Integrated Crop and Sylvan Systems with Swine: A State and National Initiative

Integrated Crop and Sylvan Systems with Swine: A State and National Initiative

Summary

Objectives
In collaboration the Carolina Farm Stewardship Association, NC Department of Agriculture, farmers and facilitators will explore avenues to increase profitability by promoting the unique characteristics of their product as well as their production system.

This project will examine:
1) potential for adding mulches on dry lots to enhance swine waste utilization in developing organic vegetable plots,
2) productivity of gestating sows fed a typical corn/soy diet or one supplemented with forages,
3) potential to improve woodlands under two stocking rates of swine and,
4) methods for small scale producers to enhance their market share and profitability.

Approach
Twenty Tamworth (T) and twenty Landrace gilts (L) were maintained on dry lots with or without leaf mulch from 10/99 to 4/00 and bred to Tamworth boars in 11/99 (Objective 1: Examine the potential for developing organic vegetable plots in rotation with swine raised on dry lots). Soil samples were collected on October 1, 1999 prior to treatment establishment to evaluate soil physical conditions (i.e., collection of baseline data). Measured soil parameters from these samples included particle-size distribution, soil bulk density, soil porosity, pore-size distribution, saturated hydraulic conductivity, soil water retention, and aggregate stability. Soil samples were also collected after planting corn on June 1, 2,000, at the mid-growing period on July 19, 2,000, and after harvest on October 5, 2000. These samples have been analyzed for the soil physical properties listed above. Laboratory soil fertility determinations are two-thirds completed. Fertility analysis includes soil N (total and inorganic), soil total carbon, soil organic matter, soil pH, zinc content, and copper content. The sampling scheme included samples from crop row and mid-row areas. This was done to determine if a narrower crop spacing would increase nutrient uptake. If so, the plan next year is to split each plot into two row spacing types which would introduce a third factor into the experimental design. Row spacing levels will be randomized within each experimental plot following a split-plot design. Plant samples were collected at the tasseling stage of growth for nutrient analysis (total N, phosphorus, copper, and zinc) and total biomass estimates.

Offspring (from above matings) will be compared with Hampshire (H) x Landrace contemporary females for maternal performance in extensive environments, (conventional dirt lots or sylvan environment/Objective 3. Examine two stocking rates of gestating sows (6/A and 18/A) in a forest environment). All females will be bred to terminal cross Durocs (matings initiated 11/00) to examine performance and taste differences do to genetics: TxD, (TxL)xD and (HxL)xD; diet: ad-lib concentrate alone or with free choice pasture or hay; and environments: indoor, dirt lot, and pasture. Performance and meat quality trials will commence this spring.

The final objective is to explore avenues to increase profitability by promoting the unique characteristics of the “pasture raised” product. On July 17th NC A&T SU and The NC Cooperative Extension Service hosted a small scale hog producer conference (co-sponsored by SARE) attended by over 80 participants comprised of producers/farmers (>40), Fed and State Government officials (both Democratic and Republican candidates for Commissioner of Agriculture spoke on behalf of small farms), representatives of agribusiness, and those associated with academia, etc. The main objectives of this conference were to: 1) stress the important and unique contribution small farmers may play in providing food now and in the future, 2) use this uniqueness to position small scale producers profitably, and 3) develop a strategy to “keep the family farm and find the lost taste of pork” (“Lost Taste of Pork: Finding a Place for the Iowa Family Farm”. E. Behr.1999. in The Art Of Eating).

Paul Willis (small scale producer from Thornton IA) was featured in Behr’s article along with his collaboration with The Niman Ranch Retail Meat Company (NM). The Carolina Farm Stewardship Association (CFSA) held their annual conference from November 3-5 in Wilmington, NC. CFSA (SARE Grant collaborator) invited Paul Willis to discuss how he organized a group of 80 small scale producers to sell to an upscale retail outlet, Niman Ranch.

Prior to the conference, Talbott set up meetings (11/2/00) with Willis and Mike Christy (12/2/00) to talk with Community Groups (9) County Agent groups (31) and Packers (3) interested in learning about the Niman Ranch Model.

Collaborators: