American Agri-Women member Lisa Campion recently traveled to Uganda for 21 days as part of the Farmer-to-Farmer Program. American Agri-Women has partnered with Catholic Relief Services, who administers the USAID Farmer to Farmer Program in East Africa, as its first international grant program. The Farmer-to-Farmer (FTF) program promotes economic growth, food security, and agricultural development in East Africa.
Funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), the five-year program matches the technical assistance of U.S. farmers, agribusinesses, cooperatives, and universities to help farmers in developing countries improve agricultural productivity, access new markets, and increase their incomes.
Campion is past president of Sigma Alpha Sorority and is an attorney with Martin & Associates in Barre, Vt. She shares this about her time in Uganda, “ Every day for 11 days, I worked with the Barr Orphans, Widowers and Widows (BOWW) Cooperative Society to build their capacity in leadership and management training. Over the 11 days, I trained almost 500 people, of which 350 were women. I learned that, in order to make a difference in someone’s life, you need to try to experience it for yourself, determine potential solutions, and then work with them to give them the tools they need to succeed.”
If you are interested in volunteering, please apply at http://farmertofarmer.crs.org/ as soon as possible. Once you apply, your application will be reviewed and then you will be placed in a database of volunteers. If a scope of work is developed and you meet the qualifications, Catholic Relief Services will contact you to determine if you are interested. Also you can check online at http://farmertofarmer.crs.org/ for new scope of work descriptions that are posted as they are developed. Current assignments include:
When it comes to managing limited irrigation for crops, research suggests pumping more intensively on fewer acres might show more value than spreading out the irrigation over more acres. ~ K-State Research and Extension
A K-State expert explains crop watering approaches and which has more favorable economic returns when water availability is limited.
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Getting the most value out of irrigation water is likely on the minds of many Kansas farmers. As groundwater supplies diminish, pumping rates decline and talk of local water conservation policies surface in the state, these farmers face even more difficulty in determining how to best manage limited water.
Nathan Hendricks, assistant professor of agricultural economics at Kansas State University, recently examined how the value of agricultural production declines as water availability decreases. He specifically looked at two general management methods to determine which is more effective: deficit irrigation on a larger number of acres versus more intense irrigation on a smaller number of acres.
Intensive focus on fewer acres seems to have the upper hand
To answer the question of which is better, pumping more intensively on fewer acres versus less intensively on more acres, Hendricks said he first looked at the basic economics. The question only relates to those facing limited irrigation, not those farmers who currently have limited authorized irrigated acreage and can fully irrigate that acreage.
“The simple intuition is you first want to decrease intensity and maintain acreage if a 1 percent reduction in intensity decreases returns by less than 1 percent,” Hendricks said. “But, eventually as irrigation becomes more limited, you want to end up at an intensity level such that if you decreased (irrigation) intensity by 1 percent, you would decrease your returns by 1 percent.”
“The economically optimal place is where either reducing intensity or reducing acreage gives you the same loss in return,” he continued. “This is constant returns to intensity. Once you have reached this intensity, then it is optimal to further reduce irrigation water use by reducing acreage.”
A county-level data analysis of crop production in the Great Plains and Corn Belt showed losing about 1 to 1.5 inches of precipitation short of meeting the evapotranspiration demand for crops, including corn, is about the place where water hits this constant returns to intensity, Hendricks said.
Crop water need, as defined by the Food and Agriculture Organization, is the depth of water required to meet the water loss through evapotranspiration—loss of water through evaporation from the soil and transpiration from the plant. Evapotranspiration helps determine how much water is needed by rain or irrigation for crops such as corn.
“One of the key things that surprised me when I did the analysis is that’s quite a bit of water per acre only being 1 to 1.5 inches short of meeting evapotranspiration demand for corn,” Hendricks said. “It suggests that a pretty intense level of irrigation is optimal even when water is severely limited. As we’re seeing dwindling water supplies, it will likely be optimal to start reducing irrigated acreage relatively soon.”
