SAES-422 Multistate Research Activity Accomplishments Report
Sections
Status: Approved
Basic Information
- Project No. and Title: WERA_OLD67 : Western Coordinating Committee for Sustainable Agriculture
- Period Covered: 10/01/2000 to 09/01/2001
- Date of Report: 10/23/2001
- Annual Meeting Dates: 08/08/2001 to 08/09/2001
Participants
Cruz, Frank (fcruz@uog.edu)- University of Guam; Del Rosario, Aurora G. (aderose@palaunet.com)- Palau Community College/Micronesia; Dyer, Jim (jadyer@frontier.net)- Colorado Organic Producers Assoc. & NCAT; Elliot, Adriane (aelliott@holly.colostate.edu)- Colorado State University; Geary, Brad bgeary@uidaho.edu)- University of Idaho; Glimp, Hudson (hglimp@cabnr.unr.edu)- University of Nevada-Reno; Granatstein, David (granats@wsu.edu)- Washington State University CSANR; Gray, Alan (alangray@uwyo.edu)- University of Wyoming; Guldan, Steve (sguldan@nmsu.edu)- New Mexico State University; Hinton, Adrian (adrianh@ext.usu.edu)- Utah State University; Jacobs, Jim (jjj@uwyo.edu)- University of Wyoming; Jimenez, Del (djimenez@nmsu.edu)- New Mexico State University; McGiffen, Milt (milt@citrus.ocr.edu) - University of California; Rasmussen, Phil (wsare@mendel.usu.edu) - Western SARE; Roy, Pam (pamelaroy@aol.com)- Friends of the Farmers' Markets; Stone, Alex (stonea@bcc.orst.edu) - Oregon State University; Swezey, Sean L. (findit@cats.ucsc.edu) - University of California; Tourte, Laura (ljtourte@ucdavis.edu) - University of California Cooperative Extension; Walser, Ron (rwalser@nmsu.edu)- New Mexico State University; Young, Deborah (djyoung@ag.arizona.edu) - University of Arizona
The program theme for the meeting was "Organic Farming Research and Education in the West." The papers presented focused on organic production in the west and research and education needs in the Western Region. This was followed by state reports.
Following these reports, the committee discussed issues for organic farming and possible projects for the committee. One particular possibility discussed was to secure funding from WSARE to provide regional trainings on organic certification, rules, materials, and methods. Most state representatives to WCC-67 expressed interest in developing trainings in their state. David Granatstein and Sean Swezey agreed to bring a proposal to committee members. Committee members were encouraged to evaluate organic research and education needs in their state for possible follow-up in identifying projects.
Chair Swezey and Vice-chair Guldan volunteered to serve another year and plan the agenda and tour and host the next meeting in September 2002. The meeting will be held in Albuquerque as part of the National Small Farms Conference. The chair will contact program directors to create a common small farm organic farming research and education needs meeting for both WCC-67 members and small conference attendees. The committee still needs to determine who will serve as secretary.
Accomplishments
During 2000, WCC-67 committee members prepared a petition for renewal. That petition was approved for the committee to continue from October 1, 2000 to September 30, 2005.
In planning for the future, the committee discussed and identified a number of potential issues/topics. Some of the potential needs/topics identified were:
7 Weed control studies in organic production
7 Education on USDA‘s Organic Certification guidelines
7 Organic livestock production
7 Identification of priorities and gaps in organic production for WSARE
7 Need for more education/outreach materials on organics
7 Need for WSARE grant writing workshop