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Pioneer
Valley Women’s Agricultural Network Newsletter
Spring, 2006
Upcoming
Pioneer Valley Women's Agricultural Network Meetings:
Monday,
May 8th, 6:30 PM
Diane
Fisher-Katz, M.S., M.D.T., a physical therapist
from the Valley Medical Group, will be demonstrating
and discussing “How to Prevent Injuries
on the Farm.” Learn how to prevent back,
knee, shoulder and other joint injuries.
Location:
CISA offices. Dinner provided ($7-10). Registration
preferred. Call 413- 665-7100 or email therese@buylocalfood.com
to register by May 3rd.
Thursday,
July 27th, 6:00 PM
Second
Annual Celebration of Women in Agriculture. Cheryl
Rogowski, owner of W. Rogowski Farm in Pine Island,
NY and MacArthur Foundation Genius Award recipient
will speak about "Working Smarter, Not Harder".
Location: Whatley Town Hall. Dinner provided.
Registration preferred. Call 413-665-7100 or email
therese@buylocalfood.com.
________________________________________________________________
The following article is the first in a series
of four on the drafting of the 2007 Farm Bill.
The article originally appeared in the Winter
2006 Vermont Women’s Agricultural Network
Newsletter, Volume 4, Issue 3. To view the entire
newsletter online, visit http://www.uvm.edu/~wagn/newsletter.html.
Developing
the Next Farm Bill
By Mary Peabody
Every
five years Congress is charged with drafting a
new Farm Bill. Actually titled the Farm Security
and Rural Investment Act, the Farm Bill is an
omnibus bill that includes many of the laws, policies
and provisions that govern federal farm support,
food assistance, agricultural trade, marketing,
and rural development for the entire country.
While
many would argue that much of the Farm Bill is
outdated, it is more common that any new Farm
Bill is actually a fine-tuning of the existing
document. The sheer size and number of programs
included pretty much guarantees that the document
will never be rewritten from scratch.
What
surprises many new students of government policy
is how broad the Farm Bill is—it covers
much more than farm policy. The current Farm Bill
is broken into10 titles, with each title being
a chapter that is roughly organized by a general
policy theme.
The most hotly debated item in every Farm Bill
is Title I, the Commodity program, which specifies
direct payment and production marketing loans
for select products. The hot issue in every recent
Farm Bill debate is the provision that nominally
limits annual crop payments to $360,000 per person.
Title
II of the Farm Bill addresses Conservation programs
designed to help farmers adopt environmentally
beneficial farming practices. A partial list of
the programs includes the EQIP, the conservation
security program and a host of programs protecting
wetlands, wildlife and environmentally sensitive
land.
Title
III, the Trade policy covers export programs but
also includes foreign food aid and the International
Food for Education and Child Nutrition.
Nutrition
Programs, Title IV of the Farm Bill, covers domestic
nutrition programs such as the food stamp program,
emergency food assistance, and the commodity supplemental
food program. The intent of these policies is
to ensure food security for all by getting food
to those unable to purchase it at the market price.
Title
V, the Credit title, authorizes funding levels
for farm credit programs which provide funds for
both direct loans and guaranteed loan programs.
This title is particularly important in the ongoing
debate of how farmland can best be transferred
to a new generation of farmers without unduly
disadvantaging either the exiting farmer or the
beginning farmer.
The
Rural Development Title, VI, includes the value-added
ag market development grant program, rural infrastructure
such as broadband services, municipal water and
septic projects as well as the Rural Business
Investment Program.
Title
VII, the Research and Related Matters title, funds
university research programs as well as the cooperative
extension program. Each Farm Bill designates certain
areas as priority topics but the Congressional
appropriations actually dictate much of what can
be accomplished.
Title
VIII, Forestry creates programs to help private
forest landowners manage their forests sustainably
but this title also includes assistance to local
governments for fighting wildfires.
Title
IX, the Energy title, was added in the last Farm
Bill. It covers programs related to bioenergy,
renewable energy grants for farmers to improve
their energy efficiency.
Title
X, Miscellaneous, is the catchall title for a
wide variety of programs that include country
of origin labeling, animal health protection laws,
appropriations for socially disadvantaged farmers,
and biotechnology education.
For
the past year, USDA has been gathering broad input
on what the next Farm Bill should contain. Thousands
of individuals have already weighed in on a variety
of issues ranging from how best to support beginning
farmers to what the priorities should be for rural
communities.
_________________________________________________________________
The On-Farm Mentor’s
Guide: Practical Approaches to Teaching on the
Farm
Considering
offering an on-farm mentoring program on your
farm? NESFI, the New England Small Farm Institute,
has two tools to help you think about a teaching
program that will work for you— Cultivating
a New Crop of Farmers: Is On-Farm Mentoring Right
for You and Your Farm? and The On-Farm Mentor’s
Guide: Practical Approaches to Teaching on the
Farm.