To further illustrate, Hendricks gave an example where a farmer may choose to cut his or her irrigated acreage almost in half—say 120 acres of limited irrigated corn (irrigated at half of corn evapotranspiration demand) down to 66 acres of more intensely irrigated corn (irrigated at optimal constant returns to intensity). That farmer originally had 40 acres of dryland corn, but now tacks on the remaining 54 acres of those 120 acres formerly under limited irrigation, to now equal 94 total dryland acres.
“Before, you were only doing half of corn evapotranspiration demand,” he said. “It could be that you’re planting wheat to do that, or whatever other crops, but the idea is that you’re doing a limited intensity over a large acreage. What’s optimal, according to my numbers, is that you would more intensively irrigate, but you would reduce your irrigated acreage. If you do this, you could pay another $4,260 in rent over the entire 160 acres. You’re getting a lot more value by irrigating a limited area at a more intense level.”
Irrigators should crunch their own numbers to figure out when they are getting below this constant returns to intensity level, Hendricks said, and then they would likely be better off reducing irrigated acreage and increasing intensity.
The role of LEMAs and irrigation timing
Policy-wise in Kansas, the role of local enhanced management areas (LEMAs) comes into play, if groundwater management districts (GMDs) decide to establish their own groundwater conservation policies. LEMAs are water conservation plans voluntarily implemented by agricultural producers, and made possible by a bill passed in the Kansas Legislature in 2012. The first LEMA in Kansas, the Sheridan-Thomas County LEMA, or Sheridan 6 LEMA, is in the northwest part of the state.
“As people are talking about LEMAs, they’re thinking about reducing their water use,” Hendricks said. “How are they going to adapt to less water? How can they get the most value if they’re going to limit the amount of water? How will the value of agricultural production decline if they restrict their water use?”
In addition to examining how LEMAs could further affect limited irrigation, Hendricks said he would like to research further how farmers could time irrigation to get more value out of it. Perhaps they could reduce intensity more just by optimally timing irrigation.
Hendricks said he wants to know how much water farmers could reduce before they see a 10 percent decrease in water use decreasing returns by 10 percent.
“At some point we’re going to hit that, my analysis suggests,” he said. “I’m not exactly sure where, but that’s certainly a conversation for producers. It’s this idea that we can decrease water use without a huge loss in returns. Then at some point it starts to decline at a linear rate.”
(Family Features) Nothing says fall better than delicious, savory comfort foods and particularly those that are a snap to prepare. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, the average American spends about one hour per day engaged in meal preparation and cleanup. Want to beat the clock? Check out these solutions for busy families facing the time crunch.
A trip down the frozen food aisle is the answer for countless families when it comes to tasty dinners that deliver on quality, but don’t take a lot of time to cook. Using prepared proteins, such as fully cooked meats that are frozen (to lock in freshness), is a great way to reduce preparation time.
Products such as Byron’s Fully Cooked Pork BBQ (available at Sam’s Club) are among the easiest time savers, delivering authentic, slow-smoked barbecue with the convenience of heat-and-serve. These items also can add an unexpected twist to the dining occasion. Kimberly Sneed, who writes about family, mealtime and more on her blog, A Night Owl, shared some creative meal suggestions her family enjoys when the craving for comfort food hits.
“We love traditional comfort food favorites, but sometimes it’s fun to add your own personal touch,” Sneed said. “For example, my boys love pizza, so when the seasons change I swap out tropical toppings, like pineapple and ham, for savory ones, such as barbecue and caramelized onions.”
Adding such variety to the mealtime mix can introduce new, welcome flavors into traditional favorites. Families can spice up their go-to recipes any number of ways, such as using barbecue to top a potato, stuff a taco or stir into chili, without adding any additional time.
