2007 Funded Proposals
Alaska |
American Somoa |
Arizona |
California |
Colorado |
Hawaii |
Micronesia |
Montana
|
New Mexico |
Northern Mariana Islands |
Oregon |
Utah
|
Washington |
Wyoming
Alaska
Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW07-037, Evaluation of Wild Rice in the Rural Kuskokwim Region of Western Alaska, Fritz Grenfell, project coordinator, P.O. Box 1427, Bethel, AK 99559, (907) 543-5760; Jeff Smeenk, technical advisor, (907)746-9470, jeff.smeenk@uaf.edu. Western SARE funding: $3,526
Wild rice, which thrives in the cold lakes of Minnesota, has the potential to be produced in similar conditions found in the Kuskokwim River Basin of Alaska. Fritz Grenfell of Bethel, Alaska, will employ a Farmer/Rancher grant to plant Minnesota and Saskatchewan varieties of wild rice in an isolated Alaska lake to determine how well they yield and survive. At the same time, he will plant a Minnesota variety of wild rice in small fish-shipping boxes to determine which river-bottom soil is most productive. The temperature and nutrient content of Kuskokwim River water will be monitored to determine the best conditions and the river water dumped on the ground to prevent accidental rice release. This wild rice pilot project is designed to provide a high quality food source to an economy that depends on fishing and hunting with minimal impact on this pristine environment.
Graduate Fellow Grant: GW07-013, Sustainable Farming in Alaska: Maintaining Old Traditions and Building New Ones, Philip Loring, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, P.O. Box 757880, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7880, (970) 474-7051, (907) 474-7453 fax, ftpal@uaf.edu. Western SARE funding: $10,347
Ecosystems of the Arctic have proved extremely sensitive to the forces of global change, notably global warming, globalization, urban sprawl and fishery collapse. As a result, Alaskans are faced with serious resource issues with far-reaching implications for continuing traditional lifestyles. Many communities are turning to sustainable farming as a solution to their decreasing ability to rely on traditional subsistence method. This Graduate Fellow grant will explore the socio-cultural, economic and environmental implications, asking whether sustainable farming can be realized in rural Alaska, not just technically, but in ways that are not disruptive to communities' traditional subsistence systems and cultural identities. Focusing on the Alaska native villages of Minto, Nenana, Fort Yukon and Noatak, it will document the history of farming by indigenous communities, confirm the relevance of small-scale farming and explore community and cultural concerned.
American Somoa
Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW07-035, Sustainable Tilapia Aquaculture Production Demonstration Facility, Troy Fiaui, project coordinator, P.O. Box 2435, Pago Pago, AS 96799, (684) 622-7188; John Gonzales, technical advisor, (684) 699-5358, johnm@hawaii.edu. Western SARE funding: $9,148
To help meet the growing demand for tilapia, Troy Fiaui, mayor of the villages of Amaua, Auto and Alega on the eastern end of Tutuila, American Samoa, will harness his Farmer/Rancher grant to develop a model grow-out facility incorporating sustainable aqua-agriculture practices. Fiaui, a member of the American Samoa Sunfish Tilapia Cooperative since its inception, will convert an existing facility into a demonstration site for greenwater aquaculture, a practice that relies on little water flow and constant algae growth in the fish culture water. The method reduces water, land and feed requirements and provides supplemental oxygen and biological filtration of fish waste. The waste will flow directly to patches of taro and bananas to demonstrate the best management practices with effluent treatment. Fiaui and his technical advisor, John Gonzales, aquaculture extension agent with American Samoa Community College, will conduct several workshops to extend the knowledge to others.
Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW07-036, Model Small-Scale Greenwater Tilapia Hatchery Facility, Joseph Faumatu, project coordinator, P.O. Box 1953, Pago Pago, AS 96799, (684) 252-0131, fuamatujvsr@yahoo.com; John Gonzales, technical advisor, (684) 699-5358, johnm@hawaii.edu. Western SARE funding: $9,969
Joe Fuamatu, high chief of Afao village on American Samoa, will use his Farmer/Rancher grant to develop a model hatchery for tilapia culture. Fuamatu, one of 16 tilapia farmers in American Samoa and vice president of the American Samoa Sunfish Tilapia Cooperative, currently integrates agriculture practices with his culture of tilapia. Fish waste from two earthen ponds and one square tank is channeled into patches of taro and banana. These existing facilities will be modified by adding breeding hapas, larval rearing nets, plumbing, aeration and larval rearing jars. Once modified, the model hatchery will be used to teach sex identification, spawning practices, larval rearing, feeding and broodstock management. Fuamatu and his technical advisor, John Gonzales, aquaculture extension agent with American Samoa Community College, will conduct workshops and schedule appointments for site visits to teach others about the development and operation of a tilapia hatchery.
Professional Development Program Grant: EW07-002, Sustainable Fruit and Vegetable Production in American Samoa: Protecting Your Health and the Health of Your Land with Integrated Pest Management and Soil Conservation, Jeff Satele, principal investigator, Chairman, American Samoa Soil and Water Conservation District, P.O. Box 3094, Pago Pago, AS 96799, jeffsatele@yahoo.com. Western SARE funding: $55,660
The economy of American Samoa relies heavily on the tuna canning industry. The loss of the industry, potentially threatened by low-cost overseas competition, could have devastating consequences. At the same time, the promotion of agriculture on American Samoa is seen as a means to diversify the local economy to prevent economic catastrophe and fill a vast, untapped market for fresh, locally produced fruits and vegetables. Some consumers are reluctant to buy local produce because a few producers have inappropriately applied crop-protecting chemicals. This Professional Development Program grant hopes to address this paradoxical situation by undertaking a program to educate ag-support professionals, through workshops and publications, in crop rotation, residue management, reduced tillage and vegetative barriers for wind- and water-related erosion prevention. The project will develop, in both English and Samoan, a fruit and vegetable producers' manual, as well as conduct workshops for professionals and producers in both languages.
