r u ral p ap ers - kansas rural centerold.kansasruralcenter.org/publications/2008040709krcrp.pdfr u...

Rural Papers, July-August-September 2008

Rural PapersReporting with commentary on agricultural and rural issuesNo. 227 July-August-September 2008

Cropping SystemsWorkshop and Farm

Tour SetWhiting, Ks. - Cover crops, long-

term legume based crop rotations,and organic or “natural” pro-duction practices are usefulmanagement strategies for im-proving a farm’s profits whileoffering conservation benefits.These practices and others canreduce purchased input use,erosion, and agricultural chemicalrunoff, and can also provideunique market opportunities.

Thursday October 2, 2008, 9 a.m.to 4:30 p.m., at the Buzz Cafe inSabetha, Kansas, is the date set fora one-day workshop and farm touron how the above practices canhelp farmers weather thechallenges in today’s agriculture.The program and tour are open toExtension, NRCS, and WRAPS(Watershed Restoration andProtection Strategy) represen-tatives, and farmers.

“Integrating ManagementStrategies for Sustainable Crop-ping Systems” includes a morningprogram covering Crop RotationPlanning, Cover Crops, andOrganic Transition presented byEd Reznicek, and a panel sessionon Marketing Alternative Cropsfeaturing Oren Holle, EugeneEdelman, and Ed Reznicek.

Continued on page 14

Wind Energy Added to KRCWebsite

Wind turbine arrays are not an uncommon site in rural Iowa and Minnesota andother states with significant policy committment to wind energy development.KRC’s web page now includes links to important wind energy resources. Go towww.kansasruralcenter.org/wind.

Whiting, Ks. - As community wind meetings in western Kansascontinue to draw huge crowds, the Kansas Rural Center (KRC) hasadded a new feature to its webpage. In July KRC added a sectiondevoted to Wind Energy Projects, information, and links to otherimportant wind energy resources and information.“KRC has a long history of advocacy on energy issues; and the interest

in renewable energy and the need for information is quite high acrossthe state,” stated Dan Nagengast, KRC Executive Director. “KRC hasundertaken new projects that seek to help rural communities under-stand the issues specifically around wind energy development, andadvocate for state policies that will allow communities to develop thewind resource while protecting environmentally sensitive areas .”

The Wind Energy Projects section of KRC’s website,www.kansasruralcenter.org, includes information about the Wind forSchools Project, Regional Wind Energy Forums, and basic energy factsand figures for rural Kansas. The site also includes access topresentations on Community Wind in Kansas, Landowner LeaseOptions, and key questions about wind-- all topics at the series ofcommunity wind forums being held across western Kansas. Links toother energy related websites are also included.Funding for KRC’s energy work comes from the the Climate and

Energy Project of the Land Institute, the National Renewable EnergyLaboratory, and the Energy Foundation. !


Rural PapersPublished six times/year

by theKansas Rural Center,304 Pratt StreetWhiting, Ks. 66552(785) 873-3431

Fax (785) 873-3432E-Mail: [email protected]

website: www.kansasruralcenter.orgEditor: Mary Fund

Reprints of articles are encouraged withacknowledgement of Rural Papers and

author.Rural Papers is the voice of the KansasRural Center, Inc., (KRC), a non-profitorganization that promotes the long-termhealth of the land and its people throughresearch, education, and advocacy. TheKRC cultivates grass-roots support forpublic policies that encourage familyfarming and stewardship of soil and water.KRC is committed to economically viable,environmentally sound, and sociallysustainable rural culture. The KRC isfunded by private foundations, churches,and individual contributions. Rural Papersis available to contributors or for a $25 peryear subscription to organizations andinstitutions.

KRC StaffDan Nagengast, Executive DirectorDiane Dysart, Admin. AssistantJerry Jost, Heartland Network Coord.Mary Fund, Editor/CWFP CoordinatorEd Reznicek, CWFP Field OrganizerMary Howell, CWFP Field OrganizerDale Kirkham, CWFP Field OrganizerConnie Pantle, CWFP I& E Coord.Troy Schroeder, CWFP Field OrganizerJim French, Special Projects

Scott Allegruci,LawrenceHerb Bartel,HillsboroHarry Bennett, Pres.& Margie Bennett,Marion

Julie Elfving,LenexaLaura Fortmeyer,FairviewPaul Johnson, PerryJackie Keller, Sec.TopekaGary Kilgore,Chanute

Joy & Bob Lominska,LawrenceSherrie Mahoney,SalinaRobert Mulch,Scott CityMark Nightengale,MarienthalRodger Schneider,Vice-Pres. SalinaDonn Teske,WheatonMarjorie Van Buren,Treas., TopekaNancy Vogelsberg-Busch, Home

Small Farmer CommentaryWho is Chilling Whom?

The Kansas Chamber of Commerce and legislativeleadershipʼs single-minded pursuit of coal plants is derailingwind development.

by Dan Nagengast

Board of Directors 2008

Much has been made of the“chilling effect” on Kansas commercebecause of KDHE Secretary RodBrembyʼs denial of a permit forSunflower Electric Cooperativeʼs1400 MW of coal plants in SouthwestKansas. Indeed, Amy Blakenbiller,President and CEO of the KansasChamber of Commerce has usedprecisely those words to describe whatthe decision has done to the businessand manufacturing community.

This has been echoed by energycommittee leadership in the Kansaslegislature, many of whom hale fromWestern Kansas. Now that sameleadership seems to be makingpreparations for the next legislativesession as a redux of the last.Recently, Rep. Melvin Neufeldappointed four pro-coal legislators asmembers of a Joint Committee onEnergy and Environmental Policy.Though the rest of the world ismaking accommodation to a seachange in energy policy, Kansasleaders seem prepared to brazenonward with a policy that is being leftbehind.

Climate change and energyshortfalls effect us all, clearly posing athreat to business as usual. But theissue also offers an incredibleeconomic development opportunityfor our state, and for rural andWestern Kansas in particular.Focusing solely on coal plantdevelopment not only pretendsignorance of the threat, but equallyignores the opportunity.

The Threat.While Western Kansas legislators

claim their energy rates are too high,the region, by no means, has thehighest energy costs in the state. Stillit is claimed that unless the plants arebuilt, costs will rise. Well yes, and ifthey are built, costs may rise evenmore. New coal generation is nolonger cheap, with many, manyplants across the country beingcancelled because of cost.

According to Spark, a publication ofPublic Utilities Fortnightlymagazine, power plant and fuel costshave risen 300% recently. Not thatlong ago coal plants could becapitalized for $800 to $1,000 perkilowatt. New plant capital costs arenow coming in between $2,300 and$3,700 per kilowatt. At the high end,this puts the cost of the Holcombplants over $5 billion.

