2008 Producer Projects

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The following projects were selected for funding this year by the Southern SARE Administrative Council because they all demonstrated particular strengths that Southern SARE looks for in Producer Grant projects.

The reviewers of Producer Grants use the guidelines in the call for proposals to guide them in their evaluations of all the proposals submitted to the program. The more closely a project follows the guidelines, the better chance it has of being funded. Each of the projects funded this year received a thorough technical review. Then the final review and funding decisions were made by the Southern SARE Administrative Council.

No single project is an example of the perfect project; every project has its own strengths and every project can be made a little bit better. But there were certain things that the reviewers noted that stood out in this year's crop of funded projects. Summaries of the proposals with their project numbers and titles can be found below.

The reviewers always look for proposals that are well organized like projects FS08-222 and FS08-225 . If they can easily read the proposal and clearly see what the producer or producer organization wants to do, and how they are going to do it, the reviewers can more easily understand the goals. Reviewers also look for good project designs and goals as in projects FS07-226 and FS07-228 . Another thing reviewers always look for is exactly what each cooperator will do in the project.

Projects that utilize interactions among pests and predators and so result in fewer off-farm purchases for pesticides, like project FS08-223 , meet one of Southern SARE 's funding goals and are always looked for by reviewers.

Reviewers always look to see that the project addresses a serious problem that affects a number of growers or an industry. This was the case for FS08-224 which is looking at extending the growing season and developing low-input systems. Strong outreach is also something that is important to a successful producer grant project.

Sometimes, a different approach to an issue will meet the goals in the call for proposals, for example, innovative ways to meet an emerging market demand as in project FS08-230. Or finding better ways to utilize farm production waste like in FS08-227 . Reviewers also look for good ways to analyze the data if a project is conducting trials.

So, the reviewers don't simply look for projects dealing with particular crops or animals. They look for projects that best meet the goals for sustainable agriculture that are listed in the call for proposals.

We have high hopes for these newly funded projects but it will be a year or two before we know their outcomes and results. To see the result summaries from previously funded and completed producer grant projects, please go the national projects database.

Below are the 2008 funded Producer Grant projects with summaries from the proposals.

FS08-222Use of Crawfish and Crab Waste as an Organic Fertilizer and Protein Feed

Shane Carmichael
170 Honey Bee Lane
Simmesport , LA 71369
Ph: 318-240-3134
Fax: none
Em: shanecarmichael@Rogers.com

FS08-223 Promoting Sustainable Beekeeping Practices through local production of nucs (nucleus colonies) and local queen honeybees

Honeybees are crucial to successful agriculture and environmental health, and the overall decline of honeybee health has become front-page news for much of this year. The Apiary Inspectors of America estimate that the recent phenomenon of “disappearing bees” or colony collapse disorder (CCD) is responsible for the loss of over 25% of all hives nationwide. In researching CCD scientists have discovered that honeybees carry many pathogens and viruses effecting their overall health and survivability. In 2006, the “Study of the Plight of Virginia Beekeepers” (Senate document no. 20) found that honeybee hives were reduced by more than 50% in the past 20 years and wild/feral honeybees have nearly disappeared. The annual mortality rate in Virginia has more than tripled to approximately 30% in large part due to the parasitic varroa mite. Additionally, the beekeeping costs are increasing due to the need to replace dead hives and unproductive queens with greater frequency combined with increased cost of packaged bees, queens, specialized equipment, medications, and transportation.

Currently most Virginia beekeepers rely on purchased “package bees” and queen bees to restart their hives or establish new hives. These generally come from commercial suppliers in Georgia , Alabama , Texas or California and are often less suitable for the local climate and are less effective in honey production and pollination. Many hives started with packaged bees do not survive the winter. Packaged bees are randomly “shook” out of existing hives and put together with mass produced queen bees without any regard for sustainable characteristics. They are also increasingly at risk of being affected by severe pests including the Africanized honey bee (AHB) and small hive beetle (SHB).The ever increasing potential for the accidental introduction of AHB into Virginia would not only affect bees, but pose a significant danger to domesticated animals and the general public. The decline of honeybee health and survivability in Virginia directly affects not only the sustainability of beekeeping and honey production at all levels (hobbyist, sideliner, and commercial pollinator) but the production of specific agriculture crops that rely on honeybees for pollination (such as cucumbers, melons, apples, etc.).

