Other Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Development Links

Oklahoma

Action for Healthy Kids
Oklahoma Chapter
Action for Healthy Kids (AFHK) is a nationwide initiative dedicated to improving the health and educational performance of children through better nutrition and physical activity in schools. The Oklahoma Chapter of AFHK, in partnership with Schools for Healthy Lifestyles and the Tulsa County Health Department, has piloted a toolkit for the implementation of curriculum instruction in nutrition and physical education within the state. The website provides many useful links to partner organizations within Oklahoma, state data and statistics, and the goals set forth by the state team.

Land Legacy
Located in: Okahoma
Land Legacy was established in December of 2002 in partnership with the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, Land Legacy serves the South-central United States to preserve natural resources that enhance the quality of life in both urban and rural communities. They work with landowners, public agencies, and other conservation organizations to establish conservation goals and develop plans to reach them.

Lane-Ag Center
Lane, Oklahoma

This center houses the Wes Watkins Agricultural Research and Extension Center (Oklahoma State University) and South Central Agricultural Research Laboratory (USDA/Agricultural Research Service). The center continues research on organic production of vegetables as well as variety trials of vegetables to find production methods and varieties suited for Oklahoma and the Southern Plains. The Lane center hosts an annual summer field day on organics. Website also has links to more information on USDA organics and organic certification in Oklahoma.

Made In Oklahoma
Located in: Oklahoma
Website and database by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry that can be accessed by the public to contact local producers of agricultural goods. Includes information on Oklahoma Farmers Markets and the Grown in Oklahoma campaign.

Mvskoke Food Sovereignty Initiative (MFSI)
Mvskoke Food Sovereignty Initiative (MFSI) is a grassroots, Native American led organization located in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, capitol of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation. Mvskoke Food Sovereignty Initiative works to enable the Mvskoke people and their neighbors to provide for their food and health needs now and in the future through sustainable agriculture, economic development, community involvement, cultural and educational programs.

OK-Grown
Located in: Oklahoma
Check out this new online resource to help track down the nearest sources of fresh Oklahoma-grown food.

Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry (ODAFF)
Located in: Oklahoma
The leading source of information on Oklahoma’s finest industry and the people it serves. The department provides information and statistics on all crops and livestock produced within the state and facilitates the growth of the agriculture industry within the state.

ODAFF Ag Products Diversification Program
Located in: Oklahoma
The Ag Products Diversification program is a self-help program implemented to assist alternative crop producers in developing markets for their products.

Oklahoma Association for Environmental Education (OKAEE)
Located in: Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Association for Environmental Education supports Oklahoma educators who strive to further promote environmental education to Oklahoma students. The organization accomplishes this through supporting formal and non-formal settings, environmental literacy through communication, resource sharing, skill building and recognition of excellence. OKAEE produces a quarterly newsletter, The Environmentor, which highlights past, current, and future activities in environmental education. The newsletter also provides announcements, advertising, and education strategies for educators. Once a year, OKAEE gathers environmental educators from around Oklahoma for their Environmental Education Expo, providing exciting hands-on demonstrations and speakers. Information about the Expo can be found at the website listed above (click on name).

Oklahoma Certified Organic Growers
Located in: Oklahoma
A directory of certified organic growers within Oklahoma, maintained by the Oklahoma Department Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

Oklahoma Chapter, Society for Range Management
The Society for Range Management is a professional organization composed of individuals with a common interest in the study, management and rational use of rangelands and related ecosystems.  Members include ranchers, wildlife managers, conservationists, scientists, students, and others interested in rangelands.

Oklahoma Farm to School Program
Farm to School aims at getting Oklahoma-grown food on the cafeteria trays of school children. It encourages farmers to sell produce to schools and encourages schools to buy part of their fresh fruit and vegetable needs from Oklahoma farmers.

Oklahoma Farmers’ Markets
Located in: Oklahoma
A directory of farmers' markets within Oklahoma, maintained by the Oklahoma Department Agriculture, Food and Forestry.

