www.sare.org publications climate-risk-management-and-resilience-on-farms-and-ranches understanding-climate-risk crop-and-livestock-sensitivity-to-a-changing-climate Crop and Livestock Sensitivity to a Changing Climate Sensitivity refers to how the individual elements of the production system—crops, livestock, pests and diseases, land, infrastructure and people—respond to climate-related events. Because the sensitivity of your operation is a result of the interaction between the elements of your operation and the local climate challenges you may face, it is very place-based and farm specific. […]
www.sare.org publications 30-years-of-sare marketing goat-dairy-thrives-in-new-retail-markets Third-Generation Dairy Thrives in New Kansas City Markets Learn about SARE's broader impact on marketing in the United States. "I wanted to know where the biggest bang for my buck would be, where I could spend my money and be the most successful."Janet Smith, Borgman’s Farmstead Dairy The Challenge With the number of Missouri dairies steadily declining, Janet Smith, the third-generation owner of Borgman’s […]
www.sare.org publications 30-years-of-sare marketing Sustaining Communities Through Local Foods and Marketing For decades now, the opportunity to earn a premium through local sales has been a boon for U.S. farmers and ranchers. Nearly 164,000 farms generated $6.1 billion in direct-market sales in 2012, according to USDA statistics. Local sales are made through a variety of marketing avenues that SARE grantees have been implementing, evaluating and refining […]
www.sare.org publications 30-years-of-sare people The Social Components of Sustainable Agriculture Across the country, the farmer population is aging and the number of new farmers is shrinking. Compared to their male counterparts, fewer women are principal farm operators and they earn less. Minorities are farming in greater numbers but likewise have below-average incomes. Overall, the number of farms and farmland acreage are both steadily declining. Farmers […]
www.sare.org publications 30-years-of-sare grazing Ecology and Economics of Grazing for Beef and Dairy Price volatility, environmental concerns and new technologies are driving considerable change in the beef and dairy industries. Changing economic conditions have pushed many out of business: The number of dairy farms in the United States has decreased by 40 percent and the number of beef cow operations dropped 5 percent between 2007 and 2012. There […]
www.sare.org publications 30-years-of-sare soil-health a-lasting-commitment-to-cover-crops Profile: Farmer Network Fosters a Lasting Commitment to Cover Crops Learn about SARE's broader impact on soil health in the United States. We need to change the regional conversation around cover crops, farming ‘norms’ and soil health. The best way to do that is to support people willing to experiment. Robin Moore, Land Stewardship Project The Challenge Cover crops are increasingly recognized as one of […]
www.sare.org publications 30-years-of-sare soil-health Building Soil Health With Cover Crops and Other Strategies The age-old practice of building soil with cover crops was just resurfacing when SARE first started offering grants in 1988, and the program dug right in. Nearly a quarter of SARE funding in that first year supported projects to improve soil health and nutrient availability, mostly through cover crops. SARE’s investment has continued through the […]
www.sare.org publications how-to-conduct-research-on-your-farm-or-ranch other-types-of-research-farmers-can-do profile-good-natured-family-farms Profile: Good Natured Family Farms Getting to the Meat of the Matter: In-Story Surveying Informs Beef Producers In 1997, before members of a Kansas City, Mo., cooperative that wanted to market “natural” meat and other farm products began soliciting area grocery stores, they conducted a comprehensive, SARE-funded marketing research effort. Working with scientists at Kansas State University, Good Natured Family […]
www.sare.org publications how-to-conduct-research-on-your-farm-or-ranch on-farm-research-for-pasture-livestock-systems profile-harry-cope-cope-grass-farms Profile: Harry Cope, Cope Grass Farms Skip-Row Corn Planting Techniques with Cover Crops for Sustainable Grazing Missouri farmer Harry Cope uses trays to estimate the percentage of cover crop seeds that reached the ground when broadcast into standing corn. He experimented with skip-row corn planting to see if it would improve germination and establishment of a cover crop mix of peas, […]
www.sare.org publications how-to-conduct-research-on-your-farm-or-ranch basic-statistical-analysis-for-on-farm-research profile-clarissa-mathews-redbud-farm Profile: Clarissa Mathews, Redbud Farm Integrated Trap Crop and Pheromone Trap System for Organic Management of Brown Marmorated Stink Bug Photo by Clarissa Mathews Like many farmers in the United States, Clarissa Mathews is striving to manage the brown marmorated stink bug on her 50-acre farm in West Virginia. This stink bug feeds on a wide range of crops and […]