Ag Opportunities Volume 15, Number 1 July - August 2004 ******** Getting Top Dollar for What you Sell at Farmers’ Market Offer Something Special. The key to getting higher-than-supermarket prices is to offer something special-such as freshness, higher quality or uniqueness in variety—that customers can’t buy in the supermarket, then communicate this quality difference to your customers! Stress quality and uniqueness. Perhaps your sweet corn is raised without chemicals or spray, for example, or you grow unique varieties like "Wonderful", "Sweet Sue" or "Gold Cup." The fact that people are coming to the farmers’ markets means that they’re looking for a reason not to go to the supermarket, so give it to them! "Best ideas for getting top prices at the market? Signs on tables that say ‘FARM FRESH’ or ‘PICKED LAST NIGHT’ Folks are usually willing to pay a little more for fresh." - Diane Green, Greentree Naturals Farm, Sandpoint, ID. "You just can’t get cheaper than the supermarkets. You can’t compete on prices, so consumers trust becomes all important. Consumers are looking for fewer pesticides, for example. It’s expensive to get certified organic in New York, so the growers bring photos to market to show customers their growing methods." - Jane Desotelle, Manager, Adirondack FM Co-op, NY. Guarantee satisfaction. Guarantee that your crop is better than what customers will find in the supermarket: "I guarantee each melon I sell, and if you don’t like it, you can bring it back!" As Ronald Smolowitz, Coonamessett Farm, East Falmouth, MA, says: "If producers are not top quality, toss it; take only your best to the market. I give my customers my best quality products and those customers are there no matter what my prices are, and they bring their friends and relatives. They tell: ‘I know your berries are really good; I don’t find any mold in them. So I keep buying from you even though I know your prices are higher." Use small-unit pricing. For expensive specialty items, prices in small units. Instead of $5 a pound, make it $3 a half-pound or even $2 a quarter pound! Smaller-unit pricing makes it easier for the customer to buy and try out a new or expensive product. Similarly, try selling expensive items like strawberries, blueberries and raspberries by the pint rather than the quart. Snow peas, for example, may be as high a s$4 per pound. This will make customers reluctant to buy. It is better to offer such items in more manageable units, such as a quarter pound for $1. Customers will pay more for two individual pints than they will for one quart. The strawberries Smolowitz sells at the markets are prepackaged in pints, not quarts, and raspberries likewise come in a one-half pint size rather than pints. "People tend to buy in smaller quantities," Smolowitz says. "We get a lot of retired couples or single households and people don’t can as much as they used to." When an item isn’t selling well in bulk, repackage it into quart boxes. Visually, a quart box looks like a lot. Little tomatoes amidst a bunch of big tomatoes won’t sell, but little tomatoes ina quart box sell well. Sell smaller packages for more. Diane Green, Greentree Nautrals Farm in Sandpoint, ID, explains this strategy: "If I ask $2.50 for a pint of raspberries, people think I’m nuts and refuse to buy at that price when they can buy them for $1.00 at the next stand. I package them 1/2 pint containers and sell them for $1.25 and sell out every time. I have no idea why a smaller package for more money will sell better, but it works!" Price hard-to-find items above the market. Do this for unusual products or where competition is less intense, especially where there are quality differences. Even when yields are great, maintain your price. You will not stimulate additional purchases with a lower prices. People will only but what they need. Give samples. Let customers taste your quality! Cut slices; "here, try one!" Especially with a new or unusual product, give out educational literature or recipes to show how to use it. (Note from editor: be sure to check with your county health department on their regulations for sampling.) "Showcase" your product with great merchandising. Why do you think expensive jewelry is back-dropped by velvet or other fancy fabric? Make dynamic displays using attractive packaging. Market manager Dana Plummer of the Downtown Waterloo Farmers’ Market in Iowa says, "Customers will pay twice as much if they’re at a good looking stall that’s pleasing to the eye, where samples are provided and where the vendors are customer friendly." Provide service. This is what customers don’t get in the supermarkets or "big box" stores. Be friendly with customers; ask your market to proved carry-out service for