A Report from the Entrepreneurial Center for Horticulture Summer 2015 the Beet

Transcription

1 In this issue >>> ECH Summer Update Holly Mawby, ECH Director S SOLE Summit in August - Crystal Grenier, Administrative Assistant Community Farmers Markets Crystal Grenier, Administrative Assistant 4 Seasons CSA Bill Bittle, Farm Manager A Report from the Entrepreneurial Center for Horticulture Summer 2015 the Beet Summer is finally here and the ECH staff are really busy and working hard with producers around the state. We re also busy working with our colleagues! The ECH is proud to be working on a new venture with Dickinson State University and we d like to tell you about it. Dickinson State University (DSU) has been awarded a National Institute of Food and Agriculture Non-Land Grant College Program grant to incorporate small to mid-size farm vegetable production into their curriculum. With the help of Stephanie Blumhagen, Dakota College grant writer, and the Entrepreneurial Center for Horticulture (ECH) team; DSU successfully submitted this grant proposal into a very competitive field and was awarded a three year grant for close to $300,000. DSU Agriculture Department and the ECH team have been working together in bi-monthly meetings for over a year to strategize a way to collaborate on bringing vegetable production into the classrooms at DSU. We initially visited with Dr. Poland from DSU Agriculture to explain the barriers our client producers were encountering when dealing with agriculture professionals such as agricultural lenders, By: Holly Mawby economic developers, USDA workers and others to see if there was anything we could do together to educate the future professionals about small production, said Holly Mawby, Director of the ECH at Dakota College in Bottineau. The relationship with the Ag department of DSU and the ECH just grew from there as they were so willing to assist in meeting this need, not only for the producers but to better the agriculture professionals out in the areas of expertise now and in the future. The grant will be led by Dr. Poland at DSU with DSU faculty involved in curriculum building, student recruitment, evaluation and outreach. The DSU Strom Center will play a role in measuring the success of the work carried out by both DSU and the ECH and the ECH team will work on gathering data from small vegetable producers and building case studies for inclusion in classroom work. Both groups will work on an articulation agreement that will assist students in building a career from DCB s two year program in Sustainable Vegetable Production on to a four year degree in Agriculture at DSU. A recruitment video, outreach presentations, online courses and field days are also part of the goals for this grant. Continued pg. 2 >>>

2 Continued from page 1 >>> Mawby says, I can t say enough how happy we are to be working with the Agriculture department at DSU on this project. They have been so easy to work with. We all seem to have the same goals in mind; the success of our clients, whether that is a small vegetable producer receiving face to face technical assistance, a person taking a workshop from home online, or a student in a classroom, the combined team of DSU and DCB really care. Another new venture with colleagues has come to the ECH as well this summer. The ECH will collaborate with NDSU Extension personnel to complete goals for a State of ND Specialty Crop Block grant entitled Expanding Local Specialty Crop Opportunities in North Dakota through season extension using high tunnels. The main goal of the project is to demonstrate increasing farmer profitability using high tunnels. In addition, there will be statistically analyzed data that represents the differences when identical crops are grown in eastern North Dakota and north central North Dakota versus western, so that high tunnel growers between these three locations can determine when to transplant and what pest management issues to expect. This collaborative activity will utilize the high tunnels on the DCB campus to compare and contrast vegetable quality and quantity between field grown and high tunnel grown crops. Holly Mawby, Director of the ECH said, Although we at the ECH have been growing in high tunnels for several years, the concept is relatively new for NDSU. We re hoping we can assist them as they build some new high tunnels for this experiment and assist in providing information that will end up being very valuable to the vegetable producer clients of the ECH. This grant will also bring dollars to the ECH program to pay for a portion of the farm manager s time to work on grant activities as well as some new monitoring equipment for the high tunnels on the Dakota College at Bottineau campus. With the new grant activities, plus a growing load of small producer clients, farmers markets, and our on campus CSA, the ECH team will be working like busy bees all summer! Summer Webinar Kimberly Mercer, Assistant to the Director, AMS Fruits & Vegetable Market News Division is presenting this FREE webinar! The Agricultural Marketing Service (AMS) is offering a live interactive session to discuss Fruit & Vegetable Market News and how it all works, the scope of organic reporting capabilities, how to use AMS Market News Portal to get organic data and reports, and how you can put these reports to personal use. Contact Jeffrey jeffrey.davis4@ams.usda.gov to get signed up today. Space is limited!

