Missouri Alternatives Center's Bimonthly Electronic Newsletter 800-433-3704 "AG OPPORTUNITIES" May-June (Vol. 12, No 6) * Small Farms * New Family Farms * Agricultural Alternatives Are You On Target With Your Market? (By Teresa Hoy) You've labored. You've sweated and fretted. And now you have a great product to show for it. Maybe it's fruit or vegetables. Maybe it's meat or cheese. Whatever it is that you've invested your time, energy and financial resources into growing, it's now time to market it. To market your product to the best of its quality and your expectations, you need to understand the different types of markets, decide which market is right for you and know the do's and don'ts of selling. Farmers' markets, on farm sales and CSA's (Community Supported Agriculture) are retail markets. Through these markets you can receive top dollar for your product. Wholesale markets include bed and breakfasts, caterers, farm-to-school programs, grocery stores, hotels/resorts, institutions, procurement contracts, restaurants and small retail stores. Though considered wholesale, some restaurants will pay prices comparable to retail for products that fit their needs. Deciding which market to target depends on several factors. The following points offer an idea of what to think about when making that decision: *Your type of operation - Are you a commodity farmer or a market gardener? Do you prefer to grow mono crops or a wide variety? *Location of your operation - Are you close to a metropolitan area that has many restaurants or grocery stores or other available markets? If you have limited access to particular markets, are you willing to drive a long distance to deliver your product weekly? *Size of your operation - The size of your operation, if smaller, may limit the markets available to you because of the quantities of product some markets require. The opposite can be true for growers who might need to move large quantities of product. Forming or joining a producer's co-op could provide more market opportunities. *Is this a primary or secondary income source? - This will determine how much of a profit you will need to receive. Knowing your costs is extremely important. *What type of personality do you have? Are you outgoing? Assertive? Or shy and reserved? Do you enjoy talking with many different people or do you prefer to work one-on-one with others? Understanding your personality can help guide you to the market that will provide the best comfort level. Now that you have an idea of markets you can target, do you know the dos and don'ts of selling to those markets? Here are some Ripe and Rotten Ideas for Selling: To Apply Fertilizer: *Stagger plantings to meet demands throughout the growing season. *Plant a variety of fruit and vegetables. *Plant to order. *Consider specializing in a product to fill a niche. *Know your product: its use, flavor and shelf life. *Consider forming or joining a grower's collective or co-op to insure product availability. *Decide your selling price before the buyer calls. *Be open to negotiating prices. *Print up business cards with your name, business name, phone number and email address. *Install an answering machine. *Meet delivery times and days. *Offer samples of other products when you deliver. *Keep conversations by phone or in person short and to the point. Five-minute friendships are the best. How to End Up In the Compost Heap: *The food should look and smell fresh off the farm, not you! Be professional. *Make it difficult for buyers to order. This will cause them to take their business elsewhere. A person or answering machine must be available throughout the day. *Promise to deliver more than you can. Do this and customers won't reorder. *Carry on long-winded conversations by forgetting or ignoring that buyers run on tight schedules. They probably won't call back. *Deliver dirty, unwashed food. Always clean your food before delivery. *Unwillingness to be flexible. It may take time in the beginning for the buyer to figure out the exact product they need. You'll be on target with your market if you know the capabilities of your operation, understand the market you sell to and follow the dos and don'ts of selling. (Teresa Hoy is the coordinator for Harvest Connection, a program created to link producers and restaurants. The program is a cooperative effort of the MO Dept of Ag and University Outreach and Extension, through a grant from the USDA. For more info about Harvest Connection, call 660- 747-3114 or toll free 877-684-0669, hoyt@missouri.edu.) Research Results Show Promise for Particle-film