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Upcoming beginner poultry class

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BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. — Have you ever thought of having your own backyard chicken flock? Do you have chickens and want to improve your production?

Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County will be hosting a beginner poultry class on Monday, March 6th at 6 pm, CCE Office 50 West High Street Ballston Spa NY 12020.

Topics will include; housing, feeding, and basic maintenance of your flock, how to choose a breed that works best for you, production, and many other topics. Cost is $5. Please RSVP to Ellie Hackett, CCE Saratoga: 518-885-8995 or eah29@cornell.edu.

–Cornell Cooperative Extension of Saratoga County

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Conferences to help small farm owners

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two conferences designed for the small farm owner will be held in Wilmington and Massillon, Ohio, in March. Ohio State University Extension’s Small Farm Program will host the “Opening Doors to Success” and “Living Your Small Farm Dream” conferences to help small farm owners get the maximum potential out of their business.

“Across Ohio, there are an increasing number of residents who are purchasing small acreage,” said Tony Nye, an OSU Extension educator who coordinates OSU Extension’s Small Farm Program. “Conferences such as this help provide landowners necessary information to help grow their small farm business.”

The two conferences, each with a trade show, are designed to help participants learn tips, techniques and methods for diversifying their operations to improve economic growth and development on their farms, Nye said.

Researchers and educators with OSU Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center, as well as industry experts, will conduct the conference sessions. OSU Extension and OARDC are the outreach and research arms, respectively, of the College of Food, Agricultural, and Environmental Sciences at The Ohio State University.

The “Opening Doors to Success” Conference is March 10-11 at Wilmington College, 1870 Quaker Way in Wilmington. The March 10 session is from 1-5:30 p.m. with a workshop on Poultry Production, held at the Wilmington College Academic Farm, 1590 Fife Ave., in Wilmington; and a workshop on Beekeeping for the Beginner, held at the Wilmington College Kelly Center, on College Street, in Wilmington.

The March 11 session is from 7:45 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. at the Center for Science and Agriculture, 340 College Street, in Wilmington. Topics for the day will include: applying chemicals, greenhouse production, livestock, field crops, finances, and farm and land access.

Registration for the “Opening Doors to Success” conference is $20 for Friday; $60 for Saturday only; or $70 for Friday and Saturday. Register at go.osu.edu/BpkQ no later than March 3. Students are offered a discounted rate.

The “Living the Small Farm Dream” Conference is March 25 at the R.G. Drage Center, 2800 Richville Drive Southwest, in Massillon, from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. The event will include 27 workshop sessions on topics including: disease prevention, aquaculture, land management, finances, solar energy, pond management and using urban land for garden markets.

Registration for the “Living the Small Farm Dream” conference is $60 and $30 for students. Register at agnr.osu.edu/small-farm-programs no later than March 17. For more information contact Nye at 937-382-0901 or nye.1@osu.edu.

The conferences are an outgrowth of the Ohio New and Small Farm College, an eight-week program created by OSU Extension that offers an introduction to the business of small farming for those who are new to the industry. The program offers information on budgeting, business planning and developing a farm structure, among other issues.

— OSU Extension

Workshops tackle hops, CSAs, eggs, more

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JAMESTOWN, N.Y. — Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County’s Agriculture Program will offer 4 workshops next week as part of their 2016-2017 L.E.A.F. (Learn. Empower. Achieve. Farm.) Workshop Series at the Frank Bratt Ag Center. “Resources and Access to Capital for Beginning Farmers” will be held on Tuesday, February 21st from 6pm to 8pm. On Thursday, February 23rd from 6pm to 8pm, a workshop on “Small Scale Hops Production” will be presented. Then, on Saturday, February 25th from 10am – 12pm, a workshop entitled “Running a Successful CSA” will be held. Then, wrapping up the series, on Tuesday, February 28th from 6pm to 8pm, a workshop on “Raising Poultry for Egg Production” will be held.

