NCR-SARE's Field Blog

We've Moved! New Site Opens Door to Sustainable Agriculture Grants and Information

2011-06-02T14:50:00.002-05:00

The NCR-SARE blog has moved!
Please visit our new news feed online at http://www.northcentralsare.org/Newsroom/Regional-News-and-Press-Releases
To subscribe to the new news feed, visit http://www.northcentralsare.org/rss/feed/ncr-news

Grant information, videos, books, online courses, profiles of cutting-edge, on-farm research and much more—it's all available with a click of your mouse at the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program's (SARE) new websites.

Visit any of SARE's redesigned national or regional sites and navigate seamlessly between them to find a wealth of information about where America's farmers, ranchers and ag professionals live and work. A state-of-the-art search function makes it easier than ever to find grant information and dig deep into SARE's library of educational materials, database of research projects and calendar of sustainable ag events in communities across the country.

And all sites are mobile-device friendly and offer a bare-bones mirror site for people with slow internet connections. You can share SARE, too, with RSS, Facebook, Twitter and other share functions.

Visit our new site at http://www.northcentralsare.org
To subscribe to the new news feed, visit http://www.northcentralsare.org/rss/feed/ncr-news

NCR-SARE Announces 2012 Call for Research and Education Preproposals

2011-04-07T18:05:00.000-05:00

The 2012 North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) Research and Education Grant Program Call for Preproposals is now available online at http://sare.org/ncrsare

NCR-SARE’s Research and Education program supports innovators with competitive Research and Education grants. Individual grants range from $10,000 to $200,000. NCR-SARE expects to fund about 8-12 projects in the twelve-state North Central Region.

Potential applicants can contact ncrsare@umn.edu or 612-626-3113.

The deadline for Research and Education Program preproposals is 4:30pm CDT June 9, 2011.

Since 1988, NCR-SARE has awarded more than $40 million worth of competitive grants to farmers and ranchers, researchers, educators, public and private institutions, nonprofit groups, and others exploring sustainable agriculture in 12 states. NCR-SARE’s Administrative Council represents various agricultural sectors, states and organizations. It sets program priorities and makes granting decisions for the region. A collection of farm and non-farm residents, the Administrative Council includes a diverse mix of agricultural stakeholders in our 12 states. Council members come from regional farms and ranches, university extension and research programs, and nonprofits. In addition, the Administrative Councilincludes regional representatives of the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, state agencies, and agribusinesses.

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Hopyard Spring Training Event

2011-04-06T12:01:00.003-05:00

Dodgeville, WI - Simple Earth Hops (http://www.simpleearthhops.com/) announced today that Matt Sweeny is opening up the hopyard for a Spring activities workshop. Prepare to get your hands dirty as you participate in this hands-on workshop to show the Spring time maintenance in the hopyard including training hop bines and stringing the hop trellis. Attendance to this free ticketed event does require registration at http://hopyardspringtraining-efbevent.eventbrite.com/ . This event is limited to ONLY 40 tickets.

When: Saturday, May 21 · 11:00am - 2:00pm - CST

Where: Hopyard at Greenspirit, 4352 State Road 23, Dodgeville, WI

Contact: For further information please contact Matt Sweeny at fattymattybrewing@gmail.com / simpleearthhops.com

About Simple Earth Hops:

Founded in 2009, Simple Earth Hops provides locally grown ethical hop solutions to local brewers in Wisconsin and the Midwest. Connect with them on Facebook for up-to-date information about this event or register for free tickets at Eventbrite.

Simple Earth Hops permalink: http://www.simpleearthhops.com/.
Free tickets at Eventbrite: http://hopyardspringtraining-efbevent.eventbrite.com/Simple
Earth Hops media photos and logos: https://picasaweb.google.com/fattymattybrewing/SimpleEarthHopsLogosMiscPhotos?feat=directlink
Press Release permalink: http://goo.gl/kgH71
Facebook event page: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=212167868794719

This training is being held is association with NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant project FNC09-748.

Missouri Grazing Dairy Farms to Host National Meeting

2011-04-06T10:06:00.004-05:00

Source: University of Missouri Pasture Based Dairies

COLUMBIA, Mo. - The latest in dairy farming from the farm to the international view will be told at the Missouri Dairy Grazing Conference, July 6-8, at Joplin, Mo.

The program will be in the Holiday Inn Conference Center the first and third days. On the middle day, July 7, bus tours will go to grazing dairy farms in Southwest Missouri.

The conference held every two years brings dairy producers from across the nation and the world. Primary emphasis is on Midwest grazing.

"Most all topics will apply across the country," said Tony Rickard, MU Extension dairy specialist, Cassville, Mo. "We're not just talking about the fescue belt."

In the opening session, Jay Waldvogel, vice president, Dairy Farmers of America (DFA), will give a global view: "Where Grazing Dairies Fit In."

That afternoon, Rickard will talk to local users. He will describe "Hybrid Systems-How to Bring Grass into High Production System.

"We're finding that producers with high performance herds on mixed rations are finding ways to use both winter and summer-annual grazing. That lowers feed costs by 85 cents to a dollar per head per day."

Other topics that afternoon include "Environmental and Regulatory Issues," "Milk Quality on Pasture," "Heifer Raising, Grazing Systems" and "Using the Grazing Wedge." Those topics will be by Missouri speakers.

Managing Pasture-based Systems in Hot Climates," "Mob Grazing," and "Once-a-Day Milking" will be discussed by speakers from afar, including New Zealand.

Buses will go to Meier Dairy, Monett, Mo., Wentworth Dairies, Pierce City, Mo., and Mariposa Dairies, Pierce City, Mo.

The third morning features speakers at the Convention Center.

Rob Kallenbach, MU Extension forage specialist, Columbia, and Dennis Hancock, forage specialist, University of Georgia, will start the program. Their topic: "Planning Forage-Agronomy Systems."

Paul Rapnicki, University of Minnesota, will talk on "Low-stress Dairy Handling." Joe Horner, MU Extension dairy economist, will tell "Key Drivers of Profitability on Pasture-based Dairies."

Randy Mooney, dairy grazier, Rogersville, Mo., and chairman of the DFA board, will give a closing summary.

Mooney was an early adopter of managed grazing, Rickard said. He went from using temporary fences and hauling water to installing permanent electric fences and trenching in water lines.

After lunch the last day, attendees can visit other Missouri grazing dairies on their way home. Maps will be given to those who sign up.

Registration for the three-day event is $150 per person until June 20. Late registrations will add $25. Discounts for spouses and other members from the same farm are available. Early registration is encouraged.

Presentations from the grazing conference will be available free on the website or in a bound book for $25 after the event.

Details and registration forms are available at http://agebb.missouri.edu/dairy/grazing/conference/index.htm For more information, call Ryan Milhollin: (573) 882-0668 or MilhollinR@missouri.edu.

University of Missouri Pastured Based Dairies was a Missouri State SARE Professional Development Program activity for 2 years. For more information, contact Debi Kelly at KellyD@missouri.edu.

The Low-Down on Local Foods

2011-04-06T10:03:00.002-05:00

Source: Council on Food, Agricultural, and Resource EconomicsC

On Monday, April 11th from 1-2:30pm, The International Food Information Council Foundation and the Council on Food, Agricultural, and Resource Economics (C-FARE) will host a webinar discussing the definition of "local" foods; the nutritional, economic and social tradeoffs of local versus other foods; and consumer insights regarding local foods.

Interest in where our food comes from, sparked by a desire for more healthful foods, and has spawned a newfound appreciation for local foods and communities. This webinar complements the First Quarter 2010 issue of the Agricultural and Applied Economics Association (AAEA ) peer-reviewed science magazine Choices - http://www.choicesmagazine.org/magazine/block.php?block=44.

Speakers:
Moderator - Lindsey Loving, Senior Director, Food Ingredient & Technology Communications, International Food Information Council Foundation

"What Does Local Mean?" Larry Lev, Ph.D. Oregon State University Department of Agricultural and Resource Economics
Presentation will describe current concepts of local, the central role that farm-direct marketing channels play in consumer perceptions of local, and the limited opportunities these channels offer for increasing local food consumption.

"Can Local Go Mainstream?" Robert P. King, Ph.D., former NCR-SARE Administrative Council member and University of Minnesota Department of Applied Economics
Talk will focus on the prospects for and barriers to local foods gaining a greater share of sales in mainstream supermarket and food service distribution channels.

"Nutritional Differences and Consumer Insights on Local Foods" Mary Lee Chin, MS, RD
Registered Dietitian and President, Nutrition Edge Communications
Presentation will focus on nutritional comparisons of foods that are from local, regional, and national origins, as well as discussing consumer insights.

Please join us for this exciting event!

How to Register: To RSVP for the event please register prior to the webinar at https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/180505074.

The presentations will be saved using web-seminar technology.
Registration is free but space is limited.

Visit Website: http://www.cfare.org/media_events/webinar_local_foods.php

A Missouri No-tiller's Quest

2011-03-30T14:03:00.002-05:00

Source: No-Till Farmer, April 2011
By Martha Mintz, Contributing Editor

SOME DIG DEEP to identify the yield robbers on their farms. Jules Willott only
had to dig 3 inches.

After years of letting his fertilizer rep take his soil samples, the Mexico, Mo.,no-tiller decided to do the job himself. What he discovered as he dug his soil samples was a shallow compaction layer.

"There was good, loose soil for 3 inches, then a 1.5-inch layer that was hard and then good soil below that," Willott observed. "Our roots were getting through, but I think it must have slowed them down a little."

The 15-year no-till veteran wasn't convinced it was compacted enough to hurt yields on his soybean, wheat, clover and milo crops, but it was on his mind. When bad weather kept him from planting a crop in 2009, he decided to seize the opportunity to experiment with some compactionalleviating cover crops.

Montgomery City, Mo., regional extension specialist Richard Hoormann was more
than happy to help. He'd been looking for opportunities to see how cover crops that
had been successful in other regions would perform locally.

Together, they broadcast-seeded two timings of nine different cover crops on Willott's challenging claypan soils. Wheat, purple-top turnips, oil radishes; tillage radishes, annual ryegrass, Austrian winter peas, rape and other turnip varieties were planted in 22-by-125-foot plots.

Diverse Benefits

The cover crops were planted from August through October. They grew, winter killed and then Willott no-till grow deeper.

"They may also work to scavenge some nitrogen and phosphate from deeper in the
soil profile." Willott hopes these benefits can boost soybean yields. Milo and wheat are more profitable for Willott, but he drilled soybeans into the plots in spring of 2010.

Wet conditions in the fall of 2009 meant the later September and October seedings didn't emerge well. But the August-seeded covers grew well and showed several benefits.

"The radishes provided some weed suppression, which I didn't expect," Willott recalls. "In the spring of 2010, there were absolutely no weeds where the radishes had been used as a cover crop."

Hoormann noted that across the plots there was a lot of cheatgrass, Japanese brome and a variety of broadleaf winter annuals.

But the plots where tillage radishes, oil radishes or purple-top turnip were planted were virtually weed-free in early spring. He credits this largely to their broad rosette canopies blocking weed-seed germination.

"This would be a great benefit for those who want to use cover crops but want to do an early planting in the spring," Hoormann says. "They would be able to plant early without having to worry about burndown for a cover crop or weeds."

There were no weeds, but the radishes and turnips did leave 2- to 3-inch-diameter holes that extended through Willott' s shallow compaction layer.

"I'm definitely considering working them into my rotation and they should fit easily behind my wheat crop," he says. "It looks like they will be able to loosen up that compaction layer and serve as a channel to help guide the roots of my other crops to grow deeper.

"They may also work to scavenge some nitrogen and phosphate from deeper in the
soil profile."

Willott hopes these benefits can boost soybean yields. Milo and wheat are more profitable for
Willott, but he must keep soybeans in the rotation due to the allelopathic effect milo has on wheat. If they're going to stay, he wants to push them out of the 30-to-40- bushel yield range and into the 50-to-60- bushel yield range.

His cover-crop experiment may have put him on the right path. Besides compaction alleviation and weed suppression, soybean harvest brought another pleasant surprise
from the cover-crop plots.

"The yield monitor was bouncing around all over the place when I harvested," Willott
says. "Yields were higher in the cover-crop plots, especially where we planted the tillage radishes."

In four replications of the August timing, tillage radishes were shown to increase soybean yields by 3.5 bushels per acre. It isn't conclusive data, but it's a step in the right direction.

Willott volunteered his acres for another round of cover-crop plots last fall. Several other area producers are joining in, too, as part of a larger project to expand cover-crop
usage and education in Missouri.

Cover crops are already gaining strong interest from extension and producers. Willott's cover crop plots drew about 35 visitors during a 2010 field day despite heavy rains - a credit, Hoormann says, to the growing interest in cover crops in Missouri.

Students Learn about Sustainable Agriculture in Worthington, MN

2011-03-24T18:14:00.001-05:00

Source: Worthington Daily Globe

WORTHINGTON — Students in Worthington High School’s Ag 10 and Floriculture classes received a challenge Monday morning — to find a way to feed a growing world population with finite resources, and do so in a manner that protects the land and sustains it for generations to come.

Sustainability is a buzz word in today’s world of agriculture, and Monday marked the first class in a three-year project to get today’s youths thinking about tomorrow’s global food and fiber needs. Rolf Mahlberg, former WHS and Minnesota West Community and Technical College ag instructor, and Dan Livdahl, Okabena-Ocheda Watershed District Administrator, are leading the project locally, thanks to a Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education (SARE) grant. The two, along with Minnesota West ag teacher Jeff Rogers, recently completed training provided by the University of Minnesota’s Southwest Research and Outreach Center.

“Our goal is to say your generation needs to figure out how agriculture can stay sustainable,” said Mahlberg. Recent events in Japan that have led to elevated radioactivity in food and soil have highlighted further the need to protect lands used for production agriculture.

Mahlberg said students today need to be problem solvers for the demands that will be placed on agriculture production in the future. From 1900 to 2011, the world population grew from 1 billion to nearly 7 billion people.

By 2050, the population is expected to reach 10.5 billion people. At the same time, the amount of available land for production agriculture will stay the same. That means farmers need to find ways to get more production from the land without destroying it for future generations.

“We have to produce food in a sustainable fashion so that the people that will follow us on this planet have the same opportunities to feed this world that we had when we inherited it,” Mahlberg said.

On Monday, he and Livdahl took the first step in explaining sustainability by having students create a crop residue measuring tape. Students attached beads at one-foot intervals along a 53-foot-long cord, which will be used during a visit to the Mahlberg farm later this spring. There, they will stretch the measuring tape out across the grain of the field and calculate the amount of residue present based on the number of beads that come in contact with it. A field with a minimum of 30 percent residue present is considered a sustainable ag practice, Mahlberg said.

Why is sustainability important on agricultural land?

“When raindrops strike exposed soil, they will break the structure up and allow that particle to become mobile and flow with water,” Mahlberg said. “If rain hits the residue, the destructive force of that raindrop is absorbed by the residue. More residue means more erosion control.”

More erosion control leads to less soil loss and improved productivity.

“We don’t want farmers to sacrifice a bunch of income,” Mahlberg said. “We want them to think in terms of sustainability and production. We need to grow food.

“This world is ours for today, but it isn’t ours to use up,” he added. “It’s ours to be supportive of.”

Sustainability is not destroying the planet while trying to grow large crops to feed the world.

“Whatever we do has to be economical — it has to be good for the people that do it,” added Livdahl. “Our population is growing quickest in the countries with the least resources. Food and fiber will be needed to meet people’s basic needs.”

Livdahl said as a growing world demands more, non-renewable resources will be more expensive, like gasoline and fertilizers.

“We are 5 percent of the world population and we use 25 percent of the resources,” he said.

Students of today are needed to become the scientists of tomorrow — to answer the tough questions about sustainable agriculture, from food production to converting grain into energy, Mahlberg added.

Mahlberg and Livdahl will meet with WHS students again today as they plant corn in soils containing varying fertility rates. Throughout the remainder of the quarter, students will monitor plant progress and record data on nutrient management for use in proving or disproving a hypothesis.

Students will also take a field trip to Mahlberg’s farm to measure crop residue this spring, and summer field trips are planned as well.

Mahlberg and Livdahl plan to lead classes on sustainability at Round Lake High School this spring as well.

“I want every student that I can get a hold of exposed to the subject,” Mahlberg said.

Midwest Aronia Association to Hold 1st Annual Conference

2011-03-24T18:07:00.003-05:00

Source: Vinton Today

By Pattie Upmeyer, Benton County Extension

Midwest Aronia Association will hold their 1st Annual Conference, bringing together the largest gathering of aronia pioneer, growers, and producers in the United States, on April 8th & 9th, 2011 in Des Moines, Iowa.

Featuring speakers from the US and Poland, information will be presented on the science, growing, and marketing of the aronia berry. Recent research into the nutritional and healthful value of aronia melanocarpa indicates high levels of antioxidants, prompting regional, national, and world-wide interest in cultivation and consumption of the aronia berry.

The impressive line up of speakers includes Dr. Stanislaw Pluta, an Associate Professor at the Research Institute of Pomology and Floriculture in Poland who has been involved in fruit plant breeding at the institute since 1985 and has had extensive research work and educational experiences throughout a number of countries.

The MAA is pleased to introduce Dr. Pluta as the keynote speaker, and also welcomes Maury Wills, Bureau Chief of the Agriculture Diversification and Market Development Bureau of IDALS; Doug Stryuk, legal council and policy advisor to the Iowa Secretary of State; Dr. Jonathon Smith, PhD, founder/co-owner of Wisconsin-based Alpine Foods, a company that processes value-added fruits; Harlan Hamernick of Clarkson, NE, founder/past owner of Bluebird Nursery, Inc. and current owner of Wild Plums, a nursery specializing in rare and unusual woodies and the propogation of 'Superberries'; Andy Larson, ISU Extension Specialist in Small Farm Sustainability and coordinator for the Iowa SARE Professional Development Program; Joanna Skorzynska, co-owner of Firma Weremczuk, a Polish company that manufactures aronia berry harvesters used in Poland and other EU countries; and Tatania Emmick, Associate Scientist, and Jiang Hu, Regulatory Affairs, from Kemin Ind.

This event, open to MAA members and the public, is co-sponsored by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Mark your calendars for this rare and exciting educational and networking experience regarding the aronia berry. For more information, or to register for this limited seating event, please visit www.MidwestAronia.org

Food to Market Workshop Rescheduled

2011-03-24T18:06:00.001-05:00

Source: Hot Springs Star

HOT SPRINGS - A workshop for entrepreneurs interested in marketing food products will be held March 28 in Hot Springs. This session was rescheduled from Feb. 25 due to weather. The day-long workshop is sponsored by the South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service, and costs include lunch and materials. Scholarships are available to Horizons communities and through SARE.

Registration for the day begins at 9 a.m. at Canyon Cottage on the grounds of the State Veterans Home in Hot Springs. It will conclude by 4:30 p.m. To register for a lunch count, please call the Fall River County Extension Office at 745-5133.

The workshops are designed for people who plan to sell foods they have made at home, producers interested in marketing meat products, and growers thinking of expanding sales of food products. Topics will include food-safety in production and handling, SD regulations for sales, product labeling, Farmers Market and direct sales, researching market trends, and building a marketing plan. The end of the day will feature SD resource providers offering their assistance in small group sessions.

Extension Food Safety Specialist Joan Hegerfeld-Baker said Extension staff at the workshops can explain the new state laws and make sure sellers are on the proper path to earn money from products they made or grew at home.

Conservation Program Offered for Boone County Women Farmland Owners

2011-03-24T17:30:00.002-05:00

Contacts:
Lynn Heuss, 515-201-9405, lheuss@gmail.com
Leigh Adcock, 515-460-2477, leigh@wfan.org

WOMEN FARMLAND OWNERS IN BOONE COUNTY AREA INVITED TO FREE PROGRAM
FOCUSED ON CONSERVATION APRIL 14 AT THE IOWA ARBORETUM

BOONE—Women who own or manage farmland in Boone and neighboring counties are invited to participate in a free conservation discussion and field tour on Thursday, April 14, from 8:30 – 3:30 p.m. at the Iowa Arboretum near Madrid. The program is called Women Caring for the Land.

Women own or co-own 47% of Iowa’s farmland, and often express strong conservation values in meetings and surveys. However, many are unsure of exactly how to reach their conservation goals and what resources are available to help them. Women Caring for the Land offers a peer-to-peer, informal discussion format to allow women landowners to talk about their individual land stewardship goals, facilitated by women conservation experts who can share resources available such as USDA cost-share programs, state loans, and other tools.

All interested women are welcome, including owners, operators and inheritors of farmland, regardless of their degree of knowledge about conservation. A free lunch will be provided. In order for us to get an accurate meal count, please RSVP by Monday, April 11, by calling Lynn Heuss at 515-201-9405 or emailing her at lheuss@gmail.com.

The program begins with registration and coffee at 8:30 a.m. at The Iowa Arboretum, 1875 Peach Ave., Madrid. The discussion will begin at 9 a.m., and will include a segment on protecting, rescuing and restoring land so it is able to sustain wildflowers, grasses and trees for habitat and beauty. Discussion leader for this topic will be Danielle Wirth, who has worked as a park ranger, an environmental educator, a volunteer restoring prairies and woodlands, and has designed and taught these techniques to students at Drake University and Des Moines Area Community College. Danielle is also certified as a Wildlands Firefighter II. Other topics of conversation for the day may include management of pasture and timberlands, prairie and pond restoration, alternative cropping options, using leases to manage conservation with tenants, and others according to the interests of the participants.

After lunch, participants will have a chance to talk in more detail in small groups about their particular areas of interest. A field tour of nearby prairie and savanna restoration sites will be offered in the afternoon. The meeting will end at the Arboretum with a wrap-up and dessert around 3:30 p.m.

This session of Women Caring for the Land is sponsored by Women, Food and Agriculture Network in partnership with the Boone Soil and Water Conservation District, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship - Division of Soil Conservation, and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The series is funded by a grant from the USDA’s North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program.

