Carolina Farm Stewardship Association

In this edition:

Upcoming Events:
Upstate Farm Tour - June 4-5
NC-Grown Organic Wheat: From Field to Bread Workshops - May 20th and June 7th

Save The Dates:
Eastern Triangle Farm Tour - Sept. 17-18
Sustainable Ag. Conference - Nov. 11-13 | Durham, NC

CFSA News:
Piedmont Farm Tour – Fun on the Farm Despite the Terrible Weather
CFSA Regional Coordinator Elected to SC Food Policy Council
NRCS-EQIP Organic Initiative Deadline: May 20th
Kickstarting Carolina Ground
Cobblestone Farmers’ Market Celebrates Opening
Advocating for Sustainable, Local Food in NC

Action Alert:
Tell NC State Senate to Support Jobs, Growth in Local Food
The Tobacco Trust Fund and the Golden Leaf Foundation are in danger of being eliminated in the state budget. Supporters of local, organic foods must act now, because cutting off these vital sources of investment will not only deny existing entrepreneurs and farmers opportunities to grow their businesses, it will snuff out future local food initiatives before they even begin and decrease the supply of fresh, healthy food for all our citizens. Take action: > http://carolinafarmstewards.org/alert_NCBudget.shtml

Upcoming Events:

5^th Annual Upstate Farm Tour
June 4^th & 5^thfrom 1:00–6:00 pm
www.carolinafarmstewards.org/uft2011.shtml
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=198951600117203

$25 per carload or cycle group when you purchase in advance

Once again, the CFSA Upstate Farm Tour promises fun and learning for everyone from serious gardeners to families looking for wholesome outdoor adventure! The 2011 tour features twenty sustainable farms throughout the Upstate region of SC, including six new farms and two meal stops!

The 5^th Annual Upstate Farm Tour is generously sponsored by Whole Foods Market. Tickets are now on sale at the Whole Foods Greenville location and 6 other conveniently located button vendors around the Upstate. Buttons may also be purchased online at: www.carolinafarmstewards.org/uft2011.shtml

NC-Grown Bread Wheat: From Field to Hearth
Note: This workshop is geared toward growers

Friday, May 20^th from 1:00-4:00pm
Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratory in Raleigh, NC

CFSA is organizing this event in conjunction with Carolina Ground, L3C at the Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratory, which is one of the locations where Dr. David Marshall’s Uniform Bread Wheat Trial plots are planted. Dr. Marshall will be present to discuss the trials and walk the plots. Dr Chris Reberg-Horton of NCSU’s NC Organic Grains Project will follow Dr. Marshall’s talk, addressing organic methods of production for food-grade grain. And Karen McSwain, CFSA’s Organic Initiatives Coordinator, will speak about the EQIP-OI program, eligibility, the application process, examples of some scenarios applicable to grain production. She will also talk a little about her role in making the program more applicable to organic/transitioning farmers. This workshop, which is free and open to the public, is geared toward growers.

To register, please email Jennifer.

NC-Grown Bread Wheat: From Field to Hearth
Note: This workshop is geared toward the general public, but growers are welcome.

Tuesday, June 7^th from 2:00-5:00pm
Mountain Research Station in Waynesville, NC

Our second workshop will be geared more toward the general public-- although growers are welcome to attend-- and promises to engage the senses. CFSA is again organizing this event in conjunction with Carolina Ground, L3C the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville, another one of the locations where Dr. Marshall’s Uniform Bread Wheat Trial plots are planted. Dr. Marshall will again be present to discuss the trials and walk the plots. Molly Hamilton of NCSU’s NC Organic Grains Project will address organic production issues, and Jennifer Lapidus will give an update on Carolina Ground, L3C. Our pilot group of seven bakeries that have been working with the NC Organic Bread Flour Project will provide baked goods made with grains from the trials for attendees to sample, and the Riverbend Malthouse will provide samples of malt made from NC barley for attendees to smell. This workshop is free and open to the public, but does require registering by Friday, June 3rd.

To register, please email Jennifer.

