Farm Indiana | April 2017

april 2017

Stewards of the land

Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District wants to get everyone’s attention

By Marcia Walker Terry Ault, district coordinator for the Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District, visits a field that has been sowed with a cover crop.

Photo By Marcia Walker

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“We try to get people to understand you have to take care of what God’s given us. (Once gone) you don’t get it back.”

Although the Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District has a mission statement, those heartfelt words from Terry Ault, district coordinator, are less cumbersome and more direct.

Soil and water districts are found in every Indiana county. In a nutshell, their role is to promote stewardship of our natural resources: soil, water, air, plants and wildlife, particularly as those resources relate to agriculture. Once damaged, Ault explained, it is difficult and sometimes impossible to bring them back.

“It takes 500 years for ground to naturally build up nutrients if the top soil is taken off,” he said, providing one example.

The district is a sub-unit of state government, but Ault is technically a county employee as funding for the coordinator’s position comes from Jackson County’s coffers. The district office shares a building with two federal agencies, the Farm Service Agency and the Natural Resource Conservation Service. The soil and water district and NRCS often work hand in hand.

“I do things for them (NRCS), and they help us as well,” Ault, a Jennings County native, said.

One event the two agencies

organized last year was a public officials tour, loading county commissioners, council members and others into a bus and driving them to several Jackson County farms. Plans are for the tour to become an annual event.

“We looked at different conservation practices at two or three farms,” Ault said. “We told them what practices (the farmers) use to let them know what we do, show them what the office does, to help them understand.”

The district works cooperatively with other agencies as well, all with a mission that in some way touches upon conservation. One of the district’s longest-running programs is a Conservation Field Day for all Jackson County thirdgraders. This has been going on for 24 years and involves a number of different groups, including U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Jackson County Extension Office, Jackson County Solid Waste Management District and Seymour High School FFA. “We all do hands-on activities with the kids,” Ault said, explaining children rotate among five educational stations. “We’ve reached an average of 600 a kids a year.”

Donna Stanley, a park ranger at Muscatatuck National Wildlife Refuge where the event takes place, said she and Ault are both educators and sometimes that role brings them together.

“She’s done the administrative work for the Conservation Field Days ever since she’s been there,” Stanley said. “Terry is a wonderful organizer.”

Stanley mentioned that in the past, refuge management staff, including biologists, have also worked with district personnel on various projects, such as putting in wetlands and creating grassland habitat.

“All of us working together are working for conservation,” Stanley explained. “We appreciate their (the district’s) help with things.”

This year, the district is taking aim at invasive species, plants and animals that are not native to an area and take over, doing damage economically and environmentally. Ault is organizing a Cooperative Weed Management Area Group. The purpose is to educate farmers and the public about invasive species.

“Invasive weeds are growing by leaps and bounds,” she explained.

A group of students participating in Conservation Field Days. The Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District is one of the sponsoring agencies. Photo SUBMITTED

“The board decided we need to educate the public about control and why it is important to control them.”

She added, “We know there is a good chance (some farmers) don’t know what they are looking at and invasives could get baled up in hay and kill livestock. They also cut down on crop yield.”

The district also provides incentives, in the form of cash grants, to help with the costs of planting cover crops. It is establishing a local program similar to a state program called the Clean Water Indiana Grant Partnership. Cover crops help keep soil in place and out of waterways.

It’s a cost-share grant program, requiring a three-year commitment that will pay farmers up to $40 an acre the first year, $30 the second and $20 the third.

“We’re asking people who never planted cover crops before to sign up,” Ault said. “We are trying to get enough people (to participate) to come up with 200 acres.”

The district offers numerous other programs as well, including: » A soil judging contest for high school students. A test pit is dug; students determine slope angle, soil texture and soil type, comparing their results to that of a soil scientist who has already examined the dirt. » The Infield Advantage Program.

Farmers voluntarily have cornstalks tested for nitrogen.

Whether there is too much or too little is an indication of whether effective management practices are being used. » A booth at the Jackson County Fair. » Grazing Field Day, which is a new program this year. Details are being worked out, but Ault said most likely participants will visit different fields, learning about what crops are best for grazing and how many acres are needed per animal. » The district has equipment for rent, including two no-till drills, a crimper and a hand seeder. » The district sells seed packets for wildlife food plots.

The Jackson County Soil and Water District operates under a

board of supervisors and associate supervisors, which meets monthly; the district also holds an annual meeting.

Supervisors are Charlie Fox, Grant VonDielingen, Denver Hackman, Tyler Shaw and Tim Hoevener. Associate supervisors are Nathan Kemp, Paul Hoevener, Jeanna Eppley, Terry Lyon-McCarthy, Zach Flinn and David Rust.

When asked about the qualifications for serving on the board, Ault said, “You want somebody who has a heart for conservation. They vote and make decisions on everything we do.”

Ault admitted one of the challenges of her job is getting word out to the public about the district’s function. Many people are not familiar with the agency and she is on a mission to change that.

