Farm Indiana | June 2017 by Margo Wininger

June 2017

‘To every thing there is a season’

By Jennifer Willhite

Buying locally in season guarantees flavor and freshness. According to local farmers, the trick is learning when certain items are in season. As farmers markets open this season, customers can expect to find the last of what are known as cold crops, such as green onions, spring and winter lettuces, spinach and radishes. Some farmers may also have kale and Swiss chard, but it all depends on their preference for growing (whether in a greenhouse or not) and the weather. “The farmers are straightforward and will tell you if weather is a deterrent for a specific crop and when it will be available,” says Sande Hummel of the Columbus City Farmers Market. Bruce Weaver, owner of Country Garden in Flat Rock, says that when people come to the farmers market when it first opens, their most common question is, “Where is the sweet corn?” If you are after the summer staples like sweet corn and green beans, you have to wait until July. What the public does not understand is that produce availability follows a seasonal rhythm, Weaver says. And when you are connected with Mother Nature, understanding the seasons is easier.

Onions, potatoes and greens for sale at Country Farm’s booth during the Columbus City Farmers Market in Fair Oaks Mall. Top, Mary Lou Nay holds a PawPaw at the Seymour Farmers Market. The Republic File photos.

Farm Indiana is a monthly publication of AIM Media Indiana.

“People are used to buying anything they want to buy in the grocery store anytime of the year,” he says. “They do not understand every fruit and vegetable has a season when it is grown locally.” Learning to shop and plan meals according to the seasons can be tricky, but it is a great skill to have if you are set on eating in season. If there is one thing that shopping locally at farmers markets offers that a grocery cannot, it is freshness and guaranteed flavor, Weaver says. “It is a thousand miles fresher because most of the vendors at the farmers market are preparing their produce for sale the day before,” he says.”You are guaranteed it is fresh and has a longer shelf life.” May is an ideal time to look for strawberries, asparagus, zucchinis and cucumbers, says Mackenzey Shatto, of Poseys and Pumpkins in Jennings County. Those who grow the majority of their crops in a greenhouse can have some produce earlier and available later into the season, such as peppers and tomatoes. Shatto says farmers who utilize greenhouses often have an advantage over traditional farming, which is dependent on the weather and the seasons’ cooperation. “Growers like us who have greenhouses can keep our produce growing inside and outside,” Shatto says. “This past year we had peppers, which were planted in the greenhouse in the middle of March, well into January.” Hummel says customers shopping at area farmers markets during opening weekend are almost always on a mission for sweet corn and green beans. Although neither will be available at the start of the season, Indiana’s spring weather has proven favorable for thriving crops this season, she says. “Our crops will be booming,” she says. “We will have lettuces, radishes, rhubarb and maybe some beets.” Watching the ebbs and flows of growing produce is an extraordinary thing, Hummel says. As the cold crops fade and the weather warms, the soil will warm as well and promote the growth of the plants. “I think we come out pretty much ahead in July on corn,” she says. “If we have a good spring of water, the corn is up to our shoulders by the Fourth of July.” However, tomatoes will not arrive early, unless they are grown in a greenhouse, Hummel cautions. “It all comes in time,” she says. “Patience is good. If anyone has ever grown anything, they understand what it takes to get it there. Mother Nature rules.”

Publisher Chuck Wells Editor Doug Showalter

When they’re good and ready Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind when shopping for seasonal produce in Indiana:

May and June: Asparagus, root crops (like carrots, beets and new potatoes), peas, artichokes, and spinach make their debut. If you’re hunting fruits, rhubarb, apricots, strawberries and cherries are best now and go quickly. July and August: Welcome the arrival of green beans, okra, garden peas, sweet corn, eggplant, tomatoes and peppers. Cool down with blackberries, blueberries, watermelon, cantaloupe and peaches. September: This is the best time to find celery, soybeans, squashes, onions and cabbage. Grapes are abundant, as are persimmons, apples and pears.

If year-round veggies and fruits are on your list for easy shopping and meal planning, you can count on arugula, root vegetables, most herbs, mushrooms, sprouts, lettuces of some variety and watercress. thespruce.com

Comments, story ideas, events and suggestions should be sent to Doug Showalter, The Republic, 2980 N. National Road, Columbus, IN 47201, call 812-379-5625 or email dshowalter@therepublic.com.

To advertise, contact Kathy Burnett at 812-379-5655 or kburnett@aimmediaindiana.com

Farm Indiana | JUNE 2017

BRIEFS Drive safely during planting season

Strategic solutions

Farm Bureau’s plan aims to increase membership, agricultural awareness By Jon Shoulders

Indiana Farm Bureau’s 2021 Strategic Plan was announced at the end of 2016 as a road map to lead the organization into the next decade. According to Scott Bonnell, president of the bureau’s Bartholomew County office, it comes in response to a growing number of challenges facing farmers statewide. “There are so many challenges for farmers, maybe more now than there ever have been,” he says. “There are low commodity prices, property tax issues, zoning and things like that. The Strategic Plan came about because we as an organization need to focus on building membership, making things more efficient, making the website easier for people to navigate and also keeping younger kids interested, which has been really hard.” During the past 12 months, state IFB leaders organized 20 focus group sessions throughout the organization’s eight districts and collected input from more than 800 members. Based on the feedback and suggestions received, leaders at the district and state level formulated the plan, which was enumerated by IFB President Randy Kron at its annual state convention in Fort Wayne last December. The five-year plan consists of six focus areas: » Create a positive member experience. » Create and promote a positive image of agriculture. » Develop an organizational structure that strengthens county Farm Bureaus. » Improve awareness of Indiana Farm Bureau as a valuable resource. » Continue successful advocacy efforts at all levels. » Grow membership in a consistent and sustainable way. Bonnell says a major component of the plan involves improving outreach to two key demographics – non-farmers and young Hoosiers. “Farmers are less than 2 percent of the American population, so we have to try to get other people interested in agriculture,” he says. “The average U.S. farmer’s age is late 50s and rising, and that will have to change if we want agriculture to grow. “Part of the plan is to improve our technology and website features like having more online meetings and things that will make us more accessible, because that’s where it’s going with the younger generation.” Founded in 1919, IFB is a nonprofit organization headquartered in Indianapolis with offices in all 92 Indiana counties. The company promotes agriculture statewide through education, public outreach and advocacy at the state and federal legislative level. “Growing membership is something that we’re really going to focus on more,” says Mark Bacon, director of

