Pasture Management, Animal Health, and Livestock Production
Title: Pasture Management, Animal Health, and Livestock Production
Date: 2012-03-26
NRCS High Tunnel Program
Many of you have heard about the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) Seasonal High Tunnel Initiative. Funding for this Initiative comes under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), a voluntary program providing financial and technical assistance to agricultural producers like you. The Initiative’s goal is to assist you with improving plant and soil quality, reducing nutrient and pesticide transportation, improving air quality through reduced transportation inputs, and reducing energy use by providing consumers with a local source of fresh produce.
Understand that the High Tunnel Initiative is not a grant, but a contract with NRCS which includes some eligibility requirements. During the first year, NRCS will require documentation on specific items that will assist in the agency’s evaluation of the initiative. While you can inquire and sign-up any time, NRCS will hold two cut-off dates where applications collected will be ranked. There are no guarantees there will be another opportunity so if you are interested, submit an application today. Those dates are March 30 and June 1, 2012. Check out NRCS’ website or visit your county’s local NRCS or Soil and Water Conservation District office today.
Read MoreWomen’s History Month award from Lt. Governor Sheila Simon
Congratulations to Land Connection founder Terra Brockman on her Women’s History Month award from Lt. Governor Sheila Simon.
Meet Your Meat
In the new piece by journalist Barry Estabrook, he tells the tale of two beef producers. They’re right across the valley from each other, but are worlds apart in their practices.
Harris Ranch Beef Company has over 100,000 animals standing around in their manure, fed grain and antibiotics, with not a blade of grass (the proper food for ruminants like cattle) to be seen.
Open Space Meats is a family ranch that raises 75 cattle on 1100 acres — “doing what God intended a cow to do” — roam around and eat grass.
Thank goodness there are so many Central Illinois farm families raising their animals as Nature intended. They include the Morses of Trail’s End Farm near Putnam, IL; Wettstein Organic Farm near Carlock, Organic Pastures near Eureka, Triple S Farms near Stewardson . . . and many more.
In fact, it seems like every day I’m hearing of new farmers starting up with a few livestock — many of them are the graduates of The Land Connection’s Farmer Training Program, Central Illinois Farm Beginnings.
If you want to find delicious meat and other foods raised in a way that’s good for the animals, good for the environment, and good for your health, find a local farmer at Local Harvest.
Read MoreFull citations from Pesticide Facts flyer
In chart and on chart spread:
1. Box Quote.
In 2008, the U.N. Conference on Trade and Development and the U.N. Environment Program issued a paper (www.unep-unctad.org/cbtf/publications/UNCTAD_DITC_TED_2007_15.pdf) called “Organic Agriculture and Food Security in Africa.” It concludes: “Organic agriculture can increase agricultural productivity and can raise incomes with low-cost, locally available and appropriate technologies, without causing environmental damage. Furthermore, evidence shows that organic agriculture can build up natural resources, strengthen communities and improve human capacity, thus improving food security by addressing many different causal factors simultaneously … Organic and near-organic agricultural methods and technologies are ideally suited for many poor, marginalized smallholder farmers in Africa, as they require minimal or no external inputs, use locally and naturally available materials to produce high-quality products, and encourage a whole systemic approach to farming that is more diverse and resistant to stress.
2. CO2 graphic courtesy of NewFarm.org.
Data and further information in “Organic Farming Combats Global Warming—Big Time” http://www.rodaleinstitute.org/ob_31
In Chart:
- International Assessment of Agricultural Knowledge, Technology and Development study at http://www.agassessment.org/reports/IAASTD/EN/Agriculture at a Crossroads_Executive Summary of the Synthesis Report (English).pdf
- More about dangerous “inert” ingredients in pesticides at Chemical Research in Toxicology January 2009;22(1):97-105
d. More information about health risks of atrazine exposure at
Environmental Health News http://www.environmentalhealthnews.org/ehs/newscience/prebirth-atrazine-increases-risk-of-small-birth-size/ and also at Royal Society of Chemistry http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/News/2009/November/03110901.asp and http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1469905/pdf/envhper00328-0130.pdf and http://www.panna.org/resources/specific-pesticides/atrazine - More information on “superweeds” may be found in the New York Times and many other publications http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/04/business/energy-environment/04weed.html
Already more than 130 types of weeds have developed levels of herbicide resistance in more than 40 U.S. states, more resistant weeds than found in any other country. Experts estimate glyphosate-resistant weeds have infested close to 11 million acres (4.5 million hectares), threatening U.S. farmers’ yields.
