pcplantdb

[Stephanie Gerson <sgerson@stanfordalumni.org>]

Wow, this is very exciting.

Johns, I completely agree with you that this could be an entirely new
direction/initiative - but Lawrence, I completely agree with you that it's a
definite possibility we should pursue.  I also think that if we refrain from
"re-inventing the wheel" and integrate ourselves within the already existing
SARE network, we can prevent this from becoming a "particularly heinous
example of 'feature creep.'"

I'd like to respond to a few things Lawrence wrote:

“It has already been infiltrated, they already know about permaculture and
use it.  What they need is what we can offer, PIW.”  Hmm, not according to
the SARE representatives from Hawaii, New Mexico, and California that I spoke
with last week.  Hawaii and New Mexico said they were definitely interested in
Permaculture, and California thought it would be a stretch (that most
extension agents have never heard of Permaculture, but are certainly becoming
more and more interested in organic agriculture).  So there is definitely room
for more infiltration!

“There is a sustainable farming curriculum with a permaculture course at one
of the community colleges.  So, yes, Extension is interested in permaculture,
teaching it and promoting it.”  That’s wonderful!  Can you tell me more
about this?  It would be a great reference for future conversations with
extension agents.

”Steve Diver, who is on this list and used to be an Extension agent, can
tell you a lot more about this.”  Great tip, Lawrence – I’ll get in
touch with him.

“As for USDA, they are already involved with permaculture in various ways,
especially as far as library resources are concerned. The National
Agricultural Library has a collection called The Alternative Farming Systems
Information Center; this is the group that would likely be the most interested
in PIW and might promote it widely. A SARE grant proposal might include
establishing a relationship between PIW and AFSIC. USDA already hosts a number
of databases, some created by Dr. James Duke, herbalist.”  This sounds like
a potentially fruitful endeavor, I’ll look into it.

“Online resources are part of this program; PIW is a tool and is online so
it will fit perfectly in to their outreach program.”  Nice.

“We need to help create those types of relationships all over the country;
our relationship with USDA, mostly through Extension and AFSIC, will go a long
way toward making this happen.”  Yes exactly.  I will reiterate what I
already wrote to you (as excerpted from the unfinished SARE proposal) – that
we must mimic the kinds of relationships we seek to portray, and weave
similarly symbiotic relationships with other sustainable agriculture education
entities, integrating ourselves within the existing guild(s) of sustainable
agriculture research and education. 

So, I will get in touch with Steve Diver and look into The Alternative Farming
Systems Information Center.  Any other already-existing relationships between
Permaculture and USDA agencies?

peace
*Stephanie

  

------ Original Message ------
Received: 07:12 AM PDT, 10/18/2004
From: "Lawrence F. London, Jr." <lfl@intrex.net>
To: PCPLANTDB <pcplantdb@lists.ibiblio.org>
Subject: Re: [pcplantdb] SARE?

John Schinnerer wrote:

> Infiltrating USDA activities with Permaculture is a great idea.  No 

It has already been infiltrated, they alread know about permaculture and use
it.
What they need is what we can offer, PIW.

> objection there.
> I don't know if or how much it has been worked on - Scott, Lawrence, any 
> info on that?

Cooperative Extension is like a large unweildy ship with built in pecking
order
among the administrative heirarchy. It needs to turn in the direction of
sustainable agriculture, permaculture, organics, renewables, local food
production
but that is a slow process. In NC it used to be locked up by the supporting
land grant college
system and promoted nothing other than chemical, conventional ag. It even used
to be illegal
to sell bagged organic fertilizer in NC. The ship has finally made a change of
direction
for the most part. Organic farming-oriented agents are in much greater number
now and are
scattered over the state with a greater concentration in the Central Piedmont
and in the Mountains.
There is a sustainable farming curriculum with a permaculture course at one of
the community colleges.
So, yes, Extension is interested in permaculture, teaching it and promoting
it. Steve Diver, who is on this list
and used to be an Extension agent, can tell you a lot more about this. As for
USDA, they are already involved
with permaculture in various ways, especially as far as library resources are
concerned. The National Agricultural
LIbrary has a collection called The Alternative Farming Systems Information
Center; this is the group that would
likely be the most interested in PIW and might promote it widely. A SARE grant
proposal might include establishing
a relationship between PIW and AFSIC. USDA already hosts a number of
databases, some created by Dr. James Duke, herbalist.

Anyway, it is highly likely that Extension would be interested in
incorporating permaculture resources in their
ongoing outreach programs. Extension has their own array of online info
resources and individual Extension agents
mount their own websites on Extension servers, often tailored with more
refined and cutting edge resources.
As part of this outreach they might promote all sorts of local and national
permaculture activities, convocations and online resources
Permaculture offers tools they can use in their role of providing information
and consultation to their client base, i.e. county taxpayers.
Online resources are part of this program; PIW is a tool and is online so it
will fit perfectly in toeir outreach program. They are 
especially active in areas where small and market farming is popular; they
proving a lot of organizational help and ongoing support for
farmer's markets.

> AND as far as HG goes, what you're proposing is IMO a far larger game 
> that needs far larger (or at least more!) players. Coordinating PC 
> people and USDA to make connections to get a SARE grant for trainings is 
> IMO *way way WAY* outside the scope of our HG project.

Hardly. It is exactly the kind of thing we should be doing, early on. SARE
will help put us on the map.
If we serve a small homesteader on Jersey we can just as easily serve the
entire USDA ccommunity of
professionals and their clients.

> Let's look for 
> simpler grant solutions for our particular project funds.

Not at all. PFAF is already a major resource, probably used by USDA people,
maybe Extension too.
Think big, John.

> This could be a particularly heinous example of "feature creep"... ;-)
> 
> An idea alongside the above:
> 
> If some PC folks have relations with USDA types somewhere already, let's 

We need to help create those types of relationships all over the country;
our relationship with USDA, mostly through Extension and AFSIC, will go a long
way toward making this happen.

> go to them about being the people who fit this grant model and see if 
> they're interested.  Then you just have to fill in the blanks instead of 
> create the whole connection from scratch.

That's not the way to go about it. We start with SARE and/or other SARE-like
government agencies offering funding possibilities for 
worthwile projects that in turn further their own goals. We are offering
something that _they_ as well as their clients (US taxpayers)
can use.

> In other words, IMO this is a whole 'nother project, definitely not part 
> of HG - though HG could obviously be useful to that whole 'nother 
> project were some group(s) to take it on.

This possible relationship with SARE is part and parcel of our mission as well
as vision and something we need to pursue now, not later.
Strike while the iron is hot.

LL
-- 
L.F.London
lfl@intrex.net
http://market-farming.com
http://www.ibiblio.org/ecolandtech
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+++++++++++++++
Stephanie Gerson
sgerson@stanfordalumni.org
(c) 415.871.5683


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