Winter2007

WINTER 2006

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

Feature Articles Low Cost Milking Parlors . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 4 Direct Marketing Options . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 6 Grazing & Dairy Herd Health . . . . . . . . .Page 8 Think Sheep . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Page 10 Photo by Jason Houston

Supplement to Country Folks

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

January 8, 2007

Page 3

Cornell Small Farms Program Update It seems hard to believe that 2006 is over and done. It’s been another very busy year.

Here are some highlights from the fall.

• A new Oneida County Vegetable Producers Group. Contact Jeff Miller.

315-736-3394, ext 120.

SMALL FARMS SUMMIT

• Produce Auction Farmers Network in western NY. Contact Jud Reid, 315-536-5123.

On November 30, 2006 we hosted our first “Small Farms Summit” videoconference which took place in Ithaca, Albany, Malone, and Mt. Morris. Almost 80 people participated, including farmers, researchers, extension educators, agency representatives and NGO leaders. Our goals were to: • Reflect on progress to date in meeting the needs of New York’s smaller farms • Identify emerging opportunities that may warrant increased attention from those of us in research, education and other farm services • Cultivate new collaborations among all of us supporting small farms in NY. We will be preparing a report outlining issues and recommendations from the Summit, which will be shared with farmers, Cornell researchers and administrators, agencies, programs, NGOs and NYS policymakers later this winter.

• Grass Farming Internship Project in Schoharie County. Contact JJ Schell, 518-234-4303, ext 119.

• Equine Pasture Management Conference and Discussion Group in Oneida County area. Contact Heather Sweeney, 315-736-3394, ext, 122.

WORKSHOPS We’ve been busy both organizing and cosponsoring a number of programs for farmers and others this fall, including: • The Organic Dairy Decision • The Chemistry Behind Making Cheese Safely • Alternative Pork Opportunities • Making Cheese in Your Kitchen • Advanced Facilitation Skills Training

• A new Seneca County Dairy Discussion Group. Contact Jerry Bertoldo, 585-3433040.

• Seneca County Beef Producers Group Winter Seminar Series. Contact Mike Dennis, 315-539-9251.

• The Northeast Small Farm and Rural Living Expo. Contact Lucy Joyce, Orange County CCE, 845-344-1234.

• Cayuga County Beef, Grazing and Local Foods/Local Markets Discussion Groups.

Contact Chanda Lindsay, 315-255-1183.

When In Winter’s Grip

• Growing Health Forum

Winter is a great time to review your fences and plan for improvements

• 2006 Cornell Sheep and Goat Symposium

By Bill Henning

CCE GRANTS AWARDED We’re pleased to announce the selection of eight Extension projects to be funded in 2006-2007 through our CCE Grants Program for Innovative Small Farm Education:

GRAZING

SMALL FARMS CLUB This semester the Small Farms Club visited Littletree Orchards in Newfield NY. We spent the afternoon picking apples, wandering around the orchard and speaking with owner Dennis Hartley, who was pressing cider at the time. Many thanks to him for taking the time to speak with us. At the beginning of October, the Small Farms Club had a Pumpkin Sale on the Ag Quad, which was quite successful. Thanks to everyone who came out and supported the club by purchasing one of our pumpkins!

The Small Farms Club has many plans for next semester, including speakers, farm visits and fundraisers.

Continued On Page 14

Need Info?

Visit the Cornell Small Farms Program online at www.smallfarms.cornell.edu.

How can I get Small Farm Quarterly?

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.

Cooperative Extension Associations and other organizations can offer their members a subscription to SFQ as a member benefit!

Your organization collects the names, forwards them to Country Folks Subscriptions, and pays Country Folks just $2.50 for each subscriber.

Country Folks mails out the copies.

Bulk orders: You can order multiple copies of any issue for just 10¢ a copy!

Minimum order is 50. Orders must be placed at least 4 weeks before the publication date - Spring 2007 copies need to be ordered by March 9.

To find out more, contact: Tracy Crouse Country Folks Subscriptions P.O. Box 121, Palatine Bridge, NY 13428 1-888-596-5329 email: subscriptions@leepub.com

On our little farm in the hills of southern Livingston County snow comes early and stays late. The landscape is turning brown right now but by the time you read this it could well look like the photo. Winter is a great time to envision your farm in its ‘perfect’ state.

When you’ve gotten all the chores done, hopefully, there are a few minutes to contemplate spring. On most grass-based farms one of the very first jobs at the time of spring melt is fence mending. It might be useful to review a few fencing tips.

Ground. Do you have adequate grounding in place? Whatever you think you can save in time and material you will surely spend in time and frustration through the grazing season. The adequacy of the ground is a function of soil moisture and the mineral content. In most cases at least two ground rods will be needed. They should each be at least 6 feet in the soil, be at least ten feet apart, and be connected by galvanized wire, preferably the same wire you are fencing with. In lower moisture soils additional ground rods are needed.

An alternative to ground rod, sometime used where solid rock lies just below the soil surface, is a ground wire that runs along the soil surface for perhaps a thousand feet. This is usually run under the fence line and held down with metal wires periodically driven into the soil. This works well as long as you don’t ever catch the wire in a mower. It is also one more thing to deal with if you ever move the fence, if you even remember the ground wire is there.

Don’t attach ground wires to any ground rods used for lightening rods. When this is done you can probably plan on replacing your charger with the first lightning strike.

the strainers to work the wire must be able to move. If they are wrapped around an insulator, or pinched against a post, your fence tension will not be uniform.

Old fences. New fences and old fences don’t mix well. Very often they are not the same kind of metals. Furthermore, an old fence is more likely to have shorts. When at all possible, make your life easier; don’t mix the two.

Wet vegetation. The electrical short that is most likely to sneak up on you is the one that grows and usually peaks in effectiveness about the end of June. The easiest and most effective solution is a product like Roundup® sprayed under the fence line. If you’re of a non-chemical mindset, the alternative is some sort of mower.

Depending on your concern for predators, a bottom wire high enough to graze under is a third option.

Poor quality insulators. Sunlight deteriorates plastic. Black insulators are often treated to resist ultraviolet light. If low cost insulators are used it might be wise to plan on replacing them sooner.

Staples and tube insulators. Avoid stapling tube insulators too tightly. This can create a short that is indeed difficult to find.

Animal training. Whatever animal you are grazing, it must know that the fence hurts before going out to pasture. What you definitely want to avoid is an animal that learns that an electric fence hurts only for a second – while they slip through to the other side.

Enough feed. Perhaps the easiest way to keep animals inside a pasture is to not give them a reason to want to leave. Contented animals are usually happy to stay right where they are.

Use one kind of metal. Different kinds of metals often result in a chemical reaction when in contact over a period of time. A classic example is aluminum and steel.

The result is a deterioration of one, or both, of the metals. Smooth galvanized wire is recommended.

Plan ahead. All too often, especially on a farm, what seems urgent gets higher priority than what is important. Successful farmers make time for the ‘important.’ Plan time to periodically check your fences before what’s important also becomes urgent. I admit that statement is based on experience!

Floating wires. Fence wire expands and contracts with changes in temperature. The strainers (springs) in a high tensile fence keep the wire taught. However, in order for

Bill Henning is a Small Farm Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s NWNY Dairy, Livestock and Field Crops Team, and a small farm operator.

Page 4

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

COWS & CROPS

You Can Have a Parlor Too! Tips for planning a low-cost retrofit for your small dairy

By Vance Haugen Whether you manage 20 cows or 200 you should have a milking parlor. A low cost homebuilt milking parlor. These parlors offer milking efficiency, low cost and less physical labor than milking in stanchions. These systems do a wonderful job of milking a lot of cows fast.

But what really intrigues me is the idea of putting such a parlor in an existing building — usually a stall barn. There are tremendous savings to be found in using existing walls, current milking equipment and "preowned" iron.

Over the past 12 years, I've assisted in planning, designing and/or constructing about 400 such low-cost parlors — mostly retrofits of existing facilities. I've had a hand in facilities ranging from a swing-six that cost $1,300, to a $275,000 swing-26 with automatic take-offs.

In 1994 my wife, Bonnie, and I retrofitted our own 40 tie stall barn in southern Minnesota with a swing-16 parlor. Today we are still milking and excited about what these facilities can offer - especially to small and mid-sized farmers that want to milk cows efficiently, inexpensively and safely.

Not that you can't screw up such a facility with poor planning and design. Retrofits require a lot of planning and creative solutions to problems posed by the existing facility. I've seen a few mistakes that compromised things like cow flow and postmilking clean-up. In our own facility, we set it up as a three-season parlor that flushes for clean-up. When we went to year-round milking, the flush system didn't work, because the water had to run through our unheated holding area. I should have put drains at the parlor entrance. While it's no big deal, it is a headache that we could have avoided with a little extra thinking.

Entrance gate, with splash guard.

What kind of parlor are we talking about? Most new commercial parlors are systems with low milk lines (below the cow platform) and a milking unit for each cow/stall. In contrast, "swing" parlors have the milk line centered over the pit at a "midline" height with one milking unit for every two cows and the unit "swinging" back and forth across the pit to milk cows on each side. Mid-line systems have a bad rap compared to low lines but dairy farmers have been producing quality milk in "mid-line" stanchion barns for many years.

The main advantage to a swing parlor is cost. Having half the number of milking units and take-offs can save you a bundle.

A low-line requires that the receiving group (milk jar, transfer pump, etc.) be in the pit (requiring a longer pit) or in the basement of a two-story pit (which costs big money).

With a swing parlor you can save 20-30% on the entire construction cost on milking equipment placement alone.

There are few true drawbacks to the basic

Leo and Mary Kuhn in Soldiers Grove, Wisconsin retrofitted their parlor for a total cost of $2,4000. Here is the takeoff slide.

Entrance gate is to the right, exit to left.

Photos bt Vance Haugen design of a swing parlor based on my years of experience. Any bell or whistle such as indexing, computerized individual cow performance data, improved operator comfort features and take-offs can be incorporated into a swing parlor design.

Just as an aside, for a number of years I also helped plan flat-barn parlors because they were low-cost, and not a bad system.

They still are not a bad system. But, because we can build swing pit parlors for the same cost (or less), I have quit promoting flat barn parlors. With the rare exception, the added safety and greater cow flow (cows per hour) have done-in the flat barn.

And, given the cost of hip and knee replacements, I can't in good conscience even suggest a system that requires all those deep knee bends or even shallow ones.

Why consider a retrofit? Retrofitting your existing building can save you 25-50% of a new construction. Sure, there can be unanticipated construction costs, such as the guy that hit a good size spring under the floor of his tie-stall barn. But getting water and electrical to a new building almost always involves a good chunk of change.

Also, many states and counties allow retrofits to fall under the umbrella of remodeling, which can mean relaxing or grandfathering some building codes.

Almost any building can be used to house a retrofit parlor if it is structurally sound, and the infrastructure needs (electrical, waste handling, cow traffic, milk truck accessibility) are met. Hog farrowing barns, grain storage buildings, machine sheds — I've seen all of them used. A building with less than 10 years of use left in it, such as a 35-year old pole shed, probably is not a good choice.

You'll need an absolute minimum width of 18 feet to fit the parlor pit and cow platforms, and 20 feet is a lot better. You'll need proper holding and exit areas (more on that later). Another option is to build a lean-to onto an existing building —especially if it's the milking barn and you can employ the current milk house. Even if you need a bigger tank, you can usually still keep your current milk house by figuring out a way to stick your bigger tank out the wall (bulkheading).

Consider a 'parabone.' A "herringbone" parlor design has the cows stand almost lengthwise to the pit, and units are attached from the side, a "parallel" design has the cows stand perpendicular to the pit, and units are attached between the rear legs or in a "parabone,” the cows stand at an approximate 70-degree angle to the pit, with units attached from the rear.

I think the parabone design is best for lowcost retrofits. It requires a shorter pit than the herringbone for the same number of

cows. And the stall design is cheaper than with a parallel, which usually requires indexing and some sort of costly and complex rapid-exit mechanism. With the parabone, the cow will have a natural tendency to move out to the front of the parlor through a simple, inexpensive gate.

Sizing it right. Most graziers want to milk their cows in two hours or less. This requires a parlor that is larger than is generally recommended. A rule of thumb for sizing a parlor is 5 cow platforms per hour.

So for a swing 8 parabone, eight cows on each platform with 8 milking units, throughput would be 40 cows per hour, as a minimum, with one person.

I believe these parlors should be sized and (correctly) built to be a completely one-person operation. This means that, after you load the cows into the holding area, you should never get out of the pit except in rare emergencies. While some swing parlors with 20 or more units function as oneperson operations, many operators seem comfortable with a maximum of 12 units per person.

Dahlberg’s feed bunk.

When in doubt, break it out. Some of the worst parlor mistakes have come from farmers' love of existing concrete. In my own parlor, I insisted that the four-foot manger from the tie-stall barn remain in place. Because of the resulting improper slope, I will have to chase water puddles for the rest of this parlor's life. Cow traffic, clean-up time, heating, ventilation, waste management, and other factors can all be profoundly affected by concrete work. Concrete is extremely inexpensive compared to 20 years of dealing with a problem such as poor clean-up or slow cow traffic. A jack hammer or a jack hammer mounted on a skid steer makes removing concrete a simple job. Don't go halfway and save only 30 minutes per milking, where going all the way would have saved you 45.

Beams, posts and pillars. Since we're talking about potential mistakes, let's talk about problems caused by not removing or changing posts and beams to accommodate new loading methods. I know one farmer who kept a post two inches from his new parlor's kick rail. He almost got his hand broken when a cow kicked it into that post. The post was removed, and the structure re-engineered, at a greatly higher cost than if things had been done right in the first place. These posts can also restrict cow-flow in parlors, and exit and holding areas.

Too many people get caught up in saving their second-story storage. No hay in the mow means you don't need the posts and beams. I saw one parlor retrofit where a lot of expense went into ensuring strong support for the mow, only to have the farmer abandon that mow after switching to baleage. However if you wish to use your second story hay storage removing posts is a snap with I beams.

It's extremely easy to replace wooden posts and beams with steel. Engineers are very cheap to hire compared to compromising your design because you didn't want to

January 8, 2007 move posts and beams. Anyone can build something so heavy that it won't fall down, but an engineer will design the structure so it just barely won't fall down. So, you get both safety, and economy.

The pit should fit. A good milking parlor pit is 38-40 inches. Make the pit deep enough, because you can always add mats or something to make the pit shallower, but you will never knock out concrete to make the pit deeper once it is poured. The cow platform edge has a lip or a kick space at the bottom of the pit wall for your toes. The pit shouldn't be narrower than 4.5 feet. Be sure to have a way to get animals out of your pit. I know that the design is such that it is almost impossible for an animal to get into the pit, but cattle stay awake at night figuring ways to prove us wrong. One farmer had to cut out part of his parlor superstructure to get an errant cow out of the pit.

Make it sturdy. Square tubing, pipe, solid shafts — all can be used for parlor stall work, but make sure it is sturdy enough to withstand a moderately angry cow. By using A or H-frame construction and tying the entire superstructure together, you add strength, and reduce the "massiveness" of the metal work. This can contribute to making a prettier parlor. Highway guard rail and other flat stock doesn’t work as well for parlor superstructure strength, and it creates too much surface area to clean up. The kick rail should be at 24 to 27 inches from the cow platform. If splash guards are used they should be light-colored to reflect light and give the parlor a brighter look. Since cows generally defecate at loading or as they are leaving, a manure pan on the splash guard is usually not helpful.

Indexing probably not needed On small parlors (10 or less to a side), indexing through curved neck, rump or kick rails is not necessary, and will slow down cow throughput. A straight metal brisket rail, rump rail and kick rail is the best on all swing parlors with 16 units or less, although there may be some benefit to indexing in a few special cases for parlors with 10 to 16 units.

Consider feeding in the parlor. Feeding in the parlor slows down cow flow, adds dust, and makes cleanup take longer but almost all graziers feed grain in the parlor and so do I. Lost performance is made up in not having to have separate feeding chores and the added expense of a separate feeding area. Do not put in drop tubes because cows tend to bang-up drop tubes and feed doesn't go where it is supposed to. Be sure your feeding bunk can be easily washed, or old feed can be removed. The occasional first-calf heifer will find her way into the bunk - generally upside down. Have an easy way to get her out unless you really want to have a barbecue during milking.

This means rails above the bunk should be removable.

Heat a good idea in the North. You'll have to be concerned with this if you live in the northern U.S. Heat in the parlor floor is the Mercedes, and forced air heating is the Yugo. Heating the cow platform to prevent icing is good, with the best bet being in floor heating. The heat source could be hot water from the milk house water heater or an outside, wood-fired boiler. Keep things above freezing (for the equipment), eliminate drafts, and the humidity down and you will have a fine system. Forced air is almost always the cheapest, but it is the toughest system for getting uniform, consistent heat throughout the parlor. You can put some ducts in the pit walls while you are forming the pit. This gets warm air evenly distributed in the pit with very little cost.

Continued On Page 11

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

January 8, 2007

HORTICULTURE

Balance Risks When You Stretch the Season Consider the tradeoffs when extending the season for freshmarket tomatoes and other warm-season crops.

By Judson Reid

Editor’s note: This article is part of a series focusing on risk management funded by the New York Crop Insurance Education Program under the Risk Management Agency (USDA) and the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets.

