Monday, November 30, 2015

Log-Grown Shiitake Mushrooms Webinar - Dec 16


The Center for Agroforestry at the University of Missouri invites you to participate in the Agroforestry in Action Webinar Series.
 
"Log-Grown Shiitake Mushrooms: A Case Study in Profitable Agroforestry Adoption."

Please join us Wednesday, December 16, 2015 at 11:00 AM (CST) for a live presentation by: Steve Gabriel, Extension Agroforestry Specialist, Cornell Small Farms Program.

For more information about the event, visit https://goo.gl/bPJ2Se
 
Trouble with registration? Copy and paste this link in your browser: https://goo.gl/Qw8l0U
 
Please register early, as space in the webinar room is limited.

Log-in Instructions
1. Log-in: On the day of the event, please log-in to the webinar room at: https://goo.gl/JgdEjb
*Please join the session 15 minutes prior to the start of the webinar


2. Listen: Once you have successfully logged into the Adobe Connect webinar, you will hear the webinar audio through your device's speakers or headset. Following the presentation, there will be a Q and A session.



Saturday, November 28, 2015

Cover Cropping for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects


Cover crops can do a lot for your farm. To learn how they can support a thriving community of pollinators and beneficial insects—which in turn can improve crop quality and yield—check out SARE’s new 16-page publication, Cover Cropping for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects.

Download the bulletin today.

Available for free as either a download or in print, Cover Cropping for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects helps farmers make thoughtful changes in cover crop selection and management that support pollinators along with their other goals, such as suppressing weeds, managing nitrogen and improving soil health.

Pollinators provide a critical service in food production. As honey bees continue to suffer from Colony Collapse Disorder, providing pollinators with a healthy on-farm environment is essential. In October, the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) announced $4 million in assistance for Midwestern farmers to plant bee-friendly cover crops, wildflowers and native grasses to help ensure farm productivity.

Cover Cropping for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects includes information on pollinator and beneficial insect ecology, including details on common cover crop species and their insect attractiveness. It also addresses the limitations of cover crops, describes relevant crop insurance regulations and gives guidance on reducing harm to beneficial insects when cover crops are used in rotation with pesticide-treated crops.

Cover Cropping for Pollinators and Beneficial Insects can be ordered for use as a handout at conferences, workshops or field days. It was written by Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation staff members, with contributions from the NRCS.


Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Bees and more at the Great Plains Growers Conference


In a little over one month, it will be time for the Great Plains Growers Conference. This is one of the premier conferences for horticulture producers, and it is found right here in northwest Missouri.  Held in St. Joseph, Missouri, the Great Plains Grower’s Conference is put together every year by Extension educators from five states: Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, and South Dakota.  The conference will be held on January 7-9, 2016. This will be our 20th annual conference.

This is an exciting conference for anyone growing horticultural crops, with many new ideas presented from growers, researchers, and Extension specialists. The conference is open to everyone, from backyard gardeners to commercial produce growers.  Topics cover not only vegetables, but also tree fruits, small fruits and flowers.  There are also presentations targeted toward organic growers.

The event begins with workshops on Thursday.  Attendees choose a workshop when they register.  Each workshop explores a topic in-depth.

Workshops this year will include topics such as greenhouse & hydroponic production, tree fruits, cover crops & soil health, advanced beekeeping, scaling up your horticultural enterprise, and mushrooms. I will have more details in my next column on the mushroom workshop.

I have been organizing the beekeeping sessions again this year. The Thursday workshop on beekeeping will bring in Dr. Larry Connor.  Dr. Connor has a wide background, including extension apicultural entomologist at The Ohio State University, establishing the Beekeeping Education Service, and finally purchasing Wicwas Press, a major publisher of books on beekeeping.  Dr. Connor is also an accomplished author, with over a dozen titles dealing with bees, beekeeping, queen rearing and pollination.

Dr. Connor will be discussing several topics, including problem recognition with bees, queen management in hives, queen rearing, and plants attractive to bees for nectar and pollen.