Technology in Apples (by Andrew L. Thomas, Horticulture Researcher at the Southwest Research Center ) Particle-film technology is an exciting recent development in integrated pest management of horticultural crops. Fine film coatings of safe, microscopic particles are sprayed onto leaves and fruit to form a protective barrier that controls or suppresses many insects simply by repelling or irritating them. The life-cycles of certain fungal pathogens can also be disrupted by the films while beneficial organisms that do not feed on the leaf or fruit generally remain unharmed. At the same time, the films can provide physiological benefits to crop plants by lowering canopy temperature, reducing heat stress to leaves, and protecting fruit from sunburn. Such technology offers new, powerful tools to both organic and conventional producers of fruits and vegetables in the Ozarks and elsewhere. The Organic Farming Research Foundation provided grants to the Southwest Center to study Surround WP Crop Protectant, a new, kaolin-based particle film spray developed by the USDA and Engelhard Corporation, Iselin, NJ. Kaolin is a simple clay mineral that has actually been approved for human consumption. Surround has therefore been approved for use in certified organic farms by the Organic Materials Review Institute. The objective of our study was to evaluate and document the efficacy and potential of Surround in suppressing certain insect and fungal pests in apples, while fine-tuning application recommendations for Midwestern growers. Replicated blocks of Liberty, Jonafree, Jonagold, and Ultragold apple trees received one of five treatments throughout the summers of 2000 and 2001: 50 lbs/acre Surround once per week, 50 lbs/acre every two weeks, 25 lbs/acre once per week, 25 lbs/acre every two weeks, and untreated control. Detailed observations and data were collected periodically throughout the growing season on insect and disease damage to both leaves and fruit. Most data, however, including fruit grade and yield, were collected upon harvest when fruits were picked, cut open, and individually examined to ascertain precisely what type of damage had occurred. Insect traps were used to monitor populations of several serious apple insect pests common to the region so that we could correlate damage, or lack thereof, with the known presence of certain insect species. The following insects and fungal diseases were studied: plum curculio, codling moth, red-banded leafroller, oriental fruit moth, San Jose scale, Phoma leaf spot, cedar apple rust, flyspeck, and sooty blotch. Insect traps revealed very little presence of codling moth and oriental fruit moth in the orchard during both growing seasons; therefore we were not able to make valid conclusions for the product's effectiveness against those insects. Our results show that Surround is able to significantly suppress a variety of insect and fungal pests in apples. A portion of our data is presented in the tables below. In each table, 25 and 50 refers to lb/acre of Surround used, and Bi and W refer to bi-weekly and weekly applications, respectively. Control received no treatment. Table 1. Percentage of fruits infested with plum curculio Variety Control 25Bi 25W 50Bi 50W 2000 -----------------%------------------------ Johnafree 71a 37b 31b 6c 16bc Liberty 65a 20b 20b 21b 15b 2001 Johnafree 46a 46a 6b 13b 4b Liberty 81a 76a 30b 32b 22b a,b,c Mean in a row with similar superscripts are not different. Plum curculio, one of the most devastating apple pests in MO, was significantly suppressed by Surround. In 2000, only 16 % of Jonafree and 15 % of Liberty fruits treated with 50 lbs/acre weekly (50 W) were infested by plum curculio, whereas 71 % of Jonafree and 65 % of Liberty fruits in untreated plots were destroyed. In 2001, 4 % of Jonafree and 22 % of Liberty in 50 W plots were infested, while 46 % and 81 % in untreated plots, respectively, were destroyed. Table 2. Percentage of leaf infested with red-banded leafroller Variety Control 25Bi 25W 50Bi 50W 2000 -----------------%------------------------ Johnafree 36a 4b 2b 2b 1b Liberty 32a 5b 2b 2b 1b Johnagold 22a 4b 1b 1b 1b Ultragold 24a 3b 2b 3b 1b a,b Mean in a row with similar superscripts are not different. Data on leaf damage caused by red-banded leafroller were taken only in 2001. Among all four cultivars evaluated, leaf damage was significantly controlled by any of the Surround treatments compared with untreated trees. Control of red-banded leafroller damage to fruit, and San Jose scale prevalence on fruit, however, was not consistent. Table 3. Percentage