About SARE

Since 1988, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program of the Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service has been the U.S. Department of Agriculture's primary means of studying and spreading the word about farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities. SARE has invested approximately $90 million in 2,157 projects nationwide. There are now SARE grants for producers, researchers, agricultural educators, graduate students and communities.

Conference Purpose

On the Road to Sustainable Agriculture is a rolling conference centered on two days of tours. Unlike most conferences where learning takes place in auditorium settings, participants will see, hear, taste and feel for themselves what is happening to the soil, crops and communities.

Tour stops will be built around the following themes:

• Urban sprawl and sustainable agriculture
• Organic production, research, marketing and certification
• Direct marketing opportunities
• Production systems in transition
• Opportunities for limited-resource farmers
• Environmental issues and sustainable agriculture

You will get an on-site look at how successful farmers plan, plant, harvest and market. Walk their fields, look at their livestock, ask about their choice of tools and equipment; exchange ideas with them. At SARE-funded research sites talk to the scientists and technicians for ideas to bring back to your own farm, community and colleagues.

At markets and farm stores find out what makes an inviting atmosphere for first-time customers and what keeps them coming back. Talk to the farmers about the challenges and satisfaction of direct sales.

If all that's not enough, you'll also get an organic cotton tote bag with our beautiful bus logo, a workbook of profiles about each of the tour stops and meals prepared from fresh local ingredients.

Farmer Panel

Keeping it Between the Ditches - Launching the conference Wednesday evening will be a panel of five successful farmers talking about how they overcame barriers on their individual roads to sustainability.

Claud Evans of Oklahoma manages parasites in cashmere goats with rotational grazing. He also invented a special comb for collecting higher quality wool without shearing trauma.

Mark Frasier manages a 29,000-acre ranch in eastern Colorado. The family operation grazes 3,400 head of cattle using holistic management techniques.

Steve Groff employed no-till methods and cover crops to reduce severe erosion, improve soil and knock back pests on his third-generation diversified farm in Pennsylvania.

Alex Hitt, along with his wife Betsy, grows 57 varieties of flowers and 60 varieties of vegetables on five acres in Graham, NC.

LaRhea Pepper helped start an organic cotton cooperative in Texas, which now supplies more than 25 percent of U.S. organic cotton.

Keynote Speakers

On Thursday evening ecologist/biologist David Pimentel, professor of entomology at Cornell University, will speak on “Food, Sustainability and Natural Resources.”

Saturday morning's wrap-up session will feature Jules Pretty, director of the Centre for Environment and Society at the University of Essex, England, addressing the urgent need for the next agricultural revolution.

Patrick Madden Award

The life and contributions of Patrick Madden, founding director of SARE, will be commemorated. The first Patrick Madden Award will be presented to a farmer chosen by a national search.

Monday Class

Organic Vegetable Production - This course will cover the planning, installation and maintenance of an organic fall vegetable garden. Consisting of class and field time, students will gain hands on experience in producing vegetables for local markets. Students share in the harvest and consumption of crops produced! Instruction on season extension and winter cover crops will also be included. 6-9 pm, 8/19/02 to 11/18/02, Instructors: Doug Jones, Tony Kleese.

Tuesday Classes

Cut Flower Production - A look at the business of growing and marketing quality cut flowers. This course will cover such topics as site and seed selection, growing flowers that maintain their quality, marketing strategies and bouquet design. 7-9 pm, 9/10/02 to 11/26/02, Instructor: Leah Cook.

Sustainable Poultry Production - An introduction to all types of poultry (chickens, turkeys, etc.) from hatching to humane processing. Specific topics will include herbal and holistic health care, flock management, rotation on pasture, folk wisdom and the marketing of eggs, meat and manure. Saturday field trip TBA. 7-9 pm, 9/10/02 to 11/26/02, Instructor: Steven Moize.

Carpentry, Electrical and Plumbing - This class will review the North Carolina building codes, the permit process, and the building inspection schedules. Students will study techniques of foundation work, carpentry, plumbing, electrical, and heating and air-conditioning. The final segment will look at building design with an emphasis on low impact, passive solar and ecological construction methods. 7-9 pm, 9/17/02 to 12/3/02, Instructor: Kevin Meehan.

Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants - Field Study The focus of this field study will be locating, identifying, approaching, collecting and marketing edible and medicinal plants. Frequent field trips to local areas for identification and sustainable harvest of native plants are planned as part of the learning experience. Learn how to explore herb habitats and communities, and discover ways to open up to this healing, nurturing, and renewing force. Weekend field trip TBA. 3-6 pm, 10/15/02 to 12/10/02, Instructor: Will Endres.

Wild Edible and Medicinal Plants - Herbalist and Wild Crafter Will Endres shares his more than twenty-five years of experience in the gathering and preparation of wild herbs for personal use and sale. Learn how to wisely integrate plants into your daily life. This is an interactive course where you will be given the opportunity to ask all of your herbal questions. The preparation of herbs for use by drying, and by making fluid extracts will be covered. Weekend field trip TBA. Maximum student learning and application occur when the field study course is taken during the same semester, but is not a requirement. 7-9 pm, 10/15/02 to 12/10/02, Instructor: Will Endres.

Basic Farm Maintenance - This course covers fundamentals of maintenance and repair of farm facilities and equipment. Topics include safe use of hand tools and farm machinery, carpentry, concrete, painting, wiring, welding, plumbing, and calculating costs and materials needed. Upon completion, students should be able to answer theoretical questions on topics covered and assist with maintenance and repair of farm facilities and equipment. Offered as a curriculum course. 2-5:50pm, 8/20/02 to 12/03/02; Instructor: Kevin Meehan.

Wednesday Classes Agricultural Mechanics - From simple hand tools to internal combustion engines, students will learn how to use and maintain farm tools and machinery. Class will include hands on training in small engine diagnostics and repair. Farm tractors and implements will be discussed and demonstrated. 9/11/02 to 12/4/02, 3:30-6:00 pm, Instructor: Hulbert Mundey.

Marketing Farm Products - This course will instruct students in market theory and practice and introduce various marketing strategies such as agrotourism, selling to local farmers markets and direct to consumer. Students will learn how to evaluate markets and contact buyers at the wholesale level as well as determine the market venues that fit their personality and farm profile. 7-9 pm, 9/11/02 to 12/4/02, Instructor: Andy Upshaw.

Permaculture Design Practicum - Second semester of an accredited permaculture design course offering practical landscape design skills and an opportunity to apply permaculture techniques to an individual design project. Students seeking a certificate in Permaculture Design should expect about three hours of homework per week. Successful completion of Permaculture Fundamentals, or permission from the instructor is required before taking this class. A certificate in Permaculture Design is awarded to students who successfully complete both courses. 6-9 pm, 9/4/02 to 12/4/02, Instructor: Matthew Arnsberger.

Biological Soil and Pest Management - The foundation of sustainable agriculture is the building and maintaining of healthy soil, plant and insect biological cycles. This class covers the properties of different soil types, soil testing and amendments necessary to maintaining a biologically active and healthy soil. It also discusses integrated pest management, including biological, cultural and least toxic chemical control for weeds, disease and insect management. The class will include hands-on insect identification in the field. 6-9 pm, 9/11/02 to 12/4/02, Instructor: Bill Dow.

Introduction to Sustainable Agriculture - This course will provide students with a clear perspective on the principles, history and practices of sustainable agriculture in our local and global communities. Through case studies and local examples the course will introduce the student to the economic, environmental and social impacts of agriculture, with a focus on discussing and experiencing examples of practical solutions to problems. Offered as a curriculum course both on-line and on-campus. 10 am - 12:50 pm, 8/21/02 to 12/04/02, Instructor: Robin Kohanowich.

Biodynamics - An introduction to the principles and practices of this advanced organic farming system. The system of biodynamic farming was developed by Rudolf Steiner and is considered the first ecological farming system to arise in response to commercial fertilizers and specialized agriculture. Students with all levels of gardening skills are welcome. 5-7 pm, 9/25/02 to 11/13/02, Instructors: Leah Clayton, John Lyerly.

Thursday Classes

Plant Propagation for Market Garden and Nursery -Topics in this class will include tools and techniques for propagation by seed, division and cuttings as well as grafting and budding. Seasonally appropriate propagation will be demonstrated; other topics will include producing a marketable product, an overview of the nursery industry and seed saving techniques. Instruction will combine the talents of local experts to give students a basic understanding and hands-on experience in propagating plants for market. 2-5 pm, 9/5/02 to 11/21/02, Instructor: Andy Upshaw.