The main conference occurs on Friday and Saturday. Before starting the concurrent tracks, we will hear from our keynote speaker, Anthony Flaccavento.  Anthony is an organic farmer from Virginia.  You can read more about him on our conference web site, noted below.

After the keynote, there will be five concurrent tracks to choose from. Topics for this year’s tracks include Market Ready, Tree Fruit, Beginning Organic, Vegetable IPM, and a “mixed bag” track covering technology, equipment, and irrigation.

On Saturday, concurrent sessions include Small Fruit, Advanced Organic, Vegetable Production, Cut Flowers, and Food Safety/GAPS.

There will be many exhibitors available to provide information about seeds, irrigation, horticulture equipment, chemicals, and other topics. Meals, break refreshments, and handouts will be included in the registration fee for the main conference.

The conference will be held on the campus of Missouri Western State University.  For more information about the conference and a registration form, call the Buchanan County Extension office at (816) 279-1691.  You may also register on-line and find additional information on our web site at: http://www.greatplainsgrowers.org
(by Tim Baker, MU Extension Horticulture Specialist)


Monday, November 23, 2015

Midwest Winter Production Conference


The Midwest Winter Production Conference will be held Thursday and Friday, January 21 and 22, 2016.  A link will be provided on the market web site - webbcityfarmersmarket.com

Cost - $50 fee for the first registration includes materials, programming and lunches; $35 for additional registrations from the same farm or family includes programming and lunches but no materials. The conference will be limited to no more than 100 attendees.

(Lunches feature the fabulous cooking of Granny Shaffers and includes local produce from the farmers of the Webb City Winter Market. We’ll be eating well!)

Location - same as the last two conferences - Continental Banquet Center, 2802 North Rangeline, Joplin, MO - just south of Webb City

Housing - Comfort Inn, Joplin - ask for the Webb City Farmers Market rate of $75 plus tax or email Eileen to sign up for a home stay at $50 per room (for up to two people), plus $5 per breakfast if desired. All home stay fees go to Webb City Cares, the school district's support program for kids in need.

Materials included with $50 registration: New Seed Starters Handbook by Nancy Bubel and the 2016 Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers.

A sampling of the presentations:

If you grow it, will they buy it and will you make money doing it?
Economics and marketing for winter grow leafy greens. (Adam Montri) High tunnels and hoophouses have allowed for winter production of leafy greens like spinach, kale, and Swiss chard, but just because we can grow these crops doesn’t mean we can sell them. If we can sell them that also doesn’t mean we are making money on them. This session will focus on production and planning for winter leafy crops, selling and marketing them, and determining prices to make sure you are making money on these leafy greens.

Winter Storage Crop Production and Economics (Adam Montri) Winter storage crops such as beets and specialty turnips add to a farm’s product list but are not always the most economically viable crops to grow in a winter high tunnel. In this session we will focus on summer and fall production of root crops for winter storage. Plant spacing, weeding and cultivation options, when to harvest, winter storage requirements and options, labor needs, packaging and pricing will all be discussed along with how the storage crops help to sell other winter high tunnel grown products.

Integrated Pest Control in Tunnels - a panel discussion including Dr. Jaime Pinero and case studies presented by local high tunnel farmers.

Farmer Symposium - top winter producers from Missouri’s winter markets discuss their favorite winter production tools, crops and techniques. Patrice Gross of Arkansas and Adam Montri of Michigan will join in.

Track choices:

Beginning High Tunnel Production - Shon Bishop and Patrice Gross team up to guide beginners through the basics of choosing and implementing a high tunnel system.

Value added and marketing track:

Marketing Strategies for Winter Sales (Dru Montri) Marketing your product during the winter can require a strategy different from your peak season approach. Learn more about planning, target marketing, building relationships with your customers and communicating with them regularly. After a review of lessons learned from other winter markets, you’ll leave this session thinking about ways to increase your profits and make your winter market more successful.

Adding profit centers to your winter sales:
Tammy Sellmyer - Adding value and expanding your profit through storage crops and dried products. Turn your surplus summer produce into extra winter sales through drying. Make your stand the go-to place for storage crops.

