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Many central U.S. swine producers switched in recent years to feeding their stock a corn-based diet. "With our recent harvests, as well as the increasing demand for corn in ethanol production, corn prices have risen dramatically - especially in comparison to milo's (grain sorghum). As a result, milo is emerging in many areas of Kansas as the more economical feed alternative," said Bob Goodband, swine specialist with Kansas State University Research and Extension. Pound for pound, milo can totally replace corn in all swine diets, he said. A milo variety's color (red, yellow, etc.) seems to have no impact on its nutrition. Kansas Ag Connection reports average daily gains of pigs fed milo-based diets have proven to be similar to those of pigs fed a corn formulation.

Sinalbin, the same compound that gives white mustard its pungent flavor, could also prove useful in fighting weeds. Agricultural Research Service (ARS) studies suggest sinalbin and other compounds released into soil by applications of white mustard seed meals can kill or suppress certain weedy grasses and annual broadleaf weeds. Agronomist Rick Boydston, with the ARS Vegetable and Forage Crops Research Unit in Prosser, Wash., is conducting the studies with plant physiologist Steven Vaughn, at the ARS National Center for Agricultural Utilization Research in Peoria, Ill. They evaluated the effects of three mustard seed application rates: half a ton, one ton and two tons per acre. Of the three, the one-ton and two-ton rates worked best in peppermint, reducing barnyard grass, green foxtail, common lambsquarters, henbit and redroot pigweed populations by 90 percent several weeks after application.

In part four of a six-part series on local foods, Patty Cantrell of the Michigan Land Use Institute’s Entrepreneurial Agriculture Program discusses some of the programs across the country that are helping local food entrepreneurs get started. Some organizations offer training for new farmers, and several state governments have grant or incentive programs to help farmers diversify. There are also programs to help aspiring local food producers find land to farm. Educational programs that train youth in agriculture and help them find financing can play a key role in launching local food entrepreneurs.

Researchers at Kansas State University looked at U.S. Environmental Protection Agency data on nitrogen and phosphorous levels in bodies of water throughout the country, and calculated the money lost from that pollution by looking at factors like decreasing lakefront property values, the cost of treating drinking water and the revenue lost when fewer people take part in recreational activities like fishing or boating. The researchers found that freshwater pollution by phosphorous and nitrogen costs government agencies, drinking water facilities and individual Americans at least $4.3 billion annually. Biology professor Walter Dodds noted that this freshwater pollution is from nonpoint sources, such as runoff from row crop agriculture across the surrounding countryside. Dodds said he anticipates the research being used by policymakers because it documents the extent of the nutrient pollution problem in the United States and one facet of why it matters.

The Texas Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association is creating a database of interested stakeholders in the first ever Texas attempt to bring to the table those who can produce, transport, mill, distribute and use reasonably priced organic feeds and forages for organic livestock in Texas. Dairymen, poultry farmers and other livestock producers need organic grains and forages to supply organic food demand in Texas. TOFGA is inviting all interested stakeholders (Grain/Forage Producers; Mills; Transporters; Livestock Producers; Organic Production Scientists, Consultants, Extension Agents & Certifiers; and Organic Restaurants, Food Co-Ops and Food Retailers) to attend Networking Sessions during the 2009 Texas Conference on Organic Production Systems (TCOOPS) February 6-8 in Killeen, Texas.

The San Francisco food policy proposed by the city's mayor is designed to connect the city to its foodshed, says an article in the San Francisco Chronicle. Experts have been meeting recently to develop a city policy that they hope will become a model for other area government agencies. While the idea of the food policy is to tie local farmers to their immediate market, the policy could extend beyond food to forge alternative energy partnerships and water conservation efforts, says the story. The food policy group is considering the issue from several aspects, including rural agriculture, food access, environmental quality, and regional identity. They plan to winnow the ideas generated by the group down to a top five that will be presented to the mayor in the spring.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) is seeking public comment on a petition to deregulate corn genetically engineered (GE) to produce a microbial enzyme that facilitates ethanol production. The petition for deregulation, submitted by Syngenta Seeds, Inc., is in accordance with APHIS’ regulations concerning the introduction of GE organisms and products and is available for the public’s review and comment. Following the comment period, APHIS makes a determination of nonregulated status if it can conclude that the organism does not pose a plant pest risk. If APHIS grants the Syngenta Seeds, Inc., petition for deregulation, the GE corn and its progeny would no longer be regulated articles. The product could then be freely moved and planted without the requirement of permits or other regulatory oversight by APHIS. Comments may be submitted online or by mail until January 20, 2009.

The Illinois Meat Goat Producers Association is working with universities in the state to arrange a meat goat buck test beginning in July 2009, reports USAgNet. Test oversight will be provided for the American Meat Goat Association by a test advisory committee including members from states in the upper Midwest. The goal is to establish standardized protocols for confinement performance tests that will help identify animals that can convert feed efficiently, and help build a sustainable meat goat industry to supply growing demand.

