A t Western SARE’s spring meeting held in February,

the Administrative Council approved 27 grant proposals for a total of almost $1.9 million. For full summaries and contact information, please visit: http://www.westernsare.org/ Projects/Funded-Projects-by-Year/2013-Projects. AlaskaAlaskaAlaskaAlaska Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW13-149, “Selection and Propaga-

I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E :

Coordinator’s Column 2

PDP New Coordinators 3

New AC Members 3

Course Corrections 4

Innovative Infrastructure 8

Food Systems R&D Agenda 9

July 2013 Volume 7, Issue 2

“K now your markets for each variety you grow

and maintain diversity,” words of advice given by Paul Muller, Full Belly Farms. Agricultural diversity and constant innova-tion were featured time and again at the July 10th Western SARE Professional Develop-ment Program’s Summer Tour in western Yolo County, Califor-nia. The operations visited dur-ing the annual PDP tour and business meeting included: • Full Belly Farm, Paul Muller,

Guinda CA • Yoche Dehe Wintun Nation,

Jim Etters, Brooks CA • Manas Ranch and Manas

Ranch Custom Meats, Fred Manas, Esparto CA

• Yolo Land and Cattle Com-pany, Hank and Casey Stone, Woodland CA

• Button & Turkovich Farms, Chris Turkovich, Winters CA

• Dixon Ridge Farms, Russ Lester, Winters CA

W E S T E R N SARE FU N D E D PRO J E C T S

SU S TA I N AB IL I T Y TH RO UG H IN N OVATI O N A N D D I V E R SI T Y

Paul Muller, one of the partners at Full Belly Farms, stressed diversification as key for truly sustainable farming – both in diversity of crops grown and in marketing. The farm grows over 80 different crops on 450 acres and incorporates sheep (for both meat and wool) and chickens. The farm is certified organic and makes continued on page 6

CaliforniaCaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia Professional + Producer Grant: OW13-062: “Empowering Socially-Disadvantaged Farm-ers to Investigate Nitrogen Management in High-Value Vegetable Crops,” Principal Investigator: Nathaniel Harkleroad, California, $45,528. Professional Development Grant: EW13-025, “Building Tools and Technical Capacity

tion of Bog Blueberry Plants for Alaskan Food Security,” Princi-pal Investigator: Charles Knight, Alaska, $14,688. ArizonaArizonaArizonaArizona Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW13-142, “Integrating Traditional Foods with Aquaponics in the Desert Southwest,” Principal Investigator: Aaron Cardona, Arizona, $14,972. continued on page 5

good use of cover crops. Mul-ler stated that incorporating animals with vegetable produc-tion is a very good system, but the interaction with food safety regulations is getting to be more challenging. Muller focused much of his presentation on marketing diversification. He stated that

Paul Muller and Morgan Doran at Full Belly Farm Western SARE Center:

V. Philip Rasmussen, Director

Utah State University

4865 Old Main Hill

Logan, Utah 84322-4865

phone: (435) 797-2257

fax: (435) 797-3344

Western SARE PDP Program:

Jim Freeburn, PDP Coordinator

2753 State Hwy 157

Lingle, Wyoming 82223

phone: (307) 837-2674

fax: (307) 837-2963

Find Western SARE online at:

www.westernsare.orgwww.westernsare.orgwww.westernsare.orgwww.westernsare.org

I t is difficult for me to be-lieve that the USDA-NIFA-

SARE program is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. These days I am somewhat reflective, having advised the Administrative Council (AC) that I will be retiring within the next 18 months. I turn 65 on April 3, 2015, and the AC is already making plans to en-sure that there is a seasoned professional in place when I retire. This person will have had at least six months to work with me to learn the rules and regulations of OMB, USDA-NIFA and the Western Region Administrative Council. I ap-plaud the AC and National Director Robert Hedberg’s decision to wisely chart a course that provides for a na-tional search for a new Direc-tor of the Western SARE Cen-ter and Regional Coordinator of the Western SARE program. As this transition takes place, I continue to observe sustainable agriculture becom-ing a buzz word not only here in the United States, but throughout the world. The need to take a long term (sustainable) view of all our actions is now generally ac-knowledged in every facet of our economy. That wasn’t al-ways the case. As many of you know, USDA’s SARE program was authorized by Congress in 1985 but was not provided funding by Congress until 1988. Hence, SARE’s anniver-saries are counted from Octo-ber 1988. That October, I was fortunate to be present at the early organizing meeting of Western SARE, along with Dr. Dave Schlegel (Western SARE’s first Director and a key administrator in the University of California’s office of the Vice President for Agriculture at Oakland, California), Dr. Pat-rick Madden of the University of Pennsylvania (now de-ceased, who was the USDA-LISA/SARE programs founding

