It seems there is wave after wave of discouraging financial news lately. And as bad as it seems, the holidays are bound to make things worse. We all know that the winter holidays are a major cause of stress for most people during prosperous times, but when a nation of spoiled consumers aren’t able to spend themselves silly, their self-inflicted pity party is bound to leave them in a stupor. If you find yourself in dire financial straits, wondering how you will afford the latest gizmo or gadget for little Johnny or Jane, take heart. You don’t have to consume to give great gifts.
At our house, Christmas is a religious holiday. We have never been extravagant in the gift department. Growing up, my children always got fewer gifts than the other kids. However, we never went into debt to buy them anything. If they wanted a big-ticket item, we waited until the late-January clearance sales.
Every year, I pick a theme for my gift-giving. I pray and meditate on what new things I’ve learned in the past year. This year, I’ve learned the value of creating memories. While others are pouting and whining about what they don’t have because of the “global economic crisis,” I was blessed with the gift of remembering the good times. So, everyone on my Christmas list will receive a memory book from me.
When my kids were little, I took copious amounts of pictures, ordering doubles when I went to have them developed. I have a huge plastic tub full of pictures. Each of my children will recieve a photo-album filled with old pictures from their childhood. My in-laws and parents will recieve one also. My youngest daughter started a scrap book in the seventh grade, and abondoned it the tenth. I’m going to finish it for her and give it to her on Christmas Eve. I’ve been picking up photo albums whenever I find them on clearance. When I add up the cost of giving seven albums complete with photos, it is under $40.00. Add in a few pounds of fudge, dried fruit, and other homemade goodies, and we will have a wonderful Christmas for next to nothing. Joy to the world.
With all the hullabaloo over health care reform and the economy, you might not have heard about H.R. 2868, the Chemical and Drinking Water Security Act of 2009. Passed in the House on November 6th, the bill now goes to the Senate. Opponents of the act, let by Republican Frank Lucas, ranking member of the House Agriculture Committee, are once again using the same old tired excuse to avoid being responsible members of the sustainable agriculture community. Congressman Lucas issued this statement on the passage of H.R.
“This vote was another hit to agriculture and to the American consumer. Under this legislation, it’s going to be significantly more expensive for agricultural input producers to provide farmers with the necessary tools for agriculture production. Without inputs like fertilizers and pesticides, it will be difficult for farmers to produce the same amount of product at the same high quality we have come to expect. Ultimately, this means our food costs will dramatically increase, or we will become reliant on foreign food imports.”
Study after study has shown that farmers can raise as much, if not more, crops without the use of harmful chemicals. The Congressman, while believing he is protecting farmers, is only protecting agri-business, specifically the chemical herbicide and pesticide companies, like Monsanto, that own the exclusive rights to these chemical “inputs.” (Input sounds much better than deadly chemical fertilizer, doesn’t it?)
Now that the bill is in the Senate, it will be reworked in committee. I’ll keep you posted on the progress. Let your Senator know how you feel about chemical fertilizers being pumped into the water supply in the name of cheap, abundant food. Learn more about H.R. 2868 here.
ELGIN, Minn, Nov. 3, 2009 – The USDA today announced the award of more than $17 million in grants to 29 institutions to address the needs of beginning farmers and ranchers and enhance the sustainability and competitiveness of U.S. agriculture.
“Beginning farmers and ranchers face unique challenges and need educational and training programs to enhance their profitability and long term sustainability,” Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan said. “The training and education provided through these grants will help ensure the success of the next generation of farmers and ranchers as they work to feed people in their local communities and throughout the world.”
Merrigan announced the funding in Elgin, Minn., at the Hidden Stream Farm and was joined by representatives from the Land Stewardship Project, the local grant recipient that provides local and regional training, education, outreach and technical assistance initiatives that address the needs of beginning farmers and ranchers. Eric and Lisa Klein, the proprietors of Hidden Stream Farm, were some of the first graduates of the Land Stewardship Project’s Farm Beginnings course. Since graduating from Farm Beginnings, the Klein’s have developed a thriving pasture-based livestock operation that markets pork, chickens and beef in southeast Minnesota and the Twin Cities.
This funding announcement is part of USDA’s new ‘Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food’ initiative which was launched in September 2009 to emphasize the need for a fundamental and critical reconnection between producers and consumers. ‘Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food’ includes such major agricultural topics as supporting local farmers and community food groups; strengthening rural communities; enhancing direct marketing and farmers’ promotion programs; promoting healthy eating; protecting natural resources; and helping schools connect with locally grown foods.
