Kansas Non-Traditional Crops Rising Again by Tad Thompson Grasses and Grains Have Long Been the Staples of Kansas Agriculture
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Kansas non-traditional crops rising again By Tad Thompson Grasses and grains have long been the staples of Kansas agriculture. Cattle, wheat, corn, and other traditional crops by all expectations will forev- er lead the state. Largely forgotten in Kansas’ agricultural histo- ry, though, is a leadership position in horticulture. Today, Sunflower State Poinsettias were started in July in the greenhouses at horticulture is making a Kansas State University for production by students in quiet comeback. Non-tra- the fall Greenhouse Operations Management course. ditional commodities, no- tables. tably honey and hemp, are “The advent of local expanding. producers supplying pro- In January 1940, R.J. duce for local communi- Barnett of the Agricultur- ties is good for the econo- al Experiment Station of my,” Cloyd noted. the Kansas State College Cloyd said Kansas pro- of Agriculture and Ap- ducers faced a challenge plied Science in Manhat- At Piccalilli Farm, Alison and Nat Bjerke-Harvey use this hoophouse throughout when Dillon’s discontin- tan, scripted a paper titled the year to produce a variety of seedlings and specialty greens. ued purchasing from local “Growing an orchard in producers to be part of Kansas”; https://www.ks- parent-company Kroger’s re.k-state.edu/historicpub- national buying and dis- lications/pubs/SB290.pdf tribution system. The Io- Barnett opened by writ- wa-based chain, HyVee, ing: “For seventy years still provides local pro- Kansas has been known to ducers with some opportu- be a fruit-producing state. nities or outlets to provide In 1871 Kansas-grown fresh produce directly to apples won the highest stores. Dr. Raymond A. Cloyd, award at the exhibition of Cloyd noted that one K-State professor and the New Jersey Horticul- positive outcome of the Extension specialist for tural Society. In 1876 the coronavirus pandemic is Centennial Exposition in that consumers have in- horticultural entomology/ Philadelphia awarded the creased cooking at home, plant protection. Kansas entry, an exhibit which has enhanced con- at Ft. Riley. of 96 varieties of apples, sumption of fresh fruits He certainly under- a medal inscribed as fol- and vegetables that are stands military veterans’ lows: ‘For an exceeding- At the K-State horticulture department, Dr. Kimbery Williams teaches and con- produced from local pro- physical and emotion ly fine exhibit of apples.’ ducers or backyard gar- sacrifices. SAVE offers Kansas-grown grapes won ducts research with specialty crops produced in greenhouses. A current project dens. wounded and PTSD sol- heavily among the fruit en- with M.S. student Jacob Schwab is to study blueberry production in controlled Cloyd foresees an in- diers leaving the military tries at the World’s Fair environments. Williams stands with an experiment testing with blueberry growth crease in the production an opportunity to learn in Chicago, and whenever in different hydroponics systems and evaluating whether multiple crops of blue- of Kansas horticultural therapeutic skills in or re- shown well-grown Kansas berries can be harvested each year from the same plants. crops, especially for cer- lated to agriculture. At the fruits have attracted at- tain segments, including same time, of course, they tention to their size, color, vegetable crops Exten- organic specialty vegeta- for milo or corn. “It’s not apples, and berries pro- learn how to have a suc- and quality.” sion specialist at K-State’s ble production featuring easy, but it’s definitely eco- duced under hoophouses. cessful career while filling Barnett recorded that Olathe campus said the Ar- unusual varieties of egg- nomically viable.” “I see a bright future for a national need for a new there were many orchards mistice Day freeze killed plant, peppers, and many “More and more row horticultural cropping sys- farming population. in eastern Kansas’ sandy every fruit tree in Kansas. other vegetables, to differ- crop growers want to di- tems in Kansas.” SAVE is located on river bottoms. He cited a This brought an end to entiate from larger-scale versify.” But traditional With her office over- 320 acres in the rolling 1929 survey by A.A. Glenn the glory days of Kansas growers. Most of the firm’s Kansas farmers must be looking greenhouses on Flint Hills near Manhat- that found Sumner and horticulture. sales volume comes from “willing to get off their the K-State Manhattan tan. SAVE is associated Cowley counties alone Today, several new, trel- marketing product of tractor and work their campus, Kim Williams with the Army’s Career had 110,749 apple trees on lised commercial orchards other independent local field,” Rivard said. teaches and conducts Skills Program, the War- 3,051 acres in the Arkansas are producing new apple growers. Larger Kansas growers research with specialty rior Transition Battalion, River Valley. varieties to suit modern Picallili is named