UVM Extension -
Champlain Valley Crop, Soil & Pasture Newsletter

APRIL 2015  

 

Quick Links >>>>

Join Our Mailing List

Contact a Member of the TEAM!!
NewsFARM NEWS & EVENTS 

MFO Annual Report Due 
April 30, 2015

 

All Medium Farm Operations must submit an annual report to the Agency of Agriculture by April 30th of each year. For more information or to view a pdf report form, see the VT Agency of Agriculture, Food and Markets' website HERE.

All MFO's are also required to have updated Nutrient Management Plans.

If you have questions you may call their office at 802-828-2431

If you have any questions about your nutrient management plan, we are here to help! If you need additional assistance understanding MFO regulations, also feel free to contact us.

802-388-4969

 

* * * * * * * * * * *
 

Agriculture &

Water Quality 

   Farmer Meeting   

 

DATE: April 16, 2015 

TIME: 9:00 am - noon 

WHERE: Deer Flats Farm, 1290 VT Route 30, West Pawlett, VT  
COST: FREE  

  

The Champlain Valley Crop, Soils, and Pasture Team, along with the Poultney Mettawee Conservation District and the Champlain Valley Farmer Coalition, will lead a discussion of new legislation concerning water quality, and what it means for agriculture. Come join us to learn about strategies to reduce nutrient runoff and maximize crop production including cover cropping, no-till, and maximizing soil health to maximize crop production.

 

For directions or more information,

Call us: 802-388-4969  

        ext 338 or ext 348 

or e-mail: [email protected] 

or [email protected] 

    

 * * * * * * * * * * *

 

 

Succession Planning Workshop for Landowners   

Ties to the Land:
Take steps to guide the future of your land.
 
DATE:  April 25, May 9, and June 2, 2015

TIME: starts at 9:00 am  

WHERE: Montpelier, Rutland, and Fairlee , VT 

COST: $35, each additional family member is $20   

  

UVM Extension and Vermont Woodlands Association are holding workshops to give you the knowledge and practical tools for succession planning. Clarify your goals, learn the steps to planning, obtain tools, and learn about the legal options available. 

   

Those interested in participating should check out Vermont Woodlands Association website, or contact VT Woodlands, 802-747-7900


  

* * * * * * * * * * *

  

Soil Health Field Day 


April 21, 2015
Join us for a great workshop as we welcome Dr. Jim Hoorman from Ohio State University as he gives us a lively and informative session on:
  • The Biology of Soil Compaction
  • Using Cover Crops to Keep Phosphorus out of Surface Water
  • The Economics of Cover Crops and Weed Suppression

We'll have great lunch and then head out in the field to see these concepts first hand.

 

More details in this newsletter cover crop section! 
ELSIEAsk ELSIE 
?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?  ?

 
Q: Dear ELSIE...

The AAPs say farms should not spread manure on frozen or snow-covered ground. What does that mean exactly and why is that law?

 

   

Ask ELSIE

Answer : 

The Accepted Agriculture Practices set by the Vermont Agency of Agriculture are statewide restrictions designed to reduce non-point pollutant discharges through implementation of improved farming techniques rather than investments in structures and equipment. These rules that apply to all farms require that agricultural wastes be managed in order to prevent adverse impacts to water quality. They stipulate that manure may be spread in a way that does not result in runoff to surface water or across property boundaries. In Vermont, the state requires that all farms are prohibited from spreading manure from December 15th to April 1st unless a prior exemption has been granted. This 'manure spreading ban' is in place to help farmers refrain from spreading manure on frozen or snow covered ground. When soils are frozen, manure is unable to soak into the soil profile. Manure spread on the surface can readily runoff as the surface thaws and the subsurface stays frozen and during spring rainfall events. In addition, if manure is spread on top of snow or ice, as it melts it will carry manure and nutrients with it as it leaves the field.

photo by Iowa State Univ. Extension

Independent of the date on the calendar, all farmsare required to prevent manure runoff...and spreading manure on frozen groundor on top of snow is a risky proposition which would take very specific best management practices to prevent runoff.  In addition to frozen ground and snow, spreading right before a big rainstorm would also likely result in runoff.  There are many best management practices (like manure injection, nutrient management and others) to help mitigate manure nutrient losses.  Contact your local NRCS office, Conservation District or UVM Extension office if you would like assistance in manure nutrient management.

