{"id":12394,"date":"2016-08-13T08:00:09","date_gmt":"2016-08-13T08:00:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.nutritionknowhow.org\/blog\/?p=12394"},"modified":"2016-08-12T17:22:50","modified_gmt":"2016-08-12T17:22:50","slug":"a-day-in-the-life-of-an-extension-educator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/nutritionknowhow.org\/blog\/nutrition-2\/a-day-in-the-life-of-an-extension-educator\/","title":{"rendered":"A Day in the Life of an Extension Educator"},"content":{"rendered":"

My name is Cindy.\u00a0 I am an Extension Educator working for Nebraska Extension.\u00a0 I am a Registered Dietitian, avid gardener and mother of three busy children.\u00a0\u00a0 Recently, I got the privilege to participate in a SARE tour.\u00a0 SARE stands for the\u00a0Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program.\u00a0 Funded by the USDA,\u00a0 the national SARE program\u00a0supports and promotes sustainable farming and ranching.\u00a0 They offer competitive grants and educational opportunities for producers, scientists, educators, institutions, organizations and others exploring sustainable agriculture.\u00a0\u00a0 In Nebraska,\u00a0SARE <\/a><\/strong>focuses on\u00a0local food producers, beginning farmers, sustainable ag issues, and other ag topics.\u00a0 As an RD, I am interested in the total farm to fork continuum.\u00a0 If you eat, you are involved in agriculture!
\n\"SARE \"SARE<\/p>\n

One\u00a0given in agriculture is that all producers have a place at the table that feeds the world.\u00a0 Not one farmer, one organic farm, nor one rancher can feed the worlds exploding population.\u00a0 But as a whole working together, it can be done better, faster and with less than in the past.\u00a0 That is what this tour was about.\u00a0 Different\u00a0producers raising crops in their unique way.\u00a0 He\"SAREre is how my day rolled out:<\/p>\n

The first producer we visited was Kimmel Orchard and Kimmel Education and Research <\/a>Center<\/a><\/strong> in Nebraska City.\u00a0 Richard and Laurine Kimmel believed in the land and in sharing what the land produced with their neighbors. Since 1925, apples and cherries, among other dozens of\u00a0fruits and vegetables have been produced\u00a0on their\u00a0land.\u00a0 The Orchard is dedicated to agricultural education research and historic preservation. It\u2019s a destination for fresh, locally-grown produce and other home-grown Nebraska products.<\/p>\n

They are in the process of replacing old apple trees that have stopped producing as much with new ones.\u00a0 They are planting and raising tall spindle apple trees <\/a><\/strong>in their orchard.\u00a0 They are able to grow more trees in less space, and have twice the production of apples from a regular apple tree.\u00a0 They are short (nine feet) and are easier to pick, so less man-power is needed.\u00a0 They produce more apples than a regular tree in half the time due to the trees density.\u00a0 They expect over 30,000 bushels of apples in September.<\/p>\n

They have so many other types of produce\u00a0 to purchase.\u00a0 Here is a little secret–if you pick cherries there–they will pit them for you!\u00a0 The orchard was really something to see! \"SARE<\/p>\n

They are growing the sweetest peaches and grapes.\u00a0 The grapes are sent off to be made into many varieties of wine, and sent back to the orchard for sale.\u00a0 They also have 40 acres of U-Pick crops–ranging from apples to zucchini, with pumpkins being extremely popular in the fall!\u00a0 Another well know secret is that people will line up to taste their apple donuts!\u00a0 They are incredible!\u00a0 The hay rack ride around the entire farm is quite educational! I recommend it!<\/p>\n

\"SARE<\/p>\n

The next producer we visited was the Garden of Ellen<\/strong>.\u00a0 Ellen Shank and her husband Jim have both retired\u00a0and undertook a second career of raising and marketing produce from high tunnels and the garden on their farm in 2011.\u00a0 The Shanks market their produce at area farmers markets and from their farm.\u00a0 They have figured out that they can bring produce to markets sooner that bigger producers by using their high tunnels.\u00a0 That gives them an edge in the beginning of the growing season. \"SARE<\/p>\n

Ellen is a retired nurse, and her sanitation standards on their farm are impressive.\u00a0\u00a0 For a small farm, they function as efficiently as someone with thousands of acres!\u00a0 With just the two of them, and this summer a high school student, they are able to produce an incredible amount of food in a small area.\u00a0\"SARE<\/p>\n

They use ingenuity to make things work.\u00a0 For example, they wanted to\u00a0plant onions early, and have them grow faster and weed less.\u00a0 So they decided to plant them under a tarp to reduce weeds and heat the soil so they could plant earlier.\u00a0 But how do you get the onions under the tarp?\u00a0 The machine above disks the dirt into hills and lays down a sheet of black tarp as it goes.\u00a0 They developed a barrel system with “pokers” on it.\u00a0 They roll it over the tarp–and voila!\u00a0 Holes to plant onions!\u00a0 They plant their cantaloupe on tunnel-shaped trellises to deter salmonella.\u00a0 Their produce washing system is something to see also!\u00a0 I really enjoyed tasting fresh berries from their bushes!<\/p>\n

