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www.uvm.edu/extension/cvcrops
http://blog.uvm.edu/cvcrops/
http://blog.uvm.edu/cvcrops/newsletter/
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Contact a Member of the TEAM!!
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UVM Extension Agronomist
(802) 388-4969 ext.332
Agronomy Outreach
ACAP Program
(802) 388-4969 ext.338
Agronomy Outreach
SWAT Program
(802) 388-4969 ext.347
Grazing Outreach
SWAT Program
(802) 388-4969 ext. 346
Agronomy Outreach
ACAP Program
(802) 558-6470
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CV Crop, Soil & Pasture Team
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UVM Extension helps individuals and communities put research-based knowledge to work.
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 Ask ELSIE
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Q: ELSIE...
Have you heard if Cheryl, CV Crops resident Grazing Specialist, has had her baby yet
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Answer :
Yes...Cheryl and her husband, Marc welcomed their baby girl,
Normandie Fleurette, to the world on January 17th, one day after her due date and thankfully, during the January thaw. All are doing well and getting ready for the spring at Meeting Place Pastures in Cornwall. Cheryl even put together an article for this month's newsletter on grazing charts...already a Super Mom!!
Welcome, Norie!!
 | | Introducing Normandie Fleurette Cesario, born January 17th, 2014 at 7:06 am |
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If you would like to Ask ELSIE? a question, please email her by clicking HERE.
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FARM NEWS & EVENTS
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Dairy Legislative Reception -
Thursday, March 13th
4:00 - 6:00 pm
Vermont State House
CEDAR CREEK ROOM Montpelier, VT
Here is your opportunity to chat with elected officials about your concerns. Come early and sit in on the committee discussion.
Please contact Jane Clifford if you have questions.
Jane Clifford
Executive Director
Green Mt Dairy Farmers
802-233-9563
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2014 10th Annual Grain Growers Conference
"Grow It Here"
Thursday, March 13, 2014
10:00 - 5:00
The Essex Resort,
Essex, VermontCost is $45 per person Register and get more info HERE**************************
Adapt-N TrainingApril 3rd, 201411:00 am to 3:30 pm Webinar location hosted at UVM Extension - MiddleburyAgriculture professionals and corn growers are invited to attend this training on Adapt-N...an adaptive Nitrogen management tool that provides you with dynamic sidedress nitrogen recommendations for your corn crop as the season progresses. With daily weather information and detailed modeling, this tool provides you with daily nitrogen recommendations for your corn crop, adapting the recommendation as your management and weather conditions change through the season. Learn more about this tool and get hands-on training on how to use it. For more information, http://adapt-n.cals.cornell.edu/
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Funding for the Champlain Valley Crop, Soil & Pasture Team and the programs and resources we offer is provided by the following organizations: - UVM Extension
- Lake Champlain Basin Program
- Great Lakes Fishery Commission
- USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service
- VT Agency of Natural Resources
- VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
- USDA-Risk Management Agency
- NE-SARE Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education
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Issued in furtherance of Cooperative Extension work, Acts of May 8 and June 30, 1914, in cooperation with the United States Department of Agriculture. University of Vermont Extension, Burlington, Vermont.
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University of Vermont Extension, and U.S. Department of Agriculture, cooperating, offer education and employment to everyone without regard to race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, political beliefs, sexual orientation, and marital or familial status.
If you would no longer like to receive this newsletter, feel free to Unsubscribe by clicking the SafeUnsubscribe™ button at the bottom of this newsletter.
Although, we hope you won't!
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| News and Events
For Vermont Farmers in the Lake Champlain Watershed
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Town Meeting day was bitter cold and it seems spring may be late this year? You know there are no sure bets when it comes to spring thaw and green up. It seems the weather sure is not very forgiving these days. My concern is that April 1st rolls around and the ground is not really set for manure spreading, but the Vermont state law and the Accepted Agricultural Practices (AAPs) says it is OK to spread. I heard it loud and clear - the first trip over a field creates 70% of all the compaction you will have in the soil for that year. That is a lot of damage if trucks or tanks run over ground that is still too wet to work in the spring. I know that getting a jump on spring work is critical to getting a crop in on time, but the damage to soils by working them too soon, or driving on them too soon can set you back more than what you gain by a few days early planting. I have heard a lot about soil health this winter and I think it is true. A good healthy field with "good soil structure" and "good water infiltration permeability" will make you more money in the long run. AND water going down into the soil where it belongs means less runoff from fields and therefore reduces Ag Non-Point Source Pollution. Wet and Compacted soils can be ripped up and pulverized to make a good enough seed bed, but surely you just lost money on the deal through lost time, higher fuel costs and likely lower yields. And the water will still run off.
