New revenue program Pullin’ Buckaroo option available for 2009 By Bill Spiegel incur a loss. Two, an individual farm must Beginning in 2009, farmers will have an also have a loss. Dumler warned that with opportunity to enroll in a new revenue pro- ACRE, there may be a situation where a gram, called the Average Crop Revenue producer has a loss on his or her farm, but Election program, or ACRE. Farmers who the state does not. In that scenario, the choose to enroll in ACRE forego the count- farmer would not receive a payment. The er-cyclical program that has been in place 28-year ACRE average payment, as deter- for several years. mined by K-State earlier in 2008, would Troy Dumler, Kansas State University have been $3.07 per acre. Loss in direct Extension Agricultural Economist, says payments due to ACRE in that same time ACRE — a provision of the 2008 Farm Bill would have been $3 per acre. — gives farmers a risk management tool op- ACRE — in which farmers must enroll tion that combines price and yield triggers. at the local Farm Service Agency office for Except for direct payments, previous pro- the duration of the 2008 Farm Bill — is a grams always were tied exclusively to price. risk management option, much like crop in- “That is one of the reasons that we saw surance. the interest in this revenue counter cyclical “You don’t take crop insurance out every program. Another reason is some groups re- year thinking you are going to take a loss ally didn’t think they were going to get pay- every year, but you buy it in the event it ments under the current price programs, be- would happen. So to a certain extent, ACRE cause market prices were so much higher is like additional crop insurance. The premi- than the levels when the programs would um you pay is the 20% reduction in direct trigger payments. You add those two things payment. But what the program potentially together and we have a new revenue count- offers is additional support in a really bad er cyclical program,” Dumler said. year when revenue falls due to either a drop Farmers enrolling in ACRE will forfeit in production or drop in price.” 20% of their direct payments, and coverage ACRE is not a replacement for crop in- occurs on just 83.3% of their planted surance, Dumler warned. “If producers are acreage. Plus, marketing loan rates will be going to individually rely on ACRE in place reduced by 30%. Finally, if producers qual- of crop insurance, they are going to be dis- ify for ACRE payments, these will not be appointed because there are state- and farm- paid until as much as a year after harvest. level triggers necessary to get a payment.” This could have major cash-flow implica- An example of ACRE’s variability, had tions for many farmers. the program been in place, would have ACRE payments are triggered by a com- Four-year-old Waddie Sanford of Valley Center showed off his buckaroo style during bination of two factors. One, the state must Continued on page 9 the pedal pull contest held in conjunction with the Wichita Farm and Ranch Show. Livestock producer tour highlights best management practices By Connie Pantle to nothing because of the County as well as a cost the landowner with incen- “I consider a tour suc- tree roots and animals.” Ri- comparison of a geo-textile tives to implement practices cessful when livestock pro- eschick credits the filter pad versus a concrete pad. that impact the soil, water ducers learn from each strips with reducing soil ero- He said installation of a geo- quality and wildlife. other,” Roberta Spencer, dis- sion on his bottom ground. textile pad averages $1.10 Also during lunch, Mike trict manager of the Jackson “We’ve saved tons and tons per square foot, while instal- and Pat Wulf gave a virtual County Conservation Dis- of soil that would’ve been lation of a concrete pad aver- tour of their Potawattomie trict. She was referring to lost,” he said. ages $3.17 per square foot. County farm. The Wulfs October 23rd’s livestock A BMP implemented by Will Boyer, K-State Ex- converted cropland to grass producer tour in northeast Jackson County farmer Dan tension watershed specialist, where their herd of cattle and Kansas. Topics discussed on Pollock was the next stop on reinforced the issue by refer- goats graze. Howell said the the tour included: brush and the tour. Pollock’s project in- encing how mud effects cat- Wulfs were selected to be weed control; development cluded fencing a portion of tle performance. Boyer also featured on the tour due to of alternative water supply Cross Creek and developing provided a demonstration of the number of BMPs they’ve and riparian protection, and an existing spring