Combined with a 300% increase infuel costs, Holcomb energy will not bea cheap power supply for WesternKansas. And of course, this assumesthat Kansas will somehow bemagically exempt from the cost to allnew plants to come into compliancewith carbon sequestration require-ments. No other utility or state in thecountry is operating on such anassumption, and ignoring it inWestern Kansas wonʼt make it goaway.

Then there is the question ofwhether Colorado utilities will evenpurchase energy from the plants.Much was made of the plants as“exporters” of energy to other states,with power lines heading west to theFront Range.

Continued on page 8


that a new upgraded facilityshould be built on Plum Island,where the existing facility islocated.

The public comment period forthe Draft Environmental ImpactStatement (EIS) is over August 25.The Final EIS is due by “late fall2008”, with the decision to bemade by winter 2008.

NoNBAF in Kansas can becontacted at www.nonbaf.wordpress.com. The chairman, TomManney can be reached at 785-537-0624, mailing address P.O.Box 703, Manhattan, Ks. 66505.

The group believes that thoughthe public comment periodexpires August 25, the issue is stillsubject to public input. !

Lawsuits Filed OverrBGH Rules in OhioThe Organic Trade Association

(OTA) and the International DairyFoods Association (IDFA) havefiled lawsuits challenging Ohio’snew labeling regulations of dairyproducts from cows not treatedwith artificial growth hormones,i.e. rBGH.

OTA argues that the Ohioregulations stifle free speech,restrict the flow of interstatecommerce, and interfere withexisting federal organic law. Inorder to get the organic label,dairy farmers are prohibited fromuse of synthetic growth hormonessuch as rBGH or rBST in theirlivestock. The Ohio law wouldprohibit farmers and processorsfrom advertising that their dairyproducts are made without theartificial growth hormone.

BriefsNo NBAF in KansasGroup Organizes

A group of private citizens hasorganized as “NoNBAF in Kan-sas” to resist the siting of theproposed disease research labora-tory on the Kansas StateUniversity campus.

NBAF is the National Bio andAgro-Defense Facility proposedby the Department of HomelandSecurity to research some of themost potentially devastatinganimal diseases on the globe, suchas foot and mouth disease, swinefever, Rift Valley fever and Nipahvirus. Currently a facility exists onPlum Island off the tip of LongIsland, New York.

Kansas is among five sites beingconsidered including Texas,Georgia, North Carolina, andMississippi, plus the possibilityof rebuilding a new facility at theexisting site on Plum Island.Opposition has been strong atsome of the sites where concernsabout the potential danger oflocating within centers of heavyanimal production are high.

Some citizens have expressedconcern that the supporters of thefacility have been blinded by thepotential jobs and prestige thatcome with it, causing them todownplay the possible dangers.These concerns were underscoredby the tornado that caused heavydamage to the Manhattan campuson June 9. Questions about theability of even a state of the artbio-secure facility withstanding astronger F-4 or F-5 tornado havenot been adequately answered.

The NoNBAF in Kansas believes

The IDFA contends that the newlabeling law imposes an unaccept-able economic burden in the costand complexity of designing andimplementing new packaging. Ifmultiple states opt to moveforward with individual statelabeling regulations, a confusingpatchwork of laws would develop,making it costly if not impossibleto sell certain dairy products fromone state to another.

IDFA also argued that many oftheir consumers are asking forinformation about whether thedairy products are made with milkfrom cows not treated withartificial hormones. Laws such asOhio’s prevent consumers fromreceiving truthful informationabout what they are buying.

The Kansas Department ofAgriculture recently sent a set ofsimilar regulations for Kansas tothe Attorney General and theDepartment of Administration forreview. The draft Kansas regula-tions would prohibit labeling thatstates that a product was “rBGHfree” or “no rBGH”. The regula-tions would also require extensivechanges to any label claiming that“this milk comes from cows notsupplemented with rBGH”. Thelabel would also have to include astatement “the FDA has deter-mined no significant differencebetween milk derived from rBSTsupplemented and non-rBSTsupplemented cows.”

To date, nothing has beenpublished in the Kansas Registerregarding the Kansas labelingregulations. Some speculate thatthe lawsuits in Ohio are part of thereason why. !

-- More Briefs on Page 13-


Cheney Lake WRAPSField Day ScheduledHutchinson, Ks. - On Tuesday,

September 16, the Cheney LakeWatershed, Reno County Con-servation District, and KACEE (theKansas Association for Con-servation and EnvironmentalEducation) will host a WRAPSRegional Watershed Seminartitled, “Best Management Practicesfor WRAPS Projects-Field Day.”

The tour will begin at 8:30 a.m inthe unincorporated town ofCastleton, 9 miles south ofHutchinson off Highway 17, andlast until 3:30 p.m. The bestmanagement practices of fourfarms will be featured.

The local farmers hosting thetour are all participants in theClean Water Farms Project and theRiver Friendly Farm environmen-tal assessment process. DarrinUnruh’s project will feature analternative watering system andmultiple forages along theNinnescah River; Perry Beachy’sdairy will feature a grazingsystem, a stream crossing, andlivestock waste system; and theSanders farm will feature no-till, arelocated feeding area, an rubbertire watering tanks.

Lunch and snacks are includedin the $12 registration fee. A buswill be available to transport thegroup, but if the group is large,carpooling may be necessary.Group size is limited to 60 people.Deadline for registration is Sept. 9;Contact Shari Wilson at 913-287-6879 or [email protected]. Regi-stration form is also available onKRC’s website. !

Improved Grazing Management Is A NaturalResponse To High Priced Grain

by Jerry JostMiller, Ks. - “Six dollar corn

forces us to more actively manageour grazed forages. We are clearlyliving in a different world,” saidRich Porter, owner of the PorterCattle Company near Miller,Kansas.

Porter hosted a “grass and gain”field day in mid-May and spokeabout his use of forages in hislivestock business. Seventeenyears ago Porter built a sophi-sticated cattle processing facilityalong with receiving pens, wasteretention lagoons and a series ofgrass traps to create an efficientand environmentally friendlycattle business.

A core motivation for Porter inthis design was improving animalhealth. A series of feeding pensare each supplemented with grasstraps. These pastures provideforages for grazing, exercise andclean resting areas adjacent to theenclosed pens with feed bunks.Porter recommended using a mixof cool and warm season foragesand changing your grazingmanagement from year to year togive pastures rest.

“The bottom line is that we aretrying to not treat every acre thesame. We want to manage ourresources so we don’t compromisethe future of our grand kids,”summarized Porter.