Our proposed solution addresses the producer grant focus areas of increasing the sustainability of existing farming practices and organic agriculture techniques that make use of “on-farm” natural cycles. The project and expected results will contribute significantly to the sustainability of beekeeping in Virginia and beyond. The project is designed to positively influence the natural resource base upon which beekeeping and local pollination depends and to support the viability of local beekeeping operations. Many beekeepers feel that the sustainability of beekeeping hinges on new ways of operating that depend on our ability to produce a consistent supply of local honeybees. There is an active movement in Virginia towards strengthening the local supply of honeybees through the use of nucleus colonies (nucs) made from existing local hives and reducing dependence on packaged bees from out of state sources. A local supply of honeybees directly contributes to sustainable beekeeping and increases the potential to develop “survivor stock” (bees that are better adapted for the local conditions). Additionally, the Virginia beekeepers study recommended that local queen rearing programs develop throughout the state in order to produce a pest and disease resistant line of honeybees that is highly productive, sustainable and free of the aggressive behavior of AHB. Promoting the creation of local supplies of honeybees among beekeepers and studying how to rear queen bees as a group, we expect to dramatically shift the odds of honeybee survival in our favor.

Karla Eisen
The Backyard Farm
6311 Catharpin Road
Gainesville , VA 20155
Ph: 703-753-9023
Fax: 866-420-5758
Em: PWSBeekeepers@gmail.com

FS08-224 Organic Strawberry Production: Extending the Season with Low Tunnels

Strawberries are a high value crop, especially if they can be advertised as being locally grown and pesticide-free. Farmers who can get their strawberries to the market early can obtain premium prices for them. Strawberries from Florida are available early in the year, but they are not harvested ripe and are not pesticide-free. Low tunnels provide an opportunity for local growers to economically produce early berries. Growing strawberries in a greenhouse or high tunnel requires a large monetary investment, which is not practical for the small-scale, beginning, or limited resource farmer. Low tunnel strawberry production, however, could help farmers increase their profit margin and enhance their economic sustainability.

Objectives:
1. Investigate the profit potential of early strawberry production using low tunnels.
2. Compare the performance of 3 different strawberry varieties in the traditional matted row system and plasticulture under low tunnels and organic production methods.
3. Design economical and functional low tunnels that would be adapted by limited resource farmers.

Jan Garrett
1295 Torrence Road
Tuskegee , AL 36083
Ph: 334-725-9272
Fax: none
Em: garr6904@bellsouth.net

FS08-225 Improving Sustainability of A Long-term Certified Organic Cash Grain Production System

Over the past 20 years, I have built a significant organic farming operation. I have faithfully tried to follow organic standards and have successfully maintained my organic certification. Yet the farming system I have ended up with is not sustaining my economic viability and it is not enhancing my soils or my quality of life. I believe that finding solutions to my problems is critical to the sustainability of Southern agriculture, because I believe that I am a fairly typical Southern cash grain farmer. Therefore, I believe that the average Southern farmer who converts to organic grain production will sooner or later encounter the same obstacles to sustainability that I face today.

The obvious long-term solution to my problems is to change my organic crop rotation and restructure my business accordingly. However, the risk associated with such changes means that I must make them cautiously over a period of years. Therefore, I must also pursue short-term solutions that can be adopted sooner and without changing my rotation. My proposal for this project is to start pursuing both short- and long-term solutions simultaneously as described below.

Short-Term – Improve Cultivation Methods

Mechanical cultivation for weed control is an art. I propose that by visiting experts in this art and learning more about the techniques and/or equipment they use, there is a good chance I can improve weed control in my current system.

Short-Term – Try Hand Weeding

Our small-plot research this summer suggested that more intensive weed and fertility management on my irrigated organic corn might increase yields enough to justify the high cost of hand weeding. Therefore, I propose to conduct a field-scale test to determine whether supplemental hand weeding is a viable option under current grain prices.

Short-Term – Increase Manure Rates

Our small-plot research this summer suggested that simply increasing the rate at which I currently apply manure will increase my corn yields. But will the extra yield justify the increased costs and potential increase in weed problems? To answer these questions, I propose to add litter treatments to my field-scale weeding experiment described above.

