Ag Opportunities Volume 17, Number 2 February 2006 Details Important When Starting Goat Herd By Greg Horstmeier, News Director, Ag News and Information Armed with some basic knowledge and a notebook chocked with friends to call on during those "what do I do now" situations, and most anyone can be a successful meat goat producer. "Goats are easy to raise once you know what you're doing," said Steve Wagoner, Patton, MO, whose herd of about 80 goats is specifically for meat markets. "Without any experience, well, they're not that easy," Wagoner told a crowd at the 2006 Ag Expo, at the Black River Coliseum here. "There is a lot of interest in goat production these days. And new producers can quickly end up with a lot of dead animals if they don't know what they're doing." Wagoner discussed animal health, grazing ideas and facilities basics he's learned in more than five years of ranching goats on his farm. His was one of several educational seminars that were part of the 20th annual Ag Expo. "First step, buy this," Wagoner said, holding up a copy of "Raising Meat Goats for Profit," by Gail Bowman. "A lot of good information is in this book. "Second step, find a veterinarian in your area who knows about goats and who wants to work with goats," Wagoner said. "Not all vets know, and some of them would rather not work on goats. "It's even better if you can find a couple of vets with goat experience, and keep their numbers handy." Wagoner said the most frequent questions he is asked by new or soon-to-be new producers involve fencing. "I'm a big fan of high-tensile wire fence over the standard woven-wire fences you see on most farms. The (6 inch) squares in common woven wire are just about the right size for goats to get their heads and horns through, get hung up and be dead by the time you find them." He uses six strands of high-tensile wire on boundary fences. The bottom wire is placed 6 inches above the ground with the second through sixth wires spaced 6 inches, 6 inches, 10 inches, 10 inches, and 12 inches, respectively. Wagoner uses three high-tensile wires for internal fencing to split pastures into 2-acre paddocks. "On border fences, my first (bottom) wire is hot, the second is a ground wire, then wires alternate hot and ground to the top. That way, whether it is a goat trying to get out, or your neighbors' dogs trying to get in, there's a good chance that animal hits both a hot wire and a ground and gets a full jolt." The extra ground wires are important, he said, when dry summer weather cuts into the soil's ability to ground animals enough to deliver a warning shock. Audience members asked several questions about predator control. "In most of southeast Missouri, local dogs are responsible for more goat kills than coyotes or other wild predators," Wagoner said. Electric fences, and well-trained guard dogs, are the best defense against predators. "I've seen that a good guard dog will scare away predators, but that rabbits and quail eventually learn that the dog is inside the fence, and doesn't come out to bother them. So I'm getting more cotton tail and quail in the fence rows, which is a good thing." Several times during his presentation, Wagoner stressed that producers need to have plenty of time to check the herd. "I'm always out looking for heads in the air, and tails up. That means everybody's healthy," Wagoner said. "Young kids should be bouncing around like pogo sticks, that's what they do. If there's an animal that doesn't look quite right, it usually means something is wrong." Such animals need quick attention. "The good thing about goats is you won't have a sick one for long," he told the audience with a serious glance. "In about three days, it'll be dead if you don't do something. That's why it's critical to have vet numbers, and the numbers of other folks you know who have more experience than you do, in a handy spot. "Every one of us has made mistakes and lost animals. Keep a list of those folks in with your other goat records, and call them when something looks suspicious." Wagoner also is president of the Southeast Missouri Goat Producers Association. That group, which sponsors a collective sale each year, sold some 1,300 meat goats bound for eastern U.S. markets in 2005. Other educational seminars during the Ag Expo included equine health, food issues, disaster preparedness, fence law, and farm production research. "We've been adding more seminars to the expo agenda each year, and they all continue to be popular," said Bruce Beck, an agronomy specialist with University of MO Extension in Butler County and a coordinator of the two-day event. "This is the third year we've had a presentation on goats, and that subject continues to get highest attendance. "Overall, the expo had an audience of more than 12,000 people, which is a record," Beck said. Dates for the 21st annual Ag Expo are Jan. 19-20, 2007. For more info on Missouri meat goat organizations, visit the MO Meat Goat Producers Assn Website at www.meatgoatproducers.com (Source: Bruce Beck 