"every time Extension visits the farm we learn something new".

"with the acreage I farm (500+ acres) my nutrient management plan  saves me $50K-$60K in fertilizer purchases."

"the use of a winter rye cover crop as part of my nutrient management plan does cost me $2500 per year but it is well worth it because i get it back in fertilizer savings, and it looks much better than bare ground" 

Stories Provided by the IPM Scout Dealing with the 2007 Growing Season – 2007 Vegetable IPM Grants

IPM BUG STORIES - #1

On June 25th, the IPM scout stopped at a farmer’s place and scouted the field by his greenhouse. The scout found 19 of 25 plants (72%) infested with ECB larvae. The scout showed this to him and he sprayed the corn that evening. He told the scout that he had just checked the corn, but didn’t see any larvae until the scout pointed them out to him. This fall he told the scout that he didn’t find a single worm in any ears from that field and that he was convinced that he would have lost the entire field if the scout hadn’t pointed the damage out to him. He said that this saved him $2,000.00.

IPM BUG STORIES - #2

Another farmer told the scout that he had pretty much given up on spraying his corn because he couldn’t see that it did any good.  He’d spray and still get worms. He just couldn’t get the timing right. He simply trained his customers to accept wormy corn (the sign at his farm stand explaining this disappeared later in the year).

On August 6th, he happily told the scout that he had just finished picking a field of “worm-free” corn and “with only two sprays!” He was on happy man.

IPM BUG STORIES - #3

The scout showed up at another farm for the first time on July 3rd. The scout met the farmer and they went out to one of the fields. The scout showed him how to set up the traps and then the IPM scout showed him how to scout a field for ECB. The tasseling corn had 20 to 25% infestation but only in the most mature planting in the field. He had sprayed it four days before with Warrior and was quite sure that all the ECBs were dead. We were able to able to convince him otherwise and he came back in and sprayed with Lanate. It turns out that the one infested piece had been sprayed with old Warrior that had frozen over the winter. The scout thinks that the scouting demonstration convinced the farmer of the value of the program.

IPM BUG STORIES - #4

More or less the same thing happened at another farm. The IPM scout scouted the first field on June 27th and found 52% of the corn infested with ECB. They treated. The scout scouted again on July 3rd and they still had 50% of the corn with live larvae. They treated the corn again and this time they got them. After that, they seemed to pay more attention to their numbers. Some of their customers told the scout that while they had found worms in the early corn, the numbers dropped right off in the later stuff.

IPM BUG STORIES - #5

Near end of the growing season, one of the participating growers called the extension educator and stated "The IPM Scouting and Trapping project had failed with his last field of sweet corn!" The grower was harvesting his last planting of sweet corn and was finding 40 to 50 percent of the sweet corn ears infested with corn earworms and/or fall armyworms.

The grower was puzzled why there was such a failure, however, the extension educator knowing the farm situation ask where were the corn earworm and fall armyworm traps located compared to the worm infested sweet corn. The farmer said "OOOOH!"  The grower was harvesting two fields of sweet corn at the end of the season and the fields were five miles apart!

The field where the traps were located had NO damaged and the field where the traps were not located, had 40 to 50 percent of the sweet corn ears infested with worms. The grower had a good comparison of how the insect traps and field scouting/monitoring were working for him. Also, he was able to see how the program was reducing damage of sweet corn ears from corn earworm and fall armyworm.

             This past year, they expressed interest in whole farm planning using Holistic Management methods.  Their desire was to figure out how the farm could incorporate their kids who were returning from college.  The aim was to generate enough farm income to afford the salary of their returning children, as well as to implement the new ideas and approaches that the kids desired to bring to the farm. 

             I worked with the farmers to develop a whole farm plan that delineated assets, resources, skills and networks.  I also facilitated several goals setting sessions which provided a clear direction for the farm to advance toward.  Enterprise analysis were performed based on existing data, and new record keeping methods were implemented to collect additional data to perform more in-depth analysis.  Regular meetings were implemented for the major farm decision makers.  At these meetings new enterprises, marketing strategies, and production practices were filtered through the backdrop of the whole farm plan.

             Specific changes that have been implemented after careful thought over the past year include the significant expansion of the potato enterprise, doubling the acreage, purchasing specialized equipment, and committing to supply a major retail market.  The farm also increased their scallion enterprise and purchased additional equipment for this as well.  The blueberry operation was also increased with the addition of over 600 mature plants.  A major investment was made to add blueberry netting to reduce crop loss to birds.  The blueberry netting saved this farm an estimated $6,400.  An additional retail outlet was added in the form of a CSA which was overseen by the kids.  Wholesale accounts were doubled as a direct result of one of the kids taking charge of this area of the business.  A new record keeping system was put in place for several enterprises to track labor, a key variable for enterprise analysis. 