Long-Term – Add Perennial Legumes to Rotation

My cooperators have advised me that rotating to a perennial legume is not only the most sustainable way to increase my soil N supply, it will also help with both my annual weed problems and my soil quality concerns. Therefore, I believe that adding alfalfa or red clover to my rotation is my key long-term solution. However, implementing this solution will be challenging and raises many questions. For starters, I have no experience growing these crops. More importantly, can I afford to give up multiple years of grain sales while waiting for long-term rotational benefits to pay off? I propose to begin answering these questions during the two-year project period by establishing and experimenting with strips of different perennial legumes in one of my organic crop fields.

Long-Term – Intensify Livestock Enterprise

How will I convert my new perennial legume crops to income? Harvesting them for hay is not ideal, because hard-to-replace nutrients will be mined out of my organic land and shipped to wherever the hay is sold or fed. The ideal solution is to graze the perennials with my own herd, converting the sod to a marketable product while maximizing soil nutrients for subsequent grain crops. However, implementing this strategy means developing a truly integrated organic crop and livestock operation and will be an enormous challenge. During this two-year project, I propose to study the question of how to intensify my livestock enterprise and develop a practical written plan for doing so in the future.

W. Todd Henley
Hillsborough Farm
636 Hillsborough Lane
Walkerton , VA 23177
Ph: 804-769-2987
Fax: none
Em: hills_wth@hotmail.com

FS08-226 Native-Grass Prairie Restoration and Soil Remediation Program

Hudson Farm's land has been used for agricultural purposes for more than 200 years, beginning with traditional cotton growing, then as a dairy, and now as a cattle ranch. Early on, a great majority of the land's native trees were cleared to make way for farming. Cotton production was done intensively, with little understanding of crop rotation and the need for soil recharge.

We see the effects of this history every day. As in much of the southeast, historic agricultural practices have badly damaged the soil, so that now our land suffers from a severe lack of high quality topsoil, further exacerbated by erosion, soil impermeability, and low soil nutrient levels. Today, our ranch is characterized by extensive tracts of expansive, clay soils that yield lower levels of less productive grass species. We spend more and more on grass seed, pesticides, and labor costs due to the impermeability of the soil. Each year, we find ourselves using more of the land to feed fewer cattle.

We are learning from outside research and experts at Auburn University (see below) that the shallow-root annual grasses we use as forage fails to hold the soil as well as native perennial grasses. The pesticides we use stunt root growth more. Without good root growth, storm events cause severe soil erosion, widening drainage channels and worsening the erosion problem. As a result, whatever nutrients we do build up through fertilizers get washed away, with additional negative effects on the regional watershed.

We are ready for a new grazing strategy. To maintain a productive, healthy calf operation that we can pass along to our children's children, we must introduce more sustainable systems that support natural cycles of soil-building and native re-growth. We want to begin a more sustainable approach to cattle grazing that will repair the soil, reduce our negative impact on the regional watershed, and strengthen native ecosystems. Therefore, we propose a pilot program on our ranch to research, test-plant, and monitor appropriate native grasses and re-establish the prairie grass ecosystem.

More specifically, we propose a two-part strategy.

1) Restore the top-soil base through organic soil amendments, soil aeration from a moveable chicken shed, alfalfa/native bunchgrass planting, and erosion control vegetative planting; and

2) Research, sample, and test-plant appropriate candidate species for re-establishing a perennial, deep-root native grass ecosystem; demonstrate that this ecosystem can be established and stabilized on the pilot program site within 16-22 months; plant using both discing and drill-seeded techniques to identify the best seeding strategy for the soil conditions on our land.

This strategy will squarely address the inter-connected problems stated above. Native grasses will extend deeper roots into the soil, thereby reducing the effects of erosion, improving percolation, and helping to retain nutrients in the soil. This will also improve aeration and nutrient cycling, which will improve the health of our cattle and the quality of water draining into the watershed. Furthermore, because native perennials allow for a significant reduction in our use of pesticides, our supply and labor costs will go down even as we eliminate toxins from our cattle and the ranch ecosystem.