for are successfully bringing crops produced in green- and the Veterans Admin- K-State Horticulture consumer tastes, Rivard the English relish, made in field workers under houses. istration, offering soldiers Professor Dr. Kimberly said. with ingredients that vary the Federal H-2A migrant She observes that alter- in transition and Veter- Williams confirms that, be- Rivard, a plant patholo- by the season. Alison notes program. But, for the time native-crop production is ans a year-long training fore a great deal of the na- gist, notes that Kansas soils the name perfectly match- being, most of the work- more resource-intensive and residency internship tional production moved are well-suited to fruit and es the farm’s characteris- ers are high school kids or than Kansas’ traditional program in farming and to Washington, Oregon, vegetable production. “We tics. people working on appren- agriculture. But this cat- agribusiness. SAVE coop- and California, which have have nowhere near enough “Farm to Porch” is the ticeship programs, want- egory provides “potential erates with Kansas State perfect growing condi- specialty crop production theme of Piccalilli’s attrac- ing to learn about horticul- economic value that is University and other Kan- tions, “100 years ago there in the area to suit demand. tive website: https://www. tural production. quite high.” For example, sas colleges to provide was a lot of local apple There is certainly room in piccalillifarm.com/. Tradi- Rivard added that Kan- “greenhouse flowers have an accredited curriculum production in Kansas. the market for row crop tionally, the “porch” has sas’ largest horticultural a high value that justifies certificate. Homesteaders planted ap- growers to produce spe- included upscale restau- crop growers are operat- the costs of production. LaGrange is a master ples and vegetables here cialty crops.” rants, including the pop- ing potato farms in west- There are greenhouses beekeeper and relishes in the Blue River Valley Rivard said erratic ular Harry’s in downtown ern Kansas. These farms producing ornamentals sharing that knowledge back in the day.” Kansas weather will bring Manhattan. Ravaged by are mostly connected with in the spring that are ex- with students. Honey has Ironically, just months tree fruit crop-killing the coronavirus, Harry’s large grower-shipper oper- tremely successful.” She a tremendous - and grow- after Barnett’s optimis- spring freezes about one closed in June after a 30- ations in Colorado. cites the production of ing - economic potential. tic publication, Kansas in five years. year run. Picallili Farm Working on the Man- many specialty crops in China currently produc- was among the Midwest- Kansas’ horticultur- countered lost foodservice hattan campus is Rivard’s Kansas, including micro- es at least 70 percent of ern States to see agricul- al production is largely sales with means to reach colleague, Dr. Raymond A. greens, garlic, lavender, the 600 million pounds of ture devastated by the marketed directly to con- consumers through home Cloyd, a K-State professor and honey. honey consumed in the Nov. 10-11, 1940 Armistice sumers or specialty whole- deliveries and a central and extension specialist In field production, fer- United States. “Most of Day Blizzard; a perfect- salers, Rivard indicated. distribution point. Ulti- for horticultural ento- tilizer costs are a signif- the Chinese honey is adul- ly nightmarish storm, This enables growers, who mately, forced change dou- mology/plant protection. icant part of the overall terated and highly-pro- which, according to Wiki- do not have the volume to bled Piccalilli’s business Cloyd travels throughout production investment. cessed,” LaGrange said. pedia, crossed the Rocky compete with large com- this summer! Kansas advising horti- In greenhouses, typically “Now we sell honey for Mountains in two hours, mercial entities like those Rivard, who leads the cultural crop producers. only four percent of the $8.00 a pound. Some say we froze farms from Kansas of California and Texas, Kansas Specialty Crop As- These businesses includ- production cost goes to should get $12.” He sees to Michigan. Kansas tem- to exceed terminal mar- sociation, said most of his ed nurseries, wine grapes, fertilizer. an inevitable decrease in peratures dropped from 70 ket prices that would be research work is dedicat- fruit trees, vegetables, and “Fruit and vegetable supply from China, which to 15 in a matter of hours. received in St. Louis or ed to high-tunnel produc- hemp. Landscape plants crops are coming back. could drive prices for U.S. Cary Rivard, Ph.D., and Chicago. Of course, local tion, which is effective in and Christmas trees are It’s more profitable than honey producers to $14 or sales also avoid transpor- Kansas for producing “veg- other non-traditional most row crops,” Williams $15 per pound. tation costs, while bene- etables of all kinds”, as crops in that Cloyd deals continued. The marketing At least for now, Kansas fiting from the warm glow well as blueberries, black- with.