Save The Date:
Eastern Triangle Farm Tour
Sept. 17-18
Check out last year’s website and photos on our Facebook page to get excited! http://carolinafarmstewards.org/etft2010.shtml

26^th Annual Sustainable Ag. Conference
Nov. 11-13
Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Durham, NC
http://carolinafarmstewards.org/sac11.shtml

For details on other sustainable ag events - and to post your own events - visit:
http://carolinafarmstewards.org/events.shtml

CFSA News:

Piedmont Farm Tour – Fun on the Farm despite the Weather
A lot of you have asked about this year's Piedmont Farm Tour. It happened during the weekend the terrible tornadoes hit North Carolina. Remarkably, despite the severe weather on Saturday, the tour saw the same attendance levels as last year! This is a real tribute to the strong interest in seeing how our local farmers grow food and fiber sustainably. Over 3,000 people made 10,000 farm visits during the two day event! That is a lot of wonderful learning.

Thanks so much to the farmers who opened their places to visitors and did such a good job telling their stories. None of the farms on the tour reported damage or problems. Our hearts go out to those east of the tour area who suffered damage and loss of life.

The bad weather did force the rescheduling of Saturday's VIP beginning farmer tour. This tour was part of a recent CFSA effort to assist new and aspiring farmers with enhanced programming. (Sunday's tour was able to happen.) The idea of these tours is to pull together a small group of beginning farmers, add some of our top local experts and then go by bus to three or four farms. The project is generously funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture administered through the National Center for Appropriate Technology. This three year project has us very excited. Stay tuned.

> Check out Farm Tour photos on our Facebook page and 'like' us while you're there!

CFSA Regional Coordinator Elected to SC Food Policy Council
Last month, CFSA regional coordinator, Diana Vossbrinck, was elected to the South Carolina Food Policy Council (SCFPC) for a three-year term.The SCFPC was formed in March of 2006 and is supported by the SC Department of Agriculture and office of the Commissioner. The purpose of the organization is to provide a forum for stakeholders in the food, health and agricultural sectors to share ideas, collaborate on solutions and research, investigate and report on the food systems in South Carolina, the sustainability of agriculture in South Carolina and how it affects the people of South Carolina.The SCFPC serves as a forum for members to share their concerns as well as their progress on related programs and initiatives that are related to the food system in South Carolina. The networking opportunities and the information shared at these meetings have greatly benefited many of the members of the Council as they work towards the goals of continued growth, promotion and protection of a healthy agricultural industry and a safe and plentiful food supply in South Carolina.

Diana has previously served on the planning committee for the Food Policy Council’s 2010 and 2011 workshops which addressed issues in Sustainable Agriculture last year, and Farm-to-School this April.

NRCS-EQIP Organic Initiative Deadline: May 20th
The National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) began a second round of sign-ups for the EQIP Organic Initiative. The EQIP-OI program shares with farmers the cost of incorporating practices that are designed to address nine major conservation concerns: 1) soil erosion; 2) soil quality degradation; 3) excessive/insufficient water use; 4) water quality degradation; 5) plant condition; 6) inadequate habitat for fish and wildlife; 7) livestock production limitations; 8) inefficient energy use; and 9) air quality impacts. Farmers/producers incorporating practices that are linked to one of these resource concerns may be eligible for a conservation payment. The EQIP Organic Initiative is available to agricultural producers who are either in the process of transitioning to organic or are already certified (or exempt). Farmers who want to apply for financial assistance receive up to $20,000/year and are limited to $80,000 over a six-year period.This second sign up period ends *May 20th, 2011*. There are a few steps necessary to apply to this program, starting with a site visit from your local NRCS district conservationist, so do not wait till the last minute to apply. If you are interested please contact your local NRCS office at: www.nc.nrcs.usda.gov.

The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association has resources available to help farmers and NRCS staff take advantage of this program. If you have questions, please email Karen McSwain, CFSA’s Organics Initiative Coordinator or call her at (828) 423 2463.

Kickstarting Carolina Ground
Our first item to report is the exciting news of Carolina Ground’s successful Kickstarter campaign. We truly could not have done this without all of you! The two times we sent our an appeal to our CFSA membership through our listserves, the pledges rolled in like this amazing wave of enthusiasm propelling us forward. Thank you, to all of you that supported our campaign. This effort to connect the farmer with the baker in the Carolinas is truly from the ground up!

Cobblestone Farmers’ Market Celebrates Opening
Cultivate Piedmont is proud to announce that the the Cobblestone Farmers' Market kicked off its third year of providing local, sustainably raised farm goods to Winston Salem residents on April 19th. There were hot lunches provided by Triad Community Kitchen, live music by local musician Ryan Layton and chef demos by local restaurant The Screaming Rooster. A strong first day turnout and visit from Fox 8 news leaves us excited about the rest of the season. Be sure to visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CobblestoneFarmersMarket for current information about featured chefs, local musicians and what's in season from week to week.

