Male Paleso'o, a lifelong farmer from Aoa, American Samoa, wants to add fish to his farming operation. Paleso'o raises taro, bananas, cocoa and yams along with several vegetables, including tomatoes, beans, cucumbers, pineapples, pumpkins and ginger. At a recent workshop he learned about aquaponics, a system that combines fish culture with vegetable growing. The waste water from the fish tanks is circulated to grow vegetables, which, in turn, clean the water by removing the waste. The water is then returned to the fish tanks. Under his Western SARE Farmer/Rancher grant, Paleso'o will raise vegetable seedlings for his aquaponics system in a greenhouse, being built with the help of American Samoa Community College. He will obtain tilapia fingerlings from a local organization that farms tilapia, a hardy fish that can be raised in six months to satisfy the strong demand in American Samoa.
Project Title: Small-Scale Aquaponic Demonstration System in American Samoa
Project Number: FW05-015
Amount funded: $10,000
Project Coordinator: Malo Paleso'o, Pago Pago, AS (684) 622-7780
Technical Advisor: Darren Okimoto, Sea Grant Extension Agent, American Samoa Community College, Pago Pago, AS (684) 699-5358, okimotod@hawaii.edu
Producing marine shrimp in the arid West is a developing industry, thanks to abundant saline groundwater unsuitable for other agricultural endeavors. Advantages of inland farms include lower land costs than in coastal areas and reduced risk for transferring diseases between wild and farm-raised shrimp. While marine shrimp can be grown in the low salinities characteristic of Arizona's groundwater, shrimp on Arizona farms have suffered mortalities. Feng-Jyu (Kathy) Tang Nelson, associate research professor in veterinary science at the University of Arizona, will use a Western SARE Research and Education grant to find out why. Research, conducted both at farm sites and in the laboratory, will test concentrations of potassium in both pond water and shrimp feed to reduce shrimp stress and related mortalities. Currently, the production of shrimp on Arizona farms has a farm-gate value of more than $1 million. Armed with results of this study, producers could double that amount.
Project Title: Increased Production of Inland Shrimp Farms
Project Number: SW05-065
Amount funded: $98,024
Principle Investigator: Feng-Jyu (Kathy) Tang-Nelson, Associate Research Professor, Dept. of Veterinary Science and Microbiology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (520) 621-4438, fengjyu@u.arizona.edu
Rangeland monitoring focuses on ecological health
Four ranchers grazing livestock in southern Arizona's Red Rock Canyon watershed have joined forces with scientists to improve the rangeland and riparian health. The ranchers have formed the "Canelo Hills Coalition" and have converted, or are in the process of converting, to deferred rotational grazing plans. To carry out their plans, which include developing stock water and fencing to rotate livestock and rest pastures during certain periods, the coalition is harnessing a Western SARE Farmer/Rancher grant to support rangeland and riparian plant monitoring activities. Scientists from the U.S. Forest Service and the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension Service will lend their monitoring expertise to help document any changes that occur. In addition, the coalition plans to develop a user-friendly teaching plan to spread information about plant growth and regeneration to various groups, including local schools and 4-H groups.
Project Title: Partnership for Monitoring Rangeland and Riparian Health in Red Rock Canyon Watershed, Santa Cruz County, Arizona
Project Number: FW05-005
Amount funded: $19,976
Project Coordinator: Richard Collins, Collins C6 Ranch LLC, managing member and coordinator for Canelo Hills Coalition, Sonoita, AZ (520) 455-4615, RCC@theriver.com
Technical Advisor: George Ruyle, extension specialist and research scientist, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (520) 621-1384, gruyle@ag.arizona.edu
California agriculture consumes 14% of the state's diesel fuel and 7% of its electricity. Alternatives to both of these fossil fuels are being developed and refined, and incentive programs can help farmers and ranchers adopt them. The Ecological Farming Association based in Watsonville will harness a Western SARE Research and Education grant to help producers learn about alternatives to fossil fuels and the available incentive programs. Ecological Farming has coined the name Renewable Energy in Sustainable Agriculture, or RESA, for this two-year educational program aimed at increasing energy sustainability. The nonprofit educational association will use its statewide network of producer allies to provide more than 400 California producers in the four most productive agricultural regions with a comprehensive set of resources to decrease fossil fuel use through applications of renewable energy and conservation. In addition to training programs, project cooperators will present information through handbooks, a Web site and the annual Ecological Farming Conference.
Project Title: Renewable Energy in Sustainable Agriculture - RESA
Project Number: SW05-078
Amount funded: $68,208
Principle Investigator: Creek Hull, Program Coordinator, Ecological Farming Association, Watsonville, CA (831) 763-2111, creek@eco-farm.org
Goats in the chaparral
The 65 members of the Sunflower Coordinated Resource Management Program (SCRMP) are working to mitigate the fire danger that lurks in the chaparral lands of the West. Together the group of landowners and government agencies manages 40,000 acres running from 1,000 to 5,500 feet in elevation. SCRMP has mechanically cleared 30 miles of ridge lines to form 300-foot-wide fuel breaks and cleared 2,500 acres of land through prescribed burning. They realize fire and mechanical treatments are only stopgap measures, so they've been testing small numbers of goats to see if they can prevent chaparral regrowth and, at the same time, produce a marketable commodity. So far, they've been pleased with the results. Now, they will use their Western SARE Farmer/Rancher grant to assess the feed value of the brush so they can formulate what supplements may been needed to sustain the goats, especially their reproductive health.
Project Title: Goats in the Chaparral
Project Number: FW05-020
Amount funded: $19,990
Project Coordinator: Bill Burrows, rancher and coordinator, Sunflower Coordinated Resource Management Program, Red Bluff, CA (530) 529-1535, sunflowercrmp@msn.com
Technical Advisor: Wolfgang Pittroff, assistant professor of range and animal science, University of California, Davis, CA (530) 752-5362, wpittroff@ucdavis.edu
Working together to preserve Capay Valley agriculture
The Capay Valley boasts rich soils, abundant biological diversity and a viable agricultural economy. Less than two hours from the San Francisco Bay Area and hosting the Cache Creek Casino Resort, the valley is under tremendous pressure to develop. Rising land prices and shifting land uses, coupled with depressed commodity prices, threaten to destabilize the region's agriculture. To counter the threat, 23 farmers and ranchers, with the aid of a local nonprofit, Capay Valley Vision, have joined forces under the "Capay Valley Grown" label to create a shared identity and develop collaborative marketing approaches. The idea is to recognize and reward Capay Valley producers using sustainable practices and to encourage wider adoption of such practices. Employing newly created brochures, newsletters, grower cards, point-of-purchase information and the like, they'll target markets, consumers, Capay Valley Grown producers and other producers in the Western region.