Page 2 Volume 7 , Issue 2

TW ENT Y -F IVE YE AR S OF WE STE RN SARE

Director), Dr. Robert Heil (who was then the Director of the Western Association of Agricul-tural Experiment Station Direc-tors), and Dr. A.J. Dye (from the national headquarters of the USDA Cooperative State Re-search, Education, and Exten-sion Service, now known as USDA-NIFA). I also had the opportunity to participate as a collaborator in one of the very first Western SARE projects led by Dr. Dave Bezdicek and David Granatstein from Wash-ington State University (1988). Six months later I was asked by Dr. Madden to serve on the organizing committee of the first outreach effort of SARE, the Sustainable Agricul-ture Network (SAN), with Dr. Jill Auburn as chair. In December 1993, after a lengthy competi-tion, I was named as Regional Coordinator of the Western Region SARE program head-quartered at Utah State Uni-versity. For over 18 years, I have been privileged to view Western SARE’s inner work-ings from an immersion in the competitive grant process and the ongoing subcontracting “administrivia.” All of these experiences have provided a unique view of what is now known as USDA-NIFA’s SARE program. I have seen many changes and improvements to the SARE program over the past 25 years. As a new Regional SARE

Coordinator, I was elected by the other regional SARE Coor-dinators to represent them at a meeting that took place in Washington, DC on January 14, 1994. Here are some of the notes from my personal journal: I was asked (with only 24 hours notice) to book a plane flight and fly to Washington, DC (to the USDA-CSREES headquarters) for an “emergency meeting” regard-ing the initial implementation of the USDA-SARE PDP pro-gram (Professional Develop-ment Program). Congress had finally provided funding for the Extension side of SARE, after five years of funding the Re-search/Education portions of the SARE program. Many questions from various staff members at all four regional SARE host institutions cen-tered around just how to im-plement the SARE PDP pro-grams in each region. The meeting was held in USDA’s Whitten Building on the Mall in Washington, DC (at the USDA Undersecretary’s Office). Dep-uty Secretary Richard Rom-inger attended; along with R. Dean Plowman (Asst. Secre-tary for REE); and, Dr. Leodrey Williams (Acting Administrator of CSREES, who conducted the meeting). I still remember Dr. Leodrey William’s stern words that echoed loudly through the halls of the Whitten Building: “By heck people, we are going to be on the same verse, of the same page, on how to implement this SARE-PDP program before we leave this room or else…” I was mortified by his expletives included in this charge to us! Yet, the meeting ended (surprisingly) with all in agreement. A small amount of the SARE funds were going to flow to one Land-grant institution in each state, territory, and island pro-tectorate. These funds would help support a SARE PDP Co-ordinator that would be named by the Cooperative Extension

by V. Philip Rasmussen, Coordinator Western Region SARE Program

———————————————

WESTERN SARE COORDINATOR ’S COLUMN

———————————————

V. Philip Rasmussen, Ph.D. ———————————————

“I continue to observe sustainable agriculture becoming a buzz word

not only here in the United States, but

throughout the world. The need to take a long term (sustainable) view of all our actions is now generally acknowledged in every facet of our economy. That wasn’t

always the case.”

— V. Philip Rasmussen, Western SARE

Coordinator

continued on page 4

Simply Susta inable Page 3

PDP WEL CO ME S NE W CO OR D IN AT OR S

worked in Iowa State Univer-sity and Michigan State University. He received his PhD from the University of Massachusetts and his B.S. from the University of Bue-nos Aires, Argentina.

• Steven Newman, Colorado

(co-coordinator): Steven's current position is that of Extension Specialist and Professor of Floriculture. He has held this position since September 1994. At Colo-rado State Steven has program responsibilities for commercial greenhouse production. By partnering with county faculty with similar responsibilities, he maintains a series of educa-tional programs targeting commercial greenhouse growers based on an estab-

lished needs assess-ment plan. Those efforts have developed in more recent years into a

series of programs co-sponsored by cooperative extension and commodity

groups. These collaborative programs are formulated with industry input and utilize recognized speakers, in- and out-of-state, to provide the best educational opportunities in the Rocky Mountain west for green industry professionals. He received his B.S. in Agricul-tural Production from Mon-tana State University; a M.S. in Horticulture from Univer-sity of Nebraska-Lincoln, and a Ph.D. in Horticulture from Texas A & M University.

• William Nobles, Colorado

(co-coordinator): William (Bill) Nobles is the Peaks & Plains Regional Director with Colorado State University Extension. He is responsible for 31 counties on the eastern side of Colorado. Bill is presently located in Pueblo Colorado and offers guidance and support to administration, agents, specialists and county

S ix PDP state coordinators in five states started in

their new positions over the past few months. • Fabian Menalled, Montana:

Fabian is an Assistant Professor in Weed Ecology and Management at Mon-tana State University. His research and extension programs are focused on

develop-ing and delivering informa-tion on the integrated manage-ment of agricul-

tural weeds. Specifically, Fabian is interested in understanding the mecha-nisms conditioning the abundance, distribution and impacts of annual and perennial weeds in agricul-tural systems. His research includes weed population and community dynamics, pathogen-weed interactions, crop-weed competition, herbicide resistance and weed management in conventional and alternative cropping systems. Prior to arriving to MSU, Fabian

Fabian Menalled

Steven Newman

Bill Nobles

NEW ADM IN IST R AT IVE COU N CIL ME MBER S

opment and implementation of Del Monte’s widely recognized

inte-grated pest manage-ment programs in fruits and vegeta-bles. This work has provided

an important base for Del Monte’s development in agricultural sustainability. Steve also directs Del Monte’s agricultural research

program, including pest man-agement research, new variety trials, and pea, bean, corn and spinach breeding at six Del Monte farm locations in the West and Midwest. The breed-ing programs feed the Com-pany’s seed operation, which provides some 7-8 million pounds of Del Monte seed to Company growers around the U.S. More recently, his team has undertaken the challenge of supporting Del Monte and its growers on the journey to a continuously improving sus-tainable agriculture.