UVM Extension - Middlebury
802-388-4969

Vermont Association of Conservation Districts
802-496-5162

USDA - Natural Resource Conservation Service
802-951-6423

 

To Read the AAPs in their entirety, click HERE 

  or call the Vermont Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets at

(802) 828-2430

 

 

  


*     *     *  
  To ask ELSIE your own question...you can email her HERE 
Quick Links
newsletter masthead
News and Events
For Vermont Farmers in the Lake Champlain Watershed
The Rush of Spring

      

Since you are so busy with spring here and there is lots to do..............

Just a couple thoughts >>

 

Working wet soil is a sure way to keep burning fuel to beat those big clods down into a seedbed size. Patience in the spring to wait until the soil is really dry enough to work is a hard thing. Even if the top looks dry, if you sink a set of  disc harrows deep, you will be sure to pull up wet ribbons of soil that bake into hard chunks. The one-pass finishing tools and field cultivators can scratch the top few inches, and not pull up saturated soil from below if you go lightly. If you are planting no-till corn this spring, a delay in planting the field can actually help get those plants off to a better start.  

 

What did someone tell me about soybeans? sit on the ground with your pants down and see if it is comfortable. Then it is time to plant beans..... 

 

Don't forget that the soil is your farm's base for the future. Plow down some green manure cover crops this year.  

 

Try to make fewer trips over the field to cut down on compaction and help your soil structure.  

 

Come to some of our field days this spring to learn with us about improving your soil, planting no-till corn, and moving ahead with new farming ideas.

 

Do you have a great idea we should be looking at? Let us know ! 

And have a safe and productive spring.       

 

Jeff Carter    

UVM Extension Agronomy Specialist 

http://www.uvm.edu/extension/cvcrops 

 

COVERCROPCOVER CROP CORNER

by Kirsten Workman  


SOIL HEALTH WORKSHOP  
APRIL 21st, 2015
 
                  
Discover the Secrets of Healthy Soils
with Ohio Expert Jim Hoorman
     

Join us for an engaging discussion on:

- how compaction affects soil biology,
- using cover crops to keep phosphorus in fields and out of waterways,
- the economic viability of using cover crops for weed suppression 
 
When: 9:00 am to 3:00 pm

 

Where: Begins at American Legion in Vergennes.
We will then travel to Vander Wey's Na-Tocht Farm after lunch.
 
Registration:  
All attendees must register to reserve lunch.
Please register by April 17th. Farmers attend for FREE, with generous donations from our sponsors. All others are welcome to attend, but there is a $30 registration fee.

Register Online:
www.regonline.com/soilhealth
Or By Calling: (802)388-4969 ext 347

Visit our website for more information and a downloadable pdf: 
Jim Hoorman, who works with farmers in the areas of cover crops, no-till, manure management and water quality, will share strategies to improve soil structure, retain nutrients and increase crop yield on farm fields. In addition to his work with OSU Extension, Hoorman conducts cover crop research trials on his 40-acre farm in northwestern Ohio. Following lunch, participants will travel to Nea-Tocht Farm in Ferrisburgh to hear from the Vander Wey family about how they manage their fields to avoid soil compaction, use cover cropping and other soil health practices.

Thanks to our sponsors: 

  

 
Have Cover Crop Questions?
 contact  Kirsten any time:

(802)388-4969 x347

[email protected] 

GRAZINGGRAZING GREENER
Gearing Up For Grazing
by Cheryl Cesario
cheryl

  

FROST SEEDING  (Very Early Spring) 

It's finally April and with these warmer days and chilly nights it has been the perfect window for frost seeding. We started our seeding trials two weeks ago and  wrap things up this past week. This year we are planting trials at four dairy, one beef and three sheep operations in Addison county, from Orwell to New Haven. We also will have a trial going at VYCC in Richmond where dairy heifers and a small herd of beef are grazed.   

Birdsfoot Trefoil in Bloom.

One of the things we are experimenting with is how well different grasses establish when frost seeding. Three species we are trying this year are orchardgrass, perennial ryegrass, and meadow fescue. We are also continuing with forage chicory, since last year we had such success with that. This year we'll put some chicory on sheep pastures too, as this broadleaf plant may make a tasty treat for grazing sheep. Birdsfoot trefoil is a legume we are seeding in addition to a clover blend, although with trefoil's slow establishment, we may not see too much in growth this first year.   

