2013 Ag Programs Advisory Council
March 5, 2013
Issues Discussions
Delegates discussed most prevalent Agriculture and Natural Resources (ANR) issues brought to State Extension Council in 2012. A morning and an afternoon session afforded attendees the opportunity to discuss two separate groups of ANR issues from the broad categories of:
- A. Local Marketing
- B. Management
- C. Pasture and Grain Crops
- D. Livestock Issues
Action items arising from discussions of the day include:
- Local Marketing
- Provide marketing training to include social media, radio, MarketMaker, Farm2School, GAP training, etc.
- Develop clear guidelines on how to legally sell value-added products
- Continue research on new crop opportunities
- Management
- Continue programs for young/beginning farmers
- Increase participation in Kentucky Farm Business Analysis
- Assist young/beginning farmers with applications for low interest loans
- Utilize a mix of approaches to disseminate information – web, face-to-face, e-mail, etc.
- Pasture and Grain Crops
- Grazing Schools – move locations around state, consider offering at different times of year
- Provide guidance on crop and total farm income insurance
- Hire Lexington soil specialist
- Hire Princeton grain specialist
- Address wildlife damage and animal carcass removal concerns
- Livestock Issues
- Promote testing of hay and forages to guide mineral programs
- Education about Kentucky Livestock Care Standards
- Fact sheets or other short educational resources on vaccinations, minerals, fly control, pinkeye control, IRM calendar in booklet form, economics of wrapping hay, etc.
- Update BQA program (video)
Group A – Local Marketing (morning session)
Key Issues
Marketing is always a problem
Confusion with marketing vs. promotion
Problem with Campbell County Beef group – at a stalemate with their product. Problem is getting enough “fresh” product and the quantity needed. Will people pay for quality? Storage is a problem.
Social media – farmers are “missing the point” if they are not selling products on Facebook or web sites. UK needs to help farmers learn about social media. Radio seems to work in some areas.
Internships from UK – students can help
GAP training
MarketMaker
Schools buying local
Group A – Local Marketing (afternoon session)
Reluctance of producers committing to market together
Facebook pages?
Understanding your audience
Local workshops on how to media blitz
Radio, newspaper, internet, facebook
Radio
Kentucky Proud – working well
Clear guidelines on how to legally sell value-added products
Meat, eggs, honey, processed foods, etc
Continue the research on new crop opportunities
Group B – Management (morning session)
Young farmers need programming
Kentucky Farm business analysis needed across the state, getting expensive
Higher fees make it harder to recruit new people
Little stability in the agents
Securing low interest loans for beginning farmers
Counties in and around Fulton County don’t have an ANR Agent
Succession planning and farm transitions
Expansion is not possible in some areas… Can the farm support an additional family?
How do we get information to farmers that don’t have time to go to meetings?
Internet connections is a limit to some folks in rural areas
Sometimes face-to-face is necessary
Email is a good means of communication
Web based meetings are an nice alternative to meetings when necessary
Group B – Management (afternoon session)
FarmStart – “program” vs. “basic program”
Advocacy
Horticulture – fruit and vegetable conference; networking; conference fees waived for FarmStart attendees
Minimum of 10
Networking
Technology
Crop insurance – coverage; FSA programs and information; basic support information
Lync uses – better for central part of the state; budget and time; information in real-time
Financial needs – young farmer USDA programs
Farm Business Analysis – educational resources; tax issues; crop insurance questions and info; family living expense?
Group C – Pasture and Grain Crops (morning session)
Needs – specialists – Lexington soil scientist, Princeton grain specialist
Need for emphasis in the soil sciences in the Lexington/central Kentucky area – KSU
Lexington hay testing and quality
Grazing Schools – worthwhile; continue; grain vs. pasture; endophyte-free KY 31 fescue
Publications – economic update; beef update; drought information
Cocklebur questions/control
Chemical control/publications; poison hemlock
Input prices – Dr. Cory Walters
Wildlife control – clarification with Fish and Wildlife; elk (traffic concerns), hogs, deer
Animal carcass removal
Tobacco – continue research
Labor
Group C – Pasture and Grain Crops (afternoon session)
Horse pasture management programs is fee based.