Dan Kuebler - Dan spoke at our first conference about his moveable high tunnel. This year he shares his extensive knowledge about fermenting and pickling and the profit it can add to your winter market sales.

Crops Track:

Garlic, a favorite through the centuries, only seems to get more popular every year - Patrick Byers and Tammy Sellmeyer will discuss the history, background and classification of garlic, as well as production and post-harvest handling of this crop which can add sales during fall and winter.

Jennifer Morganthaler and Marilyn Odneal of Missouri State University - Raspberry Production in High Tunnels - an on-going research project examining the cost benefits and challenges of high tunnel raspberry production, including bag growing.

Farm visit - (Friday afternoon) - The Braker Berry Farm. Greg and Wendy Braker have been winter producers for 3 years with extended season field plantings, a heated high tunnel, as well as an unheated tunnel. In fall of 2015 they added a hydroponic lettuce tunnel. The Brakers sell at three farmers markets and operate a small CSA.

Presenters include
Adam Montri spoke at our 2013 Winter Production Conference. He is an outreach specialist in the Michigan State University Department of Horticulture where he works with farmer throughout the state on high tunnel funding, construction, year-round production, marketing, and economics. He and his wife Dru (see below) own and operate Ten Hens Farm in Bath, Michigan, where they farm outdoors in-season and year-round in 17,900 sqft of high tunnels. They sell their products through a variety of outlets including restaurants, food trucks, an on-farm stand, a year-round farmers market, other farms, a specialty grocery store and a medium-sized distributor.

Dru Montri, who holds a Ph.D. in horticulture, has been director of the Michigan Farmers Market Association since its inception in 2006. Now a 400 member organization, the association gives Dru contacts with farmers markets throughout the state. As a board member of the Farmers Market Coalition board she also has experience with some of the best markets in the country. With her husband Adam, Dru has extensive experience in winter production and winter sales.

Patrice Gros has been a passionate organic farmer since 1995. In 2006,
Patrice started Foundation Farm, a 5-acre USDA certified organic farm in Northwest Arkansas. Foundation Farm follows a no-till/no-machine, low-input system which provides high yields in a beautiful natural setting. On an average year, 20,000 poundss of produce are harvested and sold within a 50-mile radius. Foundation Farm welcomes season-long trainees in its farming school program as well as day-volunteers from nearby communities. Patrice is the author of 3 books describing the essential components of his system, with one focused on winter techniques. Patrice is a founder and board member of the Eureka Springs Farmers Market.

Tammy Sellmyer, with her husband Greg, operate a 25-acres farm just south of Fulton, Missouri. In addition to field crops, the Sellmyers, operate several high tunnels. They sell at the Columbia and the Fulton Farmers Markets, and have a CSA. Their winter sales include a wide variety of storage crops and dried products from produce raised on their farm.

Dr. Jaime Pinero is the Integrated Pest Management Specialist for Lincoln University Cooperative Extension.

Patrick Byers is Regional Horticulture Specialist with the Greene County office of University of Missouri Extension. Patrick has provided educational and hands-on training in all aspect of high tunnel design, construction, and management.  His background includes degrees in horticulture from the Universities of Nebraska, Missouri, and Arkansas. Over his career of 25+ years he has provided outreach education for producers of fruits and vegetables commercially grown in the Midwest. In recent years he has focused on challenges facing high tunnel producers, particularly those related to long term production in fixed high tunnels.  Patrick has a specific interest in promoting fruit production in high tunnels.

Shon Bishop has been working for Lincoln University Cooperative Extension in the Southwest Region of Missouri since 2011. Currently, he is the Small Farm Specialist for the Innovative Small Farmers Outreach Program (ISFOP) which serves Barry, Lawrence, McDonald, Newton, Jasper, and Greene counties. Over the past 5 years Shon has helped many farmers construct their high tunnels while holding workshops open to the public at their farms in Southwest Missouri. Shon implemented the high tunnel construction took kit program of the Webb City Farmers Market recently expanded to kits in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas, as well as southwest Missouri. The kits were underwritten by the Missouri Department of Agriculture through a Local Foods Matching Grant, the Missouri Farmers Market Association and the Missouri Vegetables Growers Association. They are available on loan at no charge. Shon also owns and operates Bishop Gardens L.L.C. which sells early season tomatoes and strawberries to the public.

