r u ral p ap ersold.kansasruralcenter.org/publications/20090304krcrp.pdf · 2009. 3. 4. · p ag e...

Rural Papers, March-April 2009

Rural PapersReporting with commentary on agricultural and rural issuesNo. 230 March-April 2009

Kansas boasts 75-plus farmers’ marketsand the new season is about to begin insmall towns and urban centers across thestate! The Kansas Rural Center hasassumed responsibility for the KansasFarmers’ Market Directory and will soonhave the information posted on a newwebsite just for Kansas farmers’ markets.See story inside.

(Above is a file photo of the SalinaFarmers’ Market.)

Focus on the Fourth “F”:Feed, Fuel, Fertilizer... and Forages

By Dale Kirkham

Cattlemen are scrambling to find ways to substitute forages for grain to cut livestockproduction costs. According to Dale Kirkham, KRC’s Grazing specialist, grazing landsmanagement and forages need close attention. Above is eastern gama grass, a warmseason grass popular among grazers. File Photo.

Coming Soon-A Farmers’ Market

Near You!

Eureka, Kansas- From cash cow to no-cash cow, the rules have changed for thecattlemen around the country. After several years of reasonable profits,stockmen are facing hard times for the foreseeable future, with little or no cashleft after the bills are paid.

Cow-calf producers are faced with soaring prices for inputs (feed, fuel, andfertilizer) while markets for their calves are slipping well below the average ofrecent years. Even though crop farmers are faced with record input costs, theycan look forward to strong prices for commodities. The same is not necessarilytrue for the cattle producer.

Cattlemen are scrambling to find ways to substitute forages for grain to growtheir livestock. Numerous ramifications emerge from this scenario. Manyfeedlots in Western Kansas and adjacent states are operating well below capacityand some are being closed. This comes after numerous feedlot expansions overthe past two decades.

Continued on page 11


Rural PapersPublished six times/year

by theKansas Rural Center,

304 Pratt StreetWhiting, Ks. 66552

(785) 873-3431Fax (785) 873-3432

E-Mail: [email protected]: www.kansasruralcenter.org

Editor: Mary FundReprints of articles are encouraged withacknowledgement of Rural Papers and

author.Rural Papers is the voice of the Kansas

Rural Center, Inc., (KRC), a non-profitorganization that promotes the long-termhealth of the land and its people throughresearch, education, and advocacy. TheKRC cultivates grass-roots support forpublic policies that encourage familyfarming and stewardship of soil and water.KRC is committed to economically viable,environmentally sound, and sociallysustainable rural culture. The KRC isfunded by private foundations, churches,and individual contributions. Rural Papersis available to contributors or for a $25 peryear subscription to organizations andinstitutions.

KRC StaffDan Nagengast, Executive DirectorDiane Dysart, Admin. AssistantMary Fund, Editor/CWFP CoordinatorEd Reznicek, CWFP Field OrganizerMary Howell, CWFP Field OrganizerDale Kirkham, CWFP Field OrganizerConnie Pantle, CWFP I& E Coord.Troy Schroeder, CWFP Field OrganizerMercedes Taylor-Puckett, Farmers’

Market Project Coord.Jason Schmidt, CWFP Field Organizer

Scott Allegruci,Lawrence

Herb Bartel,Hillsboro

Harry Bennett, Pres.& Margie Bennett,

MarionJulie Elfving,

LenexaLaura Fortmeyer,

FairviewPaul Johnson, PerryJackie Keller, Sec.Topeka

Gary Kilgore,Chanute

Joy & Bob Lominska,Lawrence

Sherrie Mahoney,Salina

Robert Mulch,Scott City

Mark Nightengale,Marienthal

Rodger Schneider,Vice-Pres. Salina

Dale Strickler,Jamestown

Donn Teske,Wheaton

Marjorie Van Buren,Treas., Topeka

Nancy Vogelsberg-Busch, Home

Small Farmer CommentaryPanic on the Internet; Small Farmers

Fears Unfoundedby Mary Fund

Board of Directors 2009

The panic has subsided. But for severaldays my e-mail was inundated with direwarnings and alerts that Congress wasgoing to take away our backyard gardens,ban organic farming, make farmers’markets and direct marketing impossible,implement a mandatory animal ID system,and basically sign the death warrant for allsmall farms.

What is going on? demanded other e-mails as people tried to decipher fact fromfiction. The cause of the near panic was apiece of food safety legislation. H.R. 875,the Food Modernization Act of 2009introduced by Rep. Rosa DeLauro (D-CT)created the internet stir. H.R. 875 wouldestablish a new Food Safety Admini-stration, separate from the Food and DrugAdministration. Rumors and misinter-pretations of the details ran hot and heavyacross the internet.

For the most part, the panic wasunfounded. DeLauro has assured thosewho contacted her that she has nointention of damaging small farms, organicfarming, or taking away backyard gardensand farmers’ markets. The bill does nnoottinclude language regarding any of these.As one analyst put it, there are noguarantees that the bill will even survive inits current form or at all.

While caution is always advised (wherethere is smoke there is fire goes the oldadage) we can take a deep breath and lookat what is being debated. Here are the factsas I have found them.

Yes, food safety issues are front burnerissues for both Congress and the newadministration. We can thank the recentpeanut butter, spinach and tomatosalmonella incidents. Yes, there areregulatory concerns for small as well aslarger producers and businesses. Butnothing is likely to pass quickly.

Several other bills have been introduced,and as is usually the case with major issues

facing Congress, the end result will be ablend of several of them. According to theNational Sustainable AgricultureCoalition, the House Energy andCommerce Committee plans to introduce afood safety bill later this spring, holdhearings, and have action before mid-summer - an ambitious agenda consideringall the other priorities.

What will emerge in the coming weeks isa better idea of what might be included ina committee bill. They may mostly workfrom H.R. 759, the FDA GlobalizationAct of 2009, which would update andexpand FDA’s authority on a wide range offood and drug issues, including more recordrequirements, processing and productionstandards, and traceability.