Sustainable Energy Solutions: Biofuels - The science and technology of converting diesel engines to using alternative fuels, and the politics and history of why this technology is not already common knowledge. This class will have a hands-on portion and will specifically address the use of alternative energy as part of sustainable agriculture operations. 6-9 pm, 9/19/02 to 12/12/02, Instructors: Rachel Burton, Leif Forer.

To register call 919-542-6495 ext. 225. For more information call Robin Kohanowich at 919-542-6495 ext. 229.

Many residents have initiated practices such as collecting water in rain barrels or collecting "gray water" for use in gardens. While the conservation approach is laudable, the big picture includes some clouds hanging over these practices. Each of these practices presents some potential health hazards that need to be considered.

Rain barrels involve the time honored practice of collecting water that runs off of impervious surfaces such as the roof. The water is collected in anything from plastic buckets to large barrels to genuine cisterns. Collected water can then be used to water plants. So far, so good.

But then West Nile Virus rears its head and we have to remember mosquitoes who are the agent spreading this particular problem. The thing that all mosquitoes have in common is the use of standing water for reproduction. With lack of rainfall, mosquito populations have been relatively low this summer.

But collecting water may be our own Achilles heel. Rain barrels should be well screened and tightly sealed to ensure that mosquitoes do not have access to this potential breeding site.

Residents should also make sure that water from occasional rain showers or irrigation does not accumulate. Potential collection areas that should be inspected at least weekly include rain gutters, tarps on lawn furniture or boats, bird baths, pet water dishes, and areas beneath drippy faucets. Any material stored outdoors may allow small amounts of water to collect. Even a bucket turned upside down may collect water if it has a lip or indentations on the bottom.

Dishes placed beneath plants in containers are another overlooked source of standing water. Backyard inspections conducted by entomologists in Raleigh last week found over 50% of these dishes contained mosquito larvae.

Water gardens should also be inspected. If fish or other aquatic animals are present, then they may feed on any mosquito larvae. Otherwise, water gardeners may need to use aquatic larvicides to control larval populations.

It's worth noting that permanent bodies of water such as lakes and ponds generally have adequate aquatic populations to feed on the larval mosquitoes and keep them in check. But if high temperatures and low oxygen levels cause fish in the ponds to die, mosquito populations could increase.

Use of gray water has also been widely discussed. Gray water is water that is used a second time. Typically it includes reuse of water that has been used in kitchen sinks, dishwashers, tubs, showers, or household laundry.

Everyone should note that North Carolina laws prohibit diversion of water from any septic or sewage lines. So in practice using this type of water is highly questionable from a legal standpoint. But in addition to the legal issues there are also health concerns with the use of gray water.

It stands to reason that in most cases this water was initially used to clean something that was dirty. It follows that the water is dirty. So what? You weren't planning to drink it or cook with it. You only intended to use it on some plants?

Some of the health concerns associated with gray water include typhoid fever, dysentery, hepatitis, and other bacterial or viral infections. Storing this type of water increases the opportunity for serious problems to develop.

And of course, if you collect it for use later, we come back to the mosquito issue. We are all concerned with the issue of water conservation. But we need to remember the big picture. Water is necessary to life including some life forms that can be threatening.

The Chatham County Center of the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service urges horse owners in Chatham and surrounding counties to take preventative measures to protect their horses against a potential infection of West Nile Virus in their horses. A male pony from Pasquotank County has been confirmed with the disease, and during the week of August 19, a dead bird was found in Raleigh, NC with the disease. According to Dr. David Marshall of the NCDA State Veterinarians Office, "West Nile Virus can cause encephalitis, or inflammation of the brain in horses. Symptoms can include loss of appetite and depression, fever, weakness or paralysis of hind limbs, convulsions, difficulty swallowing, circling, impaired vision, head pressing, aimless wandering, hyperexcitability or coma. About 30 percent of infected horses showing clinical signs either die or must be euthanized despite treatment."

If a horse owner notices a horse exhibiting any of these symptoms, they should contact their veterinarian immediately. Horse owners should also contact their veterinarian and consult with him/her about adding a vaccination for West Nile Virus to their horse's vaccination schedule if they are not already doing so. The N. C. Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services approved a vaccine for use in North Carolina that is produced by Fort Dodge Laboratories, Inc., of Fort Dodge, Iowa, in 2001. Vaccination protocol for this product consists of an initial injection followed by a booster shot three weeks later. Horse owners should be aware that protective immunity may take up to six weeks to occur following the booster shot.

According to Dr. Marshall, state veterinarian, "in 2001, six horses were found positive with West Nile Virus in the northeastern part of the state. Frankly, we're surprised we haven't seen an equine case in our state by this time."

