NEBRASKA SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
Fall 1996, Number 56
The Nebraska Sustainable Agriculture Society promotes an agriculture that
builds healthy land, people, communities and quality of life, for present and
future generations.
NSAS is a non-profit membership organization. Annual membership costs $25,
which includes a year's subscription to the NSAS newsletter. For more
information about NSAS or the information in this newsletter, please contact:
NSAS, PO Box 736, Hartington, NE 68739; 402-254-2289. Fax: 402-254-6930.
E-mail: criscarusi@aol.com.
The NSAS newsletter is published quarterly. We welcome articles, letters,
poetry and other contributions, which should be sent to the above address.
Articles appearing in this newsletter may be reproduced; please credit the
authors and the NSAS newsletter. This newsletter is supported in part by
grants from the W.K. Kellogg Foundation and the US Environmental Protection
Agency.
IN THIS ISSUE:
Wildlife and Farmers Can Exist Together
The Snake in the Garden
NSAS News
5th Annual Western Conference Announced
Plan Now for the 1997 Annual Meeting!
Annual Meeting Volunteers Needed
Hassebrook Named CRA Program Director
Gardens and Goats Teach Lessons on Life
Wildlife: Three Farmers' Perspectives
Swinging the Balance of Nature in My Direction - Tom Larson
Encouraging Wildlife and Building Soil on Our Farms - Carl Kemper
Encounter With a Killdeer - David Podoll
Nebraska IMPACT Project Update
Northeast Farmers Sell Food, Not Commodities
Coalition Seeks to Maintain Consumer Rights
The Importance of Peaceful Pastures
Program Provides a Boost to Wildlife on Farms
Good Land Management is Good Wildlife Management
Agriculture Contributes to Wild Pollinator Decline
Flaw in Cultivator or Tractor?
Resources
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WILDLIFE AND FARMERS CAN EXIST TOGETHER
Wyatt Fraas, Center for Rural Affairs
What is the big deal with wildlife and farmland? It has to do with what=
we want for our farms, communities and environment. Some species are di=
sappearing, and agriculture is blamed as the culprit. That's not really =
a new situation, as agriculture has always taken a natural environment an=
d changed it to one managed by people. Some species flourish in the huma=
n-influenced habitat, while others don't. =
That's the first lesson: everything is habitat. Habitat is where critte=
rs live. It provides all the needs of a species: food, shelter, space, a=
nd water. All creatures need certain ranges of light, heat, water, and p=
rotective cover to sustain themselves. The ranges tolerated by blue jays=
, for example, are different than those tolerated by Canada geese. Which=
do we want? Both are wildlife. Both are desirable. But we can't have =
maximum numbers of each in the same space. =
That's lesson two: diversity of wildlife requires diverse habitats. Agr=
iculture has reduced the diversity of habitats by creating monocultures -=
large areas with only one plant species, such as cornfields. In a monoc=
ulture there is only one plant for insects, birds, or animals to eat. Th=
ere is only one height of vegetation to sit on or hide in. The soil's su=
rface has a uniform moistness, temperature range, and cover. Only wildli=
fe species that can tolerate those particular conditions will live there.=
Some may do very well, such as corn borers, while others may only visit=
, such as whitetail deer. The biological diversity (number of animal or =
plant species) of a typical monoculture field is very low.
Dennis Avery, author of Saving the World with Pesticides and Plastic, cl=
aims that agriculture "destroys" land for wildlife. He believes that we m=
ust maximize agricultural production on some land and save other land exc=
lusively for wildlife. But farms don't have to provide only one set of li=
ving conditions. Proponents of sustainable agriculture think that both w=
ildlife and farmers can use the same land.
Ann Robinson, in the 1991 Walton League publication "Sustainable Agricul=
ture: A Brighter Outlook for Fish and Wildlife," reports that sustainable=
farmers often farm smaller fields and use more crops in their rotations =
than conventional farmers. They recognize the benefits of birds, insects=
, and even plants sometimes called weeds. Livestock, which add to divers=
ity, are often included in sustainable farming systems. Their manure fee=
ds birds and insects. Livestock necessitate the production or delivery of=
foods that wouldn't otherwise be part of the farm. Sustainable farmers =
often express considerable concern about soil erosion, and sustainable fa=
rming practices that reduce erosion are good for fish.
So if it's good to stop erosion, then no-till farming must be great, rig=
ht? That depends on the chemicals needed to farm without mechanically ki=
lling weeds. "Paraquat, a herbicide frequently used in no-till farming, =
is very toxic to some birds and mammals" says Robinson. "Several herbici=
des have been shown to harm fish. The synergistic effects that may happe=
n when several chemicals are combined can make these products more harmfu=
l."
Those synergistic (increased and/or changed) effects include what some s=
cientists call "endocrine disruption." Trace amounts of pesticides or th=
eir residues apparently act like animal hormones and disrupt normal body =
functions like growth and reproduction. Such side effects of pesticide u=
se could wreak havoc on the health of wild animals, domestic livestock, a=
nd people.
So, what do we want? Holistic Resource Management practitioners use a pl=
anning process that starts with describing their goal: quality of life, p=
roduction to support it, and the environment to allow that production. I=
f we want wildlife, we need only to plan for it and to put that plan into=
action. =
Many HRM farmers and ranchers have explicit plans to include wildlife on=
their land. They can point to the economic gains they expect from worki=
ng with natural processes, instead of against them. Their plans can incl=
ude simple ideas like scheduling grazing or haying dates to avoid critica=
l nesting sites. A more complex plan might include grazing to influence s=
hrub density and grass regrowth on deer winter range.
University of Missouri agricultural economist John Ikerd agrees with the=
HRM approach for including wildlife on farms. He believes that, "Succes=
s...is measured against the goal of sustainable human progress =97 balanc=
ed economic, ecologic, and social progress." Each farm family can choose=
its own balance point, and can create a farm plan to reach that point. =
The resulting mix of farm profits, a healthy farm environment, and a supp=
ortive community can easily include farm wildlife.
