Monday, November 28, 2016

Weekly Events & Opportunities in Sustainable Farming & Foods!


Commercial Horticulture Webinar Series: Satsuma updates

November 28, 9:00am – 9:30am. Online. Commercial Horticulture Extension Team organizes webinars for providing quick updates to producers on various topics of interest. Webinars will be streamed live via Panopto using the link provided below (evaluation link will be provided later). Webinars will also be archived on this website for later viewing. Participants can send questions during the presentation to Ann Chambliss, Outreach Administrator/IPM Program Assistant, hameae@auburn.edu. Questions may be answered by speakers immediately after the presentation (time permitting) or responses will be posted on this website. http://www.aces.edu/anr/beginningfarms/webinars.php

Potential Challenges to Bees in Nebraska’s Biologically Unique Landscapes

November 29.  4:00 pm–5:00 pm. UNL's East Campus Union. Contact for more information,  Jeri Cunningham, 402-472-8678jcunningham1@unl.edu. About, Natalia Bjorklund, a graduate student in the Department of Entomology, will present the seminar, “Potential Challenges to Bees in Nebraska’s Biologically Unique Landscapes.”

Solar Energy in Agriculture, North Platte

November 29th. North Platte. Register and more information by calling Lincoln County Extension, 308-532-2683

Solar Energy in Agriculture, York

December 1st. York. Register and more information by calling York County Extension, 402-362-5508

Ben Hartman - Using the The Lean System to Earn a Comfortable Living

November 29th. 8:30am. Ben Hartman wil be speaking on his Lean System farming as part of our specialty crops training with funding provided by the USDA. Registration includes lunch and a copy of Ben's book. Using the The Lean System to Earn a Comfortable Living on a Farm. https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ben-hartman-using-the-the-lean-system-to-earn-a-comfortable-living-tickets-28763045042 

Tax Preparation for Your Farm

November 29. Feeling overwhelmed when it comes to filing taxes for your farm? Tax preparation should begin with proper record keeping to ensure you have the necessary information for filing when the time comes. It’s important to know what sort of tax records you need to keep, how key tax provisions impact you and how the Schedule F works, among other things. Hear tips on how to best navigate this process from farmer and Drake University Resilient Agriculture Coordinator Matt Russell, and attorney and agricultural tax specialist Kristine Tidgren. http://practicalfarmers.org/news-events/events/farminars/

Agricultural Programs Market Research: Irrigation Efficiency

November 29. Online. In two webinars of an hour and a half each, Bonneville Power Administration will share findings from its analysis of the current state of the agricultural market in the Pacific Northwest and BPA's territory. The presentation will focus on the different options for types of efficiency with Ag and current market barriers. Part two will focus on the top areas of opportunity for the future of agricultural irrigation in BPA's territory. https://www.bpa.gov/PublicInvolvement/Cal/Pages/IndividualEvent.aspx?item=706 

Microbial endophytes of plants: Their roles in promoting plant growth, adapting plants to their environments and engineering ecosystems

November 30.  4:00 pm–5:00 pm. UNL's City Campus in Beadle Center Room: E103. 1901 Vine Street. Contact for more information Lisa Vonfeldt, 402-472-1384BiotechPSIOffice@unl.eduMicrobial endophytes of plants: Their roles in promoting plant growth, adapting plants to their environments and engineering ecosystems,” will be presented by Dr. James White, Rutgers University. Refreshments will be served at 3:30 p.m. The event is open to the public. http://biotech.unl.edu/

Soil Compaction and Urban Trees: Strategies for Gaining Ground

Wednesday, November 30 at 1:00 pm CST. Compacted soil is one of the most common and serious problems urban trees face. Compaction quickly causes severe physical, chemical and biological alterations to soil conditions, and remediation is a difficult and lengthy process. What’s a tree care or landscape professional to do? In this webinar, soil expert Dr. Bryant Scharenbroch (University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point) will discuss how soil preservation is critical to prevent and limit soil compaction. Learn how you can protect urban soils from compaction and gain useful management strategies to improve the quality of compacted soils in your local landscape.  https://extension.zoom.us/webinar/register/72a6482dc07c7a1c34538d7d4481ef37

Tools & Strategies to Facilitate Access to Land for the Next Generation of Farmers

December 1. Online. Chesapeake Food Network presents this webinar with Holly Rippon-Butler from the National Young Farmers Coalition. She will discuss how the context for accessing land has changed over the past few decades, making it more difficult for farmers now than ever before. She will then provide details on various tools and strategies to help farmers gain access to land that is affordable and equitable, with a focus on how organizations such as non-profits, land trusts, government agencies, and farmland investment groups can be part of the solution. http://chesapeakefoodshed.net/index.php/december-2016/