A report issued by the U.S. Government Accountability Office says that of the 1.8 million individuals receiving farm payments from 2003 through 2006, 2,702 had an average adjusted gross income that exceeded $2.5 million and derived less than 75 percent of their income from farming, ranching, or forestry operations, thereby making them potentially ineligible for farm payments. Nonetheless, these individuals received over $49 million in payments. GAO has recommended development of a system for verifying the income eligibility for all recipients of farm program payments.

In Minnesota, state grants are helping farmers put innovative ideas into practice, reports the Duluth News Tribune. Farmers can apply to the Minnesota Department of Agriculture for grants of up to $25,000, distributed over three growing seasons. Grant recipients are using their funding to test strategies like covering blueberry bushes with artificial snow to improve wintering ability, extending seasons for vegetable crops, and enlisting the help of pigs in clearing land of brush.

The National Organic Program has announced that it will hold several listening sessions on the “Access to Pasture” proposed rule. The rule, published October 24, proposes to amend the National Organic Program (NOP) livestock standards to clarify the role pasture plays in the production of organic ruminants. To date, sessions are scheduled for December 2 in LaFarge, Wisconsin; December 4 in Chico, California; and December 8 in Amarillo, Texas.

A team of USDA-ARS scientists led by Terry Isbell has been researching the potential of pennycress to yield a bumper crop of oil-rich seed for use in making biodiesel and other products, including an organic fertilizer and natural fumigant. Historically, pennycress has been a bane to farmers. But now, with America's quest for "homegrown" alternatives to petroleum, the plant is getting a second look. Earlier investigations by Isbell and colleagues in the ARS New Crops and Processing Technology Research Unit at Peoria indicate a single acre of field pennycress can yield 1,500 to 2,000 pounds of seed, potentially translating to 75 to 100 gallons of biodiesel.

AgriMissouri, a program within the Missouri Department of Agriculture (MDA), in partnership with the Department of Parks, Recreation and Tourism at the University of Missouri, are now conducting a survey among agricultural producers to determine how many farms are hosting visitors and the number of visitors that visit their farms each year. “We encourage everyone engaged in agritourism to take 10 or 15 minutes of their time to complete this short survey. The results of the Missouri Agritourism Survey will help the Department of Agriculture understand the producer benefits associated with agritourism such as increased revenues for farmers and community development,” said Don Steen, director of MDA. Anyone who hosts the public on their farm for an agricultural experience is encouraged to complete the Agritourism Survey.

Net farm income is forecast to be $86.9 billion in 2008, little changed from the record $86.8 billion farmers are estimated to have earned in 2007 reports the USDA's 2008 Farm Income Forecast. A large increase in the value of crop production is offset by rising production costs for the farm sector. In 2008, current commodity and input forecasts indicate that incomes will likely be lower for cotton, specialty crop, and livestock operations.

University of Kentucky Forestry Professor Deborah Brooks Hill is advising landowners not to choose plantation-style Christmas tree growing, but to plant 200 to 500 trees of mixed species in alleys, with an annual crop in the center. According to a story on Kentucky Ag Connection, this agroforestry approach prevents disease and insect problems, reduces management time, and allows landowners to generate income from several different crops on different rotations. Hill notes that in addition to Christmas trees, landowners may want to plant black locust for posts or willows for the floral industry.

A new video series “A Culture of Conservation” is now available from the Iowa Learning Farm. The series of five short videos explores the relationship humans have with soil and water and offers ways for everyone to have an active role in protecting and preserving the Earth’s natural resources. Related curriculum will be developed for middle schools, high schools and community colleges for use in the classroom by fall 2009. The videos can be shown individually or collectively and each video is approximately seven to eight minutes long.

The Kentucky Agricultural Development Board has approved more than $10 million in funding for agricultural diversification projects, reports Kentucky Ag Connection. More than half the funding is designated for continuation of agricultural loan programs that benefit Kentucky farmers. Promotion of the Kentucky Proud Program was funded at more than $3 million. In addition, the University of Kentucky was approved for $1 million in state funds to establish an endowment for the Kentucky Agricultural Leadership Program. Further funding went to county diversification programs and model programs, as well as projects such as cattle genetics improvement.

The Northeast Sustainable Agriculture Working Group is leading a year-long project to develop and support regionally focused food value chains. The project has assembled a Northeast Regional Lead Team (RLT) as part of the National Good Food Network, supported by the Wallace Center at Winrock International. The project will learn more about existing and emerging value chain initiatives in the 12-state region and seek to foster them. The RLT will oversee research, inventorying, mapping and analysis to examine existing conditions and evaluate the capacity for value chains in the Northeast.

The biennial Terra Madre gathering held last month in Turin, Italy, had more than gourmet food on its agenda, reports The Christian Science Monitor. The Slow Food movement is increasingly turning its attention to encouraging young farmers and to how agriculture can address climate change. Though the movement is sometimes criticized for elitism, and Terra Madre has come under fire for becoming more commercial, advocates say that market-building activity is what will help save local specialty crops and provide new farmers viable incomes.