On Tuesday, February 21st from 6pm to 8pm a workshop entitled “Resource and Access to Capital for Beginning Farmers” will be held. Finding funding for your farm business can often times be the most difficult task for starting a farm business. Join Amanda Ritchey, Farm Loan Manager with the USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA), and USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) staff to learn more about the various resources available through USDA and their associated federal agencies including FSA, Rural Development, and NRCS (Natural Resources Conservation Service). Learn about low-cost loans, insurance programs, disaster payments, and more!

“Small Scale Hops Production” will be the workshop focus on Thursday, February 23rd from 6pm to 8pm. This workshop will provide an overview of hops production from site selection, choosing varieties, plant nutrition, and Integrated Pest Management (IPM) strategies for hops, to harvesting, processing and marketing. Participants will hear not only how things should be done but also some real life experiences of how to determine if you actually need to add a task to the chore list (as well as what happens if you should and you don’t). The workshop is designed to be an informal look at getting into growing hops with a combination of lecture, discussion and Q&A. The instructor will be Tim Weigle, Senior Extension Associate with the NYS IPM Program who has been growing hops for 6 years at the Cornell Lake Erie Research and Extension Laboratory in Portland, NY.

An encore presentation of “Running a Successful CSA” will be held on Saturday, February 25th from 10am to 12pm. CSA’s, or Community Supported Agriculture, are a unique way to connect consumers to farmers. Learn about starting, organizing, managing, and marketing a CSA as well as deciding what type of a CSA will work best for your farm business. Adrienne Ploss, owner of Hickory Hurst farm, a fourth-generation family farm that produces USDA Certified organic cut flowers, herbs, and produce, will be this workshop’s instructor and will incorporate her own experiences with running her farm’s CSA. She has more than 25 years of experience as a horticulturist, as well as a Master’s Degree from Purdue University and a Bachelor’s Degree from Cornell University.

Finally, an encore presentation of “Raising Poultry for Egg Production” will be held on Tuesday, February 28th from 6pm to 8pm. Backyard Chickens are a popular way to get started with homesteading and farming! In this workshop participants will have the opportunity to learn about raising egg-layers from baby chick to productive adult including information on housing and supplies, nutrition, breed selection, chick care, pest control, and marketing. There will also be a discussion on regulations and labelling requirements for sales of farm-fresh eggs. The instructor will be Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Farm Business Management Educator and “Chicken Lady” with Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County, who has had many years of experience raising poultry for egg production.

The L.E.A.F. Workshop Series is open to the general public, including homesteaders, beginning farmers, established farmers looking to diversify and grow, agriculture enthusiasts, and everyone in between! The 2016-2017 Workshop Series features 23 workshops to be held in October and November of 2016 and February of 2017. This season’s L.E.A.F. Program is made possible through the generous support of the Chautauqua Region Community Foundation.

Each workshop will be 2 hours long and led by an experienced instructor. The cost to attend is only $5/family/workshop and light refreshments will be offered. The L.E.A.F. workshops are designed to be interactive, so participants are encouraged to bring their questions and ideas to this collaborative environment! All of the workshops will be held at the Frank W. Bratt Agricultural Center located at 3542 Turner Road in Jamestown, NY.

Pre-registration is required prior to the workshop to allow for adequate time to prepare printed resources and materials. Interested participants can register online by visiting www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua/leaf1617, by emailing kaw249@cornell.edu, or by calling 716-664-9502.

The L.E.A.F. Program is one of many programs offered by Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County (CCE-Chautauqua) in line with the County’s 20/20 Comprehensive Plan. CCE-Chautauqua is a community based educational organization, affiliated with Cornell University, Chautauqua County Government, the NYS SUNY system, and the federal government through the United States Department of Agriculture’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture. For more information, call 716-664-9502 or visit our website at www.cce.cornell.edu/chautauqua. Cornell University Cooperative Extension provides equal program and employment opportunities.

—Katelyn Walley-Stoll, Farm Business Management Educator
Cornell Cooperative Extension of Chautauqua County

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CICA looks forward to 2017

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LA JUNTA, Colo. — The Colorado Independent CattleGrowers Association looks with eager anticipation to 2017 as a year of opportunity for the ranching industry. Resonating President Trump’s strong pro-American agenda, the CICA is continuing to work diligently to re-implement Country of Origin Labeling (COOL) for beef. COOL has been widely opposed by the four main beef packers, none of which are based in the U.S. “Product of USA” allows exporters to seek high premiums for U.S. beef, yet domestic producers have been blocked from the same labeling advantage at home. The cost of implementing COOL is no greater than that of food products with country of origin labeling requirements already in place. COOL will give Americans a choice when purchasing beef and create a fair marketplace for U.S. producers as well as a transparent, safer market for consumers. Consumers have the right to know where their beef comes from.

The CICA applauds President Trump’s executive order to withdraw the United States from the Trans Pacific Partnership, a flawed and unbalanced trade agreement which would have been devastating for American ranchers. The organization will continue to promote trade that is fair and balanced, while opposing agreements which subvert American sovereignty to the World Trade Organization. Working to impact and promote policy which protects private property rights, the CICA will continue to fight against the encroachment of government on private property, be it overtly or behind the veil of non-governmental organizations.

Furthermore, CattleGrowers will continue to educate allotment owners and elected officials about private property rights on United States Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management allotments. Likewise, educating the public that Range Betterment Funds are not “lease fees”, but monies held for the improvement of grazing allotments whose forage is owned by ranchers, as upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court and recognized by the IRS. Grazing rights cannot be taken away without due process and just compensation.

The CICA supports reform of the Beef Checkoff program to restore it to it’s original purpose and intent and to inhibit the use of funds for private speech or political lobbying by any organization.  The mandatory $1 per head fee has become to many ranchers an involuntary payment to the interests and political agenda of the National Cattlemen’s Beef Association, a longtime staunch opponent of Country of Origin Labeling. The CICA supports federal investigation into the misuse of checkoff funds and does not support any mandatory checkoff increase.

CattleGrowers will continue to research and educate ranchers about issues facing the beef industry and the organizations behind them such as the Global and United States Roundtables for Sustainable Beef. The CICA will not use member funds to participate in such roundtables founded by organizations like the World Wildlife Fund, who openly stated that they would use collusion to force their sustainability agenda on consumers and producers (Clay, 2010, 8:30).

CICA supports the Fair Practices Rules, previously known as the Grain Inspection, Packers, Stockyard Administration rules (1921), which will facilitate competition in the livestock and poultry market. These rules will help ensure fair competition and empower cattle producers and feeders to monitor the meatpackers’ conduct and enforce the rules when meatpackers act inappropriately. A truly competitive market will help to reverse the decline in the cattle industry.

The CICA was formed in 2005 when the need arose for a new state cattlemen’s association whose primary focus was to promote USA-raised beef and the interests of Colorado ranchers. The CICA’s continued success is attributed to this focus in a national and global market without compromise. As a producer-driven organization, the CICA knows that the “USA product” label is the most powerful marketing tool for American ranchers. With an annual membership fee of $50 and the requirement for voting members to own cattle, the CICA pledges to use members funds for the benefit of the live cattle industry, preserving a viable livelihood for present and future generations.  Learn more online at www.coloica.com or find us on Facebook.

References:

Clay, Jason. (2010 Aug 16). How big brands can help save biodiversity [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jcp5vvxtEaU

— Colorado Independent CattleGrowers Association

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Ag Outlook Summit extends early reg.

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ST. LOUIS — AgServe.com announced today an extension of the early-registration rate through February 24, 2017 for the Agriculture Outlook Summit to be held in St. Louis this March.

The Sheraton Westport Plaza Hotel agreed to expand space as-available for the AgServe Agriculture Outlook Summit allowing for more participants at the March 9, 2017 event.

“Flexibility with the meeting facilities provides us an opportunity to expand the marketing of this event,” said Dr. Sam Funk, CEO and Executive Economist for AgServe.  “While expanding the invitation, we are also extending the early-registration period at the lower rate of $400 until February 24, 2017.  We will look to accommodate registrations beyond that day, but they are not guaranteed and will be at the higher rates.”

