Ag Opportunities
SMALL FARMS * NEW FAMILY FARMS AGRICULTURAL ALTERNTAIVES
May-June 2003
Vol 13, No 6





Funding Incentives for Diversification Opportunities for
Agroforestry for Farms and Travel Groups
By Larry D. Godsey, Economist, Univ of MO Center for Agroforestry


Agroforestry is a set of land use practices that integrates trees
and shrubs with crops and livestock for both environmental and
economic benefits. Those land use practices include riparian
buffers, windbreaks, forest farming, alley cropping, and
silvopasture. Establishment of trees and shrubs into the productive
agricultural landscape does not mean that land is subsequently taken
out of production and that management is decreased. On the contrary,
merging trees and shrubs into the productive agricultural landscape
for the purpose of agroforestry requires careful management.

Unlike other types of conservation practices where land is set idle
or “taken out of production”, agroforestry allows landowners to
generate income from a diverse and wide range of alternative or
non-timber forest products. These products can be categorized as;

edibles (eg, mushrooms, nuts, berries),
medicinal and dietary (eg, ginseng, goldenseal, witch hazel),
specialty wood products (eg, diamond willow, red cedar, hickory
chips),
floral and greenery products (eg, pussy willow, curly willow,
dogwood),
timber and fiber (eg, dimensional lumber, pet bedding, pine straw),
and
recreation (eg, aesthetics, hunting, hiking).
This diversity leads to numerous opportunities for landowners to
earn supplemental income or generate more income than the
traditional agricultural commodities currently provide.

So, how long does it take before benefits can be realized in the
pocketbooks of the landowners who adopt these agroforestry
practices? This is a very critical question. Depending on the design
of the agroforestry practice, the amount of time a landowner may
have to wait before seeing a return on their investment could be as
long as 60 years or as short as 1 year. However, there are numerous
funding programs available that help offset the cost of
establishment or supplement the cash flow of the agroforestry
practice while the trees and shrubs grow. These programs are
designed to support specific agroforestry practices, such as
windbreaks and riparian forest buffers, or offset the cost of
management that leads to agroforestry practices, such as tree and
shrub establishment.

Funding incentives for agroforestry can come from three broad
sources: Federal, State, and Private. Most landowners are familiar
with Federal programs such as the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)
or the Wetland Reserve Program (WRP) which offer cost share and a
land easement payment. However, other programs such as the Wildlife
Habitat Incentive Program (WHIP) and the Environmental Quality
Incentive Program (EQIP) offer cost share incentives. Funding and
technical support for these programs is available through the USDA
Farm Service Agency (FSA) or the USDA Natural Resource Conservation
Service (NRCS).

Within MO, the MO Dept of Ag (MDA), MO Dept of Conservation (MDC)
and MO Dept of Natural Resources (DNR) offer a variety of incentive
programs for the establishment of certain agroforestry practices
including grant money and cost share dollars. Often the State
agencies partner with the Federal agencies to enhance the available
funding incentives, the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program
(CREP) is an example of a program that partners the USDA FSA with
MDA. Private sources, such as Quail Unlimited and Pheasants Forever
provide financial incentives through grants, cost share agreements
or low cost trees, shrubs and other plant materials.

The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002, otherwise known
as the 2002 Farm Bill, represents a new federal focus for
conservation on private lands. Several key points in the 2002 Farm
Bill have opened the door for the adoption and growth of
agroforestry practices on private land.

First, acknowledging the need for "working land" conservation in the
conservation title has brought agroforestry into the spot light as a
land use practice that meets the conservation needs of working
lands. Working lands are defined as cropland, grazing land and in
some cases forest land. The Conservation Security Program (CSP),
introduced in the 2002 Farm Bill, was designed to allow landowners
to address conservation issues on their farms without taking large
areas of land out of production. The new CSP will make use of
agroforestry practices to address conservation needs on these
working lands.

Second, new forestry programs, such as the Forest Land Enhancement
Program (FLEP), will provide resources to private landowners in
order to promote sustainable forest management. The FLEP program
identifies implementation and adoption of agroforestry as one of its
top priorities. In MO, MDC will be the primary agency implementing
FLEP.

Finally, revision of the EQIP program makes funding for agroforestry
practices in a whole farm management plan more accessible to private
landowners. The new EQIP specifically identifies three agroforestry
practices that will be funded and numerous other practices that
indirectly influence the adoption of agroforestry.

