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### NEWS
RELEASE - September 19, 2012 For More information Contact: Mary Fund, 785-873-343; ksrc@rainbowtel.net Workshop focuses on water, fencing as drought intensifies By Tom Parker ### NEWS
RELEASE - September 6, 2012 For more information contact:
Joanna Voigt, workshop coordinator Registration Open for Strategic Direct and Niche Marketing Workshop Whiting, Kansas – Livestock producers and wholesale buyers of
animal products are invited to attend a Strategic Marketing
Workshop and Farm Tour on September 21, 2012, from 9:00 am to 5:00
pm. The workshop will be held at American Legion Post 76, 506
Washington Street, Concordia, KS, and the farm tour will follow at
Lazy S Farms, 616 N. 1000th Road, Glasco, Kansas. ### NEWS
RELEASE - August 27, 2012 For More information Contact: Mary Fund, 785-873-343; ksrc@rainbowtel.net
Drought Spurs Interest
in Grass Management Getting to know your pastures better is the critical first step toward more profitable grazing, especially when drought slashes forage supplies, according to a nationally known grazing expert. Speaking to Kansas farmers and ranchers recently, Jim Gerrish noted that each farm and ranch has unique resources. Matching grazing animals to forage resources is far more cost effective than adapting pastures to fit a certain class of grazing animal and it’s particularly critical during a drought, the Idaho-based grazier and consultant said. MORE - - -
### NEWS
RELEASE - August 15, 2012 For More information Contact: Mary Fund, 785-873-343; ksrc@rainbowtel.net LIVESTOCK WATER AND FENCING WORKSHOP SET FOR SEPTEMBER 11 A workshop on electric fencing
and livestock watering options will be held September 11, 2012,
near Jamestown, Ks. in Republic County. The workshop will be held
at the Jamestown Log Cabin Retreat and Dale Strickler Farm, 250
Xavier Road, Jamestown, Ks. (south of Courtland). It will begin at
8:30 a.m. and last until 4 p.m. utilizing indoor workshop and
outdoor classroom for demonstrations. Lunch will be provided
courtesy of Star Seed. ### NEWS
RELEASE - August 14, 2012 For More information Contact:
Mary Fund, 785-873-343;
ksrc@rainbowtel.net EASTERN KANSAS SEPTEMBER GRAZING SCHOOL TAKING REGISTRATIONS Emporia, KS – Farmers and ranchers are invited to participate in
the third annual Eastern Kansas Grazing School at the Lyon County
Fairgrounds in Emporia on September 12 – 13, 2012. The two-day
management intensive grazing (MIG) school will be a hands-on
learning experience preparing participants to start their own
rotational grazing system with forages adapted to eastern Kansas.
### NEWS
RELEASE - August 14, 2012 For More information Contact: Joanna Voigt, workshop coordinator, joannarvoigt@gmail.com STRATEGIC MARKETING
WORKSHOP AND FARM TOUR Whiting, Kansas – Livestock
producers and wholesale buyers of animal products are invited to
attend a Strategic Marketing Workshop and Farm Tour on September
21, 2012, from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm. The workshop will be held at
American Legion Post 76, 506 Washington Street, Concordia, KS, and
the farm tour will follow at Lazy S Farms, 616 N. 1000th Road,
Glasco, Kansas. ### NEWS
RELEASE - June 25, 2012 For More information Contact:
Mary Fund, 785-873-343;
ksrc@rainbowtel.net EASTERN KANSAS SEPTEMBER GRAZING SCHOOL TAKING REGISTRATIONS Emporia, KS – Farmers and
ranchers are invited to participate in the third annual Eastern
Kansas Grazing School at the Lyon County Fairgrounds in Emporia on
September 12 & 13. The two-day management intensive grazing (MIG)
school will be a hands-on learning experience preparing
participants to start their own rotational grazing system with
forages adapted to eastern Kansas. ### NEWS
RELEASE - July 11, 2012 For More information Contact: Mary Fund, 785-873-343; ksrc@rainbowtel.net Jim Gerrish Grazing Schools Set for August in Topeka and Hays
Jim Gerrish, well-known Idaho rancher, researcher, grazing
educator, author and co-founder of the Missouri Grazing School,
will deliver two 2-day workshops in Topeka and Hays, Kansas in
August. Each workshop will be tailored for the grasses, forages,
rainfall, growing conditions and grazing potential in that area of
the state. ### NEWS
RELEASE - May 23, 2012 Contact: Mary Fund,
785-873-3431 or
ksrc@rainbowtel.net JUNE 8 FIELD DAY IN
JACKSON COUNTY HIGHLIGHTS Cover Crops/Pollinators/Plant
ID and More is the emphasis of the June 8th field day hosted by
the Jackson County Conservation District. Tour starts at 9 a.m.
with coffee and donuts at Henry Hill’s pasture located three miles
north of Holton on Hwy 75 and 2-1/2 miles east on 254th Road. ### NEWS
RELEASE - March 20, 2012 Contact: Mary Fund, 785-873-3431 or ksrc@rainbowtel.net Livestock Producer Meetings to be Held April 2 in Linn and Marysville, Ks Livestock producers in the
Milford and Tuttle Creek Watersheds are invited to attend one of
two meetings that will focus on Best Management Practices (BMPs)
for livestock operations. ### NEWS
RELEASE - March 19, 2012 Contact: Mary Fund, 785-873-3431 or ksrc@rainbowtel.net
The circle of farming:
cover crops a good step toward soil health Emporia farmer Gail Fuller’s advice for ranchers and farmers seeking to improve air, water and soil quality while increasing crop yield, livestock health and financial investments is simple: take a hike. MORE - - -
### NEWS
RELEASE - March 6, 2012 Contact: Mary Fund, 785-873-3431 or ksrc@rainbowtel.net
Farm tour highlights
improvements for winter livestock feeding options When Harry Moser first heard
K-State Watershed Specialist Will Boyer’s glowing reports on the
benefits of feeder pads, he wasn’t impressed. “I thought he was
nuts,” Moser said. ### NEWS
RELEASE - February 15, 2012 Contact: Mary Fund, 785-873-3431 or ksrc@rainbowtel.net
Pottawatomie County
February 28 Tour to Highlight On Tuesday February 28, the Middle Kansas WRAPS Program will sponsor a tour of two area farms featuring practices they have implemented to improve livestock winter -feeding areas and improve water quality. Glenn and Jennifer Brunkow, Westmoreland, and Harry and Lisa Moser, Wheaton, will host the tour. MORE - - -
### NEWS
RELEASE - February 3, 2012 For More Information Contact: Kansas Rural Center Announces 2012 Savor the Season program Kansas farms and farmers
markets looking to attract more customers with fresh fruits and
vegetables this summer will have a new tool thanks to the Kansas
Rural Center's "Savor the Season" Program, featuring a variety of
materials, recipes, and grower training information about 10
feature crops for this year. ### NEWS
RELEASE - February 2, 2012 For More Information Contact: Mary Fund, 785-873-3431 or ksrc@rainbowtel.net
Planning can mitigate drought effect It’s true, you can’t do much
about the weather but you can do something about its impact on
your grazing system. Presented by the National Drought Mitigation Center, the in-depth workshop examined the effects of drought on forage systems as well as strategies to lessen that impact. MORE - - -
### NEWS
RELEASE - December 20, 2011 For More information, contact: Mary Howell, 785-562-8726 or e-mail marshallcofair@gmail.com Managing Drought Risk on the Ranch-- KGA 2012 Conference Set for January 21 The Kansas Graziers Association (KGA) and the Kansas Grazing Lands
Coalition are co-sponsoring an all day conference, "Managing
Drought Risk on the Ranch," presented by the National Drought
Mitigation Center, based at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.