3 Our CSA is underway, with one mixed greens distribution done, and this week, we will have lettuces as well as other veggie goodies for our members. Bill, our farm manager, with the help of Mary and Erin, have been really busy weeding, watering, and harvesting the fruits of their labor to share with others. Our new wash/pack house is a great addition to our program, and is our permanent distribution site to pick-up weekly shares. This season, we are letting our members pick their own from bins based upon noted amounts given per vegetable. Mary harvesting lettuce pretty red cabbage Tomatillos

4 August 25 th & 26 th, a Summit on Local Economies (SOLE) will be held at Dakota College at Bottineau, and hosted by FARRMS and the USDA Rural Development. As a great networking environment for farmers, economic developers, and consumers, this summit will focus on economic benefits of supporting local farmers and foods. Ken Meter from Crossroads Resource Center will present Local Farm and Food Economy studies performed in western and northern ND REAP ZONES. Farmers will also be presenting on community projects, and partners are invited as vendors to share program information and local food support. FAARMs first summit with Mr. Meter was highly praised and noted on regarding his expertise and experience, and everyone is excited to have him back again this year. Here is the two day breakdown: Tuesday, August 25 th / 6 to 9 pm A pre-conference tour at Dakota College the Entrepreneurial Center for Horticulture, high tunnels and wash/pack house. Then a 20 minute carpool to Keith Knudson s Aspen Farms to check out his Aspen Aquaponics. Wednesday, August 26 th / 9 to 4 pm Join us for a full day of: Welcome & guest introductions, asset mapping, guest speaker Ken Meter, lunch, resources, working groups, and a question/answer wrap-up session. For $30, you get a wealth of information, networking, plus lunch and breaks. Register on-line before August 1 st at or download the brochure on sbalcom@farrms.org or call: for questions or vendor information.

5 Check out your community for a Farmers Market! The season has begun. Farmers Markets are gearing up for another summer of providing fresh fruits, vegetables, baked goods and homemade goodness. They are also starting to be the economic generators that an influx of small ventures can be for their communities. Farmers Markets provide a ready market for new small businesses. They are the pop up shop that allows these enterprises to flourish. Farmers Markets provide a place where excess costs don t exist, or at the very least are shared among all members of the market, making it a viable way to open a new business with little to no overhead. Each time the market sets up shop, you have a place to do business and a ready pool of customers who come expecting to spend money. Studies have shown that Farmers Markets contribute in many ways to their community, not the least of which is financially. Money spent within a community stays in a community and grows. Money spent at your local farmers market goes into the hands of the farmer who grew the produce and then recirculates through your community as that farmer buys gas, pays the students who help them harvest their goods, and pays bills at the local hardware store. The longer a dollar stays in a community, the more businesses it helps to succeed. The income from the Farmers Market may be the income that helps families continue to live on the family farm, allows them to work on the farm without off-farm jobs, assists in purchasing health care or sends the children to summer camp or buy school clothes. It may be the income that helps a person on a fixed income pay for additional medication costs or pay unexpected bills. These things all keep our community members within our communities instead of leaving to search for a more affordable way to live. Farmers Markets are also good for the quality of life. Many markets become gathering places where community members spend family time, visiting, learning, and enjoying life in their town. They are places for people to learn about healthy eating habits and gives them ready access to fresh delicious foods. Rural communities without grocery stores can make it difficult for elderly or disabled residents to access such items. The Farmers Market can bring necessary groceries right to their own home town! So now is the season. Get out there and enjoy some of the best that North Dakota has to offer. With over 50 Farmers Markets across the state, there s a good chance you ll find one in your own community! Source: Revised from Holly Mawby, ECH Blog, June 2014

6 Stay Connected! The ECH has been busy online! We are constantly updating our Facebook page with new information. Find us on Facebook by searching for the Entrepreneurial Center for Horticulture or by going directly to: Simrall Blvd. Bottineau, ND