Missouri Alternatives Center’s Bimonthly Electronic Newsletter 1-800-433-3704 "AG OPPORTUNITIES" January-February 2000 (Vol 10 No 4) * Small Farms * New Family Farms * Agricultural Alternatives How to Conduct Research on Your Farm or Ranch (reprinted with permission from USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Network) (This is the first in a four set series. The other three series will include: March/April - On-Farm Research with Crops; May/June - On-Farm Research with Livestock; July/Aug - Other Types of Research and Resources) Farmers and ranchers seeking to cut production costs or improve stewardship of natural resources often experiment with new methods. Designing and carrying out simple research tests in a more organized fashion, however, can provide reliable, valuable answers to production questions. This bulletin describes how to conduct research at the farm level, with practical tips for both crop and livestock producers as well as a comprehensive list of more in-depth resources. Rich Bennett, who raises corn, soybeans, wheat and cover crop seed in Ohio, relies on research to dictate management changes. After experimenting with lower commercial fertilizer application rates and incorporating cover crops into his grain rotation, Bennett now seeds hairy vetch every year to supply crop nutrients and enhance soil quality. The value in on-farm research, he says, is gaining information you can trust. "A farmer will learn more about his soils and will stretch to be more efficient," Bennett says. "He can learn to maximize yields and reduce input costs -- producing for profit, not yields." "Until you do research, you're really only guessing," says Vicki Stamback, an Oklahoma cut flower producer who received a grant from USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program to test greenhouse efficiency. "When you have the numbers in front of you, you know." After two years of experimenting with different greenhouse temperatures, Stamback expects to determine the minimum temperature required to raise flowers in the winter. Reducing her greenhouse heating bill will make year-round production, including selling flowers for the lucrative Valentine's Day market, more feasible. "I will know the best temperature to use, plus what crops to grow to make me the most profitable," she says. True on-farm research involves producers in experiment design, often in collaboration with scientists or extension educators. Farmers and ranchers either conduct or help conduct the experiment, providing a real-life setting in which to test their theories. "On-farm research, particularly if farmer-driven, can solve problems with solutions that keep more of the decision-making in the farmer's hands," says John Mayne, producer grants coordinator for SARE's Southern Region. In contrast to research conducted at experiment stations, which run trials in tightly controlled settings, on-farm tests demonstrate how real-life factors such as different soil types, plant populations and pests affect a new practice or system. Research to determine new fertilizer or herbicide rates, for example, might work well on an experiment station that sets up controlled paired comparisons, while a project testing confinement versus pasture for dairy calves could be performed right on the farm. Five vegetable farmers participating in a SARE-funded study in Oregon's Willamette Valley are testing ways to improve soil quality and boost productivity using cover crops. Working with Oregon State University (OSU) researchers, the farmers designed experimental systems specifically for their conditions. While researchers focused on changes in soil quality and biology, the farmers homed in on results showing increased yields and fewer tractor passes. "They're getting a competitive edge, not just in yield, but they are also excited about saving fuel costs," says principal researcher Richard Dick of OSU. "If they can get away with less tillage, and create an environment where they can still get the yields, they really want to do that." Despite the site-specific nature of the vegetable cropping systems studied, Dick and other researchers designed a scientifically valid comparison of two systems -- one using cover crops, the other a more conventional rotation. The validity goes far toward convincing producers to make changes. "Most of the farmers have gut reactions -- 'If I do this, it will do something for my soil and it will be easier to till' -- but they need to verify that," Dick says. "If the experiment is right there on farm, the farmers feel closer to it and really get something from it." Hosting on-farm experiments often leads to valuable networking among participants. Vermont sheep producers studying the feasibility of finishing lambs on pasture rather than in feedlots have gained momentum by interacting with each other, says Kate Duesterberg, who coordinates the SARE-funded project from the University of Vermont's Center for Sustainable Agriculture. Producers conceived of the pasture project as one way to cut sheep production costs. They work with researchers to record weight gains, evaluate forage quality and measure soil fertility. Preliminary results