Limit your Risk. Choose the Right Equipment!

Purchasing equipment in the beginning years of a business is a daunting task! There are so many options, and so many ways to farm. Equipment is a huge time saver, however, it can be hugely expensive, and sometimes extremely frustrating. How do you negotiate what to buy in the first years of a business? Have a researched plan. Try it out. Stick to a budget. Stay flexible.

Have a researched plan!

§  Practical experience with the on-the-ground and day-to-day operations of a farm similar in size to what you‘d like to run is invaluable. No amount of reading or speculation can take the place of experience. If you think you’d like to operate a 5- acre farm and haven’t ever worked on one before: go do it first. Every farm will grow and change with time, but knowing the scale at which you plan to start from personal experience helps enormously.

§  Farmers are your best resource! Talk to other farmers operating at a similar scale or in a similar way to what you’d like to have about what their experience has been with different systems. Ask about different places they like to source equipment, the limitations and benefits of systems you might like to purchase. Talking with other growers about their systems and methods is often the most helpful and practical resource. 

§  It’s important to plan systems where all parts work together. There’s nothing more frustrating than having many pieces of equipment that do not function well together. Carefully consider everything you need your tractors and implements to accomplish before buying things. Sometimes a good deal on an incompatible tractor seems like a better idea than it actually is.

Try it out!

§  Having experience operating machines and equipment for the scale on which you plan to operate prior to starting up is key!  Is there any way for you to get experience operating the equipment you are curious about? Are there workshops that demonstrate equipment you are interested in buying? Are there farmers in the area whose equipment you can try, or watch them operate?

§  How easy is it to find replacement parts for the systems you are considering? How quickly can you obtain them, when necessary, and do you need the assistance of a mechanic to maintain or fix things? It isn’t always easy to get a tractor into a mechanic’s shop, and being able to troubleshoot problems and replace parts yourself can be a big time saver. Being able to access parts and information quickly is a big plus to any equipment you are considering buying. Do you have mechanic and welder friends, or possess those skills yourself? If not, you may want to purchase newer equipment that will not require the same degree of maintenance.

 Stick to a budget!

§  Can you buy it used? Check listings for farm auctions, publications like Lancaster Farming, post on local farming list-serves. Most equipment dealers sell used equipment and even list their inventory on-line. 

§  Buy once. Invest in equipment that you don’t intend to upgrade.  Invest in equipment that has replaceable parts. 

§  Purchase durable equipment. Make sure equipment can be re-sold if you eventually change your farm system. Always treat your equipment well, because someday you may outgrow it and want to re-sell.

§  You don’t need to buy it all at once.  In fact, you shouldn’t because you’ll want to adjust things over time. Make a plan to purchase equipment over several years. Investing in basic systems that save you time is important to do right out of the gate. Specialized equipment can be purchased in subsequent years when you’ve established your business and better understand what you need, and what crops are most profitable for your farm. There may very well be farmers/businesses in your area who will loan or rent you equipment that you only need at certain times of the year (i.e., grain drills, seeders etc.).

Stay Flexible!

§  As you gain growing experience, your systems and experiences will change! It’s inevitable. It’s okay to modify things as you learn more.

(by Rebecca Munro, Education Director & Farm Manager The Seed Farm, Penn State University)

What You Should Know About Buying Livestock

What a bargain! The price looks great, but are you really getting a bargain? When buying livestock, there are a number of things you should consider before you make the commitment to purchase. Here are a few things to take a closer look at.

Disease Risks

Even though a herd or flock looks healthy, they could potentially be carrying organisms that cause disease. If your current herd or flock has not been exposed to these diseases, you could very quickly have a disease outbreak that could make animals sick or even cause them to die. When animals are trucked to a new location, the traveling and new environment causes these animals to become stressed. This stress can then show up in the form of disease in the new animals or they may be more likely to shed the organisms that cause the disease at their new location.

