livestock services, beekeeping, raising chicks, feeds, compost, supplies, and everything else people are doing to grow food, distribute food, and eat more local food.

We are working on Phase II already that will include more user-generated content, including networking groups, higher profile events, more tools for business management, and more.

We will be at the Statewide Small Farms Conference Aug 1-2 with a booth to show people how it can work and get the word out, along with mobilizing a team of communicators to help get the word out (first meeting, see below!).

Visit www.FloridaFarmLink.org to become a member of Florida's local food community and connect with the people and resources you need to accelerate your business.

USDA Deputy Secretary Pledges Full Organic Integration

STEVENSON, Wash. -- In a message to attendees of the third annual Organic Summit ( www.theorganicsummit.com) on Thursday, Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan pledged that organic will be integrated across all agencies at USDA. Delivering pre-recorded comments, Merrigan stated that, “here is where I’d like to fulfill a promise I made to many of you…and that is, organic should be integrated across all the agencies, not just the NOP, but each and every agency at USDA should have some engagement with the organic sector.” In addition to the integration, Merrigan said, “Organic can no longer be stove-piped at USDA.”

The Deputy Secretary provided an overview of the organic policy trajectory at USDA, which included the organic provisions in the 2008 Farm Bill. She praised the Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) for its work in garnering strong support for organic from “both sides of the aisle.” She also noted the upcoming deadline of June 17, 2009 for the Organic Production Survey -- the first ever wide-scale survey of organic farming in the United States. Information from the survey will be used to shape policy and priorities with an eye toward helping small organic producers grow their operations into mid-sized farms and ranches.

“This kind of data will help us do more at USDA and help us in conversations with members of Congress to talk about the organic need,” said Merrigan. She urged the organic community to encourage full survey participation among organic producers.

Commenting further on the future of organic policy within USDA, Merrigan said she was confident the US will have a historic Canadian equivalency agreement in the near future that is beneficial for both producers and consumers.

Next on the horizon for the National Organic Program (NOP) is an era of strong enforcement, said Merrigan. Referring to the roots of the NOP in 1989, Merrigan expressed the need to match the rules of the NOP to ensure compliance. “We spent a lot of time developing standards, and now let’s make sure they have the teeth and that they are followed and adhered to,” said Merrigan.

Bob Scowcroft, Executive Director of OFRF, thanked the Deputy Secretary for taking time out of her schedule for a very informative presentation to the Organic Summit attendees. He reminded the attendees that, “she can only succeed if we hold up our end of the organic bargain.”

Jylle Lardaro, Director – Organic Industry from New Hope Natural Media and the co-chair of the Organic Summit, expressed appreciation to the Deputy Secretary for her acknowledgment of the considerable contribution made by Organic Summit attendees – whom she referred to as “the organic brain trust” -- and for her recognition of New Hope Natural Media and OFRF for bringing them together.

The video recording of the Deputy Secretary will be posted at www.theorganicsummit.com on Tuesday, June 9, 2009.

About New Hope Natural Media

The Organic Summit is produced by New Hope Natural Media, a division of Penton Media, in partnership with the Organic Farming Research Foundation. New Hope Natural Media (www.newhope.com), a division of the Penton Media, Inc., is the leading media resource and information provider for the natural, organic and healthy products industry with print, in-person/event, and e-business products and services. Penton Media, Inc. is the largest independent business-to-business media company in the U.S., serving more than six million business professionals every month. The company's market-leading brands are focused on 30 industries and include 113 trade magazines, 145 Web sites, 150 industry trade shows and conferences, and more than 500 information data products. Headquartered in New York City, the privately held company is owned by MidOcean Partners and U.S. Equity Partners II, an investment fund sponsored by Wasserstein & Co., LP, and its co-investors. For additional information on the company and its businesses, visit www.penton.com.

About the Organic Farming Research Foundation

The Organic Farming Research Foundation was founded in 1990 to foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems. OFRF sponsors organic farming research and education projects, disseminates the results to organic farmers and to growers interested in adopting organic production systems, and educates the public and policymakers about organic farming issues. The majority of OFRF’s board members are working organic farmers.

Learn more about OFRF and its work at ofrf.org

Green Special Featuring Extension's Dr. Robert Kluson Wins Award

The Education Channel and Producer Kimberly Stocker in partnership with Green Connection.US was honored with an Award of Distinction from the 2009 Videographer Awards for a green special in a 4-part series on aspects of green
living. The Award of Distinction was given to Special #3 on the importance of supporting locally grown foods. Guests on the show included Dr. Robert Kluson from the Sarasota County Extension Office and Chef de Cuisine Greg Howe from the Sarasota Ritz-Carlton.