Learn more about WFAN on the web: www.wfan.org.

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For more information on this NCR-SARE Research and Education Grant program project, visit the SARE reporting site at http://sare.org/MySARE/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewProj&pn=LNC10-317

NCR-SARE Announces 2011 Call for PDP Preproposals

2011-03-16T17:19:00.001-05:00

The 2011 North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program’s (NCR-SARE) Professional Development Program Call for Preproposals is now available online at http://sare.org/ncrsare/PDP/pdp.htm

NCR-SARE's Professional Development Program (PDP) provides funds for professional development projects that provide sustainable agriculture training to agricultural professionals and educators in the Cooperative Extension Service (CES), Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), other governmental agencies, and educators in the profit and non-profit sector serving the food and fiber system.

Projects can be up to three years in duration, and funding level is capped at $75,000 for each project, but projects requesting less than full amount are encouraged. Approximately $365,000 will be available for funding projects.

Any questions regarding the North Central SARE PDP program should be addressed to PDP Regional Coordinator, Dr. Rob Myers at 573-882-1547 or myersrob@missouri.edu

The deadline for preproposals is 4:30 pm CDT on Wednesday, May 18, 2011.

Cover Your Cover Crops: A Guide

2011-03-16T14:58:00.003-05:00

A Guide to Which Programs are Most Likely to Partially Reimburse You for Cover Cropping

Source: Corn & Soybean Digest

Need help with cover-crop expenses? It’s available through a virtual smorgasbord of government and state programs.

The alphabet of programs – EQIP, CSP, SARE, MRBI, GLRI and more – offer qualifying growers $20-50 or more/acre in assistance. They are available through the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) and some state entities and are especially a hit on no-till and strip-till operations. (Program descriptions and application instructions are available at the NRCS website: www.nrcs.usda.gov/programs.)

Brothers Keith and Brian Berns, Bladen, NE, use cover crops in their corn, soybean and wheat rotation and depend on a CSP (Conservation Stewardship Program) contract to make it happen. They also operate Green Cover Seed Co.

“We saw three times as much interest in cover crops this year over last,” says Keith Berns. “A lot of guys are working off a CSP program checklist. It’s a good program.” The Berns follow their winter wheat with “a mix of grasses, legumes and other components” to help increase the biological life of the soil until corn is planted. The result is less moisture and soil loss in winter and a stronger start for corn.

Many cover crops are planted after fall crops, a timing situation that causes many to forego the process, according to a survey last year by Corn & Soybean Digest (see http://tinyurl.com/CoverCrops), Howard G. Buffett Foundation and the Conservation Technology Information Center (CTIC), West Lafayette, IN.

But the value of cover crops in preserving precious water and soil while enhancing nutrients can’t be challenged. It’s causing more growers to use them and seek financial assistance to help cover the cost, says Bill Kuenstler, NRCS conservation agronomist, Central National Technology Support Center, Fort Worth, TX.

Adds CTIC’s Karen Scanlon, “I think assistance is one way to increase their adoption. With the right financial and technical help, growers will select the best cover crops for their operation and know how to adapt their management to maximize the benefits of cover crops.”

EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) is popular for growers without a full-fledged NRCS conservation program. In Iowa, for example, growers in 2010 could receive up to $60/acre for planting winter-hardy species like cereal rye or winter wheat. Up to $41 or more was available for non-winter-hardy, such as oats and spring wheat. For a living mulch, such as common vetch, about $56/acre was available.

“EQIP and related initiatives such as GLRI, Agriculture Water Efficiency Program (AWEP), or Mississippi River Basin Initiative (MRBI) are popular in Indiana and other states,” says Barry Fisher, NRCS Indiana state agronomist, pointing out that cover crops could receive priority over other practices when assistance funding is considered.

Kuenstler says most growers should be eligible for EQIP, since it helps address soil erosion and quality, nutrient and pest management problems.

“CSP, on the other hand, is aimed at producers already doing a pretty good job of managing resource problems and want to do an even better job. So a producer who has erosion and nutrient-management concerns under control, but wants to improve soil quality, would qualify for the enhancements that include cover crops.”

Fisher encourages growers to take advantage Conservation Cropping System workshops and other programs in Indiana and elsewhere. Information on applying for EQIP and other programs is available online, as well as cover-crop management tips.

“While there, check with the local Soil and Water Conservation District (SWCD) to see if it or any of its partners offer any assistance through a special watershed project or a water-quality grant,” he says. “Many SWCDs have cover-crop funds to offer.”

Fisher says other assistance is available through Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG). Under CIG, EQIP funds are used to award competitive grants to non-federal governmental or non-governmental organizations, tribes or individuals.

Keith Berns says the cost of a typical cover-crop seed is $20-30/acre, so EQIP, CSP and other funding can help cover much of the cost. His family company (http://greencoverseed.com) has a cover-crop calculator to help determine a program’s cost. Indiana and other state NRCS offices also offer cost calculators.

Funding for 2011 NRCS programs should be available, says Fisher, but could tighten as the year progresses. Also, the popularity of cover crops may cause seed shortages, particularly for higher quality seed varieties, he adds. “Do your homework on best varieties for your area and talk to your seed dealers early. Be cautious of cheap VNS (variety not stated) seed.”

Even if funds aren’t available, consider that many cover crops can scavenge 50-70 lbs. of nitrogen that would otherwise be lost through leaching or denitrification.

“Cover crops will also break up compaction, build organic matter and reduce soil erosion, all of which lead to healthier, more productive soil,” he says.

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Keith Berns was a 2007 NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant recipient. To read more about Berns' project, visit the SARE project reporting site at http://www.sare.org/mysare/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewRept&pn=FNC07-653&y=2009&t=1

Agritourism Event for Farmers in Kansas

2011-02-28T17:26:00.001-06:00

Source: Kansas Farmer

If you've been thinking there might be an agritourism application for your farm or if you are interested in Farmers Market direct marketing, then a Feb. 26 conference in Clyde is one you don't want to miss.

The "Direct Marketing Tools for Farmers Markets and Agritourism Enterprises" Conference will cover different aspects of of agritourism, profitability, marketing and high tunnel production.

Conference speakers include farmers market managers, fruit and vegetable farmers and others experienced in agricultural marketing and agritourism.

The conference will be held at the Clifton-Clyde High School. Registration will begin at 8:30 a.m. and the conference will end at 4:30 p.m. The registration fee is $10 per person and includes lunch. Checks can be made payable to "Clyde Economic Development" and mailed with an accompanying registration form to Direct Marketing Conference, 1651 N. 270 Road, Clyde, KS 66938.

Sponsors of the conference include K-State Research and Extension's River Valley District, Clyde Economic Development, North Central Kansas Specialty Crop Project, Kansas Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture, Washington County Farm Bureau, Kansas Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Topeka.

More information is available on the Web at www.BuyFreshNCK.com or by contacting David Coltrain, community development and horticulture extension agent for the River Valley Extension District, at 785-325-2121 or coltrain@k-state.edu.

NCR-SARE Seeking Nominations for Administrative Council Members

2011-02-16T14:19:00.001-06:00

NCR-SARE is seeking nominees for five seats on its Administrative Council (AC) as follows:

Kansas – farmer/rancher*
Indiana – extension representative
South Dakota – research representative
At large** – USDA-NRCS representative
At large – agribusiness representative

*Should be actively engaged in farming or ranching in Kansas.
**At large representatives should be from one of the 12 states that comprise the North Central SARE region. Those states are IL, IN, IA, KS, MI, MN, MO, ND, NE, OH, SD, and WI.

The term for each of these SARE Administrative Council slots is four years, and is expected to include two meetings a year, typically 3-day meetings in November and March at various Midwest locations. Travel expenses are fully covered for travel to AC meetings, and farmers/ranchers receive a modest daily honorarium. Nominees should have a basic understanding of sustainable agriculture and be comfortable with reviewing grant proposals and participating in a group decision-making process. More information about NCR-SARE and the AC is at http://www.sare.org/ncrsare/leaders.htm.

To nominate yourself or someone else for a seat on the NCR-SARE AC, submit the following information by 4:30 pm, Feb. 28:

an email or letter regarding the nomination, which must mention which slot the nomination is for and what the nominee would bring to the AC
indication that the nominee is willing to serve and come to meetings if elected
a brief (two pages or less) bio or CV for the nominee

Nominations can be emailed to ncrsare@umn.edu or mailed to 1390 Eckles Ave, Suite 120, St Paul, MN 55108. We will acknowledge receipt of the materials and send a reply regarding the outcome of the election.

Since 1988, NCR-SARE has awarded more than $40 million worth of competitive grants to farmers and ranchers, researchers, educators, public and private institutions, nonprofit groups, and others exploring sustainable agriculture in 12 states. NCR-SARE’s Administrative Council represents various agricultural sectors, states and organizations. It sets program priorities and makes granting decisions for the region. A collection of farm and non-farm residents, the AC includes a diverse mix of agricultural stakeholders in our 12 states. Council members come from regional farms and ranches, university extension and research programs, and nonprofits. In addition, the AC includes regional representatives of the U.S. Geological Survey, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, state agencies, and agribusinesses.

South Dakota ‘Goat Lady’ Wants Everybody to Say Cheese!

2011-02-07T12:16:00.002-06:00

Source: The Brookings Register
BY: Vicki Schuster

Joan Williams of Arlington demonstrates how goat milk is pasteurized to make a soft cheese called chèvre.

There’s an extra dozen kids – give or take one or two – running around Joan and Gordon Williams’ farm these days.

They aren’t human – they’re the “goat kind” of kids, a mixed herd of Alpine and Saanen dairy goats.

They’re there because Joan Williams has a dream – a cheesy dream.

Over the past decade, Joan has been adding to her herd of goats at the family farm southwest of Sinai in hopes of making and marketing chèvre – a creamy, tart cheese made from goat milk.

Being creative and ambitious by nature, Joan was turned on to the idea of starting a goat-cheese business after watching an episode of the “Martha Stewart Show” that featured small U.S. cheese producers.

“It just kind of looked like fun,” she says. “So (my husband and I) found some goats, and I started playing around with my idea.”

What she makes is called farmstead or artisanal cheese, which means that the cheese is made from the milk of animals on the property. Joan says her goats provide the milk not only for fresh chèvre (which is French for “goat”) but feta, crottins, St. Maure and other varieties.

Looking out the window of her bakery and smiling at the sight of her 20 hoofed friends (many of whom have been born on her farm), she says she couldn’t be more than satisfied with her career choice.

The bakery, by the way, is another part of the couple’s well-known Cider Hill Farm business.

The Williams family started Cider Hill, now a 120-acre produce operation, about 14 years ago when Joan wanted to find a way to make a living and stay home with her kids (the human kind). She had run a small graphic design company in Sioux Falls, but her yearning to return to the house and area where she grew up brought her back to Brookings County. (The farm’s location is usually given as Arlington.)

“We had little kids at the time, and I was looking for something to do that allowed me to stay home with them,” she says.

Inspired by trips to France, Joan began baking bread to sell at area outlets.

“I started out with gardening and going to farmers’ markets and very quickly decided that was too short of a season, so I expanded into bread.”

The bakery has taken off like wildfire. She bakes at least 300 loaves a week – and as many as 100-200 loaves a day during her summer “busy season.” In all, Joan has about 19 artisanal varieties from which to choose.

“If I had my way, I’d spend all day making sourdough,” she jokes.

She uses locally produced ingredients in her breads whenever possible, giving preference to organic items.

She also makes pies, lefse, scones, caramel rolls and cookies and bars.

She added “80-proof pies” to her line in 2009. She jokes that she was “unable to find lard that doesn’t taste like bicycle grease,” so she had to find a replacement recipe for her mom’s never-fail pie crust.

Another product the company markets that customers can’t seem to get enough of is a tasty wood-fired pizza. (Gordon and Joan even haul their wood-fired pizza oven to special community events.)

Cider Hill now has outlets not only in nearby Brookings, but in Madison and Sioux Falls, and the Williamses even sell products at the farm.

Lots of Red Tape

Implementing the cheese and milk into her business has been a slow and gradual process, Joan says. The demands that come with raising five (human) kids, her bread sales and “government red tape” have slowed her down.

About eight years ago, she got a Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant to help underwrite some of the costs of developing her cheese operation. She said there isn’t really a lot of farmstead cheese being made in South Dakota, so the state is working on the criteria for her licensure. Currently, Dimock Dairy Cooperative in Dimock is the state’s lone producer of artisanal cheese, distributing its product in a five-state area.

“(The S.D. Department of Agriculture) doesn’t quite know what to do with me,” says Joan. “It seems like every time I’m ready to start selling, they throw something new at me. Hopefully, by the summer they’ll give us the OK.”

But she will wait patiently. Joan, who happens to be a Brookings Farmer’s Market vendor, is keeping her fingers crossed that she will be selling cheese by May 1.

In the meantime, to help her business remain successful, the whole family pitches in. When husband Gordon, a registered nurse, isn’t helping dialysis patients at the Brookings hospital, he takes charge of daily farm operations such as maintaining equipment and feeding the goats.

Over the years, the family’s noticed that the animals have a “real personality” to them. “Yeah, if you walk by them and don’t say something to them, they give you this look like they’re almost mad at you,” says Gordon.

No More Chickens, Cows

At one time, the family had chickens and tried cows, but Joan says it was “more than we wanted on our plates.”

Her son, Zach, 23, does most of the milking of the goats, once a day using a vacuum pump. Son Andrew, 11, helps take care of the goats, too. Max, 21, makes wood-fired pizzas and takes them, along with her breads into Brookings.

Daughters Anna, 32, and Molly, 28, have left the farm, but in the past helped with production and marketing.

During the summer, which is Joan’s busiest time of the year, she also employs two part-time helpers.

Although phasing in the goat milk and cheese operation has been a gradual thing, Joan has been able to make some money in the meantime off “Billy and Nanny.” A change in state law last year has enabled her to get a license to sell raw goat milk. Goat milk is appealing to many – especially to those people with cow milk allergies – because goat milk fat is easier to digest than cow’s milk. It’s more similar to human milk than cow’s milk, too.

In most of the non-Western world, goat milk and goat cheese are the preferred dairy product. In fact, goat cheese has been made for thousands of years and is probably one of the very first “manufactured” dairy products.

Once Joan’s cheese operation is in full swing, she says it won’t take long to crank out the final product. The one-day process requires pasteurization of the milk, letting it cool and then adding some culture and rennet. Rennet allows protein components in milk to form (curd) and permits liquid components to separate and run off as whey.

The mixture is left to sit overnight and then is drained using cheesecloth or a colander.

Approximately one gallon of milk can make one pound of cheese. Joan estimates her goats produce a half-gallon of milk per goat per day.

20 is Enough

Although she considers herself a creative individual, she says once the State of South Dakota gives her the green light, she doesn’t anticipate adding to her herd.

“I don’t think I want to milk more than 20 to 25 goats per day,” she says. “I’ve got enough of them for what I want to do.”

But she hopes to bring her love for the local food culture full circle, especially to consumers who crave a new, and unique dining experience. In the past, Joan and Chef John Gilbertson have organized an outdoor event called HarvesTable near Renner. Its purpose is to get the chef, guests and producers together for a special meal in an outdoor, rural setting. Only locally produced foods go on the menu.

Joan and Gilbertson hope to organize more of them in the future, perhaps in the Brookings or Arlington areas.

And she may even take the idea to another level by using the back area of her bakery to someday put in a small restaurant.

“I love the idea behind what I’m doing,” she says. “The possibilities are endless.”

Until the Brookings Farmer’s Market opens in April, Brookings-area shoppers can get Williams’ Cider Hill breads locally at Nature’s Paradise Health Foods every Tuesday. Cider Hill is also a producer on the South Dakota Local Foods Cooperative. For a complete listing of products, prices, locations where customers can buy Williams’ goods and other product inquiries, check out the company’s web site at www.ciderhillfarm.com.

It’s ‘Farmville – For Real’: Farmers map out plans for new revenue opportunities

2011-02-07T12:13:00.001-06:00

Source: The Messenger

MARSHALLTOWN - They were as diverse as the farming operations they came from, or wanted to start.

Forty people attended an afternoon-long session called "Farmville - For Real" on Friday at Marshalltown Community College during the first of a two-day annual conference for Practical Farmers of Iowa.

Some were young farmers just getting a start. Others were older farmers looking to expand their operations into new revenue streams. Others were ending "town career" and wanted to retire into farming. Before they left, each operation had the chance to sit down with one of eight mentoring farmers who would review their plans and offer advice for getting started.

Leading the workshop was Andy Larson, coordinator for the Iowa State University Sustainable agriculture Research and Education office. Larson is also an ISU Extension field specialist in small farm sustainability.

Larson told the 40-person audience, that they would begin the first steps in identifying what they envisioned for their farms in the near- and long-term future, as well as understand the skills they had available to make the dream come true and where they would need outside help.

At the event was Joe Monahan, who has a small fruit and vegetable farm in Jackson Township in northeast Boone County. His dream is to add an acre or two of vegetable crops with some mechanization to sell at area farmers markets. He said he said several unused outbuildings and is also studying if any of them can be economically converted into greenhouses.

Monahan sells through the Ames farmers market, as well as through an online CSA, or customer supported agriculture. He's looking for something unique that will make his food stand stand out among the others. He said his wife bakes artisan bread for the venture, often selling out before the vegetables. He recently built her a wood-fired oven that will bake 12 loaves at a time.

"Her bread is more marketable than my vegetables," he said.

He recently found another niche at the market by planting Indian and Asian vegetables that were well-received in the university town. He's hoping that expanding a couple of more acres will give him the chance to plant more unique vegetables that will find those niche consumers.

"I want to be outside farming," Monahan said. "I don't want to farm from the office."

Values and Visions

Larson had the workshop open with a values study that helped each participant understand what they value most in farming and being farmers. Once he had them distill their key values to find their No. 1 priority, he told them, "This value will influence every decision you make on your farm."

Following that exercise participants had to draw picture of how they would want to see their farm sometime in the future. Participants drew in buildings, livestock, conservation practices, quality of life images and even a few wind turbines.

This was followed by a critical look at each person's available skills in bringing the new farm operations into existence and in what areas they would need help in making it happen.

"You don't have to go solo to get these things done," Larson told the audience. "There's something to be said about hiring out or have a management team.

"I mean are you going to be your own soil tester and consultant?"

Meet with Mentors

Following a break, the workshop attendees met with eight mentoring farmers who had experience in a variety of local foods and niche marketing experiences.

"This is a reality check," Larson told the group.

Monahan met with Sean Skeehan, of Chariton. Monahan said he has built a hoop building for vegetables. His chickens' eggs are used for the artisan bread. He wanted to know how to prioritize the operations various revenue streams.

"Conventional farming is a whole lot easier," Monahan told Skeehan. "I don't want to be a gentleman farmer. I want a return on my investment."

Skeehan told him that income "is a tricky thing." The Monahan operation have to learn to live with less, especially paying for its own health care coverage.

"Diversity is essential," Skeehan said. He explained that when some of his vegetables had been damaged by herbicide drift from a neighboring farm, other parts of the operation, such as his honey business, helped to balance the books.

He recommended the Monahans use a spreadsheet program for projecting incomes and using social media to build a following of customers, letting them know where he will be on market days.

"Don't play the price cut game," Skeehan said. "We set the price and stay with it. If we have to take some of it home, we do."

Aftermath

For Joe Monahan, time spent with mentor Skeehan was helpful.

"A lot of us don't have the background experience," Monahan said. "We didn't grow up on farms and our fathers didn't farm. So getting the feedback and hearing others experiences is helpful."

He's hoping to get more confidence in the years to come in know the right price for his vegetables that will be good for him and the customer.

He said he also picked up ideas for keeping produce fresh enroute to the market and how to properly display vegetables at the market.

Contact Larry Kershner at (515) 573-2141, ext. 453, or at kersh@farm-news.com.

Agritourism Risks, Liabilities To Be Detailed At Workshop

2011-01-12T16:57:00.000-06:00

Source: CattleNetwork.com

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Farmers wanting to get into the agritourism industry can better understand the risks and potential liability they will face by attending a workshop being held next month in conjunction with the Indiana Horticultural Congress and Trade Show.

The workshop will be on Jan. 18 at the Wyndham Hotel, 2544 Executive Drive, in Indianapolis near the old airport terminal.

Participants will learn about risks and liability associated with such agritourism activities and operations such as hayrides, workshops, seasonal festivals, petting zoos, bed-and-breakfast inns and wineries.

"The list of entertaining and educational opportunities right here in Indiana seems almost limitless," said Roy Ballard, a Purdue Extension agriculture and natural resources educator in Hancock County and a workshop organizer. "But an issue that farmers must consider before entering into an agritourism venture or expanding an existing operation is how to manage risk and limit liability when inviting the public onto a working farm."

One session will feature a panel of producers who will discuss how they manage risk as part of their business planning. They are Amy Kelsay of Kelsay Farms, Whiteland; Greg Hochstedler of Boondocks Farm, Knightstown; and Tom Dull of Dull's Tree Farm, Thorntown.

There also will be a roundtable discussion for those who have an agritourism venue or are considering the possibility and want to share experiences, opportunities and trends in the industry.

Featured speakers and titles of their presentations include:

* Phil Lehmkuhler, Indiana state director of USDA Rural Development, "The State of Rural Indiana and the Role of Agritourism in its Future."

* Shannon Mirus, staff attorney for the National Agricultural Law Center, University of Arkansas, "Anticipating and Managing Risk and Liability in Your Agritourism Venture" and "What is Limited Liability for Agritourism and How Are Other States Employing It?"

* Debbie Trocha, director of the Indiana Cooperative Development Center, "An Indiana Direct-to-Consumer Association: How Can it Benefit Your Operation?"