People should be aware that people, horses and birds can become infected from the bite of a mosquito carrying the disease and it is important to note that mosquitoes are the only proven carriers of the virus. Marshall also encourages horse owners "to be proactive in protecting their horses. Vaccinating, getting rid of standing water, keeping horses indoors during peak mosquito activity and using fans in stalls to create air movement are a few easy and inexpensive ways to help protect your horses against this potentially fatal virus."

The drastic decline in feral and domestic honeybees in the last few years, because of decimation by varroa mites, has made it even more important to conserve and study wild bee populations. Dr. Hachiro Shimanuki, head of the USDA's Bee Research Laboratory in Beltsville, Maryland, has charted a 25 percent decline in managed honeybees in the last decade. Although the number of pollen bees has also declined, due to pesticide use and habitat destruction, pollen bees are unaffected by mites and Africanized bees, and many can be managed and used in commercial agriculture.

Often, growers don't realize the amount of pollination that is performed by native bees, and signs of inadequate pollination are often misinterpreted as weather problems or disease. Dr. Suzanne Batra of the USDA's Bee Research Lab in Beltsville, Maryland conducted a three-year study to discover the natural mix of bees in a West Virginia forest. She found that, of the 1700 bees trapped in the first year of the study, only 34 were honeybees. This means that pollen bees were performing almost all pollination.

Although pollen bees make small amounts of honey, it is not collectable, so the sole purpose of managing them is for pollination. According to Dr. Peter Kevan, "The economic value of pollination, seed set, and fruit formation greatly outweighs that suggested by more conventional indices, such as the value of honey and wax produced by honeybees". In order for an insect to be used as a pollinator, however, it should be easily handled and readily available in large numbers.

Encouraging Native Bees
One of the first steps for a grower to take is to observe what kinds of native bees exist in the area. Most solitary bees are highly seasonal, timing their emergence with peak flowering in their area, and are more diverse and abundant in undisturbed natural habitats. Bumble, digger, and sweat bees make up the bulk of pollen bees in most parts of the country. Dr. Batra notes that Europeans have made significant advances in the field of bee study. There, native bees have been evaluated and encouraged in much the same way that hummingbirds and butterflies are accommodated in U.S. gardens. In order to encourage pollen bees, we must: understand their biologies, provide nesting habitats, stop using harmful pesticides, and furnish suitable crops and wild forage.

Understand Bee Biology
Although bees are recognized as some of the most important pollinators in almost all ecosystems where flowers occur, their precise roles in pollination are not well documented. At this point, only a few species have been studied. Most wild bees, unlike honeybees, are solitary and don't form large colonies. Bumblebees form small colonies of one to five hundred workers, but most bees are independent, with the females producing and laying eggs in single cells. Many pollen bees hibernate for most of the year-up to 11 months. When they finally emerge, they pollinate with enormous energy.

The life cycle of most solitary bees fits into a regular pattern. Females make nests using leaves, soil, or mud, and provision them with honey and pollen. They lay single eggs in divided cells. The eggs hatch and the larvae eat, grow, and pupate inside the same cell. The adults remain in the nest until spring or summer. The males usually emerge before the females, which are mated immediately after emergence from the nest. The cycle then repeats itself.

Provide Nesting Habitats
"It is time to protect our native beneficial bees through habitat conservation and sustainable agriculture," says Suzanne Batra. The best way to preserve bees and continue to gain from their pollination services is to preserve wildland. In addition, gardeners and farmers can help preserve and increase native pollinator populations by setting aside undisturbed land.

Most bees love sun and prefer to nest in dry places. For ground nesting bees, this means a patch of undisturbed soil in a sunny spot. For wood- and stem-nesting bees, this means piles of branches, bamboo sections, hollow reeds, or nesting blocks made out of untreated wood. Mason bees need a source of water and mud, and many kinds of bees are attracted to weedy, untended hedgerows.

Stop Using Harmful Pesticides
The extensive use of pesticides not only on farmlands, but also in suburbia and in managed woodlands, has contributed to the would also make it easier to detect cuckoo bees or other pests in the cells.

