December Webinars - Introduction to Rotational Grazing

The Missouri Beginning Farmers Program will continue its monthly webinars in December with two presentations from Fred Martz, retired animal scientist from the University of Missouri Extension.

After more than 50 years of agricultural teaching and research, Fred Martz retired in 1997 and now focuses on a business he enjoyed all his life, farming. With 450 acres located on the outskirts of northeastern Columbia, Martz assists his son, Kevin, in tending to 150 cattle, 24 ewes, 50 lambs, 100 hens and one protective llama on a daily basis. An innovator in utilizing rotational grazing, Martz turned to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) in 1997 for financial and technical assistance to further expand and modernize his system. He now has 60 paddocks which allow him to move four groups of cattle from paddock to paddock every 2-3 days. The process protects the health of the pasture, makes the herd easier to handle and increases the performance and profitability of his livestock. “We take the cattle off the land and allow the pasture to rest anywhere from 20-to-40 days,” Martz said. “This allows plants time to refurbish and develop vegetative tops while also keeping the roots vigorous.” He adds that he feeds hay from January through March to supplement the dormant winter pastures. Martz is former president of the Missouri Forage and Grassland Council and says he has had an interest in pasture management for as long as he can remember.

When: Monday December 5th, 7-8:30 pm
Introduction to Rotational Grazing, Part 1
To join the meeting: http://univmissouri.adobeconnect.com/r4df9pp4oza/ and sign in as a guest

When: Monday December 12th, 7-8:30 pm
Introduction to Rotational Grazing, Part 2
To join the meeting: http://univmissouri.adobeconnect.com/r37lh9hufpg/ and sign in as a guest

Missouri Livestock Symposium offers free expert advice, Dec. 2-3 in Kirksville

Whether your animals moo, bleat or whinny, the 2011 Missouri Livestock Symposium, Dec. 2-3 in Kirksville, will have helpful tips for your farm or ranch.

“We have some of the best speakers in the country coming to the Kirksville Middle School,” said Garry L. Mathes, chair of the MLS planning committee. “Since the symposium is free, and so are the meals, I doubt there is a better buy anywhere.”

Speakers will cover topics on beef cattle and forages, horses, sheep, meat goats and stock dogs. The Missouri Livestock Symposium is organized and run by a 20-member volunteer committee representing all livestock species and multiple agriculture-related agencies and educational institutions.

Beef

Dave Pratt, founder of Ranching for Profit, will be a big draw for livestock producers. Pratt will give multiple talks on efficient and profitable techniques for farms and ranches. The former University of California Extension specialist has taught practical farm and ranch management to producers since 1992. Topics will include “Three Secrets to Profit,” “Working on the Business,” “Knowing What Numbers Mean,” Hard Work and Harmony,” “Wealthy on the Balance Sheet, Broke at the Bank” and a Q-and-A session.

“Dave Pratt speaks all over the world and his schools can cost producers more than $2,000 to attend, so this is a golden opportunity to hear Dave at no cost,” Mathes said.

Beef cattle health will be the focus of an expert panel discussion moderated by Rod Geisert, University of Missouri professor of animal science. Covering pinkeye and trichomoniasis and other perennial issues, these specialists will field questions from the audience.

Justin Sexten, an MU Extension state beef specialist, will turn his eye toward efficiency of operations in “Feed Costs, Feed Efficiency and Profit.”

The Missouri Beef Council will team up with the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association to debut some new cuts that are coming to the meat counter thanks to beef checkoff dollars. Cooking and taste tests will be part of the program.

Sheep and goats

Sheep and goat producers can expect to hear national experts present about the biggest producer problems.

T.A. Yazwinski, University of Arkansas, will share new strategies and products to control worms and internal parasites. Susan Schoenian, University of Maryland, will cover both ends of the beast, including feed costs and foot health.

Veterinarian Bob Fielder of McArthur, Calif., will bring the discussion to better sheep and goat breeding. He will also talk about how to keep a producer’s flock or herd healthy.

Horses

Equine producers and aficionados will learn from Van Hargis, Sulfur Springs, Texas. His talks will discuss standing while mounting and bit education.

Veterinarian and author Ted Stashak of Northern California will turn attention to the tender issue of wound care. Emily Costello, Truman State University equine specialist, will round out the program by moderating an equine panel to explain a variety of horse topics and field audience questions.