Those wanting to attend the workshop should register online (http://www.inhortcongress.org) for the Indiana Horticultural Congress and Trade Show, which will be Jan. 18-20. Cost is $65 for one day of admission, with children under 16 admitted for free. Individuals without Web access can register by contacting Tammy Goodale at 765-494-1296.

Those attending all three days of the horticulture congress can pay an $85 fee, allowing them to attend all of the sessions and the trade show.

The full agenda of the agritourism session is available by contacting Ballard at 317-462-1113, rballard@purdue.edu.

The Agritourism Workshop, now in its seventh year, is sponsored by Purdue Extension, Indiana Office of Tourism Development, Indiana State Department of Agriculture, Indiana Cooperative Development Center, and U.S. Department of Agriculture's North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education.

More information about the Indiana Horticultural Congress is available at http://www.inhortcongress.org. For questions and additional information, contact Goodale at 765-494-1296, tgoodale@purdue.edu.

Grant Advising for Socially Disadvantaged Farmers

2011-01-12T16:54:00.000-06:00

Source: MISA

Need help with your NCR-SARE grant proposal?

If you are a farmer who is a member of a historically socially disadvantaged group*, you are invited to use a grants advising service of the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute.

MFAI’s GrantAdvisor can help you apply to grant and cost-share programs of your state or the federal government that could help you improve your farming business. These can be programs of any federal or state agency, not just the USDA. We will assist individual producers or associations of farmers who have never received a federal grant or cost-share before. We will also work with young nonprofits that are working directly with socially disadvantaged farmers to start or improve food-related businesses. We will also assist those working with disadvantaged youth involved in food or fiber production.

The Grants Advisor helps you decide whether a grant would be the best way to achieve your goals. If so, she will help you choose a grant program that fits your goals and help you outline a plan of work for you to follow to meet the application deadline and all proposal or application requirements. If not, she will suggest other resources you may choose to approach. The Advisor will help you identify local partners (agency staff, nonprofit organizations, or local volunteers with experience in grants and project management) to strengthen your project, to help you complete the proposal, and, if funding is awarded, to manage the project. The Advisor can assist you in preparing the proposal to ensure timely submission with necessary forms, attachments, and letters of support.

Most grant program deadlines are during the winter months, so please act now. Even for deadlines next fall or winter, it is best to start working now with the Grants Advisor. You can get your plan of work organized so that the next deadline does not sneak up on you. MFAI funds for this service are limited, so the sooner you contact the Grants Advisor, the greater the chance that you can use this service to advance your project or those you know who would qualify.

For more information please contact the Grants Advisor, Deirdre Birmingham, at (608) 219-4279 or deirdreb@mindspring.com .

This project is funded by Farm Aid.

* For purposes of this project, MFAI uses the USDA Risk Management Agency’s definition: “A socially disadvantaged (SDA) farmer, rancher, or agricultural producer is one of a group whose members have been subjected to racial, ethnic, or gender prejudice because of his or her identity as a member of the group without regard to his or her individual qualities. SDA groups are women, African Americans, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders.”

While MFAI will consider the application of other producers, the funders of this project set a priority on serving socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.

From the Ground Up: Soil comes to life in the Classroom

2010-12-15T12:27:00.002-06:00

Source: Agriculture.com

by: Raylene Nickel

Soil comes to life in the classroom of vocational agriculture teacher Marcus Lewton at South Heart High School, South Heart, North Dakota. His creative teaching tools, contained in a soil-quality tool kit, unveil to students the microscopic citizens of the soil, such as fungi and bacteria. Students also learn the critical role of all microorganisms in soil and plant health.

For high school senior Michael Zarak, whose parents farm and ranch near South Heart, learning about soil builds a foundation for the future.

“It’s important for young people to learn about soil so we will have that knowledge if we do decide to get into farming,” he says.

Zarak’s new view of soil learned from Lewton drew him to educational events where he saw the benefits of cover crops.

“I didn’t know that you could plant all this different stuff after harvesting cash crops,” he says. “I learned that all these different types of cover crops really help out the soil and make the ground more productive.”

Making the connection between healthy soil and robust crops was Lewton’s aim when he conceived the idea of creating soil-health test kits for use in vocational agricultural classrooms. Each kit contains simple tools for vo-ag teachers to use to illustrate characteristics and processes of soil.

Lewton got the idea for the kits while attending a soil-health seminar for vo-ag teachers. The seminar presenter, USDA-ARS soil microbiologist Kristine Nichols, showed participants how to use inexpensive, homemade tools to demonstrate various soil-quality aspects. She also presented instructions showing how to build the tools, how to use them, and how to interpret the results.

Drawing ideas from Nichols and other soil-health sources, Lewton designed a simple soil-health test kit for use in vo-ag classrooms. He then got a grant from the USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program. With help from the high school’s shop classes, Lewton and his students built 100 kits for vo-ag teachers in North Dakota and 60 kits for instructors in Minnesota.

Each kit includes PVC pipe, sponges, nitrate strips, and Styrofoam cups. Also included are instructions telling how to use the tools to demonstrate characteristics and processes of soil.

“Soil health can be a boring subject for high school students,” Lewton says. “But this kit makes it more exciting.”

One test, the Soil Clod Test, demonstrates differences in the aggregate formation of soil that is stable vs. soil that easily falls apart.

Students drop clods of soil into jars of water and note its response to water and gentle shaking. This invites discussion of how soil structure impacts soil functions such as air and water flow, biological activity in soil, and nutrient cycling.

To demonstrate water-infiltration differences among soils and to link these to management practices, Lewton’s students take soil samples from a pasture, a no-till field, and a field in a fallow-crop rotation.

“We put each soil sample in a 5-ounce cup, filling each cup to the same level,” Lewton says. “We then drop equal amounts of water in each cup and watch the water infiltrate the soil. The water in the pasture sample always soaks in faster than the water in the other soil samples.”

Adding an element of competition makes the lesson more interesting and further illustrates differences in water-infiltration capabilities of soil. The game involves predicting which of two soil samples has the best water infiltration. One of the soil samples comes from clay-based pasture hills and the other comes from a heavily tilled garden.

“The students usually predict the garden soil will win. But the clay soil from the pasture always wins,” Lewton says. “The game breaks down stereotypes that kids have about soil and shows the effect tillage can have on water infiltration.”

As vo-ag teachers put Lewton’s soil-health test kits to work in their classrooms, students across North Dakota and Minnesota will learn similar lessons about soil quality.

“These kids are the farmers of the future,” Lewton says. “By teaching them about soil health and soil quality, we’re giving them the tools they need to make choices that will improve the sustainability of their land.”

To read more about Lewton's NCR-SARE Youth Educator project, visit the SARE reporting website at: http://sare.org/MySare/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewProj&pn=YENC08-005

Winter Not the End of Nature’s Bounty for NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant Recipient

2010-12-15T12:16:00.000-06:00

Source: Columbia Daily Tribune
By Cathy Salter

With our own meadow garden now fully at rest, Kit and I continue to find our kitchen filled with greens and vegetables. Seems impossible this could be so given the fact that December is on the horizon. But this is the magic of belonging to a winter subscription farm, or CSA (community-supported agriculture). From October to April, Jennifer and Keith Grabner from Wintergreen Farm deliver a box of fresh greens and vegetables to our door late every Friday afternoon.

I first met Jenny when she and her colleague Lesli Moylan began a schoolyard garden at Ashland’s Southern Boone Elementary School, two miles east of Boomerang Creek. The garden, a volunteer operation, has grown to be an integral part of the life of both the elementary school’s curriculum over the past three years and has earned the support of the community, as well as local and state legislators.

It also was recently featured in The Geography Teacher magazine, a publication of the National Council for Geographic Education, along with first lady Michelle Obama’s White House Kitchen Garden and organic chef Alice Water’s Edible Schoolyard Garden in Berkeley, Calif.

When the Southern Boone Learning Garden is in operation, Jenny and Lesli visit classrooms and hold after-school garden classes twice a week, teaching children their peas and cucumbers by putting them to work planting, harvesting and cooking up what they grow.

Like others from the community and school who help out, they are volunteers.

This would be quite enough time in the garden for most mortals, but Jenny is cut from that amazing cloth from whence farmers come. With the help of her husband, Keith, and their three children, she has made gardening and backyard organic farming not only her own passion but also a family operation.

Their family garden, Wintergreen Farm, is located on 5 acres off Route MM near Ashland, just a hoot and holler from Boomerang Creek. Jenny and Keith use small, unheated hoop-style greenhouses (cold frames) to grow greens and vegetables throughout the fall, winter and early spring months.

The cool-season crops include several varieties of lettuce, spinach, chard, carrots, beets, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, turnips, kohlrabi, radishes, green onions, leeks, mustards, collards, arugula, bok choy, several Asian greens and cabbages, and a few herbs, including parsley, cilantro, fennel, dill and chives.

They also try to include a few winter storage crops such as garlic, potatoes, winter squashes, onions and sweet potatoes.

The last week of October, we received our first e-mail announcing the beginning of this year’s winter CSA. Jenny and Keith listed what would be in the veggie box for the first week — butternut squash, sweet potatoes, lettuce and mixed Asian greens.

The second Friday, our box contained red-leaf lettuce, Swiss chard, baby carrots, golden Hubbard squash and cilantro. We also had a few other items offered on a first-come, first-served basis — shiitake mushrooms, fresh eggs (“if the ladies are laying”) and rabbit meat. And should we need some ideas on cooking up a Hubbard squash or collard greens, Wintergreen Farm’s website includes recipes to get us started.

As I write, chunks of Hubbard squash are simmering in a soup pot on the stove along with a butternut squash delivered the first week. Combined with onion, red bell pepper, pear, apple, ginger and chicken broth, they will purée into a golden harvest soup served with a dollop of sour cream and a sprinkling of Spanish paprika.

While the soup is cooking, Jenny’s latest e-mail arrives with this week’s harvest — turnip greens, Chinese cabbage, mixed salad greens, Tokyo turnips or radishes, parsley or cilantro, and more butternut squash. I’m already dancing as fast as I can looking up creative recipes for the bounty that will arrive on Friday.

So, let the first snow fall white on our meadow garden. Our kitchen will be filled with local greens all winter long.

To read more about the Grabners' NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant project, visit the SARE online reporting site at: http://sare.org/mySARE/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewProj&pn=FNC07-668

Organics 101: An Introduction to Organic Crop Production

2010-12-08T14:39:00.001-06:00

Source: Wilmington News Journal

The strong demand for organic food presents a growing opportunity for Ohio farmers. The Ohio Ecological Food and Farm Association (OEFFA) and the Ohio State University Organic Food & Farming Education and Research (OFFER) program will present “Organics 101: An Introduction to Organic Crop Production.” This educational workshop will be held at the Agricultural Incubator Foundation in Bowling Green on Dec. 10, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

All Ohio farmers who are looking for information on organic crop production are encouraged to attend this workshop. The program will include presentations by OSU research scientists and extension educators, organic farmers and organic certification representatives. Participants will learn about the organic certification standard, the certification process, organic crop production practices, the economics of organic crop production and the marketing opportunities for organic crop producers. University scientists and experienced organic farmers will lead sessions on these and other topics and will answer questions from participants.

“We’ve seen tremendous growth in the demand for organic foods over the past decade,” said Mike Anderson of OEFFA. “More and more Ohio farmers are considering organic production to help meet this demand and take advantage of the economic opportunity that it provides. Working together with one of the finest agricultural research institutions in the country, the Ohio Agriculture Research and Development Center (OARDC), we will be able to provide Ohio farmers who are interested in transitioning to organic the information that they need to be successful.”

Cost of the workshop is $30, which includes lunch. Registration information should be sent to Mike Anderson, OEFFA, 41 Croswell Road, Columbus, Ohio 43214.

For more information, go to www.oeffa.org or contact Anderson at 614-421-2022 ext. 204 or mike@oeffa.org. Walk-ins welcome, but pre-registration is encouraged.

The Agricultural Incubator Foundation is located at 13737 Middleton Pike, Bowling Green.

Organics 101 is presented with funding provided by the USDA’s North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR SARE).

Whole Farm Cooperative Project Makes a Difference

2010-12-08T14:35:00.002-06:00

Source: Agri-News
By Carol Stender

The Whole Farm Cooperative is a grocery store of locally grown foods.

Apples, ground beef, cabbage, bacon, potatoes and turkey can be found in the Long Prairie-based cooperative.

The cooperative started more than 10 years ago when a group of farmers wanted to expand their markets. They sought to supply ground beef from cull cows to St. John's University, the College of St. Benedict and St. Cloud State University.

They called their proposal "Feed the Saints," and sought a SARE grant for the project, said co-op member Herman Hendrickson.

When one school suggested the term "cull"cows be changed, the farmers used "reconditioned" cows instead, Hendrickson said.

The schools did not accept Whole Farm's proposal.

"We were scratching our heads about it," Hendrickson said. "We wanted to supply healthful foodstuffs. All of our livestock was grass-fed."

Beth Waterhouse, a Whole Farm Cooperative member, said she knew people would be interested in purchasing their products.

The farmers made plans for the cooperative. They set up a food collection area in Phil Arnold's basement. Someone donated a freezer. Another person offered a refrigerator for cold storage. Farmers brought produce and frozen meat to the site and made telephone calls seeking orders, Hendrickson said.

Their model was successful. They have built a distribution system to the Twin Cities, St. Cloud, Freeport and Duluth. They have drop-off sites at 17 churches, six homes, five businesses, six cooperatives and one restaurant. Each site receives food deliveries once a month.

The drop sites make up the largest part of Whole Farm's business, Bromeling said. Local customers can purchase produce and meat at the cooperative's store located in the lower level of a Long Prairie business building. The store has a walk-in freezer, several coolers, storage and display areas .

The cooperative also offers books, cookbooks and artwork.

There are more than 30 farmer-members. Each pays a $25-per-year membership and must meet the co-op's standards. Livestock and poultry receive no hormones or sub-therapeutic antibiotics. All chickens are free range and must be kept in a poultry shelter with access to pasture for foraging. Feed must be clean whole or ground grains.

Vegetable producers can't use artificial or manufactured chemicals on plantsor genetically modified seeds.

The cooperative also sells farm-fresh eggs from six producers. All the eggs sold at Whole Farm are candled and handled according to USDA specifications.

Bromeling started selling eggs at the cooperative in 2001, he said. He also raises beef, pork, geese, ducks, sheep and sometimes goats on his Browerville farm.

Kristin Wilson handles the orders and helps package. Cooperative members get the orders ready on Tuesday for Wednesday delivery.

A complete list of the co-op's standards and ordering information is available at their website: www.wholefarmcoop.com.

To read more about this SARE project, visit SARE's project reporting website at:
http://www.sare.org/MySare/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewRept&pn=FNC97-165&y=1998&t=1

NCR-SARE Project Creates Value Around Grass-fed Milk

2010-12-08T14:28:00.003-06:00

Source: Ag Weekly
BY RON JOHNSON, Agri-View DAIRY EDITOR

Is there a way to “create value around grass-fed milk?”

Scott Rankin, a UW-Madison food scientist, asked that question last week during a “grass-fed dairy tasting.”

It was the second annual event, and it drew several dozen invited guests to the Arlington Agricultural Research Station. Guests heard informational presentations and participated in side-by-side tastings of foods made with “conventional” milk and that made with milk from cows that had primarily been grazed.

The 36-month project has a year to go. It’s funded with just over $148,000 from a North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Grant.

Laura Paine, the Wisconsin agriculture department’s grazing and organic agriculture specialist, said the project has four goals. The first goal is to “develop a definitive understanding of the unique physical, chemical and flavor qualities of grass-fed milk.”

The second goal is to “gain an ability to manage seasonal changes in milk flavor and physical properties to improve processing quality,” she continued. Goal number three is to “create an increased awareness among dairy processors of the opportunities and appropriate uses for grass-fed milk.”

Goal number four, said Paine, is to figure out how to establish a premium price for dairy products made from the milk of grazed cows.

FIVE FARMS

Beginning last year, milk was collected from grazed cows on the farms of the five members of Edelweiss Graziers’ Cooperative. The co-op requires that at least 60 percent of members’ cows feed is fresh forage during the grazing season, said Bert Paris, Belleville, an Edelweiss member.

Milk was collected three times during each grazing season n during the spring “flush,” in midsummer, or June, and again during the fall. That was done, said Rankin, to see if the time of year influences the milk, and also the products made from it. In addition, pasture samples were collected for testing right before the milk was processed.

Project partners turned to the UW-Madison’s Babcock dairy plant to make the milk into finished products. Last year the milk was processed into fluid milk, cream, yogurt and butter. This year the research has concentrated on butter and fluid milk.

Rankin evaluated the products on their color, fatty acid content, texture, melting point and other characteristics, both chemical and physical. For a comparison, the same kinds of products were made with conventional milk from cows on a farm that used stored feed.

“The evidence so far,” said Rankin, “suggests that the unique features of grass-fed milk are concentrated in the butterfat.” He offered some “preliminary observations about the milk and dairy products that were made from the milk of the grazed cows.

The Babcock plant made six samples of each of four products from the grazing milk, and two samples of each product using the conventional milk. Products made were fluid milk, butter, heavy cream, and yogurt.

Rankin explained that project members decided the milk should be pasteurized, and that for the fluid milk sample it should also be homogenized. Then they conducted sensory tests on the UW-Madison campus.

People involved in the tests were asked, “’How much do you like this product?’” Rankin explained. “Generally,” they liked the conventional milk more.

One-hundred people said they preferred the milk from conventionally fed cows, while 50 said they preferred the milk from the grazed cows. On a scale of 1 to 10, the conventional milk outscored the “grass-fed” milk 6.3 to 5.8.

“Is this a fatal flaw?” the food scientist asked. “These numbers are pretty close.”

The milk from grazed cows had a “very distinct, unique flavor,” Rankin added. But he hinted that perhaps more people would like it as they become “educated” about it.

Paine, the grazing specialist, pointed out that the study’s aim is “not to validate” what graziers “think is good.” It might turn out, she said, that milk from grazed cows is not the best to be marketed as fluid milk.

Perhaps, she said, this milk might find more consumer acceptance as butter and cheese. The people involved in the study would like to be able to make recommendations to milk processors, Paine added.

BUTTER TESTED

Butter made from the milk of the grazed cows fared better when it came to a health factor. Rankin said this butter tested about 5 percentage points lower in saturated fat than butter made from the conventional milk.

Butter made from the milk of the grazed cows was also more yellow. Rankin noted that yellower butter is often perceived as being “more healthful.”

Turning to butter hardness, the food scientist said the results varied. Butter made from the milk of grazed cows could be harder or softer than butter made from conventional milk, depending on the time of year the cows grazed.

As for the cream, that from milk of grazed cows was thicker. It scored 47.73 in viscosity tests, while the cream from conventional milk scored 38.13.

When it came to yogurt - unflavored and unsweetened n that made from the milk of grazed cows almost matched that made from conventional milk, in terms of preferences. Tasters scored yogurt made from conventional milk an average of 4.83, while they scored yogurt made from the milk of grazed cow 4.73.

Commented Rankin, “As we build complexity in a product, these (preference) differences start to go away.”

Still to go in this project is work comparing the two types of fluid milks and butters, along with a more-in-depth look at the beta carotene content of the butters. Rankin said he also plans to examine the color and texture of the two kinds of butter.

CHEFS INVOLVED

The project has tapped the expertise of two chefs to see how products made from the milk of grazed cows compares to those made with conventional milk when it comes to cooking. Leah Caplan, Field to Fork Culinary Consulting, Madison, and Jack Kaestner, a chef at the Oconomowoc Lake Club, Oconomowoc, prepared several items for people at the tasting to sample and compare.

Kaestner said he serves some dairy products made from “grass-fed” milk to customers at the Oconomowoc Lake Club. When it comes to the butter, he said an oft-uttered comment is, “Oh, that’s what butter used to taste like!”

NEXT YEAR

Next year’s phase of the project will focus more on outreach to farmers, processors and consumers, said Paine. And the sampling and testing will continue.

For more information on this SARE project, visit the SARE reporting website at: http://www.sare.org/MySare/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewProj&pn=LNC08-303

Listening Sessions Help Guide the Grant-Making Process for NCR-SARE

2010-11-30T12:53:00.000-06:00

NCR-SARE, in cooperation with the Nebraska Great Plains Resource Conservation & Development Council (RC&D) and Iowa Golden Hills Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D), conducted public listening sessions at three locations in east-central NE and southwest IA to discuss increasing the sustainability of their agriculture.

The NCR-SARE listening sessions serve as an opportunity to bring together people with differing viewpoints within a community of place to share their perspectives of sustainability and agriculture. Reports resulting from the listening sessions serve as a respected information source on the status and prospects of sustainable agriculture and as such guide the Administrative Council that directs the NCR-SARE competitive grants and other programs.

“The purpose for the listening sessions is for NCR-SARE to learn from residents of the region what is on peoples’ minds, what NCR-SARE is doing well, and what we might change to better meet the needs of people who live in the region,” said Bill Wilcke, Regional Coordinator of NCR-SARE.

NCR-SARE and the RC&Ds partnered with cooperative extension and community colleges to provide public meeting facilities in Lincoln, NE, Omaha, NE, and Council Bluffs, IA. The sessions took place in late September, 2010, in Lincoln, NE at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Office, Council Bluffs, IA, at Iowa Western Community College, and Omaha, NE at Metropolitan Community College.

“Southwest Iowa and east central Nebraska form a natural ‘food shed’ based on the naturally occurring flow of goods and services between the rural countryside and the metropolitan areas,” explained Norman Hanson, Chairperson of the Nebraska Great Plains RC&D.

To discover how the communities of Lincoln and Omaha,NE and Council Bluffs, IA are defining sustainability in their area, listening sessions were held in each of the communities during a three-day visit by NCR-SARE researchers and educators. The sessions included facilitated discussions, tours, and question and answer periods, among other activities.

Grounding their perceptions in visits to local community gardens, small-scale producers, and programs to foster future growers, the participants then listened at each location as stakeholders in the local food system discussed their perceptions of current trends and how their communities will sustain food production and distribution in the future.