Arizona
Professional + Producer Grant: FW07-310, Hopi Rangeland Management Series, Dennis Becenti, project coordinator, Hopi Tribe Range Conservationist, P.O. Box 123, Kykotsmovi, AZ 86039, (928) 738-0018. Western SARE funding: $14,513.
Livestock produced on the Hopi Reservation on the Colorado Plateau of northern Arizona comprise the only agricultural product sold off the reservation and provide an important source of income in an area where unemployment can reach as high as 50%. This Professional + Producer project will attempt to increase the awareness and understanding of managing the rangeland ecosystems of the reservation. The project entails a series of workshops produced by the Hopi Office of Range Management/Land Operations. The workshops, which will be culturally and ecologically appropriate to the Hopi Reservation, will train ranchers in the sustainable management of the pinon/juniper/sage and short-grass areas found on the reservation. Rancher participants, in turn, will become additional sources of information in disseminating best practices to other Hopi producers on other parts of the reservation. Training materials will be available to all interested parties on and off the Hopi Reservation.
Professional Development Program Grant: EW07-020, "High Tech, High Touch" Professional Development in Geospatial Applications for Invasive Species Management, Barron Orr, principal investigator, University of Arizona Geospatial Extension Specialist, 1955 E. 6th St., Tucson, AZ 85719, (520) 626-8063m barron@ag.arizona.edu. Western SARE funding: $60,560
Invasive species are estimated to cause nearly $140 billion in environmental damage each year in the United States. Invasive weeds are a particular problem in the West, where they inhibit livestock production and threaten wildlife and native plants and ecosystems. Digital mapping, with the use of Global Positioning System technology, can be used to pinpoint weed infestations, providing a precision not achieved with paper maps. Landowners can precisely record the location and size of weed infestations, which can then be monitored and eradicated. This Professional Development Program grant builds on previous work that created a low-cost high-tech "Geospatial Tool Kit," which includes a handheld computer, GPS unit and supporting mapping software. The toolkits and supporting technology will be the core components for workshops on their use and in providing self-paced online training modules that will include text, images, audio, video and interactive exercises.
Graduate Fellow Grant: GW07-004, Contamination of Non-Bt Cotton Fields by Transgenic Bt Cotton, Shannon Heuberger, University of Arizona Department of Entomology, P.O. Box 2100 (36), Tucson, AZ 85721-0036, (520) 621-4981, (520) 621-1150 fax, heubergs@ag.arizona.edu. Western SARE funding: $20,000
Cotton genetically modified to resist insects - known as transgenic Bt cotton - produces toxins that control harmful insect pests while sparing other insects. However, there is a risk that Bt cotton transgenes can disperse into traditional crops, a contamination potential that some see as a major threat to U.S. agriculture. Previous research shows this contamination can occur through outcrossing, with Bt pollen carried to non-Bt cotton, and at planting, such as seed mixing at the cotton gin. This Graduate Fellow project will try to pinpoint the methods of transgene contamination in cotton by conducting surveys of contamination in non-Bt cotton in Arizona. It will also test cotton seeds in bags purchased by commercial farms in Arizona, California and New Mexico. The results could help identify changes needed in seed production guidelines to limit that contamination.
Graduate Fellow Grant: GW07-007, An Environmentally Friendly Alternative for Control of Citrus Nematode in Arizona, Joanna Gress, University of Arizona, Department of Plant Sciences, Forbes 303, 1140 E. South Campus Drive, Tucson, AZ 85721-0036, (520) 626-3854, (520) 626-1150 fax, jgress@email.arizona.edu. Western SARE funding: $19,476
The citrus nematode, which reproduces only on the living roots of host plants, is one of the most debilitating citrus pests in the world. First discovered in Arizona in 1926, the citrus nematode affects 90% of the state's citrus, reducing tree vigor and productivity. This Graduate Fellow grant will assess environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional chemical nematicides, which are being removed from the market owing to their detrimental effects on humans, animals, soil and water. The project will test in the laboratory several types of a biological control agent known as entomopathogenic nematodes, two that are commercially available and two native to Arizona. The two that perform best in the lab will be assessed in field trails in Yuma. It is hoped that data developed in these trials will assist in the subsequent development of entomopathogenic nematodes as alternative pest control practices.
California
Professional + Producer Grant: FW07-303, Farm Direct Distribution, Brigitte Moran, Executive Director, Marin Farmers Market Association, project coordinator, 76 Pablo Avenue, San Rafael, CA 94903, (415) 472-6100, SREvents@alo.com. Western SARE funding: $25,444
Marin Farmers Market Association and several producer partners secured their Professional + Producer grant to develop and pilot a local farmers market distribution program called Farm Direct. The goal is to increase revenue for participating sustainable farmers by as much as $700,000 in the first year, with farm fresh products being purchased directly from farmers markets by local hospitals, school and restaurants. The idea is that the farmers will be able to add boxes of their produce to trucks bound for the farmers market. The boxes, in turn, will be loaded onto a single truck that will deliver to these local business and institutional customers, allowing farmers to deliver a diversity of products to multiple customers at little additional cost. The four components of this pilot program are to research distribution systems, develop easy-to-use ordering and delivery systems, train producers and conduct educational outreach to producers and customers.
