Delta Paradoxes: The poorest communities in the country lie atop the richest land in the country. Farmers are producing more and receiving less. Some Delta agricultural experts promote environmentally harmful practices, yet lack of economic viability makes Delta farmers heavily dependent on government subsidies. Officials responsible for water quality and rural development often express the most pessimism that any improvement can occur in the Delta. These paradoxes stem from the unexamined acceptance of a handful of false assumptions and paralyzing attitudes which Delta Land and Community has laid bare after three years of community consensus building workshops.

2. Sustainable Cotton Project. Massive pesticide use in cotton will be reduced when farmers become aware of cost-effective methods and more profitable markets. Delta Land and Community is promoting the methods of innovative, pesticide-reducing farmers and increasing awareness of alternative marketing channels.

3. State of the South. Research, education and policy in rural areas will not be directed at the top priorities unless rural people are knowledgeable and organized. This 13 state project aims to reinvent our universities and stimulate public policy innovation, especially in the most important agricultural area in the South--the Delta.