Missouri 2019-20 SARE State Plan of Work

View the project final report

Commodities

• Fruits: berries (blueberries)
• Vegetables: asparagus, beans, beets, broccoli, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, cucurbits, eggplant, garlic, greens (leafy), greens (lettuces), okra, peas (culinary), peppers, radishes (culinary), sweet corn, sweet potatoes, tomatoes, turnips
• Additional Plants: ginseng, native plants, ornamentals
• Animal Products: dairy, eggs, honey, meat

Practices

• Crop Production: cover crops, varieties and cultivars
• Farm Business Management: marketing management, new enterprise development

The 2019-2020 Missouri State SARE PDP plan of work will focus on initiatives identified by the MO SARE PDP Advisory Board in association with the University of Missouri and Lincoln University Extension priorities.  These SARE initiatives include:  Integrated Pest Management, Sustainable Crop Production, and Sustainable Livestock Production.  The advisory board also elected to participate in the North Central Region’s focus on beginning farmers & ranchers.  We will plan to send several representatives of our state to regional professional development events organized by NC-SARE with the understanding they will implement a beginning farmer & rancher program upon their return.  Additionally since this plan of work covers a two year time frame and it is difficult to predict future needs the Advisory Board added another initiative entitled  “Emerging Issues”.  Two PDPs will be carried out under this initiative as described below.  One additional PDP, with content to be determined will also be carried out under this initiative.  This PDP has been calculated into the two year budget with a total expense based upon the total costs for the other PDPs.  The content of this PDP will be determined as the need emerges and based upon critical training needs that arise over the next two years. 

Each of the four initiatives carried forward from the 2017-2018 POW by the MoSARE Advisory Board has action themes that will provide continuity from one year’s POW to the next.   Holistic farm management themes will be carried out through each initiative and PDP.  These include:  Diversity as indicated by biological and cultural diversity, Profitability as indicated by net profit, Energy balance, Community interactions, and Environmental considerations.

The Missouri State Sustainable Agriculture Co-Coordinators are (currently vacant), Lincoln University and Dan Downing, Extension Associate, University of Missouri.  The Professional Development Program will utilize both the Lincoln University Cooperative Extension’s (LUCE) and the University of Missouri Extension’s (MU) plans of work specifically with “Economic Value” and “Environmental Quality” as a guideline supporting the priorities identified by the Advisory Board for all SARE PDP activities across the state.

Initiative 1: Integrated Pest Management

1. PDP number 1A, 2019 – The Missouri Tomato School will take place in May 2019 in Jefferson City, MO.   Face to Face, one day. The School will include a day of educational sessions, featuring national and regional tomato experts.  The second day of the School is a tour of successful tomato farms.  This workshop will include modules on pest and disease management.  The ISE request is to fund attendance at the school by MU and LU Extension specialists.  – Patrick Byers, lead.
2. PDP number 1B, 2019 – The Missouri Blueberry School will take place in February-March 2019, in Springfield, MO.  Face to Face, one day. The School will include a day of educational sessions, featuring national and regional blueberry experts.  This workshop will include modules on pest and disease management. The second day of the School is a tour of successful blueberry farms.  The ISE request is to fund attendance at the school by MU and LU Extension specialists.  – Patrick Byers, lead.

Initiative 2: Sustainable Crop Production

1. PDP Number 2A, 2020 – Hydroponics in Missouri –Hydroponics is a growing trend in our Missouri.  This Face to Face PDP will take place over 2 days; the first day will include educational sessions and the second day will include tour stops to learn about area hydroponic production.  Nationally known experts on this subject to will be brought in as presenters to help us better understand the hydroponics process and future opportunities. Patrick Byers, Robert Balek and Kelly McGowan would be the principal planners for this ISE. – Kelly McGowan, lead.                                                                     
2. PDP Number 2B, 2020 – Alfalfa Production in Missouri – Face to Face, 2 days,

May or June 2020.  To be held in the central Missouri area.  This is envisioned as a 2 day program beginning at 11:30 a.m. on day one and ending at 2:00 p.m. the second day.  It will likely included a field tour of the MU Dairy Farm and/or other alfalfa plantings in the area. Presenters will include state specialists, possibly out of state presenters and regional specialist.  The PDP will be coordinated by; Pat Miller – lead, Tim Schnakenberg, Craig Roberts, Wesley Tucker Patrick Davis.