Oklahoma Farmers' Market Alliance
Location: Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Farmers’ Market Alliance is a statewide organization of farmers’ markets, both large and small. The group was formed in March of 2000 to provide information and education to growers and market managers on the production and marketing of Oklahoma produce and products.

Oklahoma Farmers and Ranchers Association
OFRA conducts hands-on training, classes, and field days to give socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers the tools, skills, and knowledge to make a living from their farm or ranch. In addition, OFRA educates the public about the importance of sustainable agriculture - economic success, environmental stewardship, and improved quality of life of people and communities.

Oklahoma Fit Kids Coalition
Located in: Oklahoma
The mission of the Oklahoma Fit Kids Coalition is to make a major contribution to the health and well-being of all Oklahomans, including youth and families, through a comprehensive program of activities including education, collaboration and advocacy. The website provides information on upcoming events in the state, partner links, and school curriculum. Additionally, the website provides a “Grassroots Guide” allowing the public to read up and voice support for health initiatives within the Oklahoma state legislature.

Oklahoma Food Cooperative
Located in: Oklahoma
Growing grassroots network uniting Oklahoma folks interested in sustainably produced, locally grown food. The Oklahoma Food Cooperative project began as a free information service offering website listings to Oklahoma farmers and producers selling direct to the public.

Oklahoma Food and Agriculture Products Research and Technology Center
Located in: Oklahoma
The purpose of the Food and Agriculture Products Research and Technology Center is to help develop successful value-added enterprises in Oklahoma; to bring the products, the jobs, and the dollars back home. The center will bridge the gap that sometimes exists between academics and the private sector by offering large and small producers access to faculty and staff with expertise in business and technical disciplines.

Oklahoma Food Policy Council
Located in: Oklahoma
The Oklahoma Food Policy Council was established in October of 2001 as a partnership between The Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry with support from Drake University and USDA Risk Management Agency. Fifteen Oklahomans representing diverse groups with an interest in Oklahoma’s food system make up the council. The Council is active throughout the state of Oklahoma and works to inform the public and influence the politicians on issues pertaining to the food system of Oklahoma. The Council is implementing several initiatives to better serve Oklahoma’s citizens and producers.

OSU-OKC Horticulture A.A.S. Emphasis in Sustainable Crops Production
Since fall 2008, the OSU-OKC Agricultural Technologies Division Horticulture Department has offered an Associate of Applied Science Emphasis in Sustainable Crops Production. Coursework can be taken for credit or non-credit. Classes involve local farm visits and hands on training.

Oklahoma Sustainability Network
Located in: Oklahoma
OSN views sustainability as encompassing equality economics and the environment. Interest areas range from agriculture to commerce, energy to education, and design to preservation. OSN provides information on sustainability in all areas across Oklahoma.

Oklahoma Sustainable Agriculture Website

OSU and Langston University collaborate on a website that acts as a central clearing point for resources on all aspects of sustainable agriculture in Oklahoma. Sections include news and events, producer's corner, training opportunities, projects and research, and opportunities for funding.

The Oklahoma Sustainable Agriculture Program closely cooperates with several broad-based sustainable agriculture programs such as the Southern Region and National Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) programs funded by the USDA and EPA, related programs of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, and the Kerr Center for Sustainable Agriculture.

Oxley Nature Center

This site is provided by the Friends of Oxley Nature Center to share information about the Center, which is operated by the City of Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Sierra Club, Oklahoma chapter
This group has worked effectively to protect the state's water resources from pollution and depletion and to protect land from urban sprawl. They have been active in efforts to protect the Ouachita mountains and the tall grass prairies. Members support local food initiatives and Oklahoma's family farms.

Sustainable Oklahoma
Located in: Oklahoma
A guide to resources for growing a more sustainable and livable Oklahoma. Provides numerous links to groups and individuals trying to make a sustainable difference in their communities.

Regional (South and Midwest)

Center for Rural Affairs
Located in: Nebraska
The mission of the Center for Rural Affairs is to establish strong rural communities, social and economic justice, environmental stewardship, and genuine opportunity for all while engaging people in decisions that affect the quality of their lives and the future of their communities.