573-686-8064) ********************************************************************* Pumpkins varieties tested for powdery mildew resistance By Chuck Adamson Extension & Ag Information Pumpkin growers fed up with mildew crop damage might want to change their seed variety. Results from 2005 University of MO Extension powdery mildew variety trials are in. Lewis Jett, MU state vegetable specialist, presented his pumpkin trials data at the Great Plains Vegetable Growers Conference, Jan. 12-14, in St Joseph. Jett planted a dozen traditional pumpkin varieties and a couple types of tropical squash at the Bradford Research and Extension Center last season. He recorded numbers of marketable fruit and total tonnage by variety. "You can get a powdery mildew resistant pumpkin variety of almost any size you want," Jett said. "The good news is, we have choices. We can either choose resistant varieties or there are very effective spraying programs." For best yields he suggested using both resistant varieties and a fungicide spraying regimen. But he said by using resistant varieties, a grower can reduce spraying amounts by up to 50 percent and get better yields. In both number of pumpkins and totals tonnage, Magic Lantern beat out the other varieties tested by Jett. "Almost every Magic Lantern pumpkin that was picked was marketable," Jett said. The variety showed a potential production of 43 tons per acre. Aladdin came in second at 34 tons and Reliable with 29 tons. Those results compared with a non-powdery mildew resistant variety, Howden, which produced a potential 16 tons per acre when sprayed and 12 tons unsprayed. By size class, top performers were: Aladdin in the 20-pound and larger class; Magic Lantern in the 12- to 20-pound class; Magician in the 6- to 12-pound class; Mystic Plus in the 2- to 6-pound class; and Touch of Autumn in the 2-pound or less class. For good pie or ornamental pumpkins, Jett suggested some exotic tropical varieties such as Estrella and El Dorado. Jett said they're very mildew resistant. The fruits are more closely related to the butternut squash than to a traditional pumpkin, he said, but the greenish-orange and tan fruits resemble a pumpkin in shape. "I talked to some people who used them for pies and they liked them better than butternuts," Jett said. His complete results can be read in this winter's annual Midwest Vegetable Variety Trial Report. In addition to revealing the results of his trials, Jett warned farmers to keep watching for Phytophthora blight, a disease he witnessed in Missouri fields in 2005. It can destroy pumpkins but also other crops including watermelons, peppers, tomatoes, potatoes and eggplants. "The reason I emphasize this is because it is a widespread disease and it can wipe out your whole crop," Jett said. "Now is the time to start thinking about it for next year's crop." The disease can be avoided by rotating crops and spraying. About 70 people attended Jett's presentation, which was followed by a similar session by Chuck Marr, of K-State University. Marr, who did separate trials in Kansas, said that overall the Magician variety performed the best of the varieties he planted. In addition to some of the same traditional orange types that Jett tested, Marr planted Caspers, a bright white variety. He said that when compared to orange pumpkins, Caspers showed average powdery mildew tolerance. But that's exceptional for a white pumpkin plant. "It may be the best white that I've grown in the 15 to 20 years we've been growing pumpkins," Marr said. Ronnie Brown, a grower from Fort Scott, KS, said he already has used the Magic Lantern variety and had excellent results. He was one of about 300 people at the conference and trade show on Jan 12-14 that included more than a dozen speakers on various topics and 30 seed and farm industry vendors. Brown said he began attending the conference after switching from growing commodity crops to produce about four years ago. "It's a good way to keep up on things," Brown said. For more info on pumpkin varieties and disease prevention, contact Jett at 573-884-3287. His complete findings are published in the 2006 Midwest Vegetable Variety Trial Report, which is available from MU Extension publications for $10. For more information on publications go to www.extension.missouri.edu and click on "Extension publications." ********************************************************************* New Processing Law Now in Effect By Tricia Wagner, Community Development Specialist The new Jams, Jellies and Honey law is officially in effect. As of Aug 28, 2005, the State of Missouri has a new law that allows our county health departments to provide certain exemptions for farmers markets and non-profit fundraising ventures. If you are processing jam, jelly, honey or other non-hazardous products for sale, you will not necessarily need to make them in a certified kitchen. However, there are certain restrictions and guidelines you must follow: *You have to be selling it yourself. *You can not wholesale it to a store. It must be sold from your home, a