Dr. Funk cited the extended commodity forecast period as one of the advantages for attendees at the AgServe outlook event.  “With an outlook through 2018 highlighting factors to watch along the way – we will deliver timely information with a long shelf-life,” he said.

Bringing together nationally known speakers that have headlined major outlook events and been in the middle of relevant action, AgServe is offering a powerful one-day agriculture outlook.

“With Dr. Scott Brown we have an authority on meat, poultry, and dairy on the day’s program,” said Funk.  “Dr. Paul Kindinger is uniquely qualified as a former USDA Director of Public Affairs and Special Advisor to a past U.S. Secretary of Agriculture to provide insights on the regulatory and administrative climate of the new Trump Administration.”

Dr. Funk will present the oilseed, vegetable oil and protein outlooks.  As the former Chief Economist for the United Soybean Board, Dr. Funk is pleased to welcome a colleague from South America to provide attendees an insider perspective on Brazil and Argentina.   Mr. Pablo Adreani, founder of AgriPAC Consultants in Argentina, a former trader for Cargill Argentina, founding partner of the Argentine Biofuels Association and the Argentine Corn Association, brings great experience and knowledge to this event.  As a consultant for the United Soybean Board and the U.S. Soybean Export Council (USSEC), Pablo understands the dynamics of South American agriculture on U.S. producers and agribusinesses.

Mr. Dan Manternach, one of Dr. Funk’s colleagues from his Doane Advisory Services time and a leading agriculture analyst and speaker, will present the grains outlook.  Dan will also address inflation, interest rates, and FOREX volatility.

This event is geared for those who will benefit from insights and projections of U.S. and global crop, livestock, and poultry production and markets.

For more information including session descriptions, speaker bios, or to register for the event, please visit www.AgServe.com/Outlook.

About AgServe, LLC

AgServe, LLC, provides consulting in advanced economic research, analytics, policy analysis, and management expertise for agriculture and related industries.  AgServe supplies expert advice and applied research management to meet needs for actionable business information.  For more information visit www.AgServe.com.

— AgServe via AgPR

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Rising demand for organic grains

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DENVER — Increasing consumer demand for organic and non-GMO foods led to a sharp rise in organic grain imports in 2016—prompting food manufacturers to explore new incentives for U.S. growers transitioning to organic production, according to a new report from CoBank. While U.S. production of non-GMO crops has risen, domestic production of organic corn and soybeans remains well short of demand.

“Domestic supplies of non-GMO corn and soybeans increased steadily in 2016, as growers converted acreage and captured moderate market premiums,” says Dan Kowalski, director of the Knowledge Exchange Division at CoBank. “Transitioning to organic production, however, is a multi-year, risk-reward calculation that’s likely holding some U.S. growers back from taking advantage of the market opportunity.”

Imports of organic grains, particularly corn, from countries such as India, Ukraine, Romania, and Turkey surged in 2016 to meet the burgeoning U.S. demand for organic food products. Organic corn imports more than doubled from 2015 to 2016 and accounted for nearly one-half of the U.S. organic corn supply. The domestic shortfall for organic soybeans was even greater, with roughly 80 percent of soybeans supplying the U.S. organic market imported in 2016.

Animal feed for organically raised dairy, beef, pork and poultry products, and ingredients used in organic consumer packaged goods are the two principal markets for organically produced grains. For U.S. farmers to satisfy this growing appetite for organic foods, analysts estimate between one and five million U.S. acres would have to be transitioned to organic production.

“Apprehension among growers is likely fueled by the three-year transition period before their crops can be certified as organic,” says Kowalski. “Remaining profitable during that period is often a struggle and, coupled with the volatility of organic price premiums in 2016, grower uncertainty about the sustainability of financial rewards for transitioning to organic is warranted.”

The report notes that some leading food manufacturers are finding new and innovative ways to incentivize growers for transitioning to organic production to help bolster domestic supply and reduce reliance on imports. Those include free agronomic services to contract growers and premiums for goods grown on transitional acres. A new transitional certification is also available that growers and food companies can use to market their products for a price somewhere between that of organic and non-organic crops.