We are also in the planning stages of additional community programming to bring the message of supporting local, sustainably grown food beyond our market. We will be working with schools, local organizations and non-profits to provide programs the community needs to make Triad residents aware of the benefits of supporting small farms and making healthy choices. Interested in partnering? Contact Adrienne.

Advocating for Sustainable, Local Food in NC
The North Carolina Sustainable Local Food Advisory Council met Thursday, April 28 in Raleigh. The council's mission is to advise the General Assembly, the Governor and the Commissioner of Agriculture on policies that contribute to building the local food economy. The council's committees reported on their progress to date and on priorities for the coming year. Priorities include an economic assessment of local food in NC, identification of regulatory barriers to local food entrepreneurs, increased institutional purchasing of local food, and improved use of electronic food assistance benefits for local food, among several others. For more information about the council, visit its website: www.ncagr.gov/localfood.

We Want You To Write for the CFSA Blog!
CFSA wants YOU to become a contributor to The Sweet Potato—our blog about all things delicious, nutritious, and sustainably-grown in the Carolinas (http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/blog/)! Posts could include anything from a great recipe or restaurant review, a farm or farmers’ market profile, or even just a funny story from your own life—pretty much anything that could inspire readers to lead more sustainable lives for themselves! Interested in finding out more? We want to hear from you! Email Sarah today.

Connect with CFSA – Join us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/carolinafarmstewards) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/carolinafarm) or check out our blog (http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/blog/)!

Share your News – Got a bright idea for a newsletter article or an upcoming event you’d like to publicize on the website? E-mail Amy.

To join Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, visit: http://carolinafarmstewards.org/membership.shtml
To renew your membership, visit: http://bit.ly/cfsarenewal

To donate to CFSA, visit http://bit.ly/iqWyzO. We count on members’ financial support to help sustainable family farms thrive in the Carolinas. Thanks again for your support!