Fitz Hudson
4171 Pike Road / PO Box 640039
Pike Road, AL 36064
Ph: 334- 279-3194
Fax: none
Em: fitzhudson@charter.net

FS08-227 Optimizing management of manure composts to yield high value mushroom crops and soil amendments

Growing edible gourmet mushrooms on animal manures is a way to optimize the efficiency of a small farm or market garden. In addition to a high value crop of mushrooms, good compost results. Nutrients in the partially consumed manure are made more readily available to plants and other soil organisms. Utilizing this partially decomposed manure from mushroom production will enhance soil fertility, but it is at the perfect stage for further biological refinement by digestion and passage through red compost worms. Worm castings, sometimes referred to as “black gold,” add humus and readily available nutrients to soil. Worms and worm castings are also salable products. Worms are sold for composting, fishing, and pet and poultry feed. Worm castings are also sold to home gardeners, greenhouse growers and farmers as a growing medium or soil amendment.

As the trend toward eating local food grows in the US , the number of specialty mushroom farmers continues to decline. Capital expenditures and operating costs for indoor growing facilities are expensive and can be prohibitive for new farmers. So, a clear need emerges for less costly, lower input outdoor production methods adapted to regional conditions and local farm wastes by selection of productive mushroom species and strains.

Mushroom production in most states is primarily of shiitake mushrooms on logs and oyster mushrooms on straw. With the growth of the local food movement, there is greater interest in eating a variety of gourmet mushrooms as reports of their nutritional and medicinal values enter the mainstream media. Although protocols exist for growing many of these species indoors in controlled environments, little research has been done to evaluate species and strains for outdoor cultivation in the U.S.

Growing food and realizing high value products from serial and/or concurrent production of mushrooms and worms in manure waste seems an ideally integrated farm waste management strategy. For this study, locally available cattle and poultry manures will be composted for growing substrate. The Almond Portobello (Agaricus subrufescens) and the Royal Sun Agaricus (A. brasiliensis) are semi-tropical mushroom species resembling the brown Portobello (A. bisporus) with a delightful almond flavor. They command a high price and are reported to have high nutritional value and potent medicinal properties.

Mark Jones
Sharondale
PO Box 375
Keswick , VA 22947
Ph: 434-296-3301
Fax: none
Em: info@sharondalefarm.com

FS08-228 Sustainable Production and Niche Marketing of Pearl Millet

Limited acreage and equipment availability does not allow small farmers to economically grow cotton or peanuts during the summer. Pearl millet is one option that may be compatible with my enterprise. It can be grown and harvested with the same equipment used for producing rye seed. It can be grown in dryland conditions with little fertilizer. New evidence indicates that it builds soils by sequestering greater amounts of carbon in the soil than other crops.

To successfully integrate this alternative crop with limited market outlets into a sustainable cropping system, it is necessary to simultaneously improve production while identifying and cultivating premium-value markets.

Adoption of pearl millet in sustainable southern systems has been limited in part by its net profitability. The need to plant hybrid seed is a recurring cost, adding nearly $40/acre to the cost of production. Production recommendations require multiple trips over the field with harrows, cultivators, herbicides, and split applications of fertilizer. Adapting conservation tillage practices to pearl millet will reduce production costs by saving time, fuel, and fertilizer. Unfortunately, conservation tillage recommendations do not exist for pearl millet.

Limited markets are another barrier to production by a small producer. The scale of the market must be appropriate to the production level of the farm. A single small farm cannot produce a sufficient quantity that would interest a poultry feed mill. Although pearl millet is a high-quality feed, expansion of pearl millet use has been slow because corn is a readily available source of nutrition for poultry rations. Markets other than poultry feed must be identified.

The objectives of this project are 1) to develop conservation tillage practices for pearl millet and 2) to develop niche markets with improved profitability.

Bryan Maw
527 Sutton Road
Tifton , GA 31794
Ph: 229-382-6832
Fax: none
Email: maw.bryan@yahoo.com

FS08-229 Enhanced genetic selection of dairy sheep for the Southern US

Most sustainable small farms need to be manageable by a single individual, operating either alone with occasional hired labor or with a partner employed full-time off the farm. From recent farm census data, it is also clear that the primary farmer will increasingly be female and may have little or no background in farming.

