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Nonprofit food and farming organizations |
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Madison/Dane County Focus Dane County REAP (Research, Education, Action, Policy) Food GroupThe Dane County REAP Food Group is a voluntary meeting of people interested in promoting an environmentally sustainable, economically just, and healthful food system in Dane County. REAP members include public officials, food system activists, food producers, university faculty and students, and interested consumers. The vision for REAP is “to ensure a food system for Dane County that is healthful, sustainable, and just.” REAP activities include research and evaluation, education and dialogue, development of public policies, networking, media and public relations, and organizational development. REAP members are dedicated to community action and plan the annual “Food For Thought Festival,” a sustainable food fair held in September. Contact: Miriam Grunes F. H. King Students of Sustainable AgricultureThe F.H. King Students of Sustainable Agriculture group provides U.W. Madison students interested in sustainable agriculture a venue for discussion and action. The group meets regularly throughout the school year to sponsor guest speakers and group discussions. Students are working toward developing a meaningful sustainable agriculture curriculum at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. F.H. King students are also involved in numerous outreach and action activities. Members planned and organized a large, student-run vegetable garden in the summer of 2000. F.H. King students participate in many sustainable agriculture and food system events and forums on campus. Address: F.H.King c/o C.I.A.S, 1450
Linden Dr., University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706 Gray PanthersAs part of its mission to further environmental sustainability, the Madison area Gray Panthers became active in food system issues. The Grey Panthers advocate against pesticide use, dioxins, genetically modified food production, and large mono-cropping in agriculture. Currently, the Gray Panthers are working for the adoption of organic and local foods in schools. They regard healthy food a basic right, as is education. Contact: Peggy Baime Healthy Food Choices CampaignThe Healthy Food Choices Campaign is an ongoing, active collaboration of organizations and individuals who believe that citizens must have control over the food they eat. The Healthy Food Choices campaign works toward the following goals: (1) fresh Wisconsin juice and milk in our schools; no exclusive beverage vending contract for our schools, (2) food from local family farms; no corporate domination of our food supply, (3) more local, organic, sustainable, fair traded food; no genetically modified food, (4) a living wage for all food workers; no sweatshops in the fields, (5) a voice in Biostar; research for sustainable food systems; no corporate university, and (6) preservation of a diverse farm/land/food-scape; no more urban sprawl. Contact: Sam Gieryn SLOW FOOD MadisonThe Slow Food Movement is a non-profit organization founded in Italy in 1986. The goal of Slow Food is to promote pleasure through food and counter the onslaught of the fast-food, supermarket culture that standardizes tastes and extinguishes local variety in the production of food and beverages. The Slow Food Movement is an international movement with over 60,000 members in 35 countries. Slow Food ideas are spread through a local "Covivium" (or chapter), a group of people who meet on an informal basis learn about various culinary traditions through tastings, potlucks and tours of local farms. Contact: Tami Lax Regional/State-wide Focus Family Farm Defenders (FFD)Family Farm Defenders is a coalition of organizations and individuals committed to the creation of farmer-controlled and consumer-oriented food system. FFD representatives speak out against forces threatening the long-term survival of small and mid sized family farms and rural America. Family Farm Defenders is active on the political and policy front and lobbies on pricing and other farm policies. In 1997, FFD launched the Family Farmer Cheese project. In this enterprise, regional family farmers supply milk to Cedar Grove Cheese Company, which then manufactures the cheese under the Family Farmer label. Farmers involved in this enterprise receive a fair and consistent price for their milk. Contact: John Peck Family Farm Stewardship CampaignThe Family Farm Stewardship Campaign is a statewide public education and grassroots organizing campaign designed to preserve the family farm system of agriculture in Wisconsin, to promote healthy rural communities, and to protect the environment from the potential increase in industrial livestock operations. The Family Farm Stewardship Campaign is a project of Wisconsin Citizen Action. It brings together family farm, environmental, church, and citizens groups as well as individual farmers and activist to seek a solution to the loss of Wisconsin family farms. The coalition Steering Committee has developed an omnibus bill – the Family Farm Protection Act – designed to level the playing field for family farms while ensuring environmental protection. Contact: Sam Gieryn Michael Fields Agricultural Institute (MFAI)Michael Fields Agricultural Institute has been on the forefront of research and outreach efforts on sustainable agriculture. Research efforts have emphasized soil health, integrated cropping systems, open pollinated corn, farm diversification, organic production and bio-dynamic farming. The Institute sponsors a number of classes in bio-dynamic, organic, and low-input agriculture, and trains interns in these area. MFAI also conducts policy and advocacy work on behalf of sustainable agriculture. MFAI supports the community supported agriculture movement through the publication of a regional directory of CSA farms. Food system work includes organizing a biannual urban-rural conference to strengthen farmer-consumer connections and to foster local food system development. Contacts: John Hall, Executive Director or
Therese Philipp, Executive Assistant Midwest Organic Services Association (MOSA)Based in Viroqua, MOSA is a new, locally based, organic certifying agency born out of local farmers’ frustrations with international certifying standards. They aim to create a certification process that includes environmental, social and economic considerations. Contact: David Jay Engels Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA), Wisconsin Chapter #1The Organic Crop Improvement Association is an international certifying initiative with stringent standards. Producers certified through OCIA use no synthetic fertilizers or toxic chemicals in the production, storage, or cleaning of agricultural products. Detailed records, annual inspections, and the Organic Crop Improvement Association logo guarantee high quality, healthful and environmentally friendly food products Contact: David Jay Engels Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference (UMOFC)The largest organic farming conference in America is right here in Wisconsin! The Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference is a farmer-centered conference, attracting a diverse group of over 1400 participants from all over the Upper Midwest. Over its twelve-year history the UMOFC has become renowned throughout the country as one of the best organic farming conferences available. Contact: Faye Jones or Liz Rose (for conference
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