Small-acreage landowners invited to organic horticulture conference Jan. 30-31.
EDINBURG, TX., Jan 23, 2009 -- As a horticulturist with the Texas AgriLife Extension Service in the Lower Rio Grande Valley, Barbara Storz says she’s often approached by landowners with questions about small-scale farming.
“People with less than 10 acres of land want to know what they can do with their properties to make some money,” she said. “Fortunately, there are several ways to go, but the first step is for landowners to gather information and meet people who can help them."
To educate and network small landowners, Storz has helped organize the 8th annual Sustainable Ag and Organic Gardening Conference. The two-day program will be held Jan. 30-31 at the Echo Hotel in Edinburg. “This conference is for people who have thought of going into farming on a small scale,” Storz said. “Maybe they are backyard gardeners who want to expand, or maybe they’re interested in growing and selling organic vegetables. Or maybe they want to start a small citrus orchard or grow high-value crops like starfruit.”
Storz said the conference is an excellent opportunity for small landowners to gain knowledge from experienced producers, researchers and farm industry professionals.
“Growing organic vegetables can be very profitable,” Storz said, “but becoming certified as an organic grower is a process. We’ll have experts on hand to explain that process, as well as organic suppliers who can provide landowners or even commercial growers with the products they’ll need to go organic.”
The conference begins Friday at 8 a.m. with a tour of the City of McAllen’s composting facility, an organic citrus farm and the Borders Farm and Packing Shed in Edinburg.
After the tour, the speakers program begins at 2:30 p.m. with talks on organic pecan production, soil minerals and fertilizers.
“We’ll also present two case studies on sustainable pastures and sustainable watermelon production,” Storz said. “A trade show will be open with very informative booths by the Texas Department of Agriculture and others, followed by a buffet dinner.”
Saturday’s program begins at 8:30 a.m. with talks on tropical fruit orchard maintenance, organic nematode and disease control, high-density citrus production and how to become a certified organic producer.
Growers can receive three continuing education units to help meet pesticide license requirements, Storz said.
“This one-stop event will offer something for anyone interested in sustainable or organic farming and gardening, especially the small landowner,” she said.
The conference is sponsored by the Sustainable Agronomic Education Association, the U.S. Department of Agriculture, AgriLife Extension, Texas Plant and Soil Lab and Earthwise Organics.
The registration fee for both days is $80, or $40 for Saturday’s program only.
For more information, contact Storz at 956-383-1026, or email b-storz@tamu.edu.
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COLLEGE STATION, TX., Jan 23, 2009 -- Extreme drought and ever-increasing costs are presenting Texas cattle producers challenges they haven’t experienced in decades, said industry experts.
“The Texas cattle industry is simultaneously having to deal with drought, increasing operational costs and a declining cattle market,” said Dr. David Anderson, Texas AgriLife Extension Service livestock marketing economist in College Station.
A combination of factors is producing a perfect storm for many of the state’s cattle producers, Anderson said.
“Along with the drought, cattle producers are having to deal with near-record high corn and soybean meal prices and increased prices for other inputs,” he said. “Producers have had to provide much more supplemental feed and nutrition to their cattle, and costs for these have gone up dramatically in recent years.”
Anderson added that while fuel prices have gone down over the past several months, they still constitute a large expense for cattle operations.
“Feed costs remain high across the board,” he said, “and hay, which is grown locally, is also in short supply due to the drought.”
Dr. Larry Redmon, AgriLife Extension state forage specialist, said the current drought conditions are much like 2006.
"We have not cut the hay we normally would have for two reasons – drought and high fertilizer prices,” he said. “Not only is our hay crop down, but it also has lower nutritive value. Those who are feeding it are likely having to feed some supplementation.”
Forages that went into the dormant, winter season were already in a “stressed and short condition." Redmon said.
“As they come out in the spring, they may be slower to come on since there is hardly any moisture stored underground in the soil profile,” he said. “As we come out of the dormant season those stressed plants will put out a few shoots and cows will be standing right on top of them ready to graze them. If we don’t get some good rainfall and if managers don't carefully consider their stocking rate, warm-season pastures this spring will have a difficult time due to excessive grazing pressure and lack of moisture.”
Winter pasture mostly has been a failure, he added.
Recent reports of cattle dying due from drought-related circumstances in different parts of the state have further demonstrated the extent of those challenges producers currently face, said Dr. Rick Machen, AgriLife Extension livestock specialist in Uvalde.