A simmering BBQ chili, in fact, is the perfect midweek meal for families looking for a fall-friendly dinner, without the fuss. Using a quality, fully cooked meat such as Byron’s, which is hickory-smoked, hand-pulled and expertly spiced, makes this a satisfying, stress-free meal to produce. “Dishes that are simple to prepare and easy to clean up are a mom’s dream come true,” said Sneed. “As a mother with a full-time job, I use recipes like this to save on both prep time and cleanup.”
For other savory comfort food recipes that make family mealtime easy, visit byronsbbq.com.
Thaw barbecue meat (ideally, overnight in refrigerator).
Saute diced onions over medium heat about 5 minutes, until translucent. Add green chilies and chili seasoning, stirring often. Stir in chili beans, tomatoes and barbecue.
Simmer over low heat until thoroughly heated (approximately 30 minutes), stirring occasionally.
Hastings, Neb. – The 23rd ranked team in the NAIA was all that and more on Sunday as the Lady Broncos of Hastings College downed McPherson 7-0. The ‘Dogs fall to 2-4-1 on the year with two more contests before they begin KCAC play.
“The ladies played hard today but unfortunately Hastings was just too much to handle,” said Coach Talley. “We played a very physical game on Saturday against AIB and it caught up with us today. We had our chances but couldn’t find the back of the net. Now we need to regroup from this loss and start preparing for two more back-to-back games this weekend to close out our non-conference schedule.”
Hastings scored their first goal nine minutes in and then another in the 18th minute; the final goal of the opening period came in the 32nd. Mac took four shots in the first half and another five in the second but were unable to make it past the keeper; four of their attempts were on goal. The Broncos came out and scored three times before the 60-minute mark and added their final goal with 15 minutes left in the match.
Eight MC players took shots on Sunday with Gabriela Navarro being the lone ‘Dog with two shot attempts; Navarro placed one on frame.
Sophomore goalie Caitlyn Blagrave tallied 15 saves in the 90-minute game.
McPherson travels back up to Nebraska for a couple more contests next weekend. The Bulldogs will play the College of Saint Mary on the 20th and Bellevue University on the 21st; both matches are set to start at 1:00 p.m. (CT)
Make sure to follow Bulldog Nation on Facebook (MCathletics) and Twitter (@MAC_Bulldogs)
McPherson College is a Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference member school and a part of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics
From the Land of Kansas™ sponsor game to connect consumers with Kansas agriculture
Manhttan, Kansas – Kansas agriculture products and food will be the focus of the K-State vs. Auburn game thanks to sponsorship of from the From the Land of Kansas™ state agriculture trademark program.
“We are working to promote Kansas agriculture and agriculture products,” said Stacy Mayo, From the Land of Kansas director. “Our goal is to help consumers incorporate Kansas products into their daily lives and that even means at football games.”
Mayo explains that football game attendees have many ways to interact with Kansas companies at Thursday’s game. “Those looking for a taste of Kansas can stop by the Sample of Kansas tent located in the east parking lot,” Mayo said. “Our member companies will be on hand to provide samples of the great products we produce here in Kansas.”
For those who try a sample, they also have the chance to win great prizes including a coach Bill Snyder autographed football and items autographed by Willie the Wildcat. Winners will be announced following the game.
“Any game day visitor can also participate by showing us how you incorporate Kansas into your game day,” Mayo said. She explains that by posting a picture or a video on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #LandofKS and you’ll be entered to win a free mug. “One winner will be randomly selected in the contest.”
Game day fans dining in the west stadium buffets will see Kansas ingredients featured in their game day menu. “You’ll be able to taste Kansas Beef from Oatie Beef, Dwight, cheese from Alma Creamery, Alma, greens and tomatoes from 4-Star Hydroponic in St. John, wing sauce from Original Juan, Kansas City and artisan ketchup from Fine Foods of America.”
“We are also hosting the inaugural From the Land of Kansas tailgate contest pre-game,” Mayo said. “Our judges will taste main dishes, side dishes and desserts all vying for the prize of best tailgate. We are focused on promoting the use of Kansas ingredients into their dishes.”