The Videographer Awards is an international competition designed to recognize excellence in Video Productions, TV Commercials/ News/ Programs and New Media. Entries are judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication
Professionals (AMCP), an organization that consists of several thousand marketing, communication and video professionals.
The goal of the Videographer Awards is to identify and recognize the artisans who excel in the scope of their own environment. There were about 1,800 entries from throughout the United States and several other countries in the
Videographer Awards 2009 competition. The Award of Distinction was awarded for projects t h at exceeded industry standards . Approximately 14% of the entries won this award. (videoawards.com)

Below are the segments with Dr. Robert Kluson and Chief de Cuisine Greg Howe.

 

Consumer Guide Guide to Whole Animal Buying Available

Consumers interested in buying local beef or pork will want to take a look at a new publication created by the Iowa State University's Small Meat Processors' Working Group. Funded in part by a SARE grant, "Beef and Pork Whole Animal Buying Guide" explains buying pork and beef as whole animals (or portions thereof) from local producers. Producers may also consider using the publication to help clients make smart decisions and keep coming back. It explains marketing terms, information on storage and handling, meat inspection, meat cut out weight, and includes color photos of common retail beef and pork cuts by primal. This guide brings all the necessary pieces together in one easy-to-use resource. Free PDF available online. Hardcopies available in color ($6.50) and B&W ($1). To download a free pdf or order a print copy, visit their website at the following link:

Iowa State University Extension Guide to Whole Animal Buying

American Medical Association Passes Resolution Supporting Sustainable Food System

Health Care Role in Prevention and Food-Related Health Emphasized

CHICAGO, June 17 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Medical Association (AMA) has approved a new policy resolution in support of practices and policies within health care systems that promote and model a healthy and ecologically sustainable food system. The resolution also calls on the AMA to work with health care and public health organizations to educate the health care community and the public about the importance of healthy and ecologically sustainable food systems that "provide food and beverages of naturally high nutritional quality." The policy was approved today at the 158th annual meeting of the AMA in Chicago, IL.

"As our country wrestles with health care reform, the role of health care providers and facilities in providing education and leadership to help the population understand the link between the way we produce food and individual health is significant and cannot be overstated," said Jamie Harvie, director of the Health Care Without Harm Sustainable Food Work Group. "Preventing disease is paramount in the provision of health care. Hospitals, physicians and nurses are ideal leaders and advocates for creating food environments that promote health. This policy is an important contribution to a prevention-based healthcare delivery system."

The AMA's new Sustainable Food policy builds on a report from its Council on Science and Public Health (http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upload/mm/475/refcomd.pdf), which notes that locally produced and organic foods "reduce the use of fuel, decrease the need for packaging and resultant waste disposal, preserve farmland ... [and] the related reduced fuel emissions contribute to cleaner air and in turn, lower the incidence of asthma attacks and other respiratory problems." Industrial food production is a significant contributor to increased antibiotic resistance, climate change, and air and water pollution.

The new AMA policy states:

• That our AMA support practices and policies in medical schools, hospitals, and other health care facilities that support and model a healthy and ecologically sustainable food system, which provides food and beverages of naturally high nutritional quality.
• That our AMA encourage the development of a healthier food system through the US Farm Bill and other federal legislation.
• That our AMA consider working with other health care and public health organizations to educate the health care community and the public about the importance of healthy and ecologically sustainable food systems.

"Physicians now recognize that one cannot easily separate the health of food from how healthfully that food is produced," said Dr. David Wallinga, an attendee at the meeting, the Wm. T. Grant Foundation Distinguished Fellow in Food Systems and Public Health at the University of Minnesota, and a member of Health Care Without Harm. "The profligate use of antibiotics and fossil fuels in today's food system, for example, is directly linked to climate change and to the epidemic of antibiotic resistant infections, in hospitals and in communities. "

President Obama, who spoke to the AMA meeting on June 15th, reiterated the importance of developing a sustainable healthcare system that leads to better patient outcomes. "If doctors have incentives to provide the best care instead of more care, we can help Americans avoid the unnecessary hospital stays, treatments, and tests that drive up costs," Obama stated. During his visit with AMA he spoke on the White House victory garden, which was planted to help educate children on the importance of fresh healthy food.