Project Title: Sustaining an Agricultural Region: Capay Valley Grown
Project Number: FW05-026
Amount funded: $14,980
Project Coordinator: Judith Redmond, partner, Full Belly Farm, Guinda, CA (530) 796-2214, judith@fullbellyfarm.com
Technical Advisor: Mario Moratorio, Cooperative Extension Farm Advisor, Fairfield, CA (707) 421-6793, msmoratorio@ucdavis.edu
Reclaiming effluent from abalone production
Producing abalone in a land-based system requires pumping seawater from offshore intakes into a head tank, where it flows by gravity to individual tanks stocked with various size and age classes of abalone. The seawater pumping cost is the largest expense at The Cultured Abalone Aquafarm, an expense that owner Douglas Bush said limits expansion and diversification of aquafarm production. Reclaiming the already pumped seawater from abalone effluent could be a sustainable alternative to increased seawater pumping. With a Western SARE Farmer/Rancher grant, Bush plans to sample and analyze the effluent on his abalone farm, which will help him design a seawater reclamation unit specific to an abalone waste stream. Potential savings in pumping costs could allow him to expand or diversify his operation. Viewing effluent as a water resource, as opposed to a waste product, provides an opportunity to increase efficiency and decrease environmental impact.
Project Title: Evaluation of Abalone Effluent for Reclamation
Project Number: FW05-030
Amount funded: $7,685
Project Coordinator: Douglas Bush, The Cultured Abalone, Goleta, CA (805) 685-1956, tcabalone@cs.com
Technical Advisor: Fred Conte, aquaculture extension specialist, University of California, Davis, CA (530) 752-7689, fsconte@ucdavis.edu
Going under cover in strawberry production
In organic food production, cover crops are the primary means of maintaining healthy, productive soils. Cover crops decrease erosion, improve soil structure and fertility and help manage weed, disease and insect pests. California's central coast is the nation's leader in strawberry production, and several organic farmers have begun using summer cover crops with strawberries and winter vegetables. However, a lack of information on the benefits and management of cover crops is stemming wider adoption. To help fill the information gap, Richard Smith, University of California Cooperative Extension vegetable crop and weed science advisor, will work with High Ground Organics Farm to test three cover crop options, Sudangrass, Sudangrass/lana vetch and Merced rye. The study is designed to provide useful information for farmers on the central coast, and other areas with similar climates, on biomass production, weed suppression and soil improvement characteristics of cover crops.
Project Title: Weed Control in Summer Crops on California's Central Coast
Project Number: FW05-308
Amount funded: $9,942
Ag Professional: Richard Smith, University of California Cooperative Extension Vegetable Crop and Weed Science Advisor, Salinas, CA (831) 759-7350, rifsmith@ucdavis.edu
Producer: Stephen Pedersen, High Ground Organics Farm, Watsonville, CA (831) 786-0286, csa@highgroundorganics.com
The Four Corners states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico and Utah account for a third of all organic acres in the United States and 6% of the producers. Yet it's unknown the level of potential supply and the opportunities to develop markets inside and outside the region. Dennis Lamm, Colorado State University professor and extension specialist, will use a Western SARE Research and Education grant to evaluate market potential - locally, regionally and nationally - for certified organic products from the region and provide growers with information on opportunities for market development. Working with the Southwest Marketing Network, project participants will assess what farmers in the region are growing, the marketing mechanisms they're using and what value-added or collective issues interest them. The project will also evaluate what products the region's consumers prefer, what types of premiums they're willing to pay for local, certified organic products and where they buy their food.
Project Title: Supply and Market Analysis for Organic Producers in the Four Corners States
Project Number: SW05-085
Amount funded: $144,511
Principle Investigator: Dennis Lamm, Colorado State University Professor and Extension Specialist, Fort Collins, CO (970) 491-2074, Dennis.Lamm@research.colostate.edu
Manure management for 4-H members
More than 150,000 4-H youth livestock programs operate across the Western United States, but none of the participants has received training in manure management. Jessica Davis of the Colorado State University Department of Soils and Crop Sciences wants to change that. Using a Western SARE Professional Development Program grant, Davis plans to train extension 4-H agents and 4-H volunteer leaders, who will then teach youth about sustainable manure management practices. The 4-H Manure Management curriculum will cover livestock and the community, protecting water and air quality, composting, manure utilization and the economics of manure management. A "Helper's Guide" will provide additional learn-by-doing activities. Ultimately, the project will not only teach 4-H youth to manage manure in the current projects, providing short-term environmental benefits, it will arm them with lifelong skills that will have long-term benefits as these future leaders and business people move into the workforce.
Project Title: Manure Management: An Essential Component of 4-H
Project Number: EW05-015
Amount funded: $59,927
Project Contact: Jessica Davis, Colorado State University Department of Soil and Crop Sciences, Fort Collins, CO (970) 491-1913, jgdavis@lamar.colostate.edu\
Refining management of drip irrigation
Concerned over the rapid dewatering of the aquifer in southeast Colorado, the Baca Conservation District teamed up with the Natural Resources Conservation Service to offer irrigators cost-sharing incentives to install drip irrigation. Properly managed, subsurface drip can supply water to crops in small amounts with little waste, reaching up to 98% efficiency. Drip innovators in the area have struggled with system management. Jim Valliant, irrigation specialist with Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, plans to use a Western SARE Professional + Producer grant to help farmers improve their drip systems and provide guidelines for future drip irrigators. Working with Brent Morris on a 170-acre field on which subsurface drip lines were installed in 2003, Valliant will test the effectiveness of cover crops to prevent wind damage of emerging crops, assess methods of getting moisture to seedlings for proper germination and explore tillage methods over buried drip lines that keep beds aligned.