Other sessions will include livestock and farm protection, backyard poultry production and management, the Farmers Care program, providing safe food to consumers, the impact of food and drink on the history of the world, available grant money to improve farmstead efficiency, and floral arranging. Stock dog owners can also receive tips from training expert Lyle East of Clinton, Mo.

The Missouri Livestock Symposium will feature a trade show on Friday, a classic tractor contest and display, and entertainment Saturday evening by Becky Blackaby. Those attending will eat a free beef meal at 6 p.m. Friday, free donuts and drinks Saturday morning and free lunch Saturday.

No pre-registration is required and the all programs are free.

For a full schedule and information on hotel accommodations and speakers, go to http://www.missourilivestock.com/. More information is also available on the Missouri Livestock Symposium's Facebook page, or by calling 660-665-9866 or 660-341-6625.

The Basics in Beekeeping in Missouri

A workshop on “The Basics of Beekeeping in Missouri” will be held Friday, December 2 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Missouri Department of Conservation Northeast Regional Office in Kirksville. The workshop is sponsored by University of Missouri Extension and is limited to the first 20 people that register.

The workshop will be taught by experienced beekeepers, Jim and Valerie Duever, of Jim ‘n’ I Farms, Inc. They have been keeping bees for honey production for about 10 years on their farm in Bachelor, MO. Jim is the President of the Boone Regional Beekeepers Association.

There will be five sessions throughout the day. The first session will discuss parts of the bee and their functions, members of the hive, and society inside the hive. The second session will discuss parts of the hive and the equipment needed. The third session will focus on getting started-what to know your first year, where to set up, how to install, and what to do to keep the bees alive. The fourth session will be hands-on with construction of a hive to give away as a door prize. The fifth session will be a Q&A and information for further education and research including a list of recommended readings, associations, local contacts, etc.

A boxed lunch will be available and must be paid for when you register. Pre-registration is required by November 29. More information and a flyer with registration information can be found here  or to register call the Adair County Extension Center at 660-665-9866 or email.

Happy Thanksgiving

The Missouri Beginning Farmer Program wishes everyone a very Happy Thanksgiving.  Take time to enjoy the beautiful weather (at least here in Columbia the sun is shining and the temperature is warm), family, friends and good food.

Applications Being Accepted Now for Value-Added Agriculture Projects

The Missouri Department of Agriculture announced that the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority is now accepting applications for grants to assist farmers with business planning expenses for projects that develop, process, or market agricultural goods.

Grants are awarded on a competitive basis, and applications evaluated on their economic development potential for the agriculture industry, credibility and merit, probability of near-term commercialization and practical application of project results, source and level of matching funds and the geographic location of the project’s economic impact.

“Grants, like these for value-added agriculture, are important tools for Missouri’s producers and agribusinesses as they work to expand their operations and realize new opportunities,” said Director of Agriculture Dr. Jon Hagler. “As Missouri agriculture continues to grow, our Department of Agriculture will lead the way in supporting our farmers’ innovations in production and processing technology and in the future of our industry.”

In 2011, the Missouri Department of Agriculture and the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority awarded more than $1 million in grants to assist value-added agriculture.

Past projects have included feasibility studies for international exports, local meat processing and renewable energy, as well as waste management and agricultural processing. Projects funded in previous years have also included business plans. and marketing plans for locally produced dairy and poultry products, biomass pellets, compost products, and specialty grains.

The maximum individual grant is $200,000, with at least 10 percent of the available funding going to grant requests of $25,000 or less. Applicants are required to provide a 10 percent cash match toward eligible expenses, which do not include operating expenses, salaries or capital improvements.

These grants are funded through the purchase of tax credits and administered by the Missouri Agricultural and Small Business Development Authority board.

To read more click here and to download the application click here.

Applications must be received by MASBDA no later than 5:00 p.m. January 13, 2012. Incomplete applications will not be accepted. For more information on the program and complete guidelines, visit mda.mo.gov or contact MASBDA.

MU Preparing to Raise Saltwater Shrimp

Dr. David Brune is setting up a greenhouse at the University of Missouri's Bradford Research Farm that will allow him to grow Pacific white shrimp.

