In this issue:
OFRF Solicits Pest Management Research Proposals
Scholarships available for Midwest Regional Outreach Conference
Resource Guide for Organic Insect and Disease Management
New from ATTRA: Asian Soybean Rust: Notes and Organic Control Options for Farmers
New Publications on Fruit, Cranberries Available
Organic Agriculture Opportunity at USDA-CSREES, DC Area

Events
About MOSES

OFRF Solicits Pest Management Research Proposals
The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF), in partnership with the EPA, has issued a call for proposals to conduct research on managing weeds, insects, and diseases using organic methods in the intermountain west and in the Midwest. Funds will be available to farmers, scientists, extension agents, and other interested research partners in EPA Regions 5 and 8. Proposals will be due Dec. 15, 2005, and funding decisions made in March 2006. CONTACT: Bob Scowcroft, 831-426-6606 Jane Sooby, 831-426-6606 PRESS Release

Scholarships for Midwest Regional Outreach Conference
The USDA's Risk Management Agency (RMA) RMA Midwest Regional Conference to be held November 1-2, 2005, in Des Moines, Iowa. The conference will highlight successful strategies for small and limited resource farmers and ranchers, include tours to thriving farms, and feature workshops on regional marketing issues, legal liabilities, family generational issues, managing production costs, community cooperatives, specialty crops, and financial considerations for small farmers and ranchers. Full scholarships are available for farmers and ranchers. For more information, contact MOSES at 715-772-3153, info@mosesorganic.org, or PO Box 339, Spring Valley, WI 54767.

Resource Guide for Organic Insect and Disease Management
Produced by a diverse team associated with Cornell University with funds from an IFAFS Grant. Section one contains cultural information and management practices for a number of important vegetable crop groups. Section two is a set of fact sheets about specific materials that can be used in organic systems. The last section contains appendices with useful information about additional practices such as plant resistance, trap cropping, habitats for beneficial insects, concept of resistance, materials exempt from pesticide regulation and additional resources. This guide is available in full online at http://www.nysaes.cornell.edu/pp/resourceguide/index.php

New from ATTRA: Asian Soybean Rust: Notes and Organic Control Options for Farmers
http://attra.ncat.org/calendar/new_pubs.php/2005/09/08/asian_soybean_rust_notes_and_organic_con
Asian Soybean Rust is a fungal disease that can affect native, edible and forage legumes. It was first detected in the U.S. in 2004 and is spreading through soybean producing regions. This document provides background and general information on the disease, and discusses options that organic growers in particular have for potential control of Asian Soybean Rust. Market implications are also considered. Posted: September 8, 2005.

New Publications on Fruit, Cranberries Available
Two new publications are available from the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems (CIAS) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The first, Overview of Organic Cranberry Production, notes that there are now over 500 acres of organic cranberries in production in Oregon, Massachusetts, Wisconsin, Maine, and Quebec. The report discusses transitioning to organic, challenges for growers, and future research that could improve the economics of organic cranberry production. The second publication is Fruit with Potential for Wisconsin Farms. The fact sheet documents the results of a trial that evaluated 99 cultivars of 34 fruit species on Carandale Farm during the 2003-2004 growing season. The trial emphasized horticultural suitability and marketing potential, with a particular focus on the nutraceutical value of the crops. The top five promising crops from the trial include European black currents, aronia (chokeberry), fruiting rose, gumi, and saskatoon. http://www.cias.wisc.edu

Organic Agriculture Opportunity at USDA-CSREES, DC Area
CSREES is looking for an individual to serve as coordinator for CSREES's organic agriculture programs as a one-year Interagency Personnel Agreement (IPA). CSREES is seeking a mid- to late-career individual with documented experience in research, extension, and teaching related to organic crop and/or livestock production and marketing. The successful candidate will have an exciting professional career development opportunity to bring fresh new ideas and leadership throughout the Land Grant University System and beyond.

Terms and Conditions: The position will be a one-year, full-time appointment, with CSREES providing a per diem, a travel budget, and 50 % of the selected candidate's salary and benefits. For full job description or more information contact: James Kotcon, 202-401-4879, jkotcon@csrees.usda.gov

Calendar of Events

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 1800 individuals in 2005. 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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