Introduction to Holistic Management

December 2 and 3. Where, Central Community College, Hastings Campus. Why HM? Holistic management decision making concepts were developed by Alan Savory and have been practiced and proven worldwide. Proper application of HM principles will enhance the health of your land and increase productivity while reducing operating costs. Register, Bob Shields—phone (308) 379-1361

Farm to School Training

Saturday, December 3rd,, we are offering a farm to school training in Litchfield. School food service staff and fruit and vegetable growers are both invited to attend. There will be separate training for the groups, and then a combined opportunity to network and share with the school, detailing what it is that your farm offers. An optional lunch will be provided for free.
Registration: Free.  Mileage reimbursement available. RSVP in advance to Kirstin: kirstinb@cfra.org or 402.376.8989

Western Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Conference

December 2 and 3rd. Sidney. “Money-Making Alternative Agricultural Enterprises for Farm Families” is the theme for the Annual Western Sustainable Ag Crops and Livestock Conference set for Dec. 3 at Sidney.  The agenda’s list of topics is diverse: goats; alternative crops such as hops and mint; sidelines such as bee-keeping; and agronomic practices like controlling weeds with propane flaming. The Western Sustainable Ag Crops and Livestock Conference was initiated by farmers who saw the need for a conference to bring research-based, alternative and value-added agriculture information to farmers and ranchers in western Nebraska. The annual conference provides information for a growing group of farmers and ranchers who are looking for new ways to keep their operations sustainable, according to Nebraska Extension Educator Karen DeBoer, one of the conference organizers.  

To download a brochure and registration form, go to http://ckb.unl.edu. For more information about the conference or exhibitor booths, contact Extension Educator Karen DeBoer at the Extension Office in Sidney; telephone 308-254-4455; email: kdeboer1@unl.edu. Sponsors include Nebraska Extension, Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society (NSAS) and Organic Crop Improvement Association Nebraska Chapter No. 2.



Opportunities


FSMA Survey

The North Central Region Center for FSMA Training, Extension and Technical Assistance team would like to reach as many producers as possible in our region. This survey is anonymous and the information gathered will help them identify and meet small scale fruit and vegetable farmer’s educational needs with regards to compliance with FSMA.  The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete and will help individuals/farms determine if they will be required to comply with the FSMA Produce Rules. It will also help the team determine fruit and vegetable producers' level of knowledge on food safety and determine their top education needs in our region. They need producer input so that they can start developing appropriate and targeted training materials ASAP.  The deadline for completing the survey is November 30, 2016. https://ncrfsma.org/

Farm Beginnings 2017

Nebraska Extension will begin its 9 th Farm Beginnings ® Program at 
the Kimmel Education and Research Center at 5985 G Road Nebraska City, NE 68410. 
on January 7 th . Nebraska Extension and the Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society 
are facilitating the Farm Beginnings ® Program to be held in Nebraska City. The Farm 
Beginnings ® Program is an educational training and support program designed to help 
people who want to evaluate and plan their farm enterprise. Farm Beginnings ® 
participants engage in a mentorship experience and network with a variety of 
successful, innovative farmers; attend practical, high quality seminars, field days and 
conferences. 
For a brochure and an application for the Farm Beginnings® Program go to http://nemaha.unl.edu and scroll down to the Farm Beginnings® article. For more information about the program contact Gary Lesoing, Extension Educator at glesoing2@unl.edu or at (402) 274-4755,

Hay for Sale

I have Organic White Wonder Millet Hay and Grass Hay for Sale.  Large round Bales.  Will Deliver if need be. Snyder Organic Farms, Larry Snyder. Kimball, NE. 3082357175larrsnyd@gmail.com 

Cereal Rye Bales

I have 25 large round bales of cereal rye grass for sale. This grass contains the cereal rye as well as the grass. It was grown as transition crop under organic conditions. It was planted as a cover crop, but a crop was not planted because it was always too wet last spring. This should be able to be ground and used for feed. We can load it for you. Call Cheryl at 402-617-1718. Thanks

Osage Orange Posts

Over the years several NSAS members, especially organic producers , have bought osage orange posts from my son Chris Rohrbaugh.  He still offers posts but is also producing for Crete Lumber in Crete.  Crete Lumber has always been a great supporter of sustainable agriculture. Paul & Cyndie Rohrbaugh, Pawnee Pride Meats