             Outcomes that the farmers identified resulted from the whole farm planning work include: improved communication between the major farmers and between the farmers and their farm workers, increased farm efficiency in terms of time management, additional crops added to the farm to satisfy the new markets and accounts, an expansion of their record keeping system to track labor and collect additional data, and improved quality of life including implementing vacations and days off to prevent the annual burnout that have diminished quality of life in years past.  The vacations and regularly scheduled days off have also helped address physical health issues some farmers were dealing with. 

Farm 2 -This award winning dairy farm has been around for two generations, with the adult children now primarily running and managing the farm.  I have worked with this farm over the past two years to develop a whole farm plan with assistance from dairy specialist John Porter and farm management specialist Mike Sciabarassi.     This plan was used to guide the farm through turbulent times when milk prices dipped below production costs, creating debt that precluded the farm from continuing without substantial change. 

             Using the farm taxes and other financial records, expenses were analyzed and compared against industry standards.  A menu of options were produced that included from no longer farming,  no longer milking cows, becoming a grassed based grazing operation, buying in all the corn and cropping only hay, selling part of the herd, reducing labor as well as a host of other options.

             The farmers weighed their options, maintaining a focus on their farm and family goals and decided to sell 50 milkers and 60 young stock.  They also reduced their number expense, labor by letting 5 people go.  Reducing labor was a very difficult decision yet one they had to do.  The farm increased the price of their compost by $5 per yard after we did a market analysis.  They also implemented new advertising as per our suggestions putting ads in the Concord Monitor, the Weekly Market Bulletin, the Argus Champion and local newspapers.  These new ads brought in substantial business, including one buyer who purchased six tractor trailer loads.

             The results of these actions were the ability to pay off all debt, not buy in any feed, and again enjoy a profitable operation, especially now that milk prices rose.

 Farm 3 -  This farmer is a brand new grower looking to implement and establish a tree fruit and blueberry operation.  I worked with George Hamilton, Bill Lord and Becky Grube assist this farmer in developing a crop plan.  Together we helped this farmer select appropriate varieties, develop a fertility program based on soil test information, estimate farm profitability and return on initial capital investment, labor needs, and where to borrow or lease farm equipment.  He has prepared the soil this year, including clearing trees, adding amendments to adjust soil pH and fertility, and designing the layout of the orchard and blueberry patch.  Next spring this grower intends to plant his trees and bushes.

Farm 4 - This certified organic vegetable farm crops 15 acres and serves a number of different markets across NH.  Their market outlets include a large CSA, three farmers markets, wholesaling to several food coops, and retail at the farm.  The farmer also has a professional off farm job and found that managing both was too demanding.  The farmer attended one of my whole farm planning courses and we have worked together ever since. 

             We developed a whole farm plan using the Holistic Management method and also performed enterprise analysis and market analysis.  This work resulted in the delineation of the farms assets, resources, setting a clear farm goal, evaluating the profitability of the different markets and enterprises, and making some hard decisions about the direction his farm is moving in. 

             When asked how our work together impacted him economically, he said that he was better off this year than last due to decisions he made using our work.  He is profitable and feels secure economically.  Likewise, when asked about how some of the major decisions impacted his farmland and the farm’s natural resources, he said he has gained on weed issues and increased organic matter content.  He also improved the drainage of his wet fields which allows him to crop a greater area.  Finally, he said his quality of life is far better, everything has improved.  He said he has far less stress, sleeps better, is accomplishing personal goals and has far greater satisfaction in his life now. 

             Currently, he is using the farm pan to determine what crops and what markets he will sell to next season. Likewise, he is using this plan to determine his labor needs and decide what kind of farm manager he wants to hire.  Our work on enterprise analysis continues, as we try to increase farm profitability even higher.

Farm 5 -  These farmers established a grass-based organic beef operation several years ago.  They retail their beef at both the farm and at a local farmers market.  They also sell organic hay and compost, as well as endeavor in other selected enterprises.  They desired to create a farm plan that would eventually result in the farm supporting their whole family with no off farm income necessary.  I worked with this farm to develop a farm plan that identified their farm assets and resources and established a clear farm and family goal. I also worked with the farm to develop a family budget and perform enterprise analysis to determine the profitability of the different farm enterprises.  We then collated the different enterprises to determine the overall farm profitability.  This led to brainstorming new ways to generate enough farm profit to meet the family budget over time.  A product of our work together includes a draft business plan for their farm.  I also helped them set up and taught them how to use Quicken to track both farm and family finances.