as an alter- an alternative watering site implemented on their farm. funding sources to imple- native watering source for with a water pump powered “We chose to highlight the ment Best Management his cattle. By implementing a solar panel. Even on the Practices (BMPs). this project, Pollock said he cloudy day of the tour, Boyer Continued on page 3 According to Spencer, the LeRoy Rieschick explains the benefits of his filter strip is protecting water quality said there was water being tour, which featured farms in along Soldier Creek. and providing his cattle with pumped by the system. Jackson, Pottawatomie and an excellent source of drink- Corey Alderson, a Marshall Counties, “was a veloping a plan and outreach the Jackson County Conser- ing water. Pollock said the wildlife biologist with the collaboration between the activities. vation District and Natural water from the spring is Kansas Department of Pottawatomie County Con- “One of their points of Resources Conservation Ser- good water — so much so Wildlife and Parks, also servation District, the Kan- discussion was in educating vice (NRCS). The group that his family uses it as their spoke on wildlife habitat. He sas Rural Center, and the livestock producers about toured Brown’s native pas- drinking water source! said flash grazing for short Jackson County Conserva- BMPs by seeing what others ture. Brown said he convert- During lunch at Red Rock periods of time is beneficial tion District.” The tour high- within the watershed have ed the pasture to native Ranch, the group heard from to wildlife due to the diversi- lighted BMPs across several implemented and why. The grasses due to the rising Les Olsen on the benefits of ty it provides. Livestock help watersheds, including the Jackson County Conserva- costs of fertilizer. a bale ring feeding pad con- manage the plant Middle Kansas and the Tut- tion District Board of Super- The first tour stop was structed of fabric, rock and vegetation — especially tle Creek WRAPS (Water- visors agreed with co-host- LeRoy Rieschick’s filter lime. Olsen, who installed a non-native species — while shed Restoration and Protec- ing the tour and funding was strip along Soldier Creek. demonstration bale ring on providing nutrients for na- tion Strategy). requested through the Clean Rieschick explained the en- his farm, said the feeding tive grasses. He also ex- Spencer said the idea for Water Systems,” she said. vironmental and economical pad benefits the cattle, pro- plained incentive programs the tour surfaced during a The tour began on the impacts of installing a filter tects water quality and like Conservation Reserve conversation with Mary morning of October 23 at strip. Rieschick installed the makes his job as a cattleman Program (CRP); a continu- Howell, Clean Water Farms Red Rock Ranch just east of filter strip between his crop easier. ous CRP practice titled Project field organizer with Soldier. While at Red Rock, field and the creek ten years Carl Jarboe, Jackson CP38E; Wildlife Habitat In- KRC. She said at that owners Bill and Debra ago. Prior to the County Buffer Coordinator, centives Program (WHIP), time, the Middle Kansas Brown discussed the im- installation — when he added comments on a feed and Conservation Steward- WRAPS working group provements made on their planted crops in this area — bunk pad installed as a ship Program (CSP). He said was in the middle of de- farm with the assistance of he said he “harvested little demonstration in Jackson programs like these provide Page 2 Grass & Grain, November 18, 2008 do which belonged to a of closeness with the com- This would give credence serviceman. munity which is difficult to to the notion only the While I do not want to establish in any other fash- “big” projects are worth detract from this act of ion. volunteering for. And in kindness being done for Harvesting crops for ail- my opinion, that couldn’t November is one of scenery, Indian summer blessings to be thankful for. this family and the commu- ing farmers or those who be farther from the truth. those months I have a days (hopefully), fresh crop There has been a lot of nity of Chapman in its en- have suffered a calamity is Sure, there might be a love-hate relationship with. apples and the opportunity hype and buzz with the tirety, it isn’t necessarily a not seen as an extraordi- longer-lasting reminder I hate the fact it signals an- to reflect on one’s bless- building of the home and novel concept, although nary act, just a fact of being from those “big” projects, other year is nearly gone. It ings in family, friends and additional community facil- they certainly add a bit neighborly.