Rochester Post-Bulletin By Laura Horihan PROSPER, Minn. — Marie Nickell and her husband Mark were roofing their well pit in Prosper last Thursday night when they heard a helicopter flying overhead. A few minutes later a smokey-colored cloud began to drift over the small town located on U.S. 52 on the Minnesota-Iowa border. Suspecting that the cloud was created by an agricultural chemical, the couple quickly went inside, shut all of their windows and then decided to get in their car and drive as far away from the cloud as a they could. "We didn’t know what it was at first," Nickell recalled earlier this week. She said it wasn’t windy at the time, so it took a while for the chemical drift to dissipate. When the skies appeared safe they returned home; however, a few hours later both noticed they had sore throats. They’re also worried that the organic fruits and vegetables they grow have been contaminated with chemicals.

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Politics Daily Alissa Irei, Contributor Willie Adams has been waiting for more than 10 years. But his wait could be almost over. Adams is one of more than 70,000 black farmers who still haven't received their share of money from the 1999 United States Department of Agriculture discrimination-lawsuit settlement, in which a federal judge ruled that the USDA was guilty of decades of loan and subsidy practices that favored white farmers over blacks. The $1.15 billion in funding – the second part of what's known as the Pigford settlement – was approved by the House this year, but has been repeatedly stripped from larger spending bills in the Senate. The measure could be brought up this week as part of a stand-alone unanimous consent bill. Under the unanimous consent rule, a bill is considered passed if no senator objects. John Boyd, the president of the Black Farmers Association, said the action represents "long-overdue justice for nearly 80,000 black farmers who, spiritually and mentally, have really given up on the federal government ever treating them right."

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Midwest Has Largest Growth As National Total Increases 16 Percent USDA Wendy Wasserman (202) 690-3822 WASHINGTON, DC – The U.S. Department of Agriculture today announced that the 2010 National Farmers Market Directory lists 6,132 operational farmers markets, representing 16 percent growth over 2009 when the agency reported 5,274. The 2010 National Farmers Market Directory results are being released as part of National Farmers Market Week declared by Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack between Aug. 1-7, 2010. "Seeing such continued strong growth in the number of U.S. farmers markets indicates that regional food systems can provide great economic, social and health benefits to communities across the country," said Vilsack. "Farmers markets provide fresh, local products to communities across the country while offering economic opportunities for many producers of all sizes." The USDA National Farmers Market Directory can be found at http://farmersmarkets.usda.gov. Farmers markets can be searched by state, county, zip code and participation in federal nutrition assistance programs.

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University of Minnesota By Jim Riddle, Organic Outreach Coordinator Data presented by University of Minnesota Extension Corn Agronomist Dr. Jeff Coulter during the U of M’s Organic Field Day, held July 8, 2010, at the SWROC near Lamberton, demonstrates the long‐term productivity of organic cropping systems. In 1989, the Variable Input Crop Management System (VICMS) trials were initiated on 40 acres of the Elwell Agroecology Farm at the SWROC to evaluate zero‐externalinput; low‐external‐input; high‐external‐input; and organic‐input management strategies in a 2‐year soybean‐corn rotation and a 4‐year oat/alfalfa‐alfalfa‐cornsoybean rotation. Crop yields, yield variability, and yield stability were measured over time for these cropping systems. According to Dr. Coulter, many long‐term trials have demonstrated the value of including forage legumes in crop rotations, and this was confirmed in the VICMS research.

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Boulder Daily Camera By Alicia Wallace, Camera Business Writer Move comes in wake of WhiteWave shifting Silk away from certified organic soybeans Fourteen years ago, a burgeoning Boulder company -- White Wave Inc. -- was responsible for launching Silk soymilk, a brand that is now the category leader. So when Whole Foods Market wanted to boost its organic soymilk options a year after Dean Foods' WhiteWave Foods shifted most of its Silk products away from certified organic soybeans, the Austin, Texas, grocer turned to a burgeoning Boulder County firm -- one stocked with former White Wave employees. Whole Foods this week announced an agreement with Longmont-based Earth Balance under which the natural foods division of New Jersey-based spreads company Smart Balance Inc. would launch its line of organic soymilks at Whole Foods stores nationwide.

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