Project Title: Management Practices for Drip Irrigation in Baca County, Colorado
Project Number: FW05-309
Amount funded: $9,353
Ag Professional: Jim Valliant, Irrigation Specialist, Colorado State University Cooperative Extension, Rocky Ford, CO (719) 254-7650, valliant@lamar.colostate.edu
Producer: Brent Morris, Springfield, CO (719) 523-6840
Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa entertain thriving and growing aquaculture industries that now produce more than a half a million pounds a year. Most of the aquaculture operators obtain seed stock from Asia or Hawaii, but imported shrimp can pose disease problems. David Crisostomo, University of Guam extension aquaculture agent, will use a Professional Development Program grant to help industry-support professionals prepare for such bio-security issues and advance these islands' aquaculture industries. The project will include a tour of commercial aquaculture operations in Thailand, which has comparable environmental conditions and produces species important to these Pacific islands, including marine shrimp, freshwater prawns, tilapia and catfish. Information and video footage gathered on the tour will be used to develop educational materials that can be used to conduct workshops for ag professionals and producers on Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands and American Samoa.
Project Title: Capacity Building and Training in Commercial Aquaculture for Guam, Commonwealth of the Northern Marianas and American Samoa.
Project Number: EW05-017
Amount funded: $90,000
Project Contact: David Crisostomo, Extension Aquaculture Agent, University of Guam, Mangilao, GU (671) 735-2092, dcrisost@uog9.uog.edu
Transferring research-based knowledge in the American Pacific
Since 2000, there's been a tremendous increase in sustainable agriculture research and education activities conducted by extension agents and agricultural producers on American Pacific islands. Despite these activities, the demonstration of the results has been limited mainly to the local site where the projects occurred. While much of the information generated can provide beneficial solutions to various agricultural problems across the region, vast distances between American Pacific islands have hindered dissemination. Manuel Duguies, agricultural extension agent with the University of Guam, will employ a Western SARE Professional Development Program grant to assure that the new ideas and discoveries evolving in the region are available to extension agents at all five Pacific land grant institutions. Technical reports from the research will be converted to tabloid-size fact sheets, and several conferences, including oral presentations and posters, will be held to discuss the information.
Project Title: Transfer of Research-Based Knowledge in Agriculture in the American Pacific
Project Number: EW05-007
Amount funded: $74,507
Project Contact: Manuel Duguies, University of Guam Cooperative Extension, Mangilao GU (671) 735-2088, mduguies@uog9.uog.edu
Tapping into wastewater to grow food and protect the environment
Many small-scale farms found on Pacific islands struggle with disposing waste from their animal operations, often flushing the effluent into holding tanks, only to have it leach into the ground. The practice poses hazards to the environment, sometimes contaminating local drinking water. John Benavente of Pacifica Triple B Farms near Hagatna, Guam, will use his Western SARE Farmer/Rancher grant to show how farmers can use the waste water to irrigate pastures and fruit trees, reducing water bills and enhancing soil fertility. Benavente, who raises hogs and citrus on his 35-acre leased farm, will divert waste water in his septic tank through irrigation pipes to his pastures and fruit trees. He compares his waste-management process to that of 1,000-sow Iowa hog farm, only on a much smaller scale.
Project Title: Wastewater Delivery System for Irrigation and Soil Enrichment on Guam
Project Number: FW05-003
Amount funded: $4,570
Project Coordinator: John Benavente, Pacifica Triple B Farms, Hagatna, GU (617) 734-1458
Technical Advisor: Manuel Duguies, University of Guam Cooperative Extension Service, Mangilao GU (671) 735-2088, mduguies@uog9.uog.edu
Recycling fish waste to fertilize Guam farms
Guam farmers traditionally pay high costs for fertilizer because of high shipping costs and a high markup at retail outlets, increasing prices for local produce and reducing profits for local farmers. At the same time, the soil conditions in northern Guam, because of the porous nature of the ground and the thin layer of topsoil, require more fertilization than farms in southern Guam. This group project funded as a Western SARE Farmer/Rancher grant seeks to address these issues by testing the viability of recycling fish waste developed into fish emulsion fertilizer and applied on sweet corn, eggplant and other selected crops on three farms comprising 60 acres. The Guam fishing industry creates considerable waste, yet Guam's only landfill is overfilled. This project will teach the producers how to make fertilizer from the waste, diverting a waste stream from the landfill and providing a potentially economical fertilizer for their crops.
Project Title: Recycling Fish Waste to Fertilize Guam Farms
Project Number: FW05-013
Amount funded: $19,809
Project Coordinator: Ernie Wusstig, Barrigada GU (671) 637-0592
Technical Advisor: David Crisostomo, Aquaculture Extension Agent, Mangilao, GU (671) 735-2092, dcrisost@uog.edu
Integrated system for fish and plants
An integrated system that circulates water for the production of tilapia, taro leaves, aquatic plants and fancy guppies is being designed and tested under a Western SARE Professional + Producer grant. David Crisostomo, University of Guam extension aquaculture agent, will work with Mangilao farmer Frank Cruz to create the integrated process, which will use eight tanks of 1,600 gallons each to grow tilapia in a green water culture system, which relies on phytoplankton and "Bio-floc" to filter the water and serve as food for the fish. The fish tanks, covered with cloth to reduce solar heat, will produce 1,200 to 1,600 pounds a year in two six-month cycles. To recover nutrients from the fish tanks, an effluent-catching trough will be planted with taro, the leaves of which are popular with islanders. Small fish - fancy guppies - placed in the troughs to control insects, especially mosquitoes, will be harvested periodically and sold to pet stores.
