1. THIS CHRISTMAS GIVE CSA MEMBERSHIPS

Tired of giving Christmas gifts that don't mean much and seem wasteful? This Christmas, give a gift that supports family farmers and the environment. Give your family or friends a year's membership in a local CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) CSA's link farmers and customers together locally to promote regionally grown, environmentally sound family farm produce.

Most CSA's have an annual membership fee. Make this fee a gift to family or friends and, in doing so, give the gift of healthy safe family farm produce grown in an Earth friendly way.

For a link to a list of CSA's by state go to: http://www.familyfarmer.org.

2. FARM BUREAU UPDATES

Michigan Farm Bureau Jack Laurie said Farm Bureau will oppose "any attempt by EPA to require permits on livestock farms under the guise of strict enforcement of the Clean Water Act."

Laurie made these remarks last week during the Michigan Farm Bureau State Convention. Laurie added , "If EPA is not challenged, I predict crop farmers, too, will eventually fall under similar EPA scrutiny through broad interpretation and strict enforcement of the Clean Air Act." See his full statement at: http://www.michiganfarmbureau.com/annual/address.html.

On a related front, last week Updates! reported the Ashtabula Lake-Guega National Farmers Union had signed on to a grassroots call for an investigation of the American Farm Bureau Federation leadership. While this tri-county group is associated with the National and State Farmers Union, they made their investigation decision independently of the State and National affiliates. We applaud their courage and leadership. Those wishing to sign a petition calling for an investigation into the Farm Bureau can do so on line at: http://www.defenders.org/rural3.html.

3. AG FERTILIZERS CONTRIBUTE TO GLOBAL WARMING

Rueters (November 17) reported that A three-year study in India has "revealed that the increased use of fertilizers could be a contributor to global warming by decreasing oxygen and raising levels of Nitrogen oxide (NOx) in coastal waters." The study recently reported in the journal Nature said that NOx, 200 times more potent than carbon dioxide in absorbing infrared radiation, is thought to contribute significantly to global warming. The researchers found NOx levels in the coastal area of the Arabian Sea to be 100 times higher than normal levels. According to Rueters, "Other oxygen-deficient areas of the world include the Chesapeake Bay and the Louisiana shelf off the Mississippi Delta in the U.S.,Tokyo Bay, the Baltic Sea and the Black Sea."

4. CONFERENCE CALENDER AND CORRECTIONS

NOTE: In last weeks Rural UPdates we listed John F. Kennedy Jr. as the keynote speaker for the upcoming Water Keepers Alliance meeting in January. This should have read Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Sincerest apologies to all concerned for this error. The notice should read as follows:

January 11, 2001 -- The Water Keepers Alliance and the North Carolina Hog Roundtable will host a national gathering of environmentalists, farmers, scientists, attorneys, religious leaders, labor leaders, and animal welfare advocates in New Bern, North Carolina. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. will be the featured speaker in an agenda reads like a "who's who" list of hog activists from around the country. The conference will focus on litigation and other issues related to factory animal farming. Everyone is invited to attend. For more information contact: riverkeeper@coastalnet.com or call 252 447-6080.

December 28, 2001 Family farm advocates are invited to join representatives from at least seven Midwestern states will be represented when state legislators meet in Sioux City, Iowa, on Dec. 28. Their goal is to create a unified program of agricultural market reform legislation that will help independent family producers and can be adopted in all farm states, The meeting will begin at 11 a.m. Thursday, Dec. 28, at Western Iowa Technical Community College, located at 4647 Stone Ave. in Sioux City.

Western Iowa Technical Community College is located at 4647 Stone Ave., Sioux Falls, just east of the interchange with Highway 20 (Business Route).

January 19 - 21, 2001 Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group's (SSAWG) conference to be held in Chattanooga January 19-21, 2001. To learn more about this important conference SSAWG's website at http://www.attra.org/ssawg