www.sare.org publications climate-risk-management-and-resilience-on-farms-and-ranches understanding-climate-risk Understanding Climate Risk Climate risk is the additional risk to production and the farm business created by the ongoing rise in weather variability and extremes. It is expected to become an increasingly important factor in agricultural production in the years ahead. Over the next few decades, the entire United States will warm by about 2 to 4 degrees […]
www.sare.org publications climate-risk-management-and-resilience-on-farms-and-ranches introduction-7 Introduction to Climate Resilience in Agriculture Gary Price, who has produced cattle near Blooming Grove, Texas, for more than 40 years, knows something about the weather. According to him, the weather used to follow a fairly predictable pattern. “We had cold winters and then a good spring flush,” he said. “We knew when our clovers were going to start growing and could […]
www.sare.org publications how-to-conduct-research-on-your-farm-or-ranch introduction-6 what-is-on-farm-research What is On-Farm Research? David and Deborah Hansen used a SARE Farmer/Rancher grant to monitor the change in soil carbon caused when Eastern Redcedar chips were applied to native grassland pasture on their Nebraska ranch. Photo by Marie Flanagan, North Central SARE Like all natural systems, your farm or ranch is affected by environmental factors such as climate, weather, soils […]
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 other-types-of-research-farmers-can-do profile-theresa-podoll-prairie-road-organic-seed Profile: Theresa Podoll, Prairie Road Organic Seed Screening Open-Pollinated Vegetable Varieties Bred and Released in North Dakota for Suitability to Organic Production Systems and Local Markets Organic and direct-market farmers are always looking for the best crop varieties—ones that produce well in their area, are able to withstand pest and disease problems, and give them an edge in the marketplace. Many farmers […]
www.sare.org publications how-to-conduct-research-on-your-farm-or-ranch other-types-of-research-farmers-can-do market-research Market Research To run a successful business, it is critical that you understand your market, particularly if you are engaged in direct marketing or value-added production. You need to know about market trends, your customers (their needs, desires and preferences), your competitors and prices. Thorough research is necessary to gain the confidence that people will buy your […]
www.sare.org publications how-to-conduct-research-on-your-farm-or-ranch other-types-of-research-farmers-can-do qualitative-research Qualitative Research Qualitative research methods are used in many different fields, especially in the social sciences and education. With qualitative research, whatever is being studied (e.g., human behavior, animal behavior, marketing strategies, community dynamics, program effectiveness) is explored in context. Researchers look closely at the factors that influence their research population and try to correlate findings with […]
www.sare.org publications how-to-conduct-research-on-your-farm-or-ranch other-types-of-research-farmers-can-do on-farm-demonstrations-and-variety-trials On-Farm Demonstrations and Variety Trials On-farm demonstrations, like this one dedicated to cover crops that Steve Groff held on his Pennsylvania farm, help producers, researchers and educators share insights about new production practices, technologies or crop varieties. Photo by Mandy Rodrigues, SARE The beginning of this publication distinguished between on-farm research and on-farm demonstrations or variety trials. Whereas on-farm research helps […]
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 on-farm-research-for-pasture-livestock-systems tips-for-on-farm-livestock-research Tips for On-Farm Livestock Research Have good, reliable scales for livestock, feed, forage, etc. Check them often with something of known weight. Use several pens or paddocks of the same size for side-by-side, pen-to-pen comparisons. Use two or more feed storage bins for feeding trials, if you are using different diets. Allot or assign animals to the treatments carefully. The […]