large purchases or for seniors; provide nutrition information and storage tips; and suggest ways to use the products (recipes, etc.) in increase demand. Maintain your base pricing. Try not to lower your prices even when your competitors are dropping theirs. If competing farmers drop prices, keep your original price even late in season, but give something extra. As one grower said: "If special sales and lower prices are appropriate due to over abundance of supply or promotional activities, we find that retaining the base price and then adding extra value is much better than simply getting a lower price. For example, when corn is over-supplied and other farmers are down o around $2.75 per dozen, we keep our base price of $.35 per ear, 6 ears for $2.00 and $3.75 per dozen. To attract the customer we offer 6 for $2.00 and then get a 7th ear free or buy a dozen at $3.75 and get 2 ears free. We find people often buy a dozen at $3.75 to get two free. We get $.27 per ear and keep our base price for future marketing. Our competition gets $.23 per ear and will have difficulty raising the price in the future should the corn supply change. Again, quality is critical." Raising prices. Finally, if and when you do make upward price adjustments, make them as little as needed rather than all at once. Excerpted with permission from "The New Farmers Market: Farm-Fresh Ideas for Producers, Managers and Communities," by Vance Corum, Marcie Rosenzweig, and Eric Gibson. To order, send $24.95 +$4.50 shipping to QP Distribution, 22260 C St Winfield, KS 67156 or call 1-888-281-5170. ******** Germination technique could Boost Echinacea production By Jason L. Jenkins Extension & Ag Information Grown both for its native beauty and medicinal properties, Echinacea, or purple coneflower, has enjoyed renewed popularity during the past few years. But as demand has increased, so too has the need to improve its availability. "Like many other native wild perennials, Echinacea exhibits poor germination," said David Trinklein, Univ of MO professor of plant sciences and chair of the Horticulture Department. "For commercial growers attempting to grow Echinacea, this is a problem. Flower seed is very valuable, and propagation space is expensive. Increasing the germination percentage is essential for growers." Under Trinklein’s direction, Tiffany Enzenbacher, a graduating senior from Vernon Hills, Ill., who has majored in plant sciences with an emphasis in horticulture, subjected purple coneflower seed to various germination techniques. "Echinacea seeds have a dormancy requirement that ensures they don’t germinate until the environmental conditions are favorable for survival," Enzenbacher said. "The goal of my project was to see which technique would best help seeds break dormancy and at the same time improve the germination percentage." She explained that the seeds require a period of cool, wet temperatures, called stratification, in order to germinate. "Nature provides these conditions over the winter, but in a commercial setting, the seed must be refrigerated for stratification to occur." In her study, Enzenbacher stratified the seed of two species of purple coneflower for two, seven or 12 weeks at either 41 or 50 degrees Fahrenheit. The seeds also were saturated with one of three treatments: distilled water; ethephon, a naturally occurring chemical that enhances germination; or gibberellic acid, a plant growth hormone. "For both species, we found that seed stratified for seven weeks at 41 degrees with ethephon improved the germination percentage the most over the control," she said. "The result was interesting because it was inconsistent with time requirements documented in some other studies. It suggests that possibly the source of the seed may play a role in its germination percentage. "While there are also other variables, such as light, that might play a role, our findings indicate that commercial growers could implement our stratification method to improve Echinacea germination and keep up with rising demand," she said. Though Enzenbacher graduates this month and has accepted a position with the Morton Arboretum in Lisle, Ill., Trinklein said he hopes to continue this research with another undergraduate researcher next semester. "Anything that helps germination helps the horticulture industry, so I’d like to continue to see if we can make the system even more effective for producers," he said. Enzenbacher completed the project as her senior capstone experience, which gives students the opportunity to apply what they have learned during their undergraduate career to solve a real-life problem. All MU students must complete a capstone experience as part of their degree requirements. Source: David