There are ver y real concerns forproviding more food safety oversight. Andthere are very real issues for food producersand budding enterprises in our local andregional food system. We hope the newfood safety framework recognizes that theissues are dif ferent for someone whoproduces for the local farmers market andfor the 1000 acre vegetable producer whosells wholesale. The solutions must workfor all sizes of farmers and processors andnot overburden the budding local andregional food processors and enterprises.

If the amount of e -mail thataccompanied the introduction of REp.DeLauro's bill is any indication, thefarmers’ market associations, organicfarming groups and small food businessesacross the country are clearly payingattention.

Hearings will be held. More vetting of theproposed law will be heard. We hope thatbased on the hue and cry that went upfrom small farm and food interests thatCongress will pay closer attention to howtheir actions impact those most involved inthe emerging local or regional food systemdevelopment. !


make their living by selling chemicalsand fertilizers, or “crop protectionproducts” as they prefer to call them.

"Americans are juggling jobs withthe needs of children and agingparents," MACA complained to theWhite House. "The time needed totend a garden is not there for themajority of our citizens, certainly not agarden of sufficient productivity tosupply much of a family's year-roundfood needs."

The fertilizer peddlers say the WhiteHouse garden's organic status causesthem to “shudder”, states The Nationarticle. But what truly makes them

Policy

shudder, the article says, is that“putting in an organic garden at what isnot only the White House, but thepeople's house, rings not of someempty symbolic gesture, but of a signthat the tides are turning." ! (From TheNation at www.thenation.com/doc/20090504/noted)

Not Everyone HappyAbout White House Garden

According to The Nation, the MidAmerican CropLife Association(MACA), which represents DowAgroSciences, DuPont Crop Pro-tection and Monsanto, doesn't wantthe first lady getting people thinkingthey can grow safe, healthy, chemical-free food in their backyards.

MACA recently sent a letter to FirstLady Michelle Obama asking her toreconsider her “organic” garden on theWhite House lawn. Apparently theFirst Lady’s announcement that theWhite House kitchen garden would beorganic did not sit well with those who

Battle Over rBGH Awaits Governor’s Decision;

But Questions Will Remain As this goes to press, Kansas

Governor Kathleen Sebelius has yet todecide yea or nay on a bill passed bythe Kansas Legislature requiring adisclaimer on milk and other dairyproducts with labels stating they wereproduced with milk from cows nottreated with the artificial hormonerBGH, (recombinant bovine growthhormone) also known as rBST. Someargue that regardless of her decision,the issue will not likely be put to rest,as this is a bigger issue than justKansas.

The disclaimer which would berequired on any non-rBGH labeledproduct, states that the “Food andDrug Administration (FDA) hasdetermined that no significantdifference has been shown between

milk derived from rBST-supplementedand non-rBST supplemented cows.”In the past, labels simply stated “non-rBGH” or “Made without rBGH”.The artificial growth hormone is usedto increase milk production fromindividual cows.

Opponents of the bill argue that ifthe new label requirements becomelaw, the disclaimer itself will misleadKansans. According to Rick Northof the Oregon Physicians for SocialResponsibility, “A specific statementon a label has the responsibility toensure that the statement is accurate.”North points to the lack of consensusamong groups that all milk is the sameand that rBGH is safe. These includethe American Nurses Association,European Union, Consumers Union,and the United Nation’s main foodsafety body.

Arguing that the approval of rBGHis now 15 years old and was

controversial from the beginning,opponents question the FDAstatement. Health, consumer andagricultural groups argue that newscientific research and the positions ofa number of credible organizationspresent questions whether thedisclaimer is true.

Over two dozen groups from acrossthe country as well as Kansasconsumers have urged the Governor toveto the bill. The milk labeling bill wasintroduced over a year ago by theKansas Dair y Association withapparent urging from the drug’smanufacturer Monsanto.

The bill’s language was inserted intoanother bill that addresses state swinefeeding permits and pesticide andfertilizer law. State legislators thenpassed the bill on to the Governor forher signature.


Briefs


Overbrook Grazing Workshop EncouragesOptimizing Grazing Systems

by Jason Schmidt

Overbrook, Kansas - On March 5th,60 farmers and ranchers gathered atGrace Community Church in Over-brook to learn about improving theirgrazing systems. Topics for the eveningincluded extending the grazing season,cool season grass management,rotational grazing systems, fundingsources, and feeding and water sites.

Gary Kilgore, retired K-State forageprofessor, introduced a number ofalternative forages in his speech, “TheFour Seasons of Grazing.” Kilgoresaid, “The commodity we areproducing is not beef, it’s forages.” Hewent on to challenge the audience toconsider the benefits of grazing versusfeeding hay. In selecting forages,Kilgore said species must be “adaptedto your soil, climate, and managementpractices.” Also, Kilgore stressed theimportance of matching forages to the animal’s nutritional needs.

Kilgore spoke about different typesof forages used for extending thegrazing season, including warm seasonand cool season grasses. Lookingahead to the coming summer months,one warm season annual grass Kilgorehighlighted was crabgrass, particularlythe new forage variety Quick N Big.This new variety is fast growing, highyielding, and high in forage qualitywhen planted in April or May andwith appropriate soil amendments.Another positive trait about crabgrassis that despite being an annual, itreseeds itself for following years.Kilgore also spoke on cool season grass

management, stressing the importanceof soil testing, appropriate fertilizerrates and timing, and optimal harvesttime.

David Kraft, NRCS State RangelandSpecialist, introduced the concept ofrest in rotational grazing systems.During the growing season, givinggrazing plants rest will improve thehealth and vigor of the plant. Kraftstressed that without rest, as in acontinuous grazing system, rootreserves of forage plants will bediminished, which will weaken rootsystems and shift plant communitiesto less desirable forages.