=0D
THE SNAKE IN THE GARDEN
Tom Tomas
Last summer, I was pulling weeds in the garden and decided to feed them =
to the rabbits. One doe had a litter of eleven that were about a third g=
rown already and, while still nursing, were eating greens at a voracious =
rate. In the mornings and evenings, I would pull dandelions and grass fo=
r them. Through the day, whenever I happened to pull weeds, I would feed =
them to the rabbits as well. It was late afternoon when I went to the ca=
ge and, when I opened the door, I sensed something was wrong. The doe wa=
s sitting quietly outside the nest box with several of the bunnies, who w=
ere quite nervous. =
I tipped the box forward so that I could see into it, and heard a hiss. =
A bull snake was wrapped around a black bunny in the box. I took the bo=
x out of the cage and uncoiled the snake from the bunny. The bunny was a=
lready dead and too large for the snake to swallow. I took the snake to =
the raspberry patch behind the shed and let it go, telling it to look for=
mice.
I like to see snakes in my garden. The most common ones are garter snak=
es, but I have seen bull snakes before. They feed on insects and rodents=
, and are beautiful to watch. They get the adrenaline pumping when I com=
e upon them suddenly. When we lived in Lincoln County, rattlesnakes occa=
sionally turned up in the garden and we killed them. When I came across =
rattlesnakes while hunting in the canyons, I let them be. I could not do =
the same in the garden, as we had five young children.
This summer, an elderly neighbor found a large garter snake in front of =
his door and was about to beat it with his cane. I picked it up and turn=
ed it loose in my garden. One afternoon, a boy about six years old told m=
e that he had seen my snake. He told me that it had pretty colored strip=
es, and proceeded to tell me that it was good because it ate mice and bug=
s. This conversation gave me hope that perhaps our culture's unreasoning=
fear and loathing of snakes will come to an end.
It seems to me that if we are to survive in this living world, we will h=
ave to learn to see the pretty stripes and understand the place of other =
living creatures in this garden that we share. I have found that I get m=
ore from my garden when I understand that I do not own it, but only share=
it with other life. When I try to control what happens in order to maxi=
mize what I want - to the exclusion of other life that has a stake in the=
garden - I find that I receive less in return for all the effort I expen=
d in control. If the strawberries and cherries are fully protected from =
the robins, there are fewer nests and fewer fledglings to turn insects in=
to more robins. Much better to plant more strawberries here and there, a=
nd cover only that patch of plants that produces what I need.
The same is true for insects. Dill comes up here and there in the garde=
n, and I plant more in the spring to be sure we have enough for pickles. =
Swallow tail butterflies lay their eggs on the dill, and amazingly beaut=
iful caterpillars emerge to eat the dill. All summer long the caterpilla=
rs eat dill, grow, pupate and emerge into beautiful butterflies. Very fe=
w flower seeds can equal the beauty on the wing produced by the dill seed=
s. My grandchildren see the caterpillars and tell me that something is e=
ating my dill. I tell them that there is enough dill for all of us, and =
we talk about how the caterpillar will turn into a butterfly.
I've taken longer to appreciate the white butterflies with black spots o=
n their wings that lay their eggs on the cabbage. These eggs, of course, =
turn into green cabbage worms. To a child, these butterflies are beautif=
ul. Once the association with the green, cabbage-eating worms has been m=
ade, most adults can no longer see the insects' beauty. This summer, I t=
ook more time to appreciate them. They flutter over the cabbage patch an=
d perform their mating rituals. I saw females resting on cabbage leaves,=
with their wings spread, their abdomens raised in the air, emitting pher=
omones to attract the males. They would mate and fly away to dance in th=
e air again. =
I cut back on my spraying of Dipel. I confined my spraying to the heads=
and leaves where the damage was serious. After cutting the heads, I lef=
t the rest of the plants and did not spray them. I got all the cabbage t=
hat I wanted, and butterflies too. I also noticed that some of the worms=
were parasitized by tiny wasps, and others were carried off by larger wa=
sps and yellow jackets. Occasionally, birds would visit to gather a meal=
=2E What more could we all want from that cabbage patch? If hope was in=
spired when the little boy saw beauty in the snake, then there is also ho=
pe for me. I can at last see beauty in white butterflies again. =
Back to the bull snake in the rabbit hutch. I went back to pulling weed=
s and returned with more for the bunnies. Sure enough, the snake was bac=
k and had another bunny in its coils. This time I put the snake in the p=
ickup and drove out to the cemetery. There, I let it loose and told it to=
look for ground squirrels. In my garden we all are entitled to a share,=
but there are limits. When the snake got too greedy, I cast him out. I=
think that in the larger garden of life, we too had better not get too g=
reedy or we may also be cast out, again.
=0D
NSAS NEWS
5th Annual Western Conference Announced
NSAS is proud to announce its Fifth Annual Western Nebraska Conference, =
to be held Saturday, February 1, 1997, in Sidney. The theme of this year'=
s conference is Staking Our Claim in the Future: Partnerships and Practic=
es for the 21st Century. Check the winter NSAS newsletter for further dev=
elopments. For more information or to contribute ideas, call Jane Sooby a=
t 308/254-3918.
=0D
Plan Now for the 1997 Annual Meeting!
Mark your calendar for the 1997 NSAS Annual Meeting! Themed Grow Better,=
Not Bigger, this year's meeting will feature two days of exciting speake=
rs and interesting workshops. Keynote presenters include North Dakota far=
mer Fred Kirschenmann and Iowa State Rural Sociologist Cornelia Butler-Fl=
ora. =
The meeting is planned for February 21st and 22nd at the New World Inn i=
n Columbus. Registration materials will be included in the winter NSAS ne=
wsletter. This year's meeting is co-sponsored by the Nebraska Fruit and V=
egetable Growers and the Specialty Growers (OCIA #3). For more informatio=
n, call NSAS at 402/254-2289.
