The Center for Sustainable Agricultural Systems (CSAS) in the Institute of
Agriculture and Natural Resources (IANR) at the University of
Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) is an interdisciplinary center formed in 1991 for the
purpose of bringing together people and resources to promote an agriculture
that is efficient, competitive, profitable, environmentally and socially
sustainable for the indefinite future. The electronic version of this
bimonthly newsletter is sent to SANET and PENPages 10-14 days before those
on our mailing list receive their hard copy. The newsletters are also
available along with other sustainable ag information on our World Wide Web
page: http://ianrwww.unl.edu/ianr/csas.
Note: The electronic version is not sent to individual e-mail addresses. To
be added to the "hard copy" newsletter mailing list beginning with the next
bimonthly issue (not sent to overseas addresses), or for questions or
comments, contact the newsletter editor, Pam Murray, Coordinator, Center for
Sustainable Agricultural Systems, PO Box 830949, University of Nebraska,
Lincoln, NE 68583-0949, 402-472-2056, fax -4104, e-mail: csas001@unlvm.unl.edu.
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CONTENTS:
THINKING "OUTSIDE OF THE BOX" IN AGRICULTURE
HOOP HOUSES AND PASTURE FARROWING FOR SWINE
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM DISPLAY A SUCCESS!
INTEGRATED FARM UPDATE: COMPOSTING LIVESTOCK WASTES
CSAS BIDS GARY LESOING FAREWELL
EPA DRAFTS STRATEGY ON ANIMAL FEEDING OPERATIONS
TRAINING WORKSHOP ON SUSTAINABLE AGROECOSYSTEMS
AND ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES
KEEP CHECKING CSAS WEB PAGE
RESOURCES
COMING EVENTS
DID YOU KNOW...
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THINKING "OUTSIDE OF THE BOX" IN AGRICULTURE
The big new trend in business and industry is "thinking out of the box." It
means solving problems in new ways -- ways that will increase profitability.
Perhaps agricultural producers and researchers could benefit from "thinking
out of the box" as well. Are there ways to sustain this business and this
way of life and do it more profitably?
Here are some reasons to try thinking in new, more sustainable ways:
- Continuing dependence on unpredictable nature of the markets. The
agricultural industry has worked very hard to produce more, to market
smarter and to keep costs down, but rising costs for chemicals and farm
equipment reduce or eliminate profits. Even with the best marketing
techniques available, sometimes the profit margin remains very narrow or
disappears.
Some producers know many of their ancestors farmed because it was the best
way they knew to be free and independent -- to be their own bosses. Today's
producers wonder how independent they really are, and how independent they
could be in today's complex environment. Some producers have discovered that
making fewer trips over the fields reduces fuel cost; they've found that
managing weeds by rotating crops saves on purchasing both fuels and
chemicals. Others are looking at new ways to free themselves from distant
markets by selling direct to local consumers.
- Satisfaction. A few agricultural producers have begun to discover new
satisfactions in marketing locally. They take pride in producing nutritious
foods for neighbors, rather than commodities that go to people they've never
met. They've learned many of their customers appreciate the work they do and
the product they provide; these customers give positive feedback. This is
quite different from anonymous foods produced by anonymous people halfway
around the world.
- Community. More people in agriculture are asking whether bigger is always
better. As farms get bigger and businesses close in smaller towns, residents
begin to wonder who will be their friends and where their daughters and sons
will find husbands and wives. They also see the disappearance of medical
facilities, consolidation of schools and closing of churches. This raises
the question of whether any quality of life can be achieved when the
community infrastructure is gone.
- Education. All over Nebraska, some progressive producers have begun
breaking out of the conventional mold. They are getting to know their own
places more in depth, learning the art of the possible and challenging their
minds with new ways of making a living in agriculture, instead of going
round and round those same fields, year after year, doing the same things.
Farming needs to be profitable, but it also needs to be interesting and
challenging.
- Recreation. Some agricultural producers get off the tractor and
whistle-call bob-white quail across the field buffers, shrubs and trees
they've planted for wind protection and to hold moisture. They picnic with
their kids under their own apple trees. This quality of life can't be found
in the city.
- Sustainability. People are thinking their way out of the box and looking
forward to telling their grandsons and granddaughters they don't own the
land, they're just taking care of it for the next generation, as they have done.