Project Title: Maximizing Production Efficiency in a Three-Stage Integrated Agriculture System Using Taro, Tilapia, Aquatic Plants and Fancy Guppies
Project Number: FW05-312
Amount funded: $9,951
Ag Professional: David Crisostomo, University of Guam Extension Aquaculture Agent, Mangilao, GU (671) 735-2092, dcrisost@uog9.uog.edu
Producer: Frank Cruz, Mangilao, GU (671) 632-1791
While interest in agroforestry has increased in recent years, few agriculture professionals have been exposed to working farms that successfully employ agroforestry techniques. The practices have been shown to provide environmental services like shade, erosion control, weed management and the like as well as providing supplemental income by adding to farm product diversity. Craig Elevitch of Permanent Agriculture Resources in Honolulu will use a Western SARE Professional Development Program grant to present two four-day workshops, one in Kona, Hawaii, mainly for Hawaii participants, and the other in both Guam and Palau, mainly for Pacific Basin participants. About a third of each workshop will consist of presentations while the other two-thirds will focus on field visits. Resource professionals will discuss agroforestry-friendly NRCS standards, soil quality considerations, tree-crop competition, windbreak design, species conservation and value-added and direct marketing. Participants will visit a wide range of farms where various elements of agroforestry are being employed.
Project Title: Pacific Island Agroforestry Workshops and Field Visits
Project Number: EW05-009
Amount funded: $59,777
Project Contact: Craig Elevitch, Permanent Agriculture Resources, Holualoa, HI (808) 324-4427, cre@agroforestry.net
Using sunn hemp to feed soil, suppress nematodes and smother weeds
Even though cover crops rarely provide direct cash returns, they're rapidly proving their worth as off-season crops for helping to control insect pests, plant pathogens and weeds. They also reduce soil erosion, improve soil structure and nutrients and increase soil organic matter. Cerruti Hooks, a junior researcher with the University of Hawaii, will use a Western SARE Professional + Producer grant to demonstrate the value of sunn hemp as a cover crop in cucumbers. Working with Khamphout Chandara of Waipahu, he'll conduct field trials of sunn hemp to determine its impact on soil and its effectiveness at helping to manage nematodes, insects and weeds. Hooks will also quantify sunn hemp's impact on cucumber productivity and marketable yield and encourage other growers to produce their own sunn hemp as a seed source. The strategies developed, he says, may apply to cropping systems other than cucumber.
Project Title: A Superhero Without a Cape: Using the Cover Crop Sunn Hemp to Feed the Soil, Suppress Nematodes and Smother Weeds
Project Number: FW05-314
Amount funded: $7,716
Ag Professional: Cerruti RR Hooks, Junior Researcher, University of Hawaii, Honolulu HI (808) 956-2448, crrhooks@hawaii.edu
Producer: Khamphout Chandara, Waipahu, HI (808) 342-6965, khamphoutfarm@yahoo.com
Potatoes can be a high income crop, so growers often respond to economic pressure by reducing the time between planting potatoes. Shortening rotations becomes even more compelling in the face of rising production costs and declining spud prices. However, the long-term consequences of shortening rotations may actually be less beneficial to growers because of higher pesticide, fertilizer and tillage costs as well as reduced potato quality. Bryan Hopkins, University of Idaho cropping systems specialist, will use a Western SARE Research and Education grant to compare potato rotations. The multi-state project will bring together growers and scientists to examine the long-term economic, agronomic and environmental sustainability of short versus long potato rotations. Pests and soil relationships will be studied in 108 paired fields over three years, each pair consisting of a long and a short rotation history. The results and model growers will be highlighted at field days, on Web pages and through news releases.
Project Title: Assessment and Demonstration of the Sustainable of Long vs. Short Potato Rotations
Project Number: SW05-067
Amount funded: $179,403
Principle Investigator: Bryan Hopkins, University of Idaho Cropping Systems Specialist, Idaho Falls, ID (208) 529-8376, bhopkins@uidaho.edu
Using producer experience to cultivate beginners
Beginning farmers, according to focus sessions, desire interactions with experienced farmers and to gain their own experience working on a farm. To help accommodate those interests, this Western SARE Research and Education project will facilitate opportunities for beginning producers to learn about sustainable production and marketing strategies working on private farms with experienced farmers. Principle investigator Theresa Beaver, who coordinates the University of Idaho Cultivating Success Program, will call on the experience of several farmers for this project, a new research focus of an existing program called Cultivating Success, an effort of the University of Idaho, Washington State University and Rural Roots. New farmers linked with experienced farmers will receive hands-on training with things like composting, cover crops, crop rotations, integrated pest management, drip irrigation, season extension and rotational grazing. The project will also develop a list of organizations and institutions offering, or interested in offering, experiential education programs.
Project Title: Using Farmer-Rancher Input to Develop and Implement Experiential Educational Opportunities for Beginning Farmers and Ranchers
Project Number: SW05-039
Amount funded: $160,056
Principle Investigator: Theresa Beaver, University of Idaho Cultivating Success Program Coordinator, Moscow, ID (208) 885-7787, tbeaver@uidaho.edu
A primer on sustainable forage and pasture use
Many Western cattle operations graze rangelands and irrigated pastures using conventional methods that utilize only 35-40% of available forage. Spot or large-scale overgrazing often opens pathways for invasive weeds or lesser quality forages. Management-intensive grazing systems, on the other hand, have been shown to utilize up to 70% of forage during the grazing season, keeping weed pressure low and forage quality high. To help Western livestock operators improve grazing practices, Glenn Shewmaker, extension forage specialist with the University of Idaho, will employ a multi-state Western SARE Professional Development Program grant to train Cooperative Extension, Farm Service Agency and Natural Resources Conservation Service professionals in the principles of management-intensive grazing. Multi-day workshops will train at least 80 such professionals, arming them with knowledge to train producers. A mentoring system will employ experienced grazers to share skills and experience with others, and pasture monitoring and management tools will be developed and shared.
Project Title: Forage and Pasture Education Program for Extension, FSA and NRCS in the Pacific Northwest
Project Number: EW05-012
Amount funded: $90,000
Project Contact: Glenn Shewmaker, University of Idaho Extension Forage Specialist, Twin Falls, ID (208) 736-3608, gshew@uidaho.edu
Unleashing sheep on common tansy
Kimberly McConnaghy of Salmon, Idaho, plans to use her Western SARE Farmer/Rancher grant to unleash her flock of sheep on the invasive weed common tansy. This exotic plant, an escaped ornamental, has now invaded ditches and streambanks, threatening ecological health by reducing species diversity along riparian areas and harming economic value by reducing irrigation water for pastures and cropland. McConnaghy said managing common tansy by mowing can be effective but has limited application. Herbicide use is restricted because of the common tansy's proximity to water. After purchasing a flock of Katahdin hair sheep in 2003 to complement her and her husband's cow-calf operation, she observed that the sheep preferred common tansy. Finding little information on the impacts the plant may have on her sheep, she decided to conduct on-ranch research to ascertain the impacts of grazing on both sheep and common tansy.