Professional + Producer Grant: FW07-311, Building on Organic Knowledge: On-Farm Transfer of a Trap Cropping Method to Control Lygus Bug in Conventional Strawberry Production, Sean Swezey, project coordinator, Center for Agroecology and Sustainable Food Systems, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, (831) 332-6231, findit@ucsc.edu. Western SARE funding: $14,846
Strawberry growers in the watersheds of Santa Cruz and Monterey counties face problems because of concern over insecticide use in these watersheds, where 40% of the strawberries are grown in drainages leading to the Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary. This Professional + Producer grant will build on previous SARE-funded research that found that lygus bugs, a primary target of insecticide applications, are highly attracted to alfalfa trap crops, where they can be machine vacuumed to reduce bug damage in nearby strawberries and the insecticide applications to control them. On a participating producer's 44-acre strawberry ranch in the Salinas Valley, strips of alfalfa will be intercropped with the strawberries to see which treatment is most effective, vacuumed alfalfa, insecticide-treated alfalfa, untreated alfalfa or no alfalfa. Success could mean taking a measure used in organic strawberry production and applying it to conventional production, which comprises 96% of California's 34,000 acres of strawberries.
Professional + Producer Grant: FW07-324, Management Challenges for Dairy Goat Sustainability, Deborah Giraud, project coordinator, University of California Farm Advisor, 5630 South Broadway, Eureka, CA 95503, (707) 445-7351, ddgiraud@ucdavis.edu. Western SARE funding: $15,360
As cow dairy numbers shrink and goat dairies grow in Humboldt County, goat producers need help addressing problems like lameness in animals and deciding which animals to retain for maximum production. This Professional + Producer project will tackle both concerns. Lameness, often caused by foot rot, inhibits animal well-being and production and results in premature culling. The project will assess and isolate foot rot and its causes and provide management techniques to reduce its incidence. It will also use several herds for gathering goat milk samples, which will be used for measuring volume, butterfat content and other constituents and testing for mastitis. These results will be tabulated to provide industry benchmarks, which will help individual farmers assess which animals are performing up to par and which could be culled. Results will be shared through a goat dairy conference at Davis in 2008 and through various communications venues.
Research and Education Grant: SW07-022, Using Nectar Cover Cropping in Vineyards for Sustainable Pest Management, Mark Hoddle, principal investigator, Associate Extension Specialist, Department of Entomology, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, (951) 82704714, mark.hoddle@ucr.edu. Western SARE funding: $178,300
To reduce pesticide reliance and promote sustainable pest management, the California grape industry is requiring new, economically competitive options for insect control. This Research and Education project will investigate the use of nectar cover crops, namely buckwheat and cahaba vetch, for pest management in grapes in Southern California. It will also evaluate how these cover crops can be incorporated into the Code of Sustainable Winegrape Workbook. The researchers will sow buckwheat and vetch between vine rows at a wine grape vineyard in Temecula and a table grape vineyard in Coachella Valley to see if the crops enhance spring and summer populations of natural enemies of insects and whether such enhancements reduce insect pests. They'll try to determine how many rows of cover crops are required for pest control, when to sow the buckwheat and vetch for optimum effect and whether the cover crops reduce weeds.
Graduate Fellow Grant: GW07-003, Sustainable Landscapes: Investigating the Landscape Scale Effects of Riparian Habitat on Natural Pest Control on the Farm, Suzanne Langridge, Environmental Studies, University of Santa Cruz, 1156 High Street, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, (831) 325-1745, (831) 459-4015 fax, sml@ucsc.edu. Western SARE funding: $17,950
Healthy riparian corridors on diverse landscapes can help improve biological cycles, reduce storm runoff, improve water quality and increase recreational values. But little is known about the negative or positive impacts riparian corridors and natural habitat patches have on agriculture production, such as increased pest control or increased pest problems. This Graduate Fellow grant will explore the crop production impacts on walnut orchards from nearby riparian corridors. It will survey both orchards and riparian zones at certain distance intervals to determine both pests and pest predators, including insect and bird predators, and their impacts on crop production. It is hoped that by understanding the interactions between natural and agricultural habitats, farmers will be better equipped to integrated pest management strategies.
Graduate Fellow Grant: GW07-006, Risk, Rate, and Impact of Medusahead Invasion of California Savannas, Corey Cherr, Department of Plant Sciences Mail Stop 1, University of California, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, (530) 754-7577, (530) 752-4361 fax, cmcherr@ucdavis.edu. Western SARE funding: $19,971
Medusahead, a noxious weed spread over five million acres of central and northern California, is unpalatable to livestock and wildlife and its residue can form heavy thatch that inhibits other plant species and promotes wildfire. Little information exists on the impacts or management of medusahead or the nature of its spread. This Graduate Fellow study will assess lands at risk of further invasion as well as lands that resist invasion. And it will assess whether the plant is thickening in areas already infested and the impacts on forage production, quality and acceptability by livestock, along with impacts of weed patch size and density. With this information, managers will be better equipped to assess risk of invasion, improve grazing management and establish thresholds for control based on patch size and density. Results will be integrated with finds from two other SARE-funded medusahead studies in California.
Graduate Fellow Grant: GW07-012, Managing Soil Food Webs for Enriched and Suppressive Soils: Effects of Cover Crop Diversity and Quality, Tianna DuPont, University of California, Davis, Department of Nematology, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, (530) 754-7577, (530) 752-4361 fax, stdupont@ucdavis.edu. Western SARE funding: $19,235
The "soil food web" serves many functions, including decompose organic matter, mineralize essential nutrients, modify soil structure and regulate pests. Management practices that enhance the soil food web reduce the need for off-farm nutrients and pest control. At the University of California Davis Student Farm, this Graduate Fellow grant is analyzing the effects on the soil food web of cover crop species in a strip-tillage system. Also, at the UC Davis Mesocosm Facility, the grant is looking at the effects on the web of annual cover crop mixtures, annual mono-crops, perennial grass mixtures and perennial grass monocultures. Soil in the experiments will be monitored for changes in the soil food web using nematodes as an indicator of soil structure and function. The ultimate goal is to provide farmers with management strategies that optimize soil food web services, especially nutrient cycling and disease suppression.
Colorado
Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW07-024, Different Goat Breed Crosses to Find the Best Tasting Meat, Holly Napier, project coordinator, Napier Family Farms, 1117 C.R. 126, Hesperus, CO 81326, (970) 588-3716, napierfamily@earthlink.net; Beth LaShell, technical advisor, (970) 385-4574, beth.lashell@colostate.edu. Western SARE funding: $12,623
The Farmer/Rancher grant recipient, Holly Napier of Napier Family Farms, is introducing goat meat to mainstream consumers in southwestern Colorado. The meat the farm sells at farmers markets typically comes from Nubian/Angora crossbred goats six to eight months old and cut to 90% lean, which yields a mild-tasting product. Napier will experiment with crossbreeding Nubian, Angora and Boer goats to produce a milder tasting meat. She'll compare birth weight and growth rates and conduct taste and tenderness tests. Napier hopes to answer whether there is enough of a taste difference in Angora crossed meat to make the slower growth rate worthwhile and financially viable compared with purebred larger meat breeds. In addition to providing a source of food, the goats evenly graze the farm's pastures, eat knapweed and thistle (they prefer these over the grass) and fertilize the farm's pastures.
Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW07-031, Raising Livestock and Crops Simultaneously in Unheated Greenhouses, John Socolofsky, project coordinator, 5445 Best Road, Larkspur, CO 80118, (303) 663-0083,jsocolof@kellin.net; Frank Stonaker, technical advisor, (970) 491-7068,stonaker@lamar.colostate.edu. Western SARE funding: $12,089
Antelope Creek Ranch in Larkspur wants to test whether raising animals in an unheated greenhouse during the winter months will produce enough heat energy from livestock and their composting manure to keep the greenhouse above freezing. The ranch will use its Farmer/Rancher grant to compare two structures, each 32 feet by 72 feet. One will be divided lengthwise with temporary fencing, one side growing vegetables, the other finishing hogs. The second structure will be used only for growing vegetables. The impact on temperature and humidity with livestock present will be compared with the control structure with no livestock. The project will also test the feasibility of on-farm composting of hog manure and bedding to be used as fertilizer for the growing crops. Should this project prove successful, Antelope Creek Ranch plans to test the hypothesis of combining vegetable production with production of poultry and lambs.
Professional + Producer Grant: FW07-319, Season Extension and Crop Area Multiplication with a Moveable Hoophouse in an Organic System, Edward Page, project coordinator, Colorado State University Area Extension Agent, 1001 N. 2nd Street, Montrose, CO 81401, (970) 249-3935, edward.page@colostate.edu. Western SARE funding: $11,230
Areas of the West with short growing seasons, as found around Hotchkiss, Colorado, are looking for ways to extend the season to provide farmers with greater income and consumers with more local food choices. One technique is the use of hoophouses, which waylay frost and enhance heat units. While hoophouses can vastly increase production, this Professional + Producer grants is intended to show that portable hoophouses add further benefits. The objectives are to optimize production and net income from a given area of soil and other resources, including water, labor, heat units and solar radiation, by sliding a hoophouse on rails to different positions during the year. The project will divide the growing season into five sections with a goal of extending the season from the current 140 days to as much as 250 days. Hoophouse construction, a seven-year rotation plan and production comparisons with outside crops will be shared with others.
Professional Development Program Grant: EW07-008, Enterprise, Environmental and Community Development to Promote Agricultural and Heritage Tourism, Dawn Thilmany, principal investigator, Professor, Colorado State University Department of Ag and Resource Economics, B-325, Fort Collins, CO 80523-1172, (970) 491-7220, thilmany@lamar.colostate.edu. Western SARE funding: $59,973
A growing sector of Colorado tourism is based on agriculture (agri-tourism) and local history and lifestyle (heritage tourism). At the same time, many of the state's small farms and ranches, struggling to remain profitable, are looking for options to diversify through new products or services. This Professional Development Program grant will help producers tap into this service-oriented market for agricultural tourism, which entails a different set of skills from agricultural production. The grant recipients, with help from five producer mentors engaged in agri-tourism, will conduct three daylong, hands-on workshops to teach some of the skills essential for success. Among these are assessing business aspects of engaging in agri-tourism, understanding visitor tastes and preferences, developing new marketing techniques, adapting management of land and water to a new enterprise and understanding risk and liability. Trainees will include 60 ag professionals, 60 ag producers and 90 community or economic development staff.
Hawaii
Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW07-034, Choosing the Best Figs for Hawaii, Ken Love, project coordinator, P.O. Box 1242, Captain Cook, HI 96704, (808) 323-2417, ken@mycoffee.net; Kent Fleming, technical advisor, (808) 989-3416, fleming@hawaii.edu. Western SARE funding: $25,000
Hawaii's range of microclimates makes it possible to grow hundreds of different crops, although each has varying degrees of profitability for farmers. The previously funded Western SARE "12 Trees Project" identified figs as one crop with a large profit potential, estimated at 12 times that of Kona coffee. However, only three fig cultivars are currently available to Hawaii growers, so this Farmer/Rancher project will test additional fig cultivars that produce at different times at varying altitudes. The cultivars will come from the USDA germplasm repository in Davis, Calif., which keeps more than 130 fig cultivars in its collection. The SARE project will investigate the figs' water requirements, susceptibility to pests and diseases and yields. Taste testing for chefs, cost of production and marketing of fresh and processed figs will also be analyzed along with Asian pruning and growing systems and packaging for wholesale and grocery markets.