Other benefits of rotational grazing,Kraft suggested, include erosioncontrol by preventing heavy traffic towater sites and along fences, benefitsfor animal handling, and increasedharvest efficiency. Challenges includefencing, water sites, more frequentmanagement presence, and increasedmanagement skills.

Another topic of the eveningincluded services available for farmersand ranchers. Jason Schmidt (KansasRural Center) presented the CleanWater Farms-River Friendly FarmsProject, which helps producers with anenvironmental assessment and wholefarm planning. Paul Ingle (Flint HillsRC&D Melvern Water QualityProject) shared other funding sourcesfor best management practices. Ingle

Heartland Newsdescribed how some funding is nowbeing funneled through WRAPS(Watershed Restoration and ProtectionStrategy) watersheds. To be eligible forfunding from these groups, landownersmust be located within a watershedthat has developed a WRAPS program.(You can find a map and moreinformation at the WRAPS website atwww.kswraps. org.)

Other funding sources Inglementioned included the USDA NRCSEQIP program, the State ConservationCommission, and the USDA-SARE(Sustainable Agriculture Research andEducation) program producer grantprogram.

Herschel George and Will Boyer,Kansas State University WatershedSpecialists, concluded the workshopwith a tag-team presentation onalternative watering and winter feedingsites to protect water quality. Boyerchallenged producers to consider thatthe best option for winter feeding is toextend the grazing season or feed hayon pasture. George stressed theimportance of establishing appropriatewinter feeding sites that have noextraneous drainage, are convenientlylocated, and have good buffers betweenriparian areas.

The grazing workshop was sponsoredby Osage County Extension, MelvernWRAPS Watershed, Flint HillsRC&D, and the Kansas Rural Center.!


Clean Water News

children. “I want to preserve what ishere,” she said. She said her twodaughters understand that. “It doesn’tstop with me,” she said.

A hand-painted journal records herday-to-day experiences on her farm—including her efforts to improve itswater quality. Emmert tells her thatthe journal details her legacy to herchildren and grandchildren. She saidthe journal will show her daughterswhat it takes to preserve a place liketheirs.

A look around the farm and Karns’tenacity in fighting erosion andprotecting water quality is evident. “Ifsomething doesn’t work…come upwith another plan,” she said. And she

wants to pass that knowledge anddedication on to her children. “We’vemade changes and I’ve let the kidsknow what worked and what didn’twork,” she said.

As a landowner, Karns wanted todevelop a pasture that allows thetenant the ability to manage the landand his cattle as sustainably aspossible. Karns said implementing theprocess was well thought out andplanned. “We didn’t jump,” she said.

According to Karns, Emmert urgedher to complete the River FriendlyFarm Project environmental assess-ment tool through the Kansas RuralCenter. Working with Clean WaterFarms Project (CWFP) Field OrganizerEd Reznicek, Karns completed theRFFP notebook.

Karns said the self-assessment madeher think about where the water goesafter leaving her farm. “I didn’t reallythink about what watershed we’re in,”she said. “Now I think about thewater—and sediment—leaving here,going down Elk Creek to the Delaware(River) and eventually ending up inPerry (Reservoir). “

Priority areas the RFFP highlightedfor Karns included restricting cattleaccess to the pond and creek;developing alternative water sourcesfor the cattle in the pasture, andmoving the fuel barrel further awayfrom the well.


Holton, Kansas- Cheri Karnsoverlooks her Jackson County farmand says “How can you not love it?” Itis this love for her farm that hasdriven Karns and her partner, LukeEmmert, to make changes to protectthe farm from erosion and improvewater quality.

Karns said she has seen changes onthe farm since purchasing it in themid-1970s. According to Cherierosion has changed the way the farmlooks in many places. “There areculverts that have washed out andplaces we used to drive across that areno longer there.”

According to Karns, she works hardto have something to give her

CWFP Profile

Love of Place Drives Landowner’s Conservation Work

by Connie Pantle

Cheri Karns, of Holton in Jackson County Kansas, works hard to preserve her JacksonCounty grassland farm, hoping to leave a legacy for her children and grandchildren. Shealso works with her tenant-farmer to ensure good management of the pasture. Photo by C.Pantle

Sustainable Food System News


158 people attended the Farmers Market Conference held in Topeka, Ks. on February23. They represented markets and market interests from Goodland to Kansas City, andLarkin to Leavenworth. Above some of the participants get settled for the morningsession. Photo by M. Taylor-Puckett.

KS Farmers Market Website to Launch in Mayby Mercedes Taylor-Puckett

Whiting, Ks. - Those interested infarmers’ markets will soon have asingular place on the internet to findcomprehensive information. Thewebsite, http://www.ksfarmersmarkets.com will ser ve consumers,producers and market organizers.

Potential shoppers will be able tosearch for farmers’ markets based oncounty, zip code or region as well asdiscover special events, read marketfarmer profiles, obtain recipes forseasonal produce and view a farmersmarket photo gallery.

A section devoted to marketparticipants will offer information ongetting started with farmers markets,production techniques, marketing andtrends and innovations in marketfarming.

Market managers and organizers will

be able to explore a resource librarycontaining KRC and other publi-cations as well as guidelines and bylawsfrom markets across the state.Marketing materials and recipes willalso be available for download.

The ksfarmersmarkets.com willreplace the static farmers marketdirectory maintained by KSUExtension with a full-featured, dynamicwebsite. Markets can submitinformation to be posted on the sitesuch as media releases and calendarevents. "It is KRC's hope, that byconsolidating information for all of themarkets in Kansas, markets can devotemore of their limited resources towardsspecial events and marketenhancements," states Mercedes Taylor-Puckett, Kansas Rural Center’sFarmers’ Market Project Coordinator.

While the website won't launchuntil May, www.ksfarmersmarkets.com currently hosts KRC'sfarmers’ market blog. The KansasFarmers’ Market blog, short forweblog, is a forum for farmers’market information. Guest bloggers,including KRC Farmer Educators,food writers, chefs, market managersand professionals supporting markets,will regularly add posts.