Brune said he hopes to apply more than two decades of his research to this project. Before coming to MU, he worked at Clemson University in South Carolina, where he developed the university's patented system. The primary difference between the pond and Brune's system is a series of raceways. They are like lanes in a highway and allow the shrimp to grow at much higher densities than in conventional ponds. Another key piece of his design is growing algae with the shrimp to provide oxygen and clean up the water. After several years of experimenting with this process, Brune was able to achieve a huge leap in fish production.

“When we started doing this, (the farmers) were producing 5,000 pounds of fish per acre," Brune said. "After a few years, we were able to reach 20,000 pounds per acre.” The greenhouse Brune is working on at Bradford Research Farm is built around the same concept. The facility takes up one-fifteenth of an acre, about the size of a tennis court. It is divided into two identical sections for experimentation and educational purposes. Each section has two shrimp raceways that are 3 feet deep, a tank of tilapia, a water wheel and two tanks providing additional water treatment.

You can read the whole article in the Columbia Missourian here. To see a separate article with a graphic of the system click here.

Income Tax Resources for Farmers

It may seem really early to be thinking about income taxes but that time of year will be her before you know it. I want to remind you all that University of Missouri Extension will have several resources that can assist you in your income tax responsibilities. Let’s discuss them in a little more detail.

~ Farmer’s Tax Guides have been around for many years. They are an excellent reference booklet for farmers as well as tax preparers that you can utilize throughout the year, not just at tax time. This booklet is written so that it is easy for anyone to understand. It is online but since it is a large file it can take a long time to download.

~ 1099 & 1096 forms have been utilized for quite a few years now as well. If you pay someone over $600 in a year that is not your employee but an independent contractor, then you are required to send them a 1099
form. Examples of this are dozer work, custom combining or haying, cash rent and others. Keep in mind the difference between an employee and independent contractor relates to whether or not they have their own
equipment/machinery and how you pay them (per job vs. per unit of time. 1096’s are the form that summarizes the 1099’s whether you send out 1 or 100.

~ income tax forms are now online so you can find them at www.irs.gov. If you don’t have access to a computer we can assist you in the county office.

All of these resources should be available in your county offices by December 15th. There is a small charge for 1099 and 1096 forms but the Farmer’s Tax Guides are free. Stop by anytime then on for those or farm record books for 2012.

(by Joe Koenen, Ag Business Specialist, Putnam County)

Getting Started in Organic Farming Workshop

There is still room available for participants in the Getting Started in Organic Farming Workshop that will be held on Nov 29-30 at the Hillsboro Community Building (at the Fairgrounds), 10345 Business 21, Hillsboro, MO 63050.

Have you considered farming organically but want to know how to manage fertility, control weeds and insects, comply with regulations? Attend this workshop to learn:

 How to manager insects, weeds and diseases in organic production
 Basics of managing soil fertility organically
 The latest on organic regulations, including how to keep good records
 Where to find certifiers
 What federal and state resources are available for organic growers

Plus you’ll get to tour a successful organic farm!

Agenda

Tuesday, November 29

10:00 a.m. Registration
11:00 a.m. Welcome – Debi Kelly, Missouri Beginning Farmers Program, University of Missouri
11:20 a.m. History and Principles of Organic Agriculture – George Kuepper, Horticulture Manager, Kerr Center
12:00 p.m. How MDA supports Missouri’s Organic Farmers – Charlie Hopper, Marketing Specialist, Missouri Department of Agriculture

12:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30 p.m. Designing Organic Systems -- George Kuepper, Horticulture Manager, Kerr Center
2:00 p.m. Knowing Cover Crops for Your Organic Systems – Rich Hoormann, Regional Agronomy Specialist, University of Missouri Extension
2:45 p.m. Practicing Organic Agriculture – George Kuepper, Horticulture Manager, Kerr Center

3:30 p.m. Break

3:45 p.m. Practicing Organic Agriculture Continued – George Kuepper, Horticulture Manager, Kerr Center
4:45 p.m. Organic Production in Missouri – Farmer Panel - Paul Krautman, Bellews Creek Farm; Molly Rockamann, EarthDance and Charlie Harper, MO Dept of Ag and former certified organic producer
5:30 p.m. Dinner and Evening on Your Own

