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January 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 Soybean and Corn Trial Data Available
New Organic Farming Compliance Handbook Available Online
International Organic Research Available Online
Tool Available to Calculate Percent Organic Feed in Rations
Organic Colloquium available on UW-Madison Campus
Organic Tree Fruit Growers Network Formed
Register today for 2005 Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference and Organic University
Events
Organic Farm Education for Agricultural Professionals Project
About MOSES

Organic Soybean and Corn Trial Data Available
University of Wisconsin Agronomists have announced the results of 2004 soybean and corn varieties grown under organic conditions. For results of trials go to http://soybean.uwex.edu ("Soybean trials downloads")and http://corn.agronomy.wisc.edu/ ("Corn Hybrid Trials Organic 2004")

New Organic Farming Compliance Handbook Available Online
Developed as part of an educational project funded by the Western Region USDA SARE program, a new manual, the Organic Farming Compliance Handbook, offers materials for use by agricultural professionals interested in what methods, materials and practices are compatible and consistent with organic standards. http://sarep.ucdavis.edu/organic/complianceguide/

International Organic Research Available Online
Two international sites offering access to research on organic production systems have recently come to our attention. "Organic Eprints", http://orgprints.org/ is an international open access archive for papers related to research in organic agriculture. The archive contains full-text papers in electronic form together with bibliographic information, abstracts and other metadata. It may be searched by topic, country, organization or project. "The International Research Association for Organic Food Quality and Health (FQH)" is registered in the Netherlands. Its purpose is "to establish a network of research institutions that specialize in the background of organic food and its effects on human health." http://www.organicfqhresearch.org/

Tool Available to Calculate Percent Organic Feed in Rations
Useful to calculate percentage of organic ingredients in the final organic product for organic labeling. From the Missouri Department of Agriculture. http://mda.state.mo.us/Market/organic/manual/manuf_correct_labeling.htm

Organic Colloquium available on UW-Madison Campus
Sponsored jointly by the departments of Horticulture and Agronomy, the colloquium takes place on Monday afternoons from 3:30-4:30 pm in room 351 Moore Hall. Weekly from Jan 24th through May 2nd. For information contact Karen Delahaut, Fresh Market Program Coordinator at 608-262-6429 kadelaha@wisc.edu

Organic Tree Fruit Growers Network Formed
A new informal network has been started for those interested in organic tree fruit in the Midwest. For more information, see the MOSES home page.

Register Today for 2005 Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference and Organic University- Feb 24-26, 2005
Two and a half days of inspiring speakers, informational workshops and great conversations with friends and associates. Plan to visit the 140 booth Organic Trade Show to pick up ideas and resources from experts in the field. Organic food and evening activities complete the satisfaction with this banner event. The Organic University offers intensive, day-long sessions on specific topics. Visit the conference website at www.mosesorganic.org/umofc/intro.htm or call the MOSES office at 715-772-3153.

Upcoming Events
January 28-29, Midwest Value-Added Conference, Eau Claire WI. A two-day event designed to inspire and expand the horizons of farmers throughout the Midwest. Info at http://www.rivercountryrcd.org/valad.htm
January 29, Northern Michigan Small Farm Conference, Gaylord, Michigan. 8:30-5:00. http://www.msue.msu.edu/iac/farmconf/
Feb 7-March 18 Sanitation for Farmstead Dairies on-line Short Course UW River Falls. 715-425-3704 Ranee.j.may@uwrf.eduwww.uwrf.edu/food-science/
February 9-12, Advanced Organic Vegetable Production, Michael Fields Ag Institute (MFAI), East Troy, Contact MFAI at 262-642-3303 gkahovic@michaelfieldsaginst.org www.michaelfieldsaginst.org
Feb 10-11 Rural Life Gathering 2005 Churches' Center for Land and People, Sinsinawa, WI 4:30-9:30 Thurs, 8:30-3:45 Friday 608-748-4411 x 805
February 11, Francis Moore Lappe in SE Minnesota
On Friday, Feb. 11, Frances Moore Lappe will be featured at two LSP events in southeast Minnesota. For more information, call 507-523-3366, or lspse@landstewardshipproject.org.
February 11-12, Northern Plains Sustainable Agriculture Society Winter Meeting, Aberdeen, South Dakota. Featuring Sally Fallon. More information: Theresa Podool, 701-883-4304 tpnpsas@drtel.net www.npsas.org
February 24-26 Organic University and Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference, La Crosse, WI. 715-772-3153, info@mosesorganic.org http://www.mosesorganic.org/umofc/intro.htm
March 6-7 Family Farmed.org EXPO, Chicago Navy Pier. More info http://www.FamilyFarmed.org

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.

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The Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service
PO Box 339
Spring Valley, WI 54767
ph 715-772-3153
fax 715-772-3162
info@mosesorganic.org
www.mosesorganic.org

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