T wo new members joined the Western SARE Admin-

istrative Council: Steve Balling, Del Monte Foods and Carolee Bull, USDA Agricultural Re-search Service (ARS). Steve is based in Oakland, CA and Carolee is based in Salinas, CA. Steve is the Director of Agricultural and Analytical Services for Del Monte Foods. His group is responsible for agricultural research, seed operations and pest manage-ment programs supporting 17 crops grown on 100,000 acres. Over the past 25 years, Steve has directed the devel-

continued on page 10

continued on page 11

Steve Balling

T he last week of February is traditionally the time when

the Administrative Council (AC) meets and makes final deci-sions concerning the current fiscal year budget, administra-tive expenses, new initiatives and competitive proposals that will be funded. At this year’s meeting, the AC made signifi-cant decisions which will affect the future of Western SARE. First, the AC acknowledged my eventual retirement as the Director of Western SARE. They agreed to implement a pro-active plan that will prepare for that retirement, strengthen the established SARE host institu-tion staff at Utah State Univer-sity (USU) and initiate a na-tional search for a new Direc-tor of the Western SARE Re-gional Center at USU. The AC directed that there should be at least a six month, on-the-job mentoring program for the new director while I am still avail-able. This will allow the new Western SARE Center Director to become familiar with the many complicated OMB, USDA-NIFA and Western SARE poli-cies and regulations which govern the program. It will also allow time for the new director

Page 4 Volume 7 , Issue 2

WE STE RN SARE COU R SE CO R RE CT IO N S

to travel to many of the various agricultural eco-regions that make up the BIG West. In addition, the AC directed a significant effort to more closely supervise the Western SARE Farmer/Rancher funded projects, Producer + Profes-sional projects and all current SARE competitive research/education projects. This will involve assigned site-visits to most of the ongoing SARE projects by the Director, other SARE staff or AC members. This will be particularly impor-tant as “systems” projects mature and have the possibil-ity of renewal. These “systems” renewal proposals will need to compete with incoming propos-als, but they will be weighted according to past performance. This will allow a select number of ongoing projects, which need more than three to four

years of data collection, to be extended. Lastly, the AC reviewed the success of the recent Strength-ening Agriculture’s Infrastruc-ture conference that was held in response to the seven SARE subregional listening sessions. This conference enjoyed so much success that a smaller version of it will be taken to Western SARE’s Pacific territo-ries and protectorates. This meeting will be held in Guam on May 19-22, 2014. Western SARE, responding to special direction of Congress, has strived to serve the needs of our island territories and protectorates over the last 18 years. This additional confer-ence will continue Western SARE’s ongoing support for those unique ecosystems in the far islands of the Pacific.

The AC reviewed the success of the recent

Strengthening Agriculture’s

Infrastructure conference. This conference enjoyed so much success that a smaller version of it will be taken to Western SARE’s

Pacific territories and protectorates on

May 19-22, 2014.

by V. Philip Rasmussen, Coordinator Western Region SARE Program

director at the appropriate Land-grant institutions. From 1988-1994, Con-gress had chosen to only fund the SARE Research and Educa-tion program. In 1994 there were funds appropriated for the portion SARE’s enabling legislation that was to become the PDP program (training for extension and other profes-sionals). The road was bumpy getting this program off the ground. Nevertheless, we sur-vived this bump and the bumps in the road that came in the following years, such as when our USDA-SARE alloca-

tions were “sequestered” by the then USDA Secretary Mike Espy due to a dispute with Congress. All four regional SARE programs spent almost a year without funding. Neverthe-less, the wisdom of those who wrote the SARE authorization language that formed the Ad-ministrative Councils proved invaluable. The regional SARE Administrative Councils and their wise and prudent budget-ing carried us through that period without us missing an obligation or payment to any regional SARE project. I am truly grateful for the opportunity to have been inti-mately associated with West-

ern SARE for over 25 years and to observe the marvelous changes that have taken place. Western SARE has grown from a $680,000 per year regional program to a $4 million per year regional program. Truly, my most rewarding experience with Western SARE has been meeting and getting to know farmers, ranchers, researchers and adult educa-tors around the BIG West. Western SARE’s geographical diversity is both humbling and enormous. Yet this enormous geographic, ecological and edaphic diversity is truly our strength.

