by Amy Bruckner

Tired of sprawl? Want to do something to protect and preserve our most precious natural heritage — land? I attended a weekend workshop on Conservation Leadership and learned of several things that individuals can do to help with conservation efforts.

First and foremost, contact your elected officials! They play a significant role in the conservation policy and land protection issues and they need to know what their constituents think. If you don't tell them, someone else will and you may not like the results. Your voice is powerful — don't forget that! To quote Margaret Mead: "Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."

Believe it or not, the most effective way (short of a visit) to contact your legislators is by handwritten letter, because it clearly demonstrates your concern. Given the current mail security concerns, however, faxing that letter will be much more expedient than mailing it. E-mail and phone calls are effective as well. The Senate and House websites will give you contact information as well as information on bills and their current status. Go to www.senate.gov or www.house.gov.

Perhaps you are thinking, well I don't really know what the issues are and I don't know enough to talk to my legislators. Well, I felt the same way until I was introduced to the Conservation Action Network (CAN). It's a web-based action network originating from the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC).

Just go to www.outdoor.org/conservation/index.shtml. From there, click on Conservation Action Network under the Take Action header on the left. You don't have to be a member of the AMC and by joining CAN, you will get e-mails about pertinent conservation issues with links to send e-mails to your elected officials. You just fill in your name and address and the appropriate officials are selected for you. A drafted letter may be edited (in fact editing is highly encouraged) and with the click of a button, your input is sent. Trust me — it's EASY!

• Coming next — the National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture.

Wish List Looking to get rid of any of the following items? Maysie's Farm will put them to good use! Straw bale chopper Picnic table Nyger thistle birdfeed Manure spreader Stackable, sealable, Tupperware-like containers for storing seed packets Cordless, electric lawn mower Please contact Sam at (610) 458-8129 or sam@maysiesfarm.org if you can donate any of these items.

By Jeanine Connolly

As soon as I received word that I was accepted as an intern on Maysie's Farm, I packed my bags and left my home on Long Island, NY. I told Sam that I wanted to learn everything about farm life since I knew very little about it growing up where I did. He arranged for me to attend the PASA (Pennsylvania Association for Sustainable Agriculture) Conference on February 8 and 9. So as I anxiously sat on the Greyhound bus to State College, I wondered what life was like on farms today.

With over 1000 people at the conference, along with workshops, booths and dynamic speakers, I felt a positive energy that I was not expecting from a farm conference! An overwhelming feeling of something deeper and more involved than just farming for food, farming has become a movement. And it's heading in a direction towards a more sustainable and healthier way of living. The conference title was Healthy Farms and Healthy Communities, and I believe this is the way life on small, local, organic farms is today. John Ikerd, a keynote speaker at the conference, made a real connection with the importance of relationships between food, grower, and the community. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) seems to fit this ideal relationship by connecting locally grown food with the community.

The workshops and the people added to the excitement and enthusiasm I was feeling during my experience at the conference. I was expecting mostly older men at the conference (stereotypical farmers!) but I was pleasantly surprised to see and meet a diverse group of people ­ young and old, women and men -- all working together to build a healthy community. The workshops covered a wide range of areas such as nutrition, community projects, education, and organic farming practices. It helped me see how farming plays a critical role in many aspects of our lives ­ socially, ecologically and nutritionally.

I am thankful for the opportunity I had to attend such an inspiring event and become part of a movement that will make our farms and communities healthier and more connected to one another.