Dale Kirkham, a grazing advisorwith the Kansas Rural Center,agreed with Porter that most cattleproducers are looking for ways toreduce feed grain costs. One way

to do this is to get more use fromtheir forages while still protectingthose pastures over the long term.

Kirkham stated that providing arest period is critical to allownative grasses to rebuild thecarbohydrates in their rootsystems. These restored rootsystems enable forage regrowthand fall seed production. GaryKilgore, Professor Emeritus withKansas State University, addedthat while cool season grasses canbe grazed shorter than nativegrasses, at least three inches of leafshould be left during the growingseason for the grasses to continuephotosynthesis and accelerateregrowth.

Forbs are a good complement tograsses in your native prairiesstated K. C. Olson, K-Statecow/calf nutritionist who alsospoke at the Porter field day. Thenative forbs in your pastures inthe later part of the grazing seasonboost the protein and energy inthe grazing cattle diet. Burningnative grass pastures improvesgains by ¼ pound per day. Inaddition, supplementing grazingcattle with high protein and fiberfeeds can be both profitable andstretch out your grazing resourcesconcluded Olson.

The field day was sponsored bythe K-State Research and Exten-sion, Lyon County Extension, theTallgrass Legacy Alliance, WestarEnergy Green Team, Frontier FarmCredit, the Melvern Lake WaterQuality WRAPS Project, andPorter Cattle Company. !

Heartland Network News


Leon, Ks.—Don Walentasearched for a ranch to purchasefor 14 years. And after purchasingthe 1,360 acres in Butler Countythe first thing he did was leave italone. Don said the native prairiehad been taken over with hedgetrees and cedars and wasovergrazed. “I gave it a year ofrest,” he said.

While production from the landis important to Don, conservationpractices on his ranch were anecessity. “To me, we arecustodians of this Earth and itbothers me to see people destroy itand just leave it,” he said. “Weneed to do more to take care ofwhat we have.”

Over the past decade, Don hassought assistance from a variety ofsources to assist in implementingthose conservation practices on hisranch which approximately

Clean Water News

consists of 960 acres of grass,about 300 acres of cropland and100 acres of timber.

One of those sources was theRiver Friendly Farms Projectenvironmental self-assessment.Several years ago, Don completedthe assessment at a workshopsponsored by the Butler CountyConservation District and theKansas Rural Center.

Dale Kirkham, Clean WaterFarms-River Friendly FarmsProject field organizer, and SandyKoontz, Butler County Con-servation District water qualitycoordinator, conducted theworkshop. Sandy said the RFFP“puts it all on the table” andmakes farmers and ranchers thinkof the big picture. “Sometimesissues are brought to theforefront—even something theydidn’t think was a problem,” she

said.

One of the priority areas theRFFP highlighted for Donincluded the lack of water in onepasture, something he says is vitalto his rotational grazing system. Asolution for water seemed to be astruggle—Sandy said a NaturalResources and ConservationService (NRCS) soil conservationtechnician looked at the site anddetermined it was not suited for apond. Then the team looked into awell near the site, which turnedout to be unusable. “An existingwell was in disrepair, so it wasplugged though cost-share (non-point source funding) with the soilconservation office,” she said.

After exploring the options, itappeared drilling a new well wasthe only solution to supply waterto that portion of the pasture. Tooffset some of Don’s costs,different cost-share programs wereexplored. Sandy said the project“didn’t fit cost-share practices thatthe conservation district hadavailable”.

Therefore, with assistance fromDale and Sandy, Don applied forcost-share through KRC’s CWF-RFFP. “We were able to work withthe (Kansas) Rural Center to getsome funding,” she said. Whilethe CWF-RFFP is unable to pay forcapital improvements such as thewell itself, KRC was able toprovide Don with funds to offsethis costs with the original idea of apump powered by solar panels.

Continued on page 6

CWFP ProfileButler County Rancher SaysConservation a Necessity

Don Walenta explored several options to secure livestock water for his rotationalgrazing system. The best solution was a new well and pump with a gas generator(cheaper than installing electricity) pumping water to a storage tank.

by Connie Pantle

Clean Water News


In addition, Don said havingavailable water in all areas of thepasture has enhanced his rotation-al grazing system by improvinggrass management, which in turnhas increased the production of theleased stockers that graze his ranchfrom mid-April to mid-August.“I’m able to get better productionout of the cattle and put more gainon them.”

Don said due to his managementpractices, he’s able to stock slightlyheavier than the recommended 2.8acres of grass per head. Inaddition to feeding more head ofcattle, Don said he was “able to putthem in two weeks longer thisyear” because of the quality andquantity of the grass. “Every wayyou look at it, it’s win-win-win,”he said.

As time permits, Don plans tocontinue to add additional watersources in his pasture. He alsoplans to preserve the water supply

he does have by cutting treesaround existing ponds—trees thatabsorb large amounts of waterfrom the pond. In the future, healso plans to install additionalalternative watering sites asrecommended by Dale. “I plan todo what Dale suggests by puttingin below-pond waterers,” he said.

Working together to help Donaccomplish his goals, Sandy feltall the entities were easy to workwith and accommodating. Sandysaid Dale was an excellentresource and he “has a very goodrapport with landowners as he isa landowner himself”. “Dale isalways willing to share what heknows,” Don said.

Another area of his ranch whereDon implemented conservationpractices was on his crop ground.He worked with his tenant toimplement no-till and a wheat/soybean rotation. Don is hopefulthat these practices will improvewater quality by reducing theneed for additional fertilizer, andreducing erosion of rich bottomground.

It was along this same groundthat Don was concerned that hewas losing streambank where theLittle Walnut River runs throughhis ranch. “Don was alarmed athow much bank was caving in,”Sandy said. Not only was this anissue for Don’s loss ofproductivity, but he also looked atit from a global perspective.

Continued on page 7

Walenta profile...Continued from page 5

Once the well was drilled itproduced only a limited amountof water, therefore Don said “solarwasn’t feasible.”So the plan was revised to

include a 3,000 gallon storage tankand a portable gas-poweredgenerator. While the cattle are inthat portion of the pasture, Don,who lives in Wichita, runs thegenerator about every third day topump water from the well into thestorage tank. The larger storagetank supplies a 500 gallon tank.A float valve shuts off the supplyline when the smaller tank is full,insuring the cattle have cleanfresh water to drink.Don said this project improves

water quality on his ranch becausethe cattle “don’t trail far to get towater.” Sandy added that thecattle no longer loaf in the shadedarea of an intermittent stream.“They stay closer to the watersupply on top of the hill,” shenoted.

