S.A.L.E. (Small Acreage & Land Entrepreneurs) Conference

Gain practical knowledge and explore the possibilities for your small acreage at this informative conference – S.A.L.E. (SmallAcreage & Land Entrepreneurs)  The conference will be held on Saturday, March 8th from 9:00 a.m.-3:30 p.m. with the Trade Show beginning at 8:30 a.m. at Fulkerson Center, Missouri Western State University (MWSU), St. Joseph, MO.

 

The conference will feature concurrent tracks of sessions - critters, great outdoors, home & hearth/odds & ends, and plants. The sessions will be timed so that attendees can move from track to track as they wish. Presentations are scheduled to last 30 minutes followed by 10 minutes for questions. For attendees who wish to switch tracks to attend another session, five minutes are scheduled between each session.

Agenda

8:30-9:00 a.m. - Registration & trade show

9:00-9:15 a.m. - Welcome

Track - Critters

9:15-10:00 a.m. - Doc talk: equine dentistry & health, Joe Powell, DVM, Nodaway Veterinary Clinic

10:00-10:45 a.m. - Equine care from feed to farrier, Shawn Deering, MU Extension

10:45-11:00 a.m. - Break/trade show

11:00-11:45 a.m. - Raising rabbits & making a profit, Cathy Reardon

11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m. - Lunch/trade show

1:00-1:45 p.m. - Sheep and goats, Charlotte Clifford-Rathert, DVM, Lincoln University

1:45-2:00 p.m. - Break/trade show

2:00-2:45 p.m. - Beginning beekeeping, Raymond Hildenbrand

2:45-3:30 p.m. - Poultry particulars, Amie Schleicher, MU Extension

Track - Great Outdoors

9:15-10:00 a.m. - Resources & show-me the money, Panel of MU Extension, FSA, MDC, NRCS, SWCD

10:00-10:45 a.m. - Wildlife management, Jim Pierson, MDC

10:45-11:00 a.m. - Break/trade show

11:00-11:45 a.m. - Growing native plants on your acreage, Jeff Powellson, MDC

11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m. - Lunch/trade show

1:00-1:45 p.m. - Attracting birds to your property, Karen Lyman, Audubon Society member

1:45-2:00 p.m. - Break/trade show

2:00-2:45 p.m. - Trees: health, harvesting, thinning for trails, etc., Lonnie Massberger, MDC

2:45-3:30 p.m. - Pond & fish management, Tory Mason, MDC

Track - Home & Hearth / Odds & Ends

9:15-10:00 a.m. - Renting your ground, Bob Kelly, MU Extension

10:00-10:45 a.m. - Soap making, Donna Humphrey

10:45-11:00 a.m. - Break/trade show

11:00-11:45 a.m. - Food preservation, Karen Elliott, MU Extension

11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m. - Lunch/trade show

1:00-1:45 p.m. - This old house, Jim Crawford, MU Extension

1:45-2:00 p.m. - Break/trade show

2:00-2:45 p.m. - Alternative energy for the home, Jim Crawford, MU Extension

2:45-3:30 p.m. - Agritourism/pumpkin patches, Erin Dinsdale, DOT Family Farms

Track - Plants

9:15-10:00 a.m. - Growing your own fruit, Tom Fowler, MU Extension

10:00-10:45 a.m. - Cover crops & soils, Rodney Saunders, NRCS

10:45-11:00 a.m. - Break/trade show

11:00-11:45 a.m. - Forages, Wayne Flanary, MU Extension

11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m. - Lunch/trade show

1:00-1:45 p.m. - Getting started in the greenhouse business, Julie Hurst, Hurst Greenery

1:45-2:00 p.m. - Break/trade show

2:00-2:45 p.m. - Growing your own veggies, Tim Baker, MU Extension

2:45-3:30 p.m. - Composting, Jim Crawford & Tom Fowler, MU Extension

Registration:

$40 per person if received by February 26

$60 per person after February 26 or at the door

Make checks payable to: Nodaway County Extension and send to Nodaway County Extension

403 N Market St, Maryville, MO 64468

Visit our website. 