After an introduction ice-breaker that generated ideas defining community, participants were asked a round of questions in each listening session. They received a handout with the questions as they registered and the questions were posted on a power point as the group discussed them. Questions addressed topics such as trends in rural and urban food systems, community and regional challenges for food systems, observed successes in urban and rural communities, perceptions of sustainable agriculture, and the future of food systems.

Some of the major trends addressed by participants included: an increase in local production and distribution, a decreased proportion of farming to production needs, an increased need for effective and accurate communications about food systems and regulations, gaps between the pricing and affordability of land and food, the availability of food sources, an increased awareness of health and food relationship, a need for more reliable education/knowledge at all intersections in the food system, a need for employment security for all in food delivery system, and the need for more and younger farmers.

A summary of findings and the data that support the conclusions and recommendations for next steps was developed. It will help guide NCR-SARE in its effective design and distribution of grants.

In order to generate and disseminate sound and practical information and to increase the sustainability of agriculture, NCR-SARE will continue to listen and respond to groups and communities of farmers, ranchers, researchers, and extension agents throughout the region. Suggestions of where listening sessions should take place are welcome and you can direct ideas to ncrsare@umn.edu.

11th Annual Kansas Winter Grazing Conference

2010-11-30T12:33:00.000-06:00

The 11th Annual Kansas Winter Grazing Conference is scheduled for January 15, 2011, 9am-4pm in Junction City, Kansas. Topics for the day are Mob Grazing, Focusing on Animal Performance, and Multi-Species grazing with Cattle and Sheep.

Featured speaker is Greg Judy of Clark, Missouri who uses Holistic High Density Planned Grazing to graze cows, cow/calf pairs, bred heifers, horses, and stockers. He and his wife Jan own a 250 head grass genetic cow herd, 300 head hair sheep flock, goat herd, and graze Tamworth pigs. They have also started direct marketing grass-fed beef, lamb and pork. Greg is author of “NO RISK RANCHING, Custom Grazing on Leased Land” and “COMEBACK FARMS, Rejuvenating Soils, Pastures and Profits with Livestock Grazing Management.”

This conference is sponsored, in-part, by NCR-SARE. For more information, contact Kerri Ebert at 785-532-2976 or kebert@k-state.edu.

13th Annual Midwest Value Added Agriculture Conference

2010-11-30T12:27:00.001-06:00

Visit Madison, Wisconsin for the 2011 Midwest Value Added Ag. Conference, Cultivating Farm Profitability, January 27-28, 2011 at the Sheraton Madison Hotel.

This is the first year the conference will be held in Madison and River Country RC&D Council is expecting an eclectic mix of small-scale farmers and urban agricultural enthusiasts as well as the region’s top educators and farm service organizations.

The program will feature Joel F. Salatin. Salatin is an American farmer, lecturer, and author whose books include You Can Farm and Salad Bar Beef. Salatin raises livestock using holistic methods of animal husbandry, free of potentially harmful chemicals, on his Polyface Farm in Swoope, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley. Meat from the farm is sold by direct-marketing to consumers and restaurants.
Sponsored, in-part, by NCR-SARE.

Register online at http://www.prestoregister.com/cgi-bin/order.pl?ref=rivercountryrcd&fm=1

5th Annual Wisconsin Local Food Summit

2010-11-30T12:18:00.000-06:00

The January 2011 Wisconsin Local Food Summit is being held at The Osthoff Resort in Elkhart Lake, WI, January 13-14, 2011. http://osthoff.com/

Breakout sessions will be conducted on a wide range of topics of interest to those who are concerned about local food issues followed by a facilitated summit session that will strive to determine through consensus the 3 highest priority topics currently for local food system development in Wisconsin. Due in part to support from the Program Innovation Fund, WLFN now has resources available to form statewide working groups around these topics. As always, networking opportunities will abound during the summit. Local food prepared by Chef Chad Kornetzke throughout the summit. Includes a scaling up local foods presentation by NCR-SARE.

A block of rooms is being held for the group at $70 single and $100 double. Please make reservations by December 15, 2010 to secure this rate. To reserve your room, call 800/876-3399 and identify yourself as an attendee at the Wisconsin Local Food Summit.

NCR-SARE Webinar on Grass-Fed Beef

2010-11-30T12:11:00.000-06:00

An NCR-SARE webinar "Grass-fed Beef" will be presented by Terry Gompert, Extension Educator in Knox County.

It is scheduled for Tuesday, December 7, 2010 at 10:00 a.m. CDT.

To participate in the Adobe Connect "Sustainable Agriculture” Webinar Series, you will need to have a computer with internet access and a phone. At the meeting time, simply click on the following link or copy and paste it into your browser to enter the meeting: http://connect.extension.iastate.edu/unl Contact Gary Lesoing at (402) 274-4755 or glesoing2@unlnotes.unl.edu with questions.

Former NCR-SARE AC member, William Tracy, Named Interim Dean of the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences

2010-11-30T11:24:00.002-06:00

Source: University of Wisconsin

Agronomy professor and department chair William F. Tracy has been named interim dean of the University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences.

“Chancellor Martin and I are delighted with Bill’s willingness to serve and are confident that the college will maintain and grow its forward momentum and success under Bill’s leadership,” says Provost Paul M. DeLuca Jr. “We’re fortunate to have someone with Bill’s background, skills and judgment to step in at this most critical juncture.”

Tracy will assume the post on Jan. 2, when CALS Dean Molly Jahn steps down.

“The college is very well positioned for the future. My primary goal will be to work with our faculty, staff, students and external partners to ensure that the position of CALS dean is an attractive and exciting opportunity that will attract the best possible leader and scholar,” Tracy says.

Tracy joined the Department of Agronomy in 1984 and has served as chair since 2004. He has a long record of service on campus committees and initiatives. He recently finished a term as chair of the University Committee, the executive committee of the Faculty Senate.

His research focuses on breeding and genetics of sweet corn, one of Wisconsin’s most important vegetable crops. Tracy has developed many new hybrid and inbred varieties with improved yield and resistance to insects and disease. He has taught a wide range of classes, from entry-level crop production to graduate instruction in plant breeding and plant genetics. He has also been very active in efforts to get the university involved in K-12 science education and in outreach and continuing education related to crop production, plant genetics, and the interaction between agriculture and society.

Tracy earned both his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in plant and soil sciences from the University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and earned a Ph.D. in plant breeding with a minor in agronomy and genetics from Cornell University in 1982.

The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program Announces New Director

2010-11-30T11:10:00.000-06:00

The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program is pleased to announce the appointment of Rob Hedberg as its new director. Hedberg has served as interim director of the program since January 2009, and brings a wealth of personal, professional and educational experience in agriculture to the job.

Since 2005, Hedberg has worked at USDA-NIFA (National Institute of Food and Agriculture) focusing on science policy, legislative and inter-governmental affairs. In these roles, he worked closely with Congress and other federal agencies on issues related to agricultural science and led USDA's participation in negotiations on the Research Title of the 2008 Farm Bill.

Prior to working at USDA, Hedberg served in the policy arena for Congress and scientific organizations. He served on the staff of the U.S. Senate Agriculture Committee as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Fellow and as Director of Science Policy for the National and Regional Weed Science Societies.

Hedberg gained practical public and private sector field experience in a variety of leadership roles in agricultural business, research and education, including owning and operating a crop consulting and research firm and serving as a regional agronomy agent for the University of Vermont.

After growing up on a small farm in Michigan, Hedberg pursued degrees in agriculture, first receiving a Bachelor's degree in Crop and Soil Science from Michigan State University. He then went on to complete a Master's degree in Plant Science from the University of New Hampshire and a Graduate Certificate program in Management and Administration at Harvard University.

MOSES Organic Farming Conference, Feb. 24-26

2010-11-23T15:16:00.001-06:00

The MOSES Organic Farming Conference is the largest organic farming conference in the U.S. Organized by the Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service (MOSES),
and held annually in La Crosse, WI, the conference is an extraordinary, farmer-centered event.

With over 60 informative workshops, 140+ exhibitors, locally-sourced organic food, live entertainment and inspirational keynote speakers, the conference is celebrated as the foremost educational and networking event in the organic farming community. Sponsored, in part, by SARE. To register and view more information, visit http://www.mosesorganic.org/conference.html.

Western Corn Belt Conference for Organic Farmers, Dec 6-7

2010-11-23T15:01:00.003-06:00

The South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service will host the Western Corn Belt Conference for Organic Farmers on Dec. 6-7.

The conference, for organic producers and traditional agriculture producers considering a transition to organic farming, begins on Dec. 6 at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel, 3200 W. Maple St., Sioux Falls. Registration is $30 for those who sign up on or before Nov. 15; the registration fee is $40 after Nov. 15. One-day registration options after the early sign-up period ends are set at $30 for the first day only and $15 for the second day.

To register for the conference, send payment and contact information to event organizer Peter Sexton, Box 2207A, Plant Science Department, SDSU, Brookings, SD 57007. For additional information call Sexton at 605-688-6179.

Fred Kirschenmann of the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture at Iowa State University will present the keynote address on Dec. 6. Speakers during the morning session Dec. 6 will discuss transitioning to organic crop production systems, and the afternoon session will focus on organic weed control and a presentation on biology and management of soybean aphids. The second day will include sessions on rules governing organic production, government programs for transitioning to organic production and organic livestock production.

Conference speakers include extension specialists, educators and researchers from South Dakota, Minnesota and Illinois. Organic producers and other experts will also share their experience and expertise throughout the conference.

Peter Sexton, SDSU plant science professor and a conference organizer, said the conference should be a great opportunity for agricultural producers, people who work in agricultural service businesses and the public.

“We’re including a top-notch lineup of speakers and guests, we encourage organic producers and anyone who is transitioning to organic production or considering a transition, to register for the conference,” Sexton said. “The conference will include research-based information on weed control and beef production, as well as opportunities for people to hear first-hand from organic farmers regarding their own experience with transitioning, weed control and beef production.”

Sexton said organic production in the United States has expanded greatly over the last 10 years and that this trend is projected to continue.

A complete conference agenda is available online at www.sdstate.edu/ps/news/loader.cfm?csModule=security/getfile&pageid=887385. Partners in the event include the South Dakota Cooperative Extension Service, the USDA’s Integrated Pest Management and SARE programs and the South Dakota State University IPM Program.

A block of rooms has been reserved for conference attendees at the host hotel. While rooms are available, participants can receive the group rate at the Best Western Ramkota Hotel by making reservations before Nov. 6. Ask for the “SDSU Organic Agriculture Conference” rate. Call the hotel directly at 605-336-0650.

Rural Farming to Urban Gardening Event Features NCR-SARE Grant Recipients

2010-11-23T14:57:00.001-06:00

What: “Rural Farming to Urban Gardening” -- an evening of enlightened conversation and photography exhibition on food and farming.
When: Tuesday, November 30; program & facilitated discussion 6 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.; (self-guided photo exhibition 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.)
Where: W.K. Kellogg Foundation, One Michigan Ave. East, in downtown Battle Creek
RSVP: 269.969.2678

Tuesday, Nov. 30 at 6 p.m., for “Rural Farming to Urban Gardening,” a nourishing evening of conversation on food and farming, accompanied by a photography exhibition on Black Farmers (self-guided photo exhibition 3 p.m. – 6 p.m.). The stirring visual display is the backdrop for what promises to be a stimulating and relevant discussion.

During the program, Shirley Sherrod, former Georgia State Director of Rural Development for the USDA and NCR-SARE grant recipient, reflects on her 40 years experience working on farm bills to improve the lives of rural poor. Conversation continues with Michigan farmers Peggy Kohring and NCR-SARE grant recipient Barbara Norman, and includes topics relating to nutrition, food safety, and childhood obesity.

The event begins with Distant Echoes: Black Farmers in America, a captivating photography exhibit and video featuring the work of world-renowned photojournalist John Francis Ficara, who shares the lives and working conditions of black family farmers throughout the United States that are slowly disappearing from the American landscape.

“Rural Farming to Urban Gardening” happens at the Kellogg Foundation and is free and open to the public. Refreshments will be provided. Seating for the event is limited. RSVP: 269.969.2678

2nd Annual Agroforestry Symposium, Jan. 12, 2011

2010-11-23T14:48:00.001-06:00

The Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri’s second Annual Agroforestry Symposium will be Wednesday, Jan. 12, 2011.

The program, “Meeting Renewable Energy Goals: Role of Bioenergy Crops,” features a keynote address from Steve Flick, Chair of the Board of Directors of Show Me Energry Cooperative, Centerview, Mo. Flick will present “Real Green from Real Green.”

The symposium will be from 9:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m. in the Anheuser-Busch Natural Resources Building’s Conservation Hall Auditorium, University of Missouri.

The Energy Independence and Security Act mandates that annual biofuels use nearly triples from the current 12 billion to 36 billion gallons per year (BGY) by 2022, with 21 BGY coming from advanced biofuels. To achieve this goal, significant gaps must be addressed in all parts of the supply chain, said Dr. Shibu Jose, director, The Center for Agroforestry.

“As outlined in the President’s Biofuels Interagency Working Group Report, a strategic approach is needed to ensure development of suitable energy crops, sustainable feedstock production systems, and infrastructure-compatible advanced biofuel production,” he said. “The goal of this symposium is to share the current state of knowledge on producing and processing the most common bioenergy crops in the region.”

The symposium is free and open to the public, although RSVP is requested. Please contact Julie Rhoads, rhoadsj@missouri.edu, by Jan. 5 to reserve your spot. Please contact Shibu Jose, joses@missouri.edu, with interest in exhibiting posters related to agroforestry and/or biomass studies.

Steve Flick is an NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant recipient. To view his project report, go here: http://www.sare.org/MySare/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewProj&pn=FNC07-692

Vance Morey to Serve as Interim Coordinator for NCR-SARE

2010-11-23T14:43:00.000-06:00

NCR-SARE would like to welcome Vance Morey to their staff. Morey has been hired as the Interim Regional Director for the program, replacing Bill Wilcke, who is on disability leave. In addition to serving as the key staff person to the Administrative Council as they develop program goals and make funding decisions, the Regional Director oversees and promotes NCR-SARE to a broad audience. Housed at the University of Minnesota, Saint Paul campus, Morey will provide leadership for the program, supervise staff, and manage grants and budgets.

Morey earned degrees in agricultural engineering from the Michigan State University and Purdue University before becoming a faculty member at the University of Minnesota in1970. His research has focused on post harvest handling of crops, energy use, and biomass utilization. He has taught a range of courses over the years including processing of agricultural products, food process engineering, engineering computations, and introduction to design.

Morey has served several organizations, including the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, Institute of Food Technologists, Institute for Briquetting and Agglomeration, American Association of Cereal Chemists, American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Society for Engineering Education, and the Council for Agricultural Science and Technology.

NCR-SARE Hires Beth Nelson to Coordinate R&E and Graduate Student Grant Programs

2010-11-23T14:41:00.001-06:00

Beth Nelson has been hired as the Associate Director for the NCR-SARE program, a new position at NCR-SARE. Housed at the University of Minnesota, Saint Paul campus, Nelson will support the NCR-SARE Research and Education and Graduate Student grant programs administratively, and provide leadership for SARE within the region.

Prior to coming to her new position with NCR-SARE, Nelson served as the Minnesota Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator for NCR-SARE since 2004. She facilitated SARE-supported educator professional development in sustainable agriculture in Minnesota, and promoted other SARE research and education opportunities.

Nelson earned graduate degrees in Plant Physiology at Purdue University and the University of Minnesota before joining the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA) as the Associate Program Director for the Information Exchange Program in 2000. MISA is a partnership between the University of Minnesota and the Sustainers’ Coalition.

NCR-SARE Hires Rob Myers to Coordinate PDP Program

2010-11-23T14:39:00.001-06:00

The NCR-SARE program would like to welcome Rob Myers to the NCR-SARE staff. Myers has been hired as the Professional Development Program (PDP) Coordinator for the program, replacing Interim PDP Coordinator Linda Kleinschmit and her predecessor, Paula Ford. The PDP coordinator provides leadership for the region’s professional development effort. Myers will work closely with Linda Kleinschmit, who will continue in her role as PDP Associate Coordinator.

Myers did his graduate work at University of Minnesota, obtaining M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in agronomy. Following completion of his Ph.D., he served as a Congressional Science Fellow, working on the U.S. House of Representatives Agriculture Committee. He then spent five years as a faculty member in agronomy at University of Missouri, subsequently serving as national director of SARE from 1995-97. He grew up on a family farm in central IL and attended Illinois State University as an undergraduate in agricultural science.

Myers will be based in Columbia, MO, where he was previously founder and director of the Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute, a nonprofit organization working on crop diversification and agricultural sustainability.

Web Resources for Sustainable Management Practices For Perennial Weeds

2010-11-23T12:02:00.004-06:00

An NCR-SARE project at the University of Illinois sought to increase farmer knowledge and awareness and improve farmer's skills in managing perennial weeds using integrated management approaches. The project was conducted on sustainable and organic farms in Illinois and surrounding states.

Perennial weeds, such as Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense) or field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis), threaten the sustainability of farms in the Midwest. They can establish from seed or extensive, deep creeping roots, and are vigorous and very competitive against annual crops. Based on farmer input and university research, this project is designed to develop and disseminate information on Canada thistle management for use on sustainable and organic farms.

The project objectives were to: 1) expand a farmer-based research and co-learning network; 2) develop effective and sustainable systems for perennial weed management; and 3) disseminate information and foster farmer adoption of site-specific sustainable best management practices.

The project researchers sought to integrate tillage, mowing, cover crops, decision-making tools, and biocontrol approaches applied on a site-specific basis.

For a list of on-line resources related to Canada thistle biology and control, click HERE.

See how the 2008 mini-grants turned out. Seven farmers from Illinois, Wisconsin and Missouri participated.
See how the 2009 mini-grants turned out. Fifteen farmers from Illinois participated.

In 2010, 16 farmers were chosen to participate in the project -- 14 in Illinois, one in Iowa and one in Wisconsin. The participating farmers were chosen through a mini-grant program developed specifically for this project. Check this site for progress reports as farmers begin testing sustainable weed management practices on their farms.

Alan Fennell, Sterling, IL
Andrea Hazzard, Pecatonica, IL
Thomas & Janet Jablonski, Blackstone, IL
Brad Long, Saybrook, IL
Todd and Julie McDonald, Manteno, IL
Greg & Janet Morse, Putnam, IL
Kristen Kordet, Stoughton, WI
Dave Campbell, Lily Lake, IL
Bryan Wagner, Findlay, IL
Paul St. John, Sugar Grove, IL
Ray Fox, Waterman, IL
Tracy Doonan, Reynolds, IL
Wayne & Ryan Wangsness, Decorah, IA

To read more about the research conducted for this NCR-SARE Research and Education project, visit the SARE online reporting website at http://sare.org/mySARE/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewProj&pn=LNC07-282

Ohio Sheep Dairy Symposium

2010-10-18T12:14:00.001-05:00

A Sheep Dairy Symposium will be hosted by the Ohio Sheep Milk and Cheese Initiative on Nov. 6, 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. at Ohio State University's Agricultural Technical Institute, 1328 Dover Road, Wooster, Ohio.

The Ohio Sheep Milk and Cheese Initiative has been funded by a
NCR-SARE grant to explore sheep dairy opportunities in Ohio. The symposium is sponsored by ATI, Ohio State University Extension, Innovative Farmers of Ohio, NCR-SARE and the Small Farm Institute.

Topics of discussion include enterprise budgets and financing options, market potential, cheese makers, grazing practices and nutritional requirements.

Speakers include Yves Berger, researcher with University of Wisconsin Spooner Agriculture Research Station, who will speak on dairy sheep genetics, milk production and nutrition; and Pat Elliott, farmer and cheese maker from Everona Dairy in Rapidan, Va., who will share how she started her working sheep dairy.

Registration is $25 per person, due by Oct. 20. For more information on the symposium, log on to ohiosheepdairy.wordpress.com/.

U of Minnesota Extension dean honors William Wilcke

2010-10-07T12:39:00.000-05:00

NCR-SARE Regional Coordinator and University of Minnesota Extension agricultural engineer, William Wilcke, was presented with the Dean’s Award for Distinguished Campus-based Faculty this week at the organization’s annual conference.

The award was presented by University of Minnesota Extension Dean Bev Durgan. “Throughout the years, in times of weather emergencies like floods, early frosts and tornadoes, Wilcke is consistently first to respond with information on recovery options for grains,” said Durgan.

Wilcke’s programs experience widespread use by grain farmers throughout the state. Wilcke has developed a nationally recognized program on the post-harvest handling of crops. He led the effort to develop the award-winning software “WINFANS: A Computer Program For Selecting Crop Drying Fans and Determining Airflow.”

Among a wide variety of activities to advance sustainable agriculture, Wilcke has served as Regional Coordinator of NCR-SARE since 2002. In addition to serving as the key staff person to the Administrative Council as it develops program goals and makes funding decisions, Wilcke has provided oversight and has promoted NCR-SARE to a broad audience. He has served as a faculty member at the University of Minnesota since 1989, and is currently serving as a Professor and Extension Engineer in the Bioproducts and Biosystems Engineering Department in the College of Food, Agricultural, and Natural Resources Sciences.

Additionally, Wilcke has served on the Board for the Minnesota Institute of Sustainable Agriculture (MISA), coordinated the sustainable agriculture development efforts, served as leader for the Extension crops system specialization, contributed to national and regional Extension leadership programs, and was the acting administrator for MISA.

“Wilcke is extremely respected by the Extension educators and specialists who have worked with him throughout his career,” added Durgan. “His quiet yet professional style is a trademark appreciated by colleagues and customers alike.”

Since 1988, the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (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 National Institute of Food and Agriculture, funds projects and conducts outreach designed to improve agricultural systems.