Under FAQs
- Badgley et al. Renewable Agriculture and Food Systems 22, 86 (2007). Peer-reviewed studies, such as that by C. Badgley et al show that organic yields are very similar to chemical yields, but that organic out-performs chemical ag in drought years and in developing nations. The study cited above shows that the average yield ratio (organic: non-organic) of food crops is 0.92 (160 examples) for developed countries and 1.80 (133 examples) for developing countries – i.e.. slightly higher yields for conventional ag in developed countries and slightly higher yields for organic ag in developing countries where most food insecure people live.
b. The short list of banned pesticides was provided in a phone conversation with scienctist Karl Tupper at the Pesticide Action Network North America (www.panna.org). For a full list of banned pesticides see http://scorecard.goodguide.com/chemical-groups/one-list.tcl?short_list_name=brpest - The Scientific American June 2009 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=weed-whacking-herbicide-p discusses the harmful effects of the “inert” ingredients in pesticides. Further scientific documentation about dangerous “inert” ingredients may be found in Chemical Research in Toxicology January 2009;22(1):97
- Reuters News Service, April 8, 2011 http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/08/us-glyphosate-epa-idUSTRE7374WX20110408 reported that Monsanto made over $2 billion in sales of Roundup and other glyphosate-based herbicides in 2010. World annual spending on herbicide totals more than $14 billion, with more than $5 billion of that spent in the United States alone, according to the EPA. More than 2 billion lbs of herbicide were used globally in 2007, with one quarter of that total – 531 million lbs – used in the United States in that timeframe, according to a report issued in February by the EPA.The top users are farmers. In 2007 alone, for instance, as much as 185 million lbs of glyphosate was used by U.S. farmers, double the amount used only six years earlier.
Local Food in Winter?
YES WE CAN . . . find delicious local foods in the dead of winter! Join our host, Celebrity Blogger and Economic Developer Marty Vanags, for a 5-course sit-down dinner prepared by Chef Josh Huddleston using ingredients from Central Illinois farms, perfectly paired with wines selected by Celebrity Sommelier Chris Koos. Just $65 per person, with proceeds benefiting the Edible Economy Project. Reserve your tickets TODAY by sending an email to info@edible-economy.org. Payment can be made at the door.
WHAT: Winter Local Food & Wine Pairing
WHEN: Feb. 24, Thurs, 7:00 – 9:30 p.m.
WHERE: Vrooman Mansion (701 East Taylor Street, Bloomington).
The Vrooman Mansion is nearly sold-out, but click here and get your name in now.
Read MoreMidwest Organic Conference
The Land Connection staff members, and many local farmers are heading up to LaCrosse Wisconsin today. There, we will get together with over 2,500 other organic growers and supporters of organic agriculture from dozens of Midwest states and beyond, and participate in meetings, workshops, and the all-important conversations in hallways and in front of the bulletin boards.
If you have never been to the MOSES Organic Conference, it’s hard to convey the atmosphere of comraderie that crosses all age, sex, and ethnic boundries. It is a thrill to listen in on the conversations of young and experienced farmers, Amish and hipster farmers, men and women, black, white, and everything in between.
Check out the conference here, or catch the next bus, train, or carpool now!
Read MoreChanging Demographics are Changing Farmland
You never know who you’re going to meet at a conference or field day or talk.
At the Specialty Growers and Organic Conference, I got to catch up with many of our Central IL Farm Beginnings graduates and find out what they’re doing and how things are going.
But the most exciting recent random encounter happened at the talk I gave at the Fairbury Library this past Thursday evening. There was someone in the audience who looked vaguely familiar, but it wasn’t until he introduced himself afterwards that I realized he was the father of a friend from high school (and also the guy who tuned all the pianos in the community). He and his wife had recently inherited 400 acres near Chatsworth, a few of which he is renting to South Pork Ranch, a nearby organic farm.
But what about the rest of the acreage? A few days later, I had a brief conversation with Jeff Glazik, who farms organically nearby. (Find out more about Jeff’s farm and the NRCS EQIP support for organic transition here.)
The matchmaker in me kicked in, and I’m looking forward to introducing the experienced organic farmer and the new landowner. Together we’ll see what options we might come up with for those 400 acres of fertile central IL soil.
As more farmers retire, more opportunities become available. The Land Connection is available to talk with you to come up with a menu of options that will be good for you and your family, good for the land, and good for generations to come.
Read MoreFarmland (and Farmhouse) Available
The “Route 24″ corridor that runs like a narrow (2-lane) belt across the mid-section of Central Illinois is sprouting more and more organic acres.
We recently spoke with a family near Forrest, IL and learned of a great opportunity for a beginning farmer. Available immediately is a two bedroom home with about 3 acres ready to be planted. The property also features a large building with a concrete floor and garage doors that could be used for packing vegetables, assembling beehives, or whatever you are interested in doing.
An additional 4-5 acres is available across the road. The second property includes a barn, some fenced pasture, several sheds, and an area suitable for an orchard.
If you’d like to know more, please email The Land Connection or call (217) 688-2570.
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