Sheep Shearing Videos Now Available

Two new videos are available from Penn State University. One explaining the tools needed to shear sheep and preparing and caring for the shears, and one explaining the six positions to shear a sheep.

Producers interested in learning to shear their own sheep, or those who may just need a refresher to brush up on their skills, can now look to the Web for help on shearing sheep. Finding someone to shear your sheep is becoming more difficult and expensive every year. We hope these videos will get you on a good track to doing your own shearing.

Penn State Extension’s Start Farming team realized there is a relative lack of good sheep shearing information when class after class has filled and folks keep asking for more. Mike Fournier, Penn State Extension Educator in Bucks County, teaches Introduction to Sheep Management and Sheep Shearing schools each year in southeastern Pennsylvania. In the past three years, 77 aspiring or beginning producers have taken the courses – most planning to join the almost 3,800 sheep farms in Pennsylvania.

The team created two videos, one explaining the tools needed to shear sheep and preparing and caring for the shears, and one explaining the six positions to shear a sheep. To view the videos, please visit the Start Farming team’s website at extension.psu.edu/start-farming and click on the “Sheep” tab on the left side of the page.

 

Farm Lease Contracts

University of Missouri Extension agribusiness specialist Karisha Devlin urged northeastern Missouri agriculture lenders to encourage written agreements between landowners and renters during a recent agricultural lender seminar at Fiddlestiks restaurant in Hannibal.

The MU Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics sponsors the statewide seminar series in cooperation with regional MU Extension specialists.

“Half of all leases are done on a handshake, but termination becomes very messy and complicated when it’s a verbal lease,” Devlin said. “Farming is a business. Why would you not have a formal written agreement for a business? Make sure both sides are protected.”

Landowners and tenants don’t always share the same goals, she said. About 75-80 percent of the calls to her Edina office are regarding land issues. Written agreements help to avoid future conflicts by clearly stating terms.

Devlin said that at minimum a lease should have these essential elements: names and description; terms of lease; rental rates and arrangements; right of entry; and signatures and dates.

A complete lease would contain additional items, including provisions on operating expenses, improvements and repairs, and arbitration. For more information, see the MU Extension guide “Farm Lease Agreement”.

It is also important for leases to include a provision requiring scheduled soil testing and subsequent care of the land, Devlin said.

Most leases are for a one- to three-year period, and there are many factors to consider in determining the time frame. Leases should include clauses addressing subleases, crop restrictions and whether additional duties such as mowing around buildings are expected. Right-of-entry clauses also are critical in giving landowners access to the land.

Owners and tenants can arrive at a fair rental rate by considering crop and cattle prices, input costs and yield records. Termination agreements also are key to expectations.

Devlin said bankers should advise the owner and tenant to carry separate liability insurance coverage. Additional coverage may be necessary for land that is leased for hunting or recreational purposes.

Sample leases are available free of charge from MU Extension centers throughout the state. More information on leases is available on the MU Extension website at www.extension.missouri.edu.

(by Linda Geist, MU Senior Information Specialist)

Missouri Farmland Costs at Record High

A University of Missouri survey of farmland values in July 2012 shows record-high values for cropland, pasture, timberland and recreational ground in Missouri. Low interest rates and high commodity prices continue to push the per-acre land values to new levels. In turn, the land values and high commodity prices are driving cash rents higher.

MU Extension agribusiness specialist Karisha Devlin showed northeastern Missouri agriculture lenders results of the annual MU study at a Dec. 3 seminar at Fiddlestiks restaurant in Hannibal.

“Cash rents are expected to remain steady in 2013 for above-average crop and pasture ground. Prices for poor ground are expected to decrease slightly,” Devlin said.

Devlin cited information from MU Extension’s Cash Rental Rates guide and from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s National Agricultural Statistics Service (USDA/NASS).

USDA/NASS estimates are used by the Farm Service Agency in administering USDA programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program and in decision-making by other lenders, landowners and tenants.

About 240,000 farms and ranches across the U.S. are contacted for their total acres operated and acres rented for cash for various land categories.

According to the USDA/NASS survey, cash rent for all Missouri cropland increased by $5 per acre to $110 in 2012. The biggest jump was in irrigated cropland, which rose from $148 per acre in 2011 to $164 per acre in 2012. Pasture ground jumped from $25.50 per acre in 2011 to $28 per acre in 2012.

The MU Department of Agricultural and Applied Economics sponsors a statewide series of agriculture lender seminars in cooperation with regional MU Extension specialists.

The USDA/NASS survey provides detail of rent costs per county and state and can be found at www.nass.usda.gov.

(by Linda Geist, MU Senior Information Specialist)

Equipment & Tools for Small-Scale Intensive Crop Production

ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas) is a great resource for beginning farmers.  They have tons of great publications and videos available plus they can answer your specific questions.

A recent email I received told about a new publication and webinar on equipment and tools for small scale farmers.  Below is the Introduction to the publication and below that is the webinar.  I hope you find these helpful.