IOWA STATE RESEARCHERS STUDY ENERGY USE IN PIG PRODUCTION

2010-10-06T14:08:00.002-05:00

Source: Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture and ISU College of Agriculture and Life Sciences

AMES, Iowa -- The concept of “life cycle assessment” was first applied to manufacturing processes but is increasingly being used to examine agriculture. It’s a technique to analyze the environmental impacts associated with a product, process or service.

Iowa State University researchers used the life cycle assessment concept to estimate the amount of nonrenewable energy needed to produce pigs in Iowa. The project was supported by a two-year grant from ISU’s Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture and a U.S. Department of Agriculture Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant.

The research took into account all direct and indirect energy inputs in the construction and operation of a pig facility, plus the growing and processing of feed ingredients.

Comparisons were made between a conventional confinement system with mechanical ventilation and liquid manure handling, and one that uses bedded hoop barns for grow-finish pigs and gestating sows.

The two housing systems required similar amounts of nonrenewable energy but each uses energy differently according to Pete Lammers, a former ISU doctoral candidate in animal science. Lammers now is a livestock specialist for the National Center for Appropriate Technology in Des Moines.

Lammers said raising pigs in conventional confinement facilities requires the use of more energy to heat and ventilate the buildings. “Using bedded hoop barns for gestation and grow-finish reduces this energy use by almost 70 percent,” he said.

However, pigs raised in hoop barns require more feed, which ultimately leads to the two systems performing similarly in terms of energy use. “Earlier ISU research showed a hoop barn-based system requires 2.4 percent more feed. In addition, the nitrogen value in the solid manure is less than what’s available in liquid manure collected at a confinement facility. That means more fertilizer nitrogen must be applied to corn fields,” Lammers said.

The researchers found the largest single use of nonrenewable energy in pig production is growing the feed. Approximately 50 percent of the nonrenewable energy associated with growing and processing a typical corn-soybean meal diet can be attributed to synthetic nitrogen fertilizer for corn production.

So although conventional facilities require more energy to operate fans, lights and heaters, the amount of energy related to crop production is slightly less when compared to hoop barn-based pig production.

Mark Honeyman, animal science professor and coordinator of Iowa State’s research farms, said the research showed a huge drop in the use of nonrenewable energy for pig production over the past 35 years.

“This study showed a reduction of nearly 80 percent in nonrenewable energy use to produce one market pig in Iowa today, compared to 1975, which was the last time this topic was examined,” Honeyman said. “This can be attributed to improved genetics and nutrition, changes in housing and ventilation systems and an overall increase in production efficiency.”

Honeyman said the research shows the key to further reducing nonrenewable energy use for Iowa pig production is nitrogen management. “Strategies to optimize nitrogen stocks and flows among crops, livestock, manure and soil should be a priority for future research,” he said.

Peer reviewed papers on the research have appeared in “Applied Engineering in Agriculture,” “Journal of Animal Science” and “Agricultural Systems.”

To read more about the research conducted for this NCR-SARE Graduate Student Grant project, visit the SARE online reporting website at http://www.sare.org/MySARE/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewProj&pn=GNC07-078

NEW NCR-SARE PROJECT PUBLICATION TOUTS BENEFITS OF PRAIRIES IN IOWA

2010-10-04T14:28:00.000-05:00

Source: Laura Miller, Leopold Center

AMES, Iowa –The tallgrass prairies that once covered Iowa contributed to the state’s fertile soil, but Iowa State University researchers say this endangered ecosystem offers so many other benefits to landowners.

A prairie can reduce soil erosion and nutrient pollution, help stabilize the hydrology of a watershed, increase the number of beneficial insects, be used to graze livestock or grow biomass for renewable energy production. A prairie also provides habitat for many wildlife species and songbirds, and it can store carbon from the atmosphere to reduce greenhouse gases.

These are some of the benefits outlined in a new publication, Incorporating Prairies into Multifunctional Landscapes. The publication was written by Meghann Jarchow, a Ph.D. candidate in the ISU Department of Agronomy, and her advisor, Matt Liebman, ISU’s Henry A. Wallace Endowed Chair of Sustainable Agriculture. Both are members of a research team supported by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.

The research team is developing multi-year cropping systems for Iowa that integrate annuals and perennials. Their work also is motivated by a concern to evaluate both the productivity and environmental impacts of cropping systems.

“Within the next few decades it is likely that the conditions surrounding agricultural production will have changed,” Jarchow explained. “As these changes occur, other types of cropping systems that are less reliant on stable weather, government subsidies, and low fossil fuel costs than corn and soybean are likely to become more desirable cropping system options. Prairies are one of those other types of cropping systems, which is why it is important for farmers and landowners to be familiar with these alternatives.”

Tallgrass prairies developed in Iowa more that 10,000 years ago. Before European settlement, prairies covered most of the central United States. Today nearly all of Iowa’s prairies have disappeared because of the growth of agricultural production, according to the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service. It is estimated that less than 0.1 percent of Iowa’s native prairies remain.

The publication looks at ways that prairies can be incorporated into farms, how they affect nearby crops, and resources to establish your own prairie. Jarchow, whose background is in plant ecology, provided many of the full-color photographs in the publication.

The publication was sponsored by the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program, Leopold Center and ISU Agriculture and natural Resource Extension. The publication can be downloaded, or printed copies requested at no charge, from the ISU University Extension Online Store at: https://www.extension.iastate.edu/store/.

Annual National Small Farm Trade Show & Conference Features Farmers, Ranchers and More

2010-10-01T13:49:00.001-05:00

Join a host of SARE grant recipients plus staff from the USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program at the largest annual small farm trade show in the United States-The National Small Farm Trade Show & Conference(tm). Now in its 18th year, the Conference takes place on Thursday, November 4th through Saturday, November 6th, 2010, in Columbia, Missouri, at the Boone County Fairgrounds.

Can you farm or ranch while protecting the environment, making a profit, and benefiting your community? These speakers say, "Yes!" and will show you how to do it. There will be more than 30 Farmers Forum talks featuring North Central Region SARE (NCR-SARE) Farmer Rancher Grant and Youth & Youth Educator Grant recipients. Sessions are 25 to 55 minutes long and run continuously throughout the three-day event. You'll hear about composting, beneficial bees, agroforestry, heritage turkeys, community gardens, local food systems, freshwater shrimp farming, weed control with goats, elderberries, and much more. After the talks, meet the speakers and pick up free sustainable agriculture resources at the SARE Trade Show booths. Call NCR-SARE for Farmers Forum details: 1-800-529-1342.

Choose from 19 one-hour seminars at the show. Don't miss the Financial & Technical Opportunities for Your Farm seminar on Nov. 4 by Lauren Cartwright, NRCS Agricultural Economist, or the Improved Egg Quality seminar on Nov. 5 by Kelly Klober, poultry producer and NCR-SARE grant recipient.

Six short courses give you the opportunity to get in-depth information on topics ranging from sweet potato production to building a parasite resistant sheep flock. Attend a movable high tunnel demonstration offsite in Ashland, MO.

The National Small Farm Trade Show & Conference(tm) is sponsored by Small Farm Today(r) and sustained by Missouri Department of Agriculture, NCAT-ATTRA, SARE (USDA-NIFA), and Truman State University.

Show times are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, and 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. Preregistration is $8 for 1 day, $12 for 2 days, or $15 for all 3 days, allowing attendance of the trade show, seminars, demonstrations, exhibits, shows, meetings, and Farmer's Forum. Three-hour short courses are an additional $35 each ($25 in advance before October 27). To register, call Small Farm Today at 800-633-2535, write National Small Farm Show, 3903 W Ridge Trail Rd, Clark MO 65243, or see http://www.smallfarmtoday.com for more information.

NCR-SARE Grant Recipient, Marla Spivak, Named MacArthur Fellow

2010-09-28T15:36:00.006-05:00

University of Minnesota entomologist and past NCR-SARE grant recipient, Marla Spivak, has been named one of 23 recipients of this year's "genius grants" from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Spivak will receive $500,000 in “no strings attached” support over the next five years. MacArthur Fellowships come without stipulations and reporting requirements and offer Fellows unprecedented freedom and opportunity to reflect, create, and explore.

According to the Foundation:

Marla Spivak is an entomologist who is developing practical applications to protect honey bee populations from decimation by disease while making fundamental contributions to our understanding of bee biology. Essential to healthy ecosystems and to the agricultural industry as pollinators of a third of the United States’ food supply, honey bees have been disappearing at alarming rates in recent years due to the accumulated effects of parasitic mites, viral and bacterial diseases, and exposure to pesticides. To mitigate these threats, Spivak’s research focuses on genetically influenced behaviors that confer disease resistance to entire colonies through the social interactions of thousands of workers. Her studies of hygienic behavior—the ability of certain strains of bees to detect and remove infected pupae from their hives—have enabled her to breed more disease-resistant strains of bees for use throughout the beekeeping industry. Spivak’s “Minnesota Hygienic” line of bees offers an effective and more sustainable alternative to chemical pesticides in fighting a range of pests and pathogens, including the Varroa mite, a highly destructive parasite that spreads rapidly through Western honey bee colonies. By translating her scientific findings into accessible presentations, publications, and workshops, she is leading beekeepers throughout the United States to establish local breeding programs that increase the frequency of hygienic traits in the general bee population. With additional investigations into the antimicrobial effects of bee-collected plant resins under way, Spivak continues to explore additional methods for limiting disease transmission and improving the health of one of the world’s most important pollinators.

Marla Spivak received a B.A. (1978) from Humboldt State University and a Ph.D. (1989) from the University of Kansas. She has been affiliated with the University of Minnesota since 1993, where she is currently Distinguished McKnight Professor in the Department of Entomology. She is the author and creator of numerous beekeeping manuals and videos, and her scientific articles have appeared in such journals as the Journal of Neurobiology (now Developmental Neurobiology), Evolution, Apidologie, and Animal Behavior.

Spivak has participated in and coordinated several NCR-SARE grants pertaining to her work in the Bee Lab. Together with Gary Reuter, Spivak published, "A Sustainable Approach to Controlling Honey Bee Diseases and Varroa Mites" which demonstrates results from SARE-supported research. She's also the co-author of SARE's 2010 book, “Managing Alternative Pollinators: A Handbook for Beekeepers, Growers and Conservationists,” which is a first-of-its-kind, step-by-step, full-color guide for rearing and managing bumble bees, mason bees, leafcutter bees and other bee species that provide pollination alternatives to the rapidly declining honey bee.

The following NCR-SARE projects highlight some of the research she has conducted with support from NCR-SARE.

Sustainable agriculture and local food systems discussed at NCR-SARE Listening Session

2010-09-28T11:38:00.002-05:00

Source: Daily Nonpariel

Food. How people get it, where it comes from, where it’s sold (and for how much) and more. It’s a broad topic, with many actors with different interests and values.

A swath of those actors met Friday morning to discuss sustainable agriculture, local food systems and more as part of a North Central Region-Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education listening session.

The meeting at the Iowa Western Small Business Development Center at the Council Bluffs Airport drew about 30 people, including farmers who worked as little as seven acres to farmers with more than 200 acres.

There were people invested in food in the area from numerous angles: School lunch programs, celiac disease, grocery stores, food councils, local government and more.

Pixie Martin, the facilitator during the listening session, told the crowd gathered, “This is about you and your thinking. Communities define their own sustainability.

“You’re on the front lines of our food systems and know what’s happening in the community.”

NCR-SARE is part of the national SARE program, a part of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, and covers 12 states: Iowa, Nebraska, Illinois, Indian, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, North Dakota, South Dakota, Ohio and Wisconsin.

As its name implies, the organization is heavily involved in research and education in sustainable agriculture. This is the third year the organization has held listening sessions.

Friday’s session was part of three taking place in the area. On Sept. 23, a session was held in Lincoln, Neb., while the third meeting was held Friday night in Omaha.

Issues covered at the session included youth involvement, education about how food is produced and large-scale versus small-scale farming, especially in terms of the regulations that sometimes effect small-scale operations because they’re crafted in a “one-size-fits-all manner.”

Health was discussed at length, with Virginia Bechtold, supervisor of nutrition services with the Council Bluffs Community School District, telling the group, “we want to buy local and Iowa products. The hurdles we face are quantities and pricing.”

Charlie Caldwell – who farms in rural Pottawattamie County, east of Council Bluffs – said it’s time for people to realize the true cost of the food they eat, decrying the amount of chemicals in most food consumed in the United States.

“The challenge for smaller producers is educating the public about why they should spend more money on fresher, organic food, why it’s better for you,” he said. “People often say, ‘I don’t want to pay that much.’ Look at your health bills. It’s the food.”

Caldwell grows corn and soybeans on 180 acres, has a 7-acre organic vineyard and 6 1/2 acres of aronia berries. He was at the meeting in part on behalf of the Midwest Aronia Association.

So what’s next?

NCR-SARE oversees a number of competitive grant programs and has awarded more than $40 million since its inception in 1988. Attendees of Friday’s listening session were able to get information and input on how to best apply for those grants, while NCR-SARE officials heard about the needs of the southwest Iowa community.

Tom Coudron, a top-level NCR-SARE official who was at the meeting, said that past sessions had resulted in increased biofuel funding in areas that didn’t have it, educational involvement on a kindergarten through 12-grade level and in other areas.

He said the sessions are critical to the organization.

“Input is needed for us to get it right, they’re the end users of the services and grants we provide,” Coudron said. “It has to be right for them.”

Pottawattamie County Supervisor Chairman Melvyn Houser, who has a farm near Macedonia in Grove Township, said that while there are a number of food organizations working together, the listening session was an opportunity for the various people involved in food ways to discover each other.

“A lot of people came together and realized there’s more going on around them than maybe what they realized,” he said. “Many people are interested in this.”

Moving forward, Houser said, more meetings are needed at the local level to discuss the topics covered Friday.

Season Extension and High Tunnel Webinar Series Offered in November

2010-09-28T11:11:00.002-05:00

Source: Ohio State University (OSU)

URBANA, Ohio — Learn more about pest management in season extension production systems such as high tunnels by registering for a new webinar series offered in November and sponsored by the Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group, the University of Illinois Extension, and an NCR-SARE Professional Development grant.

There will be five 1-2 hour webinars produced on Nov. 1, 3, 8, 16 and 18. The first three webinars will focus on an introduction to pest management in various season extension systems, focusing on tomatoes and winter crops. The last two webinars will be geared toward soil, water, and nutrient management, plus a summary of the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) high tunnel pilot project initiated in 2010.

Why consider participating in the season extension and high tunnel production webinar series? Pest complexes in season extension production systems like high tunnels are different than field grown fruits and vegetables, and an understanding of that difference is needed to capitalize on early and late season markets. High-tunnel production can lengthen the growing season and provide producers with a means to enter the market earlier with high value crops. In addition, in several states the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) is providing monetary incentives and assistance through EQIP to growers who use high tunnel production systems.

Says Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan, “The adoption of growing crops using high tunnels provides ‘great potential’… to expand the availability of healthy, locally-grown crops.”

Webinar One is titled “Introduction to Pest Management for Season Extension” and will air on Nov. 1 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. EST (5:30-7:30 p.m. CST). Bill LaMont from Pennsylvania State University will provide an overview of season extension methods and the pros and cons of getting into season extension: low tunnels, row covers, high tunnels, greenhouses, extended storage and basic economics. Judson Reid and Meg McGrath with Cornell University will speak on basic pest management considerations in high tunnels for insects, mites and diseases, respectively. Brad Bergefurd at The Ohio State University will discuss best weed management options in high tunnels.

Webinar Two is titled “Pest Management of Tomatoes in High Tunnels” and will be offered on Nov. 3 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. EST (5:30-7:30 p.m. CST). Matt Kleinhenz, with Ohio State, will start with an overview of production systems and economics for tomatoes and other solanaceous crops. Shubin Saha, with Purdue University, will address cultural controls, pesticide use, biocontrols, and organic methods for pest and mite management of tomatoes under high tunnel production. Sally Miller, Ohio State, will discuss cultural controls, pesticide use, grafting, and organic methods for disease management.

Webinar Three is titled “Pest Management in Winter Crops.” This webinar will be held on Nov. 8 from 6:30-8:30 p.m. EST (5:30-7:30 p.m. CST). An overview of winter crop production systems including a discussion of economics, sanitation, plastic management, production sequences, crop selection, sanitation for simple hoophouse, greenhouse, in-ground, in container, row covers, and low tunnels will be given by Adam Montri from Michigan State University. Judson Reid will cover pest and mite management for winter crops and Ann Hazelrigg, with the University of Vermont, will offer disease management options for winter crops. Vegetable storage management will be covered by Matt Kleinhenz, Ohio State.

Webinar Four is titled “Management of Nutrients, Water, Soil, and Other Production Considerations in High Tunnels” and will be broadcast Nov. 16 at a different time than the previous three webinars. This will be a brown-bag lunch webinar airing from 1-2 p.m. EST (noon-1 p.m. CST). Mike Orzolek with Pennsylvania State University will be the presenter for this topic. The first 50 participants or organizations to include webinar four as part of their registration will receive a free copy of the High Tunnel Production Manual published by Penn State.

Webinar Five is titled “Interpreting NRCS High Tunnel Project Guidelines.” This will also be a brown-bag lunch webinar on Nov. 18, 2010 at 1-2 p.m. EST (noon-1 p.m. CST). The guidelines pertaining to the high-tunnel production pilot project will be outlined and discussed by Ruth Book, state conservation engineer; Ivan Dozier, assistant state conservationist; and Brett Roberts, state agronomist, all with NRCS in Illinois. Not all states in the North Central or North East region participate in this program, so check with your local state NRCS office for more details and applicability.

Pre-registration for this webinar series is mandatory and can be found at http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/season_ext. The cost for the series is $30 whether you attend one or all five webinars. Each webinar will be recorded and available on several state IPM or vegetable oriented websites for viewing soon after its original airdate. For people who do not have a broadband connection, organizers are identifying several sites throughout each state to host the webinar series.

Please visit the Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group website at http://glvwg.ag.ohio-state.edu/index.php and click on “Projects” at the top of the page to find more information and a pre-registration link for this webinar series.

Sustainable Living Expo to be Hosted in IL

2010-09-28T11:08:00.000-05:00

Source: Carmi Times

Good choices. Smart Living. Help Yourself.

That's the theme for a new event coming to southern Illinois. The 2010 Sustainable Living Expo will be held from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 9 at the University of Illinois' Dixon Springs Agricultural Center in Pope County.

Dubbed as "A Country Boy Can Survive meets the Victory Garden," the event has been designed to appeal to "all ages, all income levels and all 'shades of green,'" according to Expo steering committee chair, Stephanie Brown, USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service coordinator for the Shawnee Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Area, the non-profit organization leading the planning effort.

"Times are hard. Unemployment is up, retirement accounts are down and people are worried about their futures. It's an excellent time to offer a program like this to help the region's citizens practice what they are already known for - self reliance," said Brown.

The event offers something for most everyone. "Raising more of our own food, supplementing our energy needs, surviving natural disasters and taking care of the land we depend for our quality of life in southern Illinois -- that's what the expo is all about," said Brown. Attendees can learn everything from basic gardening to living "off the grid" to proper tree care - even how to clean a fish.

"The sheer number of topics and speakers we have gathered for this one day is pretty amazing," said Brown. "Kind of like the internet, only better. There's no substitute for being able to see, listen and ask questions of real people. A lot of people in our region still don't have high speed access to the web or the interest in learning everything on a computer."

Program tracks include locally-grown foods, energy, conservation and survival. The Shawnee Energy Festival, held last year near Carbondale, is part of this year's expo. Organizers of both events agreed early on that it would be best to combine forces to avoid competition and provide an even more appealing showcase of alternatives and practical solutions for sustainable living, said Brown.

"You may have a hard time deciding which sessions interest you the most," she said. "Because there are so many good topics and experts on the scene, it's best if you get here early - and bring your family and friends so you can compare notes at the end of the day."

Five tents will feature concurrent presentations, while 30 outdoor learning stations will be led by experts and practitioners who "walk the talk" in more focused ways related to sustainable living. Additional programs and ongoing demonstrations will be held in the main buildings at the Ag Center - and at the heart of it all - the main tent featuring exhibits. A kid's area rounds out this family friendly event.

Vendors will be part of the fun, offer related products and services, and keep all attendees properly "sustained" with good food, drinks, and plenty of great ideas. According to Brown there are still a few spots left inside and outside the exhibit tent. Organizers are seeking area businesses and non-profit organizations that offer products or services consistent with the "buying local and taking care of our own" spirit that has been the aim of the group from the start. Paid vendors may advertise, promote and sell goods on site.

"This is a politically neutral event, not a place to campaign for office or push a particular agenda," said Brown. It's about showcasing ideas, services and products for people to consider on their own terms. This is an event for everyone, including those who already think of themselves as 'green.'"

Friday, Oct. 8 offers a selection of eight different pre-expo workshops, including reaching and keeping dedicated customers, social marketing for small businesses, basic solar knowledge, energy tax credits and grants, establishing a specialty crop operation, high tunnels for season extension, grant writing and "wildlife on your place." Advance registration is required by Oct. 4. A modest fee includes lunch - registered vendors can take the customer service and social marketing courses for free.

Those who plan to attend the main event (free) on the 9th are asked to register in advance so vendors will have plenty of food on hand to feed the crowd. See the website or call ahead to register. It will also be possible to register on site the morning of the event - just check in at one of three information tents located at parking shuttle stops and pick up a program/event map. All registrants will be entered in a drawing to win a beautiful quilt throw.

In addition to the Shawnee RC&D Area, major sponsors of the 2010 Sustainable Living Expo include the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, Connect SI Foundation, U of I Environmental Change Institute, U of I Extension Small Farms Program, the North Central Region Sustainable Ag Research & Education (NCR-SARE) Professional Development Program, USDA Forest Service, John A. Logan College, Southeastern Illinois College, WSIU Public Broadcasting and Advanced Energy Solutions.