of fruits infested with flyspeck Variety Control 25Bi 25W 50Bi 50W 2000 -----------------%------------------------ Johnafree 91a 51b 45b 55b 28b Liberty 89a 97a 71a 87a 65a 2001 Johnafree 25a 0b 0b 2b 0b Liberty 29a 19a 15a 7a 4a a,b Mean in a row with similar superscripts are not different. Flyspeck and sooty blotch are superficial fungal diseases that ruin the appearance of the apple, reducing their market value especially for pick-your-own operations where it cannot be washed off before sales. Surround significantly suppressed both flyspeck and sooty blotch on Jonafree fruit in 2000 and 2001. No significant control was seen in Liberty, however, except that sooty blotch was largely controlled in 2001. Cedar apple rust was significantly higher in untreated trees compared with all treated trees for both Jonafree and Jonagold in 2000. However in 2001, no consistent or significant differences in rust infection were detected among any of the treatments. This inconsistency from one year to the next is difficult to explain and is exactly why we conduct research over more than one season. Phoma leaf spot was only evaluated in 2001. Control of this leaf disease was significant with Surround treatments among all four cultivars. Infection rates ranged from 0 to 5 % for 50W trees to between 14 % and 23 % of leaves on untreated trees. Table 1. Percentage of fruits grading #1 Variety Control 25Bi 25W 50Bi 50W 2000 -----------------%------------------------ Johnafree 0b 2b 4b 4b 19a Liberty 0a 1a 1a 0a 5a 2001 Johnafree 0d 7d 42b 32c 54a Liberty 0b 0b 13a 20a 21a a,b,c,d Mean in a row with similar superscripts are not different. Grade of apples was also significantly improved by Surround treatments. In both 2000 and 2001, not a single untreated apple was rated Grade 1 (near perfect) whereas 19 % and 54 % of Liberty and 5 % and 21 % of Jonafree were rated Grade 1 in 2000 and 2001, respectively, with nothing more than 50W Surround treatments. Our most interesting and useful findings are that frequency of application is apparently more important than application rate in suppressing fungal diseases whereas rate is most important for suppressing the insect plum curculio. It seems logical that a consistent but not necessarily strong coating of film on the fruit may be needed to interfere with fungal infection, while a good strong dose is required to repel tenacious insects such as plum curculio. We are confident that this research will benefit Missouri growers as they consider how best to integrate new products such as Surround into their arsenal of plant protection products and strategies. Look for additional and even better particle film products as more research is conducted and the technology advances over the next several years. Oilseed Sunflowers Gain Acceptance from Missouri Producers (By Alan Weber, Economic and Marketing Specialist, Jefferson Institute) The growing size of the sunflower market, both for oilseed and birdseed uses, is creating a new opportunity to add sunflowers to crop rotations in Missouri. As evidence to this fact, Missouri sunflower acreage is estimated to have doubled in the past two years. In Missouri, sunflowers provide a nice double crop after wheat, especially for farmers in the northern part of the state. By adding sunflower as an additional crop to the rotation, pest problems such as corn borer, or soybean cyst nematode can be reduced. Sunflower is also shorter season than most crops, so can be planted later, or harvested earlier, helping spread out the workload. Nationally, acreage in states such as Texas, Kansas, and Missouri increased last year. However, acreage in traditional sunflower producing states such as North Dakota decreased. Although acreage in Missouri has significantly increased, overall acreage remains at an estimated 5,000 acres. The predominant market for Missouri producers remains the birdseed market due to transportation distances to the oilseed crushing market and the relative advantage that Missouri growers have in the birdseed market. Although Missouri sunflowers will almost exclusively be sold as birdseed, the interest and demand of NuSun sunflowers continues to grow nationally. The development of "NuSun" varieties that are mid-level in oleic acid has spurred further interest in using sunflower oil in food preparation. In addition to being a "healthy profile", NuSun oil has the primary advantage of being more stable than most vegetable oils, and not needing to be hygrogenated to improve shelf life. In addition to NuSun varieties, high-oleic sunflowers can also be grown. These varieties