The national movement toward a corn system that has a green cover crop during the winter and into the spring has been shown over and over again to dry out the soil quicker. YEAH BUT......
No-Till corn on clay soil can be done in the right situation, at the right point in a planned no-till system that includes proper soil tile drainage, pre sub-soiling, the right planter, the right amount of earthworms and soil microbes, the right timing, and a good cover crop. YEAH BUT......
The water quality in Lake Champlain needs to be improved, and farmers will be on the front line to take charge and make the big difference in how much PHOSPHORUS and SOIL go down the ditches and into the Lake. YEAH BUT......
YEAH BUT...... Just doesn't hold up for the farmers who are excited to try new ways to farm. They take on the challenges of changing how cows are fed or crops are grown. They FIND A NEW WAY that takes brains, money, time and innovation to move ahead. They came to the Vermont No-Till and Cover Crop Symposium, The Vermont Dairy Producers Conference, Local Agribusiness Events, The Farm Show and a lot more opportunities this winter to get new ideas.
I never said it was easy to change farming methods.
I never said I knew how to do all this.
I just know that a lot of smart farmers in Vermont WILL figure out how to blend new farm practices with cleaning up Lake Champlain. That will be the key... Farmers who come up with ideas on how to make it work here in Vermont, and share it with other farmers.
We can help a bit. I look at all the projects we at UVM Extension in Middlebury have planned for this year. No-Till corn planter workshops, Aeration Tillage on grass with Nitrogen, No-Till and Zone-Till Corn, Multi-species cover crop trials, inter-seeded hay fields, No-Till Soybeans with a cover crop, Radish and Rye covers, Annual warm season crops for more grazing during the heat of summer, helicopter cover crop seeding. How about helping us with some farm shots of "GOOD PRESS" for the public this summer about what farmers have done and are continuing to do to manage farms and keep water clean? How about joining with farmer groups like the CHAMPLAIN VALLEY FARMER COALITION who can speak up to guide the TMDL process at the state and federal level?
I'm just saying. Maybe it can be done sooner, rather than later.
Jeff Carter
UVM Extension Agronomy
http://www.uvm.edu/extension/cvcrops
https://www.facebook.com/ChamplainCropSoilPasture
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COVER CROP CORNER
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No-Till & Cover Crop Symposium Recap
by Kirsten Workman
The inaugural No-Till and Cover Crop Symposium was held at the Burlington Sheraton on February 19 and 20th with much success. Over 140 people attended over the course of two days, we heard 14 presentations, had 19 sponsors and exhibitors and started some fantastic conversations about how Vermont farmers are hoping to improve their soil health in 2014.
We heard from farmers, researchers, crop advisers, and extension specialists from Pennsylvania, Ohio and VERMONT. Many of you were in the audience. If not, you can see some of the presentations and proceedings at the conference website: http://blog.uvm.edu/cvcrops/2014-no-till-cover-crop-symposium/. We are adding presentations to the website daily, so please keep checking or call the office if you are looking for something in particular
 | | Some great discussions were had during the symposium. |
Over the course of these two days we heard about
how soil health is good for the environment, water quality and public perception...and even better, it is good for your farm. Better water infiltration in high rainfall events, better water holding capacity during droughts, higher yields, and more profitability. None of this will happen overnight, but as you start to implement Soil Health Systems on your farm, you will see some of the benefits in short order.
20 Million Acres Cover Cropped by 2020!
by Kirsten Workman
One day before our conference, the opening session of the National Conference on Cover Crops and Soil Health ( https://sites.google.com/a/swcs.org/2014-omaha-cover-crops-conference/home) being held in Omaha, Nebraska was broadcast over the internet to over 200 locations across the country, including at our office in Middlebury. At this conference growers, researchers, extension educators, and industry representatives discussed how to increase the acres of cover crop seeded by 500% to reach 20 million acres by 2020. Although seemingly a steep challenge, I think it can be done. There are lots of logistics that need to be worked out (more seed availability, better equipment to do the job, more research, etc.), but it seems the momentum has swung and there are plenty of resources to get the job done.
In Vermont less than 20,000 acres were cover cropped in 2013, of the total of about 105,000 acres that are planted to annual crops. If we could double (or triple) that number, we would be well on our way. What can you do this year to increase your cover cropped acres?? Here are some ideas....