If you grow fresh-market tomatoes, there are several ways that you can extend the growing season to capture more-profitable early markets. You can also push the harvest season deep into fall after frost has shut down your competitors. These techniques involve everything from simple row covers to high tunnels and greenhouses.

Unheated high tunnels can help you capture premium, early-season prices for warm-season crops such as tomatoes, pepper and cutflowers. Photo courtesy Judson Reid

But before you jump on the season-extension bandwagon, you need to carefully consider how you will balance production, financial and marketing risks.

In a nutshell, investing in season extension involves some risks. But your overall financial risk might actually be lower if you can master the production practices and effectively tap the premium early and late markets for fresh tomatoes.

Greenhouse tomato acreage in North America grew by 600 percent from the early 1990s to 2003, according to a 2005 USDA report. (See: Greenhouse Tomatoes Change the Dynamics of the North American Fresh Tomato Industry, available online). By 2003, Canada and Mexico accounted for 72 percent of greenhouse tomato production in North America due to their competitive advantages in currency exchange, labor and climate.

This is also true for other warm-season vegetables – such as peppers and eggplants – as well as cut flowers. It can also be applied to strawberries, where growers can use techniques such as black plastic mulch and row covers to harvest earlier crops, or even greenhouse- or tunnel-grown raspberries.

Today, the U.S. imports more than 50 percent of its supply of greenhouse-grown tomatoes from these two nations. Retail sales of U.S. field-grown tomatoes have steadily declined as greenhouse tomatoes have gobbled up more market share. All these changes have occurred within the last decade or so.

UNDERSTAND THE MARKET Vegetable market prices rise and fall depending on production in other states and countries, international trade, fuel costs and consumer trends. Northeast vegetable growers are particularly susceptible to financial risks created by these market factors. Take tomatoes, for example.

These trends have increased financial risks for Northeast tomato growers. They must struggle with production risks from a shorter growing season and intense pest pressure. Plus the explosion of greenhouse tomatoes in the marketplace has trained customers to expect uniform, blemish-free, red spheres on the supermarket shelf. The market won’t accept anything less.

GREENHOUSE, TUNNEL OR FIELD? How can we manage these risks and remain competitive? Let’s look at the risks and potential profitability of three tomato production methods – heated greenhouse, unheated high-tunnel and field-grown.

Extending the season for warm-season vegetables can make good use of family labor.

Photo courtesy Judson Reid

Resource Spotlight Extending the Season Penn State Center for Plasticulture – Site has excellent high tunnel information: plasticulture.cas.psu.edu Cornell High Tunnel Resources – New site provides information from Cornell research and extension projects: www.hort.cornell.edu/hightunnel Cornell Guidelines for Commercial Vegetable Production – Provides basic production information: www.nysaes.cornell.edu/recommends Greenhouse Raspberries – 38-page production guide: www.fruit.cornell.edu//Berries/bramblehtml/ghrasp.html

If you grow greenhouse tomatoes in the winter months, you need to cope with production risks – including insect and disease pressure and the risk of greenhouse failure due to weather calamities or power outage. You also have a relatively high investment in facilities and the cost of fuel to heat the house. Two greenhouse growers I work with mitigate these production risks through different marketing strategies that help reduce their overall financial risk.

The first grower relies on on-farm retail sales. Capturing 100 percent of the sale price reduces financial risk in this case.

The farm-store is a few steps from the greenhouse, so transportation costs and shipping damage are virtually nonexistent.

On-farm sales also allow on-demand harvests – more efficient than relying on farmers-market sales where you either run out of tomatoes or bring home unsold product that ends up in the compost pile.

The second grower uses contractual sales to supermarkets to reduce financial risks.

This grower visits produce managers in several supermarkets and presents the benefits of his product. He negotiates a

contract with prices that are slightly below those from other sources in winter, but maintains that price through the spring and summer months when prices usually drop.

This provides him consistent income instead of being at the whims of a wildly volatile market through the growing season.

Growing tomatoes in high tunnels reduces production risks compared with field-grown crops especially when it comes to weather.

While frost protection is sometimes overstated, high tunnels also reduce moisture stress, wind- and hail damage and some diseases. Using these unheated structures, you’ll have lower costs compared with greenhouse production. But you also have more production risk because you have less control over the environment.

You will also have a shorter season of saleable product compared with greenhouse production.

Page 5 can get – you don’t have much in the way of marketing expenses to recoup. But you can also expect low prices to offset your production costs.

Continued On Page 7

High Tunnel Project Offers High Hopes Cornell University researchers are looking at how high tunnels can extend the growing and harvest seasons by as much as 10 weeks. The $122,669 project is funded by the New York Farm Viability Institute (NYFVI), Inc. The researchers predict that the use of high tunnels in New York will increase over the next four years, with a resulting increase of $500,000 per year in the farm-gate value of New York horticultural crops.

With a shorter harvest season, you’ll have less leverage in contractual agreements than you would with heated greenhouses, and you’ll face more market volatility. However, with proper management, high tunnels will produce earlier harvests than field production, and command premium prices.

High tunnels are an attractive option because production risk is lower than field production, primarily due to reduced pest pressure and weather damage to crops.

As far as overall financial risks go, high tunnels usually fall somewhere between greenhouse and field-grown.

The final example in the Northeast tomato game is traditional field production. Financial inputs are the lowest of the three production practices. However, overall financial risks are high. That’s, in part, because the production risks associated with Northeast field-grown tomatoes are many, including blights, droughts, deluges, frosts, and more.

These threats increase financial risks due to the threat of crop failure. You also risk facing a flooded market when your tomatoes finally decide to turn red. Selling fieldgrown tomatoes in a wholesale market presents the greatest financial risk of all the above scenarios. Growing competition from the greenhouse sector has further increased financial risk for field growers.

THE BALANCING ACT In each of the three production methods, the key is balancing production, marketing and financial risks. I know growers who use all three production methods on the same farm. A common refrain among these growers is, No risk, no reward. But it’s also true that they don’t have all their eggs in one basket, either. By employing multiple methods of season extension they’ve actually reduced their overall risk – and they’re poised to hit the best markets whenever they occur.

Education – not necessarily “book-learning” – is another way to reduce risks. Keep up on the trends that affect fresh vegetable markets and related industries – and respond to them. For example, if transportation costs continue to increase, it could give Northeast tomato growers an advantage over Mexican growers, assuming that Northeast growers can keep their energy costs low. Growing energy costs might favor high tunnels over either greenhouse- or field-grown crops. If that looks like a good niche for you, now’s the time to refine your production methods and start building your markets.

And speaking of markets, the same sort of risk-balancing act applies. If you invest little in marketing – simply sell your crop on the wholesale market at whatever price you

Author Jud Reid is working with local growers and Cornell faculty to help improve high tunnel production systems.

Photo courtesy Judson Reid High tunnels are unheated greenhouses that protect crops from frost damage, producing earlier harvests in spring and later harvests in fall.

“We want something simple and costeffective that will produce profitable crops,” notes project leader Chris Wien from Cornell’s Department of Horticulture.

“High tunnels have been used for many years in China, Japan and Korea. We believe growers in New York can successfully put plants out in mid-April and grow until mid-November.”

Project collaborators include Cornell engineers and business management experts, as well as growers who are testing high tunnels for growing tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, fruit and flowers.

One grower is providing data for comparing the energy, labor, and material costs of no-frills tunnels versus tunnels enhanced with heat and electrical hookups. Others will test which materials work best for tunnel coverings.

For more information on the high tunnel project, contact Chris Wien: hcw2@cornell.edu, 607-255-4570. NYFVI, the funder, is a farmer-led, independent, notfor-profit corporation that funds research, extension and innovative technologies for New York agricultural and horticultural producers. For more information call 315453-3823, or visit www.nyfarmviability.org

Cornell researchers are studying how high tunnels can extend the harvest season for cutflowers as well as warm-season vegetables and fruit. Photo by Craig Cramer

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

Page 6

MARKETING

Direct Marketing Options for Small Farms Reduce marketing and financial risks by choosing the best marketing options for your unique situation

By Monika Roth

son to make a living.

Editor’s note: This article is part of a series focusing on risk management funded by the New York Crop Insurance Education Program under the Risk Management Agency (USDA) and the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets.

Travel costs and time spent at market should be considered along with growing, harvesting and marketing costs. Farmers markets alone may not produce enough sales to generate the income you‘re aiming for, requiring you to look at additional marketing strategies. But they are a good place to incubate a business.

For beginning and small-scale farmers, a key question is how to sell the products you plan to produce. It doesn’t matter how good you are at growing. You need to sell what you produce at a profit.

Direct marketing is a common strategy for reducing marketing and financial risks. But it’s no panacea. You need to carefully evaluate which strategies might work best for you, and make adjustments as you go. The key is to have enough customers and sales to cover your production, marketing and other costs – as well as provide you with an adequate return for your efforts.

The main attraction compared with selling through traditional wholesale markets is that you receive a greater portion of the consumer retail dollar. You are also in a position where you have more control over the price you receive for your products, where wholesale markets are subject to volatile price swings.

But with direct marketing, you’ll also incur extra costs – not the least of which is your time. So don’t automatically rule out wholesale marketing. In some situations, your returns may be comparable after factoring in all costs.

Each of these strategies has its own risks and potential returns. Be sure to evaluate them carefully as part of a whole-farm business plan. See the Resource Spotlight sidebar for publications and other resources that provide more detailed information.

In a CSA (Community Supported Agriculture) operation, customers come to the farm or central distribution point to pick up their produce. Customers also pay for their ‘share’ at the beginning of the season, reducing marketing and financial risks.

OPTION 1: FARMERS MARKETS Farmers markets are a good place to develop your marketing skills. Start by visiting markets in your area. Inventory what’s available and note what doesn’t sell out by the end of the day. Don’t plan to grow what doesn’t sell out unless you can differentiate your product – for example selling heirloom tomatoes instead of ‘garden variety’ fruit.

turnover low is a good way to grow the business while minimizing risks.

A key advantage to CSA is that you know how many customers you have early in the season, have their money in hand and can produce accordingly. This makes financial planning much easier.

To find farmers markets in your state, visit Pumpkins are a good crop to stop traffic for the USDA-AMS website: other sales at farmstands. www.ams.usda.gov/farmersmarkets/map.ht m or contact your state’s agriculture department.

OPTION 4: RESTAURANT SALES The farmers market rebirth of the ‘80s drew the attention of chefs (especially from higher-end restaurants) looking for fresh, local products to feature in their menus. Selling to restaurants is not easy. You need exceptional quality and to be willing to cultivate relationships with chefs. Restaurant sales need to be an intentional sales strategy, not a way to dump surplus product.

Farmers markets are a great place to develop your direct-marketing skills.

Photos by Monika Roth OPTION 2: ON-FARM SALES Methods range from simple, self-serve stands to multi-department, year-round farm stores and may include pick-your-own or agritourism enterprises. The higher your overhead, the slimmer your margins will be.

But if done right, you can attract more customers and boost your returns.

Self-serve stands are a good way to assess the potential draw from drive-by traffic.

Strawberries, sweet corn, tomatoes, peaches, and pumpkins are crops that can stop traffic. Consumers learn about local farmstands primarily through word-of-mouth.

Build a product line based on what customers want, and pay attention to quality.

Sufficient traffic may generate enough sales to warrant investment in facilities and staffing.

Pick-your-own (PYO) requires advertising and staffing. It can be very profitable, but can be risky if, for example, it rains every weekend during narrow harvest seasons.

PYO can complement agritourism activities where it is one of several activities families can enjoy.

To be successful, you need to enjoy having lots of people at your farm – and in your fields in the case of PYO. Liability insurance is a must. Building loyal clientele is key, and can take many years. Your business plan must be based on realistic customer numbers and sales projections.

Also study the customers. How many are there? What is their ethnicity? Are they young or old? Families or single buyers?

Affluent or bargain shoppers? Ask shoppers and sellers what they like and don’t like about the market, and be sure to get a copy of the market rules.

OPTION 3: COMMUNITY SUPPORTED AGRICULTURE Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) operations typically provide a weekly ‘share’ (box) of produce to customers who pay for their shares at the beginning of the season – usually $300 to $600 per household. The up-front money reduces financial and marketing risks, since customers are sharing in production risks. Sometimes customers help harvest and pack shares in return for a discount. Depending on the operation, customers pick up shares at the farm, a central distribution point, or pay extra for home delivery.

To be successful, you need to enjoy interacting with people and be willing to invest the time it takes to pick, pack, transport, set-up and sell. To maximize potential returns you need to sell for as long a season as possible, which for produce vendors means growing a wide variety of crops. It may take going to several markets a week to generate enough income over the sea-

The big challenge is to have enough different crops each week so customers feel like they are getting their money’s worth. It’s important to never come up short, so CSA farmers often have additional outlets for surplus produce. Sometimes several farms collaborate to offer a wider range of products including fruit, eggs, meat and more.

Starting small and keeping customer

Chefs are as harried as farmers. You need to deliver on time and work around their schedule. Avoid mealtimes! Find out what local chefs want, and grow a wide range of products for them for as long a season as possible. Most chefs will pay about 75 percent of retail for produce.

Drawbacks include the need for small quantities of some items. Watch that delivery costs and time don’t eat up profits, and be clear on payment terms. Once a relationship is solid, less face time is needed.

OPTION 5: SALES TO RETAILERS More and more food retailers are interested in locally grown food, too. As with chefs, reliability is key. Contact retail farm markets in your area. Many do not grow all they sell. Most will offer prices only comparable to regional markets. Check out food cooperatives, natural foods stores, and independent groceries, as well.

Everything else from convenience stores to super-centers is a chain. Each has unique purchasing requirements. Some make purchasing decisions at the store level, but most require approval from higher-ups. Initiate contact with store managers. For produce, a head buyer is usually involved. It is most common for retailers to buy seasonal produce. Very few handle local meats, cheese, eggs or other products.

Food retailers buy with the market and expect local prices to be in line with the larger marketplace. Understand buyer expectations and prices before agreeing to delivery. Some may reject product based on quality or simply because they have a better supply and price elsewhere. Many producers have been left hanging, having to hustle product to other outlets.

The advantage of selling to food retailers is that you can move more volume to fewer buyers, reducing your marketing costs. But the disadvantage is that it is a fickle, pricedriven market. Be sure to spread your risks.

OPTION 6: INSTITUTIONAL FOOD SERVICE SALES Institutional markets are tantalizing, but usually a long-shot. Some schools, nursing homes, hospitals, prisons, etc. can purchase local products. But many are part of a buying consortium and have a single goal: keeping costs low. Meals are often pre-prepped or ready to serve, using few fresh items. Institutional food sales also come with institutional barriers, including federal food safety regulations.

A better strategy to tap institutional markets might be through the distributors who sell to them. However, for farmers, this adds a middleman and reduces returns. You’ll need to make it work on high volume and low prices.

January 8, 2007 Some schools are interested in local purchasing to increase kids’ consumption of fresh produce. Think apples and salad bars.

OPTION 7: INTERNET AND MAIL ORDER A final direct marketing strategy is mail order or Internet sales. If you develop unique, high-value products that are easy to ship, this strategy can complement your other direct marketing efforts. Current customers who love your product can order more and help you market your products through word of mouth. Packaging and shipping costs need to be considered but for products that are not too bulky, this can be a profitable strategy.

Monika Roth is an Agriculture Development and Marketing Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension’s South Central NY Agriculture Program based in Tompkins County.

13 Strategies to Reduce Direct Marketing Risks 1. Carefully evaluate your options before investing.

2. Grow, pack and deliver quality products.

3. Know your potential. Make realistic customer and sales projections.

4. Pick the right size market for the size of your operation.

5. Be intentional about your marketing.

Have a written plan.

6. Dedicate yourself to being professional in meeting buyers’ needs.

7. Communicate with customers and exceed their expectations.

8. Be prepared to conform to market place standards.

9. Sell through several complementary marketing channels.

10. Track marketing costs by channel.

Know costs and returns for each.

11. If sales aren’t covering costs, change your strategy.

12. Don’t stick with unreliable buyers.

13. Carry adequate product and general liability insurance.

Resource Spotlight Direct Marketing Books Contact your local Cooperative Extension office to find out what your state offers in the way of farm business management and marketing advice. Here are some useful publications: Marketing Strategies for Farmers and Ranchers, USDA Sustainable Agricultural Network, 1999. Available online: www.sare.org/san/htdocs/pub.

Sell What You Sow! The Grower’s Guide to Successful Produce Marketing, Eric Gibson, New World Publishing, 1994.

Sharing the Harvest, A Guide to Community Supported Agriculture, Elizabeth Henderson, Chelsea Green Publishing, 1999.

Dynamic Farmers’ Marketing, A Guide to Successfully Selling your Farmers’ Market Produce, Jeff Ishee, Bittersweet Farmstead, 1997.

The New Farmers’ Market, Vance Corum, Marcie Rosenzweig & Eric Gibson, 2001, New World Publishing.

Sustainable Vegetable Production From Start-Up to Market, Vernon P. Grubinger. Natural Resource, Agriculture, and Engineering Service, 1999.

Order from www.nraes.org.

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

January 8, 2007

NON-DAIRY LIVESTOCK

stairs waiting for the bottles. Waiting for me with the bottles. They were big enough to jump all over me and impede the way down the stairs. Needless to say they were fed first.

Lambs In Winter

By Sylvia Jorrin Winter is the beautiful time on this farm.