For more information, contact:

Randa Doty, Nodaway County MU Extension, 403 N Market St, Maryville, MO 64468, 660-582-8101 

Tom Fowler, Buchanan County MU Extension, 4125 Mitchell Ave, St. Joseph, MO 64507, 816-279-1691

Windy Start to 2014 Brings Wind Chills; Weather Challenges Livestock Producers

January gave the windiest start of the year to Missouri in almost 30 years. Wind puts the chill in wind chill.

“Those who think winds are chillier than usual are right,” says Pat Guinan, state climatologist, University of Missouri Extension. The cold and wind continues into February.

Cold dominated the weather reports since Jan. 1. “Preliminary data for January indicates the statewide average temperature was 25 F. That’s almost 5 F below long-term normal,” Guinan says.

With the winds accompanying frequent fast-moving fronts, the wind chills regularly drop to minus 10-30 degrees.

A polar jet stream set up from northwest to southeast across the state. That let several Arctic cold fronts barrel through the region.

“Those fronts brought reinforcing shots of frigid air,” Guinan says.

The mark of cold weather is when the daily high temperature doesn’t rise above zero degrees. That happened often across northern and central Missouri. That hadn’t happened since December 1989, he adds.

Winds are driven by differential between high-pressure and low-pressure areas. The Arctic cold fronts bring lower air pressures with them. Then the following high-pressure zones behind the fronts rush to fill the lows. The gradient between the two determines wind velocity.

“The differential is like when you push the valve on an inflated tire,” Guinan says. “The energy gushes from high pressure to low pressure.” The colder the air, the higher the density and the greater the air pressure.

“This winter, the polar jet dipped more often and deeper into the United States than usual,” he says.

What’s unusual was that the cold fronts lacked moisture this winter, Guinan says. They delivered less than normal water despite deep snows in parts of southern and east-central Missouri. The snow in early February across the north was light and fluffy.

Moisture-laden Gulf of Mexico air has been blocked from encountering the cold fronts, which normally trigger precipitation. With few exceptions, the snow came from Pacific moisture brought in on the jet stream.

The cold winds and snow make hay feeding an almost daily challenge for farmers, says Rob Kallenbach, MU Extension forage specialist. Cold and wind increase nutritional demands for body maintenance.

Cows in spring-calving herds should be gaining body weight. That includes the developing calf, but also a deposit of body fat that will supply milk for the newborn calf.

Some farmers find they must feed twice the usual bales of hay. To maintain cows’ body condition, farmers are feeding supplemental grain rations.

For crop and forage farmers, an ominous sign is lack of soil moisture. The dry condition has been building since last summer. Snow did not mitigate that long-term trend toward dryness in most of northern and central Missouri, Guinan says.

The National Drought Monitor for January shows “abnormally dry” to “moderate drought’ across the northern half of Missouri.

Guinan, with the MU Extension Commercial Agriculture Program, maintains a system of automated weather stations across the state.

(By Duane Daily, MU Writer)

Ag Opportunities

The February 2014 issue of Ag Opportunities is now ready.

• Comb Honey Corner
• Beginning Farmer Apprenticeships Programs in Kansas City and St. Louis
• Soil Health Workshop: The Keys to Soil Health
• Missouri Blueberry School Conference set for Feb. 21-22 in Springfield
• Monthly Beginning Farmer Webinars - IPM, Irrigation and Cold Storage
• Growing Grower Workshops
• Beekeeping Workshops
• Farmers Market of the Ozarks and CRAFT Educational Courses
• Small Farms Winter Webinar Series
• Farm Commons Webinars (Legal Topics)
• Free Marketing Webinar Series
• Soil Health Webinar Series
• Grants and Financial Assistance
• In Print/On-Line/In The News
• On The Calendar

Understanding Good Ag Practices (GAP)

A workshop on Understanding Good Agriculture Practices (GAP) on Thursday, February 20 from 9 am to 3 pm at the Stoddard County NRCS office in 18450 Ridgeview Lane, Dexter, MO 63841.  Registration is $15.00 per person.

Agenda

9:00 am - Review of Produce Safety Issues

9:30 am - The GHP/GAP Audit

10:00 am - Worker Training and Record Keeping Overview

Break

10:30 am - Production Water Management

11:00 am - Traceability

11:30 am - What to Think About Before a Crisis Happens

Lunch Provided

1:00 pm - Developing a Farm Safety Plan (Hands‐On)

For more information or to register contact the University of Missouri Extension at 573-686-8064 or email 

Sponsored by University of Missouri Extension, MO Department of Agriculture and USDA/NRCS.