More information, including the complete program and directions to the event site, are available at www@shawneercd.org. One may also call 618-993-5396, extension 6 or send an e-mail to info@shawneercd.org.

The Dixon Springs Agricultural Center is located on Illinois 145 in Pope County, four miles north of the intersection with Illinois 146, or 25 miles south of Harrisburg.

WI Farmers Explore Feeding Strategies for Pasture-Raised Poultry

2010-09-16T13:27:00.002-05:00

Melissa, Linnea, Jason, and Annabelle Fischbach (left to right) with the Day-Range system. Photo by Beth Probst.

Three farmers in the Mason, WI concerned about health and safety of big barn chickens have created a how-to manual and a research bulletin that share information about feeding strategies for pasture-raised poultry.

Pasture Perfect, LLC is a partnership of three farms in the Mason, WI area - Great Oak, Wild Hollow, and Vranes farms. All three farms of Pasture Perfect Poultry started raising chickens for their own families due to concerns about the health and safety of big barn chickens. Each started selling to their neighbors and then to their neighbor’s neighbors.

After operating independently, in 2008, they entered into a formal partnership to cooperatively market and process chickens and turkeys under the Pasture Perfect Poultry brand. Each farm is currently raising 600-800 poultry per year with nearly 1,600 processed on the farms using a processing trailer built and owned by Pasture Perfect. The poultry are direct marketed to customers in Ashland and Bayfield County, WI. In addition to poultry, each farm is engaged in other farming practices including pastured lamb, pork, vegetables, eggs, fruit, and/or hazelnuts.

The birds are raised with a day-range pastured poultry system. The Day-Range system consists of a mobile pen, or “hoopie” located within an electrified-fenced area. The system can maximize access to pasture, allow for freedom of movement, and reduce labor costs. All three operations had experience raising chickens using the Day-Range system and were natural problem solvers. They wanted to conduct on-farm research to determine the effectiveness of feeding strategies for maximizing forage intake and feed conversion of pasture raised broiler chickens in a day-range system.

In 2008, they submitted a proposal to the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) Farmer Rancher Grant program, and were selected for funding.

“SARE has a history of funding innovative projects, particularly for exploring alternative poultry production systems,” said Melissa Fishbach of Pasture Perfect Poultry. “We thought our project could answer a basic poultry production question while also serving as a model for other poultry research.”

It was hypothesized that feeding the chickens their entire daily ration once per day would allow the chickens to exhibit their natural foraging behavior and, therefore, potentially increase their weight gain and feed utilization efficiency. Furthermore, the once per day feeding system could potentially reduce labor costs by requiring only one visit of the chickens each day.

Based on the results of this Day-Range research, it appears that feeding the total daily ration between 11AM and 2PM is a viable option and may even result in better feed utilization and higher finish weights. According to Fishbach, over the 4 week pasture grow-out period the once-a-day feeding would equate to up to about 28 hours saved. Multiplied by an hourly wage of $12 per hour, feeding once per day could save up to $336 per batch of birds. Although the results were not consistent across all four batches tested, Fishbach indicated that the once-per-day feeding could impact the performance of the birds. A 0.5 average weight increase was observed at one of the batches, which equated to an extra $1.40 of revenue per bird, assuming a retail price of $2.85 per pound.

“In addition to the economic, environmental, and social impacts, our project demonstrates very real economic benefits. Perhaps, more importantly, the research protocol outlined in our project will allow poultry producers to refine the pastured poultry production system and assist in decision making.” said Fishbach. “We hope other pastured-poultry projects will utilize our how-to-manual to design their own experiments. We also hope the publications we developed will inspire other producers to document their production systems in similar detail.”

Two educational pieces were created as a result of the project, a Research Bulletin produced by Jason Fischbach of Bayfield County UW-Extension in cooperation with Pasture Perfect, and a How-To Manual produced by Pasture Perfect.

Both are available online, or in print by contacting the NCR-SARE office:

Perfecting the Day-Range Pastured Poultry System: http://www.sare.org/MySARE/assocfiles/905726Research%20Bulletin%20_10_poultry%20feeding.pdf
Perfecting the Day-Range Pastured Poultry System through On-Farm Replicated Research: A How-To Manual for Conducting Statistically Valid Research for Producers of Pastured Poultry: http://www.sare.org/MySARE/assocfiles/905726feeding_trial_how-to_manual.pdf

Read more about Pasture Perfect’s SARE project online at http://www.sare.org/MySare/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewProj&pn=FNC08-729, or contact the NCR-SARE office for more information.

University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry to Pursue Elderberry Market

2010-09-16T13:26:00.001-05:00

Source: Green Horizons

Funding to help study, build elderberry market

The University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry has been awarded a grant from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE), "Developing Successful Marketing Strategies for Elderberry Growers and Value-Added Processors: A Model for Specialty Crop Development in the U.S. Midwest."

The project will increase knowledge about the elderberry market in the region. An elderberry financial decision tool will be developed to support producer decision making for on-farm and associated enterprise opportunities. A comprehensive outreach program will disseminate results of this project.

Only 9 percent of the initial pre-proposal submissions were ultimately funded by NCR-SARE.

"All funding is very competitive these days," Gold said. "We are excited to have received this award and are ready to move ahead with our elderberry project to carry the industry forward."

In addition to Gold, key players in the grant include Ina Cernusca, UMCA marketing specialist; Francisco Aguilar, assistant professor of forest economics, MU Forestry Department; Larry Godsey, UMCA economist; Elizabeth Barham, rural sociologist, University of Arkansas Agricultural Economics Department; John Brewer, president and co-founder of Wyldewood Cellars Winery; Terry Durham, organic farmer, Eridu Farm, Hartsburg, Mo.; Andrew L. Thomas, research assistant professor in horticulture, MU Southwest Research and Education Center; Patrick L. Byers, MU Extension, horticulture specialist; Julie Rhoads, UMCA event planner; Michelle Hall, UMCA senior information specialist; and Park Bay, agricultural lender and Vice President of Business Development, First National Bank & Trust (now Landmark Bank), Columbia, Mo.

Center receives grant for online courses

Agroforestry has steadily been gaining attention among landowners and natural resource professionals for its environmental and economic benefits. With this increase, the need for trained professionals in agroforestry has been expanding.

That's where the University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry comes in. The Center has received funding from the University of Missouri System to develop eight courses, creating an Interdisciplinary Online Graduate Program in Agroforestry.

The program will consist of a graduate certificate (12 credits) and master's degree (30 credits). An existing agroforestry course will be converted to an online course. Three additional courses in the biophysical and socio-economic dimensions of agroforestry will be developed, as will four elective courses in soils, watershed management, natural resource policy and biometrics.

"Professionals across the U.S. and overseas are looking for courses, graduate degree or certificate programs in agroforestry," said Shibu Jose, UMCA director. "Nearly 1,500 Peace Corps volunteers, for example, work abroad every year on agroforestryrelated projects. This program could provide them with an opportunity to pursue a degree or certificate in agroforestry while working abroad. We are not aware of any similar program in agroforestry elsewhere in the country."

Admission to the new graduate certificate and degree program will begin in fall 2010.

UMCA and MU faculty involved with the project, in addition to Jose, include Francisco Aguilar, Larry Godsey, Michael Gold, Jason Hubbart, David Larsen, Randy Miles, Peter Motavalli and Ranjith Udawatta.

"We hope to increase enrollment of graduate students in courses related to agroforestry," said Shibu Jose, UMCA director. "The ultimate outcome of this project will be 'society-ready graduates' who are capable of making positive changes in the agriculture, natural resources and environmental sectors in the U.S. and around the world."

NIFA Currently Accepting Applications for Community Food Projects

2010-09-16T13:21:00.001-05:00

Source: USDA, Media Contact: Jennifer Martin, (202) 720-8188

WASHINGTON, Sept. 3, 2010 – USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced the availability of nearly $5 million in funds for community-based food and agriculture projects through the Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program (CFPCGP).

Since 1996, the Community Foods Projects program has been funding low income community organizations to take control of their food systems and become more self-reliant. Projects have created food systems that are economically equitable and socially and environmentally sustainable.

The primary goals of the Community Food Projects program are to (1) meet the food needs of low-income individuals; (2) increase the food self-reliance of low-income communities; (3) promote comprehensive responses to local food, farm and nutrition issues; and (4) meet specific state, local or neighborhood food and agricultural needs, including needs relating to infrastructure improvement and development, planning for long-term solutions and the creation of innovative marketing activities that mutually benefit agricultural producers and low-income consumers. Community Food Projects have been funded in nearly to 300 communities in 48 states during its 14-year history.

Community Food Projects unite the entire food system, assessing strengths, establishing linkages, and creating systems that improve self-reliance over food needs. Applications are being solicited for Community Food Projects and Planning Projects until November 17, 2010. Grants are intended to help eligible private nonprofit entities in need of a one-time infusion of federal assistance to establish and carryout multipurpose community food projects. Projects are funded from $10,000 to $300,000 and up to 36 months. All grants require a dollar-for-dollar match in resources.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues impacting people's daily lives and the nation's future. More information is at: www.nifa.usda.gov.

NCR-SARE Grant-Writing Workshop for Farmer Rancher Grant Program in IL

2010-09-15T11:06:00.001-05:00

The University of Illinois Extension, in collaboration with the Central Illinois Sustainable Farming Network (CISFN), will host a grant writing workshop from 6:30-8:30 p.m on October 26, 2010.

Information will be presented on the basics of grant writing as well as specifics on grants available through the NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant Program and the Illinois Department of Agriculture (AgriFIRST, Specialty Crop Grant Program and the C-2000 Sustainable Agriculture Grant Program).

Online registration is available at http://central.illinoisfarmbeginnings.org/central/cisfn/fieldDays.aspx or by calling Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant at 217-968-5512 by October 25. Cost is $15 (there is no charge for CISFN members).

Fred Kirschenmann Speaks at Master's Tea at Saybrook College

2010-09-15T10:56:00.002-05:00

Source: Yale Daily News, by Andrew Giambrone

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Sustainable agriculture expert Fred Kirschenmann spoke at Saybrook College on Tuesday. Photo by Wanwan Lu.

At the current rate of consumption, mankind will quickly consume the Earth’s limited resources, sustainable agriculture expert Fred Kirschenmann said Tuesday afternoon.

Kirschenmann spoke about the future of food production and energy use before an audience of about 30 at a Master’s Tea in Saybrook College. Without new methods of farming, he said, the world’s food supply could become increasingly unstable.

Kirschenmann, the president of a 3,500-acre certified organic farm in Windsor, N.D., began the Tea by mentioning two books that he said have had a profound influence on his views about energy use in agriculture: “The End of the Long Summer,” by environmental journalist Dianne Dumanoski, and “Rising Powers, Shrinking Planet,” by Five Colleges professor Michael Klare.

“What the literature demonstrates is that our total energy consumption has been incredibly liberal,” Kirschenmann noted. “We are going to see significant changes in the way we involve ourselves with food if we continue to take out the earth’s limited resources at this unsustainable rate.”

Kirschenmann added that reduced biodiversity and dependence on fossil fuels are reasons to be worried about the present state of the food system. Growing fewer types of plants increases the risk of one disease or pest wiping out an entire crop, he said.

To reduce risk in the food system, farmers should adopt rotational grazing systems where energy input is comparatively low, and governments should reduce farm subsidies and implement banking policies that would allow farmers to explore a wide range of alternative growing techniques, such as pesticide-free farming.

Everyone should take on the mantle of being “food citizens,” said Kirschenmann, who has chaired the administrative council for the Department of Agriculture’s North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program.

“Envisioning a better future leads to more community engagement so that we can own these problems together,” he noted.

Four people at the Tea said they enjoyed the discussion. Patrick Cournoyer GRD ’12, who is researching plant cell biology, said he found the discussion inspirational but not ideological.

“I really appreciated how Kirschenmann emphasized the roles of both the public and private sectors in dealing with these problems,” he said. “Public policy needs to preempt us from having a very rude awakening somewhere down the road, but the food industry needs to be part of the solution too.”

Peter Beck ’12 — who has visited Kirschenmann’s farm — said he enjoyed how Kirschenmann focused on what he believed were “real” answers to the difficulties of sustainable farming.

“The talk was so refreshing to me because it was a very practical and pragmatic conversation,” he said.

The Yale Sustainable Food Project was a co-sponsor of the event.

NCR-SARE Farmer/Rancher Grant Writing Workshops in MO

2010-09-15T10:52:00.001-05:00

There will be 4 SARE Farmer/Rancher Grant Writing Workshops to assist participants in what is the purpose of the grant, what are the component pieces of the grant and will brainstorm ideas with you. The cost of the workshop is $25 which includes materials and lunch. Preregistration is required to receive a lunch.

Contact either KB Paul, Lincoln University at paulk@lincolnu.edu or Debi Kelly, University of Missouri at kellyd@missouri.edu for additional information.

Oct 5 – Jefferson County Extension Center, Hillsboro, MO. Call 636-797-5391
Oct 6 – Miller County Extension Center, Eldon, MO. Call 573-882-0085.
Oct 9 – Lincoln University Cooperative Extension Urban Impact Center, Kansas City, MO. Call 816-809-5074
Oct 12 – Southwest Research Center, Mt. Vernon, MO. Call 417-466-2148

Beef Cattle Grading Clinic & Pasture Walk with SARE Grant Recipients

2010-09-15T10:46:00.001-05:00

Beef Cattle Grading Clinic
Date: September 23, 2010
Time: 3:00 pm
Place: Salem Livestock Market, Salem, MO

This program will provide an opportunity for you to learn how feeder cattle are graded and what buyers are looking for. This program will be led by a Missouri Department of Agriculture Grader, and will help you better understand the USDA feeder cattle grading system, including muscle, frame, and condition scoring. We will have feeder cattle on hand to help you better understand and visualize the differences in the various grades of cattle.

Salem Livestock Market Directions: Located on Hwy 32 west, just west of the Hwy 72/32 Junction on the west side of Salem.

Pogue Farm Tour/Pasture Walk
Date: September 23, 2010
Time: 6:30 pm
Place: Denny & Mary Beth Pogue Farm
Denny & Mary Beth Pogue own and operate a commercial beef farm, and have used Management Intensive Grazing for about 15 years. Most recently, the Pogue’s have been involved with the University of Missouri SARE Grant project which involves utilizing the “Grazing Wedge”. The grazing wedge is a tool for managing forages for a beef op-eration, and visually represents the quality and quantity of forage dry matter available both now and during the next round of grazing. As part of the Pasture Walk/Farm Tour, the Pogue’s will provide information on how they have improved forage management using the grazing wedge, as well as a what changes they plan to make in the future.

Additionally, MU Extension State Beef Nutrition Specialist, Dr. Justin Sexten, will also be a guest speaker and will address how the Grazing Wedge fits into the beef production system, as well as other relevant forage and nutritional aspects of beef management.

Pogue Farm Directions: From Salem, take Hwy 19 North, to the Hwy 68 Junction. Take Hwy 68 approximately 13 miles north to Hwy F (NOT FF). Left on Hwy F for approximately 2 miles to farm entrance on right. Look for signs.

Meal:
No meal will be provided, however, you will have time to grab a bite to eat in Salem or “brown bag” it at the Salebarn, prior to heading to the Pogue Farm. Refreshments will be provided at both locations.

For more information, contact Ted Cunningham, MU Extension Livestock Specialist, at the Dent County MU Extension office at 573-729-3196.

NCR-SARE Field Tour: Agri-Tourism/Alternative Agriculture

2010-09-08T14:11:00.002-05:00

Source: Quad-Cities Online

ALPHA -- Country Corner, Bruce Curry's roadside stand that has grown into a thriving, 80-acre agritourism business near Alpha, is the destination of a tour Wednesday, Sept. 22, sponsored by University of Illinois Extension. Regisration is 9 a.m. with the tour and event lasting until 1 p.m.

The farm grows asparagus, tomatoes, corn, pumpkins, muskmelons, watermelons, and other produce. Country Corner allows its customers to pick fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, raspberries, pumpkins, and gourds directly from the farm. It has a two-acre timber park, playground, pavilion, picnic area, horseshoe pits, and sells local honey, jams and jellies, apples, cider and fall produce.

More than 50,000 people per year come to purchase produce or tour the farm, including up to 5,000 school children. They are in the fourth year of offering community-supported agriculture with share options and will explain how the Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program works.

Cost is $20 per person, which includes lunch. Two adults pay $30 when registered together, and children under the age of 10 attend free. Registration by Thursday Sept. 16, is strongly suggested to assure lunch and materials will be available at the tour site. On-line registration can be made at http://web.extension.illinois.edu/smallfarm/ag_tours.cfm. Phone registration, as well as additional details about the tour and location can be obtained by contacting Donna Cray at 217-241-4644. For more information, contact Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant at (217)-968-5512 or cvnghgrn@illinois.edu or Jeff West, County Director Henry-Stark Extension at jwest@illinois.edu. For more information on the location as well as a map, visit http://www.country-corner.com

The tours are sponsored by the University of Illinois Extension, the NCR-SARE Professional Development Program, the Agriculture Tourism Partners of Illinois (ATPI), the Agroecology/Sustainable Agriculture Program at the University of Illinois, and the Henry County Extension Unit.

3rd North American Aronia Berry Festival Held Annually at Sawmill Hollow Family Farm

2010-09-08T13:02:00.002-05:00

What: The 3rd Annual North American Aronia Berry Festival - a celebration of health, community, culture, sustainable rural development, local business, and family farms.

Where: Missouri Valley, Iowa - Aronia Berry Capital of the United States.

When: September 18th and 19th, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Nestled in the heart of the scenic Loess Hills, Sawmill Hollow Family Farm has found its purpose in reintroducing the incredibly nutritious aronia berry to the United States.

To celebrate the hearty berry, and health in general, our organic farm hosts the Annual North American Aronia Berry Festival.

Andrew Pittz, co-owner of the farm, aptly sums up the purpose of organizing such an event: "Our festival brings community, economic development, and environmental sustainability to the forefront of agriculture. The aronia berry is a new crop emerging amongst corn and soybeans, this berry has a lot of potential to help diversify family farms.” He added, “It's about expanding the taste for food, farming, and health; not monopolizing it, I call it open-source farming.” He went on to say, "We're thrilled so many people in Missouri Valley have welcome festival visitors from all over the country with our characteristic Loess Hills kindness, for instance, many of the restaurants serve special aronia berry dishes during the weekend of the festival."

Selected Highlights:

Speakers

Dr. John Ikerd: An internationally renowned speaker, Dr. Ikerd is featured in the documentary FRESH and is on it’s Board of Advisors, the author of many books including Crisis and Opportunity: Sustainability in American Agriculture and Small Farms are Real Farms. He is recognized as one of the country’s foremost advocates on sustainability and family farming.

Chuck Hassebrook: Executive Director of the Center for Rural Affairs (CFR), Chuck Hassebrook specializes in commodity program reform, rural development, extension, and rural revitalization. CFR has helped around 5,000 small businesses. Mr. Hassebrook has also served on the National Commission on Small farms.

Dave Murphy: Founder and Director of Food Democracy Now! National organization dedicated to grassroots community dedicated to building a sustainable food system that protects our natural environment, sustains farmers, and nourishes families.

On September 18th and 19th thousands will attend the North American Aronia Berry Festival for all things Aronia (herbals, food, craft beer, recipes), dozens of artisans, artists, children's activities, international, national, and local speakers, 18th century farm equipment demonstrations, wine tastings and winemaking, and group demonstrations. These demonstrations include such attractions as bio-diesel and wind production, Also featured in the festival are "Slow Food" cooking workshops and “Perennial Ag,” which helps family farms diversify, into Aronia Berry production and includes information on organic fertilizing for garden and farm.

Directions from Omaha: Approx. a 30-45 minute drive. Take I-29 to Missouri Valley Exit 75, Merge Right US-30 East, Turn left onto North 1st Street CR-L 20 continue to follow CR-L-20, take a right on to L-23, turn left onto Kennedy Ave to all things Aronia! Signs will be posted beginning after merging right on US-30.

For more information: dial 214-924-4810 or email andrew@sawmillhollow.com
Visit Sawmill Hollow online at http://sawmillhollow.com/

This festival is in association with an NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant. To read more about this project, visit the SARE online reporting site at http://www.sare.org/MySare/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewProj&pn=FNC05-561

NCR-SARE Sponsors Workshop on Nurturing Gardens & People in Native American Communities

2010-09-08T12:35:00.004-05:00

This workshop’s purpose is to assist individuals and organizations who are working to increase fruit and vegetable production in Native American communities, whether in home or common gardens or commercial endeavors.

This workshop is intended for those currently or planning to work with gardening or fruit-growing projects on reservations. Representatives of education, community development, and other non-profit organizations are also welcome to share their perspectives and learn.

Share stories, learn from each other, identify challenges, opportunities, resources, needs and priorities. Return home with helpful materials and inspiration for the coming year.

$15 per person (includes Materials & Lunch). A limited number of scholarships for registration and travel are available; contact Rhoda Burrows rhoda.burrows@sdstate.edu by Wednesday, October 6th. Sponsored, in part, by NCR-SARE's Professional Development Program in South Dakota.

For more information and registration: Rhoda Burrows (605)-394-2236 or rhoda.burrows@sdstate.edu

NCR-SARE Sponsors Season Extension and High Tunnel Webinar Series

2010-09-08T12:07:00.005-05:00

Learn more about pest management in season extension production systems such as high tunnels by registering for a new webinar series sponsored by the Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group, the University of Illinois Extension, and an NCR-SARE Professional Development Program grant. There will be five 1-2 hour webinars produced on November 1st , 3rd, 8th , 16th , and 18th . The first three webinars will focus on an introduction to pest management in various season extension systems, focusing on tomatoes and winter crops. The last two webinars will be geared toward soil, water, and nutrient management, plus a summary of the Environmental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) high tunnel pilot project initiated in 2010.