Final details will be available on at webbcityfarmersmarket.com on November 1.

The 2016 Midwest Winter Production Conference is underwritten by a Specialty Crops grant from the Missouri Department of Agriculture.  Sponsors include Lincoln University Cooperative Extension and University of Missouri Extension.


Thursday, November 19, 2015

MU Extension Offers "Marketing Local Foods" Workshop in West Plains Dec. 4


University of Missouri Extension will host an interactive workshop focused on growing local food systems and building the road to marketing local foods.

The program will be offered at Howell County MU Extension office in West Plains from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Dec. 4. The necessary pre-register can be made by calling the Howell County Extension office. There will be a fee of $10 to help cover the cost of lunch.

Dr. Mary Hendrickson, Food Circles Networking Project director for MU Extension, will share her research about the benefits, challenges, and opportunities emerging in local food networks.  Also presenting from MU Extension will be Patrick Byers, horticulture specialist, and Dr. Van Ayers and Tish Johnson, community development specialists.

"This is an opportunity for growers and producers to connect with University of Missouri specialists who offer their expertise. These specialists can also discuss the steps that need to be taken to foster the further development of a localized food system," said Dr. Amy Patillo, community development specialist with MU Extension in Howell County.

According to Patillo, on farm local food systems are generating jobs and strengthening economies statewide.

"It is time we redefine local foods in our community. Join us as we learn about connecting with customers around local foods," said Patillo.

For more information contact Dr. Amy Patillo at the Howell County Extension Office, telephone (417) 256-2391 or online at http://extension.missouri.edu/howell.

Monday, November 16, 2015

Organic Transition: A Business Planner for Farmers, Ranchers and Food Entrepreneurs


The booming profit potential of organic production has farmers, ranchers and food business owners nationwide switching to organic production. But successfully managing the risky multi-year transition requires careful business planning.

SARE’s new Organic Transition: A Business Planner forFarmers, Ranchers and Food Entrepreneurs is the perfect tool to help business owners develop an actionable organic transition plan suitable for management teams and lenders. The Organic Transition Planner explores organic transition strategies and asks critical questions that help you decide whether organic makes sense for your farm or business.

Farmers bring the planning process alive by sharing their personal transition challenges and the business plans that helped them succeed. Minnesota dairy producers Nate and Angie Walter relate that going organic “was a way for us to remain a family farm. We were considering growing the farm (conventionally); getting bigger in hopes of paying off our debt. We knew that might be a losing proposition.” Organic Transition also includes an overview of certification, helpful worksheets and AgPlan, a business planning software program that facilitates the business planning process.

Organic Transition is available as a free download at www.sare.org/organic-transition-planner. Print copies can be ordered for $16 plus shipping and handling by calling (301) 779-1007. Discounts are available for orders of 10 items or more.

Organic Transition can be used as a companion to SARE’s popular business planning guide, Building a Sustainable Business: A Guide to Developing a Business Plan for Farms and Rural Businesses. Both were written by University of Minnesota Department of Applied Economics Research Fellow Gigi DiGiacomo, University of Minnesota Department of Applied Economics Professor Robert P. King and Center for Farm Financial Management Associate Director Dale Nordquist.

Organic Transition was developed as part of the Tools for Transition Project, a four-year research program on the economics of organic transition funded by USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture, with support from the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture. It is published by Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE).





Saturday, November 14, 2015

"Grow Your Farm" Program Starting in West Plains Dec. 1


 "Grow Your Farm" is an educational program offered by University of Missouri Extension that is designed to help landowners interested in farming for the first time and current farmers wanting to start new enterprises.

"Grow Your Farm" includes eight class sessions and two farm tours.

