Hi Tom, you are so right -- What we need instead is to make regenerative agriculture the norm. i lived in Vedic City for maybe 6 years. i don't see any chance of it becoming an urban sprawl. perhaps closer to what you said -- collection of, say, a dozen small farming villages. :) Fred On Thu, Oct 6, 2016 at 12:33 AM, l < [log in to unmask]> wrote: > Thanks, Fred, Donna, and Wally. > > As I was reading the Climate Smart ag docs, I was struck by how they were > merely grafting some climate-friendly initiatives onto the industrial > agriculture model. What we need instead is to make regenerative agriculture > the norm. > > We visited MUM earlier this year. The big question for me regarding MUM is > the future of Vedic City, a vast tract of mostly farmland near Fairfield, > incorporated about 15 years ago as a city. It is still mostly farmland. > Will it be another automobile-choked urban sprawl mess in a few years, like > Ankeny or West Des Moines? Or will it be a collection of, say, a dozen > small farming villages, set among acres of rich Iowa land, and not > subdivisions, strip malls or office parks? (Or data centers.) > > My 0.014 acres of gardens here in my Des Moines back yard did > fantastically well this year, fed by compost and not sprayed with any > chemicals. Half a freezer of frozen green beans; 44 quarts of canned > tomatoes plus many containers of frozen tomatoes. Lots of bell peppers. > Good crop of zuchinni. Collards and carrots still to be harvested. Not > bragging. I owe it all to this amazing Iowa soil. Our house was built in > 1940, and it seems at that time they were not bulldozing topsoil away when > new houses went in. Not the case today. > > Tom Mathews > > -----Original Message----- > From: fred rosenberg <[log in to unmask]> > To: IOWA-TOPICS <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Wed, Oct 5, 2016 2:51 pm > Subject: Re: TODAY: TOP IOWA Scientists release Iowa Climate Statement > 2016: The Multiple Benefits of Climate-Smart Agriculture > > This also just came across my attention today -- that MUM in Fairfield is > just starting an entire new academic certificate program in regenerative > agriculture. here is the announcement that hit my email today: > Fred Rosenberg > > *Certificate in Regenerative Organic Agriculture to be Offered* > Those interested in being part of the next generation of organic farming > will be able to enroll in a 10-month certificate program in regenerative > organic agriculture beginning this January. > The program will combine classroom instruction with six months of field > work learning all facets of organic agriculture. The field work will take > place at the Center for Regenerative Organic Agriculture, which includes 26 > acres of land with facilities such as classrooms, food processing areas, a > kitchen, and offices. > Courses include planning an organic farm, soil science, starting seeds, > biodynamic agriculture, greenhouse management, organic crop nutrient > management, organic pest management, and more. Apprenticeships will be > available in the U.S., Nepal, Italy, Bali, and Costa Rica. > Graduates will receive a certificate in regenerative agriculture > underwritten by MUM, the Biodynamic Association, and the International > Federation of Organic Farming Movements. > According to program head A. Thimmaiah, few schools or organizations offer > hands-on programs in regenerative organic farming systems, which he > distinguishes from common organic farming. > "Most organic agriculture is still a substitution farming wherein most of > the inputs are imported, such as seeds, manures, biopesticides, and more." > Regenerative agriculture, on the other hand, is a self-sufficient, > closed-loop system in which all the inputs required for farming are > produced by farmers on their farms using only the naturally available > resources within their farms. > "This course will be of interest to anyone who has a passion to create > radical change in the current food and agriculture systems," Dr. Thimmaiah > said. "The students can be food activists, farmers, food advocates, home > and urban gardeners, or future organic farmers." > The program will be a collaborative effort among five internationally > renowned organizations in the field of organic and biodynamic agriculture. > "The world leaders in this field will be helping to teach this course," he > said. "This is a great opportunity for students to have a global > understanding and to learn solutions to the present unsustainable, > exploitative farming systems." > For more information, see www.mum.edu/roa-certificate. Or send an email to > [log in to unmask] > > > On Wed, Oct 5, 2016 at 2:46 PM, Donna Buell <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> This topic of regenerative agriculture is something that I believe Sierra >> Club is looking into as a national campaign issue. It is building momentum >> and has so many positives that we should be supporting regenerative >> agriculture whenever possible. Thanks for sharing, Wally. >> >> Donna >> >> >> On Oct 5, 2016, at 9:42 AM, Wallace Taylor <00000041ecaa5627-dmarc-reques >> [log in to unmask]> wrote: >> >> Iowa scientists keep issuing these warnings every year, but no one >> listens. >> >> Wally Taylor >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: Bolkcom, Joseph L <[log in to unmask]> >> Sent: Wed, Oct 5, 2016 9:37 am >> Subject: TODAY: TOP IOWA Scientists release Iowa Climate Statement 2016: >> The Multiple Benefits of Climate-Smart Agriculture >> >> Friends, >> >> Good morning! >> >> The *Iowa Climate Statement 2016: The Multiple Benefits of Climate-Smart >> Agriculture* was released today at a 9:00 am press conference call with >> Iowa media. >> >> The 6th annual Iowa Climate Statement was endorsed by 187 science >> faculty and researchers from 39 Iowa colleges and universities. >> >> Attached please find a copy of the statement with endorsers, the >> statement with references and the press statement announcing the release. >> >> Please feel free to share the statement with interested parties. Here is >> a link to the 2016 statement and press release at >> https://cgrer.uiowa.edu/. Visit https://iowaenvironmenta >> lfocus.wordpress.com/iowa-climate-statement/ to view all previous Iowa >> Climate Statements. >> >> Let us know if you have any questions. >> >> Best regards, >> >> Joe >> >> >> Joe Bolkcom >> Outreach and Community Education Director >> Center for Global and Regional Environmental Research >> and the Iowa Flood Center >> The University of Iowa >> 426 IATL >> Iowa City, IA 52242 >> 319-353-2681 >> joe- <[log in to unmask]>[log in to unmask] >> www.cgrer.uiowa.edu >> www.iowafloodcenter.org >> www.iowaenvironmentalfocus.org >> <image001.jpg> >> >> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * >> To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to >> [log in to unmask] >> <[log in to unmask]&body=SIGNOFF%20IOWA-TOPICS>, >> or visit Listserv online >> <http://lists.sierraclub.org/SCRIPTS/WA.EXE?SUBED1=IOWA-TOPICS&A=1>. For >> all the latest news and activities, sign up for Sierra Club Insider >> <http://www.sierraclub.org/sierra-club-email/insider>, the Club's >> twice-monthly flagship e-newsletter. Listserv users are subject to the >> Sierra Club's Terms and Conditions <http://www.sierraclub.org/terms>. >> <Iowa Climate Statement 2016 The Multiple Benefits of Climate-Smart >> Agriculture_FINAL_October_5_2016.pdf><Iowa Climate Statement 2016_The >> Multiple Benefits of Climate-Smart Agriculture_Press >> Release_FINAL_October_5_2016.pdf><Iowa Climate Statement 2016_The >> Multiple Benefits of Climate-Smart Agriculture_References_FINAL_O >> ctober_5_2016.pdf> >> >> >> * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * >> To unsubscribe from the IOWA-TOPICS list, send any message to >> [log in to unmask] >> <[log in to unmask]&body=SIGNOFF+IOWA-TOPICS>, >> or visit Listserv online >> <http://LISTS.SIERRACLUB.ORG/SCRIPTS/WA.EXE?SUBED1=IOWA-TOPICS&A=1>. 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