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Farmers Union State Convention set for December 4-6 in Manhattan

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National Geographic photographer Jim Richardson, USDA GIPSA director Larry Mitchell to speak at annual Kansas Farmers Union Convention

MCPHERSON, November 20 – Jim Richardson, National Geographic photographer and Kansas native, will serve up a vast visual journey: the Neolithic dawn of agriculture, today’s world farmers working in relative anonymity, and the challenges of feeding an ever-more hungry planet through 2050 at Kansas Farmers Union’s (KFU) upcoming annual convention.

Richardson, who has photographed agriculture at home in Kansas and abroad for 20 years, offers both a bird’s eye view of world agriculture – and a face-to-face experience of the people who labor every day to feed us. One major question that will be addressed in his presentation during the Friday night banquet: “With more than 40 percent of the world’s surface already in agricultural production, how do we feed 9 billion people?”

Larry Mitchell, director of USDA’s Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration, will serve as keynote speaker for Friday’s lunch banquet where he will discuss “Working for Fair and Competitive Markets for Farmers and Livestock Producers Locally and Globally.” GIPSA’s programs directly and significantly impact two key sectors of American agriculture – the livestock and grain markets, and Administrator Mitchell will provide insights into these sectors of the agriculture economy.

Registration is now open for the convention, which will be hosted at the Four Points by Sheraton hotel Thursday, December 4 through Friday, December 5, 2014.

Richardson, Mitchell, and other convention speakers will share their experience and expertise on a range of topics including agricultural advocacy, history, new agricultural practices, farm succession and transition, and cooperatives. This year’s convention theme “Thinking Outside The Box” encourages members and attendees to be more open-minded about agriculture as a whole, and to take everything into consideration, especially when discussing the challenges those involved in agriculture will face in the coming years.

Convention topics include:

Early National and Kansas Farmers Union History
Feeding Kansas: Because Feeding the World Must Include Feeding Ourselves
Water for the Future of Kansas: The Case for the Kansas Aqueduct Project
Building A Successful Food Co-op
Washington Update: National Farmers Union’s Take on D.C. Politics
Grain Inspection Packers and Stockyards Administration: Working for Fair and Competitive Markets for Farmers and Livestock Producers Locally and Globally
Family Farm Advocacy Training: Building Personal Relationships with Legislators & Promoting a Proactive Discussion of the Issues
Farm Transition Opportunities
Farm and Ranch Succession Planning

Conference speakers include National Farmers Union honorary historian Tom Giessel; Kansas Rural Center’s Cole Cottin; Chris Wilson and Mark Rude with the Kansas Aqueduct Coalition; High Plains Food Co-op’s Chris Schmidt, Chris Sramek, and Leon Atwell; National Farmers Union’s Chandler Goule; family farm advocate panelists Ed Reznicek, Mary Fund, Linda Hessman, and Rachel Myslivy; Cody Holmes of Rockin’ H Ranch and Real Farm Foods; and Forrest Buhler with Kansas Agricultural Mediation Services.

Additional convention highlights include a tour of the Flint Hills Discovery Center, a unique museum that explores the geology, biology and cultural history of the Flint Hills; the annual KFU Foundation Silent & Live Auction where all funds raised benefit KFU education programs; and Kansas cowboy singer and poet Jeff Davidson, who will combine a unique blend of songs, historical facts, and pictures, to revisit the history of Kansas and its tremendous influence on the shaping of the U.S. economy, ideology, and heroism.

KFU members, guests, and the general public are invited to attend the convention. Room reservations must be made by Wednesday, November 26 with Four Points by Sheraton hotel at (785) 539-5311. Please ask for the $75.00 Kansas Farmers Union block of rooms. For more information, and to register for the convention online, please do so by December 1 at kansasfarmersunion.com.

News from Great Plains Theatre

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Great Plains Theatre

Here’s a look at what’s going on at Great Plains Theatre:

The historic Great Plains Theatre is set to be demolished following the fire that destroyed the building in July.
The building, constructed in 1881, was a historic Abilene landmark. Built as the First Presbyterian Church, it served the Community as a place of worship prior to becoming a professional live theatre in 1994. Great Plains Theatre merged its professional live theatre with a cinema and became Abilene’s only movie theater in 2010. From its beautiful oak spiral staircase to its oak octagonal ceiling in Dieter Hall, the theater’s concert hall, the
building was used for many functions; live theatre, live concerts, weddings, receptions, and dances all adding joy and value to our community. Following the fire, the theatre staff heard from the community expressing sympathy and retelling memories associated with the building and what it had meant to them.