25 YE AR S OF WE STE RN SARE (continued)

… continued from page 2

Simply Susta inable Page 5

to Improve Irrigation and Nutrient Management on California’s Central Coast,” Principal Investigator: Bridget Hoover, California, $39,564. Professional Development Grant: EW13-027, “Application of Lessons Learned from NRCS Rangeland CEAP: A Site-specific, Low Cost System for Medusahead Control,” Princi-pal Investigator: Jeremy James, California, $68,469. ColoradoColoradoColoradoColorado Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW13-128, “Improved Honeybee Health through Foundation Modification,” Principal Investi-gator: Sue McWilliams, Colo-rado, $25,000. HawaiiHawaiiHawaiiHawaii Professional + Producer Grant: OW13-034, “Enhancing the Sustainability of Grass-fed Beef Production in Hawaii via Carcass and Meat Quality Improvement,” Principal Investigator: Yong Soo Kim, Hawaii, $49,948. Professional Development Grant: EW13-010, “Pollinator Use and Management: Train-ing in Sustainable Practices for Ag Professionals,” Principal Investigator: Ethel Villalobos, Hawaii, $65,386. IdahoIdahoIdahoIdaho Professional + Producer Grant: OW13-043, “Extension of

WE STE RN SARE FUND ED PRO JE CT S (continued)

Local Food Production in Idaho Using High Tunnel Technol-ogy,” Principal Investigator: Stephen Love, Idaho, $49,999. MontanaMontanaMontanaMontana Research and Education Cooperative Grant: SW13-043, “Evaluating Native Perennial Flower Strips for Enhancing Native Bees and Pollination Services on Farmlands,” Principal Investigator: Laura Burkle, Montana, $170,951. Research and Education Cooperative Grant: SW13-056, “Landscape Collaborative Grazing and Greater Sage Grouse Survival,” Principal Investigator: Bok Sowell, Montana, $339,552. Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW13-144, “Effects of Late-Season Water Lease on Forage Crops,” Principal Investigator: William McDowell, Montana, $24,950. Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW13-159, “Wildfires and Cattle

Grazing in Eastern Montana: Developing Sustainable Post-Wildfire Grazing Practices,” Principal Investigator: Jan Stevens, Montana, $18,200. Professional + Producer Grant: OW13-017, “Reference Strips and Precision Sensors for Increased Nitrogen Use Effi-ciency in Wheat Production,” Principal Investigator: Olga Walsh, Montana, $49,907. New MexicoNew MexicoNew MexicoNew Mexico Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW13-122, “Making Roller Crimping a Reality in Southwest,” Princi-pal Investigator: Dale Rhoads, New Mexico, $9,155. Professional + Producer Grant: OW13-023, “A Collective Community Project to Re-search Growing and Marketing of a New Crop in Northern New Mexico,” Principal Investigator: Laura DuMond Kerr, New Mexico, $49,944. Professional Development Grant: EW13-021, “A Distance Learning Approach to Whole Farm Planning Training for Agricultural Professionals in the Western U.S.,” Principal Investigator: Mary Girsch-Bock, New Mexico, $60,400. OregonOregonOregonOregon Research and Education Cooperative Grant: SW13-017, “Integrating Research and Practice in Systems Manage-ment of Organic Vegetable Farms,” Principal Investigator: Alexandra Stone, Oregon,

… continued from page 1

Representing Western SARE

W e are expanding our speakers’ bureau –

and there are no better representatives for the program than our grantees. If you have received a Western SARE grant, are a member of a farm or ranch organization such as Farm Bureau, Na-tional Cattleman’s Beef Association, Farmers Union,

Wheat Growers or others, and would like to learn more about participating in the speakers’ bureau, please contact Stacie Clary, sta-cie.wsare@charter.net. Participants can get involved in giving presenta-tions and/or providing SARE information at meetings and conferences.

continued on page 11

Page 6 Volume 7 , Issue 2

a successful producer “should pay 50-80% of his or her atten-tion to marketing and remem-ber that consumers lead by demanding local, seasonal and organic.” Full Belly sells their products at three farmers mar-kets, to 1,200 families belong-ing to their CSA, directly to stores and restaurants, and wholesale. Full Belly made the decision to participate in farm-ers markets further from Cali-fornia’s agriculture center, and Muller states that by partici-pating in these urban markets, they have built a stronger retail

market. With their direct sales, Full Belly remains profitable by making compact and concise delivery runs. In addition to ensuring financial viability for the farm, their strong diversification allows for year-long employ-ment for some workers. Labor is their biggest cost, but Full Belly has made full year em-ployment, good wages and health care a goal. Muller esti-mates that 20 families are employed full-time, with these families contributing economi-cally to the community. Lastly, Muller stressed the significance of supporting be-ginning farmers and ranchers, as he believes it is not as easy to start an operation as it was when Full Belly started. Califor-nia needs more beginning producers, but those produc-ers are going to need infra-structure assistance to meet new food safety regulations. He sees new producers with three to five acres who have the sustainability ethic but need more knowledge and tools to succeed. The Yocha Dehe Wintun Nation, an independent self-governing tribal nation in the Capay Valley, also has focused on income diversification. The

tribe’s landhold-ings have in-creased over the years, and they have recently added organic asparagus and blueberries to their wheat and olive production and rangelands. As they started grow-ing different crops, the tribe began looking at market-ing under their own brand. The original plan was to sell the olives from the 80 acres of trees, but as they were work-ing to create their own wine, they realized producing olive oil comple-