=0D
Annual Meeting Volunteers Needed
NSAS members are the most important part of the Annual Meeting, and we n=
eed your help behind the scenes. It's fun, and you support NSAS too! We n=
eed volunteers to help with videotaping, registration, speaker introducti=
ons, and the raffle and silent auction. We also need donations of food an=
d flowers raised or processed by members. If you have a video camera whic=
h you can lend us, we sure could use it. Volunteers will receive some kin=
d of refund on their Annual Meeting registration, based on the amount of =
time they contribute. Food donations will be acknowledged in the program.=
Please call or write the NSAS office today, before the best jobs are tak=
en!
=0D
Hassebrook Named CRA Program Director
The Center for Rural Affairs Board of Directors has named Chuck Hassebro=
ok of Walthill to be its new Program Director. Hassebrook has been Progr=
am Leader of the Stewardship and Technology Program at the Center, where =
he has been employed since 1978. Chuck replaces Marty Strange, who co-fou=
nded the Center in 1973.
=0D
GARDENS AND GOATS TEACH LESSONS ON LIFE
Morton Stelling
You just gotta love specialty crop growers.
Saturday, August 24, 1996 was a sunny, summer day. A caravan of cars he=
aded out of Lincoln to visit small-scale producers near Crete, Martell, F=
irth and Beatrice: four truck gardens and a dairy goat operation.
By the end of the day we'd seen and heard about drip irrigation, mulchin=
g with plastic film, bureaucratic regulation of food labels and safe food=
laws. But most inspiring was the ingenuity and unquenchable spirit of t=
he small producers themselves.
These are people who must produce - because they love it. Some started =
growing vegetables just for the family, for "my in-laws," or because a Na=
tive American grandmother revealed and celebrated the mysteries of life t=
hrough gardening. "All life is sacred. You don't kill unnecessarily." =
Another started with just one goat to produce organic, pure goats' milk t=
o meet a child's dietary needs. Somewhere along life's way they experien=
ced the thrill of growing things, and they were hooked.
Once hooked, what happens? They experiment with novelty vegetables (hot=
peppers are IN). They expand: they want more. "If you look around you'=
ll see all the projects I've started and haven't finished." They supply =
friends and neighbors. And the family gets involved. They show at the S=
tate Fair and sell at Farmers' Market, ". . . to buy ice cream for the ki=
ds." The next step is processing - bottled horseradish, cheese and meat:=
"If we didn't butcher, the place would be overrun with goats now."
Selling at the Farmers' Market changes one's focus - to a wholesome, che=
erful desire to please customers. A greenhouse is needed to start seedli=
ngs so you can hit the market early, or grow herbs year-round. Hoops or =
cold frames protect seedlings from frost. Veggies must be scrubbed for g=
reatest buyer appeal. A walk-in refrigerator becomes a must - to keep ve=
getables fresh until market day. Beans are planted every three weeks, to =
sell them tender all summer long, and in late July peas are planted in th=
e fall garden.
When gardeners are trying to meet the market at its peak, I'm sorry, but=
there just isn't time to keep the weeds mowed - unless company's coming,=
of course. "Besides, my grandmother always said, 'weeds are in your min=
d.' So I pull them intellectually."
The most endearing quality of home-scale producers? They've never had a=
failure. "What?" says the unbelieving husband. "What about the sweet p=
otato sets that withered in the wind and sun the day after you set them o=
ut?" "Oh, that," his wife replies. "Yes, it's true. We just replaced t=
hem with tomatoes; they're producing real well now." Later, she allowed,=
the same thing happened with the lettuce.
And then there was an indoor crop of basil - lost "in an hour" one morni=
ng when the greenhouse lights went out, and the outside temp was 20 below=
=2E "I didn't catch it. Well, they were old plants. It was time I repl=
aced them anyhow."
Gardeners know life the way it really is: sometimes things don't work as=
planned. That's normal. Failure depends on what you do about it.
Failure, like weeds, is a state of mind.
Specialty Crops Field Day participants visited the farms of Bob and Judy=
Slama, Crete; Peggy and Gene Eggert, Martell; Diana McCown, Martell; Ge=
ne and Dot Langdale, Firth; and Jerry and Pat Meyer, Beatrice. NSAS exten=
ds a huge "thank-you" to these producers for their generous hospitality!
=0D
WILDLIFE: THREE FARMERS' PERSPECTIVES
Swinging the Balance of Nature in My Direction
Tom Larson
As some of you may know, I use narrow strip cropping on my farm. A 4-ro=
w strip of corn with a 4-row strip of beans and a 4-row wide strip of oat=
s with a fall crop of forage turnips is a pattern that I use on all of my=
row crop acres.
Why the heck do I use such a seemingly complicated system? Basically, I=
want to grow a feed grain (corn), a legume (beans) and a small grain (oa=
ts) in close proximity to each other. Nature does not produce monocultur=
es, and this is as close as I can come to natural diversity and still be =
able to plant, cultivate and harvest with machinery.
Since this system is set up for ridge tillage, it is a simple matter to =
rotate the crops. I just plant beans where the oats were, corn where the=
beans were and oats into the former corn strips. This seems to confuse =
the insects, diseases and weed species along with some of my neighbors.
As a side benefit of this system, I notice a lot more wildlife in the fi=
elds. Deer are seen darting in and out of the strips along with birds an=
d other creatures.
Sounds too good, doesn't it? Well, it was. I provided such good habita=
t for the wildlife that the 13-striped ground squirrel population explode=
d! These creatures have a habit of digging up the corn that has just bee=
n planted, causing large gaps where no corn grows. Weeds are more than h=
appy to fill in these bare, open spaces. Last year I replanted more than=
60 patches where the seed had been dug out, and only managed to successf=
ully establish a stand in about a dozen areas. Bummer!
What to do? What to do? . . .
Well, last fall I ran across an article that said the State of Nebraska =
has on staff a rodent control specialist. Yeah! I contacted this person=
and we discussed all sorts of options, most of which I couldn't use beca=
use of organic certification standards. But he sent me a lot of informat=
ion on the habits of this little creature. Seems they eat a lot of insec=
ts and wire worms, and that they were digging up my seed corn not to eat,=
but to store. Once the corn emerges they are seldom a problem. =
I figured that if you can't beat 'em, join 'em. I took four old plate-t=
ype planter boxes and added them to my planter so they would drop bin run=
corn in the row middles, on top of the ground. The ground squirrels, be=
ing the lazy little rodents they are, busied themselves gathering the bin=
run seed off the soil surface and left my planted corn alone! It cost a=
bout $4/acre for the bin run corn and I got to swing that "balance of nat=
ure" in my direction for a change.
