FALL2009 Feature Articles Getting Started with Blueberries . . . . . . .Page 4 Agroforestry Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 14 Vermont’s New Raw Milk Law . . . . . . . .Page 15 Restocking Our Region’s Bread BasketPage 17 Good Living and Good Farming – Connecting People,Land,and Communities Good Living and Good Farming – Connecting People,Land,and Communities Supplement to Country Folks
Feature Articles Getting Started with Blueberries . . . . . . .Page 4 Agroforestry Options . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 14 Vermont’s New Raw Milk Law . . . . . . . .Page 15 Restocking Our Region’s Bread Basket Page 17 Supplement to Country Folks FALL 2009 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Good Living and Good Farming – Connecting People, Land, and Communities SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Good Living and Good Farming – Connecting People, Land, and Communities
Transcript
Feature ArticlesGetting Started with Blueberries . . . . . . .Page 4
Restocking Our Region’s Bread Basket Page 17Supplement to Country Folks
FALL 2009
SMALL FARM QUARTERLYGood Living and Good Farming – Connecting People, Land, and Communities
SMALL FARM QUARTERLYGood Living and Good Farming – Connecting People, Land, and Communities
SMALL FARM PROGRAM UPDATECornell Small Farms Program Update ........................................................Page 3
BUSINESS MANAGEMENTFuture of the Farm, by Rebecca Schuelke-Staehr .......................................Page 8Diversifying the Farm, by Barbara Gibbs ...................................................Page 18
COWS AND CROPSCover Crops Case Studies-Stoughton Farm, by Molly Shaw ....................Page 7Restocking the Bread Basket, by Martha Herbert Izzi ..............................Page 17
FOREST AND WOODLOTGet Ready for the Emerald Ash Borer, by Peter Smallidge, Holly Menninger,Mark Whitmore, Charles O’Neil, Jr., Rich Taber .............................................Page 6Agroforestry Options for the Northeast, by Mike Farrell ..........................Page 14
GRAZINGHard Times Make for Easy Choice, by Fay Benson ..................................Page 20
HORTICULTUREGetting Your New Blueberry Planting Off to a Good Start,by Cathy Heidenreich and Marvin Pritts .........................................................Page 4
LOCAL FOODS & MARKETINGVermont’s New Raw Milk Law, by Jennifer Colby ......................................Page 15
NEW FARMERSSmoothing Out the Learning Curve, by Kevin Straughan...........................Page 7New Farmers Gain Ground in Pennsylvania, by Suzanne Milshaw .........Page 16
NON-DAIRY LIVESTOCKWeaning Age of Lambs, by Ulf Kintzel .........................................................Page 5
NORTHEAST SARE SPOTLIGHTFlower City Mushrooms, by Abha Gupta .....................................................Page 9
RESOURCE SPOTLIGHTSGetting Started with Blueberries.................................................................Page 4Help with Farm Financial Management ......................................................Page 8Northeast SARE Upcoming Grants & Deadlines .......................................Page 9Agroforestry Options..................................................................................Page 14Raw Milk Resources ...................................................................................Page 15State Agricultural Finance Programs .......................................................Page 16
SMALL FARM SPOTLIGHTSGreen Earth Farm Celebrates a Successful First Season!,by Erica Frenay.............................................................................................Page 12
STEWARDSHIP & NATUREAgricultural Environmental Management:Promise Land Farm, by Barbara Silvestri and Gerry Smithson..................Page 19
WOMEN IN AGRICULTUREStress Management for Women Farmers, by Kristin Reynolds ................Page 13
YOUTH PAGESBubba was “Some Pig”, by Hannah Stark .................................................Page 10Poultry as a Passion, by Chloe Barker-Benfield.........................................Page 10Even A Kid Can Do It!, by Jesse Bonin ......................................................Page 11It’s A Matter of Trust, by Ben Kerner ..........................................................Page 11Exploring the Small Farm Dream,by Violet Stone, Christine Im and Emily Wing .............................................Page 11
SMALL FARM QUARTERLYGood Farming and Good Living —
Connecting People, Land, and Communities
Small Farm Quarterly is for farmers and farm families — including spouses and chil-dren - who value the quality of life that smaller farms provide.
OUR GOALS ARE TO:• Celebrate the Northeast region’s smaller farms;• Inspire and inform farm families and their supporters;• Help farmers share expertise and opinions with each other;• Increase awareness of the benefits that small farms contribute to society and the
environment.• Share important research, extension, and other resources.
Small Farm Quarterly is produced by Lee Publications, Inc., and is distributed four times ayear as a special section of Country Folks. Volume 7 publication dates: July 6 andOctober 5, 2009; January 5 and April 6, 2010.
EDITORIAL TEAM:• Anu Rangarajan, Cornell Small Farms Program Editor in Chief 607-255-1780• Joanna Green, Cornell Small Farms Program Managing Editor 607-255-9227• Brian Aldrich, Cayuga County CCE Field Crops 315-255-1183• Laura Biasillo, Broome County CCE New Farmers 607-584-5007• Celeste Carmichael,
NYS 4-H Youth Development Program Youth Pages; Home and Family 607-255-4799• Mike Dennis, Shady Pine Farm Grazing 315-253-4787• Gary Goff, Cornell Natural Resources Department Forest and Woodlot 607-255-2824• Martha Herbert Izzi, Vermont Farmer Vermont 802-492-3346• Betsy Lamb, CCE Integrated Pest Management Program Horticulture 607-254-8800• Susan Neal, Farmer Women in Agriculture 607-962-9459• Rebecca Schuelke Staehr, NY Farm Viability Institute Business Management 315-453-3823• John Thurgood, Delaware County
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SMALL FARM QUARTERLY - FALL 2009TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cornell Small Farms Programwww.smallfarms.cornell.edu607-255-9227
Cover photo by Brian Ireley. Enjoying the harvest at Stoughton Farm.
Page 2 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 5, 2009
In this season of bounteous harvest, we lookback on another very busy summer at theSmall Farms Program, and forward to our newand continuing research and education proj-ects in support of small farms and sustainablefood systems.
BEGINNING FARMER PROJECT AWARDEDMULTI-YEAR GRANTWe're happy to announce that the CornellSmall Farms Program will be broadeningour support for new farmers thanks to anew three-year grant from the USDA'sBeginning Farmers and RanchersDevelopment Program. This grant willenable us to expand our reach beyond NYborders to support organizations workingdirectly with new farmers.
The project will work with a diverse array ofpartners, including the Greenhorns (a nationalyoung farmers movement), NY Farm ViabilityInstitute, NOFA-NY, NY FarmNet, the NYAssociation of Ag Educators, CornellCooperative Extension, Heifer International,and over a dozen non-profits that train andsupport beginning farmers. Together we will:* Expand our online course offerings for newfarmers, adding new instructors and produc-tion-oriented courses with on-farm how-tovideo clips, and pair online courses with on-the-ground workshops* Work with schools to develop fun events andlearning opportunities to recruit young peopleinto farming as a career* Identify and address barriers for farmerswanting to scale up production to meetdemands of markets beyond direct-to-con-sumer sales* Continue building and expanding a coalitionof organizations serving beginning farmers,providing assistance with publicity, evaluation,training and information to spread best prac-tices and help groups work together on largerissues impacting the success of new farmers
FARMERS FLOCK TO FARM RENEWABLEENERGY FIELD DAYSThis past summer, over 90 farmers and serv-
ice providers gathered on small farms aroundNew York to get an up-close look at on-farmrenewable energy projects. The field dayswere sponsored by the Cornell Small FarmsEnergy Work Team, a state-wide team of edu-cators working to help farmers improve ener-gy conservation practices or install affordablerenewable energy such as wind mills or solarpanels. The field days featured a wide arrayof opportunities in renewable energy.
In Trumansburg crowds gathered to see anoff-the-grid bison farm that financed andinstalled their own custom windmills, solarpanels and even a water wheel. InPrattsburg participants learned about a solarpowered livestock pump on a heritage breedcattle farm. Two dairy farms with photovoltaicinstallations rounded out this year's field days.Stay tuned for more on-farm renewable ener-gy field days in 2010. To learn more aboutfarm energy resources for the Northeast, visit:www.smallfarms.cornell.edu/pages/resources/production/energy.cfm
LOCAL MARKETS SUMMIT FOCUSES ONDISTRIBUTIONThe Small Farms Program co-sponsored a"Local Food Distribution Summit" this summerat the Empire Farm Days in Seneca Falls, NY.The Summit provided an opportunity to honein on one of the most critical barriers toincreasing production and marketing of localfoods - getting the product from farm to plate.Participants brainstormed ways to use currentdistribution networks more effectively throughbetter communication and coordination .Brian Henehan, from Cornell University, alsodescribed the results of a survey he has con-ducted of food distributers in the Northeast.The "Distribution Summit" was a follow-up to amuch broader meeting last year in which localfood leaders gathered to identify the top 10opportunities in expanding local food produc-tion. To see the report from the 2008 Summit,or to learn more about the Local Foods WorkTeam, visit:www.smallfarms.cornell.edu/pages/projects/workteams/LM/localmarket.cfm
ORGANIC DAIRY FIELD DAYS:DAIRY FARMERS RESPOND TO THEDEMAND FOR LOCAL FOODThis summer our NY Organic Dairy Initiativeco-organized four field days across the stateto bring together organic dairy farm familiesand others to share what's new and what'simportant in the organic dairy industry. Onecommon theme that emerged at these fielddays was how farmers are coping with thereduced price paid for organic milk. All fourfarm families have worked to diversify theirincome streams by selling retail right at thefarm. The added income has helped them off-set some of the losses experienced in otherportions of the business.
Another theme repeated at all four farms washow much these farmers enjoy the wonderfulconversations they've been having with theircustomers. Many feel the opportunity for farm-ers to communicate with consumers, toanswer all the questions that customers have,has been one of the casualties of big agricul-ture. For these farmers the ability to adapttheir farms to meet changing markets wasmaking their farm more viable and their futuremore secure. To learn more about the NYOrganic Dairy Initiative, contact Fay Bensonat 607-753-5213.
FOR MORE INFORMATIONIf you want to stay informed about our activi-ties, please subscribe to the Small FarmsProgram's monthly e-newsletter at www.small-farms.cornell.edu/pages/contact/newsletter.cf
Cornell Small FarmsProgram Update
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Small Farm Quarterly is Recruiting!We are looking for several new members to join theSmall Farm Quarterly Editorial Team, and we are always looking fornew writers and photographers. We are especially looking for editorsand writers from outside of New York State, so that we can improveour coverage of New England and Pennsylvania small farm issuesand innovators. All SFQ editors and writers are volunteers. If you'reinterested, please contact Violet Stone at 607-255-9227 [email protected].
Bob Bondi describes his solar powered livestock watering pump on his heritage cattle farm inPrattsburg, NY Photos by Violet Stone
This custom crafted water wheel sends elec-tricity to storage batteries at On WarrenPond Farm in Trumansburg, NY.
Page 4 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 5, 2009
By Cathy Heidenreich and Marvin Pritts
The first cultivated blueberries grown in the US are still beingharvested today in New Jersey, almost 100 years after theywere planted. With a little extra care before planting, those oh-so-good, good-for-you berries will yield big profits.
GETTING OFF ON THE RIGHT FOOTSite selection is probably the single most important factor forsuccessful blueberry growing. First, consider soil drainage. Theirshallow root systems make blueberries susceptible to drought,yet intolerant of "wet feet". Sandy soils tend to have betterdrainage than their clay or silt cousins.
Raised beds (8" high x 48" wide) can be used to improve soildrainage if all other site characteristics are a good match. Youwill need an adequate source of irrigation water to keep thoseblueberries healthy and happy on that well-drained soil (moreon this later).
Think good air drainage (3-5% slope) also when selecting yourblueberry site, to help prevent winter injury. Blueberries flowerearly in the spring, so be sure to avoid potential frost pocketsas well.
Identify your soil type. In their native habitats, blueberries thriveon sandy loam soils with low pH (3.8 to 5.5), and relatively highorganic matter (3% to 20%). While it is possible to change boththe pH and organic matter content of a soil, clay or silt soilstend to have a higher pH, and permanently reducing the pH toan appropriate level may be difficult and expensive.
Collect a soil sample for analysis. Your local Extension officecan generally help with this. There are 2 factors that must beconsidered when deciding if your soil is suitable for blueberrygrowth: pH, and soil calcium content. Look first at your pHvalue. Does it fall within the required range (3.8-5.5)? If not, youmay be able to modify the soil pH to the desired level by addingsoil amendments.
But check the soil calcium content first. Unlike pH, there is noth-ing to be done to reduce this level if it's already too high. Forsoils with more than 2,000 lb calcium/acre, soil pH modificationwill be expensive, and more importantly, will not last so it maybe best to find a different site for your blueberries. High calciumlevels in soil negate the effect of any pH lowering amendments.If your pH is high but calcium level is 2,000 lb/A or less, youshould be able to successfully amend your soil pH.
If the soil pH is higher than 5.5, addition of sulfur to the soilhelps to lower pH. Sulfur is a slow acting product in the soil, soit is best to begin this process the year before planting. Twoforms of sulfur are available for this purpose, a powder form,and a granular or prilled form. The powdered form is slightlyfaster acting in the soil, but not so nice to apply. The prilledform, while slightly slower acting in the soil, is typically easier todeal with (less dust). The required amount of sulfur (Table 1) isspread over the entire planting and worked into the top 8 inches
of soil (not too deep - blueberries have shallow roots!).
A word of caution - aluminum sulfate is sometimes suggestedas a product to lower soil pH. It is not advisable to use thisproduct where blueberries will be planted as blueberries arevery sensitive to aluminum toxicity. And soil aluminum is oftenalready present at sufficient levels.
If sulfur does not reduce the pH completely, or if plants arealready established, then one can side dress with 200 lbs/A sul-fur spring and fall until the desired pH is reached. If your pH istoo low, a judicious addition of lime may be advisable - alwaysbeing sure to err on the side of caution in this instance. Neveradd more than is indicated!
Whether planted in a well-drained sandy loam or on raisedbeds, blueberries need adequate water for good growth. Fivegallons per mature plant per day may be needed when evapo-rative demand is high. Have your water source tested beforeplanting. Un-chlorinated water with a salt content of 0.1% andpH of 6.0 or less is preferable. Over time, high pH water appliedto the planting will negate any pH lowering efforts you may bemaking by applying sulfur. If your irrigation water source has apH higher than 6.0 you will need to acidify it by setting up asimple injector system similar to those used for fertilizer.
GET READY - GET SET...Late summer to early fall the year before planting is the time toget started with site preparation. However, if you need to applysulfur for pH management or intend to use cover crops, start ayear earlier. Begin by clearing the site and reducing or eliminat-ing perennial weeds. This is best done in late summer when allperennial weeds have emerged. One method is to use a sys-temic post-emergent herbicide (such as glyphosate). Organicgrowers may prefer to use continuous cultivation (stale seedbed technique). In either case, cover cropping is an added toolfor weed suppression.
Buckwheat (60 lb/A) is one possibility for a late spring/earlysummer cover crop. It tolerates low pH and inhibits weed seedgermination. Buckwheat must be mowed prior to maturing or itwill reseed.
Spring oats (100 lb/A) are another good cover crop option; theyalso tolerate low pH soils well. Plant in mid-April and incorpo-rate before the end of June. Oats may also be seeded in mid-
August. They are gradually killed by successive frosts and thenincorporated in spring before planting.
If leveling is needed to remove low areas of the field, try to doso without disturbing the subsoil. Drainage tile may be needed ifthe field does not drain within 24 hours of precipitation. Raisedbeds made just before planting after soil modification is com-plete may be necessary if the field is poorly drained.
