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Spring 2005
Welcome to the the MOSES Organic Update. This monthly newsletter offers timely news, announcements and information about the dynamic world of organic agriculture to education and agricultural service personnel in the Upper Midwest. Subscribers will receive a short monthly email announcement, providing a direct hot-link to each issue of the web-based newsletter. Contact us with any comments or questions at jody@mosesorganic.org.

In this issue:
Organic Basics Trainings for Farmers Offered in Wisconsin

Organic Farm Education for Agricultural Professionals Project
About MOSES

Organic Basics Trainings for Farmers Offered in Wisconsin
MOSES, in collaboration with the UW-Extension Emerging Ag Markets Team is holding a series of trainings around Wisconsin during April and May to introduce the basics of organic production and certification to farmers. These free workshops vary from 2 hours to day long, some will be specific to particular audiences others will offer general information. Participants will leave the course with a comprehensive set of resources. For more details on the course dates locations and details, see the enclosed poster.

Seed Service Available to Help Organic Growers
A certified organic seed sourcing service has been initiated by the organization Save Our Seed. This free service for farmers offers to send a list of all sources of particular organic seeds if sent a listing of varieties and quantities desired. The service will also send full documentation, appropriate for a certification file, if no seed of that particular type is available. To utilize the service, fax, mail or email Saving Our Seed at sourcing@savingourseed.org or http://www.savingourseed.org/pages/sourcing.htm Phone 706-788-0017, fax 706-788-0071.

Calendar of Events

Organic Farm Education for Agricultural Professionals Project
The Organic Foods Production Act, implemented in October 2002, puts tremendous pressure on traditional providers of agricultural education to respond to requests from clients interested in organic production. Many providers lack access to resources or the information needed to serve these clients. To help fill this void, MOSES has designed the Organic Farming Education Project, funded by a USDA-CREES SARE Professional Development Grant, designed to offer resources and information on organic production to Extension, NRCS, University and government employees and offered in Wisconsin, Minnesota, and Iowa. We look forward to the opportunity to utilize our expertise to help you strengthen your institution through this offering of customized programs and resources.

About MOSES
The Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES) is a nonprofit organization developed to provide educational opportunities and resources to farmers and farm-support organizations, businesses and educators. MOSES has been a trusted provider of information and education about organic and sustainable farming systems in the Upper Midwest since 1999, primarily through the Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference, now in its 17th year and attended by over 1550 individuals in 2004. Executive Director Faye Jones has lead the organization since its inception, and now directs several employees working out of the MOSES office in Spring Valley, WI. A majority of the nine member MOSES Board of Directors are organic farmers from throughout the Upper Midwest.