Project Title: Controlling Common Tansy with Sheep
Project Number: FW05-007
Amount funded: $3,422
Project Coordinator: Kimberly McConnaghy, Salmon, ID (208) 756-3028, mcconnaghy@salmoninternet.com
Technical Advisor: Shannon Williams, Lemhi County Extension Educator, Salmon, ID (208) 756-2824, shannonw@uidaho.edu
Banana is the leading fruit produced on most Pacific islands. Among the islands of Micronesia, bananas are produced commercially on Guam and Kosrae. On Palau, however, there is no consolidated area for banana production, and most are grown in back yards. To fill the commercial void on Palau, Aurora Del Rosario, a researcher with Palau Community College, will use her Western SARE Research and Education grant to develop research and demonstration plots on two farms to compare traditional practices of banana production with "appropriate practices." The idea is to show potential banana farmers appropriate techniques for land preparation, planting material, weeding, fertilizing, managing pests and other cultural practices. The project will produce a handbook that documents these practices as well as an analysis of costs and returns. Training courses and fields days will also be held. It is anticipated that at least 20 acres on Palau can be opened up and utilized for banana production.
Project Title: Research and Demonstration on Banana Production Technologies in Micronesia
Project Number: SW05-053
Amount funded: $83,992
Principle Investigator: Aurora Del Rosario, Researcher, Palau Community College, Koror, Palau (680) 488-4983, abaca2000@yahoo.com
Sustainable ag training in the Marshall Islands
In the Marshall Islands atolls, the pursuit of self-sufficiency encounters a number of challenges, including a lack of trained agricultural professionals. That leaves farmers without the help needed to develop sustainable agricultural systems. Atoll farmers themselves are faced with distinctive concerns seldom encountered in other agricultural environments, namely wind and salt spray near seashores, limited rainfall in some areas and soils short on fertility. To help remedy the information gap, Virendra Mohan Verma of the College of the Marshall Islands will use a Western SARE Professional Development Program grant to educate and train extension agents, state government agricultural staff and other ag professionals in sustainable management systems through workshops and field days. Pre-workshop brainstorming sessions will assess sustainable atoll agriculture needs, strategies and potentials. Training materials, in both English and the local language, will address composting and fertility issues along with agronomic topics for improving agricultural productivity and sustainability.
Project Title: Training on On-Farm Implementation of Sustainable Management Systems for Tropical Atoll Agriculture in the Marshall Islands
Project Number: EW05-004
Amount funded: $37,362
Project Contact: Virendra Mohan Verma, College of the Marshall Islands, Majuro MH (692) 625-2092, vmv_vmv@hotmail.com
In a typical approach to developing and promoting innovative sustainable agricultural practices, researchers identify a topic, study it and disseminate the knowledge gained through printed materials, conferences and field days to a general audience - a "top-down" approach. However, says Fabian Menalled, Montana State University cropland weed specialist, development of ecologically sound agriculture is a complex learning process, and specific solutions vary from farm to farm. Menalled will use a Western SARE Research and Education grant to develop a new approach to teaching sustainable agriculture - a "bottom-up" method. A producer-developed, open-ended questionnaire will be sent to producers and ag professionals interested in sustainable agriculture. Project cooperators will then develop a distance-learning course based on audience responses. Rather than deliver detailed recommendations (the top-down approach), the course will build on what the target audience already knows and enhance producers' knowledge of the processes and principles that underlie the integrative basis of sustainable farming.
Project Title: Developing Distance Learning Based on Perceptions and Knowledge of Producers and Agricultural Professionals
Project Number: SW05-038
Amount funded: $98,819
Principle Investigator: Fabian Menalled, Montana State University Cropland Weed Specialist, Bozeman, MT (406) 994-4783, menalled@montana.edu
Growing winter wheat for livestock feed
In a project involving eight counties of Montana, producers and extension agents will plant a promising variety of winter wheat to assess its value for hay or grazing. The variety, tested in small-plot trials and available in limited supply, will be planted in Ravalli, Granite, Gallatin, Judith Basin, Hill, Wheatland, Garfield and Custer counties through a Farmer/Rancher grant from Western SARE. Currently, no forage winter wheat varieties are recommended for use in Montana. Producers typically plant spring oats or barley for feed. But spring rain may hinder oat and barley planting, and equipment demands are heavy in the spring. Winter wheat, meanwhile, will out-produce those crops on both irrigated and non-irrigated fields in most of the state, taking advantage of winter moisture and pollinating in the cooler early summer. The research from this grant will help producers decide if this variety will help them enhance production using biological cycles and resources more effectively.
Project Title: Forage Winter Wheat Production for Grazing or Hay Production in Eight Montana Counties
Project Number: FW05-012
Amount funded: $19,795
Project Coordinator: George Reich, Willow Creek, MT (406) 285-6675, reichbros@theglobal.net
Technical Advisor: Ron Carlstrom, Gallatin County Extension Agent, Bozeman, MT (406) 582-3280, carlstrom@montana.edu
Protecting weed-free ranges from noxious invaders
Invasive weeds have overtaken millions of acres of Western rangelands, yet vast tracts of land remain weed free. To protect these high quality rangelands, this Western SARE Professional + Producer grant aims to develop Weed Prevention Areas, or WPAs, that work as local early detection and response mechanisms to stop weed spread. The project will develop a 200,000-acre WPA in Garfield County, Mont., involving 14 weed-free ranches. This pilot project will educate stakeholders about identifying weeds, the importance of early intervention, the impacts of failure and the long-term benefits of prevention stewardship. The project will attempt to interrupt pathways of weed dispersal, especially where humans are the vector, and develop a systematic early detection and response strategy by frequently sampling probable sites of invasion. Eric Miller, Garfield County extension agent and project coordinator, notes that producers can play a vital role in curbing invasive weeds because their broad knowledge of rangelands means they are often the first to detect an invader.