Grazing schools-Master grazers first step, then grazing schools a step above. Grazing school locations need to be moved around in the state. Maybe at different times of the year.
Dr. Corey Walters-Flex leasing publication is being updated. Dr. Corey Walters and Dr. Chad Lee working on a publication Farm Land owner row crop PRIMER.
What is the University of Kentucky view CROP AND LIVESTOCK Insurance education?
Crop or TOTAL FARM INCOME insurance, maybe an option to smaller farms in the future.
Weed control in pastures and hay fields. State wide weed control meeting offered by LYNC very successful.
Input costs not much to help with at this time.
Interviewed three individuals for Dr. Jim Herbek at Princeton, Soils specialists’ position in Lexington will be up for advertisement in the near future, the group want the new soil scientists in Lexington ASAP.
Cam Keinemer has been hired as the Corn Hybrid Trial Coordinator. 4 graduate students are working through Dr. Chad Lee’s program. 2 on narrow trials, 1 for high yield Soybean trials. Dr. Edwin Ritchey is working on manure studies. Dr. Dennis Egli, is going on post retirement, big loss for the Department.
Floyds Fork watershed in Jefferson county area, the first Models of this area said that the contamination came from Agriculture Nitrogen. After three other scientists looked the MODEL, not data, they have reduced the amount of Nitrogen loss by 99%. Farmer Associations have been the lead on getting the University at the table. The focus has been on ROW CROP and now they are LOOKING at LIVESTOCK Association representation SOON to LOOK at the MODELS.
Weeds in clovers need a product that will help with this problem.
Marion Simmons-Farm Business planning manual with 11 lessons for small farmers, maybe Mennonite or Amish community.
Group D – Livestock Issues (morning session)
KSU
English and Spanish version of disease recognition of swine, goats, beef, small poultry flocks. Low literacy, 30 pages mainly pictures, possibly a charge.
Goat production is one main manual that we already use but it is in revision at this time and will be on line.
Ken Andries program, Goat and Sheep herd improvement program similar to a KBN program.
The Quality assurance program for the SMALL RUMINANTS is being developed.
Vet tech program-KSU supported.
Will be hiring a vet that will be hired by KSU will have an Extension assignment as well.
Discussion:
Mineral programs are varied throughout the county. Testing hay and forages is the key to make sure that the mineral is correct for each farm operation. Recognition of problems in the herd is VERY IMPORTANT.
Castration:
Price is the key to castration.
Kentucky Livestock Care Standards is important to follow their progress, and we will need a simple FACT SHEET that will assist us in education. However, Danny Wilkinson said they are thinking that these standards will be put in place without the producer knowing that they even exist.
Would it be good to have different practices that are good for castration or dehorning?
It will be good to show the importance of testing for PI’s (persistent Infection) animals and publications on the problems with these animals. Possibly programs for Cattle meetings to inform them.
BQA video needs to be updated, ON-LINE-at home testing would be great, but creditability is an issue
Look for more NICHE markets for beef, such as the grass fed beef.
Put a number to the figure such as the wrapping of hay. Does it pay in the long run? Economic returns.
ALSO disposal for used plastic from haylage plastic, vegetables, silage plastic, and used tobacco trays.
Rented farms or farms with gravel drives that need assistance with mud control.
Feed additives or alternative feed sources, need a quick and easy way to get testing done on feed for nutritional benefits, and feeding issues such as non-consumption.
Nitrate sampling from the Lexington Diagnostic Center was FANTASTIC this summer.
Group D – Livestock Issues (afternoon session)
Feed choices are limited in some areas – cheapest feed is not always the best
Castration – is your market determining whether we do this? California bander, EZ bander, knife cut? Until the farmer sees the need, will they castrate? Will it pay for 400# calves? 650# calves?
Vaccinations – determined by the market – fact sheets are good to have
Mineral supplements – fact sheets needed; mineral needs for individual livestock; grass tetany; mineral blocks?
Different options for fly control – which is most effective?
Pinkeye control – vaccinations vs. minerals or medications
IRM calendar in booklet form would be nice – also keep local testing programs going – what works in our area?