Moral of the story? It's usually cheaper and less frustrating to work w=
ith nature than against it.
NSAS President Tom Larson farms in St. Edward, Nebraska.
=
Encouraging Wildlife and Building Soil on Our Farms
Carl Kemper
My wife Betty and her sister Marj inherited a quarter section of land in=
southern Seward County in 1977, which was badly eroded fifty years ago. =
This land was purchased by their father in the 1940s. He put four ponds=
on the place and grassed the waterways. Two miles of terraces were added=
in 1978. We planted shrubs, lilac, nanking cherry, autumn olive and hone=
ysuckle on almost a mile of the terraces. This protects the terraces, pr=
ovides wildlife habitat, and catches snow.
David Welsch became our tenant. He farmed without chemicals, used minimu=
m till, and rotated his crops with alfalfa. We could soon see improvement=
s in the quality of the soil. Since 1993, Brent Stutzman has farmed the l=
and. He received OCIA certification in 1995.
In 1992, we planted two field windbreaks of pine interplanted with popla=
r for erosion control and wildlife benefit. We set out rows of pine, shru=
bs and deciduous trees on a .4-acre clay hillside which curves too awkwar=
dly for row crops. We established wildlife habitat in odd corners of the =
farm.
Soon we began to see more wildlife. Our farm provides food and shelter f=
or common small birds, upland sandpipers, meadowlarks, and red-winged bla=
ckbirds. From time to time we spy nesting bobolinks, double-crested cormo=
rant, cattle egret, and a variety of small waterfowl. Bluebirds occasiona=
lly use our nesting boxes. =
Migrating Canada geese and ducks use the ponds in the fall and spring. G=
ame birds - mostly dove, pheasant and quail - are common. Blue herons, w=
hich nest in trees along the nearby North Blue River, enjoy feeding in ou=
r ponds. A goose nest has been used the past three years. So far we hav=
en't observed any activity in a duck nest, which consists of a cylinder o=
f wire and grass on a pole. We also have deer, badgers, gophers, and occ=
asionally coyotes!
After my Mother's death in 1992, we bought the farm where I was born. S=
ince we left farming in 1954, this land was in continuous row crops with =
chemicals. In 1996, Brent took on this farm. This spring, he planted a=
field of oats which is now seeded to alfalfa.
The farm has suffered severe streambank degradation along the West Blue =
River, which enters the Southwest corner and exits the Northeast corner o=
f the "80." On the advice of soil conservationists we planted 30 feet of=
switch grass along the affected banks and are planting rows of deciduous=
trees near the cropland, with a variety of shrubs and trees a bit closer=
to the streambanks. We are maintaining and enhancing the existing habit=
at.
A big part of my philosophy is the interpretation of "dominion" in Genes=
is 1:26-28, which I see as maintaining a balanced ecology, so that all ou=
r descendants forever will prosper and be healthy.
NSAS Director Carl Kemper farms in Crete, NE.
=0D
Encounter With a Killdeer
David Podoll
Picking rocks in June usually leads to an encounter with a killdeer in t=
he midst of incubating her eggs. If our dog Maude is with us, Ma Killdee=
r entertains us with a dramatic demonstration of how nature works. She f=
lies from her nest as we approach and promptly feigns injury by giving a =
peculiar cry, spreading her tail, hanging a wing, and hobbling along the =
ground. Of course Maude cannot resist and gives chase to the 'injured' b=
ird. The killdeer succeeds in luring Maude far from her nest.
However much we delight in the drama, my brother Dan, his son Nic and I =
are not satisfied until we find the nest. Killdeer like to nest on high,=
open ground. Our bare field prepared for sowing millet is perfect. The=
hill she chooses is covered with small stones, which makes her dull-brow=
n mottled eggs very difficult to spot.
With Maude safely away on another scent, the killdeer returns to guard h=
er nest from the strange, two-legged beings that can't be lured away. She=
stands guard over her nest, now quite frantic for the safety of her futu=
re brood. We may have searched some time to find her nest if she hadn't =
finally given the location away. Ma Killdeer's nest is perfectly camoufl=
aged next to a small bluish basalt rock, the eggs on top of a bit of last=
year's oat straw in a shallow depression.
After observing the nest we return to rockpicking, making note of its lo=
cation. On the next round we steer a sufficient distance away from it. I =
speculate that the eggs may be near to hatching. When I work the ground n=
ext, I suspect that I will find three baby killdeer running with their pa=
rents. Killdeer hatchlings feather quickly, miniature copies of the adul=
ts. One can almost say that they "hit the ground running." Their abilit=
y to run from mom and dad when they are feigning injury from a predator i=
s important to their survival.
I remember that when I was about ten years old, I accidentally came upon=
some young killdeer. I just had to catch one of those cute little bugger=
s. They weren't very big, but could they run fast and turn on a dime! M=
iraculously, I did catch one, but its screeching and struggling lessened =
the joy of the experience. Why couldn't it understand that I meant it no=
harm?
