Cover Crops for Farms and Gardens

Some farmers and gardeners plant a "cover crop" in the fall to protect and improve their soil in the period between fall and spring. Most cover crops planted in the fall in Missouri are winter annuals. Some of the common winter annual cover crops in Missouri are winter rye, winter wheat, crimson clover, hairy vetch, and various members of the mustard family. These cover crops are normally planted with a grain drill on farms, but home gardeners can broadcast them on tilled soil and then rake the area to cover most of the seed with at least a little soil. While the cover crops may not grow much in the fall, their roots still help hold the soil in place. In early April the cover crops will begin to grow rapidly. In the case of legume cover crops, if allowed to grow until sometime in May, the legumes will produce some nitrogen that helps the fertility of the following farm or garden crop.

At the farm we have used a variety of cover crops. Each has it advantages and disadvantages. On my own home garden I use crimson clover because it's easy to establish by broadcast seeding, produces it's own nitrogen (when inoculated at seeding), produces attractive flowers in May, and is easy to control before planting a following crop. However, crimson clover doesn't like wet, saturated conditions, and is not quite as reliable as winter rye or even winter wheat. Some of the mustard type cover crops have tap roots that help loosen the soil. Any cover crop can help improve the organic matter in the soil and suppress early season weeds. If you have an area of the garden that won't be planted until late May or June, you can plant a spring cover crop in late March or early April that will have a couple of months to grow; several different clovers or Austrian winter peas can be used, as can spring oats or spring wheat. Gardeners who grow primarily cool season vegetables that are done by July may plant a late summer cover crop such as buckwheat or foxtail millet that will grow until fall but be killed by frost.

Some good sources of cover crop seed are:
Peaceful Valley Farm Supply
Albert Lea Seed (for larger quantities of seed)

by Rob Myers

MO State Beekeeping Assn Spring Conference

The MO State Beekeepers Association's annual Spring Meeting wil be March 12-13 in Hannibal.  They have an exciting agenda planned and hope that all of our Missouri beekeepers and those interested in beekeeping will attend. Remember, communication and learning are the keys to successful beekeeping.

This two-day meeting will be held at The Quality Inn & Suites:
120 Lindsey Drive, Hannibal, MO 63401 573-221-4001

Once again, member Bernie Andrew is one of the two tours for the conference.  His honey house is across the border in Illinois. This is currently scheduled for Friday morning.  An early spring management classes (with active beehives) is planned, weather permitting. If not outside, then in the meeting room.  The second tour is at the Andrew Honey Farm in Loraine, IL.

The main speaker will be Jennifer Berry. She is an Agricultural Research Coordinator at the University of Georgia, College of Agriculture/Entomology. She has a Master’s degree in entomology, and works primarily on bee research projects under Keith Delaplane.  Her talks will focus on how we can keep our bees healthy. 

Other topics at the conference are "Basic Equipment, the Essentials of What you Need and the Choices You’ll Have to Make', "Expanding Your Market with Creamed Honey", "Newbee Panel: Now that you have had bees for a year or two, put together all the questions you were afraid to ask, and ask our panel of experts" and more.

For more information about the meeting go to the Missouri Beekeeping Association's website.

Small Farm Conference

Small Farm Conference to be held March 8 and 15 in Fredericktown

Are you looking to start a new farming business, make changes to your current one or even add to your operation? The 2010 Small Farm Conference is just the place to hear about new ideas, resources and even finances for your farm.

Topics include: organic requirements, marketing your products, composting/vermiculture, resources/finances/grants, managing cattle and trees through silvopasture, grass fed beef and selling beef off the farm, and using high tunnels to extend the growing season.

The conference will be held Monday, March 8th and Monday, March 15 at the Black River Electric Cooperative building in Fredericktown from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. each evening. There is no charge for attending and a meal will be provided to each participant.

Please pre-register by March 1st to the Madison County Extension office at 573-783-3303. Registration forms are also available on the Madison County website

Debi Kelly will be speaking about resources/finances/grants on March 8th and Mary Hendrickson will be speaking about marketing your products on March 15th.

Conference made possible by a grant from the WIRED Initiative, a Workforce Investment Board of Southeast Missouri project. University of Missouri Extension is an equal opportunity/ADA institution.