roadside stand or a farmers market. *A sign and label must be clearly visible stating this product was made in an uncertified kitchen. The label must also contain your name, address and name and ingredients of the product. *These exemptions only apply to households making under $30,000/year on their product. *You still need to follow all sanitary regulations; however; you may not be required to be inspected. Not all counties will take advantage of these exemptions, however. Therefore, you will need to contact your local Department of Health and Senior Services. County Health Inspectors, who are found in the Environmental Health Department, can tell you which home prepared foods may be sold. If your county follows state guidelines, most likely you will be able to take advantage of these exemptions. If your county or city has their own guidelines, chances are pretty good that the exemptions will not apply to you. But it can't hurt to check. Another consideration is that if you process in your home county, but sell in another, you will need to also follow the rules of the county where you sell. So if you are exempt in your county, you may be where you are selling. At the MAEH (Missouri Association of Environmental Health) conference this past fall ther was a heated discussion on this new rule. The participants were very concerned about the sanitation of private (home) kitchens. Now, many people buy from a farmers' market so they can get fresh home grown or homemade food from familiar people that ehy know and trust. They trust that the food is fresh, they trust that the food is stored properly and most of all, the trust that the food is grown in sanitary conditions. If you would like to encourage your county to adopt these exemptions (and they currently are not), get a petition together and see if a county organization, such as the local beekeepers association, could work with the department to regulate themselves. That way canning in unsanitary home kitchens can be avoided and those processing in their kitchens will be up to date on the most current sanitary conditions. There is a change that those who govern your health department do not understand the benefits this law can bring to the local economy or to small growers in the state. The new law is: 261.241RSMO and 196.291RSMO. Again, before assuming anything, contact your local office of Health and Senior Services. ********************************************************************* Recommended Blackberry Cultivars for Missouri By Michelle Warmund, Ag Extension Plant Sciences Blackberries are getting easier and easier to grow in your own backyard. No more thorns, no bloodshed and maybe even a little less sweat! With the latest cultivar releases from the University of Arkansas, blackberries can be enjoyed from mid-summer to frost. Arapaho, Navaho, Apache and Quachita are thornless cultivars that can be grown without a trellis. These cultivars produce fruit during late June and July on the two-year-old lateral canes called floricanes. PrimeJan and PrimeJim are thorny cultivars that have the potential to produce fruit from mid-July through frost. Fruit of these cultivars is produced on one-year-old canes called primocanes. Like all fruit, there is no one perfect cultivar. Each blackberry cultivar has its attributes and shortcomings. For example, the thornless cultivars make harvest painless. However, you can only enjoy harvesting fruit from most of these cultivars for 4 to 5 weeks during mid-summer and winter pruning can be a bit time consuming. While Navaho berries have an excellent flavor, berry size is small. Alternatively, Apache has very large berry size, but the fruit could be sweeter. The chart below lists some of the characteristics of the cultivars for comparison. The primocane-fruiting cultivars make it possible to harvest fruit over a long period of time, but beware of the thorns. Fruit of PrimeJan ranges from 3 to 15 grams with 9.6 percent sugar content. PrimeJim berries range from 2 to 10 grams with only 8 percent sugar. Another important limitation of these primocane-fruiting cultivars is that temperatures above 85 degrees reduce fruit set. However, pruning is easily accomplished by mowing all canes to the ground before new growth in the spring. There has been considerable interest in other cultivars such as Chester, Hull, and Triple Crown. These cultivars have semi-erect canes that require a trellis to support the canes. They also tend to be more susceptible to winter injury than the cultivars developed in Arkansas. Additionally, Triple Crown berries can sunburn. Thus, these cultivars are not recommended for planting across the state. Cultivar Date* Size (g) Flavor Sugar Content (%) _________________________________________________________________ Arapaho 0 5.0-5.5 good 9.6 Navaho +13 5.0 excellent 11.4 Apache +18 9.0-10.0 very good 10.7 Quachita +7 6.0-6.5 very good 10.0-11.0 *Average number of days after Arapaho is harvested Yield of each cultivar: Arapaho-moderate; Navaho-moderate-high; Apache-high; quachita-very