	Home CFSA Member Login 2011 Sustainable Agriculture Conference Find local food Internship Referral Service Sustainable Ag Resources About Us Join CFSA! Projects Event Calendar Blog Store Contact Join us on acebook Follow us on witter	In this edition: Upcoming Events: Upstate Farm Tour - June 4-5 NC-Grown Organic Wheat: From Field to Bread Workshops - May 20th and June 7th Save The Dates: Eastern Triangle Farm Tour - Sept. 17-18 Sustainable Ag. Conference - Nov. 11-13 \| Durham, NC CFSA News: Piedmont Farm Tour – Fun on the Farm Despite the Terrible Weather CFSA Regional Coordinator Elected to SC Food Policy Council NRCS-EQIP Organic Initiative Deadline: May 20th Kickstarting Carolina Ground Cobblestone Farmers’ Market Celebrates Opening Advocating for Sustainable, Local Food in NC Action Alert: Tell NC State Senate to Support Jobs, Growth in Local Food The Tobacco Trust Fund and the Golden Leaf Foundation are in danger of being eliminated in the state budget. Supporters of local, organic foods must act now, because cutting off these vital sources of investment will not only deny existing entrepreneurs and farmers opportunities to grow their businesses, it will snuff out future local food initiatives before they even begin and decrease the supply of fresh, healthy food for all our citizens. Take action: > http://carolinafarmstewards.org/alert_NCBudget.shtml Upcoming Events: 5^th Annual Upstate Farm Tour June 4^th & 5^thfrom 1:00–6:00 pm www.carolinafarmstewards.org/uft2011.shtml http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=198951600117203 $25 per carload or cycle group when you purchase in advance Once again, the CFSA Upstate Farm Tour promises fun and learning for everyone from serious gardeners to families looking for wholesome outdoor adventure! The 2011 tour features twenty sustainable farms throughout the Upstate region of SC, including six new farms and two meal stops! The 5^th Annual Upstate Farm Tour is generously sponsored by Whole Foods Market. Tickets are now on sale at the Whole Foods Greenville location and 6 other conveniently located button vendors around the Upstate. Buttons may also be purchased online at: www.carolinafarmstewards.org/uft2011.shtml NC-Grown Bread Wheat: From Field to Hearth Note: This workshop is geared toward growers Friday, May 20^th from 1:00-4:00pm Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratory in Raleigh, NC CFSA is organizing this event in conjunction with Carolina Ground, L3C at the Lake Wheeler Road Field Laboratory, which is one of the locations where Dr. David Marshall’s Uniform Bread Wheat Trial plots are planted. Dr. Marshall will be present to discuss the trials and walk the plots. Dr Chris Reberg-Horton of NCSU’s NC Organic Grains Project will follow Dr. Marshall’s talk, addressing organic methods of production for food-grade grain. And Karen McSwain, CFSA’s Organic Initiatives Coordinator, will speak about the EQIP-OI program, eligibility, the application process, examples of some scenarios applicable to grain production. She will also talk a little about her role in making the program more applicable to organic/transitioning farmers. This workshop, which is free and open to the public, is geared toward growers. To register, please email Jennifer. NC-Grown Bread Wheat: From Field to Hearth Note: This workshop is geared toward the general public, but growers are welcome. Tuesday, June 7^th from 2:00-5:00pm Mountain Research Station in Waynesville, NC Our second workshop will be geared more toward the general public-- although growers are welcome to attend-- and promises to engage the senses. CFSA is again organizing this event in conjunction with Carolina Ground, L3C the Mountain Research Station in Waynesville, another one of the locations where Dr. Marshall’s Uniform Bread Wheat Trial plots are planted. Dr. Marshall will again be present to discuss the trials and walk the plots. Molly Hamilton of NCSU’s NC Organic Grains Project will address organic production issues, and Jennifer Lapidus will give an update on Carolina Ground, L3C. Our pilot group of seven bakeries that have been working with the NC Organic Bread Flour Project will provide baked goods made with grains from the trials for attendees to sample, and the Riverbend Malthouse will provide samples of malt made from NC barley for attendees to smell. This workshop is free and open to the public, but does require registering by Friday, June 3rd. To register, please email Jennifer. Save The Date: Eastern Triangle Farm Tour Sept. 17-18 Check out last year’s website and photos on our Facebook page to get excited! http://carolinafarmstewards.org/etft2010.shtml 26^th Annual Sustainable Ag. Conference Nov. 11-13 Sheraton Imperial Hotel in Durham, NC http://carolinafarmstewards.org/sac11.shtml For details on other sustainable ag events - and to post your own events - visit: http://carolinafarmstewards.org/events.shtml CFSA News: Piedmont Farm Tour – Fun on the Farm despite the Weather A lot of you have asked about this year's Piedmont Farm Tour. It happened during the weekend the terrible tornadoes hit North Carolina. Remarkably, despite the severe weather on Saturday, the tour saw the same attendance levels as last year! This is a real tribute to the strong interest in seeing how our local farmers grow food and fiber sustainably. Over 3,000 people made 10,000 farm visits during the two day event! That is a lot of wonderful learning. Thanks so much to the farmers who opened their places to visitors and did such a good job telling their stories. None of the farms on the tour reported damage or problems. Our hearts go out to those east of the tour area who suffered damage and loss of life. The bad weather did force the rescheduling of Saturday's VIP beginning farmer tour. This tour was part of a recent CFSA effort to assist new and aspiring farmers with enhanced programming. (Sunday's tour was able to happen.) The idea of these tours is to pull together a small group of beginning farmers, add some of our top local experts and then go by bus to three or four farms. The project is generously funded by the National Institute of Food and Agriculture administered through the National Center for Appropriate Technology. This three year project has us very excited. Stay tuned. > Check out Farm Tour photos on our Facebook page and 'like' us while you're there! CFSA Regional Coordinator Elected to SC Food Policy Council Last month, CFSA regional coordinator, Diana Vossbrinck, was elected to the South