IFB District 8, which consists of Bartholomew, Brown, Decatur, Fayette, Franklin, Johnson, Rush, Shelby and Union counties. “We used to be at over 282,000 members across the state, and we’re down to about 256,000, so we’re trying to build that back.” Bonnell says leaders and board members will seek to strengthen IFB’s relationship with 4-H leaders as well as Indiana Future Farmers of America, a youth agricultural organization with more than 11,000 members, and hopes to include more FFA members on county IFB boards statewide in an effort to increase youth membership and improve quality of community outreach. “Many people, even farmers, don’t realize what Farm Bureau actually is doing for them, which is spending time at the statehouse, working on legislation, getting property taxes down and those types of things,” says Bacon, who operates a 500-acre corn and soybean farm in Rush County. “We’ve got lobbyists in D.C. and here at the state level. We want to do more to teach our members how to tell their story, to be able to go out and talk to neighbors and talk to legislators, even Capitol Hill. We want to find ways to encourage members to talk about what some of the laws and regulations, whether it’s property taxes or operational regulations or what have you, are actually doing to them.” Strategic Plan efforts will be aided by IFB’s County Recognition Program, an award program launched five years ago to honor the achievements of county Farm Bureaus in several areas that intersect with the Strategic Plan, such as public relations, education and young farmer involvement. “Each year counties that have achieved a certain number of requirements in the Country Recognition Program are given special awards during our state convention in December,” says Debra DeCourcy, chief marketing director for IFB. “In order to get this recognition, counties must have accomplished a minimum number of requirements in each category. For example, one category is member experience, which is one of the priorities of the Strategic Plan.” Bonnell says simply making more Hoosiers aware of the problems and issues facing farmers is perhaps IFB’s most important goal. “My wife likes to say most everybody likes farming, but not many people think of the actual farmers and what they go through,” he says. “If we don’t get the message out and educate the public about the importance and necessity of farmers, who else will?” For additional information on Indiana Farm Bureau, including membership details and benefits, visit infarmbureau.org.

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Davis earns award

The fourth winner of the Lee Wilkinson Award was recently recognized by Winfield United. Jeff Davis, a senior account manager at Premier Ag in Seymour, was recognized for displaying the same qualities that Lee Wilkinson did, such as a dedication to the CROPLAN brand, tireless commitment to winning in the agricultural field and a strong belief in doing the right thing for the customer. “Central to Davis’ success is his initiative, discipline, dependability and critical thinking,” said Sal Sama, director of agronomy sales and marketing for Premier Ag. The CROPLAN brand is a seed provider to farmers across the nation that offers a broad selection of high-performing seed selected from genetics to better meet local challenges, according to the CROPLAN website. Premier Companies is a farmer-owned cooperative providing supplies and services in the agricultural and energy sectors. Premier Ag is an operating division of Premier Companies.

Senate confirms Perdue

WASHINGTON — Former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue has been sworn in as agriculture secretary in President Donald Trump’s administration as the farming industry looks to Washington for help amid a downturn in the market. Perdue takes office as farm prices have been down for several years in a row, and some parts of the industry, including cotton and dairy farmers, say they need the department and Congress to rewrite agricultural policy to help revive their business. Perdue’s main task over the coming year will be working with Congress and coordinating his department’s input on the next five-year farm bill. Current farm policy expires next year, and lawmakers on the House and Senate agriculture committees will have to find a way to push it through Congress amid heightened partisan tensions and concerns over spending. At his hearing, he pledged to help senators sustain popular crop insurance programs and fix problems with government dairy programs. Wire Reports

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WEST LAFAYETTE — With planting season underway throughout Indiana, Purdue Extension agricultural safety and health specialist Bill Field is urging motorists and farmers alike to use caution when travelling on rural roadways. He offers the following tips to keep both motorists and farmers safer on the road throughout the growing season. For motorists: • Be aware — Watch for roadway obstructions like slow-moving farm vehicles and avoid distracted driving behaviors, such as texting. • Slow down — Especially when passing through agricultural areas. • Keep your distance — Drivers should allow at least 3 seconds’ distance from any vehicle they are following. • Pass with care — Pass only on straightaways with good visibility and make sure the farm vehicle is not swinging wide to make a left turn. • Be patient — In heavy traffic conditions, farmers are expected to pull over and let other vehicles pass but only if conditions are safe to do so. For farmers: • Don’t park trucks on side of a main road while loading grain. • Make sure all farm vehicles are clearly marked with “slow vehicle” signage. • Make sure all vehicle lights are operating. • Consider using escort vehicles and trailers to transport farm equipment over longer distances.