Growing Grower Workshops

Are you a grower or an aspiring grower who is looking for learning opportunities in sustainable farming?

-          Apprenticeships on local farms for aspiring growers
-          Workshops covering market farming and related topics
-          Farm tours of successful local farming operations
-          Networking through our Email listserv and apprenticeship
-          Specialized trainings for growers

Growing Growers is a collaborative effort of K-State Research and Extension, Univ. of Missouri Extension, Lincoln Univ. Cooperative Extension, the Kansas Rural Center, the KC Food Circle and Cultivate KC. We work to increase the production of local food by helping new and existing producers grow their businesses. For more information click here.

February 24 – Farm Start-Up, Accessing Land & On-Farm Crop Storage

Time: 4 pm to 7 pm

Location: Kansas City, KS

Cost: $15 - For more information or to register: Dr. Cary Rivard at crivard@ksu.edu

March 14 & March 15 – Good Agriculture Practices & Food Safety Modernization Act

Location: Kansas City, MO

For more information or to register: Katie Nixon at nixonk@lincolnu.edu

March 17 – Production Planning and Plant Propagation

Time: 4 pm to 7 pm

Location: Belton, MO

Cost: $15 - For more information or to register: Katie Nixon at nixonk@lincolnu.edu  

March 31– Diversifying Markets: Farmers Markets, CSAs, Wholesale and Farm to School Programs

Time: 4 pm to 7 pm

Location: Kansas City, MO

Cost: $15 - For more information or to register: Alicia Ellingsworth at alicia@cultivatekc.org

April 7 – Spotted Wing Drosophila

Time: 4 pm to 7 pm

Location: Lawrence, KS

Cost: $15 - For more information or to register: Marlin Bates at batesm@k-state.edu

April 19 – Introduction to Soils

Time: 9 am to 2 pm

Location: Kearny, MO

Cost: $30 - For more information or to register: Lala Kumar at kumarl@missouri.edu

May 12 – Post-harvest Handling

Time: 4 pm to 7 pm

Location: Kansas City, KS

Cost: $15 - For more information or to register: Dr. Cary Rivard at crivard@ksu.edu

June 2 – Small Farm Equipment and Drip Irrigation

Time: 4 pm to 7 pm

Location: Olathe Horticulture Research & Extension Center (35230 W. 135th St., Olathe, KS 66061)

Cost: $15 - For more information or to register: Dr. Cary Rivard at crivard@ksu.edu

June 14 – Introduction to Small Fruit Production

Time: 9 am to 2 pm

Location: Powell Gardens (1609 US Highway 50, Kingsville, MO 64061)

Cost: $30 - For more information or to register: Lala Kumar at kumarl@missouri.edu

July 12 – Insect, Disease, and Weed Management

Time: 9 am to 2 pm

Location: Lawrence, KS

Cost: $30 - For more information or to register: Marlin Bates at batesm@k-state.edu

July 21 – Low-till/No-till Cropping Systems

Time: 4 pm to 7 pm

Location: Kansas City, MO

Cost: $15 - For more information or to register: Dr. Cary Rivard at crivard@ksu.edu

August 9 – Farm Business Planning and Management Workshop

Time: 9 am to 2 pm

Location: Kansas City, MO

Cost: $30 - For more information or to register: Alicia Ellingsworth at alicia@cultivatekc.org  

August 25 – Introduction to Cut Flowers

Time: 4 pm to 7 pm

Location: Kansas City, MO

Cost: $15 - For more information or to register: Lala Kumar at kumarl@missouri.edu

September 22 – Scaling Up Your Business/Packaging & Grading Produce

Time: 9 am to 2 pm

Location: Lawrence, KS

Cost: $30 - For more information or to register: Marlin Bates at batesm@k-state.edu

30th Annual Southwest Missouri Spring Forage Conference

The 30^th Annual Southwest Missouri Spring Forage Conference will be held February 25th, 2014 from 8 am to 3:30 pm at the University Plaza Hotel in Springfield, MO.