"The cattle deaths in different areas of Texas are likely drought-related; beef producers have liquidated cow numbers and reduced stocking rates to balance forage supply and demand and avoid further losses," said Machen. “Forage availability is limited in many areas. Poor growing conditions and reduced nitrogen fertilization have resulted in lower-than-normal hay quality.”
Machen noted that the Texas Veterinary Medical Diagnostic Laboratory at Texas A&M is working to help determine additional steps producers may take to help prevent further cattle deaths related to the drought.
“The three Fs – feed, fuel and fertilizer – are the major costs associated with our cattle operation,” said Rachel Bauer, AgriLife Extension agent for agriculture and natural resources in Bastrop County, and a cattle producer. “Over the past year, our operational costs have increased significantly.”
Bauer, who lost several head of cattle due to drought conditions in that area, noted that these cattle were provided with supplemental feed and nutrients to keep them healthy.
“Unfortunately, sometimes cattle go beyond their ability to recover,” she said. “There have been limited supplies of hay, and feed costs are too high to make it economical for producers to provide grain to cattle throughout the year.”
Bauer added that many cattle ranchers are realizing they need more hay than expected to weather the long term and must prepare to grow sufficient forage for cattle to feed on this coming spring.
“They have to ensure the cattle are in good condition and healthy enough to breed,” she said.
“While things may look bleak for the cattle industry now, the longer-term outlook is much better,” said Anderson. “Many cattle ranchers have been reducing the size of their cow herd and putting themselves in a better position for the future. Once the economy improves, demand for beef will increase and so will the price.”
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Texas A&M economist see very little change for cotton prices in the coming year.
COLLEGE STATION – The current economic crisis coupled with decreased demand won’t spark any immediate rally for cotton prices heading into 2009, according to a Texas AgriLife Extension Service economist.
"There are a couple of things that suggest cotton prices are going to be sideways and struggle to go higher,” said Dr. John Robinson, cotton marketing economist. “Corn will likely go a bit higher since the last two years there’s been this battle for acreage. Cotton has taken a cut in acres because prices didn’t get high enough and that was predictable. Net returns suggested people were better off planting more soybeans, wheat, etc. Cotton is much worse off now.”
Just six months ago, cotton prices were at 80 cents a pound, but now have fallen in the mid 40s. And large U.S. carryover stocks continue to loom, with ending stocks for 2008-2009 increased 900,000 bales, totaling 7.1 million bales.
“U.S. new-crop cotton is currently all going into the loan program, which has also been the case in four out of the last five years,” Robinson said. “U.S. cotton sits in there, while the Chinese uses their cotton, then Indian cotton and all of these other countries that don’t have a loan program, they can get rid of it.”
When those countries do buy U.S. cotton, typically during the May-July period, traditionally it sparks a minor upward trend in price, Robinson said. He predicts it will be June before there might be some positive trends affecting cotton prices.
"We’re not really out of this financial crisis panic-mode yet,” he said. “Real estate prices are not through unwinding and we’ve got a new administration that will be settling in. It will take quite a few months for normalcy to return. Cotton is going to continue to suffer because people are watching their spending and not buying clothes and automobiles, in which cotton is used for the interiors.”
These factors will likely lead to ‘sideways prices’ and if cotton does rise in price, “it won’t rise enough to compete with corn or soybeans,” Robinson said. He also predicts a cut in Texas cotton acreage due to competing crops such as wheat, corn and soybeans receiving more favorable prices.
Input prices continue to be high due to expensive seed and chemicals. One bright spot is the recent decline in fuel prices. If fertilizer does become cheaper, Robinson predicts more farmers will increase corn plantings over cotton, particularly in the eastern cotton belt.
To beat the current market, Robinson has some advice for cotton farmers: Stick to a sound marketing plan to avoid price risk. That can include a combination of elements.
“Basic tactics like forward contracting, selling at harvest, marketing pools, or USDA loan program are things to be looking at,” he said. “Hedging with futures and options can complement or substitute for these basic tactics.”
Robinson also encourages producers to think about taking loan deficiency payments now, marketing their cotton and buying “cheap call options as insurance against missing out on higher prices in 2009.
"By selling now, collecting a loan deficiency payment and buying a call, you are only left having to watch the New York Futures Market.”
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