Project Title: Protecting High Quality Rangelands in Garfield County from Invasive Weed Spread
Project Number: FW05-301
Amount funded: $20,000
Ag Professional: Eric Miller, Garfield County Extension Agent, Jordan, MT (406) 557-2770, emiller@montana.edu.
Producers: Pohney Murnion, Jordan, MT (406) 853-1374; Colin Murnion, Jordan, MT (406) 557-2454; Robert Cosgriff, Jordan, MT (406) 557-6108
Grazing sheep on leafy spurge
The rapid spread of leafy spurge across many ranches of southeastern Montana threatens the future of cattle production. Aggressive invasions of leafy spurge, unpalatable to cattle, displace native grasslands. Herbicides are often prohibitively expensive, and biological control efforts with leafy spurge flea beetles have met with limited success. Sharla Sackman, Prairie County extension agent, says many cattle producers in eastern Prairie, northern Fallon and western Wibaux counties are interested in sustainable, effective management measures, like grazing sheep on leafy spurge. But they're apprehensive about dietary overlap between sheep and cattle. With a Western SARE Professional + Producer Grant, Sackman will focus on a 962-acre leafy spurge infestation using frequent sheep grazing and periodic herbicide treatment. Grazing a perimeter barrier of the infestation will demonstrate how to stop the spread of leafy spurge, reduce apprehensions and promote benefits of multi-species grazing.
Project Title: Demonstration of Leafy Spurge Management Using Sheep Grazing in a Leafy Spurge Barrier Zone
Project Number: FW05-305
Amount funded: $9,960
Ag Professional: Sharla Sackman, Prairie County Extension Agent, Terry MT (406) 635-2121, sackman@montana.edu
Producer: Clifford Householder, Log Cabin Ranch, Ismay, MT (406) 486-5770
While agriculture-support professionals from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and other agencies can be found on most Indian reservations, few of the programs they promote are specifically designed for Native American farmers and ranchers. In 2003, a focus group organized by the Nevada Extension Indian Reservation Program asked ag professionals and tribal representatives to identify problems getting government programs on the ground. A frequently cited challenge was that ag professionals fail to understand the "Indian situation" and that each reservation is different. Staci Emm, a University of Nevada extension educator, will harness this Western SARE Professional Development Program grant to arm USDA and other ag professionals with knowledge and understanding of the social, political and economic environment related to developing sustainable ag programs with Indian producers; strengthen and increase sustainable ag programming on tribal farms and ranches; and increase Indian participation in education and programs offered by USDA agencies.
Project Title: Strengthening Agriculture Programming with Native American Producers in the West
Project Number: EW05-005
Amount funded: $90,000
Project Contact: Staci Emm, University of Nevada Cooperative Extension, Hawthorne, NV (775) 945-3444, emms@unce.unr.edu
The movement to "eat locally" has been a boon to small U.S. farmers, allowing many to make a living from local farmers markets or community-supported agriculture programs. However, fall and winter interrupts production, disrupting local eating patterns. Don Bustos of Santa Cruz Farms in Espanola, will use a Western SARE Farmer/Rancher grant to grow crops year round for local consumers. Using recycled solar panels, Bustos will collect energy to heat water in a large tank. The hot water will be channeled through tubes buried under small raised beds inside greenhouses. The circulation will raise the temperature of the soil, allowing the plants to grow faster and increasing yields. Bustos will also use a layering technique involving polyester woven cloth to keep the radiant heat near the soil surface. The process will allow him to grow leafy greens in full winter without costly fossil fuels. The project results will be shared through three workshops.
Project Title: Solar Energy for Sustainable Year-Round Production
Project Number: FW05-011
Amount funded: $9,683
Producer: Don Bustos, Espanola, NM (505) 514-1662, santacruzfar@cybermesa.com
Technical Advisor: Del Jimenez, Sustainable Agriculture Science Center at Alcalde, Alcalde, NM (505) 852-4241, djimenez@nmsu.edu
More and more Oregon milk and meat producers are becoming interested in organic production to keep pace with growing demand for organic products. But the organic proteins needed to keep their livestock healthy must be transported 2,000 miles, boosting prices to three times those for ordinary proteins. Mike Gamroth, professor and extension dairy specialist at Oregon State University, will use a Western SARE Research and Education grant to test protein crops grown locally. In 2005 and 2006, he and project cooperators will plant white lupin, chickpeas and winter peas in Pendleton and the Willamette Valley with and without irrigation. Field-scale feeding trials will be conducted in 2006 and 2007. Results will be disseminated to Oregon's 31 organic dairy and 17 organic meat producers. Fostering organic protein growers in the region and teaching organic livestock producers how to feed the local products can benefit two segments of agriculture.
Project Title: Alternative Proteins for Organic Meat and Milk Production
Project Number: SW05-061
Amount funded: $63,565
Principle Investigator: Make Gamroth, Professor and Extension Dairy Specialist, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR (541) 737-3316, mike.gamroth@oregonstate.edu
Helping farmers adopt meadowfoam
Oregon farmers have been quick to adopt no-till planting of meadowfoam, a new oilseed crop that is key to diversifying grass seed cropping in the Willamette Valley. After only two years, two-thirds of all meadowfoam is being planted no-till or broadcast. However, this quick grower response to the value of no-till seeding as one key to farm sustainability, without knowledge of proper crop rotations or planting dates, may place farmers at risk. Using a Western SARE Research and Education grant, Oregon State University faculty research associate George Hoffman will work directly with farmers to compare seed and oil yields of late-planted no-till or broadcast meadowfoam, along with planting into full straw loads, with traditionally planted meadowfoam. They'll also assess the effects of late planting on insects and weeds and whether the practice reduces production costs. Information from the trials will be disseminated at field days on cooperator farms, during a summer meeting and in a growers guide.