 

Here's the general design of what we seeded:

 

Dairy and Beef - Type of Seed

Rate

'Harvestar' Orchardgrass

5 lb/ac

Perennial Ryegrass Blend 'BG-24T'

5 lb/ac

'Laura' Meadow Fescue

5 lb/ac

'King's Grazing Mix' (orchardgrass, perennial ryegrass, meadow fescue, red clover, ladino clover and forage chicory)

5 lb/ac

'Premium Clover Blend' ('Freedom' red clover, 'Alice White' ladino clover, 'Regalgraze' ladino clover)

5 lb/ac

'Forage Feast' Chicory & 'Wellington' Birdsfoot Trefoil

5 lb/ac


 

Sheep - Type of Seed

Rate

'Forage Feast' Chicory

3 lb/ac

'Forage Feast' Chicory

6 lb/ac

'Wellington' Birdsfoot Trefoil

4 lb/ac

'Wellington' Birdsfoot Trefoil

6 lb/ac

Forage Chicory/Trefoil Mix

7 lb/ac


We'll be doing some fun pasture walks this summer with some of our partnering farmers so we can see the results of these trials.

Want to host a pasture walk on your farm?
Send me an email at [email protected] or call 388-4969 ext 346.

   

 Cow Signals Workshop A Success! 

Thank you to everyone who attended our Cow Signals workshop with holistic veterinarian Dr. Hubert Karreman. I heard from several farmers that they learned some new observation techniques and some benchmarks for identifying underlying issues. Jeep, Joann and Will Madison were gracious hosts, so thank you so much to them for opening their farm to all of us. I have electronic (or paper) copies of Dr. Karreman's slideshow and handouts. Contact me as noted above if you'd like copies.

 

Upcoming Fence Clinic:

Each year during the first weekend in May, Wellscroft Fence Systems in Harrisville, NH hosts two agricultural fencing workshops. A great opportunity to learn all about different types of permanent and temporary fence materials, energizers, gates, posts, insulators, and other gadgets. It is a free event held both Saturday, May 2nd and Sunday, May 3rd, 2015 from 8:30am to 3:30pm. Check out wellscroft.com for details and agenda.

 

Got Organic Hay?

It's that time of year when feed is in short supply. Do you have certified organic 1st or 2nd cut wrapped/dry round bales, corn silage, haylage, and/or bedding bales for sale?  Please contact Ashley Green at NOFA-VT: 802-434-3821 with quantity available, cost, your location and if trucking is available so she can pass this info on to other organic producers.

SOIL
SOIL HEALTH
Cover Crops & Weed Control: How Do They Fit Together?  
by Rico Balzano
 

Cover crops are gaining popularity among many farmers for the wide range of benefits they offer, including weed control. According to a 2012 SARE cover crop survey, weed control was farmers' fourth most cited reason for using cover crops. Cover crops such as winter rye and oats can smother and suppress weeds and help provide control for the first six weeks of corn growth, the most critical time for weed control.

 

When deciding to use cover crops as a weed control strategy, however, it must be understood that cover crops will not provide 100% control, and are best used as part of system to improve overall soil health that incorporates other weed control strategies. Any herbicide program used should terminate the cover crop, control weeds, and allow for cover crop establishment later in the season.  

 

Termination Method

Skeptics often relate stories about past failures when cover crops "got away". It is true that timing is critical and depending on the stage of maturity, different chemicals and/or methods may be called for. Glyphosate (Roundup) by itself is not as effective on legumes like clover and vetch earlier in the season as it is later in the spring. Broadleaf herbicides added to the mix will improve control on these cover crops, especially earlier in the season. A word of caution for annual ryegrass: control becomes difficult at boot stage, so timely herbicide applications are especially important for this species. Also, glyphosate works best during the middle of the day when temperatures are above 55 degrees F.

 

When you are  incorporating or rolling down cover crops, later maturity is usually desired. Cereal rye, vetch, and other species will regrow if rolled or disked too early. Once past flowering or boot stage, annual species are most of the way through their life cycle and more likely to die when rolled or disked. Moldboard or chisel plows will be required to terminate these cover crops earlier in the spring if herbicides are not an option.

 

Herbicide Carryover

For the most part, herbicides commonly used here in Vermont do not pose a major problem for establishing cover crops. In field trials conducted by the Champlain Valley Crops, Soils, and Pasture team, all cover crop species have germinated when broadcast in corn during the growing season. However, some trials have failed due to suspected residual herbicide, specifically atrazine. When planning on doing cover crops, it is very important to know what herbicides are being used, and at what rates. Lower rates of atrazine products are compatible with most cover crops.

Winter killed oats help smother emerging weeds in the spring, as well as provide organic matter and erosion control.

 

Trying to make herbicide or cultivation decisions and would like more assistance? Contact us!  