This escape from "monoculture mentality" is broader than a change from
monoculture corn. Both in research and in farming, we are learning that the
future can be designed, if we have a positive image of what could be. This
is far more exciting than thinking about how to just hold on, how to adapt
to the inevitable, and how to make it for one more year. Diversity in crops
and animal enterprises, in marketing, and in thinking about what we do in
agriculture can be the key to a prosperous and sustainable tomorrow.
By Charles Francis and Faye Colburn
[Also appeared in April 1998 Educator Extra published by Nebraska
Cooperative Extension.]
HOOP HOUSES AND PASTURE FARROWING FOR SWINE
Innovative Minnesota farmers are finding efficient and economically viable
alternatives to the intensive confinement, mega-hog operations that are
taking ownership and decision making out of the hands of small and
medium-sized farmers in the Midwest. Among their methods are pasture
farrowing and modest-cost hoop houses that appear to work well even in our
difficult winter climate. Two members of the Land Stewardship Project
described their methods and results in a recent regional meeting in Rochester.
Dwight Ault of Austin is farrowing in porta units on pasture and also in a
remodeled barn. After a trip to Sweden, he learned about using collapsible
pens about 7' x 8' in size in a barn with straw bedding. Rollers on the
front keep pigs in. Dwight uses 6" PVC pipe set in wooden troughs to make
self feeders for sows, and probably would use 8" PVC next time. He has no
guard rails and no supplemental heat in the pens, and takes them down when
the pigs are about 10 days old. He is currently considering remodeling a
20-year old slatted confinement barn to create a deep straw bedded finishing
house.
Osage farmer Steve Weis is raising 150 head of feeders in each of several
hoop houses that are 30' x 72' in size. His operation has evolved from a
more conventional stall gestation barn (1988) and a modern finish shed
(1993) to the current interest in hoop houses built in 1996. Steve's three
hoop houses are rated at 200 head per house; he prefers to stock them at 150
head, giving over 14 sq ft per animal. He thinks that 12 sq ft per pig is
the minimum space needed. Steve starts with oat straw, and later uses corn
stalks for building up the bedding. He has heard that some farmers bring in
compost from past cleanings and cover with straw for extra heat. Compared
to more conventional hog houses, he says that in hoop houses daily gain is
slightly less, feed efficiency is slightly worse (0.2 # feed per # of gain),
overall health is better, and the bottom line is about the same. Steve is
enthusiastic about the low initial cost of $65/head of capacity compared to
$200/head for the conventional finishing barn and the flexibility of the new
hoop house system.
These farmers are willing to share their ideas and experiences, and find
that groups of people with similar experience can learn more by meeting and
discussing problems and solutions. Together with non-profit farmer group
support, they are coming up with new systems and management strategies that
are appropriate to their on-farm resources and ability to plan and finance
moderate cost facilities. The hoop house projects illustrate the types of
alternative technologies that are available to small and medium-sized
operations, that add value to farmer time and management skills, and that
maintain ownership and pride in family farming.
More details are available from the Land Stewardship Project, 2200 4th St.,
White Bear Lake, MN 55110, 612-653-0618. Practical Farmers of Iowa is
another source of information on hoop houses, PFI, 2035 190th St., Boone, IA
50036-7423. You can also purchase a 16-page bulletin titled Hoop Structures
for Grow-Finish Swine (AED 41), authored by University of Nebraska and Iowa
State University scientists. Send $4 to Midwest Plan Service, 122 Davidson
Hall, ISU, Ames, IA 50011.
By Bob Hendrickson and Charles Francis
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM DISPLAY A SUCCESS!
"Sharing Knowledge in Sustainable Agriculture" was the theme of a popular
display at the Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) tenth
anniversary conference in Austin, Texas, in March. With more than 450 people
in attendance, it received much traffic. The North Central Region
Professional Development Program (PDP) display was a collaborative effort
among educators in the twelve-state area. They provided pictures from field
days, books, directories, and resource guides that had been funded by SARE
PDP grants.
The materials on display included:
- Advancing Sustainable Agriculture through Small Group Discussions
(Illinois). The handbook contains guidelines for setting up study circles,
tips on forming productive questions, stories from existing study circles,
and lists of reference materials that can be used to get discussions
started. Contact Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant at 217-968-5512.
