Farm Help

There is a growing trend in our communities; some may be growing in your neighbor’s fields. It’s called Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Library, CSAs consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community's farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.

Networking among producers can provide greater value for products, more opportunity for farmers, knowledge and insight from others in the industry, and an overall support system from those who do what you do: farm.

With drought conditions the worst since the 1930s, most farmers and ranchers are cutting back, tightening their belts, and looking at all possible ways to cut their costs.

We live in an age where commercial farms are becoming commonplace. Small, diversified family farms are more often seen on postcards than they are in the countryside of America. However, in recent years there has been a resurgence of interest in those smaller family farms – and in knowing where food comes from, what’s in it – really, and appreciating the nostalgia that comes along with a small farming family producing food from their barns and gardens just like they have for centuries.

It's kind of a Catch-22 – if you can afford to wait longer, you have a better chance of establishing a stand of winter annuals. But the purpose of establishing the stand is often because you need the forage, and quickly.

As of Aug. 28, before the remnants of Hurricane Issac passed through, 99 percent of Missouri's rangeland and pastures were rated poor or very poor by USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service. Southwest Missouri got 1.0-2.5 inches of rain as a result of the storm, and when the next NASS report came out Sept 4, Missouri rangeland and pastures were… 99 percent poor or very poor.

'Networking’ has become a buzz word in every industry in America. With Social Medias, global business, and a constant search for new markets, networking is as important to business as the product they sell. The agriculture industry is no different. Networking among producers can provide greater value for products, more opportunity for farmers, knowledge and insight from others in the industry, and an overall support system from those who do what you do: farm.

Making use of the internet for your farm can be productive. Creating a website is not enough. It has to be used in conjunction with other things. Business cards are a good way to utilize your website. Advertising that is done in general newspapers, classified ad, trade magazines, Ozarks Farm & Neighbor, Farm Talk, Midwest Cattlemen, etc., is made more productive by adding your web address leading individuals to your website.

There is a growing trend in our communities; some may be growing in your neighbor’s fields. It’s called Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture National Agricultural Library, CSAs consists of a community of individuals who pledge support to a farm operation so that the farmland becomes, either legally or spiritually, the community's farm, with the growers and consumers providing mutual support and sharing the risks and benefits of food production.

"Farmers who have survived past cycles and droughts realize that they have to be their own support crew,” said Joe Horner, extension beef and dairy economist for the University of Missouri Extension Commercial Agriculture Program. “Good decisions, disciplined implementation and family support are the keys to survival. Government programs may help around the edges, but don’t bet your business on them.”