2018 Oregon State University PDP Project

View the project final report

Commodities

• Agronomic: clovers, grass (misc. perennial), hay
• Fruits: cherries
• Nuts: hazelnuts
• Vegetables: beans, beets, broccoli, brussel sprouts, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, cucurbits, eggplant, garlic, greens (leafy), greens (lettuces), leeks, onions, parsnips, peas (culinary), peppers, radishes (culinary), rutabagas, sweet corn, tomatoes, turnips
• Animals: bees, bovine, sheep
• Animal Products: meat

Practices

• Animal Production: animal protection and health, feed/forage, grazing management, grazing - rotational, meat processing, meat processing facilities, parasite control, preventive practices, rangeland/pasture management
• Crop Production: cropping systems, nurseries, pollination, pollinator health
• Education and Training: decision support system, demonstration, extension, networking, workshop
• Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns
• Pest Management: cultivation, cultural control, genetic resistance, integrated pest management
• Production Systems: integrated crop and livestock systems, organic agriculture
• Sustainable Communities: infrastructure analysis

Topic(s) -- what topics do you anticipate covering in the next year?
In Oregon we manage these SARE funds via a call for proposals (CFP) for mini-grant projects every two years. If grant recipients perform well during year 1 they receive funds for two years. Our advisory group reviews applications and helps us select projects for funding. In December, 2017 we selected the following projects for two years of funding.

1. WSARE program administration and travel to summer meetings
2. Mechanical weed cultivation in Organic vegetables
3. Furthering Oregon's Organic Hazelnut Sector
4. Strengthening Oregon's niche meat industry through extension
5. Pesticide applicator infographics and bee-friendly grower showcase podcast
6. Commercial beekeeper training workshop

Additional funds were provided in 2018. With these funds our advisory group decided to support four additional projects for one year:

1. Vegetable crop cost tool development
2. Irrigated pasture management workshops
3. Sustainable integrated parasite management (SIPM) for small ruminants program
4. Expand mechanical cultivation to Central Oregon.

Every year, annual project reports for these mini-grants are due in March, so we cannot provide a detailed report on their work until those reports have been received. This works well for the normal reporting timeline for the WSARE PDP program.

Mini-grant applications describe proposed project objectives. Objectives for the six two-year projects are as follows.

1. These funds supported travel to the summer 2018 meeting in Washington, and will support travel to the summer 2019 meeting in Guam
2. This group organized a hands-on mechanical cultivation field day. Tool and tractor suppliers demonstrated their equipment in young lettuce and bean crops, and keynote and capnote speakers presented information on mechanical cultivation. More than 100 people attended the event, and it will be repeated in 2019. The group is also developing a mechanical cultivation webpage. This article describes the first field day.
3. This group aims to enhance Oregon's Organic hazelnut sector. They hosted an Organic Hazelnut Growers Association summer tour, are disseminating resources for growing organic hazelnuts, and convening meetings between organic hazelnut growers, processors and other stakeholders with the goal of enhancing access to processing facilities for organic hazelnuts.
4. This project aims to enhance expertise among agricultural professionals about niche meat marketing. The project team manages the National Niche Meat Processor Assistance Network, and have developed a Beginners’ Guide to Local Meat Processing. They are developing a series of presentations for use at agricultural professional meetings that will introduce participants to different types of local meat processing, regulations in Oregon, the economics of small processors, ways to build capacity and support development of new facilities, and ways to improve coordination between meat producers and processors.
5. This team is developing four postcard info-graphics to train growers in best management practices (BMP's) for protecting pollinators when using pesticides. The info-graphics will be adapted for western Oregon specialty seed, cherry, clover seed and nursery crop producers. The team is also developing a series of eight 30-minute podcasts that showcase two growers in each industry that have implemented recommended BMP's.
6. This team is developing seminars for commercial beekeepers with experts from Oregon and California. Topics will include transportation regulations, successful pollination of Oregon crops and California almonds, and bee safety. They are also hosting a tour with bee safety demonstrations and are planning to develop a safety manual for commercial beekeepers in Oregon.

The one-year projects have the following objectives:

1. This team is developing an interactive enterprise budgeting and cost of production spreadsheets. These funds will supplement their ongoing efforts.
2. This team is developing 3-4 irrigated pasture management workshops in Central Oregon.
3. The project is developing a course on integrated parasite management in small ruminants to reduce the use of chemical dewormers. They will use DrenchRite testing to determine anthelminthic resistance on 10 participating farms, and develop farm-specific parasite management plans. They are also developing a workshop for veterinarians, Extension personnel and other agricultural professionals.
4. This team is developing a hands-on mechanical cultivation workshop for beginning and small-scale vegetable growers in Central Oregon.