​New Farm Storage Facility Loan

​T​he Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) Program administered by the FSA has expanded to include some new eligible commodities. The new commodities eligible for facility loans include floriculture, hops, rye, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, meat and poultry (unprocessed), eggs, and aquaculture (excluding systems that maintain live animals through uptake and discharge of water). Commodities already eligible for the loans include corn, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, oats, peanuts, wheat, barley, minor oilseeds harvested as whole grain, pulse crops (lentils, chickpeas and dry peas), hay, honey, renewable biomass, and fruits, nuts and vegetables for cold storage facilities.​ ​FSA has expanded the FSFL program to include portable equipment and storage and handling trucks.  These items can be new or used.  Along with these changes in equipment eligibility, the FSFL program now has a Microloan option for producers that have $50,000 or less in FSFL loans.  The FSFL Microloan reduces the down payment requirement from 15% to 5% and offers an abbreviated application by allowing the producer to self-certify their storage need. Loan applications should be filed in the administrative FSA office that maintains the farm’s records.​ ​For more information about Farm Storage​ Facility Loans, visit ​ ​www.fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport, or contact your local FSA office. To find your local FSA office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.



Upcoming

 
Graze and Bale: Cover Crops as Forage

December 6. In addition to providing a variety of environmental benefits, cover crops on a crop-livestock farm offer economic returns when used as a forage source. James Holz and Bill Frederick have a combined 12 years of experience growing cover crops and operate Iowa Cover Crop, a custom cover crop application business. James will share his experiences with chopping and baling covers, while Bill will discuss cover crop grazing strategies. http://practicalfarmers.org/news-events/events/farminars/

Managing Cucurbit Downy Mildew in Organic Systems in the Northeast

Join eOrganic for a webinar on managing downy mildew in cucumber, pumpkin and other cucurbits! The webinar takes place on December 6, 2016 at 2PM Eastern Time (1PM Central, 12PM Mountain, 11AM Pacific). The webinar is free and is open to the general public. Advanced registration is required. 

Growing for the Future

December 5-8
​. 
Online
​. 
National Farmers Union presents this online virtual conference for beginning farmers and ranchers. The conference is completely online during evenings, and features farmer-to-farmer webinars, live Q & A, a discussion board, a resource center, and free giveaways. It focuses on beginning farmer and rancher issues, including: mentorship, business planning, USDA programs, women and veterans in farming, conservation, and much more.


Monday, November 14, 2016

Weekly Events & Opportunities in Sustainable Farming & Foods!



Organic Seed Production Six Webinar Series Part 6: Seed Contracting, Economics and Policy

Tuesday, November 15 at 1:00 pm CST. A new six-webinar series on organic seed production will provide training for seed growers and seed production interns throughout the 2016 growing season (June - November). This series, offered by Organic Seed Alliance (OSA) and the Multinational Exchange for Sustainable Agriculture (MESA), will cover a range of topics, from planting to harvest to the economics of seed production. The series is delivered as part of a new seed internship program offered by OSA and MESA with support from the USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program. The free webinars are open to the public and appropriate for farmers, interns, students, and other agricultural professionals. Register in advance at http://articles.extension.org/pages/73816

Master Gardener Information Meeting

November 15.  6:30 pm–8:00 pm.  Douglas-Sarpy County Extension, 8015 W Center Road. The Nebraska Master Gardener program is a horticulture-related volunteer training program based in Douglas and Sarpy counties. It has been part of Nebraska Extension since 1976. The Nebraska Master Gardener program extends the outreach of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln by providing volunteers with research-based horticulture education, which prepares them to share their knowledge with the community. Please join us to learn more about the program. Applications will only be available at the informational meeting. 

Dirt Rich or Dirt Poor: Principles of Soil Health, Adaptive Grazing and Cover Crop Livestock Integration

Ogallala, Curtis, Hastings, Beatrice, Norfolk, Burwell, Ainsworth, or Chadron, Nebraska
The Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition and Nebraska Extension present a four-hour workshop with Allen Williams in eight different locations around the state over the course of four days. Allen Williams is founding partner and President of GFI, LLC, an Agriculture & Food Industry consulting firm specializing in enhanced farm and food company sustainability and profitability, livestock genetics and management, soil health initiatives and research, and whole farm planning. He is also founding partner of Grass Fed Beef, LLC. http://www.nebraskagrazinglands.org/