Due to the intensity of the fire, engineers determined the building had lost its structural functionality. The extreme heat caused intense damage to the limestone blocks rendering them incapable of being used to rebuild, creating the need to completely remove the partially standing structure.
The demolition is set to begin the week of November 17th, with the demolition company attempting to preserve the original cornerstone, along with the historic plaque of the theatre’s incorporation.

On November 21st from 4:00 – 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 22nd from 9:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m., Great Plains Theatre patrons and friends will be able to purchase by donation, two limestone bricks per family. The limestone bricks will available for pick-up at the empty parking lot south of Astra Bank on the corner of NW Third Street and Mulberry in Abilene.

Though the historical building that housed the Great Plains Theatre was a tremendous loss, Great Plains Theatre is still producing live professional theatre. Deemed “Kansas’ Premier Professional Theatre” by the state of Kansas, Great Plains Theatre will announce its 21st Season and future plans at the Abilene Civic Center on November 22nd. The 2015 Season Announcement “Unveiling the Future” will begin at 6:00 p.m. the evening of November 22nd and ticket prices are $20 each. Tickets are on sale now and are available at the theatre office, 311 NW Third Street, or by phone at 785.263.4574.

Researchers test crop rotations for high-value, cool-season cash crops

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Photo credit: Jerry Worster
Photo credit: Jerry Worster
ATHENS, Georgia – University of Georgia researchers developing a model for organic vegetable production in the Southeast have found success incorporating summer cover crops with high-value cool-season crops in a series of rotations that increase yields, control insects and diseases, improve crop quality and build soil biomass.

The systems approach, say the researchers, can be used to develop production recommendations and a production budget for organic vegetable producers, or for conventional growers interested in transitioning to organic production. The study was funded through a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education grant, “Evaluation of Crop Rotation for High Value Cool Season Horticultural Crop Production in Organic and Sustainable Systems” (LS10-225).

“The purpose of the project was to take a systems approach to evaluate crop rotations to produce high-value organic horticultural crops in the Piedmont and Coastal Plain of the Southeast,” said project investigator and UGA horticulturist George Boyhan.

Boyhan said that the project originally targeted Vidalia onion growers who were interested in organic production. Currently, about 300-400 acres of onions in Georgia are grown organically.

“We wanted to see what cool-season, high-value crops could be incorporated in the crop rotation for onion growers to boost their profits,” said Boyhan. “As the study went along, we found that the crop rotations would be suitable for any vegetable growers interested in organic production.”
onions

During the three-year trial, onions yielded the highest net return, averaging over $14,000 per acre. Photo credit: Julia Gaskin, University of Georgia

Boyhan, along with crop and soil scientist Julia Gaskin, plant pathologist Elizabeth Little, horticulturist Suzzanne Tate, and ag economists Sam Kaninda and Greg Fonsha studied two crop rotations over a three-year period: 1. Strawberries-bush beans-oats/Austrian winter peas-potatoes-sunnhemp-onions-southern peas; and 2. Broccoli-lettuce-sudan-sorghum/cowpeas-carrots-sunnhemp-onions-millet.

The rotations were developed with grower input to improve soil quality through cover crop biomass addition, to rotate between crop families to break pest cycles, to use cover crops to supply nitrogen and suppress weeds, and to use cover crops and crop cycles to suppress nematodes.

“The incorporation of the cover crops worked well in some cases,” said Gaskin, “specifically when cover crops were paired with a certain cash crop for a specific function.”

For example, said Gaskin, sunnhemp was always grown before onions. “Onions are a high nitrogen-demanding crops and sunnhemp is known to fix nitrogen. Sunnhemp is also good at suppressing nematodes and weeds,” she said. Results of the study showed that a sunnhemp rotation plus nutrients in the soil provided 75 percent of the nitrogen for onions.

By contrast, the sorghum-sudan and cowpea mix grown before carrots may not have been the best rotation, said Gaskin. “The idea was to suppress weeds and nematodes. But the sorghum dominated the mix, outperforming the cowpea,” she said. “Yields with carrots were not as good. Perhaps we were getting nitrogen immobilization or the sorghum was exhibiting allelopathic properties.”

