Ag Opportunities SMALL FARMS * NEW FAMILY FARMS AGRICULTURAL ALTERNTAIVES March-April 2003 Vol 13, No 5 Grow Native! Helps Boost Demand for Missouri’s Native Plant Products and Services for Farms and Travel Groups by Bonnie Chasteen and Judy Allmon Missouri's native plant industry is growing. How do we know? More shoppers are asking for native plants at retail nurseries, more growers, retailers and wholesalers are joining Grow Native! for help with marketing their native plant products, and more landscape professionals are signing up for Grow Native!'s workshops and endorsement programs. Grow Native! (GN!) is a program of the MO Dept of Conservation. Unique within the agency and the nation, GN! uses a combination of education and marketing to promote native plants and MO's native plant industry. By combining conservation and commerce in the Grow Native! program, MDC is encouraging private businesses within MO to “do well by doing good." Conservation is good business, and this partnership with the private sector helps MDC achieve many of its conservation goals, “from the back yard to the back forty.” One of the key demand areas Grow Native! is working to stimulate and serve is state and municipal governments. These agencies have tremendous power to choose and use native plants in a variety of public landscapes, from roadside byways to city parks. An example of growth in this area is the new MO Dept of Transportation and the MO Dept of Conservation cooperative agreement. This project aims to spend 1.2 million dollars to convert approximately 1000 acres of MO roadside byways to native plants. For this initial effort to succeed, contractors need to know how to install and maintain native plants, which aren't as easy to establish as fescue. Grow Native! is helping with a training and endorsement program to teach landscape and roadside contractors to specialize in native plant and conservation contracting. The success of these first Roadside Native Plant contracting projects will "plant the seeds" for future roadside native plant funding in MO. Grow Native! also responds to requests to do weed ordinance workshops for city and county governments. Typically, local weed ordinances don't recognize the legitimacy of native plants, and aggressive mowing and herbiciding programs thwart residents' efforts to use natives. GN! weed ordinance workshops help local governments learn how to revise their regulations to make a place for natives in their communities. A significant new stimulant to the native plant industry is the 2002 Farm Bill, which boasts the richest conservation provisions in the bill's history. It is full of landowner incentives to restore various kinds of habitat and ecosystem values, including wetlands, waterways, forests, and grasslands. Also the Conservation Security Act now allows landowners to profit from the conservation plantings they create through CRP and similar initiatives. What better way to achieve these goals than with the native plant species? GN! will be working to help Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) personnel understand the role of native plants in landowner cost-share programs. The NRCS is the federal agency charged with administering Farm Bill programs at the local level, and it will be important for desk attendants to help landowners choose native plants when fulfilling their cost-share programs. One of the ways GN! aims to do this is with information about "Quail Covey Headquarters," a “recipe” for creating superb quail habitat, including species lists of native shrubs, trees and perennials plus suggested planting plans. Grow Native! has a number of other programs and strategies to help growers, marketers and landscape professionals meet growing demand for native plant products and services. The most comprehensive is the Grow Native! professional membership. For their annual membership dues, growers, wholesalers, retailers and landscape service providers (planners, architects, designers, and contractors) gain access to several professional development and marketing tools. They can participate in any of GN!'s many annual professional workshops or become endorsed through the professional certification program. They also have their business listed on the GN! web site (www.grownative.org), which offers a referral service for a variety of landscape professionals to conservation-minded clients. In addition, members can maintain access to industry news and trends and to each other's products and services. Finally, Grow Native! provides its members with unique wholesale and retail marketing materials, including full color plant tags for 180 native plant species; point-of-purchase displays; and educational brochures. Perhaps one of the most important ways Grow Native! boosts the native plant industry is by educating the public to "think natives first." We write a bi-monthly column for the MDC Conservationist, provide articles for various publications and generate quarterly PSAs heard on radio stations throughout the