Livestock Diseases and Prevention

Tuesday, November 15 at 12:00 pm CST. Wondering what you can do to reduce the risk of disease to your livestock? Prevention is ALWAYS much better than response! Dr. Susan Kerr, Washington State University Extension, will discuss practical steps to take to keep animals healthy and diseases at bay. Scott Cotton will moderate. https://extension.zoom.us/j/880727594

Explore Farming - Learn More About What It Takes To Start Your Farm

November 16th. 6:00pm - 8:30pm. The Non-Profit Hub in Lincoln. Join Community Crops for a free workshop to help you examine your farm dreams and assess the steps needed to make them a reality. In addition to learning about opportunities available through the Community Crops Growing Farmers Program, this workshop will feature group discussions, activities to help refine your farm vision, a presentation on the daily requirements of running a farm business and a panel discussion with seasoned farmers who can answer the burning questions you have about what it takes to go after your farm dreams. Registration

Grazing Management to Promote Small Ruminant Health

November 16
​. 
Online
​. 
This free, one-hour webinar is presented by the NRCS East National Technology Support Center. Participants will gain a better understanding of how using sound grazing management practices can lead to improved small ruminant health. Practices and techniques that can sustain or improve sheep and goat health and production will be presented and discussed.

Explore Farming - Learn More About What It Takes To Start Your Farm

Nov 16th 6:00pm - 8:30pm
​. 
Join Community Crops for a free workshop to help you examine your farm dreams and assess the steps needed to make them a reality. In addition to learning about opportunities available through the Community Crops Growing Farmers Program, this workshop will feature group discussions, activities to help refine your farm vision, a presentation on the daily requirements of running a farm
​ ​
business and a panel discussion with seasoned farmers who can answer the burning questions you have about what it takes to go after your farm dreams.
​ 
This class is free and will take place on November 16th from 6:00 - 8:30 pm at The Non-Profit Hub, 211 N 14th St, Lincoln, NE.

Agroforestry in Action Webinar: Community Food Forests in the USA

November 16
​. 
Online
​. 
Speaker Catherine Bukowski will present an overview and discuss implications for Urban Agroforestry. Bukowski is a PhD student at Virginia Tech, currently researching the agroecological and community development factors influencing the design and management of community food forests with a focus on social dimensions. This is a free, one-hour webinar.

Biodynamic Conference

November 16-20
​. 
Santa Fe, New Mexico
​. 
The 2016 Biodynamic Conference, "Terra Viva: Farming the Living Earth," features a range of inspiring speakers. Discover how a living approach to agriculture can help us consciously collaborate with our planet to create healthy, living, vibrant landscapes and nourishing food. Numerous workshops offer an opportunity to learn practical skills in biodynamic and regenerative practices and explore biodynamic principles and philosophy, whether you are new to biodynamics or have been practicing for decades.

Whole Farm Revenue Protection

November 17th. Online. This webinar is for producers of diversified fruit, vegetable, and other specialty crop production and will address how you can make Whole Farm Revenue Protection work for you. Register

Introduction to Organic Exports and Imports Webinar

November 17. Join CCOF for a webinar on the ins and outs of importing and exporting your products. CCOF staff will give an overview of the organic export market, review international organic compliance programs, and cover international organic labeling guidelines. You’ll also hear the experiences and recommendations of organic businesses who import and export organic products. This webinar includes an overview of export market numbers, a highlight of countries that accept USDA National Organic Program standards, steps for entering the import and export markets, and more.

Agronomy and Horticulture Seminar

November 18.  3:30 pm–4:30 pm. UNL's  Keim Hall. Contact, Judy Fredrick, 402-472-5138jfredrick3@unl.edu. Christopher Neale, Director of Research, UNL Water for Food Global Institute, professor, UNL Biological Systems Engineering will present, “Geospatial technologies for the management of water, food production and energy.” 

2016 National Organic Research Agenda Webinar

November 18. This one-hour webinar will present the new Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) report, the 2016 National Organic Research Agenda. The report is based a 2015 online survey and listening sessions with organic farmers. Presenters will discuss research priorities for finding solutions to production and economic challenges. A question and answer session will follow the presentation. https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5116888900176997378

A Nutrient Management Training Course for Farmers

Friday, November 18 at 1:30 pm CST
​. 
The webinar will first be focused on the farmer nutrient management course, goals, design, and curricula, second part of the webinar will be focused on the outcomes of the course, and 3rd part will be focused on the tools we have developed for the course that include the web and mobile apps called goGrop. 
​ 
https://extension.zoom.us/webinar/register/d82121153685825bdc2040ba88984b7b