Orient planting rows north-south for best light exposure. Onsloped areas concerns about air drainage and equipmentmovement may override this orientation preference.
Now that you've established a firm foundation for your blueberryplanting, you're ready for the next step. Part 2 of this article (inthe next issue) will discuss variety selection, getting plants inthe ground, and caring for them after they are planted. Staytuned!
Cathy Heidenreich is NYS Berry Extension Support Specialist.She can be reached at 315-787-2367 or [email protected] Pritts is professor and chair of the department ofHorticulture at Cornell University College of Agriculture and LifeSciences. He may be reached at 607-255-1778 or [email protected] .
Table 1: Approximate amounts of sulfur (lb/A)required to lower soil pH to 4.5.
Soil type
Current pH Sand Loam Clay
5.0 175 530 800
5.5 350 1050 1600
6.0 660 2020 3030
6.5 840 2550 3830
HORTICULTURE
Getting Your New Blueberry PlantingOff to a Good StartPart 1: Selecting and preparing the site
Blueberries ripening on a mature plant.Photos by Cathy Heidenreich
Resource SpotlightGetting Started with Blueberries
Cornell Guide to Growing Fruit at Home - Blueberrieswww.gardening.cornell.edu/fruit/homefruit/7blueberries.pdf
NRAES Publication #55: Highbush Blueberry Production Guide By Marvin Pritts and James Hancock. Available from the Natural Resource,Agriculture and Engineering Service (NRAES), at 607-255-7654, or order online at www.nraes.org.
Cornell Fruit Resources Website - BerriesIncludes research-based information and publications on production, market-ing, pest management, and growers' organizations for strawberries and otherberry crops. www.fruit.cornell.edu/berry.html
Prepared planting site with raised beds covered with landscapefabric.
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October 5, 2009 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 5
By Ulf Kintzel
I am often asked: "When do you wean yourlambs?" Usually, instead of answering, I amasking a question back "Why should I wean?"Books and other publications about raisingsheep suggest often that one should wean.There is one scenario under which it maymake sense: accelerated lambing. All thosewho have one lambing season per year any-way have in my opinion no need to wean.
WHY WEAN?The usual suggested weaning age is about 60to 75 days. The lambs are physically removedfrom their mothers in order to wean them offthe mother's milk. Most people feel that wean-ing gives a ewe the time that she needs torecover from raising its lamb(s), regain bodyweight and improve her condition in order tobe ready to be bred again during the nextbreeding season.
However, the process of recovery takes undernormal circumstances about 2 to 3 weeks."Normal" is being defined as not having rundown the ewe so much that she is only askeleton. Normal means that the ewe lostweight that she must regain in order to bebred again.
DISADVANTAGES OF WEANINGLet's do the math: A ewe's gestation time isabout 5 months. Raising the lambs for a timesuggested in many books is 2 to 2 1/2 months.The needed recovery time is 2 to 3 weeks.That is about 8 months total. What about theremaining 4 months of the year before the ewegets bred again? During these 4 months theewe is running the risk of getting too fat, espe-cially if she receives grain. Fat ewes have alower conception rate.
In addition, a ewe whose lambs are removedafter two months is still producing a lot of milk.Removing the lambs creates the risk of masti-tis. These ewes need to be observed and pos-sibly removed from the rest of the flock inorder to be fed a lower nutrition diet. Thiswould be another logistical task that needs tobe considered.
Physiologically speaking, lambs don't need tonurse beyond the age of about 8 weeks.However, a lamb weaned at the age of 8 to 10weeks has immediately a higher nutritionalneed coming from the pasture than just a daybefore. If the lambs are put in a very goodpasture during spring flush or in a second cut-ting meadow, one may not see a slack ingrowth at all.
However, if weaning takes place during timeswhen the pasture is no longer very palatableduring July or August, you may see yourlambs not gaining much weight. The samewould not hold true if the same lambs wouldbe with their mothers. The ewes will convertthe lower quality pasture into higher qualityfeed in the form of milk.
Another logistical problem may arise. If bothewes and lambs are kept instead of selling thelambs at weaning, you ideally want to providepasture far enough apart that the ewes andlambs can't hear each other during the nexttwo weeks or you will need to have very safefences so that you can keep the ewes andlambs apart. Electric fences will often not dothat. One can also house the lambs in thebarn. However, this scenario comes at a high-er cost in money and labor.
Keeping the lambs with the ewes until theywean themselves at the age of 4 to 5 monthsis far easier to manage and has almost onlyadvantages and almost no disadvantages. Youmay even see a lamb at the age of 6+ monthsnurse on occasion. Yet, this appears to bemore a social contact between the ewe and itslamb(s), the nursing is extremely short and themilk production is very low at that time.
ACCELERATED LAMBING SYSTEMSI mentioned before that accelerated lambing isthe exception to my suggestion not to wean.Most sheep breeds cycle only during thosemonths when the days get shorter. There aresome sheep breeds, like the White DorperSheep, that breed out-of-season, meaningthey cycle throughout the year. Those sheepcan be used for an accelerated lambingschedule. The oldest, the most common, andthe most widely practiced version that I knowof is having three lambing season per ewe intwo years. It is also the most practical versionof accelerated lambing that I know of.
Unlike cows, sheep often don't cycle duringthe peak production of milk. A hormonalprocess keeps a ewe from ovulating duringlactation. This process weakens as milk pro-duction drops; ewes that may still nurse a lambafter 4 months or so do start cycling again. So,in order to get to the accelerated lambingschedule one has to wean when the lambs are
about 2 to 21/2 months old, give the ewe a fewweeks recovery time and time to dry up andbreed her again.
DO I WEAN?Do I wean? The answer is not a clear cut yesor no. I sell female lambs for breeding purposeat the age of 8 to 10 weeks. While it is notintentional weaning, effectively it is. Thoseewes whose lambs I sell early I am trying tore-breed for a winter lambing season. The firstmarket lambs to reach their market weight of80+ pounds do so at the age of three months.They are harvested at that time and it is againeffectively weaning. The ram lambs I keep tosell for breeding purpose need to be removedfrom the flock at age of 3+ months since WhiteDorper rams breed at about 4 to 5 months ofage. That too can be considered weaning.
On rare occasion I have an older ewe that israising triplets that is running the risk of get-ting too skinny and possibly dying. In thatcase I do wean the lambs. However, all otherlambs that are either kept as replacementewe lambs or market lambs that have to bekept longer to reach their market weight staywith their mothers. No deliberate and plannedweaning takes place.
Ulf Kintzel owns and manages White CloverSheep Farm (www.whitecloversheepfarm.com)in Rushville, NY where he breeds grass-fedWhite Dorper sheep.
Weaning Age of LambsNON-DAIRY LIVESTOCK
This female lamb will be kept as a replacement ewe. It is well over 100 pounds and will not beweaned. Photos by Ulf Kintzel
These 3 to 4 months old ram lambs will soonbe able to breed and thus needed to be weanedfrom their mothers.
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We Want To HearFrom YouWe welcome letters to the editor -Please write to us! Or send aquestion and we’ll do our best toanswer it. We’re also looking forbeautiful, interesting and/or funnysmall farm photos to print.
Write or email Joannna Green,Cornell Small Farms Program,135C Plant Science Building,Cornell University,Ithaca, NY [email protected]
By Severine von Tscharner Fleming
ABOUT EMERALD ASH BORERThe first occurrence of emerald ash borer in NewYork State was confirmed by USDA Animal PlantHealth Inspection Service (APHIS) on June 17,2009 in Randolph, NY, Cattaraugus County. Aninvasive beetle introduced from eastern Asia, emer-ald ash borer (EAB) kills all species of ash treesnative to North America, and has the potential tocause severe economic and ecological damage.
First detected near Detroit in 2002, EAB has nowspread to 13 states and the Canadian provinces ofOntario and Quebec. Ash mortality is 100% inuntreated trees in Detroit and is widespread in allthe affected areas. Table 1 summarizes the status ofEAB in northeastern US and information sources.
Since the first detection of EAB in Randolph, NY,state and federal partners have identified a 10-acre infestation area that included 39 trees, all ofwhich have been cut and chipped. Trapping effortsare currently underway to determine if the infesta-tion has expanded beyond this initial detection
site. The natural spread of EAB is slow, often lessthan 5 miles/year, but is virtually unlimited wheninfested trees or wood is transported by vehicles.
The long distance movement of firewood andinfested nursery stock is primarily responsiblefor the spread of EAB to new locales.
To limit the potential introduction of EAB to otherareas of the state and protect NY's more than 900million ash trees, the NYS Department ofEnvironmental Conservation (DEC) and theDepartment of Agriculture and Markets (DAM)have implemented a quarantine for Chautauquaand Cattaraugus Counties. New York's quarantineorder prohibits the movement of ash seedlings,trees, logs, boards, wood chips, other plant parts,and the insect both within and beyondCattaraugus and Chautauqua counties withoutcertification or compliance agreements issued byDAM. Additionally, the movement of these regu-lated wood products into and through the quaran-tine zone is restricted. More quarantine informa-tion is available at http://www.dec.ny.gov/ani-mals/47761.html
Additionally, a DEC firewood regulation(http://www.dec.ny.gov/animals/28722.html) limitsthe transportation of all species of untreated fire-wood to no more than 50 miles from its sourceand prohibits the importation of firewood into NYunless it has been heat treated to kill EAB orother potentially invasive species.
Public compliance with the EAB quarantineand firewood regulations is critical to slowingEAB spread in NY.
In Pennsylvania, the emerald ash borer was firstdetected in Butler County, near Pittsburgh, onJune 27, 2007. As of summer 2009, EAB is knownto be in 6 western and one central PA counties.The PA Dept. of Agriculture has imposed a quar-antine in those 7 counties to slow its spread.Restrictions include the movement of ash nurserystock, green lumber and any other ash material,including logs, stumps, roots and branches, andall wood chips from the quarantined area. Due tothe difficulty in distinguishing between species offirewood, all hardwood firewood - including ash,oak, maple and hickory - are quarantined.
DON'T BE HASTY TO IMPLEMENT CONTROLSThe detection of EAB in your state does not meanthat EAB will spread statewide this year or occur inyour county in the immediate future. Homeownersand woodland owners should not be hasty inimplementing control or chemical prevention strate-gies unless an EAB infestation is known on yourproperty or is located within 10 to 15 miles.
Chemical pre-treatment for EAB in unaffectedareas is not an effective control, is costly, and maykill other beneficial insects. However, diligent,thoughtful planning for EAB arrival by woodlandowners and municipal governments is warranted.
Table 2 provides specific suggestions for home-owners and woodland owners. Aggressive actionis often not prudent, may not significantly changethe impact of EAB, has financial and environmen-tal costs, and may limit your future control options.
Woodland owners should think carefully aboutyour objectives and talk with a forester to assess ifsome management activity is warranted. Mostwoodland owners will not need to undertake anyharvesting. Any harvesting should be based onan inventory, management plan, and deliberate sil-vicultural prescription. Woodland owners in NYcan learn more about selecting foresters and log-gers to assist with management activities throughpublications available at www.ForestConnect.infoand at www.dec.ny.gov/animals/45402.html.
All land owners are asked to be vigilant and pre-pared to detect and report a new EAB infestation.
People in both urban and rural wooded settingsshould recognize symptoms of EAB, including:* D-shaped exit holes resulting from adult emergence* S-shaped larval galleries under the bark* Epicormic branches (i.e., side sprouts from themain stem or base) growing from the trunk or deadbranches, and extensive woodpecker activity.
Branches and crowns of cut trees should beinspected for EAB exit holes and galleries. Carryan empty plastic container to collect specimens ofinsects that are suspicious. Use a digital camerato take pictures and document symptoms.Suspicious specimens or photographs should besubmitted to your county Cornell CooperativeExtension (CCE) Association or Penn StateUniversity Cooperative Extension for screeningand identification.
Cornell Cooperative Extension strongly recom-mends that individuals concerned about EAB firstconsult educational resources and local extensionprofessionals to develop an action plan beforerushing into action.
Woodland owners should contact their local DECoffice and request a no-cost stewardship plan beprepared by a state forester for their land and thatthe plan include management recommendationsfor EAB. The Cornell-based NY Invasive SpeciesClearinghouse http://nyis.info/Insects/EmeraldAshBorer.aspx and the DEC EAB Website www.dec.ny.gov/animals/7253.html are excel-lent sources of information. To locate your local officeof Cornell Cooperative Extension, visit: www.cce.cor-nell.edu and click on "In Your Community."
Peter Smallidge and Holly Menninger are SeniorExtension Associates and Mark Whitmore is anExtension Associate with Cornell University'sDepartment of Natural Resources. Charles O'Neil,Jr. is a Senior Extension Associate with NY SeaGrant at SUNY Brockport. Rich Taber directs theForestry Initiatives Program at CornellCooperative Extension of Broome-ChenangoCounties in Norwich, NY. You can reach theauthors as follows: Peter Smallidge: 607-592-5376, [email protected]; Holly Mennigner: 607-254-6789, [email protected]; Mark Whitmore:607-280-4064, [email protected]; CharlesO'Neil, Jr.: 585-395-2638, [email protected]: RichTaber: 607-334-5841, [email protected].
Ash trees that are infested by emerald ashborers typically develop declining tops and epi-cormic branching (suckers) on the trunk.
PA Dept of Conservation and NaturalResources Forestry Archive, Bugwood.org
Infected trees show this characteristic ser-pentine (S-shaped) pattern of galleries underthe bark where the larvae tunnel for food.
Michigan Department of Agriculture,Bugwood.org
EAB are 3/8 to 3/4-inch in length, 1/6-inch inwidth, have bronze, golden, or reddish-greenbodies, with dark metallic emerald green wingcovers. The dorsal side of the abdomen, whichcan be seen when the wings are spread, is ametallic purplish red.
David Cappaert, Michigan State University,Bugwood.org
Page 6 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 5, 2009
FOREST AND WOODLOT
Get Ready for the Emerald Ash BorerBut don't be too hasty in implementing control strategies,say Cornell Cooperative Extension foresters.
EAB Quarantine ZoneHome Owners• Cooperate with state and federal officials to
assist their efforts at control.
• Do not plant ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees. Plantother species suited to your site to avoid pro-viding habitat for EAB and to avoid thepotential for transporting EAB via infectednursery stock.
• There are some insecticides that are regis-tered in NY that are labeled for control ofEAB. Get professional advice before consid-ering their use. Trees should be within 10 to15 miles of the infestation to warrant thecosts of insecticidal treatment.
• Chemical treatments must continue for manyyears (with applications every 2 -3 years,depending on the product). If the ash treeshave already lost more than 50% of theircrown, they probably cannot be saved.
Woodland Owners• Cooperate with state and federal officials to
assist their efforts at control.
• See fact sheet at www.ForestConnect.info byNyland (2009), "Silviculture and InvasiveInsects".
• See additional info on DEC Forestry websiteat: www.dec.ny.gov/animals/45402.html
• If you have significant amounts of ash anddepend on sawlogs for revenue, work with aforester to target ash for removal. During orafter the harvest, take steps to control inter-fering vegetation that might inhibit regenera-tion of other desired species. Harvesting topre-salvage ash should avoid exploitiveremoval of other species necessary to retaincanopy coverage and provide seed forregeneration.
• Contact your forester or the DEC to learnabout current restrictions and your options, ifany, to sell logs or other ash-related products.
• You may want to hire portable bandsaw opera-tors to saw infected logs and salvage thewood into boards. Slab wood should be thor-oughly chipped or promptly burned.Movement of all ash tree parts is controlledunder quarantine rules.