The diversity of agroforestry opens the door to numerous
opportunities that may have gone unnoticed by many landowners. For
those landowners who are concerned about the potential cost of
establishing or maintaining agroforestry practices, there are
numerous funding sources. With the passage of the 2002 Farm Bill
which has focused heavily on conservation and private land forestry,
it is safe to say that there has never been more funding available
for agroforestry. The Univ of MO Center for Agroforestry has
recently published a guide entitled "Funding Incentives for
Agroforestry in MO," which details all the programs mentioned above
and many others. For a free copy of that publication, contact
Christa Jennette, 573-882-9866, or jennettec@missouri.edu.




Fruits and veggies grown organically show significantly higher
levels of cancer-fighting antioxidants than conventionally grown
foods

This according to a new study of corn, strawberries and
marionberries. The research suggests that pesticides and herbicides
actually thwart the production of phenolics -- chemicals that act as
a plant's natural defense and also happen to be good for our health.
Fertilizers, however, seem to boost the levels of anti-cancer
compounds.

The findings appear in the Feb 26 print edition of the Journal of
Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed journal of the
American Chemical Society, the world's largest scientific society.

Flavonoids are phenolic compounds that have potent antioxidant
activity. Many are produced in plants in response to environmental
stressors, such as insects or competing plants.

"If an aphid is nibbling on a leaf, the plant produces phenolics to
defend itself," says Alyson Mitchell, PhD, a food scientist at the
UC-Davis, and lead author of the paper. "Bitter or harsh phenolics
guard the plant against these pests."

The need for these natural safeguards decreases with the use of
herbicides and pesticides in conventional agriculture. This decrease
is reflected in the total amount of antioxidants the plants produce.
"This helps explain why the level of antioxidants is so much higher
in organically grown food," Mitchell says. "By synthetically
protecting the produce from these pests, we decrease their need to
produce antioxidants. It suggests that maybe we are doing something
to our food inadvertently."

Mitchell measured antioxidants found in corn, strawberries and a
type of blackberry called a marionberry. "We started with these
three due to plant availability," Mitchell explains, "but we intend
to widen our search to include tomatoes, peppers, broccoli and a
variety of other vegetables. We expect these results to be
transferable to most produce."

The investigation compared the total antioxidants found in foods
grown organically (using no herbicides, pesticides or fertilizers)
to foods grown sustainably (in this study fertilizers but no
herbicides or pesticides were used) and conventionally (using
synthetic chemicals to protect the plants and increase yield).

The results showed a significant increase in antioxidants in organic
and sustainably grown foods versus conventionally grown foods. The
levels of antioxidants in sustainably grown corn were 58.5 percent
higher than conventionally grown corn. Organically and sustainably
grown marionberries had approximately 50 percent more antioxidants
than conventionally grown berries. Sustainably and organically grown
strawberries showed about 19 percent more antioxidants than
conventionally grown strawberries.

Antioxidant levels were highest overall in sustainably grown
produce, which indicates that a combination of organic and
conventional practices yields the highest levels of antioxidants.
"This may reflect the balance between adequate nutrition in the form
of fertilizers and external pest pressures because of the lack of
pesticides and herbicides," Mitchell explains.

"Originally, the question was just really intriguing to me," says
Mitchell, whose research grew naturally from a personal interest in
organic foods. "I found that the higher level of antioxidants is
enough to have a significant impact on health and nutrition, and
it's definitely changed the way I think about my food." Web:
http://www.acs.org/ (American Chemical Society )




The Use of Llamas to Guard Goats, Cattle and Poultry from Predators
By Dr William Franklin and Natasha Drufke, ISU, Dept of Animal
Ecology

Previous research has shown that llamas can be very effective as
guard animals for protecting sheep from predators. In this study, we
interviewed 136 ranchers who were using 237 llamas to protect goats,
cattle, and poultry in order to determine if llamas were effective
guards and what management practices were used in successful and
unsuccessful cases. Llamas decreased the amount of yearly predation
from 13% to 1% of the herd on goat ranches, 13% to 0% on cattle
ranches and 40% to 6% on poultry ranches. In 78% of cases, predation
on a ranch dropped to zero after introduction of the llama. The use
of guard llamas resulted in an average annual savings per ranches of
$848 for goat owners, $2,509 for cattle owners and $1,167 for
poultry owners. Llamas were seen actively protecting the livestock
from predators in 54% of the cases. Common behaviors included
standing at attention, running towards the predator, chasing the
predator and alarm calling. Ranchers rated their llamas as either
effective or very effective as guards in 89% (goats) 92% (poultry)
and 100% (cattle) of the cases. The average guard llama was a five
year old gelded male costing $532, with an additional expense of
$135 per year to maintain. Llamas were accepted by livestock in 10
days or less 89% of the time. Although we were not able to
statistically determine which llama characteristics, if any, were
correlated with guarding success, respondents listed alertness, good
disposition, and aggressiveness to predators as characteristics to
look for when choosing a guard llama. Overall, we found that llamas
were an effective, low cost, low maintenance, non-lethal method to
reduce predation on goat, cattle, and poultry ranches.