While
all workers on your farm are your employees and
will need instruction in how to perform their
jobs well, trainees will also expect an education—a
chance to gain broader knowledge of farming as
well as competency in a variety of practical farming
skills.
Is
On-Farm Mentoring Right for You and Your Farm?
is a decision-making workbook. It is designed
to provide aspiring mentors a set of self-assessment
exercises to help decide if becoming an on-farm
mentor would be a good choice. The On-Farm Mentor’s
Guide is a handbook for farmers who decide to
include on-farm mentoring program as a part of
their farm enterprise.
To
order either or both of these materials, contact
NESFI at info@smallfarm.org
or (413) 323-4531.
Also,
look for on-line support for mentors at www.smallfarm.org/mentors
--coming soon.
_________________________________________________________________
The following article presents the perspective
of a recent trainee who is a member of the Steering
Committee of the Pioneer Valley Women’s
Agricultural Network.
Creating
Positive Internship Experiences
by Maura Brown
An
internship is an excellent way to get practical
farm knowledge if you are considering farming,
but aren't yet ready to make that commitment.
It is also a great way to find help for your farm,
provided you are prepared to provide training
and education in exchange for labor. Some training
opportunities provide housing and meals as part
of compensation. I spent last summer as a trainee
at Atlas Farm which provided a fair wage and didn't
require living on-site.
Atlas
Farm is run by Gideon and Sara Porth. It is certified
organic; ten acres in Montague and South Deerfield.
They grow lettuces, specialty greens, heirloom
tomatoes, and a whole range of crops. Gideon is
very knowledgeable, and open with that knowledge.
He shared planting tables, rotations, and plans
with me. I learned a lot about plant requirements,
diseases, insects, and weeds. He always took time
to answer questions, and was timely and organized
with the paperwork required for me to receive
credit for the work at my college. Gideon was
patient and clear in showing me how to run equipment,
whether it was the roto-tiller, the box truck,
or the pump for irrigation.
Farmer's
Markets are the main outlet for sales at Atlas
Farm--two in Boston and one in Pittsfield, as
well as restaurants and some wholesale accounts.
Market days felt like a bonus—getting to
meet and interact with the customers. Their wide
eyes and delight at the produce we brought to
market made all the hours in the field worthwhile.
The experience was one of the most challenging
and excellent experiences I've ever had, all at
the same time.
For
someone considering starting a mentoring program,
I would recommend having a clear training program.
Keep communication open and be clear about expectations.
From previous management training and experience
as an employee, I've learned that recognition
is the number one thing that motivates an employee.
This can be as simple as starting the day with
"Good Morning," and sharing the expectations
for the day, and ending with a "Thank-you".
Gideon was conscious of this, and each day, all
season, I drove to the field in the morning and
away again in the evening with a huge grin on
my face.
_________________________________________________________________
NorthEast
Workers On Organic Farms--Farm Apprenticeship
Placement Service
NEWOOF
is a regional Farm Apprenticeship Placement Service.
Sponsored by the New England Small Farm Institute,
and coordinated from their offices in Massachusetts,
NEWOOF annually publishes an annotated list of
farms (generally in the Northeast) seeking apprentices.
The list is made available to interested workers
who are responsible for contacting the farm(s)
of their choice, and directly arranging for interviews.
If you are seeking an apprenticeship opportunity
or would like to list your farm’s apprenticeship
program, contact NESFI at (413) 323-4531 or info@smallfarm.org.
The Farm List is published in January annually,
with updates in March and May if needed.
_________________________________________________________________
The
following link to an on-line article was submitted
by
Maureen Dempsey of Intervale Farm in Westhampton,
MA.
Not
Your Father’s Farm
I
just finished reading an article in my Penn State
alumni magazine concerning women in agriculture.
I thought other reader’s might find it interesting.
It is called "Not Your Father's Farm"
and can be found on the web here.
I
particularly liked the comments about why they
started their program and how they wanted to address
the lack of support and isolation women farmers
feel.
I
think one of the positive aspects of the Pioneer
Valley Women’s Agricultural Network is the
opportunity to share information and network among
other women directly involved in managing and
operating farms. There are not many forums available
for this sort of connection.
_________________________________________________________________
 Funding
for CISA’s Women in Agriculture Program
is provided by the Risk Management Agency of the
U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Northeast
Farm Credit AgEnhancement Program, the Agway Foundation,
and the Lawson Valentine Foundation.
To
unsubscribe to this newsletter, send an email
to jennifer@buylocalfood.com.
The
newsletter is archived at http://www.buylocalfood.com/Women%20in%20Agriculture.htm
Community
Involved in Sustaining Agriculture
1 Sugarloaf Street, South Deerfield MA 01373
Tel: 413-665-7100 Fax: 413-665-7101
http://www.buylocalfood.com
To
unsubscribe from this list send
an email to office@buylocalfood.org.
Community Involved in Sustaining Agriculture
1 Sugarloaf Street, South Deerfield MA 01373
Tel: 413-665-7100 Fax: 413-665-7101
http://www.buylocalfood.com
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