mented that endeavor. Since there was nowhere to process and bottle olive oil locally, they built their own 14,000 square food full-service plant. The tribe’s goals are to produce a premium oil from their fruit and provide custom milling for other neighboring growers. Their Seka-Hills olive oil is 100% pure cold pressed on-site. The processing can be monitored and manipulated by one person using one screen. The waste is used as cattle feed, with good results being

shown due to the polyphenols. Jim Etters, farm manager, is looking into future uses for the “olive juice” by-product (the water extracted from the oils). Most of their oil is sold whole-sale; they are interested mar-keting directly but it must be done at the correct price point. The operation has seven em-ployees and uses contract labor for harvest. Fred Manas of Manas Ranch has diversified his op-eration by building a USDA-inspected meat processing plant, which is the only one built in the area in recent memory. He did so after realiz-ing his fruit and jam custom-ers, most of whom live in the Bay Area and have limited space, wanted to buy his meat but could only buy about five pounds at a time, not sides. He now has the plant, a meat retail shop, a farmstand, a mobile kitchen, 100 cows, 60 acres of direct marketed peaches, apricots, cherries and apples, and a purebred Angus seed-stock operation. Hank Stone, and his sons Casey and Scott, run a true

PDP FARM TO U R S (continued)

A successful producer “should pay 50-80% of his or her attention

to marketing and remember that

consumers lead by demanding local,

seasonal and organic.”

— Paul Muller, Full Belly Farms

… continued from page 1

continued on next page

Peaches at Full Belly Farm

Seka-Hills Olive Oil

Capay Valley Tomatoes

Simply Susta inable Page 7

family business that is highly diversified. Scott manages the commercial cattle operation, which produces grass fed natural Angus beef on multiple ranches; his wife Karen man-ages the direct marketing and distribution of this beef. They have also built a successful ag real estate company. Casey manages the specialty food distribution and farming opera-tions, which include hay for domestic and export markets, and his wife Angela coordi-nates tours, event and wed-dings on the ranch. Hank has recently started a successful purebred Angus operation, which produces seed-stock for the commercial operation. Through his work in genetics, Hank has been able to develop grass-fed cattle at a smaller weight which still produce choice beef. As Hank put it, “Nothing

happens overnight. Ranching is a lot different than it used to be. You have to be open-minded and be willing to change your way of thinking.” The Stones, like Manas, have also faced challenges with meat processing. There are concerns with quality and consistency in processing, cutting and packaging. They would like to develop their own label, but the label must in-clude the kill facility, which is problematic when using differ-ent facilities. Button and Turkovich Farms grows alfalfa, tomatoes, sunflowers, seed crops, prunes, walnuts, oranges, grapes and rice on 5,000 acres. They lease much of the land from about 20 different landlords. Tony Turkovich man-ages the farming operation and Chris Turkovich, in addi-tion to working on the farm, started Turkovich Family Wines. A portion of the crops produced are organic, and there have been some chal-lenges; weed pressure in al-falfa being one of them. They make use of cover crops after each harvest. Much of what the farm grows is contracted before planting. They attempt to spread out production as long as possible, producing early-, mid- and late-season; with premiums being paid for early- and late-season tomatoes. The seed crops are also con-tracted. The Turkovichs must work closely with their neighbors due to pollination issues. They have good rela-tionships with their neighbors, and they all alternate years so that everyone get a chance at premiums or best planting times. Chris mentioned that labor is one of their biggest chal-lenges – labor is expensive and hard to find. The farm is moving to more mechanical methods to address this prob-lem. The farm also uses tech-nologies such as GPS, auto-drive cultivars and auto-drip. The final stop was Dixon Ridge Farms, where the coordi-nators were highly impressed by the innovative infrastructure

developed and implemented by Russ Lester to make his organic walnut orchard truly sustainable (please see ac-companying article on next page). Cinda Williams, Idaho PDP Coordinator, stated, “The tour did a great job of highlighting California’s agricultural diver-sity. I was impressed by the producers’ innovations and efforts to promote sustainabil-ity, collaborate with other pro-ducers and connect with their community.” Special thanks to Morgan Doran, University of California Cooperative Extension and PDP coordinator for California, who organized the tour as part of the annual PDP gathering of state/protectorate coordina-tors from throughout the West.

For more information on these productive and thriving farming, ranching and process-ing enterprises: • Button & Turkovich Farms:

turkovichwines.com • Dixon Ridge Farms:

dixonridgefarms.com • Full Belly Farm:

fullbellyfarm.com • Manas Ranch:

manasranch.com • Manas Ranch Custom

Meats: manameats.com • Yoche Dehe Wintun Nation:

yochadehe.org/farm-ranch/seka-hills

• Yolo Land and Cattle Com-pany: yololandandcattle.com

… continued from page 6

Hank Stone

Chris Turkovich

PDP State Coordinator Fabian Menalled

“ The tour did a great job of highlighting

California’s agricultural diversity. I was impressed by the

producers’ innovations and efforts to promote

sustainability, collaborate with other producers and connect with their community.”