The conference will be held Saturday, January 21 at the Harvest
House Meeting Room of the Flint Hills Christian Church, 1836 E.
U.S. Highway 50 in Emporia, Ks. This is the KGA’s annual
winter conference. ### NEWS
RELEASE - November 29, 2011
Rethinking food production
with an eye to the future Agriculture is a fast-moving train and no one knows exactly what’s up around the bend. For Dan Nagengast, reconnecting food production with food consumption is critical to keeping that train on the track. MORE - - -
### NEWS
RELEASE - November 29, 2011
Sustainable Ag Conference
panel takes aim at America’s food system When it comes to making the American food system more diversified, sustainable and family farm friendly, “Happy talk doesn’t get it done,” according to Mike Callicrate, an independent cattleman, entrepreneur and political activist who was part of a panel discussion at the Kansas Rural Center’s recent Sustainable Agriculture Conference in Emporia. MORE - - -
### NEWS
RELEASE - November 22, 2011
Livestock Management
Workshop: Improvements Don’t Have to Be Expensive “Cows have four legs and a
rumen for a reason,” Dale Kirkham, field organizer with the Kansas
Rural Center, said. “They are not adapted to standing in the mud
or with their head in a hay ring.” ### NEWS
RELEASE - November 14, 2011 For more Information, Contact:
Kansas Rural Center Announces New Executive Director, Julie Mettenburg Whiting, Ks. - The Kansas Rural
Center Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Julie
Mettenburg, Lawrence, Ks., will be joining KRC as the new
Executive Director, starting December 1, 2011. ### NEWS
RELEASE - November 15, 2011 For more Information, Contact:
Conservation is an
On-going Effort: By Tom Parker ### NEWS
RELEASE - October 18, 2011 For More information contact:
Kansas Rural Center 2011 Sustainable
Agriculture Conference Whiting, Kansas -- The Kansas
Rural Center announces that its 2011 Sustainable Agriculture
Conference will focus on food and farm opportunities and the
optimism for expanding local and regional food and farming in
Kansas. The conference, titled “Options, Opportunities and
Optimism: Cultivating Our Food and Farm Future,” will take place
Saturday, November 19, from 9 to 5 p.m. at Flint Hills Technical
College, Emporia. ### NEWS
RELEASE - September 26, 2011 For more information contact: Mary Fund at 785-873-3431 or ksrc@rainbowtel.net
Grazing cattle best for
pastures, water quality and calf health ### NEWS
RELEASE - September 16, 2011 For more information contact: Mary Fund at 785-873-3431 or ksrc@rainbowtel.net GRAZING SCHOOL DELIVERS
GRASSROOTS EDUCATION Learning the art and science of grazing livestock is a lifetime quest but sometimes the comprehension curve gets a big boost. The Eastern Kansas Grazing School provided that opportunity as farmers and ranchers tapped into wide-ranging expertise in a two-day learning experience held recently at Holton and sponsored by the Kansas Rural Center, the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and Kansas State University Extension. MORE - - -
### NEWS
RELEASE - August 26, 2011 For more information contact: Mary Fund at 785-873-3431 or ksrc@rainbowtel.net GERRISH SHARES GRAZING
EXPERTISE WITH KANSAS PRODUCERS AT BEEF FEST “If you think of every acre you manage as a 43,560-square foot solar panel, you’ll begin to see how you can improve your operation,” the nationally known grazing expert told more that 130 people at the recent Flint Hills Beef Fest in Emporia, Kan. MORE - - -
### NEWS
RELEASE - June 11, 2011 For more information contact:
Mary Howell at 785-562-8726 or kfu.mary@gmail.com ### NEWS
RELEASE - June 10, 2011 EASTERN KANSAS GRAZING SCHOOL SET FOR SEPTEMBER 7-8, 2011 IN HOLTON Whiting, Ks.- Farmers and
ranchers are invited to participate in the second annual Eastern
Kansas Grazing School at the Jackson County Fairgrounds in Holton
on September 7 & 8. The two-day management intensive grazing (MIG)
school will be a hands-on learning experience preparing
participants to start their own rotational grazing system with
forages adapted to eastern Kansas. ### NEWS
RELEASE - June 10, 2011 KRC Announces Kohlmeier as New Field Organizer Whiting, Ks. – The Kansas Rural
Center (KRC) is pleased to announce that Lyle Kohlmeier, Strong
City, Kansas, has joined KRC as its newest Field Organizer in the
Clean Water Farms/WRAPS (Watershed Restoration and Protection
Strategy) Project. ### NEWS
RELEASE - May 12, 2011 Contact: Mary Fund, KRC, 785-873-3431; ksrc@rainbowtel.net Nagengast to Step Down as KRC Executive Director Whiting, Ks.- Kansas Rural
Center (KRC) Executive Director Dan Nagengast has announced his
plans to leave KRC by mid-summer this year. Nagengast has been
Executive Director since 1992. ### NEWS
RELEASE - April 13, 2011 FOOD SAFETY AND GOOD
AGRICULTURAL PRACTICES OUTLINED AT WORKSHOP:
### LOW COST TIPS FOR
LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT Tonganoxie, Kans.—“As
cattlemen, we probably spoil our cattle—they have four legs and a
rumen for a reason,” stated Dale Kirkham, field organizer with the
Kansas Rural Center (KRC) at a recent livestock management
workshop in Tonganoxie. Kirkham explained that cattle “should work
for us instead of us working for them.” ### UPCOMING WORKSHOP
ADDRESSES ON-FARM FOOD SAFETY Lawrence, Kan. - As the demand for local and organic food grows nationwide, so does the expectation of consumers and institutional buyers for clean produce that lasts on the shelf and in the refrigerator. On March 30, 2011, the Kansas Rural Center and K-State Research and Extension in Douglas County will co-host a full-day workshop to address issues surrounding on-farm food safety and handling. Chris Blanchard, owner of Rock Spring Farm near Decorah, Iowa, is the keynote speaker. MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE - February 24, 2011
IMPROVING WINTER MANAGEMENT CAN IMPROVE HERD AND CALF HEALTH
Hanover, Ks. - Improving winter-feeding conditions, reducing
winter-feed costs, and maintaining herd health, especially at
calving time, were topics at the recent “Improving Livestock
Production Workshop” in Hanover. Thirty-nine people gathered at
the Kloppenberg Community Center for the workshop sponsored by the
Tuttle Creek WRAPS to learn more about how to improve herd
productivity and profitability. ### NEWS RELEASE - February 21, 2011
BETTER MANAGEMENT PRACTICES TURN INTO MULTIPLE BENEFITS Highland, Kansas—Livestock producers gathered in Highland for a
one-day livestock and water quality workshop last week. The
workshop—organized by the Missouri WRAPS (Watershed Restoration
and Protection Strategy)—focused on ways producers can implement
best management practices (BMPs) while making their operation more
profitable. ### NEWS RELEASE - February 16, 2011 LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT
WORKSHOP SET FOR THURSDAY, MARCH 10 Tonganoxie - Mark your calendar for Thursday, March 10, when the Leavenworth County Conservation District and the Kansas Rural Center will host a Livestock Management Workshop for livestock producers in the Stranger Creek watershed and surrounding areas. MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE - January 27, 2011
Improving Livestock
Production in Tuttle Creek Watershed Set
Whiting, Ks.- On Thursday February 17, 2011, a dinner meeting will
be held for livestock producers in the Tuttle Creek Watershed area
in Washington and Marshall Counties to discuss best management
practices (BMP) and cost-share programs to better manage winter
feeding sites for profitability and natural resource protection.