=0D
A week or so later, while digging and rodweeding that field, I watch for=
the nest as I approach the stony hill. If the eggs have hatched, I can =
easily spy the little birds running and avoid them. If they haven't hatc=
hed or don't have their field legs yet, Mother Killdeer will certainly gi=
ve warning and I can swing around the nest. =
Watching intently now, I know that I am near the nest. Unfortunately, M=
a Killdeer is as broody as can be, and does not leave her nest or signal =
until the belly of the green monster is over her. She escapes from benea=
th the tractor, but her brood is lost. Oh woe! What have I done? =
Ma Killdeer is screaming angry at first. I see her go back to the locati=
on of her nest, only to find that the terrain has changed and her nest ha=
d disappeared. She seems perplexed, not knowing what to do. As I pass a=
gain she merely runs away from the green monster, without voice, already =
resigned to the loss. What is this green monster that can not be swayed =
from its course? A fox would have at least eaten the eggs or chicks for =
its own sustenance. But this monster didn't need to eat; it just destroy=
ed. =
Yes, the killdeer will re-nest and probably be successful. And yes, the=
large fields provide habitat that would not ordinarily be found in such =
abundance on the prairie. Still, I could have stopped the tractor, searc=
hed for and marked the nest. But then the isle of weeds left growing aro=
und the nest would surely attract foxes' attention. I know how important=
a diverse wildlife population is to sustainable agriculture. But this w=
as just one nest in one field. It would be an inconvenience to stop. =
At what point has this green monster affected my psyche? Well, the kill=
deer nest is hard to see. After all, I have farmed around many duck nest=
s. Ah yes, the criteria is only what can be accomplished at 6 mph. The =
sun will soon set. The field must be worked before the rain comes . ...w=
ill I stop next time? Will the killdeer understand or accept my excuses?=
NSAS member David Podoll farms near LaMoure, North Dakota.
=0D
NEBRASKA IMPACT PROJECT UPDATE
Northeast Farmers Sell Food, Not Commodities
Martin Kleinschmit, Center for Rural Affairs
The Northeast Farmers want to be viewed as food producers, not commodity=
suppliers. They hope to enhance the farmer's visibility in the marketpla=
ce by selling a variety of meats directly to their customers. Group memb=
ers are concerned with eaters' increasing lack of awarenesss as to where =
food comes from. Through relationship marketing, they want their custome=
rs to connect a face and a farm with their food. =
The members of this group sell "Nebraska Natural Meats" - farm-fresh bee=
f, chicken, duck, lamb, pork, and buffalo. They raise their animals huma=
nely in a fresh-air, natural environment. Healthy living conditions and g=
ood nutrition eliminate the need for pesticides, hormones or antibiotics.=
The cattle and buffalo are grown primarily on grass, with grain supplie=
d in limited amounts to some cattle. The pork is raised in open lots or =
in open air facilities. All poultry is raised in a natural, fresh-air en=
vironment.
Working as a group not only provides these farmers with support and idea=
s - it also gives them an edge in the marketplace. As individuals, they l=
ack the time and facilities to have animals available for slaughter throu=
ghout the year. To address this problem, the group's members staggered t=
heir production to provide their customers with a year-round supply of me=
at. This convenience attracts customers and keeps their business.
The group has hired a contact person to coordinate their meat sales. She=
directs each customer to an individual farmer who can supply the desired=
meat. The farmer and customer negotiate the price, delivery and processi=
ng details. The animal (or animals) is then delivered to a mutually-agree=
d processing facility, where it is cut and wrapped to customer specificat=
ions. Beef is sold in carcass halves, quarters and split halves, ensuring=
customers a consistent product. All meat is handled in accordance with s=
tate and federal regulations. =
Group members have found that attracting customers requires creativity a=
nd extra work. Urban people are not used to buying meat in bulk, and many=
don't have enough freezer space to store half a beef. The farmers talk d=
irectly with potential customers to convince them that buying meat direc=
tly from farmers is a better deal for everyone. =
In August, the group sponsored a "meat tasting party." Potential custom=
ers from the Norfolk area met the farmers, toured Gerald Henzler's farm i=
n Pierce, and sampled the meat. The group will host a second tour on Nove=
mber 3 at Marv DeBlauw's farm in Hartington. =
Group members have talked with dieticians at Norfolk hospitals. One of t=
hose dieticians agreed to refer Nebraska Natural Meats to patients on spe=
cial low-fat diets. A group member who raises buffalo, Monty Mason, offer=
s covered-wagon rides of his tallgrass prairie farm. This strategy attrac=
ts customers from distant towns and states. The group has put together a =
brochure, but all members agree that word-of-mouth is the best way to sel=
l meat.
The Nebraska Farmers are Marv DeBlauw, Hartington; Gerald Henzler, Pie=
rce; Mike and Dan Uhing, Norfolk; Lowell Schroeder, Stanton; Pat Steffen,=
Fordyce; Gary Young, McLean; and Monty Mason, Dixon. Please direct order=
s and questions to the group's contact person: Betty Henzler, Route 1, Bo=
x 180, Pierce, NE 68767, ph. (402) 329-4277. =
=0D
Coalition Seeks to Maintain Consumer Rights
Medina, ND - A coalition of private certification organizations, state a=
gricultural departments, manufacturers, farmers, cooperatives, internatio=
nal traders, and consumer and environmentalist groups have joined forces,=
creating the National Organic Community Coalition for Private Seal Use. =
This coalition formed to ensure that consumers have the right to choose =
products produced organically according to standards of the highest organ=
ic food quality.
The Organic Food Production Act of 1990 (OFPA) was established to set ba=
seline standards for the production, processing and handling of organic p=
roducts in the United States. However, officials at the USDA and some se=
lf-interested manufacturers/processors are seeking to sweep away the cons=
umer's right to know which products exceed that baseline. The USDA is pr=
oposing that private certification organizations may not certify to stand=
ards exceeding the national standard, even though consumers preference ma=
y demand standards of organic quality not promulgated by USDA. USDA furt=
her suggests allowing manufacturers and producers to self-regulate by mak=
ing claims on their products that they exceed the national standard, whil=
e disallowing any oversight or verification of these claims.
Tom Harding, President of the Organic Crop Improvement Association (OCIA=
) International, and Annie Kirschenmann, Business Development Manager for=
Farm Verified Organic, Inc., state that, "We believe that private certif=
ication organizations should have the right to exceed the federal organic=
standards and use their privately registered trademarks to represent thi=
s in the marketplace. We believe that if we exceed the federal standards,=
the consumer has a right to know about it and have that fact verified."