The grants were awarded through USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture’s (NIFA, formerly the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service) Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP). BFRDP is an education, training, technical assistance and outreach program designed to help U.S. farmers and ranchers, specifically those who have been farming or ranching for 10 years or fewer. Congress authorized the FY 2009 funding for this program in the 2008 Farm Bill, with another $19 million in mandatory funding for FY 2010. Under the program, USDA will make grants to organizations that will implement programs to help beginning farmers and ranchers.
Beginning farmers and ranchers interested in participating in any of the education, outreach, mentoring and/or internship activities are asked to contact the grantee institutions listed below.
Fiscal year 2009 recipients include:
Developing Innovations in Navajo Education, Inc., Flagstaff, Ariz., $674,507
Arkansas Land and Farm Development Corporation, Brinkley, Ark., $313,278
Agriculture and Land-Based Training Association, Salinas, Calif., $515,862
Fort Berthold Community College, New Town, N.D., $614,356
Langston University, Langston, Okla., $525,000
Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa., 572,178
Pennsylvania State University, State College, Pa., 733,821
South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D., $701,608
University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn., $74,000
University of Texas-Pan American, Edinburg, Texas, $665,038
Washington State University, Pullman, Wash., $748,651
Washington State University, Pullman, Wash., $524,896
Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service, Spring Valley, Wis., $151,515
Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people’s daily lives and the nation’s future. For more information, visit www.nifa.usda.gov .
I’m an avid reader. More than that, I love books—the way they feel and smell. When I open a book for the first time, regardless of its condition, I feel a mixture of anticipation and belonging, as if the pages are beckoning me. I would rather read the book than see the movie. Like all readers, I revel in imagination—my own as well as others’. I know I’m not alone. There are book lovers everywhere, even on the Internet.
Google Books, Project Gutenberg, and Fullbooks.com have compiled an impressive list of titles, thousands in fact, that are in the public domain, meaning no one holds a copyright on them: they are free for the taking. I’ve downloaded hundreds of titles from these sites, titles like The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Love Among the Chickens, and The American Farmer. As much as I enjoy searching for and downloading digital books, I still pine for the real deal now and then. And once again, technology has opened a whole new vista for book lovers everywhere.
BookMooch.com is a service that allows members to give away books they no longer want and get books they do want for free. Each member is responsible for paying the postage on the books they ship. Other than that, the service is absolutely free. It’s like a dream come true. I can trade titles with other book lovers and be part of a community of readers. I am actively trading books on BookMooch.com. I invite you to join me. Winter’s setting in, and nothing goes better with snow, sleet, and blizzard conditions than a cup of hot cocoa and a good book.
In the current issue of Countryside (July/August 2009), I discuss the Clean Water Restoration Act, which would give Government control over the vast majority of America’s waterways. Regulations governing the use of water are growing, especially in drought-stricken regions. States and municipalities alike are struggling with water issues.
A Countryside reader who is experiencing the consequences of tightening water laws writes:
Dear All,
Just a plea to put the article on page 32 “But the Levee was dry: The truth about the Clean Water Restoration Act of 2007″ on your web site. (We did. See it here.)We would like to direct people to this article as quickly as possible — and of course, hope that a few of them will stay on to subscribe! We’re owners of a dam, attempting to donate it to the county to avoid bankruptcy as New York State’s regulations for Dam Safety will make it prohibitive for us to renovate or maintain it ourselves. And of course, the regulations are a totally unfunded mandate. As a religious-(very)not-for-profit government funding won’t help us anyway, but as it stands, the proposed regulations will attempt to make every dam in New York State look like the Hoover Dam. Life is certainly getting interesting in this wonderful world of ours.
Thanks so much!
Mother Raphaela
Zoar Farms at Holy Myrrhbearers Monastery
Otego, New York
The fact is water is the the most valuable commodity on the planet. It’s value lies not only in its life-sustaining benefits, but also in its value as a commodity. Water, as a sellable commodity, is worth more than oil and gold combined. It’s so important that President Obama appointed the first ever Great Lakes Czar.
The new czar, one of 32 at the last count, is Cameron Davis. As the head of the Alliance for the Great Lakes, Davis successfully lobbied for a $20 billion Great Lakes restoration program. No doubt Davis has the best interest of the Great Lakes Region at heart. He’s passionate about protecting this priceless natural resource. It seems as though he’s the perfect pick for the position.
It’s precisely the position that is the problem. The Great Lakes Czar has no authority over policy. His is only an advisory role. The people who control policy, they’re in the legislature, and as the Clean Water Restoration Act illustrates, they intend to exert maximun control over every body of water, no matter how small, in the United States. All bodies of water, public and private will fall under their control.
By installing him as Great Lakes Czar, the Obama Administration has effectively constrained an effective advocate for the Great Lakes Region. While everyone certainly wishes Mr. Davis well, we all realize that he had more power as an activist than he ever will as a czar.