"The course is designed to connect people investing in a farm career with successful farm operators and business experts," said Dr. Amy Patillo, a community development specialist with MU Extension in Howell County.

The course is being offered at the Howell County MU Extension office in West Plains. Classes meet once a week from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. starting Dec. 1 and continuing through Jan. 26, 2016.

Sessions will focus on business planning and selecting enterprises that can be profitable, based on an individual's skills and resources. Planning a farm, keeping track of finances, marketing farm products and understanding legal issues are a few of the topics addressed.

"This is a unique opportunity for growers and producers to connect with MU Extension specialists in horticulture, agriculture business, natural resources and community development. These specialists can offer their expertise in small farm production, marketing, and increasing outcomes for small farm profitability," said Patrick Byers, a horticulture specialist with MU Extension who will help with the course.

A fee of $300 per household or operation (for two participants) includes courses and one set of materials. Each additional person per household/operation may attend for $50 per person. This includes the cost of a course notebook, additional textbook, and group sessions with guest speakers, farm tours, and refreshments.

For more information contact Dr. Amy Patillo at the Howell County Extension office by telephone at (417) 256-2391 or online at http://extension.missouri.edu/howell.

Thursday, November 12, 2015

High Tunnels – What Does Removing the Covers for a Winter Do?


Soil in high tunnels isn’t exposed to the elements like soil in the field is, and if the plastic is kept on the tunnels for multiple winters, little leaching takes place. Thus, nutrients and salts can accumulate. How much difference does taking the covers off for one winter make?

At “Tunnel Town” at Penn State’s Horticulture Research Farm, in preparation for work that will be done as part of a USDA-NIFA Specialty Crops Research Initiative project, we had a chance to answer this question.

We wanted to find out how much variability there was among tunnels before planting (so we knew whether soil variability might have a bigger effect than our treatments), and also whether taking the covers off for the winter would help to “even things out”. Soil samples were collected on November 24, 2014 from each of the existing tunnel locations on the site (each designated by a number and letter in the figure below) shortly after plastic was removed from the tunnels in the fall.

A second set of samples was collected on April 18, 2015. The samples were analyzed for pH, phosphorus, calcium, magnesium and soluble salts at Penn State’s Ag Analytical Lab.








Over the course of the winter, calcium, and magnesium generally increased slightly, while phosphorus and potassium decreased very slightly, probably due to natural variability (see table). Soluble salts levels decreased to nearly half of their original levels on average.

As might be expected, the tunnels with the highest salts levels in the fall had the largest decrease (see graph), except for one puzzling tunnel where we might have hit a pocket with higher salts in the spring. I was wondering why the soil pH would have increased over the course of the winter from 7.4 in the fall to 7.7 in the spring.













According to John Spargo, Director of Penn State’s Ag Analytical Lab, this was most likely due to the decrease in salt levels, as pH readings will be lower when salt levels are higher, and as the salts leach out, the pH readings increase. Mystery solved. Regarding the original questions, it turned out that nutrient levels, especially phosphorus and potassium, were very variable among the tunnels.

In addition, soil pH, phosphorus, calcium and magnesium were in the excessive range for all tunnels at this site for growing small fruit crops, and taking the plastic off for one winter didn’t make all that much difference – the only big change was in salt levels. Our conclusion on how we want to grow our plants is that we’ll be growing them in a soilless mix in grow-bags (raspberries) or grow-slabs (strawberries) for the project, so I’m sure we’ll be learning a lot from the experience—stay tuned.
(by Kathleen Demchak, Senior Extension Associate, Penn State University)

Monday, November 9, 2015

Farm Storage Facility Loans


The Farm Storage Facility Loans are provides financing for farmers to build or upgrade storage, cold storage, and packing facilities.