Wednesday, November 30

8:30 a.m. Organic Regulations, Certification, and Compliance for Certified and Exempt Farms – George Kuepper, Horticulture Manager, Kerr Center
9:45 a.m. Federal Programs that Support Organic Production – Lauren Cartwright, USDA-NRCS
9:55 a.m. Evaluation and Reflection – Dean Wilson, Regional Ag and Rural Development Specialist, University of Missouri Extension

10:00 a.m. Leave for tour of Organic Farm
10:30 a.m. Arrive Bellews Creek Farm, Paul Krautman, Hillsboro, MO
12:00 p.m. Depart Bellews Creek Farm and Adjourn

Workshop Registration

Contact the Jefferson County Extension Office at 636-797-5391. Cost of the workshop is $25 for those who preregister by Nov 18th and includes educational materials and food. Registration limited to 30 participants. Walk-ins accepted but cost $30 with no food guaranteed. Click here for the registration form.

Kitchen Incubators

What is a kitchen incubator?
A kitchen incubator is a facility that is equipped with commercial-size types of equipment for food preparation. The fully installed and operational equipment are available for rent by the hour, day or week. These are health department-approved facilities.

How do they work?
The first step is to make an appointment with the staff for a tour and to find out the specifics for using the facility. Ask questions like: what will be required of me to use the kitchen, how much does it cost, and how do I engage the use of the kitchen? They may require you to have a merchant license, food handling license, insurance and other training. After meeting the requirements, make a reservation to use the kitchen incubator for a block of time.

Why is a kitchen incubator important to beginning and small farmers?
Kitchen incubators allow farmers with limited capital to explore the possibility of adding value to the fruit, vegetables, herbs or meat they produce. They can do this without having to invest a huge sum of cash in a kitchen incubator. An example would be a farmer with a short harvest season for cilantro. This person might decide greater profit could be had in the form of salsa or a cilantro pesto. After developing a recipe in their home kitchen they could rent the kitchen and produce health department approved batches to test the market. The second step would be to begin manufacturing the product with the most positive response using the kitchen incubator.

Where can a kitchen incubator be found?
Many farmers do not know that the Kansas City region now has an ‘incubator kitchen’ located at the Independence Regional Ennovation Center, located in what used to be Independence Regional Hospital. It has a long list of kitchen equipment, such as 40-quart mixers, restaurant ranges, ovens, fryers, and even a smoker. There is also cold/dry storage, office space and conference rooms for rent. One can also conduct training workshops and provide business planning help in conjunction with Missouri Small Business Development & Technology Center. There are many other services offered as well. Contact information is 201 N. Forest Avenue, Independence, Missouri or call (816) 463-3532.

The City Market Farmers’ Market in Kansas City will be installing a kitchen incubator called the Farm to Table Kitchen Currently the concept is in developmental stages and should be available sometime in 2011. It is expected to be smaller in scale and available by the hour to individuals, vendors, and organizations. Contact Paige Powers for more information at (816) 842-1271 or by email.

Kitchen Resources and Further Reading
• Independence Regional Ennovation Center (Supports entrepreneurs)
201 N. Forest Avenue, Independence, MO 64050, USA
Jenni Mann, (816) 463-3532

• The Culinary Incubator
Online resource and links for the entrepreneur and a map

• Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC)
Has information and links to kitchen incubators
1111 NSRIC, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011-3310
(866) 277-5567

(By Jim Pierce, Farm Outreach Worker with Lincoln University's Innovative Small Farm Outreach Program)

Growing and Marketing Elderberries

SARE Farmer/Rancher Grant – Terry Durham, Hartsburg, MO

Objective: We are trying to improve the native selection of elderberries at Elderberry Life Farm in Hartsburg, MO, where we’ve been growing elderberries for three years. In fact, at 23 acres, we have the largest elderberry farm in the United States.

Results: We choose selections of elderberries that grow in the Midwest and put them into trials to see which grow best in our area. In the spring we start with 8,000 elderberry plants in a greenhouse where we keep the humidity up. It takes six to eight weeks for plants to root and send up shoots. Once started, we move them to a 50-acre field that is drip-irrigated.