Good Marketing Can Open Door of Success For Farmers

For farmers who venture out and sell their vegetables, produce,
cheese, wine or meat products directly to wholesale or retail
consumers the financial benefits can be great. "The difference
between success and disaster depends on how good of a job the
producer does with marketing themselves and their product," said
Teresa Hoy, Harvest Connection project coordinator, Univ of MO
Outreach and Extension. Besides farmers’ markets, wholesale markets
like bed and breakfasts, caterers, farm-to-school programs, grocery
stores, resorts, institutions, procurement contracts, restaurants
and small retail stores are some of the best avenues for farmers who
want to direct marketing their products. According to Hoy, deciding
which market to target depends on a producer’s income needs and
personality as well as the type, location and size of the farm
operation. If a producer prefers to grow one type of crop, instead
of a variety, they might be better suited for a wholesale outlet
instead of retail markets. "Location can also have a big impact. Are
you close to a metropolitan area that has lots of restaurants,
grocery stores and other available markets? Or, are you willing to
drive a long distance to deliver your product weekly?" said Hoy. The
size of an operation may limit the markets available because of the
quantities some markets require. Another factor is whether the
operation is a person’s primary or secondary income. "Farmers should
also consider their personality. Are you outgoing, assertive, shy or
reserved? Do you enjoy talking with different people or do you
prefer to work one-on-one with others? Understanding your
personality can be one of the most important guides to helping you
decide the market that will provide the best comfort level," said
Hoy. Farmers interested in marketing their products to area
restaurants might be interested in participating in the Harvest
Connection program that is now active in Springfield, MO. Each week,
Hoy sends a list of producers and what they have to sell to
participating restaurants, caterers and markets. Proprietors can
contact producers to place orders and arrange delivery. USDA funds
Harvest Connection through a grant to University Outreach and
Extension. To learn more about the program, contact Hoy at
877-684-0669.





IN THE NEWS

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

Kris Kohl, an ISU Extension agricultural engineer, is testing the
possibility of raising alligators on a hog farm as a low cost method
of waste disposal and supplemental income, according to a Feb 24,
2003 Associated Press article. Kohl houses two four-foot long
alligators in a heated tank on a research farm in IA, and feeds them
piglets that do not survive and that would otherwise have to be
buried or hauled away. In addition to reducing disposal costs, the
alligators can fetch $80 to $200 per hide plus up to $5 per pound
for the meat. Kohl says he would see alligators as just another
variety of livestock. Although about a dozen Iowa farmers have
already expressed interest in raising alligators, Kohl wants to do
more research before pursuing the enterprise on a larger scale.

The Food Routes Network, along with a group of Midwest
collaborators, has produced a report on a pasture raised products
consumer focus group study, available at
www.foodroutes.org/doclib/167/Pasture+Raised+FRN+projec
t+Final+report.doc. The study reports and discusses findings from
six focus groups held across the Midwest in Oct 2002. Discussion
topics included: participants’ general food buying habits; issues
related to meat, poultry and dairy products; appropriate production
terms for use in marketing these products and their benefits;
messages for use in marketing these products; and feedback on
overall communications and marketing strategies. The findings are
meant to support the development of key marketing messages used by
producers of pasture raised products.

Although Feb storms may have ended or alleviated drought in many
parts of the US, farmers everywhere would do well to think about
building soil in preparation for future droughts. According to the
Center for Rural Affairs, USDA research shows that high organic
matter soils can mitigate the effects of drought. Researchers
compared two 12" x 36" x 6" thick block of soil, one block with 4-5%
organic matter and the other block with 1.5-2% organic matter. The
soil block with the higher organic matter can hold 165-195 pounds of
water (4-6" of rain), compacted to only 35-45 pounds (0.5-1.5" of
rain) for the other block. Organic matter can be measured easily
with a soil test. Practices that increase organic matter include
cover cropping, minimal soil compaction, and adding compost.
(Growing for Market, March 2003)

Coming this summer...$21 million in bioenergy research grants from
the USDA and the Department of Energy. The grant money can be used
for research and development of bio-based fuels, power and products.
Research proposals are due May 16. For details, check www.bio
products-bioenergy.gov/pdfs/biomassRFP2003.pdf.