One farming opportunity that meet these requirements is a dairy sheep operation producing aged ewe's-milk cheeses. Given reasonable availability of feed generated off-farm or adequate pasture, an operation milking 50-60 ewes over a 5-month season should produce sustainable income for a single farmer-operator in the Southeast region with a limited requirement for extra labor, land, or expensive equipment. However, there are impediments to realizing this opportunity.

Development of a dairy sheep breed that will thrive under low-input conditions in the Southern region will require a focused effort involving individuals with expertise in breeding for the selection of complex traits and in the husbandry of small ruminants, as well as a network of individuals capable of working together to expand and test the breeding stocks under development. This proposal addresses both issues.

he major goal of this project is to increase the “dairy character” in a genetically mixed sheep flock while selecting for traits of food efficiency, parasite resistance, and spontaneous shedding.

My long-term goal is to develop a dairy sheep breed, requiring low inputs for feed, labor, and health maintenance, that is capable of supporting profitable farmstead (small-scale) or artisanal (cooperative) ewe's-milk cheese-making in the Southern US

Marcia McDuffie
1936 Embly's Gap Rd.
Roseland , VA 22967
Ph: 434- 277-9216
Fax: none
Em: mjm7e@virginia.edu

FS08-230 Building Capacity for Pastured Poultry Production in Western North Carolina

Small scale family farms in Western North Carolina (WNC) need more opportunities for diversification. Pastured poultry is a relatively low-risk, low-investment enterprise that can be easily integrated into an existing crop or livestock system. Western North Carolina is not know for poultry production, but as more consumers demand pasture raised meats more small-to mid size farmers are presented with new opportunities. One significant barrier to poultry production in WNC is the lack of infrastructure to process animals. A group of local farmers has recently formed the Independent Small Animal Meat Producers Association of Western North Carolina (ISAMPA-WNC) and has filed for incorporation as a non-profit organization.

Current and potential poultry producers need the opportunity to see birds in all stages of production, to have access to comprehensive production records, engage in pen building, daily chores and on-farm processing. As owners and operators of Crooked Creek Farms we have had four successful years of experience in raising pastured poultry and would like to share our experiences to educate and encourage other farmers in the region. As farmers we are looking forward to increasing poultry production in the coming years with the prospect of a new processing facility in the area. We also recognize that some smaller producers will want to process on farm under the inspection exemption. There is clearly a need for education about production, the opportunities with a local processing facility and the merits of on-farm processing to help meet consumer demand, support the processing facility and move towards a more sustainable local food system.

In the coming year we would like produce approximately 450 Cornish Cross broilers in “Salatin” style portable pens over the course of the warm season from mid- May to late October. To provide education opportunities we would hold 2 workshops, giving participants an in-depth look at the production system from brooding through pen construction, daily maintenance, processing, breeds, feeds, different production systems and marketing. A final 1.5 hour session at the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association's annual conference in the late fall will conclude the project.

Casey McKissick
1623 Mt. Hebron Road
Old Fort, NC 28762
Ph: 828-216-2966
Fax: none
Email: casey@crookedcreekfarms.org

FS08-231Financial analysis of growing no till organic field corn and wheat using cover crops for weed suppression

Organic dairy farmers must feed organically grown corn and wheat to their dairy herds in order to sell organic milk. Due to the unavailability of organically grown corn and wheat, Virginia feed mills supplying organic feed to dairy producers must import organic corn and wheat from neighboring states. A feed mill in Lancaster , PA purchases organic wheat and corn from neighboring states and the Midwest because Pennsylvania is a grain deficient state. The wheat will be used as milling flour for human consumption. If the wheat does not meet the standards for milling wheat then the wheat is used in dairy feed.

The organic methods for corn production which rely on extensive tillage have been unsatisfactory. Organic and sustainable production of corn demands a lush cover crop. The incorporation of this cover crop in preparation for planting has been proven to be problematic

The field production of organic no till corn and wheat using cover crops has not been tested to a large degree in Virginia . Farmers do not have do not have information on the practicality of these production methods and the financial costs and returns of organic no till production of corn and wheat using cover crops. We will establish side by side plots in Syria , Virginia to document the profitability and yields of growing organic corn in a no till system by comparing the effectiveness of using four cover crops fo r weed suppression.

Joel Thomas Yowell
1002 Shotwell Hollow Road
Syria , VA 22743
Ph: 540-923-4059
Fax: none
Em: kdyowell@earthlink.net

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