We lay a plastic mulch layer, and then transplant the elderberries mechanically. We can plant about 1,000 an hour, which is about an acre an hour. We plant them 4 feet apart on 12-foot centers.

We put six different native grasses between each row of elderberries, and use the grass clippings as mulch. Every fifth row we plant a different variety of elderberries for diversity, and every 10th row we plant a habitat row of pecans, wild plums, black raspberries, blackberries, or hazelnuts. In the end, we have a permaculture system that is made up of all regional native plants. We expect to get up to 12,000 pounds to the acre on the varieties wildwood and Bob Gordon (the University of Missouri’s new selections), after the fifth year of establishment.

Around Aug. 15 the first varieties of elderberries are ready to pick, which we do by hand. We then have continuous harvest through the season. We process the elderberries for jellies and juice. We retail the juice for $12 per 11-ounce bottle. Mostly we wholesale – we get $100 wholesale per case. One health food store we work with will sell about $20,000 worth of our elderberry juice this year. Currently we’re trying to get more growers to grow elderberries, form a juice collective to process the juice as a group, market it together under one brand name, and sell it wholesale.

We cut the elderberries to the ground after harvest to keep them contained enough and organized so eventually we will be able to develop and use a mechanical harvester. For more information, see http://www.riverhillsharvest.com/.

Rules and Regulations: Compliance for Direct Marketing Webinar Tonight

Join tonight's webinars (Monday November 14th) for part 2 of a series on Rules and Regulations: Compliance for Direct Marketing. The webinar will be from 7-8:30 pm. Crystal Weber, Community Development and Local Food System Specialist, will be the presenter for this series. Topics to be covered include: Foodborne Illness Basics, Food Safety, Food Defense, Rules and Regulations, How it works, Who are the regulating agencies, Liability insurance, Permits and accountability and For rent kitchens.

To join the webinar for next Monday, November 14th, go to http://univmissouri.adobeconnect.com/r9nrw3zvgsb/ and sign in as a guest.

If you miss the webinar, it will be archived and available to watch at the Online Learning Community about 3 days after the meeting.

Biomass Grass Crop Options for Energy in Missouri

Tuesday, December 6, 2011

10:00 am to 1:00 pm

Bradford Research and Exension Center

4968 Rangeline Road (driving directions)

Columbia, MO

Farmers, extension and agency staff, and agribusiness leaders are invited to a special meeting to discuss the opportunities and challenges of using perennial grass crops to produce biomass energy. These new opportunities in Missouri have developed in part because of the awarding of several million dollars in USDA Biomass Crop Assistance Program (BCAP) funding to assist Missouri farmers with planting costs of selected biomass crops (beginning 2012) and to subsidize the price paid by the private sector for each ton of delivered biomass. In central and southwest Missouri, BCAP funding has been awarded for planting tens of thousands of acres of giant Miscanthus beginning in 2012, with contracts offered by MFA Oil Biomass. In western Missouri and extending to central Missouri, BCAP funds have also been awarded to support planting and harvest of perennial prairie species for delivery to the Show Me Energy farm cooperative (Centerview, MO).

Agenda
10:00 - 11:30 am
• Dr. Emily Heaton, Iowa State University will speak on “Miscanthus Production Practices: a New Missouri Bioenergy Crop”
• Dr. Newell Kitchen, USDA-ARS, Columbia, MO, will speak on “Local yields and experiences with switchgrass and Miscanthus in central MO”

11:30 - Lunch - complimentary catered lunch (to join the lunch please RSVP to Kristi Perry at perrykk@missouri.edu or 573-882-0085 so we can get an accurate meal count)

12:00 - 1:00 Panel presentation and discussion on challenges and opportunities with biomass grasses:
- Jerry Kaiser, NRCS Plant Materials center, Elsberry, MO
- Rob Kallenbach, Forage Extension Specialist, University of Missouri
- Emily Heaton, Biomass Agronomist, Iowa State University

Dr. Emily Heaton will also give a presentation on her research experience with Miscanthus at the University of Missouri campus on Monday, December 5, from 3-4 pm in the Monsanto Auditorium, Bond Life Sciences Center (park in Virginia Avenue garage).