In addition to installing the livestock watering system, Don worked with the StateConservation Commission, Kansas Alliance for Wetlands and Streams (KAWS), andthe Watershed Institute, to stop erosion along the streambank of the Walnut River onhis property. Above El Dorado high school students plant trees.

Rural Papers, July-August- September 2008

Clean Water News

Whiting, Ks. - The KansasDepartment of Health andEnvironment (KDHE) notified theKansas Rural Center last spring ofcontinued funding of the CleanWater Farm-River Friendly FarmProject (CWF-RFFP). The fundingcomes from U.S. EPA’s Section 319Grant Funds and is administeredby KDHE.

Currently, the CWF-RFFP is inyear 4 of a 4-year grant fromKDHE which will end in March2009. The newly approved fundsare part of KDHE’s new fundingprocess built around WRAPS(Watershed Restoration andProtection Strategy) watersheds,using EPA 319 funds and statewater plan funds to addressagriculture related water qualityissues in key watersheds aroundthe state. KRC will receive EPA319 funds to work within up to 18specific WRAPS watersheds fromearly 2009 into early 2010.

Working with local stakeholderteams and WRAPS Coordinators,KRC submitted proposals toindividual watersheds to bringKRC’s “services” to the water-sheds. KRC has two related butseparate projects - the CWF-RFFPand a Grazing and ForagesEducation Project that will bemerged under the new grant tooffer more efficient service tofarmers and ranchers.

The project will continue to offerone-on-one consultations tofarmers and ranchers using the

Walenta profile...Continued from page 6Don said “I’ve been to New

Orleans, and I’ve read enoughand observed enough to knowthat the gulf is filling up withtopsoil from all over the UnitedStates.”Don wanted to slow down the

erosion and prevent any more lossof production from the adjacentcrop ground.

For both technical and financialassistance, Sandy, on behalf ofDon, worked through the StateConservation Commission, theKansas Alliance for Wetlands andStreams (KAS) and the Water-shed Institute to install rock vanesin the Little Walnut River to helpprevent erosion along the streambank. Since the projects' com-pletion, the amount of erosion hasbeen greatly reduced. In additionto the rock veins, a group of ElDorado High School studentsplanted trees along the bank tohold the soil. “We’ve made greatimprovements to reduce theerosion,” Don said.

Don sees the need to protect thebeauty of the countryside beyondthe confines of his own property.Reducing litter and dumpsitesalong roadsides is an issue Donsaid he is passionate about. Whilehe often picks up littered itemshimself, he feels more can be doneby visiting with our statelawmakers. “There are laws onthe books…however they need toenforce the littering fines.”

Don is motivated to makeimprovements for his land andcommunity. “I think looking tothe future is important,” he said.!

Clean Water Farm-River Friendly FarmProject Secures Funding

by Mary Fund

River Friendly Farm Planenvironmental assessment andgrazing tools, to create whole farmplans and grazing managementplans for individual farms andranches.

The project will also offer avariety of educational opportu-nities including regular tele-conference calls on grazing topics,workshops or presentations on avariety of grazing and croppingsystems subjects, and farm tours orfield days featuring best manage-ment practices on CWF-RFFPfarms, as well as coverage forRural Papers and local papers.

The project offers $250 incentivepayments for completion of theRiver Friendly Farm environ-mental assessment within specificwatersheds. The RFFP is a self-assessment tool a producer can useto evaluate the environmentalstrengths and weaknesses of his orher farming operation. Theplanning process includes identi-fication of needed and workablemanagement changes and avail-able financial and technicalresources to plan and implementthose changes.

Limited cost-share funds willalso be available within specificWRAPS watersheds for demon-strations. KRC will work withthese watersheds to recruit anddevelop these demonstrations. Formore information, contact MaryFund, at KRC at 785-873-3431, [email protected]. !


Small Farmer CommentaryWho Is Chilling Whom?...

Continued from page 2

First of all, these “exports” wouldbe based on an import - mountainstate coal. But there is an evenshakier assumption embedded in thisscenario, My own State Repre-sentative, Ann Mah, was curiousabout whether this energy was reallyneeded by population growth areaslike the Front Range. So she calledthe Colorado Governor's EnergyDirector who informed her that thestate supported Secretary Brembyʼsveto of the Holcomb permits, andpreferred not to purchase energy fromthe proposed Holcomb plants.

Kansas is clearly failing to respondto the threats of high energy costs andglobal warming.

The Opportunity.What about the fabulous opportunityfor the Kansas economy that ourabundant wind resource represents?Our state is pursuing that right?The Kansas wind resource is rankedthird in the country.

But states with lesser resources andbetter policies, such as Iowa andMinnesota, drool at what our windresource would mean for their states.They have enacted policies that getmore wind into the grid; supportschools, farmers’ cooperatives andlandownerʼs projects; and activelyresearch ways to take advantage ofwind beyond what can be used by thegrid. And their rural economy isprospering because of this, as itshould.

The rest of the world recognizes ourresource, even if some of our stateleaders donʼt. The U. S. Departmentof Energy plans for Kansas to supplyat least 7,000 megawatts of wind to

policies, though not necessarily betterwind.

Taxes, on an entirely new, highlyprofitable enterprise, could bestructured to bring in more taxrevenue to local schools and countygovernment. Policies could be enactedthat encourage more local ownershipof turbines, bringing a six- to ten-foldgreater impact on regional economiesthan the same turbines if owned byinvestors in Spain or Germany.

Siting standards could be developedthat would ease the conflict betweenlandowning neighbors, and not putsuch a burden on county com-missioners. Finally, the state couldassist with financing local ownershipthrough credits, bond funds or othercreative financing. Our lack ofpolicies like this send developers, andlarge federal granting opportunitiesthat buy down the cost of turbines, toother states which want the business.Our tax dollars leave to supporteconomic development, but ourpolicies ensure that none of it comesback.

Wind energy development couldbenefit virtually every county in thewestern three-quarters of the state,with new revenues, a new tax baseand new jobs. It could provide areason for young people to stickaround. It could revitalize our smallplaces. And whatʼs more, it couldmake Kansas a hero of the new greeneconomy.

I agree, it is time to quit “chillingbusiness” in Kansas, but letʼs look atwhich way the finger should bepointing. ! Dan Nagengast isExecutive Director of the Kansas RuralCenter and serves on the Kansas WindEnergy Task Force.

the grid, on line in the next twentyyears or so.

There is activity akin to a gold rushgoing on in Western Kansas. Thereare developers and lease huntersscouring every county in WesternKansas, but also in Oklahoma, NewMexico and the Texas panhandle.