The meeting will be held at the Kloppenberg Community Center, 512
East North Street in Hanover, Ks., beginning at 5:30 p.m., with
dinner and the program starting at 6 p.m. and running until 8:30
p.m. RSVP’s for the dinner are needed. ### NEWS RELEASE - January 20, 2011 JUDY CHALLENGES GRAZIER’S
ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT MOB GRAZING Junction City - About 200 graziers from across Kansas converged on
Junction City for the annual Kansas Graziers Association (KGA)
winter conference on Saturday, January 15. Greg Judy, the keynote
speaker, runs a grazing operation near Clarks, Missouri, on 1400
acres of pasture using holistic high density planned grazing. The
Judys have developed a successful grazing business by leasing
land, reducing input costs, employing high density grazing, and
utilizing multi-species grazing. ### NEWS RELEASE - December 16, 2010 Kansas Graziers’ Winter Conference Scheduled for January 15 in Junction City Whiting, Ks. - The Kansas Grazier's Association (KGA) will hold its Winter Conference on Saturday January 15, 2011 at the Geary County 4H-Senior Citizen's Center at 1025 South Spring Valley Road in Junction City, Ks. MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE - November 29, 2010
Adapting to Climate Change
Important for Kansas Farmers and Ranchers Climate change is far less a threat to ecosystems than it is to the humans who rely upon them, according to USDA Natural Resource and Conservation Service rangeland ecologist Joel Brown. Speaking to about 150 people at a sustainable agriculture conference in Emporia sponsored by the Kansas Rural Center, Brown said the debate is over as to whether or not climate change is occurring. Arguments about cause and effect and scientific methodology can continue, he said, but there is no doubt that the planet is warmer — and getting warmer still. MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE - November 29, 2010
Experts Weigh In on
Climate Change The impact of climate change on agriculture was brought into focus recently as experts discussed the topic at the Connecting Cows, Carbon & Carrots conference, sponsored by the Kansas Rural Center, that brought 150 people to Emporia, Kansas. In a panel discussion, Region VII EPA Director Karl Brooks, National Center for Appropriate Technology (NCAT) Policy Analyst Jeff Schahczenski, and USDA-NRCS Rangeland Ecologist Joel Brown shared their views on climate change issues. MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE - October 22, 2010
Rejuvenating Landscapes
Through Managing Livestock Behavior:
Holton, Ks. - “Palatability is more than a matter of taste,”
challenged Fred Provenza to the audience at the Livestock
Behavior-based Management Workshop in Holton, KS on September 25.
Provenza, who is an Animal Behavior specialist with Utah State
University, spent the day giving wisdom on how to manage animals
to rejuvenate landscapes while also meeting the nutritional needs
of the animals. Palatability is directly connected to the body’s
feedback to meet the need for energy, protein, and various
minerals as well as to self-medicate to treat maladies that
Provenza has labeled the “Wisdom of the Body.” This concept of the
“Wisdom of the Body” has implications for managing and
manipulating animal’s diets and grazing behavior to eat
undesirable plant species while avoiding other desirable plant
species. ### NEWS RELEASE - October 14, 2010
KRC To Hold Sustainable
Agriculture Conference November 20
Whiting, Ks. – The Kansas Rural Center (KRC) will hold its
Sustainable Agriculture Conference on Saturday, November 20, 2010,
at the Flint Hills Technical College, Emporia, Kansas. The theme
for this year’s conference is “Connecting Cows, Carbon and
Carrots: Making Sense of Our Food Future”. ### NEWS RELEASE - October 11, 2010
Nature provides pasture
strategy worth copying
The way Oren Long sees it, the native prairie is a pretty darn
good model for tame pasture management. The Valley Falls, Kan.,
farmer has developed a self-generating, self-regulating system
that lets “Mother Nature and the cows do the work and you do the
thinking.” ### NEWS RELEASE - October 11, 2010
Delaware Watershed Tour
Showcases Practices to Improve Water Quality Whiting, Ks.—Heavy rain may have altered a recent tour of the Delaware River watershed, however the relevance of implementing practices to protect water quality was front and center throughout the day. Two days before the tour, a portion of the upper watershed received five to seven inches of rain, causing the Delaware River to rise and even flood in some areas. Funded by a grant to the Jackson County Conservation District by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment, the tour was part of efforts to inform the public about management practices being implemented to protect water quality and reduce sedimentation into Perry Reservoir. MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE - October 7, 2010
Grazing school delivers profit-enhancing
lessons The cattle business is no place to be below average. In 2009, there was a $357 per cow difference in net return between top-third Kansas producers and those in the bottom third. Higher costs were the 800-lb. gorilla in the pasture for the least profitable operations and, among those, feed expense took a King Kong-size bite out of profits. MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE - September 7, 2010
Exodus of rural youth
puts communities in jeopardy Soldier, Kansas - The precious national resource that is rural America is in peril and Weldon Sleight is trying to do something about it. It’s not the grass-covered hillsides, nor the cornfields, nor those amber waves of grain that the dean of the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is most concerned with — it is the young people born and raised out beyond the city limits sign. “We can ride it out until it’s all gone or we can do something about it,” Sleight told Kansas Rural Center board members and their guests recently at Soldier, Kan. “Somehow, rural folks have to stand up and say we are not going to lose our kids to the city any longer.” MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE - August 18, 2010 Rural Development and the Next Generation Topic of August 28 Meeting Whiting, Ks.- Rural development and how to engage the next generation in farming, ranching, and rural communities will be the topic for the keynote speaker at a special presentation during the Kansas Rural Center’s summer board meeting on August 28. Weldon Sleight, dean of the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture at Curtis, Nebraska, will be the afternoon speaker starting at 1:30 p.m. at Red Rock Guest Ranch near Soldier, Kansas. MORE -
- -
###
The meat of the matter: By Mark Parker Soldier, Kansas--Meat producers who have broken away from the commodity herd are headed down a trail that can lead to profitability—as long as financial savvy guides their efforts. Addressing more than 30 family farmers from across eastern Kansas recently, Jim Munsch advised growers to begin by identifying who their customers are and what they want. The Wisconsin organic beef producer and business consultant led the recent Growing Your Farm Profits workshop presented by the Kansas Rural Center near Soldier, Kansas.
