09 Oct 2015

USDA Deputy Secretary Harden Announces $17 Million to Support America's Beginning Farmers and Ranchers

By Angela Orr

Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program Aims to Develop a Strong, Diverse Next Generation of American Farmers; Supports Efforts to Bring Veterans and Socially Disadvantaged Entrepreneurs into Farming and Ranching

UPDATED RELEASE

WASHINGTON, Oct. 8, 2015 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) today announced more than $17 million in grants for organizations that will develop training and provide other resources for beginning farmers and ranchers across the nation. The awards are made through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program, which is administered by USDA's National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA).

"When new farmers and ranchers start their operations, the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program can help them implement tested strategies and new ideas that in turn benefit all of us by reducing food insecurity, growing economic opportunities, and building communities," said Deputy Secretary Krysta Harden. "Today, we are partnering with organizations who recognize that an investment in our beginning farmers and ranchers is also an investment in our future."

The Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program was first established by the 2008 Farm Bill and was continued in the 2014 Farm Bill. The program provides support to those who have farmed or ranched for less than 10 years. NIFA awards grants to organizations throughout the United States that implement programs to train beginning farmers and ranchers, which may take place through workshops, educational teams, training, or technical assistance.

The 2014 Farm Bill mandated that at least five percent of BFRDP funding must support veterans and socially disadvantaged farmers. This year, 10 percent of the funding supports veterans and farming, while about 50 percent of the funding will serve socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers.

Since 2009, 184 awards have been made for more than $90 million through the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. These awards are part of USDA's deep commitment to empowering beginning farmers and ranchers across America.

Fiscal year 2015 grants include :

  • Auburn University, Auburn, Ala., $711,213
  • Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, Ala., $459,914
  • University of Arkansas, Fayetteville, Ark., $681,459
  • Farmer Veteran Coalition, Davis, Calif., $712,500
  • Planting Justice, Oakland, Calif., $708,700
  • American Farmland Trust, Washington, D.C., $669,796
  • Hmong National Development, Washington, D.C., $711,623
  • University of Idaho, Moscow, Idaho, $506,122
  • Chicago Horticultural Society, Chicago, Ill., $712,500
  • Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, $698,393
  • Kentucky State University, Frankfort, Ky., $493,467
  • Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, Unity, Maine, $709,713
  • World Farmers, Inc., Lancaster, Mass., $711,562
  • The Greening of Detroit, Detroit, Mich., $100,000
  • Hmong American Farmers Association, St. Paul, Minn., $712,500
  • Mississippi Delta Council for Farm Workers Opportunities, Inc., Clarksdale, Miss., $681,628
  • Winston County Self Help Cooperative, Jackson, Miss., $538,271
  • Legal Aid of Nebraska, Omaha, Neb., $654,902
  • Land for Good, Inc., Keene, N.H., $641,222
  • Rutgers University, New Brunswick, N.J., $460,170
  • Center of Southwest Culture, Inc., Albuquerque, N.M., $100,000
  • Hawthorne Valley Association, Ghent, N.Y., $693,918
  • Dakota Rural Action, Brookings, S.D., $225,079
  • South Dakota State University, Brookings, S.D., $706,907
  • University of Texas - Pan American, Edinburg, Texas, $712,500
  • Arcadia Food, Inc., Alexandria, Va., $100,000
  • Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Va., $656,903
  • University of Vermont, Burlington, Vt., $720,989
  • Organic Seed Alliance, Port Townsend, Wash., $251,237
  • Tri-State Local Foods, Inc., Huntington, W.V., $100,000
  • Easter Seals Wisconsin, Inc., Madison, Wisc., $496,914
  • Southwest Badger Resource Conservation & Development Council, Platteville, Wisc., $219,274
  • University of Wisconsin, Madison, Wisc., $187,379
  • Midwest Organic and Sustainable Education Service, Spring Valley, Wisc., $310,419

Information on past awards can be found on the NIFA website.

Funding for the BFRDP program is authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill. The 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 in rural America. For more information, visit the Farm Bill page on the USDA website.

More information about USDA support for new farmers and ranchers is available on the New Farmers page on the USDA website.

NIFA invests in and advances agricultural research, education, and extension and seeks to make transformative discoveries that solve societal challenges. To learn more about NIFA's impact on agricultural science, visit nifa.usda.gov/impacts or follow us on Twitter @usda_nifa using hashtag #NIFAImpacts.

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08 Oct 2015

YARD AND GARDEN: PROPERLY OVERWINTERING PLANTS

By Angela Orr

AMES, Iowa - Part of living in Iowa is dealing with winter and its effects on landscapes. That means taking precautions to ensure that certain plants can survive winter's harsh blast by overwintering them. Specific steps must be followed to ensure overwintered plants will return to prominence next spring.

Here are some tips from Iowa State University Extension and Outreach horticulturists on how to best overwinter plants. To have additional questions answered, contact the ISU Hortline at 515-294-3108 or hortline@iastate.edu.

Will cannas survive the winter outdoors in Iowa?

Cannas are perennials. However, they are not winter hardy in Iowa. Cannas must be dug in fall and overwintered indoors. Other tender perennials include tuberous begonia, dahlia, caladium, and gladiolus.

How do I overwinter cannas?

Cut back the plants to within four to six nches of the ground a few days after a hard, killing frost. Then carefully dig up the canna clumps with a spade or garden fork. Leave a small amount of soil around the cannas. Allow them to dry for several hours. Afterwards, place the cannas in large boxes, wire crates, or mesh bags. Store the cannas in a cool (40 to 50 degree Fahrenheit), dry location.

