Growing the business

March 11, 2008 12:39 pm

— Fruit, vegetable and flower growers and meat producers need to think about coopetition – cooperation and competition, Kathy Cooley told about 40 attendees at a second Grower-Producer Seminar at The Hansen Center Feb. 28.
“There's room for all of us. There are a lot of people eating food in this world, so we need a lot of growers,” said the Food and Growers Association of Laughery Valley and Environs president, who is a registered cancer dietitian at the center and owner of Alpine Berry Farm, Batesville. The program was sponsored by Margaret Mary Community Hospital.
“We should all share best practices with each other.” After a dinner of locally grown beef and a vegetarian option, attendees chose either produce or meat workshops.
“My main role is to put you together with the resources you need,” said Jerry Nelson, Vincennes, a Purdue University New Ventures educator.
“A lot of farmers like to raise corn and soybeans, but what do our customers want? Greens and tomatoes.” New Ventures helps producers discover fresh, hopefully lucrative agricultural businesses.
“In New Ventures, maybe one out of 10 might be successful, unless you do your homework" and find out how others are succeeding by making field trips and asking questions.
Nelson was very enthusiastic about Market- Maker (www.inmarketmaker.com), “a powerful tool and it's free” that started March 1. Producers can list what they grow and raise as a resource for families, restaurants, institutions and other buyers. Ten states are taking part in MarketMaker so far.
Workshops can give new ideas to farmers. One of the most popular is called “Bigger Profits Through Targeted Sales.” Another useful one is “Writing a Successful Grant Proposal.” “Starting a Community Kitchen” takes place in April. Attendees can tour nine Hoosier farms throughout the year, including Langeland Farms, Greensburg, which will focus on organic production and processing, July 24 (www.conf.purdue.edu/ FARMTOURS).
New Ventures also offers one-on-one consultations; a Web site (www.agecon.purdue.edu/newventures); INVenture, an online business planning tool; and publications.
The speaker suggested Batesville leaders explore having a winter farmers’ market that includes a deli.
Dan Wilson, a Purdue University Cooperative Extension Service agriculture and natural resources extension educator, specializes in alternative farming and horticulture. “I'm always looking for that specialty crop.” Wilson grew bok choy in Texas years ago, making $5,000 an acre by selling the greens to a Dallas farmers' market, which resold the produce to Asian restaurants.
He talked about three men west of Batesville who grew black beans, “having a $3 million market. Then the bottom fell out.”
Wilson also discussed the benefits of using high tunnel hoop greenhouses to increase yields and improve the quality of crops, “whether you're growing flowers or ... sour cherry trees.”
“The idea of season extension has always appealed to us,” reported Keith Cramer of Cramer's Posie Patch in Pennsylvania in a video. “It was frustrating that everything had to be done (on the 50-acre cut flower farm) before that one frost.”
They purchased six 24-by-300-foot tunnels that could be connected and vented in the summer.
Celosia was ready for market four weeks earlier than usual. Lisianthus grew to be 3 feet inside instead of 6 to 8 inches outside.
Temperature management was Cramer’s biggest learning curve.
He is very satisfied with results. “Wet season diseases are nonexistent inside a dry tunnel” and flowers are protected from heavy rains and hail. Spider mites, aphids and powdery mildew can still be problems, though.
The cost of the tunnels is recouped after two or three seasons of cut flowers, with a quicker payback time for other crops.
Closer to home, Wilson said a North Vernon man grows lettuce in the winter using tunnels.
Matt Nobbe, who owns 5 Oaks Lawn & Garden, Batesville, cautioned attendees, “People come into the shop thinking they can grow year-round (with the plastic greenhouses),” but there is not enough viable sunlight during Indiana winters to produce most crops.
Richard Cartwright of Cartwright's Plant Care, Batesville (wateryourlandscape.com), who has been designing and installing drip irrigation systems since 1995, talked about that topic. “For whatever reason, the weather patterns are being affected and are increasingly erratic” so water management is more important now than ever. Drip irrigation is more effective than using sprinklers because it can put “precisely measured applications of water at or just below the soil surface so it reaches the root zone of plants.”
The system can be reconfigured from year to year if crop rows change, and different parts of a garden or field can get more water than others. “Onions need more water than peppers,” for example. “You can fertilize through the system” as well.
Jessa Greiwe, Batesville, used that method last summer. “It's awesome. My garden looked great in the middle of the drought. I'd recommend it to anyone.”
Debbie Blank can be contacted at debbie.blank@ batesvilleheraldtribune.com.