“Proximity to local markets is another critical consideration for prospective organic and non-GMO growers,” adds Kowalski. “If local buyers don’t exist, the cost of logistics involved with transportation can quickly erode pricing premiums, leaving little incentive to grow specialty crops.”

According to Kowalski, demand for both non-GMO and organic crops will continue to grow and, ultimately, monetary incentives will determine whether U.S. growers choose to step in and close the supply deficit. For growers in close proximity to a market and with options for multi-year contracts, non-GMO and organic production might be worth considering, Kowalski said.

A synopsis of the report, “Organic and Non-GMO Specialty Grains: Assessing the Impact and Opportunity for Growers” is available atCoBank.com. The full report is available to media upon request.

About CoBank
CoBank is a $120 billion cooperative bank serving vital industries across rural America. The bank provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states. The bank also provides wholesale loans and other financial services to affiliated Farm Credit associations serving more than 75,000 farmers, ranchers and other rural borrowers in 23 states around the country.

CoBank is a member of the Farm Credit System, a nationwide network of banks and retail lending associations chartered to support the borrowing needs of U.S. agriculture, rural infrastructure and rural communities. Headquartered outside Denver, Colorado, CoBank serves customers from regional banking centers across the U.S. and also maintains an international representative office in Singapore.

For more information about CoBank, visit the bank’s web site at www.cobank.com.

—CoBank
via PRNewswire

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China closes markets amid bird flu fears

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BEIJING, China — Several Chinese cities have shut down their poultry markets in the wake of a bird flu outbreak that has killed at least two dozen people this year across China.

Live poultry sales have now been suspended in Changsha, the capital of central China’s Hunan province, as well as markets across the eastern province of Zhejiang, the official Xinhua News Agency reported Sunday, as authorities deal with dozens of new cases of H7N9 bird flu.

Nearly 300 markets and slaughterhouses were shut down in the southwestern Chinese city of Suining, where authorities are also cracking down on unauthorized poultry businesses.

Xinhua reported that 21 people in Jiangsu province died in January after contracting H7N9. Hunan authorities have reported at least five deaths this year, and an infant girl has died in southwestern Yunnan province.

A major H7N9 bird flu outbreak in humans first struck China in March 2013, killing more than 40 people and devastating the poultry industry. H7N9 is considered less virulent than the H5N1 strain, blamed by the World Health Organization for hundreds of deaths worldwide over the last decade.

Most people infected with H7N9 are believed to contract it by touching infected poultry or entering contaminated areas, according to a WHO alert published last month. Experts do not believe the virus can be spread widely between humans, the WHO said.

In Guangzhou, China’s third-largest city, more than 30 per cent of the live poultry markets were found to be contaminated with H7N9, state media reported Saturday. Authorities in Guangzhou have announced temporary three-day suspensions of the poultry trade to try to contain the virus.

Copyright: For copyright information, please check with the distributor of this item, Canadian Press.

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Yemen food crisis deteriorates

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SANA’A — The number of food insecure people in Yemen has risen by 3 million in seven months, with an estimated 17.1 million people now struggling to feed themselves, according to a joint assessment by three UN agencies.

Of the 17.1 million food insecure people, about 7.3 million are considered to be in need of emergency food assistance.

The preliminary results of the Emergency Food Security and Nutrition Assessment (EFSNA) show that food security and nutrition conditions are deteriorating rapidly due to the ongoing conflict.

More than two-thirds of Yemen’s population of 27.4 million people now lack access to food and consume an inadequate diet.

The EFSNA is a joint survey conducted by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the World Food Programme (WFP) in cooperation with the authorities in Yemen. It is the first national, household-level assessment conducted in the country since the escalation of the conflict in mid-March 2015.

Rates of acute malnutrition were found to have passed the “critical” threshold in four governorates, while agricultural production is falling across the country.