state. Our web site provides instant, easy-to-use access to native plant species, landscape designs, cultural tips and retailers. We've helped install several public demonstration sites, including one at the main entrance to the MO State Fairgrounds in Sedalia. We often speak at garden and civic clubs, and we've collaborated with University Extension to develop native plant curriculum topics for their Master Gardener program. Now that we've got our education and marketing machine up and running, we're planning to do a market study. Our goal is to capture an overview of MO's native plant industry. We'll be asking such questions as, Who is using native plants? In what applications? Who else would choose and use native plants if they knew their benefits and could easily get them at a fair price? This is a major undertaking, and it will probably be a year or more before we answer most of our questions. When we do, though, our study will be invaluable to anyone planning to enter the native plant market or expand his or her native plant marketing efforts. If you want to stay tuned to Grow Native!'s work or become a professional member, please visit us on the web at www.grownative.org MO Poultry Producers Beware of Exotic Newcastle Disease As a highly contagious and often fatal poultry disease continues to spread in southern CA. Univ of MO veterinarians said state poultry producers should review their biosecurity practices to help prevent the disease's introduction into their flocks. The disease, called Exotic Newcastle Disease (END), was confirmed in Los Angeles County in Oct and has spread from backyard poultry and game fowl to commercial poultry facilities. Currently, all of southern CA is under quarantine as the CA Dept of Food and Ag and the USDA conduct an eradication campaign. Bird species affected by the quarantine include chickens, turkeys, ducks, geese, grouse, partridges, pheasants, quail, guinea fowl, peafowl, doves, pigeons, swans, emus and ostriches. "Newcastle Disease does not pose a public health threat or affect the safety of poultry and egg products," said Alex Bermudez, an associate professor of veterinary pathobiology. "However, if it's not confined, it could cause severe losses to commercial poultry operations and economically devastate our export markets." Geographic barriers and the relatively low number of poultry operations between CA and MO will reduce the risk of END reaching the Show-Me state. "The greatest risk of disease introduction is from illegally smuggled gamecocks," he said. "Such birds could serve as a reservoir for the disease, which could spread quickly without proper biosecurity protocols in place." One of the most infectious poultry diseases in the world, END is a viral disease that affects most bird species. The virus can persist for long periods of time, surviving for several weeks in a warm, humid environment on birds' feathers, manure and other material. It can survive indefinitely in frozen material. Birds can contract the disease through direct contact with infected birds, feces or other body secretions; exposures over short distances to aerosols from coughing and sneezing; or contaminated equipment or clothing. The incubation period for the disease varies from 2-15 days with incubation in chickens being 2-6 days. A death rate of almost 100 percent can occur in unvaccinated poultry flocks. Bermudez said symptoms of the disease include a sudden death loss or increase in losses, high rates of death, gasping for air, coughing, sneezing, green watery diarrhea, depression, loss of appetite, droopy wings, twisting of the head and neck, circling, drop in egg production, paralysis and muscle spasm. Other symptoms also include nasal discharge with swelling around the neck and eyes. "There is no effective cure for the disease, and therefore, the only way to eradicate the disease is by strict quarantine, surveillance and depopulation," he said. "MO producers need to be aware of the situation and take appropriate action." To protect their flocks, Bermudez said poultry producers should follow strict biosecurity practices. Examples of such practices include: *Permit only essential visitors, workers and/or equipment on the farm. *Provide all employees and visitors with clean, sanitized or disposable clothing and boots. *Establish disinfection protocol for all employees and visitors. *Clean and disinfect vehicles at the entrance to the farm. *Do not visit other farms or facilities that have birds. *Prevent rodents and wild birds from entering the facilities where birds are kept. *Take precautions when entering your property after visiting any place where birds are kept. Bermudez said anyone suspecting END in their flocks should contact the MO Dept of Ag. Producers can call Dr David Hopson at the Meat and Poultry Inspection Office at 573-751-3377 or Rose Foster at the Poultry Health Program at 573-522-3377. “Locally Grown” Worth More than “Organic” Labels Univ of MN economist Luanne Lohr claims that consumers generally will pay a