MORE - - -
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USDA Moves to Restore
Competitive Markets and Washington, D.C. June 18, 2010 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture released new rules today that propose a host of reforms necessary to help restore competitive markets and contract fairness to livestock and poultry markets. The new rules directed by the 2008 Farm Bill, promise to outlaw preferential pricing, expand producer rights to sue over unfair and deceptive practices and compel greater contract fairness for poultry producers. Under the proposed rules, independent family farmers who meet the same quality standards as mega feedlots must be paid the same price. Those standards must be transparent and made publicly available.
MORE - - -
### KANSAS RURAL CENTER JOINS PUBLIC TV PANEL ON “FOOD INC.” ON MAY 5 On Wednesday May 5, tune in to your local public television station in Kansas to see an evening devoted to the film “Food Inc” and a panel of Kansas agricultural leaders responding to the film. The panel, “Taking Stock: Perspectives on Food Production in Kansas”, features Kansas agricultural leaders including the Kansas Rural Center’s Executive Director Dan Nagengast, responding to “Food Inc.” which took on corporate/industrial agriculture and the food system.
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INCREASING
HERD PERFORMANCE AND HEALTH HELPS BOTTOM LINE AND ENVIRONMENT Frankfort, Kansas—“Here in Eastern Kansas, we’re blessed with the amount of forages we can grow—and we have to work to select the forages we can use,” explained Gary Kilgore, Professor Emeritus, Kansas State University, at a recent “Improving Livestock Production Workshop” workshop in Frankfort. “Match the system to the animal,” he said. “Your goal as a livestock person is to match the requirements of the animal to the available forage.”
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Kansas Rural Center, Kansas Department of Commerce Sessions to be held in Dodge City, Marysville, Independence, Lawrence, Newton The Kansas Rural Center and the Kansas Department of Commerce will host a series of five direct marketing workshops for agricultural producers beginning April 27 throughout Kansas. MORE - - -
### Farmers Urged to Talk Over Options for Expiring CRP Ground Holton, Kansas—Speakers at the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) informational meetings held in Holton and Seneca Kansas in early March agreed on one thing: farmers with expiring CRP ground need to talk over their options with FSA and County Conservation District offices before they make decisions. “We want to talk to you” was the message from FSA speakers, county conservation district staff, fish and wildlife specialists, and watershed representatives. MORE - - -
### Proper Management of Riparian Areas Provides Multiple Functions Eskridge, Kansas – About 33 landowners and ranchers attended the riparian workshop organized by the Flint Hills RC&D and Wabaunsee County Extension, on March 25 to learn how to better manage ponds, creeks and woodlands. Themes for the evening included introducing basic concepts of riparian areas and stream hydrology, forestry management, rangeland riparian management, streambank stabilization, and funding opportunities for rangeland improvement. MORE - - -
### WORKSHOP IN FRANKFORT HIGHLIGHTS IDEAS TO IMPROVE LIVESTOCK PRODUCTION Frankfort, Kansas— A “Improving Livestock Production” workshop will be held from 5:30 to 8:30 pm on Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at the Cigna Center, 402 North Maple, Frankfort. Registration begins at 5 pm. “This workshop will allow livestock producers the opportunity to gather information on management practices such as extending the grazing season with alternative forages; herd health issues related to calving, and alternative watering systems—all of which can assist in improving their livestock operation’s bottom line as well as protecting water quality,” Mary Howell, Clean Water Farms Project Field Organizer with the Kansas Rural Center, said. MORE - - -
### WORKSHOP IN TONGANOXIE HIGHLIGHTS BEST MANAGEMENT PRACTICES FOR WINTER FEEDING AREAS Tonganoxie, Kansas—“Are you raising cattle for pleasure or profit…or both?” Dale Kirkham, Field Organizer with the Kansas Rural Center’s Clean Water Farms Project, posed this question to those attending a “Best Management Practices for Winter Feeding Areas” workshop in Tonganoxie in mid-February. “If you are in it for pleasure—you are not going to be in it for long,” he said.
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### The 4M’s of Market Management Shared at Farmers’ Market Conference Topeka - Keeping an eye on the 4Ms of market management–mission, management, marketing and measurement–allows farmers markets to grow and thrive in a sustainable fashion. Demand for local foods and for markets has rapidly increased in the past four years, so much so that farmers and markets are challenged to keep up with requests to expand. With few resources, both in terms of finances and staff time, markets should approach each new venture with a critical eye. - MORE - - - ### NEWS RELEASE - February 17, 2010
Farmers markets a
growing opportunity Emporia, Kansas - Cultivating a growing opportunity for farmers requires the cooperation of communities, policy makers and the growers themselves, according to a national authority on farmers markets. Speaking to producers at the recent Kansas Farmers Markets Conference in Emporia, Don Wambles, past president of the nationwide grassroots organization, the Farmers Market Coalition, called farmers markets “a bright spot for American agriculture.” As a mechanism for bringing wholesome, locally grown food to the public, farmers markets benefit consumers and communities as well as the folks who grow the food, he said. MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE - February 16, 2010
LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT & PROFITABILITY WORKSHOP PROVIDES ANSWERS
Highland, Kansas—Fighting through the fog and a brief power outage, 43 livestock producers and agency representatives gathered at the Highland Community Center in Highland for a livestock management and profitability workshop in mid-January. The workshop, coordinated by the Missouri River Basin WRAPS (Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy), provided farmers and ranchers an opportunity to gather information on practices that will improve the profitability of their livestock operation while protecting water quality. MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE - February 9, 2010 FUNDS AVAILABLE FOR KANSAS
FARMERS FOR ORGANIC TRANSITION PRACTICES; Whiting, Ks.- March 12, 2010 is the deadline for signing up for the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) 2010 Organic and Transition to Organic Special Initiative under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Kansas has received $1,416,186 for this initiative in 2010. The initiative can provide up to $20,000 per year for no more than $80,000 over a six year period to assist farmers and ranchers to transition to organic or to improve conservation benefits on existing organic farms. Funds not allocated in Kansas will be sent back to national headquarters for reallocation. MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE – February 3, 2010 WORKSHOP IN TONGANOXIE
HIGHLIGHTS Tonganoxie, Kansas—The Leavenworth County Conservation District and the Kansas Rural Center will host a “Best Management Practices forWinter Feeding Areas” workshop at 10 am on Thursday, February 18, 2010 at the Leavenworth County Fairgrounds Administration Building, Tonganoxie. Registration begins at 9:30 am and the free workshop will conclude at approximately 2 pm. MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE - January 29, 2010
Pharo Steers Kansas
Graziers Away From Sacred Cows McPherson, Kansas- If Kit Pharo made some folks squirm in their chairs a little at the Kansas Graziers Association Winter Conference, that was okay with him. After all, getting cattlemen out of their comfort zones is one of his goals. MORE - - - ### NEWS RELEASE - January 29, 2010
Protecting Water has
Livestock Benefits McPherson, Kansas - Reducing the impact livestock have on Kansas water resources is one of those rare Good News-Good News scenarios. The good news is that keeping the cows out of the water is extremely effective in maintaining and enhancing water quality. The other good news is that many of the practices used to achieve that goal are also good for beef producers’ bottom lines. MORE - - - ### NEWS RELEASE - December 31, 2009 MISSOURI WRAPS TO
SPONSOR LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT Highland, Kansas—The Missouri River Basin WRAPS (Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy) will host a one day workshop on livestock management and profitability at 10 am on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at the Highland Community Center, 501 West Avenue in Highland. The workshop concludes at approximately 2:30 pm. MORE - - -
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MUNSCH FEATURED SPEAKER
AT KRC Lawrence, Kansas—The Kansas Rural Center announces Jim Munsch at the featured speaker at its workshop “Growing Your Farm Profits: Understanding the Marketplace and Positioning Your Farm to Succeed”. The workshop is from 9 am to 5 pm on Saturday, January 9 at the Lawrence Holidome Conference Center, 200 McDonald Drive, Lawrence, Kansas.