- If you have never planted a cover crop before, plant some winter rye this fall.
- If you are already planting cover crops...plant one more field than you did last year.
- Add some diversity. If you have been planting winter rye, add some tillage radish or vetch (or both) and seed it earlier.
- Plant some shorter season corn or other summer annuals like sudangrass, enabling you to plant a really successful cover crop.
- Add a cereal grain to your rotation...this will open up an early opportunity to plant some new cover crops you haven't tried before.
- Growing organic corn silage?? Seed some clover with your last cultivation.
 | | The cover crop red clover grows in winter wheat. Photo: Steve Deming, Michigan State University |
As we heard Heather Darby say at the symposium, we should stop calling these cover crops, and just call them crops. Not an afterthought that we throw out there at the last minute in a last ditch effort, but an integral part of our cropping system that we grow with intention, planning, proper fertility and establishment. When we do this we will satisfy the objectives of reduced erosion and enhanced water quality, soil health, farm resiliency and increased profits. Your Champlain Valley Crop, Soil & Pasture Team will be engaging in A LOT of on-farm research and demonstrations looking at the use of cover crops in Vermont this growing season too...interseeding, cover crop mixtures, and much MORE Stay tuned and as always, call if you have any questions!
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GRAZING GREENER
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 | | a farmer filling out the grazing chart |
Grazing Charts for the 2014 Season
by Cheryl Cesario
With the first day of spring just around the corner, the grazing season will be here before we know it. How do you plan to keep grazing records this year? While few people enjoy record keeping, we all know it is a beneficial practice to incorporate into our management. If you haven't kept records of your animals' movement on pasture, or you have kept records on a calendar or notebook, you might find a holistic planned grazing chart to be helpful, straightforward, and kind of fun!
The grazing chart is a useful tool because not only does it provide the grazing year 'at a glance', it also allows for planning ahead. Not only can you see where the cows have been and easily count rest periods between grazings, you can use the chart to form a tentative plan for the weeks ahead. Taking it up a step, the chart can also be used to track things such as hay harvests and rainfall to better understand the overall system.
Last year, with funding from USDA Risk Management Agency, we were able to have 30 charts printed and distributed to farmers so they could try out this record keeping method. The charts were printed on heavy cardstock and measured 22" x 36", perfect for hanging in the milkhouse or on a barn or office wall. Overall, the farmers who used the charts found them to be beneficial, so this year we plan to print up more. Let us know if you'd like to try using a planned grazing chart for the 2014 season and we can get one to you and help you get started.
Call Cheryl today if you want a grazing chart for the 2014 Grazing Season!!
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Agronomy & Conservation Assistance Program
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Plan now to Transition to No-Till this Year
by Rico Balzano 
In case you missed it, the No-Till/Cover Crop Symposium on Feb. 19-20 in Burlington was a great way to start planning for the upcoming planting season. Two days packed with tons of information and first -hand farmer experience got us ready to improve our soil and raise our yields. Among other things, we learned how work towards "cottage cheese" soil and how to avoid "smeared goober" soil. And of course, Frank Gibbs showed us how to make our soils "smoke." Below are the links to Frank demonstrating the smoke test in a continuous no-till system. It is amazing to see what cover crops, no-till, and earthworms can do for soil health.
 | | The "smoke test" results from Frank Gibb's experiment on continuous No-till corn with cover crops |
 | | Frank Gibbs NRCS Resource Soil Scientist sharing from a root pit |
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HLzcvQ5sKQo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eroGrAjlLZk
So here are some considerations going into this planting year:
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Got winter rye or triticale in the ground?
Cut it off in early to mid-May and no-till corn or soybeans into the stubble. Fast growing winter grains move water up and out of the soil profile helping to warm the soil quicker in the spring.·
Check the weather before spraying.
If it is cold and cloudy, glyphosate (Roundup) does not work well! For best results, weather should be sunny with temperatures above 50 F and cover crop (and weeds) actively growing. Also, check water hardness and add AMS or like product if needed, and keep rates to about 10 gal. water per acre. ·
It's not too early to think about this fall.
Cover crop choices include winter rye, radish, or some mix with a legume for some extra nitrogen next year. Drilling is the best option, but broadcasting or flying it on can produce good results also. Of course, timing is everything. Consider a hybrid around 95 day RM to ensure getting if off in time for your cover crops to put on some decent growth.·
Tune up your corn planter!