Program sponsored by USDA-ARS and University of Missouri Extension. For more information on the program, contact Dr. Newell Kitchen

Marketing to Today's Consumer

A webinar on marketing sponsored by the Fruit Growers News and Vegetable Grower News will take place at 1:30 am on Thursday, November 17th.

The presenter will be Jane Eckert, Eckert AgriMarketing, who will discuss learning how successful agritourism operators in North America continue to grow their businesses with effective marketing methods in light of today's economy. It's never easy to stay ahead of your competition but you can learn to differentiate yourself. Don't be a copy cat — be a leader! Learn how to maximize the free tools of the Internet to stay ahead. Get ready to recharge your batteries and rechard your business for 2012 with proven marketing strategies.

If you would like to sign up for this webinar click here.  Great American Publishing will be back in touch with you about the details of how to participate in this webinar from the comfort of your own computer.

Getting Started in Organic Farming Workshop

The Missouri Beginning Farmers Program is happy to host a workshop on the basics of organic farming. The workshop will take place on Nov 29-30 at the Hillsboro Community Building (at the Fairgrounds), 10345 Business 21, Hillsboro, MO 63050.

Have you considered farming organically but want to know how to manage fertility, control weeds and insects, comply with regulations? Attend this workshop to learn:

 How to manager insects, weeds and diseases in organic production
 Basics of managing soil fertility organically
 The latest on organic regulations, including how to keep good records
 Where to find certifiers
 What federal and state resources are available for organic growers

Plus you’ll get to tour a successful organic farm!

Agenda
Tuesday, November 29
10:00 a.m. Registration

11:00 a.m. Welcome – Debi Kelly, Missouri Beginning Farmers Program, University of Missouri

11:20 a.m. History and Principles of Organic Agriculture – George Kuepper, Horticulture Manager, Kerr Center

12:00 p.m. How MDA supports Missouri’s Organic Farmers – Charlie Hopper, Marketing Specialist, Missouri Department of Agriculture

12:30 p.m. Lunch

1:30 p.m. Designing Organic Systems -- George Kuepper, Horticulture Manager, Kerr Center

2:00 p.m. Knowing Cover Crops for Your Organic Systems – Rich Hoormann, Regional Agronomy Specialist, University of Missouri Extension

2:45 p.m. Practicing Organic Agriculture – George Kuepper, Horticulture Manager, Kerr Center

3:30 p.m. Break

3:45 p.m. Practicing Organic Agriculture Continued – George Kuepper, Horticulture Manager, Kerr Center

4:45 p.m. Organic Production in Missouri – Farmer Panel - Paul Krautman, Bellews Creek Farm; Molly Rockamann, EarthDance (invited) and Charlie Harper, MO Dept of Ag and former certified organic producer

5:30 p.m. Dinner and Evening on Your Own

Wednesday, November 30
8:30 a.m. Organic Regulations, Certification, and Compliance for Certified and Exempt Farms – George Kuepper, Horticulture Manager, Kerr Center

9:45 a.m. Federal Programs that Support Organic Production – Lauren Cartwright, USDA-NRCS

9:55 a.m. Evaluation and Reflection – Dean Wilson, Regional Ag and Rural Development Specialist, University of Missouri Extension

10:00 a.m. Leave for tour of Organic Farm

10:30 a.m. Arrive Bellews Creek Farm, Paul Krautman, Hillsboro, MO

12:00 p.m. Depart Bellews Creek Farm and Adjourn

Workshop Registration
Contact the Jefferson County Extension Office at 636-797-5391. Cost of the workshop is $25 for those who preregister by Nov 18th and includes educational materials and food. Registration limited to 30 participants. Walk-ins accepted but cost $30 with no food guaranteed. Click here for the registration.

Wetlands Reserve Program

Missouri landowners interested in applying for the Wetlands Reserve Program (WRP) have until November 30 to sign up, according to the USDA's Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS).

WRP is the federal government's largest wetlands restoration program. It provides technical and financial assistance to private landowners and Indian Tribes to restore, protect and enhance wetlands that have been degraded or converted for agricultural uses. Through WRP, Missouri NRCS has purchased 954 easements in 19 years. In exchange for the easements, landowners receive cash payments for converting marginal-use land to shallow wetland acres and maintaining them.

Wetlands support diverse populations of fish, wildlife and plants. They protect water quality by filtering out pollutants and provide natural flood control by absorbing or temporarily storing excess water. Wetlands also offer aesthetic and recreational opportunities.