show a trend of increasing average daily gain each year as they perfect their pasture systems, partly achieved through their new network. "The producers loved being able to get together to talk over the issues of raising a grass-based product and identify the questions they wanted to look at," Duesterberg says. "It was up to us [researchers] to try to find out ways to systematically test those questions." Carrying out experiments on farms benefits scientists, too. Researchers can depend on farmers to bring practicality and problem-solving abilities to the research team. Vicki Stamback, the Oklahoma cut flower producer, continues to collaborate with a researcher at Oklahoma State University because, she says, they make such an effective team. "Dr. Dole never had his own business, so he'll run research projects by me so I can tell him what sounds practical from a business standpoint," she says. "I try to bring the practical aspect to his research projects, but he gives advice on things I've overlooked. We're good for each other." Conducting Your Own Research: The Nuts & Bolts Whether you are seeking the most suitable wheat variety for your soils or trying to determine a kill date to optimize nitrogen from a cover crop, on-farm research can be a useful tool for solving problems and answering questions about your production system. Farm-based experiments offer a practical way to test your ideas before you bet the farm on them. "Farmers are great at coming up with ideas for research," says Ken Schneider, North Central Region SARE's program coordinator for field operations. "Who better than farmers or ranchers knows what will best suit their needs?" Mike Roegge of the Western Illinois Sustainable Agriculture Society wanted to know the best time to kill a rye cover crop to improve corn yields. He used on-farm research to find the answer. "We did this experiment because we heard conflicting reports of corn yield response after rye," says Roegge. "The difference seemed to have something to do with the amount of time between when the rye is killed and when the corn is planted." As he developed his idea, Roegge found it helpful to discuss it with other farmers and collaborate with researchers at the University of Illinois. They helped him see his idea from a different perspective and hone it into a viable research objective: To determine the effect of rye cover crop kill date on the yield of the following corn crop. Your objective will depend on what you want to gain from your research. It might sound like one of the following: - to determine if a legume cover crop will supply enough nitrogen to cut back on purchased fertilizer; - to learn if my cattle will gain more on an improved grass mix versus the existing pasture; or - to learn if marketing my value-added farm products over the Internet will increase profits. In stating your objective, be specific in terms of what will be tested (nitrogen rate, improved grass mix, marketing methods) and which effects will be measured (yield, weight gain, profitability). A farmer's intuition and experiential knowledge are valid and vital ways of knowing, but research is about measurements as well as observations. Before setting up your test, consider what questions you want answered. Can you measure them accurately on your farm or ranch? Farm-based research is limited only by your imagination. The type of project -- be it crops, livestock or marketing -- will dictate project design. Assistance with designing your project is key. Find someone at your county extension office or land-grant university with experience in setting up and conducting research on farms who wants to work with you as a collaborator. If you cannot find an experienced helper, see Resources for a list of guidebooks and farmer research networks. A mistake at this stage can render your data unusable, or worse, misleading. Whether you are making the transition to another production system, fine-tuning your pest management or fertility programs, or testing a new marketing strategy, conducting research will require an investment of time and energy. Of all your ideas, choose one or two simple hypotheses that will yield the greatest return of practical information. Great research begins with a great idea. Multiple Farm Collaborative Research In many areas, groups of farmers or ranchers have banded together to conduct on-farm research about a topic of interest-- with marked success. Farmer research teams work especially well when university, USDA or nonprofit organization researchers join as part of a "participatory" research team. The power of participatory research comes from combining the creativity, experience and resources of many people to address a common problem. The data that results from trials conducted on several farms across several years also is more reliable and more trustworthy than a few replicated trials conducted at one or two locations. While farmers and ranchers gain a greater understanding of their unique production systems and learn to use simple research methods to answer questions on a range of topics, researchers benefit from conducting research in the "real world" context of working farms and farmers. The