Cooking with Kids
Located in: New Mexico
Cooking with Kids engages elementary school children in hands-on learning with fresh, affordable foods from diverse cultures. Students are encouraged to explore many varieties of foods using all of their senses, to have fun, and to exercise choice.

Delta Enterprise Network
Delta Enterprise Network (DEN) is an evolving group of farmers, entrepreneurs, and others creating new business ventures, cooperatives, and policy change. DEN members assist each other in overcoming barriers to sustainable agricultural enterprises in our region. We measure our success by the development of sustainable, locally-owned, value-added (LOVA) enterprises, especially including new farms.

Florida Research Center for Agricultural Sustainability
Located in: Florida
Preserving Florida's water quality through responsible fertilization and pest management in citrus groves is a major concern at the Florida Research Center for Agricultural Sustainability (FLARES). The research center works with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in a groundbreaking project to manage historic orange groves in the midst of a national wildlife preserve nearby the Kennedy Space Center on Merritt Island. Effective ways to control a major citrus pest, Diaprepes abbreviatus, has also been a focus of research there. The station is located in the heart of the Indian River Fruit country, world-renowned for its delicious oranges and grapefruits. FLARES was formerly the Vero Beach Research Station, a Kerr Center program.

John Ikerd, The New Agricultural Transition Papers
Located in: Missouri
John Ikerd is currently a Professor Emeritus of Agricultural Economics from the University of Missouri. He has served in various university faculty positions, including the Head of Extension Agricultural Economics, University of Georgia, 1984-89. Since retiring from the University, Ikerd spends most of his time writing and speaking out on issues related to sustainable agriculture with an emphasis of the economics of sustainability.

Kansas Rural Center
Located in: Kansas
The Kansas Rural Center is a non-profit organization that promotes the long-term health of the land and its people through research, education, and advocacy. The KRC cultivates grassroots support for public policies that encourage family farming and stewardship of soil and water.

Land Stewardship Project
Located in: Minnesota
The Land Stewardship Project is a private, non-profit organization founded in 1982 to foster an ethic of stewardship for farmland, to promote sustainable agriculture and to develop sustainable communities. LSP is a grassroots membership organization made up of farmers, rural and urban residents.

Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture
Located in: Iowa
The Leopold Center is a research and education center with statewide programs to develop sustainable agriculture practices that are both profitable and conserve the natural resources of Iowa. The center was established under the Groundwater protection Act 1987 with a three-fold mission: to conduct research into the negative impacts of agricultural practices; to assist in developing alternative practices; and to work with ISU Extension to inform the public of Leopold Center findings.

Minnesota Project
The Minnesota Project champions the sustainable production and equitable distribution of energy and food in communities across Minnesota.

Missouri Organic Association
The Missouri Organic Association (MOA) is comprised of farmers, chefs, gardeners, health professionals, and people who want healthy food and a healthy planet.

MOA farmer members are from all venues of production: certified organic farmers, non-certified farmers who practice organic production methods, sustainable farmers, and conventional farmers who are considering transitioning to organic.

MOA strives to educate consumers about certified organic products, encourage and support farmers to attain organic certification; and, acknowledge and applaud USDA Certified Organic members.

SARE Professional Development Program (PDP)
Location: Oklahoma
The Professional Development Program of the USDA’s Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (SARE) was established in 1993. The Southern Region of SARE represents: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and the US Virgin Islands. The Professional Development Program provides sustainable agriculture education and outreach strategies for Cooperative Extension Service personnel, Natural Resource Conservation Service staff and other who work directly with farmers and ranchers. Currently, the Kerr Center manages the program for the USDA.

Southern Seed Legacy
Southern Seed Legacy (SSL) strives to reverse the erosion of plant genetic diversity and cultural knowledge in the American South by encouraging and supporting local seed saving seed exchange networks and in situ conservation.

Southern Sustainable Agriculture Working Group (SSAWG)
The mission of SSAWG 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. SSAWG takes a regional approach to creating sustainable agriculture systems and is active on many fronts.