Farm Indiana | June 2017

A high-tech field

Farmers update planting methods, knowledge with modern devices By Barney Quick

Agriculture is no different than any other area of modern life in the sense that technology pervades all aspects of its practice and that technology changes rapidly. Field mapping, weed identification, irrigation, planting, spraying, information about equipment components, weather information and market conditions are just a few of the areas that are managed from tablets and phones with unprecedented speed and accuracy. It’s useful, when beginning to get a picture of what is available to the modern farmer, to acquaint oneself with some of the current major players in farm technology. The product line of Omaha, Nebraskabased Grower’s Edge is focused on the business end of farming: risk management scenarios, profit goals, market quotes, weather and news. It’s representative of the trend toward particular functions being integrated into one package. Ann Arbor, Michigan-based Farm Logs offers products in three main categories: crop management, farm logs operations management, and planting-and-fertilizing prescriptions. Sunnyvale, California-based Trimble was founded in 1978 and has acquired a number of companies in the intervening decades. It began as an offshoot of Hewlett-Packard and has focused on positioning and navigation products. Lindsay Corp., also based in Omaha, serves the irrigation and infrastructure niche. The Climate Corp. and Precision Planting are both owned by Monsanto. Climate Corp. focuses on field-health information, and Precision Planting has two main kinds of product lines: mechanical products and monitoring and control systems. Columbus-area farmer Brian Arnholt has been integrating technology into his operation long enough to form some assessments about what he finds suitable and what he doesn’t.

Regarding Precision Planting, he says, “I’ve been drinking their Kool-Aid for some time. We can adjust planting population by management zone, which makes us very efficient.” He describes himself as “a little disappointed” in the accuracy of Grower’s Edge. He does like a Lindsay product called FieldNET, saying, “I can change what irrigation a particular field is getting guided by the information from the app.” He also speaks well of Climate FieldView, a Climate Corp. product. “It’s the app I use to talk to Precision Planting,” he says. Auto steering is one aspect of farm technology that has seen a lot of evolution and proliferation of options. From the light bar method of guiding vehicles in the field, which is still available, to assisted steering, considered the intermediate approach, to real-time kinematic (RTK) technology, choices abound based on cost and accuracy. A light bar is a piece of equipment attached to a tractor. The driver follows the straight line of the beam of light it produces. “It’s an introduction to auto-steer technology,” says Travis Kohrman, registered agent of Xperience Ag LLC. “You’re still in control when you use a light bar.” Assisted steering uses the Federal Aviation Administration’s Wide Area Augmentation System, a free satellite-based correction system that Kohrman describes as an “entry-level GPS signal.” The next step up would be intermediate GPS signals, obtained with a yearly subscription and which provide greater accuracy. RTK is a guidance system that provides accuracy of less than an inch by utilizing the satellite signal’s carrier wave. It

utilizes a tower, generally erected on the farmer’s property, which serves as a reference point. The more dense the placement of towers in a network, the greater the accuracy, because any one tower’s positioning information is corroborated. “You get better signal quality the more you pay,” says Kohrman. Prescriptions, the specification plans for how seeds or fertilizer are to be applied to a given area, are far more accurate than just a few years ago with the advent of these technologies. Brett Glick, another Columbus-based farmer, explains how variable-rate technology has led to prescriptions that “have us plant more seeds where the yield capacity is greater. Various companies will take soil-mapping information and load it to the cloud. Then the prescriptions based on it can be downloaded to your computer.” A former Columbus resident, Steve Booher, founded Smart Path Systems, a company that has developed a precision guidance system that allows the user to either follow predetermined courses or record his own path. It can be used for spraying, mowing and snowplowing. The technology was refined in central Indiana. “Some Columbus Parks and Recreation employees gave us feedback on user interface on an android tablet,” says Booher. “We did our initial testing at Ceraland and subsequent testing at Indianapolis International Airport.” Smart Path entered into an alliance agreement with Kubota Tractor Corp. in February. It was the sixth U.S. company to enter into such an agreement with Kubota in 45 years. It has yet to be offered at area Kubota dealerships. “We’ll be meeting with Kubota Canada soon. There are lots of dealers there,” says Booher. “We’d like to introduce it to dealers in Europe and Australia by the fourth quarter of this year.” Technology is now just the backdrop to agriculture, as it is to life generally. It’s just a question of how sophisticated a farmer wants its role to be in his operations.

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Farm Indiana | JUNE 2017

Shopping at the source

Jackson County promotes two farmers markets this year By Marcia Walker | Photos Provided Jackson County residents in search of fresh produce, baked goods and handmade items that are locally produced have plenty of options this year with two farmers markets, one in Seymour and one in Brownstown. The Seymour market offered a spring version, but the full market opened for the season on May 27. Hours are 8 a.m. to noon. Vendors participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and the Jackson County Library’s Book Wagon is usually there. And look for even more activities on the third Saturday of each month, called Special Market Saturdays. “There will be more food vendors, cooking demonstrations, kids activities, and we will partner with the library. They do a craft and game of some sort,” said Sara Bane, chairwoman of the market committee. The Seymour market is also planning “Market Lite” versions from 2 to 6 p.m. Mondays and 8 a.m. to noon Wednesdays. All take place in the parking lot at the corner of Walnut

Street and St. Louis Avenue, next to the railroad tracks and south of the Jackson County Public Library. The Seymour market continues through the last Saturday in September. Celeste Bowman is market manager. “She’s the touch point for the vendors,” Bane explained. “She’s present when the market is open. I handle the logistical stuff such as fundraising and paperwork.” In Brownstown, the market will open for the season on June 2. Hours are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Heritage Park, 121 E. Walnut St., across from the Jackson County Courthouse. Brownstown has tried markets in the past, but with minimal success. This year, organizers decided to shorten the hours, eliminate the vendor fee and work with the organizers of the Seymour market. “Main Street is pushing the market, trying to get the market up and going,” said Richard Beckort, Extension educator for Jackson County. “Extension is helping out with it.” Look for Vallonia’s Megan Hackman at both Seymour and Brownstown markets. Hackman is the official manager of the Brownstown market, but she is also a producer, one of the owners of Hackman Family Farm Market. “As a producer, I am very excited. It’s another place to sell what I raise,” Hackman said. “This is a chance for people who might not have the opportunity to come to my farm.” She added that bringing vendors together allows customers to purchase items that she doesn’t sell, such as baked goods and handmade items. “People have the opportunity to get what they want in one spot,” she said.

