January 23, 1998 Missouri Alternatives Center's Bimonthly Electronic Newsletter 1-800-433-3704 "AG OPPORTUNITIES" Jan-Feb 1998 (Vol 8 No 4) * Small Farms * New Family Farms * Agricultural Alternatives Sustaining People Through Agriculture A Statewide Conference for people interested in Sustainable Agriculture Thursday, March 5 - Saturday, March 7, 1998 at Memorial Union, MU Campus, Columbia, MO Early Registration: $12.50/day, $30 for 3 days (lunches included) On-site registration: $40 or $17.50/day. Banquet priced separately. Child care available: $7.50/child/day (preregistration required) Thursday, March 5 10:00 a.m. Sustainable Agriculture: An Alternative for Missouri Keynote Panel: - Larry Harper, Missouri Ruralist - Ron Macher, Small Farm Today - David Schafer, Farmer -- Green Hills Project 12:00 noon Lunch (Included in registration) 1:00-4:30 p.m. Sustaining Families on Small Farms - Agripreneurs and Niche Marketers (Panel) - Soil Quality: Foundation for Diversified Farming 4:30 p.m. Instructions for building your own meeting Dinner on your own 6:30-9:30 p.m. Poster Session - Featuring farmer participants in Sustainable Agriculture On-Farm Research and Demonstration Programs Friday March 6 8:00-12:00 noon. Pasture-based Farming Systems Format: presentations and concurrent breakout sessions - Basic concepts of pasture-based farming as a sustainable system - Pasture Based Beef Systems - Pasture Based Dairy Systems - Pasture Based Swine Systems - Other pasture enterprises 12:00 noon Lunch (Included in registration) Luncheon Speaker - Harold Volkmer, Report of USDA Small Farms Commission 1:00-5:00 On-Farm Research and Demonstrations - Overviews of producer grant programs - Panel: Practical Farmers of Iowa - Breakout Sessions with farmer presenters - Pasture Poultry - Growing Vegetables for Market - Reduced Input Cropping Systems - Alternative Enterprises (Plant and Animal) 6:30 p.m. Build Your Own Exotic Banquet with Foods from Local Growers Featuring: Forage Finished Beef, Vegetarian Alternatives, Pasture Poultry, Fresh Baked Breads, Exotic Meats, Fresh Green Salad, other local/sustainable food items Saturday, March 7 8:00-12:00 Sustainable Food Systems - The People Who Eat Your Food (Consumer Panel) - Farmers Working With Consumers (Producer Panel) - Integrating the Food Circle: Connecting Farmers with Eaters (Open discussion among producers and consumers) 12:00 noon Box Lunch (Included in registration) 12:15-4:00 p.m. Free Sessions (Invent your own Meeting) On Thursday and Friday, people attending the conference will propose discussion sessions which they are willing to lead. Others will sign up to attend the proposed sessions. Participants will take box lunches to these "free" sessions that may continue through the remainder of the afternoon. Creating A Food Circle: Alternative Ways of Producing and Consuming Food (by Mary Hendrickson, Rural Sociology, University of Missouri) What is a Food Circle? A Food Circle is a new way of conceiving of and organizing our agricultural and food system. It links the many people involved in food production (farmers, processors, restauranteurs, nutritionists, planners, eaters and so on) together in interdependent, holistic ways. When we conceive of our food system as a circle, we acknowledge that we are connected with every other person in that circle through the act of food production. Practically, a Food Circle is concerned with promoting the consumption of safe, regionally grown food that will encourage sustainable agriculture and help to maintain farmers who will sustain rural areas. While the concept sounds simple, it means that we (farmers, consumers and others in the food system) must radically change the way we participate in the act of growing and consuming food. Thus, a minimum definition of a Food Circle is encouraging thoughtful, responsible food production and consumption within the local community. This definition is broad enough to include all sorts of different activities and ideas, yet the emphasis remains on establishing new connections between farmers and consumers. As individuals we can participate in community gardening projects, or shop at the farmer's market. As groups, we can start Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) farms, form food buying clubs or begin cooperative stores. The important thing is to remember our shared vision of a Food Circle and find ways to change our food production and consumption to fit that vision. Mary Hendrickson Department of Rural Sociology University of Missouri Columbia, MO 65211 573-882-7463 Email: rusomh@showme.missouri.edu Small Farm Program at the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service The Small Farm Program at the Cooperative State Research, Education, and Extension Service (CSREES), an agency within the US Department of Agriculture is committed to meeting the needs of the small farm community. The goal of