App Keeps Cattle Comfortable and Profitable

A new product that can help animal farmers reduce billions of dollars in heat-related losses was recently released by the University of Missouri.

ThermalAid is a smart phone app that monitors heat-related stresses on beef and dairy cattle and alerts farmers when there is a problem. The app also recommends which intervention strategy will be most effective.

“Cows are like the rest of us,” said Don Spiers, professor of animal sciences at Mizzou’s College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, and who led the team that developed the app.  “They slowdown in hot and humid weather. When stressed by too much heat, they stop eating, and thus fail to grain weight or produce milk.”

Hot weather means big losses for farmers. “Each summer, the dairy industry loses $900 million nationally in productivity and the beef industry $400 million. And that’s data from 2003 when the industry was smaller and summers less intense,” Spiers said.

Inexpensive App

The 99 cent app receives temperature and humidity data from the weather service according to the GPS location of the user.  The farmer tells the app if it is beef or dairy cow, if it is in the barn or outside, if it is on the pasture or feed lot, its health status, and other information.

With that, the app calculates the animal’s Temperature Humidity Index, or the THI. If the THI is not stressful, the app shows green for that cow.  If heat stress is an issue, the color goes to yellow and then orange. Red indicates a life-threatening condition.

The farmer can also measure each cow’s respiration rate, a good indicator of heat stress impact on the animal. A built-in timer can assist the user to record the respiration rate.

When farmers know that their animals are stressed, they can intervene with additional shade, fans or water misters to improve comfort and productivity. The app is tied to a MU database called ThermalNet which provides additional climate and weather data, as well as tips to manage heat stress.

ThermalNet has the ability to allow farmers to communicate with experts at MU Animal Science.

Improved Version Coming

ThermalAid took more than two years to develop.  This app will automatically pull in ambient temperature and humidity data from sensors that the producer places at different locations on the farm site, thus increasing accuracy of the THI calculation. Future updates might include information from sensors placed on individual animals.

If temperature and humidity conditions exceed a certain limit, the app warns the farmer that a cow is experiencing heat stress.

The upcoming app will create a regional database of heat stress information, giving farmers a new tool to combat losses, and scientists associated with the project will use the new information to develop better predictors of the impact of heat stress on animals.

“Ideally, we need temperature modules placed in different locations on the farm site that provide real-time readings and inputs — but that development is costly at present,” Spiers said. The challenge is to make a cost-effective product that is reliable and durable in a field environment.

 

“Southern Missouri Sheep and Goat Conference” in Bolivar Oct. 26

University of Missouri and Lincoln University are teaming up to host the 4th Annual “Southern Missouri Sheep and Goat Conference” from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 26 at the Polk County Fairgrounds, 4560 S. 100th Road, Bolivar, Mo.

MU Extension offices in southern Missouri continue to receive calls for information about sheep and goat production according to Wesley Tucker, an agriculture business specialist with University of Missouri Extension in Polk County.

“There is simply more profit potential in sheep and goats than most other enterprises that can use our local resources. Of course you have to be willing to put in more labor as well as an investment in facilities and fences,” said Tucker.

This conference will provide producers with practical management tips they can use to focus on improving the profitability of their own sheep and goat operations.

The following topics will be presented at this year’s conference: raising quality replacements for my herd, marketing sheep and goats, when to add supplemental feed, sheep and goat production around the world, sustainable pasture management for sheep and goats, herd health, foot rot and hoof care.

 “This conference is for beginners as well as experienced producers,” said Tucker.

Registration for the conference is $5 which includes lunch.  To arrange for the food, preregistration is needed by Oct. 21.

For more information about the conference or to register, stop by or call the Polk County Extension Center at (417) 326-4916 or by e-mail.

 

Getting a Loan Doesn’t Have to be Difficult!

This is from Penn State University’s blog written by Farm Credit's Amanda Ramer.  The information she writes is true for Missouri as well.

Many of the farmers I have spoken to have expressed frustration at the difficulty of getting a loan.  They have cited many reasons such as:

·       No banks will give me a loan

·       My bank won’t finance properties over 5 or 10 acres

·       My bank requires a 30% down payment to buy bare land and the loan is only for 10 years

·       The interest rate to buy a tractor is almost as high as a credit card

·       My bank requires monthly payments but the majority of my income is in only 2 months of the year

This does not need to be the case!  I will describe how to find a lender to work with and what information lenders consider when reviewing your application.