While the markets are an outlet for Hackman to sell her produce, the 23-year-old Purdue graduate looks beyond that. She sees her involvement as a way to give back to the place she grew up. “As kids, we often take from the community,” she said. “This is an opportunity to give back, to donate my time, effort and knowledge to my community.” The deadline is past for anyone interested in the Seymour markets. But there is no deadline and no fee to participate in Brownstown. However, vendors still need to register with the Jackson County Extension office. “That’s so everybody knows the rules and everybody is on the same page,” Beckort said. Heather VonDielingen, Jackson County 4-H youth development director, is helping with publicity. She explained that last year, Brownstown promoted two 12-hour market days, which were too long. People would come to shop only to find no vendors. VonDielingen has an ulterior motive. She sees the potential for a tie-in to 4-H, although that is down the road a bit. She envisions a venue for 4-H members involved with gardening projects. “4-H kids could demonstrate (at the market)” she said, adding that they might even be able to sell their produce.

SEYMOUR AREA FARMERS MARKET Full Market 8 a.m. to noon Saturdays through September Market Lite 2 to 6 p.m. Mondays 8 a.m. to noon Wednesdays Special Market Saturdays Third Saturday of the month Information: seymour. farmers.market.manager@ gmail.com. BROWNSTOWN FARMERS MARKET 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through Oct. 27 Information: Purdue Extension, Jackson County, 812-358-6101 or rbeckort@ purdue.edu.

Predicting the base rate of farmland for property taxes

T By Larry DeBoer

The late, great George Carlin had a routine about a weather forecaster: “The forecast for tonight: dark. Continued dark throughout the night, with scattered light in the morning.” Some predictions are easy. Predicting the base rate of farmland used to be easy, too. The base rate is the starting point for setting the assessed value of farmland for property taxes. The state Department of Local Government Finance recalculates it every year with a capitalization formula. It divides measures of farm income by a rate of return. The base rate for taxes this year is $1,960 per acre. Here’s how easy it was. The base rate for taxes in 2015 was calculated in 2014, averaging data from 2006 through 2011. There was a four-year lag between the most recent numbers and the base rate used for taxes. I could take numbers that were already in the books, feed them through the DLGF’s set formula, and come up with a really accurate prediction. In January 2012, I predicted the base rate for 2014 at $1,760. Nailed it. In January 2013, I predicted $2,050 for 2015. Right again. It was no big deal, like “scattered light in the morning.” Then in 2016 the General Assembly changed the formula to eliminate the four-year lag. Now the most recent numbers are used. The base rate for taxes in 2017 was calculated in 2016, with numbers up through 2015. That’s a twoyear lag. This is a good idea. The Indiana Supreme Court says that assessments for property taxes should be based on “objective measures

of property wealth.” Surely the most recent But let’s take a look at the numbers now. “objective measures” should be used. The base rate is a six-year rolling average, But in 2016 I wanted to predict the base rate ignoring the highest number of the six. In for taxes in 2018. 2019, the numbers for 2017 will be included, Now, I needed numbers on prices and yields and the numbers for 2011 will be dropped. The for corn and soybeans for 2016. That year capitalized value – income divided by rate of wasn’t over. So I needed predictions of those return – for 2011 was $3,699. That’s when corn prices and yields. My co-author Tamara Ogle was $5.85 and soybeans were $12.04 per bushel. and I waited until late summer, then used the Prices were much lower in 2016, $3.69 for corn best projections of all those and $9.50 for beans. The numbers that we could capitalized value for 2016 find. The predicted base was $2,416. If commodity prices rate for taxes in 2018 came Prices in 2017 will be more remain low, small out to $1,770. like those from 2016 than numbers will replace big In March, the DLGF those from 2011. That means announced the base rate $3,699 will be replaced with numbers in the base rate for 2018. It was $1,850. a number like $2,400. That calculation for the next I was off by $80. It should drop the base rate few years. The base rate turned out that the calculation to something like will decline and so will actual prices for corn and $1,600, a 14 percent decline farmland property taxes. soybeans were higher than from $1,850 in 2018. the predictions I’d used, The average capitalized so the DLGF’s actual base value in the base rate formula rate calculation was higher. That produced an from 2012 through 2014 is more than $4,000. If error of 4 percent – I’m tempted to say “just 4 commodity prices remain low, small numbers percent” – but after years of hitting the number will replace big numbers in the base rate on the nose, it looks bad. You can find the calculation for the next few years. The base rate DLGF’s base rate memo and documentation at will decline and so will farmland property taxes. www.in.gov/dlgf/7016.htm. The days of precise-to-the-dollar predictions How about a prediction for 2019? Our plan of the base rate are over. There will be forecast is to wait until summer to get a better read on errors. But we can say this, with near certainty. prices, then publish an update in the Purdue The forecast for the base rate: down. Continued Agricultural Economics Report in the fall. down through the early 2020s, with scattered You can find that publication on the Purdue ups and downs after that. Agricultural Economics website, http://ag.purdue. Larry DeBoer is a professor of agricultural edu/agecon. Look under the Extension tab. economics at Purdue University