Manhattan, Kan. – The 2014 Taiwan Agricultural Youth Exchange Program is currently accepting applications from high school seniors or college freshmen who are passionate about agriculture and are interested in representing Kansas in a week-long exchange program in December 2014.
Each year the National Taichung Agricultural Senior High School in central Taiwan hosts students from the Midwest for this program. Selected students will tour agricultural facilities and businesses in Taiwan, and will learn about Taiwanese agriculture. It is anticipated this program will take place in early to mid-December, but travel dates are still being determined.
Exports play an important role in Kansas agriculture, according to Euromonitor, in 2013 Kansas exported just over $117 million in agricultural goods to Taiwan including beef, oil seeds, cereal grains and wheat flour. Globally, in 2012 exports of farm and ranch products contributed nearly $4.9 billion to the Kansas economy.
“The Taiwan Agricultural Youth Exchange Program is a tremendous opportunity for students who are passionate about agriculture. This program provides students with active learning and travel experiences. Students are able to return home from Taiwan and inspire their peers to be agricultural activists,” said Kerry Wefald, Marketing Director for the Kansas Department of Agriculture.
Three students will be selected to represent Kansas. In order to be eligible to apply, students must be the following requirements:
Be a high school senior or college freshmen;
Be at least 18 years of age by the beginning of the trip;
Have a strong Kansas agricultural background;
Have a valid US passport at time of application; and
Able and willing to pay for airfare costs (approximately $1,050).
Applications must be submitted by October 1 for the student to be considered. Students interested in applying should reference the 2014 Taiwan Agricultural Youth Exchange Program Opportunity webpage for more details. The application requirements can be found here. The coordination of the program is sponsored by the Kansas Department of Agriculture, the Kansas FFA Association and Kansas 4-H.
For more information, contact KDA Education and Events Coordinator, Nellie Hill, at [email protected] or 785-564-6756.
“The good old days weren’t all that great,” recalled the crusty old cowboy. “I remember working twelve hours a day, seven days a week for room and board and ten dollars a month. And it sure was tough supporting eleven kids and a wife on that kind of income.”
“Why did you have so many kids?” I asked in amazement.
“It’s a long story but basically its because of a shotgun.”
“You mean you had to get married?” I asked.
“No, no. Nothing like that. I married late in life and when I did finally tie the knot I married a much younger woman. She was very beautiful and about 30 years younger than me. She was a city gal and really didn’t adjust to ranch life all that well because I was always working from sun up to sun down while she stayed back at the house all day. When I came in at night I was too tuckered out to have normal relations, if you know what I mean. This didn’t sit to good with her, she being so young and vibrant. Besides she wanted to have a whole house full of kids running around. Well, that was all right with me but I just didn’t know when we’d find the time to make ’em. So she came up with a novel solution.”
“And what was that?”
“She said that around lunch time she would ride out to wherever I was working on the ranch and bring a picnic basket and some homemade wine and we’d eat a nice meal and then have a little romance.” The old man blushed as he remembered those wonderful afternoons.
“But I still don’t understand about the shotgun?”
“In those days of course we didn’t have walkie talkies or two way radios. So every time I felt in the mood I would just grab the gun I carried in a scabbard on my horse, raise it into the air and fire it. About thirty minutes later she’d find me and we’d have a picnic,” he said with a wink.
“Sounds like a great arrangement!”
“Yeah. It worked out real well until quail hunting season came along. Then it got a little confusing.”
“That’s a great story,” I said.
“Well, that ain’t the end of it. After we had ten kids running around the house I thought that was about enough. I was having a real hard time making enough money to support them all. Besides, I was feeling a little bad about getting my wife pregnant so often. I casually made the comment one day that if she had one more kid I was going to shoot myself with my shotgun. Of course I was just joking. I would never do that and leave her behind with a ranch and ten kids to support.”