Trinklein (573) 882-9631 ******** Track Sales to Learn What Customers Really Thinks By Mary Peabody University of Vermont Extension One of the costliest mistakes new farmers can make is to be so in love with their own product that they fail to assess how the customer feels about it. Direct market outlets have built in systems for evaluating how customers feel about your product. The market is an honest, sometimes harsh, place to where customers vote with their dollars and with their feet. Here are a few indicators that you can track to get a better perspective on your product(s). *Repeat customers - What is it he percentage of your first time customers that come back a second time? When customers come to your market the first time it indicates a willingness to support you. When they come back a second and third time it indicates that they feel they are getting good value from the exchange. This is a great group to test market new products with as they already know what you are capable of producing and can tell you honestly whether the new product makes the grade or not. *Track your sales closely - It is important to know what people are buying and what they are not buying and why. Be alert to items that are staying around too long. Pay particular attention to what your most loyal customers are buying a lot of -that is your indicator of how the market values your product. It is helpful to notice whether sales are evenly distributed across all customers or whether a few customers are buying a lot of a particular product. For example, you could sell one jar of pickles to 24 different customers or one customer could buy all 24 jars. In the first caw you have a broad spectrum of customers making a purchase. If most of them come back and buy more of the same product that lets you know the product has broad taste-appeal. If sales are restricted to just a few customers that might indicate that your product is an acquired taste, which means you need to think long and hard about whether that product will develop enough of a customer loyalty to be worth your time in producing it. *Be Honest with yourself - If you have an item that is not selling well and doesn't develop a customer loyalty, reassess that product honestly. It may be that your price is higher than a competitor, or it maybe that the product doesn't’ have high appeal, or it may be that customers don’t know what it is and how to use. It. But it is also possible that your customers are telling you that the quality is lacking and you need to set your ego aside and stay open to that possibility. You may have to do some market research to find out why a product isn’t selling. Sometimes customers (especially those that have a relationship with you) will be reluctant to say that your product isn’t very good so they may not come right out and say they don’t like it. In general, if you focus on providing great customer service and high quality products you will build a base of loyal customers who will be your best test market for any new idea. Always let your customers know that you want to hear whey they think. And that you are open to suggestions for improvement. Keep comment card handy sot hey can respond anonymously if they prefer. And, on market day, spend some time at the cash register so that you know who’s buying what. ******** *** In Print *** *A Matter of Scale: Small Farms in the North Central Region* http://ssfin.missouri.edu/report.htm; print copy is free by contacting MO Alternatives Center at 1-800-433-3704, kellyd@missouri.edu . *High Tunnel Tomato Production* from Univ of MO Extension details construction of a high tunnel; tomato production practices; varieties, pest management and economics and marketing. Guide is $10. Call 1-800-292-0969. *Midwest Vegetable Production Guide for Commercial Growers* available from MU Extension Publications, 1-800-292-0969. *Organic Produce, Price Premiums, and Eco-Labeling in U.S. Farmers Market* The popularity of farmers markets in the US has grown concurrently with organic production and consumer interest in locally and organically produced foods. This research describes the significance of farmers markets as market outlets form many organic farmers, and recent shifts in relationships between organic growers, market managers, and customers market managers in more than 20 states answered questions by phone pertaining to the 2002 market season. Their responses provide insight into recent grower, manager, and customer decision-making and attitudes about foods advertised and sold as organic at farmers markets. For more information, visit http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/VGS/Apr04/vgs30101 *New Compendia Covering Plant Protection, Animal Health, and