high. (From Missouri Environment and Garden, Vol 12, No. 1) ********************************************************************* *** IN THE NEWS *** A fresh wind is blowing at the University of Guelph, offering novel opportunities for students to make their mark in the rapidly evolving world of organic agriculture. Undergraduate students at both the degree and diploma levels, as well as graduate students will find a new vision awaiting them at the University of Guelph. Responding to growing societal demand, Guelph is the first North American university to offer an actual Major in Organic Agriculture within its B.Sc. (Agr) degree. In addition to five specially designed new courses which integrate both the social and biophysical dimensions of organic agriculture, degree students can partake of the rich and diverse curriculum on offer at the main Guelph campus. Its long and distinguished history as a centre for learning has concentrated a remarkable array of interdisciplinary expertise at Guelph. For more information www.organicag.uoguelph.ca/ Did You Know? If you are a new landowner, you should always visit the USDA office located in your farm's county. You will need to update their files with your new contact information and will probably need a new farm plan. While you are there, you should always talk to someone about what programs are available and what you may be eligible for on your farm. USDA service centers are great places to gain information on soil conservation, wildlife management, crop production, and livestock production. ********************************************************************* *** In Print/On-Line *** *Market Farm Forms* by Marcie Rosenzweig. Contains computer spreadsheet templates for planning and organizing information on diversified market farms. This software program helps in planning crops and budgets, order seed and soil amendments, grow transplants, project yields and income, and then track what really happens against your projections. Works on PC or Mac. Available from Back 40 Books, www.Back40Books.com, 573-858-3559. Did you know there are grants, low interest loans and tax incentives to update or retrofit your farm, facilities and home to conserve energy? The following are a few websites you might want to check out to learn more. www.energy.gov/taxbreaks.htm www.rurdev.usda.gov/rd/energy/ www.rurdev.usda.gov/ www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/coops/vadg.htm www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/farmbill/index.html www.rurdev.usda.gov/rbs/biomass/biomass.htm www.ars.usda.gov/research/programs.htm ********************************************************************* *** ON THE CALENDAR *** Feb 6-Annie's Project, Urbana, MO. Call 417-745-6767. Feb 6-Annie's Project, Neosho, MO. Call 417-455-9500. Feb 6-Annie's Project, Nevada, MO. Call 417-448-2560. Feb 10-MO Livestock & Poultry Health Council Meeting, Columbia, MO. Feb 16-Landowner Prescribed Burning Workshop, St Joseph, MO. Call 816-271-3100 or 816-364-3662 ext 122. Feb 17-18-Sustainable Agriculture Conference, Manhattan, KS. For more info www.dce.ksu.edu/dce/conf/hfhfconf/index.shtml Feb 17-18-Women Managing the Farm: A Comprehensive Program for Farm Owners, Partners and Rookies, Wichita, KS. Call 1-866-327-6578, www.k-state.edu/farmksu/wmfconf.htm Feb 17-19-Specialty Mushroom Grower Workshop, Columbia, MO. Call 573-882-3234, www.centerforagroforestry.org Feb 18-Landowner Prescribed Burning Workshop, Lamar, MO. Call 417-629-3423. Feb 18-Landowner Prescribed Burning Workshop, Macon, MO. Call 660-385-2616 x 3. Feb 20-22-MO Small Fruit and Vegetable Conference, Springfield, MO. Call 417-547-7500. Feb 23-25-Upper Midwest Organic Farming Conference, LaCrosse, WI. www.mosesorganic.org/umofc/intro06.htm Feb 24-25-MO Tree Farm Conference, Columbia, MO. www.moforest.org Feb 25-Landowner Prescribed Burning Workshop, Moberly, MO. Call 660-385-2616 x 3. Feb 25-Fruit and Ornamental Pruning Day, Mountain Grove, MO. Call 417-547-7513. Feb 25-26-MO Equine Council 16th Annual Equine Education Celebration, Columbia, MO. Call 800/313-3327. Feb 25-27-Western Farm Show, Kansas City, MO Feb 28-22nd Annual Spring Forage Conference. Contact your local SWCD. March 3-4-MO State Beekeepers Assn and Kansas Honey Producers Assn Joint Spring Meeting, Overland Park, KS. Call 913-831-6096. March 3-Bridging the Gap - Selling Food to Di s tributors, Fairgrounds, Fairfield, IA. Call 515-294-0588, Schultz@iastate.edu March 8-Bridging the Gap - Selling Food to Di s tributors, Fairgrounds, Atlantic, IA. Call 515-294-0588, Schultz@iastate.edu March 10-12-Fiber Retreat, Jefferson City, MO. Call 573-681-5551. March 16-Sheep Shearing School, Jefferson City, MO. Call 573-681-5551. Mach 18-Spring Horticulture Seminars, Mountain Grove, MO. Call 417-547-7513. March 25-Beginning Beekeepers Class, Union, MO. Call 573-764-2922. March 25-Quail Habitat Improvement Workshop, Troy, MO. Call 636-528-4877 ext 3. April 1-Farmers Exhibition 2006, Shawnee, KS. hartwood2@mindspring.com April 8-Farmers