Opportunities


2017 Healthy Farms Conference Annual Awards

With the 2017 Healthy Farms Conference approaching we are seeking nominations for our annual awards. NSAS recognizes individuals or farms for their dedication to sustainable agriculture and local foods. Categories include; Beginning Farmer of the Year, Education of the Year and Farmer/Farm Family of the Year.  To nominate someone please email William at healthyfarms@gmail.com. To find up to date details about the conference please visit, http://nebsusag.org/conference.shtml

FSMA Survey

The North Central Region Center for FSMA Training, Extension and Technical Assistance team would like to reach as many producers as possible in our region. This survey is anonymous and the information gathered will help them identify and meet small scale fruit and vegetable farmer’s educational needs with regards to compliance with FSMA.  The survey will take about 15 minutes to complete and will help individuals/farms determine if they will be required to comply with the FSMA Produce Rules. It will also help the team determine fruit and vegetable producers' level of knowledge on food safety and determine their top education needs in our region. They need producer input so that they can start developing appropriate and targeted training materials ASAP.  The deadline for completing the survey is November 30, 2016. The survey can be found on the NCR FSMA website https://ncrfsma.org

Hay for Sale

I have Organic White Wonder Millet Hay and Grass Hay for Sale.  Large round Bales.  Will Deliver if need be. Snyder Organic Farms, Larry Snyder. Kimball, NE. 3082357175larrsnyd@gmail.com 

Cereal Rye Bales

I have 25 large round bales of cereal rye grass for sale. This grass contains the cereal rye as well as the grass. It was grown as transition crop under organic conditions. It was planted as a cover crop, but a crop was not planted because it was always too wet last spring. This should be able to be ground and used for feed. We can load it for you. Call Cheryl at 402-617-1718. Thanks

Organic Oats

I have 636 bu of organic oats for sale in Kimball county.  32# TW. You can call me at402 327 9936 or 402-560-1385.  Carl Engstrom.

Transition Yellow Corn

We will have approximately 2,000 bushels of newly harvested transition yellow corn available for sale.  Anyone interested can reply directly to me. Thank you, Ken Thiltges, kmgthiltg@sentco.net 

Osage Orange Posts

Over the years several NSAS members, especially organic producers , have bought osage orange posts from my son Chris Rohrbaugh.  He still offers posts but is also producing for Crete Lumber in Crete.  Crete Lumber has always been a great supporter of sustainable agriculture. Paul & Cyndie Rohrbaugh, Pawnee Pride Meats
Steinauer, NE. 

​New Farm Storage Facility Loan

​T​he Farm Storage Facility Loan (FSFL) Program administered by the FSA has expanded to include some new eligible commodities. The new commodities eligible for facility loans include floriculture, hops, rye, milk, cheese, butter, yogurt, meat and poultry (unprocessed), eggs, and aquaculture (excluding systems that maintain live animals through uptake and discharge of water). Commodities already eligible for the loans include corn, grain sorghum, rice, soybeans, oats, peanuts, wheat, barley, minor oilseeds harvested as whole grain, pulse crops (lentils, chickpeas and dry peas), hay, honey, renewable biomass, and fruits, nuts and vegetables for cold storage facilities.​ ​FSA has expanded the FSFL program to include portable equipment and storage and handling trucks.  These items can be new or used.  Along with these changes in equipment eligibility, the FSFL program now has a Microloan option for producers that have $50,000 or less in FSFL loans.  The FSFL Microloan reduces the down payment requirement from 15% to 5% and offers an abbreviated application by allowing the producer to self-certify their storage need. Loan applications should be filed in the administrative FSA office that maintains the farm’s records.​ ​For more information about Farm Storage​ Facility Loans, visit ​ ​www.fsa.usda.gov/pricesupport, or contact your local FSA office. To find your local FSA office, visit http://offices.usda.gov.



Upcoming

 
Soil Compaction and Urban Trees: Strategies for Gaining Ground

Compacted soil is one of the most common and serious problems urban trees face. Compaction quickly causes severe physical, chemical and biological alterations to soil conditions, and remediation is a difficult and lengthy process. What’s a tree care or landscape professional to do? In this webinar, soil expert Dr. Bryant Scharenbroch (University of Wisconsin – Stevens Point) will discuss how soil preservation is critical to prevent and limit soil compaction. Learn how you can protect urban soils from compaction and gain useful management strategies to improve the quality of compacted soils in your local landscape.