Especially if you are going to no-till. Precise seed placement is important in any system, and there is less room for error in a minimum till or not-till situation.Remember, new regulations will not improve our water quality or the way we farm. Only progressive farmers taking care of their soil and improving their crop yields will help improve our lakes and rivers.
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CONSERVATION PARTNER SPOTLIGHT
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Cover Crops, No-Till, Update Your NMP...EQIP taking signups focused on soil health financial assistance.
If you are considering planting cover crops, transitioning to no-till annual crops, or updating your nutrient management plan and are looking for financial assistance to defray the costs of these practices, the USDA's Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) has the program for you. The Environ mental Quality Incentive Program (EQIP) has two sign up deadlines coming up that you should know about.
March 21, 2014 - the next normal signup deadline for EQIP or if you are hoping to use aerial seeding or interseeding to establish cover crops early.
April 17, 2014 - a special signup deadline for cover crop, no-till and nutrient management practices.
The payment rate for cover crop has gone up recently to the following:
Single Species Cover Crops = $62.30 to $74.75 per acre
Multispecies Cover Crops = $77.54 to $93.04 per acre
These rates far exceed the Vermont Agriculture Departments FAP rates of $30/acre and the program cap is significantly higher than the State's $5000 per year. The FAP program is going through some transitions this year, so if you are hoping to cover crop this year, EQIP might be your best option. The requirements are different, so be sure and talk to local NRCS Soil Conservationist or your UVM Extension agronomy staff for more information. Contracts usually last for three years, and cover crops will have to be planted by October 1st.
You may not know, but the national Nutrient Management Standard was updated in 2013 and now requires all NMPs to use annual soil erosion rates (as opposed to calculating rates based on an entire crop rotation). That said, all farms who are updating their NMPs to meet this new standard are eligible to apply to EQIP for an updated NMP, even if they have been funded by the state or NRCS in the past.
Call your local NRCS Service Center TODAY to sign up: Berlin - (802) 828-4493 Brattleboro - (802) 254-9766 Middlebury - (802) 388-6748 Morrisville - (802) 888-4935 Newport - (802) 334-6090 Rutland - (802) 775-8034 St. Albans - (802) 524-6505 St. Johnsbury - (802) 748-2641 White River Junction - (802) 295-7942 Williston - (802) 288-8155 |
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CHAMPLAIN VALLEY FARMER COALITION
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Vermont Farmers who are working together
for a clean Lake Champlain & thriving agriculture in Vermont
The CVFC hosted its first Annual Membership Meeting on January 8, 2014 at the American Legion. There was a great turnout with around 70 people (mostly farmers) who came for the main program. We all engaged in a thoughtful conversation about water quality on all Vermont farms and what the regulatory landscape might look like as the newest version of the Lake Champlain TMDL takes shape. The program included an annual review by President, Eric Clifford; a short movie about Blue Spruce Farm's efforts to protect water resources introduced by Marie Audet; a farmer panel that included Brian Kemp, Ben Dykema, Tim Kayhart and David Conant; and some great explanations of the water quality decisions the state is being faced with and how they are approaching it by Kari Dolan and Secretary of Agriculture Chuck Ross. Following the presentations, we opened the floor for discussions and questions.
During the Membership meeting, Loren Wood was elected to the Board of Directors, filling the seat vacated by John Roberts. Since then the Board has
 | | CVFC Board Members on the farmer panel at the 2014 CVFC Annual meeting |
elected its 2014 Officers as follows:
- Eric Clifford, President
- Ben Dykema, Vice President
- Jeff Carter, Treasurer
- Kirsten Workman, Secreatary
CVFC Board Members have also been busy testifying at the State Legislature, presenting to the Lake Champlain Basin Program's Citizen Advisory Committee, hosting to booths at the Vermont Farm Show and the No-Till & Cover Crop Symposium...spreading the word about what Vermont farmers are doing to protect Lake Champlain. Please join us to help spread the word!!
Our membership continues to grow, and we always welcome new applications. Please visit our website, give us a call, or talk to a Board Member if you would like to know more about our organization.
For more information about this farmer organization visit our website at:
www.champlainvalleyfarmercoaltion.com
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If you know someone else who might be interested in receiving
this  newsletter, please share it and encourage them to join our mailing list. Meanwhile, please call if you have an interest in helping us move forward with selecting projects that you feel are important to you. We are hearing more about how soil health is so critical to your farm profitability and will protect the lake water quality, we just need to be sure any moves toward reduced tillage and more soil cover are based on good field research data.
Jeff Carter,
Extension Agronomist
UVM Extension- Champlain Valley Crop, Soil & Pasture Team
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