Merged Spring 10

SPRING 2010

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Good Living and Good Farming – Connecting People, Land, and Communities

Feature Articles Growing Mushrooms for Fun and Profit . . . . . . . . . .Page 4 Raising and Finishing Lambs on Pasture . . . . . . . . .Page 6 Farmer Brings Kefir Cheese to Market . . . . . . . . . . .Page 9 Where the Green Grass Grows: Renewable Fuel . .Page 13 Supplement to Country Folks

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April 5, 2010

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY - SPRING 2010 TABLE OF CONTENTS SMALL FARM PROGRAM UPDATE Cornell Small Farms Program Update ........................................................Page 3

COMMUNITY AND WORLD Refugees Build Farms and Community in Manchester, NH,

by Kenston G. Dearborn .................................................................................Page 7

COWS AND CROPS There is More Than One Way to Milk A Cow, by A. Fay Benson ..............Page 16 Farmers Share Friendship and Knowledge at Dairy Profit Discussion Group, by Kathy Barrett................................Page 20

FOREST AND WOODLOT Growing Mushrooms for Fun and Profit, by Rebecca Hargrave ................Page 4

GRAZING Yes, Cows Eat Weeds!, by Nancy Glazier...................................................Page 15

HOME AND FAMILY Prudent Carnivore: Chicken, Inside and Out, by Shannon Hayes .............Page 5 Are You a Daylighter?, by Jill Swenson ......................................................Page 17

HORTICULTURE Grow Trees Not Weeds!, Elizabeth Lamb .....................................................Page 7 Under the Covers: Nursing Clover to Maturity, by Molly Shaw ...............Page 15

LOCAL FOODS & MARKETING To Buy or Not to Buy... Influencing Your Customer’s Purchases,

by Debra Perosio ...................................................................................Page 13 From Farm to Market, by Rebecca Schuelke Staehr .................................Page 16

NEW FARMERS Connecting Aspiring Farmers with Existing Land: Connecticut Farm Link Program, by Jane Slupeki...............................Page 8 From Hobby Farm to Farm Business: Laughing Goat Fiber Farm,

by Monika Roth ......................................................................................Page 12

NON-DAIRY LIVESTOCK Raising and Finishing Lambs on Pasture, by Ulf Kintzel ...........................Page 6

NORTHEAST SARE SPOTLIGHT Inventive Farmer Brings Kefir Cheese to Market, by Violet Stone ............Page 9

SMALL FARM ENERGY Where the Green Grass Grows: Local, Renewable Fuel,

by Adrienne Masler ................................................................................Page 13

SMALL FARM SPOTLIGHTS Small and Versatile: Dairy Adapts to Changing Markets,

by Adrienne Masler ................................................................................Page 11

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY Good Farming and Good Living — Connecting People, Land, and Communities Small Farm Quarterly is for farmers and farm families — including spouses and children - who value the quality of life that smaller farms provide.

OUR GOALS ARE TO: • Celebrate the Northeast region’s smaller farms; • Inspire and inform farm families and their supporters; • Help farmers share expertise and opinions with each other; • Increase awareness of the benefits that small farms contribute to society and the environment.

• Share important research, extension, and other resources.

Small Farm Quarterly is produced by Lee Publications, Inc., and is distributed four times a year as a special section of Country Folks. Volume 7 publication dates: January 25, April 6, July 6 and October 5, 2010.

EDITORIAL TEAM: • Anu Rangarajan, Cornell Small Farms Program Editor in Chief • Violet Stone, Cornell Small Farms Program Managing Editor • Brian Aldrich, Cayuga County CCE Field Crops • Laura Biasillo, Broome County CCE New Farmers • Celeste Carmichael, NYS 4-H Youth Development Program Youth Pages; Home and Family • Mike Dennis, Shady Pine Farm Grazing • Gary Goff, Cornell Natural Resources Department Forest and Woodlot • Martha Herbert Izzi, Vermont Farmer Vermont • Betsy Lamb, CCE Integrated Pest Management Program Horticulture • Susan Neal, Farmer Women in Agriculture • Rebecca Schuelke Staehr, NY Farm Viability Institute Business Management • John Thurgood, Delaware County CCE-NYC Watershed Agriculture Program Stewardship and Nature

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FOR SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION CONTACT Tracy Crouse, Lee Publications, Inc., PO Box 121, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428 888-596-5329 subscriptions@leepub.com FOR ADVERTISING INFORMATION CONTACT: Bruce Button, Lee Publications, Inc., 518-673-3237 bbutton@leepub.com SEND YOUR LETTERS AND STORIES TO: Cornell Small Farms Program 135 Plant Science Building, Cornell University Ithaca, NY, 14853 607-255-9227 vws7@cornell.edu About copyright: The material published in Small Farm Quarterly is not copyrighted unless otherwise noted.

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SUPPORTING ORGANIZATIONS: NY Agricultural Environmental Management www.nys-soilandwater.org 518-457-3738

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STEWARDSHIP & NATURE Agricultural Environmental Management: To-B-Lea Farm Focuses on Positive Image of Farming!,

by Barbara Silvestri and Mark Kenville ..................................................Page 19

WOMEN IN AGRICULTURE A “Web” of Support, by Susan Neal...........................................................Page 18

www.cce.cornell.edu www.cals.cornell.edu

Watershed Agricultural Council www.nycwatershed.org 607-865-7790

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YOUTH PAGES Not Every Horse Is Easy, by Lyndsey Garvilla ...........................................Page 10 4-H and Me, by Ashlynn Elizabeth Kelly ......................................................Page 10 Me and My Pony, by Taylor Raymond..........................................................Page 10 “Chicken Business”, by Kevin Jacks..........................................................Page 11 Kids, Cows and Country: an American Tradition, by April Williams ........Page 11 Cover photo by Rose Marie Belforti: Kefir cheese ages in a cave at Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery in Ledyard, NY.

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April 5, 2010

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SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

Cornell Small Farms Program Update 3RD SMALL FARM SUMMIT A SUCCESS This past winter, the Small Farms Program hosted our 3rd NYS Small Farms Summit.

Over 130 people gathered at 4 video-linked sites across the state on March 4, 2010. The theme for this Summit was 'Designing Smart Solutions for NY Farms.' Farmers, educators, faculty and other service providers prioritized key outcomes for our livestock processing, grasslands utilization, small farm energy and local markets work teams. Our goal is to have reportable outcomes in two years, by the next Small Farm Summit. Results from this Summit will be collated and published in the next few months. To learn more about previous summits, visit: http://www.smallfarms.cornell.edu/pages/ projects/smallfarmssummit.cfm GUIDE TO DIRECT MARKETING LIVESTOCK AND POULTRY REVISED We are pleased to announce the Livestock Processing Work Team has revised and

updated the "Guide to Direct Marketing Livestock and Poultry". This invaluable resource is the culmination of multiple meetings with NYS Department of Agriculture and Markets to get clarification on complex regulations, particularly for direct-marketing. The Guide provides 155 pages of valuable infor-

mation to help in direct marketing of meat and poultry and Topics covered include an overview of meat regulations, animal handling, slaughtering and cutting, packaging and labeling, food safety, and resources. Please visit the Small farm Program Website to download a copy: http://www.smallfarms.cornell.edu/pages/projects/workteams/LP/livestock.cfm NEW EDITION OF "GUIDE TO FARMING IN NY" The NY Beginning Farmer Project and Cornell Small Farms Program have completed the annual revision of the popular Guide to Farming in NY: What Every Agricultural Entrepreneur Needs to Know. If you work with farmers in any capacity, this guide will prove a useful resource. In 2008 it was deemed an "Outstanding New Extension Publication" by the NY State Association of County Agriculture Agents. The Guide consists of 33 fact sheets covering finding land, food processing regulations, farm vehicle safety, financing, farm taxes, and everything in between. As always, the Guide is available for free download, as a complete document or by individual fact sheet, from the Cornell Small Farms website http://www.smallfarms.cornell. edu/pages/resources/businessmanage/guide.

cfm (or just go the Small Farms Program homepage and click on the QuickLink that says "Guide to Farming in NY.") GREEN GRASS GREEN JOBS REPORT PUBLISHED Latest numbers show that there are 3 million acres of under-utilized land in the state.

Productive management of these idle and under-utilized land resources can potentially contribute significantly to the social and economic health of rural areas of the state. The NY Grassland Utilization Team was organized in the summer and fall of 2007 to identify strategies to increase livestock utilization of the grasslands of New York State. The current resurgence in grass-based agriculture is driven by four key factors: 1) profitability and other benefits of grazing systems for the farmer; 2) environmental benefits of grazing; 3) rising consumer demand for alternatives to confinement reared animal products; 3) availability of land suitable for grazing; and most recently, 4) rising grain prices from the competition for tillable cropland for energy crops. Their report, ‘Green Grass, Green Jobs’ is available at www.smallfarms.cornell.edu .

Small Farm Quarterly is Recruiting!

We are looking for several new members to join the Small Farm Quarterly Editorial Team, and we are always looking for new writers and photographers. We are especially looking for editors and writers from outside of New York State, so that we can improve our coverage of New England and Pennsylvania small farm issues and innovators. All SFQ editors and writers are volunteers. If you're interested, please contact Violet Stone at 607-255-9227 or vws7@cornell.edu

Country Folks subscribers automatically receive SFQ four times a year at no extra cost. Country Folks is delivered weekly for $35 per year.

SFQ-only subscribers receive just the 4 issues of Country Folks that contain the SFQ insert for only $5 a year.

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FOREST

April 5, 2010

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

AND

WOODLOT

Growing Mushrooms for Fun and Profit

By Rebecca Hargrave In the Fall 2009 issue of Small Farms Quarterly, Mike Farrell wrote an introductory article on some agroforestry topics, including maple syrup production and nuts. There are dozens of other crops that can be farmed in the understory of a forest including ginseng, floral and ornamental crops, specialty wood products, fruits, and mushrooms. Most agroforestry crops are generally considered niche market crops and may require a little more marketing work on your part, but the potential profits are worth it.

Which one to try? Many agroforestry crops have a natural timing that put the majority of their work at different times of the year.

Maple: tapping, collecting and boiling in early spring; ginseng: harvesting and drying in the fall; mushrooms: inoculating in early spring and harvest throughout the summer. Look at your farm's schedule and the timing of the agroforestry crops you're interested in to see which will fit best. Remember, they all have some sort of year-round work, whether it is scouting for pests, fixing tubing, or marketing. Take all of the tasks into consideration.

One agroforestry crop that is garnering a lot of interest is mushrooms. Generally speaking, agroforestry mushrooms are those grown in logs or woodchips in the understory of a forest. The most commonly grown are shiitake (pronounced "sheetaakee"), oyster, and lion's mane. Some lesser grown are chicken of the woods, hen of the woods, and wine cap stropharia. However, the vast majority of commercial producers only grow shiitake.

There are only a few commercial agroforestry mushroom growers, so the potential for a market in your area is probably good, but check into it before you start.

Each mushroom strain has preferred host species. It is easiest to match the fungus strain with the trees you have. Contact a mushroom supplier to discuss the best strain(s) for you. The timeline: fresh logs are cut in late winter or early spring and inoculated soon after. Inoculation refers to the process of placing a known mushroom strain inside logs to colonize them. Two standard inoculating methods are drilling small holes and filling the holes with spawn (pre-colonized substrate such as dowels, sawdust or grain), or cutting larger logs into rounds and stacking them totem style with spawn layered between the rounds.

Once the logs are inoculated, they are left to colonize for one to two years, depending on the mushroom species and wood species. Colonization happens in a laying yard where the logs are stacked in some manner. This is a cool, moist area, that has a dense overhead canopy of conifers to provide year-round

shade. Access to water is also handy, such as a creek, but is not paramount in choosing a laying yard. Maintaining high moisture content in the log is important- it is a fungus after all. To increase the chance of producing a successful crop, you should use freshly cut, green logs as stock. Also, consider watering the logs during the summer and plan to protect them from the dry winter sun.

After the logs are colonized they will begin to fruit. Fruiting will be light the first year, and pick up in the middle years. Logs can have multiple flushes of mushroom each year and can fruit for 2-6 years depending on the species of wood. Once all of the nutrients have been extracted, the log will be very light and no longer able to support mushrooms.

Enjoy the fruits of your harvest!

Rebecca Hargrave is an Extension Educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chenango County. Her work involves adult and youth programs in natural resources and horticulture.

She can be reached at 607-334-5841 ext. 16, or jrh45@cornell.edu .

Dr. Ken Mudge, Assoc. Prof. at Cornell University, does research and extension in the area of agroforestry, including mushroom production. Each spring he conducts a training workshop called "Camp Mushroom," at Cornell's Arnot Forest. He cautions all potential growers to realize that this endeavor is not for everyone! It is important to have several key factors in your favor to make the effort fun and profitable. For example, Ken suggests that you start small and increase production over time as you become more efficient and hopefully your markets grow.

Shiitake mushrooms growing on a red oak log inoculated about 2 years earlier.

Photos by Ken Mudge Fruiting will come in flushes, depending on temperature and the strain, and can be forced twice a year by shocking in water.

Harvest with a sharp knife every couple of days. Mushrooms are highly perishable, so quickly put them into cool storage and sell. Your marketing method needs to be determined BEFORE mushrooms appear. Consider restaurants, farmers markets and local groceries. You can also sell dried mushrooms for a yearround market.

More information about agroforestry mushrooms, including links, videos, workshops and detailed instructions, can be found at the NY Forest Mushroom Growers Network, http://mushrooms.cals.cornell.edu/.

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Commercial shiitake mushroom laying yard, under a shady hemlock canopy, showing both the crib stack and the totem method of log stacking

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April 5, 2010

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FAMILY

Prudent Carnivore: Chicken, Inside and Out

By Shannon Hayes Often, one of the first forays customers make into the world of farm-direct meat buying is pastured poultry. From the viewpoint of a farmer, nothing could be simpler (or cheaper) to bring home to the kitchen. During the morning rush at our farmers' market, I tend to grab the plump birds, bag them up, total the purchase and send my customers happily on their way, scarcely taking the time to even look up.