The old rancher continued, “As the springtime approached I was feeling a little affectionate and decided I better get out the old shotgun and clean it to get ready for the season, if you know what I mean. At that point I did not know that my wife was in the family way for the eleventh time. Anyway, I was cleaning my gun, holding the stock between my knees and looking down the barrel to see if I got it clean when my wife walked into the room. She sees me with my eye looking down the barrel of that old shotgun and I guess she thought I was going to shoot myself because she was pregnant again. She ran over to me screaming, jerked the gun away and said, “Don’t do it! Don’t do it! You’d be shooting an innocent man.”
Talk to farmers, stockmen and ranchers – most will tell you how much they love their cows. Problem is this humble and in most cases easy-going beast rarely receives the praise associated with the noble show horse or one of the so-called smartest creatures, the squealing pig.
No one extols the virtues of this contented creature that spends her days quietly grazing and eating grass. We’ve all watched movies about horses (Trigger) and pigs (Babe), but most of the time, cows are considered boring and ignored by Hollywood, the media and the general public.
Still, cows are not whiners and they take their obscurity in stride and rarely complain about their circumstances. They spend days and nights under the stars without a tent or blanket and only their coat to keep them warm. They have to hoof it across the pasture just to get a drink of cold water.
But hey, I’m not here to say I feel sorry for the cow community. Confident and quiet, it is not their way to ask for preferential treatment.
Spend time with a herd of cows and you’ll soon discover they are indeed spiritual beings. They live their entire lives in service to mankind.
Behind that seemingly blank stare rests a knowing glint that suggests, “Go ahead. Make fun. I spend all day eating and sleeping. You’re the one with high blood pressure and cash-flow problems.”
Cattle occupy a unique role in human history, domesticated since the Stone Age. Some are raised for meat (beef cattle), dairy products (cows) or hides (both).
They are also used as draft animals and in certain sports. Some consider cattle the oldest form of wealth, and cattle rustling, one of the earliest forms of theft.
Dairy cows are referred to as the foster mothers of the human race because they produce most of the milk that people drink. They provide 90 percent of the world’s milk supply.
The best cows may give approximately 25 gallons of milk each day. That’s 400 glasses of milk. Cows in this country give an average of 2,000 gallons of milk per year. That’s more than 30,000 glasses of milk.
Beef cattle supply more than 30 different cuts of meat including the heart, tongue and what we grew up calling mountain oysters – a male private part. You gotta’ admit, that’s meaningful giving.
Another gift from the bovine community is leather that comes from their hides. We use it for boots, belts, baseballs, suitcases, purses, wallets, easy chairs and jackets. Yes, cattle or cows make the ultimate sacrifice for human comfort.
Another place cows shine is in the rodeo arena or as spokesmammals in advertising. Who hasn’t seen the skydiving cows on their television screen?
Another cow celebrity that’s been around for eons is Borden’s Elsie the Cow.
Snorting bulls symbolize a healthy stock market and a Hereford cow pioneered space travel. Every kid knows about the cow who jumped over the moon.
Milk, ice cream, cheeseburgers or that fine leather purse – think about it. Where would we be without our cows?
On any given day a cow often does more for us than our friends, neighbors, in-laws or even our elected officials. Cows deserve a roaring round of applause and recognition for a job well done.
Anyway, I’d much rather thank a cow and wear a pair of leather boots than sport a mink coat and thank a varmint. I know I’d rather drink milk from a cow than milk from a mink.
Enough said.
John Schlageck is a leading commentator on agriculture and rural Kansas. Born and raised on a diversified farm in northwestern Kansas, his writing reflects a lifetime of experience, knowledge and passion.
The earth of 2014 will soon be covered with the beautiful vivid colors of Autumn as the leaves turn into the most magnificent hues ever seen by man-kind and will drift down to cover the top of our land. Red, maroon, yellow, orange and gold among all shades of green leaves will dot the lawns and yards of Hutchinson as well as all the little towns surrounding it.
Our “fair city” will radiate and for a short span of time, we will feel the joy of living in God’s creation. The radiance of the sunshine will cast feelings of joy if we let it and we will experience His provision for us as we travel about in our daily lives.