greater premium for “locally grown” food than for “organic” food. It appears that concerns about freshness and supporting local small farmers trump concerns about maintaining agricultural sustainability and food safety. As an example of the connection between resource conservation and local food production, research conducted at Iowa State Univ concluded that regional distribution of produce in IA, MN, WI, IN, IL, and MI could save nearly nine million gallons of diesel fuel annually, reducing carbon dioxide emissions by nearly 200 million pounds each year. More on the Iowa State research is at http://www.leopold.iastate.edu/pubinfo/paperspeeches/ppp.intro.html Lohr’s analysis, “Growth and Change in the US Organic Food Markets,” which focuses on North Central states, can be accessed at http://www.misa.umn.edu (HortIdeas, Sept 2002) Adding Value Won’t Necessarily Help Small Producers For several years, the mantra intoned by countless farm advisors to small farmers has been “add value” by processing: sell apple pies rather than apples; sell salads rather than vegetables; and so on. But Univ of MN ag economist Richard A Levins is warning that “the agricultural economy is changing in ways that will make value-added strategies less profitable. . . even though they’re adding value, farmers will find it increasingly difficult to keep that value (as net profits). They lack the market power to successfully face the giant retailers head-on. The lack of market power is the root of our price problems.” So, what advice does Levins have for growers with the odds stacked against them? In a word, cooperate: . . the idea of farmers cooperating (with each other) is now more important than ever. That cooperation will need to recognize market power as well as value-added in the new food economy. . . Retailing is the real emerging power in the food system. Lewin advocates organized cooperation in processing cooperatives with farmer members. The report is available at http://agecon.lib.umn.edu (HortIdeas, Sept 2002) How Far Does Your Food Travel? A report from the Leopold Center, Food, Fuel and Freeways, finds that food produced by Iowa farmers traveled an average of 45 miles to the point of sale to projects using locally-sourced food. By contrast, the same items from conventional sources were found to travel an average of over 1,500 miles and in some cases over 2,000 miles. Findings showed that the conventional system used 4 to 17 times more fuel and emitted 5 to 17 times more carbon dioxide than the local and regional systems, depending on the system and truck type. The study also found that produce arriving by truck at the Chicago terminal market from the continental US traveled 22 percent farther in 1998 than it did in 1981. Compared to 20 years ago, nearly twice as much produce arriving in Chicago terminal market is from outside the continental US. For copies call the Leopold Center, 515-294-3711, leocenter@iastate.edu or on the web at http://www.leopold.iastate.edu IN THE NEWS Based on field trials comparing yields, pest damage, and net profits of conventionally and organically grown strawberries, using day neutrals ‘Tribute’ and ‘Tristar’, ‘Honeoye’, and ‘Earliglow’, entomologists at Cornell Univ say that ‘Honeoye’ is “highly suitable” for organic methods. ‘Honeoye’ produced larger yields and suffered less damage from tarnished plant bugs than the other cultivars. USDA scientists have discovered that jasmonates (responsible for the fragrance of jasmine flowers) can slow the sprouting of potatoes in storage if the chemicals are applied at harvest time. Such naturally derived sprout inhibitors would be welcomed by organic potato producers, because the most widely used sprout inhibitor is a synthetic chemical. A patent has been issued for the use of jasmonates to inhibit potato sprouting; now, a business partner is needed to begin commercial testing and marketing. For more information on jasmonates, call Edward Lulai (USDA Sugarbeet and Potato Research Lab, Fargo, North Dakota) at 701-239-1352. Beginning in Jan, public television stations across the country will show a new half-hour cooking demonstration show called “Chefs A' Field: Culinary Adventures that Begin on the Farm.” The show will emphasize sustainable food production and close relationships between chefs and local farmers. In addition to meal preparation by highly acclaimed chefs, the show will highlight the chefs’ relationships with the farmers upon whom they rely, taking the viewers onto the farm. Distributed by American Public Television, "Chefs A' Field" is partly supported by USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) program. For a schedule of local air times, go to http://www.chefsafield.com. Weeds compete with desired plants for food, sunlight, and water. For many, it seems that applying chemicals to the soil is the only way to make sure weeds do not grow. According to microbiologist Robert Kremer of the Agricultural Research Services’s Cropping Systems and Water Quality Research Unit in