the CSREES small farm program is to improve the income levels, and the economic viability of the small farm enterprises through partnerships with the land grant system, public and private sectors by encouraging research, extension, and education programs that meet the specific needs of small farmers. Small Farm Toll-free Number: 1-800-583-3071 This toll-free number has been established by the Plant and Animal Systems Division of USDA-CSREES to give small farmers a much easier access and quicker response time to their questions or information inquiries on small farm issues. There is no cost involved with calling this line. E-Mail: smallfarm@reeusda.gov The Small Farm mailing group (smallfarm@reeusda.gov) was established in 1995 under USDA-CSREES-Plant and Animal Production, Protection and Processing Division. This medium is used in exchanging small farm related information, request ideas, share success stories, send in activities' calendar of events, publications, and a whole lot more. Anyone with interests in small farm activities is welcome to subscribe. To subscribe to the small farm mailing group send a message to Majordomo@reeusda.gov In the body, type - subscribe smallfarm Planned Activities: Nine major issue areas were identified at the National Small Farm Conference that was held in Nashville, Tennessee in September, 1996. These areas are: Research and Extension Priorities, Program Impacts and Accountability, Technology Transfer, Environmental Issues, Program Delivery, Marketing Strategies, Economic Opportunities, Social Issues and Small Farm Policy. In an effort to build a strong National Small Farm Program for USDA-CSREES and the land grant system, subcommittees consisting of the public and private sectors including farmers and non-governmental organizations are being formed to address the outlined issues in their entirety, and develop recommendations for the System. The next Small Farm Conference is scheduled for the fall of 1999 to be held in St. Louis. Newsletter: The Small Scale Agriculture Today's newsletter has been merged with the Small and Part Time Farms' newsletter, to an entirely new stand-alone newsletter that will serve the readership needs of the land grant universities, public and private sectors, including the small farm communities nationwide. Call toll free: 1-800-583-3071 to subscribe to the small farm digest or write to: Small Farm Digest, Stop 2220, USDA-CSREES, 868 Aerospace Center, 901 D Street, SW, Washington, DC 20250; Fax: 202-401-5179 Other Publications available: The series of publications "Getting Started in Farming" can be obtained upon request. The series are: Getting Started in Farming; Mostly On Your Own; Part-Time or Small Farms; So You Have Inherited A Farm; Via The Home Farm; Small is Bountiful; Getting Started in Farming On A Small Scale (USDA Publication); Overview of Small Farm Programs at the Land Grant Colleges and Universities; Directory of State Extension Small Farm Contacts; Small Farm Digest, a quarterly publication; Proceedings of the National Small Farm Conference (1996); Getting Help for Your Small Farm from USDA; Brochure on Small Farm Program. Factsheets include: Aquaculture, asparagus, beekeeping, blueberries, brambles, American Ginseng, specialty corn, angora goats, cashmere goats, dairy and meat goats, specialty flowers, foliage plants, earthworm production, exotic fruits, herbs, exotic livestock, mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, specialty mushrooms, northern nuts, organic farming, peppers, specialty potatoes, poultry, pumpkins, sheep, strawberries, specialty vegetables, wildflowers, and woodlots. In The News Organic acres in Iowa are increasing because consumers are demanding more organic food and closer connections to local food systems, according to Iowa's Organic Agriculture Program. Iowa's organic acres have increased from less than 10,000 in 1993 to more than 62,000 this year. People want healthy food. That means food with the minimum of pesticide residues. People long to reconnect with that most basic of human activities growing food. Supporting local growers is what a local food system is all about. The explosion of the community-supported agriculture movement has given consumers produce grown by a local farmer they know, and farmers "a dedicated community, freedom to grow, and best of all, the financial security of prepaid shares." Eating locally means that we become entwined with our neighbors, our community and with nature. (Alternative Agriculture News, 12/97) Fish meal is a relatively high-cost, limited supply ingredient used in commercial aquaculture diets. Current prices are $700 per ton. Finding ways to achieve sufficiently high growth rates for fishes with feeds that cost less and are in more abundant supply has become a major objective of fisheries research. Scientists in the MO Univ School of Natural Resources Fisheries and Wildlife program