Equipment & Tools for Small-Scale Intensive Crop Production

The use of appropriate agricultural equipment and tools for small-scale intensive crop production contributes to the viability of the farm by enhancing production efficiency. Equipment and tools are necessary for plant propagation, soil preparation, planting, pest and weed control, irrigation, harvesting, post-harvest handling, storage, and distribution. Sustainable agriculture can be a labor-intensive business and by selecting the appropriate tool for the task at hand, farmers can increase profits by increasing crop yields, improving crop quality, and reducing expenses. Factors to consider when choosing appropriate agricultural equipment and tools include the location and growing conditions of the farm, the type of crops being grown, the production practices being used, and how the crops will be marketed.

Tools for Small Scale Production archived webinar.

Online Courses

As the farm is winding down for the winter, you may be looking for some eduational experiences.  Here are a few from eXtension.org.

Integrated Pest Management for Organic Crops - Southern Region SARE

o   Teachers: Julie Sexton, Kim Kroll, Brian McCann

The "Integrated Pest Management for Organic Crops" curriculum was developed with support from the Southern Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) Professional Development Program (PDP), with Clemson University as the Lead Institution. The project goal is to incorporate of principles and practices of sustainable agriculture in training provided to agricultural professionals in the Southern Region.
Specific objectives are:

1.     Create 8-12 high quality, contemporary educational products to deliver state of the art knowledge about sustainable agriculture in the Southern Region

2.     Integrate these products into the overall Extension education system in the Southern Region through the Cooperative Extension Curriculum Project (CECP) and Southern SARE

For information contact Dr. Geoff Zehnder - Professor of Entomology and Coordinator IPM and Sustainable Agriculture Programs, Clemson University.  ENROLL in this course.

Strategic Farm/Ranch Business Planning and Marketing

o   Teachers: Julie Sexton, Brian McCann, David Chaney, Kim Kroll

Strategic Farm/Ranch Business Planning and Marketing is a self-directed course designed to help agricultural professionals work effectively with their clients and develop research and education programs that address agricultural sustainability. This course is the second in a series that is aimed at:

o   helping clients critically assess their future

o   walking clients through the goal setting process

o   finding resources to help clients evaluate new ideas

o   providing guidance to clients on developing business and marketing plans

o   fostering critical thinking and offer risk management advice

o   helping clients prepare to meet with lenders to seek financing alternatives

o   advising about farm transfer and retirement options

o   promoting an appreciation of sustainable farm business management principles

For more information contact David Chaney, DEC Education Services, at chaneyd@comcast.net; or Kim Kroll, Associate Director USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, at assoc_dir@sare.org.  ENROLL in this course.

Sustainable Agriculture: Basic Principles and Concept Overview

o   Teachers: David Chaney, Kim Kroll, Julie Sexton, Brian McCann

Sustainable Agriculture: Basic Principles and Concept Overview is a self-directed course designed to help agricultural professionals work effectively with their clients and develop research and education programs that address agricultural sustainability. This course is the first in a series that is aimed at helping you answer these questions:

o   What is sustainable agriculture?

o   What does it mean for farmers, ranchers and communities?

o   How does it relate to my role as an educator or researcher?

For more information contact David Chaney, DEC Education Services, at chaneyd@comcast.net; or Kim Kroll, Associate Director USDA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, at assoc_dir@sare.org.  ENROLL in this course.

Organic Seed Production

o   Course Content Specialists: Alice Formiga

Organic Seed Production is a self-directed course designed for producers with some seed production experience, seed industry professionals, and extension professionals. This course will provide practical field-based knowledge and present current research on organic seed production practices. Topics covered: This course will cover the fundamentals of seed production for onions, beets and chard, brassicas, carrots, and wet seeded crops. It will also cover climatic requirements for seed crops, important diseases, and seed quality. For more information contact Jared Zystro, Organic Seed Alliance, at jared@seedalliance.org
Course Subject Matter Specialists

o   Jodi Lew-Smith, High Mowing Seeds: Seed Diseases

o   John Navazio, Organic Seed Alliance: Which Crops for Your Climate, Beets and Chard, Carrots

o   Joel Reiten, Seeds of Change: Onions, Brassicas, Seed Quality

o   Don Tipping, Siskiyou Seeds: Lettuce, Wet Seeded Crops

o   Shelly Solomon, Leaping Frog Films: Videographer

o   Jared Zystro, Organic Seed Alliance: Online Tutorial Developer

A Novel Strategy for Soil-borne Disease Management: Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation

Cost: $25.00

A Novel Strategy for Soil-borne Disease Management: Anaerobic Soil Disinfestation is a self-directed course designed for organic producers, extension educators, researchers and ag professionals who would like to apply for one CCA credit by watching a 75-minute eOrganic webinar recording followed by an exam and questionnaire. Participants in this course will learn about recent research from Carol Shennan of the University of California-Santa Cruz and David Butler of the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, about how to perform anaerobic soil disinfestation and its potential for use in soil-borne disease management. When you register, you will be able to access the course for 48 hours. For more information contact Alice Formiga with Oregon State University at formigaa@hort.oregonstate.edu
Course Subject Matter Specialists
Carol Shennan
David Butler

Sheep and Goat Production in Kentucky

o   Teacher: Ricky Yeargan

Contacts:

o   Kaitlyn McClelland kmcclelland@uky.edu

o   Josh Renaker jrenaker17@uky.edu

o   Ricky Yeargan ricky.yeargan@uky.edu

ENROLL in this course.