The most beautiful time of all. It is the time when lambs are born and night skies gleam with stars and good smells come from the pots simmering on the wood stove. There is usually a lamb or two in a basket by the stove in the kitchen, and one or two more by the wood stove in the summer kitchen in the basement. I had a very nice portable pen built down there as well, that can house a dozen lambs or more if need be. And it has.

We had a winter a few years ago when the temperatures outside rarely exceeded 10 degrees above zero. The windchill factor in this windswept valley between two hills, Catskill Mountains, made the experienced temperatures far below zero, day and night.

The barn, that year, even with a build up of a pack of manure rarely was above 20 degrees. After I came down, one morning, shortly before the sun broke over the hilltop and found a newborn lamb frozen to death, I made it a policy to bring inside the house every newborn when it was 20 degrees or less.

I have a baby monitor in the barn. Two as a matter of fact. The receiver is either in the kitchen or upstairs in my room when I go to sleep. I do wake up when I hear a ewe giving birth or when that old familiar little tin horn sound emanating from a newborn lamb comes over the monitor, and so go racing to the barn. But some ewes freshen in silence. And some lambs do not make a peep, especially if they are up and going quickly and find their mother’s udder with dispatch.

And so, as temperatures remained dangerously low, I brought every newborn at risk up to the house. Thirty-one of them. Oh, some lambs stayed with their mother in pens. But I had only five lambing jugs. And some, a little older, bigger and stronger stayed in the lambing room. The former milk house of my barn. A smaller space.

Easier to keep warm. But thirty-one came with me. The pen in the summer kitchen downstairs had a self-feeder in it. And a grain feeder. And sweet hay. And a small

Page 7

Jorrin’s farmhand, Fly. Photo by Jocko Jorrin

Sylvia Jorrin Photo by Nini Chase

I had a little basket that held twelve bottles at a time. The rest of the milk was refilled from a gallon jug. Thirty-one bottles. Four times a day. One hundred and twenty four feedings. And I, to my great amazement, never missed one. The lambs wore colored braided yarn necklaces around their necks to correspond with a sibling or their mother.

It was one of the ways I could identify whom had been fed.

None of that bunch that year was ever truly reunited with its dam, although over the years I have seen it happen many times.

Even more common is an especially smart lamb with a perfectly adequate mother coming to me around eleven at night in the barn for a "topping off" bottle. And those stay tame forever. They feel well fed all day but want a little extra something late at night. Winters. Sometimes I put a tablespoon of baby rice cereal in the last bottle of the day to fill them up for the night.

That winter I just couldn’t face bottling some lambs in the house four times a day and others in the barn four times a day. So those thirty-one lived in the summer kitchen until they were a month old. Since then I’ve sometimes used a self feeder, however, I’m never truly certain who is getting how much milk. I am a paper and pencil farmer and I like to know, if I can, how much each lamb is getting.

One of the author’s 140 Dorset-Finn-East Fresian cross sheep. Photo by Jocko Jorrin pack of sorts to keep them warm. The room is one of the prettiest in my house. It has two built-in window seats and pink shutters.

And a green door, as well, with long panels of glass. Four windows altogether and one glass door. It is sunny mornings and late afternoon. It is one reason I bought my house and so it afforded me a lovely place to spend so much time.

The lambs grew and always varied in size and age. A little pair of black twins had fur rather than fleece. Thick, black, curly fur.

Some lambs were by nature tame and some were not. As they grew to be about two weeks old and the pen began to fill up some learned to leap the four foot high walls and pile up next to the summer kitchen wood stove. The next logical step was to line up on the cellar

I loved that winter. The only really bad thing, besides the thousand dollars I spent on milk replacer, was when the three week old lambs who crowded on the top steps leading into the kitchen would then pour into said kitchen the moment I opened the door and maraud around the room. One or two decided my kitchen table was an interesting place on which to sit. And did. That sent them back to the barn quickly enough.

Two or three feedings a day for those renegades. Oh, they got the same amount of milk, just at longer intervals.

I rarely left the farm that winter. I don’t know how I had time to cook for myself.

There were still at least eighty adult sheep in the barn to feed and care for. And, that year, a goat or two. But it was a wonderful time for me.

I made it a practice to not do chores during my last visit to the barn late evening. No health checks. No foot trimming. No graining. Hay is dropped only if necessary. It is our time together. The sheep and I. They

Sylvia’s Farm Sylvia Jorrín is a farmer in the Catskill Mountains and has been raising sheep, goats and the occasional cow for eighteen years. She began as a recipient of nine sheep from the South Central New York RC&D. There are now 140 sheep and 14 goats. Of the 300 farms with a Watershed Ag Council’s Whole Farm Plan in place, only two livestock farms are solely owned and operated by a woman.

Sylvia Jorrín is one of them.

She raises Dorset-Finn-East Fresian cross sheep, selling small starter flocks, meat lambs, and companion animals to a wide range of people. For 12 years she has been writing a weekly story of her life as a shepherd for the Delaware County Times newspaper. Bloomsbury U.S.A. published her book, Sylvia’s Farm: Journal of an Improbable Shepherd in both hard and soft cover, and Quality Paper Back Books published it in soft wear. It is available on her web site: www.sylviasfarm.com, on Amazon and in bookstores.

Martha Stewart Living sent a crew of ten people for four days to photograph sheep shearing and the dinner Sylvia Jorrín serves to all of her family and friends who come to help. It will be featured in the April 2007 Martha Stewart Living magazine. A short documentary about Sylvia Jorrín and her ideas about farming in Upstate New York was shot last summer to be shown on Iranian television this spring.

For the ongoing story of the farm with pictures and a new story every month visit www.sylviasfarm.com. know it. And I know it. I’ll sit down somewhere. I try to be eye level with them. And one by one, those who want to come over to me. We may just look into each other’s face. Or they may press their face against mine or their shoulder against my leg. I pet them. Tell them how fine I think they are.

When one feels another has gotten too big a share of time with me it will push that one away and take its place. It is the time we spend knowing one another. And they know me far better than I know them.

They have been watching me all of their lives. I am their only human. I have been watching them for eighteen years. They are my flock. And I am their shepherd. For me, the winter is the beautiful time.

Sylvia Jorrín is a sheep farmer and writer in Delhi, New York. We are delighted to be able to share her reflections with Small Farm Quarterly readers. For a new story every month visit www.sylviasfarm.com.

BALANCE RISKS WHEN YOU STRETCH THE SEASON Continued From Page 5 If you diversify your marketing – investing your money and (even more importantly) your time, energy and skills to develop U-pick or other retail markets – you’ll have more marketing expenses to recoup. But you can expect better prices – and perhaps even less financial risk – by capturing a greater percentage of the consumers’ retail dollars.

The tractor that started it all, is starting it all again. The new Kubota Grand L30 Series is the first compact tractor to combine the intelligence and simplicity of a computerized monitoring system with the power and productivity of a high performance 31 to 50 hp diesel engine.

The result is the smartest, strongest, smoothestrunning compact tractor on the market today.

Much of the technical production information on season extension is available through Cornell Cooperative Extension. Penn State’s Center for Plasticulture has a great website, and we’re developing one of our own for New York growers. (See Resource Spotlight) In addition to information on best management practices to reduce production risks with these season-extension techniques, we’ve also done research on certified-organic production, heirloom varieties and more. We have information on everything from Rt. 20 Sharon Springs, NY • (800) 887-1872 or (518) 284-2346 yields by variety and which varieties are most pest-resistant 1175 Hoosick St. Troy, NY • (518) 279-9709 to how to use soluble organic fertilizers in drip irrigation systems. We can also put you in touch with grower networks where peers can help support your efforts.

EVERYTHING YOU VALUE

One final thought: Season-extension enterprises are laborintensive, but they can be good enterprises to involve your whole family. If your only goal is to make a financial killing, you risk not achieving that goal. But if your goals are broader – including things like canning 40 quarts of spaghetti sauce, teaching your 8-year-old how to hand-pick insects, creating jobs for your teenagers, rotating land out of sweet corn and making some money while doing it all – then you have a better chance of succeeding.

Looked at this way, you are spreading risk across multiple, tenable goals. Each one of these goals contributes to other aspects of farm life such as family involvement, human nutrition, soil health and economic profits. Let’s call this old-fashioned risk management.

Judson Reid is a Cornell Cooperative Extension area vegetable specialist based in Yates County. He can be reached at 315-536-5123 or jer11@cornell.edu.

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

Page 8

MARKETING

Grazing and Dairy Herd Health Cornell study looks at the health effects of grazing versus confinement Over the last two years I‘ve been involved in a fascinating study of the health effects of grazing versus confinement on first lactation performance of dairy replacements.

This research stemmed from a pasture walk in the fall of 2003. The pasture walk was an educational event looking at a contract heifer grazing operation in Schuyler County, New York.

The grazing season was a challenging one in 2005 due to the lack of rain. The Bergen Farms animals had to be removed from the grazing system 30 days ahead of schedule, and a portion of the Pine Hollow animals came off a week early due to the lack of pasture growth.

From the comments made by participants, some of whom were also raising heifers for dairymen, it was clearly common knowledge that a dairy animal that spends her time grazing prior to her first calving is a healthier animal. The participants asked for any prior research and/or future research to identify and quantify this benefit.

In the Age and Growth Chart you can see the very low average weight gain of only 39 lbs for the Bergen Farm heifers on pasture.

This was the result of the dry growing conditions and also a lack of experience of the contract grazer. You can also see that there was a difference of about 2 months in the average age of animals between the two farms, which accounts for the difference in the beginning weights between the two farms.

Working with John Conway and Dr. Bill Stone, both with Cornell’s ProDairy Program, I was able to get some funding from USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program and the Grazing Lands Conservation Initiative (GLCI) to look at this issue.

We worried that the shortened grazing period, poor grazing conditions, and poor weight gain and might show up as a decrease of health compared to the con-

PRIOR RESEARCH From 2000 through 2002 there were two studies done through the University of Minnesota that compared rotationally grazed and confinement-raised dairy replacements. The first study, by Professor Hue Chester-Jones, was a three year study looking at the economics of the two raising regimes as well as the growing characteristics of animals in the two systems. His results showed that both systems allowed the animals to attain the desired growth needed to reach maturity, and that grazing an animal was a more economical method than keeping them in confinement.

The second study was completed by Laura Torbert, a graduate student of ChesterJones. She focused on a health comparison of the animals in the two systems. In her study there were 21 animals in each of the regimes and the study ended shortly after calving. Torbert found there were significant health benefits for grazing the animals prior to calving versus confining them.

Torbert’s study had some intriguing results.

We decided to undertake a similar study here in New York.

THE CORNELL STUDY In Torbert’s study the comparison of 21 animals in each regime was a small number for statistical purposes, the animals were housed in a research farm under non commercial management, and the animals were not observed for their complete lactation. The Cornell study, which began in April 2005, was designed to have 25 animals in each regime on 2 farms making a total of 50 animals under each regime.

The animals were to be taken from two large commercial herds which had a sufficient number of animals bred in the window required for the study. At the end of their grazing period, each group of grazed heifers would come back to be housed and managed together with the confined animals on the home farm.

RESULTS THROUGH 2006 In April of 2005 the animals were selected from two farms, Pine Hollow Dairy in Cayuga County and Bergen Farms of Schuyler County. The 50 animals from each farm were weighed and sent to their regime within two days of each other.

Grazing dairy replacements lowers the incidence of health problems during their crucial first lactation.

Photographer: Fay Benson fined animals from Bergen’s. But this was not the case. We still found significant health advantages of the grazed animals on both farms. In the Health Effects Chart you can see a significant reduction in use of antibiotics as well as improved calving ease among grazed animals compared to confined.

CALVING EASE The heifers on both farms were selected to freshen in the period between November of 2005 and January of 2006. Calving ease was determined by the difficulty the heifer experienced delivering her calf. A score of 1 meant that there was no difficulty, 2 some assistance was necessary, and 3 meant there was exceptional difficulty. The difference between the two farms can be explained by the somewhat subjective nature of scoring.

USE OF ANTIBIOTICS Both farms had similar protocol for monitoring the health of newly freshened animals.

On both farms there was a recent fresh group separate from the other cows; each

January 8, 2007

animal had her temperature taken every day and if there was a temperature of 102 degrees or higher for two consecutive days, an antibiotic treatment was initiated.

Readers Write

The usual cause of an elevated temperature is metritis, which is a vaginal infection connected to calving. According to Dr. Bill Stone, DVM and a collaborator on this study, metritis is often an indicator of subclinical Ketosis or an energy imbalance.

The cause of the imbalance had been suggested earlier in Laura Torbert’s study.

One hundred and thirty-two acres deeded and searched, the southeast corner of Wickwire Road and State 474, bounded by the green and gold of spring and harvest, the deep blue shadows of winter.

Torbert monitored dry matter intake (DMI) for each animal two weeks before they freshened. Animals in her grazing regime consumed more dry matter throughout the two weeks prior to freshening, with 17 lbs DMI the day of calving. The confinement animals consumed less dry matter overall, and dropped to 12 lbs DMI at calving. This difference in consumption would explain the higher incidence of sub clinical ketosis and the resulting metritis.

I The rain comes down in ribbons.

Here and there a leaf turns orange or yellow and gives up.

The evening is silent but for the sound of rain: birds huddle mute on wet branches, the hollyhocks bow, lean drunkenly against the railing, color drips from the morning glories.

I set out for the woods, but gentle lowing sends me around the pasture and down to the corner of the evergreen jungle.

I stop to pick seed pods from the Deptford pinks and walk slowly along the edge of the pines.

About mid-way along and half way in, I see them standing, the heifer and her calf.

He suckles noisily as she stands in the gloom of the dark, dripping branches.

I leave them for the night, wild creatures until sunrise and barn domesticate them.

OTHER RESULTS At the time of our last data collection, milk production information was incomplete, but the two regimes have showed little to no difference so far. Final data collection will include: milk production; whether the animal is still in the herd; date to first breeding; and other relevant information. Final results will be published in March 07.

WHAT’S GOING ON HERE? In both the Torbert study and the Cornell study there was significant improvement to the post partum health of the animals in the grazing regime. In order to identify the cause of these benefits we can look at the differences between the regimes. Grazing encourages more exercise which benefits the circulatory system and muscle development. The clean air is an improvement over the confinement air which has increased ammonia. The increased appetite that continues even after being taken off the pasture is likely the main contributor to the lack of metabolic problems at post partum.

There are also benefits other than health for grazing replacements: • Many dairy’s CAFO plans would benefit from moving animals away from the home farm for the 200 days of grazing each year.

• The opportunity to contract graze replacements would be a good use of smaller dairy farms that have gone out of the dairy business.

• Grazing is an economical way to raise replacements • Grazing is an environmentally beneficial method of raising livestock.

A. Fay Benson is Small Farm Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cortland County. He also serves as Organic Dairy Specialist with the Cornell Small Farms Program. He can be reached at 607-753-5213 or afb3@cornell.edu.

By Kathleen Tenpas

II The harvest moon fills my window and the killdeer circle calling, calling above the sound of katy-dids and crickets.

Earth gathers in a deep breath, berries and nuts and pods and fruit swell and pause in the circling dance before the storms and winds of winter.

I watch through the glass as September fogs rise above the marsh, above the creek, pathways of mists through valleys busy with the silent wanderings of deer and possum.

Separate as land and sea, my farm lives its life in the dark, I, a pale shadow in the moonlight.

Kathleen Tenpas writes and farms in Panama, New York.

NEW! from Dr. Naylor Hoof 'n Heel

Health Effects Of Grazing vs Confinement No. of animals needing antibiotics

Calving ease

Here’s HOOF ROT Help!

Bergen Farms Grazing Confinement

6 12

1.26 1.6

Dr. Naylor Hoof 'n Heel is a topical antiseptic aid in the treatment, prevention and management of HOOF ROT, FOOT ROT and FOULS

Pine Hollow Farm Grazing Confinement

0 12

1.62 1.75

• Colorless • Easy to use • Labeled for use on cows • No withholding Spray it on affected hoofs once or twice a day or make a foot bathing solution for preventive walk through.

Growth Effects of Grazing vs Confinement Avg Beginning Age

The Farm

Avg. Beginning Weight Avg Ending Weight

Avg Gain During Regime Always read and follow all label directions.

Bergen Farms Grazing Confinement

16.7 mos 16.7 mos

952 lbs 974 lbs

991 lbs 1,172 lbs

39 lbs 198 lbs

Pine Hollow Farm Grazing Confinement

18.4 mos 18.4 mos

1,039 lbs 1,061 lbs

1,250 lbs 1,327 lbs

211 lbs 266 lbs

Hoof 'n Heel is available from your favorite animal health supplier or H.W. Naylor Company, Inc., Morris, NY 13808-0190 (607) 263-5145.

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

January 8, 2007

Page 9

COWS & CROPS

Winter Annual Forages Reduce Dairy Risks Grazing wheat or rye provides high-quality forage over a longer season.

By Dean A. Sprague

Editor’s note: This article is part of a series focusing on risk management funded by the New York Crop Insurance Education Program under the Risk Management Agency (USDA) and the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets.

Feeding cows can be risky business. Dale and Linda Graves have reduced many of those risks by relying on rotational grazing for more than 20 years on their western New York dairy.

Lately, they have added a new risk-reducing wrinkle to their rotation: annual forages, such as winter rye and wheat. Grazing these forages extends their pasture season and increases forage quality. It also allows them to plow old hayfields yet still keep them in production, reducing the risk of failure when reseeding into old sod.