Furnish Suitable Crops and Wild Forage
The pollinators that are enticed to occupy habitats need alternate sources of forage when crops are not in bloom. Many solitary bees have relatively short lifespans that may not coincide exactly with the timing of a specific crop bloom. Therefore, additional forage must be encouraged or sown. This forage should last through spring, summer, and fall, but should not be in bloom at the same time as the target crop. For example, willow is an excellent source of nectar and pollen in early spring. Clover is a good source of nectar in summer, and asters provide fall forage. Plants like these could be planted along the edges of arable land, in fence-rows and hedgerows. The greater the habitat diversity, the greater the insect diversity.

Another example: Hornfaced bees (Osmia cornifrons) are excellent pollinators of apples, but they are active before apple trees bloom. In Maryland, the bees use winter honeysuckle (Lonicera fragrantissima), which finishes blooming just as apples come into bloom. After the apples bloom, Tatarican honeysuckle (Lonicera tatarica) begins to bloom, and the bees then use this plant for forage.

Suggested Plants for Native Bees
The following plants attract pollen bees. Native bees, unlike honeybees, do not fly great distances from their nests to forage. Plantings for native bees should be within 200 yards of the target crop. Some of these plants are also good for attracting beneficial insects.

Shrubs and Trees: blackberry (Rubus), dogwood (Cornus), raspberry (Rubus), fruit trees (apple, cherry, plum), sumac (Rhus), Juneberry (Amalanchier), willows (Salix)

Flowers and Herbs: alfalfa (Medicago sativa), goldenrod (Solidago), alsike clover (Trifolium hybridum), goldfields (Lasthenia chrysostoma), asters (Aster), hollyhock (single varieties) (Alcea rosea), beard tongue (Penstemon), impatiens (Impatiens), bee balm (Monarda), milkvetch (Astragalus), birds-foot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus), milkweed (Asclepias), borage (Borago officianalis), mints (Mentha, Saliva), buttercup (Ranunculus), marjoram (Origanum), calendula (single varieties) (Calendula), nasturtiums (Tropaeolum), coneflower (Echinacea), oilseed rape (Brassica napus), chrysanthemum (Dendranthema), pincushion (Chaenactis), crown-beard (Verbesina), red clover (Trifolium pratense), daisies, scorpion weed (Phacelia), dandelion (Taraxacum officinale), sunflowers (Helianthus), evening primrose (Oenothera), tickseed (Coreopsis), forget-me-not (Myosotis), wild mustard (Brassica), fuchsia (Fuchsia), vervain (Verbena), gilia (Gilia), wild buckwheat (Eriogonum), globe mallow (Sphaeralcea).

Raising Native Bees
The mass rearing of pollen bees is challenging because each species has its own nesting requirement. One reason for raising your own, however, is that locally raised bees are better adapted to local climatic conditions. Native bees can peacefully co-exist with honeybees, because the two groups have different foraging patterns.

Native bees can be roughly divided between soil dwellers and wood dwellers. Soil dwelling bees include bumble, sweat, digger, squash, alkali, and polyester bees, among others. Bees that live underground prefer south-facing, dry, sandy banks, free of vegetation.

Wood dwellers include orchard mason bees, hornfaced bees, leafcutters, and carpenter bees. Inexpensive artificial nests can be created out of paper or plastic straws (roughly ¼"-3/8" in diameter) packed into a milk carton, coffee can, or PVC pipe and then glued in. These domiciles can be attached to tree trunks, fence posts, or the side of a shed, between three and six feet off the ground. The nests should be placed so that the holes are horizontal and the bees receive at least morning sun. Shelter from rain, snow, and wind, and from pests like woodpeckers and mice, should also be provided.

More permanent nesting blocks can be made out of untreated softwood such as pine or fir. A commonly sized block is 4"x4" or 4"x6", drilled with holes that are about ¼"-3/8" wide and 4-6" deep. Brian Griffin, who raises orchard mason bees in Washington, drills his 4x6 blocks with holes on ¾" centers, so that each block has 102 holes. He angles the front of the block and places a piece of cedar shingle on top, to act as a roof overhang. These blocks can be used for many years and can be cleaned with a bleach solution.

These wooden blocks can be lined with cardboard tubes, although it's not necessary to do so. The tubes can be pulled out of the blocks every year for cleaning. By holding the tubes up to light, it is possible to count the number of viable bees. (This trait might be desirable if one were selling bees.) Using tubes would also make it easier to detect cuckoo bees or other pests in the cells.

Other alternatives for nests include drilling holes in dead tree trunks and bundling pithy-stemmed plants like sumac, goldenrod, and bamboo together. Bees will also nest in snail shells and old mud dauber nests.