Vaccination is a great way to prevent disease not only in the new animals, but also in your current herd or flock. Animals should be vaccinated when they are healthy and at least several weeks prior to moving to a new location. Be sure to follow the same vaccination protocol for the existing herd or flock and for the new animals.

Biosecurity

There are a few other very simple things that livestock producers can do to prevent spreading diseases to their farm. Anytime a producer visits another barn he or she should be careful not to carry diseases home. Change footwear and clothing prior to entering your own barn. Be sure to disinfect any footwear that was worn in another barn prior to wearing in your own barn.

New animals should be isolated from their new herd or flock mates for three to four weeks after they arrive at their new location. Also, once new animals have arrived on your farm, be sure to feed them last so that diseases aren’t spread to the existing herd or flock by care takers.

Clean Truck or Trailer

Always haul new animals in a clean truck or trailer. Disease organisms can live in the bedding of dirty trucks or trailers and can possibly infect new animals. For further insurance, disinfect the tuck or trailer prior to hauling any other animals.

Pre-purchase Testing

Where possible, test newly purchased animals two to four weeks prior to transporting them to their new home. Known disease carriers can then be removed before transporting the animals and their disease to your farm.

Once the new animals arrive, a very important task is to spend 5 to 10 minutes each time you feed just observing the animals. This will help identify any disease problems very quickly and before the disease spreads through the rest of the new acquired animals. Following these few simple tips can make purchasing new animals a good experience rather than a lasting nightmare.

(By Melanie Barkley, Penn State University Extension Educator)

Livestock Grant

The Animal Welfare Approved program is making available grants to improve animal welfare for Animal Welfare Approved farms, farms that have completed an application to join the program, or slaughter plants that are working with an AWA farm and/or have consented to be reviewed by AWA. The deadline to apply is October 1, 2014.

Funding priorities for this cycle include: improved genetics, increased outdoor access, welfare improvements in the slaughter process and non-lethal predator control. Previous on-farm projects include: new mobile housing and incorporation of new genetics to better facilitate pasture-based management. Previous slaughter plant projects include: new knock boxes and handling facility improvements, stunners for on-farm poultry slaughter, mobile processing units, and visual barriers to reduce handling stress. Feel free to browse AWA’s grant profiles to learn more about previously funded projects.

Guidelines and applications for farmers and slaughter plants can be found below. Contact Grants Coordinator Emily Lancaster Moose by email or by phone at (202) 618-4497 with questions.

2014-2015 Good Husbandry Grant Guidelines (PDF)

2014-2015 Good Husbandry Grant Application – Farmer (Word) (PDF)

2014-2015 Good Husbandry Grant Application – Slaughter Plant (Word) (PDF)

Vegetable and IPM Festival

Lincoln University Cooperative Extension will be hosting a Vegetable and Integrated Pest Management Festival on Thursday, August 14, 2014 from 4-7 pm at the Lincoln University George Washington Carver Farm, 3804 Bald Hill Road, Jefferson City, MO, 65101

This free event will showcase various aspects of crop production including vegetables, cover crops, and pest management tools that are effective and help conserve beneficial arthropods. 

Small- and mid-scale farmers and gardeners will receive research-based information / demonstrations on various aspects of sustainable agriculture.

Demonstrations and Presentations

~ Cover Crops for Vegetables

~ Sweet / Chili Pepper Production

~ Integrated Disease Management of Watermelon

~ Research Update on Trap Cropping

~ Weed and Insect Pest Management in Jack-o'-Lantern Pumpkin Production

~ Native Plants as Specialty Crops

~ Native Plants for Native Pollinators

~ Aquaculture: friends and pests

~ Missouri aquaculture eats

~ Cover Crop Grazing by Goats /Sheep

~ Edamame / Soybean variety trial

~ Living Mulch with Sweet Corn / Green Beans

~ Monitoring and Management of Invasive Insects including Spotted Wing Drosophila (SWD) – free bait and traps.

