News Update
March 5, 2012
Farmers Union Meets Howard G. Buffett's Challenge, Donate More Than $50,000 to Feeding America
National Farmers Union (NFU) presented Howard G. Buffett with a check for more than $55,000 at the opening night of its 110th Anniversary Convention in Omaha, Neb. Last year, Buffett challenged Farmers Union members to donate $50,000 to Feeding America, and pledged to match every dollar donated through Farmers Union, up to that amount.
"As family farmers, ranchers and rural community members, we are very well aware that many people, both in the United States and around the world, often go to bed hungry at night, and that's a big concern for us," said NFU President Roger Johnson. "Farmers Union members really stepped up to meet Howard Buffett's challenge and showed they really care about the less fortunate among us."
According to Feeding America, 37 million Americans do not get enough to eat, including one-fourth of all children.
"Farmers Union members deserve a lot of praise for donating to Feeding America, and thank you to Howard Buffett to matching that amount," said Johnson. "Through their network, Feeding America is able to turn $1 into $17 worth of food for hungry Americans. Together, Farmers Union, the Howard G. Buffett Foundation and Feeding America were able to provide hungry Americans with more than $1.7 million worth of food."
"What's on My Plate?" Day Planned for March 8
Last week Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said that nearly 6,000 USDA partners are teaming up to celebrate "What's on My Plate?" day March 8 to heighten public awareness of the importance of choosing nutritious foods for a healthy meal.
The effort is supported by USDA's MyPlate Community and National Strategic Partners, all of which are committed to promoting a diet that reflects the latest recommendations in the 2010 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and highlights the message behind the new MyPlate food icon.
"USDA is committed to helping Americans make healthier food choices and our MyPlate symbol is a simple reminder to think before we eat," Vilsack said in a news release. "Our public and private sector national partners represent an important cross-section of industry, advocates and academia pulling toward a common goal of improving the health our country through diet and, in many cases, reversing childhood obesity."
The goal of "What's on My Plate?" day is to create a nationwide buzz about food choices as part of national Nutrition Month activities. By leveraging the strengths of social networks such as blogs, Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook to promote MyPlate and its related messages and resources like the new SuperTracker and the ChooseMyPlate.gov website, these resources empower consumers with the how-tos to build healthier plates.
A key goal is to encourage Partners and their constituents to take action on the quarterly message, "Enjoy your food, but eat less," and tell their stories and share photographs of personal successes. The public can post pictures of their plates on Twitter using the #MyPlate hashtag or on Flickr. "Partners, along with the general public, can use the hashtag #MyPlateYourPlate to tie into this social media event."
As part of this effort, USDA urges consumers to put MyPlate into action by taking a photo of their healthful plates to share on Twitter with the hashtag #MyPlate. USDA also wants to see where and when consumers think about healthy eating. Take the plate and snap a photograph with MyPlate to share with our USDA Flickr Photo Group.
Check the List Twice on Manure Management
"I'm just not sure my manure nutrients are giving me the best results on my corn crop, what's the problem?" I've had this question from several farmers lately, so let's start down the list and see what components may be missing that can be caught up this spring.
Do you have a manure sample you are comfortable with? A manure storage that has little bedding and is agitated prior to taking the sample should be pretty representative. Few have this luxury. Sand bedding in dairy systems create a stratified manure, which causes a variance in the nutrients. This spring, take 3-5 manure samples over the course of emptying the pit. Freeze and mail these to a manure laboratory and then see how and if the manure nutrients changed. Keep records of where the manure from the various samples ended up in the field and follow that crop through to harvest. For a farm that only hauls manure once or twice a year, spring may be the only opportunity to collect a new manure sample for months, so don't miss that opportunity. Since minimal agitation may occur from a swine finishing barn, several samples may also be helpful in these systems.
Does your manure sample include both ammonium and total nitrogen? Be sure and ask for both, even if it costs a little more. The more ammonium in the manure, the more important rapid incorporation can be. The same manure, surface applied over various temperatures and several days to incorporation can create significantly different rates of nitrogen being available during the peak need of the corn crop.