It is only when my husband thoughtfully pokes

me in the ribs that I lift my head and notice the occasional truly new customer, whose eyebrows are raised in a state of innocent confusion and trepidation as they take possession of their dinner. If you've never purchased a pasture-raised chicken directly from a farmer before, there is definitely some sense of mystery to it. Even veteran farm-direct shoppers can always learn a few things about what they are buying, including how to get the most for their money.

Pasture-raised broilers require grain supplementation in order to grow well. Thus, we do not call them "grassfed." Instead, they are referred to as "pastured".

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First of all, there is no such thing as a grassfed chicken. Chickens are omnivores, which means that, although they eat a lot of it, they cannot subsist on grass alone; they need some protein in their diet. In the old days, when folks had chickens running around their backyards, they were often raised on household food waste, such as scraps of bread, vegetables, fruit, egg shells and, yes, even meat. Like the backyard pig, chickens were a critical part of a family ecosystem, converting food waste into more food for the future. Today, however, since most people do not keep their little flock behind their house or apartment building, it is up to farmers to produce them for many people. Our household scraps would never suffice. Also, while the chickens see nothing wrong with it, many people frown on the idea of feeding animal by-products, even leftover dinner scraps, to other animals that will be processed for meat. Although a good farmer will keep their chickens out on well-managed pastures rich in insect life, there will not be enough bugs around to satisfy the hunger of an entire flock. That's where the grain comes in. Pastureraised broilers require grain supplementation in order to grow well. Thus, we do not call them "grassfed." Instead, they are referred to as "pastured" (not, as many mistakenly say, "pasteurized," which is a heating process to sterilize conventionally-produced milk).

Some people refer to these chickens as freerange. While chickens that are raised out on pasture may be properly considered freerange, it is important to note that free-range chickens are not necessarily pastured. My first experience visiting a free-range chicken farm is something I hope never to repeat. The birds were tightly crammed into a barn, with an open door covered over by a fence panel. The place reeked of ammonia from the excrement. Freerange, according to the producer, implied only that they were not in cages and that they had access to open air. It meant nothing about ample room to roam, constant access to fresh air and lush clean pasture, all which are essential elements in responsible pasture-raised chicken production. Thus, before you buy, it is always best to ask if the birds are kept outdoors and how often they are moved to fresh pasture. Better yet, if you get a chance, go see the birds for yourself. The access to green grass and the ability to roam about freely and without stressful crowding will directly impact the flavor of your bird.

The next thing to know about your pastured poultry: It ain't cheap. Pastured poultry has the lowest price per pound of all the meats we sell on the farm. It is even cheaper than our hamburger. Nonetheless, it is also the most expensive to produce. That is because moving chickens to fresh pasture is far more labor intensive than opening a gate and allowing a herd of sheep or cattle to run to the next field.

Chickens require constant access to shelter, so when they are moved, the shelter must also move. They don't move as a unit like sheep or cows, and many often require individual handling to get them to a new place. Their grain, especially since a lot of corn is being diverted to ethanol production, is very expensive.

Processing the birds is also labor intensive.

We sell pastured chickens at our farmers' market for $4.95 per pound, and even then, our return to labor is only minimum wage. Farmers are reluctant to charge more, because culturally, we have grown accustomed to thinking of chicken as "the cheap meat." In fact, prior to World War II and our nation's push for cheap grain, as food historians John and Karen Hess point out, chicken was actually expensive.

Unscrupulous food purveyors were known to substitute veal in Chicken à la King. Hopefully, there will come a day when farmers can once again charge the real cost for growing chicken.

Until then, most of us farmers are afraid that consumers will get so angry with the price that we will lose business. Thus, we keep the price artificially low in efforts to keep our customers.

From the consumers' perspective, $20 for a four-pound bird still seems like a bundle. But it's a bargain. Honestly. I promise. The chicken that appears on your table for dinner is only the first meal you will get for that $20. One whole pastured chicken is actually the base for three meals.

For the first meal, roast or grill the bird. The breasts alone off a pastured bird are often enough meat for four servings, especially if it is made even richer by serving it up with gravy or a pan sauce, and it is accompanied by other foods. When meat is truly nutrient-dense and full-flavored, we do not need to consume volumes of it in order to sustain ourselves. When you take the chicken out of the oven or off the grill, gently slide your knife down along the breastbone and "wishbone" to remove each breast. Then, slice each breast half just as you would your Thanksgiving turkey, crosswise into several thin strips. Fan the strips out on four different plates, drizzle generously with the gravy, and you will be surprised at how generous the portions truly are. And how flavorful. Of course, if you prefer dark meat, then feast on the legs and thighs, and save the breast meat for your second meal.

For the second meal, pull off all the remaining meat. There will be some morsels still resting on the breast bone, and lots of meat in the thighs and legs. Be sure to pull off any bits along the rib cage, then flip the bird over and run your fingers down the back until you find the two tenderloin pieces, also referred to as the "oysters." Let none of the meat go to waste. Once you've pulled off all this meat, use it for a chicken salad, casserole, chicken à la king, in a cream sauce with crepes, or even in croquettes. The possibilities are endless.

Since we are in the height of summer as I write this, I've provided an Asian style chicken salad recipe below, which makes use of summer's vegetable bounty.

For the final feast, now that the bones have been picked clean, it is time to make soup.

Some people- tragically, I think- boil a chicken carcass with all the leftover meat on it, then pull the remaining pieces off and add it back into the stock to make chicken soup. Once boiled, those bits of meat have little nutrition left to offer. And they're pretty chewy and flavorless. Thus, it is best to pull the meat off before you boil the carcass and use it for the second meal, above, or add it back only after the bones have been boiled separately to make the stock.

Enjoy, knowing you've made the most of your chicken!

Shannon Hayes is the author of the newly released book RADICAL HOMEMAKERS: Reclaiming Domesticity From A Consumer Culture. Hayes works with her family on Sap Bush Hollow Farm in Upstate New York. This piece is excerpted from her fourth book, Long Way On a Little: And Earth-Lovers Handbook for Enjoying Meat, Pinching Pennies and Living Deliciously. Visit Sap Bush Hollow Farm at http://www.sapbush.com/

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April 5, 2010

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

NON-DAIRY LIVESTOCK

Raising and Finishing Lambs on Pasture

By Ulf Kintzel "It can't be done". I hear that often when the topic of raising and finishing lambs on pasture is being discussed.

Can it be done? Let's take a look at the history of sheep. Sheep as well as goats were raised in areas that could not support a cow. Or they were raised by people who could not afford to feed a cow. A sheep had the reputation to thrive were a cow wouldn't. A German saying states: "You can feed ten sheep where a cow would starve to death". Then why do we assume nowadays that lambs need to be fed grain in order to produce a finished carcass?

In my opinion we've strayed away from traditional ways of raising sheep on pasture.

Instead, many sheep producers wean somewhat light lambs, so-called feeder lambs, and sell them to a feed lot or put them in the barn and finish them on grain. "Don't use it and you lose it" goes another saying. In this case, many sheep breeds have lost their ability to finish on grass simply because the selection process for this ability was neglected for as long as there was cheap grain.

However, raising and finishing lambs on pasture does not mean turning them loose in a paddock and hoping for the best. It requires a set of skills and knowledge that one needs to acquire. If you don't have that set of skills you will find the learning curve steep at times.

The pasture needs to be nutritious and dense with a high percentage of legumes and a well balanced pH level. It needs to be harvested (grazed) at the right time of maturity. Rotational grazing is a necessity. If you choose continuous grazing you will soon run out of desirable forage and as a result the sheep won't eat as much. Thus, the daily gain of weight will go down immediately. Water and minerals should be supplied at all times. In the summer, shade should be provided and in the winter, shelter should be accessible. I encountered many situations were one or any of the above was not provided. I was told "They can take it". Yes, they could but that wasn't really the issue. A sheep farmer should not measure the sheep's ability to survive. Instead, he or she should do everything to get the highest daily gain of weight possible. That goes beyond providing nutrition. It also means that the sheep need to have species-specific comfort without pampering them.

This group of grass-fed market lambs is ready to be harvested. meat, let alone fat. Then the meat yield increases, but there is still little to no fat cover yet. If a lamb is harvested at that stage it will result in a "blue" carcass. Then the lamb develops a fat cover and before too long that fat cover may grow into a layer that is too thick.

Producing fat instead of meat is a waste of forage. It needs to be harvested before that happens. And what weight is that going to be?

Higher grain prices, a revival of pasture based farm systems and the desire for grass-finished meats have now led us to re-invent the wheel and let sheep do what they did for thousands of years: graze on pasture.

I think it can be done. First, you need sheep that can thrive on pasture. Large, long-legged sheep with small bellies do not have the rumen capacity to do that. Rule of thumb: The more daylight passes through underneath the sheep's belly, the less meat there is on this sheep. If you have an existing flock just select those individual sheep that still thrive on pasture and eliminate those that don't.

If you are starting up or if you want to start over, select a breed of sheep that has not yet lost its ability to thrive on pasture. Some of these breeds come from other continents and are fairly new to the United States. The Dorper and the White Dorper sheep from South Africa are such examples. Although there has been already a development towards some graindependent show lines within this breed, many Dorpers do well on pasture. Other sheep breeds have been developed in this country such as the Katahdins. If you are not certain if the breed you choose is the right one simply look at the management of the farmer from whom you consider buying your sheep. If he or she raises these sheep on pasture they are likely to work for you.

Ulf Kintzel owns and manages White Clover Sheep Farm in Rushville, NY where he breeds grass-fed White Dorper sheep. He can be reached at 585-554-3313 or by e-mail at ulf@whitecloversheepfarm.com . More information about the farm is posted at: www.whitecloversheepfarm.com Copyright 2010 Ulf Kintzel. For permission to use either text or photographs please contact the author at ulf@whitecloversheepfarm.com

Grass and legumes should always be plentiful.

The flock also needs to be free of disease in order to thrive. One of the most common diseases that affect the bottom line is hoof rot.

Sheep with hoof rot limp, are in pain, and don't move more than absolutely necessary. A sheep in a grazing system will need to be able to move in order to forage.

One needs to be able to evaluate a carcass while the lamb is still alive in order to know when to harvest. Even if all the above is done correctly, when do you know when the lamb is "finished"? Let's look first at the definition of "finished". A lamb is finished when it has the right relation between bone, meat and fat.

While there are some breeds which lambs are basically always finished no matter what the weight is, there are others that grow unevenly.

First, they are boney and there is not much

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Well, that is breed specific. My White Dorper lambs have their ideal butchering weight between 80 and 95 pounds live. Up to 105 pounds they aren't too fat yet. However, it takes more input to get these additional pounds. Smaller breeds like Southdown and Border Cheviots reach this ideal weight earlier but are also lighter. This makes them ideal to produce hothouse lambs. For larger breeds like Hampshire Sheep or Suffolks this ideal weight is higher but they will reach it later.

Well-finished grass-fed lambs are still somewhat rare and have the potential of fetching a premium price. Maybe I've convinced you that you can do it!

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April 5, 2010

Page 7

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

COMMUNITY/WORLD

Refugees Build Farms and Community in Manchester, NH

By Kenston G. Dearborn The Somali Bantu Community Association of New Hampshire (SBCA-NH) is working with Southern New Hampshire Services (SNHS) to create a hands-on agricultural program for refugees living in Manchester. Many Somali Bantu and other refugee groups have found the current economy difficult to navigate and often hard to get healthy food into their homes.

SBCA-NH's agriculture program will allow resettled refugees the opportunity to provide healthy food for their families while building community through the culturally familiar practice of farming.

The program will focus on choosing crops, preparing the soil and learning about how to grow food in New England. Refugees will take part in classroom and field trainings, organized farm visits to local working farms and have 100% of the food grown go back to the families participating. Ultimately the program hopes to create income opportunities through Community Supported Agriculture (CSA's), farm stands, and farmers' markets.

The program is open to all refugees, not just Somali Bantu, and hopes to incorporate some of the vast agricultural know-how of local farmers. "Our program promotes sustainable practices, and first-hand information from a variety of knowledgeable farmers will go along way with the folks we're working with," says Ken Dearborn, Agricultural Training and Outreach Coordinator for SBCA-NH. Refugee farmers will attend a series of training workshops that

will focus on agricultural production, marketing, business planning, and risk management.

SBCA-NH will provide land access for refugees by maintaining training plots at farms and garden sites in the area.

The people known as the Somali Bantu have endured discrimination in Somalia for over 200 years. In 1991, as civil war broke out in Somalia, the Bantus suffered widespread massacre and rape. Thousands of Bantus, among others fleeing the violence, were forced from their land and fled to refugee camps in Kenya.

Ironically, the Bantus found themselves again treated as second-class citizens even among other refugees in Kenya. Still victims of violence and discrimination, the U.S. began to resettle some 12,000 Somali Bantu refugees here in the U.S. after more than a decade in Kenyan refugee camps.

Isho Mohamed is happy to be farming again. In her home country of Somalia, Isho grew corn, potatoes, yams, bananas, pumpkin, watermelon, squash, beans, spinach and many other crops.

Photo by the SBCA-NH

The agricultural program is still being developed and the SBCA-NH is working to secure land to farm this season within reach of refugees in Manchester. SBCA-NH is looking for donations of all kinds; from farmable land to hand tools and seeds. To find out more, donate, or volunteer please contact Ken Dearborn, at (603)296-0443 or kdearborn@snhs.org.

Kenston G. Dearborn is an Agricultural Training and Outreach Coordinator with Somali Bantu Community Association of New Hampshire. He can be reached at 603-296-0443 or kdearborn@snhs.org.

Isho hopes to grow "Baa-mi" (okra) this season - a particular favorite of the Somali Bantu.