Forestry Now Online* The CAB International?s Compendia, an encyclopedia of animal and plant diseases and pests, is available online at http://www.ipmcenters.org/cabi and on CD-ROM. The Compendia synthesize a wide range of scientific information that is useful for scientists and extension educators, particularly when called upon to provide fast and accurate information regarding newly emerging animal diseases and plant pests. The regularly updated Compendia are comprised of peer reviewed and edited information from thousands of specialists throughout the world. The Regional Integrated Pest Management Centers and the National Plant Diagnostic Centers are making the three compendia available to land grant university faculty and staff members, free of charge, with funding provided by CSREES. All others may subscribe to the publication for a fee after logging on to http://www.cabi.org/compendia *Alternative and Herbal Livestock Health Sourcebook* including proceedings from Oct 2000 conference co-sponsored by Northeast SARE,www.canr.uconn.edu/plsci/AHLH%20SB-Web.pdf ; rochelle.syme@uconn.edu . *List of Alternative Crops & Enterprises for Small Farm Diversification* www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/altlist.htm or contact Alternative Farming Systems Info Center, National Agricultural Library, 301-304-6559, afsic@nal.usda.gov . *Organic Produce, Price Premiums, and Eco-Labeling in U.S. Farmers' Markets* from USDA Economic Research Service, www.ers.usda.gov/publications/VGS/Apr04/vgs30101 , or contact co-author Catherine Greene, cgreene@ers.usda.gov . *Selling Directly to Restaurants and Retailers* successful direct marketing strategies, www.sarep.ucdavis.edu/cdpp/farmersmkt.htm ; or contact Univ of CA Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA 95616, 530-752-7556. *Small-Scale Food Processing: A Directory of Equipment and Methods* reference guide for food processing businesses, business advisors, and development workers, www.developmentbookshop.com "Enhancing Commercial Food Service Sales by Small Meat Processing Firms* market research report from USDA and Texas A&M Univ, www.ams.usda.gov/tmd/MSB/enhancing_commercial%20f.pdf ; for print copy, contact Debra Tropp, 202-720-8326; debra.tropp@usda.gov . *Sustainable Agriculture and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Resource & Information Directory* www.mda.state.mn.us ; print copy is free from Sustainable Agriculture & IPM Program, Minnesota Dept of Ag, 651-296-7686; alison.fish@state.mn.us. "Western Profiles of Innovative Agricultural Marketing: Examples from Direct Farm Marketing and Agri-Tourism Enterprises* http://cals.arizona.edu/AREC/wemc/westernprofiles.html; print copy is $10 from CALSmart, Univ of Arizona College of Agriculture & Life Sciences, 4042 N Campbell Ave, Tucson, AZ 85719, 520-318-7275. *Guide to Educational Resources on Farm Direct Marketing* searchable database from UC SAREP, www.sare.org/publications/dmrg.htm ; or contact Sustainable Ag Research and Education Program, Univ of CA-Davis, 530-752-7556; sarep@ucdavis.edu . *Treating Dairy Cows Naturally: Thoughts and Strategies* by Dr Hubert Kerreman, veterinarian. Book includes treatments for common dairy cow diseases using biologics, botanical medicines, homeopathic remedies, acupuncture and conventional medicines and discusses organic dairy farming, conservation principles, grazing and comparison of DHIA data between organic and conventional herds. Penn Dutch Cow Care, 1272 Mt Pleasant Rd, Quarryville PA 17566, 717-529-0155, penndutch@earthlink.net , $39.95. *Anyone Can Build a Tub-Style Mechanical Chicken Plucker* a how to manual with 57 pages and 59 illustrations. Available from Tradesman Publications, PO Box 1117, Dept H, Moravia NY 13118, 315-497-9618, hckimball@baldcom.net *Remedies for Health Problems of the Organic Laying Flock: A Compendium and Workbook of Management, Nutritional, Herbal and Homeopathic Remedies* by Karma E Glos, 607-657-2860; www.kingbirdfarm.com *Poultry Health Handbook 4th Edition* by Dr L Dwight Schwatz, DVM. Available from Penn State Univ, 1-814-865-6713, http://pubs.cas.psu.edu/catalog.html ******** *** IN THE NEWS *** The Missouri Grants Summit will be held August 3-5 at the Ramada Inn in Jefferson City, Mo. The summit is a great opportunity to learn about different grants available for a small business or organization. One of the featured speakers for the conference is Tony Strafford, director of the MO Ag and Small Business Development Authority, housed within the MO Dept of Ag. If you are interested in attending or would like more information, www.1hawthorn.com The Alternative Farming Systems Information Center at the National Agricultural Library announces the release