• Manage woodland through thinning and con-trol of interfering vegetation to ensure healthyand diverse woodlands. Heavy cutting of ashwill stimulate regrowth in the understory, butthe mixture of species responding may notbe desired by the owner.
• There are no known chemical controls forwoodland situations. Thus, large-scale con-trol of the insect is not currently possible.
Non-quarantine ZoneHome Owners• Do not plant ash (Fraxinus spp.) trees. Plant
other species suited to your site to avoid pro-viding habitat for EAB and to avoid thepotential for transporting EAB via infectednursery stock.
• Actions to limit EAB, for example preventativeinsecticide applications, are not warrantedunless your trees are in an infestation area.Pre-treatment is not an effective control, iscostly, and may kill other beneficial insects.
• Monitor trees for signs of health. Contact yourlocal office of Cornell Cooperative Extensionif you detect symptoms of EAB, includingdead branches in the upper crown of yourash tree.
Woodland Owners• See also the recommendations provided for
woodland owners inside the quarantine zone.However, the urgency to act is less acute,though real.
• Do not fall to the temptation to preemptivelyliquidate the ash from your property.Approach any harvest deliberately, with pro-fessional guidance, and with clearly definedobjectives.
State EAB Present? For more information To report suspected presence
Table 2. Recommendations for homeowners and woodland owners.
The exit hole of the adult from the bark has acharacteristic "D" shape that is about 1/16 to1/8-inch in diameter.
Joseph O'Brien, USDA Forest Service,Bugwood.org
Table 1. Emerald Ash Borer in Northeastern US
By Kevin Straughan
In 1994, a beginning farmer and his family started farming witha few meat birds and a couple of sheep for meat. They lovedthe resulting products, but had many challenges along the way,such as how do they get the sheep out from under the barnwhere they had crawled into a crawl space to escape their com-ing demise? Or, how do you prevent a weasel from grabbing achicken or two at his leisure for his pleasure? And so on!
Well, that farmer was me, and I finally found some answerswhen I joined a growing group called Small and BeginnerFarmers of New Hampshire. I now get together with fellow farm-ers, usually at meetings held in each county each month,though I can attend any meeting in any county I desire. Forexample, if I know that one county is having a workshop onaquaculture, and I have an interest in that, I can attend. So nowyou know one of the benefits of SBFNH - the workshops andtraining available.
The subjects are as basic or diverse as the members desire.For example, after I had my neighbor and "expert" agree toslaughter my first meat birds, I quickly realized that I wouldhave to learn how to do it because his methods were from thefirst century! So one of the first workshops I attended after Ijoined was on just that - chicken processing! I admit, it wasn'texactly pleasant, but SBFNH had the equipment and was will-ing to rent it to me or any other member who wanted to do theirown birds, as long as we took the training course.
So I did it, which of course included my doing a bird from start
to finish! After I got over my initial misgivings and queasiness, Ifound that it became a matter of doing a good job, and soon Ifelt able to process my own birds. After two seasons of that, Iinvested in my own equipment, and a couple of years ago, Igave the instructions on chicken processing, and even createda home video to instruct others!
Have I begun to paint a picture for you of who we are? Thisgroup started around a kitchen table about 1997 in the desire to"network" and cooperate together in a profession that, eventhough most people don't recognize it, is tremendously impor-tant - not just for the local economy (which it is) but for the stateand of course the country! It's all about what we eat!! Yet farm-ers have traditionally been underrepresented, overworked, andunderpaid, and still are!
SBFNH won't guarantee less work or more profits realized, butthey can help. And along the way is the best benefit of all: theexpertise and knowledge gained and shared within the mem-bership. Got a predator problem? Want to know how to extendthe growing season of beets? Got a hankering for making yourown honey? Bring it up at your county meeting or ask someonethere - they'll surely know who to call, or if they don't they'llknow someone who knows someone to call! Farmers are agreat group that way. "We're all in this together, so let's helpeach other out as best we can," is the mentality.
Any group that desires to progress, as SBFNH does, needsmoney somewhere along the line. Membership dues are only$15/year, and each member receives a newsletter each monthalong with training, workshops, networking, equipment rentals,and bulk purchases/ discounts when available. So we're notmaking enough money on the membership dues to do much.But there is a group out there called Heifer International who isvery interested in helping farmers do what we do - they want tosee farmers succeed, and have put their money where theirmouth is. They have helped SBFNH in a big way (the latestgrant was $75K or so!) and have helped us with models for suc-cess, training, cultural experiences, etc.
We started out as a "northern Beginner Farmer group" and a"Southern BF group", but now are a statewide organization. Weare registered with the State as a non-profit organization, and
are pursuing Federal status of the same. We actually won anaward a few years ago in Washington, DC for the "fastest grow-ing and best organized farming group in New England", orsomething like that(!), but that's not what is important. What'simportant is the people - people like you and me who love thelifestyle that farming brings - and the true "down to earth" livingthat makes one realize what a blessing life and land and familyand friends are. When a farmer needs a helping hand, his fellowfarmers are truly there for him/her.
We invite farmers/would-be farmers/dreamer farmers, etc. tocome check us out. We're glad to answer any and all questions,even if you think them unworthy of asking! You may contact me,Kevin Straughan, the SBFNH Administrator, [email protected] or call 603-539-4456, and I will directyour questions to where they can be answered or even getlucky and answer them myself!! Happy farming!
This article was written by Kevin Straughan, Administrator forSmall & Beginning Farmers of New Hampshire. He can bereached via phone at (603) 539-4456 or via email at [email protected]
October 5, 2009 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 7
NEW FARMERS
Smoothing Out theLearning CurveSmall and Beginner Farmers of New Hampshire brings new farmerstogether to learn from each other.
Beginning farmers can really benefit from opportunities toget together and share their questions, experiences, and ideaswith other farmers. Here beginning farmers learn about raisingrabbits for market in Broome County, NY.
Photo by Laura Biasillo
By Molly Shaw
Whoever thought a successful cover cropwould be a parking lot?
Not a paved lot, of course, but an inexpensivealternative, a low maintenance ground coverthat can be used for parking cars in a pinch.
That was Tim Stoughton's request for thecover crop he grew as part of the cover cropproject funded by Cornell CooperativeExtension and the NY Farm Viability Institutein 2007-2008. Stoughton Farm was increas-ing their fall farm activities and needed aplace to stash the vehicles on those busySaturday afternoons in October. The stipula-tions: no mud, and no flammable residue likecorn stalks or oat chaff.
The cover crop project prescribed OVN mix."What's that," you say? OVN stands forOrchard, Vineyard, Nursery, and the mix con-tains a bunch of slow-growing perennial grass-es like perennial ryegrass and varieties ofcreeping fescues. It's designed for the grassyaisle-ways on farms like orchards, where youwant a perennial ground cover that doesn'ttake a lot of mowing and doesn't compete withthe main crop. It grows much slower than theaverage residential lawn grass mix.
Tim seeded the OVN mix at 30 lbs/acre onJune 22, 2007. The seed isn't cheap. At $2per pound it costs $60/acre, but unlike annualcover crops it's meant to last for many years.The grass grew slowly, partly because ofdrought and partly because it's a slow-grow-ing, cool season grass that was planted in theheat of summer -- not quite ideal. Annual
weeds grew up fast and blan-keted the field. Thick. Wethought all was lost.
Then the weeds were brush-hogged twice in late summerand revealed a beautiful thicklawn underneath, almost like it
had been sodded. The grass had establishedwonderfully under the protective shade of theweeds. Tim was so pleased that he plantedanother OVN lot in 2008.
The 2008 planting was mowed more regular-ly, every couple weeks, to keep the competi-tion with annual grasses and broadleavesdown. The annual weed "nurse crop" in 2007worked, but lots of weed seeds ended up inthe soil, and although they don't germinatethrough the sod while it's there, Tim decidedit'd be better to spend the first year mowingand keep a neater look.
"It slowed down in the end and won't neednear as much mowing in 2008," Tim says."For our other parking lot that I seeded in2004, I used a landscaper's mix plus I addedwhite clover. This I have to mow like a lawn,as it grows fast. The OVN mix is really differ-ent than the rest of the lawn, when it's estab-lished I only have to mow it 2 or 3 times dur-ing the whole summer."
What more could you ask from a parking lot?
Molly Shaw is a Fruit and Vegetable Specialistwith the Cornell Cooperative Extension officein Tioga County, NY. She can be reached at(607) 687-4020 or [email protected]. Formore information on purchasing OVN mix,contact Seedway at 1-800-836-3710.
COWS AND CROPS
Cover Crops Case Studies -Stoughton FarmGrowing a parking lot
By October the annual weeds were mowed off and the OVN mix was a good, low maintenanceparking area. Photo by Molly Shaw
Deb and Tim Stoughton (standing) enjoy abite of sweet corn with two of the StoughtonFarm employees. The tall corn behind them istheir fall corn maze, one of the main reasonsthey need over-flow parking in October.
Photo by Brian Ireley
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By Rebecca Schuelke-Staehr
"Long Island agriculture has several unique char-acteristics, including the area's population andhigh land values. We were interested in a projectthat provides some support services on LongIsland, but also develops a model for the rest ofthe state. Farmers all over have told us businesssuccession and passing the farm to the nextgeneration weighs on their mind," said TomSleight, executive director of the New York FarmViability Institute, a farmer-led nonprofit groupthat awards grants to projects that help farmersimprove profitability.
Long Island represents an extreme case fordoing agricultural business. The region onceknown for its duck and potatoes is, today, betterknown for its housing developments and trafficdelays. Heavy population densities make drivinga tractor down the road a chore, and neighborsaren't always keen to be located next to thesounds and smells of working farms. Agriculturalland is selling for $60,000-$100,000 per acre.
"We felt there was some important work to do,"said Arthur Ludlow of Mecox Bay Dairy inBridgehampton. "I am a farmer, not a business-man, but, doing what I'm doing, I have to be abusinessman. We want to manage properly anddetermine how to make the business profitablefor the future."
CHANGING WITH THE TIMES"The one thing that characterizes agriculturehere is that it's always in transition and alwayschanging," said Bill Sanok.
Sanok is a retired agriculture educator withCornell Cooperative Extension of Suffolk Countywho now works part-time as a farm businessconsultant for NY FarmNet, a nonprofit programhoused in Cornell University's Department ofApplied Economics and Management.
NY FarmNet provides farm business manage-ment assistance to established and beginningfarmers throughout the state, at no cost to farm-ers. Their trained consultants work with farm fam-ilies to develop business plans, consider the fea-sibility of new ventures, restructure debt, plan forretirement, analyze the cost of different businesspractices, and tackle other farm business man-agement challenges.
Since April 2007, NY FarmNet has worked with30 farmers in Suffolk County and the Hudson
Valley region, helping them preserve more than689 acres of farmland value at $55 million.
In addition to preserving agricultural land, severalfarms developed business plans to expand theirenterprises, including a projected $3.8 million innew annual gross receipts and 12 new jobs.
In addition to business planning, Farm Net con-sultants encouraged some of the farmers to draftpersonal wills and take out life insurance for thebusiness owners, draft buy-sell agreementsamong business partners, implement appropriatebusiness structure (corporation, limited liability,etc), put land and business in separate businessentities, and other strategies that matched indi-vidual farm's resources and goals.
PRESERVING THE LANDMore than 1.3 million acres of US farmland areprotected from conversion to nonfarm uses,according to a 2003 report by USDA.
There are several different programs that ask farmowners to enter a deed covenant that restrictsland use to agricultural purposes and may beknown as sale of development rights, conserva-tion easements, etc. The farm receives a one-time payment for entering the agreement, usuallywith local governments or a nonprofit group.
On Long Island, selling development rights canbring $50,000-$80,000 per acre for the farm,money that is often to use to further develop thebusiness, or put away for retirement. By con-trast, farms in upstate New York may receive$1,000-$3,000 per acre for selling developmentrights.
"All these things are optional," said Sanok."Setting up team meetings with your employeesdoesn't help the plants grow. It's hard to doestate planning when you are busy with every-thing else. Farm Net can help you set deadlinesand stay on task. Proper planning helps ensureyou don't have all the pitfalls."
TASTE OF LONG ISLANDArthur and Stacy Ludlow milk 11 Jersey cowsand sell all of the milk as aged cheeses at areafarmers markets and to shops on Long Islandand in New York City. They started Mecox BayDairy in 2003, by transitioning Arthur's father's140 acre potato farm. Arthur's brother Harryoperates a direct-market vegetable stand on halfthe land. The farm has been in the family sincethe 1870s.
"We wanted to get closer to the consumer andchange with the times," Arthur said, of revamp-ing the farm businesses. "It's a local thing.People feel a connection to the product, and,it's a good product."
In addition to cheese, the Ludlows raise turkeysfor the freezer meat trade. They have one full-time employee. Recently, their son, Peter, gradu-ated from college and returned to the farm.
"Working here, doing a variety of things, workingoutdoors, is what I want to do. I like variation,"Peter said. He is raising chickens for direct saleto consumers. "I don't know if anyone is doingpasture-raised chicken on the island," he said.
EXPERIENCE AGRICULTUREJean and Bob Benner of East Setauket startedBenner's Farm 31 years ago. It's a 15-acremixed livestock operation, where they growpumpkins, strawberries and a few other crops,and open their farm to the public for "old fash-ioned family fun."
The farm offers a mix of entertainment and edu-cation, from children's summer camps toColonial farming programs for local schools. Thecouple and their daughter Kirsten all have educa-tion degrees. For many visitors, though,Benner's Farm offers city dwellers their first in-person look at a chicken or a cow.
As the Benners' adult children, including sonsSam and Ben, have joined the business, thefarm has grown to include a gift shop with freshproduce and a party and events room. A com-mercial kitchen is planned.
The business expansion prompted the familyto start working with NY FarmNet."We wanted to protect our business and ourkids," Jean said. "FarmNet had us think of thisnot as Mom and Dad's Farm, but as a busi-ness. We wrote mission statements and jobdescriptions."
Bob said, "It took a lot of weight off our shoul-ders. If the public is coming to your farm, protectyour liability. It's nice to have fresh eyes. Ithelped us focus."
MODEL FOR FARMING"Long Island agriculture is a model for the rest ofthe state, when it comes to financial and estateplanning. Having a plan in place helps keepagriculture viable. Protected development rightsare great, but without ensuring the business cankeep going, you may end up with vacant land,"said Ed Staehr, Director of NY FarmNet . "Wewant to ensure that land stays in agriculture,and, just as important, that businesses remainviable to continue farming the land." For more information, visit www.nyfvi.org.
Rebecca Schuelke Staehr is the communicationspecialist for the New York Farm ViabilityInstitute, a farmer-led organization that fundsprojects across the state. The Institute receivedfunding from the New York State legislature andDepartment of Agriculture and Markets. For moreinformation contact (315) 453-3823 [email protected], or visit www.nyfvi.org. Youcan also visit Mecox Bay Dairy online atwww.mecoxbaydairy.com, and Benner's Farm atwww.bennersfarm.com.
Page 8 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 5, 2009
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
Future of the FarmA Long Island initiative that matches farmland preservation withbusiness planning may become a model for farm succession.
NY FarmNet consultant Bill Sanok, left, is work-ing with Arthur, Peter and Stacy Ludlow as thefamily develops business plans to take theirMecox Bay Dairy into the next generation ofbusiness operators. One strategy is to diversi-fy the farm, including pasture-raised poultry.
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NY FarmNet's guidebook to farm business succession and transfer will beavailable in late 2009. A $12 charge covers printing and mailing. For moreinformation, call (800) 547-3276, or visit www.nyfarmnet.org.
The type, quality, and cost of assistance available for farm financial planningvary by state. In some cases, Cooperative Extension offices, Farm Bureau,state agricultural departments, or local land trust groups may be helpful. Beloware several nonprofit organizations; programming varies by organization, andorganizations are not affiliated.