— Cinda Williams,

Idaho PDP Coordinator

Page 8 Volume 7 , Issue 2

CO MM ITM ENT T O SU STAIN AB LE GROW ING AND PRO CE SSING

“ I was so impressed by the use of this

technology. It allowed Dixon Ridge Farm to meet its electricity needs with a by-product that used to be an expense.”

— Brian Tuck, Oregon PDP

Co-Coordinator

powering of his freezer by the generator less efficient. He later worked to change the state’s net metering law to include biogas-generated energy. Russ is now producing more energy from this system than he uses much of the year. He receives a credit, which he then uses during the energy-intensive harvest time. He also captures this system’s heat, along with recycled heat from the walnut dryer, to replace propane. His propane costs have dropped approximately 40%. Brian Tuck, Oregon state co-coordinator, says “I was so impressed by the use of this technology. It allowed Dixon Ridge Farm to meet its electricity needs with a by-product that used to be an expense.” Dixon Ridge Farm’s development of an energy-efficient freezer and proprie-tary technique that freezes the walnuts to kill all insects, worms and eggs saves energy and provides for high-quality walnuts without the use of chemicals. The walls of the freezer are so super insulated that, along with the use of an airlock system, the 12,000 square foot freezer only uses about $55,000/year in energy. Russ can freeze the walnuts faster. He claims that they can be stored for years without oxygen reacting with the oils. He has held taste tests where the testers could not tell if the walnuts were one, two or three years old. The orchard’s no-till and cover crop system helps the soils maintain moisture and reduce run-off. Russ also plants a black walnut seed in the field, which he later graphs, due to its long taproot. After a past flood, Russ was able to get back into his field much earlier than his neighbors and his walnuts had less mold. He estimates he lost 7% of his crop due to this flood while his neighbors lost

up to 35%. Lastly, Russ has developed his own sprinkler system that is still very efficient even at low pressure. Russ speaks often of systems. His success has come from looking at his operation system-wide and noticing the changes as nature changes. As he states, “after all, sustainability and farming certainly are not stagnant.” For more information visit dixonridgefarms.com.

R uss Lester is committed to creating and making

use of innovative infrastruc-ture to ensure his farm’s processing is as sustainable as the growing practices. His 1,400 acre organic walnut orchard, Dixon Ridge Farms in Winters, CA, has won the 2012 U.S. EPA Sustainable Agricul-tural Champion Award while focusing on energy efficiency, renewable energy, water conservation, soil fertility, and IPM and organic methods. In July the Western SARE PDP State Coordinators viewed first-hand technologies that Russ has added to his operation to reduce energy and water use. PDP Coordinators and staff were impressed by the use of the BioMax 50, a 50kW biogas powered generator that converts the farm’s walnut shells into energy. The farm generates two million pounds of shells per year that used to be sent to co-generating plants or ground up for organic mulch. Five years ago Russ set a goal to be energy efficient by using his shells for fuel. He received a grant for the biogas powered generator from the California Energy Commission. In one month he built the infrastructure needed to become the first on-farm user of this equipment. Russ faced the challenge of not being allowed to interconnect to the power grid, which made the

Russ Lester

Dixon Ridge Farm

PDP State Coordinators Jackson Phillip and Bob Barber

Simply Susta inable Page 9

W hat should the research agenda in food systems

for the next five years look like? That’s the question posed by the editors of the Journal of Food Systems and Community Development (JAFSCD). Given what Western SARE has learned in the past six years about the leading research needs and trends, some of the staff reflected on that question and submitted a commentary to JAFSCD. Here are some additional thoughts for consideration. What’s really needed to advance resilient food systems in the years to come? Is it research? If so, on what topics and by what methods? Should research focus on “small-bore” topics or macro-level matters? What disciplines will need to do that research? Or are education, business planning and development, private financing and public invest-ment more critical and timely over the next five years? What we heard at the 2007-2010 subregional conferences - that strengthen-ing weak links in the food chain should be a top priority for research and education – led to Western SARE’s Decem-ber 2012 Strengthening Agriculture’s Infrastructure conference. As was highlighted in the recent special confer-ence issue of Simply Sustain-able, that event featured ways of effecting elements beyond the farm field that get food to

A NE W FOO D SY ST EM S RE SE ARCH AND DEVELO PME NT AGENDA

consumers’ plates. These elements include processing, distribution and marketing chains, along with the relation-ships and resources that make the links of those chains strong and functional. What we learned at the conference led to these obser-vations, which are based on perspectives offered by the food producers, processors, distributors and retailers who spoke at the conference. Speaker after speaker empha-sized: • Building new roles and

relationships with fellow producers, customers, distributors and processors.

• Getting financing in order, and attracting (or self-generating) investment for expansion.

• Using community resources to advance local food enter-prise development.

• Navigating regulations to create sound, safe, doable food enterprises.

• Thinking very differently about retailing food - for example, the “20 minute neighborhood,” as described by Lisa Sedlar at the confer-ence.

A new research agenda

could focus more on what are the key components in build-ing the relationships needed for success in a new food systems paradigm. Or what combination of regulations and incentives create conditions for success. This may not be “big” science with sweeping objectives and implications. New food systems research priorities may be the calling of economists, sociologists, even psychologists, rather than engineers and the traditional agriculture and natural re-source disciplines. Here’s a sample of topics raised at the 2012 conference that could constitute a five year food systems research plan: • How much would a region

need to produce to ade-quately and affordably feed the region and ensure producers remain profit-able?