    Other county educators and specialists assisted this farm in their planning too.  Carl Majewski helped them with their forage planning and projections, and dairy specialists John Porter and Mike Lunac and farm management specialist Mike Sciabarrasi  assisted them with projections for a milk enterprise.

     As a result of their work with UNHCE county educators and specialists, they have improved their financial record-keeping system, they raised the price on some products to reflect input costs more accurately, and they modified the mix of enterprises on the farm.  They also have measured the profitability of their market outlets and will make changes to increase these profits, including potentially dropping certain markets.  The farmers feel they've saved money and improved their farm’s profitability.  They also have a plan that they can implement over time, as well as modify with additional data.  They said that our work together has helped them a lot and gave them confidence in their management, problem solving, and out of the box decision making.  “We are moving slowly and carefully, but we are moving forward,” one farmer said to me.

Farm 6 - This land trust has preserved over 260 acres.  Their mission is to preserve land, provide farming opportunities for low income people, and to educate their surrounding communities on sustainable living practices. I have worked with this organization a great deal over the past five years.  This year we revamped a whole farm plan over the course of six sessions.  I utilized strategic planning techniques, Holistic Management methodology, and action planning.

    The result of our work together included developing a new/modified whole farm plan that incorporates the input of the new land trust members.  This plan was used to make several major decisions including how to manage the land trust’s debt, how many new members to accept, developing a selection method, what to do with existing house lots, and how to energize the Board of Directors.  The whole farm plan also guided decisions regarding new enterprises to pursue, public record keeping systems, and other issues the land trust was facing. 

Farm 7 - Dairy specialist John Porter and I worked together with these two farms to create a lease that governs land, building and equipment rental and use.  These farmers had a previously existing lease, but changing conditions rendered it unsatisfactory.  This new lease took into account these changing conditions and both farms feel it was a win/win situation. 

Farm 8 - This farm is one of the highest grossing blueberry operations in my county.  Last year I worked with these farmers to help facilitate a farm sale.  The growers could not agree on price and the farm was scheduled to be sold on the open market, most likely to be developed as a private residence.  I worked with the original owners to develop a retirement plan and set goals and analyze financial needs.  This information empowered the farmers to see that they desired seeing their farm continue as farm while also realizing they needed less income than they thought.   As a result a new price was agreed upon along with a working agreement for mentoring the new farmer.  Farm management specialist Mike Sciabarrasi helped all the farmers determine their best approach for purchasing the farm.  A multi-year installment sale was agreed upon and as directed by Mike, the farmers finalized plans with their attorneys and accountants. 

             This past year was a successful one for the three farmers.  Farm profits were very good, relationships between the farmers were excellent, with the veteran farmers providing guidance and tutelage to the new grower.  The new grower implemented several changes including new value added products.  In fact UNHCE hosted a twilight meeting at this farm. 

             One farmer said that “the planning process got everyone on the same page and that we could not have done it without you.”  He went on to say that all involved had a great summer.

 Farm 9 -These growers contacted me for assistance with whole farm planning.  They attended a two day course on Holistic Management for whole farm planning.  At the course they developed a draft farm plan.  This plan has helped them focus and has provided them direction.  By having this direction, one farmer said that it gave them great emotional satisfaction to know that they were headed in the right direction, despite not being there yet. 

             The farm plan and decision making process ahs also helped them decide on new products, including adding pickles and baked goods.  Another decision they made was not to grow corn but buy it in wholesale instead.  They decided on alternative crops to grow on the land they would have used for corn.  They feel they sold more corn this way and had the land for other crops they sold at the farm stand. 

             The farmer told me that the planning process and farm plan that resulted helped them think outside the box.  Such thinking has helped them with new marketing ideas and helped them determine the crop mix they would grow and the crops they would buy in for the stand. There is more work to do, including more financial analysis one farmer told me, but they are satisfied with the past year and will continue to develop their farm plan.

 Farm 10 -This certified organic farm is a longstanding sustainable operation that is now looking to incorporate adult children and their partners onto the farm.  The farm has successfully preserved hundreds of acres of land in a densely populated part of the state.  Family members have different ideas on farm enterprises, with several alternative enterprises in the mix.  I was approached by members of the farm to engage them in Holistic Management to develop a whole farm plan.  

            My work with the farm included several farm visits and also working with this group at a two day workshop I put together on whole farm planning with Holistic Management.  This family also attended a day long workshop on holistic financial planning.

             They now have a whole farm plan that has succeeded in getting everyone on the same page moving in the same direction. As the summer grew busy, they moved away from using the plan but are eager to re-group and use the plan to assess the direction they move in next year.  New enterprises will be assessed, participation by different family members, and other major decisions.  The farmers were quite pleased with the process, as well as with the impacts that resulted.