Regional ProgramsFarm Transfer Network of New England, (413) 323-9878, (603) 357-1600,www.farmtransfernewengland.netLand for Good, (603) 357-1600, www.landforgood.orgNew England Small Farm Institute, (413) 323-4531, www.smallfarm.org
October 5, 2009 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 9
Welcome to the Northeast SARE Spotlight! With each issue we share news and information fromthe Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research andEducation Program, including examples of how SAREgrant recipients are introducing new approachesto sustainable agriculture.
Flower City MushroomsJohn Morelli used a SARE grant to experiment with different substrate materials forgrowing King Oyster mushrooms in order to maximize production By Abha Gupta
Inside two wings of a barn inRochester, NY, John Morelli's FlowerCity Mushrooms farm has been pro-ducing mushrooms since 2001. Thefarm became NOFA-certified organic in2003, and now produces about seventypounds of shiitake mushrooms everyweek. Periodically, John grows crops ofmaitake or "hen of the woods" as wellas several varieties of oyster mush-rooms: phoenix tail, common tree oys-ters, and king oysters. Flower CityMushrooms has a year round season,with each crop taking three to fourmonths, and new plantings every week.
Several years into the mushroom farm-ing business John and a student intern,Melissa Lamphron, became interestedin using local agricultural wastes as asubstrate for mushroom growth. Theyreasoned that using leftover agriculturematerials like corn cobs and sawdustcould save on substrate expenseswhile recycling byproducts from otherlocal farms.
THE SARE PROJECTJohn and Melissa (who later became apartner in the farm) then learned of theNortheast SARE farmer grants pro-gram and felt it could helpthem develop a suitablesubstrate from localsources. They decided tofocus their SARE proposalon the king oyster mush-room, which is very popularin Europe where it is prizedfor its great flavor and tex-ture. "It's interesting, a differ-ent kind of mushroom," saysJohn. "You can sauté themand it's like eating scallops,very nice."
Their proposal was accept-ed and the project began in2006. When John had inves-tigated king oyster mush-room production in the lit-erature, he learned thattypically only a half apound of mushrooms couldbe grown from six poundsof substrate within a five to six weekperiod. But in order for king oystermushroom production to be profitable,John knew the yield needed toincrease. As the focus of the SAREproject, John sought to create a formu-lation of substrate, using mostly localmaterials, that would increase yields ofhigh quality mushrooms. John consid-ered high quality to be when 90% ofthe harvested crop is sellable.
After researching different types of for-mulations used for growing king oys-ters, John came up with fifteen differentformulations on his own, using ground
corncobs, hardwood sawdust, wheatstraw, wheat bran, soy meal, milletspent brewery grains, grape pomace,and a small amount of sugar. Johncombined the materials in varying pro-portions in order to increase the fiber,protein, cellulose, hemicelluloses, andlignin components of each formulation.
The formulations were then sterilized,cooked for hours in a steam boiler sothat only the inoculated mushroomswould grow in the materials. The inocu-lated formulations were left to grow inidentical temperature and moistureconditions. The process was very laborand fuel intensive, which is where mostof the funding from the SARE grantwas used.
RESULTSDuring the experimental process, Johnfound it difficult to procure local ingredi-ents that were also organic, which isnecessary as a certified organic grow-er. "Our first choice was local andorganic, second was local, and thirdwas organic substrate materials," heexplained.
After a complex series of trials with thevarious substrate formulations, Johnfound that formulations with 1% sugaradded had worked best. Sugar helpsdegrade lignin, and the 1% formulationproduced 1.3 pounds of high qualitymushrooms from six pounds of sub-strate over a period of five weeks.
John was pleased with these results,and now knows he can produce kingoyster mushrooms in a commerciallyviable way. As part of the project, themushrooms were evaluated by thechefs of four top Rochester restaurantsand the produce buyer for a large, localnatural food store, all of whom gave
positive remarks about thesize, weight, shape, tex-ture, flavor, ease of prepa-ration, and culinary versa-tility of the king oystermushrooms.
There still remains theobstacle the king oyster'srelative unfamiliarityamong American chefsand consumers. But Johnhas seen the mushroombeginning to appear ingrocery stores, andexpects them to becomemore popular.
John Morelli presented thefindings of his SARE proj-ect at the 9th AnnualOrganic Production andMarketing Program Work
Team Meeting at Cornell University in2006. The findings have also been pub-lished in Mushworld, an electronicnewsletter published in Korea, and theMushroom Growers Newsletter.
Abha Gupta grows organic vegetablesat Six Circles Farm in Lodi, NY andcoordinates Edible Awareness, a farmeducation program for youth. She maybe reached at [email protected].
Chefs are eager to feature John Morelli's organic King Oyster mushrooms, which canbe served braised, broiled, grilled, sautéed, or stewed. Photos by John Morelli
With a blunt cap above and a stout stem beneath, the King Oystermushroom develops a thick, white flesh that is firm-textured andmeaty from the base to the cap
The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Research andEducation (SARE) program is a USDA competitivegrants program supporting agriculture that is profitable,environmentally sound, and good for communities.
Farmer Grants - Due December 8The goal of the Farmer Grant program is to develop,refine, and demonstrate new sustainable techniquesand to explore innovative ideas developed by farmersacross the region. Farmer grant projects should seeknew knowledge that other farmers can use andshould address questions that are directly linked toimproved profits, better stewardship, and strongerrural communities. The maximum award is $10,000,and the average award is around $6,500. Learnmore: http://nesare.org/get/farmers/fg-overview/grant-description.html
Partnership Grants - Due December 1The purpose of the Partnership Grant program is tosupport agricultural service providers who workdirectly with farmers to do on-farm demonstrations,research, marketing, and other projects that will addto our understanding of sustainable agriculture.Sustainable agriculture is understood to be agricul-ture that is profitable, environmentally sound, andbeneficial to the community. The maximum award is$10,000 and the average award is $9,550.Learnmore: http://nesare.org/get/partnership/pg-overview/grant-description.html
Sustainable Community Grants - Due November 24Sustainable Community Grants are for projects thatstrengthen the position of sustainable agriculture asit affects community economic development.Communities and commercial farmers must benefitfrom these proposals, and the selection emphasis ison model projects that others can replicate. We alsolook for projects that are likely to bring about durableand positive institutional change and for projects thatbenefit more than one farm. Grants are capped at$25,000. Learn more: http://nesare.org/get/sustain-able-community/sc-overview/grant-description.html.
Northeast SAREUpcoming Grants &
Deadlines
Learn more about theNortheast SARE
Program by visitinghttp://nesare.orgor by contacting:Northeast SARE
My name is Hanna Stark and I am 13 years old. I am goinginto my 6th year of 4-H. My favorite animal to show is a pig.This year will be my fifth year showing pigs. Pigs are myfavorite animal to show because they are challenging andevery time the judge talks to us during the show I learnsomething new, like hints on making my animal look better orsuggestions on different ways to take care of them.
My favorite pig was Bubba. He was BIG and nice. Bubba was307 pounds of muscle and meat. Every time anybody wentinto the pen he would come running up to greet you. If he evergot out, all you would have to do is call him and he wouldcome running to you in the pen.
Once a couple of friends that live in the city came for a fairtour. The oldest was five and the youngest was three. Whenwe got to the pigs and the kids couldn't even sit still theywere so excited. As they walked into the pen Bubba camerunning. What would you do if you had a 307-pound pig run-ning up to you? The little kids ran screaming and all the pigwanted to do was play. The youngest started crying and Itried to tell her that he just wanted to be petted but it did-n't work.
When they came the next week all they wanted to do was seethe pigs. Again Bubba came running but the kids didn't move.Instead they started being loud. I asked why they were mak-ing so much noise and the oldest said, "Mommy said if we
scare the pig he wouldn't eat us." I explained to them and totheir parents that he was just excited - really he just wantedto play. I also told them a lot of information about pigs andthey were so interested. They asked me how I knew all thatand I told them about 4-H and how I was a member. Theywere so happy that they surprised me by coming to the fairto watch me show Bubba.
Have you ever seen a pig being shown? It is very funny. Youhave to walk the pig! You might ask how do you do that? Iwould answer by saying, "Very carefully." You have to take astick with a fabric piece at the end and carefully touch thepig behind the ear in the direction that you want him/her togo in. You are supposed to make the pig walk in front of thejudge. When the judge moves you keep walking the pig up tohim and around him. Don't forget to smile. You are supposedto be having fun and learning at the same time. Showing alarge animal like Bubba has really helped me become moreconfident in what I know and what I'm comfortable doing.
As I have had fun, I've learned so much. I haven't only learnedabout swine, I've learned life lessons like writing skills andreading skills as I've had to write project records and readabout and research swine. I love 4-H and raising pigs - I hopeyou might, too, become interested in showing "some pig."
For information about raising swine visit the 4-H ResourceDirectory: www.cerp.cornell.edu/4h/ or NYS 4-H AnimalScience swine websitewww.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/swine/index.html
The Youth Pages are written by and foryoung people. Many thanks to CornellCooperative Extension of Columbia Countyfor contributing to this issue. We believe there's a bright future or youngfarmers in the Northeast. Whether youlive on a farm or only wish you did, we'd love to hear from you!
More information can be foundabout the Cornell Cooperative
To most teenagers, chicken only comes in the form of a"mcnugget." But to me few things are as gratifying as show-ing a living, breathing, feathered creature to a group of chil-dren who never considered the possibility that a chicken canbe a companion rather than simply a meal. For me, poultry isa passion. I love reading about different breeds and research-ing the various associations that make up the world of chick-ens, ducks and geese. At times, I have spent hours on thecomputers searching for more effective soaps that will notdeplete the natural oils of my chicken's plumage.
I have been a member of 4-H since I was nine years old andhave bounced around from club to club enjoying the projectsand the animals. I have done everything from showing rabbitsto working with llamas, but have maintained an interest inpoultry ever since my kindergarten class hatched a smallbatch of eggs.
Last year I purchased a small golden comet chicken from mylocal farm supply store. I named her "Lucky" although I con-sider myself to be the fortunate one. She was the friendliestlittle ball of fluff I've ever seen. Since she was raised alone Iwas able to form an exceptionally close bond with her,although for the sake of the chick's health I do not advisepurchasing only one chicken. Lucky chirped when I was not inthe room and soon learned how to jump out of her small binand was moved into a rabbit cage then a large dog crate andthen for a time in a cage at the Columbia County Fair.
When I first arrived at the fair, I enviously watched the 4-Hkids showing rabbits carry around their prized bunny, lettingsmall children pet it and discussing its breed and feedingroutine. After a day or so I could no longer stand to be leftout and happily allowed Lucky to gain a perch on my shoulder.I soon became an attraction of sorts and picked up everyextra shift at the barn I could. No one seemed to believe thatsomeone could make a pet out of a chicken. Children onschool trips would wander through the barn and squeal asthey stroked Lucky's scaled feet.
Lucky's good behavior did not end there. Her good behaviorand sweet disposition shined through at the show and thatyear I won the title of Master Showman. I won a trophy and aribbon but Lucky was far more satisfied with her prize, a largepiece of funnel cake.
Today Lucky lives happily in the coop in my yard and spendsmost of her time taking dirt baths and chasing my twoducks. This fall I have a new chicken to use for showmanshipnamed Bella. Lucky will also return so that I can teach chil-dren about keeping "backyard chickens" and about fosteringgood relationships with agricultural animals, although I amsure that Lucky is just doing it for the funnel cake.
For information about raising poultry visit the 4-H ResourceDirectory: www.cerp.cornell.edu/4h/ or NYS 4-H AnimalScience swine websitewww.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/birds/index.html
Poultry as a Passion
Hang on! Chloe often astounds young audiences at our 4-HCommunity programs with her trained chickens. This summer,Chloe helped kids learn about where their food comes fromduring 4-H's Animals on the Farm project.
Need Info?Subscribe to the Small Farms Update, amonthly email newsletter with announce-ments, upcoming events, resources, fund-ing and farming opportunities and more.Send an email [email protected] provide your name, farm name,postal address, and county.
Hi. My name is Jesse Bonin. This is my 5th year showingdairy cattle. Showing cows is a lot of fun. You get to clip theirfur, wash them, and show them off to people, and take careof them.
People may think that they wouldn't like showing dairy cattlebecause they think it's hard work. Showing dairy cattle ishard work, but it's rewarding. When you confidently walk intothe show ring, all the hard work you've done pays off. Peoplewatch you and your animal, and even if you don't win, you stillget a ribbon as proof of your hard work. The judge gives youadvice on how to do better next time, and on what you didwell, so you can be confident that you know how to do certainthings very well.
Here's an example that you wouldn't think would be thatimportant. A judge taught me to be very aware of where Iwas standing and placing my animal. Some places in the ringare better than others, and you always want to put your ani-
mal in the best possible spot as much as possible.
You have to be very responsible to show a dairy cow. Part ofshowing a cow is taking care of your animal. Cows are fed hay,and grain or silage. Cows are very thirsty, and drink aroundtwenty gallons of water a day. This makes it helpful to havean automatic waterer. Heifers and cows can have straw,shavings, sawdust, or sand as their bedding. Different kindsof bedding are better for different times of the year. Youmust clean out a cow's bedding twice a day.
To show a heifer or cow, it takes a certain amount ofendurance, coordination, and tolerance. Cows have minds oftheir own, just like any other animal. It takes them a while toget used to being led around by humans, as it takes a whilefor people to get used to walking with the animal.
It is well worthwhile to show cows. You get an award, youaccomplish a goal, and you learn new skills, and you improveon old skills because of what you've been told.
For information about raising and showing cattle visit the 4-H Resource Directory: www.cerp.cornell.edu/4h/ or NYS 4-HAnimal Science swine websitewww.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/dairycattle/index.html
October 5, 2009 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 11
Jesse is front and center for his showmanship class at theColumbia County Fair.
Sheep are wacky creatures, but they can be oh so fun. I havebeen working with sheep since I was eight years old, and theyhave always been my favorite. One of my best memories isfrom the first year working with sheep. Two older teens,Tessa and Ashley, showed me the ropes and helped me slickshear my sheep. I was nervous and the sheep was nervous,but they helped me get through it, even when my hand slippedand I nicked the sheep a little.
I have worked at my shearing skills over the years. Now Iknow that the key is in the animal, if I can get the animal totrust me then all will go well. Over time a bond that is builtbetween you and your animal. This is when your animal trustsyou and lets you touch their legs and walk them without ahalter.
My first year, I was excited just to be able to work with thesheep. I wasn't thinking of ribbons and prizes when I wentinto the ring. I was concentrating on putting its legs theright way and keeping control of it. The next thing I knew Ihad won Reserve Champion Market Sheep. I didn't expect toget a big ribbon.
I do not live on a farm so I work at someone else's farm. I goto the farm, feed the sheep, walk them, and work with them.When it comes time for show, I show through the 4-H non-ownership program. These animals really shine. If they aretrained enough, they can be docile and lovable. The sheep willalways be my favorite animal to show.
For information about raising and showing sheep visit the 4-H Resource Directory: www.cerp.cornell.edu/4h/ or NYS 4-HAnimal Science swine websitewww.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/sheep/index.htmlwww.ansci.cornell.ed Who Me? Ben with another Reserve Champion Market Sheep.
It's A Matter of Trust
By Violet Stone, Christine Im and Emily Wing
This summer, hundreds of 4-H teens from allover New York arrived at Cornell Universityto explore careers in everything fromAstronomy to Veterinary Science. We at theCornell Small Farms Program were pleasedto host a session titled "Exploring the SmallFarm Dream." Students learned all aboutfarm-related career paths and even got theirhands dirty at the Cornell Dilmun HillStudent Farm. We'd like to share reflectionsfrom two of our participants.