Constructing on-farm storage facilities can help farmers succeed financially by giving them greater control over their products and the timing of marketing. USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) provides low-interest loans for farmers to build storage units or to upgrade and expand existing storage. Historically, these loans have primarily benefited grain farmers, but a provision in the 2008 Farm Bill extended the program to fruit and vegetable producers for cold storage. Changes introduced by FSA in 2014 now also extend the program to washing and packing sheds. This will improve the ability of farmers selling in local and regional food markets to finance the storage and packing sheds they need to keep food fresh and safe prior to marketing. For fruit and vegetable growers, especially small and mid-scale family farmers, packing and storage sheds are critical pieces of their farm operations: this is where fresh produce is washed, sorted, graded, labeled, boxed up, and stored before it heads to market.

Learn more about the Farm Storage Facility Loans

The Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) Program, administered by FSA, provides low-interest loans for producers to build or upgrade permanent facilities to store commodities, including fruit and vegetable cold storage, washing, packing, and handling buildings and equipment.

* Corn, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, oats, peanuts, wheat, barley or minor oilseeds harvested as whole grain
* Corn, grain sorghum, wheat, oats or barley harvested as other-than-whole grain
* Pulse crops (lentils, chickpeas, dry peas)
* Fruits (includes nuts), vegetables, honey, hay, and renewable biomass
* Grain storage cribs, bins, and silos, and related electrical equipment
* Equipment to maintain, improve, or monitor stored grain quality
* Grain drying equipment
* Hay and biomass storage structures
* Cold storage buildings and equipment
* Packing sheds and handling equipment
* New structures suitable for cold storage
* New walk-in prefabricated permanently installed coolers
* New permanently affixed cooling, circulating and monitoring equipment
* Electrical equipment integral to the proper operation of a cold storage facility
* An addition or modification to an existing storage facility
* Boxing equipment
* Baggers
* Brush polishers
* Cold dip tanks
* Conveyors
* Drying tunnels
* Food safety-related equipment
* Hoppers
* Hydrocoolers
* Quality graders
* Sealants
* Sorting bins/tables
* Washers
* Waxers
* Weight graders
* Purchase price and sales tax
* Cost of new materials
* Shipping and delivery
* Site preparation costs
* Installation costs
* Off-farm paid labor
* Appraisals and legal fees
* Produce an eligible commodity
* Demonstrate a storage need
* Have a satisfactory credit rating and the ability to repay the loan
* Provide proof of all peril insurance and, if applicable, flood insurance
* Provide proof of multi-peril crop insurance (MPCI) or Non-Insured Crop Assistance Program (NAP) coverage; however, fruit and vegetable growers may request a waiver from FSA from the requirement to hold MCPI or NAP coverage
* Instead of providing the typically required three-year acreage yield reports, producers can now provide information on sales, volume sold (based on farmers market space or vehicle size), CSA shares, or other similar measures.

The FSFL requirement to first obtain crop insurance or non-insurance crop disaster assistance program (NAP) coverage can now be waived on a case-by-case basis, taking into account a variety of factors that result in the determination that crop insurance or NAP would not provide meaningful risk protection for the producer. These factors may include, but are not limited to, the application burden, number of crops, typical area planted to each crop, and whether the producer markets his or her product in a way that commands a premium above traditional wholesale market prices (e.g. direct-to-consumer, certified organic, etc.).

Because specialty crops are often processed before being placed in cold storage to maintain quality, the loans can now also finance packing sheds and certain handling equipment, such as packaging, cold dip tanks, sorting and grading bins and tables, washers, and waxers, among others.

Program Basics
The following commodities are currently eligible for farm storage facility loans:

Eligible uses for these types of loans include:

Structures and equipment generally must have an expected useful life of at least 15 years. Portable equipment, used bins, and used equipment are not eligible. Facilities that are not for the sole use of the borrower(s) are also not eligible.

For fruit and vegetable cold storage facilities, eligible uses include:

Additionally, fruit and vegetable producers may use FSFLs for structures and permanently affixed equipment required to get fruits and vegetables washed, treated and packed or otherwise required to maintain the quality of the crop. Among the items that can be financed are:

Among the eligible cost items are:

The maximum loan amount is $500,000. A cash down payment of 15 percent and a $100 non-refundable application are required. Loan terms are for 7, 10, or 12 years depending on the amount of the loan. The interest rate is fixed and set at the rate of interest charged on comparable U.S. Treasury securities, a lower rate than would be available commercially. Loans are repaid in equal amortized installments.