An amazing amount of pressure isbeing placed on farmers andlandowners, county commissionersand public officials, economicdevelopment professionals and otherservice providers as they try to dealwith this. They could use some helpand some policy direction. ButKansas has almost no policies thatwould encourage development, orrequire utilities to begin acceptinglarge amounts of wind energy.

The momentum here could stall out,or move to those clearly morehospitable states. Kansas standsalone among major wind resourcestates in that respect, with noRenewable Portfolio Standard and noNet Metering.

Meanwhile, the Kansas Chamber ofCommerce says it will be supporting“pro-business lawmakers” during thenext election cycle. “Pro-business”apparently means legislators whohave proven they are singularly pro-fossil fuel energy, despite all thebusiness and societal indicatorsagainst it. How our state Chamberof Commerce can ignore Kansasʼ mostsignificant economic opportunity andattraction for foreign investment in alifetime, is incomprehensible.

There are other opportunities beinglost. Turbine and componentmanufacturers are locating insurrounding states with better


KRC NewsAn Ending and a Beginning

by Jerry Jost

Through the past two decades the Kansas Rural Center has givenme a rich opportunity to learn about sustainable agriculture andprovide educational and organizing services for Kansas farmers. Ihave always felt blessed to have an opportunity to work with so manygood people and serve the worthy mission of KRC.

I am transitioning from working as a project director for the KansasRural Center to becoming a Director of Land Protection for the KansasLand Trust. This passage brings many mixed emotions. Working withKRC has been a positive, life changing experience. It has grounded mein a deeper appreciation and knowledge in promoting the long-termhealth of the land and its people, the core of KRC’s mission. And asmentioned earlier, it has abundantly expanded my circle of friendswith whom I hope to remain connected. I look forward to continuingmy conservation efforts working with the Kansas Land Trust in thedevelopment of conservation easements to protect lands of ecological,scenic, historic, agricultural, or recreational significance.

Looking back over the past two decades, the Kansas Rural Centerhas convened many conversations about organic and sustainableagriculture. As a partner in a much larger movement, theseconservation efforts have grown into the consciousness of our largersociety. Even though at an earlier time there was a debate about theacceptability of the word “sustainable” in discussions aboutagriculture, now we find the word “locavore” designated as the Wordof the Year by the New Oxford American Dictionary.

As the Kansas Rural Center transitions into its third decade, itsmission and work becomes even more relevant as the world faces thechallenge of global warming and declining fossil fuels. Recently Icame across the accompanying poem scribbled by our son Eli on ascrap piece of paper lying on his dresser. For me it intimatelydescribes why our conservation efforts are vital for the generationsfollowing us.

While this challenge can seem overwhelming, the growing trend of“locavores” individually putting their trust in farmers they personallyknow builds on the conviction that together we can make ameaningful difference. KRC will continue to play a worthy role inshaping this change.

Jerry Jost

Jerry Jost, (above with microphone), hasbeen a steady and thoughtful presenceat KRC events for over two decades.

I ThoughtBy Eli Jost, age 10

I thought about a treelike any tree, but different,its branches spreading out,beautiful, beautiful.I thought about the flowers ofthe world,their petals so delicate, sobeautiful.Then I thought about thefarmland,vanishing, vanishing.I thought about the animals,and I thought about therainforestscut down by farmers.I thought about the arctic,melting, melting,and I thought,will our world be gone?Soon or sooner?


Farm Policy News

Albert, Ks. - The ConservationReserve Program, or CRP, hasbeen around for over 20 yearsand has provided many environ-mental and economic benefits.About half of the CRP contractsin Kansas will expire in the next 4years. Some producers willreturn this expired CRP back tocropland because of higher grainprices. Others will not be eligiblefor re-enrollment because of morestringent environmental require-ments due to the reduced acreagecap in the 2008 Farm bill.

The bottom-line is that someCRP is certain to be broken outand returned to crops.

It will be important to keepcritical areas of the field in grassfor water quality and wildlifebenefits. In most cases theseareas will qualify for continuousCRP buffers. Buffers in the rightlocation will provide many of thesame environmental benefits thatoccurred during the originalcontract. Since these areas arealready in grass, no establishmentwill be necessary.

Some of the buffer practiceseligible for Continuous CRP(CCRP) include:•Filter strips- a strip of grass 30 to120 feet wide next to streams orother bodies of water;•Riparian forest buffers- also nextto streams but require trees inaddition to grass;•Waterways- shaped grasschannels to move water from the

O’Brien Tour Features“Calm Cattle, Cow Chips

and Clean Water”Hepler, Ks- How do “calm

cattle, cow chips and clean water”relate to each other? Bestmanagement practices relating tothose three topics are highlightedat a field day hosted by O’BrienCattle Company near Hepler insoutheast Kansas. The field daybegins at 4 p.m. on Thursday,September 18 at the O’Brien CattleCompany pens located at 724Calvary Road, Hepler, Ks.

The tour highlights the O’BrienCattle Company’s working pens,which were designed and con-structed according to low-stresshandling guidelines, and the useof grass-based feeding sites,which help distribute manureunlike confined feedlots. Otherfeatures include the protectivemeasures for riparian areas andalternative watering sites for thecattle. O’Brien received fundingsupport from the SCC, KansasAlliance for Wetlands andStreams, and KRC’s CWF-RFFPproject.

“Good cattle managers can berecognized in several ways—suchas low-stress handling that keepslivestock calm and healthy;grazing management thatproduces cow chips flat enough totoss when dried, and clean, freshwater for their animals anddownstream neighbors,” saidDale Kirkham, Clean Water FarmsProject field organizer with theKansas Rural Center. “All of theseand more are used by the O’Brienfamily to make their cattleprogram efficient and produc-tive.” Continued on page 14

field;•Contour grass strips used inplace of structural terraces orstructural terraces planted tograss for additional protection;•Cross-wind trap strips- strips ofgrass used to subdivide a cropfield to control wind erosion;•Habitat buffer for upland birds-strips between 30 and 120 feet inwidth planted around theperimeter of a field to providewildlife habitat;•State acres for wildlife enhance-ment (SAFE) - this is the newestand most flexible wildlife habitatpractice. It is designed to provideedge type habitat within a cropfield. It covers strips averaging30-200 feet wide, center-pivotcorners and whole fields of 5 acresor less. It is possible to enrollacres next to trees and other areasof poor production or to eliminatepoint rows and other hard to farmareas.

CCRP practices are eligible onqualifying crop land when theyare needed to achieve theconservation purpose of thepractice. Some practices qualifyfor signup bonuses of $10 peracre, establishment bonusestotaling 90% of actual cost, and20% rental payment bonuses.These are on top of the standardannual rental rate for your soiltype.

If you have CRP coming out ofthe program, contact your localUSDA office to inquire aboutleaving the critical areas in grass.!