Why consider participating in the season extension and high tunnel production webinar series? Pest complexes in season extension production systems like high tunnels are different than field grown fruits and vegetables, and an understanding of that difference is needed to capitalize on early and late season markets. High-tunnel production can lengthen the growing season and provide producers with a means to enter the market earlier with high value crops. In addition, in several states the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) is providing monetary incentives and assistance through EQIP to growers who use high tunnel production systems. Like Agriculture Deputy Secretary Kathleen Merrigan says “The adoption of growing crops using high tunnels provides ‘great potential’ …to expand the availability of healthy, locally- grown crops”.

Webinar One is titled “Introduction to Pest Management for Season Extension” and will air on November 1, 2010 at 6:30-8:30 pm EST (5:30-7:30 pm CST). Bill LaMont from Pennsylvania State University, will provide an overview of season extension methods and the pros and cons of getting into season extension: low tunnels, row covers, high tunnels, greenhouses, extended storage and basic economics. Judson Reid and Meg McGrath with Cornell University will speak on basic pest management considerations in high tunnels for insects, mites and diseases, respectively. Brad Bergefurd at The Ohio State University will discuss best weed management options in high tunnels.

Webinar Two is titled “Pest Management of Tomatoes in High Tunnels” and will be offered on November 3, 2010 at 6:30-8:30 pm EST (5:30-7:30 pm CST). Matt Kleinhenz, with The Ohio State University will start with an overview of production systems and economics for tomatoes and other solanaceous crops. Shubin Saha, with Purdue University will address cultural controls, pesticide use, biocontrols, and organic methods for pest and mite management of tomatoes under high tunnel production. Sally Miller, with The Ohio State University will discuss cultural controls, pesticide use, grafting, and organic methods for disease management.

Webinar Three is titled “Pest Management in Winter Crops”. This webinar will be held on November 8, 2010 from 6:30-8:30 pm EST (5:30-7:30 pm CST). An overview of winter crop production systems including a discussion of economics, sanitation, plastic management, production sequences, crop selection, sanitation for simple hoophouse, greenhouse, in- ground, in container, row covers, and low tunnels will be given by Adam Montri from Michigan State University. Judson Reid will cover pest and mite management for winter crops and Ann Hazelrigg, with the University of Vermont will offer disease mana gement options for winter crops. Vegetable storage management will be covered by Matt Kleinhenz.

Webinar Four is titled “Management of Nutrients, Water, Soil, and Other Production Considerations in High Tunnels” and will be broadcast November 16, 2010 at a different time than the previous three webinars. This will be a brown-bag lunch webinar airing from 1-2 pm EST (noon-1 pm CST). Mike Orzolek with Pennsylvania State University will be the presenter for this topic. The first 50 participants or organizations to include webinar four as part of their registration, will receive a free copy of the High Tunnel Production Manual published by Penn State.

Webinar Five is titled “Interpreting NRCS High Tunnel Project Guidelines”. This will also be a brown-bag lunch webinar on November 18, 2010 at 1-2 pm EST (noon-1 pm CST). The guidelines pertaining to the high-tunnel production pilot project will be outlined and discussed by Ruth Book, State Conservation Engineer, Ivan Dozier, Assistant State Conservationist, and Brett Roberts, State Agronomist, with NRCS in Illinois. Not all states in the North Central or North East region participate in this program, so check with your local state NRCS office for more details and applicability.

Pre-registration for this webinar series is mandatory and can be found at
http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/season_ext. The cost for the series is $30 whether you attend one or all five webinars. Each webinar will be recorded and available on several state IPM or vegetable oriented websites for viewing soon after its original airdate. For people who do not have a broadband connection, we are identifying several sites throughout each state to host the webinar series. Please visit the Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group website at
http://glvwg.ag.ohio-state.edu/index.php, and click on Projects at the top of the page to find more information and a pre-registration link for this webinar series.

Source: University of Illinois Extension
Name: Martha A. Smith
University of Illinois Extension
Office: Warren County
Contact # (309) 734 - 5161
e-mail: smithma@illinois.edu

Source: Great Lakes Vegetable Working Group
Name: Jim Jasinski
Ohio State University Extension, IPM Program
Office: Champaign County
Contact # (937) 484-1526
e-mail: Jasinski.4@osu.edu

NCR-SARE Cover Crop Field Day in MN

2010-09-08T11:46:00.002-05:00

KILKENNY, Minn. (09/08/2010) – Rural Advantage, University of Minnesota Extension, and project cooperators invite you to attend a cover crop field day located in Le Sueur County on September 23, 2010, from 1:00pm-3:30pm. This event is being held as part of Practical Farmers of Iowa’s and Rural Advantage’s NCR-SARE cover crop grant project.

The first stop will start at 1:00pm with project cooperator Dick Stangler. Stangler will discuss his reasoning behind using cover crops after his summer small grain harvest. Attendees will be able to view plots of different cover crop species and mixes including: barley, field pea, clover, and more. Stangler’s NCR-SARE cover crop project acres are demonstrating different cover crop species and mixes.

At 2:30pm attendees will have arrived at the second stop with project cooperator Ron Pomije. Pomije, too, will discuss his reasoning behind using cover crops and share his cover crop experience. Attendees will be able to view two different fields of pearl millet. The millet will be harvested this fall for cattle forage. Pomije’s NCR-SARE cover crop project acres are demonstrating different nutrient management strategies [urea vs. manure] for a cover crop being grown for soil benefit as well as forage.

DIRECTIONS

First Stop ~ Cooperator Dick Stangler - 45116 151st Avenue - Kilkenny, MN 56052

From Waterville: At the intersection of Hwy. 60 and Hwy. 13, turn Northwest onto Hwy. 13 and travel ¾ mile. Turn straight North onto 151st Ave. / Co. Rd. 3. Travel 5 miles North to Stangler farm on the west side of the road.

Second Stop ~ Cooperator Ron Pomije – Intersection of Lexington Rd. / Co. Rd. 26 and 201st Avenue – Le Center, MN 56057

From Montgomery: Travel west on Co.Rd. 26 / Lexington Rd. for approximately 4.5 miles. The field is at the intersection of Co. Rd. 26 and 201st Avenue. 201st Avenue is on the North side of Co. Rd. 26 after the s-curve and before Clear Lake. Parking will be along 201st Avenue.

For more information on this SARE project, visit the SARE project website at: http://www.sare.org/MySARE/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewProj&pn=LNC09-313

Iowa and Nebraska to Host Sustainable Agriculture Listening Sessions

2010-09-07T11:02:00.002-05:00

The North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) in cooperation with the Nebraska Great Plains Resource Conservation & Development Council (RC&D) and Iowa Golden Hills Resource Conservation & Development (RC&D) will be conducting public listening sessions at three locations in east-central Nebraska and southwest Iowa to discuss increasing the sustainability of their agriculture.

The NCR-SARE listening sessions serve as an opportunity to bring together people with differing viewpoints within a community of place to share their perspectives of sustainability and agriculture. Reports resulting from the listening sessions serve as a respected information source on the status and prospects of sustainable agriculture and as such guide the Administrative Council that directs the NCR-SARE competitive grants and other programs.

NCR-SARE and the RC&Ds will partner with cooperative extension and community colleges to provide public meeting facilities in Lincoln, NE, Omaha, NE, and Council Bluffs, IA. The first session will take place on September 23, 2010 in Lincoln, NE at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Office. The second and third sessions will take place on Friday, September 24, 2010, the first in Council Bluffs, IA at Iowa Western Community College and the second in Omaha, NE at Metropolitan Community College.

"Southwest Iowa and east central Nebraska form a natural 'food shed' based on the naturally occurring flow of goods and services between the rural countryside and the metropolitan areas," explained Norman Hanson, Chairperson of the Nebraska Great Plains RC&D.

These listening sessions are open to the public. For more information, and to participate in any of these listening sessions, register online at http://www.mccneb.edu/sareusda/ or dial (402) 457-2241.

Information for each site:

9/23/2010, 5:30-8:30pm, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension in Lancaster County - Gary Bergman, gbergman@unlnotes.unl.edu, 402-441-7180
9/24/2010, 8:30-11:30am, Iowa Western Community College - Bahia Barry, bahia.barry@rcdnet.net, 712-482-3029
9/24/2010, 2:30-5:30pm, Metropolitan Community College - Jenn Valandra, jvalandra@mccneb.edu, 402-457-2555

Exploring an Explorer's Old Idea; Improve Semiarid Grasslands with Yellow-Flowered Alfalfa at SDSU

2010-09-01T14:41:00.001-05:00

Source: Newswise

More than 100 years after an explorer first brought yellow-flowered alfalfa from Siberia to North America, South Dakota State University scientists are exploring one of his century-old ideas: use yellow-flowered alfalfa to boost the nutrition in semiarid grasslands.

Specifically, SDSU scientists are exploring whether yellow-flowered alfalfa can improve the quality of grazing in pastures of crested wheatgrass. Crested wheatgrass is a non-native, cool season grass that offers livestock good nutrition early in the year but isn’t as nutritious or palatable as temperatures warm during the summer.

Niels Ebbesen Hansen, a longtime botanist at what is now South Dakota State University as well as a self-styled “plant explorer” for the U.S. Department of Agriculture, first introduced yellow-flowered alfalfa to North America. He made eight journeys through Europe and Asia to search for plant material and is famous for finding or developing some 350 varieties of fruits, vegetables, trees and other crops.

Hansen collected seed of yellow-flowered alfalfa, Medicago falcata, already during his first expedition in 1897-98. He gathered large amounts of the seed during later expeditions in 1906, 1908-09 and 1913. He found yellow-flowered alfalfa that was adapted as far as northeastern Siberia, where it was able to endure temperatures in the range of 85 degrees below zero. That suggested to Hansen it would probably thrive on the dry, cold northern Plains — “my American Siberia,” as Hansen called it.

As early as 1909, in an inventory of plants he had recently brought back from abroad, Hansen suggested yellow-flowered alfalfa could be introduced into native pastures.

More than a century later, SDSU graduate student Chris Misar said a variation of that idea is the crux of his research. He and his professors want to know whether interseeding hardy, yellow-flowered alfalfa into crested wheatgrass pastures can allow the alfalfa to get established and bolster the nutrition available to livestock.

Ironically, crested wheatgrass is another plant introduced to North America by N.E. Hansen after he saw it at the Valuiki Experiment Station on the Volga River in Russia on a journey for the U.S. Department of Agriculture in 1897-98. But it would be decades before the grass came into wide use.

“Crested wheatgrass was not widely utilized until the 1930s and later,” Misar explained. “Crested wheatgrass was planted on many acres of abandoned cropland and degraded rangeland in the west and Great Plains for revegetation purposes. The grass saved a lot of soil from wind erosion due to its ability to grow and protect soil when environmental conditions were poor.”

Funding for SDSU’s yellow-flowered alfalfa research has come through sources such as the South Dakota Agricultural Experiment Station, the Five-State Ruminant Consortium and USFS Grand River National Grassland.

In addition, Misar was awarded a $9,060 grant from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program for the interseeding project earlier this year as part of NCR-SARE's Grad Student Grant Program. Misar is carrying out his study in plots near Fruitdale and Buffalo in South Dakota, as well as Hettinger, N.D., and Newcastle, Wyo. He’s evaluating seeding date, seeding rate and sod suppression using herbicide as factors that all can influence the success of interseeding yellow-flowered alfalfa into crested wheatgrass.

Because it’s a legume, yellow-flowered alfalfa is able to fix nitrogen through nodules in its root system, enriching the soil for the crested wheatgrass. It also sequesters some carbon and provides additional habitat. And it’s able to flourish in locations that, in Misar’s study, receive an average 13 to 15 inches of annual precipitation. However, the challenge is getting alfalfa seedlings successfully established in crested wheatgrass stands.

Associate professor Lan Xu in SDSU’s Department of Biology and Microbiology, one of Misar’s advisers, said because both yellow-flowered alfalfa and crested wheatgrass have been established on the Northern Plains for a century now, there’s no question that both plants can survive dry, cold conditions. For example, it’s known that N.E. Hansen provided seed to Lodgepole, S.D., rancher Charles Smith in 1915, and the plant has been established in northwestern South Dakota since then.

“He introduced it nearly 100 years ago and it’s never disappeared,” Misar said. “That’s our motivation to study it — it’s been so persistent. Alfalfa that can survive in Siberia can survive here.”

SDSU range scientists also know, from studying yellow-flowered alfalfa on the Grand River National Grassland, that yellow-flowered alfalfa won’t spread wildly — it prefers fine-textured soils and moist conditions such as the low ground in swales.

“What we have learned is that yellow-flowered alfalfa has not become naturalized to the extent sweetclover and leafy spurge have on rangelands. Its distribution, including soil seed bank, is very confined,” Lan Xu said. “Plus it has incredible value as an agricultural crop.”

Lan Xu noted that naturalized yellow-flowered alfalfa found on the Grand River National Grassland is not pure Medicago falcata. It probably hybridized with purple alfalfa, Medicago sativa, in nature through pollination.

SDSU researchers also have studied the volume of seed that yellow-flowered alfalfa produces under natural conditions and have explored why its seed doesn’t germinate uniformly and readily. Lan Xu said the simple explanation is probably that it is a survival mechanism — a built-in means of staggering germination so that at least some plants are likely to encounter the conditions that allow them to come to maturity.

Diane Narem received an $1,800 Schultz-Werth Award for the outstanding research paper she wrote at SDSU as a student of Lan Xu studying that topic. Narem also was the recipient of Joseph F. Nelson Undergraduate Research Mentorship to conduct the seed germination research project. Her study probed the effects of stratification, warm treatment, and mechanical and acid scarification on the emergence of yellow-flowered alfalfa. Greater than 99 percent of yellow-flowered alfalfa seeds from the soil were viable but less than 4 percent germinated under standard laboratory conditions. The objective of the research was to determine if low germination rate was due to physical or physiological seed dormancy.

“What we have learnt from Diane’s study is the emergence rate of yellow-flowered alfalfa seeds can be significantly improved by scarification treatments, particularly sandpaper treatments. It indicated the low germination rate is most likely due to physical dormancy,” Lan Xu said. “This plant comes from Siberia. It has adapted to that very harsh and unpredictable environment so that it doesn’t all germinate at once.”

Yet another study is exploring how various alfalfa populations transplanted to the Antelope Range Research Station near Buffalo, S.D., stand up to cattle grazing over multiple growing seasons.

As Misar wraps up his master’s degree study, and as some other SDSU research continues, producers will get a better picture of what is necessary to get yellow-flowered alfalfa established in crested wheatgrass pastures, and how to include the forage in their grazing programs.

Online Resource about Organic and Sustainable Agriculture for Agricultural Educators

2010-08-20T10:35:00.003-05:00

Through an NCR-SARE Professional Development Program (PDP) grant, new and ongoing research in the fields of organic and sustainable agriculture has become available online from the University of Nebraska - Lincoln; these sites can be resources for agriculture educators in particular.

In 2006 Charles Francis and Shannon Moncure at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln were awarded an NCR-SARE PDP grant to develop a ‘train the trainers’ program to provide educators in Extension and high schools with practical information and hands-on experience in organic farming and ranching system practices and design. They conducted many training sessions throughout the region in addition to developing this online resource. As part of the project, sustainable and organic agriculture educators, practitioners, and other interested parties were sent announcements about the renovated website. The re-launch occurred incrementally, and the project coordinators continue to add both links to newly discovered sites and also files collected by they interact with experts in the field.

As both a stand-alone resource and a complement to educational experiences supported by this grant, the website now contains links to many more online videos, PowerPoint presentations, and other online resources. These items were collected with the express purpose of supporting agriculture educators in their efforts to help students and others learn about sustainable and organic agriculture.

The website can be found at:
http://cari.unl.edu/SustainableAg/

In August, Organic Farming: The Ecological System (Francis, 2009) was published, with influences from the work supported by this grant. The book relates farming practices, understanding of components and mechanisms, and design of systems using natural environments as models.

This website was created in associated with an NCR-SARE PDP project. To read more about the project, visit SARE's online reporting site at http://www.sare.org/MySare/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewProj&pn=ENC06-092

Simple Earth Hops to Host Grand Opening in WI

2010-08-19T14:33:00.003-05:00

Simple Earth Hops is proud to present the 1st installment in a series of hopyard event titled "Brewing Up a Community".

The Grand Opening is family friendly, free and open to the public. This event will feature tours of the hopyard, live music, tours of the organic farm and more.

To be held noon-7pm, Saturday, Sept., 4, 2010, Labor Day weekend at Hopyard Grand Opening Location, Greenspirit Farm 4352 State Road 23 Dodgeville, WI 53533. A potluck will follow from 7pm-9pm.

This Grand Opening is being held is association with NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant project FNC09-748.

More information is available online at http://www.simpleearthhops.com/

Kansas Permaculture Institute Introduction to Permaculture Ethics, Principles and Design

2010-08-19T14:28:00.004-05:00

The Kaw Permaculture Collaborative and the Kansas Permaculture Institute are proud to present their Fall 2010 course, "Introduction to Permaculture Ethics, Principles and Design" with Steve Moring of Vajra Farm.

The course consists of a series of 9, three hour sessions with lectures and video screenings held every Thursday beginning September 23 from 6 – 9 pm at the Matt Ross Community Center, 8101 Marty St. Overland Park, KS.

“As a community we are entering a period of energy depletion and the resulting decline in our global economy. Learn how the sustainability movement known as Permaculture promises to create an ecologically sound and economically viable system which neither pollutes nor exploits our planet.”

This course consists of 27 hours of lecture which can be used as credit leading to a Permaculture Design Certificate from the Kansas Permaculture Institute, Inc. Lecture topics include food security, permaculture ethics, ecological principles, system design, sustainable soils, food production, food forests, earth works and construction of human habitats.

For more information on course content, meeting times and locations go to websites:
http://groups.google.com/group/kpc-dev/web/kpc-event-postings or
http://kawpermaculture.wordpress.com, or

To register: Please contact Steve Moring at 785-691-7305.

This course is associated with NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant project, FNC09-793.

IA Farmer Explores Methods for Recovering Heat from Composting Corn Grain

2010-08-19T11:29:00.001-05:00

A farmer in Osage IA, has been researching low-tech, small scale methods for recovering heat from composting corn grain and stover for space heating.

Eric Jellum and his wife moved to Osage, IA from Washington State in 1999 and began farming at that time. They grow corn and soybeans in a 2-year rotation, except where mixed grass/alfalfa hay has been included in the rotation. Before coming to Iowa to farm, Jellum worked for Washington State University for about 20 years at one of their outlying research stations. He has a Masters Degree in Soil Science and about 12 years of farming experience.

“I came to Iowa to farm not only out of interest and desire to farm but because I wanted to immerse myself in the problems and challenges that farmers deal with in order to more effectively contribute toward attaining a more sustainable agriculture,” explained Jellum.

Jellum wanted to use the energy in their corn for space heating and still have an organic residue that could be returned to the soil to maintain soil quality. In 2005 he submitted a proposal to the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) Farmer Rancher Grant program, and was selected for funding.
His goal was to conduct a pilot trial with both corn grain and stover to see how feasible composting for heat recovery could be. He worked with Kapil Arora, an agricultural engineer from Iowa State University, who provided input regarding the design and implementation of the research. The motivation for the project was to use locally grown corn and return the nutrients and an organic residue back to the soil in a closed, sustainable loop to maintain or improve soil quality.

“I was a bit surprised to discover that aerating a large and static corn stover compost pile was really fairly easy,” said Jellum. “The stated purpose in composting manuals for turning a compost pile or windrow is generally for aeration. That is probably true for dense, high moisture, highly degradable compost. The biggest problem I encountered for static composting was how to recycle the water that steamed out of the compost interior and condensed on the surface back into the interior without turning the pile, which would preclude embedding a means of heat recovery in the compost pile.”

Jellum is hopeful that SARE projects like this would ideally result in turnkey ideas that could be readily employed on the farm. He hopes his project will contribute something to another concept that may ultimately be engaged on the farm.

“The bioeconomy that is developing to use crop residues and dedicated crops for energy and chemical production could have devastating effects on soil quality and the productivity of our agricultural systems if there are no residues analogous to manure that can be returned to the soil,” said Jellum. “This project was intended to see whether composting for heat recovery looked like a fruitful enough path to head down and conduct more research. It would be unrealistic to expect a single project like this to be wildly successful, but I think it answered some basic questions that suggest some logical next steps.”

Jellum shared information from his project at a presentation at the 2006 SARE National Conference at Oconomowoc, WI.

Read more about Jellum’s project online at http://www.sare.org/MySare/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewRept&pn=FNC05-562&y=2008&t=1, or contact the NCR-SARE office for more information.

Online Video Features NCR-SARE Project at Earthen Path Organic Farm in MN

2010-08-16T09:50:00.002-05:00

Source: Cooking Up a Story

Oak Center, Minnesota. You might say organic farmer Steven Schwen plows a different path through life; one built of a strong connection to the land, without many of the trappings we normally would associate as necessities of modern living.

It was a deliberate choice that he made. Schwen believes that we, as a society, have been lured down the path of consumerism, and profit, at the expense of the environment and of our souls. “I think it’s important for people to understand that we are all connected to land and labor… When I started out, I thought I’m going to change the world. And all of those people who went back to the land who are still doing this, we are going to do something to change this world. And you know, we are helping shape people’s thinking but I think there has been a lot of resistance because of the comfort levels that material security has been providing people. People have been saying, yeah, I want to do that someday. But circumstances are becoming such that people will not have those choices anymore, and people realize that.”

Steven Schwen was not born into farming, and in fact, first went to medical school before realizing it was living a more sustainable existence that he needed to pursue.

…”I guess I grew up in the country, and my family lived a mile and a half out of town. I spent my childhood looking under logs to see what lived there and running around in the woods, and just animals and nature were my life.”

His parents recognized his early love of nature, especially of bugs, and suggested it could lead to a career in science, and so they encouraged him to become a doctor. But Schwen later discovered that the concept of general practitioner that he had growing up, the country doctor that paid house visits, was quickly becoming a thing of the past.

