Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group          |          July 2017
All Fried:
Carolina Fish Camps

 
By Ava Lowrey

Before international influences reached Charlotte, a previous wave of immigrants made their way to Queen City from the mountains and rural farms of the Carolinas and Appalachia. As textile mills sprung up across Gaston and Mecklenburg counties, so too did new communities of textile mill workers and their families. Fish camps emerged as a communal space centered around good food and company.

This Southern Foodways Alliance documentary, All Fried: Carolina Fish Camps, explores the relationship between these textile mill communities and the Carolina fish camps the region has become known for.

Watch the Video
Arkansas Tries To Stop An Epidemic Of Herbicide Damage

Arkansas's pesticide regulators have stepped into the middle of an epic battle between weeds and chemicals, which has now morphed into a battle between farmers. Hundreds of farmers say their crops have been damaged by a weedkiller that was sprayed on neighboring fields. The tension has even led to a farmer's murder. Today, the Arkansas Plant Board voted to impose an unprecedented ban on that chemical.

"It's fracturing the agricultural community. You either have to choose to be on the side of using the product, or on the side of being damaged by the product," says David Hundley, who manages grain production for
Ozark Mountain Poultry in Bay, Arkansas.
 
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Why We Can't Talk About Race in Food

Five writers shine a light on relentless, coordinated efforts by internet trolls to silence race analysis in food writing.

"We've arrived at an interesting moment in food media. For so long, the lens through which food was viewed and documented was a fundamentally European one," said Stephen Satterfield, sommelier, urban farmer, and food writer. "But as we've grown more serious about our dining, the way we consume food has evolved from something that defines our interest to something that defines us. Some now see 'food as identity' and many are beginning to acknowledge the limits of seeing delicious food as the exclusive terrain of white men."

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It All Went Down in a Parking Lot During Hillbilly Days...

By Sister Kathy Curtis

This is a true story of a New York chef committed to creating delicious local food prepared with environmentally responsible practices, touring eastern Kentucky with a country music star, and looking for locally-grown produce to prepare a large dinner. But he is not the only character in this story. Enter the local cast of characters: the extension agent, farmers, chefs, and those in the know about sustainable foods. It takes a lot of people to create a food system.

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Cassava:
A Crop for the Back Forty


By Matt Lollar

Cassava, also called yuca (not to be confused with the ornamental plant Yucca), tapioca, or manioc, is a tropical root crop native to South America. The cassava root is generally boiled like a potato, and the leaves are utilized in soups or stews.
Cassava is a versatile food staple served throughout the tropical world, but it could provide something unique for your customers. Given the interest in local foods, it may be a good specialty crop to try on your farm. Whether you are interested in exploring new markets, or you just like growing different types of produce, you might want to give cassava a try.

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PCAN (Policy Collaborative Action Network) Call:
July 18, 2017 at 7 p.m.Eastern
 
Agenda:
  1. Introductions
  2. Policy Updates
    a. National
    b. State
  3. Policy Discussions:
    Developing a policy platform for an organization
  4. Upcoming NSAC/SSAWG Farm Bill Webinar Series
  5. Annual Conference Planning
  6. Open Floor
  7. Next Call
  8. Adjourn
Contact policy@ssawg.org to join this call. 
SAWG Seeks Board Nominations

The Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group Board of Directors is accepting applicants for consideration of a board appointment beginning in March 2018, and through March 2021. In a letter of interest, include a summary of your skills and experience as relevant to a SSAWG board appointment and your history and current involvement with SSAWG. Application Deadline: August 15, 2017.
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Our Mission

Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group's mission is to empower and inspire farmers, individuals, and communities in the South to create an agricultural system that is ecologically sound, economically viable, socially just, and humane. Because sustainable solutions depend on the involvement of the entire community, Southern SAWG is committed to including all persons in the South without bias.
Do you have something you would like to share  in Seeds of Sustainability?
If so, please send it to 
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