In addition to providing fresh, nutritious food choices, health care food services across the country are implementing new initiatives such as sourcing organic food and meat produced without the use of antibiotics, buying locally produced foods, and sponsoring farmers markets and food boxes for staff. More than 240 hospitals have signed the HCWH Healthy Food in Healthcare Pledge. Signers pledge to work toward developing sustainable food systems in their facilities. In Congress, Rep. Peter Welch (D-VT) has introduced a "Blueprint for Health," legislation that calls for incentives to prevent chronic diseases, including investments in healthy and sustainable local and regional food systems.

HCWH is an international coalition of more than 430 organizations in 52 countries, working to transform the health care industry worldwide, without compromising patient safety or care, so that it is ecologically sustainable and no longer a source of harm to public health and the environment.

For more information on HCWH, see www.noharm.org.

SOURCE Health Care Without Harm

Sarasota County Wins NACo Award for Local Food

Sarasota County was awarded a 2009 NACo Achievement Award for the program entitled Local Food System Development.  The program arose out of the county's need to reduce its Ecological Footprint, 26% of which came from the county's food acquisition and consumption patterns.  Sarasota County Extension faculty initiated community discussions that resulted in specific County Comprehensive Plan language that supports a sustainable local food system.  Next steps were developing and implementing initiatives to carry out the intent of the county Comprehensive Plan.  Six different initiatives have been developed and implemented, including the Farm to School Program, demonstration and training for diversified small farm enterprises, Extension classes at two community gardens, weekly classes at two school gardens, Southwest Small Farmer Network Meetings at farms and agricultural operations, and the Suncoast Food Alliance local food distributorship partnership.

Local Foodshed Programs Create Marketing Opportunities

Robert A. Kluson, Ph.D.
UF/IFAS Sarasota County Extension, Florida

You’re probably familiar with the term “watershed,” which refers to a geographic area in which all surface waters flow toward a common location.

he term “foodshed” is getting attention these days. It refers to the geographic area involved when a food item is produced, processed, distributed and sold to consumers.

Some food items travel thousands of miles before they reach your grocery store, but many are produced within your home county.

In Florida, there are numerous projects under way to strengthen local foodsheds, promoting local crop sales to restaurants, schools and other large buyers, creating opportunities
for small farmers.

One is Florida’s Farm to School program, part of a nationwide effort run by Occidental College and the Community Food Security Coalition. According to their Web site,
http://www.farmtoschool.org, almost 50 Florida schools are involved, purchasing fresh fruits and vegetables from area farmers and serving them in school lunches.

Farmers interested in the program can contact the New North Florida Cooperative Association Inc., which pioneered the state’s farm-to-school efforts in partnership with Florida
A&M University. Since 2002, the association has helped farmers reach buyers for local schools.

Contact information is available at the Farm to School website at this link:

http://www.farmtoschool.org/FL/farms.htm.

In Palm Beach County, the Localecopia Project was initiated in 2007 by the Breakers Hotel to promote locally grown foods from small farmers for the hospitality industry. This nonprofit organization aims to connect area hotels and restaurants with producers.

Localecopia also promotes economic development through a growers’ cooperative, local food distributors and renewable energy. Farmers in the Palm Beach County area interested in
these opportunities can learn more at:

http://www.localecopia.org/.

Food co-ops and independent grocery stores frequently obtain as much locally sourced merchandise as possible, offering another potential opportunity. You can find Florida
businesses of this type at the Web site Local Harvest. Their co-op locator page is searchable by city, state and ZIP code, it’s found here:

http://www.localharvest.org/food-coops/

Finally, farmers’ markets are probably the best-known method of strengthening the local foodshed, and of course they’re found statewide. Sometimes they’re patronized by larger purchasers such as restaurants, as well as private individuals. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Agricultural Marketing Service, the number of U.S. farmers’ markets increased
almost 7 percent between August 2006 and August 2008, reaching a total of almost 4,700 nationwide.

The Agricultural Marketing Service operates a Web site where you can locate farmers’ markets throughout Florida (and every other U.S. state), searching by city, county or ZIP code. It’s located at:

http://apps.ams.usda.gov/FarmersMarkets/.

The listings include location, hours and contact information for each market.

On Aug. 1-2, 2009, the first Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference will be held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee. The event will feature exhibitors, educational sessions and more. All Florida farmers are invited to attend. Visit the conference Web site Here. (Click here for the Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference Website).

For information on conference sponsorship or being an exhibitor, contact Bob Hochmuth, 386-362-1725 or bobhoch@ufl.edu.

 

How Local Government Initiatives Can Support Local Farms

Robert A. Kluson, Ph.D.
UF/IFAS Sarasota County Extension, Florida

Consumers who want to support local farms can “vote with their dollars” and buy locally produced items at farmers’ markets, grocery stores and restaurants. But did you know there’s another way the community can play a proactive role for local
food system development? It’s through local government initiatives.
Many counties in Florida and other states have comprehensive plans to address economic development and resource management. Because agriculture is vital to so many
communities, these plans may include provisions related to farmland.