Carolina Food Policy Council (SCFPC) for a three-year term.The SCFPC was formed in March of 2006 and is supported by the SC Department of Agriculture and office of the Commissioner. The purpose of the organization is to provide a forum for stakeholders in the food, health and agricultural sectors to share ideas, collaborate on solutions and research, investigate and report on the food systems in South Carolina, the sustainability of agriculture in South Carolina and how it affects the people of South Carolina.The SCFPC serves as a forum for members to share their concerns as well as their progress on related programs and initiatives that are related to the food system in South Carolina. The networking opportunities and the information shared at these meetings have greatly benefited many of the members of the Council as they work towards the goals of continued growth, promotion and protection of a healthy agricultural industry and a safe and plentiful food supply in South Carolina. Diana has previously served on the planning committee for the Food Policy Council’s 2010 and 2011 workshops which addressed issues in Sustainable Agriculture last year, and Farm-to-School this April. NRCS-EQIP Organic Initiative Deadline: May 20th The National Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) began a second round of sign-ups for the EQIP Organic Initiative. The EQIP-OI program shares with farmers the cost of incorporating practices that are designed to address nine major conservation concerns: 1) soil erosion; 2) soil quality degradation; 3) excessive/insufficient water use; 4) water quality degradation; 5) plant condition; 6) inadequate habitat for fish and wildlife; 7) livestock production limitations; 8) inefficient energy use; and 9) air quality impacts. Farmers/producers incorporating practices that are linked to one of these resource concerns may be eligible for a conservation payment. The EQIP Organic Initiative is available to agricultural producers who are either in the process of transitioning to organic or are already certified (or exempt). Farmers who want to apply for financial assistance receive up to $20,000/year and are limited to $80,000 over a six-year period.This second sign up period ends *May 20th, 2011. There are a few steps necessary to apply to this program, starting with a site visit from your local NRCS district conservationist, so do not wait till the last minute to apply. If you are interested please contact your local NRCS office at: www.nc.nrcs.usda.gov. The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association has resources available to help farmers and NRCS staff take advantage of this program. If you have questions, please email Karen McSwain, CFSA’s Organics Initiative Coordinator or call her at (828) 423 2463. Kickstarting Carolina Ground* Our first item to report is the exciting news of Carolina Ground’s successful Kickstarter campaign. We truly could not have done this without all of you! The two times we sent our an appeal to our CFSA membership through our listserves, the pledges rolled in like this amazing wave of enthusiasm propelling us forward. Thank you, to all of you that supported our campaign. This effort to connect the farmer with the baker in the Carolinas is truly from the ground up! Cobblestone Farmers’ Market Celebrates Opening Cultivate Piedmont is proud to announce that the the Cobblestone Farmers' Market kicked off its third year of providing local, sustainably raised farm goods to Winston Salem residents on April 19th. There were hot lunches provided by Triad Community Kitchen, live music by local musician Ryan Layton and chef demos by local restaurant The Screaming Rooster. A strong first day turnout and visit from Fox 8 news leaves us excited about the rest of the season. Be sure to visit us on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CobblestoneFarmersMarket for current information about featured chefs, local musicians and what's in season from week to week. We are also in the planning stages of additional community programming to bring the message of supporting local, sustainably grown food beyond our market. We will be working with schools, local organizations and non-profits to provide programs the community needs to make Triad residents aware of the benefits of supporting small farms and making healthy choices. Interested in partnering? Contact Adrienne. Advocating for Sustainable, Local Food in NC The North Carolina Sustainable Local Food Advisory Council met Thursday, April 28 in Raleigh. The council's mission is to advise the General Assembly, the Governor and the Commissioner of Agriculture on policies that contribute to building the local food economy. The council's committees reported on their progress to date and on priorities for the coming year. Priorities include an economic assessment of local food in NC, identification of regulatory barriers to local food entrepreneurs, increased institutional purchasing of local food, and improved use of electronic food assistance benefits for local food, among several others. For more information about the council, visit its website: www.ncagr.gov/localfood. We Want You To Write for the CFSA Blog! CFSA wants YOU to become a contributor to The Sweet Potato—our blog about all things delicious, nutritious, and sustainably-grown in the Carolinas (http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/blog/)! Posts could include anything from a great recipe or restaurant review, a farm or farmers’ market profile, or even just a funny story from your own life—pretty much anything that could inspire readers to lead more sustainable lives for themselves! Interested in finding out more? We want to hear from you! Email Sarah today. Connect with CFSA – Join us on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/carolinafarmstewards) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/carolinafarm) or check out our blog (http://www.carolinafarmstewards.org/blog/)! Share your News – Got a bright idea for a newsletter article or an upcoming event you’d like to publicize on the website? E-mail Amy. To join Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, visit: http://carolinafarmstewards.org/membership.shtml To renew your membership, visit: http://bit.ly/cfsarenewal To donate to CFSA, visit http://bit.ly/iqWyzO. We count on members’ financial support to help sustainable family farms thrive in the Carolinas. Thanks again for your support!
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