Resources

Print Publications

Farmscaping for Biological Control
Farmscaping to Enhance Biological Control, 38 pages, December 2000, Rex Dufour, Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA). Available in print, HTML or PDF formats. This publication summarizes practical ways to attract beneficial insects to farms by raising cover crops or flowers as habitat, shelter, and food. It includes tables, resources, and useful Web links. HTML and PDF Web versions are available on the ATTRA Web site at: www.attra.org/attra-pub/farmscape.html; www.attra.org/attra-pub/farmscaping.pdf. For print copies contact ATTRA, PO Box 3657, Fayetteville, AR 72702; Tel: (800) 346-9140; Fax: (501) 442-9842.

Ag/Forestry Resource Guide
Building Better Rural Places: Federal Programs for Sustainable Agriculture, Forestry, Conservation and Community Development, 160 pages, Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA), January 2001. This guide provides descriptions and contact information for 80 federal programs that offer support to farmers and others seeking technical assistance, information, or financial resources. Aimed at farmers, land managers, entrepreneurs, community developers, and conservationists, the guide also is designed to help federal agency employees take better advantage of the programs and resources available to support agricultural and forestry innovations. The guide resulted from a collaboration of individuals from USDA agencies, compiled with the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in Wisconsin. HTML and PDF Web versions are available on the ATTRA Web site at: www.attra.org/guide/index.htm. For a free printed copy of Building Better Rural Places contact ATTRA, PO Box 3657, Fayetteville, AR 72702; Tel: (800) 346-9140; Fax: (501) 442-9842.

Fertilizer Program Proceedings
Proceedings, 8th Annual Fertilizer Research and Education Program Conference, November 14, 2000, 119 pages. Sponsored by the California Department of Food and Agriculture, California Fertilizer Association, California Certified Crop Adviser Program. Since 1991, CDFA’s Fertilizer Research and Education Program (FREP) has funded projects that promote the environmental and agronomic use of fertilizing materials. The 2000 FREP conference presented new efforts to improve nutrient management, protect water sources, and improve growers’ economic viability. The proceedings includes project summaries on: advancing fertility and water management in cotton, tomatoes, trees and vines, rice, sweet corn; updates on regulatory efforts on non-nutritive metals; certified nutrient management plans; precision agriculture for the San Joaquin Valley; nutrient/pest interactions; fertilizer application calendars as they relates to air quality issues; and other topics. Copies of the proceedings are available at no cost by contacting CDFA’s FREP office at 1220 N Street, Room A-427, Sacramento, CA 95814; Tel: (916) 653-5340; Fax: (916) 653-2407; Email: ccady@cdfa.ca.gov. The proceedings are available on the Web at www.cdfa.ca.gov/inspection/frep/conference_proceedings.html.

Ag Profit Essay Collection
Hungry for Profit: The Agribusiness Threat to Farmers, Food, and the Environment, 220 pages, Monthly Review Press, 2000, edited by Fred Magdoff, John Bellamy Foster, and Frederick H. Buttel. A collection of essays from a special issue of Monthly Review, which offer historical analysis and an overview of the issues surrounding the global “commodification” of agriculture. Contributors address growing public concern over food safety and agricultural biotechnology. Hungry for Profit also examines the extent to which environmental, social, and economic problems are intertwined with the structure of global agriculture. It highlights the ways in which farmers and farmworkers are working to create “a just and environmentally sound food system.” Contributors include Magdoff, Foster, Buttel, Ellen Meiksins Wood, William Heffernan, Miguel Altieri, R. C. Lewontin, Gerad Middendorf, Mike Skladny, Elizabeth Ransom, Lawrence Busch, Philip McMichael, Farshad Araghi, Linda C. Majka, Theo J. Majka, Elizabeth Henderson, Janet Poppendieck, Peter M. Rosset, and William Hinton. Order through local bookstores or contact Monthly Review Press at (800) 670-9499. Cost: $19 paper, $45 cloth.

GM Crop Monitoring
Ecological Monitoring of GM Crops, National Academy Press. Full text of the report and purchasing information available at: http://books.nap.edu/catalog/10068.html. This public workshop was held July 13-14, 2000 in response to a request from USDA; its focus was on monitoring approaches for ecological effects of genetically modified crops.

Web Sites

California Sustainable Agriculture Working Group
http://www.calsawg.org
The California Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SAWG) is an active network dedicated to promoting a sustainable and socially just food system. SAWG’s 23 member organizations include farm, environmental, consumer, farmworker, and other groups. SAWG provides a forum for collaborative action, policy advocacy, and information exchange. It has a successful track record in forging links between diverse constituencies and winning policy changes that increase support for organic and sustainable agriculture.