The Graves milk about 50 registered Ayrshires and raise all their replacements on their hillside Brown Brook Farm outside Randolph, N.Y. They quit growing corn several years ago to focus on forage on their 16 acres of permanent pasture and 69 acres of cropland.

How annual forages reduce risks:

Dale and Linda were pleased with the results. But they thought they could do even better. After talking with several people, they decided they could increase dry matter production and get a fourth grazing from the rye if they overseeded the rye with oats.

Rotational grazing helps the Graves reduce risks by producing low-cost, highquality forage that the cows harvest themselves. Grazing also gets the cows out of the barn, reducing their risk of injury and health problems, says Dale.

Dale tried broadcasting oats over the rye just prior to turning in the cows for their third grazing in June. The cows trod the oat seed into the ground as they grazed the rye, making for good seed-to-soil contact.

The oats sprouted and grew up along with the rye regrowth to provide more feed for the July grazing. Then Dale plowed and seeded for a pasture/hayfield in late July.

Using annual forages accentuates the Graves’ risk-reducing grazing strategies: • Winter wheat and rye are ready to graze 10 days to 2 weeks earlier than clover/grass pastures in spring, reducing purchased- and stored-feed costs and health risks.

• Winter annuals overseeded with oats help fill in the midsummer pasture production slump.

• Feed quality of grazed winter grains is comparable to clover/grass pastures, reducing risk of lower milk production or components.

• Winter annuals allow the Graves to plow old pasture/hayfields for re-establishment without having to take the field out of production for a year, reducing the risk of seeding failure.

All of the cropland is fenced, providing greater grazing flexibility. “We can run cows over the entire farm if needed,” says Dale. “If we have a good growth spurt at any time during the season, we can move the cows to the field that is at the right stage for grazing.” Dale harvests surplus forage as baleage or dry hay.

EXTENDING THE SEASON The Graves are always looking for ways to improve their pasture system, which they say improves herd health in general and reduces the risk of cow injury by getting them out of the barn. But with limited acreage, the big challenge they face is producing enough quality forage for their cows.

The couple also discovered that without corn in the rotation, they needed to do something to break up the sod for reseeding old pasture/hayfields. While needing to rotate out of sod, they could not afford to lose production on that land for a year. That’s why four years ago they decided to try growing winter annual forages.

“I was reluctant to grow an annual grain for grazing at first,” recalls Dale. “We had a bad experience with grazing oats. Even though we grazed at the proper stage, we lost milk production and components.” With some prodding from Linda, Dale finally gave in and decided to plant winter rye one fall. The next spring convinced them both that this was a good decision.

GREENVILLE SAW SERVICE 5040 Route 81 • Greenville, NY 12083 518-966-4346 • Fax: 518-966-4647 MIDDENDORF TRACTOR & AUTO SALES & SERVICE 233 North Cole Hill Rd. • Nichols, NY 13812 607-699-3847 • Fax: 607-699-0403 STAYTON TRACTOR 4634 State Route 38A • Skaneateles, NY 13152 315-784-5520 • 1-800-455-5068 Fax: 315-784-5520

The rye was ready to graze about two weeks earlier than their other clover/grass pastures. As the cows moved from barn feeding onto pasture, milk production and components stayed up. Cows grazed the rye again in May. And later, the winter rye provided more grazing during the usual mid-summer pasture slump, reducing the risks of lower production many grazing operations face during that often hot and dry time of the year.

Winter wheat overseeded with oats provides earlier spring grazing and helps beat the summer pasture slump for Dale and Linda Graves’ 50 registered Ayrshires.

Photo by Dean Sprague

Readers Write Bringing Them Home

By Kathleen Tenpas

Swung south, the sun glares off snow supposed to melt yesterday, and after the first heifer falls through the four-strand barbed wire fence, we build an optical illusion: a torn tarp tied high with twine and weighted with snow makes those left on the right side of the fence see solid wall.

They blink, blinded and dazzled and accidentally go into the trailer.

Smug, we think how easy it was, fooling them into a warm barn

STATE OF THE ART After several years of practice, here’s how the system worked for the Graves last year: In early September 2005, they plowed an old hayfield, then disked twice pulling a drag behind the disk on the second pass.

They broadcast 150 pounds per acre of winter wheat, dragged lightly and cultipacked. (Dale switched from rye to wheat two years ago because the cows found the wheat more palatable.) Cows started grazing the wheat on April 17, about 10 days earlier than the couple’s clover/grass pastures that season.

The cows grazed the wheat again starting on about May 15 and later on June 8.

Each time, the cows grazed for about seven days with a new section of the field given to them each day.

Dale broadcast 50 pounds per acre of oats just before the June 8 grazing and turned the cows in for a final grazing about July 6.

He plowed the field in mid-July and had lime applied as called for by a soil test.

Following disking and dragging to make a firm seedbed, Dale drilled a mix of 6 pounds per acre of Pardee trefoil, 2 pounds of Alice white clover, 6 pounds of fescue, 3 pounds of festolium (rye/fescue cross), and 3 pounds of perennial ryegrass. He banded phosophorus fertilizer while drilling and cultipacked the field to provide good seedto-soil contact.

During the grazing season, the Graves feed the cows about two pounds of quality first cutting dry hay in the barn for rumen health, along with a custom grain/mineral mix, balanced based on pasture quality.

Kathleen Tenpas writes and farms in Panama, New York.

Pasture forage sampling from last season (see table) shows that the quality of the wheat pasture is comparable to the clover/grass pasture during the same time of the season. Milk production and components also remained similar between the wheat and clover/grass pastures.

So what about next year? “Last fall (2006), we planted two fields, one with winter rye and one with winter wheat,” says Dale.

“The wheat is more palatable but the rye comes on quicker. Having a field of each should let us extend the grazing season even more.”

Dean Sprague is a field and forage crops educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cattaraugus County.

Forage Quality Results Date Sampled Pasture Forage Dry Matter (%) 4/17/06 Winter Wheat 20.6 5/3/06 Clover/Grass 24.7 5/15/06 Winter Wheat (2nd grazing) 17.1 6/8/06 Winter Wheat (3rd grazing) 18.7 6/27/06 Clover/Grass (3rd grazing) 17.3 7/6/06 Winter Wheat w/overseeded Oats 25.7

Crude Protein (% DM Basis) 27.3 22.4 24.6 18.1 21.8 19.0

NDF (% DM Basis) 27.9 35.3 46.5 55.9 53.3 54.6

Relative Feed Value 173 184 140 107 117 107

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

Page 10

NON-DAIRY LIVESTOCK

Low-risk Start-up? Think Sheep They can turn a profit on marginal farmland and in old dairy buildings.

By Julie Berry

Editor’s note: This article is part of a series focusing on risk management funded by the New York Crop Insurance Education Program under the Risk Management Agency (USDA) and the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets.

able,” recalls Colleen. “After doing the research, we realized we could probably make money at it.”

Their list of available resources closely matched the list of what it takes to raise sheep, she points out. “Northern New York is perfect for sheep with marginal land and old barns,” adds Harold.

Looking for a low-risk start-up or new enterprise to diversify your existing operation?

Business partners Harold Boomhower and Colleen Woolley-Stouffer think sheep are the way to go.

After running dairy, hog and vegetable operations, Boomhower and Woolley-Stouffer decided to get into sheep in 2002. They converted an abandoned dairy barn in Rutland, NY, to low-cost housing and invested in 13 ewes and 27 young sheep. Since then, they’ve grown the flock into a profitable business with more than 150 ewes.

With a maiden name like Woolley, Colleen suspected that it was probably her fate to someday raise sheep. But that came only after careful analysis. She and Harold evaluated their resources – including finances, equipment, land, labor and markets – before settling on sheep.

The partners really did their homework.

They saw facilities converted for sheep at the St. Lawrence County Extension Learning Farm, and toured successful sheep farms in New York’s North Country, making friends who later became mentors. They attended educational programs, including Cornell University’s annual Sheep and Goat Symposium, and “read every book avail-

Resource Spotlight The Cornell Sheep Program The Cornell Sheep Program evaluates and disseminates information on management, nutrition, health, selection, and marketing strategies for highly productive sheep systems, including the STAR accelerated lambing system. The program also hosts an annual Sheep and Goat Symposium, and offers a 22-minute DVD about the STAR program for $5. For more information, email vb65@cornell.edu or phone 607-255-7112, or visit the Cornell Sheep Program online at: www.sheep.cornell.edu.

Why sheep make a good low-risk start up: • While Boomhower and Woolley-Stouffer have good farmland, sheep can also make good use of low-cost marginal ground.

• Abandoned dairy facilities can easily be converted for use by sheep.

• The labor required can be spread relatively evenly through the year, making it easier to keep your day job during startup.

• Management information and training is easily available.

• What you do makes a difference. Good management is rewarded with higher production, quality product and premium prices.

• Growing ethnic populations help keep wholesale lamb prices high and may provide opportunities for direct marketing.

January 8, 2007

with Romanovs for increased lambing hardiness. “In New Zealand, farmers go on vacation during lambing,” Harold says.

“We have to do more ourselves because every time you call the vet it’s an economic decision. These are not $2,000 animals.”

SELLING THE BEST Harold and Colleen carefully evaluated their markets and decided to sell hot house lambs – at 45 to 60 days, weighing 30 to 50 pounds – typically to a sale in New Holland, Pa. “There are not enough people here in northern New York. So we ship to New Holland or sell to buyers in the barn that purchase quantity,” says Colleen. “We send the best and do something with the rest.” The partners sell some of the lowerquality lambs locally for pets.

In the four years they have been in business, Colleen says they have earned enough to pay off the entire flock and make improvements. They purchased 100 of the 150 ewes in their flock, and have added five high-quality rams.

Because of their reputation for selling quality lambs, buyers look for their farm name, and the partners have received a top price of $111 for a 30-pound lamb. “We’ve never gone to New Holland and not gotten the top dollar for the market.” They expect to net $100 per ewe annually, factoring in multiple births and lambings.

Colleen Woolley-Stouffer and Harold Boomhower converted an old dairy barn into low-cost sheep housing. Photo by Julie Berry

With an increasing demand for lamb across the country, and with a growing immigrant population in New York City that demands lamb, the partners think the future of the industry is strong. And, they both said they would welcome additional local producers

“It’s hard work. But you can be successful through management,” she says. The sheep are now helping to pay off loans from previous operations.

And with their lambs’ reputation now wellestablished, they feel like they have more control over the price of their product than when they were milking cows.

“There’s a lot more independence and control of your sanity,” says Colleen. “If we started in the beginning with sheep we would be eons ahead.”

Julie Berry, former resource educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Jefferson County, is now agricultural outreach coordinator with New York Animal Agriculture Coalition.

DO A LOT WITH LITTLE Part of that good match was the steady, year-round effort required to raise sheep, continues Harold. “We liked the vegetables, but it was too seasonal. We needed something that was year-round,” he says.

Both partners also work off-farm jobs.

Start-up costs were reasonable, too. The old dairy barn was relatively easy to convert to sheep. They tore out the tie stalls (leaving the feeder rails) and built wooden feeders. Old hog panels contain sheep and create creep feeding areas that can be removed for easy clean out.

The two invested less than $2,000 in fencing so the flock can graze the farm’s 40 acres of pasture and alfalfa hay fields, relying on temporary, movable fence with no permanent perimeter fencing. The partners also raise small grains and corn for winter feed on 60 rented acres. “The biggest thing to me is that you’re really able to do a lot with a little with the sheep,” says Harold.

To optimize profits, Harold and Colleen use a modification of the Cornell STAR accelerated lambing system, adjusted to target the holiday markets around Christmas, Easter and Ramadan. The STAR system is designed for easy flock management to provide year-round lamb marketing and higher production per ewe. (See Resource Spotlight for more information.)

One of the partners’ goals is to increase the percentage of ewes that give birth to twins or triplets. So they cull any ewe that delivers a single lamb three times in a row.

“It’s about making money. It’s about the production,” says Colleen. “It’s about making the right decisions, keeping track of who’s doing what and culling hard.” They also select for out-of-season breeding to favor ewes that rebreed quickly to fit the STAR system.

The partners started with Dorset-Finn crosses, and have recently started crossing

Boomhower and Woolley-Stouffer time lambing to take advantage of holiday markets at Christmas, Easter and Ramadan. Photo by Julie Berry to ensure a strong network of agribusinesses to serve sheep producers.

MORE INDEPENDENCE Another plus about sheep is that, compared to cows, they are a more manageable size – both physically and in terms of value. But they also require a lot of knowledge, skill and management on the part of the owners, notes Colleen. “You need to know what your animal is worth and what your ancillary expenses are – trucking, feeding, shrink and commission,” she observes.

“The difference between cows and sheep is you do not wait if a sheep does not look well,” because they can die quickly, explains Colleen.

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 Laura Harthan@lbh25@cornell.edu. Please provide your name, farm name, postal address, and county.

349 Roses Brook South Kortright, NY 13842 (607) 538-9464

Dairy Sanitations

See us for information on any of the above company lines.

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

January 8, 2007

MARKETING

Pricing Strategies for Direct Marketers Know your Costs and Price for Profit

By Anita Deming and Bernadette Logozar Price is the dollar amount that you ask for sales of a product or a service. It is one of the four P’s of Marketing: Price, Product, Placement, and Promotion. Price is critically important to the profit on the farm, but the other P’s of marketing contribute substantially to the price that you can get. Profit is the 5th P that keeps you in business.

allocate by square feet used by a particular product. Keep track of daily time spent for special efforts or expenses required by specific products such as transplanting or plastic separately. Add all of these together to determine costs per product. Be sure to keep track of usable yields or product actually sold as these impact the price per unit significantly.

CALCULATE YOUR COSTS There are various costs that go into deciding what price you will charge for your product:

3) Add in a return to you = Profitable Price.

This is the price you need to survive in the long run.

Tracking labor and equipment costs by product requires excellent records. You can keep track of tasks and expenses such as plowing time and fertilizer for the whole farm and

You can offer something different to your customers year round to extend your marketing season. Here a local grower makes wreaths from flowers she grows in her garden.

Photographer: Bernadette Logozar

YOU CAN HAVE

A

Remember early products cost more to produce if you used greenhouses, or extra labor for row covers etc. You must get more for the early product. Corn on the 4th of July in the Adirondacks requires starting in a greenhouse. This is a different product than the field grown Silver Queen of August. Most producers in the Adirondacks expect their volume of sales to increase substantially when second homeowners come to town after school lets out. This is a good time to be ready for a volume increase.

MORE ON PROFIT - WILL IT SELL? You do need to be aware of your local competitors and what they are charging. Be prepared to explain why your prices are more. Remember the value discussion earlier? If you have never sold this product it is better to start higher and be able to lower the price than to start low and raise it.

1) Start with the input costs = Variable Costs (VC) for example fertilizer, seed, gas, labor. If you don’t cover these you will have to shut down in a short amount of time.

2) Add in ownership costs = Fixed Costs (FC) for example Interest, Repairs, Taxes, Insurance (DIRTI). If you cover these you will meet your breakeven cost to the business, but have nothing left for yourself.

Every item should contribute to ownership costs. If you don’t cover ownership costs, you will have to shut down in a longer amount of time.

Ask yourself who are your competitors? Do you want to be a ‘price setter’ or a ‘price taker’? You have an edge over large retailers such as Wal-Mart as you are closer to your customer. You have an edge over Harry and David as you can find your local customers.

One tip for farmers marketers is “pile it high and wave it good-bye.” Seasonal open air farmers markets offer a great place to test your market. As a grower you will discover quite quickly what your customers what, and what they don’t.

Photographer: Bernadette Logozar VALUE VERSUS PRICE Remember to pay yourself. Many direct marketers are afraid to charge what they need to in order to have some profit for themselves. You need to remember that you are providing more than the grocery store so the value to the buyer is higher.

Value = Quality + Service + Price • Your buyers want a quality product that you can provide because you can grow varieties for flavor instead of travel characteristics.

• Your buyers want to know how their food was grown. They like the fact that they have a relationship with you. This takes time on your part, but they are willing to pay for it.

• You can introduce them to new products and ways to cook specialty items. This is education that they are willing to pay for.

• Fresh un-waxed products, less fuel used, and community support are also cited as reasons many consumers are willing to pay more for local products.

How much is too much? Or too little? What if you have corn at $3.50/dozen according to your calculations and your neighbor has $3.00/dozen? Can you still make a profit by lowering your price? Sometimes it is better to sell fewer at the higher price than to sell more at the lower price. For example, say your margin on the $3.50 is $0.50 toward profit. If you sell 300 dozen that will give you $150 in profit. You would have to sell 600 dozen if you sold at $3.25 to get the same profit.

Is that going to be feasible? For a 7% decrease in price you have to sell twice as much product. Instead you might ask -- How can I differentiate my product? Signage, layout, local label, or add some other value in order to keep your price point and make the extra 25 cents per dozen.

Another concern with lowering prices to move product that isn’t selling well is “product cannibalism.” This is when a similar product at a reduced price takes sales from a product that is adding to the profit. An example would be apple seconds taking sales from fancy apples.