are involved in research aimed at achieving high growth rates of fish when they are fed relatively low-cost feeds, which typically don't yield high growth rates. Studies are of compensatory growth response of fish as a possible way to achieve this. Compensatory growth is a natural capacity of fishes wherein a period of rapid growth occurs once food is suddenly provided in high quantity after it has been presented in low quantity for a number of days. This is a natural physiological mechanism that allows animals to quickly catch up in size after periods when the food supply in nature has been low. While mimicking this situation by subjecting hybrid sunfish to "cycle feeding" where a low-cost, natural food was given in low amounts for a few days, then in high amounts for a number of days, then in low amounts again, etc, for more than 100 days, fish grew to twice the size of a control group that was fed high amounts of this same food every day. More recent studies on this topic by the SNR scientists indicate that growth rates approaching those produced by high-cost commercial feeds may be achieved for a great number of fish species with low-cost feeds if particular cycle feeding regimes are used. This is an exciting indication because it hints that the necessary high fish growth rates in aquaculture may be achievable with low-cost, more readily available feeds through this cycle feeding. Though additional research is warranted before this type of feeding is put into practice, the SNR scientists feel this line of study may ultimately help to stimulate aquaculture production worldwide, and also contribute to solving the problem of overharvesting of the world's fisher resource populations. Contact Rob Hayward, Fisheries and Wildlife, 573-882-2353. High amounts of a natural cancer-fighting compound have been found in Tribune and Delite, strawberry varieties developed by ARS scientists. In an evaluation of 36 strawberry varieties, these two had the highest levels of the compound, ellagic acid. The acid content carries by variety, and the researchers found more of it in the leaves than in the seeds or fruit pulp. Now they can breed for higher levels in the fruit. Researchers don't yet know how much ellagic acid must be consumed to produce beneficial effects. But studies with the National Cancer Institute and Ohio State's Dept of Preventative Medicine suggest that a diet that includes strawberries, raspberries blackberries, cranberries, walnuts and pecans would be rich in ellagic acid. Contact John Maas, Fruit Lab, Beltsville, MD, 301-504-5652 (Quarterly Report, July to Sept 1997) Advances in understanding of the positive relationship between the ecology of soil microbes and nutrient availability could someday enable farmers to take better advantage of stored nutrients in soil and use less commercial fertilizer. For the past 10 years, ARS scientists have been studying prairie-derived Midwestern agricultural soils as well as soils from the Great Plains and other sites across the US. They examine soil organic matter, nutrient cycling and tiny soil clumps called aggregates. Unbroken, intact aggregates are "glued" together by organic material produced by soil microbes as they dine on bits of decaying roots and transform them into particular organic matter, a rich source of nutrients. The scientists found that when tillage breaks up soil aggregates, the nutrient-rich organic matter that was within them quickly decomposes. The nutrients are released when no plants are growing that can use them. These nutrients are often lost to leaching. By contrast, in untilled native prairie, nutrient use is efficient and as a result, leaching losses are low. In undisturbed prairies, microbes and plant are "in sync", nutrients are released when and where the plants are ready to use them. Contact Cynthia Cambardella, National Soil Tilth Lab, Ames, IA, 515-294-2921, (Quarterly Report, July to Sept 1997) Simulated rainfall studies show farmers who take land out of USDA's CRP should minimize cultivation and plant cover crops. This will hold down soil erosion and boost the soil's ability to retain vital water. Another recommendation: Plant hay and graze pastures instead of growing row crops. ARS scientists used rainfall simulators to measure soil and water movement on plots of former CRP land. They found a rapid increase in soil erosion on environmentally fragile land. The multi-state studies focused mostly on areas west of the Mississippi River where CRP acreage is widespread. Approximately 36 million acres of land west of the Mississippi River have been enrolled in CRP since the program began in 1986. The first contracts expired Dec 31, 1995. Tillage on former CRP land without protective conservation practices could accelerate soil erosion and nonpoint water pollution, wiping out environmental gains accrued during participation in the program. Contact John Gilley, Soil and