Professional Development Program Grant: EW07-004, New Crops for Pacific Island Forestry, Craig Elevitch, principal investigator, Permanent Agriculture Resources, P.O. Box 428, Holualoa, HI 96725, (808) 324-4427, SARE@agroforestry.net. Western SARE funding: $80,000
Attempts to introduce new food crops into the Pacific islands often fail, mainly because the crops are a poor fit with dietary or cultural preferences, they were not introduced for their suitability in indigenous mixed agroforestry systems and various market factors were poorly assessed. This Professional Develop Program project hopes to counter such failures on a foundation of two beliefs: that ecological sustainability can best be maintained through diverse agroforestry systems and that economic viability of a new crop depends on product development for specific markets, on maximizing local value-added processing and on the suitability for available distribution systems. To accomplish its goals, the project will conduct a survey to determine crops suitable for introduction, it will develop "product sheets," four to eight pages long, for each of the 40 crops selected and it will disseminate the product sheets via the Internet as they are developed.
Research and Education Grant: SW07-073, Enhancing Phyto-Nutrient Content, Yield and Quality of Vegetables with Compost Tea in the Tropics, Theodore Radovich, principal investigator, Department of Tropical Plant and Soil Science, University of Hawaii, 3190 Maile Way, St. John 102, Honolulu, HI 96822, (808) 956-8351, Theodore@hawaii.edu. Western SARE funding: $162,500
Compost teas, which are aerated liquid extracts of compost, have been shown in many areas to improve crop yields and plant nutrient quality. Applying compost teas in Pacific island agriculture could potentially have significant benefits, but little is known about the interactions between the teas and various crops under tropical conditions. The purpose of this Research and Education grant is to engage farmers, researchers and industry professionals to address these knowledge gaps. It will quantify the independent and interactive effects of compost quality and vegetable type, under both conventional and organic systems, on yield and nutrient content of root, fruit and leaf vegetables. It will assess the effect of compost tea applications on yield, nutrient content and profitability on commercial vegetable operations on three Hawaii islands. And it will teach producers how to employ compost tea to increase yields and plant nutrients.
Micronesia
Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW07-028, Sei Enterprise Inc. Farm Pohnpei Pepper, Sei Uemoto, project coordinator, P.O. Box 301, Kolonia Pohnpei, FM, 96941, (961) 320-2659, sei_f_pepper@mail.fm; technical advisors Kadalino Lorens, (961) 320-2400, pniagriculture@mail.com, and Alpenster Henry, (961) 320-5731, henry@comfsm.fm. Western SARE funding: $12,000
Sei Enterprises Inc. Farm, a large producer of Pohnpei black pepper for the last 10 years, has found that the fern trees used as support posts for the pepper plants are decreasing in size and availability. To find fern trees that are big enough requires harvests deep in the forest, which increases costs. The Farmer/Rancher grant will test whether an alternative "living post" will work as a pepper support. Anecdotal evidence suggests that Gliricida, a leguminous tree, can support the pepper and mulch the plant. The project will test Gliricida as well as other trees for their viability as pepper supports. An important element of the test will be to gauge Gliricida fertilizer needs, which are said to be high. However, with the cost of each fern tree post at around $5, compared with the estimated cost of $1 per Gliricida tree, there is a potential to save as much as 80% on each plant support.
Montana
Research and Education Grant: SW07-013, Evaluation of Alfalfa Weevil (Coleoptera curculionidae) Densities, Weed Abundance and Regrowth Characteristics of Alfalfa Grazed by Sheep, Hayes Goosey, principal investigator, Research Scientist, Department of Animal and Range Sciences, Wool Lab, P.O. Box 172900, Bozeman, MT 59717-2900, (406) 994-2012, hgoosey@montana.edu. Western SARE funding: $96,817
Research in Montana has shown that sheep grazed on alfalfa during winter and spring can reduce alfalfa weevils by up to 70% without harming the amount or quality of harvested hay. This Research and Education grant seeks to determine whether fall grazing of alfalfa can also suppress the weevils, which could reduce insecticides typically used to combat the weevils. The project will compare various grazing intensities with the usual insecticide applications to develop grazing timetables and to assess the costs and benefits for both sheep and alfalfa production. Three of the four sites used for the trials will be on producer property using producer livestock. If the project is successful, the results will be ready for producers to implement, partnering two of Montana's vital agricultural enterprises and demonstrating how grazing can become an income to producers, rather than a cost, without requiring land ownership.
Research and Education Grant: SW07-025, Grower-Based Selection of Varieties and Systems for Wheat Stem Sawfly Suppression, Luther Talbert, principal investigator, Professor, Plant Sciences and Plant Pathology Department, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT 59717, (406) 994-5060, usslt@montana.edu. Western SARE funding: $125,000
The wheat stem sawfly, which costs Montana wheat growers $20 million to $30 million each year, cannot be controlled with insecticides or cultural practices. A primary approach to control has been to select wheat varieties with solid stems, which retard sawfly reproduction by impeding development from egg-laying through larval maturity. A recently released solid stem variety, Choteau, has higher yields than other solid-stem varieties. Still, its yields are not as high as several new hollow-stemmed varieties, which are susceptible to sawfly damage. This Research and Education project will test the use of Choteau as a trap crop for the hollow-stemmed variety, Reeder, determining how much Choteau is needed to protect Reeder. In addition, it will select solid-stem lines from crosses between Choteau and Reeder and assess their yield, stem solidness and production of volatile compounds as well as gauge the crosses' efficacy as trap crops for the wheat stem sawfly.