Columbia, MO, certain organic practices can help increase the number of beneficial microorganisms in soil, making it “weed suppressive” so that less herbicide could be used on the crops. Many of these practices apply to both small gardeners and large farms. Examples include adding compost, manure, or organic mulch to the soil. Farmers can also grow a cover crop in the winter or consider ways to improve crop residue management. In addition, farms without livestock may want to add some animals since they produce and can distribute organic material that helps the soil. According to Kremer, weed-suppressive soils can develop in most regions and should not be greatly affected by climate or topography. Kremer is developing easier soil tests for detecting the presence of weed suppressive microorganisms. Contact David Elstein, 301-504-1654; delstein@ars.usda.gov March 28 is the application submission deadline for USDA North Central SARE Producer Grants open to farmers and ranchers in the 12-state North Central region; contact NCR SARE, 402-472-7081; ncrsare@unl.edu; http://www.sare.org/ncrsare. The New Farm web site, http://www.newfarm.org, has published the first in what is to be an ongoing series of articles about starting a cut flower business. Written by an organic flower grower, the series will cover a variety of aspects of flower production, from where to find the best seeds and information, planting and harvesting schedules and how to deal with pests to identifying and accessing markets. The articles will be aimed at people looking to start smaller-scale, niche businesses without incurring excessive debt. The first article talks about how the farmer got started, how she located her market, and her realization that last summer, her 1/7th acre of flowers generated more farm income than 20 acres of corn or beans. The North Central Initiative for Small Farm Profitability’s new publication, “Profitable Practices and Strategies for a New Generation,” is on line at http://www.farmprofitability.org/pracstrat.htm The booklet contains eighteen case studies of small farms and ranches that have increased their profitability through new and unique strategies. The case studies fall into three broad categories: alternative practices and marketing, capital transfer, and equipment sharing. A web site called “Rent Mother Nature,” http://www.rentmothernature.com offers consumers a unique opportunity to experience where their food comes from. Through the site, you can “rent” a variety of farm production methods, including a VT dairy cow, an acre of MN red wheat, a sap bucket on a maple tree, or a pistachio tree in AZ. For a reasonable fee, which ranges from about $25 to $200, the renter receives a lease document, periodic updates on the progress of their crop, and, of course, the final harvest! For example, you can rent a NH apple tree for $49.95, and will receive a minimum of 45 McIntosh apples in early Oct. An additional $5 buys the renter an action photo update. The USDA’s Ag Research Service has broken ground on a new facility in Stoneville, MS, where researches will seek natural remedies for agricultural and urban insect pests. The $16.5 million, 55,000 square foot National Biological Control Lab will house 50 scientists and support staff who will study potential wide scale uses of beneficial bacteria, fungi, nematodes and insects. (Organic Gardening, March/April 2003) The 2002 Farm Bill mandates $15 million for the Organic Research and Extension Initiative at $3 million a year from FY2004 to FY2008. The purpose of the program is to fund research that will enhance organic producers’ and processors’ ability to grow and market high quality organic food, feed and fiber. The program will be managed by USDA’s CSREES. They will be requesting applications in Oct 2003, which will likely have a due date of Dec or Jan. Farmers may apply independently, but are strongly urged to have a county extension specialist connect you with a university or other institution. For more info http://www.ofrf.org/policy/farmbill2002/8-02OrganicRsrchRecomedations1.pdf (OFRF Bulletin, Winter 2003, No 12) IN PRINT *Where Does Your Food Come From? Recipes for Communicating Effectively about American Agriculture* a communications toolkit, free. FoodRoutes Network, PO Box 443, Millheim, PA 16854, 814-349-8030, http://www.foodroutes.org. *Profitable Poultry: Raising Birds on Pasture* features farmer experiences plus the latest research in a 16-page guide to raising chickens and turkeys using pens, movable fencing and pastures. Published by USDA's Sustainable Agriculture Network (SAN), this free bulletin is written with colorful anecdotes for the newcomer or just-initiated and touches on production, processing, marketing and resources for poultry production. With original ideas for marketing poultry products and a page of additional, expert resources, the bulletin offers a jumping-off point for new producers. On the web at http://www.sare.org/bulletin/poultry or in print by calling 301-504-6422. A companion