LESSONS FROM THE COUNTRYBy Christine Im of New York City
As someone who's lived in New York Citytheir entire life, coming up here to CornellUniversity and being out of the city was arefreshing experience. Seeing all these openfields and hills, little towns and farms wasdefinitely something you don't see in the city.I quite loved it; I thought the open fields andflowers were very beautiful. The city is beau-tiful in its own way of course, but I couldn'thelp but wish that the city had a bit moregreen and a lot less grey.
The Small Farms program opened my eyes,in a way. Back at home I've never reallythought about where my food came from.I've always been aware of farms of course,but I've never actually really thought about it.Coming here, everyone seemed to know somuch about farming and gardening, and atfirst my friends and I were completely lost.Everything was so different! And yet, it was-n't as if we had gone all the way across theworld. We were still in the same state, andrelatively close to New York City, and yet, itfelt so different.
Going to Dilmun Hill and working in thefields was nice. It wasn't thrilling or exciting,it was just nice. And by that, I mean it in agood way. I'm used to things so fast-pacedthat you don't really realize the small littlenice things. It's funny how it feels nice to justpull weeds, and spreading hay on the soil,but the work was oddly satisfying. It's niceknowing that what you cared for and workedwith will grow into something beautiful, likeflowers and trees, and in this case, some-thing that will feed the community.
This program was a great experience forme. Not only did I learn about the basics offarming and the business of farming, butalso of the hard effort farmers put into theirwork, and how important their job is. Mostpeople don't really consider a career in farm-ing, yet farmers undoubtedly have such animportant job of feeding America, feedingthe world.
FARMER HEROESBy Emily Wing of Essex County, NY
When we arrived at Cornell University in theafternoon for 4-H Career Explorations every-
one split up into their own workshops tolearn about different subjects, mine beingEntrepreneurship: The Small Farm Dream.This program interested me because I helprun our family horse farm where we breed,raise and train horses and show them in theEnglish riding disciplines, such as dressageor eventing. We have slowly grown to abouta medium sized farm.
Our program first started when we went toone of the horticulture buildings and learnedabout all of the jobs you can have in thefarming industry. Then, we watched someshort videos online of New York farmers andhow they have grown their businesses andthe struggles they have had to keep theirfarms running. They also gave much advicefor people just beginning their small farmsand the amount of work they have to do ontheir farm. (Readers can view the videos atwww.nybeginningfarmers.org.)
The next day our group went to Dilmun HillFarm, which is a student-run farm at CornellUniversity. We were introduced to some ofthe students that volunteered at the farmand they gave us a tour of the farm and toldus about some of the research they weredoing on the plants and soil. After the tour,we all helped them weed and mulch some ofthe cauliflower rows. The Dilmun Hill Farmexperience really showed me how muchwork was put into growing and properly tak-ing care of crops.
We then went to Finger Lakes FarmsteadCheese Company where Nancy Richardsmakes her own Gouda cheese. She told usof all of the challenges she has had to finan-cially run her company and how she chosethe cheese making business. She also tookus for a tour and talked to us about how thecheese ages and the process of making thewheels of cheese. This ended with somesamples of some of the delicious cheesethat she made.
Our last stop was at the Reisinger's AppleCountry where they grow apples, berriesand cherries. Mr. Reisinger gave us a tour ofthe farm and told us of all the hard work ittook to keep the farm running strong. I wasamazed at the amount it took to take care ofall the apple trees. Mr. Reisinger told us thatit took about two months to prune the trees.They also have to be very careful of some ofthe bugs and diseases that can really hurtthe trees. It sounds like the apple farmingbusiness is really a risky business.
I was amazed at how much work and dedi-cation it took to run these farms. It seemedlike all who ran them had a real passion forgrowing food for people. Farmers are realheroes to me because of their hard workand dedication to feed the planet.
Violet Stone is the Outreach Coordinator forthe Cornell Small Farms Program and NYSARE. You can reach her at 607-255-9227or [email protected].
Exploring the Small Farm Dream4-H teens learn about the hard work and creativity needed torun a successful small farm
Rick Reisinger explains insect scouting anddisease control at his U-pick fruit farm.
Photos by Rhonda Sick
Daphne Zhen and Christine Im transportbuckets of weeds to the compost at DilmunHill Student Farm.
Staking and training tomatoes at Dilmun HillStudent Farm
12Page 12 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 5, 2009
By Erica Frenay
A notable trend is afoot. Across the nation people of all agesand backgrounds-teachers, engineers, homemakers; young,retired, and mid-career-are choosing to start farms. Few of themhave any formal farm management experience when they makethis decision. Given the drastic loss of farms over the past fewdecades, even fewer benefit from having grown up on a farm.Some of them choose to produce only for self-sufficiency, whilethe majority have a go at a part-time or full-time profitable enter-prise.
Their reasons are as varied as their backgrounds, but many ofthem cite a desire for a sense of security in insecure times. Thefact that farming, with its volatile weather patterns, disease,pests, and ever-changing markets, has come to represent"security" is perhaps a sign of just how insecure people feelabout their ability to provide for themselves economically. Butbeyond that, farming represents, as it always has, a source ofpride. In a hyperactive world of instant everything, farming is agrounding, satisfying way to make a living, or at least some partof it.
Diane Carlson of Greene Earth Farm is typical of this new breedof farmers. While she wasn't raised on a farm, at a young ageshe had some exposure to agriculture as her parents raisedtheir own chickens and veggies, and her grandfather labored ona rice farm in Texas. Now Diane has four kids, two of whom areteens still living at home. Her husband has a well-paid profes-sional job that has supported the family over the past fewdecades while Diane worked as a homemaker raising the kids.
The Carlsons always had a garden and put up much of theirown food, whether they were living in New Jersey, Brooklyn, orFlorida as they did the past 15 years. Diane always loved plantsand took a few horticulture classes at a technical school whenher oldest kids were still in high school.
A few years ago they made the decision to purchase 200 acresof land on the road where Diane's husband Skip grew up inGreene County, NY. At the time, the Carlsons still lived inFlorida, but they began scheming about what they could growon their new property. As a first step, they attended a NortheastOrganic Farming Association summer conference in Amherst,MA. There they met long-time CSA farmer Elizabeth Henderson
from Wayne County, NY. She encouraged them to get as muchexposure as they could to farming - both hands-on productionand on the management side.
So back in Florida, Diane began volunteering at a CSA and alsosigned up for the online course offered by the NY BeginningFarmer Project. The course assists new farmers in goal-setting,market research, choosing an enterprise, analyzing potential forprofitability, and understanding regulations. The course wasdeveloped with funding from the NY Farm Viability Institute.
"The best part for me was 'meeting' the other participants,because everyone had different levels of experience but we allhad similar interests," says Diane. "And while I did have a planin place before I took the course, [the instructors] directed me toa lot of resources I wasn't aware of before. These really helpedme refine and improve my plan."
It's possible that Diane has never heard the expression "Lifenever goes as planned." Or perhaps she's just chosen to ignoreit. Either way, she and her familial accomplices are right on track
so far, with year two of their five-year plan (see sidebar).
In 2008, during the ten weeks of the online course, Diane andher family came up to NY and planted asparagus, raspberriesand other perennial crops. This spring, they planted an entire 3-acre field with potatoes, tomatoes, peppers, strawberries, blue-berries, raspberries, garlic, pumpkins, zucchini, and cucumbers.When I spoke to her, Diane was celebrating news that she wasjust received organic certification for these crops. Her husbandand daughters also produced 50 gallons of maple syrup thisyear for personal use, but would like to organically certify theirsyrup in the future too.
Diane's primary market outlet in this first year is the farmers'market in Saugerties. It's a small market and Greene EarthFarm is very popular with both customers and market coordina-tors. Diane would love to sell to restaurants, but wants to makesure she has a little bit more growing experience first so sheknows what she can commit to a restaurant. She is weighing thebenefits and challenges of a pick-your-own operation, particular-ly for berries, and will consider implementing this in year 4. Fornow, she is happy with what she sells at her market stand, andhas also started to get emails from people who aren't able toattend the farmers' market and would like to pick up itemsdirectly at the farm.
The Carlsons don't want to grow so big that they have to hireoutside labor. Diane's youngest two daughters, Rebecca andKatie, are in 10th and 8th grade and are enthusiastic helpers atthe farm and at the market. Her older two children are marriedprofessionals with gardening interests but so far no expressedinclination to return home to farm.
When I asked what would happen once her current labor forcegraduates, Diane's response made clear the advantage of theircurrent property: "My husband has seven siblings, many of themliving on the same road as our farm. Already they've contributedso much to our farming dream, and we hope we can continue toenlist their support as the farm develops and matures."
Around the country many people share Diane's small farmdream. But the reality of farming quickly goes beyond theromanticism. Only solid planning, perseverance, a lot of sweatand very long days can get you past the first few years to thepotential for profitability. Diane sums it up, "I work harder than Ithink I have worked in my entire life, and my hands are dirtier.But we are having a grand time!"
Erica Frenay is an aspiring farmer as well as a Project Managerwith Cornell's Small Farms Program, where she serves asCoordinator of the NY Beginning Farmers Project. You canreach her at 607-255-9911 or [email protected].
Greene Earth Farm Celebrates aSuccessful First Season!
Diane Carlson and her family moved to Greene County, NY in2008 to begin farming.
Garlic, planted fall of 2008. Photos by Skip Carlson
Diane with daughters Rebecca and Katie at the SaugertiesFarmers' Market.
SMALL FARM SPOTLIGHT
Otis, the Carlson's Australian Shepherd, is learning how toherd pigs this year.
The Carlson'sFive-Year Start-Up PlanDiane and her family are right on track, so far, with plans todevelop a profitable small farm business.
Year 1 - 2008: Plant perennials like asparagus and berriesthat will take several years to produce
Year 2 - 2009: Plant 3 acres in veggies and berries, continueto build infrastructure (farm shop), begin selling at farmersmarket, raise two pigs for family consumption, certify farm asorganic
Year 3 - 2010: Work on woodland/pasture area for free rang-ing of chicken layers, install irrigation, focus on soil improve-ment program, clear and organically certify additional acreagearound orchard
Year 4 - 2011: First year of profitability! Sell maple syrup, con-tinue to focus on organic veggies, but choose a specialtyfocus, maybe pick-your-own berries
Year 5 - 2012: Become more of a learning farm offering work-shops, tours, etc.
By Kristin Reynolds
Editor's note: Part 1 of this two part seriesdescribes the stresses you may encounter asa woman in agriculture. In the next issue, Part2 will focus on strategies for managing stress,and includes a complete list of cited works aswell as additional online resources.
DEFINING STRESSStress is something that everyone has experi-enced. However, there are different types ofstress, and each can affect daily life in differentways. Stress can be physical, psychological, orsocial, and can stem from virtually any circum-stance, depending on the person. Stress caneven be beneficial.
Many medical and behavioral theories suggestthat humans need a certain amount of stressthat essentially translates into motivation.Positive stress is referred to as eustress, whichoften gives us our competitive edge in perform-ance-related activities, such as succeeding ata new production method, or connecting with anew marketing outlet.
Eustress is stress that the body can chemicallydissipate without physiological damage-helpfulin moving individuals toward achievement. Onthe other hand, distress is negative stress,such as constant worry, that can be physicallyor psychologically harmful if ignored. Distressis what people aim to manage through use ofcoping strategies.
STRESS ON THE FARMStudies have shown that there are differences
in the ways that farmers experience stress. Forexample, the National Agricultural SafetyDatabase cites the following statistics:• Younger farmers, especially those youngerthan 50, report more stress than older farmers.• Farmers in dairy or mixed, (for example, grainand livestock), operations report higher stressthan those in grain only [or single product]operations.• Farmers employed in off-farm jobs reportmore stress than full-time farm operators.• Farm women may experience additionalstressors. Besides working as a full partner inthe farm business, many farm women have fullresponsibility for home and family matters. Afarm woman with an off-farm job faces very dif-ficult demands in addition to being the tradi-tional nurturer for the rest of the family.
In addition to the differences between how var-ious operators experience stress, there arealso common stressors that may be felt solelyor more acutely by farm and ranch operatorsthan by other segments of society. These per-tain to the nature of agricultural work, as wellas the fact that farming and ranching arelifestyles, in addition to being professions.
COMMON STRESSORS IN AGRICULTURELack of control over the environment, crop andanimal health: Weather and crop or livestockpests, illnesses and disease are fundamentalrisks in agriculture. Take steps to avoid nega-tive consequences, and have a plan deal withweather-related set-backs when they occur.
Uncertainty about production output and salesincome: This can add a measure of stress to
farming and ranching, yet doesn't have to beinsurmountable, if anticipated in advance.
Regular urgent situations: Agriculture involves adegree of "excitement" or unexpected but urgentevents that many indoor jobs do not. Examplesinclude pest outbreaks; animal injuries, births,and deaths; burst irrigation pipes...
Physical stress: Farming is physically taxing,and more often than not, the work still needsto get done when you are tired, injured, or ill.Neglecting one's health can lead to repetitiveor cumulative health problems, such as repeti-tive stress injuries, or a weakened immunesystem. Illness can be stressful for anyone, butgiven that farmers' and ranchers' livelihoodsare likely to be somewhat dependent on thephysical well-being of themselves or their fami-lies, physical stress may be doubly so. Takingcare of your physical well-being is vital to per-sonal sustainability in agriculture.
Too much to do: Agriculture is not only physi-cally, and at times emotionally, demanding; it isalso time-intensive. There is never a shortageof tasks to complete, planning to do, or book-keeping to catch up on. This can be stressfulfor some people; especially those who like tofeel a sense of completion. Breaking up tasksinto steps such as goal writing can help createa sense of accomplishment, and reducestress. Effective time management can also bea stress-relief strategy.
Integration of home and work: Separating workfrom "home life" can be challenging. The com-pletion of farm or ranch tasks may vie withother more personal matters throughout theday. This stress is not wholly unique to agricul-ture, but is an important aspect of operating abusiness out of the home. Strategies for man-aging home and work priorities may helpreduce home vs. work related stress.Rural life: As cities grow, rural areas oftenexperience a declining population and lessconvenient access to services such as medicalcare, grocery stores, or other essential busi-
nesses. Though the tranquility of living in thecountryside is what attracts many new farmersand ranchers to agriculture, rural life can bestressful in terms of travel time and expense,as well as the general convenience of livingclose to town. In addition to this, for those whohave social networks or jobs in town, fitting anagricultural schedule into an 8am-5pm societycan be challenging. For farmers and rancherswith part- time jobs, finding appropriate waysto distribute time may be a challenge.Managing time in order to attend to businessand personal needs may thus include strate-gizing when certain on-farm or ranch tasks canbe accomplished, and when there will be thetime to make a trip to town.
STRESS ON WOMEN FARMERS The general stresses that women experiencein society may be particularly acute for womenin male-dominated fields such as agriculture.
Stress Managementfor Women FarmersPart 1: Recognizing the sources of stress
October 5, 2009 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 13
WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE
Stress 14
By Mike Farrell
Do you have some marginal land that erodeseasily or is difficult to get equipment on? Arethere streams or wet areas on your property?Are you looking to diversify the plants andtrees growing on your farm? Do you have afield or structure that needs wind protection?Are you searching for innovative ways toincrease income?
If you answered YES to one or more of thesequestions, this article will help you understandhow the principles and practice of agroforestrycan help you on your farm.