Good Manufacturing Practices and Food Safety 101

Good Manufacturing Practices and Food Safety 101

March 9, 2010

Jefferson City, MO


Agenda: A basic food safety short course for dairy processors

Background:
Eight thousand people die each year from food borne related disease.  Dairy products are in the ten most potentially hazardous food categories.

Food borne disease outbreaks are largely preventable.

1. Food Safety – some basics – FDA’s Roles and Programs

2. Good Manufacturing Practice and the PMO

3. Proper Steps in Sanitation – Legal Sanitizer Handout

4. Product Handling – milk and cheese

5. Inspections – What is entailed?

6. Legal Pasteurization

    a. What is a legal pasteurizer?

    b. What is considered pasteurized?

7. Proper Bottling techniques, capping – Labeling Requirement handout

8. Sampling/Product Counts

    a. 4 out of 6

    b. SPC

    c. SCC

    d. Containers

9. Lagoons/Sewage/Wells

10. Animal Health

11. Antibiotics

12. DHSS

13. Licensing Procedures

14. SMB Fees

15. Raw Milk Laws

16. Bio Security/Risk Assessment

For more information call the Missouri Milk Board, 573-751-3830 or Rachel.Bax@mda.mo.gov

Energize Missouri Agriculture

Gov. Jay Nixon announced a new Energize Missouri Agriculture cost-share program at the Governor’s Conference on Agriculture, held in January 2010 in St. Louis. Here are excerpts from the announcement:

To aid Missouri farmers in improving energy efficiency and their bottom line, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources is offering up to $3 million statewide in cost-share grants to agricultural operations for energy efficiency improvement and renewable energy equipment.

Examples of qualifying projects or systems include:

• Solar powered systems (solar powered water systems such as pumps, panels, pipe, tanks or solar powered fencers)

• Insulated waterers

• Global Position Systems (or GPS) guidance systems

• Irrigation improvements (flow meters, pulse irrigators, drip irrigation systems, irrigation nozzle replacements, pipe upgrades, tier 3 engines)

• Dairy facility improvements (variable frequency drives, variable speed drives, improved refrigeration efficiency, heat reclaimers, high volume low speed fans, compressed air improvements)

• Swine and poultry facility improvements (high volume, low speed fans)

• Upgrades or new grain dryers

• Lighting upgrades, motion sensor or timers

• Conservation tillage equipment

• High efficiency electric motors

• Biomass furnaces/boilers for other than poultry houses

• Other appropriate energy savings equipment

More information is available at http://mda.mo.gov/abd/financial/energizemoag.php

Growing Growers Apprenticeship Program

The Growing Growers 2010 Apprenticeship Program is now accepting applications.

If you have ever wondered what is involved in having your own small farm, the Growing Growers Apprenticeship Program may be for you.

Apprentices work or volunteer on area sustainable farms, attend workshops covering the basics of market farming, tour area farms and receive written resources and training from their host farmers.

No experience is necessary, but apprentices must be willing and able to commit to a farm work schedule, attend most workshops (mostly Monday afternoons) and learn on the job. Farm work schedules vary among host farms, so different schedules can be accomodated.

Paid and volunteer apprenticeships are available, and people from all backgrounds and ages are welcome. Host farms produce a variety of crops, including organic vegetables, eggs, native fruits, sheep (for meat, fiber and dairy), honey and more.

For more information go to: http://www.growinggrowers.org/ or contact Laura Christensen, Program Manager, at growers@ksu.edu or (816) 805-0362.

Cold Frames and Hoop Houses

“Growing Knowledge at the Farm” Series Continues with Class on Cold Frames and Hoop Houses, Feb. 18

The “Growing Knowledge at the Farm” series of gardening classes continues with “Cold Frames and Hoop Houses” from 6:15 to 7:15 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 18 inside the community room (red barn) at Rutledge-Wilson Community Farm Park, 3825 W. Farm Road 146 in Springfield.

Members of the Master Gardeners of Greene County are teaching these public gardening classes the third Thursday of each month, January through November.

The class on Feb. 18 will cover the advantages of cold frames and hoop houses, plus provide tips and practical ideas for constructing and using them in your own garden.

"Using a cold frame or hoop house is an ideal way to extend your growing season,” said Will Cooper, the trained Master Gardener that will be teaching this class. “With cold frames or hoop houses you can start early and grow late into the season."

There is a minimal registration fee of $5 charged to cover the cost of materials. To pre-register, since space is limited, call Wilson-Rutledge Farm at 837-5949 or 837-5944.