Farm Indiana | June 2017

Extension training program helps connect schools and farmers Purdue News Service

WEST LAFAYETTE — Local educators and community members can learn how to provide elementary and high school students with healthy meals and nutrition education through a new training program offered by Purdue Extension in partnership with the Michigan State University Center for Regional Food Systems and the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Sustainable Agriculture and Research Education program. The Farm-to-School Professional Development Training initiative will help connect local schools with area farmers, said program organizer Jodee Ellett, local foods coordinator for Purdue Extension. “Buying healthy foods from local producers can be as cost-effective as purchasing from a distributor,” Ellett said. “Often local school districts want to start a farm-toschool program but don’t know how.” Participants will learn how to procure locally sourced meats and vegetables for food service operations, as well as how to incorporate good eating habits into the general education curriculum. “You can start small, maybe having a food day in the fall, starting a school garden or using healthy food as a theme in various classes,” Ellett said. Each participating school or district will create an action committee consisting of six to 10 members. Team members could include administrators, principals, teachers, school wellness coordinators, community wellness coordinators, food service directors, parent volunteers, local farmers and Extension educators. Members could also come from local food hubs, county health departments and funding agencies. Each committee will work through the process of designing and implementing a farm-to-school program. “Leadership is important, but the training will help educators galvanize the entire community in the effort to help students develop healthier eating habits,” Ellett said. “Participants will come with their ideas and leave with a plan.” Five action committees from throughout the state will be selected to participate in the training. All Indiana K-12 schools and districts, public and private, are eligible to apply. Action committee members will be required to attend a one-day workshop on Aug. 29 in a central location. Participation is free, funded through a USDA grant. The application deadline is June 15. The application is available online at https://www.purdue.edu/dffs/localfood/purdue-resources/f2straining/. A paper version is also available to download. For more information, contact Ellett at 765-494-0349, jellett@purdue.edu, or go to https://www.purdue.edu/localfood.

Stand On Your Own By Katie Glick

I’m writing to you on yet another they may be minor jobs, they were a windy night where I have “rain, rain big deal in a house full of 80 young go away” stuck on repeat in the back women). While I didn’t work on the of my mind. The storms that hit farm or do chores like some farm our county were just days ago when kids, I was expected to help out and friends and family endured damage to learn and do what I was asked. And their homes, property and livelihood. if I didn’t know, I was told to figure it It was the first storm in which I out by the guy who made sure I could had a bag packed and extra blankets live alone before he left for heaven a ready for the cellar just in case we few years ago. had to make a quick decision. I was “Katie, I’m not going to be around holding my baby tight with eyes wide forever,” he would say. “Who else is and the mother bear instinct going to do it for you? Figure on high alert. Little Miss it out and just do it.” Mae never made a peep. My dad and mom never I hope her silence and intold me to be a real, strong tense observations are signs woman or that I needed to of what’s to come – that she stand on my own before I reremains calm in stressful sitlied upon another. They were uations and can stand on her Katie Glick lives with examples of how to build a own while defending herself strong foundation and have her husband and daughter on their or helping others. She seems steady feet in the wind gusts family farm near adventurous with a little and hailstorms. Columbus, where they rough and tumble attitude And while I don’t mow grow corn, soybeans, all while remaining a little wheat and raise cattle the yard now or do certain and have a private chores around the house, I shy and sweet. Maybe she seed company. will be the perfect combinado know how to do them. I tion of sweet and salty. have to if I want them done I’m pretty sure that when during certain times of the I was in college my sorority sisters year. When married to a farmer, thought I could handle anything you must learn how to survive and because I grew up on a farm. I was stand alone. called upon to kill spiders at all hours This year, I had a sidekick to stand of the night, to figure out who set with me – well, kind of. She can off the alarm at 1 a.m. and talk to stand with support, but she will be the police about potential intruders standing and running before we (who were usually just wind gusts know it. And I hope the ground we that propped windows open). When create for her is strong and steady so things needed to be fixed or screwed she can stand alone and be an examback together during recruitment, I ple for her daughter someday. would hear, “Thomas, we need you!” Frankly, she is going to I guess it never really occurred have to because I don’t kill to me that I should not know how mice when the farmer is gone. to do those things (while you think She will have to do that.

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Farm Indiana | JUNE 2017

Growing

Awareness

Indiana Extension Homemakers Association tackles statewide local food initiative

When Cathy Cook set out to attend the 2015 National Volunteer Outreach Network annual conference in West Virginia, a pleasant surprise awaited her. As state president of the Indiana Extension Homemakers Association, a statewide group established in 1913 to strengthen Hoosier families through education, leadership development and diverse volunteer programs, Cook listened enthusiastically from her seat at the conference as NVON representatives laid out the details of a three-year initiative called Eat Local, Eat Healthy that is currently tasking members of the IEHA and its seven fellow NVON member state organizations with promoting and growing local food. “I was very excited to know that this project was going to be part of my presidency. It’s something that I’m personally interested in, and I have a quarter-acre garden where I grow my own vegetables and some herbs,” says Cook, a Trafalgar resident. “I do some canning and I freeze, and I also do some drying. My husband and I have raised three children, and they’ve grown up eating out of a garden most of their lives, so I’ve seen the benefits of not always eating something that was grown thousands of miles away.” As part of an ongoing, 16-year-old initiative known as Project in Common, each sitting NVON vice president chooses a topical issue every two to three years for member organizations to tackle. Entrusted with choosing a project that will run from 2016 through 2018 and having noticed local food trends on the rise nationally, NVON Vice President Wanda Denning felt the timing was right for members in each participating state — Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, North and South Carolina, West Virginia and Wisconsin — to promote local food and the farms that produce it. Members of the IEHA, which Cook says consists of approximately 8,700 Hoosiers in 89 of the state’s 92 counties, have been asked to explore three categories established by the NVON for the Eat Local, Eat Healthy project, the first of which is involvement with local food outlets, such as farmers markets, community supported agriculture programs, food cooperatives or community gardens. Members can visit, volunteer or formally join the staff of outlets of their choosing