However, there are times when it makes sense to mark down product. Such as, if the item is out of season or if marking one product down won’t take away from sales of another product. Or if you are using the product as a “loss leader” meaning you’re willing to take a ‘loss’ on one product in order to bring customers in with the hope they will buy more. Finally, you may need to drop the price to recoup your input costs. In the last instance, you should strongly con-

Page 11 sider not growing that item again or figuring out how to grow it for less next year.

CULTIVATING CUSTOMERS As your customers get to know you, you will build your reputation for quality and honesty.

Typically, sixty percent of sales come from repeat customers. Yet many people concentrate their advertising and promotion on the 40% single purchase sales. Satisfied customers will tell their neighbors. The most effective advertising is word of mouth.

Repeat sales are the key. It is much more expensive to get a new customer than to get a current customer to buy more. Make your repeat customers feel special and keep them coming back for more!

Each year, evaluate which products added to your profit and plan for what you might do better. It is better to try a new product with potential or to change your production than to keep doing the same thing and losing money. It takes time, energy and determination to keep track of the costs by product, but you will benefit in the long run.

I cannot tell you what price to charge, as every business is different. “Pricing is the art of balancing the business’s knowledge of the marketplace with its operating goals,” says Wen-fei Uva in Cornell’s Department of Applied Economics and Management.

Putting pencil to paper is the only way for you to know for sure what each item is contributing to the bottom line.

Anita Deming is an Agriculture Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension in Essex County. Bernadette Logozar is Agriculture Development Specialist with CCE in Franklin County. If you have questions about pricing and how to figure out your costs, contact your local Cooperative Extension office. If you have specific questions about this article please call Anita Deming (518) 962-4810 extension 409 or Bernadette Logozar (518) 483-7403 or email ald6@cornell.edu.

Pricing is the key, but so is an attractive display to ‘catch’ passers-by. Use the color of your harvest to bring people into your market stand. Photographer: Anita Deming

PARLOR TOO!

Continued From Page 7 Sloping, shaping the holding area. Fifteen square feet per animal is perfect for the holding area if you don't have the animals in there longer than two hours. The best holding areas are flat, gently slope (2-3 %) away from the parlor, and are very well ventilated.

If your topography and/or farmstead layout is such, having a holding area with no roof (or, in some cases, walls) is great for the cows and for reducing clean-up time.

the holding area was sloped at approximately 15%. That means there was a 7.5-foot rise in 50 feet. This farmer could get cows in the parlor, but just barely. He had to spend a lot of time keeping the area clean so the cows wouldn't slip and slide into the next county.

A bigger entry to the holding area is a lot better than a narrow one. No steps are a lot better than steps (that also goes for the exit area). Also, a "Y" or "T" or "L" shaped holding area can be done, but is not efficient A holding area with a Mt. Everest slope is a because your crowd gate doesn't work as disaster. One parlor had a great design, but well as it should. (I recommend crowd gates. LightCome Buy weight ones can be installed What The cheaply, and are well worth Professionals the investment.) Also be Are Using! aware of airflow. If the holding Williams area is not ventilated in the winter, cows can get pneumonia if they are brought from 2033 Brothertown Rd. • Deansboro, NY dry, cold air outside into the 315-841-4910 • Fax: 315-841-4649 moisture-laden air of the holdFall & Winter Hours M-F 8-3 • Sat. By Appointment ing area. www.williamsfarmfence.com

FENCE SUPPLIES Treated Posts • Gates • Corral Panels • Horse Stalls • SolidLock Wire Mesh Fencing • Energizers • Insulators • Hi Tensile Wire • Stall Waterers • Waterers • Temporary Fencing • Rope & Tape • Split Rail • Dog Kennels • Priefert™ Equipment WATCH FOR WILLIAMS FAMILY FARM SIGNS

WE BUILD: High Tensile • Centaur • Post & Board • Bekert Woven Wire Fence

• Post Pounder Rental

Manure handling from the holding area (and cow exit area) should be planned so that a skid steer can keep things clear. While I've heard that hand scraping is good for the soul, I believe it reduces quality of life.

Exit gates are up to you. Exit gates can be any style, but you must decide how you are going to handle animals. On smaller parlors (eight units or less), almost anything will work as long as the cows are treated as milking animals, and not wild rhinoceroses.

Avoid pinch points and anything that can bang up a hip is a good rule of thumb. A functional exit gate is anything that swings, folds or slides completely out of the cow’s way.

For exit area, straighter is better A screwy exit scheme is the kiss of death for efficient cow flow. The best exit from a parlor is straight out - a shotgun blast. The second best parlor exit it a 90-degree turn with enough cow-exit buffer space to accommodate your entire platform of cows. The last choice is a 180-degree return lane to the holding area. More space (10-12 feet from parlor exit to door) can relieve some problems if the exit or return lanes are too small and narrow, giving space for cows to pass around a slow animal.

Cleaning in place? Having a clean-in-place (CIP) system versus washing units in the milk house is about a coin flip on a small parlor (swing six). Over this number of units, you may wish to put in CIP. If you consider CIP, be sure to plan on putting an eight inch lip on the cow platform under which you can hang the CIP wash cups. Adding CIP to the old tie-stall barn will add $4,000-$5,000 to

the swing parlor retrofit because you must be able to wash the parlor as you would your milk house.

Design for quick clean-up. A flush system is an excellent three-season system in the North, but you do have a problem with needing a large amount of storage in the winter.

Have several drains (one per 10 feet of length on the cow platform and pit floor) in the parlor so you don't have to chase a cow pie the full length of your parlor with a water jet or scraper. This can greatly reduce cleanup time. .

Think and plan! Think outside the box. Be creative. If the cows won't flow, let it go.

Building your own parlor can be a great experience but only, ONLY if you know what you want. That means knowing your goals, visiting other farms with such parlors, hashing out your plans, on site — preferably with people who have built and milked in these parlors.

Vance Haugen is an Agriculture Agent with the University of Wisconsin Extension Service in Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin. You can contact him at 608-326-0223; or write to 225 N Beaumont Rd, Suite 240, Prairie du Chien, WI 53581, vance.haugen@ces.uwex.edu. We thank Vance for so generously sharing his knowledge with Small Farm Quarterly readers here in the Northeast!

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

Page 12

January 8, 2007

MANAGING RISK

AGR-Lite: Still a good deal

AGR-Lite at a Glance

Focus on revenue – not crops – makes this insurance program a good risk-management tool for specialty crops and markets.

AGR-Lite provides whole-farm revenue protection against market fluctuations, as well as natural disasters such as drought or flood. It covers crops that are otherwise difficult or impossible to insure (such as forage, fruit and vegetables), as well as revenue from animals and animal products.

By Craig Cramer

Editor’s note: This article is part of a series focusing on risk management funded by the New York Crop Insurance Education Program under the Risk Management Agency (USDA) and the NYS Department of Agriculture & Markets.

Little has changed in the AGR-Lite insurance program for 2007. But risk-management specialists are even more enthusiastic this year about signing up more farmers who can benefit from the cutting-edge program.

What makes AGR-Lite (short for Adjusted Gross Revenue-Lite) different from traditional crop insurance programs is that it helps protect revenue instead of focusing on a single crop. It can protect you from fickle markets as well as from foul weather and other production risks. (See sidebar, “AGR-Lite at a glance.”)

AGR-Lite was first offered to Pennsylvania farmers in 2003. It has since spread to 18 states in 2006 (including all of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states), and another 10 states are slated to offer the program in 2007. The closing date for new policies is March 15, 2007. (January 15 for renewal policies.)

What kind of operations stand to benefit most from AGR-Lite?

• Diversified farms, especially those that rely on direct marketing.

• Farms that market crops or animal products not covered by other insurance programs.

• Farms that receive premium prices for quality products.

For example, if your apples are hit by hail and you have to sell them at a discount for juice instead of for fresh-market sales, AGR-Lite will help make up the price difference – even if you had a bin-busting harvest. Or if you raise organic soybeans and the bottom falls out of the market, AGR-Lite can help stabilize your overall farm revenue.

“It’s the only insurance product that recognizes specialty markets that receive premium prices, such as organic or locally grown,” says Gene Gantz, who helped launch the program with the USDA Risk Management Agency in Pennsylvania. “If

quality factors into your sales, you should look into AGR-Lite.”

DIFFERENT, NOT COMPLICATED Despite the promise of the program, several factors kept it from becoming more popular. One of AGR-Lite’s big target audiences is farmers who haven’t been served well by traditional crop insurance. Many of these farmers have not yet developed close relationships with local crop insurance agents, and some may not even be aware that AGR-Lite exists.

Other farmers – and some agents – might be intimidated by the paperwork. “AGR-Lite isn’t really more complicated than other insurance programs. It’s just different,” says Karen Powell, a risk-management specialist with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.

Some agents may not be comfortable working with the tax records required to calculate AGR-Lite premiums and benefits, adds Powell. She suggests you work with your accountant to pull together tax records, and aggressively shop around to find an agent who is familiar with the program and willing to help you push a pencil (or better yet, a spreadsheet) to see if AGR-Lite works for you.

AGR-Lite’s whole-farm approach to risk management may scare off some farmers who rely on a few key crops. But Gantz notes that you can combine AGR-Lite with crop-specific insurance programs. “That will give you the best of both worlds,” he points out.

Combining AGR-Lite with Multiple Peril Crop Insurance doesn’t double premiums, stresses Powell. “You get a real break in the premium, which is part of what makes this an attractive package,” she notes.

Gantz and Powell also point to the growing enthusiasm for the program in Washington state – where agents last year wrote more than 800 AGR-Lite policies – as a good sign that the program is on the right track.

“They’ve worked hard out there to dispel the coffee-shop talk saying that the program won’t work,” says Powell. “The agents out there have worked hard to crank the numbers with the farmers and have shown them that it can work.”

Craig Cramer is a communications special-

The program is especially well-suited for farmers who face volatile markets or where weather can drastically affect crop quality and prices. It also rewards diversification by providing better coverage and lower premiums for farms that produce two or more crops.

The closing date for new policies is March 15, 2007. (January 15 for renewal policies.)

The maximum liability covered by the program is $1 million.

Your insurable revenue is determined by your income for the previous 5 years. (You’ll need to dig out your IRS 1040 Schedule F’s.) When you apply, you’ll also submit a farm report that details what crops and livestock you intend to produce and their expected revenue for the insured year.

Coverage levels (which determine how low your revenue needs to drop before indemnity payments kick in) range from 65 to 80 percent, based on how many crops you grow. The more crops you grow (up to four), the higher you can choose your coverage. Then you can choose payment levels between 65 and 90 percent. These determine how much of your loss below your coverage level will be reimbursed.

For example, say your coverage level was 80 percent, your payment level was 90 percent, and your insurable revenue was $100,000. If bad weather or markets forced your revenue down to $70,000, that’s $10,000 below your 80 percent coverage level ($80,000). You’d receive a nice check for $9,000 (90 percent of your loss below the coverage level).

Premiums are subsidized by about 50 percent, which make them a good value if the coverage matches your needs.

Some other things to consider: • You can combine AGR-Lite with other insurance programs.

• Certified organic production is considered an accepted practice.

• If you direct market, carefully check provisions concerning purchases for resale.

• Because the program is based on revenue, you can’t file claims until you file your taxes.

• You still need to report problems that may cause loss of revenue to your insurance agent promptly.

See Resource Spotlight sidebar for more information sources

Resource Spotlight More About AGR-Lite More details about AGR-Lite appeared in our Winter 2006 issue, archived at www.smallfarms.cornell.edu. Find the USDA-RMA factsheet for the 2007 AGR-Lite program here: www.rma.usda.gov/pubs/2003/PAN-1667-07.pdf.

Find an agent – If you are considering AGR-Lite or other options, it helps to work with a trusted crop insurance agent. Word of mouth is a good way to find one. Your county’s FSA office can provide a list of local agents, or you can find agents through the USDARMA website: www3.rma.usda.gov/apps/agents.

Farm profiles – Wen-fei Uva, a Senior Extension Associate in the Department of Applied Economics and Management at Cornell University, developed a series of 8 profiles showing how AGR-Lite might work on eight hypothetical farms. View them online at: www.nyfarmersmarket.com/agrfarmprofiles.htm.

Premium calculator – If you (or your agent) want an easy way to analyze AGR-Lite, try out the USDA-RMA premium calculator at www3.rma.usda.gov/apps/premcalc/.

ist in the Department of Horti-

Resource Spotlight Christmas Tree Growers IPM Guide Christmas trees take seven to ten years to grow and are sold to consumers during the short holiday season. Protecting the crop from pests and diseases is crucial to the profitability of tree farming. Stephanie Mallozzi of Cornell Cooperative Extension of Dutchess County has developed a Christmas Tree Integrated Pest Management (IPM) Field Guide to help growers of spruce, Douglas fir, balsam, and Fraser, concolor and Canaan firs cost-effectively manage their tree production.

The easy-to-use guide identifies pests, pest damage and optimal treatment practices for dealing with 17 insect pests, nine diseases, abiotic disorders, and damage by deer and voles. The photo-illustrated guide emphasizes the use of scouting, monitoring and growing degree day calculations to support best management practices for controlling pest problems.

Mallozzi says, “Each tree may represent up to ten years of investment so losses to pests and diseases as well as the cost of pest management impact profitability. IPM is a key tool to help growers sustainably grow Christmas trees and at the same time practice good environmental stewardship.”

The project was funded by the New York Farm Viability Institute, a farmer-led, nonprofit corporation that invests in innovative research, education and technical assistance for NY’s agricultural producers, www.nyfarmviability.org.

For more information about the new Christmas Tree IPM Field Guide, contact Stephanie Mallozzi, Cornell Cooperative Extension: Dutchess County, 845-677-8223 x104, sdm10@cornell.edu.

Worcester Creameries • Do you know there is still one milk market that is family owned and would like to buy your milk?

• The following are benefits that could be yours.

Competitivee Market Premiums Qualityy Premiums

Qualityy Fieldd Service

Volumee Premiums

Heaalthh Insurance

Caringg Service

For more information please call.

607-397-8791 Toll Free...

800-705-6455

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

January 8, 2007

Page 13

NON-DAIRY LIVESTOCK

Creekside Meadows Diversity and Success on a Small Farm

By Jean Burr Relying on word of mouth advertising, this small farm has all of its meat sold before the animals go to slaughter. Matt and Tricia Park originally started selling their excess eggs 6 years ago. They didn’t plan to become a successful grass-based business. They got a few Herefords to keep their 23 acres open, and to have some meat in their own freezer. Tricia saw pastured broilers a few years ago, and thought, “We can do this!”

In addition to broilers and eggs, Creekside Meadows sells beef. After the Herefords came Scottish Highlanders, which Tricia says were an accident. When they were ready to get more Herefords, they met someone with a herd of Highlanders to sell.

Five cow/calf pairs and a bull came to Creekside Meadows. As with the chickens, the beef is sold by word of mouth. Tricia enjoys the Highlanders, and Matt has fabricated a shade on a wagon running gear that can move from pasture to pasture for the longhaired Highlanders.

One of the hoop houses that Matt built. Photo by Jean Burr Another part of the grazing system is the pigs. Last year, the first 3 pigs were raised and sold, and this year, 9 pigs have been plowing and clearing some areas. Tricia feels that diversity is necessary on a small farm, and the mix of species is beneficial to the land and their business. Turkeys are day ranged on a neighbors land, adding to the diversity and increasing the variety of products.

Cameron Park with his Scotch Highlander named Clover, who was a bottle baby. Photo

by Jean Burr

Tricia Park feeds the broilers their grain.

Photo by Jean Burr

After much studying, including a 6 week business course through Cornell Cooperative Extension in Binghamton, a NOFA conference, and reading Joel Salatin’s book Pasture Poultry Profits, they began. They bought 25 broilers in 2003 to put in their own freezer. In 2004, they bought and raised 50 broilers, and sold half of them to family. Some of those family members gave a few away to ‘advertise.’ Last year, the Parks jumped in, buying 250 broilers to raise and sell, and Creekside Meadows Farm became a business. Demand was such that they were sold out before the chickens were ready to butcher. This year, Creekside Meadows bought 500 broilers in groups of 100, and again were sold out.

Tricia says next year they will do 600, but that’s it!

The Parks raised 500 broilers in 2006, shown here with their hoop houses in the background.

Photo by Jean Burr The egg business has also increased, and the Parks graze 80 laying hens with the ‘egg mobile,’ a conestoga-like wagon with nesting boxes inside. Tricia says, “The eggs keep people coming back for the chicken and beef.” Day ranging the chickens also performs an important task in the grazing cycle. They follow the Highlanders through the pastures, breaking up manure piles, and keeping the fly population under control. They are one part of a comprehensive grazing system that utilizes as much of the acreage as possible.

Portable All Steel Shelters Great for Livestock & Storage

14’, 12’, 8’ come pre-assembled in 7’ sections giving a choice of lengths 14’, 21’, 28’ or longer. With an approximate 2-hour set-up time. 4x4 wood skids included. Built for livestock but can be used for almost anything. Optional front door.

Ann VanArsdale 607-746-7845 Serving NY

Ryder Supply Chambersburg, PA 888-464-6379 Serving PA, MD, NJ, DE

The Barn Store 603-648-2888 Serving the New England Region

www.port-a-hut.com

The Parks were able to take a vacation this year, with the help of a neighbor whose children love to come to the farm. Both Matt and Tricia have had many jobs, and Matt presently works as shop chief for Bobcat, but the farm has changed their life direction. “Farming is the most satisfying,” Tricia commented, “Home is where everything is.” Their son Cameron is able to build forts and catapults to his hearts’ content, helps move the animals, and assists his father with repairs. Says Cameron: "I work hard too, it's my farm".