participatory research model values both farmer and scientific ways of learning, effectively integrating them to generate new knowledge for more informed production and management decisions. By collaborating with university or USDA researchers, farmers benefit from their technical experience in research design, data collection and analysis. A common lament of farmers and ranchers conducting on-farm research is that the trials are established with good intent, but other time-consuming activities during the growing season prevent them from taking data at the proper time. Forming partnerships with researchers who can help collect data improves the process. "Rather than one-sided information coming from the extension educator to the farmer, on-farm research using a researcher and a farmer is very persuasive," says Scott Marlow, who directs The Peanut Project in North Carolina, a project of RAFI-USA. "Not only does it give the farmer power to evaluate new information, but it also provides an inexpensive way for a researcher to generate information for himself and the university. And that information really gets out in the community." Replicated plot research can be used in the multiple farm approach, although farmers may want to opt for a simpler experimental design using paired treatments on individual farms. This approach is more suited to questions addressing the choice among just two or three treatments. In western Oregon, a group of seven farmers and university researchers evaluated a strip-tillage vegetable production system as an alternative to the existing conventional tillage systems. The group established side-by-side trials using plots of at least two acres on their fields each year for three years. Each trial consisted of just two treatments: strip-till and "grower tillage." Participating farmers used their own equipment to harvest the vegetable crops, and the processing company buying the vegetables assessed quality based on yield and grade. In nine on-farm, paired comparisons of the strip-till system for sweet corn production, researchers found a 78-percent probability of increasing net profit by $75 an acre and a 22-percent probability of losing $30 an acre using the strip-till system compared to the standard grower tillage systems. By looking at the yield response on individual fields, the growers can evaluate various cultural factors that may have caused the yield declines where they occurred. A multi-site approach also takes advantage of the collective creativity and resources of the farms. Participating farmers typically meet to share results. Many times, this leads to more questions for the group to research. After testing one strip-till machine design for three years, the Oregon vegetable growers decided to embark on a different approach. They pooled their resources and received a SARE grant to build a faster and more efficient strip-till machine to use in ongoing trials. Subsequent experiments will test the growers' new hypotheses. In this multiple-farm research project, the more fields and years the tests are conducted, the greater confidence farmers have in the results. -- John Luna, Oregon State University John Luna, extension specialist, integrated farming systems, Oregon State University. For 18 years, Luna has worked with farmers in developing collaborative, on-farm research projects in Oregon and Virginia to help them evaluate use of cover crops to enhance soil and water quality and reduce inputs. (The full bulletin can be found at: http://www.sare.org/san/onfarm99/index.htm or available by calling 301-504-6422.) Southwest Research Center Receives Grant for Apple Research By Andrew L. Thomas, Horticulture Research Specialist, Southwest Research Farm The Southwest Center is pleased to announce that it has received a grant to evaluate a new type of "organic" pest control product on apples. The material to be tested is nothing more than kaolin, a naturally-occurring mineral found in common clays that is so safe, it has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration as a human food additive. When films of these fine, uniform clay particles are sprayed onto leaves and fruit of food crops, many insect and disease problems can be reduced. The tremendous potential of this new "particle-film technology" in both organic and conventional horticultural crops, along with the need for extensive rigorous testing of these materials prompted the funding from the Organic Farming Research Foundation of Santa Cruz, CA. The technique of using kaolin particle films to control certain crop pests has been recently developed and patented by Drs. Michael Glenn and Gary Puterka of the US Department of Agriculture. Fine kaolin films sprayed onto leaves and fruit form a protective barrier that repels many insects and mites simply by irritating or confusing them, while also confounding the infection mechanisms of certain fungal and bacterial pathogens. Preliminary research by the USDA has shown that kaolin particle films can help control many important apple insect pests (coddling moth, plum curculio, aphids, apple maggots, leafhoppers, thrips, pear psylla, Japanese beetles), mites (rust mites, spider