The Somali Bantu Community Association of New Hampshire (SBCA-NH) is a non-profit organization formed by a group of Somali Bantu who came to the United States as refugee immigrants and originally settled here in Manchester. The SBCA-NH's mission is to help facilitate resettlement of Somali Bantu refugees by providing assistance that will enhance their education, economic resources, and opportunities for self-sufficiency. By building stronger community, SBCA-NH will be able to help facilitate the social, emotional, and cultural transition of its refugee families into mainstream American Society. To learn more, visit: www.nhsomalibantu.org

HORTICULTURE

Grow Trees Not Weeds!

Weed Control Strategies in Christmas Tree Plantings

By Elizabeth Lamb Weeds in Christmas tree plantings are often the most difficult pests to control. They can reduce growth rates in young trees and affect the shape of older ones. They can provide a refuge for insects and create microclimates that diseases love. And they just get in the way of shearing, spraying and harvesting.

Planning before planting is always the best strategy. Map the planting area for differences in soil type, drainage, and elevation (for temperature differences). At the same time, map the area for the major weeds present. Take particular note of whether you have summer annuals, winter annuals or perennial weeds, as that information will help you plan your weed control practices.

Cultivation is most practical and effective before planting. Use a labeled post-emergence herbicide to kill weeds before cultivation. Especially target any weeds that are likely to be problems once the trees are planted.

Vines and woody perennials are weeds to look out for!

Improving fertility levels is also easiest when preparing the field before planting. Have your soil tested to determine what you need to apply. Applying nutrients in the rows rather than broadcast will make them more available to the trees and less available to the weeds between the rows. Your trees will reward you with faster growth and better weed competition.

Even species selection can help in your fight against damage due to weeds. Choose tree species best adapted to the site and environment, as well as desirable to the consumer.

Trees grown under stressful conditions are more likely to have pest problems of all sorts, and those slower growing trees are more likely to be out grown by weeds.

Keep weed control in mind when you plant

your trees. Any equipment you use for mowing or spraying needs to fit between the rows and perhaps between trees in the row when they are mature.

If you are renovating an area or replanting in between existing trees, you can still do some weed control in advance. A summer mowing will result in actively growing weeds for a fall spot treatment of herbicide. Check to make sure the herbicide is labeled in your location for the weeds and the surrounding tree species, and is appropriate for the site and soil conditions. Even labeled pesticides can cause damage, especially on young trees, so be sure to shield them if you are not sure.

Not too many growers are still growing their own transplants in seed or transplant beds. If you do, weed control is essential. Even though the high density of planting would seem to help crowd out weeds, seedling evergreens don't offer much ground cover and may be slower growing than the weeds.

Younger trees are more susceptible to herbicide damage so seed/transplant beds are the one place in Christmas tree production where mulches to exclude weeds are practical.

Once you are in the full swing of production, weed control is based on scouting -- just like disease and insect control. Scout before tree budbreak in the spring and again in July/August to identify weed problems. Spring, early summer and late summer mowings are the backbone of the weed management program. Where needed, spring pre-emergent herbicide and fall post-emergence herbicides are used for problem weeds based on the results of your scouting. Being especially vigilant during the first few years of tree growth will pay off in faster growth rates and fewer losses to other pests.

Ground cover management is of growing interest as a weed management tool. In effect,

White clover ground cover in Christmas tree plantation if you are promoting low growing weeds, like chickweed, between rows with mowing and suppressive rates of herbicides, you have a ground cover. You can also plant low-growing fescues or clover between the rows when you plant the trees or overseed them in an existing field. Ground covers suppress the growth of less desirable weeds, keep soil temperatures cooler, and reduce the need for mowing.

Photo by Elizabeth Lamb

Bear in mind that a groundcover can also compete with the trees so a weed free area at the base of very young trees is advisable.

Elizabeth Lamb is a Senior Extension Associate with the Ornamentals Program of NYS Integrated Pest Management. She can be reached at eml38@cornell.edu or 607 2548800.

ADVERTISERS! Small Farm Quarterly is Your Readers’ Information Resource • Delivered to over 27,000 households from Maine to Pennsylvania • Long shelf life • Online readership • Readers are interested in a wide range of products and services For advertising information call: Bruce Button, Country Folks, 518-673-3237 Specifics on herbicides for New York State can be found in the annual Pest Management Guide for Commercial Production and Maintenance of Trees and Shrubs at http://ipmguidelines.org/treesandshrubs or through the NYS Pesticide Product, Ingredient and Manufacturer System http://magritte.psur.cornell.edu/pims/current/

Page 8

NEW FARMERS

Connecting Aspiring Farmers with Existing Land: Connecticut Farm Link Program

By Jane Slupeki In 2006, the Connecticut Department of Agriculture established the FarmLink Program. The goal of the program is to connect farmer seekers with farm owners with agricultural land for rent or for sale. The program also disseminates information on leasing and farm transfer to the next generation of farmers. That is the official line I use while on the phone with my constituents. What you really want to read, though, is the story about the adventure, and how I, a real novice in the field, with a lot of other people, established and learned to appreciate a new land link program for the State of Connecticut.

According to the US Department of Agriculture, Connecticut is losing farmland at one of the fastest rates in the country.

Preserving farmland is by far the most effective way of providing a method for stabilizing regional food security for America. However, FarmLink also has a place at the table, as it finds and helps to get other landowners interested in putting their idle land back into production, but not necessarily formally preserving it. The trend across America sadly points out there are twice as many people looking for land, as there are parcels for lease or for sale on similar land link programs.

to do and what the legislation left to be done by other groups. Shortly after our group meeting, a website went live January 2007 (please visit www.farmlink.uconn.edu) In essence, the FarmLink program listings serve as a sort of matchmaking website for prospective farm owners and farm seekers. Interested parties register by completing either a Farm Seeker Application or Farm Owner Application. The description of an available farm or an individual's needs for farmland is then posted on the website. Then, participating farm owners or seekers can call or write, and we send out the full application to help with the "match."

There. I was done. I was so naĂŻve, I figured I would never get a call on this topic. I had no idea what I was in for.

The phone started to ring. And I did my stuff. I am a talker and a referrer. If I do not know, I send you on to someone

Some seekers are school systems looking to grow their own food. A major city in Connecticut would like someone to allow them to lease land (inexpensively was mentioned) and the school would find a farm manager to work the property to grow food for the cafeterias in their city. We have two farmseeking groups looking to start farms for autistic persons.

The need to find productive jobs for persons with disabilities is quite common for me to list.

Still, most seekers are people looking to go back to the land, to homestead. Yes, there are some dreamers, but we like dreamers in the Marketing Division. Some of those dreamers will in fact become small hobby farms, or market gardens, growing up into farms with farm stands or morphing into pick-your-own operations.

We had a young couple move to Connecticut who purchased one preserved farm but continues to look for another through the FarmLink Program to complete their dreams to have a larger, more viable farm in Connecticut.

I have young farmers looking to start their careers after finishing at UConn...they struggle with capital requirements, collateral or lack thereof to buy land, but I try my best to find them solutions to the crisis of the day blocking their dream to buy a farm. I hear a lot about the financial and credit crunch these days, which is now worse than ever.

To encourage participation, we put out notices about the program, send applications to state stakeholders, like town halls, town planners, commodity groups, agricultural associations, federal agencies, and UConn Cooperative Extension System. I try not to turn down any opportunities to speak about the program. I am hopeful about some newer ideas bubbling up around FarmLink to help towns that are purchasing farmland.

Why and how did Connecticut's FarmLink start?

Connecticut grassroots groups wrote and fought to pass Connecticut legislation, known as the Community Investment Act, Public Act 05-228. It sets aside funds for many agricultural programs: farmland preservation, farm-to-school, farm-to-institution -- and a funded FarmLink program.

(Please see http://www.cga. ct.gov/ for full text.)

I am not a lawyer, real estate agent, or much of a farmer, so let's be real: the only lease I knew was for an apartment or two I rented when I was in my Connecticut Landlink helps young and beginning farmers locate affordable land to rent. twenties (a good long time ago). What would I be able to do for these people? I had no who does. The phones rang some more. Then the listings prayer of getting this right. started coming in--seekers and owners. More calls and a couple of local news paper stories, well placed, and a five This program was about 15 years in the works. I had been second NPR story that picked up on the idea I was a matchhanded this an entire year after the legislation passed! The maker. Next thing I know I have a decent pool of land and a groups had gathered information - a lot of information. I read ton of farm seekers! I was shocked! it all, then visited nearly every U.S. land link site, and called lots of program directors (and began to understand how little I think in some ways I am still in shock. Typically, each quarI knew). Whittling down the programs that mirrored ter, I receive about 60 phone calls inquiring about the proConnecticut's law, I used them as the template to build our gram, usually by word of mouth or through my agricultural program. I called the program coordinator in Wisconsin a lot. partners across the state. "They tell me I should talk to you, I literally built a program that fit the statute, which mapped Jane." out a structure to help farmers and farm seekers make it through the transition of old farm owner to new farm owner.

There are presently 90 farm seekers and 34 farm owners in program. We have all shapes and sizes of farms, from 3 I am a marketing rep, by trade and passion. Almost immediacres or less to 650 acres, all types of operations. There are ately, I worked on a logo and website with UConn's College currently more than 1000 acres which could be turned into of Agriculture Communications and Information Technology farmland.

(CIT) office. I researched information to fill pages that answered the statute's call for an educational hub. While I have landowners who can no longer afford their land or researching topics, I juggled the paperwork, negotiations, have land they have inherited and want it to stay productive. I quotations and agreements between my agency, the think about a man who said he needed help to get someone University and our business office, a third state agency. I on his land. He really wanted his family's land to remain a typed up rough applications, and then it was reviewed by working farm. He offered it rent-free to any responsible marketing, regulation, farmland preservation, the farmer. Within the month, he had an agreement for a young Commissioner's Office, some outside partners for good person. He was happy. I was thrilled. The young farmer is still measure, adjusting the applications along the way. in the program, as he needs more land.

With a logo, brochure, website and applications completed, a year had passed. Finally, I had something to show the grassroots groups. After explaining that I would only be swapping applications, not negotiating the land agreements, I thought that would be the end of me. We laid out what I was allowed

April 5, 2010

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

Some landowners saw a story about the FarmLink program and thought they could help. That particular man had two parcels of land that he listed, to let someone use. No match yet but what a generous offer that was.

I am grateful to Connecticut's agriculture community for putting up with me. My advice for other organizers of farmlink programs -- never turn away advice, learn as I did, plodding into the unknown, unfettered by any old mindsets, preconceived notions or old habits. Everything should be new and fresh. It also helps that I am quite persistent and ask too many questions-ask for help from anyone that is willing to give it to you. Never give up. This complex clearinghouse of seekers and owners has the simple goal of keeping farmland in production. And I will do my darndest to help them succeed, because farmland is irreplaceable. And we need our farmers in the Northeast to survive. Our food security depends upon it.

Jane Slupeki is a Agricultural Marketing & Inspection Rep with CT Dept of Agriculture in Hartford, CT. She can be reached at 860-173-2588 or Jane.Slupecki@ct.gov.

We Want To Hear From You We welcome letters to the editor - Please write to us! Or send a question and we’ll do our best to answer it. We’re also looking for beautiful, interesting and/or funny small farm photos to print.

Write or email Violet Stone, Cornell Small Farms Program, 135C Plant Science Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 vws7@cornell.edu

April 5, 2010

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

Page 9

Inventive Farmer Brings Kefir Cheese to Market Rose Marie Belforti scaled up a home recipe for raw milk kefir cheese to a commercial process

By Violet Stone

Welcome to the Northeast SARE Spotlight!

SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education) offers grants to farmers, educators, universities and communities that are working to make agriculture more sustainable - economicly, environmentally, and socially. Learn about whether a SARE grant would be a good fit for you.

Upcoming SARE Grant Deadlines Sustainable Agriculture Grad Student Scholarships - Due May 31, 2010 Northeast SARE is now offering grants to graduate students doing research in sustainable agriculture. The grant will allow the student, under the supervision of a faculty advisor, to explore topics that will benefit farmers and add to our understanding of sustainable farm systems. Awards are capped at $15,000 and can run up to two years, and the money can be used for labor, materials, and other direct costs associated with a research effort. Proposals can cover a wide range of topic areas -- cropping systems, pest management, livestock health, farm energy production, soil quality, or the institutional purchase of local food, for example. Proposals can be submitted on line from mid-April until May 31, 2010. To learn more, go to the Northeast SARE web site at www.nesare.org SARE Professional Development Grants - Preproposals due late May Northeast SARE Professional Development grants build the knowledge base and educational infrastructure so that Cooperative Extension educators and other agricultural professionals can get and use the knowledge they need to help farmers move toward greater sustainability. The beneficiaries of Professional Development projects are extension staff, NRCS personnel, and a range of other agricultural service providers like crop consultants, veterinarians, energy advisors, and suppliers. The program emphasis is on training the trainers, disseminating sustainable practices and technologies, advancing new content, and seeking measurable, verifiable change that leads to the improved and widespread practice of agricultural sustainability. The preproposal, a brief concept document, is submitted online, usually in late in May. The SARE Administrative Council decides which preproposals will progress to full proposals in July. Full proposals are due in the fall, usually late October or early November. Learn more: http://nesare.org/get/professional-development/pdp-overview/ SARE Research and Education Grants - Preproposals due late May Northeast SARE seeks proposals for research, education and on-farm demonstration projects, and the emphasis is on projects that lead directly to improved farming practices and an enhanced quality of life for farmers and rural communities. Projects must involve farmers and other stakeholders in planning, implementing, and evaluating a potential project; we also fund projects where research, Cooperative Extension, and education are closely linked. The beneficiaries of Research and Education projects are farmers, and the emphasis is on farmers making measurable changes that enhance sustainability through improved profits, better stewardship, and stronger farm communities. Projects designed to have a secondary influence on the behavior of consumers and the general public are also within the scope of the program, and we encourage proposals that recognize the interaction between the farm and the community. The preproposal, a brief concept document, is submitted online, usually in late in May. Applicants whose projects have been selected to proceed will be notified in August. Full proposals are due in the fall, usually late October or early November. Learn more: http://nesare.org/get/research-andeducation/re-overview/ SARE Agroecosystems Grants - Preproposals due late May Northeast SARE seeks preproposals for long-term research projects that will explore the ecological interactions that are the basis of sustainable agriculture. The goal is to develop a greater understanding of these interactions and to promote new models of farming systems designed around them so that in the future farmers will be able to minimize the use of external, energy-dependent inputs while optimizing the use of on-site natural resources to maintain productivity.