Water Conservation Research, Lincoln, NE, 402-472-2975 (Quarterly Reports, July to Sept 1997) Organic product sales show a phenomenal revenue growth of 15 to 20%. Between May 1996, and Aug 1997, eight natural products companies went public, raising more than $618 million. All areas of the organic industry are showing growth. The Organic Farming Research Foundation believes the boom has barely started. When the foundation held a conference last year, only five investment bankers showed up. This year, the foundation's three-day conference on the new USDA Organic Rule attracted more than 50 investment bankers. (Agrarian Advocate, Vol 4, No 3, Fall 1997) The New York Times reported a deal for the organic cotton industry with several clothing companies (11/6/97), and dozens of farmers reporting heavy losses of a genetically engineered strain of cotton (11/23/97). Levi Strauss, Nike Inc, and the Gap have agreed to buy organic cotton, mix it with ordinary bales, and produce clothing that is a blend of both. Organic cotton farmers, who have struggled in the past, called the deal "fantastic." But Monsanto's "Roundup Ready" cotton, which had been genetically engineered to resist spraying with Roundup weed killer, has failed to do so, and produced significant losses for farmers. At least 46 Mississippi farmers say they lost as much as 40 percent of their Roundup Ready cotton. Officials report complaints from seven other states. The USDA has warned farmers to avoid planting more of it. (Alternative Agriculture News, 12/97) According to the most recent census of agriculture, 11 million acres of minor crops are grown annually in the US. They have a combined value of $32 billion. In 27 states, these minor crops exceed the value of all the other major crops including corn, cotton, soybeans and wheat. (BioOptions, Vol 3, No 3) Produce with the least amount of pesticides: cauliflower, onions, sweet potatoes, corn, brussel sprouts, grapes (US grown), bananas, plums, watermelon, broccoli, avocados. Produce with the most pesticides: strawberries, bell peppers, spinach, cherries (US grown), peaches, cantaloupe (Mexican grown), celery, apples, apricots, green beans, grapes (Chilean grown), cucumbers. (Organic Gardening Jan, 1998) Food & Wine magazine has named the top food trends for 1998. In the kitchen, we'll see interest in eggplant, asparagus, beets, ginger and anchovies, along with soul food, sea salts, bison (the hot low-fat meat) and big beans, especially giant white limas. In restaurants, childhood sweets, such as s'mores and cotton candy, will become desserts; regional Mexican menus and Korean food will be trendy. From Food Arts magazine, which keeps pace with the eating scene at restaurants and hotels, list the hot foods in the past year: apricots, barley, cheese carts and boards, cider, eel, flavored flans, flavored polenta, ginger-flavored baked goods, goat, kimchi, macaroons, paellas, pairings of meat and fish, pre-desserts, sausages, squashes and waffles. (The Sun Herald, Jan 14, 98) In Print *The Green Food Shopper: An Activist's Guide to Changing the Food System* Mothers and Others for a Livable Planet. Overview of Mothers and Others Shoppers' Campaign. Explains how individuals can support transition to a sustainable food system. Provides Activist Shopper's Tool Kit, including information about benefits of organic agriculture and health effects of pesticides; tips for convincing local supermarkets to provide better food choices; and suggestions for convincing consumers to support sustainable agriculture. Includes directory of resources related to sustainable food system and organic agriculture. $18.00. Mothers and Others, 40 West 20th St, New York, NY 10011-4211, 212-242-0010. *Residues in Fresh Produce* 1997. CA Dept of Pesticide Regulation. Summarizes pesticide residue surveillance program in CA and provides general information about pesticides found in produce. Shows how many produce samples contained residues below and above established tolerance levels, and lists which pesticides were found in produce. $9.00. California DPR, Pesticide Enforcement Branch, 1020 N St, Rm 300, Sacramento, CA 95814-5624, 916-445-3920. *About the Art of Growing Cotton without Chemicals* Meike Ried (translated from German by Silke Duden). Examines preconditions for switching from conventional to organic cotton production, including extension service with knowledge of ecological pest control and buyers willing to share financial risks. Discusses benefits of organic cotton, and describes common challenges farmers face when converting to organic production. PAN Germany, Cotton Connection Campaign, Nernstweg 32, 22765 Hamburg, Germany, email pan-germany@umwelt.ecolink.org *Reorganizing US Agriculture: The Rise of Industrial Agriculture and Direct Marketing* 1997. $6.00 Examines rise of corporate agriculture, associated shift in production decisions to off-farm firms, and