Project Title: Farmers Facilitating the Adoption of New Meadowfoam Establishment Practices
Project Number: SW05-077
Amount funded: $67,078
Principle Investigator: George Hoffman, Oregon State University Faculty Research Associate, Corvallis, OR (541) 740-6812, george.hoffman@oregonstate.edu
Cultivating organic potato production
In organic potato fields of western Oregon and Washington, an armada of pests, including flea beetles, wireworms, silver scurf and scab, render large-scale production uneconomical. A number of solutions to these pests have been suggested, but few have been formally tested. Dan Sullivan, extension and research soil scientist with Oregon State University, will use a Western SARE Research and Education grant to explore integrated soil and crop management strategies that can help organic potato producers surmount these challenges. The project team of farmers and scientists will pilot a participatory process that inspires an exchange of existing knowledge on integrated management approaches and encourages farmer innovation of novel strategies. The project will also embark on case studies on grower farms and on-farm trials to look at a variety of management issues, including soils, nutrients, insects, weeds, tuber quality and profitability. Findings will be disseminated through a project Web site, workshops and extension publications.
Project Title: Integrated Soil and Crop Management for Organic Potato Production
Project Number: SW05-091
Amount funded: $196,067
Principle Investigator: Dan Sullivan, Extension and Research Soil Scientist, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR (541) 737-5715, Dan.Sullivan@oregonstate.edu
Aiding the transition to direct seeding
On the Columbia Plateau, where about 75% of Oregon's wheat is produced, many farmers are changing to direct seeding from the traditional wheat-fallow rotation. Direct seeding has been found to increase soil protection and improve soil quality. To hasten greater adoption of this reduced-tillage practice, Sandy Macnab, Oregon State University extension crops agent, will use a Western SARE Professional Development Program grant to host a seminar and field demonstrations by Dr. Jill Clapperton, rhizosphere ecologist from Agri-Food Canada of Lethbridge, Alberta. Clapperton's research findings promote an understanding of how soil biology and ecology interact with cropping and soil management systems to facilitate long-term soil quality and productivity. She'll present a workshop for ag professionals on changes in the rhizosphere as the Columbia Plateau shifts to direct seeding. Then she'll join teams of ag professionals in five counties - two or more sites in each - to conduct a field version of the initial presentation.
Project Title: Rhizosphere Ecology in Changing Cropping Systems
Project Number: EW05-006
Amount funded: $7,348
Project Contact: Sandy Macnab, Oregon State University Sherman County Extension Crops Specialist, Moro, OR (541) 565-3230
Sheep vs. weeds - using biological techniques to tame plant invaders
In Umatilla County, Ore., as farmers increasingly reduce the tillage on their cropland, weeds like kochia, prickly lettuce, Canada thistle, Scotch thistle and yellow starthistle have flourished. To counter the invasions, farmers are spraying more herbicides. As a biological alternative to these herbicides, the Gillespie Grazing Co. will use its Western SARE Farmer/Rancher grant to test an integrated pest management strategy using sheep to suppress the weeds. Cameron and Sabrina Gillespie will use solar-powered electric fencing and guard dogs to manage the grazing of their 800 ewes on untilled fallow. Their experimental design will encompass three plots - grazed, not grazed and control. During the season, they'll evaluate weed numbers on each and sample for manure, soil compaction and soil moisture. They hope this large-scale weed control demonstration will demonstrate the value of sheep as bio-control agents on cropland weeds.
Project Title: Sheep vs. Weeds: Biological Control Agents to Combat Noxious Weeds
Project Number: FW05-004
Amount funded: $9,981
Project Coordinator: Gillespie Grazing Co. (Cameron and Sabrina Gillespie), Pendleton, OR (541) 276-9525, gillespiegrazingco@msn.com
Technical Advisor: Jaime Clarke, Watershed Technical Specialist, Umatilla County Soil and Water Conservation District, Pendleton, OR (541) 276-8170, Jaime@my180.net
Cultivating future farmers
The number of small U.S. farms is falling, and the average age of farmers in rising. At the same time, says ATTRA (Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas), the number of young people interested in sustainable agriculture is increasing - more than 10,000 people visited ATTRA's internship database in 2003 in the Western states alone. These trends have prompted a group of Oregon farmers to develop a program to cultivate interns. Tom and Maud Powell of Wolf Gulch Farm, Kris Hoien of Spirit Gardens and Michael Moss of Boones Farm and Siskiyou Crest Goat Dairy rely on interns as a source of labor. They will use their Western SARE Farmer/Rancher grant to develop a curriculum for interns, a handbook for producers and ag-support professionals and a Web site featuring the material. They'll also hold a half-day conference on intern training and management.
Project Title: Farm Internship Curriculum and Handbook
Project Number: FW05-018
Amount funded: $20,000
Project Coordinator: Tom and Maud Powell, Jacksonville, OR (541) 899-9668, tompowell7@aol.com
Technical Advisor: Tim Franklin, restoration ecologist, Jacksonville, OR (541) 899-7361, franklin@jeffnet.org
Maximizing water and nutrient applications on cherries
Oregon's mid Columbia region boasts the nation's highest concentration of sweet cherry orchards. Many cherry producers, in hopes of preventing yield loss, apply too much water and nitrogen, both abundant and inexpensive. However, applying excess water and nitrogen fertilizer can cause soil erosion, nutrient leaching, herbicide runoff into streams and rivers and loss of nitrogenous gases into the atmosphere. In addition, excess nitrogen can cause nitrate to accumulate in the cherries, creating a potential health hazard. In this Western SARE Professional + Producer project, Clark Seavert, an ag economist and superintendent of the Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research Center, will conduct field experiments at private orchards to examine the effects of drip irrigation and fertigation production systems on the fruit and the environment. He'll also look at the cost and economic return of such systems for cherry production and test several ground cover management systems for their effects on the soil and the fruit.