For loans that exceed $100,000, the borrower must provide a first lien on the real estate where the facility is situated, other real estate sufficient to secure the loan, or a letter of credit sufficient to protect the government’s interest. Loans of up to $100,000 may be secured by a promissory note only.

One partial disbursement of up to half the anticipated total cost is available when that portion of the structure has been completed. The final disbursement will be made when the entire structure has been completed and inspected by a USDA representative.

The local FSA county committee must approve all loans.

Eligibility
To be eligible for these loans, the borrower must:

Several other eligibility criteria apply.

Coordination with Other FSA Loan Programs — FSA Direct Operating Loans, including Microloans, can be used in conjunction with FSFLs. FSA state and local offices have been encouraged by USDA headquarters to leverage both programs as well as the knowledge and expertise of farm program and farm loan staff to promote creative solutions to producers’ needs for storage and equipment, including cold storage, packing sheds, and mobile equipment for local and regional food producers. For instance, growers could use a FSFL for building a cold storage and packing facility in combination with a Microloan to finance scales, portable equipment, and packing materials. Using both low-interest loan programs in combination may help finance the complete needs of a grower for storage, washing, packing, and transport.

The Program in Action
Since the inception of the program in 2000, more than 33,000 loans have been issued for on-farm storage. One of the most recent of those loans made use of the 2014 revisions to the program to benefit fruit and vegetable producers. Lindsay and Ben Shute, owners of Hearty Roots Community Farm in the Hudson Valley of New York State, received a FSFL to finance a cold storage and packing facility for their community supported agriculture (CSA) operation. They received a waiver from FSA from needing to have NAP or crop insurance coverage after demonstrating that such insurance was not meaningful for a CSA. They were also able to use an alternative method to determine their storage facility needs that were more appropriate to a highly diversified operation. Their experience has helped open the door for FSFLs to finance sorting, washing, grading and other critical handling needs of small, diversified specialty crop farms.   See more at this USDA blog.

How to Apply and Program Resources
Loan applications should be filed in the local FSA Office that maintains the farm’s records. To find your local office, use the service center locator.

The Farm Storage Loan application form is CCC Form 0185 and can be found on the FSFL overview page

For more information on the program, see FSA’s FSFL Fact Sheet

The final rule for the program is at 7 CFR 1436

For additional details, see the FSA FSFL Handbook

Program History, Funding, and Farm Bill Changes
The FSFL program in its current iteration was started administratively in 2000 by FSA. The program has permanent mandatory funding through the Commodity Credit Corporation (CCC) and does not require a congressional authorization or an appropriation. The costs of running the loan program are automatically reimbursed to the CCC.

Congress got into the act through the 2008 Farm Bill, which added hay and renewable biomass as well as fruits and vegetables as eligible commodities, added cold storage as eligible facilities, increased the maximum loan term to 12 years, increased the maximum loan about to $500,000, and allowed for partial loan disbursement during construction.

In 2014, FSA took several actions to improve the program, particularly for small and mid-sized farms in the local and regional food space:
The loan level that triggers additional security requirements is now $100,000, up from the previous $50,000 amount.
(Photo credit:  USDA)


Tuesday, November 3, 2015

How to Keep Your Chickens in Winter


My colleague, Andy Larson, who was the Small Farm Specialist with Iowa State University when this short video was created, provides some tidbits on how to keep your chickens in winter.


Sunday, November 1, 2015

Midwest Winter Production Conference

Back by popular demand, the Midwest Winter Production Conference features national & regional presenters with hands-on experience in winter production. The conference will be held Thursday and Friday, January 21 and 22, 2016 at the Continental Banquet Center (immediately behind Granny Shaffer’s), 2728 North Rangeline, Joplin, MO 64801.  The demand for locally grown vegetables & fruit knows no season & the opportunity for innovative farmers to expand production into the winter months is huge.  