You can reach Rico at [email protected] or (802) 388-4969 x 338 
CVFC
CHAMPLAIN VALLEY FARMER COALITION

Using Common Sense When Spreading Manure  

 by Nate Severy

 

The winter manure spreading ban, a part of the Accepted Agricultural Practices (AAPs) came to an end April 1st, but the weather didn't get that notice. Therefore, the Agency of Agriculture is urging farmers to wait until conditions are suitable in your fields.

 

The Agency reminded farmers to carefully asses their situation to ensure that spreading would not violate any AAPs. The AAPs (Accepted Agricultural Practices) require that all agricultural wastes be managed in order to prevent adverse impacts to water quality.  That means that while it is legal to spread manure now that the Winter Ban is over, manure must still be applied in a way that does not result in runoff to surface water, or across property boundaries. Those following an NRCS 590 nutrient management plan must also remember that applying manure to snow or frozen ground or where offsite nutrient loss is likely is prohibited unless clearly outlined in the plan.

 

If you must spread, the Agency recommends doing so on flat fields away from surface water. Lacking that, the Agency recommends ensuring a 150 buffer between manure spreading and the top of the bank on any fields near surface water, that includes a 150 buffer between manure spreading and ditches.  

 

The bottom line is, please consider delaying your manure applications until soil conditions are appropriate for heavy traffic and nutrient applications. We've been having periodic snow showers mixed with melting events. Rushing these manure applications when soil is frozen, too wet, and/or snow covered could result in unintended nutrient loss into local waterways, and in most cases, it is against the law. If you are running short on storage for your manure and feel like you are in a situation where manure application is unavoidable, please contact either us or the Agency. Our goal is to help your farm find a means to manage the manure without potentially damaging the field, soils, and surrounding water. 

   

If you are interested in becoming a member, please give us a call or just apply!  You can find our membership application HERE.  It is a valuable way to stay informed, be proactive, and add
your voice to the discussion.  

 
For more information about this farmer organization visit our website at:     

www.champlainvalleyfarmercoaltion.com  

 FROM THE FIELD
Dreaming of Sun
by Kristin Williams 

We've been waiting, patie
ntly and not so patiently, for spring to arrive in full glory here so we can get out of the office. What is interesting is that while most of the world has experienced above average temperatures this winter, we in the Northeast certainly haven't (more information at NOAA). We did have one beautiful day last week to frost seed, and it promptly snowed the next day. Which may actually be perfect for our frost seeding.
 
Cultivating No-Till
In the mean time we've had two great no-till planter clinics. If yo
u missed them or misplaced your handout, we've posted the pdf checklist on our website. Make your planter the best planter it can be and no-till will be more effective! Also, it's important not to no-till into soil that is too wet, which might be a temptation this spring considering our weather. If you are considering no-till and are wondering how no-till will best fit into a rotation, we've got a new fact-sheet to inspire you, written by Nate Severy.  

Check these handouts out along with other great information on no-till on our blog, HERE.

 

Cover Crops in Action

Funny enough at the second no-till clinic we had every great intention of also going out and measuring some field properties on two cover crop trials. The weather had other plans for us that morning though, because it snowed that morning too. Not to be deterred, we will be in the field taking all sorts of measurements as soon as the soil is stable enough for us to walk around without destroying our plots. What was neat that day was finding some signs of green in our winter rye underneath the snow, and by the afternoon the snow was mostly melted. As we have these spring precipitation events cover crops are working to improve infiltration and reduce erosion. We hope to have some spring field days looking at the success of different mixes, but that probably won't be until May. Look for updates in your e-mail and mailbox!

Join Our Mailing List
If you know someone else who might be interested in receiving
this jeff 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 learning 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 data.

 


Jeff Carter,
Extension Agronomist
UVM Extension- Champlain Valley Crop, Soil & Pasture Team

Funding for the Champlain Valley Crop, Soil & Pasture Team and the programs and resources we offer is provided by the following organizations:
  • Lake Champlain Basin Program
  • USDA-Natural Resources Conservation Service
  • VT Agency of Natural Resources
  • VT Agency of Agriculture, Food & Markets
  • USDA-Risk Management Agency
  • USDA-National Institute of Food & Agriculture 
  • NE-SARE Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education 
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.

 

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 our e-newsletter, feel free to Unsubscribe by clicking the SafeUnsubscribe button at the bottom of this newsletter.
Although, we hope you won't! 

Go paperless by subscribing to our newsletter online:  
 If you would like to unsubscribe from the paper copy contact us.