OFPA was designed to protect the rights of consumers. In protecting tho=
se rights, consumers should have the ability and right to rely on the fre=
e market system to establish additional requirements which provide them w=
ith the assurances that they demand in the foods they consumed. Not only=
should it allow them to demand additional requirements over and above th=
ose set by the government as a baseline, but also to have those additiona=
l requirements verified by a competent certification program and identifi=
ed in the marketplace by their seal for consumer recognition.
For further details on the National Organic Community Coalition for Priv=
ate Seal Use contact Tom Harding, OCIA at 810/863-6700 or 703/528-6550, =
or Annie Kirschenmann, FVO at 701/486-3578.
=0D
The Importance of Peaceful Pastures
Justin Kleinschmit
Where is your sense of place? Is it at home, at a friend's house, or so=
mewhere else unique or even strange? In this composition I will explain =
my sense of place, where I feel at one with nature and at complete and tr=
anquil peace.
My sense of place would have to be in the open fields and pastures of th=
e Great Plains, my farm more specifically. When I am in the field I feel=
at peace, not only because I am surrounded by nature, but mainly because=
I am completely alone with no one around to judge me. I do not have to =
worry about impressing others and "being cool." Being in the field gives=
me a chance to think about things and make decisions. Many times I have=
made decisions during field work ranging from "How am I going to get bac=
k at my brother Tom?" to "What should I major in during college?" Not on=
ly do I use the field for making decisions, but also for venting anger. =
I am able to let out my fury because others are not around to hear, and i=
f they were around the roar of the tractor would drown out my improper e=
xpressions.
The field is also very beautiful. When I am buzzing around with the tra=
ctor I have no choice but to take in the beauty of the land, beings that =
after a couple hours field work can be pretty mind numbing. The flowing =
wheat and tall corn are perhaps the most relaxing sights there are in the=
land. The green pastures dotted with cows here and there give you the s=
ense of harmony in nature like no other.
Not only is the land peaceful, but so is the work. When you're in the f=
ield you can almost feel the money coming in with every chop of the hay o=
r hum of the combine. You have the feeling of getting something done. I=
t is very exciting and heartwarming. Most people can't imagine that work=
can be fun, but this is. You can't wander too far off into the depths o=
f your mind, however, or you might end up in the side of a barn somewhere=
=2E
Most people ask, "Why not your house or bedroom, or Tim's house?" My an=
swer to that lies in the crops. After spring planting you grow with the =
crops every season. First you plant it, then you hoe it, then you cultiv=
ate it, then you walk it, and finally it's harvest time. Then you have to=
say good-bye to what once were little seeds and now are mighty plants wh=
o sacrifice themselves to provide food for their care giver's family, so =
that next season a new generation will live and go through the same love =
they did. =
Not only do you grow with your plants, but also with your tractor. Afte=
r years of it carrying you and pulling your loads, and you make repairs a=
nd feed it gallon after gallon of fuel, you can't help but develop a rela=
tionship with the hunk of junk. I know it sounds pretty strange, but it =
makes sense. Think about it. Without your tractor you couldn't do many r=
egular operations as quickly, which means there would have to be time cut=
out of family life and bonding time. Also a farmer sits on his/her trac=
tor for many hours per day. There is definitely a relationship developed=
there.
My sense of place may be deemed weird, or dumb, but how many other peopl=
e can say they feel at peace at work. In my opinion there can be no plac=
e closer to nature than farming. Well, I have to take off to cut hay, I =
can't wait.
Justin Kleinschmit is a junior at Cedar Catholic High School in Hartingt=
on. His parents, Marty and Linda, are involved with the IMPACT Project.
=0D
Program Provides a Boost to Wildlife on Farms
NSAS and the Nebraska Wildlife Federation are looking for farmers, ranch=
ers, and other rural landowners who want to provide a boost for fish and =
wildlife on the land they own or manage.
The organizations have launched a new program, dubbed "WildFarms", an ef=
fort to help local groups of farmers, ranchers and others who share a lov=
e of wildlife. NSAS and NEWF will support these local WildFarm groups in=
achieving their goals for wildlife on their land. NEWF can help groups =
plug into information and cost-share programs offered by various governme=
nt and non-government organizations. WildFarm groups, once organized, may=
be eligible to apply for IMPACT Project funding.
The first WildFarms meeting was held in Wayne on August 27. The Wayne S=
tate College biology club expressed an interest in working with landowner=
s in Northeast Nebraska. =
A September 19 meeting in Tecumseh attracted 18 farmers, landowners, and=
employees from several interested agencies. The group discussed option=
s for land now in the Conservation Reserve Program, and suggestions for m=
aintaining good habitat in grass waterways, roadside ditches, and other a=
reas not normally used for agricultural production. =
The next WildFarms meeting will probably take place in Lancaster County.=
=
NEWF President Duane Hovorka emphasized what the WildFarms program is =97=
and is not =97 trying to do. "We're not trying to duplicate all the goo=
d work done by the people from Game & Parks, the NRDs, the USDA and other=
agencies," said Hovorka. "Our focus is on organizing groups of farmers =
and ranchers in a local area, finding out what their wildlife interests a=
re, and then getting them information on no-cost and low-cost wildlife ma=
nagement practices that will work for them."
"The benefits of this group approach are many," explained Hovorka. "Far=
mers and ranchers can compare their experience with specific management t=
echniques or particular programs, can work together on projects, and may=
be able to share equipment. We think groups will be able to leverage at=
tention and funding from agencies, and they will have a much larger impac=
t by improving fish and wildlife habitat in a region rather than just on =
a single farm."
Farmers, ranchers, rural landowners and others with an interest in the=
WildFarms program can contact the NSAS office or leave a message at the =
NEWF office in Lincoln, (402)-476-9081.
=0D
GOOD LAND MANAGEMENT IS GOOD WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
Victoria Mundy, Extension Educator
During one of my walks this autumn, a blue heron surprised me as it rose=
like a phantom from a deep streambed. The wonder of the sight stayed wit=
h me for days. Keeping wildlife on farms is not easy. People who make the=
commitment to do so usually consider themselves richly rewarded with the=
company of the wild creatures. =
A more tangible benefit of managing a farm for wildlife is that producti=
on practices which encourage wildlife almost always help to reduce agricu=
ltural pollution too. Sometimes the wild flora and fauna can even be used=
as a measure of the farm's environmental health.