mites, red mites), and diseases (flyspeck, apple scab, sooty blotch, fire blight). At the same time, the particles can actually provide physiological benefits to crops by lowering canopy temperature, reducing heat stress to leaves, protecting fruit from sunburn, and even improving soil conditions over time. Organic apple production remains extremely difficult in MO, while demand for high-quality organically-grown fruit continues to increase. Conventional apple production typically requires as many as 17 applications of pesticides annually that still do not always provide adequate pest control. Organic as well as conventional apple growers could benefit by integrating particle film technologies into their overall pest management programs. By testing different application rates and frequencies, we hope to be able to fine-tune recommendations for MO growers interested in using these safe materials. The Southwest Center is pleased to be conducting research that may lead to a safer environment for orchardists, farm workers, and consumers. New initiative will fulfill conservation wishes By Jerry M. Conley, Director, MO Department of Conservation Wouldn't it be nice if Missouri could be a Mecca for wildlife and outdoor recreation and still be one of our country's most productive agricultural states? Wouldn't it be nice if no more species disappeared because of a loss of habitat, and if we could once again see the number of quail and rabbits that people still talk about from the "Good Old Days?" Wouldn't it be nice if all of MO lands were managed using sound conservation practices? If our streams didn't erode their banks, if runoff was pollution-free and fish were plentiful and grew to trophy sizes? Wouldn't it be nice if all our forests were managed for maximum yield while they continued to sustain deer, turkey, squirrels and other wildlife species? The Conservation Department has been asking "Wouldn't it be nice?" for a long time now, and it has been my goal as director of this agency to stop asking the question and to go forward in making these conservation wishes a reality statewide. I assure you that the Conservation Department is doing everything possible to protect, preserve and sustain forests and wildlife on the lands it owns or manages. We provide a variety of habitats, plant warm season grasses and food plots, manipulate water levels to create feeding opportunities for waterfowl, control exotic species, maintain prairies, stock fish, conduct prescribed burns, build brushpiles and do whatever else is within our power to benefit wildlife. Conservation areas are showcases of how conservation practices can fit in with modern land management. But as good as our efforts have been, they only take place on the 2.2 percent of Missouri's lands and waters owned or managed by the Conservation Department. This figure is dwarfed by the 93 percent of Missouri's area--about 41.5 million acres--in private hands. The numbers are compelling. If we can encourage conservation-friendly practices on more acreage, conditions for wildlife will improve dramatically. We have been kicking around the idea of reaching out more to private landowners for some time now, and the Conservation Commission recently approved the creation of a new Private Lands Services Program. This new program involves redirecting funds and the efforts of our dedicated employees from existing programs to the Private Lands Services Section. The new section will be dedicated to working with Missouri's private landowners to improve conservation practices on their farms, forests and land holdings. At the heart of this approach will be a cadre of private land conservationists living in local communities. They'll work with two to four county-sized district teams of specialists to deliver upon request conservation information, programs and assistance to private landowners large and small. Please don't construe this new program as an attempt to force conservation practices onto private landowners. Cooperation with the program is entirely voluntary. I'm writing this article and others to let people know about the Private Lands Services Program. We also intend to make overtures to landowners. In the next three years we will contact 50,000 of you one-on-one and more than 250,000 by mail or other methods. We'll be asking what we can do to help you maintain or improve the value you get from your land, while you optimize your property's fish, wildlife and forestry habitats and its life forms. The new program is consistent with the Conservation Department's mandate of protecting the fish, forest and wildlife resources of Missouri. Believing that our agency should go beyond taking care of its own lands, we are assuming the responsibility of teaching other landowners how to improve their land and providing the help necessary to achieve that end. Consider us a reference source, a help center and a conservation partner. Whether you own farmland, forest or recreational land--from 5 to 5,000 acres--we have the expertise and the ability to help you manage your land more effectively. The Private Lands Services Program will hit the ground running and will be fully operational by July. We have