Broccoli followed by lettuce worked well, but leave out the millet, said Gaskin. “Millet is not a great weed suppressor. But yields with broccoli and lettuce were very good,” she said.
Cover Crops

A millet-sunn hemp cover crop rotation for organic production of high-value cool-season vegetable crops. Photo credit: Julia Gaskin, University of Georgia

In terms of insect and disease pressures, insects were practically nonexistent, although there were some disease issues, said Little.

“We chose cool-season crops because they are the easiest to grow organically in our region due to low insect and disease pressures,” said Little. “We had some disease pressures like minor Botrytis in onions, sclerotinia in lettuce and beans, and a few leaf spots in strawberries, but nothing significant. We had very minor fruit rot problems, but no evidence of root diseases in strawberries, and no diseases in potatoes or carrots. As far as disease go, I’d say it was a success.”

Over the three-year period, onions produced the highest yields, exceeding the Vidalia county yield average each year. Lettuce and broccoli followed. Although potatoes and carrots store well, their yields were low.

With the regard to the economics of the crops based on variable costs, fixed costs, pre-harvest variables, and harvesting and marketing costs, onions had the highest net return, averaging over $14,000 per acre over the three-year period. Lettuce followed with a net return of over $9,000 per acre over the three-year period.

Other findings included:

Net return for the cash crops generally increased over time, except for the strawberries.
Summer cash crops of bush beans and southern peas were not profitable. Researchers speculate too short of a growing season between cool-season crops.
Highest value crops also had the highest total costs; however, the more acres the lower the total costs.
Cover crop costs averaged $6,000 per acre over the life of the rotation. However, the researchers emphasized that cover crops serve as a weed control/soil building/nutrient cycling program.
Average net returns by crop rotations were $17,592 per acre for Rotation No. 1, and $20,964 per acre for Rotation No. 2.

“The crop rotations show promise for mid-scale producers,” said Boyhan,” but the one thing we learned is that timing is critical. And this is an intensive system that requires work, and a market to sell the product.”

Source: Share Southern

USDA announces Karis Gutter as USDA’s first Military Veterans Agriculture Liaison

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usdaNew Position Will Coordinate Ongoing USDA Support for Active Duty Military and Veterans

Des Moines, Iowa, Nov. 14, 2014 – U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden today announced Karis T. Gutter, a Marine Corps Reserve veteran and current USDA Deputy Under Secretary for Farm and Foreign Agricultural Services (FFAS), as the first USDA Military Veterans Agricultural (MVA) Liaison. The MVA Liaison will coordinate USDA leadership across the Department to provide information, resources and support for active duty military and veterans interested in agriculture. The MVA Liaison will also have authority to facilitate formal relationships between USDA and other government agencies and non-profit organizations to strengthen USDA support for veterans.

Deputy Secretary Harden made the announcement at the Farmers Veterans Coalition and Drake University Agriculture Law Center’s inaugural national conference in Des Moines, Iowa.

“Many of America’s veterans come from our rural communities, and are often drawn back to the land upon returning to civilian life,” said Deputy Secretary Harden. “Veterans are key to building our future generation of farmers, land stewards and conservationists. USDA already has a number of initiatives to help veterans find meaningful work in agriculture upon returning home, but this new position will help coordinate our efforts and make programs easier to navigate. I look forward to Karis’ leadership as we continue to support America’s heroes.”

Gutter, native of Terry, Mississippi (pop. 1,099), began his career in public service as an enlisted United States Marine Corp Reservist. Gutter served as a Corporal in the Marine Corps as a communications and field radio operator for six years and participated in humanitarian relief in support of September 11 and Hurricane Katrina. Prior to his USDA service, Gutter worked for the Hinds County Board of Supervisors in Mississippi and on Capitol Hill as Deputy Chief of Staff and Legislative Director to Congressman Bennie G. Thompson (MS-02).

“Serving as USDA’s first Military Veterans Agricultural Liaison is a great honor,” said Gutter, who is also attending the Iowa conference. “As a Marine, I know military veterans have unique skills, training and perspective. My job is to make sure military veterans have full access to USDA’s resources and services to help them succeed in civilian life.”

The USDA Military Veteran Agriculture Liaison, which reports directly to the Office of the Secretary, is a new position created by the 2014 Farm Bill. The Farm Bill also authorizes USDA to offer priority preference to veterans in several programs including the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) and the Value Added Producer Grant (VAPG) program.