Management which increases the diversity of crops and other vegetation o=
n a farm will entice wildlife to live on the farm. Many wild animals' nee=
ds for food, shelter, and water can be adequately met if the animals have=
access to several different plant communities in a fairly small area. =
Crop acreage does not need to be reduced very much - just rearranged. St=
rip-cropping legumes and small grains with row crops is a good way to est=
ablish patchworks of vegetation which will foster wildlife. Strip-croppin=
g also curtails wind and water erosion. =
Grass turn-rows, waterways, covered terraces, and wide fencerows provide=
shelter for nesting birds and diversity of habitat, while reducing erosi=
on and runoff. Fencerows established with the needs of wildlife in mind s=
hould be 25 to 50 feet wide. Plant a few shrubs and trees in fencerows. =
Windbreaks with plenty of undergrowth make good homes for wildlife. Try =
to plant several species of understory shrubs which bear fruits or berri=
es. Windbreaks also reduce wind erosion and wind damage to crops, so crop=
yields are increased. =
Weed and pest control in cropland does become more challenging if you ar=
e trying to encourage wildlife on the farm. Conservation tillage maintain=
s residue cover which is beneficial for wildlife and reduces erosion, but=
more herbicides may be needed with conservation tillage. Consider bandin=
g herbicides in the row rather than broadcasting. =
Insecticides, particularly organophosphates, can be very hazardous for w=
ild animals and people. Aerial application is usually more dangerous for =
wildlife than ground application. Granular materials are often highly tox=
ic and must be incorporated into the soil immediately. =
Of course, great care should be taken with any pesticide to ensure that =
the chemical reaches only the target area. This includes treated seed, wh=
ich can be toxic to wildlife. Clean up seed spills right away. =
Sometimes the wildlife itself causes damage - why did Noah put those poc=
ket gophers on the Ark anyway! You can't shoot them all, and poison is a =
pollution hazard. Sprinkle several bushels of old cracked corn around fie=
ld edges. The gophers will eat food that is easy to get, and leave plant=
ed seeds alone. =
Farm ponds furnish habitat for wildlife. Around ponds, plant mixed grass=
-legume swards for food and shelter, and to filter silt or chemicals out =
of runoff water. Also, keep cattle and sheep out of ponds; clean water i=
s good for them as well as for fish and wildlife. =
Making your farm a comfortable home for wildlife requires lots of though=
t and perhaps some adjustment of farming practices. But not only will the=
birds and foxes appreciate your efforts, so will your downstream neighbo=
rs. =
This article covers only some general management suggestions which will =
encourage wildlife while diminishing agricultural pollution. The Nebraska=
Game and Parks Commission, UNL wildlife specialists, and the Nebraska Wi=
ldlife Federation can provide more in-depth information about the specifi=
c needs of different wildlife species.
=0D
McClain, C., et al. 1991. Croplands. NEBRASKAland Magazine 69(1):24-35.
Johnson, R.J., and C.W. Wolfe. 1994. Backyard wildlife - planting for ha=
bitat. University of Nebraska Cooperative Extension NebGuide G84-671-A.
=0D
Agriculture Contributes to Wild Pollinator Decline
Jane Sooby
Has a group of bumblebees burrowed into your compost heap? Have alfalfa=
alkali bees embedded themselves into a bare spot in your backyard?
If so, don't fetch the kerosene. You are providing habitat to the most =
useful wild creatures this side of earthworms.
The role of pollinators is possibly the most taken-for-granted element i=
n plant production. Most flowering plants reproduce sexually, requiring =
the transfer of the male pollen from one flower to the female egg of anot=
her flower. Many plants have evolved strategies to attract an insect par=
tner that effects this fertilization, or pollination. This is why so man=
y plants have showy or aromatic flowers. Bees, butterflies, moths, flies=
, beetles, hummingbirds, and even bats act as pollinators.
Many farmers have noticed a decline in the number of wild pollinators vi=
siting their orchards, gardens, and fields this year. Part of this decli=
ne is due to the weather. The fate of many wild pollinators depends on t=
he survival of a single individual, a mated queen, who overwinters and em=
erges in spring, looking for a source of nectar while she builds a nest. =
Spring sprung this year only to be followed by three weeks of cold, wet =
weather. If the queen can't find a source of nectar after she emerges, s=
he will die before producing the next generation.
Honeybees, which overwinter in colonies, have an advantage in this respe=
ct. Numbers of wild honeybees have been declining over the last decade, =
however, due to the spread of the varroa mite. This mite attaches to bees=
and sucks their blood, like deadly ticks. The varroa mite is devastating=
wild and domesticated honeybee populations nationwide.
The most widely grown crops in Nebraska do little to support wild pollin=
ator populations. Corn, wheat, millet, and milo are all in the grass fam=
ily, which depends on wind activity for pollination. Soybeans are not pa=
rticularly attractive to pollinators. The crops that depend on pollinato=
r activity-mostly by bees-are sunflowers, canola, and legumes like vetch,=
alfalfa, and clover. =
Wild pollinators are important in fruit orchards. Apples, cherries, plu=
ms, and pears depend on them to set fruit. Home gardens rely on pollinat=
or activity, too. Vine crops like cucumbers, cantaloupes, squash, and me=
lons need pollinators to produce fruit. Pollinators help provide food fo=
r wildlife by assisting fruit production in plants that they eat, such as=
wild plums, elderberries, partridge peas, vetch, and gooseberry.
Marion Ellis, assistant professor of entomology at the University of Neb=
raska-Lincoln, says that increasing agricultural activity in the state ha=
s contributed to a wild pollinator decline. "A lot of wild pollinators a=
ren't there in the numbers they were a couple of years ago because of the=
habitat loss," he commented. Ellis believes that installing center pivo=
ts into areas that were previously rangeland, removing shelterbelts, and =
planting large areas to crops unattractive to pollinators have reduced bo=
th habitat and forage available to wild pollinators.