Research and Education Grant: SW07-028, Is Sulfur Cinquefoil a Candidate for Control with Sheep and Goats? Jeff Mosley, principal investigator, Professor of Range Science and Extension Range Management Specialist, Department of Animal and Range Sciences, Montana State University, P.O. Box 172820, Bozeman, MT 59717-2820, (406) 994-5601, jmosley@montana.edu. Western SARE funding: $54,250
Sulfur cinquefoil, an aggressive weed in the Rocky Mountain West, produces prodigious amounts of seed and can colonize relatively undisturbed plant communities, making it an invasive threat on millions of acres. Herbicides can be effective for control, but they require continued application until the seedbank is depleted and they pose a risk to closely related strawberry and native cinquefoil plants. Sheep and goats are used to suppress weeds like leafy spurge and spotted knapweed, and there is evidence that both will eat sulfur cinquefoil. This Research and Education Project will use hand clipping of cinquefoil plants to determine the timing and intensity of defoliation that best reduces yield, vigor, production and seed viability. It will also measure levels of tannins, which could reduce consumption, and it will gauge the viability of seed that has passed through the animals' digestive tracts. Results will be used to evaluate grazing as a potential control measure.
New Mexico
Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW07-032, Southwest Survivor Queenbee Project, Melania Kirby, project coordinator, Zia Queenbee Co., P.O. Box 898, Alcalde, New Mexico, 87511, (505) 852-0831, ziaqueenbee@hotmail.com; Greg Watson, technical advisor, (505) 46-320, awatson@mnda.nmsu.edu. Western SARE funding: $15,000
Honeybees and the beekeeping industry face serious threats from diseases and imported and treatment-resistant pests. The Zia Queenbee Co. of Velarde, New Mexico, wants to use its Farmer/Rancher grant to find solutions for beekeepers faced with these threats. The Southwest Survivor Queenbee Project will select queenbees that exhibit gentleness, high production and disease and pest resistance without the use of commercial medications. The best queenbees will be selected to produce regionally superior queenbees. These will first be distributed to beekeepers participating in the project and then across the region. Participating beekeepers will assess colony weight, honey and pollen production, manageability and heartiness. Conclusions will then be summarized and protocol will be set up to continue rearing these superior bees. Participating beekeepers that re-queen with the quality stock will integrate regionally sound genetics into their management, which will spread quality and save money on out-of-state purchase of potentially pest- or disease-ridden honeybees.
Northern Mariana Islands
Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW07-001, Neem Tree Production for Alternative Pesticides, Nematode Control and Fertilizers, Francisco Atalig, project coordinator, P.O. Box 1007, Rota, MP 96951, (670) 532-0349, pacific_hotstuff@hotmail.com; Gadi Reddy, technical advisor, (671) 734-4439, reddy@guam.uog.edu. Western SARE funding: $14,500
As many chemicals used for pest control on leafy vegetables are being removed from the market, farmers on the Northern Mariana island of Rota are growing root crops like taro and sweet potato. As a result, roughly 90% of Rota's vegetables are imported. This Farmer/Rancher project seeks to reverse this trend by exploring the use of neem tree products as alternatives to chemical pest control. Neem is a tropical tree that grows up to 20 feet high. It has been shown that oil extracted from the tree's seeds can be used to control pests in leafy vegetables. Project coordinator, Francisco Atalig, will grow the trees and test the pest-control products on hot peppers, Chinese cabbage and other crops he grows on his 5-hectare farm. He hopes to produce a cheap, locally available supply of neem oil that can be used by local farmers to solve their individual pest problems.
Oregon
Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW07-006, Butcher Waste Composting for Field Fertility, Ross and Kelly McGarva, project coordinators, 16866 Westside Rd., Lakeview, OR 97630, (541) 947-4062, McGarva@centuryte.net; Christopher Anderson, technical advisor, (541) 955-9873, canderso@oda.state.or.us. Western SARE funding: $13,750
Recent closing of all rendering facilities in Oregon has created serious problems for rural areas that do not have an alternative means of disposing of butcher waste. In this Farmer/Rancher grant, project coordinators Ross and Kelly McGarva plan to establish an effective compost system that will solve the dilemma not only for butcher waste but for the chip and sawdust waste from a local lumber mill. In the first year, the project intends to mix approximately 60 tons of butcher waste and 240 tons of wood waste to test four methods of composting. The second year will focus on perfecting the composting method found to be most effective and applying the composted material to around 40 acres of alkaline soils that are low in fertility and productivity. The project will divert a waste stream from the local landfill, poorly equipped to handle butcher waste, and provide a useful soil amendment.
Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW07-015, Using Season Extending Techniques to Diversify Traditional Agricultural Economy and Improve Quality and Quantity of Fresh Food Supply in Remote NE Oregon Valley, June Colony, project coordinator, 67597 Lostine River Road, Lostine, OR 97857, grassjune@hotmail.com; Laura Barton, technical advisor, (503) 872-6600. Western SARE funding: $12,475
In the remote Wallowa Valley of northeastern Oregon, a short growing season punctuated with sporadic frosts limits production of fresh local produce to only a few small-scale producers who market only during a narrow window. This Farmer/Rancher grant will assess growing small fruits and vegetables in season-extending hoop houses. Earlier tests have shown that fruits and vegetables can be grown in these structures for 10 months of the year and that demand at farmers markets and restaurants outstripped supply. Success will expand the options for providing locally produced food, especially important for school, hospital and senior citizen food programs. By learning about the crops and techniques for growing them, farmers can extend their income-producing periods and potentially offer employment. Providing local food will not only improve the nutrition of residents, it will help connect them with their food sources.