By Jon Shoulders

and report the details of their progress and level of participation with each. Firmly convinced that education is a key component for the project’s success, Denning is also calling on members to simply start conversations in their local communities about the benefits of local food consumption for both farmers and consumers, with an approach she calls Circles of 10. “The phrase refers to a ripple effect where if you talk to 10 people and they talk to 10 people and so on, after a while everybody’s talking about local food,” says Denning, a North Carolina resident. “If members go and talk to someone at a library club or some other organization of volunteers, they would list that under the Circles of 10 category for reporting purposes. We want to get people talking.” Lastly, members are encouraged to take matters into their own hands, literally, and start their own gardens, however modest. “We hope there will be some container gardening and some bed gardening,” Cook says. “We do have some members that do plot and acreage gardening, and hopefully those will be some folks I can pull from our own membership to do some talking to others because they have that experience and maybe they participate in the local farmer markets in their area.” Denning says food travels an average of 1,300 miles before reaching U.S. consumers, and the resulting adverse environmental, health and economic impacts can be reduced through increased support of local farms. “Think about what it takes to keep food fresh to travel that far,” she says. “There has to be lots of preservatives and other things that are not healthy. There are so many reasons to eat local. It helps your society, it helps you get to know your neighbors, plus it’s healthier for you.” Members throughout Indiana’s 10 IEHA districts, who generally meet monthly to socialize and share information on current projects, have been asked by Cook to keep records of their progress on a detailed report sheet. In the spring of 2017 and 2018 Cook and her counterpart representatives in each NVON member state will compile an Eat Local, Eat

Healthy statewide report based on data provided by individual state members. “We announced the project to members in the spring of 2016 but got a late start and didn’t get the reporting forms to them until the fall, so we asked (members) to look back and reflect on whether they’ve visited farmers markets or roadside stands, eaten at farm-to-table restaurants or volunteered in the last year, and see areas where they can improve and do more,” Cook says. Denning feels the program’s impact in each state will be hard to quantify, but hopes awareness of local food outlets in each state will increase. “This project is less tangible than our last Project in Common, which was called Water Around the World, and we raised money to buy water filters to send to Third World countries,” she says. “That’s something you can grasp and touch and feel. This is a little harder, but we hope the reporting will help members approach it with some structure.” Stacey Grogg, a Purdue Extension health and human sciences educator in Johnson County, says Extension educators throughout the state will offer guidance for IEHA members in need of a push in the right direction. “We’ll give them tips when they need and answer questions, and connect them to a specific person at a farmers market for example to get them involved in an area they might be interested in within the local food system,” Grogg says. Denning says NVON officials are encouraging project participants in all eight member states to work closely with their Extension services for assistance in finding local food outlets in their county as well as growing techniques. “I know that most every Extension is doing something with local food, and that’s a big hot-button issue right now,” she says. “They’ll help members that want to visit farmers markets, talk to restaurants about serving local foods and also grow their own things.” For additional information on the Indiana Extension Homemakers Association, including membership details, visit ieha-families. org. For more information on the National Volunteer Outreach Network, including details on the Eat Local, Eat Healthy initiative, visit nvon.org.

Beginning farmer tours offer glimpse at diversity of Indiana agriculture Purdue News Service WEST LAFAYETTE – A series of farm tours and workshops across the state is offering new and aspiring farmers the opportunity to learn from experts and network with fellow farmers at a variety of agricultural operations. The events are organized by Purdue University’s Indiana Beginning Farmers program with Purdue Extension and the Local Growers Guild as sponsors. The series runs through mid-October. “We hope that aspiring and current farmers will find the tours to be a source of useful information and an opportunity to meet and interact with other people who are passionate about farming,” said Kevin Gibson, professor of botany and plant pathology and one of the leaders of Purdue’s Beginning Farmer team.

The schedule: June 3: The Farm Connection (Clay City) creates artisanal cheeses from its pasture-raised animals, as well as a variety of other products. The event will include information on cheese-making and developing business plans. June 15: Clay Bottom Farm (Goshen) uses intensive growing methods to support a CSA program on less than an acre of land. Learn about its “lean farm” approach to support a CSA, supply restaurants and sell at farmers markets. June 24: Silverthorn Farm (Rossville) uses organic practices to produce a wide variety of fruits and vegetables. The tour will include a session on working with restaurants. Aug. 26: Goat Milk Stuff (Scottsburg) is a dairy goat farm producing soaps, candies and cheeses. The tour will include information on agricultural tourism and value-added products. Sept. 11: Little Prairie Farm (Brookston) and the Purdue Student Farm (West Lafayette) will offer two tours of small-acreage vegetable farms to learn about farming practices and tools for smaller-scale operations. Sept. 27: Full Hand Farm (Noblesville) is a diverse vegetable farm. The tour will include information on the use of high tunnels in vegetable production. Oct. 2: Aficionado Farms (Elberfeld) produces organically grown produce, herbs and flowers. Learn about its farm and Farm to School programs. Oct. 14: Blue Yonder Organic Farm (North Salem) is a veteran-owned and operated farm producing pastured poultry, sheep and other products. Learn about poultry production and organic certification.