Bandit, one of the border collies, with the laying hens, and the eggmobile. Photo by Jean Burr Tricia laments that she doesn’t have an accounting degree as that has become the hardest part of the business, making sure there is enough money for feed and repairs.

Promoting, advertising and selling their products have been the easiest part of the business. Tricia encourages other poultry graziers to join the American Pastured Poultry Producers Association, which can be found at apppa.org on the web.

Creekside Meadows Farm is not certified organic and the Parks don’t plan to get organic certification because they “have plenty of customers as it is.” Their beef is grass Large Selection High Performance

Free Shipping 785-754-3513 or

fed, all the poultry is day ranged, and organic feed costs a lot more and is harder to get. Their customers know how the animals are raised and handled, and must be pleased as they keep coming back!

Jean Burr is a Grazing Specialist with Onondaga County Soil and Water Conservation District. She can be reached at 315677-3851.

Resource Spotlight Humane and Healthy Poultry Production Humane and Healthy Poultry Production-- A Manual for Organic Growers by Karma Glos, is one of a series of handbooks on organic principles and practices published by the Northeast Organic Farming Association or NOFA. The best poultry raising techniques for both layer and broiler production involve space considerations, lighting, housing, outdoor access and equipment. All receive detailed coverage in this 99 page handbook. What breeds to choose?

How and what to feed them? Glos offers a chapter on each question, including ten pages on diagnosing disease and restoring and protecting birds' health using organic health care practices.

Management issues specific to egg and meat birds and turkeys and waterfowl are addressed, along with slaughtering procedures and packing and marketing ideas. Interspersed are detailed accounts of the author's own experiences on a successful poultry operation, Kingbird Farm, with her husband Michael and daughter Rosie in upstate New York. Copies are available from NOFA-NY $9.50.

Call 607-652-NOFA or order online at www.nofany.org/publications.html.

Remedies for Health Problems of the Organic Laying Flock: A Compendium and Workbook of Management, Nutritional, Herbal, and Homeopathic Remedies. This publication was produced by Karma and Michael Glos through a SARE grant. They have made the Compendium available online at no cost at their website at www.kingbirdfarm.com.

Mist Sprayers

Spray vegetables, vineyards, orchards, nurseries, cattle, etc.

Call for free brochure

800-864-4595

Swihart Sales Co.

www.swihart-sales.com

7240 Cty. Rd. AA, Quinter, KS 67752

Page 14

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

January 8, 2007

MARKETING

Got Markets?

Cornell researchers and Extension educators in NYC are developing two new marketing tools to help farmers

By John Nettleton and Duncan Hilchey The continuing drive by agricultural producers to add value to their products is matched by growing retail interest in local, regional and value-added products. Two newly-developed market analysis tools will soon be available to New York State farmers, Extension educators and restaurant owners to help them diversify, add-value, and tap the potential of niche markets in the state.

Farmers are seeking such sophisticated, accessible marketing tools to help them expand their businesses. Recent studies by Cornell’s Applied Economics and Management Department and the Community, Food, and Agriculture Program (CFAP) show that New York farmers want more marketing information and tools to take advantage of the immense scale and diversity of the state’s consumer base.

These trends and demands have led CFAP and Cornell Cooperative Extension of New York City to develop two novel marketing tools. MarketMaker™ is a no-cost, on-line marketing tool for farmers, processors, retail food businesses and distributors. MarketScape™ is a for-fee tool providing consumer survey data, institutional market databases, and advanced mapping capabilities. Here’s a rundown on each individual tool.

MARKETMAKER™ -- FREE ONLINE MARKETING INFORMATION FOR FARMERS AND RETAILERS Developed by the University of Illinois Extension, MarketMaker is a GIS-based demographic information-mapping tool.

Users can visit MarketMaker sites online and conduct detailed business and product information queries, including geo-coded business listings and specific attribute data for farmers, cooperatives, distributors and other agribusiness.

Census profiles and detailed market information can be drawn to varied scales, and cross-State data can be accessed, for example, farms and/or retail food businesses on both sides of the Mississippi. Onscreen maps allow the user to identify neighborhoods (census tracts) by income, race, education and household type, as well as see the location of specific businesses in those areas that have potential wholesale buyers.

MarketMaker is currently one of the most extensive collections of searchable food industry related data in the country, with over 65,000 profiles of farmers and other food related enterprises in the three States with online sites (Illinois, Iowa, and Nebraska). The Illinois website, www.marketmaker.uiuc.edu, is linked to both Iowa and Nebraska, with new Partner States (including New York) being developed (See Map, above).

The New York State webpage will come online in early 2007. We are beginning to register producers and ensure that their information and, most importantly, their attributes (organic, grass-fed, etc.) are ready to be loaded on the site early in ‘07. The Partner State websites will also be accessible from the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center website www.AgMRC.org, which will serve as a portal for the national network and individual States.

Even as these sites are brought online, MarketMaker is being enhanced to include the kinds of capabilities that web users have come to expect: • Key word searches and search within results • Improved Registration: farmers and businesses in the MarketMaker data base will be able to create, edit and maintain their own on-line profiles via password access • Customized Market Profile: users will be able to build a trade area by clicking on the targeted census tracks. Queries and demographic information can then be summarized by the selected trade area and printed as a pdf document.

• Consumption Pattern Data: a new query feature is being added to allow a user to search for and map the highest concentrations of food consumer by product.

• Buyers and Sellers Forum: Food supply chain enterprises will be able to make weekly posts announcing requests for and availability of food products, offering an avenue for potential business relationships to develop.

For more information on MarketMaker and how New York producers and producer groups can begin to prepare their data, contact John Nettleton or John Ameroso at 212-340-2900, jsn10@cornell.edu, or jma20@cornell.edu.

MARKETSCAPE™ -- AN ADVANCED MARKETING TOOL FOR COOPERATIVE EXTENSION AND PLANNERS When Cooperative Development Institute Senior Partner Lynda Brushett needed information on the market for queso fresco (Hispanic fresh cheese) in Albany’s Capital District she came to Duncan Hilchey.

Hilchey is a researcher with the Community, Food, and Agriculture Program in Cornell’s Department of Development Sociology who has been working with Professor Joe Francis on a new market mapping tool for farmers and agribusiness called “MarketScape™.”

Using MarketScape, Hilchey produced an interactive map showing the Albany area zip codes with higher concentrations of Hispanic families, along with income data and the location of neighborhood convenience stores that serve the community. “I was amazed at the level of detail—including clickable business information, tons of demographic data on each census tract, and even roads and highways were labeled, says Lynda.”

In a brief report prepared using the information provided by MarketScape, Hilchey outlined the opportunities and challenges of marketing to this particular niche. “He showed us that though Hispanic consumers were concentrated and small groceries serving the community were numerous, the median household income was very low which might make it difficult to establish a profitable enterprise making

MarketScape™ Map depicting the concentration of Hispanics in New York City. queso fresco…Duncan suggested that we make appointments to tour the stores, and he showed us how to click on the symbols identifying the target stores to get the name of the store owners and their contact information. We followed up and visited stores in those Hispanic neighborhoods… MarketScape was really helpful,” Lynda reports.

MarketScape is designed for Extension Educators, local planners and development professionals who want to conduct fairly sophisticated market analysis. It will offer a more advanced set of marketing tools, and access to data on demographic factors along with attitudinal and behavioral information on food preferences and purchases.

The mapable data in MarketScape include consumer survey results from the Empire State Poll (conducted annually by Cornell Survey Research Institute) and several dozen databases on potential markets such as hospitals, nursing homes, public schools and universities.

Hilchey and Francis are working on advanced features allowing MarketScape subscribers to identify concentrations of niche markets (consumers of organic, gourmet and ethnic specialties, etc.) along with concentrations of consumers of specialty products from artisanal cheeses and valueadded fruit conserves, to maple-sugar specialties and herbed sauerkraut. Such added capabilities require a bit more training in geographic information systems (GIS) as well as demographic analysis.

MarketScape will be available to Extension, planning departments, and economic development officials for free in 2007, and after a test period will be available by subscription.

For further information, contact Duncan at 607-255-4413, dlh3@cornell.edu.

The co-authors are both Senior Extension Associates: Duncan is with the Community, Food and Agriculture Program in Cornell’s Department of Development Sociology, and John is with Cornell Cooperative Extension/ New York City.

SMALL FARMS PROGRAM UPDATE Continued From Page 3 WANT MORE INFO? For more information about Cornell’s Small Farms Program and lots of other small farm topics, visit our website at www.smallfarms.cornell.edu. You can also sign up to receive our monthly email newsletter, Small Farms Update, by sending an email to Laura Harthan at lbh25@cornell.edu. Please provide your name, farm name, postal address, and county.

GET YOUR SMALL FARMS T-SHIRT Perfect for gifts, perfect for you! Beige organic cotton t-shirts with colorful graphic, shown here on front. Adult S,M,L, XL are $15; kids’ size L available for $12. To order contact Joanna Green at 607-255-9227 or jg16@cornell.edu.

HEATMOR

STAINLESS STEEL OUTDOOR WOOD FURNACES

5 Sizes - 18 Colors - Wood or Coal Grates Corn or Oil Burning Options and Commercial Models Available Forced Draft - Ash Auger Clean Out Corrision Warranty up to 10 Times Longer than Other Outdoor Furnaces

Dealerships Available in Some Areas

OUTBACK HEATING, INC. Heatmor Eastern US Distributor Outdoor Furnace Distribution Since 1982

800-743-5883 or 888-763-8617 www.outbackheatinginc.com

HeatMor, Burn Less!

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

January 8, 2007

NEW FARMERS

‘Granny Landlords’ and the Future of Our Farmland Farm Services Agency Takes Notice

By Martha Herbert Izzi Most of us have heard stories or know about some farming family who is caught in the rubble of feuds and chaos concerning the fate of the farm. Grandpa has just received a nasty diagnosis and refuses to make so much as a will, and his adult children are scattered around the country.

Consider the Rutland County Vermont woman in her eighties who has been trying to sell her farm for years. Her son and daughter live on either side of her and they don’t speak to each other. But they are on the deed and nothing can be done without their approval.

WHEN BIG SNOW HITS, HIT BACK. Dramatically improve your snow throwing and flow capacity with Woods’ S-Series tractor-mounted snowblowers. They have multiple features to help you in heavy snow: • Curved chute provides cleaner snow flow • Fan design reduces friction loss and has greater throwing capacity • Chute rotator operates by hand or add optional hydraulic control • High grade, replaceable cutting edge improves strength and serviceability Picks up better, moves quicker, throws farther!

Discover how Woods helps you stand up to Old Man Winter.

Tested. Proven. Unbeatable. www.woodsonline.com MAINE R.S. OSGOOD & SONS EAST DIXFIELD, ME 207-645-4934 800-287-4934 www.rsosgood.com NEW YORK M.J. WARD & SON, INC. BATH, NY 607-776-3351

MASSACHUSETTS SIRUM EQUIPMENT MONTAGUE, MA 413-367-2481 ORCHARD HILL FARM Route 9 BELCHERTOWN, MA 01007 413-253-5456 www.orchardhillsales.com

GREENVILLE SAW SERVICE 5040 Rt. 81 GREENVILLE, NY 518-966-4346

PENNSYLVANIA COLUMBIA CROSSROADS EQUIP. INC. COLUMBIA CROSSROADS, PA 717-297-2991

RHODE ISLAND RHODE ISLAND HARVESTING CO. Rte. 184 Extension (Exit 93 off I95) ASHAWAY, RI 02804 401-377-2670

MARSHALL MACHINERY INC. Rte. 652 east of Honesdale, PA Hours: Mon.-Sat. 8 am-5 pm 570-729-7117 www.marshall-machinery.com

Page 15

Or the elderly female producer who is single and owns a gorgeous hillside farm. She has never married nor has had any children and her heirs include several siblings and their families, none of whom farm and all of whom need money. She wants the farm kept intact on her death, but she says, “I won’t be cold before this place is in the hands of developers.”

An agricultural phenomenon is silently taking place throughout the country, and until recently it has received virtually no attention. It involves 400 million acres of farmland across the nation that has begun to change hands and will continue over the next fifteen years or so.

In the late nineties David Kohl, Professor of Agricultural Economics at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University sounded the alarm when he said that “elderly females will inherit about 70-80% of the transferable land.” He coined the term ‘granny landlords’ not as a bias against older women necessarily, but as part of an urgent message to local, state and federal officials to prepare for this sea change in American agricultural land ownership and its profound implications for exiting and beginner farmers, to say nothing of the food-eating public.

The reason for this impressive headline is that women outlive men and the average age of male farm operators in this country is fifty eight years old. Coupled with the fact that less than ten percent of American producers have wills and fewer than two percent are known to have documented succession plans, the prospects for seamless farm transfers are predictably compromised. And the opportunities for slick land vultures offering easy cash and simple solutions to grieving widows are too easy to imagine.

Women inheriting land is not a new story.

Historically, women inherited the farm and landholdings and generally transferred it to a family member to continue operation. Today, only about thirteen per cent of family members assume responsibility for continued farm operations, leaving the woman to make incredibly complex decisions for the fate of the farm while trying to secure her own financial future and perhaps that of other family members.

As a ‘mature’ graduate student at the School for International Training in Brattleboro Vermont in the late nineties (the writer qualifies as a ‘granny landlord’) I became fascinated with the issue. At the time, Professor Kohl was making the speaking rounds in the northeast and he caught the attention of a local official who gave me a copy of Kohl’s presentation. It became the subject of my graduate thesis. As part of that effort I did a comprehensive literature review and interviewed twenty female Vermont farm operators

with an extensive survey instrument.

The results were remarkably consistent.

Most women wanted their land kept in agriculture but didn’t think it was possible in the face of myriad technical, financial, legal and family issues. They had little or no information on how to make even the most fundamental decisions. None of the women had ever been informed by their banks, the state or land trust managers that they had options other than selling to a developer.

In short, communities and interest groups were oblivious to the issue, and therefore not organized to assist women with critically needed outreach, linkages, decision-making and technical assistance. Moreover, the results showed that there is a significant issue of discrimination with respect to female farmers and female landowners, especially among lenders. And it continues today. Of the twenty- six loans to new farmers in New England in 2005, only two went to women, despite the fact that women in New England make up 36 percent of the farm operators in that region.

Government research and transferringthe-farm workshops conducted recently by several organizations have shown the differences gender makes in land transfer. For example women who inherit their land tend to lease it and they do not get involved in the management of leased land. Too, they are often unaware of their rights as landlords with farming tenants that they have the power to shape a host of preferred farm practices in a rental agreement.

Enter the USDA Farm Services Agency, which recently responded favorably to a proposal by a coalition of several New England farm and land organizations, and is providing funds to address the needs of at least two categories of women who are known to be hampered by a lack of sufficient access to resources and skills to make informed decisions about land transfers. They are 1) women inheritors of farms and farmland and, 2) women in families preparing to exit farming.

The grant will provide seminars directly to these two groups of women and training- of- trainers workshops to create instate programs in four New England states (Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont and Massachusetts) to continue the training of more women after the grant period has expired. Entitled, “Helping New England Women Address Farm Succession, Transfer and Tenure,” the first programs will be presented in Massachusetts in early January. It’s a start. Hopefully we will publish the successful results of this project in a later edition of Small Farm Quarterly The best possible outcome will be replication of this model nationwide.

CORN

COMFORT HEAT

3364 Ct. Rt. 49 • Norfolk, NY 13667 315-384-4582 Cell: 315-322-1164 www.CornComfortHeat.com

For more information on Helping New England Women Address Farm Succession, Transfer and Tenure, please contact the author. She is an advisor/ contributor to the project.

Martha Herbert Izzi raises sheep and writes at Bel Lana Farm in Shrewsbury, Vermont. She can be reached at 802-492-3346 or mhizzi@aol.com.

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

Page 16

Small Farm Quarterly

Youth Pages

January 8, 2007

This issue of the SFQ Youth Pages features three young writers from Steuben County, located in the southern tier of New York State. For more information about the programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Stueben County, visit

http://counties.cce.cornell.edu/steuben

What Do You Do In 4-H?

By Amy Quanz, 16, Southern Tier Livestock & Willing Workers 4-H Clubs “What do you do in 4-H?” is a question commonly asked of me by other 4-H’ers and by people who don’t know what 4-H is. A while ago after talking to youth at the 4-H Career Explorations Conference at Cornell I realized the simple answer is, “I do a lot in 4-H!” Yet, I still don’t participate in all the activities available.

I’m involved with showing Brown Swiss, Dairy Quiz Bowl, Dairy Judging, Livestock Judging, Livestock Skill-a-thon, showing hogs, cooking, sewing, public presentations, being a Teen Leader, Junior DAIRY LEADER; and I’m a member of the State TECH team. I enjoy all of these activities and if I had more time, I would probably do more. I have learned so much with 4-H. 4-H has helped me to acquire many life skills. Through showing my cows and pigs, I have learned how to properly raise and care for animals. And, for the past few years I have become very active in the animal management and health care part of the farm. I enjoy working with animals and am currently exploring jobs in the agriculture industry.

Skill and knowledge competitions have helped me gain good work ethics through rewarding experiences. I’ve learned that if you want to excel, you have to work at it, but it all pays off in the end. By participating in Dairy Quiz Bowl, I have been on the District team twice and have joined the Allegany-Steuben Junior Holstein Association to compete there as well.