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### NEWS RELEASE - December 10, 2009
KANSAS
GRAZIERS WINTER CONFERENCE Whiting, Ks.- The Kansas Graziers Association (KGA) will host its Annual Winter Grazing Conference on Saturday January 23, 2010, at the Best Western Convention Center in McPherson, Kansas. Kit Pharo, Cheyenne Wells, Colorado rancher, is the featured speaker for the day. Registration will start at 8:30 a.m. and the meeting will run until 4:00 p.m. Kit Pharo’s two-part presentation is titled “Moving from Production to Profit in Ranching.”
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### NEWS RELEASE - December 6, 2009
MISSOURI
WRAPS TO SPONSOR LIVESTOCK Highland, Kansas—The Missouri River Basin WRAPS (Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy) will host a one day workshop on grazing management at 10 am on Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at the Highland Community Center in Highland.
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### NEWS RELEASE - October 15, 2009
BUS TOUR
HIGHLIGHTS By Connie Pantle Holton, Kansas—On a bright September day 35 people—including many area farmers and ranchers—boarded a bus for a tour of management practices and watershed projects throughout three northeast Kansas counties of Jackson, Nemaha and Brown counties. The tour visited two area lakes—Banner Creek and Mission Lake—as well as four area farms belonging to: LeRoy Rieschick, Ronald Bloom, Stephen Aberle and David Zeit.
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### NEWS RELEASE - September 18, 2009 Southeast Kansas Grazing School Scheduled for October 14-15, 2009 Whiting, KS – Farmers and ranchers looking to optimize their grazing resources are invited to attend a two-day grazing school, which will be held at the K-State Southeast Agricultural Research Center in Parsons, Kansas, on Wednesday, October 14 and Thursday, October 15. Presenters will cover a wide range of topics including an introduction to different grazing systems such as rotational grazing, the science behind grazing, alternative forage options for year-around grazing, economics of grazing, and fencing and watering options. MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE - September 17, 2009
Bauman Family Addresses
Sustainability on Farm Garnett, Kansas—“Coopeition” was the theme at John and Yvonne Bauman’s Cedar Valley Farms Field Day in July, which was sponsored by the Kansas Rural Center’s Farmer-Educator Program. Producers from across the state gathered to tour the family’s 180-acre diversified, organic farm and USDA-licensed poultry processing facility—which is the only on-farm facility in Kansas. MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE - August 24, 2009 Management and Alternative Marketing Options Bus Tour Set for October 8 Whiting, Ks. - Thursday, October 8, 2009 the Kansas Center for Sustainable Agriculture and Alternative Crops (KCSAAC) and the Kansas Rural Center (KRC) will host a "Management and Alternative Marketing Options" bus tour in north central Kansas. The tour will visit farms along a track from Bennington, just north of Salina to Glasco, featuring a variety of alternative cropping and livestock systems. Stops include a look at certified organic crop production, grazing management and alternative livestock watering systems, agritourism and alternative crops, and an ornamental grass nursery. MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE - August 19, 2009 Strickler to host two-day grazing event in north-central Kansas Courtland, Kansas — Dale Strickler, a grazier from Jamestown, will conduct a two day grazing event on Thursday, September 3 and Friday, September 4. The forage conference is from
8 am to 6:30 pm on Thursday, September 3 at the Cook Theatre,
Cloud County MORE - - -
###
Streambank Stabilization
Meeting Focuses on Technical and Financial Assistance Whiting, Kansas—Landowners and producers from the Delaware River watershed gathered in Whiting on July 9 for a stream stabilization workshop. The workshop was organized by the Delaware River Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) group and Kansas Alliance of Wetlands and Streams (KAWS).
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### JIM GERRISH FEATURED
SPEAKER Holton, Kansas—Jim Gerrish, a grazing expert from May, Idaho, will conduct a one day workshop on grazing management from 9 am to 4 pm on Saturday, August 15 at the Evangel United Methodist Church's Family Life Center, 227 Pennsylvania Street, Holton, Kansas. A field tour at William and Henry Hill’s Jackson County farm follows the workshop. MORE - - -
### COVER CROPS IN NO-TILL PROVIDE EXTRA BENEFITS Jackson County, Kansas—The sight of a farmer in his corn field with a backhoe would make most heads turn… and likely shake in disbelief. But that is exactly what Henry Hill did to prepare for last week’s No-Till on the Plains’ “Whirlwind Expo” on his Jackson County farm northeast of Holton. He dug a four foot deep trench about 15 feet into his corn field so that those attending the tour could have a clear view of one of his most important assets—the soil. Henry and his father,William, have been no-till farming for about 30 years and the soil in his crop field shows the signs that Dr. Ray Ward, of Kearney, Neb., likes to see. And as a certified soil scientist with over 48 years of experience working in soil laboratories,Ward knows what he’s looking at. MORE - - -
### Kansas Farmers Markets Go High Tech Whiting, Kans.—Along with locally-raised fruits and vegetables, shoppers will see wooden tokens and wireless-point-of-sale (WPOS) devices at many Kansas farmers markets this spring. Because of the WPOS devices, eleven Kansas farmers markets now accept Vision Cards, the Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT) method for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) also known as the Food Assistance Program in Kansas. Only two Kansas farmers markets accepted the Vision Cards in 2008. The central wireless-point-of-sale system used by the Kansas Farmers Market EBT Project allows all eligible vendors in a multi-vendor farmers market to sell food products to Vision cardholders without each vendor being separately authorized by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service. MORE - - -
Look for the "Use Your Vision Card Here" banner at farmers markets in these Kansas counties:
For more information about the Kansas Farmers Market EBT Expansion Project contact: Mary Fund, 785-873-3431 or ksrc@rainbowtel.net For information on the more than 75 farmers market in Kansas, visit: www.ksfarmersmarkets.com FY 2008 Food Assistance Information by County:
### Organic Initiative Funds
Available! Whiting, Ks. - The USDA Natural Resources Conservation Services (NRCS) has created a special $50 million pool of funding for a new Organic Initiative under the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The Kansas share of the nationwide $50 million is $1.5 million. The Initiative will provide payments and technical assistance to transitioning and existing organic farmers who adopt NRCS conservation practices used in organic production systems. Kansas saw an earlier sign -up but this is a new sign-up with clearer national guidelines, which will allow more farmers to participate. Any Kansas farmer who already signed up for the program should check in with their local conservation district office. MORE - - -
### Schools Selected for Wind Energy Project Whiting, Kans.—The Kansas Rural Center (KRC) and Kansas Wind Applications Center (WAC) at Kansas State University announce the selection of five more primary and secondary schools to receive a Skystream 3.7 wind turbine as part of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Wind for Schools initiative. The schools selected for this round of funding include: Colby County Community College (associated with surrounding school districts); Hope Street Academy, Topeka; Solomon School District, USD 393, Solomon; Appanoose Elementary, Franklin County, and Smoky Valley School District, USD 400, Lindsborg. MORE - - -
### KRC Commends New EQIP Organic Transition Provisions Whiting, Ks. – The Kansas Rural Center applauds the new EQIP Organic Transition Program, which will begin offering federal financial and technical assistance to Kansas farmers and ranchers interested in transitioning to organic production methods. The 2008 Farm Bill’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP) authorizes for the first time on a nationwide basis the use of funds for transition to organic production systems. MORE - - -
### April 15 is Deadline for 2009 Wind for Schools Proposals Whiting, Kans.—The Kansas Rural Center (KRC) and Kansas Wind Applications Center at Kansas State University announce the Request for Wind for Schools Proposals. The deadline to submit request for proposals is April 15, 2009. Five rural schools will be selected to install 1.9 kW wind turbines in order to encourage integration of renewable energy education in their K-12 science curriculum. MORE - - -
For more information on the Wind for Schools project, for application criteria or for proposal format, please see the project website at http://www.eece.ksu.edu/psg/wac/. Or contact Ruth Miller at rdmiller@ksu.edu or Dan Nagengast at dan@kansasruralcenter.org . Request for proposals should be forwarded to Ruth Miller at rdmiller@ksu.edu prior to the April 15 deadline. The Kansas Rural Center is a non-profit organization promoting sustainable agriculture and resource use, working in collaboration with Kansas State University and the National Renewable Laboratory’s Wind Energy Project.