Beef Cattle Production

This module will provide a link that takes you to the beef website for the University of Nebraka-Lincoln. At this website you will take a closer look at the endocrinology and physiology of the estrous cycle of beef cattle. There are also illustrations to help aid in the learning of these areas.

Resource: Dr. Rick Rasby, University of Nebraska - Lincoln

ENROLL in this course.

Introduction to Small Scale Commercial Greenhouse Production

o   Teacher: Steven Newman

Introduction to Small Scale Commercial Greenhouse Production is a blended course designed for county extension agents and new greenhouse professionals. Participants to the course will enhanced their knowledge base of starting and operating a commercial greenhouse enterprise. Certificates of completion will be provided. For more information or to enroll contact Steven Newman, with Colorado State University Extension, at Steven.Newman@Colostate.edu or at (970) 491-7118.

Farming Goes Fishy with Prawns

If you’re invited to a fish fry at the Harry Cope farm, you might get served up some tasty pond-raised prawns.

Raising prawns is the latest in Cope’s innovative approach to using the resources of University of Missouri Extension.

Cope raised his fourth consecutive crop of prawns this year.

Cope’s prawns belong to a species of large freshwater shrimp native to Malaysia. Prawns have been raised in the southern U.S. since the 1970s, but new techniques and management practices are allowing Midwestern farmers to experiment with them.

Each year, Cope and five of his friends buy 3,000 juvenile prawns from a Dixon, Mo., supplier who purchases them from a Texas hatchery. Cope said the baby prawns are interesting to look at because of their translucent quality and dark eyes. “You only see eyes and a spinal cord at first,” he said.

In early June, the prawns are put in a quarter-acre pond with steep sides and an 8-inch drain and plug. The water is 3-5 feet deep, in accordance with recommendations from MU Extension.

They grow quickly from thumbnail size to the length of a man’s fully extended palm and fingers before being harvested in late September to early October. Cope’s prawns generally are about 18-count, or 18 to a pound. The quarter-acre pond yields about 120 pounds of shrimp that sell for $10 per pound.

The Copes and friends harvest them by draining the pond. “All of a sudden, you’ll see shrimp walking out,” Cope said. And then the old-fashioned fish fry begins. But not always. On the third year of raising prawn, there were none to be harvested.

Cope said he worked with Montgomery County Extension agronomy specialist Richard Hoorman on this project and other innovative farming ideas. “Rich is a very good resource and researcher,” Cope said. In turn, Hoorman notes, Cope’s research on prawns and other innovative farming ideas has helped other farmers. Cope has made presentations at meetings and through webinars.

Cope said he became interested in prawns after he attended a field day at the MU Bradford Research Center in Columbia, where researchers have been raising southeast Asian prawns for the last several years.

The prawn growing season in Missouri is short because of the climate, said Tim Reinbott, superintendent at Bradford. Fish, blue herons, raccoons and bullfrogs also take their toll on the crustaceans. “They have a lot of predators,” Reinbott said. “We put in 4,000 and got back less than half.”

The prawns have been served in some MU campus dining halls and the Bingham Commons. They have a lobster-like sweetness and aren’t as firm as boiled shrimp.

Cope and Reinbott agree that it would be difficult to raise prawns as a single source of farm income. “You couldn’t make a living off of it, but it could definitely add income,” Reinbott said.

For more information, the MU Extension guide “Freshwater Prawn Production in Missouri.”

(by Linda Geist, MU Senior Information Specialist)

Sustainable Commercial Greenhouse Production On-Line Course

Now that many crops growers are entering the down season, you might be interested in a free online course developed by Colorado State University.  CSU has designed this course with a mix of video lectures, powerpoint slides, and readings.   It is self-paced.  Development of these training modules was funded by Western Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education.

The SmallScale Commercial Greenhouse Production on-line course is a blended course designed for county extension agents and new greenhouse professionals. Participants to the course will enhanced their knowledge base of starting and operating a commercial greenhouse enterprise.

Unit 1 - Introduction to the Greenhouse Industry

Unit 2 - Greenhouse Structures and Construction

Unit 3 - Greenhouse Environment

·       Greenhouse Heat
·       Greenhouse Cooling
·       Greenhouse Environmental Controls

Unit 4 - Greenhouse Rhizosphere

Unit 5 - Greenhouse Nutrition and Water

·       Nutrition and Fertilizers
·       Greenhouse Water and Irrigation

Unit 6 - Greenhouse Production

Unit 7 - Greenhouse Pest and Disease Control

Unit 8 - Greenhouse Post Harvest and Post Production