Applicants for Agroecosystems Research grants should have experience doing agricultural research, preferably using a collaborative, holistic approach. All applicants must demonstrate a firm grasp of current barriers and issues in sustainable agriculture and have a strong multidisciplinary team prepared to see the project through to completion. The preproposal, a brief concept document, that is submitted online, is usually due in late in May. Applicants whose projects have been selected to proceed will be notified in August. Full proposals are due in the fall, usually late October or early November. Learn more at: http://nesare.org/get/agroecosystems/ae-overview/

THE FARM Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery begins its story when two town dwellers with a passion for farming, a lot of patience, a thirst for knowledge and an empty nest find their way back to the country. In 1999 Rose Marie Belforti and her husband purchased a 12 acre farm in Ledyard, NY and acquired a little dun heifer from a distant neighbor. Their one cow grew into a small herd and Rose's small farm dream evolved into a business plan for a small-scale cheese company. When her farmstead cheese plant became certified in 2006, she started producing the first known commercially available kefir cheese cultured with authentic living kefir grains. This unique cheese is made even more unusual by its main ingredient: the rich, creamy milk from her small herd of rare heritage Dexter cattle. To her knowledge, Rose operates the only commercial Dexter creamery in the United States.

Food Processing had completed the brand new raw milk kefir cheese which is aged at least 60 days and contains full cream. Her next goal is to grow her small Dexter herd to a maximum of six milking cows. Rose and her husband continue to rely on ingenuity to source the equipment they need as appropriate technology for micro-dairies is not widely available in the United States.

Currently they employ a refrigerator/freezer as a bulk tank and use a couple old jacketed steam kettles to warm the milk and start the kefir culture. The cheese is aged in several refrigerators, but plans are already underway to expand to a bigger space.

STARRING DEXTER CATTLE Rose has an enthusiastic appreciation for the Dexter Cattle that have come to be the foundation of both her business and way of life. She describes the

Rose started out with just one Dexter Cow. Photo by Tim Wallbridge as an inspiring example to other artisanal cheese start-up operations looking to incorporate heritage breeds. And if her energetic spirit and reverence for Dexters hasn't caught your interest yet, taste the cheese - it is certainly destined to set a trend.

Editors Note: In February 2010, Rose was approved for a second SARE grant to develop a standard for Kefir Cheese Spread and establish benchmarks for aging a raw milk cheese spread.

To see a step by step THE SARE GRANT documentation of the creRose received a SARE ation of Rose's Kefir grant in July of 2006 to cheese, visit the SARE fund the transformation of final report at: her home recipe for an http://www.sare.org/ aged raw milk kefir reporting/report_ cheese to a commercial viewer.asp?pn=FNE06standard. According to 595&ry=2006&rf=1 Rose's cattle mother their calves as long as possible and have plenty Rose, "Kefir grains have Photo by Rose Belforti To learn more about been used for centuries to of access to pasture culture milk by traditional Finger Lakes Dexter peoples, promoting good health and thick, creamy, butterfat rich milk they Creamery, visit their website: longevity". Although there are kefir produce as "exquisite" and although www.kefircheese.com products available on the market, they Dexters are naturally small in size, are not made with kefir grains and praises their "work power". Her cattle Violet Stone is the Communications & therefore lack the beneficial probiotic mother their calves as long as possible Outreach Coordinator for NY SARE organisms. She worked with the and have plenty of access to pasture. and the Cornell Small Farms Program.

Cornell University Food Processing She believes providing the best care She may be reached at 607-255-9227 and Development Laboratory to create, for her cows equates to the best qualior vws7@cornell.edu record and document the kefir cheese ty milk and well-being of everyone recipe as it materialized. involved. She stresses her humane approach as "very important in a world Rose stressed the importance of carewhere dairying seems to forget the fully reviewing a grant's requirements value of the very one that gives us the when considering applying. She felt treasure she has". that her project - scaling up a healthy home recipe for a new micro-dairy -REVIVING THE ART was a good match for SARE with its Perhaps the most remarkable aspect emphasis on innovation and sustainof Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery is its ability. She also attributed her success perseverance in a business that virtuto thorough attention to detail in ally no one remembers - the small explaining her project. "As you plan farmstead dairy based on breeds modyour outline for meeting the requireern agriculture left behind. With only a ments of the grant, make lots of notes, few websites and a handful of pubmake sure you answer questions very lished resources, Rose was grateful to specifically, and write very clear and the few Dexter "experts" she made concise sentences" says Rose. acquaintance with. Beryl Rutherford, a life-long Dexter breeder in England The new raw milk kefir cheese is aged at BEYOND THE GRANT now in her eighties, provided sanityleast 60 days and contains full cream In summer of 2007, Rose and Cornell saving advice in every facet of training, Photo by Rose Belforti treating, hand-milking and dairying from across the seas. "She was always Learn more about the Northeast getting me out of troubles - I owe her a SARE Program by visiting lot!" says Rose.

Rose's farmstead cheese plant became certified in 2006.

Photo by Rose Belforti

Despite the steep learning curve, Rose and her husband are as determined as ever to continue developing the niche dairy they dreamed of. She insists that they have found success working with even the most stubborn of cows; "Don't let anyone ever tell you a Dexter cannot be milked!" It is her hope that Finger Lakes Dexter Creamery serves

http://nesare.org or by contacting: Northeast SARE 655 Spear St. University of Vermont Burlington, VT 05405-0107 Phone: (802) 656-0471 E-mail: nesare@uvm.edu

Page 10

April 5, 2010

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

Small Farm Quarterly

Youth Pages

The Youth Pages are written by and for young people. Many thanks to the 4-H Teens from Orange County who contributed to this issue. We believe there's a bright future for young farmers in the Northeast. Whether you live on a farm or only wish you did, we'd love to hear from you!

More information about the Cornell Cooperative Extension 4-H Youth Development program can be found at: http://nys4h.cce.cornell.edu

Not Every Horse is Easy Hi, my name is Lyndsey Garvilla, I am 16 years old and I have been involved with horses for half of my life. When I first started riding, no surprise, I was not that good. But, with time, practice and involvement with my 4-H club I have learned to ride well and become more knowledgeable about horses. I have also learned more about what it takes to own a horse.

Three years ago my parents bought me a horse to help me further my riding experience. His name is Joey. The first few times I tried him out he was crazy...and I was not so sure about him. He has put me through a lot of trouble - with falling off and him not always listening - but these troubles have made me more observant of his behavior. Now I know what he is going to do before he starts to do something bad. Growing closer to Joey and becoming a more observant rider have improved my riding skills.

Other experiences have developed my horsemanship skills.

During the summer of 2008 while preparing for a great show season I saw Joey had a cut. My trainer looked at it and we began to clean it out every day and keep it protected. A week later we discovered that it was actually a punc-

ture. We kept cleaning it twice a day. After another week he was lame. We had the vet come out to find out what was going on and she said it was nothing and to just continue the cleaning and protection, so that's what we did. He did not get much better so we had her come back out. When she did she took x-rays of his leg. He ended up needing surgery. Although this put a setback on my show season and the work I could be putting into him, it did help me to learn more about taking care of horses.

My experiences with Joey have made me a better rider and realize that not every horse is easy. Also my experiences with 4-H and the other girls in our club have furthered my leadership skills and the way I approach different challenges.

I am also extremely grateful that my parents support me 100% with everything I do and want to do.

For information about working with horses visit the 4-H Resource Directory: http://www.cerp.cornell.edu/4h/ or NYS 4-H Animal Science horse website http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/horses/index.html.

Lyndsey's experience with Joey helped her develop leadership and problem solving skills.

4-H and Me

Hi, I'm Ashlynn Elizabeth Kelly from the Young Riders 4-H club of Orange County. I have been in 4-H for 3 1/2 years and loved every minute of it. It's what got me into horses and I've been working with them ever since. I have learned how to ride, manage a horse, how to feed it and much more. Knowing more about my horse has made me love him even more.

The best thing I do with my horse is ride him. In 4-H, we are always doing cool things and going to neat places.

We have been on barn tours, we go to horse races and participate in knowledge contests. We also do horse presentations, scrap book pages, picture frames and show ribbon racks.

Horse bowl and hippology have made my knowledge of horses grow more than I thought possible. My mom says she likes it because the contests help me learn about sci-

ence topics that I have not even learned about in school yet. It has also given me the confidence to speak in front of a group. Learning about the animals on our farm helps me appreciate our animals more.

Animals and 4-H have affected my future by giving me knowledge about animals especially horses. I have also made friends with others that share my interest. I have gained many skills that will help me be a better person.

For information about working with horses visit the 4-H Resource Directory: http://www.cerp.cornell.edu/4h/ or NYS 4-H Animal Science horse website http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/horses/index.html

Right — Ashlynn enjoys riding her horse, Coco and learning all about horses.

Me and My Pony Hi, my name is Taylor Raymond and I have been a member of the Young Riders 4-H club for 6 years. I have been working with horses my whole life. I love horses! My pony's name is Harmony. She is the sweetest pony and she is an incredible jumper. She is my best friend.

While working with horses I have learned responsibility. Every morning I go out to the barn to care for my horse. Riding is the best part of having a horse. It's very rewarding when I teach my horse something new and she understands.

Jumping is the best part of riding. The cool breeze in my face and the few seconds off the ground is exciting.

4-H gives me a chance to do what I love and meet new people who share my passions. Horsebowl/Hippology are knowledge tests that give me a chance to meet different people and learn more about horses. Over the years I have learned about the horse's anatomy, illnesses, injuries, equipment, breeding/reproduction, foaling, training, breeds and colors/markings.

Since I was eight I wanted to be a vet. As a career I want to be an equine vet because of my love of horses.

For information about working with horses visit the 4-H Resource Directory: http://www.cerp.cornell.edu/4h/ or NYS 4-H Animal Science horse website http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/horses/index.html

ADVERTISERS! Small Farm Quarterly is Your Readers’ Information Resource • Delivered to over 27,000 house holds from Maine to Pennsylvania • Long shelf lif • Online readership • Readers are interested in a wide range of products and services For advertising information call: Bruce Button, Country Folks, 518-673-3237 Harmony and 4-H inspire Taylor to be a future equine vet

April 5, 2010

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SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

"Chicken Business" Hi, my name is Kevin Jacks. I currently have around 75 laying hens. I sell most of the eggs to a local orchard that resells them. I got into the chicken business about 5 years ago with around 30 chickens.

I have learned many things along the way, moving from a backyard hobby to a small business. In the past five years I have found the most important aspect of running a business is controlling expenses and cutting losses as soon as possible.

Currently I have about 35 Buff Orpingtons, 25 Black Australorps and a few Ameraucanas. I have found the heavy breeds work best for me. Heavy breeds don't seem to fly well which means they are easier to fence in. They are tough in cold weather and are good layers.

I am a member of Livestockers 4-H Club in Orange County, NY. My 4-H club has several chicken fanciers in it. Networking with others with similar interests has been a plus. We help each other with issues related to poultry such as diseases, housing situations and some tricks of the trade. I have also learned how to show chickens at the Orange County Fair. I won the Best Rooster Award and was Showmanship Champion last year. I think the key in the chicken business is to learn from your mistakes and don't give up.

For information about working with poultry visit the 4-H Resource Directory: http://www.cerp.cornell.edu/4h/ or NYS 4-H Animal Science birds and poultry website http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/birds/index. html Kevin displaying his Best Rooster Award winning bird

Kids, Cows and Country: an American Tradition My name is April Williams; I am a 15 year old member of the "The Milk Shakers" an Orange County 4-H dairy club. Although I was not raised on a dairy farm, I remember going to all the county fairs as a young kid and seeing all the 4-H'ers work with their animals and thinking, "Wow!, that looks like something I would love to do". I just happened to have a dairy farm not too far from my house. So we went to the farm and found out that they actually had two kids around my age that participated in the 4-H dairy program. They gave me a calf to work with and since then my life hasn't been the same. We soon formed a 4-H club and with their experience with showing cattle I learned a lot in that first year and am still learning.

that hard work does pay off. Showing cows is a lot of hard work and dedication. It's hard to think where I would be without all the long hours in the summer of prepping our cows for shows or all those 4-H trips and the continuous help and support from the other kids in the program.

I have been in 4-H for 7 years now and have come a long way. I now compete state-wide in dairy bowl, dairy judging and even ranked nationally in dairy challenge. My involvement with cows and 4-H has taught me teamwork, how to win, how to loose and

For information about working with dairy cows visit the 4-H Animal Science dairy website http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/dairycattle/index.html

While in this program I have had the chance to travel and meet many amazing people and along the way have had some of the best times of my life and made friendships that will surely last a lifetime. I know I want to be involved in making the world a better, cleaner world and stay with agriculture and animals and to continue giving back to my community, to animals and people alike.

April wins a blue ribbon and the chance to experience great opportunities

SMALL FARM SPOTLIGHT

Small and Versatile: Dairy Adapts to Changing Markets The Schefflers respond to the growing demand for local, organic food

By Adrienne Masler BECOMING CERTIFIED Seasoned dairy farmers Ed and Eileen Scheffler have learned over the years that adapting the farm business to changing times is the only way to succeed. For the Schefflers, being small has made adapting their business easier because they haven't made huge investments in infrastructure or equipment that would tie them to one type of production.

This became particularly useful about a decade ago, when Ed and Eileen noticed the growing demand for organic and locally produced food. "We didn't like spraying chemicals," says Ed. "Organic seemed like something we could do, something viable." Change can be scary, and this choice required a willingness to change one's mind. The Schefflers began the transition to organic and sold their first organic milk in December of 2003.

They sell to the Organic Valley co-op and have been very happy with organic prices; the increase in income has helped them invest in a retirement account and send their children to college.