I had the fortunate opportunity to attend the11th North American Agroforestry Conferencethis past summer at the University of Missouri.This conference highlighted many agroforestrypractices that were currently being researchedand practiced in the Midwest. As the nameimplies, agroforestry involves combining agri-culture and forestry to increase overall farmproductivity through appropriate planting oftrees in open fields and growing specializedcrops under forest cover. This article highlightssome of the best ideas and outcomes that Itook away from this conference.
On my way to the conference I was also ableto visit the Forrest Keeling Nursery in Elsberry,Missouri. It was truly an incredible experienceto have Wayne Lovelace spend a few hourstouring me around his nursery and seedorchard. Mr. Lovelace has patented the RootProduction Method (RPM) to achieve incrediblegrowth rates on tree nursery crops, usually 3times the normal growth rate of a conventional-ly grown tree.
The RPM process involves air root pruning ofthe taproot along with mycorhizzal inoculationand other specialized horticultural practices todevelop extremely dense and fibrous root sys-tems. These fast growing trees can then beused in a variety of agroforestry practices,which we witnessed at several sites. The cli-
mate in Missouri is similar to that of much ofthe northeast, so many of the practices theyhave researched and put into use can also beadopted here.
RPM Ecosystems LLC is a spinoff of ForrestKeeling Nursery that operates in Dryden, NY. Itutilizes the same patented process to grow avariety of native trees and shrubs. CornellUniversity's maple sugaring research andextension field station, Uihlein Forest in LakePlacid, is currently working with them to growover 10,000 sugar maples that have been bredfor higher sugar content in the sap. Based onprevious research and experience, we expectthese trees to be tappable within 10-12 yearsand obtain roughly twice the sugar concentra-tion of an average maple tree.
And not only are they aesthetically pleasing, butthese maples can also be used for riparianbuffers, windbreaks, erosion control, and alleycropping/forest farming situations. Whereasplanting maples used to be something you woulddo so that your kids or grandchildren could tapthem for syrup production, now you can plantmaples for your own syrup making plans.
At the conference I had the opportunity tomeet Dr. Gene Garrett, one of the originatorsof temperate agroforestry who helped start theHorticulture and Agroforestry Research Center(HARC) at the University of Missouri. This istruly an amazing facility with a variety of proj-ects focusing on appropriate use of agro-forestry practices that generate additionalincome for landowners while further conserv-ing our natural resources.
Researchers at HARC are doing incrediblethings with black walnut, Chinese chestnut, andnorthern pecans. Their varietal trials andgenetic enhancement are now resulting infaster growing trees that yield more plentifulcrops. These trees are all hardy to zones 4 or5, so while they may grow faster in Missouri,they will survive and could thrive under the rightconditions throughout much of the northeast.
In fact, the Agroforestry Resource Center inthe Catskill Mountains of NY also showcasesthe many ways agroforestry can be put intopractice further north. Even if you can't growpecans on your farm, most farms in the north-east can support walnuts and chestnuts.
Finally, we also had an opportunity to visitShepherd Farms, one the largest growers ofpecans, buffalo meat, and eastern gama grassin the US. The owner follows the philosophythat "you can make a little money doing whateveryone else is doing, or you can make a lotof money doing what no one else is doing".
He told us he gives away pumpkins to every-one who visits as a way of drawing people tothe farm store. Since everybody is raising andselling pumpkins, it is hard to make money atthis. However, by luring customers with a free
pumpkin, they also spend considerable moneyon products that are hard to find elsewhere inMissouri, such as pecans and buffalo meat.
In the spirit of Dan Shepherd's advice, Iwould encourage all small farm operators toconsider agroforestry options for your farm.Although many agroforestry practices havenot been widely adopted, it does not meanthey wouldn't be profitable. It is up to thesmall, innovative farmers throughout thenortheast to bring the theories and principlesof agroforestry into reality.
Michael Farrell is Director of CornellUniversity's Uihlein Forest in Lake Placid, a5,000 tap maple sugaring research and exten-sion field station. He can be reached at (518)523 9337 or [email protected].
Being able to recognize these sources of stress can help youuse effective coping strategies and avoid further unnecessarystress or negative reactions to it.
Agricultural stereotypes: Women's roles in US and California agri-culture are varied, yet mainstream images of women in agricul-ture often include the farm wife, the bookkeeper, or the homegardener. While these roles are important and indeed dodescribe a portion of the women working in US and Californiaagriculture, this view is incomplete. Women own and operatefarms and ranches, which range from the small berry hobby farm,to whole grain and fodder production, to raising large animals.
Women's lack of perceived authority for farm management:Some women farmers have mentioned hurdles to performingcertain tasks that were essential to their operation- notbecause they were physically or emotionally incapable, butbecause others (who had some sort of influence over that ele-ment of the production scheme) would not acknowledge thewomen's authority over their own farms. Aside from just thefrustration, dealing with stereotypes such as these costs timeand may affect a person's self-confidence. It can be a sourceof stress that women farmers must learn to effectively andassertively address.
Gender roles and stereotypes at home and in public: Althoughsocial relations may have evolved to recognize equality betweenwomen and men, gender roles persist. Women are still likely totake responsibility for more of the daily tasks in the home. A2002 study by the University of Michigan Institute for SocialResearch found that US women, on average, did 27 hours ofhousework each week, while men did 16 (UM News Service2002). This data should not be interpreted as a universal truth.Total work-"market" plus housework--was found to be similar inthis study. Still, the fact that women are often expected to takecare of household tasks that often go unrecognized can trans-late into added stress.
Lack of access to agricultural programs and loans: Women'saccess to credit is a topic often addressed in an international
context. For example, women farmers in some developing coun-tries are not allowed, for cultural and regulatory reasons, to takebank loans to purchase farm inputs. Though constraints onaccess to banking services are not as pronounced in the UnitedStates, there has been evidence of gender discrimination ingranting of agricultural loans. Limited access to funds forwomen agriculturalists may cause financial and emotionalstress. There are, however, a number of loans and businessservices available to beginning farmers and to women entrepre-neurs. These may be found through agencies such as theUSDA Farm Service Agency (www.fsa.usda.gov) or the SmallBusiness Association (www.sba.gov).
Kristin Reynolds is Program Representative with theUniversity of California Small Farm Program. This article is
adapted from "Stress Management for Women Farmers &Ranchers," available online at www.sfc.ucdavis.edu/Docs/stress_management.pdf.
Page 14 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 5, 2009
FOREST AND WOODLOT
Agroforestry Optionsfor the Northeast
At Agri-Mark, we believe in activelyworking together for better farm milk
prices, whether it be through the growth ofour Cabot or McCadam brands of cheeseor support of the plans like the current
Federal MILC Program.If you are a dairy farmer, we will work
hard for you in the marketplace,not against you. Join 1,350 dairy farm
families working for a better future bycalling our Membership Department at
11-800-225-0532.
Stress from 13
Most farms in the northeast could supportwalnuts and chestnuts. Here University ofMissouri researcher Mark Coggeshall discuss-es his black walnut variety trials.
Photos by Michael Farrell
Wayne Lovelace of Forrest Keeling Nurserystands next to a 13 year old sugar maple thatis ready for tapping. This tree was grownusing the Root Production Method, which typi-cally achieves three times the normal growthrate of a conventionally grown tree.
Resource SpotlightAgroforestry Options
For more information on agroforestry, check out the following websites:Association for Temperate Agroforestry www.aftaweb.org/USDA National Agroforestry Center www.unl.edu/nac/University of Missouri Horticulture & Agroforestry Research Centerhttp://aes.missouri.edu/harc CCE Greene County- Agroforestry Resource Center www.agroforestrycenter.org/Northern Nut Growers Association www.icserv.com/nnga/RPM Ecosystems, LLC www.rpmecosystems.com Forrest Keeling Nursery www.forrestkeeling.com
By Jenn Colby
A recent change in Vermont law is opening upnew opportunities for Vermont farmers and con-sumers. The "Raw Milk Law" went into effectJuly 1, 2009, and establishes two "tiers" ofunpasteurized milk sales direct to consumers.The new law encourages a direct relationshipbetween farmers and consumers while settingstrict food safety standards.
Based on the discussions at a series of educa-tional workshop series on best managementpractices for producing raw milk, there is stronginterest from dairy farms in serving the unpas-teurized direct sale market.
NEW RULES FOR RAW MILKAccording to the new law, Tier One producers are allowed tosell up to 50 quarts of milk per day direct from the farm. TierTwo sellers are allowed to sell up to 40 gallons of milk perday, and may deliver direct to consumers' homes, only. TierTwo producers must meet all the standards required by Tier
One, plus submit semi-monthly packaged samplesfor testing and register withthe VT Agency of Agriculturefor annual inspection.
All farms selling raw milk to consumers will be required toobtain a certificate of health from their veterinarian for eachdairy animal. They are asked to maintain a list of customersand must provide opportunities for their customers to tour thefarm each year. All farms selling at either tier must display apublic safety disclaimer detailing the potential risks fromdrinking raw milk, as well as including the statement on theirpackage labels. All farms will be required to reduce the tem-perature of their milk to below 40 degrees within two hours ofmilking, although the cooling method is left to the farmer.
STRONG INTEREST FROM FARMERSEducational workshops conducted in early July showed sig-nificant interest from dairy farmers, sized from one cow orgoat to 75. Some farmers identified plans to immediatelyseek Tier Two status, primarily larger farms currently shippingbulk milk. These represented 10-15% of the farmers attend-ing. The remainder seemed most interested in ten or fewercows, and Tier One status, leaving the door open to futureexpansion.
Although few of the farmers present were already in compli-ance with the new law, most indicated that they are workingto address the shortfalls. Representatives of the VermontAgency of Agriculture, Food and Markets explained that finaldetails were yet to be worked out regarding packaged milksampling. They emphasized that the law is very new, andthat positive or negative feedback is invited as the law isenacted on the ground.
RAW MILK SURGEThere are many reasons for the surge in raw milk sales directto consumers. Some smaller-scale farmers are seeking acomplement to existing vegetable or meat operations, or seemilk as a natural addition to their farm stand or CSA. Somelarger dairy farmers need additional income streams as the
demand from dairy marketing cooperatives levels out ordeclines regionally, and to balance the roller coaster of con-ventional dairy prices.
"Our goal is to produce milk safely, as cheaply as possible-and still have a life," said farmer Jennifer Linck. "We don't
want to be a 40-cow dairy, we want to be a 3-cow dairy."
Workshop panels featured several Vermontfarmers with experience selling raw milk underearlier regulations, which allowed up to 25quarts per day prior to 2008, and up to 50quarts per day after 2008. They said theyreceive up to $10 per gallon for cows' milk, andup to $16 per gallon for goats' milk. Theseprices generated a bit of "sticker shock" amongsome of the farmers in attendance. As panelistsobserved, direct sale pricing is quite differentfrom the bulk dairy system.
Farmer Lindsay Harris offers work in exchange for milk, if acustomer finds the purchase price hard to bear. "There'splenty of work to do on the farm", she says. So far, few havetaken her up on the offer, preferring to give her the cash.
DEDICATED CONSUMERSExperienced raw milk vendors stress that their consumersseek them out, that they are well educated about the prosand cons of raw milk, and are committed to spending theirmoney on food produced by farmers with whom they have aconnection, almost regardless of their distance to travel orthe cost. As with other local food products, farmers observethat when customers value the product, they make purchas-ing it a priority.
Not all of the feedback received from farmers regarding thenew law has been positive. Some farmers feel that the list ofrequirements is overwhelming. But according to workshoppresenter Shelby Girard of Rural Vermont, the legislativeprocess was long and rigorous, requiring much negotiationon all sides. Political interests ranging from consumer healthadvocates to farm lobbying groups were forced to compro-mise their positions. The new requirements will increase thecosts of producing the milk, and it will take additional time toaddress each aspect of the law.
Most of the panelists appreciated the reasoning behind thelaw's requirements, and the fact that many interests had tobe satisfied in order to pass the law. Several mentioned thatthey are taking sections of the raw milk law and are refiningtheir systems to incorporate them.
MORE NEW IDEAS FOR DAIRYAlready the raw milk law has spawned new conversationsabout future trends in dairy. Farmer John Clark said he was"excited that the law is starting to recognize multiple tiers ofproduction," rather than asking small scale farmers to fit intoa model suitable for large industrial farms.
"Raw milk [prices] should be based upon how much it coststo produce, not on [retail store] shelf prices," said one farmer,sounding more like a discussion of CSA shares than dairypricing.
Passage of the law itself has initiated calls of interest fromMaine, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania and Texas. And atten-dees at the workshop series included farmers from Maine,New York, and New Jersey as well as Vermont.
Will direct farm sales of raw milk play an important role inVermont's dairy future? You can be sure that plenty of inter-ests are watching to see how this story unfolds.
Jennifer Colby is the Outreach Coordinator for the PastureProgram at the UVM Center for Sustainable Agriculture, andhas a small diversified meats farm in Central Vermont. Shecan be reached at (802) 656-0858 or [email protected].
LOCAL FOODS & MARKETING
Vermont's New Raw Milk LawNew rules may signify future trends in raw milk regulations
October 5, 2009 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 15
A farmer panel discusses real life experiences producing and selling raw milk at a workshop atThe Compass School in Westminster, VT. Photos by Jennifer Colby
Resource SpotlightRaw Milk ResourcesThe educational materials presented at the bestmanagement practices workshop series may bedownloaded from the VT Pasture Network website:www.uvm.edu/pasture. For a full list of therequirements detailed under the law, visit theState of Vermont legislative web site at www.leg.state.vt.us under H. 125.
This small but simple farm store at Turkey Hill Farm inRandolph Center, VT allows the farm to easily retail all of theraw milk it produces, as well as meat, eggs, vegetables andother farm products.
We Want To HearFrom YouWe welcome letters to the editor -Please write to us! Or send aquestion and we’ll do our best toanswer it. We’re also looking forbeautiful, interesting and/or funnysmall farm photos to print.
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By Suzanne Milshaw
"In record numbers, new farmers in Pennsylvania are takingadvantage of a special program to help make the purchase oftheir first farm more affordable. The Next Generation FarmerLoan Program, as it is known in Pennsylvania, has been inexistence for a number of years, but is gaining popularitythroughout the Commonwealth.
Pennsylvania's Next Generation Farmer Loan Program is actu-ally a product of federal-state-private partnership which pro-vides the state with a cost-effective way to help beginningfarmers. The program dates back to 1980 with the passage offederal legislation piloting "Aggie Bond" programs in Georgia,Alabama and Iowa. Changes to the legislation in 1996 and2008 have improved and expanded the program significantly.
Aggie bonds allow lenders to earn federally-tax exempt inter-est income on loans to eligible farmers and ranchers. Thetax-savings allows the lenders to provide the loans at areduced interest rate to farmer, yet retain credit decisions andfinancial risk.
For example, a commercial bank makes a loan to a newfarmer. As with any loan, the new farmer will send in a pay-ment that includes principal and interest. Through this specialloan program, the bank does not have to pay income tax onthe interest earnings from the new farmer's loan as they nor-mally would, so they can offer a lower rate to the farmer, oftenin the range of 70-80% of the bank's agricultural loan rate.Although rates will likely change over the term of the loan, thenew farmer is always receiving that lower rate.
Eligibility for the program in Pennsylvania rests on five mainqualifications: The farmer(s) must : (1) be at least 18 yearsold at the time of application; 2) hold Pennsylvania residency;3) have a net worth no greater than $500,000 for an individ-ual/married couple, or $1,000,000 for a partnership; 4) thefarmer(s) must be the sole owner(s) and principal user(s) of
the farm; and 5) the farmer(s) must not have owned a signifi-cant amount of farm land previously, with "significant" definedas owning more than a certain number of acres specific toeach county.