The website is funded by a KansasDepartment of Agriculture SpecialtyCrop Block Grant and a USDA AMSFarmers Market Promotion ProgramGrant. !

Grazing Workshop4-Legged Forage

Harvester WorkshopMay 13, 2009 5 p.m.

Knights of Columbus Hall212 Iowa St. Olpe, Ks.

5- 5:30 p.m. Registration atKnights of Columbus Hall , Olpe

5:30 Field Visit- Forages andwatering facilitiesMeal -Catered by Chicken House

For reservations callLyon Co. Extension

620-341-3220 by May 7.Presentations on Cool SeasonGrass Management by GaryKilgore (KSU Professor Emeritus)and River Friendly FarmEnvironmental Assessment byDale Kirkham (Ks. Rural Center)Sponsored by: Lyon and GreenwoodCounty Extension, Fall River andUpper Verdigris/ Toronto LakeWRAPS, Flint Hills RC& D, &Kansas Rural Center.



Lawrence, Ks. - Global Partners for Local Organic Foods is a project of theKansas Rural Center (KRC) in cooperation with the International Federation ofOrganic Agriculture Movements - Japan (IFOAM - Japan).

The partnership seeks to explore ways to further interest in small-scale, organicfarming and establish personal relationships between food producers andconsumers in areas of both countries where rural communities once thrived butare now in decline. Target areas for our cross-cultural dialogue are twoagricultural heartlands — The Kansas River Valley, centered in Lawrence, Kansas,and Saitama Prefecture, Japan (northwest of Tokyo). Coming out of thisexperience we hope to develop innovative pilot projects that will incorporatepromising cultural approaches to spread interest in organic, locally producedfoods in our respective communities.

Japanese consumers have strong interests in the provenance of the food theyeat, and how it was grown. Even today, much of their food system maintainscultural relationships built on smaller stores and firmer ties with farmers. At thesame time, they are experiencing the rise of fast food, and accompanyingnutritional disease.

The Project’s website is up and running with materials available in Japaneseand English. You can visit it at: http://www.gplof.org/.

A team of 10 farmers, retailers and extension professionals will be visitingSaitama in mid-May. They will be hosting a reciprocal visit from the Japaneseteam in late June. Public events during their visit include the Miles AwardsCeremony and Local Foods Tasting on June 25, a Japanese Foods CookingDemonstration on June 27 and a Forum on Local Organic Foods in Japan onJune 29. Please go to the website for updates. !

Global Partners for Local Organic FoodsWebsite is On-Line

Global Partners EventsJapanese Foods Cooking DemonstrationWhen: Sat, Jun 27, 2009 8:30 AM - Sat, Jun 27, 2009 9:30 AMWhere: Downtown Lawrence Farmers Market, Lawrence, KSVisiting Japanese organic food professionals will peruse the Lawrence farmersmarket to find ingredients for Japanese dishes they will prepare at the cookingdemonstration tent at the market. Free samples and recipes will be available.

Miles Awards Ceremony & Local Foods TastingWhen: Thu, Jun 25, 2009 7:00 PM - Thu, Jun 25, 2009 9:00 PMWhere: Liberty Hall, Lawrence, KSCome join our celebration of food producers in our region who supply fruits,vegetables, and meats to local restaurants, grocery stores, and farmers’markets.


Sustainable Food System NewsKRC Announces 2009 Market Farmer Educators

In order to grow farmers’ markets,markets need to grow new growers andenhance the skills of currentproducers. The Kansas Rural Centerhas selected Jill Elmers, RosannaBauman, Jozie Schimke and BrianHenry to serve as farmers marketproducer mentors and advisors in2009.

These sustainable farmer educators,master farmers who have acquired aspecialized value-added expertise, willeducate and coach other farmers byresponding to inquiries, sharingexperiences, suggesting availableresources and making presentations atfarmers’ market meetings, workshopsand field days. "By promoting farmer-to-farmer learning opportunities, theRural Center hopes to develop

opportunities for market producers toenrich their knowledge base and gaininspiration. These four educators arerepresentative of a new breed offarmers in that they are young andhave adapted new techniques andinnovative marketing strategies, " saysMercedes Taylor-Puckett, KansasRural Center’s Farmers’ MarketProject Coordinator.

KRC Farmer Educators will alsohost field days on their own farms.The Bauman's Cedar Valley Farmstour will take place on Friday, May15th in Garnett. Participants willhave the opportunity to see theirmulti-species pasture stacking systemin operation, brooder chicks andducks, as well as beef, lamb, poultry,eggs, and waterfowl on grass.

Schimke and Henry, of EarthFlowers, have set Saturday June 20thas the date for a farm tour andworkshops at the Henrys’ Plant Farmin rural Douglas County. Theregeneral tour of the flower fields andhoop and greenhouses as well as twoafternoon workshops focused onsucculents and bouquet making.

Additional information on theFarmer Educators, workshops andtours will be available on theksfarmersmarkets.com website and theKansas Farmers Market blog or bycontacting Mercedes Taylor-Puckett,Kansas Rural Center’s Farmers MarketProject Coordinator at 785.840.6202or [email protected].!

Market Managers and Board Members Attend Training WorkshopsMaking connections and creating a

learning network for Kansas' farmers'markets is the goal for a series of threeMarket Manager/Board Workshops in2009.

The first workshop served a forum toget to know one another and ourmarkets, share guidelines and bylaws,discuss how we promote our marketsand make plans for future oppor-tunities. Eight managers/boardmembers traveled to Emporia onMarch 7th for this lively workshopcomplete with a local foods lunch.

The second workshop, held on April4th in Manhattan, focused onmanaging conflict, creating consensus,developing efficient and effectiveplanning strategies, and vendorrecruitment. Jerry Jost served as thefeatured presenter and shared a wealthof information he has gathered over

his many years of work with marketsacross the state and the numerousmarkets and workshops he hasattended across the nation.