 

How to Find a Lender to Work With

The first step in obtaining a loan for an agricultural business is to find a lender that specializes in farm financing.  Examples include the Farm Credit System, the Farm Service Agency, and a few local banks.  Lenders that specialize in farm financing understand the unique features of a farm business such as seasonal cash flows, weather and commodity risk, and collateral that may include farm assets such as a tractor, greenhouse, or livestock.

To find an agricultural lender, I would recommend contacting your local Extension office to ask if there are any lenders they would recommend.  You can also simply go to farmcredit.com and click on locations to find a Farm Credit branch near you.

After identifying one or two lenders, review their qualifications and ask them a few questions to see if they will be able to fit your needs.  Some of the questions to ask:

·       Do you provide loans to fit all needs of my farming business including equipment, operating funds, buildings, and real estate?

·       How long have you been in agricultural lending?

·       Do you have a loan minimum or a lending limit?

·       Are there pre-payment penalties?

·       What happens if I have a crop failure?

What Information Lenders Consider When Reviewing Your Application

When reviewing a loan application, lenders evaluate the overall risk of the loan.  All loans involve some level of risk.  A lender needs to determine how much risk they are willing to take to give a loan.  The business plan, tax returns, financial projections, or other documentation you provide helps the lender evaluate the risk.  To do the risk analysis, lenders refer to the “Five C’s of Credit” which include:

1.     Capacity refers to how profitable the business is.  If it is a new business and the lender asks you to provide a projection of the first year of income and expenses, what is the projected profit?  Is there room in the budget to include debt payments? Is there room in the budget to save for unexpected expenses such as broken equipment or a crop loss?

2.     Capital refers to the amount of equity you have.  For example, if you are starting a new business, a lender likes to see you invest your own cash as well to have “skin in the game.”  The more an individual invests into her business, the less likely she is to walk away from the business.

3.     Character refers to the impression you make to the lender.  Does your credit report show that you have made other debt payments on time? A history of late payments reflects a higher probability of late payments on the new loan.  What are your qualifications? Do you understand how to market your product (if necessary)? Do you know how to manage risk? If the lender asks for a business plan, you then have the opportunity to tell your story and explain how you will run the business.

4.     Collateral refers to the asset that provides a secondary source of repayment.  If all else fails, the collateral can be sold to pay off the loan.  The overall risk of the loan plays a role of determining what type of collateral may be needed.  A lender that specializes in farm financing often works with “non-traditional” collateral such as equipment, livestock, greenhouses, etc.  If a business does not have sufficient assets to pledge as collateral, agricultural lenders are experienced working with other entities such as the Farm Service Agency who provide loan guarantees; this helps to reduce the risk of the loan and allows the lender to provide the loan.

5.     Conditions refer to the amount of the loan, the interest rate, fees, if the lender is requiring you to insure the collateral, etc.

The bottom line is to find a lender that specializes in farm financing.  You do not need to be an expert on how to structure a loan, what type of collateral to use, or how to structure the payments.  An agricultural lender should be able to ask questions about your business and specific situation and then propose a solution to fit your needs.
 

Grass Farmers to Hear About Managing for Profits Nov. 4-5 at Lake Ozark

Livestock farmers depend on good grass to make cheaper gains, affecting profits. Those topics are featured at the Missouri Forage and Grassland Council meeting, Nov. 4-5, Lake Ozark, Mo.

Grass farmers will hear about new toxin-free fescue grasses and proper use of managed grazing, says Craig Roberts, University of Missouri Extension forage specialist.

Other talks include grazing economics and marketing pasture-finished beef.

The first day’s program includes an economic outlook for beef by Scott Brown, MU livestock economist. With cow numbers at lowest levels since 1952, some farmers are rebuilding their herds. That will require more and better pastures, organizers believe.

Conference sign-in starts at 10 a.m., Monday, Nov. 4, at Port Arrowhead on the Highway 54 business loop south of Bagnell Dam.