The workshop/tour events are free, but registration is required and space is limited. To sign up, go to http://bit. ly/2odMUmA. For more information about the Beginning Farmer and Rancher program or the farm tour schedule, contact Gibson at 765-4962161 or kgibson@purdue.edu. To join a mailing list to receive updates on the farm tours and other events planned by the Beginning Farmer team, send an email message to beginningfarmers@lists.purdue.edu.

Farm Indiana | June 2017

Still in the planting stage Columbus Food Co-op remains fresh idea for community By Jennifer Willhite

The Columbus Food Co-op is one step closer to becoming a reality. For more than five years, Columbus area residents have been buying shares to become part owners in a cooperative that has experienced its own share of ups and downs. Those who have bought in to the cooperative since shares were made available in 2011 now total nearly 900 households, says Mike Johnston, board president of the Columbus Cooperative Grocery and Market Inc. The one-time buy-in of $90 offers those households voting rights at the cooperative’s annual meetings and a voice in the direction the grocery takes, Johnston says. “Once we are open there will be perks for owners, like special discounts and events,” he says. “And over time as the business matures and generates income above and beyond its costs, there is an opportunity for what is called a patronage discount.” Getting to that point has been the stumbling block for several years; however, the board announced at its annual meeting April 26 that the cooperative is back on track to open in late 2018. Johnston says the cooperative’s board of directors has negotiated an agreement to lease a former factory building owned by John and Andrew Counceller. “We are very excited at this point to have a decision on location,”

Johnston says. “We are excited we have a location that we believe will allow us to open a viable and successful business.” Located at 1580 Central Ave., the facility is being renovated into an 8,400-square-foot retail space designed specifically to suit the cooperative’s needs. An estimated 6,000 square feet will be dedicated to retail space, while the remaining 2,400 square feet will be designated for backroom, storage and office space, he says. “It is optimum size for a co-op for this size community and will be figured appropriately for a grocery,” he says. “It has available parking and is accessible by public transportation. The actual interior will be built out to our requirements, so we are working with a nationally recognized co-op store designer to complete the layout.” However, before construction can begin in early 2018, there are a few more hurdles to be cleared. Chief among them is to have 1,500 owners on board by the time the store opens. But, more urgently, the cooperative needs to raise additional capital totaling an estimated $2.1 million by the end of the year to secure additional funding from commercial lenders, Johnston says. A fundraising campaign is slated to begin in the coming weeks. “One of the things we will be doing is an owner growth initiative,” he says. “That means getting out and encouraging people to buy an ownership share.” The cooperative’s board members have looked at more than

two dozen potential locations over the years, Johnston says. He wants to make it clear that there has been only one location that was contracted with a working lease but was subsequently terminated, and that was the site of a former Aldi’s grocery store located near 25th Street and Central Avenue. Board member SaraBeth Drybread says Columbus is certainly a community that can support a cooperative grocery. It is simply a matter of getting the right, passionate people together with the right players to make it happen. Since her involvement with the grass-roots effort to launch a cooperative in Columbus began in 2010, Drybread says she has seen public interest ebb and flow. But it’s all a learning process, she says. What is really difficult for people in the community at large is that they don’t see all the work that goes on behind the scenes, such as legal and financial factors, she says. “Not everything can be out there for everyone to see all the time, and that hurts any startup or grass-roots movement,” Drybread says. “Membership skyrockets when we would announce a location, and then, if that fell through, we would see a decrease in the enthusiasm.” Johnston hopes that since the landlords are also shareholders and committed to the cause, it will help spur the growth of a dream that has taken several years to come to fruition.

Mike Johnston, Columbus Food Co-op board president, stands in front of the building the co-op plans to lease at 1580 Central Ave. The Republic File photo.

“We always have to be clear that when the store is open, it will be open to everyone regardless if they are an owner or not,” he says. “Anyone may shop there.” With the latest press release showing promising signs, Drybread hopes the momentum with the public increases in the coming months as fundraising takes place and construction gets underway as planned. “I am hoping for a lot of member growth and support,” she says. “And for the community to come out to co-op events and that they understand the social and economic benefit a co-op will bring to the community as well.”

Raising commitment Brown County Community Garden popular with residents Story and photos by Jeff Tryon Five years along in a project to create a public shared garden space, lots of flowers and vegetables have been grown, but something else is also flourishing at the Brown County Community Garden — a sense of community. “It has worked out quite well, and there is a sense of family amongst most of them,” said Jim Hahn, president of the board that oversees the gardens and who has been a constant in their development over the past five years. “There is communication, and although we have some turnover, those who have been there awhile get to know each other. I think there’s a sense of family or whatever you want to call it. All in all, I think we’ve got a pretty good group,” he said. Hahn and David Boeyink have been leading the all-volunteer project since it started in 2012. “They have volunteered countless hours toward maintaining it,” said Andy Rudd, program specialist at Brown County Parks and Recreation, which hosts the gardens at the Deer Run County Park near Nashville. “They put the fence up in the beginning and helped get the compost bins started. They do tilling and mowing, that kind of stuff.” Rudd said about 38 people are currently working the 46 individual garden plots, which range in size from 15-by-15-feet to 14-by-30-feet, along with some 5-by-10-feet raised beds. Some plots are designated as “organic” from season to season. “The majority of the people who do the raised beds are elderly, have issues with bending over,”