Leave Critical Areas ofExpired CRP in Grass

by Troy Schroeder

Resources

Rural Papers,July-August-September 2008

Lawrence, Ks. —What is awatershed assessment and whydoes a Watershed Restoration andProtection Strategy (WRAPS) areaneed one? That question wasanswered by a number ofpresenters at the WatershedRestoration and ProtectionStrategy (WRAPS) RegionalWatershed Seminar on May 22 inLawrence.

“Watershed assessment can takemany forms—but generally isperformed to characterizewatershed conditions; identifyneeds and opportunities; targetresources to address problemareas or protect high quality areas,and evaluate how land manage-ment may be affecting waterquality and watershed ecology,”said Jeff Neel, Blue Earth LLC, andconsultant to Kansas Alliance ofWetlands and Streams (KAS).

Neel, who is conductingassessments for several WRAPSwatersheds, said he likes to thinkof an assessment “as a holisticevaluation of how the integratedwatershed system is—or is not—working to create the stream andriver conditions in any givenwatershed.”

WRAPS is a process adopted bythe state that involves localpeople, organizations, and stateand federal agencies in a unifiedeffort to identify and work onwater issues that affect thewatershed. Watershed assessmentis the second phase of the four-phased process of planning,assessment, development, and

Clean Water Newsprovide,” he said.

Travis Robb, See-Kan ResourceConservation & Development(RC&D), evaluated the VerdigrisRiver (from Toronto to Coffey-ville) in southeast Kansas. Com-paring 1966 aerial photographs to2006 aerials was one of the firststeps in Travis Robb’s assessmentof the river. Robb explained howhe used aerials initially for aprimary assessment of thewatershed. However, he stressedthe importance of walking theland to confirm or dispel yourconclusions from the aerials.

Neel agreed with Robb, saying“geographical information sys-tems (GIS) and maps are but onetool in the tool kit and are nosubstitute for getting out thereand seeing what is on the groundand in the water.”

“I don't think we can get a goodfeel for a watershed withoutactually walking the land orwading a river, but maps do havetheir place around the tableduring the planning and assess-ment process and can be scaled totake a look at a watershed fromdifferent perspectives,” he said.

Dan Zerr, with the KansasDepartment of Health andEnvironment (KDHE), said thatthe modeling program Spread-sheet Tool for Estimating Pollu-tant Load (StepL) uses modelingto piece together the informationprovided by the WRAPS stake-holder leadership teams. “Fromall the information you’ve givenus—here are the models, thescenarios,” he said.

Continued on page 12

implementation.

During the assessment phase, aWRAPS group must “reviewwatershed conditions, trends,develop expectations of thewatershed and managementmeasures in use, identify restora-tion and protection needs andcreate a watershed model,”according to the website atwww.kswraps.org.

John Bond, Northeast ChapterCoordinator for the KansasAlliance for Wetlands and Streams( KAWS) and one of the sponsorsof the seminar, said WRAPS allows“stakeholders the opportunity tocome together on a watershedscale.” “The WRAPS process pullspeople together to work on aplanning document, identify thegoals of the watershed and whatthey need to accomplish to getthere,” he said.

According to Neel, stakeholdersliving in the watershed provide animportant perspective on theassessment. “They are extremelyimportant for bringing theirhistorical and current knowledgeof the land and rivers to theplanning table—who better knowsthe land than the guy or ladyliving on it and experiencing itdaily?”

“The legacy of land use effects onriver conditions is out there in theminds of people who work theland. They can help to bring themaps to life, and help to improvetheir content, and provide anothercheck on the information they

Assessments Serve Vital Rolein WRAPS Process

by Connie Pantle

Rural Papers July-August-August 2008

Clean Water NewsWatershed Assessments...

Continued from page 11

He added that a modelingcomponent, such as StepL, isrequired for a WRAPS to completeits requirements to EnvironmentalProtection Agency. “According toEPA, a WRAPS project must havea modeling component as it is avaluable tool to assess what isgoing on in your watershed,” hesaid.

Neel feels that the assessmentphase carries over into otherphases of the WRAPS process,such as the planning andimplementation phases ofWRAPS. “Initial assessment givesyou information about currentconditions and helps you tounderstand the extent of theproblems and, perhaps, where youmay be able to target limitedresources for implementationefforts,” he said.

Neel said that the benefits ofhaving an assessment completedgive the WRAPS stakeholderleadership teams (SLT) a betteridea of what the conditions oftheir watershed are. “It isimportant to develop support inthe watershed community for theplan, so that the majority arecommitted to action that will leadto water quality improvementsand better stream functioningwhen the time comes.”

Following the assessment, thenext step is to adopt practices toprotect stream and river condi-tions. “I think the next step afterinitial assessment is to begin tocreate an awareness in thewatershed of what the problems

are or may be and try to get buy-in from stakeholders about whatactions are needed to address theproblems,” Neel said.

According to Neel “mimickingnature through our planning andimplementation efforts” is oneway to address the changes in thewatershed’s hydrograph. Whilehe understands that foregoingfood and fiber production on themost productive land is not anoption due to its impact to rurallivelihoods, Neel said it isimportant to address “non-pointsource problems and achieveproper functioning streams andrivers with good water quality inKansas watersheds.”

“We need to implementconservation practices throughoutthe landscape that help us tobetter mimic native conditionsand strategically place ourbuffering, infiltration and filteringcapacity in places where it can dothe most good,” he said.

“If coupled with goodagricultural policy and smartconservation programs thatsupport rural livelihoods andhigh quality of life, we could havethe makings for quite thewatershed community.”

KAWS I-70 Chapter and theKansas Association for Con-servation and EnvironmentalEducation (KACEE) sponsoredthe seminar to answer questionsabout assessments. A number ofpresenters, including Neel, Robb,and Zerr addressed assessmentsand modeling at the seminar.Additional presenters includedPhil Balch, The Watershed

Institute; Tom Jacobs, Mid-America Regional Council; KyleMankin, Kansas State University,and Dave Sobelle, US ArmyCorps of Engineers.

In addition to StepL, otherassessments covered at theseminar included WatershedAssessment of River Stability &Sediment Supply (WARSSS);Bank Erodibility Hazard Index(BE-HI); Trophic AssessmentScreening Tool for Reservoirs(TASTR); WRAPS AdaptiveModeling as well as aerialinterpretation and urban assess-ments.

More information aboutwatershed assessment tools canbe found on the EPA’s website at:http://www.epa.gov/owow/watershed/tools/ and the WRAPSwebsite at www.kswraps.org/technical.

KRC is a service provider forWRAPS watersheds throughoutthe state . !