of an updated information guide on the marketing of organic agricultural products. The March 2004 update of Organic Agricultural Products: Marketing & Trade Resources is a comprehensive guide to more than 700 online resources pertaining to all aspects of markets, marketing, and trade, including: * USDA National Organic Program regulations and related laws and legislation; * background documentation regarding standards; * food-related labeling and regulatory programs and information; * exporting, importing, and international food law issues; * how-to guides for producers and retailers; * guides to trading and supplier sites, price indexes, marketing events, consulting firms, and business journals and newsletters. Available in PDF format on mini-CDROM -- copies free on request; or on the AFSIC website. To request the CDROM: 301-504-6559, afsic@nal.usda.gov ; To Access the PDF on the Web: www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/AFSIC_pubs/srb0301.pdf Greenhouse tomato growers listserv?forum to help facilitate communication among commercial growers of greenhouse vegetables, and those who work in support of this industry. To subscribe send email to: majordomo@lists.msstate.edu with the following in the message box: subscribe greenhouse-tomatoes You will get a confirmation email telling you that you are subscribed. A recent article in Readers Digest indicated the following: "Produce Decoded". Those little stickers on fruits and vegetables aren't just for the check out clerk to find the price. You can use the number to figure out how the product you're buying has been grown. A sticker with four digits means the food was conventionally grown. Five digits starting with an 8 indicates genetically engineered produce and 5 digits starting with a 9 means the food was organically grown." PLU codes are coordinated by the International Federation for Produce Coding. You can read about these coding standards on the FAQ page for their website at www.plucodes.com/plucodesfaq.asp . In an attempt to educate consumers regarding pesticide residue on various, the Environmental Working Group created the "Dirty Dozen" list of the ten most heavily laden fruits and vegetables on the market. Fruits dominated the list taking eight slots while vegetables captured only four. At the top of the list were nectarines, where 97.3 percent of samples tested positive for pesticides, followed by pears (94.4 percent) and peaches (93.7 percent). Nectarines also had the highest likelihood of multiple pesticides on a single sample - 85.3 percent had two or more pesticide residues - followed by peaches (79.9 percent) and cherries (75.8 percent). Among vegetables, celery had the highest percentage of samples test positive for pesticides (94.5 percent), followed by spinach (83.4 percent) and potatoes (79.3 percent). Celery also had the highest likelihood of multiple pesticides on a single vegetable (78 percent of samples), followed by spinach (51.8 percent) and sweet bell peppers (48.5 percent). You can see the full report at http://www.foodnews.org/reportcard.php The latest "Hardiness Zone" map, which provides recommendations for suitable plant species and planting times, is set for release by mid-summer, says a spokesperson for AHS Gardeners' Information Services in a MO Ag Connection article. The USDA-approved maps are based on 15 years of data, with the new version using data from 1987 through 2001. Some unusually warm winters during that period will result in zone reclassification for some areas. For example, most of MO will change from a Zone 5 designation to Zone 6. In addition, says AHS, USDA climatologists are adjusting the map to reflect warmer temperatures in the areas around large cities. The internet is fast becoming an invaluable tool for small, local farmers. Some farmers use the internet as a marketing tool to connect to consumers, providing information through web sites and email. Others actually sell their wares on line. The push to expand use of the internet among small farmers comes from many directions, including state-sponsored web sites to promote locally grown products and individual farmers? markets listing their markets? hours and offerings on line. The National Farmers Union, using a grant from the USDA, is using the website www.e-cooperatives.com , to teach farmers how to market their goods over the internet. (Source: Gannett News Service 5/14/04) The results of a survey of meat processors in Iowa, NE, MO and WI done by the North Central Initiative for Small Farm Profitability are now available. The survey found that small processors are truly interested in providing and actively provide services to producers. Read more about the meat processors? interests and