Additionally, the lender must be willing to lend to the newfarmer. The lender can be a commercial bank, but also couldbe a private individual. The only restriction is that if the farmeris purchasing the property from a related person, like a parent,grandparent or sibling, that person is not eligible to make thetax-exempt loan, though they can offer other financing as partof the entire financing package.
Last year, there were 23 new farmer loans made through theNext Generation Farmer Loan Program across Pennsylvania,totaling over $6.4 million. One of the improvements to the pro-gram passed in last year's U.S. Farm Bill was that the maxi-mum loan amount was increased from $250,000 to $450,000.The maximum was also set to increase with inflation, bringingthe maximum loan amount in 2009 to $469,000.
In an area of the country where land prices per acre are sohigh, new farmers being able to finance an extra $200,000 at alower rate can make a big difference. For a recent loan, a cou-ple who originally hailed from the Midwest wanted to purchasetheir first farm in southeastern PA. They contacted a locallender and went through the loan approval process. The lenderfelt they would be a good candidate for some economic devel-opment programs and brought in agencies to assist with takingthe loan through the approval process to make it an eligible tax-exempt mortgage through the Next Generation Program.
The new farmers were able to borrow $450,000 at 69% of thebank's standard agricultural rate. In this case, this meant arate of 4.5%, fixed for the first five years, rather than thebank's standard rate of 6.5%. This equated to a savings of$9,000 per year which this new farm family will gladly be ableto allocate to getting their apple and grass-based beef farmoperation underway.
As the purchase price of the farm exceeded the NextGeneration Loan Program's cap, the new farmers were able toaccess other sources of credit to complete the financing pack-age needed to make farm ownership a reality. One local eco-nomic development agency assisted the couple in obtaining aFirst Industries Agriculture loan through the state that provided$200,000 toward the project at a fixed low-interest rate of 4%.Federal funds were also leveraged through a farm ownershiploan from the U.S.D.A.'s Farm Service Agency. Finally, thecouple had savings that they contributed as equity into theproject to round out the needed financing. The result for thiscouple, as in many others, has been the realization of theirfarm ownership dream.
While the Aggie Bond program is only available inPennsylvania and New York within the northeast U.S., otherstates have other programs which may be valuable to the newand beginning farmers. More information on state loan pro-grams is available at www.stateagfinance.org.
Suzanne Milshaw is Agriculture Program Manager with theChester County Economic Development Council in Exton, PA.She can be reached at (610) 458-5700 or [email protected].
Page 16 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 5, 2009
NEW FARMERS
New Farmers Gain Ground in Pennsylvania
Many Northeast states offer agricultural loan programsand/or loan guarantees. Here farmers are gathered to learnabout programs offered by several agencies.
A number of Northeast states offer loans, loan guarantees, and/or grants that may be helpful to beginning and/or established farmers:
CONNECTICUTCT Farm Reinvestment ProgramCompetitive matching grants for diversification orexpansion of existing farm family businesses. Cap is$40,000; applicants must present a business plan thatshows farm viability for ten years; must be an existingfarm in business at least 3 years and have a currentFarmers Tax Exempt Permit. Contact: Ron Olsen,(860) 713-2503.
CT Agriculture Viability Grants ProgramCompetitive matching grants for municipalities andnon-profits (Farm Viability Grants) and for producersand agriculture cooperatives (Farm Transition Grants).Competitive application process, cap is $49,999 perapplicant. Goal: strengthen the economic viability ofConnecticut farmers and promote the sustainability ofagriculture in Connecticut and its municipalities.Contact: Ron Olsen, (860) 713-2503.
MAINEME Agricultural Marketing Loan FundProvides loans up to 90% of project costs, to maxi-mum amount of $250,000 at 5% interest, in a subordi-nate lien position to commercial bank debt. Eligibleapplicants: Individual or entity engaged in agricultural,aquaculture, or natural resource-based enterprise.Goal: to help businesses employ new technologies andinnovative processes. Loan funds may be used for newor improvements to land and buildings, as well as topurchase or retrofit machinery and equipment thathelps improve the quality and marketability of Maine-made products. Contact: Maine Dept of Ag, Food &Rural Resources, (207) 287-7620.
MASSACHUSETTSMA Farm Viability Planning GrantsAssists farmers in planning their operations such as fea-sibility studies of potential enterprises, business plansand environmental plans. Program also provides techni-cal assistance through farmer mentors and consultants.
Farm owners making a five-year non-developmentcovenant could receive seed capital up to $25,000 or asmuch as $75,000 for 10-year non-developmentcovenant. Farmers must have at least 5 acres in agricul-tural use. Contact: Craig Richov, (617) 626-1725.
NEW HAMPSHIRENo State ag finance programs offered at this time.
NEW YORK NY Beginning Farmer Loan ProgramProvides low-cost financial assistance to beginningfarmers in NY for the purchase of agricultural propertyand equipment to help start a farming business or tofacilitate inter-generational transfer of a farm business.Maximum loan is $450,000; no minimum. Contact:Beginning Farmer Project Manager, New York StateEnvironmental Facilities Corporation program, (518)402-7461.
PENNSYLVANIAFor information on any of the following programs con-tact Jared Grissinger, Pennsylvania Department ofAgriculture, (717) 705-9513 or visitwww.agriculture.state.pa.us.
PA Next Generation Farmer Loan ProgramProvides next generation farmers the opportunity topurchase land, improvements, machinery & equipmentto begin their agriculture enterprise. The borrower mustnot have had any prior direct or indirect ownershipinterest in a substantial amount of land.A collaborativepartnership between the PA Department of Agricultureand PA Department of Community and EconomicDevelopment. Contact your local IndustrialDevelopment Agency for more information.
PAgrows ProgramProvides technical assistance to help PA farmers putall of the pieces of the ag lending puzzle together anddevelop the best possible financing package by com-
bining access to grants and low interest loans whichhelp to compliment private and local lender funding.Call 1-888-PAgrows.
PA First Industries Fund Programs*Machinery and Equipment Loan Fund. Provides low-interest loans for a portion of the cost of machinery,equipment and livestock purchases to eligible PA farm-ers, including beginning farmers.*Small Business First Fund. Provides loans to new andexisting farmers and ag processors to acquire landand buildings, construct and renovate buildings, andacquire machinery and equipment. Loan amounts are$200,000 or 50 percent of the total project cost,whichever is less.*Loan Guarantee Program. Provides a 50% guaranteeon a lending institution's loan(s) to an eligible new orexisting farmer. Maximum guarantee is $2,500,000 andcan be used on loans for land and buildings, machin-ery and equipment, and/or working capital and caninclude the refinance of existing debt.
RHODE ISLANDNo State ag finance programs offered at this time.
VERMONT Vermont Agricultural Credit CorporationProvides direct loans up to $1,094,000 to existing orprospective farmers who are not having their creditneeds fully met by conventional agricultural creditsources at reasonable rates and terms. Can makeboth operating loans and farm ownership loans. Mostloans require a guarantee from USDA FSA, but small-er loans may be made without a guarantee. Contact:Vermont Economic Development Authority, MelanieScott (802) 828-0626.
Source: The National Council of State AgricultureFinance Programs, www.stateagfinance.org, updatedby Laura Biasillo, Small Farm Quarterly Editorial Team.
By Martha Herbert Izzi
In the late 1800s the grains responsible for the "staff of life,"were once a dominant feature of the Vermont landscape. Atone point when the population was no more than 85,000, fiftyeight grist mills dotted the state, processing grain into flour andgiving the state its reputation as "New England's Bread Basket."
But they gave way to the lure of the Midwest where weather,soil, canals and railroads were more favorable to developingthousands of acres of wheat crops. Grain growing in Vermontslowly became a footnote in the state's agricultural history.Indeed the art and wisdom of grain production in Vermont wasvirtually lost along the way for more than a hundred years.
But a new wave of growers, livestock producers and cheesemakers began to swell during the seventies back-to-the-landmovement. And ever since, they have been challenged to meetthe ever-expanding consumer appetite for fresh, locally grownfoods. Growing seasons have been extended through new tech-nologies. Innovative marketing programs such as CSAs andfarmers' markets have grown exponentially. Organic farming ischallenging conventional methods. Communities of "localvores"are expanding and as their numbers grow, so are their demandsfor additional products such as grains and oil.
BUTTERWORKS FARMAmong the newcomers in 1976 were Jack and Ann Lazor, wholaunched Butterworks Farm, one of the nation's first organicdairies, in Westfield on the Canadian border. Today their yogurtis number one in Vermont. Butterworks' yogurt and cream aresold widely out of state as well.The Lazors began growing their own grains to provide the best
possible nutrition for their closed herd of fifty cows. Today theyare growing barley, wheat, soy, oats, corn and mixed grain on150 to 170 acres of their more than 500 acre spread, whichincludes leased land. The grain is primarily to feed the livestockand secondarily for human consumption.
"Yogurt supports my grain growing habit," Jack says of his longand often frustrating experiments with grain growing. He is oneof several farmers working with UVM Agronomist HeatherDarby. They are growing nineteen varieties of heirloom wheat tosee which types are more likely to be disease free and whichones are more suited to the vagaries of Vermont's weather andsoil conditions.
"It was much easier a few years ago to grow grain before the wetsummers set in and the consumer demand for locally growngrains began to skyrocket," says Jack. With the damp, drearyweather comes increased risk of infections and poor production.Vermont grain growers like the Lazors have had to remember thatthey are still in the early experimental stages of grain production.
GLEASON GRAINSBen Gleason of Gleason Grains in Bridport has the largest wheatand flour operation in Vermont. His grain is known for its highquality and it is sold wholly for human consumption. He firmlybelieves that "people should be eating whole wheat flour prod-ucts" and until recently that was all he sold. But he says, "Slowlybut surely I have been thinking of changing my operation aroundbecause the biggest demand is for white flour." He says, forexample, that a local baker from the Red Hen Bakery "would buya lot more flour from me if I sold sifted flour. Everyone wantsbread baked in Vermont from grains grown in Vermont."
Ben Gleason has always ground his own wheat since there is adearth of larger mills in his locale. Given the increasing demandfor naturally leavened bread and its higher protein content Benis increasing the size of his milling operation to provide siftedflour. "It's something bigger than we are doing now. It will makeme less of a farmer and more of a miller, but I have two farmerneighbors who are interested in growing wheat for me."
Ben seems confident. "I'm the one to do it. I have the name.People have been using my flour for a long time. I'm going withthe flow." He says this despite the fact that "it has been toughthis year to get anything harvested."
BIEDLER FAMILY FARMBiedler Family Farm began growing grains about five years ago,"at a time when the local foods movement was gaining energy,"says Brent Biedler. An organic dairy farmer in Randolph, Brentstarted growing rye and Japanese millet for forage, as well aswheat for his neighbors who were interested in wheat flour. Healso produces camelina for oil. His focus has been to grow seedfor his dairy operation. The cows get the straw in his traditionalstall barn where he milks 35 cows, Jerseys, Holsteins and grades.
Brent Biedler has taken leadership as President of the NorthernGrain Growers Association (http://northerngraingrowers.org )which was formed two years ago by Vermont grain growers,bakers, localvores and others interested in being part of thegrain growing resurgence. "We really need to learn which vari-eties of grains grow well here. The climate is challenging withmore high moisture and high humidity," says Brent.
NORTHERN GRAIN GROWERS ASSOCIATIONThe NGGA was started to meet the needs of growers, especial-ly the young growers who are anxious to get beyond inspirationand who want to develop a consistently acceptable grain. It isthe inconsistent harvests of various grains that constantlyremind growers they are still in the experimental phase.
"We are challenged by not knowing the quality of wheat comingoff the farms," says Brent. "For example we need to test formycotoxins, fungal spores which would infect the sprouting graingiven the moisture we have. To date there has not been ade-quate information about diseases and we need to get that out tonew farmers."
Moreover Brent and others want to develop a systematicprocess to respond to the burgeoning demand for informationon so many aspects of grain growing. That demand translatedinto a conference in 2009 sponsored by the NGGA whichattracted more than a hundred people, far more than was imag-ined by the organizers.
Beyond education and information, Brent Biedler says that theAssociation must be part of developing an infrastructure in thestate which does not currently exist. Bakers are clamoring for aconsistent grain product to meet the exacting demands of bak-ing. The Association is actively working to buy testing equip-ment and offer that service to growers. "We need to assurebakers of a certain consistent quality," says Brent.
One approach that has worked well in Canada is a qualityassurance protocol that was developed by a farmer-miller. Hehas an agronomist on staff who goes out to farms and providestechnical assistance, for example, regarding the precise timingof planting and harvesting since a very narrow optimal harvesttime determines the success or failure of a grain crop. Theagronomist also does soil testing and advises growers on whichvarieties to use.
NAGA BAKEHOUSEOne of the Vermont bakeries that is committed to using localgrains is Naga Bakehouse, a family run, wood-fired bakery inMiddletown Springs. Co-owner Julie Sperling purchases 30,000pounds of wheat annually, primarily from Vermont growers
although she buys from a Canadian source as well.
"We try to source as many of our ingredients locally as we can,including local grains," says Julie. "We either grow it ourselves -things like garlic, onions, tomatoes, kale - or purchase it locally."Julie raises wheat, rye, flax, and other grains in rotation withvegetables. "This year we hand-harvested two acres of rye withscythes, and built stooks of grain to dry in the field as they'vedone for centuries." They will be threshing, cleaning, and millingthe grain into flour this fall.
Julie Sperling has also been conducting on-farm trials of sever-al Vermont wheat varieties with University of Vermont agrono-mist Heather Darby. "We've planted Champlain, Defiance, andSurprise, and we want to see which of these varieties will workbest for our particular soil, our location, and our farm business."
As a board member for the Northern Grain GrowersAssociation, Julie represents the small scale grower and baker."My goal is to facilitate communication between the grower, themiller and the baker," she says. "I'm trying to support a resur-gence of local grain growing by creating better communicationbetween those at the beginning, the middle, and the end of theprocess."
THE EXTENSION CONNECTIONAccording to many, the linchpin of the Vermont grain growing renais-sance is Heather Darby, agronomist with the University of Vermont(UVM) whom many say is their source of inspiration, knowledge andassistance. She's UVM Cooperative Extension's Field Crops andNutrient Management Specialist. She is also a farmer.
At the time Heather began at UVM six years ago, grain priceswere high and the immediate issue was the lack of organic grainproducers to meet the needs of the expanding organic dairysector. Beyond that she was confronted by the number ofhomesteaders and large-scale gardeners who were showing upfor her workshops. These growers did not have equipment ordrying bins, an essential tool needed to reduce the moisture inthe harvested grain. She had to figure out how to guide peoplewho only had scythes.
Nowadays Heather Darby is doing much of her research inAlburg where she is working with Roger Rainville of BorderviewFarm. They are developing a range of grain varieties under tightgrowing conditions. Rainville is growing 400 to 500 test plots tocarefully measure and document those varieties which are likelyto do best under tricky Vermont weather patterns.
"We're not close to having a regional grain supply, though itcould happen relatively quickly," says Heather. "The market isthere, and there are plenty of farmers who want to do somethingdifferent. They are trying to get a plan developed to attract fun-ders and grants, such as SARE, whose grants are available forresearch but not for equipment and mills."
No one sees grain growing becoming a major part of Vermontagriculture any time soon, but as Heather Darby says, "the baris being raised. Bakers need grain, and increasingly more of itto create even a regional market. Vermonters 'want our wheat.'"
Martha Herbert Izzi writes from Bel Lana Farm in Shrewsbury,Vermont. You can reach her at 802-236-3744 [email protected].