“We want soil and water to be a household word,” she said. “When people see erosion, we want them to think of soil and water.”

Jackson County Soil and Water Conservation District 1350 Woodside Drive, Brownstown 812-358-2367

From left: Denver Hackman, supervisor; Shasta Woodard, NRCS district conservationist; Mark Wiesehan; Milton Otte; Paul Hoevener, supervisor; and Dave Wiesehan examine a livestock watering facility on Mary Elisabeth Kellar’s farm. Photo SUBMITTED

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Farm Indiana | april 2017

BRIEFS

Bartholomew County Soil and Water Conservation District‘s Spring fish sale through May 3.

Food co-op plans store

The Columbus Food Co-op plans to open a full-service grocery store next year that will offer locally grown products to the public.

The member-owned co-op has been working to increase public access to locally sourced food and hopes to sell local products from a 100- to 150-mile radius. The co-op anticipates more than 50 local farmers and producers will provide items such as meat and produce once the store opens.

More details may be announced during the co-op’s annual meeting in late April.

Spring fish sale

Looking to stock your pond?

Bartholomew County Soil and Water Conservation District has announced its spring fish sale to help you do just that. Now through May 3 you can order channel catfish, bluegill (regular and hybrid), redear shellcrackers, largemouth bass, grass carp, fathead minnow and koi.

To order, stop in, call or email the district with your orders.

Order forms available on SWCD Facebook page at https://www. facebook.com/BarthCoSWCD. Orders are due, with payment (cash or check) by May 3. Pickup will be at 10 a.m. May 8 at the SWCD office, 1040 Second St., Columbus.

Information: 812-378-1280, ext. 3, or heather.shireman@in.nacdnet.net

BCSC to buy more food from local growers

Nancy Millspaugh, director of food service with Bartholomew Consolidated School Corp., told participants at the recent Columbus Area Food Summit that she would like to expand the number of growers who supply fresh food served in local schools.

Millspaugh said BCSC has supported the use of local foods since 2008, when

the entire country was experiencing a financial downtown. BCSC wanted to support local growers while providing fresh food to children, she said.

Looking ahead, she is seeking to grow the number of local food producers the district works with and used the event as a networking opportunity to meet other growers.

Millspaugh said BCSC generally serves fresh produce from August to October, aligning with Indiana’s growing season.

However, she said the district recently received a grant that will allow it to purchase a shock freezer, which can store and preserve produce and other items further into the school year.

Pesticide standards updated

Farmers and farm workers seeking to comply with the 2017 Worker Protection Standard updates can get helpful information from the Office of Indiana State Chemist and Purdue Pesticide Programs.

The Worker Protection Standard is a set of federal standards administered jointly by the Environmental Protection Agency and the state chemist’s office, designed to protect pesticide handlers and agricultural workers who may be exposed to pesticides during or after application.

While much of the rules’ original content remains intact, the updated standards include more rigorous training standards, more detailed guidelines for personal protective equipment and emergency procedures, expanded posting and label requirements, and a minimum age for handlers. Most of the updates took effect on Jan. 2.

A quick guide to the updates and how to comply with them is available for download at http://bit.ly/OISC_ WPS, with a more detailed guide available at http://bit.ly/EPA_WPS. Information: Joe Becovitz at 765-4941589 or becovitzj@purdue.edu.

Seymour Area Farmer's Market Seymour Area Farmers Market

Guide to new herbicides

The Office of Indiana State Chemist has published a set of guidelines for soybean farmers considering the use of newly approved dicamba-based herbicide products. Last year, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency registered Monsanto’s XtendiMax and BASF’s Engenia herbicides for preemergence and post-emergence use on dicamba-tolerant (DT) soybeans.

The dicamba outreach publication was developed by pesticide program administrator Dave Scott of OISC and Purdue Extension weed specialist Bill Johnson to explain how to legally and effectively use dicamba-based herbicides on DT crops. Dicamba-based herbicides are best used to treat giant ragweed, marestail, waterhemp, Palmer amaranth, lambsquarters and morning glories.

The guide is available at https:// www.oisc.purdue.edu/pesticide/pdf/ dicamba_outreach_011117.pdf.

Survey says?

The National Young Farmers Coalition’s 2017 survey is now open at https:// www.surveymonkey.com/r/TQ3HFR3.

The coalition will use the information to guide work, craft policy and help break down the barriers facing young people looking to enter agriculture.

Responses are strictly confidential, and data will be reported only in the aggregate (no personal information will be shared or reported). If you would like to know the results of the survey, please provide them with your email address at the end of the survey.

The survey should take five to 20 minutes, depending on your situation. Information: Hanna Seltz at hanna@youngfarmers. org or (518) 643-3564, ext. 216.

US OKs genetically engineered potatoes

BOISE, Idaho — U.S. officials say three types of potatoes genetically engineered to resist the pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine are safe for the environment and safe to eat.