Skill-a-thon created another unique opportunity for me. I was a member of the 2004 NYS Livestock Skillathon Team and am now the assistant coach in my county. Coaching Skill-a-thon and being a Teen Leader with my Willing Workers Club has helped me become a better leader. I’ve learned how to help kids perform tasks and remember necessary information. I really enjoy being able to help others.

Judging has also been a very beneficial activity. In an animal judging competition, participants are forced to make a decision in 12 minutes and have to be able to support that decision. Just last month I was able to go to Harrisburg to represent New York State at the Penn All-American Dairy Judging Contest after receiving twelfth place at states. The competition there was nerve wracking but I received 2nd high individual overall and New York was the first place team. I will also be going to Louisville, Kentucky as a member of the State Livestock Judging team.

Oral Reasons, like public presentations, help youth develop better speaking skills. When you are up in front of a judge who may or may not agree with you, you really have to make

a strong case and be confident in your presentation. These skills carry over to school and everyday life. I have several classmates that are 4-H’ers and I’ve noticed that it is easier for us to participate in debates and class presentations than for most kids.

Because of all of these experiences, I was chosen to be a part of both the National 4-H TECH and Dairy National Conference this year. It was awesome to meet kids from across the country with the same interests as me, but different backgrounds. These National Conferences were by far some of the best times I’ve ever had.

4-H opens a world of opportunity to everyone, whether you are interested in animals, clothing, or technology, all you have to do is try to take advantage of those opportunities. Some things require work, but speaking from experience; it really pays off in the end and you won’t regret putting that much time in. 4-H really does take you places!

For more information about the 4-H Dairy and Livestock Programs, visit www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/index.html.

4-H + Cornell & SUNY Morrisville = Careers

By Annaliese Ross, 15, Little Rascals 4-H Club Recently I went to the SUNY Morrisville Standardbred camp. This is a weeklong 4-H camp where 4-H’ers from everywhere in New York gather to learn about Standardbred racing and breeding. The idea of this fun camp is to introduce youth to the Standardbred racing and breeding industry. It is also designed to introduce youth to various horse related careers and to SUNY Morrisville.

We stayed in the dorms and spent the days either at the barns or on one of the assorted field trips planned throughout the week. A typical day started out with breakfast in the mess hall then the bus ride to the barns. We attended a lecture then met with a teacher, one of the five summer interns. We took care of our assigned horse (cleaning stalls, picking hooves, brushing, etc, etc) and then we harnessed them up and took them out to be worked. The great thing about this camp is that we were actually able to drive the horses.

The interns would ride with us, of course, but we had the chance to drive the horses ourselves.

After lunch, we reported to the lecture room or the indoor rink for a demonstration or a lecture.

I also attended the 4-H Cornell Career Explorations conference at Cornell. This is an annual three-day event with a focus on careers. The point is to try to get 4-H’ers to realize their strengths and interests so that they can choose a career. The students stay in Cornell dorms and they attend classes instructed by Cornell faculty and staff. This also gives students a taste of college life and the opportunity to discuss college with experienced people.

Both of these camps had an emphasis on careers and skills. This is just one of the great things about 4-H, it helps to create mature, responsible, and goal oriented youth. I am a senior this year and am applying to colleges. No matter where in life I further my education, these skills will make the whole college experience that much better.

For more information about 4-H horse programs, visit: www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/horses.

Annaliese Ross (front) with the 2006 Steuben Hippology Senior 1 Team: Standing L-R Jenny Groen, Holly Bedient, and Catherine VonHagn.

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

January 8, 2007

Page 17

Sheeptastic Fair

By Jeff Lyons, 16, Outsiders 4-H Club I have been showing sheep and pigs at the Steuben county fair for nine years. I have really enjoyed the times that I have spent at the fair and the times that I have spent raising sheep. I have gone to many different judging events and programs and have met so many different people that helped me with my sheep showing and sheep projects.

My favorite week is the fair week. I spend time there with friends, some that I only get to see once a year. I get excited because I know that I worked so hard with my animals to get them all meaty and fat, to sell them at the auction. As the fair week approaches my family and I are busy trying to get everything prepared.

We call a trucker to transport my sheep and pigs to the fair; we pick flowers and vegetables, and get other crafts and projects ready to enter into the 4-H exhibit hall to be judged.

Fair week has its up and downs. The up side is that you get to hang out with friends. As we gather around and sit on the show boxes, we catch up on old times and joke around, or talk about what we are going to do to a fellow 4-H’er. With some of the free time after cleaning pens, washing animals, and helping other members with their animals, we often get a game of football or soccer going. As the night comes, we organize a game of capture the flag. We also play in the horse

stalls and in the back of the sheep and swine barn. When 10 o’clock hits, the 4-H members that are staying have to be in the barn or dorms for the night. The day before the show day, everyone in the barns is trying to get the sheep and pigs into the wash racks, to make them look clean and presentable to the judge.

The fair is fun, but with the fun is work. As I get the animals ready for the show, I have to clean, shear, wash, and touch up on some other aspects to prepare my sheep.

Even though the show is great to be in, you never know what the judge is looking for. I may be doing something right in my mind, but the judge will give me poor placing for what I thought was correct. Although it is hard, I have tried not to be too attached to my market animals. I have known some people that do get very attached and when the sale comes around, they don’t want to sell and when they do, they get teary-eyed and sad.

The fair experience is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. I would never give those weeks at the fair up for anything - with all the memories, all the friends and all the things that happen during the Steuben County Fair. I will always remember the days when I was sitting on the show box playing pranks, and showing the sheep and pigs.

For more information about 4-H Sheep programs, visit www.ansci.cornell.edu/4H/sheep.

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 Laura Harthan@lbh25@cornell.edu. Please provide your name, farm name, postal address, and county.

Visit the Cornell Small Farms Program online at www.smallfarms.cornell.edu.

Want to write for the Youth Pages? Writers need not be 4-H members.

Please submit your article or letter to: Celeste Carmichael, 4-H Youth Development Program Specialist, CCE State 4-H Youth Development Office, 340 Roberts Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 Phone 607-255-4799, Fax 607-255-0788, http://cce.cornell.edu/4h

Activity Make An Apple Air Freshner

Resource Spotlight A Forest Landowner’s Guide to Internet Resources http://na.fs.fed.us/pubs/misc/flg/ This online listing of internet resources was developed by the Northeastern Area Association of State Foresters to provide you landowners with a better understanding of the information and resources available on the internet relating to forest stewardship. In browsing the site, you'll hopefully find links to areas you're already interested in, and perhaps also find your interest captured by other, previously unfamiliar, aspects of forest stewardship.

Part 1 of this website is an extensive collection of online Publications, Brochures, and Fact Sheets. These include, for example, information on Biodiversity/Threatened and Endangered Species, Conservation Easements, Cost Share Assistance for Forest Landowners, Economics of Forest Investments, Forest Harvesting Operations, Income Tax and Estate Planning, Maps and Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and many more topics.

Part 2 lists Internet Resources by State.

While much useful information is available on the web, this is no substitute for a good working relationship with your local service, extension, or consulting forester. Furthermore, the web is a dynamic environment - what is there today may not be there tomorrow, and links that work today may not work tomorrow - and therefore we encourage you to continue to look to your local service, extension, or consulting forester as your primary source of information.

If you are unsure of who your local state forestry contact is, visit the National Association of State Foresters web site at www.stateforesters.org/SFlinks.html and click on your state for information on how to contact your state forestry office.

Page 18

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

COWS & CROPS

Soil Test Level Below Optimum Optimum Above Optimum

Soil Testing 101 A review of the basics Every state in the Northeast has its own land grant university that has developed methods of soil testing and fertilizer recommendations specific to its state. While the specific recommendations may differ, the concepts underlying each university system are very similar. In this article I’ll explain the soil testing system used by Rutgers Cooperative Extension as an example.

P & K: BUILDUP, MAINTENANCE, AND DRAWDOWN In the Rutgers system, fertilizer recommendations for phosphorus and potassium based on soil tests fall into three basic categories: buildup, maintenance, and drawdown. The type of recommendation depends on whether the soil test level is Below Optimum, Optimum, or Above Optimum.

When soil test levels are in the Optimum range, it means that the field is ready to produce an optimum yield with no further fertilization. The only reason for applying fertilizer is to maintain the fertility in the optimum range for next year's crop. A maintenance recommendation simply replaces the nutrients which will be removed by the harvest of the current crop.

potassium because the soil is able to store these nutrients. Nitrogen fertilizer, on the other hand, is not held over from one season to the next because it is much more soluble. This is one of the reasons why nitrogen is not included in the traditional standard soil test. Nitrogen recommendations are based instead on the yield potential of the crop.

UNDERSTANDING YOUR SOIL TEST REPORTS When looking at their soil test results, producers frequently ask me, "Is that what's available to the plant?" I always answer, "The test only tells you the amount of nutrients which were extractable." Only the plant and the Good Lord know what nutrients are available to the plant, and they aren't talking (at least not to me).

It would be nice if we had an extracting solution that would tell us exactly what the plant sees. Unfortunately, soils are so complex and variable, and there is still so much we don't understand about them, that it is virtually impossible to make one

The likelihoods of response to fertilizer were determined by actually growing crops on plots with different levels of soil fertility, adding different amounts of fertilizer, and carefully harvesting and measuring the yields. This step, called "calibration", is typically done by agricultural scientists on research farms. Because it is expensive and time-consuming, it is normally done by universities, not private labs. It took years to collect enough yield information to calibrate the soil tests. The researchers used this information to

Returning to our original question, I've explained why you don't need to worry if a soil test tells you what's "available" to the plant. All you need to know is if the test predicts you will get an economic response to adding fertilizer -- which after all is why you took the sample in the first place. Recommendations based upon calibrations done in your state will give the most profitable results for your locality. For more information or to get your soil tested, contact your local Cooperative Extension office.

Brian Aldrich is an Agriculture Educator with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Cayuga County. He can be reached at 315-255-1183, ext.236 or bsa9@cornell.edu.

Probability of Response to Fertilizer Very Likely Will Sometimes Respond, and Sometimes Not Not Likely No Likelihood

Wessels’ Farm Wesplug Wessels’ Farm Wesplug

Fall is a good time to take soil samples.

Photographer: Chanda Lindsay

The goal of soil testing is to get the nutrient levels of all of your fields into the optimum range. Fields which test Below Optimum are robbing you of yield. Fields which test Above Optimum are robbing you of profit if you are still fertilizing them.

Applying phosphorus to fields testing Above Optimum also poses a threat to the quality of surface waters. Steering all of your nutrient levels into the Optimum range is the best way to both achieve maximum economic yields and minimize impact on the environment.

The concepts of buildup, maintenance, and drawdown work for phosphorus and

What soil tests do tell us is the likelihood of getting a yield response to fertilizer.

These likelihoods range from "very likely" to "none". The table below shows the ratings used by the Rutgers Soil Testing Lab, and their meanings.

develop recommendations for the amount of fertilizer to add for soils testing low, medium, and high. So the recommendation you receive today is based upon years of collecting data on the research farms, followed by on-farm tests for verification.

The goal of soil testing is to steer soil nutrient levels into the optimum range. Photographer: Quirine Kettterings

For field crops, sample the top 8 inches of soil. Photographer: Quirine Kettterings

Wessels’ Farms, Inc.

Quality Plants: Grower to Grower Mum or Poinsettia Cuttings: Quality Rooted Cuttings Started by our Experienced Growers.

Plant-N-Ship: Pre-Planted Flats Available in Most Common Tray Sizes.

WESPLUG Plugs: No Minimum for Listed Varieties, 3 Tray Minimum Custom Limited Use of Growth Regulators - Our Plants Grow!

Many Varieties to Choose From Local Grower - Delivered from Our Door to Your Door

a Family Farm Since 1945 94 Bull Road Otisville, NY 10963

Call Direct or Contact your Henry F. Michell, Richard D. Smith, Fred C. Gloeckner, W.H. Milikowski or Griffin Greenhouse Supply Salesperson.

Call Today!

800-431-8353 or 845-386-5681 w.wesselsfarms.com

Bedding Plants ~ Hardy Chrysanthemums ~ Perennials ~ Poinsettias ~ Plugs ~ Summer Annuals ~ Plant-N-Ship Wessels’ Farm Wesplug Wessels’ Farm Wesplug

Wessels’ Farm Wesplug Wessels’ Farm Wesplug Wessels’ Farm Wesplug

Lastly, for soil test levels Above Optimum, there is so much of the nutrient in the soil that it is not even necessary to replace the nutrients removed by the crop. Fields above optimum may be farmed without fertilization for a number of years, until the nutrient level drops back down into the optimum range. Drawdown recommendations may be likened to making a withdrawal from your bank account after years of making deposits.

extracting solution that will work in all situations. Each nutrient can exist in many different forms in the soil. We can't see them directly -- our laboratory instruments are our eyes and ears. But even then we are only guesstimating.

Soil Test Rating Very Low, Low Medium High Very High

When soil test levels are Below Optimum, it is necessary to apply more than simply a maintenance dose. A buildup application is also required, to boost the soil test level into the optimum range for crops grown in future years.

Type of Fertilizer Recommendation Buildup Maintenance Drawdown

Source: Rutgers Cooperative Exension Fact Sheet 719, “Soil Fertility Test Interpretation”,

by Prof. Joseph Heckman. Rev 2006.

Wessels’ Farm Wesplug Wessels’ Farm Wesplug Wessels’ Farm Wesplug

By Brian Aldrich

January 8, 2007

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

January 8, 2007

Page 19

Moon in the Pond Farm

Billie and Chet’s farm

From Field to Plate

Photo Essay by Jason Houston I never intended this particular project to go on so long. When I first moved east from California and started photographing my new CSA, Indian Line Farm, I did it simply as a way of escaping my regular work as a magazine photographer, to explore without an assignment a place I loved to visit each week. Slowly, one spare afternoon and miscellaneous early morning at a time, as I began to add more farms to my schedule, photographing farms grew into one of my primary ongoing projects. The purpose, through both editorial and fine art projects, has become to relay the stories I hear and engage my community in conversations on the issue of where our food comes from and how.

Some of the variety is more fiery and philosophical. The farmers, most who just as appropriately could be called activists, work as hard for any number of related causes as they do harvesting in the fields. Artisinal foods, land preservation, sustainability, animal welfare, community, and health. For me, it's finding this depth and diversity, and what is unique, in something that is at the same time so fundamental, even common, that makes eating and photographing local foods so rewarding.

Jason Houston is a documentary photographer based in the Berkshires in Western Massachusetts, where most of these images were made. He is currently also photographing conservation issues - including agricultural practices - with Rare Conservation, an international conservation organization supporting grassroots activism around the world. His most recent trip was to southeastern Nicaragua. You can view more of his images online at www.jasonhouston.com.

For six years, this project has been held together by a single theme: the deep commitment to local & sustainable agriculture. But it gives me very different stories, perspectives, opinions, interpretations, and approaches at each new place I visit.

Some of the variety is quiet and elemental. My milk from High Lawn Farm tastes the same way the fields that I walk in smell, and likewise changes with the seasons. The secret ingredients that make Flying Pigs Farm's pork so fantastic, are only secret until I visit and wander the pigs' forests to count the various herbs supplementing their diets.

High Lawn Farm

Harrier Fields Farm

Holcomb Farm

Sheperd Farm

Keepsake Farm

Flying Pigs Farm

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

January 8, 2007

COWS & CROPS

The Beginning of Success With a little help from FSA, Adam and Nicole Liddle got off to a good start in dairy farming

By Randi Sheffer I’d like you to meet Adam and Nicole Liddle, owners of Liddleholme Farm in Argyle, New York. I first met Adam when he was participating in a 4-H sponsored practice judging meeting. Even at a young age Adam’s enthusiasm with cows was evident.

Adam and Nicole will tell you that, “If it wasn’t for FSA we wouldn’t be farming. FSA was good to us.” They are both glad I made them keep up with their record keeping. “We knew where all of our money was spent. It was a pain but it helped!”

own their own farm. Because cows are what Adam knew best, all of Adam and Nicole’s efforts and money would be focused on the cows. To help minimize their debt, only essential equipment would be purchased and they would buy their feed.

Through FSA Adam and Nicole financed the purchase of 54 cows from Canada, a tractor, manure spreader and a wagon.

They also received an annual operating loan to help cover the start up costs and family living expenses until the milk checks started to arrive.

Page 21 Adam and Nicole have three children, Anthony, age 13, Brock, age 10 and Hailee, age 5. Everyone is involved in the operation.

All three children help milk, feed and clean up. Anthony and Brock were responsible for the show herd at Eastern States this year.

Because of the children’s enthusiasm and hard work, Adam and Nicole have been thinking about the future. Status quo isn’t good enough and they are always looking for areas to improve. Two areas they are working on is heifer raising and pasture management. And the future for this young family looks very bright.

Liddleholme Farm Photographer: Randi Sheffer I recently asked Adam and Nicole if they had any advice to give other beginning farmers. Their advice, “buy quality cows and do everything you can to improve cow comfort.” Adam added, “Get your financing with people who know the industry.”