are utilized primarily for industrial applications however high oleic varieties are receiving more attention due to the increased demand for mid-oleic vegetable oils and the need to blend the various oleic content vegetable oils. Since Missouri growers will be producing for the birdseed market, NuSun varieties will not command a premium price in the market as they do in other regions of the US. NuSun varieties can be used for birdseed, however. As documented by variety trials conducted by the Jefferson Institute and the Univ of MO in 2000 and 2001, NuSun varieties yield as well or better than traditional varieties and as one producer put it, "the birds don't care which type they eat". Missouri producers will have SPARTAN HERBICIDE as an option again this year as a Section 18 (temporary registration) was issued to control water hemp and morning glory. Contact the Jefferson Institute at (573) 449-3518 for up-to-date market news. (From Jefferson Institute News & Views, Spring 2002) *** In the News *** A specialty type of soybean has been gaining popularity in US salad bars and frozen vegetables. Edamame soybeans, a common food item inJapan, are becoming more familiar to US consumers looking for healthy benefits of a soy in a pleasant tasting, green vegetable form. Edamame soybeans are harvested green, either by hand or with a commerical green bean picker. They are then refrigerated and sold fresh in the pod or shelled and sold frozen. The Jefferson Institute is researching edamame soybeans and is willing to assist growers interested in growing either a commercial acreage for mechanical harvest or small acreage for farmers' markets. For more information, call 573-449-3518, info@jeffersoninstitute.org Bobwhite quail and pheasant populations throughout Missouri, Kansas, Iowa, Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas may be at an all-time low this fall. The situation is probably due to poor nesting and brood-rearing conditions throughout the summer, but it is indeed odd that it occurred over such a large geography. The situation is further aggravated by poor quality grasslands, too much or too little grazing, herbicides and mowing to control perceived broadleaf problems, increased woody encroachment and maturity on grasslands, and all-time high nest predator (opossums, raccoons, skunks, and house cats) populations that easily find nests and broods in low-quality habitat. These ground-nesters can rebound given improved weather but you can help by ensuring available, high-quality nesting and brood-cover. Don't burn all your grass, disk some areas to encourage broadleaves for brood cover, spot spray or mow problem weeds and tree sprouts instead of whole areas. Encourage low-growing (3-12ft) woody cover (shrubs) instead of tall trees that provide little winter cover but are great predator strike points. As Larry Dablemont noted in a recent article in Outdoor Guide Magazine, bobwhite quail populations may never fully recover in the fescue-dominated portions of the country, but fescue can be improved for quail by light grazing and no mowing. Native warm-season grass pastures and colonies of native shrubs will also help. After you've done these, then nest-predator control (through legal trapping and hunting) may bolster production, and food plots may help keep the birds on your property. (From Native Warm-Season Grass Newlsetter, Winter 2002) A new Work Efficiency Tip Sheet from the Healthy Farmers/ Healthy Profits Project suggests that hoophouse raspberries and strawberries can offer a number of benefits including (1) Season Extension: berries ripen earlier, allowing you to get a jump on the market, reducing stress and increasing profit. (2) The controlled environment can reduce disease pressure. (3) Raised beds or bench systems will make production easier on your body. Though they advocate a simple, un-heated structure, "Startup costs. . . can be high. . . You will need to analyze your situation and compare expected yields and market price with the cost of production." (Stretch Out your Season with Hoophouses, Univ of WI, Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project, 460 Henry Mall, Madison, WI 53706, (608)265-9451) Researchers at Penn State Univ have found that while yields are high, "the most promising aspect of [high tunnel] production for brambles was extremely high fruit quality." They conclude that, "High tunnel production should be of particular value where a premium market exists for high quality fruit produced with little or no pesticide use. However, until experience is gained, this growing system