The final workshop in this series,scheduled for June 10th in Andover,will be devoted to learning how toconduct Rapid Market Assessments.Developed by Larry Lev, Linda Brewerand Gary Stephenson of Oregon StateUniversity, a Rapid Market Assessmentis an easy, effective, and thoroughmeans for gaining quality marketresearch about a farmers' market.

Workshop participants will discoverhow a Rapid Market Assessment canoffer an intense one-time market-daysnapshot of their market. A RMA"swat team" of "outside" marketmanagers and others use simple, testedmethods to: count market customers,

survey customers with a dot survey,and compile market observations andrecommendations. At this workshop,market organizers and support pro-fessionals will acquire the skills toparticipate in and conduct an RMA.

By conducting an RMA, a marketcan learn consumer motivations forshopping at the market, how muchconsumers spend and are willing tospend at the market and surroundingbusinesses, as well as the total volumeof market traffic. Organizers can alsocustomize their assessment to fit theinformation needs of the market.

For additional details and registrationinformation for this workshop, pleasecontact Mercedes Taylor-Puckett, at785.840.6202 or [email protected] . !



Rosanna Bauman Cedar Valley FarmsThe Bauman family from Garnett, Kansas is best known for their pastured

chicken and eggs, but Bauman’s Cedar Valley Farms (CVF) is a diverse familyfarm that also produces beef, lamb, turkey, duck, milk, and traditional row crops.Although the Bauman’s began farming just eight years ago, Rosanna grew up inthe family retail business. This helps to explain CVF’s emphasis on relationshipmarketing. When the Bauman’s moved to their small 180-acre farm in 2001, theyrealized that the best recipe for small farm success was to become a sustainable,direct marketing business. Their meat and dairy products have been marketed as“all-natural” to groceries and restaurants for the past six years in addition to theirlocal farmers’ market and on-farm sales. The pastures and row-crops are certifiedorganic. Today, the Baumans are the only producers in Kansas who raise andprocess their poultry on farm in an inspected facility.

Jill Elmers Moon on the MeadowJill Elmers owns and operates Moon on the Meadow, a 4.5 acre certified

organic farm within the city limits of Lawrence, Kansas. Along with selling atthe Downtown Lawrence Farmers' Market, Jill operates a CSA with threedistribution sites in the Kansas City metro area and one in Topeka. Sheoffers her CSA subscribers weekly eNewsletters and recipes throughout theseason. Jill is active with the KSU Growing Growers program and Moon onthe Meadow has hosted four apprentices. In the winter of 2007, Jill erected ahoop house to extend and diversify her offering in the early and late marketseasons.

Brian Henry and Jozie Schimke Earth FlowersBrian Henry and Jozie Schimke started Earth Flowers in 1997, and they’ve

been growing and evolving ever since. From their beginning as a part-time gardendesign, installation and maintenance company they have branched out into cutflowers, flowering shrubs, aquatic plants and their favorite – succulents.In addition to the Downtown Lawrence Farmers’ Market, where they have beenvendors for 10 years, Brian and Jozie sell at a local natural foods store, a localnursery and a local water garden store. Earth Flower’s mission is to bring “thebeauty and diversity of plant life on earth” to its hometown.

KRC’s Farmers' Market Educators

Rural Papers,March-April 2009

To protect the riparian and timberareas, Karns received EnvironmentalQuality Incentive Program (EQIP)funding through Natural ResourcesConservation Service (NRCS) to fencethe timber and riparian areas along thecreek. The timber is flash grazed tocontrol undergrowth and weeds—allwhile protecting the diversity of thearea.

Karns said the farm’s timber is abeautiful area with a variety of treesand wildlife. She said Emmert workedto clean it up following the region’s icestorm in December of 2007. “He is anavid woodsman,” she said, referring tohis knowledge of forestry managementand ability to properly identify trees.

Karns said looking back at history isenough to motivate her to make thesechanges on her farm. She andEmmert both recently read “TheWorst Hard Time: The Untold Storyof Those Who Survived the GreatAmerican Dust Bowl” by TimothyEgan. She said the book makes youthink about the Dust Bowl and “relateit to where we are now”.

Karns feels managing the land isone way she can leave a legacy for herchildren and grandchildren. “Wecan’t control it but we can pick up andfix it. If we don’t—no one else will,”she said. !

Karnes Profile...Continued from page 5

Karns said prior to completing theRFFP, the couple didn’t think aboutthe fuel barrel’s proximity to thehousehold well. They had, in fact,just relocated it to another locationwithin the perimeter of the well.“You don’t think about all thosethings,” she said. Since completingthe RFFP, she said they moved thefuel barrel again—this time away fromthe well.

Overall, she said the notebook raisesawareness for a landowner and farmeralike. “I’m a firm believer in thewhole program,” she said.

To implement a plan for theremaining two priority areas, Karnsapplied for and received cost-share torun a waterline for an alternativewatering system. Karns updated anexisting well at the top of the hill,

allowing the water to gravity feed tothe three watering points in thepasture.

Working with Jackson CountyConservation District, Cheri alsoreceived non-point source (NPS)funding through the StateConservation Commission to assist inpurchasing two automatic waterers.Karns also installed a third wateringpoint—a hydrant and water tankcombination using her own funds.

Installing these watering pointsallowed Karns and Emmert to fencethe pasture into six different paddocksfor a managed grazing system. Cheriworks with her renter to develop aplan to utilize the forages—all whileconsidering soil conservation andwater quality on the farm.

Clean Water News

Concerned about Elk Creek and the timber area, Karnes fenced the area off, usingEQIP funds from USDA’s NRCS. The timber is flash-grazed to control undergrowthand weeds. Photo by E. Reznicek.


Fourth F: Forages...CCoonnttiinnuueedd ffrroomm ppaaggee 11

Cattle are being grown for longerperiods on grass and enteringfeedlots heavier. This has created ahigher demand for pastures forstocker cattle. Prices paid to rentpastures in the Flint Hills, a majorarea for growing stocker cattleenroute to feedlots, have risensharply. Because of high prices forcorn and other grains, costs perpound of gain are generally loweron pasture. Stocker cattle are beinggrazed longer through the summerwith fewer stocker owners using theintensive early stocking program inwhich cattle are generally taken offpasture in mid to late July. Manymore stocker cattle were main-tained on grass throughout the2008 growing season than inprevious years.