Once you have quality manure samples, focus your energy on application rates and calibration. Again, with sand bedding, the rate can change over the course of the day based on sand accumulation in the manure tank, and how much sand is being hauled with each load as the manure pit changes from liquid to more solid consistency. Calibrate and plan for the desired rate, but check that rate at the end of the day, too.
Knowing how many total gallons were hauled on a given amount of acres is a way to calibrate in hindsight. This helps catch skips and/or overlaps of manure that could be throwing off the per acre rate. Make a correction for the next day. In a straight sided manure storage, one method is to measure the depth of manure at the beginning of hauling, then at the end of hauling and calculate the total gallons that have been hauled. This measurement with probably be in cubic feet — remember there are 7.48 gallons in every cubic foot.
With the best laid plans, the spring weather has the last say on nitrogen availability at the time of greatest need for the corn. A pre-sidedress soil test can help evaluate this condition and an instructional video can assist farmers on how to take a PSNT. Plan now to take strategic soil samples at sidedress time: sample from a representative amount of fields that reflect your hauling practices and manure sources.
For example, compare fall- to spring-applied manure from the finishing barn. Compare winter daily haul to spring incorporated. Compare a field that has received manure every year to a field that is just getting manure. Compare the milking herd to the heifer barn. Whatever variances occur on your farm, sample from those distinct systems. To really see the difference, also compare a field that has had no manure. The results will build confidence in your fertilizer program. For more information, visit www.animalagteam.msu.edu.
Selling Directly to Consumers Can Net More Money for Farmers
The "buy local" movement that has sparked increased demand for locally grown foods means that farmers who know how to market and sell their products directly to consumers can substantially increase their farm income, says an Ohio State University (OSU) Extension agriculture educator.
One of the top food trends recently has been the demand by consumers who want to know where their food comes from and who is producing it, and who want to buy products from as close to home as possible, said Mark Mechling. Though farmers who want to take advantage of the "buy local" movement have to follow a rigid and precise set of rules designed to ensure consumers purchase wholesome and safe products.
Mechling will discuss those rules and procedures during a presentation March 9 at the "Opening Doors to Success" Small Farm Conference and Trade Show. The conference, scheduled for March 9-10 at Wilmington College in Wilmington, Ohio, will feature 30 sessions from Ohio State and industry experts.
The trade show will offer information that can benefit a variety of growers, said Tony Nye, an OSU Extension educator and Small Farm Program coordinator.
The conference starts at 5:30 p.m., with the session, "Meat Marketing — Front and Center," which will be presented by Mechling and Francis Fluharty, a ruminant nutritionist with joint appointments with OSU Extension and the Ohio Agricultural Research and Development Center (OARDC).
The conference is also key for Ohio growers who want to expand their farm operations or those people who want to get into the agriculture industry, Nye said.
"Whether you are a landowner who is looking for development opportunities with a limited amount of acres, or have parcels of land and are looking for economic opportunity to add income, or are looking to cost recover your land taxes, this is a great place to get helpful, in-depth information," he said.
Workshops on March 10 include "Vegetable Disease and Insect Management," "Beef Production," "Website Design," "Invasive Species," "Aquaculture: The 'Nuts and Bolts' to Fish Farming," "Food Safety," "Green House and Tunnel Production," and "Livestock and the Law: Managing Legal Risk."
The conference is 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 or those who are new to the farming industry. The program offers information on budgeting, business planning and how to develop a farm structure, among other issues.
The conference is co-sponsored by OSU Extension's Small Farm Program; Wilmington College; Farm Credit Services of Mid-America; and the USDA's offices of the Farm Service Agency, Natural Resources Conservation Service, National Agriculture Statistics Service and Rural Development.
Registration is $20 to attend the March 9 session, $50 to attend the March 10 sessions or $60 to attend both days. The registration deadline is March 5. For more information or to register, go to http://clinton.osu.edu/events/2012-small-farm-conference-and-trade-show.
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