Morel Mushrooms

When you start your search for different options that you can do on your farm, don't overlook the resources that might already exist on your land.  These natural resources will cost you very little to get started.  At this time of the year, it is not uncommon to see a couple of vendors at the farmers' market selling morel mushrooms that they hunted on their own property or other private land (always get permission).  I bought some last year for a hefty price.  If you do hunt morel mushrooms and plan on selling them, be sure you can identify the morel from the false morel.  Listed in the article below are two resources to assist you in identifying mushrooms and an opportunity to learn how to hunt them.  (debi kelly)

This year’s weather presents a promising prospect for morel hunters. Mild temperatures and plentiful moisture this spring is the perfect recipe for a mushroom crop.

“Morel mushrooms start fruiting in the spring as the soil warms to about 50 degrees if there’s enough moisture,” said Johann Bruhn, a University of Missouri mycologist. “Rain like we’ve been getting is important to make mushrooms fruit, but most important is a prolonged combination of moisture and appropriate temperature.”

Morel hunting is a popular pastime for many Missouri families. The best time to hunt morels is roughly mid-April to mid-May and typically coincides with the flowering of May apples.

Surrounded by lore and mystique, hunting mushrooms connects generations who pass down information on the mushroom’s fruiting grounds and use the experience to spend time together in the woods.

“The great enjoyment is not just about finding the mushrooms, but also about experiencing the great outdoors, identifying wild flowers, going out with your dog on an adventure in the woods and being with family and friends,” Bruhn said.

Bruhn, who has eaten more than 50 species of wild mushrooms, offers advice for those unsure how to hunt.

He recommends using an onion sack or similar mesh bag to collect mushrooms. Always bag each variety separately if there’s doubt about the safety of a collection. Carefully identify any new species of mushroom before eating and try only a small portion at a time until you know it’s safe.

“There are not many different kinds of mushrooms growing during morel season, but there are some ‘false morels’ that contain a chemical that’s akin to rocket fuel and can be lethal,” Bruhn said. “The only rule of thumb is that there is no rule of thumb and everyone who hunts should use field guides or an expert to identify any suspect varieties.”

Morel look-alikes – such as the Verpa, the saddle-shaped Helvella and the brain-shaped Gyromitra mushrooms – can entice some hunters, but can be distinguished by the squatty shape compared to the more cone-shaped true morels.

“If the cap of the mushroom drapes down from the very top of the stalk, it’s likely a false morel and I’d not recommend eating it,” Bruhn said.

Bruhn said all mushrooms – regardless of type – should be cooked thoroughly to make them more digestible. The enzymes mushrooms use to decay wood can be very hazardous to humans. “Cooking helps,” he said. “However, keep in mind that cooking still does not break down most deadly toxins present.”

For pictures and more information on mushroom species, see www.mdc.mo.gov/nathis/mushrooms/mushroom/edible.htm.

You can learn more about mushroom hunting through the Missouri Mycological Society, which will host Morel Madness at Cuivre River State Park April 23-25.
 
Written by Roger Meissen, Senior Information Specialist, MU Ag News and Information.

Grant Opportunities for Farmers

I ran across this description of grants from Cornell University and thought it said everything so nice that I would just copy it directly into the blog.  You are welcome to read the rest of the publication but it is geared more for New York farmers.  As I continue to come across grant opportunities, I'll continue to post them here.  (debi kelly)

An increasing number of grant programs are available to farmers from federal or state sources each with specific objectives. Grants fall into the three general types: 1) grants for business planning, adding value and increasing farm viability; 2) grants for on-farm research and demonstration projects that are mostly production oriented though some include marketing demonstration projects; and 3) grants for farm energy conservation, alternative energy, environmental protection/conservation and waste management.

Grants are never available to start a farm and are not a reliable strategy for growing your business. Grants may enable you to expand a particular aspect of your business to make your operation more viable or provide funding to try a new practice on your farm.

Grants are highly competitive so apply only if the project you are proposing clearly meets the grantor’s objectives. Always find out what kinds of projects were funded in the past to determine if your project is in line with what has been funded.