Professional + Producer Grant: FW07-308, Augmentation of Mite Predators on Apples and Grapes, Lyla Lampson, project coordinator, President, Lampson Research and Consulting, 54738 Day Road, Milton-Freewater, OR 97862, (541) 938-4711, lampsonl@motioncodec.com. Western SARE funding: $25,000
In Oregon's Walla Walla Valley, the pesticide treatments used to control codling moths on apples also kept mite populations at bay. But as producers have shifted to "softer chemicals" for safety and ecological reasons, the change in spray programs has upset the natural enemy mite complex, and growers are now spraying 40-80% of acreage, up from only 5% before the shift. This Professional + Producer grant will try to increase populations of mite predators to the healthy levels seen before the change in spray programs. Lyla Lampson, project coordinator, will obtain appropriate mite predators to distribute to three producers, who will then place the predators in their fields of apples as well as grapes. If augmentation releases appear promising and economically feasible, extension workshops will train producers in how and when to release predators and conduct mite counts.
Professional Development Program Grant: EW07-018, Conserving the Three P's: Habitat Conservation Practices for Beneficial Predators, Parasites and Pollinators, Mace Vaughan, principal investigator, Conservation Director, Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation, 4828 SE Hawthorne Blvd., Portland, OR 97215, (503) 232-6639, mace@xerces.org. Western SARE funding: $51,165
Beneficial insects and pollinators live wild in agricultural landscapes providing valuable services. The beneficial insects prey on and parasitize crop pests and the native bees pollinate some crops. The habitat required for these insects and bees is often lacking in heavily managed farm landscapes. Providing such habitat, or enhancing existing habitat, could help farm production and improve environmental quality. This Professional Development Program grant will teach agricultural professionals how conservation buffers and other on-farm habitat can be enhanced to increase populations of these beneficial insects. The Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and the Integrated Plant Protection Center of Oregon State University will conduct four workshops a year over two years for Oregon ag professionals in ways to fine-tune practices that conserve pollinators and beneficial insects. These workshops will be followed with technical assistance from farm-support field staff to help producers implement strategies that fit different regions of the state.
Utah
Professional + Producer Grant: FW07-315, Bramble Variety Trials in Utah to Reduce Disease, Increase Production and Enhance Profitability, Rick Heflebower, project coordinator, Horticulture Extension Agent, 44 North 100 East, St. George, UT 84770, (435) 634-5706, Ext. 4, rickh@ext.usu.edu. Western SARE funding: $23,250
In Utah, the production of brambles, including raspberries and blackberries, has been limited mainly to small-scale growers in the northern end of the state. These operations have recently suffered from an outbreak of raspberry bushy dwarf, a pollen-borne virus, resulting mainly from dependence on the virus-susceptible variety Canby. This Professional + Producer grant will gather information on management systems and suitable climates for a number of recently developed varieties, some of which are resistant to raspberry bushy dwarf. Assessments will be made of several varieties, both summer- and fall-bearing, planted on existing farms in five locations representing a wide range of climates and under both organic and conventional regimens. The goal is to expand locally grown food options for consumers and provide producers with opportunities to diversify. Once the brambles are established, field days will be held to allow other growers to learn about the new varieties.
Research and Education Grant: SW07-014, Sustainable Vegetable Production Systems: Screening Cover Crops for Water Use Efficiency, Dan Drost, principal investigator, Extension Vegetable Specialist, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4820, (435) 797-2258, dand@ext.usu.edu. Western SARE funding: $118,411
Many of Utah's farmers have expressed interest in using cover crops as a way to enhance soil organic matter and fertility and to improve the soil's water-holding capacity. However, they're concerned that such crops, beneficial as they may be, can interfere with normal crop rotations. Research on cover crops has been conducted in many parts of the United States, but such research is lacking in the Intermountain West. This Research and Education project, using on-farm and research station trials, will assess a wide range of winter and summer cover crops for biomass accumulation, water use efficiency, nutrient cycling, wind protection and weed management. As a result of the research conducted in this project, it is expected that 30% of Utah's vegetable farms will use cover crops and green manures to improve soil fertility, reduce erosion, help young plants as they begin to grow and help reduce pests.
Research and Education Grant: SW07-035. High Value Crop Rotations for Utah High Tunnels, Brent Black, principal investigator, Extension Fruit Specialist, Utah State University, Logan, UT 84322-4820, (435) 797-2174, blackb@ext.usu.edu. Western SARE funding: $144,495
Utah's climate and soils are conducive to high yields, but seasons are short and weather can affect early- and late-season productivity. A production technique that uses "high tunnels" can extend the spring and fall production windows and provide local produce to markets when prices are high. The recipients of this Research and Education grant propose to test several crop production schemes to maximize production and profits for intensively managed farms. The systems will include early and late small fruits, early and late warm-season vegetables and late fall and early spring salad greens. Replicated trials will be conducted on a research farm as well as on the farms of six cooperating growers representing diversity in farm size, local market potential and climatic region. Data will be collected and analyzed to assess productivity, cost of production and market returns, then developed into production guides and fact sheets for distribution throughout the Intermountain West.
Washington
Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW07-008, JJJ Farm Duckweed Harvesting, Jerry Darnall, project coordinator, 25789 Miller Bay Rd. NE, Kingston, WA 98346, (360) 509-0351, jaddarnall@aol.com; Arno Bergstrom, technical advisor, (360) 337-7225, awbergstrom@wsu.edu. Western SARE funding: $8,519
The goal of this project is to see if harvesting duckweed from a small farm pond can reduce soluble nitrate and phosphorus in runoff water and, at the same time, serve as an animal and poultry feed supplement. The project coordinator operates JJJ Farms near Kingston, raising pork marketed into a "no-crate, no-confinement" market niche, with a secondary market in poultry. In the 1-acre pond, planted and protected for wildlife habitat with vegetative filter strips to protect the pond, optimum conditions will be created for growing duckweed, which will be harvested, weighed and fed to the pigs and poultry. Pond bottom aeration diffusers will keep the nitrate and phosphorus in solution and push the duckweed to the surface for easier harvesting. The pond water will be tested for changes in soluble nitrate and phosphorus and the harvested duckweed assessed for nutritional value for the animals.