Ed notes that they haven't seen a significant yield decrease since the transition, an experience that challenges the conventional wisdom that organic simply can't produce enough food.

They do spend more time cultivating, but Ed believes the price of increased labor balances out the cost of chemicals they used to spray, and is a better stewardship practice.

The Schefflers like to do as much of the labor by themselves as possible, so they have made a point to invest in equipment that will help them work efficiently and achieve high-quality products.

For example, the stationary mixer installed in 2008 replaced a Rissler cart (a mobile mixer) and Ed is now producing a much more consistent ration for his cows. When it comes to growing crops, Ed prefers to plant and harvest when the time is right. He says, "It's difficult to see getting a custom operator to the farm on my time."

DIRECT MARKETING Eileen began direct marketing her organic eggs in 2008. After a few false starts - the snowplow buried their roadside cooler and customers couldn't see the cooler on the porch - they decided that Ed's new heated motorcycle shed could double as a farm store. They added grass-fed organic beef shortly afterward; the beef is processed in a Pennsylvania slaughterhouse that is certified organic and humane. They also obtained a raw milk permit in 2009. Customers call ahead to place their order and pick up their milk at the farm store on Tuesdays. "People are looking for a high-quality product, they want to know their farmer and where their food comes from," says Ed. Direct marketing is also a way to diversify the operation and to add value by selling their products at retail value. Ed and Eileen enjoy talking to their customers and rely on word-of-mouth to attract new customers; they also sell at one farm market. Eileen's egg cartons bear the motto "Sharing our healthy harvest with you" and she says, "That's really what I believe - I really want to get good, wholesome food to people." Their customers' stories are inspiring.

One woman reversed severe gum disease by eating natural foods and a high-fat diet, including Schefflers' raw milk. Others are able to drink raw milk after years of avoiding pasteurized milk (lactase, the enzyme that digests the milk sugar lactose, is present in raw milk but is destroyed by pasteurization). Some customers are concerned about their overall health or simply want a relationship with the farmers who supply their food.

ADAPTING ON A SMALL FARM The Schefflers are happy with their current practices. They enjoy farming without chemicals, not relying on commodity pricing and government subsidies, and having input into the Organic Valley co-op. Most importantly, says Ed, "it's fun again." They don't have plans to make direct marketing a bigger part their operation immediately, but they may start growing more beef animals;

On-farm sales diversify the Schefflers' income Photos by Adrienne Masler

The Schefflers first sold certified organic milk in 2003

"We hadn't anticipated such interest in our beef," says Ed. He mentions that they are selling out of eggs every day and that they could probably expand egg production without much investment. They currently sell 9 gallons of raw milk per week - the rest is sold in bulk to Organic Valley - and don't plan to expand their on-farm sales. The current market for organic milk has been affected by the economic recession just like every other sector, but the Schefflers aren't panicking.

Whatever changes come to this small dairy in the future, Ed and Eileen are ready with open minds, knowing their approach to farming has brought them a long way.

Adrienne Masler is a recent graduate of Cornell where she majored in agricultural communications. She may be reached at amm428@cornell.edu

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SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

April 5, 2010

NEW FARMER

From Hobby Farm to Farm Business: Laughing Goat Fiber Farm

By Monika Roth Lisa Ferguson has held a lifelong passion for knitting. Thus, when she and her husband Gary purchased a 48 acre parcel west of Ithaca, NY, 9 years ago, they put the land to quick use raising angora goats for fiber. Their goat raising venture started as a hobby, and for the past 5 years, they have been filing farm tax returns transitioning the hobby into a business. Along the way they have acquired farming skills and sought out business planning assistance.

land in agriculture by selling development rights to the Town of Ithaca. The permanent easement keeps their land in farming forever.

Both Lisa and Gary work full-time off the farm so they are at times frustrated that their progress on business development has been slow. But, they are learning along the way and look forward to devoting more active time to the business in the future when they retire.

The vision for Laughing Goat Fiber Farm was to raise exotic fiber animals and sell yarn. After realizing yarn sales would not generate sufficient returns, they have started producing finished goods, woven and knitted, and are considering agritourism opportunities as a way to bring customers to the farm.

Lisa has been more actively marketing her yarns at the farm and community events and hopes to build a customer following via the farm website.

ful "reality check" and inspiration. To a word, each of the farmer presenters said it took 7 years to build their farming enterprise to where it generated more than it absorbed in money. So, even though Lisa and Gary feel their progress is slow, they are on par with other start-up farming operations.

One of the joys of farming expressed by Lisa is that "you are always learning". She and Gary value the connection to the land and the animals. As a suburban kid, Lisa takes pride in skills she learned out of necessity including basic veterinary skills and other animal husbandry practices to keep her herd healthy. Gary and Lisa enjoy being farmers and living in a farm community. They have made a commitment to keeping their

Nancy, Gary, Lisa and Marion Ferguson are posing before the first Country Fiber Farm Tour in 2009.

The current operation includes a mixed herd of 45 fiber animals, including angora and cashmere goats, sheep and alpacas, along with some ducks. The farm provides 10 acres of pasture, and includes 30 tillable acres where hay is produced and used by a neighboring dairy farmer. Farm infrastructure includes a carriage house used for equipment storage, a pole barn that provides animal shelter in winter, and small movable shelters set up in paddocks where animals graze. Currently off-farm income pays for farm investments. In the future, they hope the farm will pay for itself.

Triplets, Peter, Paul and Mary are angora goats that can be found on the Ferguson's farm.

Get Connected!

Find your local Cooperative Extension office

Lisa and Gary have been actively working on their business plan, being careful not to overextend themselves, yet they remain focused on their vision. Initially they took a businessplanning course offered by a community bank; however, they found it not so useful because it lacked an agricultural focus. In 2008, Gary and Lisa attended a 4-part Introduction to Farming Course offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension as part of the NY Beginning Farmer Project. The course was structured so that each week a farmer presented his/her story about how they got started, what they learned and how long it took to become "profitable". Lisa said that the course provided a use-

CT: UConn Cooperative Extension • 1-860486-9228 ME: UME Cooperative Extension • 1-800287-0274 (in Maine) MA: UMass Cooperative Extension • (413) 545-4800 NH: UNH Cooperative Extension • 603-8621520 NY: Cornell Cooperative Extension • 607255-2237 PA: Penn State Cooperative Extension • 814-865-4028 RI: URI Cooperative Extension • (401) 8742900 VT: UVM Cooperative Extension • 1-866622-2990 (toll-free in VT)

The Fergusons dye this 100% mohair yarn in their kitchen with food coloring and vinegar.

Photos by Lisa Ferguson

Rt. 20, Sharon Springs, NY • (800) 887-1872 or (518) 284-2346 1175 Hoosick St. Troy, NY • (518) 279-9709

Since taking the Intro to Farming class, Lisa and Gary have been working with NY FarmNet business consultant, Jeff Perry, to develop their farm business plan. Lisa feels the planning process has helped them consider ways to grow their business and it has provided the discipline needed to move forward with business planning. In the future they envision expanding their herd to as many as 100 goats, offering more on farm tours, building a shop for retail sales, hosting classes, and perhaps developing a farmstay opportunity. They are ideally located close to Ithaca on a main route that provides both retailing and agritourism opportunities.

One of their biggest challenges has been balancing animal management demands with marketing demands, especially with full-time jobs. In recent years Laughing Goat Fiber Farm has been a stop on Cooperative Extension organized Fiber and Farm Trail tours. This has brought family visitors to the farm and created connections to knitters. Lisa has also ventured into off farm sales at community festivals that draw big crowds providing exposure and sales. Her website is not getting a lot of action, but she anticipates it being more important in the future. Facebook and Twitter are also being used to generate brand recognition and customers.

In considering what advice to give to other beginning farmers, Lisa says, "don't borrow money, be patient, and don't be afraid to make mistakes." She recommends business planning as a way to assess opportunities for business growth and stay focused.

Monika Roth is an Extension Educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County in Ithaca, NY. She can be reached at mr55@cornell.edu or 607-272-2292. To learn more about Laughing Goat fiber farm, visit their website at www.laughinggoatfiber.com

April 5, 2010

Page 13

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

LOCAL FOODS & MARKETING

To Buy or Not to Buy...

Influencing Your Customer's Purchases

By Debra Perosio

erships. High risk and high prices typically produce longer and more extensive information searches.

Do you wonder what is going through a customer's mind when they come to your farm store, pick up a product, look it over carefully, and then put it back and walk out? Do you ask yourself, "What happened to that sale?" Consumer decision making is a complex science about how consumers make purchase decisions: is it impulse or planned, do consumers do research, do they consult a friend or use their own judgment?

Is there a way you can help convert a customer visit into a sale? Consumer decision making can be broken down into several simple steps, many of which, as a business person, you can influence.

We all go through a process when making a decision. For routine items we buy every day, we know well, and that have a relatively low price tag, that decision can be very quick. For other items that are more complex, for which we really don't know much about, or that are very important the process can become complex and lengthy.

All buying decisions are sparked by a need (or an "I want"!): I just ran out of eggs, my car broke down, I love that flat screen TV. Marketers further develop our needs and wants. How? Certainly, forms of advertising greatly influence us. Advertising can take many forms, reminders for those everyday items, educational for those new items, or persuasive for those items that you may not really need but would love to have. Often sales promotions help, buy one get one free, new flavors, sizes and packages can grab their attention. Signage at the point of sale is a great tool to draw consumer attention. Loyalty programs also help but make sure it delivers real benefits to your customers (some of the best loyalty programs right now are with supermarkets offering discounts on gas).

Once consumers recognize a need, they begin an information search. For the eggs that I just ran out of that search is relatively easy. I quickly scan my internal memory for how to get eggs quickly and easily, and I think of the closest place I can go to get eggs. Not much thought or involvement there. But what about a need for a medical procedure or a purchase of an expensive new piece of farm equipment? These types of decisions require an "external" search. You might start talking to friends, do some research on the web, visit equipment deal-

How can you, as a marketer, influence your customers' decisions? Make sure your website is up to date and easy to navigate and make sure the resources on it are helpful and easy to read. Today, many people start their information search on the web, and if you don't have a presence there, you may be over looked. Complex decisions require clear information, education, and often extensive customer service. Have educational information readily available, be helpful, offer tours and demonstrations, but maybe most important, offer yourself as a personal consultant for your customer, providing information and follow up throughout the information search process.

Once consumers have collected their information, the next step is to evaluate the alternatives. Which doctor should I select for the procedure, which hospital is best, what farm equipment dealership has the best equipment, which brand has the best warranty, which had the best service department, and who has the most competitive price? Usually in these complex situations we decide what attributes are most important to us and set criteria, say maximum price, or best doctor, as our most important attribute when making the decision. As a marketer how can you help your customers work through the evaluation of all of the alternatives? You can find out from them what is most important and work toward attribute. You can boldly compare your product against your competitors and easily illustrate the differences for your customers (think about insurance companies who do this a lot).

Once consumers have carefully weighed their alternatives, a purchase usually results. Wait! Your marketing commitment is not over yet. Now is the time to help your customers avoid suffering from "buyer's remorse," that nagging feeling you get after making a major purchase; when you start to wonder if it really was a good decision. Consumers want reassurance that they made the right decision, and marketers can help their customers feel confident about their purchases. How about follow-up emails, letters, thank you postcards that can also provide additional information about the product they just bought?

And how about a phone call a month or two after the sale...does the customer have any questions, is everything working properly? This is also a good time to remind them of

Is there a way you can help convert a customer visit into a sale? other services/products that you have that may complement or enhance the product they just purchased from you.

Remember, the more complex, risky and/or expensive a purchase decision is, the more "help" a consumer needs in making that decision. As a marketer your chances of converting a visit to a sale is much better if you can influence a customer from need recognition to alleviating buyer's remorse.

Debra Perosio works with the Food Industry Management Program at Cornell University. She may be reached at djp7@cornell.edu or 607-255-1588.

This article first appeared in the January, 2010 issue of "Smart Marketing". Smart Marketing is a monthly newsletter produced by from the Department of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University. PDFs of the Smart Marketing articles may be found on the Marketing PWT website at: http://marketingpwt.aem.cornell.edu/publications

FARM ENERGY

Where the Green Grass Grows: Local, Renewable Fuel Retired dairy farmers May and Bob Miller launched a new business that transforms hay into renewable energy.

By Adrienne Masler A NEW VENTURE How did May and Bob Miller go from dairy farming to making grass pellets? They had always been interested in "green" energy, but when fuel prices started to rise in 2008, they saw new potential in the growing acreage owned by non-farming landowners surrounding their home in Delaware County. With the goal of turning idle land into a renewable fuel, they set out to launch their new business venture: making grass pellets. Approximately the size of grain pellets (~1/8" in diameter and ~1/2" long), grass pellets can be burned in stoves to provide heat or electricity. While researching grass pellets, the Millers traveled to Canada because they had heard that it was feasible to pellet grass there. They learned that no one was making pellets for local home energy use: Canadian pellets were marketed for horse bedding or for coal plants. The Millers continued to research the pellet industry in the United States, paying attention to what was working and what wasn't working. "We thought we could see where it could be done better," says May, so they bought some old wood pelleting equipment and began experimenting. In partnership with their son, May and Bob created EnviroEnergy LLC in the summer of 2008.

TRIAL-AND-ERROR The learning curve turned out to be much longer and steeper than the Millers anticipated.

For example, they had to figure out how to

make dense enough pellets and determine the appropriate moisture content for their raw materials. They've received great support from Cornell Cooperative Extension in Delaware County, which received funding to install pellet stoves about the same time that Millers began pelleting grass. Other support has come from the Delaware and Otsego County Offices of Economic Development. After many rounds of trial and error, EnviroEnergy has been making successful pellets since early 2009.