Watermelon and Tomato Tasting!

This is a FREE event, registration is not required but encouraged. To register, contact Vonna Kesel at (573) 681-5312. Please let us know if you require special accommodations.

Squash Bugs

Squash bug infestations typically begin in late June and July in Illinois.  The squash bug, Anasa tristis (De Geer) (Hemiptera: Coreidae), is a perennial and severe pest of pumpkins and squash; it rarely injures cucumbers and melons in the Midwestern United States.

Identification.  The squash bug is a "true bug" in the order Hemiptera.  Like all adult Hemiptera, adult squash bugs have two pairs of wings, with the front wings hardened at the base and membranous at the tips.  Its mouthparts form a needle-like beak that arises from the tip of the head.  Adults are brownish black, with yellowish to red-orange markings; they appear oval shaped when viewed from above, and somewhat flattened when viewed from the side.  Females lay yellowish-white eggs in small clusters or masses on the upper and lower surfaces of leaves; the eggs quickly darken to a reddish brown color.  Eggs hatch to produce grayish-white, wingless nymphs with black legs.  The nymphs darken in color as they grow older, and wing pads (the beginnings of adult wings) begin to develop. 

Life Cycle.  The squash bug overwinters as an adult, and survival is greatest in plant debris, mulch, and field borders or woods.  Adults become active in the spring, mate, and females begin feeding and laying eggs in June and July.  Nymphs grow to the adult stage in 5 to 6 weeks, and new females mate and begin laying eggs immediately.  Populations are greatest during hot, dry summers.  Females that reach the adult stage after late July or early August do not mate or lay eggs but instead enter an inactive stage and seek overwintering sites.  Squash bugs may be present as nymphs or adults in pumpkins and squash from June through October.

Plant Injury.  Squash bugs use piercing mouthparts to penetrate stems, leaves, and fruit and suck sap from plants.  This direct damage may cause wilting or even kill plants if populations are great enough.  Recent research has found that squash bugs transmit squash yellow vine disease; controlling squash bugs limits the spread of this disease within fields.

Management.  Early in the season when adults move into fields and feed on young plants, watch for wilting of seedlings and apply an insecticide if wilting is observed.  Scout for eggs of the squash bug on upper and lower surfaces of leaves.  If densities exceed one egg mass per plant, use insecticides for control as nymphs begin to hatch.  Insecticides labeled for use against squash bug are most effective against young nymphs, and for commercial growers who possess a Pesticide Applicator's License, the pyrethroid insecticides (particularly Brigade, Mustang Max, and Warrior) are most effective against squash bug.  Organic growers may choose to use floating row covers to exclude squash bugs from young plants, but when row covers have to come off to allow pollination, none of the insecticides approved for use in Certified Organic production systems are truly effective against squash bugs.  See the 2014 Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers for listings of registered insecticides.

(from Illinois Fruit and Vegetable News, Vol 20 No 7)

Squash Vine Borer

The squash vine borer tunnels in the vines of pumpkins and summer and winter squash; it rarely is found in cucumbers or melons and cannot complete its development except in squash or pumpkins.

Identification.  The squash vine borer adult is a black and reddish moth called a clearwing moth because large portions of its hind wings lack scales.  These moths are ¾- to 1-inch long, with a 1- to 1 ½-inch wing span.  They are active during the daytime and superficially resemble wasps as they fly about.  Larvae are yellowish-white with a brown head, 3 pairs of thoracic legs, and 5 pairs of fleshy abdominal prolegs that bear tiny hooks called crochets.  Fully-grown larvae are about 1 inch long.  Brownish pupae are slightly less than 1 inch long, and they are found in the soil inside a dark, silken cocoon.