should be tried on a limited basis." (The Vegetable Growers News, Dec 2001, 616-887-9008) *** In Print * * * *Profitable Poultry: Raising Birds on Pasture* available at www.sare.org/bulletin/poultry, or in print from USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Network, (301) 504-6422, san@nal.usda.gov. *Sustainable Farming Internships & Apprenticeships Resource List* 2002 Edition, is at http://www.attra.org/attra-pub/intern.html; for a print copy, contact ATTRA, 1-800-346-9140. *Jefferson Institute News & Views* quarterly newsletter to share more timely information about their programs and some of the crops they work with. Thomas Jefferson Institute, 601 W Nifong Blvd, Suite 1D, Columbia, MO 65203, 573-449-3518, info@jeffersoninstitute.org; http://www.jeffersoninstitute.org *Native Warm-Season Grass Newsletter* a free newsletter to MO residents interested in prairie and grassland management. To receive the newsletter, write Steve Clubine, MO Dept of Conservation, PO Box 368, Clinton, MO 64735 or clubis@mail.conservation.state.mo.us *Simple Solutions: Ergonomics for Farm Workers* free publication from US Dept of Health and Human Services. Ergomonic basics, tip sheets on making or buying inexpensive tools that hlepyou work smarter, not harder and guidelines for training farm workers. National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, 4676 Columbia Parkway, Cincinnati, OH 45226, 1-800-356-4674, http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/pdfs/01-111.pdf *** On the Calendar *** May 19-25-International Natural Dye Conference, Ames, IA. May 20-24-Conservation Easement Short Course, Poteau, OK. Call 918-647-9123. May 22-23-Southwest Grazing School, Mt. Vernon, MO. Call 417-466-2148. May 30-June 1-Heart of America Fiber Festival, Butler, MO. Call 816-697-2104. June 17-19-Grant Writing I Workshop, Springfield, MO. Call 417-732-6485. June 23-27-North American Prairie Conference "Promoting Prairie", Kirksville, MO. Call 660-665-3766, http://www.napc2002.org June 29-Marketing Your Cattle: Challenges and Opportunities in Today's Beef Business. Visit http://http://aes.missouri.edu/fsrc/index.stm. July-Drainage and Subirrigation Installation Field Day, Novelty, MO. Call 660-739-4410. July 15-17-Grant Writing II Workshop, Springfield, MO. Call 417-732-6485. July 26-Aug 4-Ozark Empire Fair, Springfield, MO. July 28-Aug 4-Textile Tides Convergence, Nevada, MO. Call 417-448-1212. Aug 3-Pasture Improvement Strategies, Linneus, MO. http://aes.missouri.edu/fsrc/index.stm. Aug 8-18-100th MO State Fair, Sedalia, MO. Aug 12-14-Grant Writing III Workshop, Springfield, MO. Call 417-732-6485. Aug 13-Advanced Grazing School, Mt. Vernon, MO. Call 417-466-2148. Aug 27-29-Beginning Grazing School, Linneus, MO. Call 573-499-0886. Sept 10-12-Advanced Grazing School, Linneus, MO. Call 573-499-0886. Oct 1-3-Beginning Grazing School, Linneus, MO. Call 573-499-0886. Oct 31-Nov 2-National Small Farm Trade Show and Conference, Columbia, MO. Call 1-800-633-2535. Nov 4-5-MO Forage and Grassland Council Annual Conference, Lake Ozark, MO. Dec-Southeast MO AgriExpo, Sikeston, MO. Green Hills Farm Project Farm Walks May 16- Polo, MO, 660-352-6288. Developing blank land into a workable, profitable small farm (40 acres). June20- Jacksonville, IL, 217-245-7548. A 700 acre corn/soybean farm with a 50 head cow/calf herd. Using MiG and perennial ryegrass flown on cornfields to supplement winter grazing. July 18-Smithville, MO, 816-532-3795. Rotational grazing of stockers, solar powered water system, start-up meat goats, pasture management, different types of fencing. Aug 15- Bucklin, MO, 660-695-3482. Pastured poultry and lamb. Sept 19- Purdin, MO, 660-244-5858. Certified organic, grass-based dairy and milk bottling. Oct 17- Princeton, MO, 660-748-4824. Katahdin sheep, beef cattle, brown eggs. Nov 21-Galt, MO, 816- 673-6311. Cow/calf & backgrounding partnership. Started MiG in 1985. Cow herd size is 120 pairs and 40 replacement heifers. Missouri Organic Association Farm Tours May 18-Aschwanden Herb Garden, Carthage, MO. Call 417-886-7468. June 23- Eastwind Community, Tecumseh, MO. Call 417-886-7468. July 21-Jensen Gardens, Springfield, MO. Call 417-865-0593. Aug 17-Aqua Terra Gardens, Springfield, MO. Call 417-833-8535. Sept 15-Ozark Mountain Organic Garden, Nixa, MO. Call 417-725-5134. Research Farm Tours Aug 2-Greenley Farm, Novely Aug 30-Delta Center, Portageville Aug 28-Graves Farm, Corning Sept 6-Hundley-Whaley, Albany Sept 13-Southwest Center, Mt. Vernon Oct 4-Wurdack Farm, Cook Station 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.