Registration is limited to 100 participants.

Thursday, January 21
Registration – 8 to 9 am

9:15 am - Welcome

9:20 - 10:20 am - Concurrent Sessions – pick one
Track A:
For Beginners – High tunnel siting, choices of equipment, costs and returns – Shon Bishop and Patrice Gros

Track B:
Garlic, a favorite through the centuries, only seems to get more popular every year - Patrick Byers and Tammy Sellmeyer will discuss the history, background and classification of garlic, as well as production and post-harvest handling of this crop which can add sales during fall and winter.

10:20 - 10:30 am - break

10:30 - 11:30 am - If you grow it, will they buy it… And will you make money doing it?
Economics and marketing for winter grow leafy greens. (Adam Montri) High tunnels and hoophouses have allowed for winter production of leafy greens like spinach, kale, and Swiss chard, but just because we can grow these crops doesn’t mean we can sell them. If we can sell them that also doesn’t mean we are making money on them. This session will focus on production and planning for winter leafy crops, selling and marketing them, and determining prices to make sure you are making money on these leafy greens.

11:30 - 12:30 pm - lunch (included in registration fee)

12:30 – 1:45 pm - Farmer Symposium - Top winter producers from Missouri’s winter markets discuss their favorite winter production tools, crops and techniques. Patrice Gross of Arkansas and Adam Montri of Michigan will join in.

1:45 - 2:00 pm - break

2:00 - 3:00 pm - Marketing Strategies for Winter Sales (Dru Montri) Marketing your product during the winter can require a strategy different from your peak season approach. Learn more about planning, target marketing, building relationships with your customers and communicating with them regularly. After a review of lessons learned from other winter markets, you’ll leave this session thinking about ways to increase your profits and make your winter market more successful.

3:00 - 3:15 pm - break

3:15 pm - Concurrent Sessions (each will be approximately 50 minutes)
Track A:
Tammy Sellmeyer - Adding value and expanding your profit through storage crops and dried products. Turn your surplus summer produce into extra winter sales through drying. Make your stand the go-to place for storage crops.
Dan Kuebler - Dan spoke at our first conference about his moveable high tunnel. This year he shares his extensive knowledge about fermenting and pickling and the profit it can add to your winter market sales.

Track B:
Jennifer Morganthaler and Marilyn Odneal of Missouri State University – Raspberry Production in High Tunnels - an on-going research project examining the cost benefits and challenges of high tunnel raspberry production, including bag growing.
Adam and Dru Montri of Ten Hens Farm will present on their diversified marketing strategy. This session will focus on building relationships with buyers, communication, marketing and sales strategies. Ten Hens Farm currently sells on farm, to other farms, to food trucks, restaurants, specialty grocers, and a medium-sized distributor.

Friday, January 22

8:30 to 10:00 am - Winter Storage Crop Production and Economics. (Adam Montri)
Winter storage crops such as beets and specialty turnips add to a farm’s product list but are not always the most economically viable crops to grow in a winter high tunnel. In this session we will focus on summer and fall production of root crops for winter storage. Plant spacing, weeding and cultivation options, when to harvest, winter storage requirements and options, labor needs, packaging and pricing will all be discussed along with how the storage crops help to sell other winter high tunnel grown products.

10:15 to 11:45 am - Integrated Pest Control in Tunnels - a panel discussion including Dr. Jaime
Pinero and case studies presented by local high tunnel farmers.

Noon to 1 pm - Lunch (included in registration fee)

1:00 to 2:00 pm - Starting your own plants for winter production—seed selection, crop varieties, cost, quality control (Patrice Gross)

2:15 pm - Update on grants, food safety and other government programs and opportunities

3:00 to 5:00 pm - Farm tour

$50 for full registration includes lunch each of the two days and materials Additional registrations are $35 per person from the same farm or group each include lunch each of the two days but no materials.

Mail with check made out to Webb City Farmers Market to: Webb City Farmers Market, PO Box 1, Webb City, MO 64870. Questions? Call Eileen at 417 483-8139.