Initiative 3:  Sustainable Livestock Production

PDP Number 3A, 2019 – Production & Maintenance of Quality Forage in Missouri – Face to Face, two days – Columbia vicinity

Missouri typically ranks second or third in the total number of cattle behind the state of Texas.  We also have a significant number of sheep producers.  Meat goat production continues to increase.  All of these animals perform best when they have access to high quality nutritious forage. 

This PDP will exam what forages work best in various systems, draught tolerance, and the potential for expansion of warm season forage production in Missouri.  Nutrition and palatability will also be addressed.  Potential Speakers include MU Forage Experts, out of state experts, ruminant nutrition experts, soil scientists, and climatologist. – Todd Lorenz, lead.

2. PDP Number 3B, 2020 – Sustainable Aquaculture – Shrimp & Fin Fish Production in the Midwest – Round two building upon the PDP by the same name offered in 2017. This will be a two day face to face training.  Ninety percent of U.S. seafood consumption is imported. Internationally, wastewater discharge from aquaculture poses athreat to freshwater and coastal aquatic environme American farmers could potentially provide a 100% American-grown seafood supply eliminating a trade deficit of $11.5 billion/year, using 100% American produced soy, wheat and corn meals as feed ingredients.

Thirty educators, farmers, investors, and other stake-holders will increase their knowledge and understanding of aquaculture production of large-mouth bass, crappie, catfish, marine and freshwater shrimp, as well as, economics of aquaculture systems, including required capital investment, cash flow, and profitability. Participates will be provided field trips to view pond production of freshwater shrimp, in-pond raceway production of crappie, and catfish, and indoor, recalculating culture of large-mouth bass, and super-intensive zero-discharge production of marine shrimp. This training will increase knowledge and understanding of the current “state of the art” of limited and zero discharge aquaculture production and environmental benefits, enhancing the potential for Missouri farmers to successfully incorporate environmentally compatible seafood production into their existing farming activities, enhancing income and quality of life for rural Missourians. – Dr. David Brune, lead.

Initiative 4:  North Central Initiative, Beginning Farmers & Ranchers

PDP Number 4A – 2019 and 2020 – Up to 10 professional development travel scholarships per year will be offered.  These scholarships will be provided out of carry over funds from the previous funding cycle and used to send Agricultural Educators to workshops targeting how to work with beginning farmers and ranchers.  The train the trainer model will be used.  Upon returning from the training, each participant will be expected to host a beginning famer workshop and/or incorporate their newly acquired tools into their existing programs. MoSARE Co-coordinators, lead.

Initiative 5:  Emerging Issues

PDP Number 5A, 2019 – “Regulations for selling local produce and other foods”. This PDP will be ideal for personnel working in Nutrition and Health, Horticulture, Livestock, Community Development, Business Development, and anyone else who might be answering questions from farmers and/or people who are wanting to sell their produce or any other type of food product locally.  The ISE will cover much of the information covered in the food safety sections of the Selling Local Foods (SLF) curriculum that MU Extension developed in 2016.  This includes information on produce safety regulations and marketplace requirements, produce safety best practices, providing safe samples at farmers markets and related venues, food labeling requirements, regulations for selling canned foods and other foods, regulations for selling meat, poultry, eggs, and dairy products, requirements for an inspected kitchen, and shared use kitchens. As a result of this ISE, attendees will be more aware of the resources (fact sheets, curricula, trainings, trainers, people to ask questions to) that MU Extension has related to food safety for selling food products, will be able to answer questions from local producers/processors or know where to direct them, and will be able to do basic trainings related to food safety for selling food items. – Londa Nwadike, lead.

PDP Number 5B – Emerging issues to be determined, MoSARE Co-coordinators, lead.

Potential topics include:  drought resilience and mitigation strategies and pesticide use/control issues.