Upon graduating college in the early 1970’s, Schwen developed a vision of a sustainable world based upon the model of an agrarian society: small towns, local economies, and more people on the land. It was the only vision he could imagine that presented a lifestyle without the need for oil. During our interview, Schwen asks, “You know what one family can do with a team of horses, or with their own labor”?

As you can see in this, and the other related videos, Schwen shows us his answer— a lot!

To read more about Schwen's NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher grant project, visit the SARE online reporting website here.

2010 Farmer Rancher Grant Call for Proposals

2010-08-16T09:41:00.000-05:00

The 2010 North Central Region - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) Farmer Rancher Grant Call for Proposals is now available.

Farmers and ranchers in the North Central Region are invited to submit grant proposals to explore sustainable agriculture solutions to problems on the farm or ranch. Proposals should show how farmers and ranchers plan to use their own innovative ideas to explore sustainable agriculture options and how they will share project results. Sustainable agriculture is good for the environment, profitable, and socially responsible.

Projects should emphasize research or education/demonstration. Grants can range from $6,000 for individual farmers up to $18,000 for groups of 3 or more farmers. NCR-SARE expects to fund about 50 projects in the twelve-state North Central Region with this call.

Interested applicants can find the call for proposals online as well as useful information for completing a proposal at http://www.sare.org/NCRSARE/cfp.htm.

Proposals are due on Thursday, December 2, 2010 at 4:30 p.m. at the NCR-SARE office in Jefferson City, MO.

Potential applicants with questions can contact Joan Benjamin, Associate Regional Coordinator and Farmer Rancher Grant Program Coordinator, at benjaminj@lincolnu.edu or 573-681-5545 or 800-529-1342. A hard copy or an emailed copy of the call for proposals is also available by contacting Joan Benjamin. We make slight revisions to our calls for proposals each year, which means it is crucial to use the most recent call for proposals.

NCR-SARE has funded more than 700 farmer rancher grants worth more than $4,300,000 since the inception of this program.

Each state in SARE's North Central Region has one or more State Sustainable Agriculture Coordinators who can provide information and assistance to potential grant applicants. Interested applicants can find their State Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator online at http://sare.org/ncrsare/PDP/pdpstco.htm.

2010 Youth & Youth Educator Grant Call for Proposals

2010-08-16T09:39:00.001-05:00

The 2010 North Central Region - Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (NCR-SARE) Youth & Youth Educator Grant Call for Proposals is now available.

These grants are a part of the Farmer Rancher Grant Program. Their purpose is to provide opportunities for youth in the North Central Region to learn more about Sustainable Agriculture. Sustainable agriculture is good for the environment, profitable, and socially responsible. A total of approximately $34,000 is available for this program.

There are two options:

1. YOUTH GRANTS. These grants are for on-farm research, demonstration, or education projects by youth ages 8-18. Research and demonstration projects are for hands-on efforts to explore Sustainable Agriculture issues and practices. Education projects can involve teaching others about Sustainable Agriculture or attending a Sustainable Agriculture conference, workshop, or camp. $400 maximum.

2. YOUTH EDUCATOR GRANTS. These are grants for educators to provide programming on sustainable agriculture for youth. $2,000 maximum.

Interested applicants can find the call for proposals online as well as useful information for completing a proposal at http://www.sare.org/NCRSARE/cfp.htm.

Proposals are due by 4:30 pm, Friday, January 14, 2011 at the NCR-SARE office in Jefferson City, MO.

Potential applicants with questions can contact Joan Benjamin, Associate Regional Coordinator and Farmer Rancher Grant Program Coordinator, at benjaminj@lincolnu.edu or 573-681-5545 or 800-529-1342. A hard copy or an emailed copy of the call for proposals is also available by contacting Joan Benjamin. We make slight revisions to our calls for proposals each year, which means it is crucial to use the most recent call for proposals.

Since 1988, the NCR-SARE program has awarded more than $40 million worth of competitive grants to farmers and ranchers, researchers, educators, public and private institutions, nonprofit groups, and others exploring sustainable agriculture in 12 states.

Each state in SARE's North Central Region has one or more State Sustainable Agriculture Coordinators who can provide information and assistance to potential grant applicants. Interested applicants can find their State Sustainable Agriculture Coordinator online at http://sare.org/ncrsare/PDP/pdpstco.htm.

Outreach Effort in MN Promotes Conservation Efforts

2010-08-16T09:29:00.003-05:00

Source: Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources

An outreach effort based out of southern Minnesota is promoting the use of cover crops to protect and restore water quality, and the outreach is resulting in more landowners understanding the multiple benefits of installing these conservation practices. The Extension Educator, Conservation Agronomist position with University of Minnesota Extension and Rural Advantage that is doing the outreach was partly funded through a competitive grant from the Minnesota Board of Water and Soil Resources (BWSR), which was available through the Clean Water Legacy Act in Fiscal Year 2007. The Extension Educator, Conservation Agronomist is being funded through the North Central Region – Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE) to promote the use of cover crops in Minnesota.

Cover crops in the landscape help prevent soil erosion and nitrate leaching, which in turn reduces turbidity and phosphorus in water bodies. Other benefits of cover crops include increasing soil organic matter, increasing soil tilth, decreasing disease and pest issues, increasing water infiltration, and increasing the number of species of invertebrates (insects, worms, microbes – these help with pest predation issues and aid in decomposition) and vertebrates (mice, voles, birds – all of which eat weed seeds) in fields. Certain crop species can drastically increase nitrogen levels in the soil or take-up excess nitrogen so that little leaching occurs. All will put nutrients back into the soil as they decompose.

Jill Sackett – Extension Educator, Conservation Agronomist – University of Minnesota Extension and Rural Advantage, held field days in May 2010 in Lewiston (Winona County) and St. James (Watonwan County). A local cooperator hosted each event, and Sackett presented data from research plots and described the experiences that cooperators have had with cover crops. The events have been an effective way to promote the value of cover crops to local landowners. Further cover crop field days will be held in the fall of 2010 as well as fall and spring through 2012. Further outreach and education events include 3rd Crop Producer Meetings, listening sessions, and surveys. Cost-share dollars are also available through the project for those willing to become a cooperator. Cooperators must be willing to host a field day or speak at an event if applicable. They are also required to keep simple records and conduct a simple on-farm research/demonstration project with their cover crop acres.

Location:
The NCR-SARE cover crop project is available statewide, and to date, cooperators have been from Pope, Watonwan, and Lac qui Parle counties with interested producers from Le Sueur, Martin, Brown, Renville, and Fillmore counties. May 2010 field days were held in Lewiston (Winona County) and St. James (Watonwan County). An August 2010 field day will be held near Madison (Lac qui Parle County).

Partners:
The following organizations are jointly funding the Extension Educator, Conservation Agronomist position: Rural Advantage, Greater Blue Earth River Basin Alliance, Bush Foundation, The McKnight Foundation, North Central Region – Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education, BWSR (Clean Water Legacy Act grant), and the Minnesota Pollution Control Agency (Clean Water Partnership Phase II Implementation Grant Agreement).

Project Timeline:
Position: Started in fall 2005 – entirely grant funded
Project: Started in fall 2009 and continues until fall 2012. The cover crop topic will be discussed at the 2011 Third Crop Producer Meetings, field days each spring and fall through 2012, and various listening sessions throughout Minnesota.

Keys to Success:
Partner organizations are promoting the multiple benefits of cover crops to landowners instead of relying on landowners to express interest. This project will see success due to the cooperators and event attendees and their willingness to utilize cover crops. It is a goal to develop some simple best management practices that will assist farmers in using different cover crops. The possible use of cover crops as an energy source or 3rd crop are two further possible outcomes.

BWSR role:
BWSR provided a competitive grant through the Clean Water Legacy Act to partly pay for the position of Extension Educator, Conservation Agronomist. The position is also partly funded by the Greater Blue Earth River Basin Alliance, a joint-powers of counties and Soil and Water Conservation Districts (SWCDs).

Measurable Outcomes:
The major outputs of this project will be farmer to farmer learning, on-farm cover crop demonstration, and research and outreach to increase the base knowledge levels of cover crops with farmers and resource agency staff in Minnesota and Iowa. The goal is to use annual surveys to attempt to find the number of acres of cover crops planted directly due to our outreach efforts as well as the changes made by those already utilizing cover crops.

Link / contact for more information:
Jill Sackett – Extension Educator, Conservation Agronomist – University of Minnesota Extension and Rural Advantage – sacke032@umn.edu 507-238-5449

For more information on this SARE project, visit the SARE project website at: http://www.sare.org/MySARE/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewProj&pn=LNC09-313

Bioenergy Field Day Demonstration at Dordt College’s Agriculture Stewardship Center

2010-08-16T09:25:00.002-05:00

Source: Dordt College

Dordt College and Practical Farmers of Iowa (PFI) and Iowa State University Extension will host a field day Wednesday, Sept. 1, at Dordt College’s Agriculture Stewardship Center (located two miles north of the college on Highway 75). The evening begins at 5:30 p.m. with a free supper. The program begins at 6 p.m.

On-farm trials demonstrated will include Pioneer®’s corn rootworm "refuge in a bag," Avicta® treated corn seed for nematode control, wide vs. narrow vs. twin row soybeans, corn population study, early vs. late planted soybeans, till vs. no till soybeans, and wide vs. narrow row corn.

Dr. Greg Tylka from the Tylka Nematology Lab at Iowa State University will discuss corn nematodes. Joel DeJong, an ISU extension agronomist, Josh Sievers with the Northwest Iowa on-farm Research Project, and Mike Schouten, Agriculture Stewardship Center Steward, will be on hand to discuss other farm topics.

Dr. Chris Goedhart, chair of the agriculture department at Dordt, will discuss the ag research project the college has been conducting with Practical Farmers of Iowa and Marshalltown Community College, funded by a $138,000 grant from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE).

Side-by-side field comparisons have been planted at the Dordt College and Marshalltown Community College. Each crop site has replicated blocks with either a continuous-corn system or a three-year “gateway to sustainability” rotation of corn, soybeans, and winter/spring small grain/forage with legume underseeding. Student interns at each school (with faculty assistance) are documenting the environmental impact, energy, and economics of these systems and will share their findings to date.

The project is designed to demonstrate a basic cropping system that uses a fraction of the energy that continuously planting corn does yet has the same net energy output. The rotation system also supports a diversity of farm enterprises in a sustainable way.

The Dordt Ag Club will serve a grilled meal beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Everyone interested in this agricultural research is welcome to attend.

For more information on this NCR-SARE project, visit the online project reporting website at: http://www.sare.org/MySare/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewProj&pn=LNC08-293.

MN Farmers market vendor specializes in organic veggies

2010-08-05T14:56:00.001-05:00

Source: St Croix Valley Press

STILLWATER — Since she was a young girl, the soil and the plants that grow from it have been a source of fascination, inspiration and just plain hard work for Mhonpaj Lee.

The 26-year-old St. Paul resident is passionate about sustainable agriculture and the health benefits of organic farming. Together with her family, she operates two small community supported agriculture (CSA) plots, three acres in Stillwater and two in Marine; sells organic produce at several farmers markets; and educates the public through classes and presentations on Hmong vegetables and cooking.

Locals may know her by the produce she sells at both the White Bear and Mahtomedi farmers markets and the eggrolls, fried rice and bubble tea she’s been peddling at Marketfest.

Lee grew up working on farmland cultivated by her parents May and Chue Lee, who emigrated from Laos via a Thai refugee camp in 1982. When they arrived in the U.S., the Lees rented land and grew cucumbers for pickles which they sold to a local company. “It was so laborious,” she said. “I was so annoyed by it, I told my mother I’m not going to ever farm again.”

But a volunteer position as youth coordinator at the Science Museum at age 14 helped her fine-tune her widely varied interests and brought her back to what she knew. “It was a phenomenal experience. Everything I learned there revolved around the weather, agriculture, everything engineering-wise with the soil and sediments,” she said. “As much as you want to stray away from it, it goes in a circle.”

Lee became interested in sustainability and its implications for community health, as well as politics. Before entering college, she raised money to go to Thailand to do personal hygiene education and see how people lived in refugee camps. Though she and five of her siblings were born in the U.S., two of her sisters and her parents had spent time at a refugee camp before emigrating. “It was an eye-opener for me,” she said. “I’m very grateful for what I have but I thought, how can I share it with them, what is it that I have to offer?”

At Gustavus Adolphus College, she majored in health education, health fitness and political science, working a number of jobs to get through school. After graduating, she took a close look at her goals and decided to return to her roots, literally. “I said, here are these skill sets that my parents are really good in. It’s a lifestyle for us to have to farm — that’s how we made it when we were younger.”

The death of her grandmother, who was somewhat of a “medicine woman,” right after Lee graduated from college inspired her to apply for a grant through the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program to study Hmong herbs and their medicinal uses. She persuaded Hennepin County Medical Center (HCMC), where she works as a medical interpreter for Hmong patients, to let her grow a little herb garden so patients can request herbs that have been found beneficial for postpartum uses. Now North Hennepin is asking her to start a garden for them, she said.

“You never really consciously think about what you’re doing. I just keep going out of passion,” she said. For her, that means continuing her education by way of pursuing a Masters in Leadership at Augsburg College, which she attends Tuesday and Thursday evenings. She works at HCMC Monday through Thursday mornings, works in the garden in the evenings and, in addition to her White Bear Lake gig, sells produce at the Mill City and St. Paul farmers markets.

The first Hmong-owned certified organic CSA in Minnesota, her garden has more than 30 varieties of vegetables: cucumbers, chard, potatoes, green onions, cabbage, leeks, zucchini, fennel, radishes — “everything you’d find in the grocery store.” The CSA has about 15 members, and most of her family members help out, if they’re not away at college — she comes from a family of eight brothers and sisters. Though her parents are retired, they still help on the farm. The Lee family was named the 2009 Farm Family of the Year for Ramsey County by the University of Minnesota.

What isn’t purchased is donated to food shelves like Second Harvest or Neighborhood House, she said, which last year amounted to $10,000 worth of produce. “It’s still fresh because we just picked it the night before.”

Though her goal isn’t mass production, she would like to eventually purchase farmland (she now rents), and perhaps open a restaurant to serve traditional Hmong cuisine. She will be hosting a class for the Minnesota Horticultural Society in 2011 on how to cook with exotic greens. She’s excited about having an intern, a nutritionist, helping at the garden. And she would like to back away a bit, to be able to spend more time with her husband and their 4-month-old daughter. “I love being able to work for an institution and also work for myself and my family. I have the best of two worlds and I’m grateful for my experiences.

“We’re not advanced. We’re still using the rototiller, weeding by hand. It’s very rewarding at the end of the season to see everything you have,” she said. “I don’t think people realize how much work you put into the field.”

Read more about Lee’s NCR-SARE Farmer Rancher Grant project online on the SARE project reporting website at http://www.sare.org/MySARE/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewProj&pn=FNC07-694.

Lardy Receives Animal Science Award

2010-08-04T09:48:00.002-05:00

The American Society of Animal Science honors NDSU’s Greg Lardy with an award. Greg Lardy is a member of NCR-SARE's Technical Committee, which reviews Research and Education proposals and makes recommendations to NCR-SARE's Administrative Council .

Source: NDSU

Greg Lardy, head of North Dakota State University’s (NDSU) Animal Sciences Department, is the 2010 recipient of the American Society of Animal Science Extension Award.

The award recognizes recipients for outstanding and noteworthy contributions to Extension animal science programming. Lardy received the award at the society’s annual meeting in Denver.

Before being named head of the Animal Sciences Department in 2009, Lardy was the NDSU Extension Service’s beef cattle specialist for 12 years. He also was promoted to professor in 2009.

“This award means a great deal to me and reflects the opportunities I have been given to work with a great set of colleagues in the NDSU Extension Service,” Lardy says. “Without their help in carrying out these programs, I would not have received this award.

“This award reflects my passion for the beef industry and the producers I had the opportunity to work with on a daily basis,” he adds.

His Extension work included efforts related to beef cattle nutrition and management with emphasis on the use of coproducts and alternative feeds in beef cattle diets, as well as drought management. In addition, he led multistate projects focused on expanding educational programming on backgrounding beef cattle in North Dakota, South Dakota, Montana and Wyoming and developed educational programs such as Beef 101, Cow-Calf Schools and the Feedlot MBA.

He also was instrumental in the development of NDSU’s Beef Systems Center of Excellence; provided leadership for several regional committees with a focus on Extension programming; offered regular in-service training for county Extension agents on beef cattle production-related issues; and works closely with the North Dakota Stockmen’s Association, regularly speaking at its annual convention on topics ranging from beef quality assurance to feeding ethanol coproducts to cattle.

In addition, Lardy has been the principal investigator on research projects that generated more than $1.4 million in grant funding and co-principal investigator on projects with grants totaling more than $5 million. He is the author of 55 peer-reviewed publications and an additional 200 research publications, has advised 15 master of science and four Ph.D. students, served on two U.S. Department of Agriculture grant review panels and is a member of the American Society of Animal Science’s board of directors as the organization’s Midwest section representative.

Funding to Help Study and Build Elderberry Market in MO

2010-07-22T10:22:00.000-05:00

Source: Missouri Beginning Farming

The University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry has been awarded a grant from the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NCR-SARE), "Developing Successful Marketing Strategies for Elderberry Growers and Value-Added Processors: A Model for Specialty Crop Development in the U.S. Midwest."

The grant will use an integrated approach to contribute to the creation and development of an elderberry regional industry as a model for specialty crop development in the Midwest U.S., said project director and UMCA associate director, Mike Gold.

The project will increase knowledge about the elderberry market in the region. An elderberry financial decision tool will be developed to support producer decision making for on-farm and associated enterprise opportunities. A comprehensive outreach program will disseminate results of this project.

Only 9 percent of the initial pre-proposal submissions were ultimately funded by the North Central Sustainable Agriculture, Research and Education Program.

"All funding is very competitive these days," Gold said. "We are excited to have received this award and are ready to move ahead with our elderberry project to carry the industry forward."

In addition to Gold, key players in the grant include Ina Cernusca, UMCA marketing specialist; Francisco Aguilar, assistant professor of forest economics, MU Forestry Department; Larry Godsey, UMCA economist; Elizabeth Barham, rural sociologist, University of Arkansas Agricultural Economics Department; John Brewer, president and co-founder of Wyldewood Cellars Winery; Terry Durham, organic farmer, Eridu Farm, Hartsburg, Mo.; Andrew L. Thomas, research assistant professor in horticulture, MU Southwest Research and Education Center; Patrick L. Byers, MU Extension, horticulture specialist; Julie Rhoads, UMCA event planner; Michelle Hall, UMCA senior information specialist; and Park Bay, agricultural lender and Vice President of Business Development, First National Bank & Trust (now Landmark Bank), Columbia, Mo.

Decorative Woody Florals in MN: Beautiful and Sustainable

2010-07-21T12:21:00.002-05:00

Source: Sleepy Eye News

The agriculture industry is perceived as dirty and utilitarian. But some farmers, like Chad Kingstrom, are bringing a bit of pizzazz to the party. Kingstrom, of Sacred Heart in west-central Minnesota, brightens homes and landscapes alike with decorative woody florals he perpetuates on his property.

This colorful venture began with Kingstrom taking part in a local decorative woody florals-growing group which promotes sustainable agriculture and developing sustainable communities. At the time, he was involved in agroforestry as a production manager of a “medium-sized” tree farm for a landscaping company. As his involvement increased, Kingstrom decided to make a go of growing his own woody florals such as red and yellow dogwoods and Japanese willows. Being associated with the project led him to eventually procure a Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education grant and he was on his way.

His first planting was about a year later in 2005 while still working for the landscaping company. It was a direction he was heading in for a long time. Kingstrom became interested in gardening and growing while a teen working for a tree farm. “I wanted my own nursery so I went with a plan,” he explained. “I wanted added income and habitat for birds and wildlife and I wanted to add value to the landscape.” Getting started in growing decorative woody florals is inexpensive, Kingstrom pointed out. “It doesn‘t require a huge capital outlay to put in 100 plants even,” he said. “And if you can find someone who will give you cuttings, it can be even less. You can get started with little money, so that’s a benefit.”

There are a variety of markets available for selling his decorative branches, buds and blooms. Individual customers buy them, as do a number of garden centers and florists. Over a few years Kingstrom has developed a consistent clientele. The markets appear to be stable, especially for Red Dogwood. The need of color, especially during Minnesota winters keeps people buying.

While these trees provide a beautiful aesthetic, are they a viable, sustainable product?

“I would say they are very sustainable,” Kingstrom stated. “They are very easy to grow. They take care of themselves.” He uses no chemicals in his nursery and once planted and established, the trees require minimum upkeep outside of some weed control. Cuttings from existing plants are used to perpetuate the crop allowing expansion from what already exists. “You can keep going from what you have, you don’t need to grow more,” he added.

Currently Kingstrom has a three-acre tree nursery and grows his 120 decorative florals spread out over about half an acre. His mix includes the two varieties of dogwood and curly willow along with his best-selling Japanese willow. The red dogwood remains the most successful in fall while the Japanese willows pick up in the spring. Growing these trees is something that can be done along with other farming pursuits without becoming overwhelming. “Anybody can do it with a little space in their yard,” Kingstrom said. “You can do it just about anywhere with anything else.”

He advises establishing where the trees will be grown, then controlling the weeds in that area. Focusing on just a few types of trees to start is better until determining market demand. Proper pruning in the spring is a key to getting the desired product: diligent maintenance is crucial for a marketable product, said Kingstrom. “Use your imagination,” Kingstrom says. “Find a niche, find what no one else is doing then show your results to garden centers and florists. There’s a lot to presentation.”

To learn more about this project, visit the online SARE project report website at http://www.sare.org/MySare/ProjectReport.aspx?do=viewProj&pn=FNC04-498