Life Cycle.   Squash vine borers overwinter as mature larvae or pupae within cocoons 1 ½ to 3 inches below the soil surface.  Moths emerge and begin to mate and lay eggs in June and July in much of the Midwest (earlier, beginning in May, in southern Illinois and similar latitudes).  Moths lay eggs singly at the base of plants or on stems and petioles, beginning when plants start to bloom or "run".  Larvae feed within stems or petioles for 2 to 4 weeks, leaving brown, sawdust-like frass (droppings) at holes where they entered the stem. In southern Illinois these pupate and produce a second flight of moths in late summer; in the north, larvae or pupae of the first (and only) generation remain in the soil through the winter.

Plant Injury. Tunneling within vines destroys water- and food-conducting tissues, reducing plant vigor and yield and sometimes killing vines.

Management.  Disking or plowing to destroy vines soon after harvest and bury or destroy overwintering cocoons reduces moth populations within a field in the spring.  Staggering plantings over several dates also allows some plantings to escape heaviest periods of egg-laying.  Early detection of moths and initial damage is essential for timing insecticide applications.  For insecticides to be effective, they must be applied before larvae enter stems or petioles.  Scout for moths (pheromone lures and traps are available for monitoring flight periods but are not consistently effective for detecting moth flight) and look for entrance holes and frass as soon as plants begin to bloom or vine.  Apply insecticides beginning 5 to7 days after moths are first detected and at weekly intervals for 3 to 5 weeks, or begin when injury is first noted and make a second application a week later.  See the 2014 Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers for listings of registered insecticides.

(from Illinois Fruit and Vegetable News, Vol 20 No 7)

Organic Certification Cost-Share Now Available

The Missouri Department of Agriculture signed a cooperative agreement with USDA-National Organic Program (NOP) on June 13, 2014 to implement the certification cost-share program. Under the cooperative agreement, the state Department of Agriculture has agreed to review applications from certified Missouri organic producers (crop, wild crop or livestock), processor and handlers of agricultural products who obtained certification under the National Organic Program (NOP). MDA then disperses the available funds to qualified applicants. Applications for cost share funds are reimbursed in the order they are received, until funds are exhausted or the eligibility period ends, whichever comes first.

All of the organic cost share information is now online. MDA has about twice the funds available than in the past.   The window for 2013-14 funds is short.

Frequently Asked Questions

The following questions and answers should be helpful in your application process.

1.      To qualify, does my farm or company have to be located in Missouri? Yes.

2.      What kind of costs will the program reimburse? Application, inspection and certification costs - but not late fees.

3.      How does MDA determine my eligibility? You must have a copy of your current organic certificate.

4.      How much am I eligible for? Payments to eligible producers, processors and handlers will be limited to 75% of each certification, class of certification and renewal cost up to a maximum of $750.

5.      How do I apply? You must submit four items:

6.      Does certification from any certifying agency count? You must have received organic certification from a USDA-NOP accredited certifying agency. If you have questions about the accreditation status of your certifier, call your certifier or check the NOP website for more information.

7.      What if I am certified as a producer and a handler? If you have different kinds of certification (producer - crop, wild crop and livestock, processor or handler), you qualify for more than one cost-share payment. You must submit separate and complete applications for individual certifications. However, some agencies will list them as classifications on the same certification. These do not have to be broken out as individual applications.

8.      When is the application due? Since funds are limited, we will process applications in the order they are received and payments will be issued on a first come, first served basis. The program will continue until all funds are exhausted or the eligibility period ends.

9.      What about privacy? Under state law, if requested, we must provide demographic information including your name and address. We do not release social security numbers or payment amounts.

10.  Where do I send the application? Mail to: MDA Organic Certification Cost-Share Program, PO Box 630, Jefferson City, Mo. 65102-0630 or fax to (573) 751-2868.

11.  Will this program continue in the future? Missouri expects to exhaust the federal and state cost-share funds each year. Whether the program continues or not will depend on the actions of the U.S. Congress and the state legislators.

12.  What if I have questions? Contact a Missouri organics marketing specialist at (573) 522-4170 or Charlie.Hopper@mda.mo.gov.