It takes significant time and effort to write a wining grant proposal. Instructions must be followed precisely. Grants often require a cash or in-kind match that must be documented in the budget you propose. Grants will not be considered if they arrive late after the deadline for application. Deadlines for application submission and instructions are generally announced once a year. Most grants are not available on an ongoing basis.

Once you submit a grant, it may take 3 to 6 months to find out if your application was selected for funding. If funded, it also takes time to finalize the contract. Generally you will not be reimbursed for money spent prior to receiving the signed contract. Grant contracts require that you write a report of the results and provide an accounting of how the money was spent; therefore, you must keep accurate records. Grants are also considered income for tax purposes.

Hoop House Workshop

Hands-on Hoop House Construction learn first hand how to build affordable hoop houses.

When:  Saturday, April 24th 2010 Registration 9:30-10:00 AM Workshop 10:00-4:00 PM

Where: Troy First Baptist Church, 1000 Elm Tree Road Troy, MO 63379

Cost: $10/person, Lunch & Drinks included, Plans for Hoop House included.

The guest speaker will be Joe Perkins. Growing up in a family of 10, producing and preserving food was a necessity! As an adult Joe, worked in the computer and data processing field and also served as a pastor. “After traveling to Haiti on a mission trip, I saw the need for the development of a sustainable food supply. I began spending time there, working in their rocky soil.” Joining with other missionaries, Joe began teaching the residents of Haiti how to increase their food production by installing raised beds. Soon after, he began hoop house construction. Besides our work in Haiti, we have also built a large shade house for an orphanage in Honduras and we have also done some work in Mexico.”

For more information or to register, call Kevin Krause,Lincoln University Farm Outreach Worker at 660-239-4768 or krausek@lincolnu.edu.  Preregistration is required to be guaranteed a lunch.

Loans for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

Overview

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Farm Service Agency (FSA) makes and guarantees loans to beginning farmers who are unable to obtain financing from commercial lenders. Each fiscal year, the Agency targets a portion of its direct and guaranteed farm ownership (FO) and operating loan (OL) funds to beginning farmers.

A beginning farmer is an individual or entity who (1) has not operated a farm for more than 10 years; (2) meets the loan eligibility requirements of the program to which he/she is applying; (3) substantially participates in the operation; and, (4) for FO purposes, does not own a farm greater than 30 percent of the median size farm in the county. (Note: all applicants for direct FO loans must have participated in the business operation of a farm for at least 3 years.) If the applicant is an entity, all members must be related by blood or marriage, and all members in a corporation must be eligible beginning farmers.

Maximum loan amounts are:

■ Direct FO or OL: $300,000; and

■ Guaranteed FO or OL: $1,094,000 (Amount varies annually based on inflation).

Downpayment Program

FSA has a special loan program to assist socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers in purchasing a farm. Retiring farmers may use this program to transfer their land to future generations.

To qualify:

■ The applicant must make a cash down payment of at least 5 percent of the purchase price.

■ The maximum loan amount does not exceed 45 percent of the least of (a) the purchase price of the farm or ranch to be acquired; (b) the appraised value of the farm or ranch to be acquired; or (c) $500,000 (Note: This results in a maximum loan amount of $225,000).

■ The term of the loan is 20 years. The interest rate is 4 percent below the direct FO rate, but not lower than 1.5 percent.

■ The remaining balance may be obtained from a commercial lender or private party. FSA can provide up to a 95 percent guarantee if financing is obtained from a commercial lender. Participating lenders do not have to pay a guarantee fee.

■ Financing from participating lenders must have an amortization period of at least 30 years and cannot have a balloon payment due within the first 20 years of the loan.
 
Sale of Inventory Farmland
 
FSA advertises inventory property within 15 days of acquisition. Eligible SDA and beginning farmers are given first priority to purchase these properties at the appraised market value. If one or more eligible SDA or beginning farmer offers to purchase the same property in the first 135 days, the buyer is chosen randomly.

Joint Financing Arrangement

Beginning farmers may choose to participate in a joint financing arrangement. With this arrangement, FSA lends up to 50 percent of the amount financed, and another lender provides 50 percent or more. The interest rates can be obtained from your local FSA office and the term of the loan will not exceed 40 years or the useful life of the security.
 