“The speed at which the situation is deteriorating and the huge jump in food insecure people is extremely worrying,” said Salah Hajj Hassan, FAO Representative in Yemen. “Bearing in mind that agriculture is the main source of livelihood for the majority of the population, FAO is urgently calling for funds to scale up its agricultural livelihoods support to farmers, herders and fishing communities to improve their access to food in 2017 and prevent the dire food and livelihood security situation from deteriorating further.”

“We are witnessing some of the highest numbers of malnutrition amongst children in Yemen in recent times. Children who are severely and acutely malnourished are 11 times more at risk of death as compared to their healthy peers, if not treated on time. Even if they survive, these children risk not fulfilling their developmental potentials, posing a serious threat to an entire generation in Yemen and keeping the country mired in the vicious cycle of poverty and under development,” said Dr Meritxell Relano, UNICEF Representative in Yemen.

“The current level of hunger in Yemen is unprecedented, which is translating into severe hardship and negative humanitarian consequences for millions of Yemenis, particularly affecting vulnerable groups,” said Stephen Anderson, WFP Country Director in Yemen. “Tragically, we see more and more families skipping meals or going to bed hungry, while children and mothers are slipping away with little to sustain themselves. WFP is urgently calling for support to provide food for the seven million people who are severely food insecure and may not survive this situation for much longer.”

Food Security  

The severe food insecurity situation in the country has worsened sharply in recent months, with an estimated 65 percent of households now food insecure.

In addition, three-quarters of all households indicate that their economic situation is worse now than before the crisis. Incomes have fallen and many public-sector workers have gone for months without being paid. As a result, 80 percent of Yemenis are in now in debt, and more than half of all households have had to buy food on credit.

Many households – 60 percent – have resorted to negative coping mechanisms such as eating less preferred foods, reducing portions or skipping meals altogether.

Malnutrition

The EFSNA results show that over 2 million children are acutely malnourished.

In four governorates – Abyan, Al Hudaydah, Hadramaut, and Taizz, – malnutrition rates have passed the “emergency” threshold, meaning an acute malnutrition rate of more than 15 percent.  In seven governorates – namely Aden, Al Dhale’e, Al Jawf, Al Mahwit, Hajjah, Lahj, and Shabwah – rates now exceed the “serious” threshold, which indicates an acute malnutrition rate of more than 10 percent.

Agriculture

The agriculture sector is the main source of livelihood for at least 60 percent of Yemeni households. The livelihoods of this critical segment of the population have been hit hard with agricultural production falling drastically in 2016, compared to pre-crisis levels.

Up to 1.5 million households engaged in agriculture now lack access to critical agricultural inputs (including seeds, fertiliser, fuel for irrigation) and are in urgent need of emergency agricultural support. Of these, 860 000 households engaged in livestock production lack access to animal feed (fodder, concentrate, mineral blocks) and many livestock-dependent households have been forced to sell their herds to cater for other household needs.

Meanwhile, inadequate control of crop and livestock disease further erodes an already struggling agricultural sector and requires emergency protection and safeguarding of assets.

FAO’s work

FAO’s emergency work in 2017 focuses on four main areas of activity: providing agriculture kits and tools, as well as vegetable kits and irrigation systems to vulnerable households to improve families’ access to food; emergency protection of livestock  by vaccinating millions of animals; providing emergency support to improve and diversify income and livelihoods with cash-for-work programmes, poultry, bee keeping, and fishing; and strengthening the coordination of institutional food security and agriculture responses while building resilience.

FAO is urgently requesting $48.4 million to scale up its response and assist 3 million of the most vulnerable people in Yemen in 2017.

UNICEF’s work

In the last two years alone, UNICEF has supported the treatment of 460 000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition across Yemen. The children’s agency has also provided under- five children with vitamin supplements and vaccines, besides distributing medicines and medical equipment, nutritional supplies, and assistance for injured children.

UNICEF has also supported school rehabilitation and construction, distributed unconditional humanitarian cash transfers and hygiene kits to the most vulnerable, fuel to run water corporations and water trucking for the millions displaced, including those caught in the fighting in Taizz, Saada and elsewhere.