NRCS enrolled 6,365 acres in WRP in Fiscal Year 2011, says State Conservationist J.R. Flores. He says that since WRP began in 1992, Missouri has restored 136,890 acres through WRP.

Missouri's success with WRP is a major contributor to offsetting wetland losses caused by development and other land-use conversions. The 2007 National Resources Inventory (NRI) showed that Missouri had 948,600 acres of wetlands. Though the wetland acreage is increasing, it represents only about 20 percent of the state's original 4.8 million acres of wetlands.

"We're never going to get back to 4.8 million acres, but our goal is to increase the number of easements enrolled in WRP and significantly increase wetlands acreage in Missouri," Flores says.

For more information about WRP and other NRCS programs, contact the NRCS office serving your county. Look in the phone book under "U.S. Government, Department of Agriculture," or access our website to contact your local county NRCS Office for more information.

Rules and Regulations: Compliance for Direct Marketing Webinar Tonight

Join the Missouri Beginning Farmers Program's Monday webinars on Monday, November 7th and Monday November 14th for a 2 part series on Rules and Regulations:  Compliance for Direct Marketing.  The webinars will be from 7-8:30 pm.  Crystal Weber, Community Development and Local Food System Specialist, will be the presenter for this series.  Topics to be covered include: Foodborne Illness Basics, Food Safety, Food Defense, Rules and Regulations, How it works, Who are the regulating agencies, Liability insurance, Permits and accountability and For rent kitchens.

To join in on the webinar for this evening, November 7th, go to http://univmissouri.adobeconnect.com/r4axxylj7s7/ and sign in as a guest.

To join the webinar for next Monday, November 14th, to to http://univmissouri.adobeconnect.com/r9nrw3zvgsb/ and sign in as a guest.

If you miss the either of these webinars, they will be archived and available to watch at the Online Learning Community about 3 days after the meeting.

Cut Flower Production and Marketing Workshop

Lincoln University Cooperative Extension and University of Missouri Extension are collaborating once again to offer a free class on cut flower production and marketing. Karen Davis, Horticulture Educator with Lincoln University, will share her knowledge and the experiences she gained as the owner and operator of a central Missouri cut flower farm.

The class is scheduled to be offered on Tuesday, November the 15th from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Warren County Extension Center (107 W. Walton; Warrenton, Mo. 63383). Ms. Davis will lead a discussion that details varietal types of flowers; the latest trends in cut flowers; great cuts for the Midwest; and marketing wholesale, retail, and directly to florists.

Registration is Free.  However, please call 636-456-3444 to reserve seating for this program.
 
About the Presenter:
 
Karen “Mimo” Davis studied the mineral nutrient requirements and effects of plant growth regulators on clerodendrum while pursuing her Master of Science degree in Horticulture Science at North Carolina A&T State University. She also has experience as the owner and operator of “Wildthang farms”, a farm concentrating on the production and marketing of high quality specialty cut flowers selling to over thirty florist and 3 farmers’ markets weekly. She is currently the Regional Horticulture Educator at Lincoln University Urban Impact Center of St. Louis, providing technical assistance and horticulture programming in St. Louis and surrounding counties.

Missourians Urged to Report Drought Information Online

Has drought affected your farm, business or community? Missourians can help scientists and decision-makers assess, plan for and respond to droughts by using a simple online tool to report local conditions, said a University of Missouri Extension climatologist.

Drought is a slow-moving natural hazard that affects millions of people worldwide each year by triggering a cascade of agricultural, economic, environmental and social impacts. Understanding these impacts is crucial for drought planning, mitigation and response.

“No instrument or third party will be able to describe a drought situation as well as someone living in the area and experiencing the situation,” said Pat Guinan, state climatologist with the MU Extension Commercial Agriculture Program.

The Drought Impact Reporter (DIR) lets anyone report drought conditions and their local impact to the National Drought Mitigation Center in Lincoln, Neb. DIR has been online since 2005, but the revamped version that launched in October is more user-friendly, Guinan said.

Contributions to the DIR appear in an interactive map on the DIR website. They are also used by the authors of the NDMC’s Drought Monitor map, which provides a detailed weekly assessment of the extent and severity of drought throughout the U.S.