Exhibition 2006, Kansas City, MO. hartwood2@mindspring.com April 19-20-Agri-Marketing Conference & Trade Show, Kansas City, MO. 913-491-6500 June 5-9-Artificial Insemination Goat Clinic, Jefferson City, MO. Call 573-681-5551. June 28-30-Grant I Writing Workshop, Springfield, MO. Call 417-732-6485. July 12-14-Grant II Writing Workshop, Springfield, MO. Call 417-732-6485. July 30-MO Young Farmers/Young Farm Wives Annual Summer Tour, Chillicothe, MO. Call 573/751-8467. Aug 9-11-Grant III Writing Workshop, Springfield, MO. Call 417-732-6485. Aug 10-20-2006 MO State Fair, Sedalia, MO Aug 15-17-5th National SARE Conference, Oconomowoc, WI. Go to www.sare2006.org/ Green Hills Farm Project 2006 Farm Walk Schedule Feb 11-Green Hills Farm Project Annual Winter Seminar Bill Casey will be at Forage System Research Center Linneus, MO. Registration will start at 10am with a carry in potluck meal served at noon. Registration-$20. Topics-Cattle cycles and Cattle Marketing. GHFP has had Bill speak to us for two days on Holistic Resource Management back in 1998. Bill is an outstanding educator. Contact Allen Powell, 660-963-2685. March 18-10 am, Greg & Jan Judy, Clark, MO, 573-874-1816 Rancher-Author, Greg Judy tells a great story in his book "No Risk Ranching: Custom Grazing on Leased Land" about making money with no fixed assets. If you have read the book now you can see the Judy farm at this farm walk. Here is just a sampling of the projects the Judy farm has: St. Croix hairsheep, Southpole cattle from the Bent Tree Farms, custom grazing, Tamworth grazing pigs, boar billygoats on spanish meat goats, Great Pyrenees guard dog and more! Bring a covered dish and appetite. April 22-11 am, Kerry & Barb Buchmayer, Purdin, MO, 660-244-5858 This organic dairy family is well known for their tasty milk and eggs but their tenacity for marketing has carried them towards success! Come and see the processing plant where the milk is processed and bottled in glass. The Buchmayer's also churn butter! They have pastured layers and katahdin sheep, working dogs and an Akbash guard dog. Bring the checkbook and take home some samples! Bring a covered dish and lawn chairs. May 20-3 pm Ray & Susan Stropes, Chilhowee, MO 816-653-4467 We always enjoy visiting the Stropes Farm. Their lovely home sits right on a small lake where one can look over the vast pastures and cattle. Come see how Ray & Susan manage their cattle. Ray always has a new idea he is working on. Bring a covered dish and lawn chairs. June 15-5 pm, John & Jackie Woods, Smithville, MO, 816-532-3795 This farm has been in the family for many generations. Raising Cattle and goats using a MIG, the Woods continue to farm despite the growing urban sprawl around them. Having a farm so close to the urban area presents great opportunities and challenges. Bring lawn chairs and a covered dish. July 20-5 pm, Matt & Tina Reichert, Brunswick, MO, 660-548-3283 Using MIG methods to manage their cattle and goats, the Reichert family has worked hard these past years to convert brushy hill ground into great grazing pastures. The Bed and Breakfast and youth camps are continuing to grow. Bring lawn chairs and a covered dish. Aug 17-5 pm John & Rose Blaszak, Polo, MO, 660-354-3438 John & Rose and their growing family are like many of us who pursue careers off the farm and have that dream of a farm on a little acreage. Raising chickens for meat and a garden is a great way to bring that dream to reality. Bring lawn chairs and a covered dish. Sept 21-5 pm, Jordan & Anne Bentley, Brookfield, MO, 660-388-6825 City Slickers think'n they're going to homestead!? Jordan & Anne have bought just less than 40 acres with nothing but a pond on it. They have been raising chickens, turkeys and lambs for the past six years on rented ground. They will begin raising the same this spring on the new home place. All pastured meats are direct marketed locally or in Kansas City. They have not built a home as of the first of the year, but they will be living there this spring. This is a dream come true for the Bentleys! Contact them early this spring for directions or call Barb Buchmayer. Their contact information will change this spring! Bring lawn chairs and covered dish. Oct 19-4 pm, Doug & Diane Peterson, Ridgeway, MO, 660-824-4276 Doug and Diane raise cattle and use MIG methods. "We have a cattle only operation at this time. We have expanded quite a bit in the last few years and are still trying to get everything figured out. We will try and look at one or two different grazing systems. One will be fairly large with 200 cows being run together as one herd. This large of a herd have some very unique benefits and problems. Because we expanded our grass base faster than we wanted to purchase cows we run a combination of our own cows plus some contract cows for other people. We have also started selling a limited amount of grass fed all natural beef to customers in the Kansas City/St. Joe area. We are a family operation." Bring lawn chairs and covered dish. Nov-Workshop/Seminar will be announced