UNICEF is urgently requesting $237 million to continue its work in Yemen.

WFP’s work

WFP is working to provide urgent food assistance through direct food distributions and food vouchers to nearly seven million people across Yemen. WFP is also providing nutritional support to nursing and pregnant women, as well as children suffering from, or at risk of, moderate acute malnutrition.

As part of the Yemen Humanitarian Response Plan for 2017, WFP appealed for more than $950 million to support over seven million people in Yemen this year.

The preliminary EFSNA results have been incorporated into the 2017 Humanitarian Response Plan for Yemen, also released this week. The findings will also be used to prepare the next Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC) for Yemen, which is scheduled for release in March. Additional analysis is being conducted on the EFSNA results and a final report will be released in March.

–FAO

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Specialty producer survey

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BROOKINGS, S.D. — The South Dakota Specialty Producers Association and SDSU Extension are seeking input from commercial producers.

“We want to better understand production and marketing of specialty crops and other local foods in the state,” said Rhoda Burrows, Professor & SDSU Extension Horticulture Specialist.

Burrows calls out to South Dakota growers of fruits, vegetables, herbs, nuts, hops, nursery crops and flowers, as well as producers of honey, specialty types of poultry, meats, grains or dairy, and related processed foods. By filling out the survey, growers will benefit their industry.

According to Burrows, the results will help better target educational programming, partnerships, and promotion of local food efforts.

“In addition, it will help describe the economic impact of specialty crops in South Dakota,” she said.

“We invite you to complete our annual survey to ensure that we continue to meet your needs and help advance local food efforts in the state,” said Kim Brannen, president of South Dakota Specialty Producers Association.

Participant prizes and more survey details

The short survey requests information from 2016, including crops and products produced, markets utilized, food safety requirements requested from buyers, production approach, technologies utilized and producer needs.

The link to the S.D. Specialty Crops Producer Annual Survey for 2016, as well as results from the 2015 survey, can be found on the homepage of the South Dakota Specialty Producers Association website at http://www.sdspecialtyproducers.org.

The survey will take approximately 10-15 minutes and information will remain strictly confidential. Data will be presented only in an aggregated form. Results will be shared with local food partners including the S.D. Departments of Agriculture, Tourism and Health, and others who serve local food producers across the state.

Participants who complete the survey can enter into a drawing for prizes which include resource guides such as “Market Farming Success” or “Wholesale Success” and a gift certificate towards the 2017 Local Foods Conference in Spearfish Nov. 3-4, 2017.

Winners will be notified by email or phone.

“This survey is part of a larger effort by SDSU Extension and South Dakota Specialty Producers Association to support specialty crop producers by connecting them with resources, customers, agri-tourism markets, networking and educational opportunities,” Burrows said.

This effort is supported by a Specialty Crop Block Grant funded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the South Dakota Department of Agriculture.

— SDSU Extension

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Bill to make Ky. ag more competitive

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FRANKFORT — Agriculture Commissioner Ryan Quarles endorsed legislation that would help Kentucky farmers transport their goods more efficiently and make Kentucky agriculture more competitive with other states.

House Bill 174, sponsored by state Rep. Richard Heath of Mayfield, passed in the House Agriculture Committee on Wednesday morning. The measure would extend a 10 percent weight tolerance for vehicles carrying poultry, livestock, meats, crop products, or feed for livestock and poultry on state roads other than interstate highways.

“The poultry industry has experienced dramatic growth in Kentucky in recent years, and this legislation will enable poultry producers to compete on a level playing field with producers in other states,” Commissioner Quarles told the House Agriculture Committee. “Supporting our poultry industry with this bill also will help corn growers and other Kentucky agricultural industries.”

Poultry and eggs are Kentucky’s leading agricultural commodity with more than $1 billion a year in cash receipts to Kentucky producers. Kentucky’s poultry industry is the largest purchaser of Kentucky-grown corn and soybeans.

— Kentucky Department of Agriculture

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