LOCAL OPPORTUNITY Pelleting grass has turned out to be a perfect enterprise for these independent-minded retired dairy farmers. Delaware County's newest crop of residents is largely composed of people from downstate who often hire farmers to mow their fields rather than allow them to become overgrown. EnviroEnergy can purchase this grass they pay $60/ton for delivered hay - and make pellets. They plan to keep the business operating within a 40-50 mile radius because they enjoy working with local farmers and developing local markets for their pellets. May says that because of the available grass, high fuel prices, and increasing interest in sustainability, "this is a very good product for this area."

ROOM FOR GROWTH All of the pellets made since the Millers began pelleting have been sold and used successfully, but there's a lot of room for growth. Grass pellets have a higher ash content than their wood counterparts, and while some wood pellet

The screener removes dust after pelleting.

The hammermill grinds hay in preparation for pelleting.

Photos by Janet Aldrich stoves can burn grass pellets, some can't. May and Bob keep track of which stoves work for their customers and recommend contacting Cornell researcher Dr. Jerry Cherney for more information about pellet-burning stoves. As stoves designed to burn grass become available, the market for grass pellets will improve.

May thinks that pelleted grass is a good fuel alternative in the Northeast: there's ample opportunity for local pelleting businesses and grass pellets produce 90% less emissions than allowed by the EPA. A 'MULTI-PURPOSE' PELLET? Local consumers can purchase grass pellets from EnviroEnergy at $225/ton or $4.50/40pound bag. Though the Millers are focused on making pellets that burn well, some customers are coming up with alternative uses. Some use grass pellets for cat litter or horse bedding and love the product's absorbency. A nursery tried and failed to germinate weed seeds in the pellet material and may explore using pellets as mulch or in a potting soil mix. Whatever the application, the Millers are committed to producing a quality product.

To learn more about EnviroEnergy LLC, see http://www.enviroenergyny.com/. To learn more about energy resources for small farms, visit http://www.smallfarms.cornell.edu/pages/resour ces/production/energy.html.

Adrienne Masler is a recent graduate of Cornell where she completed an internship with the Small Farms Energy Workteam. She may be reached at amm428@cornell.edu

Filling and sealing 40-pound bags of pellets.

April 5, 2010

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

HORTICULTURE

Under the Covers: Nursing clovers to maturity

By Molly Shaw Clovers can be wonderful cover crops, growing more than 100 lbs of nitrogen/acre and improving soil tilth with their large root systems, but they get off to a slow, weak start after seeding.

Jerry and Val Carocci, who run Church Street Produce in Burdett, have dealt with this problem by using nurse crops for their clover.

Aptly named, nurse crops provide shelter for baby legumes during their puny stage, when their big bad world is full of heat, drought, and weeds. As part of the Cover Crop project, funded by Cornell Cooperative Extension and the NY Farm Viability Institute in 2007-2008, the Caroccis have tried two different clover/nurse crop systems, both with success.

Clovers seeded by themselves (without herbicides) are quickly swamped by fast-growing annual weeds, particularly when planted in

August. The weed cover doesn't seem to harm the clovers, which tolerate shade well and actually appreciate the cooler, moister environment down under the weeds, but annual weeds make tens of thousands of seeds before they're killed by the frost, banking problems for years to come. Also, if perennial weeds are present (like yellow rocket, quackgrass, etc), they won't be controlled by mowing and will be a much bigger problem than annual weeds like lambsquarter and pigweed.

The first nurse crop combination the Caroccis used was the classic oats and white clover, planted in late summer 2007. Using 1-2 bushels (35-70 lb)/A oats in combination with 4-6 lb/A white clover is about right-each species pure seeding rate is decreased some to allow the other some space. Oats have the added benefit of being cheap ($0.11/lb) so the combination cost about $25/A. The oats grew and provided shelter into late fall, died over

GRAZING

Yes, Cows Eat Weeds!

Learn from Kathy Voth's work

By Nancy Glazier The Northeast Pasture Consortium (NEPC) Annual Meeting was held in January this year in Vermont. The weather can be questionable at best in January, but it cooperated this year.

The latest pasture research was presented by universities, agencies and producers at the two-day conference. Many great projects were shared and lots of time for networking was allotted.

One very practical session with great on-farm potential was brush and weed control on pastures. Research on finding biological controls of multiflora rose was covered as well as getting cattle to clear idle pastures. The speaker that I was most excited about was Kathy Voth from "Livestock for Landscapes" in Loveland, Colorado. She presented her research on training cows to eat weeds.

the toxin and species affected. Other web sites are out there as well. Kathy strongly suggests getting your hands on "A Guide to Plant Poisoning of Animals in North America", by Anthony P. Knight and Richard Walter. I have this book and it provides complete descriptions of the toxins present in weeds you may target. It has a hefty price tag, but worth the price in the long run.

Focus on one weed for training purposes.

Later, when out in the pasture, the cattle will be more apt to try other weeds.

Cattle will pay attention to "post-ingestive feedback". They eat a weed and the brain

winter, and the next spring the field was swamped by a lush stand of white clover.

In 2008, the Caroccis tried a new twist on the old nurse crop concept. They seeded 50 lb buckwheat and 10 lb medium red clover together in August. Buckwheat was $0.56/lb, and the clover cost $2.50/lb, so the combination cost $52/A. One advantage to using buckwheat is that it gives more thorough weed control in warm summer growing conditions than oats.

The soil was warm and the buckwheat took off.

You had to look very closely to find the red clover hanging out in the shade. Then fall hit, the buckwheat was mowed, and the clover took over. When the growing season starts, the clover should grow really fast-it'll be at its peak nitrogen content just before flowering, in early June. If it's mowed at that stage it should die, but if it's mowed earlier it will not have "finished," and it will persist.

The biggest challenge the Caroccis have had is with their cover crop seeding equipment.

They don't have a tractor-mounted seed spreader, so they use what Val terms her "Johnny AppleSeeder," a hand-held spin seeder. She's had a hard time getting the seeding

Step 1: Know your weed Make sure you know what weed you are training your livestock to eat. Weeds (and plants) have toxins in them; some weeds are poisonous. Don't train your livestock to eat poisonous weeds! Begin by researching what toxin is in the weed. Cornell's Department of Animal Science has a basic web site: http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/ This will provide you Latin and common names and

We can all use a helping hand, so try nurse crops to get your clover cover crops started

Molly Shaw is a Fruit and Vegetable Specialist with the Cornell Cooperative Extension office in Tioga County, NY. She can be reached at (607) 687-4020 or meh39@cornell.edu

If your cattle are used to coming to you, training can occur in a pasture. This makes it simpler by having water and feed already there.

They can also be training in a barnyard enclosure, but they will need feed and water there. One thing for sure, they need a familiar area to reduce stress; they will be more apt to try something new.

Step 3: Make the unfamiliar seem familiar Now we are getting down to the details of the training. Kathy has developed a training process that occurs over 10 days, depending on if your cattle are fast or slow learners.

Begin by purchasing 8 different kinds of feed with one of those being something they are familiar with. This will not be their sole food

Kathy Voth explains in her book that weeds are high in protein when vegetative.

Image provided by Kathy Voth harvest it from a pasture.

4. Days 6 through 8 continue this, reducing the feed and increasing the weed. Close observation is necessary to ensure the training is working. Progress is occurring when they run to you when you call; they are waiting for you to come and they clean up their feed with the weed quicker each day.

Step 4: Practice in pasture Your practice pasture should include a patch of the target weed plus some others as well as their "good" pasture. Give the trainees enough pasture to last them 1-3 days. Give them additional training pastures until you feel they have mastered the training.

After that, let them join the rest of the herd and see how well they train the rest of the herd!

Disclaimer: When I refer to livestock, I am referring to ruminant livestock. That does not include horses!

So, here are the basics:

Sometimes sowing two different seeds at the same time can be tricky because they might have different ideal rather than to fluff it seeding depths, but in the case of buckwheat and red clover, they'll both be ok at 1/2 inch deep.

One can broadcast the clover, then drill the buckwheat with a grain drill. If broadcasting both seeds, they should be spread in different passes, then pressed lightly into the soil. A cultipacker is great, but if you don't have one, a drag works better than a disk. It doesn't have to be fancy, an old set of bedsprings dragged behind the tractor even works. The key to a nice even stand is to firm the soil rather than to fluff it for better seed-to-soil-contact.

spring and herd mates. If you don't have heifers to train, work with cow-calf pairs. It's also best to work with tame cattle. They need to know you and trust you since you are the one that will be doing the training.

Kathy's work on this began in earnest in 2004. Prior to that, she had been sitting in on classes and reading Dr. Fred Provenza's work at Utah State University in animal behavior. She presented some of her work at the Northeast Grasstravaganza in Binghamton in 2008. Since then, she has continued to teach cattle this concept in the west and across the country.

The biggest hurdle with the concept of fourlegged weed control is sometimes the human mindset. A weed is any plant out of its proper place. That does not denote poor nutritive value. Kathy has run forage analyses on weed specimens and they tend to be high in protein when vegetative.

Page 15 rate even throughout the field using that seeder. Also, they don't have good tools to help incorporate the seed, and they've found their Perfecta field cultivator to be a little too coarse of an instrument in many cases.

supply, just a treat. Kathy uses 50 pounds per 25 "trainees" per feeding. Place the feed in tubs shared by the cattle. This increases competition among the cattle to clean up the feed.

This is a brief overview of Kathy's process that she has developed and refined over several years. She has put her knowledge together on web site, http://www.livestockforlandscapes.com/ and in a book, "Cows Eat Weeds". The book goes into depth on the background information and has worksheets to developing your own training plan.

1. Day one begins with the familiar feed fed morning and night.

2. Day two through 4 a new feed fed morning and night.

3. Day 5 skip the morning feed. At night introduce a weed with the feed. You will need to

Nancy Glazier is a Small Farms Support Specialist for the Northwest New York Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Team of Cornell Cooperative Extension/PRO-DAIRY. You can reach her at 315-536-5123 or nig3@cornell.edu

Your practice pasture should include a patch of the target weed plus some others as well as their "good" pasture. registers how they feel. If it's not good, they won't eat what made them ill. If it makes them feel good, they will eat it again. Also, toxin levels can change throughout the growing season. This is not a failsafe system, so that's why you need to know your weed.

Step 2: Choose your trainees and training location It is best to train a manageable number of young females; they are more apt to try new things since they don't know any better! Once they are trained, they can later train their off-

Page 16

COWS

April 5, 2010

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

AND

CROPS

There is More Than One Way to Milk a Cow. New Zealanders Change the Dairy Paradigm in Missouri

By A. Fay Benson The contrast between a U.S. dairy management style and the New Zealand grazing dairy approach was easy to see at a grazing conference in Missouri this past summer. New Zealand-styled grazing dairies focus on intensive pasture management, rather than milk production, to lower costs and achieve profits. Missouri grazing dairies modeled off the New Zealand style averaged 12,000 to 13,000 lbs per cow on 6 to 8 lbs of grain per day.

New Zealand style dairies have been moving to Missouri for the past three years. I wanted to learn more about these dairies to see if the model would be transferable to New York. It is important to remember that the New Zealand Government has no price supports for dairy, leaving all profit potential entirely up to the farmer. While New Zealand is a small nation, their dairy farmers have substantial impact on the global market with their low cost milk production. Most importantly, New Zealand dairy farms rely on grazing to produce all this milk.

This past summer, I had a chance to investigate this difference between U.S. and New Zealand dairy management at the Grazing Dairy Conference in Joplin, Missouri. The conference targeted U.S. dairy farmers who want to graze. The conference was hosted by the University of Missouri, which has a grazing dairy research farm based on the New Zealand model. The University of Missouri faculty made several trips to New Zealand to observe and learn the dairy management approach.

Conference presenters included faculty (also Jason Karszes from Cornell's Pro-Dairy), industry and dairy producers. Farm tours visited a number of locally-owned dairies as well as farms owned by a New Zealand Corporation. New Zealand dairy farmers immigrated to southern Missouri for the climate and to access the U.S. dairy market, bringing with them their style of dairy farming. These farms are all seasonal dairies milking for 9 to10 months a year, allowing them to maximize the grass growing season and to have the best grass when the cows were in lactation. The only buildings were the milking parlor and an occasional farm building. Very little machinery was owned by the farms, usually some hay equipment or four- wheelers for moving the animals.

Typical MO Grazing Dairy Today, the grazing dairies in Missouri look a lot like New Zealand grazing dairies. They typically have about 300 acres and 500 milking cows fed high forage diets. Pasture provides about 65% of the cow's diet. Only about 10% of total dry matter

intake comes from grain compared to the typical U.S. dairy cow which receives 40 to 50% as grain. This heavy reliance on pasture reduces the time and costs to plant, harvest, and store feed and spread manure compared to conventional confinement dairies. The 500 cow herd size fits for a number of reasons. The pasture acres required for a herd this size still allow the cows to reach the farthest pasture between the two milkings. The milkings take place in parlors that hold up to 50 cows at a time, reducing time for milking. Three workers can handle the chores for this style of dairy or 150 cows per worker compared to 40 to 50 cows per worker on most U.S. dairies.

New Zealand style dairies manage their pastures intensively.

Every week measurements are taken in each paddock to determine how much dry matter they contain. The measurements are done by a hand operated "Rising Plate Meter." A few of the dairies have purchased and share a computer-operated unit that is towed behind a 4-wheeler. The unit generates a chart of dry matter called a 'grazing wedge.' The farmer learns which paddocks are too far ahead to be grazed and should be harvested for hay or which ones may need a shot of fertilizer to increase production before the next grazing. The Missouri farms are still fine tuning their grass management. In New Zealand, perennial rye grass is the dominant grass, performing wonderfully in the perpetual spring-like weather. In Missouri, they have not yet found the right grass to match the warmer summer temperatures and the colder winter temperatures. A number of on-going trials are looking at fescue. The original fescue had numerous types of endophytes detrimental to the animals. Plant breeders developed endophyte-free lines which had some success here in the North but did not do well in the South. Plant breeders are now trying to find plants that have only the Endophytes that protect the plant from the heat and not the ones that cause toxins to animals.