### NEWS RELEASE - January 22, 2009
Sustainable grazing systems benefit environment and producer
pocketbooks For Terry Gompert, partnering with nature to provide livestock
grazing solutions means good stewardship and social
responsibility as well as optimizing profitability. ### NEWS RELEASE - January 20, 2009 Statewide Farmers’ Market Conference Scheduled for February 23 Topeka, Kans.— The Kansas Rural Center announces the statewide
Farmers’ Market Conference which is scheduled from 9 am to 4 pm
on Monday, February 23 at the Topeka and Shawnee County Public
Library at 1515 SW 10th Avenue, Topeka, Kansas. ### NEWS RELEASE - January 5, 2009
Grazing Management Benefits Resources and Bottom-Line Emporia, Ks.- The same grazing management techniques that
increase efficiency and enhance productivity can also have a
positive impact on water and forage resources. That was the
take-home message from a grazing workshop held recently in
Emporia, Kansas where Dale Kirkham of the Kansas Rural Center
challenged producers to “create a positive impact every time you
go to the pasture.” ### NEWS RELEASE - December 22, 2008 Kansas Graziers’ Association Annual Winter Conference Set for January 17 Assaria, Kans.—The Kansas Graziers’ Association (KGA) Annual Winter Grazing Conference will be held Saturday, January 17, 2009 in Assaria, Kansas from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The featured speaker for the day is Terry Gompert, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Grazing Educator. MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE - November 11, 2008
Public Hearing to be
Held on Controversial Dairy Labeling Rules: Whiting, KS. - On December 2, the Kansas State Department of Agriculture (KDA) will hold a public hearing on a proposed rule that would ban milk or dairy products carrying labels such as “rBGH -free”, or “rBST free”, or “no artificial hormones”, and establish rules for labeling such dairy products. MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE - November 11, 2008
Meeting Agriculture’s
Challenges in A Rapidly Changing World Whiting, KS - The Kansas Rural Center will hold its annual sustainable agriculture conference Saturday December 13, 2008 with the theme “Meeting Agriculture’s Challenges in a Rapidly Changing World”. The one day conference will be held at St. Monica-St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, 1007 East Avenue, Blue Rapids, Kansas beginning at 9 a.m. and ending at 4:30 p.m. MORE - - -
### NEWS RELEASE - October 11, 2008
Tour Sponsored by the
Middle Kansas WRAPS Highlights Jackson County, Kans.—Best Management Practices, also known as BMPs, are a simple and inexpensive way to protect water quality on a farm or ranch. Roberta Spencer with the Jackson County Conservation District and the Kansas Rural Center’s Mary Howell, Clean Water Farms Field Organizer, partnered with the Middle Kansas WRAPS (Watershed and Restoration Strategy) working group to organize a tour that highlights BMPs in the area. MORE - - -
NEWS RELEASE - September 9, 2008 KRC ANNOUNCES FUNDING FOR
NURTURING COMMUNITIES Lawrence, Kansas— KRC is pleased to announce a funding award from the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership (JFCGP) of New York and Tokyo for a project entitled NURTURING COMMUNITIES THROUGH LOCAL FOODS NETWORKS. The project seeks to develop innovative responses to problems in modern food systems through cross-cultural dialogues between farmers, NGOs, and policy makers in two agricultural heartlands: the Kansas River Valley, centered in Douglas County, Kansas, and Saitama Prefecture in Japan (northwest of Tokyo). Facilitating the project in Japan is IFOAM Japan (Association of International Federation of Organic Agriculture Movements members in Japan). MORE - - -
NEWS RELEASE - September 8, 2008 Clean Water Farm-River Friendly Farm Project Secures Funding Whiting, Ks. - The Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE) notified the Kansas Rural Center of continued funding of the Clean Water Farm-River Friendly Farm Project (CWF-RFFP). The funding comes from U.S. EPA’s Section 319 Grant Funds and is administered by KDHE. Currently, the CWF-RFFP is in year 4 of a 4-year grant from KDHE, which will end in March 2009. The newly approved funds are part of KDHE’s new funding process built around WRAPS (Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy) watersheds, using EPA 319 funds and state water plan funds to address agriculture related water quality issues in key watersheds around the state. KRC will receive EPA 319 funds to work within up to 18 specific WRAPS watersheds from early 2009 into early 2010. MORE - - -
Cropping Systems Workshop and Farm Tour Set for October 2 Whiting, Ks. - Cover crops, long-term legume based crop rotations,
and organic or “natural” production practices are useful
management strategies for improving a farm’s profits while
offering conservation benefits. These practices and others can
reduce purchased input use, erosion, and agricultural chemical
runoff, and can also provide unique market opportunities. NEWS RELEASE - August 11, 2008 FEDDEMA AND JACKSON TO SPEAK AT KRC SUMMER BOARD MEETING Whiting, Kans.—The Kansas Rural Center announces the program for
its annual summer board meeting. The meeting, which focuses on
Climate Change and Renewable Energy with a specific emphasis on
those issues in Kansas, is at 1 p.m. on Saturday, August 23, at
Lawrence Public Library, 707 Vermont Street, Lawrence. Dr.