0 BriefsMonsanto Sells ArtificialHormone Business

Monsanto, sole producer of theartificial bovine growth hormone,Posilac, also known as rBGH orrBST, has sold the hormonebusiness. Elanco, a division of thedrug giant Eli Lilly and Company,will buy the Posilac division ofMonsanto. Elanco has sold rBGHfor Monsanto outside the UnitedStates for the past ten years.

Monsanto claims they are sellingthe division in order to focus morefully on its seed business anddevelopment of seed. But rBGHproduced dairy products havefaced wide-spread consumerrejection, leading some tospeculate that Monsanto is sellingthe division due to sales losses asthe dairy industry responds toconsumer demand for rBGH freedairy products.

rBGH is given to dairy cows toincrease milk production. It wasone of the first applications ofgenetic engineering used in foodproduction. A USDA survey in2007 said about 17 % of thenation’s dairy cows were receivingit. In spite of governmentapproval in 1993, many health andconsumer groups maintain thatrBGH poses a health risk,especially a cancer risk, in people.The approval process itself wasfraught with controversy andcharges that Monsanto withheldinformation and influenceddecision makers.

Monsanto’s decision to sellfollows a year of struggles overlabeling on dairy packages. Thecompany was unsuccessful intheir bid a year ago to persuade

federal officials to prohibit labelsthat said the milk has beenproduced from cows without theartificial hormone. This attemptreportedly followed poor sales ofrBGH as dairy processors movedto buy milk only from untreatedcows.

Monsanto argued that milkfrom untreated cows is identicalto milk from treated cows.Opponents of the artificialhormone argue the opposite; andmany European countries ban itsuse based on health concerns.

Failing to get a change at thefederal levels, Monsanto initiateda campaign to change labelinglaws at the state level. But inPennsylvania the secretary ofagriculture introduced a lawbanning the use of “non-rBGH”claims on labels, only to have hisorder overturned by the Governordue to consumer uproar.

Ohio has been sued by theOrganic Trade Association andthe International Dairy FarmersAssociation (see page 3) oversimilar bans. Kansas hasregulations similar to Ohio’spending before the KansasDepartment of Administrationand Attorney General’s office.

According to the Campaign forSafe Food, the sale is a victory forconsumers, but they also cautionthat new owner Elanco will stilltry to push rBGH on consumerswho simply do not trust theproduct.

“If performance enhancingdrugs in baseball is bad enough towarrant congressional hearings,

production enhancing drugs inmilk can’t be good,”stated onesource. In a true free market,consumers would know what is ina product and be able to choose.In the case of rBGH, it looks likethe consumer has chosen. !

Farm Input Prices Rise...USDA’s National Agricultural

Statistics Service (NASS) recent2007 summary confirms what anyfarmer knows-- input costs arerising. Increasing petroleum costsmeans farmers are paying not onlymore for fuel but for fertilizer,chemicals and transportationservices.

On average, production expensesper farm increased ten percent in2007. U.S. farm expenditures forfertilizer jumped 25%, feed costs22%, fuel costs 15%, and agri-cultural chemicals 12%. !(From NASS 2007 report)

... and Food Prices RiseOverall food prices were up

5.3% from June 2007 to June 2008,according to USDA’s ConsumerPrice Index. Beef costs 3% more,eggs cost 23% more, and milk bynearly 7% more. Much of thatincrease has to do with high fuelcosts for transportation.

Many retailers are also predictingprice increases this holiday seasonfor other items such as toys andclothing, due to fuel costs . !(From The Oklahoman Aug. 22, 2008)

Rural Papers July-August-September 2008

ResourcesThe workshop and tour are part

of a series of similar programsbeing held in North Dakota, SouthDakota, Nebraska and Kansas, toeducate Extension and vo-ageducators, NRCS and othersabout management practicescommon to sustainable agricultureand organic farming.

Supported by a grant fromUSDA’s Sustainable AgricultureResearch and Education Programthrough the University of Nebra-ska, co-sponsors include theNorth Central Region SAREProgram, University of Nebraska,Kansas State University, KansasCenter for Sustainable Agricultureand Alternative Crops, and theKansas Rural Center. !

O’Brien Field Day...Continued from page 10

Featured speakers include:Kerry O’Brien and Jason Sutterbyof the O’Brien Cattle Company;Gary Kilgore, K-State ProfessorEmeritus; Dale Kirkham, KRCClean Water Farms Project fieldorganizer, and Herschel George,K-State Research and ExtensionWatershed Specialist.

The tour is sponsored byMarmaton WRAPS; K-StateResearch and Extension, theBourbon County ConservationDistrict, and KRC.

Driving directions to the fieldday location are: three miles northof Hepler on Kansas Highway 3then ½ mile west, Or one milesouth of the intersection of KansasHighways 3 and 39 then ½ milewest.

Cropping Workshop & Tour...Continued from page 1

NRCS representatives will alsoprovide information on new FarmBill programs to help producerswith adoption of sustainablefarming practices and organictransition.

Reznicek is an organic farmerfrom Goff, Kansas, and generalmanager of Kansas OrganicProducers, a marketing coopera-tive handling organic grains salesfor about 60 organic farmers in athree state area. Oren Holle, is anorganic farmer near Bremen, Ks.,and is president of KansasOrganic Producers, as well aspresident of OFARM, a multi-stateorganization of organic marketingassociations. Eugene Edelman isan organic farmer near Sabetha,Ks. raising organic grains andmarketing organic livestockthrough the Natural BeefCooperative of Good NaturedFamily Farms.

At 1 p.m. the afternoon sessionmoves to Hartter Feed and Seed inSabetha, a locally owned feed andseed mill handling both con-ventional and certified organicgrain and products. At about 2:30the group will move to theEugene Edelman farm for a lookat an organic farming operation.

Registration is $10 which coverslunch and snacks; RSVP bySeptember 30 to the Kansas RuralCenter at 785-873-3431 [email protected]; Make checkspayable to KRC, Box 133, Whiting,Ks,. 66552, or pay at the door.Registration is open to the first 35registrants as space for the a.m.program is limited.

For more information, contactHerschel George at 785-229-3520or 913-294-6021; or Dale Kirkhamat 620-583-5247 or see the KansasRural Center website at www.kansasrural center.org.

The field day will end atapproximately 8 p.m. and includesan evening meal sponsored by theProducers Coop of Girard andMarmaton WRAPS. To reserve aplace on the field day and supper,contact Kara at 620-756-1000. !

Save the Date!