Agenda

8:00 – Registration

8:45 - 9:30 – Concurrent Session A

(Select one of these four sessions to attend)

(A1) How Do You Know a Change in Your Management Will it be Profitable? Jim Gerrish, American Grazing Lands Services, Patterson, Idaho

(A2) Soil Health and Grazing (High Density/Short Duration), Doug Peterson, State Soil Health Specialist, NRCS, Gallatin, MO (REPEATED at 2:45 pm)

(A3) Addressing Misconceptions in Agriculture, Glenn Cope, Producer, Lawrence, MO

(A4) Multi-Species Grazing Management (Cattle, Sheep, Goats), Randy Williams, Producer, Arkansas

 9:30 - 10:15 am – Break & Visit Trade Show

10:15 - 11:00 – Concurrent Session B

(Select one of these four sessions to attend)

(B1) Using Strip-Grazing to Manage Annual and Perennial Pasture, Mark Kennedy, MFGC Grazing Consultant, Texas County, MO (REPEATED at 2:45 pm)

(B2) Pasture Renovation and Restoration, Sarah Kenyon, MU Extension Agronomy Specialist, Houston, MO (REPEATED at 2:45 pm)

(B3) Getting Started with Your Grazing System, Producers’ Experiences, Larry Israel, Producer, Stone County, MO and Ron Locke, Producer, Dallas County, MO

(B4) Opportunities in Grass-based Dairy Production, Joe Horner, MU Extension Agriculture Economist, Columbia, MO

11:00 - 11:45 am – Break & Visit Trade Show

11:45 – Luncheon Keynote Address - “Grazing Management Based on the Four Ecosystem Processes”, Jim Gerrish, American Grazing Lands Services

1:15 - 1:45 pm – Break & Visit Trade Show

1:45 - 2:30 – Concurrent Session C

(Select one of these four sessions to attend)

(C1) Question & Answer Time with Keynote Speaker Jim Gerrish, Patterson, Idaho

(C2) How to Cut Costs & Increase Profits, Wesley Tucker, MU Extension Agriculture Economist, Bolivar, MO

(C3) Poisonous Plants, Tim Evans, DVM/PhD, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO

(C4) Quality Hay Production, Tim Schnakenberg, MU Extension Agronomy Specialist, Galena, MO

2:30 - 2:45 pm – Break

2:45 - 3:30 – Concurrent Session D

(Select one of these four sessions to attend)

(D1) Manage What You Have - Plant Fence Posts First, Mark Green, District Conservationist, NRCS, Springfield, MO

(D2) Soil Health and Grazing (High Density/ Short Duration), Doug Peterson, State Soil Health Specialist, NRCS, Columbia, MO

(D3) Using Strip-Grazing to Manage Annual and Perennial Pasture, Mark Kennedy, MFGC Grazing Consultant, Texas County, MO

(D4) Pasture Renovation and Restoration, Sarah Kenyon, MU Extension Agronomy Specialist, Houston, MO

3:30 pm – Adjourn

Registration is $35 per person before February 19^th and $45 afterwards.  For more information call 417-831-5246 ext. 3 or go to the website.

Growing Growers Apprenticeships

Growing Growers in Kansas City is now accepting applications for the 2014 Farm Apprenticeship Program.  Growing Growers Apprentices work on a local farm, attend workshops and farm tours, receive books and reference materials, and are trained by their host farmer/mentor. It’s a great combination of hands-on experience and classroom training.

Many Growing Growers apprentices have gone on to start their own farms and/or local food-related businesses.

Host farms are available in Leavenworth, Wyandotte and Douglas counties in Kansas and Clay, Jackson, St. Clair and Lafayette counties in Missouri.  Apprenticeships may be paid or volunteer positions.  Apprentices must be able to travel to workshops and farm tours monthly and commit to a full season of fieldwork on their host farm.

 Cost to participate is $500.00, which includes farm tours, free registration to 14 GG workshops, a selection of texts and resources, and a minimum of 8 hours dedicated “sit down” training with your host farmer that go beyond on-the-job training.  This apprenticeship training covers topics such as, how your host farm manages soil quality, their yearly production schedule, how they manage their business, and much more.  Limited scholarship funds are available.

Check out the Growing Growers website or call (816) 805-0362.

Deadline to apply for a 2014 Growing Growers Apprenticeship is March 1st, but earlier application is strongly recommended!