Farm 11 -This farm is a small grass-based beef and dairy operation selling raw milk and cut wrapped beef.  The farm consists of two farm families, a father and mother and their son and daughter-in-law.  This family was looking for a farm plan to guide their business decisions and help them with their grazing methods.  They attended a two-day course on Holistic Management and a follow up course on holistic financial planning.

             When asked how the work we did together helped them, one farmer told me that their farm plan serves as a guide to follow when they are out doing chores.  He said it helps him to know the principals to follow for environmental and financial sustainability.  He also said that the financial planning process sticks in his head, especially the part about planning for profitability and not just “taking what is left.”   Additionally the farmer said it got his family on the same page.

             In terms of grazing, they now do a much better job of tracking grass and cattle conditions and moving the cattle accordingly.  As a result of their attention to grazing, they were able to have a green lush pasture even during the drought periods this summer.  Usually that is not the case.

8 commercial farms reviewed and updated their nutrient management plans on 3500 acres of corn and forage.  The majority of the corn (1500+ acres) received only manure at the recommended rates and no additional fertilizer.  Fifty percent of the remaining acreage of forage (2000) received only manure at the recommended rates and no additional fertilizer.

“These Vegetable IPM Program are being partially funded through the New Hampshire Department of Agriculture, Markets & Foods - Integrated Pest Management Grant Program.”  Three grants funded this project with over $14,500 supporting hiring of a scout, travel expenses and the cost of traps, lures and supplies. All eighteen growers responded positively regarding their use of scouting and trap counts in making spray decisions to reduce spray applications and with their confidence in the spray recommendations.

Sweet Corn Monitoring Impact Statement  - October, 2007:

During the 2007 growing season, we monitored fourteen farms in Hillsborough County for European Corn Borer, Corn Earworm and Fall Armyworm (which are sweet corn insect pests) with pheromone traps. Corn Earworm and Fall Armyworm are unpredictable pests that can cause major damage and monitoring this year resulted in large savings.

The greatest savings were on farms of direct participants (439 acres of sweet corn) in Hillsborough County.  In the early part of the season there was less need for spraying because the insects were not here.  Overall, the growers saved 2 insecticide applications per acre ($21/acre X 439 acres = $9,219). Later in the season, there was an increase in earworm and fall armyworm numbers, and our work reduced culling of earworm-damaged corn. We quickly passed the news to other Hillsborough County and New Hampshire sweet corn growers.  With sweet corn selling for $5-6 per dozen, and production at 1000 dozen/acre, we estimated the overall impact was eliminating more than 50 dozen culled ears/acre on 439 acres ($110,000 saving).

Squash Vine Borer Monitoring Impact Statement - October, 2007: 

During the 2007 growing season, we conducted an on-farm IPM trapping project for squash vine borer on eight farms (197.5 acres).  Squash vine borer is a major insect pest of pumpkin, winter, summer squash and giant pumpkins.  Overall, the growers saved 1 insecticide application per acre ($10.50/acre X 197.5 acres = $2,074 saving or a reduction of 52 gallons of pesticide not applied). Dealing with this on-farm IPM trapping project, two types of pheromone traps were compared, where we found one type of pheromone trap was not effective in catching the male squash vine borers compared to the two types of traps.

Pepper Maggot Monitoring Impact Statement  - October, 2007: 

During the 2007 growing season, we conducted an on-farm IPM trapping survey for pepper maggot on seven farms. In 2006 pepper maggot was first detected in the state of New Hampshire in Rockingham County, near the ocean. However, in 2007, pepper maggot was not trapped at any of the Hillsborough County farm sites resulting in not needing to apply any insecticide applications for pepper maggot.

11 growers (40%) adopted diverse pest management practices. These practices include increased scouting for diseases and insect pests. One grower worked to improve drainage in the raspberry field to control phtophthora root root. The grower also adopted the use of disease control products following recommendations from UNH Cooperative Extension. Two other raspberry growers adopted the use of recommended disease control products and proper pruning practices to anthracnose, spur and cane blight diseases. Two vegetable growers have adopted the use of OMRI registered products to control corn ear worm. Three fruit growers have adpoted new practices in the control of two spotted and European red mites. Greenhouse growers have adopted more scouting and use of sticky cards for control of insect pests. Growers have also learned and adopted the practice of alternating pesticides by their chemical class.

An Agro-Forestry Conference in NH's nothcountry - E4

Representing UNH Extension, working with a broad coalition - PSU, NHDA, USDA, other interested groups put together a 2 day conference at Plymouth State University. Brought together landowners, businesses, educational groups interested in finding ways to enhance the economic development of the region's agro-forest resources in environmentally sustainable ways.