Because most crop species have been introduced to Nebraska, wild pollina=
tors aren't as important to crop production as they are to orchard, garde=
n, and wildlife food production. Managed honeybees are more significant =
pollinators of crop species. They are interested in a broad range of pol=
len types, while native wild pollinators tend to specialize in the kinds =
of flowers they service.
Dr. Ellis expresses concern about the declining number of managed honeyb=
ee hives in Nebraska. "In the 40's, every fourth or fifth farm kept bees=
=2E Now we have just a few large producers keeping most of the bees in t=
he state." The number of managed honeybee colonies in Nebraska has decli=
ned 50% in the past decade. This decline is due to low market prices for =
honey and intensive management requirements for honey production.
People can help increase wild pollinator populations by creating attract=
ive nesting sites for them. Nest boxes, compost heaps, and flowers with =
deep corollas attract bumblebees. Leafcutter bees require some kind of t=
ube to nest in, and will settle in boards with holes bored in them or eve=
n soda straws stuck into milk cartons. Alfalfa alkali bees and other gro=
und-nesting bees are attracted to bare spots on the ground.
Dr. Ellis teaches an annual three-day course in basic beekeeping. This =
course is presented in the counties from which the largest number of inqu=
iries regarding bees have been made. For further information on wild pol=
linators or managing honeybee colonies, contact your local county extensi=
on office.
=0D
FLAW IN CULTIVATOR OR TRACTOR?
Dennis Demmel
Efficient cultivation is likely to become more and more important for fa=
rmers with environmental concerns. I rely on close cultivation for weed =
control in various crops, since we strive to operate with zero herbicide =
as much as possible.
I utilize a Buffalo cultivator with row unit coultors that cut residue a=
head of a single sweep per row. Coultors are aligned perpendicular to th=
e toolbar to hold the row and to run the cultivator in a straight line. =
The cultivator functioned well behind our Case 1370 tractor early in the =
Spring. Then we used the cultivator behind our Case 2390 tractor for mos=
t of the cultivation season. However, behind this tractor the cultivator=
pulled to the right. We had noticed a similar problem with the Buffalo =
ridge till planter pulling the same direction. The first response is usu=
ally to blame the implement.
Further analysis indicated that the toolbar of the cultivator was not pa=
rallel to the axle of the tractor when the cultivator was centered behind=
the tractor. This can be checked by measuring the distance from the end=
of the axle to the toolbar on both ends of the axle. We found a half-in=
ch difference from one side to the other in dimension of end of the axle =
to the toolbar. When the toolbar is not parallel to the axle, especially=
with row unit coultors, the cultivator will swing to one side until the =
toolbar is parallel to the axle. This requires "leading" the tractor to =
one side of the row to keep the cultivator on the row. In the process th=
e tractor does not run parallel to the row. It's just not much fun to op=
erate such an outfit. We do use mirrors on the tractor to keep the culti=
vator on the row, so we survived the summer.
During a rainy week in July, we analyzed the cultivator and tractor and =
narrowed down the problem to the bottom links of the three-point hitch. =
Links were removed and placed side by side on a workbench with pins throu=
gh both ball and socket units at each end. One bottom link was 1/8 inch =
longer than the other! We were astounded. My neighbor, a professional w=
elder, was called to help resolve the problem. We cut the ball and socke=
t off one end of the longer link and re-welded it to a length to match th=
e other link. =
The cultivator was used only over limited acres late in the year, but op=
eration indicated that the cultivator followed the tractor perfectly. On=
e can easily tell from the cab if the top link is straight back from the =
tractor, rather than off to one side, indicating that the cultivator is c=
entered. Toolbar-to-axle measurement indicated parallel configuration.
We acquired a guidance system earlier this year, but have not yet used i=
t. Problems like the one described above should be resolved first so the=
guidance system will operate effectively. One wonders how many guidance=
systems are being sold to solve a tractor manufacturer's flaw!
In a future article, I hope to discuss the use of mirrors in cultivation=
=2E
NSAS member Dennis Demmel farms near Grant, NE.
=0D
Resources
A national campaign to remember the "forgotten pollinators" is working o=
ut of the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum in Tucson. Contact them and ask f=
or their booklet, "Ten Essential Reasons to Protect the Birds and the Bee=
s." The Forgotten Pollinators Campaign, 2021 N. Kinney Rd., Tucson, AZ 8=
5743. e-mail: fpollen@azstarnet.com. =
http://www.oldwestnet.com/asdm/fp.
=0D
In 1991, NEBRASKAland Magazine published a Wildlife Habitat Improvement =
Guide. This beautifully illustrated publication offers a selection of sub=
jects for landowners in Nebraska who are interested in creating new habit=
at for wildlife, or managing existing wildlife habitat. Contact NEBRASKAl=
and, PO Box 30370, Lincoln, NE 68503 for information about back issues. =
=0D
Two new publications are available for farmers who want to bring proces=
sing, packaging, labelling and marketing dollars home to their farms. The=
Direct Marketing Resource Notebook, published by the MSAWG Marketing and=
Rural Development Committee, includes case studies of different direct m=
arketing enterprises, Midwestern state and federal marketing contacts, an=
d an extensive resources section. It is available for $20 from NSAS, PO B=
ox 736, Hartington, NE 68739; 402/254-2289. =
Making it on the Farm: Increasing Sustainability Through Value-added Pro=
cessing and Marketing includes interviews with Southern farmers and ranch=
ers who are adding value to their products, describes some of their pract=
ices, and includes a list of resources. It is available for $12 from Sout=
hern SAWG publications, PO Box 324, Elkins, AK 72727; 501/292-3714.
=0D
Religious Congregations on the Land: Practical Links Between Community, =
Sustainable Land Use and Spiritual Chasm is a new publication from the Na=
tional Catholic Rural Life Conference. The report includes a case-by-case=
report of religious communities that have experienced profound changes i=
n sustainability values and practices. Copies cost $15. Send orders to NC=
RLC, 4625 Beaver Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50310-2199; 515/270-2634.
=0D
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