Saturday, December 13,2008

Kansas Rural CenterWinter Conference

“Meeting Agriculture’sChallenges in a RapidlyChanging World”

Keynote Speaker:Dr. Fred Kirschenmann

at Blue Rapids, Kansas

St.Monica-St. ElizabethCatholic Church

9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Agenda and details to be

announced

Rural Papers,July-August-September 2008

Resources

Contributors to the Kansas Rural Center’s work topromote sustainable agriculture in Kansas receiveKRC’s newsletter, Rural Papers, 6 issues/year,and other Center special reports and informationalerts. Subscriptions are available for $25/year.

Celebrating 28 Years of Farming With NatureKANSAS RURALCENTER - RURALPAPERS

____Yes, I want to support Sustainable Agriculture in Kansas and subscribe to Ruralpapers. Here’s my contribution:_____ $25 ____ $50 ____$100 ____ Other

Or here is my subscription: _____ $25

Name: ________________________________Address: ________________________________

_________________________________E-mail: __________________________________

Make Checks Payable to:Kansas Rural Center

304 PrattWhiting, Ks. 66552

the first day of the conference.Both men serve on the Inter-governmental Panel on ClimateChange (IPCC).

Registration is $45 for Tuesdayonly, $50 for Wednesday,y or $75for both days. Registration andagenda details are information isavailable at www.kcc.ks.gov/energy/kwrec_08: or at KRC’swebsite www.kansasruralcenter.org on the Calendar page. Orcontact Jim Ploger at 785-271-3349;[email protected]. !

Organic Farming ResearchGrants Available

The Organic Farming ResearchFoundation (OFRF) has an-nounced the availability of fundsto research organic farming andfood systems and the dissemi-nation of these research results tothe greater agricultural com-munity. Proposals must involvefarmers or ranchers in projectdesign and implementation andtake place on working organicfarms or rancheswheneverpossible.

OFRF encourages farmers,ranchers, researchers, and exten-sion personnel to consider

applying for funding. The averageresearch grant awarded in OFRF'slast funding cycle was $13,300.OFRF will not fund a project formore than $15,000 per year exceptfor fruit research grants, for whichthe maximum grant size is $20,000per year.

Request for Proposals areavailable in two categories:research, and education andoutreach. Go to the OFRF websiteat www.ofrf.org/grants/apply , orcontact Jane Sooby at 831-426-6606, Ext. 107, or [email protected] are due November 15,2008. !

Farming With GrassWorkshop Set

“Farming with Grass: SustainableMixed Agricultural Landscapes inGrassland” is planned for Oct.22-23 in Oklahoma City. It is plannedby the USDA Grazing LandsResearch Laboratory with the Soiland Water Conservation Society. Itwill target mixed agriculturalsystems in grassland ecoregions.Contact Jean Steiner, 405-262-5291,Ext. 228; or Jean.Steiner@ ARS.USDA.GOV. !

Annual Kansas EnergyConference AnnouncedClimate change and renewable

energy, will be the focal point ofthe 9th annual Kansas Wind andRenewable Energy Conference setfor September 23-24. The two-day conference will be held inTopeka, Kansas, at the RamadaInn. Participants can register foreither day or the entire two days.

Wind energy will be a primarytopics among a dozen breakoutsessions covering a variety ofrenewable energy and energyefficiency topics including wind,solar, biofuels, energy efficiency,education and policy issues,according to Jim Ploger, con-ference coordinator with theKansas Corporation CommissionEnergy Programs.

Dr. James Hansen, from NASA’sGoddard Institute for SpaceStudies, and one of the nations’sforemost climate experts will bethe keynote speaker on TuesdaySeptember 23. A roundtablediscussion on climate change willfeature two Kansas professors, Dr.Johannes Feddema of the Uni-versity of Kansas And Dr. ChuckRice of Kansas State University on

ChangeServiceRequested

KansasRuralCenterP.O.Box133Whiting,Ks.66552(785)[email protected]

Non-ProfitOrganizationU.S.PostagePAIDPERMITNO.5

CalendarSeptember 8, Grazing Manage-

ment Teleconference Call, 7:30p.m.-9 p.m., with Dale Kirkham(KRC), Gary Kilgore and KeithHarmony (KSU). Toll free: 1-888-387-8686, followed by 4699043#.For more information, contactDale Kirkham, 620-583-5247 [email protected].

September 16, Cheney LakeWRAPS Field Day, 8:30 a.m.-3:30p.m.; South of Hutchinson,Registration deadline Dept. 9,Contact 785-532-1902 or 913-287-6879, or [email protected].

September 18, O’Brien FieldDay near Hepler, Ks. 4p.m. to 8p.m, Sponsored by KSU, Mar-maton WRAPS, Bourbon CountyConservation District, and KRC.Contact Herschel George at 913-294-6021, or Dale Kirkham at 620-583-5247.

September 23-24, 9th AnnualKansas Renewable EnergyConference, Ramada Inn, Topeka,For registration information, go tohttp://kcc.ks.gov/energy/kwrec

_08/ ; or contact Jim Ploger, 785-271-3349; [email protected].

October 2, Integrated Manage-ment Strategies for SustainableCropping Systems, Sabetha, Ks.9 a.m. - 4:30 p.m., Sponsored byUniversity of Nebraska, KansasState University, KCSAAC, NorthCentral SARE Program, and KRC.Registration deadline Sept. 30 forlunch. Contact KRC 785-873-3431,or [email protected].

October 13, GrazingManagement Teleconference Call,7:30 p.m. -9 p.m.; with DaleKirkham (KRC), Gary Kilgore andKeith Harmony (KSU). Toll free: 1-888-387-8686, followed by4699043#. For more information,contact Dale Kirkham, 620-583-5247 or [email protected].

Please check the KRC websitefor updated and more detailedcalendar and announcementinformation at:

www.kansasruralcenter.org

Inside This IssueNo. 227

July-August-September 2008* Wind Energy ResourcesAdded to Website

* Cropping Systems Tour/Workshop SetOct. 2

*Small Farmer Commentary:Who Is Chilling Whom?

* No NBAF in Kansas GroupForms

*Lawsuit Filed on rBGH Rulesin Ohio

* Improved Grazing Manage-ment Is Natural Reponse toHigh Feed Costs

*Cheney Lake WRAPS FieldDay Scheduled Sept. 16

*CWFP Profile: Butler CountyRancher Says ConservationA Necessity

* CWF-RFF Project SecuresFunding

* KRC Notes: An Ending and aBeginning- Jost Moves On

* Leave Critical Areas ofExpired CRP in Grass

*O’Brien Farm Tour ScheduledSept. 18

* Briefs and Resources

r u ral p ap ers - kansas rural centerold.kansasruralcenter.org/publications/2008040709krcrp.pdfr u...

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