The Institute for Agriculture and Trade Policy has released The Changing Climate for Food and Agriculture: A Literature Review. The 17-page PDF document (260K) reviews published resources on the topics of "How to produce more climate-friendly food," "Reconciling agricultural trade with climate change," and other related topics.

The Vermont Agency of Agriculture is conducting a general survey of processing needs for all farmers and food producers in the state. The survey is meant to provide an overview of current gaps in processing infrastructure. It will act as a supplement to recent regional or product-based studies and a starting point for groups that want to do new research in a particular area. The survey may be completed online.

Washington state’s certified organic agriculture producers say that economic factors are the primary reasons that they are farming organically, however the majority feel that their farms are contributing more to environmental and social sustainability goals than to economic sustainability goals. That is one of the findings from what is believed to be the first comprehensive survey of certified organic producers in Washington state. Jessica Goldberger, assistant professor of Community and Rural Sociology at Washington State University, conducted the survey between October and December 2007. The 356 completed surveys revealed organic producers who were 78 percent male, with a mean age of 52 and an average of 21 years as the primary farm decision-maker. Forty-one percent say they have always farmed organically. When asked about the biggest challenges to successful organic farming the high cost of organic inputs topped the list, followed by high labor costs and labor shortages, and variable or low crop yields. Still, 95 percent indicated they intend to maintain organic certification for at least the next 5 years.

The New York Farm Viability Institute has announced grants totaling $438,500 for six projects aimed at marketing and processing farm-raised food. The grants will help producers of wine grapes, maple syrup, fresh produce, value added products, bottled milk and more. The New York Farm Viability Institute is an independent, farmer-led nonprofit organization that awards grant funds to projects that help farmers increase profits. The Institute receives funds from the state legislature and Department of Agriculture and Markets. Descriptions of the funded projects are available online.

Many people are concerned about food issues and want to see more local food offered at groceries and restaurants, according to a recent food survey conducted by a University of Kentucky rural sociology class. The study, conducted through interviews with consumers at five Lexington food retail markets, showed that despite income differences, people were universally aware of food issues and wanted to see more local food offered in area grocery stores and restaurants. When asked what local actions are needed, participants responded with the need for a permanent, year-round farmers' market in Lexington, an increase in the availability of local food at grocery stores and restaurants, community support for local farming and improved education about food.

The Field & Fork Network was founded on the belief that developing a local food system is fundamental to the success and well-being of Western New York. Their mission is “to provide the building blocks to create a local food network in the eight counties of Western New York. By bringing food producers (farmers & artisans) and buyers (chefs, retailers, processors, distributors, and institutional purchasers) together, we hope to create a practical & sustainable economic engine for local agriculture.”

As part of its work to make sure environmental elements of the 2008 Farm Bill are implemented properly, Land Stewardship Project's Policy Program has developed a new Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) fact sheet. "The New & Improved Conservation Stewardship Program" (PDF/169KB) covers changes in the CSP and how contracts and payments will work.

Surface water and groundwater, irrigation, precipitation, threatened and endangered species and other water-related issues are all colorfully addressed on a "Nebraska Water Map," available free from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. "We produced the map with the idea of raising the level of interest in basic water issues and facts for all Nebraskans," said UNL Water Center assistant director Lorrie Benson, who led a coalition of cosponsors to publish the map. Nebraska Ag Connection reports the map has graphics showing the High Plains groundwater aquifer, annual precipitation, how and where water is used in Nebraska, where registered irrigation wells are located, where groundwater nitrate and atrazine contamination can be found, how groundwater and surface water interact and other information.

Golden-Globe nominated, Kentucky-raised actress Ashley Judd has joined Kentucky First Lady Jane Beshear to launch the first annual "Green Team Kentucky Online Film Festival." The Online Film Festival is a new initiative of the First Lady's Green Team designed to inspire, teach and encourage individuals to take steps to improve our environment. Films may be entered in three categories: (1) a 30-second Public Service Announcement that encourages Kentuckians to reduce their energy consumption; (2) a short film of 10 minutes or less that highlights environmentally friendly, energy-saving actions that anyone can and should perform; and (3) a short film of 10 minutes or less that presents an invention, new device or new idea that would help reduce energy consumption in Kentucky. Filmmakers can visit http://greenteam.ky.gov for the link to the festival's YouTube channel.

Agricultural Research Service (ARS) entomologist James Cane and his colleagues are discovering more about America’s native bees that pollinate pumpkins, other squashes, and gourds. Investigations such as those that Cane leads provide new details about the extent to which wild bees can help with pollination. Cane has shown, for the first time, that male Peponapis pruinosa play a surprisingly significant role in pollinating the blossoms of yellow summer squash. In the past, less than 10 percent of pollination has been attributed to male bees.