The approval by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration gives Idaho-based J.R. Simplot Co. permission to plant the potatoes this spring and sell them in the fall.

The company says the potatoes contain a potato gene resistant to late blight, the pathogen that caused the Irish potato famine. Fungicides have been used for decades to prevent the blight. The genetically engineered potatoes will require half of the fungicide normally used by potato farmers.

The company says the potatoes also have reduced bruising and black spots and enhanced storage capacity.

— Staff Reports

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Farm Indiana | april 2017

The view ahead

Marsh groceries as well as farmrepresentative for House District ers markets.

78, which includes portions of VanMcKinney, a Tipton native who derburgh and Warrick counties. grew up on a grain and livestock The ISDA’s regulatory division, farm before earning a degree in agthe Indiana Grain Buyers and ricultural economics from Purdue, Warehouse Licensing Agency, is says improvements to rural Indiana currently awaiting revision of state roads and bridges are equally crustatutes and rules that safeguard cial to the ISDA mission. He feels the financial integrity of Indiana’s confident that the department’s grain industry. voice has been heard clearly by the “We are applying to that legisstate legislature. lation some of the learnings from “Agriculture and rural Indiana a recent commercial grain operago hand-in-hand, and tion collapse last year,” infrastructure must inMcKinney says, reclude funding for rural ferring to the April roads and bridges,” he 2016 closing of Cline says. “I think we saw a Grain in Montgomery very nice start on that County. “We’re workin the legislative sesing very closely with sion of 2016. Of the $1 our friends in agribillion devoted to inbusiness and farmfrastructure, about half ing. That legislation was dedicated to rural will add significantly roads and bridges.” to our ability to do the Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch Infrastructure is one best job in helping our of the five “pillars,” or farmers and our compriorities, outlined by mercial grain operaHolcomb in his State of tions.” the State address, “so The IGBWLA was we’re enthused about established in 1975 what we’re hearing out and routinely audits of the legislature.”

Indiana’s grain opAccording to Crouch, erations to ensure they record-high enrollare able to pay farmment in the Indiana ers for the grain they FFA bodes well for the store. In 1995 the InTed McKinney future of the state’s agdiana General Assemricultural industry. bly established the InMembership with the FFA, a youth diana Grain Indemnity Program, organization focused on leadership voluntarily funded by producers and career success, has reached through a premium payment equal nearly 12,000 across 206 state chapto 0.2 percent of the price of all ters, and Indiana will host the Namarketed grain sold in Indiana. tional FFA Convention and Expo To learn more about Indiana through 2024.

State Department of Agriculture “I have always been in awe of the divisions, programs, grant opporleadership and quality of our Inditunities and more, visit in.gov/isda. ana FFA,” Crouch says.

For more information on the InAn Evansville native and Purdue diana Grown program, go to indigraduate, Crouch assumed lieutenanagrown.org. ant governor duties in January afVisit inffa.org to learn about ter serving as state auditor for three Indiana FFA membership and years and previously as the state programs.

ISDA officials anticipate continued economic development, strong partnerships in ag sector as new state administration settles in By Jon Shoulders

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When contemplating the future of the state’s agricultural industry, Indiana State Department of Agriculture Director Ted McKinney’s outlook is decidedly optimistic.

McKinney, acting ISDA director since January 2014, believes Gov. Eric Holcomb’s approach to economic development, infrastructure and government regulation aligns optimally with the department’s ongoing vision for Indiana’s agricultural well-being.

“The decentralized nature of the state’s regulatory structure has set us up perfectly to continue working on economic development in a major way,” McKinney says. “When we saw earlier this year that economic development was right there at the top of the governor’s priorities, we applauded and said, ‘We’re all in.’”

McKinney served as director of global corporate affairs for Elanco Animal Health, a subsidiary of Eli Lilly and Co., prior to joining the ISDA. He points to the construction of several processing and manufacturing facilities in Indiana within the past three years, including a Wal-Mart dairy plant in Fort Wayne and a Boar’s Head meat and cheese processing facility in New Castle, as prime examples of the kind of development he expects the department to continue supporting to foster job growth and economic success in the state.

“We also hope to continue exploring business relocation to the state, much like the relocation from Memphis, Tennessee, of Krone

North America, a large forage and hay equipment company,” adds McKinney, who serves in a dual role as director of agribusiness economic development for the Indiana Economic Development Corp. as well as ISDA director.

“Those kinds of projects illustrate the diversity and profile of companies that have elected to come to Indiana.”

Krone officials announced the relocation of its headquarters to Shelbyville last year, and construction begins this spring on the company’s 200,000-square-foot facility.

In February, Prairie Farms Dairy announced an $8.7 million expansion of its Fort Wayne production facility, and Lt. Gov. Suzanne Crouch, who serves as the Indiana secretary of agricultural and rural development, says the addition will increase opportunities for the Hoosier dairy industry.

“This falls directly in line with ISDA’s goal to expand food and agricultural sectors,” she says.