Johannes Feddema and Nancy Jackson are the speakers on Climate
Change and Renewable Energy followed by a walking tour of the
Bowersock Dam, located on the Kansas River. NEWS RELEASE - June 13, 2008 ASSESSMENTS SERVE VITAL ROLE IN WRAPS PROCESS Lawrence, Kansas—What is a watershed assessment and why does a Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) area need one? That question was recently answered by a number of presenters at the Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) Regional Watershed Seminar on May 22 in Lawrence. MORE - - -
The Future of Food in the Kansas River Valley On Saturday, May 31, a packed room at the Douglas County Extension Office closely followed the detailed presentations of three experts as they offered their perceptions of the Future of Food in the Kansas River Valley. Ken Meter led a discussion of the value of our regional agricultural heritage and the potential of local food production to provide critical revenue, employment and entrepreneurial opportunities, expanding markets for local growers and ranchers, increased visitor traffic, enhanced community image and improved quality of life. Ken, an author and economist, is President of the Crossroads Resource Center in Minneapolis and economic and strategic advisor to Aldo Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture (Iowa State University). He taught economics at Harvard and the University of Minnesota, and earned his MPA from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. For more info, see http://www.crcworks.org/rural.html
Rhonda Janke gathered data from the last 100 years of food production in the Kansas River Valley, which illustrated that the region once was more than self sufficient in all manner of food products, and could be again, even with a much larger population. Dr. Janke has more than 25 years experience in sustainable agricultural research and extension work in sustainable cropping systems, including as Research Director of the Rodale Institute. Dr. Janke is currently Associate Professor at Kansas State University, teaching sustainable and organic agriculture. She has conducted considerable research and analysis of the Kansas River Valley, focusing on its history and potential for greater variety and volume of food production. She is author of the recently published book, Farming in the Dark: A Discussion About the Future of Sustainable Agriculture. For more info about the book, see: http://www.universityreaders.com/publish/janke/
Scott Allegrucci illustrated that visitors and tourists can be drawn to the area, rich in existing and developing cultural resources, and that a vibrant local food economy goes hand in hand with, and becomes part of, the attraction. Scott serves on the Kansas Rural Center Board and works for The Land Institute's Climate and Energy Project. He organized both Governor Sebelius' inaugural dinners which featured local food, and served as the Director of the Tourism Development Division for the Kansas Department of Commerce.
NEWS RELEASE - October 9, 2007 Schools Selected for Wind Energy Project Whiting, Ks. - The Kansas Wind for Schools Coordinator Dan Nagengast of the Kansas Rural Center, and Ruth Douglas Miller at the Wind Applications Center (WAC) at Kansas State University, are pleased to announce the selection of five rural primary and secondary schools to receive a Skystream 3.7 wind turbine as part of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory’s Wind for Schools initiative. MORE - - -
### KANSAS RURAL CENTER AWARDS CLEAN WATER FARMS-RIVER FRIENDLY FARM PROJECT COST-SHARE FUNDS WHITING, KS — The Kansas Rural Center recently awarded $41,356 in cost-share funds from its Clean Water Farms-River Friendly Farm Project (CWF-RFFP) to 14 Kansas farmers. Farmers in the following counties received funding: Brown, Cherokee, Cowley, Crawford, Franklin, Jackson, McPherson, Osage, Reno, Riley, Russell, Wabaunsee and Washington. Of those, ten farms are located in high-priority Watershed Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) areas in Kansas. To improve the water quality on their farm or ranch, approved projects must implement best management practices (BMPs). Approved projects include the following BMPs: development of alternative livestock watering systems; fencing of ponds, creeks and wetlands to restrict cattle access; installation of cross fencing (to protect water sources, improve grazing distribution and distribute manure); construction of creek crossings to reduce erosion; conversion of cropland to grass; planting riparian area with native grass to control erosion, and reseeding a denuded area. “The Clean Water Farms project is unique in that grant funds can be used for practices common in many other conservation programs but also for innovative ideas for protecting water quality. Any practice that will show improvement to water quality will be considered for funding,” Dale Kirkham, CWF-RFFP field organizer said. Farmers and ranchers in established or developing WRAPS watersheds are eligible to apply for up to $5,000 in cost-share funds. (See the CWFP page on KRC’s website for a map of eligible areas.) To apply, farmers must have completed the River Friendly Farm Plan (RFFP), a self-environmental assessment, and developed an action plan to address any problems found by the assessment. As an added incentive, there is a $250 payment for those farmers completing the RFFP. Over the past two years, the CWF-RFFP allocated over $150,000 to 48 water quality projects. Over 12 years, the project has provided nearly $550,000 in cost-share funds to over 140 producers to establish demonstrations of clean water farming practices. “Common practices include establishment of filter strips, contour grass strips and buffers, fencing to restrict livestock access to ponds and streams, and development of alternative livestock water supplies. Development of long-term crop rotations with legumes, decommissioning out-dated livestock waste facilities, and relocation of winter feeding sites are other possibilities for enhancing water quality,” Kirkham said. “In fact, the program encourages farmers and ranchers to develop innovative and practical ways to solve water quality issues.” Contact the Kansas Rural Center at 785-873-3431 or ksrc@rainbowtel.net for more information on the Clean Water Farms Project or the River Friendly Farm Plan or visit the KRC website. The project is funded by U.S. EPA Section 319 funds through the Kansas Department of Health and Environment and administered by the Kansas Rural Center, a non-profit research, education, and advocacy organization located in Whiting, Kan. ### Center for Food Safety Challenges Ventria Water Permits The Center for Food Safety (CFS) has filed comments with the Kansas Department of Agriculture on the pending water term permit applications from Ventria for field trials of genetically modified rice., see the attached PDF document. CFS, a non-profit public interest organization opposing genetically engineered food crops, has asked that the permits be denied. Ventria is proceeding with plans to grow three types of rice genetically engineered to produce pharmaceuticals in Geary County Kansas. USDA has authorized Ventria to plant up to 3,200 acres in Kansas . Harvest is planned for fall 2007. Future plantings may be ten times larger (30,000 acres). The CFS argues that the possibility of contamination of neighboring food crops creates unnecessary and unacceptable risks to the public and the environment. U.S. FDA has not approved the pharmaceuticals Ventria is growing in the rice for human consumption. CFS argues that the water permits "prejudicially and unreasonably affects the public interest", and the proposed irrigation of experimental pharmaceutical crops is not a "beneficial use" as understood in traditional Ks. water law, and that any such water permits may impair existing water rights.