he said. “That’s usually the people who are interested in those. “We’ve got a few people that have a couple of plots. We usually try to leave them available for new people, to give everybody an opportunity, but if we have a few that do not get spoken for, we will allow somebody to take on a second plot. We have several repeat customers, but we do also have some new ones every year,” Rudd said. Fees vary with size, but are reasonable: $20 for the smaller plots and $30 for the 14-by-30 plots; raised beds are $25. “That’s for the whole year, and you get complimentary compost and water,” he said. “So it’s a pretty good deal.” He said the public garden plots produce “a wide variety of stuff.” While some people “grow just for looks,” with lots of flowers, some plant vegetables like tomatoes and squash that they can eat. “It’s actually gone surprisingly well,” Rudd said. “We were expecting to run into some issues, but it’s been pretty smooth. We really haven’t had a lot of problems so far.” Hahn also said there have been “no big problems” with the gardens, although they did have a couple of vandalism incidents early on, and every now and then, someone accidentally plants in the wrong plot. “We have had a couple of times where people got in the wrong garden, but we eventually get it worked out,” he said. “Every now and then I get a call about what they can and can’t do, but all in all it’s been rather easy, no major conflicts. Everyone seems to watch out for everyone else; everyone takes care of one another.” As time goes by, the topsoil at the community

Above, Jim Hahn. LEft, Tom Bauer works on his plot at the Brown County Community Garden. This is his first time participating at the site.

garden gets better, especially when people who keep the same plot year after year develop it with additives. Hahn said the hillside has only about five inches of topsoil over a typical Brown County clay “hard pan.” “It wasn’t bad soil; it just wasn’t real good, and there was only a little bit of topsoil,” he said. “So people have developed their parcels with leaves and straw, everything you can think of to add to the soil. “I planted alfalfa last fall and then turned it under to add nitrogen to the soil,” he said. “A lot of people have done stuff like that to make the soil more fertile and build the land up.” Hahn said a number of gardeners have farm or gardening backgrounds. “The ones who have been there awhile, particularly the older ones, communicate between themselves and share ideas. Of course, we all pick up different ideas from different gardeners on how to do things. “It is interesting to watch,” he said. “There are some really good gardeners doing some really good things. When the tomatoes get set and everything’s coming on, it’s nice out there. We’ve had pretty good success, and we’re pretty happy with it.”

Farm Indiana | JUNE 2017

Dicamba and dicamba-tolerant soybeans:

things to know

calendar

By Kris Medic

Dicamba-tolerant (DT) soybean weed control technology available to Indiana and cotton crop seeds were approved by the growers,” the IPRB concluded that state RUP USDA last year for planting, even though the classification would be the least disruptive to EPA hadn’t yet approved any dicamba-based Indiana applicators and product distributors, herbicides for use on these crops. The number and that this would be the most effective way of non-target damage claims – 220 in Missouri to address potential misuse of all dicamba alone – indicates that many growers were using herbicides used for agricultural production. dicamba herbicides even though none was yet Presently there is a moratorium on labeled to apply legally on these crops. rulemaking in Indiana by executive order, and It’s important to note that the older the IPRB has applied for an exception. The formulations weren’t developed for the driftproposed rule will identify for classification as control needed for broad an RUP any herbicide that application over a crop, contains at least 6.5 percent and that using a pesticide dicamba and is labeled Dicamba is a broadproduct inconsistently with for use in agricultural its labeling is illegal. In this production. This effectively spectrum herbicide, case, the product approval exempts the low-level which acts on broadleaf for the seed got ahead of formulations used solely the product approval for for turf or right-of-way weeds before and after the herbicide that goes weed control. they sprout. It functions with it. by increasing the plant’s Compliance and Late last year and early enforcement in Indiana this year, the EPA accepted growth rate. At sufficient The Office of the registrations for several concentrations, the plant State Chemist will be dicamba-based herbicides outgrows its nutrient monitoring and enforcing labeled for both pre- and the label requirements post-emergence use on supplies and dies. and use restrictions on DT soybeans. These new and old dicamba new products bear labels products. It is important to note that the with many new and detailed drift restrictions older formulations of dicamba herbicides and requirements not found on the labels of are not approved for use on DT soybeans. In previous dicamba formulations. addition, OISC will be monitoring herbicide Regulatory action in Indiana dealers and distributors to ensure that Also last year, the Indiana Pesticide Review older formulations of dicamba products Board voted unanimously to start the aren’t being sold to DT soybean growers, as rulemaking process to classify dicamba occurred in other states last year. herbicides as a state Restricted Use Pesticide for For updates on this matter, see https://www. Indiana. Given “the variety of sensitive crops oisc.purdue.edu/oisc rules regs laws. Feel free to and sites in Indiana, and the desire to make this contact our office with questions and consider best practices for protection and application. Kris Medic is Purdue Extension Bartholomew County’s educator for agriculture, natural resources and community development. She can be reached at 812-379-1665 or kmedic@purdue.edu.

June 29 — Large Animal Rescue Awareness for Emergency Responders, City of Columbus Animal Care Shelter. Information: 812-376-3200, extension. purdue.edu/Bartholomew. July 3-8 — Jennings County 4-H Fair, North Vernon July 7-15 — Bartholomew County 4-H Fair, Columbus July 11 — Jackson County Tractor Contest. Practice will be in the morning, and the competition in the afternoon. Additional details will be given out at tractor club meetings this spring/summer. Contact Tractor Club leader Bill Baute with questions: 812-358-4083. July 23-29 — Jackson County Fair, Brownstown July 30-Aug. 5 — Brown County 4-H Fair, Nashville Aug. 4-20 — Indiana State Fair, Indianapolis Aug. 17 — SEPAC Field Day, Butlerville – PARP, Commercial and Certified Crop Advisor credits in a grain crops environment. Information: 812-376-3200, extension. purdue.edu/Bartholomew.

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