IN PRINT

*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

*2003 Directory of Least Toxic Pest Control Products* listing over
2000 items from 600 commercial sources, $15 from Bio-Integral
Resource Center, 510-524-2567, birc@igc.org

*Exploring Sustainability in Agriculture* from USDA's Sustainable
Agriculture Research and Education program, 301-504-5236,
intern@sare.org, free.

*Farms and Land in Farms 2003* an annual survey of farm numbers in
the US and 50 states, from USDA's National Agricultural Statistics
Service, usda.mannlib.cornell.edu/reports/nassr/other/

*Organic Fertility Management* and *Organic Weed Management* both
projects of NOFA/Massachusetts Chapter, are each $7.95 plus S/H from
Chelsea Green Publishing Co, 1-800-639-4099.

*Teaching Organic Farming and Gardening: Resources for Instructors*
online at http://zzyx.ucsc.edu/casfs/training/manual/contents.html,
$45, Ctr for Agroecology & Sustainable Food Systems, Univ of
CA-Santa Cruz, 831-459-3240, martha@zzyx.ucsc.edu.

*Organic Farming and Genetic Engineering: How To Keep Organic
Farming GMO-Free* a 23-pg dossier from Research Institute of Organic
Agriculture (FiBL), Berlin, Germany, is 5.60 Euro plus S/H from
FiBL, admin@fibl.ch; or £5 from Elm Farm Research Centre, Hamstead
Marshall, Newbury, Berkshire, RG20 0HR UK; vanessa.g@efrc.com.

*Pasture-Raised Products: Consumer Focus Group Study* on marketing
grass-fed meat and dairy products in the Midwest, from FoodRoutes
Network and multi-state Midwest Collaborative. Online at
www.leopold.iastate.edu or call 515-294-3711, leocenter@iastate.edu.




Southwest Region MO Organic Assn Farm Tours
(All tours have a potluck - bring a dish, plates, silverware and
lawn chairs!)

May 17--Aschwanden's Farm, Carthage, MO. (metered windmill, organic
herb growers) Call 417-886-7468.

June 14--Ozark Botanical Gardens, Brixey, MO. (research and
conservation of medicinal plants) Email shantimoon@tyrtle.com or
call 417-886-7468.

July 12--Aqua Terra Gardens, Springfield, MO. (urban "agriplex")
Call 417-833-8535.

Aug 17--Morningland Dairy, Mountain View, MO. (organic dairy and
cheeses) Call Seth 417-886-7468.

Sept 14--Annual Watermelon Social, Nixa, MO. (watermelons) Call Joan
417-725-5134.




Green Hills Farm Project Farm Tours
(A carry in supper follows the walk. Guests are encouraged to bring
a side dish or dessert. Call the host to RSVP. This is a family
event!)


May 15--Allen & Tauna Powell Farms, Laclede, MO, 660-963-2685
(cattle, poultry, gardening)

June 19--Michael & Sheri Seipel Farm, Callao, MO, 660-768-5744
(Katahdin sheep)

July 17--Brian & Julie Johnson Farm, Galt, MO, 660-673-6508 (cattle)

Aug 21--Tim Kelley, Elmo, MO, 660-742-3367 (Sustainable Ag Demo
Award)

Sept 18--Michael & Kathy Rude, Braymer, MO, 660-645-2324 (chickens)

Oct 16--Jeff & Anita Reid Farm, Bosworth, MO, 660-534-7318 (cattle
and pasture)

Nov 20--David Schafer & Alice Dobbs Farm, Jamesport, MO 660-684-6035
(cattle, sheep & homesteading practices)




ON THE CALENDAR

May 2--Wine Regulations Workshop, St Louis, MO. Call 417-926-4105.

May 3--Homeowners Field Day, Bradford Research and Extension Center,
Columbia, MO, 573-882-6607

May 9-10--Farm Festival, Cabool, MO. Call 417-962-3002.

May 10--MO Nut Growers Assn Spring Meeting, Pleasant Hill, MO. Call
573-445-3793.

May 16-18--Winemaking 102: Cellar Maintenance and Basic Wine
Analysis, Peosta IA. Call 800-728-7367 x 388.

