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October 20, 2009
· Consumer trust is key issue for US farmers
· Researchers put Florida in the pumpkin patch
· Climate bill unfriendly to agriculture – AFBF
· Solar-heated water warms Oregon nursery
· Canadian growers deliver a blunt message
Consumer trust is key issue for US farmers
(Wire Services) – Consumers still trust farmers -- they just need their confidence restored in some aspects of the food system.
Those were some of the conclusions from a "consumer
trust" survey commissioned by the Center for Food Integrity. Highlights
from the survey were presented last week at the 4th Annual 2009 Food System
Summit in
Consumers still trust farmers, but aren't sure what we are doing is still farming.
"That is a challenge in building consumer trust," said Center for Food Intregity CEO Charlie Arnot. "As an industry, we've tended to rely on science and attacking our attackers," said Arnot. "That's not working. We need to build consumer trust and confidence in the food system."
The research indicated that the contemporary food system is not perceived as being consistent with the understanding or values of consumers or with the positive attributes historically assigned to farmers. Voices questioning current food systems practices are increasing in number and volume.
Arnot says research revealed that the target the food system industry should focus on are the early-adopters who are the agents of change and will drive social change. "They are the opinion leaders and gatekeepers of their social groups, and information seekers," he said. "They are more likely to believe and be impacted by education as long as it is not perceived as self-interest; it must be objective and balanced."
As a group, early-adopters are more educated, have a higher social status, are information seekers, have a favorable attitude toward science and are favorable toward change. Early-adopters also prefer to get their information on the food system from online sources, followed by cable TV. "This all works to our advantage," Arnot said.
Key findings of the survey included:
# Consumers hold farmers/producers, themselves and food companies/processors primarily responsible for food safety.
# Consumers continue to trust themselves and those who prepare food in their homes more than any others.
# Consumers place a high amount of trust in farmers and food companies for food safety.
# Consumers hold farmers primarily responsible for humane treatment of farm animals.
# Consumers lack confidence and trust in any food system segment for ensuring the humane treatment of farm animals.
# Consumers hold farmers primarily responsible for sustainability.
# Consumers lack confidence and trust in any food system segment for ensuring sustainability.
# Consumers hold themselves, farmers and food companies primarily responsible for nutrition.
# Consumers lack confidence and trust in any food system segment for ensuring nutrition.
Researchers put Florida
(Gainesville.com) – Every October, Americans embark on a quest that is part of a longstanding fall tradition: The search for the perfect pumpkin.
The national demand for these festive, orange fruits
provides an economic boost every fall for the agricultural sectors of many
states, but
However, researchers from the
In the past, pumpkins have almost never been grown
successfully in
In fact, as few as one in five of Florida's growing seasons have a chance at success, said Bob Hochmuth, an extension agent at UF's North Florida Research and Education Center in the Suwannee Valley.
Researchers believe that these dismal odds stem from the
fact that pumpkins must be grown during the summer in order to be ready for
consumption in fall. This means that they are subjected to
Hurricanes put farmers at risk of crop losses, while summer heat decreases the vitality of plants, and humidity and heavy rainfall set the perfect conditions for crops to be ravaged by pests and disease.
Pumpkins are very vulnerable to a wide range of voracious pests, such as worms and whiteflies, as well as diseases, such as fungal infection, downy mildew, bacterial leaf spot, anthracnose and gummy stem blight.
Although these challenges might seem daunting, UF researcher
Doug Gergela, who works at the Florida Partnership
for Water, Agriculture and Community Sustainability in
Gergela and his assistants
experimented with different plant varieties and various horticultural
techniques, and they were able to overcome many of the problems that have
always plagued pumpkins in
Gergela identified at least seven
varieties of pumpkin that seem to be hardy enough to grow in
He uses a special irrigation system to water the plants from underneath the soil and avoid the mildews that occur when standing water accumulates on humid days.
Gergela also protects the plants from whiteflies by using silver reflective mulch that acts as a deterrent.
To control for the majority of other diseases and pests, he and his team developed a routine of spraying the plants with special pesticides and fungicides.
These methods have led to some rather bountiful harvests.
Gergela has just begun harvesting his pumpkin crop for this year, and he expects a yield of almost 15 tons from his 1 1/2-acre plot.
Although these results seem to prove that there is potential for growing pumpkins in Florida, Gergela also acknowledged that, in order to succeed, farmers need to be willing to put in a bit more time and effort than they do with some other crops.
"It takes some tender loving care," he said. "You have to baby this crop."
For those farmers who are willing to do the work, Gergela said he would be able to confidently recommend growing strategies, but the next big question he seeks to answer is whether growers will be able to make enough money to support their enterprises.
"Is it economical to grow? That is the question that every farmer wants to know," Gergela said. "And the answer is maybe."
Competition from northern farmers will probably prevent
Alan Hodges, an extension scientist in the UF Food and Resource Economics Department, explained that "pick-your-own" pumpkin patches are a popular form of agritourism in some states.
Pick-your-own pumpkin patches allow families to visit a farm and select a pumpkin directly from the fields for a price. This price is often greater than the wholesale value of a pumpkin, but patrons give up the few extra dollars willingly for the opportunity to spend some time in the countryside and see the inner workings of an active farm.
Climate bill unfriendly to agriculture – AFBF
(AFBF)
“
The bill, authored by Sens. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) and John Kerry (D-Mass), seeks to reduce
“The Waxman-Markey bill, passed narrowly by the House this summer, did at least include credits to farmers for carbon-storing or carbon management practices. The Senate bill does not guarantee any benefits to agriculture for carbon sequestration,” Stallman said.