incentives in the survey report by following the ?Meat Processor Survey Results: Developing Producer & Small Processor Owned Meat Marketing Enterprises? link at www.farmprofitability.org/research/process/process.htm and www.farmprofitability.org/research/process/directory.htm A New Resource When you Answer Public Inquiries for Help. A new website, also from the Dept of Labor, serves as a Clearinghouse for government loan programs, www.govloans.gov< Agriculture figures prominently on their homepage. Several Farm Service Agency and Rural Development programs have listings on this site. Amid growing health concerns and expanding ethnic populations, foods prepared to meet standards such as Kosher or Halal are growing in popularity. Farmers interested in producing such value-added products need to follow strict and sometimes confusing rules. A new publication from the Institute of Food Technologists, ?The Kosher and Halal Food Laws,? spells out and explains these rules. The report also gives some history of the rules, explaining their origins and why compliance is important to consumers. Read the report on line atwww.ift.org/pdfs/crfsfs/crfsfsv2n3p111-127ms20030025.pdf . Organic farmers can now point and click their way to biological, non-chemical and long-term, science-based research information. A new site from the New Agriculture Network -- made up of Extension specialists from Michigan State Univ, Purdue Univ and the Univ of Illinois -- also allows organic farmers to share crop updates and advice, and provides them with a bimonthly online newsletter. It's online at www.ipm.msu.edu/new-ag.htm A new listserv for high tunnel or hoophouse discussion has recently been set up. This is an open list that will be devoted pretty much exclusively to high tunnel discussions. http://listserv.ksu.edu/web?SUBED1=hightunnels&A=1 In 2000 the Kerr Center in cooperation with OK St Univ Food and Ag Products Center received a Southern SARE grant. The project title was ?Developing Plans for Sustainable Beef Marketing Strategies.? The project surveyed ranchers and small independent packers in the state, as well as consumers in Oklahoma City, Dallas and Kansas City, about their interest in natural beef. The survey found that producers, small meat processors, and consumers were all interested in natural beef and consumers had favorable attitudes towards it. Key findings: * 56% in KC, 81% in the Dallas area and 47% of grocery store buyers surveyed in Oklahoma City were willing to buy natural beef sirloin at $5.60 over regular sirloin at $4 per pound. * Consumers were interested in being able to trace the meat purchased back to the farm and animal of origin, with less than three per cent saying it was not important at all. * A big majority of those surveyed in all three cities were careful shoppers, frequently or always checking labels for additives and preservatives. Health/safety were cites as extremely important factors in making meat purchasing decision. To read the results of the surveys, visit the Kerr Center website publications at: www.kerrcenter.com/publications/beef_survey/beef/surveys.htm (Field Notes, Vol 30, #1, Spring 2004) ******** *** ON THE CALENDAR *** July 21-23?Grant Writing Workshop, Concordia, MO. Call Prairie Rose RC&D, 660-463-1000. July 30-Aug 8?Ozark Empire Fair, Springfield, MO. Aug 3?MO Grants Summit, Jefferson City, MO. www.1hawthorn.com Aug 3?Fruit Pest Management Field Day, Mountain Grove, MO. Call 417-926-4105, dew898f@smsu.edu . Aug 5?Greenley Research Center Field Day, Novelty, MO. Call 660-739-4410. Aug 15-16?5th Annual HeirloomGarden Show, Vegetable Fair and Conference, Mansfield, MO. www.rareseeds.com Aug 15-19?Northern Nut Growers Assn and North American Fruit Explorers Joint Meeting, Columbia, MO. Call 573-882-3234, rhoadsj@missouri.edu , www.nutgrowing.org Aug 17-19?Grant Writing Workshop III, Springfield, MO. Call Southwest RC&D, 417-732-6485. Aug 18?From Food to Recipe Seminar, Lincoln, NE. Call 402-472-8930, http://fpc.unl.edu Aug 12-22?Missouri State Fair Aug 24?Graves-Chappel Farm Field Day, Corning, MO. Call 660-744-6231. Aug 24-26?Foundation Development Workshop, Concordia, MO. Call Prairie Rose RC&D, 660-463-1000. Sept 2?Delta Center Field Day, Portageville, MO. Call 573-379-5431. Sept 8?Hundley-Whaley Center Field Day, Albany, MO. Call 660-726-5610. Sept 9-10?The Role of Farmers' Markets in America's Food System, Des Moines, IA. 2nd national workshop by Drake Univ and Agricultural Law Center, held in conjunction with 3rd annual Iowa Food Policy Conference, www.statefoodpolicy.org/new_developments.htm Sept 10?Southwest Center Field Day, Mount Vernon, MO. Call 417-466-2148. Sept 11?MO Assn of Meat Processors Plant Bus Tour, Springfield, MO. Call 