2013 Introduction to Vegetable Production (Spanish Track)

presentation descriptions

Assessing Farming Resources
Eleazar Gonzalez
This presentation will provide the basic information to start to farm and ranch. Participants will learn how to start a farming business by exploring the business model they want to be involved. Participants will learn about how to operate the farm business and the basis of the business plan. A review of community resources to start farming will  help to clarify the path to access the farming and ranching activities.

Site Selection, Preparation, and Maintenance
Steven McKay
Site selection begins with analyzing water availability and drainage, air drainage, soil types, climate, and pest considerations. Conditions on a site to a great extent limit what can be grown there. If one would like to modify a site, it is necessary to consider the economic feasibility of such modifications. Annual maintenance costs will also be dependent upon the site characteristics and the crop being grown.

Direct Marketing Strategies
Jose Fonseca
Knowing how to grow a marketable crop is important, but figuring out how to effectively market that crop is what makes a good producer profitable. Mr. Fonseca will discuss his experience with direct marketing at farmers' markets and at road side stands to help participants identify key practices to ensure successful sales.

Working with Other Producers
Antonio Garrido
This presentation will include a self-experience description about how to start farming in an unfamiliar social environment. The experience of acquiring land to farm, and the implementation of the farming activities will be explained by an independent and self-protagonist farmer. Experiences in accessing and using local programs to growth the farm will be exposed. This presentation will end with the presentation of the Missouri Granjero Cooperative, as an emerging non-profit organization seeking to support Latino farmers and ranchers to involve and stay in the agri-food industry.

 An Introduction to Integrated Pest Management
Jaime Pinero
Integrated Pest Management is a comprehensive and environment-friendly approach to solving pest problems that relies on a combination of common-sense preventive practices. This presentation will emphasize the use of practices that can prevent or reduce insect pests and diseases in vegetables such as the selection of resistant varieties, cultural practices such as sanitation, crop rotations, trap crops. Pest identification and monitoring are critical components of an IPM program. If needed, treatments are made using least-risk options to target the pest without impacting negatively beneficial insects and the environment.

Incorporating Small Animals into Specialty Crop Farms
Efrain Hernadez
In my presentation I give an introduction to raising small animals and also the way to buy the chicks and make them survive their first weeks of life. Then how to keep my chicken laying eggs for the period of time that we have to sell to places like Community Crops. What is the best way to feed chickens, goats and rabbits with a tight budget? Where are the paces to buy the chicken feed?

Consideration for Small Fruit Production on Small Scale Market Farms
Steven McKay
Small fruit is a high-value group of crops with proven health benefits and potential for development of a diverse group   of value-added products. The high value of fruits and their products makes production feasible on small parcels of land. Fruit that cannot be sold fresh can be frozen or otherwise processed and sold throughout the year. Many small fruit crops are tolerant of cold winters and somewhat pest resistant. Ribes, elderberries, aronia, and saskatoons are some of the up-and-coming crops. Day-neutral strawberries have good potential because they can be grown as an annual crop, and don't need to be over-wintered.

workshop presenters

Eleazar Gonzalez is a research associate at the University of Missouri’s Cambio Center. He is a rural sociologist with interests in economic sociology of Latino communities. Currently, he is working on a project that seeks to facilitate the access and use of USDA programs amongst Latino farmers and ranchers. Steven McKay earned his B.S degree at UC Davis in Bee Biology and International Agricultural Development. He also received a M.S degree in Pomology. Steven has operated commercial farms and food processing businesses in the U.S. and abroad for 35 years. His businesses have specialized in berries and uncommon fruits. Steven was also an Extension Educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension for 16 years.

Josè Fonseca is a fruit and vegetable producer in O’Fallon, MO. He and his family moved to Missouri from California in the early 1990s. The family now operates a 30 acre farm and specializes in direct-to-consumer sales at a roadside stand and multiple farmers markets.

Antonio Garrido operates a grazing livestock operation in Southwest Missouri on 140 acres. He has been in Missouri for 3 years after a move from California. Antonio is on the Board of Directors of Missouri Granjero Cooperative, a Hispanic cattleman co-op.

Jaime Piñero, State IPM Specialist Cooperative Research and Extension, Lincoln University. Dr. Piñero’s research interests include insect ecology and behavior, IPM (including Area-Wide IPM) and the use of this information to develop attract-and-kill systems and other behaviorally-based, sustainable pest management methods for improved production of fruits and vegetables.

Efrain Hernandez and his family farm outside of Lincoln, NE. They raise chickens, goats, and produce. Efrain is a graduate of the Community Crops Growing Farmers Training Program in Lincoln.