May 29--From Recipe to Reality Workshop, Springfield, MO. Call
573-522-9213 or Sarah_Shultz@mail.mda.state.mo.us

May 30--From Recipe to Reality Workshop, Columbia, MO. Call
573-522-9213 or Sarah_Shultz@mail.mda.state.mo.us

May 29-June 1--Heart of America Fiber Festival, Nevada, MO.
816-697-2104, www.moncwga.com

June 3--Agritourism Conference, Sedalia MO. Call 1-866-466-8283,
www.aginnovationcenter.org

June 4-5--On-site Wastewater Inspection and Evaluation Course,
Bradford Center, Columbia, MO, 573-882-6301

June 7--Farm Day/Small Farms Conference, Buffalo, MO. 417-345-7358.

June 9-13--Agribusiness Academy, St Louis, MO. Call 573-751-2613.

June 11--Sports Turf Managers Seminar, Turfgrass Research Center,
South Farms, Columbia, MO, 573-442-4893

June 13-15--MO Forest Products Assn Summer Meeting, Lake Ozark, MO.
Call 573-751-2613.

July 15--Proposal submission deadline for research grants on organic
farming and food systems from Organic Farming Research Foundation.
Call OFRF, 831-426-6606, www.ofrf.org/research/application.html.

June 26-28--Foundation Development Workshop, Springfield, MO. Call
417-732-6485.

July 1--Weed Day, Bradford Center, Columbia, MO, 573-882-1329

July 8--Turfgrass and Ornamental Field Day, Turfgrass Research
Center, Columbia, MO.

July 11-12--Polyface Farm Intensive Discovery Seminars two-day
events at the Joel Salatin family farm, Swoope, VA. Call
1-800-355-5313, www.acresusa.com/events/events.htm.

July 15-17--Grant Writing I Workshop--Springfield, MO. Call
417-732-6485.

July 22-25--Crop Injury Clinic, Bradford Center, Columbia, MO,
573-884-7945

July 25-26--Polyface Farm Intensive Discovery Seminars two-day
events at the Joel Salatin family farm, Swoope, VA. Call
1-800-355-5313, www.acresusa.com/events/events.htm.

June 26--Viticulture Field Day, SMSU Fruit Experiment Station,
Mountain Grove, MO. Call 417-926-4105.

Aug. 7--Greenley Memorial Research Center Field Day, Novelty, MO,
660-739-4410

July 25-Aug 3--Ozark Empire Fair, Springfield, MO.

July 28-31--MO Nut Growers Assn Summer Meeting, Pittsburg, KS. Call
573-445-3793.

Aug 7-17--MO State Fair, Sedalia, MO.

Aug 12-14--Grant Writing II Workshop--Springfield, MO. Call
417-732-6485.

Aug. 26--Graves Farm Field Day, Corning, MO, 660-744-6231

Sept. 2--Delta Research Center Field Day, Portageville, MO,
573-379-5431

Sept. 4--Hundley-Whaley Center Field Day, Albany, MO, 660-726-5610

Sept. 9--FFA Field Day, Bradford Center, Columbia, MO

Sept. 9-11--Beginner Grazing School, Forage Systems Research Center,
Linneus, MO, 660-895-5121

Sept. 11--Southwest Center FFA Day, Mount Vernon, MO, 417-466-2148

Sept. 12--Southwest Center Field Day, Mt Vernon, MO

Sept 16-18--Grant Writing III Workshop--Springfield, MO. Call
417-732-6485.

Sept 26-27--Midwest Forest Industry Show, St Charles MO.

Oct. 2--Wurdack FFA Field Day, Cook Station, MO, 573-882-4444

Oct. 3--Wurdack Producer Field Day, Cook Station, MO

Oct 3-5--Niche Marketing Using Appropriate Genetics American
Livestock Breeds Conservancy 26th Annual Conference, Wichita, KS.
Call 919-542-5704, albc@albc-usa.org.

Oct. 4--Chestnut Roast, HARC Research Center, New Franklin, MO,
660-848-2268

Oct 4--MO Nut Growers Assn Fall Meeting, New Franklin, MO. Call
573-445-3793.

Oct 24--From Recipe to Reality Seminar, Lincoln, NE. Call
402-472-8930.

Oct 24-25--MO State Beekeepers Assn Fall Meeting, Jefferson City,
MO. Call 573-474-8837.

Nov 6-8--National Small Farm Trade Show and Conference, Columbia,
MO. Call 800-633-2535.

Nov 18--Agritourism Conference, Sedalia MO. Call 1-866-466-8283

Nov 23-25--MO Governor’s Conference on Agriculture, Tan-Tar-A.

Dec 5-6--MO Livestock Symposium, Kirksville, MO