Because stocker operators arewilling to pay higher prices forpastures, cow-calf operators areforced to ante up to have forage fortheir cowherds. Unfortunately,some cattlemen feel pressured tograze pastures more closely, leavingless cover at the end of the season,when times are hard and cash isshort.

This can damage the vigor of thegrasses and other forage plants andexpose the topsoil to erosion.Excessive grazing in one year resultsin weakened plants and less foragethe following season, compoundingthe erosion problem. Abundantrainfall during the spring andsummer of 2008 were kind to

Clean Water Newsand thus greater runoff anderosion unless stocking rates arereduced to match forageproduction.

Several producers in southeastKansas have opted to use poultrywastes from Missouri and Okla-homa to replace commercialfertilizers. However, special storageand application techniques areneeded to prevent nutrient runoffand water quality problems instreams and lakes below, a problemthat led to a major lawsuit overwater quality between the twostates.

Interseeding of legumes intotame pastures is an option to offsetnitrogen application. However,much of the nitrogen fixed by thebacteria on the roots are actuallyincorporated into the legumeplants and unavailable to thegrasses until the legumes die anddecompose. Soil tests and buildingthe level of phosphorus in the soilprior to seeding is critical aslegumes are heavy users of thenutrient. However, most of thephosphorus is recycled into the soilunder grazing situations andadditional applications may not beneeded.


stockmen in many parts of Kansasand masked the potential longtermoveruse of pastures.

Pastures in some areas, especiallywhere smooth brome and tall fescueare major forages, are beingconverted to commodity crops byfarmers looking to cash in on $3.50and higher corn and $8.50 or morefor soybeans. This not only reducesoverall forage supplies but alsoimpacts water quality in that runofffrom crop fields has a record ofcarrying greater concentrations ofsilt and nutrients, even when no-tillcropping practices used. While notdirectly related, the nation’s foragebase is being further reducedthrough conversion of grasslands tohousing developments and non-grazed recreational uses.

Introduced forages such as tallfescue, smooth brome andbermudagrass need significantadditions of nitrogen andphosphorus to produce well. Atcurrent fertilizer prices, manyproducers are cutting or omittingthese nutrient applications. Theoutcome is less forage and plantcover to protect the soil resource,

EExxtteennddiinngg tthheeggrraazziinngg sseeaassoonn wwiitthhssttoocckk--ppiilleedd ffoorraaggeessrreedduucceess ffeeeedd ccoossttssaanndd ccoonncceennttrraattiioonnssooff mmaannuurree aatt ffeeeeddiinnggsites.

Rural Papers March-April 2009

Clean Water News

Fourth F: Forages...Continued from page 11

Supplemental feeds, especially hay,often account for about two-thirds ofthe cost of maintaining the cow herd.More stockmen are looking for ways toextend the grazing season and reducesupplemental feeding. Stockpilingforages, allowing forage to accumulateduring late summer and early fall, hasseveral advantages.

Winter grazing of forages with lesssupplemental feeding saves labor andcosts as well as reducing manureconcentrations at feeding sites. Thisworks especially well with tall fescue inthe eastern portion of the state whereit holds forage quality (10-12 percentcrude protein) well into the wintermonths.

Research has shown that cattle willgraze through several inches of snow toobtain forage. Dormant native grasses

like bluestem and Indiangrass arealso valuable sources of energy for drycows when supplemental protein isprovided

to maintain diet quality. Otheroptions include crop aftermath,winter cereals, turnips, and standingor windrowed forage sorghums.

Grazing distribution within pasturesis always a challenge for livestockproducers. Forage use by animals isinfluenced by water supplies, shade,soil types and fertility, plant species,wind directions and previous grazing.Management practices to achievemore uniform grazing use throughoutpastures will increase harvestefficiency and production per acre.Relocation of salt-mineral feeders,dusters, back rubs, supplementalfeeding sites, and waterers can oftenimprove grazing patterns as well aswater quality. Rotational grazingsystems have also proven to improveharvest efficiency and can often be

implemented using existing pasturesor a minimum of cross fencing.

The other side of the harvestefficiency equation is the livestockdoing the grazing. After about threedecades of selection for larger, faster-growing stock, cattlemen have startedto look seriously at feed efficiency as aselection criterion. Research hasshown that some cattle can achievethe same growth on 20 percent lessfeed than their herdmates. The nextstep is identification of those geneticlines with this inherent ability andincorporation of those into cow herdsaround the county. Recent advancesin DNA technology include theidentification of gene markers forfeed efficiency.

The cost of the three F’s (feed, fuel,and fertilizer) has been a commonsubject at meetings and coffee shopswhere livestock producers gather.During current times when energyand those goods and services that areenergy dependent are costing more,the management of grazing landswhere the endless supply of solarenergy is captured and converted tousable forages for livestock pro-duction deserves greater con-sideration. Efficient production andharvest of the fourth F (forages) willby necessity gain greater attention bystockmen planning to sustain theiroperations.

The Kansas Rural Center offersgrazing consultations free of charge toproducers wishing to improve theirforage management. For moreinformation, contact KRC at 785-873-3431 or via email at [email protected]. !

Crop residue is an option for extending the grazing season, as are winter cerealcrops, turnips and standing forage sorghums. File Photo.


Low Milk Prices Hurt Dairy Farmers

While some of the supporters ofrBGH (see story page 3 and above)argue they need the hormone to becompetitive, it appears that there areother villains depressing the milkindustry, or at least the prices paid tothe dairy farmers.

Milk prices paid to dairy farmershave been cut in half since lastsummer with producers losing asmuch as $3 a day on each cow,resulting in hard culling of herds, andcutting corners anyway they can.