- Minnesota River Decision Cases. A decision case is a discussion tool that
focuses on a real person who must make a decision. Often the decision is not
clear and may have many possible alternatives. Participants are placed in
the decision-maker role to identify key issues, possible outcomes, and
options in dealing with the dilemma. Three decision cases consider the
installation of vegetative buffer strips along a county ditch, the adoption
of no-till as part of a conservation compliance plan, and the siting of a
hog confinement unit. Contact Tammy Dunrud at 612-624-1211.
- Michigan Field Crop Ecology. The Extension bulletin introduces the basics
of soil ecology, managing carbon and nitrogen, incorporating cover crops,
and dealing with pests. The document demonstrates how farmers can fine-tune
their systems and use biological resources to achieve greater
sustainability. Contact Laura Probyn at 616-671-2412.
- Introduction to Management-Intensive Grazing Systems (Ohio). The resource
manual was designed for instructors of grazing workshops. It combines a
teaching outline with handouts, a slide set, and script for the instructor.
The sections describe soils, forages, economics, and production practices.
Contact Henry Bartholomew at 614-385-3222.
- Kansas Sustainable Agriculture Series. The booklet series is of interest
to anyone concerned about sustainable agriculture, including academics,
farmers, conservationists, and others in the public and private sectors. The
titles in the series are Defining and Implementing Sustainable Agriculture;
Indicators of Sustainability in Whole-Farm Planning: Literature Review;
Indicators of Sustainability in Whole-Farm Planning: Planning Tools;
Enhancing Sustainable Agriculture Through Farmer Groups: The Experience of
the Kansas Heartland Network; and Kansas County Extension Agents and
Attitudes about On-Farm Research: Results of a Survey. Contact Stan
Freyenberger at 913-532-4486.
Educators and clients were impressed with the array of educational
materials. They asked many questions about availability of the publications
and ways to use the information in their training projects. The PDP display
complements SARE's ongoing outreach program, which is a critical component
of the overall effort. The display illustrates the wide range of approaches
and diversity of people that contribute to SARE's success. For more
information, contact Heidi Carter at 402-472-0917.
By Heidi Carter
INTEGRATED FARM UPDATE: COMPOSTING LIVESTOCK WASTES
Composting was chosen as the Integrated Farm's method of waste management
primarily because it offers more flexibility in time of application compared
to raw feedlot manure. Composting also reduces the volume of wastes hauled
to the field, converts nitrogen into a more stable form, is less susceptible
to leaching and runoff, kills weed seeds and pathogens, and generally
reduces fly and odor problems. The Integrated Farm project at the UNL
Agricultural Research and Development Center (45 miles northwest of Lincoln)
began in 1992. That fall a site located adjacent to the swine lagoon was
selected for composting because of its close proximity to the feedlot and
sheep units, easy access, and ability to collect runoff in the lagoon.
In the spring of 1993 the Integrated Farm began composting livestock wastes
from the 140-head dairy herd, 1200-head feedlot, and 400-ewe flock. A truck
was modified to haul liquid wastes from the dairy to the compost site.
Manure from the dairy was mixed with waste organic residues from the farm
and put in windrows. Feedlot and sheep manure was composted in separate
windrows. Windrows were turned periodically with a front-end loader. A
compost turner was leased in the fall of 1993, which significantly improved
the efficiency of composting. Manure was successfully composted despite the
many difficulties due to the wet weather. Approximately 4000 tons of compost
were made and applied on cropland as a fertility source from the fall of
1993 through the spring of 1994. The composting operation has functioned
well from 1993 through 1997. A tractor with front-wheel assist and a creeper
gear was leased to use for turning, mixing, and spreading compost. Compost
is turned when windrows are very wet, need aeration and are not heating, or
when the temperature in the windrows reaches 150 degrees F.
Data collected from the operation has helped in determining the costs and
environmental efficiency of composting. Research has focused on the use of
carbon sources (bulking materials) for composting, effectiveness of compost
in killing weed seeds, and the recovery of nutrients, particularly nitrogen,
in the composting process. Compost has been applied on cropland, mainly as a
phosphorus source, at the rate of 10 tons/ac. In several fields where
compost has been applied, wheat, soybean, corn, and grain sorghum yields
have been compared to check strips that received no compost. Surface soil
samples have been taken to determine the influence of compost application on
soil characteristics. Compost site management is also being investigated.
The effect of composting on the nitrate levels to a depth of 10 feet below
the compost site has been evaluated.