Farmer/Rancher Grant: FW07-009, Leafy Spurge Management in Shrub Steppe Rangeland, Craig Madsen, project coordinator, Healing Hooves, LLC, P.O. Box 148, 49332 Sobek Rd. E, Edwall, WA 99008, (509) 990-7132, shepherd@healinghooves.com; Tom Platt, technical advisor, (509) 725-4171, plattom@wsu.edu. Western SARE funding: $10,000
The noxious weed leafy spurge is rapidly spreading across rangelands in many parts of the West, reducing grass production for cattle and increasing rancher reliance on herbicides for control. Spurge-attacking insect releases have met with limited success, and the effectiveness of costly herbicides is often reduced by rough terrain, restrictions on some aerial applications and the spurge's proximity to streams. This Farmer/Rancher project aims to change the producer mindset from trying to eradicate leafy spurge to one of sustainable integrated pest management. The project coordinator will demonstrate how goats can be used, alongside other tools like insects, to manage noxious weeds like leafy spurge. Project coordinator Craig Madsen will inventory range plants and install insect monitoring transects. He will then use 250 head of goats and kids for two treatments, each scheduled for three to four weeks over two years, documenting results each year.
Professional Development Program Grant: EW07-009, Western Region Dairy Odor and Air Quality Education, Pius Ndegwa, principal investigator, Biological Systems Engineering, LJ Smith 201, Washington State University, P.O. Box 646120, Pullman, WA 99164-6120, (509) 335-8167, ndegwa@wsu.edu. Western SARE funding: $89,236
The goal of this Professional Development Program grant is to reduce the environmental impacts of dairy farming in the West as a way to promote and guarantee the sustainability of the milk and cheese industries. The grant recipients plan to train agricultural professionals, selected from around the dairy producing areas of the Western region, on the best management practices available to dairy producers to mitigate the degradation of air quality. Four hands-on workshops will be conducted, introducing participants to air quality issues, regulations and control practices. These workshop participants will then participate in a series of 10 live web-cast presentations on specific air-quality issues. These web-casts will then be made available to the public in the form of workshop presentations, video tours and other educational information. In addition, the workshop participants will be expected to incorporate the best management practices into their regular outreach activities.
Research and Education Grant: SW07-055, A Sustainable Distribution and Evaluation Program for Selected Honey Bee Stock in the Pacific Northwest, Walter Shepherd, principal investigator, Professor, Department of Entomology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164-6382, (509) 335-5180, shepp@mail.wsu.edu. Western SARE funding: $172,938
Honeybees are fundamental contributors to agriculture and the economy, but a parasitic wasp, introduced in 1987, has caused widespread colony loss and poses a major threat to beekeeping. Some of these mite populations have become resistant to commonly used and effective chemical treatments. This Research and Education project proposes to continue a selective breeding program to expand mite-tolerant bee populations and increase awareness of sustainable methods of integrated pest management. Beekeepers in Oregon, Idaho and Washington will evaluate performance of honeybees from Washington State University. Pacific Northwest beekeepers will then be allowed access to selected honeybee stocks through collaborative apiaries, each stocked annually with queen bees from the selected mite-resistant lines. Finally, beekeepers will be trained in the principles and methods of integrated pest management, including when to treat for mites based on economic thresholds and alternative treatment options.
Wyoming
Professional Development Program Grant: EW07-016, Educator Training for the Wyoming Cow-Calf Record Management System, Dallas Mount, principal investigator, Southeast Area Livestock Extension Educator, University of Wyoming Cooperative Extension Service, 57 Antelope Gap Rd., Wheatland, WY 82201, (307) 322-3667, dmount@uwyo.edu. Western SARE funding: $9,500
High Plains livestock producers, faced with challenges like drought and volatile markets, need new tools to help them make economic and livestock management decisions that can sustain their operations. At the same time, these producers are becoming more comfortable using computers to assist with ranch management, record keeping and decision making. To marry these needs and skills, a previously funded Western SARE grant developed the Wyoming Cow-Calf Record Management System, a computerized database designed to meet the special needs of High Plains livestock producers. This Professional Development Program grant is designed to train agricultural professionals in the operation and implementation of the database so they can promote it and help livestock operators use it. Fifteen professionals from Wyoming and surrounding states will spend two days learning the importance of maintaining animal performance and economic records and how the Wyoming Cow-Calf Record Management System can be applied in real world situations.
Research and Education Grant: SW07-049, Evaluation of Camelina sativa as an Alternative Seed Crop and Feedstock for Biofuel and Developing Replacement Heifers, Brett Hess, principal investigator, Associate Professor of Ruminant Nutrition, Department 3684, 1000 E. University, Laramie, WY 82071, (307) 766-5173, brethess@uwyo.edu. Western SARE funding: $155,000
The commercial biodiesel industry is growing rapidly, and agriculture is poised as an important partner because vegetable oils and animal fats, along with their derivatives, are attractive as alternative fuels, fuel extenders and fuel additives. This multi-faceted Research and Education project will evaluate an alternative cropping system through the production of an oilseed crop, camelina, in Montana and Wyoming, with the vegetable oil from the crop used to produce biodiesel and co-products generated from the processing of the crop for biodiesel potentially improving livestock production efficiency. The project will look at the production aspects of camelina, assessing growth patterns, production requirements and yield. It will also evaluate camelina for production of biodiesel and for the use of its co-products in diets of developing replacement beef heifers. The economics of producing camelina in an extended cropping rotation will be evaluated and compared with the traditional wheat-fallow system.