Another major concern for Farm Bureau is that the Boxer-Kerry bill would not prevent the Environmental Protection Agency from continuing to move forward to fully regulate all greenhouse gases under the Clean Air Act. The bill also does nothing to provide alternative sources of energy to fill the energy deficit left by the reduction in fossil fuels, nor does it prevent the EPA from using controversial indirect land use principles that penalize ethanol, according to Stallman.
“This bill does not realistically address
“Both the Senate and House bills would bring higher fuel and
fertilizer costs to American farmers and ranchers, which puts us at a
competitive disadvantage in international markets with other countries that do
not have similar carbon emission restrictions,” Stallman said. “For the future
prosperity of the
Solar-heated water warms Oregon
(KOMONews.com
via The Oregonian) – CORNELIUS,
Both are at play in the project rising from the ground at her 130-acre Blooming Nursery. There, workers are installing an array of towering solar panels that will stretch nearly the length of the nursery's 700-foot driveway. Nearby, a crew is applying insulating foam to a covered concrete tank that will hold 300,000 gallons of water.
When finished, it will be
The system is so immense and the tank so well insulated that it will retain heat for months. Dinsdale expects to use her existing natural gas heating system only as a backup. She'll continue to use natural gas in two other large greenhouses.
It's a project of great interest to the state's 2,130
nurseries, which produce potted houseplants, vegetable starts, and trees,
flowers and bushes for outdoor landscaping. Nurseries are the leading sector of
"The long-term trend is established - energy is going to become more expensive," said John Aguirre, director of the Oregon Association of Nurseries. "You overlay that with general concern about issues like climate change, and there is strong motivation to become more efficient users of energy."
Dinsdale declined to disclose the project's cost - "You don't want to know; I don't want to know," she said - but said her heating bill is $150,000 a year.
A 50 percent tax write-off - available under
"If the tax incentives weren't there, we wouldn't do a solar system," she said. "It was what we wanted to do, and thankfully we were able to because of the incentives in place."
The system was designed by Ra Energy, a
Tim Ruch, a Ra Energy partner, said Dinsdale and her general manager approached him at a trade show and asked if it was possible to design a system for the nursery. The engineering and financing took nearly two years, and construction began late this summer.
A thermal flywheel will store heat in the heavily insulated concrete vault for months, with water at the back of the vault approaching 200 degrees, Ruch said. It cools over time, circulating in the greenhouse floor at about 80 degrees. Ruch said the system will save enough in natural gas consumption to heat 200 homes.
"This is a success story. This puts money back in your pockets," he said.
Nursery owners have reduced natural gas, fuel, water and fertilizer usage, but the solar thermal project at Blooming Nursery marks the next level of sustainability, said Stephanie Page, renewable energy specialist with the Oregon Department of Agriculture.
"It's a great model for others to look at, and definitely something we support," Page said.
Dinsdale said the heating system will allow her to diversify the type of plants she grows in the greenhouse, adding a degree of flexibility in a business where markets and trends change. "We could do tropicals," she said. "There's a good market for bold foliage."
But she said the solar thermal system is "not just an economic project."
Dinsdale grew up on the farm, raking stalls and feeding calves when it was a dairy. She's the second-youngest of 11 children, and the only one to step forward when her mother announced she intended to sell it. The property had been her childhood wonderland, and she couldn't stand the thought of it passing out of the family. She returned home, turned it into a nursery, bought out her siblings and has been at Blooming Nursery ever since.
If she has anything to say about it, the land will always be a farm. The solar thermal system, which could last 30 to 50 years, will help the farm survive in what Dinsdale believes will be a changing economy.
"I see everything shifting during this period," she said. "We can see trends. It's quite clear we need to develop versatility, grow diverse crops and control and even reduce our costs."
A renewable energy system is key to the farm thriving even after she's gone.
"The way I see it is, it's really about the nursery," she said. "Being a steward of the nursery."
Canadian growers deliver a blunt message
(The
Standard) –
That was the blunt message delivered last week by two
leaders of
Brenda Lammens, chair of the Ontario Fruit and Vegetable Growers' Association and Len Troup, chair of the Ontario Tender Fruit Producers' Marketing Board, met with Hudak at Troup's farm in Jordan Station.
They discussed chronic problems facing provincial tender fruit and vegetable growers.
They told Hudak fierce competition, skyrocketing costs and excessive regulation is battering the industry.
Without support, including a risk-management program,
"you may not have a horticulture industry around here within the next five
years in
Troup added the problem is heightened by "ever-increasing costs, many of them driven by regulation and legislation and (they're) big increases.
"When we go to the marketplace to try and pass (the costs) through, we simply cannot do it, because of the competition factor.
"This has been building and the banks have been patient ... we must show a profit."
Hudak, the MPP for Niagara West- Glanbrook, said the meeting reinforced the dire state of the provincial fruit and vegetable sector.
"Sadly, that means that many farms here in west Niagara and other parts of southern Ontario in the horticulture sector are at risk ... are on the brink," he said.
At the meeting, Lammens presented
a proposal for a new risk-management program for
The premium-based provincial government initiative would provide production insurance to growers, to protect them from rising costs and falling returns.
Payments would happen when market prices fall below a predetermined industry price for a commodity.
In response, Hudak said he and Conservative agriculture critic Ernie Hardeman "would continue to call attention to the crisis (faced) by fruit and vegetable growers in our province."
"I have always supported improved risk-management programs to help our farmers though tough times."
Hudak also responded to new provincial wine rules announced this week that seek to help grape growers and wineries.
It provides a focus and financial support for wines made with all-domestic (Vintners Quality Alliance) grapes.
It will require a short-term increase in wineries' overall
Cellared in
Among the measures, legislation would be introduced to eliminate the domestic content requirement for blended wines by 2014.
"I think the Cellared in
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