National

Allan Savory Center for Holistic Management
Located in: New Mexico
The Savory Center is an international not-for-profit organization established in 1984 to coordinate the development of Holistic Management worldwide. The materials and training provided help to improve the quality of life and your bottom line while restoring the environment that sustains us.

Alternative Farming Systems Information Center
Located in: Maryland
AFSIC is one of several topic-oriented information centers at the National Agricultural Library (NAL). AFSIC specializes in locating and accessing information related to alternative cropping systems including sustainable, organic, low-input, biodynamic and regenerative agriculture. The center also focuses on alternative crops, new uses for traditional crops, and crops grown for industrial production.

American Farmland Trust
Located in: Washington, D.C.
Founded in 1980, American Farmland Trust has helped win permanent protection for millions of acres of farmland. The AFT employs three strategies to combat farmland loss: 1. Protect the best land, 2. Plan for growth with agriculture in mind, 3. Keep the land healthy.

American Kiko Goat Association
The American Kiko Goat Association (AKGA), a non-profit association, is the official registry of Kiko breeders and owners in North America.

Appropriate Technology for Rural Areas (ATTRA)
Located in: Arkansas, California, and Montana
ATTRA provides information and other technical assistance to farmers, ranchers, Extension agents, educators, and others involved in sustainable agriculture in the United States. ATTRA services are available to farmers, ranchers, market gardeners, Extension agents, researchers, educators, farm organizations, and others involved in commercial agriculture, especially those who are economically disadvantaged or belong to traditionally underserved communities.

American Livestock Breeds Conservancy
Located in: North Carolina
The ALBC is a clearing-house for information on livestock and genetic diversity. The ALBC protects genetic diversity in livestock and poultry species through the conservation and promotion of endangered breeds. The breeds conserved are part of our national heritage and represent a unique piece of the earth’s bio-diversity.

Choices: The Magazine of Food, Farm and Resource Issues
Choices is an online peer-reviewed magazine published by the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA) for readers interested in the policy and management of agriculture, the food industry, natural resources, rural communities, and the environment.

Community Food Security Coalition
Located in: California
The Community Food Security Coalition is a non-profit organization dedicated to building strong, sustainable, local and regional food systems that ensure access to affordable, nutritious, and culturally appropriate food for all people at all times.

Community Supported Agriculture and the Robyn Van En Center
Located in: Massachusetts
CSA brings together community members, farmers and agricultural land in a relationship of mutual support based on an annual commitment to one another, a commitment that ensures the survival of local agriculture today and for future generations. The Center offers a variety of services to existing and new CSA farmers and shareholders nationally.

Cornell University Small Farms Program

The purpose of this web site is to provide easy access to information for small-scale farmers and those who work with them. The focus is New York State; however, most of the information is relevant throughout the northeast and in other regions.

Eat Well Guide
The Eat Well Guide is a free directory of sustainably raised meat, poultry, dairy and eggs from stores, farms and restaurants in your area. Entering your zip code allows consumers to find products in the United States and Canada that are healthful, humane, better for the environment and that support family farmers.

eXtension
eXtension is an interactive learning environment delivering the best, most researched knowledge from the smartest land-grant university minds across America. eXtension connects knowledge consumers with knowledge providers - experts who know their subject matter inside out. It's a space where university content providers can gather and produce new educational and information resources on wide-ranging topics. Because it's available to students, researchers, clinicians, professors, as well as the general public, at any time from any Internet connection, eXtension helps solve real-life problems in real time.

Farm Aid
Located in: Massachusetts
The mission of Farm Aid is to keep family farmers on their land. Family farmers are our only guarantee for fresh, local food. The goal is to bring together family farmers and citizens to restore family farm-centered agriculture. Family farmers ensure safe, healthful food, protect natural resources and strengthen local economies.

Farm To School
Located in: California
The National Farm To School Network is a collaborative project with the goal of strengthening and expanding activities in states with existing programs and assisting others that do not yet have programs.