High input costs including feedduring 2008 started a pinch on thosedairymen who buy most of their feed .The global recession has reducedexports according to some sources,and the recession at home has driven

down demand for milk and milkproducts. Retail prices have remainedhigh.

Traditional market analysis says thattoo much supply drove prices down.But according to Iowa dairymen whorallied at their state capitol in midApril, imported dairy products andlack of governmental oversight arecausing part or all of the problem.

The National Family Farm Coalition(NFFC) recently commissioned areport on the dairy industry thatconcluded that a “few elite players withlittle or no governmental oversight arerunning the dairy markets.”

Milk prices, the NFFC report claimsand quoted by farmers at the Iowarally, began to fall in late 2008 in spiteof data on exports and imports thatsuggest it should not have happened.

“If too much milk drove farm milkprices down,” the report states, “thereis no easy explanation for the dairyexports and imports of December2008.” In December 2008 two formerDairy Farmers of America (DFA)executives and the organization agreedto pay a $12 million civil penalty forattempting to manipulate milk futures. At the Iowa rally, dair y farmersquestioned why DFA, a farmercooperative had 12 licenses to importdairy products into the U.S.

The Iowa farmers have asked for acongressional investigation into dairyand commodity price manipulation,passage of a milk marketing improve-ment act, and enforcement of anti-trustlaws. For the NFFC study, go towww.nffc.net/Pressroom. ! (From Iowa Independent April 16, 2009; and

Wichita Eagle March 28, 2009)

0 PolicyDecision on rBGH...

CCoonnttiinnuueedd ffrroomm ppaaggee 33State legislators were bombarded

with e-mails from people -- many fromout of state-- objecting to the labelinglaw. Many legislators appear to haveinterpreted this as interference in statebusiness, voting, some argue, againstthe broader consumer interests andconcerns.

The labeling issue is part of anationwide push in a number of statesby some in the dairy industry andfrom the manufacturer of rBGH whoinsist consumers re being duped intobelieving the rBGH products areunsafe. Others claim it is a campaignto combat falling sales of the artificialhormone. Consumer preference formilk and dairy products from cowsnot treated with the artificial growthhormone created a growing market

and opportunity for those not usingthe artificial hormone.

Monsanto, who developed rBGHamidst great controversy andrevolving doors between the FDA andthe giant agribusiness company,shepherded rBGH to approval in1993 Monsanto sold the productdivision to Eli Lilli in 2008. Someclaim it was the decline in sales thatled to Monsanto dumping the non-profitable product.

In Kansas it is estimated that only asmall minority of dairies use rBGH.

The Kansas Department ofAgriculture, which supports the newlaw, claims that the new label willprovide more information for theconsumer not less. Many dair yproduct manufacturers are concerned

that if passed, Kansas will havedifferent labeling regulations thansurrounding states, making productdistribution difficult.

In the meantime, the list of dairyfood processors who will not buy milkfrom cows treated with the artificialhormone continues to grow. How theywill label their products -- or if they willlabel their products as non-rBGH inthe future --is up in the air, especiallyin Kansas. !

For a list of the top 100 Dair ymanufacturers who do not use rBGH, go tothe KRC website:

www.kansasruralcenter. org. The list was compiled by Rick North and

Gretchen Miller, Oregon Physicians forSocial Responsibility, 503-968-1520,[email protected].

Briefs

Rural Papers March-April 2009

Briefs Gene Altered Crops DoLittle to Increase Yields

According to a new report releasedin mid-April by the Union ofConcerned Scientists, genetic engi-neering has failed to meet its promiseof significantly increasing crop yields.

Failure to Yield is the first report toclosely evaluate the overall effectgenetic engineering has had on cropyields in relation to other agriculturaltechnologies. The study reviewed twodozen academic studies of corn andsoybeans, the two primary geneticallyengineered food and feed crops in theU.S.

The report concluded thatgenetically engineered herbicide-tolerant soybeans and herbicidetolerant corn has not increased yields.Insect-resistant corn has improvedyields only marginally. The increase inyields for both crops over the past 13years, according to the report, waslargely due to traditional breeding orimprovements in agricultural practices.

Biotechnology companies argue thatgenetic engineering is essential tomeeting the need for greater agricul-tural productivity. While the reportconsiders the technology’s potentialrole in increasing food production incoming decades, it suggests it makeslittle sense to support geneticengineering at the expense of othertechnologies proven to substantiallyincrease yields, especially indeveloping countries.

Those proven approaches includemodern conventional plant breedingmethods, sustainable and organic

report a shortage of non-GMOsoybean seed. Some believe the highadoption rates of genetically modifiedsoybeans by farmers are ‘artificiallyengineered’ by seed companies that areshelving non-GMO varieties so farmershave no choice.” (From Organic &Non-GMO Report, April 2009).

ATTRA News Provides Best Info on Alternatives

Since 1976, the National Center forAppropriate Technology has beenproviding information and access toappropriate technology for small andalternative farming and energy needs.

The monthly newsletter, ATTRANews, as well as their website, is thebest and most diversified source ofinformation on a wide range ofsubjects important to the small tomiddle sized farmer and food relatedbusinesses.

The theme of the February-March2009 issue of ATTRA News is “Readyfor Challenges”. Articles range fromthe timely topics of the day to themore practical including: Change: AWay of Life; Agriculture, ClimateChange and Carbon Sequestration;Agriculture’s Role in Climate Change:Sustainable Small Scale NurseryProduction; and Producing Plants inContainers.

You can access the ATTRA websiteand the newsletter at www.attra.ncat.org. !

farming , and other sophisticatedfarming practices that do not requirefarmers to pay significant upfrontcosts. The report also recommendsthat U.S. food aid organizations makethese more promising and affordablealternatives available to farmers indeveloping countries.

For more information or to viewthe report, go to www.ucs.org. !(From Union of Concerned Scientists pressrelease April 14, 2009.)