To further facilitate economic development within the state, the ISDA will continue to aggressively promote its Indiana Grown initiative, a labeling program launched in 2015 to help consumers more easily identify products grown, produced and manufactured in the state.

The program now includes approximately 700 member farms, processors and retailers, and products featuring the Indiana Grown label are now present at major retailers like Kroger and

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Farm Indiana | april 2017

What’s it

worth?

Farmland value likely to hold steady this year

By Jeff Tryon

T

he value of local farmland will remain stable or decline slightly this year based on a continuing trend of weaker crop prices. But changing interest rates, potential changes in tax laws, farm policy and the effect of foreign trade policy on agriculture could also play a role in farmland prices over the next year.

Roger Hayworth, a Lafayette-based area sales manager for Farmers National Co., said values of top quality land in this region have held steady, while medium quality land has trended downward, and low quality land has been struggling in the marketplace. He predicted cropland values will remain stable or trend slightly lower during 2017.

“There are not as many transactions as we had been seeing back in 2012 through 2014; that was kind of the pinnacle of land values as a whole, no matter what location,” Hayworth said. “Our survey still shows some halfway decent sales in Bartholomew County, at least, that still show pricing to be fairly stable. It doesn’t seem to be getting hit hard there. But I can see that, overall, as the market changes, there will be some softening as we continue to move forward.”

Values of high quality land in Indiana have fallen on average from $9,000 to $8,700 an acre from 2016 to 2017, according to a company survey. The company’s website pegged the current market value of an average acre of farmland at $5,552 in Bartholomew County, $4,846 in Jackson County, $6,118 in Johnson County, $4,585 in Jennings County and $3,878 in Brown County. Farmers National estimates the current state average value for an acre of farmland at $5,791.

Steve Lankford, from Farmers National’s Spencer office, keeps tabs on land values in the south central area of the state. “I would say your higher quality land is holding its value; it may have slipped back 5 to 10 percent,” he said.

“Your mid-quality land has probably fallen some, anywhere from 15 to 20 percent from where it was a couple of years ago. Your lower quality, non-tillable, wooded or pasture area stuff has probably fallen the most.”

Although land values can vary greatly due to location, condition, upkeep and other factors, Lankford said, local land values roughly match other areas in the southern part of the state.

“On top quality tillable land, I’d say you’re still looking at $7,500 to $8,000 range; your mid-quality stuff, somewhere between $6,000 and $7,000, and the lower quality, depending on what it is, would probably be $5,000 or less, $3,500 to $5,000.”

Hayworth said many factors potentially affect land values in the coming year, including interest rates, foreign trade policy or possible changes in tax laws or farm policy. “There are so many factors,” he said. “There’s a lot of dynamics in today’s world compared to 40 years ago.”

Lankford said higher interest rates would affect land markets. “Right now interest rates are pretty low,” he said. “If that were to go up, it would have a negative impact on land prices. I don’t think farmers are overly concerned about foreign policy. The biggest subsidy that they would be concerned about is the federal crop insurance. I think that piece in particular probably weighs on their minds more than anything.”

According to an analysis by agricultural economists at Purdue University, farm incomes will likely continue to slump this year, with grain prices remaining at or near their lowest levels in about a decade. Craig Dobbins, a farm management specialist at Purdue, says the overall weakness of the Indiana agricultural economy has hurt farmland values.

The 2016 Purdue Farmland Value Survey shows the average price of farmland had declined between 8.2 and 8.7 percent on average in the previous year and around 13 percent in two years. Analysts say they have not seen dips of this size since the mid-1980s.

Year-over-year, topquality farmland was Roger Hayworth of Farmers National down from an averwarns that land values can vary greatly age of $9,266 per acre depending upon a number of conditions. to $8,508. Average“If it’s a quality type farm, [if] the quality dipped to soils are good, if it’s been maintained $7,041 from $7,672, well, people are more apt to go after and poor-quality land those, and values have been fairly level. went from $5,353 to There hasn’t been much of a drop-off $5,863 an acre, acon those,” he said. “But if you get into cording to the 2016 the poor quality of lower soil grades, if Purdue survey. they haven’t kept them up, maintained “The primary force piling or drainage or whatever, I’m behind the farmland sure you’re seeing values off in some value decline has been areas from 5 to even 20 percent.” the decline in crop Hayworth said posting numbers or production profitcomments sometimes creates havoc. ability,” Dobbins said.

“If we post a comment that says “While there are sevland values in Indiana are $9,000 an eral positive forces in acre, everybody in the whole state the farmland market, of Indiana thinks their land is worth these positive facthat much,” he said. “It is absolutely tors are overridden by untrue. It’s a general ballpark figure. low farm commodity “You could have an 80-acre tract on prices and low contrione side of the road and an 80-acre bution margins.” tract on the other side of the road, and A number of Purthe soil types pretty well match up, due University agribut one could be $1,000 or $2,000 less cultural economists because of the care and the upkeep; are forecasting weak how the land has been maintained crop prices and low could have a direct effect on values. farm incomes in 2017.