1-660-827-0005. Sept 13-15?Women in Ag Conference, Wentzville, MO. Call 636-456-3434 x 3. Sept 14-16?Foundation Development Workshop, Springfield, MO. Call Southwest RC&D, 417-732-6485. Sept 24-26?Master Gardener Conference, Columbia, MO. Call 573-882-9633. Oct 2?Wild Fruit and Nut Jam, Nebraska City, NE. sjosiah@unlnotes.unl.edu Oct 2-3?Best of Missouri Show, St Louis, MO. Oct 8?Wurdack Farm Field Day, Cook Station, MO. Call 573-882-4450. Oct 16?Second Annual MO Chestnut Roast, New Franklin, MO. Call 573-882-3234, www.centerforagroforestry.org Sept 9-10?The Role of Farmers' Markets in America's Food System, Des Moines, IA. 2nd national workshop by Drake Univ and Agricultural Law Center, held in conjunction with 3rd annual Iowa Food Policy Conference, www.statefoodpolicy.org/new_developments.htm Sept 28-30?Grazing School, Linneus, MO. Call 573-499-0886. Oct 18?From Food to Recipe Seminar, Lincoln, NE. Call 402-472-8930, http://fpc.unl.edu Oct 20-25?American Royal, Kansas City, MO. Nov 1-2?7th Annual Farmer Cooperatives Conference, Kansas City, MO. Call 608-262-3981, www.wisc.edu/uwcc.farmercoops04/index.html Nov 4-6?National Small Farm Trade Show & Conference, Columbia, MO. Call 800-633-2535. Nov 8-9?MO Forage & Grassland Council Annual Meeting. Call 573-499-0886. Dec 3-4?MO Livestock Symposium, Kirksville, MO. Call 660-665-9866. Dec 4?Shiitake Mushroom and Truffle Production and Marketing Workshop, Columbia, MO. Call 573-882-3234, www.centerforagroforestry.org Green Hills Farm Project 2004 Farm Walk Schedule July 15th?5pm at Martin & Bev Turner, Elmer, MO 660-486-3388?We will tell our red cow (South Poll) story and look at yearling bulls for sale. Our breeding and selection program is focused squarely on the maternal virtues--fertility, calving ease, mothering ability, disposition and longevity. Aug 19th?5pm at Tom & Paula Parker, Richmond, MO, 816-470-3276. Sept 16th?5pm at Allen & Tauna Powell, Laclede, MO 660-963-2685?Speaker: Jessica Powell closing her MDA SADA Grant project. Sheep & Cattle. Lawn chairs. Oct 21st?4pm at Matt & Tina Reichert, Brunswick, MO 660-548-3283?"We are in the process of converting our traditional cow/calf operation over to a MIG system here on our Centennial Farm; brush and weed management with Boer African Meat Goat herd; launched a web site for our Bed & Breakfast. Lawn Chairs. Nov 18th?4pm at Forage System Research Center (tentatively) Missouri Organic Association Farm Tours July 17--Beyond organic, at Greenwood Farms near Rolla. It is also the home of Greenwood Woolies Handspun Yarn and Greenwood Farms Beyond Organic Meat and Heirloom Vegetables. The tour will begin at 1:00pm and is a potluck. Aug 7--Meet us all at Tim Hite's farm. Tim, a recipient of a MO Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Award, is working with mushrooms in recycling and cancer prevention. The tour begins at 10:00am and is a potluck. Sept 11--Our Annual Watermelon Social. This year we will all gather at Seth Entwisle's home. We will all have an opportunity to see what can be done on a residential lot in town. Please bring your favorite watermelon and dish for the potluck that begins at 3:00pm. Oct 9--Come visit Larry Willis' farm near Washburn. Larry is also a MO Sustainable Agriculture Demonstration Award recipient in Long Point Farm Bio-Systems. The tour begins at 1:00pm and is potluck. Growing Growers Workshops Kansas State Univ and the Univ of MO have launched a project to expand local produce production in the KC region. If you grow or market within 100 miles of KC and are interested in attending any of the workshops call Katherine 913-488-1270, growers@ksu.edu July?Slow Down and Taste Your Food Aug?Pests and Diseases and Weeds Sept?Post-Harvest Handling Practices Oct?Business Planning for Small Farms Nov?Mechanization for Vegetable Production Dec?Selling your Locally-Produced Food Products in Kansas City Illinois Farm Tours of Interest For more info contact Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, 217-968-5512, cvnghgrn@uiuc.edu. Sept 15?Farming Alternatives, Western Illinois. This tour will feature several locations that demonstrate successful alternatives to conventional farming. The tour will include stops at John Brook's fee hunting operation, Baxter's Vineyard and Winery and Warren Bond's buffalo ranch. Oct 15?Agritourism, Millstadt, IL Eckert's Country Store & Farms is the largest family owned and operated pick-your own fruit farm in the nation and an excellent example of a successful and creative agritourism operation. The farm offers in season self-pick fruit and pumpkins, a full service restaurant, shopping, an on-site bakery, garden center, an old-fashioned frozen custard shop, and more. www.eckerts.com/millstadt.htm. .