How do I overwinter tuberous begonias?

Carefully dig up the tuberous begonias within a few days of a killing frost. Leave a small amount of soil around each tuber. Cut off the stems about one inch above the tubers.  Place the tubers in a cool, dry area to cure for two to three weeks. After curing, shake off the remaining soil. Place a layer of peat moss, vermiculite or sawdust in a small cardboard box. Lay the tubers on the storage medium, then cover the tubers with additional peat, vermiculite or sawdust. Store the tubers in an area with a temperature of 40 to 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

How do I overwinter dahlias?

Cut back the plants to within two to four inches of the ground within three or four days of a killing frost. After cutting back the plants, leave the dahlias in the ground for an additional six or seven days to "cure." Then carefully dig up the dahlias with a spade or shovel. Gently shake off the soil, then cut the stems back to the crown. (The dahlia crown is located at the base of the stem where the tuberous roots are attached.) Carefully wash the dahlia clumps to remove any remaining soil. Allow the dahlias to dry for 24 hours. When dry, place the dahlia clumps upside down in cardboard boxes and cover them with vermiculite, peat moss, or wood shavings. Store the dahlias in a cool (40 to 50 degree Fahrenheit), dry location.

How do I overwinter caladiums?

Carefully dig up the caladiums after the first fall frost. After digging, place the plants in a cool, dry location for one to two weeks to cure. After curing, cut off the dry foliage. Place a layer of peat moss, vermiculite or sawdust in a small cardboard box. Lay the tubers on the storage medium, then cover with additional peat, vermiculite or sawdust. Store the caladiums in a cool (60 to 65 degree Fahrenheit), dry location.

How do I overwinter gladiolus bulbs?

Carefully dig up the plants with a spade in fall. Gently shake off the soil from the bulb-like corms. Then cut off the foliage one to two inches above the corms. Dry the corms for two to three weeks in a warm, dry, well-ventilated location. When thoroughly dry, remove and discard the old dried up mother corms located at the base of the new corms. Remove the tiny corms (cormels) found around the base of the new corms. Save the small corms for propagation purposes or discard them. Place the corms in mesh bags or old nylon stockings and hang in a cool, dry, well-ventilated location. Storage temperatures should be 35 to 45 degrees Fahrenheit.
08 Oct 2015

NORTH AMERICAN DAIRY SHEEP SYMPOSIUM IS NOV. 5-7 IN MADISON

By Angela Orr

MADISON, Wis. - The annual Dairy Sheep Association of North America Symposium will be held in Madison, Wis. on Nov. 5-7 with a pre-symposium sheep milk cheese-making course on Wednesday, Nov. 4.

For 21 years, dairy sheep producers from Canada, Mexico, Europe, Central and South America, New Zealand and the United States have attended the symposium. Register soon as important deadlines are fast approaching: Saturday, Oct. 3 for reduced rates on hotel reservations and Friday, Oct. 16 for early symposium registration at a reduced rate.

"The goal of the symposium is for all producers of all breeds to attend and learn about industry standards," said Daniel Morrical, professor and extension sheep specialist in animal science at Iowa State University. "The new director of the National Sheep Improvement Program, Rusty Burgett will be on hand to give his advice on ruminant nutrition and new adaptations for feeding dairy sheep."

According to Morrical the latest dairy management ideas and farmstead cheese production of sheep's milk will be highlighted during the two days of lectures on Nov. 5-6. Twelve presentations by 16 animal scientists, dairy sheep producers, veterinarians, and sheep milk cheese makers and marketers will be held at the Pyle Extension Conference Center, University of Wisconsin, 702 Langdon Street, Madison. There also will be opportunities for participants to taste a variety of cheeses, network with peers and tour trade show exhibits.

A sampling of topics and presenters includes:

  • Experiences with rearing lambs that do not nurse a ewe and adaptations for feeding dairy sheep - Rusty Burgett, National Sheep Improvement Program director, Ames, Iowa

  • Milking machine basics and special considerations for small ruminants - Dr. Doug Reinemann, extension dairy equipment specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison

  • Impacts on non-GMO labeling on artisan cheese production - Cathy Strange, Global Cheese Buyer, Whole Foods Market, Austin, Texas

  • Best practices for raising lambs on milk replacer - Dr. Tom Earlywine, Land O'Lakes, St. Paul, Minn.

  • Principles of dairy nutrition - Dr. Michel Wattiaux, University of Wisconsin-Madison

On Saturday, Nov. 7, the last day of the symposium, field day tour buses will take participants to Cedar Grove Cheese in Plain, Wis., operated by Master Cheesemaker Bob Wills and to Hidden Springs Creamery in Westby, Wis., where participants will visit the modern dairy sheep farm and artisan cheese plant operated by Dean and Brenda Jensen.

The pre-symposium sheep milk cheese-making course will be offered on Wednesday, Nov. 4, at the Center for Dairy Research on the UW-Madison campus for symposium participants and DSANA members for an extra fee.

The complete program and registration and hotel information can be accessed at the DSANA website (www.dsana.org) or the University of Wisconsin-Madison Sheep and Goat Extension website (http://fyi.uwex.edu/wisheepandgoat/) or by contacting Bill Halligan, DSANA Treasurer, P.O. Box 96, Bushnell, NE 69128 (308-235-5900, bill.halligan@hotmail.com) or Dave Thomas, UW-Madison, 1675 Observatory Dr., Madison, WI 53706 (608-263-4306, dlthomas@wisc.edu).

Additional contact
Dave Thomas, Extension Sheep Specialist, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 608-263-4306, dlthomas@wisc.edu

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