Dec 14, 2005
Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Responses to 2005 HurricanesWednesday, December 14 10 a.m. Pacific / 12 noon Central / 1 p.m. Eastern Many of us continue to be concerned about and involved in the rebuilding process in the aftermath of the incredible devastation caused by hurricanes along the Gulf Coast earlier this year. Join SAFSF and NRFC for a funders call to: 1. Share information about our evolving responses to Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and Wilma 2. Identify key questions to address in future discussions, for example: What are the strategies for rebuilding sustainably and with equity? How can we best coordinate our efforts as funders? What are the key policy issues that need to be addressed? REQUEST to Funders: To facilitate information sharing, funders working in the Gulf Coast are asked to send a brief summary (no more than one page please) of their work to Virginia Clarke-Laskin at vclarke@safsf.org by December 6th. To the extent possible, please include: - Your basic objectives - States or areas you are working in - Groups you are working with - Amounts of funding directed to this work - And, if available, where to go for additional information about your work (for example a link to your website if Gulf funding info is available on the site) Feel free to also send any key questions or areas of interest you would like to see addressed in future discussions within SAFSF and NRFC. PLEASE RSVP or if you have questions please contact Virginia Clarke-Laskin at vclarke@safsf.org or (805) 687-0551
Dec 6, 2005
Strengthening Social Sustainability Practices in Sustainable AgricultureFUNDER CALL: Passing the Field Test (Part 3) Tuesday, December 6, 2005 at 10 a.m. Pacific/ 12 noon Central/ 1 p.m. Eastern Hear members of El Comite de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agricolas describe their Florida-based pilot project testing certification for social justice norms that will offer family-farm/labor-friendly organic producers a price premium and learn from the California Institute for Rural Studies about easy to replicate, low-cost or no-cost best labor practices of sustainable producers in California. Moderator: Kolu Zigbi, Program Officer, The Jessie Smith Noyes Foundation Speakers: Nelson Carrasquillo, General Coordinator, El Comite de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agricolas (CATA) Richard Mandelbaum, Policy Analyst El Comite de Apoyo a los Trabajadores Agricolas (CATA) Ron Strochlic, Director, Sustainable Food Systems, California Institute for Rural Studies. To join this call please RSVP to Virginia Clarke-Laskin at: vclarke@safsf.org
Nov 30, 2005
US Ag and Trade: What's at Stake?World trade agreements have unprecedented influence over how the U.S. government can subsidize agriculture. Developing nations are challenging the traditional structure of ag subsidies in the U.S., with big implications for the farm bill, agriculture conservation payments, and export policy. This call will draw on experts from the Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy and the American Farmland Trust to explain what's at stake in the upcoming Doha Round and what are likely outcomes of the current administration proposal to cut U.S. trade-distorting commodity subsidies if other nations will do the same. The call will also examine why U.S. (and European) ag support policies are criticized by countries in the global South, and the interplay between these international negotiations and U.S. policy debates on the budget, farm subsidies, and agricultural conservation. Moderator: Margaret O'Dell, The Joyce Foundation Presenters: Ralph Grossi, President, American Farmland Trust Sophia Murphy, Trade Program Director, Institute for Trade and Agriculture Policy; NOTE: In January, FNTG will organize a third call to analyze the results of the Hong Kong Ministerial meeting, and to discuss next steps and funding opportunities. Stay tuned. To join this call please RSVP to Mark Randazzo, FNTG at mark@fntg.org
June 16-18, 2005 - 2nd National Farm to Cafeteria Conference
Putting Local Food on the Table: Farms and Food Service in PartnershipCo-sponsors: Community Food Security Coalition, Farm Aid, Kenyon College, Center for Food and Justice, Food Routes, and Ohio Ecological Food and Farming Association. For more information see www.foodsecurity.org or contact Ted Quaday at Farm Aid (ted@farmaid.org).
June 6-8, 2005
3rd SAFSF Forum: Sustainable Food Systems: Local Picture, National PerspectiveView the program (PDF)
SAFSF's 3rd Annual Forum was held June 6-8, 2005 in Northern New Mexico in both Taos and Santa Fe. Approximately 30 funders took advantage of this great opportunity to see and experience the landscape and the work being done in the region. Day one was spent in Taos at the Taos County Economic Development Corporation with about 30 advocates/activists from across the U.S., primarily from Native American communities who are working on issues related to sustainable agriculture and the food system in their communities. The day in Taos afforded funders an amazing opportunity to find out what is going on in Indian Country. Additionally, all of us in Taos got to ‘create community in the kitchen’ by fixing our lunch together: buffalo and elk stews, calabacitas, bizcochitos, fresh tortillas, tamales and other delicacies! We also planted a ‘friendship garden’ with seeds from across the country – including a taro plant from Hawaii!
Funders traveled back to Santa Fe for nearly 2 days which included a tour/breakfast at the Santa Fe Farmers’ Market, presentations/conversations about climate change, energy, water, youth and the next generation of farmers, and a special presentation from the Director of the Board of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the National Academies. The final day included a half-day site visit to the Seeds of Change Research Farm, to Martinez Orchards where many heirloom varieties of apples are grown, and finally to dinner at La Charola, a new sustainable-food restaurant on the banks of the Rio Embudo.
SAFSF staff and Steering Cmte members received some important feedback from participating funders both informally in private conversations as well as during two planned feedback/wrap up conversations. This input about the direction of the group, ways to engage other funders, and processes will be very valuable as we move ahead in our transition.
Post-event Resources (files available to members only)
- Weaving Together Multi-Cultural Food Systems: Success Stories from the Working Landscapes of the Colorado Plateau
(Powerpoint presentation converted to html)- Farm Bill 2007: Clean Energy Development
(Powerpoint presentation converted to html)Members can sign in here.