The wild turkeys will come out even more along the old highway 61 between 43rd Ave. and Medora as they have already begun to do. We have observed the male turkey going ahead of his family and checking out the traffic to make sure it is safe.
At a signal from him the mother and the children dart across the road, safely to the other side. Another evidence of them being God created. It is also a reminder of how
He looks after us…if we let him.
It’s a lot like the people God has made to beautify the world…at least those who are following Him. My sister and I enjoyed the State Fair this week on the be-ginning of the cooler season. People were mostly happy to be at this yearly event and it was a joy to smile and get a grin back. It was fun to watch the little ones in strollers, intently trying to take in life in general. If you smiled at them, they smiled back with the most innocent, radiant look, and for the moment, you feel life is wonderful. The innocence of a child is so fantastic to behold and you wish it could stay that way.
We started in the Pride of Kansas Bldg. and I showed Carol some of my painted gourds. We checked out a few of the booths and I saw the one that sold subscriptions to the Kansas Magazine, one of my favorite. I told the ladies of my experience two years ago when I had paid for a subscription with cash and had never received it. I had lost the receipt so didn’t call in. The lady in charge took my word for it and issued me another. It was nice to see some trust in this world of upside down happenings.
My sister and I used to go on a few somewhat daring rides. Being older, however, we decided to take the “sky ride” one time instead of something that spun around too much. After all, you just sit on it and can look about the grounds, it couldn’t be that bad.
When we had bought our ticket and walked up to the car, the attendant asked if we wanted it stopped to get on and we readily agreed. She was very helpful and got us on. Then we went higher and higher as the wind began to pick up and rocked our car just a little. There was no foot rest, we noticed and our legs just dangled down. Neither one of us said much as we looked out over the grounds. In the back of my mind, I was so thankful I had a God who looked after me, even when I was sometimes a little foolhardy.
When we came to the end of our ride, several of the attendants were waiting for us and they stopped the ride and helped us off. That in itself was such a blessing.
We both admitted to each other later, we were a “little bit” scared but we were glad we had not given in to our fear.
Going back to the car, parked way over in the B8 Parking Lot, we were able to catch the grounds tram and then the parking lot tram without any problem, another example of God’s care. It turned out to be a wonderful day. even though we were windblown and tired.
Isn’t that how He works out our lives? There is so much in this old world that has gone wrong, simply because God is left out. He wants to be there for us and yes, even take care of us in a wonderful way…giving us the Autumn beauty and weather to enjoy. He will not, however, force it on us, he wants us to decide that is what we want with all our heart.
It is then we can do what we “auto” do, enjoy the beautiful Autumn with all our being! It will give us something to hold onto when the storms are blowing our way!
Doris welcomes your comments and can be reached at [email protected].
Farm families can get up and hustle around in wartime when the occasion demands. Mostly they go by old time because farm routine year in and year out is geared to daylight and not daylight savings. Eighth grade com-mencement is one of the exceptions, and the graduates and their parents were in town in their best bib and tucker Thursday morning at 9 o’clock. Many folk had done a half day’s work before they came. Water had to be left for the chickens all day and also for the young calves. They simply turned their backs on weeds and alfalfa mowing and cultivating. The dog was left in charge for the day and the whole family was off for the county seat at 8 o’clock.
The exercises didn’t begin at 9 o’clock, but the graduates had to be there to get in line alphabetically for the processional and to receive last-minute instructions.
Every girl had on a brand new dress and most of them had a brand new permanent also. Twenty-five years from now likely not one girl will be able to recall who the speakers were, who presented the diplomas, yet each one will be able to tell you what kind of a dress she had for the occasion. Nature seems to have a far greater variety in sizes of 14-year-old boys than in girls of the same age. Big or little they all had their hair slicked down. Forward looking mothers had seen to it that new suits were plenty big to allow room for growth.
Everyone will have to put in good hard licks to make up for the day in town, but it was worth it. Eight grade graduation is one of the high spots in the life of a country child.