Calf pens built by Anthony and Brock Liddle Photographer: Randi Sheffer The next time I had the opportunity to work with Adam he was 25, had married Nicole and started a family. Adam had worked as a herd manager for Ridgedale Farm and with any money they could scrape together started purchasing purebred registered Holsteins to start their herd. With 10 cows, Adam and Nicole decided it was time to start their own dairy, but they needed help.

The year was 1998 and with plan in hand they came to the Farm Service Agency (FSA). The initial plan was to rent a farm and milk cows. But the ultimate goal was to

Quality cows at Liddleholme Farm Photographer: Randi Sheffer My experience with Adam and Nicole was very positive. They came to FSA knowing exactly what they wanted to do. They knew what they needed and had budgeted what they were willing to spend for the necessities.

And where are they now? Adam and Nicole have graduated from FSA! They purchased their farm in 2002 through FSA’s guaranteed loan program. They also refinanced their FSA operating debt with the guaranteed loan program. They are currently milking 67 registered Holsteins with a 111.9 BAA (4th in NYS) with a herd average of 20,155 pounds.

Adam said that the transition to commercial credit was easy. The initial paperwork wasn’t much different from FSA’s. With a laugh he added that now that they are established with First Pioneer Farm Credit, it’s much easier and faster to get money.

Youngstock at Liddleholme Farm Photographer: Randi Sheffer

Adam and Nicole were the first beginning farmers I worked with and I’m happy to say we achieved the goal that was first their dream and now a reality.

If you would like information about FSA’s beginning farmer program or any of our other programs, please contact your local FSA office.

Randi Sheffer is a Farm Loan Officer with USDA’s Farm Service Agency. You can reach her at (518) 692-9940 or randi.sheffer@ny.usda.gov.

MANAGING RISK

Prepare to Prevent Customized on-farm safety training offered to NY farmers

By Sharon Schofield

“Prepare to Prevent” was the motto of the 2006 National Farm Safety & Health Week during September 17-23. This annual promotion by the National Safety Council commemorated the hard work, diligence, and sacrifices of our nation’s farmers and ranchers. The 2006 event marked the 63rd consecutive signing of a proclamation by a US President, beginning with FDR in 1944.

Staff is available from The New York Center for Agricultural Medicine and Health (NYCAMH) to help you “Prepare to Prevent” and make your farm as safe as it can be. We recently received one year grant funding from the New York State Department of Labor Hazard Abatement Board to assist New York farmers, youth and migrant workers with farm safety surveys and safety training. All of these services are offered at no cost to the farm owner. Services offered are listed below:

On-farm survey and safety training for New York farmers. Our on-farm safety survey and training is available for any size and type of agricultural operation: Dairy, Vegetable, Livestock, Horse, Orchard, Crop, and Greenhouse. All information will be kept strictly confidential and is for the farm’s benefit only. Each participating farm will receive suggestions on how to eliminate

possible hazards and be offered on-farm safety training sessions.

Safety topics that we typically offer include: • Tractor & Machinery • Skidsteer • Forklift • Packinghouse/Processing Line • Personal hygiene • Payloader • Mechanical Hazards • Personal Protective Equipment • Heat & Sun • Cold Weather • Safe Lifting & Carrying • Worker Protection Standard Other safety topics can be presented upon request. All safety-training topics can be conducted in Spanish. Each farm that completes an on-farm safety survey and/or on-farm safety training session receives a certificate of completion and a copy of the safety survey and/or safety training roster. .

The aim of the on-farm safety surveys is to identify any mechanical, environmental and personal hazards that the farm owner or manager may not have been aware of. The on-farm safety survey will address questions about using and maintaining farm equipment and buildings, and protecting farmers, farm families and farm workers.

4-H club farm safety activity. We are also offering 4-H clubs in New York State the opportunity to do an on-farm safety survey identifying potential hazards around the farm. Each participating club will receive suggestions on how to avoid possible hazards. Subjects will include farmstead, tractor and machinery safety and use of per-

• Diseases – Poison Ivy, Lyme Disease, West Nile Virus • Personal Protection – feet, eyes, hearing, lungs, lifting, and personal hygiene Bi-lingual posters and flyers are also available for self-training of your migrant employees. You can receive your posters by calling 800-343-7527, ext 239 or by visiting our website – www.nycamh.com.

Select “Farm Safety Material” and then choose “Posters”.

Staff from NYCAMH is again using the assistance of Outreach Worker Staff from the Finger Lakes Migrant Health Care Project, the Hudson River Community Health Center, and Regional Farm Safety Trainers to help with surveys and trainings.

It’s easy to arrange an on-farm safety survey and customized safety training for your farm. sonal protective equipment on the farm.

This activity is open to any 4-H agricultural club with access to any type of farm.

Migrant workers on-farm safety training.

Trainings include Spanish translation and bi-lingual safety posters and flyers. Topics may include: • Mechanical – tractors, equipment, ladders, processing line, packing house, skidsteers or forklifts • Environment – weather, heat and sun, and Worker Protection Standards

If you would like more information or wish to schedule an on-farm worker safety training or safety survey, contact Jim Carrabba, Agricultural Safety Specialist at NYCAMH at 800-343-7527, ext 239 or jcarrabba@nycamh.com. Each farmer who completes an on-farm survey will receive a farm safety training manual and a SlowMoving-Vehicle emblem. You can also visit our website www.nycamh.com. A program of Bassett Healthcare, NYCAMH is enhancing agricultural and rural health by preventing and treating occupational injury and illness.

Sharon Scofield is Education/Outreach Project Manager with the New York Center for Agricultural Medicine & Health (NYCAMH)

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

Page 22

January 8, 2007

HOME & FAMILY

On Raising Rural Kids Caring school administrators can make a difference

By Celeste Carmichael After viewing the David Sutherland film “Country Boys,” I’ve started to take more notice of the impact that school administrators can have on our kids.

"Country Boys" is a moving documentary about the trials and triumphs of two boys growing up in the Appalachian hills of eastern Kentucky. Filmed over three years, the film traces the boys' struggles to overcome poverty and family issues in a quest for a brighter future. The film offers insights into the types of relationships that can be beneficial to youth and what inspires their decisions, both good and bad.

The boys in the film both attend the same alternative high school. Mr. Greene, the school's founder and director, sets the tone for the whole school. “We develop relationships here,” he says. “I try to extend respect. I also let them (the kids) know that I expect an effort in return, and I don’t cut much slack.” The school’s principal schedules regular counseling and goal-setting sessions for individuals and small groups.

She, too, holds the boys accountable for their actions – but in a way that they clearly know she cares.

In my own school district, Mr. Greg Jenne, the Vice Principal at Millard Fillmore Elementary School, is a similar kind of administrator with a positive, relational approach.

As “just a mom” who is occasionally in the school picking up kids or helping out in the classroom, I’ve witnessed Greg’s focus on character behavior, the interest and fun he brings to the morning announcements, his caring interaction with kids - even in disciplinary situations. Mr. Jenne graciously agreed to an interview.

INTERVIEW WITH A VICE PRINCIPAL Q. How would you characterize the role of vice principal?

A. Well, it varies from school district to school district. In our school I handle discipline and character development. Our principal focuses on curriculum and staff development – we have found this to be a very nice blend. And, we share the same philosophy about how we want our students to feel about their school and education.

There are students that I see every day. I enjoy the discipline portion of my job. I bring sympathy and empathy to this work.

I know there are issues that are coming with the kids as they walk through the door in the morning. The kids that come in with no homework done, typically have no support at home. Providing a good breakfast and good lunch, helping them navigate through the day without trouble, and keeping them in school is an achievement for them.

Q. What influences your philosophy as a school administrator?

A. There are a quite a few things that influenced both my career path and philosophy.

First, I was always around and in the school when I was growing up. We lived next door to the school, my mom worked in the cafeteria there and my dad was a bus driver. I felt comfortable there. I want our students to feel comfortable here.

Character development is very important to me, and as a result, it is something that I

brought to my job. One thing that we do is recognize a “student of the week” every week – recognizing them on the announcements, in front of their peers, and acknowledging their contributions to the character of the school with a small gift. This gives incentive to kids to do good deeds. It is not always the best academic students that are selected as the student of the week, giving an equal opportunity to every student to contribute and feel valued.

I have a lot of fun building relationships with the students and school. Morning announcements are one example. A few students work with me every morning to share news over the PA, we recognize kids, classrooms and birthdays – giving the school a family feeling.

Thinking back to my own education, there were administrators that helped me lead the way, there were also others that I did not feel connected to. I’d rather try to make a difference for kids.

Q. Some may say that students in a rural school district are at a disadvantage due to lack of resources be it transportation, facilities and of course, funding. How do you react to that statement??

A. Having come from a very small town, and having taught in a larger district, I’d say that we are at an advantage – though some may not see it that way. I grew up in Russell, NY – a small town in the Potsdam area. There were 25 kids in my graduating class. To me it is a privilege to grow up in a small school district (Millard Fillmore Elementary has 600 students in the building K-6 grade).

Although we may not always have state-ofthe-art equipment, I know most of the kids by name and know if they will need something special to get through their day.

There is a community-wide small town feeling here. The whole town rallies around the school when there is an event or program. These things are of great value – and in the end are very important to students.

Q. What advice would you give parents of kids growing up in rural areas?

A. My advice probably isn’t specific to rural families…but it is true for families everywhere. Help your kids choose books and outdoor play over high-tech toys. Get involved in anything that your kids are interested in. Know their friends, where they are going and what they are doing.

Get involved in the school’s parent teacher organization. It is the families that follow this path, who seem to have a better chance of having kids that succeed.

Many thanks, Mr. Jenne, for agreeing to be a part of this column! May every child come in contact with school administrators who care as you do!

Celeste Carmichael is State 4-H Program Specialist with Cornell Cooperative Extension. If you would like to nominate a friend (or yourself!) for an interview in this column contact Celeste at 607-255-4799 or cjc17@cornell.edu. , Any topic related to rural youth will be considered. The Country Boys series along with discussion is online: www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/countryboys.

Greg Jenne, Vice Principal of Millard Fillmore Elementary School, focuses on building relationships with students. Photo by Celeste Carmichael

Resource Spotlight Dairy Farm Business Summaries Publications from Cornell’s Dairy Farm Business Summary (DFBS) program are invaluable tools for helping dairy farmers analyze their businesses to increase profitability. The DFBS allows you to compare your farm’s financial and production performance to dairy farms of various sizes, types and regions. A variety of DFBS publications are available including: • DFBS, NY Small Herd Farms, 80 Cows or Fewer, list price: $16 • DFBS, Intensive Grazing Farms, NY, list price: $16 • DFBS, NY Large Herd Farms, 300 Cows or Larger, list price: $16 • Regional summaries for areas of NYS To order, send a check payable to "Cornell University" to: Linda Putnam, Applied Economics and Management, 305 Warren Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853-7801.

CCE and Cornell staff receive a substantial discount.

ADVERTISERS! Small Farm Quarterly Is Your Readers’ Information Resource • Delivered to Over 27,000 Households from Maine through Pennsylvania • Long Shelf Life • Online Readership • Readership is Interested in a Wide Range of Products and Services

For advertising information, call:

Tom Mahoney Country Folks, Sales Manager 518-673-3237 ext. 244

SMALL FARM QUARTERLY

January 8, 2007

STEWARDSHIP & NATURE

Agricultural Environmental Management It’s Good Business!

By Barbara Silvestri For many farmers, environmental stewardship is viewed not just as the ‘right thing to do,’ but also an important strategic asset for their businesses. Farmers know that in order for their businesses to remain strong, they need to be vigilant about protecting the environment. New York’s Agricultural Environmental Management (AEM) program provides the tools to help accomplish both.

“In today’s economy, we have to use all the resources available to remain viable,” says John Kriese of Spring Pond Farm in Yates County. “The AEM Program has certainly helped me to continue my commitment to conservation and benefit my bottom line. Through analyzing my soils and my farming operation, the quality of cattle that we now produce has greatly increased because of the AEM practices that we have put into effect.”

A VOLUNTARY PROGRAM AEM is a voluntary, incentive-based program that assists farmers in their environmental stewardship efforts and protects the quality of their farms’ natural resources, which are the foundation of their long-term economic viability. The AEM program coordinates agricultural and environmental conservation agencies and programs, as well as private sector consultants, to provide a one-stop resource for services. All agricultural counties in New York State are conducting AEM programs, and participation has grown to include nearly 10,000 farms.

Farmers work with a team of local AEM resource professionals to develop and implement comprehensive, site specific farm plans using a five-tiered approach: • Tier 1: Inventory current activities, future plans and potential environmental concerns.

• Tier 2: Document current land stewardship; assess and prioritize areas of concern.

• Tier 3: Develop a conservation plan addressing concerns and opportunities tailored to farm goals.

• Tier 4: Implement the plan utilizing available financial, educational and technical assistance.

• Tier 5: Conduct evaluations to ensure the protection of farm viability and the environment.

The first step to take part in AEM is to contact your County Soil and Water Conservation District and complete the Tier 1 Questionnaire and the Tier 2 Risk Assessment, which consists of a set of worksheets appropriate to your farm operation.

This is an efficient way to take a comprehensive look at potential environmental impacts and identify the resources available to address them. It will document what you are doing to protect the environment and prioritize areas for improvement.

sen, provided the options and the education we needed to make improvements on the farm that benefited our business, our neighbors and the environment.”

If you would like to schedule a free, confidential AEM Risk Assessment for your farm, contact your County Soil and Water Conservation District. To learn more about AEM or to locate your Conservation District office, visit www.nys-soilandwater.org. Watch for future articles on some of the AEM Worksheets that small farms find useful.

AN AEM RISK ASSESSMENT CAN HELP YOU: • Document your environmental practices and the benefits your farm provides to your community.

• Assess vulnerable areas of the farm that

Page 23 may present environmental risk.

• Identify practices at risk for regulatory action or neighbor complaints to prevent hassles and fines.

• Determine if your water supply or neighboring wells are at risk for contamination.

• Qualify for state and federal cost-share grants to address high risk issues.

• Acquire information for long-term business planning and better positioning in the marketplace.

• Consider conservation practices that could save you money when implemented.

• Earn “green” payments or participate in farmland protection programs.

Barbara Silvestri is Information & Education Program Coordinator with the NYS Soil & Water Conservation Committee.

She can be reached at 518-457-3186 or barb.silvestri@agmkt.state.ny.us.

AEM addresses more than just nutrient management. The risk assessment covers farmstead water supplies, pasture management, pesticide use, and many other farm practices. There are also worksheets specific to equine operations, greenhouses, and vineyards. The risk assessment can even provide guidance to build and maintain positive relationships with neighbors.

An environmentally friendly farm conservation plan can maximize profits by enhancing soil quality, improving herd health, and reducing unnecessary applications of fertilizers and pesticides. AEM helps manage pollutants such as manure and fertilizer nutrients, handle barnyard runoff and process wastewater, conserve soil, prevent sedimentation, and protect drinking water.

COMMUNITY BENEFITS AEM practices on the farm also provide economic and environmental benefits to the community. When coupled with effective conservation practices, well managed farms are the preferred land use to improve water quality and protect valuable natural resources, which ultimately improves the lives of all New Yorkers.

Small farms are critically important stewards of New York’s natural resources, and the AEM program supports farms of all types and sizes in their efforts to be both environmentally sound and economically viable. In this time of environmental awareness, farm-neighbor tensions, and high production costs, AEM’s technical and financial resources are particularly valuable to help farmers maintain their commitment to conservation.

“It’s a win-win program!” says Kriese. “Our Yates County Soil and Water Conservation District AEM Coordinator, Tom Eskild-

Resource Spotlight Small-Scale Grower Cooperatives in the Northeast

With spring approaching, it’s a good time to look for ways to improve the environmental performance of your farm. Photo by Bill Henning

Readers Write Weeds

By Kathleen Tenpas

Hobblebush baneberry jimsonweed carrion flower Sometimes I hated you, teaching me to want you dead, feeding me bitterness and thwarted lives with old horehound and sour lemon drops.

Death angel nightshade toad stool doll’s eyes I’d head for the woods, but you’d be there, limping along a cow path watching gravity pull down your dreams, hunch your back, leaving you with ruins and gall.

Pig weed purslane sheep sorrel golden rod You wanted me to pay as you had, to earn every stalk and branch, to pay in years, the pain of waiting, my youth gone, my dreams, you wanted me to know as no one else had.

Heal-all boneset vervain Joe-Pye weed

The USDA Rural Development Office has released a report titled Small-Scale Grower Cooperatives in the Northeast United States: A Study of Organizational Characteristics, Manager, Member and Director Attitudes, and the Potential for Improving Regional Inter-Cooperative Collaboration.

The report, by Duncan Hilchey, Gil Gillespie and Brian Henehan of Cornell University, features 35 pages of information gleaned from a series of surveys of coop members and managers. The report examines management and organizational factors affecting Northeast small-scale fruit and vegetable cooperatives, and explores ways in which cooperatives in the region can improve their performance and work together on common interests.

Print copies of the report are available by contacting Cornell’s Community, Food, and Agriculture Program at 607-25s5-9832, or gcg4@cornell.edu.

But I learned patience, fought bitterness with small hopes fulfilled, hard work found new marks met, stone by stone it all came to me in your life.

You refused to see it, refused to know my joy.

Musk mallow jewel weed pussy toes meadowsweet I have mourned you, and know what you might have had, what could have come to you here.

This farm is balm, a quietness in my spirit, your bitterness come sweet, rest you easy.

Kathleen Tenpas writes and farms in Panama, New York.