guide offering more in-depth information about range poultry production will be released in April See http://www.attra.org or request *Sustainable Poultry: Production Overview* from 800-346-9140. A new article on The New Farm web site, “The ABCs of marketing to restaurants,” explains the ins and outs of successfully supplying farm products to restaurants. The article notes there is no one recipe or formula for success, but explains key points, including what is important to restaurants, the two main paths to getting started, and tips for success. The article is available online at http://www.newfarm.org/newfarm/features/0802/restaurant.html *Code of Sustainable Wine Growing Guidelines* by Wine Institute of CA and CA Assn of Winegrape Growers, 490-pg workbook and program details, 415-512-0151, http://www.wineinstitute.org. *Fresh Grown Publicity* is a guidebook for farmers seeking free media coverage of their on-farm entertainment offerings. The book offers a step-by-step guide on how to write and distribute effective news releases and is tailored specifically to the needs and concerns of farmers, who are often faced with limited marketing funds. The book can be ordered on line at http://www.eckertagrimarketing.com/ $39.95. *Digging for Alternatives: An Analysis of Potato Pest Management Research at Two Northwest Land Grant Universities* online at http://www.pesticide.org; print copy is $7 from Northwest Coalition for Alternatives to Pesticides, PO Box 1393, Eugene, OR 97440, 541-344-5044, info@pesticide.org. *Organic Grain: Cropping System and Marketing* manual is $10 and CD-ROM is $5, plus $4 S/H for both, from Rodale Press, 610-683-6009, ribooks@fast.net. *What's Cooking in Your Food System? A Guide to Community Food Assessment* available through the Community Food Security Coalition. The guide includes case studies of nine food system assessments, guidance on research methods, strategies for promoting community participation, and ideas for translating an assessment into action. Contact CFSC, PO Box 209, Venice, CA 90294; 310-822-5410; cfsc@foodsecurity.org or http://www.foodsecurity.org, $18.00. *How To Direct-Market Farm Products on the Internet* online at www.ams.usda.gov/tmd/MSB/msb.htm, print copy is free from USDA-AMS-TMP-MSB, 202-720-8317, Errol.Bragg@usda.gov. *Agricultural Marketing Resource Center* a web-based informational resource on value-added agriculture for independent producers and processors, a university/USDA partnership, online at www.AgMRC.org 1-866-277-5567. *Starting & Strengthening Farmers' Markets in Pennsylvania* free from Center for Rural Pennsylvania, 200 N 3rd St, Ste 600, Harrisburg, PA 17101, 717-787-9555, http://www.ruralpa.org. *Federal Sustainable Agriculture Program Primer* in-depth fact sheets on programs and policies developed and promoted by Nat’l Campaign for Sustainable Agriculture is online at www.sustainableagriculture.net/primer.php, 845-744-8448, sheilah@sustainableagriculture.net *’Sang: The Future of Faming* video on ginseng cultivation in conditions closely simulating the plant’s natural environment. $23.95. Rural Action Sustainable Forestry, PO Box 21, Glouster OH 45732. *Organic Price Index (OPX)* from Rodale Institute, a weekly update of wholesale prices for organically and conventionally grown foods by region is online at www.newfarm.org/opx/index.shtml ATTRA has added and updated a number of items on its publications list. - Scheduling Vegetable Plantings for Continuous Harvest - Organic Farm Certification and the National Organic Program - Organic Pumpkin and Winter Squash Production - Stored Grain Pest Management - Cucumber Beetles: Organic and Biorational IPM - Protecting Water Quality on Organic Farms - Solar-powered Livestock Watering Systems - Anaerobic Digestion of Animal Wastes - Organic Certification and the National Organic Program - Sustainable Agriculture: An Introduction - Alternative Soil Testing Labs All of the above documents, plus over 200 other ATTRA resource publications, are available free by calling 800-346-9140, or http://www.attra.ncat.org. Sept 4—Hundley-Whaley Center Field Day Sept 12—Southwest Research Center Field Day Sept 16-18—Grant Writing III Workshop—Springfield, MO. Call 417-732-6485. Sept 26-27—Midwest Forest Industry Show, St Charles MO. Oct 4—Wurdack Farm Field Day Oct 24—From Recipe to Reality Seminar, Lincoln, NE. Call 402-472-8930. Nov 6-8—National Small Farm Trade Show and Conference, Columbia, MO. Call 800-633-2535. Nov 23-25—MO Governor’s Conference on Agriculture, Tan-Tar-A. Dec 5-6—MO Livestock Symposium, Kirksville, MO A new pearl millet hybrid may be ideal for poultry feed. Pearl millet, commonly grown in Africa, is cheaper than corn feed and is rich in calcium and protein. They hybrid doesn’t grow as tall as the African millet, making it easier to harvest. And its grain yields are higher. It also thrives in the warm summers of the southeastern US, convenient to the region’s poultry operations. For more info, call 229-386-3353, whanna@tifton.usda.gov