Project Title: Environmentally Sound Irrigation and Fertility Systems for Sweet Cherry Crops in the Pacific Northwest
Project Number: FW05-302
Amount funded: $9,830
Ag Professional: Clark Seavert, Ag Economist and Superintendent, Mid-Columbia Agricultural Research Center, Hood River, OR (541) 386-2030, clark.seavert@oregonstate.edu
Producer: Mel and Linda Omeg, Omeg Orchards, The Dalles, OR (541) 296-4723, omeg@gorge.net
Raspberry growers face at least two challenges: earning enough income during a few short weeks to sustain them through the year, and unpredictable yields because of winter kill. A study 20 years ago found that covering fall-bearing raspberries with spun-bonded polyester in the spring helped produce fruit earlier in the year, extending the season and increasing income. Many new varieties have since been developed that produce earlier, sweeter and larger berries. Clark and Brandon Willis, father and son raspberry producers near Bear Lake, Utah, will use their Western SARE Farmer/Rancher grant to test the cost effectiveness of spun-bonded polyester row covers on fall-bearing raspberries as a way to produce an earlier, larger harvest. Using the cover could make it possible for growers in cooler climates to produce summer-bearing varieties beginning in July, then begin producing fall-bearing varieties August through mid to late September.
Project Title: Increasing the Profitability of Raspberries by Extending the Growing Season
Project Number: FW05-022
Amount funded: $2,310
Project Coordinator: Clark Willis, Logan, UT (435) 753-1632, clark.willis@comcast.net or bcw@uwyo.edu
Technical Advisor: Darrell Rothlisberger, Rich County Extension Agent, Randolph, UT (435) 793-2440, darrellr@ext.usu.edu
Direct seeding of various crops has been shown to reduce soil erosion, improve water and air quality and save fuel costs. Kimberly Morse, district conservationist for the Whitman Conservation District in Colfax, will use a Western SARE Research and Education grant to demonstrate the values of direct seeding oil crops. The project team will work with five cooperating producers in three different rainfall zones to compare canola and mustard with fallow or peas. The three-year trials will determine the proper variety adapted to the Palouse region of eastern Washington and northern Idaho, demonstrate the capabilities of crushing oilseed, help producers develop successful crop management strategies and seek out available markets and methods of accessing those markets. The project team will disseminate results through an annual tour, two annual published reports and news releases to local publications. A brochure on oilseed cropping and marketing strategies will be published at the end of the project.
Project Title: Oilseed Farm-to-Market Demonstration
Project Number: SW05-129
Amount funded: $77,688
Principle Investigator: Kimberly Morse, District Coordinator, Whitman Conservation District, Colfax, WA (509) 397-4636, Kimberly-morse@wa.nacdnet.org
Creating compost through mushroom cultivation
Mushroom cultivation has long been used to manage agronomic byproducts while producing food and maintaining a profit. In turn, the byproduct of mushroom cultivation has considerable value as an environmentally benign, nutrient-rich soil amendment. Christopher Tchudi, a resident caretaker and market gardener at Fido's Farm in Olympia, Wash., will use his Western SARE Farmer/Rancher grant to see how much time and money it takes a small, diversified farm to produce mushrooms on waste substrate. Small farms face many challenges managing waste, whether applied directly to fields or composted for later application. Tchudi will examine the use of mushroom composting of common agricultural materials as a means of generating fertility on a small farm. Two composting projects will be managed simultaneously, one using woodchip substrate, the other using straw. Both will be inoculated with the spawn of tree oyster mushroom, an easily grown, high-yield variety native to most temperate forests.
Project Title: Determining the Feasibility of Compost Production from Agronomic Waste and Wood Byproducts through Mushroom Cultivation Techniques for the Small Farmer
Project Number: FW05-025
Amount funded: $2,419
Project Coordinator: Christopher Tchudi, Olympia, WA (360) 866-8347, cheetah@zerominuszero.net
Technical Advisor: Marcha Rosemeyer, Ph.D., Olympia, WA (360) 867-6646, rosemym@evergreen.edu
As seasonal precipitation patterns become more variable on the Central High Plains, crop and livestock producers are seeking alternatives to the traditional wheat-fallow systems to reduce erosion and improve soil quality and profitability. Using a Western SARE Research and Education grant, Steven Paisley, University of Wyoming extension beef specialist, will work with a team of crop scientists, economists and producers to assess the value of alternative crops like annual legumes. The project will evaluate alternative cropping on 360 acres currently in wheat-fallow strips, comparing the traditional rotation with three rotations of forage legumes and a perennial range mix. The pastures will be fenced and grazed with replacement heifers to determine livestock gain and plant response to grazing. Enterprise budgets will be developed showing costs and returns. Information generated by this three-year project - the initial segment of a multi-year study evaluating dryland cropping systems - will be shared with producers in southeastern Wyoming, northeastern Colorado and western Nebraska.
Project Title: Integrated Crop and Livestock Systems: Dryland Crop Rotations to Improve Economic and Ecological Sustainability in the Central High Plains
Project Number: SW05-117
Amount funded: $212,928
Principle Investigator: Steven Paisley, University of Wyoming Assistant Professor and Extension Beef Specialist, Laramie, WY (307) 766-5541, spaisley@uwyo.edu
Brush mowing to improve landscapes for livestock and wildlife
Sampling and monitoring of mixed mountain shrub communities in southeast Wyoming reveals old stands of shrubs depleted of nutrients for wild and domestic ungulates. Part of the problem is a lack of disturbance, mainly because of wildfire suppression. Clyce and Myrtle McCulloch of Wheatland, Wyo., and other ranchers will work with Ryan Amundson, a habitat extension biologist with Wyoming Game and Fish, to refurbish shrub stands using a skid-steer tractor with a brush mower attachment. The plan is to mow about 200 acres in 10 demonstration sites composed of mixed mountain shrubs known to sprout after treatment. The goal of this Western SARE Farmer/Rancher grant is to improve mountain shrub and grassland communities for domestic livestock, mule deer, elk, whitetail deer, antelope and bighorn sheep. Up to now, cost-effective treatment of mixed mountain shrub communities has been limited to prescribed fire, and participants hope this project will add another tool to keep these communities healthy.
Project Title: Brush Mower/Mixed Mountain Shrub Enhancement
Project Number: FW05-035
Amount funded: $19,370
Project Coordinator: Clyce and Myrtle McCulloch, JY Ranch, Wheatland, WY (307) 322-3286, jyranch@starband.net
Technical Advisor: Ryan Amundson, Habitat Extension Biologist, Wyoming Game and Fish, Wheatland, WY (307) 322-2605, ryan.amundson@wgf.state.wy.us