County commissioners and planners typically oversee the comprehensive plans, but they rely on advisory boards for input on specific issues. This creates an opportunity for citizens
and local farmers to voice concerns and, hopefully, influence policy.

One of the things these advisory boards can do is review existing or proposed comprehensive plans and look for items that need input regarding agricultural policy. Then they make recommendations, typically focusing on issues such as food security, preservation of agricultural land and tax incentives for sustainable farms.

Alachua and Sarasota counties have created advisory boards of this type. We’ll look briefly at each one.

In 2005, the Sarasota County Agriculture Policy Council was formed, facilitated by the county extension office. The council includes small and large farmers, ranchers, grower
associations, environmental groups, consumers, food industry personnel, etc. It was formed to aid the Sarasota Board of County Commissioners in understanding the importance of
sustainable farming. The council recommended amendments to the county comprehensive plan chapters on environment and future land use; the Board of County Commissioners
accepted the majority of the recommendations. The group meets every other month and has a Web site, http://sarasota.extension.ufl.edu/AG/agpolicy.shtml.

In Alachua County, a group known as the Energy Conservation Strategies Commission was formed at the request of the Board of County Commissioners, to develop strategies to
reduce the county’s environmental impact and promote long-term economic security. The group recommended a wide range of policies, which included strengthening local food
production, encouraging residents to plant gardens, enhancing farmers’ markets and creating a mentorship program to assist young farmers. These recommendations form a “menu of
options,” some of which may be implemented by the county government, some of which can be implemented by individuals. The group’s entire list of recommendations can be found at
here (Click here to follow link).

Hillsborough and Palm Beach counties also have efforts under way, and there may be other Florida communities with agriculture policy groups.

If you’re interested in being part of an advisory board, check with your local county commission and see what opportunities are available. Even if no agriculture-related advisory board exists now, you may be able to start one.

For those seeking more how-to information, there will be a session on policy and regulations at the Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference.

On Aug. 1-2, 2009, the first Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference will be held at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee. The event will feature exhibitors, educational sessions and more. All Florida farmers and members of the general public are invited to attend. Visit the conference Web site Here. (Click here for the Florida Small Farms and Alternative Enterprises Conference Website).

For information on conference sponsorship or being an exhibitor, contact Bob Hochmuth, 386-362-1725 or
bobhoch@ufl.edu.

$1.325 MILLION AVAILABLE FOR FLORIDA ORGANIC PRODUCERS

Applications Accepted Until May 29, 2009

GAINESVILLE, May 8, 2009—The United States Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in Florida announces over $1.3 Million in funding available for qualified applicants for a new Organics Initiative.  The initiative meets the Obama Administration’s promise to encourage more organic agriculture production.  Funding for the initiative is being made available as part of the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP).  “Assisting organic producers is one of the priorities of the 2008 Farm Bill,” said Carlos Suarez, State Conservationist for NRCS in Florida.  The 2009 Organics Initiative is a nationwide special initiative to provide financial assistance to National Organic Program (NOP) certified organic producers as well as producers in the process of transitioning to organic production.
“NRCS and organic farmers have a mutual interest in conserving the land and natural resources,” said Suarez, “we emphasize the conservation of soil and water to enhance environmental quality for our future generations.” 
As of 2007, there were 133 certified organic operations in Florida with an estimated 12,000 acres in organic farms. Organic vegetable production comprised 50% of the area with the remaining area mainly in citrus and livestock.
Under the Organic Initiative, required minimum core conservation practices will be determined by specific resource concerns. The practices are: Conservation Crop Rotation; Cover Crop; Nutrient Management; Pest Management; Prescribed Grazing; and Forage Harvest Management. 
-more-
Applications received from organic producers or producers in transition to organic farming will be accepted under this initiative between May 11 and May 29.  
To assist with eligibility questions there are two separate National Screening Tools for applicants (one for producers transitioning to organic production and one for certified organic operations).  Ranking criteria has been established based on resource concerns that link to the NOP objectives and the core conservation practices.
Interested producers should visit their nearest USDA Service Center to determine eligibility, http://www.fl.nrcs.usda.gov/contact/index.html or contact Jeffrey Woods, NRCS Assistant State Conservationist for Programs at 352-338-9515.   Additional information on the 2009 EQIP program is available at: www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs/eqip/.

 

Master Goat Producer Certification Program Update