Healthy soil and sustainable growing

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Weekly Newsletter
http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/Newsletter

Field day to explore farmer resources for converting to organic
State and federal incentive programs make the Institute’s free online
training course and its field demonstrations more useful than ever.

 “The right people at the right place at the right time” is the best
way to describe the Transition to Organic Field day to be held 9:30 a.m. to
3:30 p.m. June 5 at the Rodale Institute. Participants will learn about
numerous resources available to farmers interested in transitioning to
organic production.

The event is sponsored by the Institute in partnership with the
Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture (PASA), Pennsylvania
Certified Organic (PCO) , Women In Ag Network (WAgN) and the Risk
Management Agency (RMA) of the USDA.

Transition to Organic Field Day
June 5, 2009
9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Timing: The recent release of $50 million to fund an EQIP initiative to aid
in conservation practices related to organic conversion shows the higher
profile given organics by the new admnistration. The funds will be
administered by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS)
through the state NRCS offices and their regional programs.

People: Joining Rodale’s Tim LaSalle (CEO) and Jeff Moyer (farm director)
will be a trio of Pennsylvania specialists: an organic certification
director, the originator of the new state-funded organic conversion
program, and the resource director for the state’s NRCS office.

Place: Participants will receive a wagon tour of the 333-acre Rodale
Institute farm, featuring the Farming Systems Trial (long-term organic v.
conventional comparison), no-till roller-crimper demonstration (planting
corn into a hairy vetch cover crop) and our large-scale co-composting
operation. There will also be stops showing other current research
highlights.

Presenting will be:
David Kessler, a state representative from Oley will present information on
Path to Organic, a state pilot program providing financial reimbursement to
dairy, beef, vegetable and other crop farmers during their transition
period from conventional to organic production. Kessler secured $500,000
for the voluntary program that will be limited to active owner-operated
farms. The assistance will be available to producers who have begun the
three-year transition process required by the National Organic Program and
to producers who wish to begin.
Jeff Moyer, farm director at Rodale Institute and 2009 chair of USDA’s
National Organic Standards Board, will summarize the electronic resources
the Institute offers as part of its educational program for current and
prospective organic growers. He will illustrate several elements of the
course with current operations at the farm on the wagon tour.

Melanie Saffer, PCO certification director, will guide participants through
the nuts and bolts of the actual certification process and record keeping.
Daniel Dostie, state resource conservationist from the Pennsvlvania NRCS
office, along with other NRCS staff, will describe the conservation
practice assistance opportunities available through the new EQIP funds for
converting farmers and those wishing to convert to organic practices. The
Pennsylvania office has elected to make a broad array of practices eligible
for this funding, and will continue accepting applications after the
first-round deadline of May 29 until the funds are fully allocated.

For details: 610.683.1400
To register: www.rodaleinstitute.org/upcoming
For directions: www.rodaleinstitute.org/map_and_directions
Transition to Organics (free online course)
www.tritrainingcenter.org/course