New Zealand Business Approach I sat with a banker from Western NY, who attended the conference at the invitation of a farmer client. He had spoken to some of the relocated New Zealand farmers. He was told that in New Zealand, farmers had appointments with their banker every month, to review budgets developed the previous month and to see how the business was doing. The farmer and banker then prepared the budget for the next month. This NY banker thought this would be a good practice for NY farmers as well. Consistent efforts to measure performance and react to changes in performance are a sure way to reach business goals.

Pastures are "Mob" stocked on this Missouri Grazing Dairy.

Cows get a new pasture every 12 hours.

Photo by A. Fay Benson Take Home Message Missouri farmers still have a number of adaptations to make to the grazing dairy system in their state. They have a climate that does not require a barn for housing animals. This is a key area for cost savings on a dairy. The lower capital and labor required to clean and to feed is an advantage also seen in western US dairies. I saw several benefits that would be transferable to the Northeast. Costs of production are lowered by focusing on grazing with low fiber and nutrient dense forage. This will lower grain bills, especially with fluctuating prices of corn and soybeans.

The New Zealand business philosophy of monthly budget reviews would also be advantageous to farmers here. On my family's small dairy, I attribute much of our success to participating in the Cornell Dairy Farm Business Summary. While this is only done once a year, I can imagine the benefit of looking at a business's performance monthly. The real benefit for me attending the conference was to get 'out of the norm' and view another dairy system under going changes. It was exciting to see different perspectives on producing milk and a new model of milk production that recognizes grazing as a benefit to the animal and the business.

A. Fay Benson is a small dairy specialist at Cortland County Cooperative Extension. He also coordinates the NY Organic Diary Initiative. He can be reached at 607-753-5213 or afb3@cornell.edu .

LOCAL FOODS & MARKETING

From farm to market: choosing the right marketing channel for your farm

By Rebecca Schuelke Staehr The list of where, and how, to sell produce, milk, meat and other items raised on the farm is long. Today, many farmers are making sales through farmers markets, farm shares, roadside stands, grocery stores, websites, festivals.

Most farmers use more than one market channel to get farm goods to the consumer, and most farmers experiment with several ways to sell before landing on the one or more streams that work best.

The best for each farmer may be a little different. Some do well with community-supported agriculture. Others prosper selling wholesale to a broker. For new farmers and those looking for new, or more cost-effective, markets, choosing where, and how, to sell can be a daunting task.

Recognizing that there's more than one "right way" to sell farm goods, the NY Farm Viability Institute has supported numerous projects to help farmers fine tune marketing models, and share their successful techniques with others.

Efforts range from marketing foods through a farmers' cooperative, direct to schools, with online sales, through home delivery, and much more. The NY Farm Viability Institute is a farmer-run nonprofit group that awards grants to projects that help farmers improve profitability, and develop models for all farmers. The Institute received funds from the NYS legislature and Department of Agriculture and Markets.

So, what works?: Since 2005, the Institute awarded more than 25 grants to projects that help farmers test and improve marketing strategies, which had the all-farmer board of directors wondering: "But, which ones really worked?"

NY Farm Viability uses an outcome based program model: all the projects it funds seek to help farmers improve profitability, and develop models to replicate successful techniques on all farms. Funded project leaders are required to report on how projects lead to new revenue, decreases in operating expenses, new job creation, and other tangible measures of farm profitability. Last fall, board members awarded a grant to Cornell University economist Miguel Gomez to lead an examination of the specialty crop and food marketing projects funded by NY Farm Viability, and determine which techniques were the most beneficial for farmers.

"We turned the tables on our own program model, and asked an economist to review the projects that are working on marketing local food. We want to be able to make better recommendations to farmers about what works, and, also, to have more guidance when selecting new projects for grant funds," said John Lincoln, chair of the NY Farm Viability board of directors. The evaluation will wrap up in late 2011. Extension bulletins and other outreach are expected.

Cornell Cooperative Extension hopes to collect enough data from farms to offer benchmarks for labor effeciency, profitabity, and more.

Janet Mandeville of Mandeville Farms in Spencer, NY worked with Cornell Cooperative Extension to evaluate which of her marketing channels Photos by Rebecca Schuelke Staehr At the same time NY Farm Viability asked Cornell to evaluate the farm benefit of cooperative marketing, online sales, and myriad other marketing routes, they awarded grant funds to Cornell Cooperative Extension of Tompkins County to help farmers assess the profitability and labor costs at each farm's various marketing channels.

Mandeville Farm in Spencer, NY sells fresh produce at two farm stands, two farmers markets, and to a grocery store. "We were pretty sure the road stands were the way to go, but we wanted to look at that," said Janet Mandeville.

In evaluating the various marketing channels, road side stands proved the most profitable for the Mandeville family - there's minimal labor at

the stand. Other farms in the study found community-supported agriculture to be the best bet for them.

Results may vary by farm, but the important commonalty, said Matt LeRoux, an agriculture marketing educator with CCE Tompkins County, is record keeping - tracking how much time and money goes into each marketing effort. "Some farms don't do accounting and may not know if they are making a profit. Some farms don't do channel-specific accounting, so they don't know what's most profitable," LeRoux said. He has grant funds to help New York farmers evaluate their marketing channels through December 2011, and hopes to collect enough data to offer farmers benchmarks for marketing channel performance.

For more information about the marketing channel research, or to participate in the study, contact the NY Farm Viability Institute.

Rebecca Schuelke Staehr is a writer with NY Farm Viability Institute. She may be reached at (315) 453-3823 or rschuelke@nyfvi.org. For more information about the NY Farm Viability Institute, visit www.nyfvi.org.

April 5, 2010

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

Page 17

HOME & FAMILY

Are you a Daylighter?

By Jill Swenson What country folks know to be common sense becomes news as a new practice in sustainability. Become a "daylighter" and put your lifestyle back in sync with the sun and the seasons. A daylighter wakes up with the sun and goes to sleep shortly after it sets.

"Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise," wrote Benjamin Franklin more than two centuries ago.

This wisdom seems self-evident to most farmers working their homesteads every day year round.

I grew up with the expectation of an electrified life. I assume at the flick of a switch there to be light, or heat, or sound, an image displayed or a door opened. All at the flick of a switch: On/Off. The binary code built the digital universe but it can't power it. It runs on fossil fuels and is not sustainable.

Daylighting offers a natural solution to soaring energy demands.

It sounds so simple and yet the practice of "daylighting" seems too extreme for many people who work long hours at one or more jobs, have children and family obligations, and cram their

Twelve to 14 hours of sleep during the shortest days and seven to eight hours of shut-eye during the longest days of the year makes good sense for your own health and longevity and is an easy way to significantly lower your carbon-footprint.

The first reason to become a daylighter is to remedy sleep deprivation. Many Americans deprive themselves of sleep to the point where it is dangerous to drive, according to studies by the Federal Highway Administration, Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center. Farmers are not immune from this problem.

There is always more work to be done than hours in a day.

Sleep exhaustion can lead to serious farm accidents.

Contrary to popular myth you cannot make up sleep you lost the night before, according to the National Sleep Foundation. Failing to get enough sleep heightens the risk for a variety of major illnesses, including cancer, heart disease, diabetes and obesity, according to findings from Harvard's Nurses' Health Study.

Fishing in Warren Pond by dawn's early light.

Photos by Jill Swenson daily calendars well into dark. Daylighting doesn't cost anything and will save you money, energy and years on your life, but most modern folks seem to resist this idea.

The rush and push and urgency of everyday life is not sustainable. Contemporary culture treats sleep as a waste of time.

People have a hard time imaging what daylighting is like here on an upstate New York farm in the midst of winter when up to 14 hours of darkness constitutes a day. It's easy in the summer when the birds start chirping before dawn around 5 a.m. and it's still light after 9 p.m. These are the natural patterns of sleep according to the seasons of rural northeasterners.

Sleep is seasonal. In the cold winter months when the days are shorter we need to sleep more just like hibernating mammalians. Sleep is necessary to one's overall health and in winter our bodies need to sleep more. In cold climates, sleep is the body's way of conserving energy during winter. "As the day's lengthen, the cold strengthens," is a familiar weather observation for winter's duration. The spring equinox brings an end to this winter jinx.

Psychiatrist Thomas Wehr and his colleagues at the National Institute of Mental Health conducted a study in their sleep lab where they simulated the daylight hours of a winter day.

Subjects went into the dark at 6 p.m. to lie down and rest. Lights did not come back on until 8 the next morning. Wehr was curious to see what might happen if he put busy modern Americans into the 19th century sleep environment.

Sleep is the body's restorative process. Sleep is very inexpensive preventative health care. It is when we are too tired that accidents happen, mistakes are made and we tax our immune systems. You know how much better you feel after a good night's sleep.

Wehr's sleep study found that the long night led to two bouts of deep concentrated sleep; two REM sessions with a period of wakefulness in the middle, lasting up to a few hours. Dr. Wehr's study was published in the American Journal of Physiology.

The second reason to live by the sun's clock is to decrease overall electric energy consumption. If you can live by daylight there is little use for electric lights. When electric power became widely available, it changed the way we farmed. With the passage of the Rural Electrification Act, electricity became available to country folks at the same price as city people paid. Night turned into day. Winter turned into summer and summer into winter. Electric power industrialized this nation. A "day" became three 8-hour shifts.

Before electricity when it got dark at night, people went to bed.

There wasn't much you could really do by candle light or oil lamps. Heating and refrigeration weren't things you could take for granted without wood or ice. Before electricity, if you wanted to be warm in the middle of winter, you had to plan years in advance to have the seasoned wood on hand, dried and stacked, hours to start the fire and time to let the house get warmed and time for tending the wood fire. Today in upstate New York, this is still true if you heat or cook with wood.

Insomniacs might think lying awake for a couple hours in the middle of the night to be a kind of torture. But the subjects in the study described this period in terms used during the 1800s as a "watch" or "watching"; a period of heightened mindfulness.

There are historical records of people sleeping in first a "dead sleep" and later a "morning sleep" with the wakeful period between as a "watch," according to the study's lead investigator, Thomas Wehr. The subjects in his study reported this middle period as a kind of quiet meditation.

Great niece Jadyn up early for farm chores

Before electricity you needed a root cellar to keep produce cool in summer and not freeze in the winter. Before electricity you had to harvest ice from the pond in the middle of winter and store it in a hay barn covered in sawdust for use four to six months later. You can still do this, and some country folk still do, however, most farmers have altered their practices significantly.

A third reason to practice daylighting is that you will live longer and enjoy life so much more. Do you fight against sleep? Is your instinct to resist drowsiness? Do you push down the urge to close your eyes and rest? Give in to these urges. The more sleep you get, the less stress on your overall health and well being. Research from the Harvard Medical School found an increased risk of mortality among those who sleep less than six hours a night.

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Researchers found similar results in a more recent study of adolescents. The longer night seems to give rise, according to National Public Radio correspondent Allison Aubrey in an August 2009 story, to a sort of "midnight comfort." Teens grow so fast they need more sleep to catch up with their bodies.

When you live by the seasons, the sun, the moon and the stars, you fall into a natural rhythm of sleep and wakefulness. The shortest days of the year come in the coldest months and the longest days during summer.

The simple act of "daylighting" doesn't cost you anything. You don't have to join a club or pass a test or buy anything to just do it. It sounds so simple and yet to practice it will make you a radical. Your friends and family won't understand why you won't attend evening events or answer the phone or email after dark.

Your kids might think you are crazy, until their grades start improving and their attitude becomes more positive. The energy savings, increased work performance, improved health and sense of well-being provide positive reinforcements to the lifestyle changes.

Jill Swenson owns and operates a small scale seed company at On Warren Pond Farm in Trumansburg, NY. Learn more at www.onwarrenpondfarm.com

Page 18

WOMEN

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

IN

AGRICULTURE

A "Web" of Support: Online Directory to Women in Agriculture Organizations

By Susan Neal

an email list. www.wfan.org; 515-460-2477

For many of us, winter is that time of the year when life finally slows down for a little while, a time when we can engage in social activities, pursue educational goals, catch up on bookkeeping, or reacquaint ourselves with local and national issues. This past winter I finally found the time to do some surfing on the Internet. What was I searching for? Not a new tractor or a way to boost my hens' egg production. I was interested in organizations founded by, created for, and actively supporting agricultural women. I was pleasantly surprised to find a growing community of sites dedicated specifically to us and our ways of life. So I thought I would share some of this information. Whether your interests turn to women's health, farm economics, women's safety, food production, animals, or rural isolation, chances are you will find a number of valuable resources to help educate, entertain, and enlighten you. Happy surfing!

WIFE-Women Involved in Farm Economics: This grassroots organization, founded in 1976, is open to anyone interested in agriculture. It is a non-partisan, policy-making organization that works to improve profitability in production agriculture through education, legislation, communication, and cooperation. WIFE produces monthly newsletters; hosts an annual conference, and the website provides important links to government agencies. www.wifeline.com

International Organizations: Most international women's organizations are acutely concerned with the health, safety, empowerment, and political equality of rural and agricultural women. These organizations work to end violence and discrimination against women around the world, especially in developing nations, and to teaching and assist them in their agricultural pursuits.