“Landowners who are considering The Purdue Agriculgoing to market should have tural Economics Resomebody professional go out and port shows that corn take a look, do an evaluation and prices for Indiana prohave an honest reality check on each ducers are expected particular property,” Hayworth said. to average $3.45 per bushel in 2017, down from $3.85 per bushel in 2015. Soybeans are expected to fare much better at around $9.50 to $10 per bushel because of lower production last season in South America and relatively stable global demand.

Lankford said lower prices now for inputs, notably fertilizer, may help farmers to make more money on the same amount of crops this season.

“We’ve had a little comeback here in the first of the year. Corn is hovering around that $4 mark and the upper nines in the soybeans,” he said. “I think if crop prices stay stable, land values will be fairly stable, fairly flat. If prices continue to go down, that will put some negative pressure on land prices.

Right now, I think we’re kind of stabilizing for the foreseeable future, for 2017.”

Apples and oranges

Farm Indiana | april 2017

Nominees wanted for

Women in Agriculture awards

Residential, commercial sprawl threatens farmland in Indiana ANDERSON — Agriculture in rural Indiana has been negatively impacted by residential and commercial sprawl.

Data from the U.S. Department of Agriculture show that between 1982 and 2012, residential and commercial developments claimed more than 740,000 acres of land that had previously been cropland, forest land and prairie.

Development can destroy wildlife habitat, increase environmental contamination and decrease the capacity to grow food, The (Anderson) Herald Bulletin reported. The farmland decrease can also lead to non-environmental problems, such as food prices increasing.

The rate of rural land conversion slowed after the housing market crash of 2008, but data from the department show the pace is picking back up as the economy recovers.

“You can see in Indiana, when things (economically) were starting to recover, it still shows pretty steady growth in acreage of developed land and more farmland and forest being lost,” said Tim Maloney, senior policy director for the Hoosier Environmental Council.

“Conversion has slowed down, but it certainly still is a problem.”

Craig Dobbins, professor of agricultural economics at Purdue University, said the answer isn’t to stop building homes and businesses outside of large cities, but to better plan development to avoid uneven and unnecessary sprawl.

“Certainly, this is a trend that has been going on probably since the country was founded,” he said.

“So what we can do to prevent excess ... comes in the form of planning on the boundaries of how a city or town grows.”

He said many Indiana counties and communities have set zoning ordinances that encourage development near the community’s center while discouraging development on the rural outskirts.

Maloney said the most recent development trends include younger home buyers who wish to live in small communities instead of purchasing large plots of former farmland to build homes.

“We had policy that encouraged sprawl, and now it seems that trend is reversing and you see a lot of new urban development and redevelopment focused on bringing people back to the cities,” he said.

“From our standpoint, and the environment’s standpoint, those are all positive things.”

— Associated Press

»

P

Purdue Extension’s Women in Agriculture team is seeking nominations for the 2017 Women in Agriculture awards. The application forms are due, with two letters of support, by May 1.

Annually, the Purdue Women in Agriculture (WIA) team recognizes Indiana women who are leaders and innovators and have contributed to the success of Indiana agriculture.

Nominees will be placed in either the Leadership or Achievement categories for award consideration as deemed appropriate by the WIA team. Women interested in the award may nominate themselves or be nominated by someone else.

Previous winners include women with integral roles in their personal and/or family farm business, corporate and nonprofit leaders, educators, veterinarians, and women in public service roles.

Winners will be recognized at the Indiana State Fair and will receive a complimentary registration and overnight accommodation at the Midwest Women in Agriculture conference in the year after their award is presented.

— Purdue News Service

Eligibility Criteria 1. Women who have provided leadership and made positive contributions to Indiana Agriculture.

2. The nominee must reside in Indiana.

3. The nominee must be part of an agriculture enterprise, agribusiness, farm or commodity organization that operates in Indiana.

4. The nominee must not have previously received either the achievement or leadership award (past winners can be found at https://ag.purdue.edu/Extension/ wia/Pages/awards.aspx).

5. The nominee may not be currently employed by Purdue University.

6. The nominee must be present for the awards ceremony and activities related to the award given at the Indiana State Fair (dates TBD). After the initial review by the Women in Ag Team, the award finalists will be contacted to confirm their attendance at the awards ceremony.

Nomination forms are available at https://ag.purdue.edu/Extension/ wia/Pages/awards.aspx.

Submission Guidelines 1. The application will be considered for two consecutive years. If the nominee is not chosen in those two years, the application may be resubmitted for consideration.

2. Two letters of support should be submitted with the application.

How to get kids interested in gardening?

Encourage them to grow seeds

By Debbie Arrington | The Sacramento Bee

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Sue Bennett became a gardening advocate by accident.

Now it’s her full-time cause.

Her focus is devoted to young sprouts, kids just learning how plants grow. The more they learn and share, the more that gardening passion takes root.