High Adoption of GM Seedsis Due to Lack of Non-GM

According to the Organic and Non-GMO Report, biotechnology com-panies claim that the domination ofagricultural markets by geneticallymodified seeds proves the superiorityof such products and a preference forthem among producers world wide.However, observers outside theindustry see a growing monopolybased on aggressive marketingstrategies.

Senior scientist David Quist atNorway’s Center for Biosafety, saysthat as of 2008 an overwhelmingmajority of corn seed varieties andnearly all soybean varieties offered bysix of the largest U.S. seed sellers areGM. “Farmers are starting to see thatthey have few to no non-GMOoptions, which forces them to paytechnology fees they don’t want ordon’t need, just to get at the varietalgenetics that they do want.”

U.S. non-GMO soybean suppliers

Resources


Resources and Events

Contributors to the Kansas Rural Center’s work topromote sustainable agriculture in Kansas receiveKRC’s newsletter, Rural Papers, 6 issues/year,and other Center special reports and informationalerts. Subscriptions are available for $25/year.

Celebrating 30 Years of Farming With NatureKANSAS RURAL CENTER - RURAL PAPERS

____Yes, I want to support Sustainable Agriculture in Kansas and subscribe to Rural Papers. Here’s my contribution:_____ $25 ____ $50 ____$100 ____ Other

Or here is my subscription: _____ $25

Name: ________________________________Address: ________________________________

_________________________________

E-mail: __________________________________

Make Checks Payable to:Kansas Rural Center

304 PrattWhiting, Ks. 66552

Hoop houses can help small-scalefarmers grow more and extend theirseason, and help other farmersdiversify their operations.

The webinar will cover:* the uses and benefits of hoop

houses including increases in cropquality and yields;

* different types of hoop houses;* construction, materials an cost

estimates;* management of crops, soil fertility

pests and weeds’ * and the economics and marketing

of crops.

Please register at www.attr.ncat.org/webinars2009/hoophouses. On theday of the seminar, please join 15minutes early to allow the requiredsoftware to download. !

and Miscellaneous Poisonous Plants.

Copies can be purchased for $25inclusive of tax and handling from theFort Hays State University AlumniAssociation, on line at www.fhsu.edu/alumni/plantbook.shtml, or bycalling 785-628-4430. !

NCAT To Hold Webinar onHoop Houses

The National Center forAppropriate Technology (NCAT) willhost a free 60- minute webinar onMay 7 at 11 a.m. MDT. Presentersfor the online seminar are NCAThorticulture specialists TammyHinman and Andy Pressman.Hinman holds a Bachelor’s degree inhorticulture food crops and ento-mology and a Master’s in food systemsstudies. Pressman has a Master’s insustainable systems. He is a certifiedpermaculture designer. Both havemarket farming experience as well asexperience in building and growing inhoop houses.

Pasture and Range PlantsGuide Available

Pasture and Range Plants is a musthave reference tool for anyone whowants to know what is growing aroundthem, according to KRC’s Clean WaterFarms Project field staff. Fort HaysState University released the secondedition of its highly popular and usefulguide to plant life in the NorthAmerican Plains in the summer of2008.

First created as six booklets anddistributed in 1955, it was aimed atincreasing practical knowledge of rangeplants. Proving popular, the firstedition book was published in 1963.

The second edition includes digitallyremastered plant illustrations, anddetailed descriptions, livestock andwildlife recommendations and otheruseful facts about the prairie grassesand plants that abound in Kansas.

The book is divided into sections onGrasses, Legumes, Forbs, Woody Plants

Change Service Requested

Kansas Rural CenterP.O. Box 133Whiting, Ks. 66552(785) [email protected]

Non-ProfitOrganization

U.S. Postage PAIDPERMIT NO. 5

CalendarMonday May 11 Grazing

Management TeleconferenceCall, 7:30 p.m.to 9 p.m. ContactKRC office or Connie Pantle [email protected], or theKRC website for call-in informa-tion.

Wednesday, May 13 GrazingWorkshop, Knights of ColumbusHall, Olpe, Ks. Contact Lyon Co.Extension 620-341-3220 by May 7for meal reservation. See page 6 orKRC website for more informa-tion.

Monday June 8 GrazingManagement TeleconferenceCall, 7:30 p.m.to 9 p.m. ContactKRC office or Connie Pantle [email protected], or theKRC website for call-in informa-tion.

Sunday, June 28 Kansas CityUrban Farm and Garden Tour,featuring locations throughout themetro area: community and homegardens, educational and chari-table gardens, and urban farms.

Contact KC Center for UrbanAgriculture at 913-831-2444;Updates to the KCCUA events canbe found at:www.urbanfarmstourkc.com.

Tuesday, June 30, No-Till Whirl-wind Expo Field Day, Holton.Details available soon. ContactDelaware WRAPS 785-284-0080,or mkbosworth@north windts.com.

Sunday-Tuesday,August 2-4,National Sustainable AgricultureCoalition Summer meeting,Lawrence, Ks. More informationwill be available later at the NSACwebsite: www.sustainableagriculture.net.

Please check the KRC website forupdated and more detailedcalendar and announcementinformation at:

www.kansasruralcenter.org/calendar.html

Inside This IssueNo. 230

March-April 2009*Focus on the Fourth F: Feed,

Fuel, Fertilizers, and Forages

* Small Farmer Commentary:Panic on the Internet; SmallFarmers Fears Unfounded

* Battle Over rBGH AwaitsGovernor’s Decisions

* Grazing Workshop EncouragesOptimal Grazing Season

* CWFP Profile: Love of PlaceDrives Conservation Work

* Kansas Farmer’s MarketWebsite to Launch In May

* Global Partners for LocalOrganic Foods Website NowOnline

* 2009 Farmer EducatorsAnnounced

* Briefs* Resources and Events* Calendar

r u ral p ap ersold.kansasruralcenter.org/publications/20090304krcrp.pdf · 2009. 3. 4. · p ag e...

Documents