Membership fees and/or donation requests may vary. These organizations publish magazines, newsletters, reports, and studies; they help draft human rights legislation; maintain interactive websites; host conferences; and/or offer online meetings and discussions. They include:

American Agri-Women: Founded in 1974, the AAW currently has 50 state and commodity-affiliated organizations throughout the country. The organization is active in legislation and regulatory matters at the local, state, and national level, as well as student and consumer ag education. The organization helped to initiate the Agriculture in the Classroom program at the national level. The website provides information and links to meetings and conferences, publications, mentoring services, scholarships, educational materials for students and educators, and a consumer information page featuring farm facts, food safety, and nutrition resources. www.americanagriwomen.org; 785-537-6171

Women, Food and Agriculture Network: The network was founded in 1997 to provide women with the information, connections, and empowerment they need to be effective practitioners and supporters of sustainable agriculture and healthy, local food systems. The majority of their work is performed in the Midwest. They offer annual educational events, lectures, and workshops, resource articles, studies, newsletters, and

Conferences: Women in Blue Jeans: Started in 2001 as an evening training session on grain marketing and crop insurance, this conference has since become a rousing annual event in Mitchell, SD. While the January 2010 conference was cancelled due to severe weather conditions, breakout sessions would have included: wind power, farm first aid, digital photographing, growing container vegetables, cleaning without chemicals, women in government, niche marketing, breast health and screenings, long-term insurance, and composting. The goal of the three-day conference is for attendees to have fun and learn something new. Planning for the 2011 conference is already underway. www.womeninbluejeans.org; 605-996-9169 Women Managing the Farm: This project and its annual two-day conference was developed by Kansas State University to prepare women to participate in multiple farm roles by providing the training, risk management tools, and the professional resources they need. This year's breakout sessions included such topics as water rights, beef quality assurance, soil and crop rotation, mental health, insurance, and farm safety. On the conference website there is also a live chat feature called "Rural Route Women." www.womenmanagingthefarm.info; 866-327-6578 Websites: Women's Agriculture Community: This website was designed by folks at Michigan State University as a resource for women farmers. The Resource link provides a list of useful websites as well as a "How to Start" section that includes information on starting community gardens, CSA's, farmer's markets, grassed-based agriculture, organic farming, and urban agriculture. http://www.safs.msu. edu/womenag/

WOCAN: Women Organizing for Change in Agriculture and Natural Resource Management. This global network was established in 2004 to help transform agriculture and natural resource management programs by offering support and empowering professional and rural women to achieve gender equality around the world. The organization collaborates with universities, governments, NGO's, civic groups, and international organizations to empower International agriculture organizations support and empower rural women across the world women professionals in agriculture and NRM sectors. www.wocan.org Woman's National Farm and Garden Association: This Associated Country Women of the World (ACWW): This environmental group was founded in 1914 and is comprised group claims to be the largest organization dedicated to proof various garden clubs, local chapters, and other special viding support, friendship and practical assistance to rural interest organizations who share a passion for furthering women around the world. The organization's charitable protheir agricultural and horticultural interests. Focuses include grams focus on the relief of poverty, the education of women, civic service, education, horticultural therapy, gardening, floand improving women's health and economic opportunities. ral arts, and numerous environmental concerns. The organiwww.acww.org.uk/. (The US branch of the ACWW is the zation currently has four primary divisions (Michigan, Country Women's Council of the USA (CWC). Its website is: Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New York), single branches in www.cwcusa.org) Massachusetts and New Jersey, and several specialized National Organizations: There are numerous women's farming and agricultural organizations across the country. Some focus on legislation, while others are concerned with safety, farm economics, or education. Many national organizations host meetings, workshops, or conferences; they often publish magazines or newsletters; and most require their members to register in order to receive full benefits.

April 5, 2010 branches including an herb group and a floral design group.

The organization's Farm and Garden Magazine not only features informative articles and recipes, but also provides information about scholarships, meetings, and current members.

The website features a new blog. http://www.wnfga.org

Local Resources: Farm Bureau: Contact your local Farm Bureau for information about getting involved with the American Farm Bureau Women's Leadership Committee. The four focus areas of this group include empowerment, grassroots revitalization, understanding the political process, and speaking up for agriculture. For more information: www.fb.org Women's Agricultural Network (WAgN): Originally started in 1995 as a collaboration between the University of Vermont and the US Dept of Agriculture, WAgN branches are beginning to pop up around the country. Some state chapter are supported by their land grant universities, others are energetic grassroots networks of women with diverse agricultural backgrounds and interests. To locate a WAgN network near you log on to the University of Vermont's site (www.uvm.edu/wagn) or contact your state university's department of agriculture or cooperative extension.

Susan Neal owns and operates Wiccaway Farm in Beaver Dams, NY and can be reached at (607) 535-7161 or wiccawayfarm@aol.com

Need Info?

Subscribe to the Small Farms Update, a monthly email newsletter with announcements, upcoming events, resources, funding and farming opportunities and more. Send an email to smallfarmsprogram@cornell.edu . Please provide your name, farm name, postal address, and county.

April 5, 2010

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

Page 19

STEWARDSHIP & NATURE

Agricultural Environmental Management: To-B-Lea Farm Focuses on Positive Image of Farming!

By Barbara Silvestri & Mark Kenville

For dairy farmers Tobe and Lena Elmer, farming cleaner and greener has always been a top priority and a source of great pride. Because of their commitment, they have received numerous recognitions for their conservation practices and milk quality.

The Elmers' To-B-Lea Farm is situated in the southwest corner of Jefferson County in the Town of Ellisburg, New York.

The entrance to Southwick Beach State Park on Lake Ontario is less than a quarter mile down the road. "Our proximity to the lake and state park makes us very visible to the public," commented Lena. "With all the traffic passing by us campers, lake residents and park visitors - we've become more aware of our image and the image we present for dairy farming. We try to keep things neat and clean, as well as focus on our conservation practices." Tobe added, "It's important to promote a positive image of farming. Taking good care of the land, water and animals creates a good impression."

The Elmers purchased the farm from Tobe's father, Lloyd, in 1964, when the dairy consisted of 115 acres of workable land with a milking herd of 45 cows. Since then, they expanded to 100 Holstein milkers and 325 acres, growing primarily corn and alfalfa. In addition to Tobe and Lena, their three nowgrown children, Tim, Terry and Traci, have been active in the operation over the years. They now have a hired employee.

They began focusing on conservation issues in the early 1990s. Their prime concerns were manure run-off, leaching and odor, as well as developing a nutrient management plan

We Want To Hear From You We welcome letters to the editor Please write to us! Or send a question and we’ll do our best to answer it.

We’re also looking for beautiful, interesting and/or funny small farm photos to print.

Write or email Violet Stone, Cornell Small Farms Program, 135C Plant Science Building, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 vws7@cornell.edu

At Agri-Mark, we believe in actively working together for better farm milk prices, whether it be through the growth of our Cabot or McCadam brands of cheese or support of the plans like the current Federal MILC Program.

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to ensure they were spreading nutrients responsibly and effectively to protect water quality and get the most value from their manure.

Working with the staff of the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District, the Elmers participated in the Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) process, which started with an inventory of the farm's activities, future plans and potential environmental concerns. A customized conservation plan was developed and implemented, followed by an evaluation to ensure that goals were met to protect the environment and the farm's viability.

With the guidance of the District staff, the Elmers embarked on several improvements to divert rainwater and treat runoff from the milkhouse, barnyard, silos and roads. "We had a milkhouse drainage problem and installed a barkbed system that was innovative at the time," explained Tobe. "We've remodeled it since its initial installation to become even more efficient." The system entails a septic tank that receives the waste, where solids settle. The liquid then drains into the bark, which provides a carbon source for bacterial breakdown of the nutrients in the effluent and out-letted to a wastewater vegetative treatment area. The solids from the septic tank are pumped out and spread on the land.

Another area addressed was the barnyard. "We completely dug out the original barnyard and filled it with big rocks then filter fabric and finer material, which prevent mud and manure from leaching into the ground," Lena said. "The top is then scraped and spread on the fields once a year. We continue adding stones to keep it properly maintained and make sure it's effective."

A roof water collection system was developed that alleviated a major mud problem in their barnyard. The rain water no longer runs into the barnyard area, but is diverted into a drainage ditch that brings the clean water to a wetland area.

Improvements were also made to address silage leaching from the bunker silo. A system was installed to collect the low flows, and the high flows divert to a wastewater vegetative treatment area. Also, a stone and felt screen was used to build up and harden the driveway and access roads, 2506 Snyder Rd., thereby preventing mud from Jasper, NY going on the highway and getting into the bunk silo.

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Tobe, Lena and Corky sit among the flowers planted in from of the barn to add a touch of color for the public to enjoy.

Photo by Jefferson County Soil & Water Conservation District I'm not sure how much would have gotten done; if it would have gotten done as soon as it did; or done as well."

More recently, the Elmers worked with their Conservation District to develop a Comprehensive Nutrient Management Plan to make sure their manure was handled effectively. "It involved a more accurate measurement plan for spreading," Tobe said. "And, it was nice to learn we already were doing a good job with our manure. We only had to make a minor change in spreading on one field during a certain time of year because of slope." Getting the maximum nutrient benefits from their manure has been extremely cost-effective, as they haven't had to use fertilizer on their corn fields for years.

According to Lena, they began making conservation improvements because it was "the right thing to do." Their commitment to improving the environment and enhancing the public image of dairying earned them the Jefferson Soil and Water Conservation District's 2002 Conservation Farm of the Year, which is a source of pride for the couple. "We received a great amount of help and guidance over the years from the staff at the Soil and Water Conservation District," said Tobe. "They are excellent people to work with, asking what you want to do and making suggestions. They know the rules and regulations, but are flexible and work with you making sure you get the outcomes you want as well."

"The Elmers epitomize the strong conservation ethic that many of our county farmers display," said Christine Watkins of the Jefferson County Soil and Water Conservation District. "Their decision to address the resource concerns on their farm was not driven by regulation, but by their desire to do what is best for the environment, their farm and the community."

While being environmentally responsible is important to the image of farming, Lena added that producing a high quality product is important to. "We take pride in what we do and the product we produce for the public," she said. Their efforts have been well noted as they have been honored consistently through Dairylea Cooperative's Quality Milk Recognition Program, and have received the Super Milk Award over the years. Most recently, they also attained the Dairylea "Gold Standard Dairy" designation, which recognizes dedication to producing a quality product on a farm that has met a variety of safety, environmental and animal care standards.

"It's nice to be recognized for what you've done, but we always feel that there's room for improvement," said Lena.

"We like to try to get out ahead of things, continue to do the right things for our farm and the environment, and look for more ways to present a good image for dairy farming.

The Agricultural Environment Management (AEM) program is free. In addition to helping farmers identify and address environmental concerns, the process documents good stewardship. To get started, call your county Soil and Water Conservation District today to schedule a free, confidential AEM Assessment for your farm. To learn more about AEM, view the AEM Worksheets (under 'Technical Tools') or to locate your County Soil and Water Conservation District office, visit: www.nys-soilandwater.org.

Barbara Silvestri is the Information & Education Program Coordinator with the NYS Soil & Water Conservation Committee in Albany, NY. She can be reached at 518-4573738 or barb.silvestri@agmkt.state.ny.us. Mark Kenville is the Director of the New York Center for Dairy Excellence, which is a farmer-led nonprofit group that awards grant funds for applied research and outreach education projects that help farms increase profits and provide models for other farms. He can be reached at 315-453-3823 or mkenville@nycde.org

Page 20

April 5, 2010

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

COWS

AND

CROPS

Farmers Share Friendship and Knowledge at Dairy Profit Discussion Groups

Bonnie Collins (center), farm business management educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension, facilitates the Women Farming Today discussion group in Oneida County.

Photo by Kathy Barrett

By Kathy Barrett I've lost count of the number of times I've heard farmers say after a dairy meeting or event that the best part of the program was talking to the other farmers over lunch or during the break.

It's clear that farmers find tremendous value in talking to other farmers about their practices and experiences on the farm. The Dairy Profit Discussion group program is built on that simple concept: farmers gain invaluable knowledge from other farmers.

Discussion groups have taken off across New York State with over 40 groups formed and more than 500 farmers participating. This has been a tough year for the dairy industry, yet a record number of farmers have attended Dairy Profit Discussion Groups. Clearly they are getting something important from these groups. A survey of farmers participating in discussion groups indicated that being able to sit across the table from other farmers who were experiencing similar challenges encouraged them to make changes that improved their profitability.

The continuous interaction allows farmers to hear what others are doing on their farms and follow the results and impacts of those activities. Talking through ideas and decisions with other farmers enables them to have more confidence in their own decision-making process.

So what is a Dairy Profit Discussion Group?

It's a group of about 10-12 farmers who have something in common who meet on a regular basis to discuss their farms. The commonality might be farm size, production practice (e.g. organic, grazing) or stage of career (e.g. young farmers). The key is that the farms have enough in common that the discussion is pertinent to each farmer, with ideas that can be implemented on their farms.

A skilled facilitator manages the discussion and administration of the group, doing the leg work needed to make sure the group has what it needs for a fruitful discussion. Dairy Profit Discussion groups usually have agriprofessionals serve as the facilitator. Most often extension educators serve this role, but veterinarians, nutritionists, financial advisors and crop consultants are also involved with different discussion groups.

Several groups have a couple of agribusiness folks who share the role of facilitator.

Discussion groups are small by design, so that discussion can be informal and uninhibited.

Small groups also allow the group members to get to know each other. Time and again farmers have said the professional relationships they build via the groups are extremely important.

It's important that the group be self-directed, and that the ideas for discussion topics come from the group. Groups have discussed just about every topic under the sun. Some have focused on production types of topics, such as milking systems, calf nutrition or transition cow management. Others have participated in the Cornell Dairy Farm Business Summary or the Cornell Dairy Profit Monitor program, and have used this information to benchmark where their business is at and monitor progress.

How the group approaches a chosen topic is driven by the subject matter and the preferences of the group. A resource person might be invited to join the meeting, provide some information and then sit at the table for the discussion. Tours of farms doing a specific practice or technology are always a favorite activity.

Sometimes the tours are of group member's farms, and sometimes of an unrelated farm that is doing something of interest. Overnight trips to visit farms or other groups can be especially valuable. The ride in the van gives group members time to discuss things in depth and really get to know each other. Meeting up with farmers from another group adds new ideas and personalities to the mix. The unifying theme for all these activities, whether it is a simple group discussion, resource person, financial benchmarking or farm visits, is the shared knowledge and experience of the farmers.

Farmers join discussion groups for the exchange of ideas and the experience that comes only from farming. They use the groups to learn about new technologies, recent research and management strategies, but through the prism of real world, hands-on experience.

The Dairy Profit Discussion Group program is funded by the New York Center for Dairy Excellence.

Kathy Barrett is the Dairy Profit Discussion Group program's director with the Cornell PRO-DAIRY program. She may be reached at 607.229.4357 or kfb3@cornell.edu