“I don’t want them to wait until retirement — like me — to discover gardening is fun,” said the Granite Bay, Calif., woman.

In this effort, Bennett has enlisted grown-up gardeners throughout the state, including California’s largest nonprofit garden group.

Bennett, 55, serves as president of California Garden Clubs Inc., the umbrella

organization for about 350 gardening clubs with more than 22,000 members statewide. Before her term ends June 30, she’s dedicated to a special project: “Encouraging Future Gardeners.”

“Instead of ABC, I’ve got EFG,” she said. “It makes it easy to remember.”

Her goal is to assemble and distribute 14,000 gardening kits to kids throughout California via classrooms, youth groups and gardening clubs. The kits feature seeds, activity cards and supplies. For example, the herb kit includes a fabric pot and seeds for chamomile and other herbs. The “Pollinator Paradise” kit contains flower seeds and “good bug” masks for kindergartners to make. All five kits come with a wealth of gardening how-to’s and fun facts designed to pique youthful interest.

“You don’t need a backyard to garden; you can do this on a windowsill,” Bennett said. “This is something children can do with their parents.”

Bennett sees the kits as bridging a gardening gap.

“Lots of schools are introducing kids to gardening,” she explained. “But we found (in prior projects) the kids weren’t always taking home what they’ve learned. These kits let them take their gardening home and get their parents involved, too.”

Eventually, those youngsters also may grow garden clubs.

Sue Bennett shows parts of starter kits meant to get children involved with gardening.

(Andrew Seng/Sacramento Bee/TNS)

“So many retirees are in garden clubs,” she said, “but how do you get today’s generation involved with gardening? This program is also about educating children, not just growing seeds.”

Bennett found her inspiration by working with another youth gardening program, Kids Growing Strong.

“I liked it because as a kid I never did it,” Bennett said. “We have no children, just two dogs, but I really enjoy working with children.”

Kids Growing Strong strives to introduce children to the value of plants and growing gardens.

“Gardens were once an important part of daily life for most people,” said Maryanne Lucas, founder of Kids Growing Strong. “People knew the value of gardens and plants through intimate, daily experiences. But things changed.

“Never before in the course of history have so many people, and especially our children, been so far removed from nature and so distanced from the earth, plants and fellow creatures,” Lucas said. “The result is children who are less healthy, less ‘enlightened’ and less knowledgeable about the natural world upon which our lives depend.”

Lucas supports Bennett’s efforts and helped her launch her kit project.

“Sue’s project is very exciting,” Lucas said. “With very little effort, it makes it easy for gardeners and non-gardeners alike to introduce children to the wonders of the natural world and lessons to be learned in a garden.”

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Farm Indiana | april 2017

Mary Lou Nay at the Seymour Farmers Market.

Tribune photo

by Aaron Piper

Local focus

For farmers and customers, it’s all about personal connections

I

The following is the second installment in a two-part series examining the local food movement in Indiana.

It’s no secret that the demand for fresh, locally grown food is on the rise, but for consumers the journey doesn’t end with simply deciding to “go local.” Many important questions arise upon making such a decision, Are the products at your nearest farmers market or the local section of your neighborhood grocery store truly local? What are the best locally produced foods to buy at certain months or seasons of the year? What are the best approaches to get the most out of local produce and meats in the kitchen?

First and foremost, when you head out to a farmers market or community supported agriculture pickup stand to seek that perfect batch of apples or head of lettuce, don’t simply re-enact a perfunctory trip to a big-box grocery or supermarket. Instead make it an interactive experience and strike up conversations with farmers, fellow attendees and even the on-site manager.

“It’s amazing what you can pick up by talking to everyone you can, and you’ll learn more about specifically where your produce was grown and the processes used to grow it,” says Becky Church, chairwoman of the Columbus Farmers Market.

Church says personal relationships between consumers and farmers that can develop in farm market settings help strengthen the well-being of growers as well as consumer knowledge on topics such as crop seasonality and even optimal cooking methods for specific foods.

“I see that a lot of people who come down to the farmers market seek out specific growers and develop a friendship for whatever reason – maybe there’s certain produce they like – and go to those growers on a weekly basis,” she says.

“I think the experience of the farmers market itself is what drives people to come out, but once they have those relationships it also keeps them coming back.”

After loading up on produce at a farmers

Jenica Schaefer, left, of Schaefers Farm, sells heirloom tomatoes to Mary Jane Prewitt at the Columbus City Farmers Market. photo by Carla Clark

By Jon Shoulders market or picking up your weekly CSA share, figuring out how to prepare all that produce for the family all week can be daunting.

Throughout 2015 and 2016 Purdue Extension rolled out an online resource called FoodLink. Vendors at more than 100 farmers markets, groceries, food pantries and produce stands now display cards with QR codes for their fruits and vegetables that consumers can scan with their mobile devices.

The codes link directly to the FoodLink webpage for recipes, pairing and storage recommendations, nutrition information and food safety tips.