Keynote speaker will be Burke Teichert of Carrus Land Systems. He will tell five essentials of profitable ranch management. He has managed ranches for more than 30 years.

Missouri producers Darrell Franson, Lawrence County, and David Hall, Howell County, will tell why, and why not, to renovate pastures with novel-endophyte fescue.

Franson represents MFGC on a new fescue alliance giving education and management tips on fescue.

The opening program on the second day will be on pasture-finished beef. Chris Boeckmann of Osage County and Meera Scarrow of Greene County will share production and marketing experiences.

Byron Wiegand, meat scientist at the MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources, will follow with “Beef Value Cuts.”

Jim Russell, professor of animal science, Iowa State University, will tell of mob grazing as a tool for grassland management.

Russell has one of the few scientific studies of mob grazing in Midwest pastures. “Mob grazing involves super-high stocking densities on restricted grazing areas,” Roberts said. “It’s a tool for cleaning up out-of-control grasslands. It is used more often on western ranges.”

Mark Kennedy, grazing specialist with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service, will wrap up the day with a post-drought pasture report. His topic: “When Do You Renovate?” NRCS is a co-sponsor of the event.

The registration form is available at agebb.missouri.edu/MFGC. The full agenda is listed. Fees depend on days and meals attended. The website tells how to register by mail. For details, call Joetta at MFGC office, mornings only, at 573-499-0886.

 

New Ingredients Sprout From the Cracks

Chicory is best known to suburbanites as a destroyer of lawns and gardens. But when Linda Hezel, a former nurse practitioner, spotted the enormous weed growing inside one of her large raised garden beds, she chose not to uproot it.

Instead, she clipped off a leaf and popped it into her mouth.

Ms. Hezel, 61, runs Prairie Birthday Farm, a 15-acre, pesticide-free homestead about 20 miles from downtown Kansas City where she forages for — and even cultivates — nuisance species like bedstraw, chickweed, henbit, dandelion, wild bergamot, red clover, dead nettle, lambs-quarters, wood sorrel, purslane and plantain (the leafy variety, not the banana).

In the four years since she began nurturing weeds to extend her growing season and offset losses, she has become a key supplier to a band of enterprising chefs who are reshaping fine dining in Kansas City, long considered a steakhouse town. Their menus have expanded in turn, offering seasonal and regional dishes that go beyond what had previously been seen at restaurants in many parts of the heartland.

 

Read the rest of this fabulous story in the New York Times Dining and Wine section.  View the slide show as well.

(article and pictures are from the New York Times)

 

 

Time to Speak Up about Food Safety Rules

It is time for all producers of food to put the Food Safety Modernization Act front and center. 

You have until November 15 to tell the U.S. Food and Drug Administration what you think about how they have proposed to implement the most significant overhaul of food safety legislation since the 1930s.

Two rules need your attention: the produce rule and the preventive controls rule.

Who should comment?

All of us! Not just the farmers and food processors directly affected by the rule but restaurants, retailers, food service buyers, distributors, and eaters – pretty much anyone who wants to keep fresh, local food available in our communities.

What’s FSMA again?

The Food Safety Modernization Act, passed by Congress in 2011, gives the FDA broad new powers to prevent food safety problems, detect and respond to food safety issues, and improve the safety of imported foods. FSMA authorizes FDA to write, implement, and enforce new regulations for farmers who grow fresh produce and for certain facilities that process fresh produce for people to eat.

Food safety is everyone’s responsibility and must be assured by all farms and food businesses, regardless of size. “Small” doesn't automatically mean “safe.” Yet food safety practices can and should be risk appropriate and recognize that food safety can be adequately assured in short, local and regional supply chains through clear trace ability from farm to fork. Food safety practices should co-exist – not conflict – with sustainable and organic farming practices and on-farm conservation. The Food Safety Modernization Act recognized all of this, to some degree, through the Tester Amendment.

However, the rules that FDA has proposed for farms and facilities neglect these important   principles. As written, the rules will create unnecessary economic hardship and unfairly burden the farms and small processors that are the heart of our vibrant local and regional food systems.

“I’ll be exempt. Why should I comment?”

Short answer: The rules will affect you, too, directly or indirectly.