• How much local/regional food are consumers willing to purchase? Institutions? What’s the price point for consumers to make a choice between local and non-local?

• What is total amount of land that could be re-purposed into food production in urban areas?

• If a region uses more locally-produced inputs and proc-esses grown food regionally, what is the specific eco-nomic impact to those communities?

• Can successes in local food distribution in urban/suburban areas be adapted for rural areas?

Perhaps a broader discus-sion on where to focus future public investment local and regional food systems develop-ment is in order. Be a part of that discussion – read the on-line edition of Simply Sustain-able at westernsare.org/infrastructure and learn more about JAFSCD at www. Jafscd.org.

Page 10 Volume 7 , Issue 2

commissioners with the overall goal of providing a better quality of life for Coloradoans. Prior to his appointment as Regional Director, Bill served as an agriculture and 4-H agent in Pagosa Springs, Colorado for over 22 years. Bill is a certified “Real Colors” educator and reached youth and adults improving career planning, teambuilding and communication between youth and teachers. Bill received his M.S. in Agricul-ture from California State Polytechnic University, Pomona, California and B.S. in Animal Science from New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, New Mexico. He pursued a Ph.D. in Physiol-ogy of Reproduction at Texas A&M University.

• Steven Seefeldt, Alaska:

Steven is an Agriculture and Horticulture Extension Agent with the Cooperative Exten-sion Service at UAF. He was a Weed Scientist with the USDA Agricultural Research

Service (ARS) Subarc-tic Agricul-tural Re-search Unit in Fair-banks, AK. In addition, he was a Range-

land Scientist for over four years at the USDA-ARS U. S. Sheep Experiment Station in Dubois, ID; a Weed Scientist in Hamilton, New Zealand for two years with AgRe-search; a technician and support scientist for the ARS Non-irrigated Agriculture Weed Science Research Unit in Pullman, WA; a science, math and French teacher at a small secondary school in

Nezperce, ID; and a Peace Corps Volunteer in Niger. He completed his B.S. in For-estry at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdo-ches, TX; his M.S. in Arid Lands Studies at Texas Tech in Lubbock, TX; and his Ph.D. in Agronomy at Wash-ington State University at Pullman, WA.

• Jari Sugano, Hawaii (co-

coordinator): Jari is an associate extension agent with the College of Tropical Agriculture and Human Resources, University of Hawai’i. Her ability to bring together and commu-nicate with farmers, agricul-tural organizations and communi-ties is one of the hallmarks of Jari’s work and a founda-tion of her being honored with CTAHR’s 2013 Excel-lence in Extension Award. Through the LIFE (Local & Immigrant Farmer Educa-tion) program, she has brought CTAHR’s research-based information to an underserved group in Ha-wai‘i, the immigrant farmers. She has also fostered collaborative partnerships between the college, private companies, commodity organizations, numerous state, federal, and county agencies, and the Hawaii Farm Bureau. Jari works on fruit and vegetable trials, CTAHR’s sustainable agricul-ture research and student projects, pesticide and resistance-management programs, promotion of Hawai‘i-grown products and services, and more. She takes advantage of new social media advances to continue to service CTAHR’s expanding and ever-

changing diversified agricul-ture sector in Hawai‘i and beyond.

• Loretta Singletary, Nevada:

Loretta is a Professor and Area Director with University of Nevada Cooperative Extension. As an Area Director she administers Cooperative Extension offices located in 11 rural counties in central/northeastern Nevada, supervising approximately 50 faculty and staff mem-bers. Loretta is recognized for her work in conducting community needs assess-ments and Extension pro-gram evaluations utilizing the LOGIC model combined with a participatory action research approach; collabo-rative problem solving; and educating the public about challenges to sustaining agriculture on American Indian lands. She was a State Extension Specialist in Rural Development in the Department of Agricultural Economics and Rural Sociol-ogy at Penn State University

prior to joining the extension faculty in Nevada in 1997. She is a native of South Carolina

and alumnus of Clemson University where she earned a Ph.D. in Applied Econom-ics.

The state coordinators assist in promoting sustain-able agriculture locally through noncompetitive state grants operated through SARE's Professional Development Program and through promo-tion of SARE funded project results. Coordinators typically use their grants to conduct educational programs in sustainable agriculture.

PDP WELCOMES NEW COORDINATORS (continued)

… continued from page 3

Jari Sugano

Steven Seefeldt

Loretta Singletary

Simply Susta inable Page 11

Carolee, a plant patholo-gist, has been a committed public servant with the USDA-ARS since 1995, dedicating

her re-search to alterna-tives to chemical pesticides for plant disease manage-ment in

vegetables and small fruit. Her early adoption and leadership in organic agricultural research lead to increased organic research capacity and the first synthesis of the USDA-ARS organic research portfolio. She was honored to serve as a panel member or manger for the USDA Organic Transition and Integrated Organic Pro-grams (2001-2004). She serves her plant pathology peers through leadership in the American

NEW AC MEMB ER S (continued)

Phytopathological Society (APS), where she was elected Councilor-At-Large (2008-2011). Internationally, Carolee serves as the Convener of the International Society of Plant Pathology’s Committee on the Taxonomy of Plant Pathogenic Bacteria (2006-present). Additionally, she recently served as the Acting Assistant Area Director for the Pacific

West Area of the USDA/ARS with responsibility for 375 ARS scientists. Carolee is an enthu-siastic mentor of undergradu-ate researchers. The Administrative Council and the staff of Western SARE welcome Steve and Carolee and know that the program will benefit greatly from their contributions.