For those interested in championing local growers but who don’t have easy access to a farmers market or CSA location, online shopping options have begun to crop up. FarmersMarket. com, launched in 2016

by Indianapolis-based entrepreneur Nick Carter Heirloom tomatoes tempt buyers. photo by Carla Clark and Tyner Pond Farm owner Chris Baggott, allows shoppers to select products from a wide variety of local think twice about returning to the producers online – baked goods, jams nearest big-box grocery for produce. and jellies, meats, soap and cosmetics, “Fresh, local produce will win your veggies, dairy and much more – then heart,” she says. “You get to talk to pick up their orders at the nearest market the farmer, and they will answer your host at a predetermined day and time. questions and educate you on growing Year-round online purchasing the produce. The produce is not handled of local fare is also possible at by 29 people – one or two people at most.

HoosierHarvestMarket.com, where No one is sneezing and coughing on it.” shoppers can peruse Indiana-grown Consumers should also strike up products, including meats, cheeses, conversations with friends, family and coffees and pastas, and pick up orders at colleagues – not just those within the one of the service’s official pickup sites. industry itself like market vendors and So what can those within the industry restaurateurs – about local consumption, do to keep interest in local products and not just for tips and suggestions high? Sarah Joyner, manager of the either. You never know when you might Cummins Mid-Week Farmers Market discover that an acquaintance residing in Columbus, says market managers, across town actually maintains a thriving grocery owners and restaurant proprietors backyard garden full of berries, veggies should work to inform consumers on and herbs, or some co-workers who live health and financial benefits, rather down the street tend their own chicken than focusing on educating those coop for fresh eggs daily. Now that is local. consumers on the plight of local farmers, to increase local product consumption For a directory of Indiana farmers and thereby help local farms thrive. markets by city, visit farmersmarketonline.

“As emotionally, physically and com/fm/Indiana.htm. financially taxing the occupation of To review a farmers market vendor guide farming may be, it will not make a for specialty crop producers, go to cdext. potential consumer any more eager to purdue.edu/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/ buy local,” Joyner says. “What should indiana-farmers-market-vending.pdf. be communicated are the benefits the To explore Purdue Extension’s FoodLink consumer will see through buying online resource for recipes, storage and local. Environmental, economic and food safety tips, video content and more, health benefits are all things potential visit extension.purdue.edu/foodlink. consumers need to know about.”

For information about the Indiana Sande Hummel, manager of the State Department of Agriculture’s Indiana Columbus City Farmers Market at Grown labeling initiative, launched to Fair Oaks Mall, says a little quality help Hoosiers identify and purchase time spent at a farmers market or products grown, raised or processed CSA pickup site can make consumers within the state, visit indianagrown.org.

Farm Indiana | april 2017

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calendar April 3 — Webinar: 2017 Crop Outlook – After USDA’s Planting Intentions Report. 9 a.m. Presented

by Purdue Center for Commercial Agriculture. Registration: https:// ag.purdue.edu/commercialag/ Pages/Webinars.aspx.

April 4 — Conservation Tree Planting Workshop. 1 to 4 p.m., Johnson County Extension Office, 484 N. Morton St., Franklin. Tree planting success depends on a well-planned and executed approach. Planning, site preparation, species selection, spacing, seedling ordering and care, planting techniques, weed control, wildlife damage, and post-planting management will be covered in this program, with opportunities to ask questions about your planting plans. Sources of advice and assistance with conservation tree planting for landowners will be provided as well. Registration/information: Sarah Hanson, sspeedy@ purdue.edu, 317-736-3724.

Send them outside

W

By Katie Glick

We were walking among the enough and they are too hooked to freshly painted walls that were already their screens. “When I was their age, soaked with that pungent smell of pigs I was outside, doing chores and workwhen my mother learned something ing!” That’s the standard quote these new about her kids and their childdays. As a new parent I have thought hood. As my sister and I watched the about this a lot. sows deliver piglets at the new Fair Mae is about to crawl, and she is Oaks Farms Pig Adventure a few years curious about everything around ago, we reminisced about adventures her. I don’t hand her the toys or her on our family farm and with our dad. pacifier; if she wants it she can get “Remember when Dad made us it. When I’m in the car, I talk to her scoop up the stalls after the baby pigs about what she is seeing through the were born?” I said. Before my windows and what is going sister could even respond, on in the world around her. my mom exclaimed, “He I am not focused on my own made you do what?” Since thoughts or phone. his passing she has learned a I’m trying to teach her, few things we did with Dad even at a young age, that it’s that she was unaware of at not all about her and that Katie Glick lives the time. what’s on the screen isn’t as with her husband Even though I might have important as learning about on their family farm protested, I’m glad he made others and discovering and near Columbus, where they grow us clean and scoop manure improving herself. corn, soybeans and and more from the stalls.

It’s funny that we get mad wheat; raise cattle; I’m glad he made us stand at our kids and the younger and have a private with the piglets while he gave generation about being lazy seed company. She works in the them their vaccinations (that and selfish, but didn’t we agriculture industry. screaming still rings in my buy their phones and create ears when I think about it). their participation trophies?