COWS AND CROPS
Restocking theBread Basket:Grain is Growing Again in Vermont
October 5, 2009 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 17
Jack Lazor plants wheat with a grain drill in early April.Photos by Butterworks Farm
Naga Bakehouse rye in the field. Photos by Julie Sperling
Jack Lazor winnows a sample of Red Fife wheat with a littlepuff of air.
Jack and Ann Lazoradded this tower totheir granary tohouse a 55 foot tallelevator leg whichdistributes grain tovarious indoor bins.
Preparing to plant the wheat berries at Naga Bakehouse.
By Barbara Gibbs
Many farmers are feeling the pinch from the current economicsituation. While that is true for John Glebocki, a black dirtfarmer in Orange County, he has found help from the localFarm Service Agency (FSA).
John owns and operates J Glebocki Farms LLC in Goshen,NY, where he grows over 80 acres of mixed vegetables that hedistributes to a variety of markets in the area. A graduate ofSUNY Cobleskill, John had been involved in the farming busi-ness for most of his life, and farmed as a partner with hisgrandfather for seven years.
This year is John's second year farming on his own, andrecently he sought out the services that FSA has to offer.After coming off a bad year in 2008, John realized he neededassistance to help offset the inevitable costs that he wouldincur with his plan to expand the business. FSA's BeginningFarmer Loan Program was a perfect fit to meet John's needsfor 2009.
He currently has a direct operating loan with FSA and is pur-suing a farm ownership loan to purchase his grandfather's landso he can continue to expand. The current loan has allowedhim to put money into the farm and construct a walk-in coolerand a washroom in which to clean the vegetables in the backof the packing house. One of his goals over the next year is tohave his business focus on food safety and to become GAP(Good Agricultural Practices) certified. These new facilities willgive John a head start in accomplishing this goal.
John also deals with the commodity side of the FSA office andparticipates in NAP (the Noninsured Assistance Program).This program allows farmers to purchase coverage on anycrops that aren't insurable with a crop insurance agency.John, along with many farmers, finds this program very useful.Over 95% of his crops are currently covered under NAP.
With his grandfather, John previously only grew onions, but hefelt that left him unsecure financially. A bad year for onionswould result in no other income for his business. Diversifyinghis crops was the only way he saw to make his farm a suc-cessful business and meet the demands of the consumers;thus his need to seek out FSA for coverage on these addition-al crops.
J Glebocki Farms LLC now sells most of their vegetablesretail, although they do cater to some specialty wholesale cus-tomers. They sell at seven different markets from May throughthe end of November, six days a week, and one of the majormarkets they deal with is the Greenmarkets in New York City.John currently employs about 20 people, five of whom workprimarily at the markets. He credits his mom with keeping trackof the inventory going to and from the markets, bookkeepingand marketing for the business.
Even though the economy has been detrimental to the farmingend of the business, with increases in the minimum wage, ris-ing cost of fertilizer and chemicals, and the cost of trucking theproduce into the city each day, it actually has helped the retailend of the business. In an effort to save money, consumersare staying home and cooking more, and therefore spendingmore money at the local farmers' markets. Where the averageshopper might have previously spent $3-4 on each visit, nowJohn can expect them to spend $5-6.
J Glebocki Farms LLC accepts farmers' market checks.Distributed by the NYS Farmers' Market Nutrition Program tolow-income families who are nutritionally at-risk, the checksare only to be used at participating farmers' markets. John fig-ures these checks account for 50% of what he takes in at thefarm markets.
Because consumers are more health-conscious now, they'relooking to buy local produce, and this has helped to boostsales for area farmers like John. And because his vegetablesare grown in the rich and fertile black dirt, they are very highquality and John is pretty much able to set his own prices.Theaverage bunch price for his vegetables has risen from $1.25 to$2.00 in the last three years.
But staying competitive is extremely important. To that end,John is very mindful of the markets, keeping up with trendsand what consumers are looking for. He employs a few inno-vative ideas to make his business unique, such as offering"Frequent Shopper" cards and cloth shopping bags, in aneffort to "go green" as we see in supermarkets. He has alsoset up cooking demonstrations at their various markets, whichhelps to pique consumer interest and persuade them to buynew varieties and different produce that they may not haveotherwise tried.
John Glebocki is just one farmer who has been helped by theservices that FSA has to offer. His ambition drives him to useall the tools available to make his business successful, and hehas found the FSA programs to be very valuable. Any farmer,experienced or new, should check to see what their local officecan do for them.
Barbara Gibbs is a Program Technician with USDA's FarmService Agency (FSA) in Middletown, NY. You can reach her at(845) 343-1872 ext. 2, or at [email protected]. Youcan reach John Glebocki at (845) 651-8088 or visit the farm'swebsite at www.glebockifarms.com.
18Page 18 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 5, 2009
The new washroom at the back of the packing house, wherevegetables are cleaned after picking.
Diversifying the FarmThis young farmer took advantage of Farm Service Agency programs to make thetransition from commodity onions to direct-market mixed vegetables.
BUSINESS MANAGEMENT
John Glebocki farmed as a partner with his grandfather forseven years before taking over the family's black dirt farm,where he now raises a variety of vegetables.
Photos by Barbara Gibbs
Crates of vegetables in the packing house, waiting to be dis-tributed at the farmers' markets.
Need Info?Subscribe to the Small Farms Update, amonthly email newsletter with announce-ments, upcoming events, resources, fund-ing and farming opportunities and more.Send an email [email protected]. Pleaseprovide your name, farm name, postaladdress, and county.
By Barbara Silvestri & Gerry Smithson
Rick and Robin Dolan of Promise Land Farm in HerkimerCounty realized that improvements were needed to help themgrow their farm business and with the help of the AgriculturalEnvironmental Management (AEM) program, they found acreative way to get the job done.
The Dolan's started their farming career with a 70 cow dairyoperation in 1994. In 2005, they decided it was time for achange and started a sheep and goat meat operation. Their83 acre operation has grown to approximately 400 animals,comprised of mostly sheep, with a few goats and beef cows.They have found a unique ethnic market for the sheep andgoat meat and have recently added farmers markets as anadditional mechanism for selling their product.
Looking to improve the productivity and profitability of theirfarm operation, the Dolan's contacted the Herkimer CountySoil and Water Conservation District to learn more about theirAEM program. "Working though the AEM process with theDistrict, we were able to identify environmental concerns onthe farm, prioritize our goals, select the conservation practicesthat would best improve maintenance on daily operations andallow us to add to our herd numbers," said Rick. "These prac-tices make it much easier to clean the barnyard, move ani-mals and help keep clean water clean."
GETTING STARTED WITH ROTATIONAL GRAZING"The AEM Farm Assessment determined that implementing arotational grazing system was a main priority for the opera-tion," said Ted Teletnick, District Manager of the HerkimerCounty Soil and Water Conservation District. "The Dolan's fol-lowed through by working with us to develop a RotationalGrazing Plan, which made them eligible for cost-share fundingto get the project on the ground."
A rotational grazing system was developed on 38 acres, andover 4,000 feet of perimeter fencing was installed usingFinger Lakes-Lake Ontario Watershed Protection Alliancefunds. This high tensile fencing not only keeps the sheep andgoats in, but was designed with multiple lower strands to keeppredators such as coyotes away from the flock.The Dolan's perimeter fencing prevents livestock access towatercourses, and the managed pasture system promotesgood sod cover in sensitive areas, which help to protect waterquality. Their rotational grazing system prevents overgrazing,which could result in soil erosion, while enhancing productivityby improving their yield of both forage and livestock.
FIXING A SLOPPY BARNYARDAs the Dolan's flock grew it was apparent that the barnyardarea was not going to hold up under heavy foot traffic.Immediate improvements were needed as roof runoff into thebarnyard was causing management and environmental con-cerns. Foot problems plagued the operation, wet conditionsoften made the area unusable, and the runoff into the barn-yard had the potential to impact water quality.
The District conducted an AEM Farm Plan Evaluation andupdated information to incorporate conservation practices forthe barnyard system. A drip line trench for roof water controlwas planned, as was gravel with filter fabric for protecting theheavy-use area.
The Dolans were anxious to take on the project, but havinglimited funding of their own, they were unable to proceed. "Weare so glad that our District was able to obtain New York StateConservation Project Financial Assistance funds to help usinstall the barnyard system," says Robin. "There is no way wecould have accomplished this project without it."
Completed in the fall of 2008, the barnyard has dramaticallyimproved the ease of daily maintenance. "The roof water con-trol and gravel barnyard has been a major improvement,"explained Robin. "We wouldn't be able to use the barnyard onthat side of the barn without the conservation practices inplace. The new barnyard has stayed dry even with the amountof rain we've had, and we have had no foot problems thoughmany others had problems this year."
PROTECTING A BEAUTIFUL TROUT STREAMThe Dolan's sheep operation is located in the Moyer CreekWatershed. This watercourse is a classified trout stream thatempties into the Mohawk River. The rotational grazing systemand new barnyard system, including a filter area, will protectthe water quality of this valuable resource. In 2009, Rick andRobin were presented with an AEM Roadside Sign Award inrecognition of their outstanding commitment toprotecting the natural resources of Herkimer County.
"This project is a prime example of how the AEM processhelps farmers to identify concerns, plan practices, and possi-bly obtain funding once a conservation plan has been devel-oped," said Ted Teletnick. The AEM program also offsets thecost of technical assistance, which helps state project fundsgo further toward implementing practices on farms and pro-tecting natural resources.
The AEM program is free, and in addition to helping farmersidentify and address environmental concerns, the process
documents good stewardship. If you farm in New York, youcan get started by caling your county Soil and WaterConservation District today to schedule a free, confidentialAEM Assessment for your farm.
Visit: www.nys-soilandwater.org to learn more about out AEM,view the AEM Worksheets (under 'Technical Tools')or to locate your County Soil and Water
Conservation District office.
Barbara Silvestri is the Information & Education ProgramCoordinator with the NYS Soil & Water ConservationCommittee in Albany, NY. She can be reached at 518-457-3738 or [email protected] Smithson is the Natural Resource ConservationTechnician with the Herkimer County Soil & WaterConservation District. He can be reached at 315-866-2520,Ext. 3 or [email protected].
October 5, 2009 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Page 19
Agricultural EnvironmentalManagement:AEM helped this Herkimer County farm protect waterquality and improve productivity.
STEWARDSHIP & NATURE
Rotational grazing was made possible with the helpof AEM planning and the cost-share funding of hightensile fence. Photos by Gerry Smithson
Pictured here are some happy sheep with dry feet.AEM helped the Dolan's install this barnyard systemthat has enabled the them to use a barnyard theypreviously could not.
From left to right, Herkimer County Soil & WaterConservation District Manager Ted Teletnick andState Agriculture Commissioner Patrick Hookerproudly present Rick and Robin Dolan with an AEMRoadside Sign. These signs are awarded to farmsthat have voluntarily completed projects in an effortto protect and enhance natural resources.
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20By Fay Benson
Vaughn Sherman of Jerry Dell Farm, Dryden NY thought he hadarrived at success with his dairy business in 1995; his BSTtreated herd of 300 milkers had the highest average productionlevel in Cortland County, and his Harveststores were full ofAlfalfa and Hi-Moisture Corn. By the spring of 1997 the creditorswere calling, his cash flow failed to meet his cost of productionand he was ready to talk to an auctioneer.
GRAZE OR CALL IT QUITSA grazing advocate for the county stopped to talk to him aboutgrazing. The hard times made the choice fairly easy; either, giveup the business and the cows he loved, or take a chance onputting the cows out to graze.
Today Jerry Dell is a successful dairy, the herd of 350 stillgrazes and in 2001 they were certified as organic. They havebrought four family members back into the business, and thefuture looks bright. This transformation isn't guaranteed by thetransition to grazing but the key to success seems to be notwhat works on most farms but rather what works for the individual farmer.
Vaughn says that he was managing his farm to maximize pro-duction, a way that works for many operators. The problem wasthat it didn't work for him. Managing a grazing operation seemsto fit his abilities better than the production style that he wasoperating in 1995.
During this period of low milk prices most dairy farms are expe-riencing hard times. Hard times can be a good time to evaluateyour business and decide whether changes are necessary.Grazing is a proven way to produce milk in the Northeast.Generally there is less capital required per cow, production maybe lower but the cost of production will also be lower.
It isn't for every farmer, but it is a viable alternative if it suits yourmanagement style. A key piece of advice if you are consideringmaking any type of changes to your operation: You need to havegood records to guide you. Financial records allow you to moni-tor how the change is affecting your farm, before you have gonetoo far down the wrong road.
REDUCE PRODUCTION, INCREASE PROFITSince 1996 The Department of Applied Economics andManagement at the Cornell University College of Agricultureand Life Sciences has collected and published business sum-maries for 30-50 NY dairy farmers that make use of IntensiveGrazing on their farms. Table 1 shows some of the results ofthese Dairy Farm Business Summaries (DFBS).
Although on average the production per cow is lower on grazingfarms compared to confinement farms, the costs of productionare also substantially lower, resulting in an average Net FarmIncome per cow of $467 on the grazing farms compared to only$365 on confinement farms.
Table 1. Intensive Grazing vs. Confinement Farms:Average 1996-2006*
*This data was compiled from annual averages reported in theyear-appropriate DFBS. The data set for each year may includedifferent farms, as the farmers who return surveys vary.
One of the biggest challenges confinement dairies face whenthey begin the transition to a pasture based dairy is the proba-ble drop in milk production. For years there has been anassumed link between milk production and profitability. Manydairies will give up on the transition when the level of milk in thebulk tank starts to drop.
But for those that complete the transition and who have keptgood records, they find that there is usually a net economicreturn from pasture because production costs are so muchlower, as shown in Table 1.
Profits are not the only benefits that NY dairy farmers have dis-covered by converting to a pasture based system. The Grazing-DFBS asks each year "Has the adoption of grazing impactedyour family's quality of life?" The respondents have answeredpositively 80% of the time. Some of the other benefits of grazingcited by these farmers:* Environmentally friendly* Reduced chore time* Healthier cows* More opportunity to involve the children* Positive comments from neighbors and tourists
Fay Benson is Grazing Educator with Cornell CooperativeExtension, Cortland County. To purchase a copy of the DairyFarm Business Summary, contact Linda Putnam at 607-255-8429 or email [email protected].
GRAZING
Hard Times Make for Easy ChoiceThe Dairy Farm Business Summary shows grazing dairies with an average Net FarmIncome per cow of $467 compared to only $365 on confinement farms.
Page 20 SMALL FARM QUARTERLY October 5, 2009
Fall grazing of BMR Sorghum Sudan grass at Paul andMaureen Knapp's farm in Preble, NY.
Photos by Fay Benson
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John Wicham, Grazing Technician with Schulyer CountySWCD, with heifers grazing at the former WonderviewFarms, now owned by Bergen Farms in Odessa, NY. Thelake in the background is Seneca Lake.
HOW TO GET STARTED IN DAIRY GRAZINGThere are three ways to begin the evaluation of how grazing might impact your farm:1. First is to contact your local Extension office to find out where to get information on
grazing.2. Second would be to contact your County SWCD office to inquire about planning a graz-
ing system for your farm and whether there are any grants to help with the infrastruc-ture required.
3. And third is to talk to other dairies in your area that practice grazing.
Get Connected!Find your local Cooperative Extension office
CT: UConn Cooperative Extension • 1-860-486-9228
ME: UME Cooperative Extension • 1-800-287-0274 (in Maine)
MA: UMass Cooperative Extension • (413) 545-4800
NH: UNH Cooperative Extension • 603-862-1520
NY: Cornell Cooperative Extension • 607-255-2237
PA: Penn State Cooperative Extension • 814-865-4028
RI: URI Cooperative Extension • (401) 874-2900
VT: UVM Cooperative Extension • 1-866-622-2990 (toll-free in VT)