FarmEnergy.org
The 2002 Farm Bill started to tap the potential of rural America to provide clean renewable energy. Several programs in the 2002 Farm Bill helped to jump start growth in biofuels, biogas, wind power, solar and energy efficiency. This site is dedicated to helping farmers, ranchers and rural small businesses use these programs, to effectively implement the programs, and to work for a stronger Energy Title in the 2007 Farm Bill.

Farmer Solidarity Fund
To protect their way of life from extinction farmers around the world have built strong grassroots organizations. Peasant farmers have built one of the strongest social movements in the world today. This movement has demonstrated the capacity to organize and mobilize at the grassroots level against corporate power in food and agriculture, free trade, groups like the WTO, the World Bank, and the International Monitary Fund.

Farmers' Market Coalition
The Farmers Market Coalition serves a rapidly growing industry with information and representation at state and federal levels. It helps to build networks, link peers, and connect farmers markets old and new with tools and resources for success.

FoodSafety.gov
FoodSafety.gov is the gateway to food safety information provided by government agencies. This site includes links to and information about federal and state agencies involved in food safety. It includes up-to-date listing of recalls and alerts, along with information on keeping food safe, food poisoning, and inspections and compliance.

Growing Power
Growing Power is a national nonprofit organization and land trust supporting people from diverse backgrounds, and the environments in which they live, by helping to provide equal access to healthy, high-quality, safe and affordable food for people in all communities. Growing Power implements this mission by providing hands-on training, on-the-ground demonstration, outreach and technical assistance through the development of Community Food Systems that help people grow, process, market and distribute food in a sustainable manner.

Henry A. Wallace Center for Agricultural and Environmental Policy
Located in: Maryland
Winrock’s Wallace Center uses sound policy analysis, research, and evaluation to further sustainable and equitable agriculture and food systems, promote natural resources management, strengthen rural communities, and shape U.S. agricultural and food policy agendas. Educational programs and policy reports foster debate and understanding.

Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food
The USDA has announced a new initiative - 'Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food' - to begin a national conversation to help develop local and regional food systems and spur economic opportunity.

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute
A research and education institute for biodynamic, sustainable, and organic agriculture.

National Agricultural Library
Located in: Washington D.C.
As the Nation’s primary source for agricultural information, the NAL has a mission to increase the availability and utilization of agricultural information for researchers, educators, policymakers, consumers of agricultural products, and the public.

National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture
Located in: New York
The National Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture, Inc. is dedicated to educating the public on the importance of a sustainable food and agriculture system that is economically viable, environmentally sound, socially just, and humane. They bring together diverse local, state, regional and national organizations, identify problems and work on solutions; and help grassroots concerns and priorities be heard in Washington, D.C.

National Catholic Rural Life Conference
Located in: Iowa
Founded in 1923, the National Catholic Rural Life Conference has been a witness for hope in rural America. The Conference has clearly stood in favor and support of rural people, family farms and local businesses that promote sustainable community development. Their mission to support and empower rural people is made more necessary by globalization and world environmental issues.

New Farm
Located in: Pennsylvania
The New Farm website reaches a global community of food producers to exchange valuable “farmer-to-farmer know-how”. NewFarm.org presents compelling success stories with expert resources for crop and livestock production, direct marketing, local food systems, policy campaigns and community-building collaborations.

Non-GMO Project

What started as a retailer-driven campaign to offer consumers an informed choice about genetically modified organisms (GMOs) has blossomed into a successful industry-wide initiative. Supported by leading manufacturers, in the summer of 2008 the Non-GMO Project implemented North America’s first independent, third-party standard for production systems designed to avoid GMOs, and began enrolling products in a pioneering verification program.

Northeastern Agricultural and Resource Economics Association
NAREA is a professional association of agricultural and resource economists affiliated with the American Agricultural Economics Association. The purpose of NAREA is to stimulate and promote education and research on economic and social problems related to the production, marketing and consumption of agricultural products; natural resource use; the environment, and rural economic development; and the interrelation of the agricultural and rural sectors with the rest of the economy.

Northern Nut Growers Association
The Northern Nut Growers Association, Inc. (NNGA) is a national non-profit organization with members throughout the US and 15 foreign countries founded in 1911 to share information on nut tree growing. The NNGA brings together people interested in growing nut trees. Members include beginning nut culturists, farmers, amateur and commercial nut growers, experiment station workers, horticultural teachers and scientists, nut tree breeders, nursery people, and foresters.