I’m happy he walked us through the They don’t have the money to buy the woods to show us all the creeks and phone and didn’t create the trophies. hollers so we could create our own We did. adventures when he kicked us out of So send the kids outside this spring. the house.

Take away the phone and video games I’m proud of my childhood and all you bought them and tell them to the blood, sweat and tears of playing use their imagination to create their and working outside. It made me a own adventures. Their moaning and stronger and more capable woman. groaning will last for only a short I’ve had multiple conversations while, but their character and work lately about how kids don’t go outside ethic will be impacted for a lifetime.

April 8 — Indiana 4-H Dairy Youth Conference. 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Hamilton County Fairgrounds.

Bessy, our prized cow, is not feeling well ... help us figure out what caused her illness so she can get better. Youths in attendance will learn about educational opportunities for Indiana dairy youths, be provided a hands-on laboratory learning experience to enhance their knowledge of the dairy industry, learn education aspects of raising and showing dairy cattle, and network with youths who are involved in the dairy industry. Grades 3 to 12 are welcome, plus adults. Registration fees are $15/person by March 31 (including adults). Registration includes a T-shirt, admission, breaks, meals and handouts. Late and on-site registrations are not guaranteed T-shirts or meals.

Make checks payable to Kosciusko County CES Ed Fund. Information: Kelly Heckman, 574-372-2340.

April 10 — Diversified Food and Farming 2017, Orchard Success and Permaculture Orchard Video. 10 a.m., Purdue Extension Bartholomew County, 965 Repp Drive, Columbus. Registration not required. Information: 812-3791665 or kmedic@purdue.edu.

May 4 — Jennings County SWCD Plant Sale Pickup Day. 3 to 7 p.m., Muscatatuck Park, 325 N. State Road 3, North Vernon.

Pick up pre-ordered plants.

Information: 812-346-3411, ext. 3.

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Farm Indiana | april 2017

Invasion of the

ornamental pear trees

Y

By Kris Medic

You may have seen it in recent years. Come March, meadow or fallow field, blooming like crazy with escaped Callery pear trees. The former darling of the landscape industry has become one of our most ferocious field invaders.

We have seen this before, as invaders such as multiflora rose, Japanese or bush honeysuckle, autumn olive and bittersweet colonized woods or fields.

These are the usual suspects, and folks have been battling them for decades.

This time, though, you or I may have planted one of these new invaders. It may have been hard to imagine at the time that burning bush, Miscanthus grass, English ivy or Bradford – a type of Callery – pear would go rogue, but they have.

How did this happen? Invasive plants are fierce competitors. They grow fast and well in a wide range of conditions, compete vigorously with the native plants and reproduce quickly.

Colleague K.L. Kyde of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources put it this way in a 2007 article about the pear: “When the first cultivated variety, or cultivar, was promoted to the horticulture industry in the early 1960s, the small flowering Asian tree seemed perfect for suburban landscapes. Here was a well-behaved ornamental that could soften the harsh edges of newly built communities with its neat formal shape, explosion

of bloom and showy fall color. It was not thorny like many pears, and because it did not self-pollinate, it produced small sterile fruits.”

The trouble began when improved varieties like Aristocrat and Cleveland Select were introduced, making cross-pollination possible. The small, sterile fruits were no longer small and sterile, and the invasion began, aided by birds who ravenously eat the fruit and deposit the seeds. In our southern Indiana forest edges, typically occupied by dogwood, redbud, juneberry and sassafras, the wild pears seem to be winning.

Nothing says “spring in Indiana” like redbuds and dogwoods on the forest edges, unless it’s juneberry and sassafras. Losing those beloved natives to the pears can also affect hunting, fishing, mushroom collecting and other outdoor pursuits as the rapid growth and stout thorns of the pear trees impede travel.

Two things to do about the Callery pear tree invasion are: • Sorry, but don’t plant them. This includes all ornamental pear varieties such as Redspire, Cleveland Select, Aristocrat, etc.

• Control them on your property.

Best practices include cutting them, then treating the stumps with an herbicide to prevent resprouting.

Other options, such as bio-control and goat herd rental may come along in time.

Photo Credit: Leslie J. Mehrhoff, University of Connecticut, Bugwood.org

Contact us if you want more information. Also consider the presentation, “Invasive Plants We Know Too Well,” at 6:30 p.m. April 12 in the Red Room at Bartholomew County Public Library.

For an authoritative listing of Indiana invasive plants, see the Indiana Invasive Plants Council’s website at https://www.entm.purdue.edu/iisc/invasiveplants.php, and give that March snowstorm of white petals a wary eye.

Kris Medic is Purdue Extension Bartholomew County’s educator for agriculture, natural resources and community development. Her family farms are in Pennsylvania and Croatia. She can be reached at 812379-1665 or kmedic@purdue.edu.

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