Longer answer: In theory, many small farms that sell mostly into local marketing channels should qualify for an exemption (and the very smallest farms aren't covered by FSMA at all). That’s because, as noted earlier, the Act required the rules to be risk-appropriate.

Exempt farms aren't entirely off the hook: they still have to comply with FSMA trace ability requirements. Exempt food facilities still have to prove they comply with state or local requirements – as noted above, we are concerned about the effect of this requirement on farms processing and selling food under Farm Direct.  But even farms that think they qualify for an exemption should weigh in on the draft rules. Why? Two reasons.

First, the way the rules are written makes it unclear whether FDA will actually honor the exemptions. The income thresholds and the process by which farms can lose exemptions are two key pieces of the proposed rules that FDA must fix and clarify.

Second, depending on your target markets, some wholesale buyers may decide they want a level playing field for all their suppliers and will require exempt farms to comply with the FSMA rules and standards anyway. Exempt farms should therefore care about what the final FSMA rules look like.

What now?

Step 1: Educate yourself on the issues. Some good places to start:

• FDA FSMA fact sheets (scroll down to “About Proposed Rules”)

• National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition FSMA issue briefs

On the Small Farm Program FSMA webpage, you can download and read:

• Small Farm Program Comments on the Produce Rule

• Small Farm Program Draft Comments on the Preventive Controls Rule

• Past OSFN articles about FSMA

• Oregon Department of Agriculture Draft Comments on the Produce Rule

Visit the Oregon Small Farm Program Facebook page to read commentaries we've posted about the draft rules.

Step 2: Think about how you will be affected by the proposed rules. How will they change how you farm, process, sell, buy, and eat fresh produce? Are you concerned about those changes? Why? And – this is important – how should FDA rewrite its rules to address your concerns? FDA needs us to propose alternatives.

Step 3: Write it down in a letter to FDA, and submit it online, at regulations.gov. If you comment on both rules – the produce rule and the preventive controls rule – write two separate letters, as you must submit comments on them separately.  Make sure your letter includes the correct docket numbers:

• Produce rule: FDA-2011-N-0921

• Preventive Controls Rule: FDA-2011-N-0920 Step by step instructions for submitting comments through regulations.gov are posted here: http://sustainableagriculture.net/fsma/speak-out-today/.

(by Lauren Gwin, Small Farms Program, Oregon State University)

Management-intensive Grazing School Oct. 22-24 Can Help Attendees Reduce Feed Costs, Improve Forage Systems

The last Management-intensive Grazing (MiG) School in southwest Missouri during 2013 will take place Oct. 22-24 in Bois D’Arc.

MiG is also known as rotational grazing management. Producers who follow the MiG system manage for both the benefit of livestock and forage. Livestock graze in each pasture long enough to harvest the forage but are moved before eating too much of the leaf area.
The result is lower feed costs and improved forage production. That means more money in the pocket of the beef cattle producer.

The last grazing school for 2013 will be held during the day, Oct. 22-24, in Bois D’Arc: (10 miles NW of Springfield). Registrations for this school must be received by Oct. 16.

Registration forms and fees can be obtained at the NRCS office on Hwy. B, Springfield, Mo., or by contacting Mark Green at (417) 831-5246 or via e-mail at mark.green@mo.usda.gov. Information is also available online http://extension.missouri.edu/greene.

There is a limit on attendance at each location and the enrollment fee varies.

Grazing schools started in 1995. Since that time, the schools have been held at various locations, dates and in different formats to meet the diverse needs of livestock producers.

To date, literally thousands of individuals have attended the schools to learn about the basic principles and practices of MiG. The schools have also helped livestock producers qualify for thousands of dollars in various cost-share programs through NRCS or FSA.

USDA - Natural Resources Conservation Service, University of Missouri Extension and the Greene County Soil and Water Conservation District sponsor the MiG school. University of Missouri Extension specialists from southwest Missouri teach many of the sessions during the school.

One-hundred percent of Greene County residents can benefit from the economically sound advice and unbiased, research-based information and education available from Greene County Extension. Specialists with Greene County Extension offer educational programs that make lifelong learning fun and help people help themselves. More information is available online or by calling the MU Extension office in Greene County at (417) 881-8909.