Where to Apply
Applications for direct loan assistance may be submitted to the local FSA office serving the area where the operation is located. Local FSA offices are listed in the telephone directory under U.S. Government, Department of Agriculture or Farm Service Agency. For guaranteed loans, applicants must apply to a commercial lender who participates in the Guaranteed Loan Program. Contact your local FSA office for a list of participating lenders.

For More Information

Further information about this and other FSA programs is available from your FSA office.

Did Somebody Say "Crop Mob"? The Latest Farming Fad Comes to Missouri

I have heard and read articles about crop mobs on the numerous lists and newsletters I receive and think this is a great idea.  You can learn about farming first hand by doing as little or as much as you like and you will have an opportunity to network with others who are like-minded in farming.  (debi kelly)


By Kristen Hinman, Monday, Apr. 5 2010 @ 11:21AM

Saturday, April 10th, 2010 at 10 a.m. Mob forms here.

crop (noun): something edible that grows in or of the ground.

mob (noun): a riotous crowd; a flock or herd.

crop mob: "young, landless, and wannabe farmers" who descend upon a small-scale farm on an appointed day and accomplish in five hours what it might take the farmer five days to do him- or herself.

The phenomenon began in North Carolina about a year ago and received some high-profile New York Times treatment in late February. Now Missouri's gettin' in on the action. The first mob goes down this Saturday.

Sam Wiseman, owner of the two-acre Sunflower Savannah Farm out in Beaufort, is hosting the first mobbing on April 10.

Wiseman grows cut flowers, tomatillos, heirloom tomatoes and an assortment of other vegetables for the Maplewood and Tower Grove farmers' markets in St. Louis. She normally works alone.

Saturday's mobbers will get to help clean out her barn, plant some cold-weather crops and weed the strawberry patch.

"It could be really cool for me!" she tells Gut Check. "Or, it could be a total fiasco! We'll wait and see. You just hope for the best. All these people have good intentions but they are unskilled. It's mostly people who want to support the local food movement and want to learn about sustainable farming, get in touch with the earth and are right now in a position where they can't do so."

Sign-up is appreciated, since Julie Ridlon of Chanterelle Catering will be preparing lunch for all who attend. For more info on sign-up, check out the new Jefferson County Crop Mob Facebook page or Wiseman's blog.

Directions

Grazing Schools

One of the best ways to cut costs in a livestock operation is through better grazing management.

The Soil and Water Conservation Districts, Natural Resources and Conservation Services and University of Missouri Extension Centers are sponsoring a grazing schools all across the state of Missouri.

The Missouri Regional Grazing Schools are educational programs that serve three purposes: 1) educate producers and agency personnel in the art and science of grazing management; 2) transfer new technology in grassland management to producers and agency personnel; 3) qualify producers for the state DSP3 cost-share program.   Schools are taught during the grazing season only. The grazing season runs from April 1 to October 31.

All schools address the following core subject matter:

Introduction to Management-intensive grazing
Resource evaluation
Plant growth
Forage quality
Livestock nutrition on pasture
Soil fertility and landscape ecology
Layout and design
Fence and water technology
Economics
Tying it all together


For a listing of the grazing schools across the state go to http://agebb.missouri.edu/mfgc/schools.htm

Organic Education and Outreach Grant

The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) is a non-profit organization that is recognized across the country for leadership in the area of organic agriculture.

OFRF's purpose... To foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems

OFRF's mission...  To sponsor research related to organic farming; To disseminate research results to organic farmers and to growers interested in adopting organic production systems; and To educate the public and decision-makers about organic farming issues.

OFRF’s integrated strategy of grantmaking, policy, education and networking initiatives supports organic farmers’ immediate information needs while moving the public and policymakers toward greater investment in organic farming systems.

Presently, OFRF will fund the development of educational opportunities and materials that are:

1. Pertinent to organic agricultural production or marketing; and
2. Aimed at organic producers and/or those considering making the transition to organic certification.

OFRF will also accept proposals to fund activities that promote information sharing among organic agricultural researchers and organic farmers and ranchers.

Proposals are due May 17, 2010.

Besides funding grants, OFRF has a wealth of organic resources that beginning farmers interested in organic farming may want to tap into.