“It’s a huge task for the authors to discern drought conditions across all 50 states,” Guinan said. Weather station data on precipitation, temperature and other indicators sometimes doesn’t tell the whole story of what’s going on at the local level, such as struggling crops, wells and farm ponds that are drying up, and wildlife looking for food along roads and in people’s yards.

Greater participation and input from Missourians will provide a more accurate portrayal of drought in the state, he said. This can help ensure that authorities mount a swift and appropriate response and aid scientists seeking to better understand drought.

Kelly Helm Smith, NDMC communication and drought resources specialist, asks that participants submit reports every month or even more frequently during drought. “Start and end dates are very helpful,” Smith said. “Regular reporting would help establish the pattern that a report covers of conditions during a particular span of time.”

When someone submits information to the Drought Impact Reporter, that information is classified as a “report.” If the report contains information that describes “an observable loss or change that occurred at a specific place and time because of drought,” a moderator will also record it as an “impact.”

For example, the NDMC received the following user report with impact information:

We live on the Jasper - Lawrence County line and the drought of 2011 is worse or rivals 1980. The rains were very spotty. It would rain a mile from here and not rain a drop here. Ponds are extremely low or dry. One neighbor in Lawrence County has been feeding hay since July. Many of the farmers in the area have culled their herds, in some cases by more than half. Many of the neighbors have also begun feeding hay, some of which have been doing so for over a month. Many of the herds in the area are grazing corn stalks. Fall stockpile is not existent. Corn and soybean yields in the area are very low.

Another example of a user report talks about a precipitation shortfall but does not include impact information:

The last time we had more than one inch of rain was on May 24 when they got 1.84 inches. They have had a couple of smaller rains since then but it has been hot, dry and windy almost every day. Only 0.75 inches fell in July.

The following sample user report speculates about an event that would be considered an impact. It is valuable because it points to the likely occurrence of an impact and shows a high level of drought awareness, but it is not an impact yet:

Mandatory watering restrictions will be implemented in My City, USA, unless it rains a lot before Tuesday.

Reports come from media, individual users, data submitted by Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) observers, National Weather Service drought information statements, information gathered by states on burn bans and water restrictions, and other summary reports compiled by agencies or organizations.

The Drought Impact Reporter was developed with funding from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency.

Cover Crop Field Days

The University of Missouri Extension will be hosting two cover crop field days.  The first field day farm is a recipient of a SARE Farmer/Rancher Grant.  The second field day is a farmer who is trying different cover crops in his cropping system.

Grazing Cover Crops In Standing Corn Field Day
November 7, 2011
10:00 a.m.-Noon
Cope Farm near Bellflower, MO

The field day discusses broadcasting winter cover crops into standing corn using high clearance ground spreaders. Information will be presented on pounds of cover crop grown under 4 corn populations, corn yield, costs and feeding trials of lambs. This is the second year of plot information.
 
Cover Crop In Row Crops Field Day
November 8, 2011
10:00 a.m. to Noon
Willott Farm near Laddonia, MO

Two planting dates of winter cover crops
Plots are 22’x120’

The field day discusses planting dates, seeding rates, yield gains and other benefits of cover crops. Species growing include: winter oats, radishes, crimson clover, turnips, kale, Marshall ryegrass, Gulf ryegrass, buckwheat, oats-crimson clover combinations.
 
For more information, contact Richard Hoormann, Agronomy Specialist, University of Missouri Extension, Montgomery County, 310 Salisbury St., Ste. E., Montgomery City, MO 63361, 573-564-3733.

Organic Farming Research Foundation is Accepting Grant Proposals Through November 15, 2011

Since 1990, Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) has awarded grants in support of exceptional education and research in organic farming. Organic farmers are continually innovating farming practices to meet consumer demand.  OFRF has awarded 314 grants totaling $2.7 million -- helping organic farmers meet this demand today and tomorrow.

OFRF announces a deadline of November 15, 2011, to submit an education or research proposal. Successful proposals feature:

• Sound experimental design conducted on certified organic study sites.
• Meaningful farmer / rancher participation.
• Focus on training opportunities for organic and transitioning farmers and ranchers.

Please submit a proposal if you wish to improve organic research.