allocated $2 million to reach out to private landowners, and we expect the program to grow as landowners see the benefits of taking on a conservation partner. For more information, contact George Seek, 573-751-4115, ext 873. *** In the News *** The SARE NC Region announces its ninth round of innovative producer grants in 2000. Farmers and ranchers can apply for grants from $5,000 to $15,000 to conduct research or education/demonstration projects that further the goals of sustainable agriculture. Applications are available Feb 1st and due April 28th. Funding decisions will be made in late June with funds available in mid-fall for the 2001 production season. For more information or an application call 402-472-7081 or email ncrsare@unl.edu The USDA's Community Food Projects Competitive Grants Program Request for Proposals for 2000 is expected to be released in late winter/early spring 2000. Approximately $2.5 million will b available each year through 2002. To find information on previously funded projects and to stay current with funding opportunities, access the program's web site: www.reeusda.gov/crgam/cfp/community.html Research at Iowa State University Has shown that corn gluten meal has potential as a natural pre-emergence herbicide for use on turf and organic crop production. For details, see http://www.hort.iastate.edu/gluten/ *** In Print *** *Nut Production Handbook for Eastern Black Walnut* Available from Jim Jones, PO Box 600, Stockton, MO 65785-0600, 417-276-6010. *Natural Enemies Handbook: The Illustrated Guide to Biological Control* A comprehensive guide that illustrates the balance between plant pests and their natural enemies. Available from UC ANR Communications Services, 6701 San Pablo Ave, Oakland, CA 94608-1239, 510-642-2431, http://danrcs.ucdavis.edu, $35.00. *From the Field to the Table: Suggested Food Handling Guidelines for Open-Air Farmers' Markets & Fairs* Guideline creates an understanding of wholesome food production, transportation, and display at farmers' markets or food fairs and develops food categories based on food safety risks. Economics Institute, Loyola Univ, Box 904, New Orleans, LA 70118, 504-861-5898. *** On the Calendar *** Jan 22-MO Christmas Tree Producers Assn Winter Meeting, Jefferson City, MO. Call 573-243-5501. Jan 22-23-Ozark Food & Equipment Show, Springfield, MO. Jan 28-30-MO Assn of Fairs & Festivals Convention, Columbia, MO. Jan 28-29-KQ2 Ag & Farm Expo, St Joseph, MO. Call 816-378-2449. Jan 29-Fifth Anniversary Local Food Systems and CSA Conference, Des Moines, IA. Call 515-232-5679. Jan 31-Feb 4-Ag Science Week, Columbia, MO. Call 800-433-3704. Feb 2-4-MO Natural Resources Conference, Tan-Tar-A. Call 660-885-6981. Feb 2-5-Aquaculture America 2000, New Orleans, LA. Call 573-526-6666. Feb 6-8-Midwest Regional Grape & Wine Conference, Tan-Tar-A. Call 88-392-WINE Feb 8-9-Future Farms: New Ideas for Family Farms and Rural Communities, Oklahoma City, OK. Call 918-647-9123. Feb 10---Marketing Assistance for Pastured Poultry Producers Seminar, Marshfield, MO. Call 573-522-3377. Feb 21-23-MO Small Fruit Conference, Springfield, MO. Call 417-926-4105. Feb 22---Marketing Assistance for Pastured Poultry Producers Seminar, Potosi, MO. Call 573-522-3377. Feb 22-23-MO Aquaculture Association Annual Meeting and Conference, Cape Girardeau, MO. Call 573-526-6666. Feb 25-Specialty Crops School, Oxford NC. Call Carl Cantaluppi, 919-603-1350 Feb 25-Building Soil Fertility Through Cover Cropping Workshop, Columbia, MO. Call 800-433-3704. Feb 26-Sustaining People through Agriculture (SPAN) Conference, Columbia, MO. Call Laura Bergman, 573-884-3794. March 1-An Evening with AgriMissouri, Jefferson City, MO. Call 888-MO-BRAND. March 3-4-Tree Farm Stewardship Day, Columbia, MO. Call 573-634-3252. March 3-5-MO Assn of Meat Processors Annual Conference, Columbia, MO. Call 660-827-0005. March 16-18-Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference, LaCrosse, WI. Call 715-772-6819. March 17-AgriExpo 2000-Pre-Conference Workshop: Cooperative Development, Jefferson City, MO. Call 573-882-1150. March 18-AgriExpo 2000-Guiding Entrepreneurs to Success-2nd Annual Value Added Agriculture Conference, Jefferson City, MO. Call 753-882-1150. March 25-Direct Marketing and Enterprise Diversification, Silex, MO. Call 573-485-7261. March 25-Southwest MO Spring Horticulture Conference, SMSU State Fruit Experiment Station in Mountain Grove, MO. Call 417-926-4105. March 31-Free Range Poultry Production and Direct Marketing Workshop, Columbia, MO. Call 800-433-3704. April 1-2-MO Organic Assn Annual Conference, Columbia, MO. Call 800-433-3704. April 6-7-American Black Walnut Nut Production Conference 2000, Springfield, MO. Call 417-276-6010. June 8-10-MO Forest Products Assn Spring Technical Session, St Louis, MO. Call 573-634-3252. June 11-15-MO Agribusiness Academy, St Louis, MO. Call 573-751-5618. June 13-15-Grant Writing Workshop I. Call Southwest RC&D, 417-732-6485. Aug 8-10-Grant Writing Workshop II. Call Southwest RC&D, 417-732-6485. University Outreach and Extension does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, age, disability or status as a Vietnam-era veteran in employment or programs.