argues that farmers' markets and community supported agriculture (CSA) programs are part of a social movement to maintain farm-level control over production decisions. Discusses changes in some state laws meant to prevent corporations from controlling agriculture, provides sales and production data about farmers' markets and CSAs. Henry A. Wallace Institute for Alternative Agriculture, 9200 Edmonston Rd, Suite 117, Greenbelt, MD 20770, 301-441-8777. *Suppliers of Beneficial Organisms in North America* Free. Lists 130 organisms available from 142 suppliers. CA Dept of Pesticide Regulation, Environmental Monitoring and Pest Management, Attn: Beneficial Organisms, 1020 N St, Rm 161, Sacramento, CA 95814-5624. *Alternatives in Agriculture* Annual research report of Thompson On-Farm Research in Boone, IA. Updates all previous reports and describes all sustainable and alternative agriculture experiments conducted on the farm. Chapters detail research on Fertility; Cover Crops; Alternative Weed Management Systems; Crops; Water Quality, Soil Health; Economics; Livestock; and Farming Systems and the Viability of Rural Communities. $10.00. Thompson On-Farm Research, 2035 190th St, Boone, IA 50036-7423, 515-432-1560. *Hoop Structures for Grow-Finish Swine* $4.00 Univ of MN, Biosystems and Agricultural Engineering Dept, 219 BAE Bldg, 1390 Eckles Ave, St Paul, MN 55108, Terry, 612-625-7024. Information on the USDA's National Organic Program and National Organic Standards is available on the World Wide Web at http://www.ams.usda.gov/nop *Your Land is Your Legacy: A Guide to Planning for the Future of Your Farm* Estate planning guide, helps farmers and ranchers transfer their operations to other farmers and ranchers. $9.95. American Farmland Trust, 800-370-4879. *Soil Fertility for Organic Farmers* Eric and Beth Ardapple Kindberg. Describes tools and techniques for building and maintaining organic soil fertility. Presents information about water management, crop rotations, green manures and managing sod pastures. Eric Kindberg, PO Box 2407, Fairfield, IA 52556. *Weeds as Teachers: 'Many Little Hammers' Weed Management* Sally Hilander, ed. Presents proceedings of 1995 weed management conference, which emphasized least-toxic and non-toxic techniques for controlling weeds in Northern Plains. Includes text of presentations on weed ecology, integrated pest management, crop diversity, exotic plant problems and biological control. Discusses topics in lay terms for nonspecialists. Alternative Energy Resources Organization, 25 S Ewing St, Ste 214, Helena, MT 59601; 406-443-7272. Calendar of Events Feb 17-18 MO Small Fruit Conference, Springfield, MO. Contact Pat Byers, 417-926-4105. Feb 18-20 MO Natural Resources Conference, Tan-Tar-A, Lake of the Ozarks, MO. Feb. 20-21 97 Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference, Sinsinawa, WI. Feb 21-22 MO Young Farmers Annual Convention, Osage Beach, MO. Feb 25-28 North American Deer Farmers Assn Annual Conference, Ponte Vedra Beach, FL. Call 301-459-7708. Feb 26-28 North American Farmers Direct Marketing Assn Conference, Victoria, British Columbia. Contact Vance Corum, 360-693-5500. Feb 26-28 North American Strawberry Growers Assn Conference, Victoria, British Columbia. March 5-6 MO Aquaculture Annual Conference, Springfield, MO. Contact Chuck Hicks, 573-526-6666. March 5-6 National SARE Conference - Building on a Decade of Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education: Sharing Experiences to Improve Our Agriculture, Austin, TX. March 5-7 Sustaining People Through Agriculture Conference, Columbia, MO. Contact Debi Kelly, 800-433-2704 or 573-882-1905. March 13-15 MO Association of Meat Processors Convention and Trade Show, Jefferson City, MO. Contact Ronnie Alewel, 816-827-0005. March 18-19 Sheep Shearing School, Jefferson City, MO. Contact Helen Swartz, 573-681-5551. March 19-21 International Fresh-Cut Produce Association Annual Conference and Expo, Nashville, TN. Contact Sue Christian, 703-299-6282. March 23-25 Building Clean Water Communities, Lawrence, KS. Contact Judy Scherff, 785-296-8038. May 16 Fiber Fair, Marshfield, MO. Contact Gladys Gaeke, 417-859-2914. June 4-7 MO Forest Products Technical Session, Branson, MO. Aug 13-23 MO State Fair, Sedalia, MO. Missouri Alternatives Center ------------------------------ The Missouri Alternatives Center is supported by University Extension; Lincoln University; MU Extension Division; MU College of Agriculture, Food and Natural Resources; and the MO Dept of Conservation. MAC provides information to Missourians on alternative crops, livestock, small farm options and alternative rural enterprises. MAC is open weekdays from 8 am to 5 pm. For more information contact: The Missouri Alternatives Center, 628 Clark Hall, Columbia, MO 65211, 573-882-1905 or 800-433-3704. Missouri Alternatives Center University of Missouri 628 Clark Hall Columbia, MO 65211