The permits are being reviewed by the
Division of Water Resources within the Kansas Department of
Agriculture. The CFS comments can be viewed at the CFS website
at
http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/policy_com.cfm, ### KANSAS RURAL CENTER ANNOUNCES WIND TURBINES FOR SCHOOLS INITIATIVE Whiting, Kans.—The Kansas Rural Center (KRC) announces a three year partnership with the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) in Golden, Colorado for the Wind Turbines for Schools Initiative. The initiative encourages rural high school science teachers in Kansas to engage students in wind energy education. KRC serves as facilitator for the project that will install wind turbines at approximately five rural schools each year. Kansas State University will establish a Wind Application Center that will serve to provide technical assistance to rural schools and others. The project anticipates the provision of associated curriculums for the use of the science teachers, collection of data from each school, and the development of other scientific projects building on the turbines and data collection. The project will install the Southwest Windpower Skystream 3.7, a 1.8-kW turbine suitable for residential use. Over 9,000 of these turbines were installed around the country in 2006. The Skystream is the first wind generator with the controls and invertor built into the turbine. http://www.skystreamenergy.com/skystream/ Hardware, including the turbine, data collection systems, and interconnection with the school’s power supply will approach $10,000. Funding will entail seeking some local support from the school or community, state sponsored grants if available, the sale of green tag credits, and some NREL support for the Data acquisition system. NREL will also support science teacher training. If you are a rural high school science teacher, or know a teacher who might be interested, please contact the facilitator Dan Nagengast at 785-748-0959 or email him at dan@kansasruralcenter.org
For more information about NREL, please
contact: ### JACKSON COUNTY PRODUCERS HOST LIVESTOCK MANAGEMENT TOUR Jackson County, Kans.—While cloudy skies loomed to the west, approximately 40 farmers gathered at the farm of Les Olsen near Mayetta for the Jackson County Livestock Management Practice tour on June 14. The tour, featuring farms throughout the county, illustrated low-cost management practices that farmers can implement into their own livestock operations. The first stop on the tour the Olsen farm, in the Delaware River watershed, featured a bale ring feeding pad demonstration as well as a livestock waterer below the pond. The feeding pad was made from a layer of geo-textile, polypropylene fabric, three to four inches of rock and topped with two to three inches of agricultural lime. This feeding pad allows the farmer to feed livestock on a solid surface, making scraping the pad and spreading the manure on fields easier. Olsen said prior to installing the feeding pad there was manure buildup and runoff from the buildings across the area. He tiled the drainage under the feeding pad, eliminating the runoff. Olsen attributes the feeding pad to less stress on his livestock and himself due to being cleaner. “I don’t have to fight the mud and sludge,” he said. “And the neighbors don’t mind doing chores!” As another project, Olsen installed a below-the-pond waterer in 2003. He said this relieves a safety issue that he had for the cattle and himself. “I don’t have to chop ice,” he said. He also fenced a pond at this point and plans to fence the smaller pond in the pasture in the future. Roberta Spencer, Jackson County Conservation District manager, said that these management practices are not just to Olsen’s benefit, “but to the water quality in the watershed.” At the next tour stop, Stan Brock’s farm (three miles north of the junction of Highways 16 and 116) tour goers were able to see the geo-textile used in another way. Brock installed a geo-textile fabric/rock/lime feeding pad in front of his feed bunk in one of his weaning pens. Between this lot and two others, Stan said he feeds 1200-1300 calves. This will serve as a true demonstration project to see how this holds up to the usage from the calves and how it impacts water quality on the farm and in the Delaware watershed. Spencer said the demonstration projects were paid for with a limited amount of money the Jackson County Conservation District received through the Watershed and Restoration and Protection Strategy (WRAPS) funding from the Kansas Department of Health and Environment (KDHE). The final farm stop was at Joe Kennedy’s farm nine miles west and two miles south of Holton. This stop, in the Middle Kansas WRAPS, featured Kennedy’s spring development as well as a storage tank, pipeline and freeze proof waterers. Kennedy was using the creek to water his livestock and received non-point source pollution funding through the State Conservation Commission to make water quality changes on his farm. Now, with the spring development, Kennedy is able to fence the creek and utilize the three waterers he has installed. Excluding the livestock from the creek, reduces livestock waste run-off as well as erosion from the livestock traffic. The tour concluded at Red Rock Guest Ranch, near Solider, for a chuck wagon lunch. While at the ranch, Will Boyer, KSU Watershed Specialist, provided the tour goers with more information on additional livestock practices as well as a solar pumping demonstration. Will said the cloudy weather was perfect for the demonstration as it showed that the system still worked—even with cloud cover. John Bond, project coordinator for Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams (KAWS), said the best thing about tours like this one is the farmer to farmer contact. “Farmers are likely to listen to own their own neighbors,” he said. “It is a great educational tool.” Marlene Bosworth, Delaware River WRAPS coordinator, said tours like this are one way that we can “educate people to improve water quality in our watershed”. “They are good practices with the farmer’s operations in mind—the projects are on a custom basis to keep cattle away from streams and protect water quality,” she said. “Projects like these are key because they illustrate something that’ll work for each farmer.” According to Bosworth, WRAPS is a process that involves local people and organizations in a unified effort to identify and work on water issues that affect a watershed area. The Delaware River WRAPS project covers the watershed area that drains to Perry Lake Reservoir, including parts of Jackson, Jefferson, Nemaha, Brown and Atchison counties in northeast Kansas. Bosworth said a comprehensive WRAPS plan for this watershed was recently completed that identified seven major water quality issues needing to be addressed in the watershed. Because the major land use in the watershed is agriculture, many of the water quality issues are related to agriculture’s impact on water quality including: nutrient and bacterial contamination from livestock wastes; erosion from cropland, pastures and stream banks, and pesticide runoff. Other issues include protecting groundwater wells; proper disposal of hazardous wastes, and point sources related to public wastewater systems. Problems and solutions were identified by local people and organizations using information from scientific water quality studies that have been conducted in the watershed. “Because the local people will be the ones to implement water quality solutions, we felt it best to find out from them what the problems are and how they can be solved rather than have someone else come in and tell us what’s wrong and how to fix it,” Bosworth said. The tour was organized by the Jackson County Conservation District and sponsored by Glacial Hills RC&D; Kansas State Research and Extension; Delaware WRAPS, and KAWS. ### OFRF TO FUND RESEARCH AND EDUCATION GRANTS Santa Cruz, CA – The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) has released two requests for proposals for submission to their competitive grants program. OFRF for the first time is specifically soliciting proposals for education and outreach projects that are targeted primarily at organic farmers and ranchers. OFRF will also continue to fund research to improve organic production systems. The next deadline for proposals is July 16, 2007. "We're hoping to see some innovative educational proposals," said Cynthia Connolly, an organic farmer in Florida who heads the OFRF committee that evaluates grant proposals. "In many rural areas, new farmers transitioning to organic have no support, no information from Extension--nobody is there. This outreach program might reach those farmers who are pursuing organic agriculture." The request for proposals (RFP) for research grants has been revised. It now explicitly requires that research be conducted on certified organic research ground. There are two exceptions to this policy: when the land is not certified for scientific reasons, or if the land is exempt from certification in accordance with the NOP standards. Other changes include the inclusion of the criteria that the OFRF board uses to evaluate proposals in the RFPs. "These changes make our selection process more transparent," said Jane Sooby, OFRF's organic research specialist who manages the grant program. "Applicants can see exactly what we're looking for in a proposal. We anticipate ever larger numbers of high quality proposals coming in the door." OFRF's competitive grants program is in its 15th year. OFRF has awarded 243 organic research and education grants totaling over $1.6 million disbursed to date. A 2006 report released by OFRF showed the significant impact that OFRF grantmaking has had on the science of organic agriculture, helping to establish organic research programs at land grant colleges around the country and leveraging at least $3.5 million in other funds to support organic research and education. The report on OFRF grantmaking, Investing in Organic Knowledge: Impacts of the First 13 Years of the Organic Farming Research Foundation's Grantmaking Program, is available free online at http://ofrf.org/publications/investing.html. Upcoming deadlines for proposals are July 16 and Dec. 17, 2007. Read the new RFPs online at http://ofrf.org/grants/apply.html. For additional information, contact OFRF by calling 831-426-6606 or emailing research@ofrf.org. Results of previously funded projects are also posted on the site at http://ofrf.org/funded/funded.html ### FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 17, 2007 USDA Approval of Drug-Producing Rice in
Kansas Poses Threat to Food Safety,
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