Organic and Alternative Livestock Production Systems

This Purdue University website helps livestock producers transition into the growing industry segment of organic products. The site also informs consumers about organic products and where to find them.

Organic Consumers Association
The Organic Consumers Association (OCA) is an online and grassroots non-profit 501(c)3 public interest organization campaigning for health, justice, and sustainability. The OCA deals with crucial issues of food safety, industrial agriculture, genetic engineering, children's health, corporate accountability, Fair Trade, environmental sustainability and other key topics.

Organic Trade Association
The Organic Trade Association (OTA) maintains HowToGoOrganic.com, a web site for producers and processors transitioning to organic. The web site is designed as a clearinghouse of North American resources for farmers and businesses interested in becoming organic or in creating new organic enterprises. The site features a regional directory for the United States, and a searchable North American organic directory. It is primarily designed for conventional farmers and processors who want to get started or are navigating the transition to organic production, but also provides valuable information for established organic farmers, producers, and processors. The web site's regional directories showcase transition resources unique to specific regions and states. Resource listings in the North American directory can be searched by topic and subtopic, by type of resource, or by state. The site also features profiles of farmers and businesses that have successfully become certified organic or that are working through the process.

Organization for Competitive Markets
Located in: Nebraska
The Organization for Competitive Markets is a multidisciplinary nonprofit group made up of farmers, ranchers, academics, attorneys, political leaders and business people. OCM provides research, information and advocacy towards a goal of increasing competition in the agricultural marketplace and protecting those markets from abuses of corporate power. OCM views the current consolidation of agriculture as market failure resulting in misallocation of resources and the destruction of rural economies and culture.

Pollinator Partnership

The Pollinator Partnership (P2) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization headquartered in San Francisco, California. P2's mission is to protect pollinators, critical to food and ecosystems, through conservation, education, and research. Signature initiatives include the NAPPC (North American Pollinator Protection Campaign), National Pollinator Week, and the Ecoregional Planting Guides.

The Rodale Institute
Located in: Pennsylvania
The Rodale Institute offers many creative opportunities and solutions that contribute to regenerating environmental and human health worldwide. The mission of the Rodale Institute is to work worldwide to achieve a regenerative food system that improves environmental and human health. The Institute believes that healthy soil= healthy food= healthy people.

Sustainable Agriculture Coalition
The Sustainable Agriculture Coalition is a national alliance of farm, rural development, and conservation groups that organized in 1988 to affect federal agriculture policy. SAC member groups advance common positions to support small and mid-size family farms, protect natural resources, promote healthy rural communities, and provide nutritious and healthy food to consumers. By bringing grassroots perspectives to the table normally dominated by big business, SAC levels the playing field and gives voice to sustainable and organic farmers.

Small Farmer’s Journal
Located in: Oregon
A small family-held company doing business in agriculture periodical and book publishing, natural farming and stock raising, alternative farm research/inquiry, horsedrawn implement research and development, horsedrawn equipment sales, and related education. The Small Farmer’s Journal is published quarterly.

Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE)
Located in: Washington D.C.
Since 1988, the SARE program has helped advance farming systems that are profitable, environmentally sound and good for communities through a nationwide research and education grants program. The program, part of USDA’s Cooperative State Research, Education and Extension Service, funds projects and conducts outreach designed to improve agricultural systems.

Sustainable Communities Network
The Sustainable Communities Network is for those who want to help make their communities more livable. Here a broad range of issues are addressed and resources are provided to help make this happen. This web site is being developed to promote the exchange of information to help create community sustainability in both urban and rural areas.

Veggie Trader
Veggie Trader is a free resource that works like classified advertising for local produce. Users post listings describing the excess produce they have and what they'd like in return. Or, to find local produce, simply enter the zipcode to see what's available.
Requests for specific produce can be placed in a 'Wanted' section.

Descriptions are taken from the individual websites.

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