AgMRC Action Fall 2007 Newsletter

AgMRC Action Fall 2007 Newsletter

Energy Agriculture
Agriculture has traditionally had a single focus of providing food for U.S. consumers and others internationally. However, with the emergence of the bio-fuels industry, production agriculture needs to serve two masters, food and fuel.

Much controversy has centered around the “food versus fuel” issue.

Find resources on ethanol and other energy products. . . Food vs. Fuel (PDF)

Is Cellulose the Future?
Cellulosic (plant fiber) “conversion,” along with hydrogen, is viewed by many environmental and social policy organizations as being the transportation fuel future of the United States, if not the world. What is cellulosic ethanol?

Agritourism Checklists Available
Following Best Management Practices decreases risk to agritourism operations - an important thing when 87 million individuals have visited a rural destination within the past three years. Consider the following best management practices. . . Agritourism Checklists

What is Agritourism? Check out examples from 50 states here.

Are you Aiming for Success?
Understanding the reasons for business success or failure can be of great benefit to anyone involved in starting and operating a farmer-owned agricultural processing business. Farmer-owned Processing Business Success Factors provides the results of a thorough investigation into the success factors of several processing businesses. . . Read More

Need Help?
Click on a statewide map to find a service provider in your state. . . AgMRC State Directory

Farm to School Results Announced in Massachusetts Survey

The poll, Strategies for Nutrition Success: Attitudes and Policy Actions, was commissioned by RuralVotes and funded by Blue Cross & Blue Shield of Massachusetts Foundation, and was conducted October 5-10, 2007. The margin of error for this poll is 4%. The target population was between 25-60 years of age, had children living in their home and participated in school nutrition programs. Only 25.9% of respondents were familiar with farm to school programs where locally grown fruits, vegetables and farm products are served in the cafeteria. Though many people (72.1%) are unaware of farm to school programs that may exist, it is clear that a strong majority (76.7%) believe it is extremely important that their children get better nutrition at their schools and an even larger majority (84.2%) believe locally grown foods should be served.

The poll found a majority (53.8%) agree that government should require local farm products be served at Massachusetts schools. Young people, residents south of Boston, in western Massachusetts and in rural areas were the most likely to believe in this directive. Massachusetts’ 6,000 farmers produce an abundance of farm products, yet in the 2006-2007 school year, only 213,800 students out of a total statewide enrollment of 972,000 pupils are getting access to this fresh and healthful harvest according to the Massachusetts Farm to School Project.

Source: RuralVotes.org

Washington Renewable Energy Conference Planned

The Washington International Renewable Energy Conference (WIREC 2008) will bring together government, civil society and private business leaders to address the benefits and costs of a major and rapid scale-up in the global deployment of renewable energy technology.

WIREC Participants can expect to:

Acquire a better understanding of the benefits of large-scale renewable energy deployment on energy security, climate change, air quality and economic growth.
Gain an appreciation of the multiple policy options and best practices that encourage and enable accelerated renewable energy up-take.
Develop networks and find partners to explore and initiate renewable energy projects.

These three objectives will be woven into WIREC's four cross-cutting and policy driven themes: Agriculture and Rural Development; Technology/Research and Development; Finance; and Market Adoption/Deployment.

Learn More About WIREC 2008

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