WE STE RN SARE FUND ED PRO JE CT S (continued)

Impacts of Mob Grazing in Southern Oregon,” Principal Investigator: Angela Boudro, Oregon, $47,142. UtahUtahUtahUtah Research and Education Cooperative Grant: SW13-034, “Onion Systems Management Strategies for Crop Nutrition, Weeds, Thrips and Iris Yellow Spot Virus,” Principal Investiga-tor: Diane Alston, Utah, $153,908. Professional + Producer Grant: OW13-005, “Rangeland Resto-ration on the Channel Scab-lands of Eastern Washington,” Principal Investigator: Kip Panter, Utah, $49,931. Professional Development Grant: EW13-005, “Economic Evaluation of Agricultural Diversification through Agri-tourism for the Intermountain

West,” Principal Investigator: Susan Slocum, Utah, $74,492. WashingtonWashingtonWashingtonWashington Professional Development Grant: EW13-008: “High Residue Farming in the Irri-gated Far West,” Principal Investigator: Andrew McGuire, Washington, $26,400. Professional Development Grant: EW13-022, “Development and Training of a National Spray Application Work Group,” Principal Investi-gator: Gwen-Alyn Hoheisel, Washington, $57,862. WyomingWyomingWyomingWyoming Professional Development Grant: EW13-014, “Enhancing the Exploring Energy Efficiency and Alternatives (E3A) Curricu-lum,” Principal Investigator: Milton Geiger, Wyoming,

$277,430. Professional + Producer Grant: OW13-037, “Long Term Sus-tainability of Precision Irriga-tion in Southern Oregon Vine-yards,” Principal Investigator: Gabriel Balint, Oregon, $49,802. Professional + Producer Grant: OW13-055, “Assessing the

… continued from page 5

Resources on Western SARE Website

• Descriptions of Western SARE’s grant programs and how to apply: westernsare.org/Grants/Apply

• Summaries of funded projects: westernsare.org/Projects/Funded-Projects-by-Year

• Books, bulletins, fact sheets and other learning

materials, all searchable by topic: westernsare.org/ Learning-Center

• Twenty-eight page full re-port from Strengthening Agriculture’s Infrastructure conference (download as PDF): westernsare.org/infrastructure

… continued from page 3

Carolee Bull

Editor: Stacie Clary

stacie.wsare@charter.net

Design: Jolyn Keck

jolyn.keck@usu.edu

Western SARE Program

Utah State University

4865 Old Main Hill

Logan, UT 84322-4865

© Copyright 2013 Western Sustainable Agriculture, Research and Education Program

SARE is funded by the National Institute for Food

and Agriculture, USDA

SU STAINAB IL IT Y EVENT S

Sustainable Ag Expo: CaliforniaSustainable Ag Expo: CaliforniaSustainable Ag Expo: CaliforniaSustainable Ag Expo: California

T he 2013 Sustainable Ag Expo will once again bring

leading experts in sustainabil-ity to the California. The agenda for the two-day exposition will include ses-sions on management of nitrates and to the efforts to address finite water resources. The Expo will feature a resistance management session with UC Davis plant pathologist Doug Gubler on the best approaches for making pest and disease control practices effective for the future. Additionally, there will be a breakout session for the most recent progress in managing canker diseases of grapevines and industry efforts to expand with clean, virus free vineyards

and orchards. Other sessions will include a keynote address by Brian Leahy, DPR Director, continuing education units for current laws and regulations, and a certification course for roadway erosion management. Off the beaten path, the Expo will feature sessions on holistic orchard and vineyard manage-ment and a big picture look into rethinking crop waste. A tradeshow component features businesses who support the Three P's of Sustainability: People, Planet, Profit. Presented by the Vineyard Team on November 18th and 19th and Madonna Inn Expo Center. For more information call 805.466.2288 or visit www.sustainableagexpo.org.

Extension Sustainability Extension Sustainability Extension Sustainability Extension Sustainability Summit: UtahSummit: UtahSummit: UtahSummit: Utah

T he Western Rural Devel-opment Center is hosting

their Extension Sustainability Summit October 2-3, 2013 in Park City, Utah. This Summit will bring together Cooperative Extension agents and special-ists to present and discuss outreach and education activities in five thematic areas: Land, Air, Food, Water and Energy. Registration includes the two-day summit, exhibits, pre-loaded jump drive with presenter materials and program curricula, meals, and an evening reception. Western SARE is co-sponsoring this event. Information and registra-tion can be found at wrdc.usu.edu/htm/programs/ess/. Space is limited.