Since 2009, USDA has invested in housing, job training and financial assistance for veterans including:

Providing safe and sound housing through Rural Development’s Rural Housing Service by making 9,301 single family guaranteed housing loans, 952 direct home loans, 766 home improvement loans and 1,445 home improvement grants to veterans and their families.
Investing over $2 million to training and experience for over 600 veterans through the Veterans Fire Corps, many of which become permanent Forest Service employees. There are over 10,000 veterans employed across USDA.
Partnering with the Corporation for National Service (CNCS) and other federal agencies to develop the 21st Conservation Service Corps (21CSC) to create opportunities for veterans to restore and conserve natural resources. Earlier this week, USDA and CNCS announced the project locations of expanded 21CSC opportunities in 11 states. In addition, the Forest Service invested over $21 million in FY14 and leveraged $18 million from partners to engage approximately 11,000 youth and veterans in training and employment opportunities.
Closing 689 Farm Service Agency Farm Ownership Loans (totaling $106.8 million), 3,881 traditional Farm Operating Loans, (totaling $236.4 million) and 592 microloans (totaling $11.3 million) to veterans. Recently, the Farm Service Agency announced it would recognize leadership positions in the military as a way to satisfy experience requirements when applying for microloan funds.
Investing $5.4 million to veterans through Farm Service Agency Emergency Loans and over $1.1 million in Conservation Loans.
Launching a dedicated website for veterans and military families about available federal nutrition programs.
Chartering the USDA Veterans, Reservists, and Military Families Task Force (VRMF) to strengthen and coordinate programmatic and outreach efforts across the Department to better serve military and veteran families.
Integrating veterans into USDA efforts for new and beginning farmers.

Today’s announcement of the Military Veteran Agriculture Liaison was made possible by the 2014 Farm Bill. The 2014 Farm Bill builds on historic economic gains in rural America over the past five years, while achieving meaningful reform and billions of dollars in savings for taxpayers. Since enactment, USDA has made significant progress to implement each provision of this critical legislation, including providing disaster relief to farmers and ranchers; strengthening risk management tools; expanding access to rural credit; funding critical research; establishing innovative public-private conservation partnerships; developing new markets for rural-made products; and investing in infrastructure, housing and community facilities to help improve quality of life.

Historic Water Agreement signed between Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado

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CHRIS NEAL / THE CAPTIAL-JOURNAL
CHRIS NEAL / THE CAPTIAL-JOURNAL

MANHATTAN, Kan. – A historic agreement was reached today as Kansas, Nebraska and Colorado conducted a special meeting of the Republican River Compact in Manhattan, Kansas. Representatives of the States have signed a resolution, approving operational adjustments in 2014 and 2015 under the Republican River Compact, which will benefit water users throughout the Basin and set the Administration on a course to find long-term solutions to persistent problems.

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback noted that the agreement was positive for Kansas water users. “This resolution will protect a valuable water resource for Kansans. This agreement allows Harlan County Lake to serve as the destination for water legally due to Kansas and allows for the water to be delivered to Kansas water users when needed. Agreements like these can only be reached when neighboring states come together and are committed to meeting the needs of their water users.

“We appreciate the spirit of cooperation that has been shown by Nebraska and Colorado in this process. This is a strong beginning to developing a long-term future for water agreements between the states” said Kansas Secretary of Agriculture Jackie McClaskey. “We know there is additional work to do, including reaching out to our federal partners and others, but believe we are moving in the right direction to arrive at a workable solution that protects Kansas water users, but is balanced and fair to all parties and reflects good water management.”

Kansas Water Office Director Tracy Streeter said that this agreement gives Kansas water more certainty. “Approving the resolutions will bring significant benefits to the States by preserving the remaining water supply in Harlan County Lake and providing additional certainty to water users throughout the Basin. This is one of the action items that water users asked for and was included in the second draft of the Long-Term Vision for the Future of Water Supply in Kansas.”

​Todays signed agreement addresses the operational adjustments of how water is administered for the benefit of irrigators in the Basin. It provides Nebraska with 100 percent credit for water delivered from augmentation projects to Harlan County Lake prior to June 1, 2015, and the delivered water is for exclusive use by Kansas irrigators.

Officials from the Kansas Department of Agriculture and the Kansas Water Office will be holding informational meetings in the areas affected in the Republican River Basin over the next few months to update local stakeholders on the current agreements between the states and to learn more about local needs and concerns.

The states will meet again in early January to further discussions, coordinate the implementation of these resolutions and continue to work on long-term solutions.

The recent agreements between the states can be found online at HERE.

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