\"SARE<\/p>\n

\"SARE<\/p>\n

Union Orchard <\/strong><\/a>was our next stop.\u00a0 It was formerly owned by the University of Nebraska since 1917, but now is owned by the Wostrel (2011)\u00a0family.\u00a0 The Wostrel’s and orchard manager Vaughn Hammond are developing the orchard and transforming it into a destination for families to come visit year round.\u00a0 As most of the existing 6500 fruit trees are over 50 years old, they will be replanted.\u00a0 Thirty acres will be replanted in apples, peaches and pears.\u00a0 The remainder of the property will be planted in pumpkins, heirloom squash, asparagus, strawberries, raspberries, blackberries, blueberries and elderberries.\u00a0 \"SARE<\/p>\n

They are replanting and growing the orchard to include more varieties of apples and grapes.\u00a0 Some of the crop is sold fresh in their store, and others are made into value-added products like pies, donuts, jams, jellies and wine.\u00a0 We dined in their pavilion for lunch.\u00a0 It included lots of fresh produce!<\/p>\n

The ride around the orchard was very impressive.\u00a0 They are producing a great deal of produce with a very SMALL amount of workers.\u00a0 They worker smarter, not harder.\"SARE<\/p>\n

The next producer we toured was the Nebraska Hop Yard<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0 If you have never seen hops grow–you need to check this place out!\u00a0 Hops demand is on the rise with the increase of craft brewers growing at a rate of 15% in 2015, totaling 4,269 breweries–the most EVER! (Brewers Association, March 2016).<\/p>\n

\"SARE<\/p>\n

Using funds from Nebraska Department of Economic Development and their own private funds, Bruce and Annette Wiles have transformed the former Plattsmouth Country Club into an agribusiness where they grow hops.<\/p>\n

\n

\"SARE<\/p>\n

The Wileses, who founded and own Midwest Hop Producers, Nebraska Hop Yards and Midwest Hop Yard Supplies, are focusing on growing and marketing the hops.\u00a0 They did extensive research, and visited many other hop farms to make sure what they produce works and can be passed down thru generations.\u00a0 The really did their homework–as the production is doing well!\u00a0 The Nebraska Department of Economic Development in August said the Wileses are investing more than $3.5 million in site improvements, construction of the hops harvesting, drying and pelletizing operation and other buildings and equipment. The project is expected to create as many as 20 jobs.\u00a0\u00a0Phase I of the development is complete at a cost of around $2 million. The former clubhouse had been remodeled and 15 acres of hops has been planted. Harvesting and irrigation equipment has been purchased and two greenhouses have been built.<\/p>\n

\"SARE<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

They are growing 27 different varieties of hops.\u00a0 This is considered Nebraska’s newest value added ag enterprise!\u00a0 Hops are grown on strands of rope, and twirl counter-clockwise to the top.\u00a0 One to three or four plants can share a rope.\u00a0 Hops do not produce much, if anything the first year, but produce more the second, and by the third year\u00a0 are producing at maximum capacity.\u00a0 With the growth of the craft beer industry, the supply of hops is not keeping up with the demand.\u00a0\u00a0The demand is opening up the market to small farms in Nebraska and the Midwest.\u00a0 It is amazing that you can rub the hops between your hands and actually smell the type of beer they may be used in!<\/p>\n

\u00a0\"SARE<\/p>\n

Our final stop for the day was the Lakehouse Farm and Prairie Plate Restaurant <\/a><\/strong>near Waverly.\u00a0 It is owned and run\u00a0by Jerry and Renee Cornett.\u00a0 They are both retired Navy helicopter pilots.\u00a0 Jerry manages the farm side, and Renee, who has a culinary degree, is the chef and manager for the restaurant.<\/p>\n

\"SARE<\/p>\n

Prairie Plate Restaurant is a farm-to-table restaurant located in a rural lakefront setting where guests will enjoy a seasonal menu based on products from the co-located Lakehouse Farm and regional providers.\u00a0\u00a0Outstanding regional and seasonal ingredients provide the foundation for\u00a0their menu.\u00a0 Their mantra is “it will never be fresher or better than in the place it\u2019s grown and raised”.\u00a0 They\u00a0use local, pasture-raised Animal Welfare Approved meats and source egg, dairy, and grain products from local artisan producers as well.\u00a0 Over 85% of the vegetables on the menu come from\u00a0their co-located certified organic farm. \u00a0All other produce\u00a0is\u00a0sourced from other local farms.\u00a0 \"SARE<\/p>\n

Besides using all the produce in the restaurant, they also provide items for their CSA and a farmers market in Lincoln.\u00a0 If something is in season today–you will see it on their menu tonight.\u00a0 It is really that fresh!\u00a0 They have a few high tunnels that allow them to raise produce longer than the average producer.\u00a0 Fresh leafy greens are one of those items they can still use fresh in the cold months.\u00a0\u00a0 They have also figured out a way to keep their produce cold until they use it or sell it, with a self constructed cooler.\u00a0 It really is quite something to see!\"SARE<\/p>\n

The Cornett’s have a passion for what they do, and it shows in their farm and their food.\u00a0 We finished our tour with\u00a0a “snack” in their dining room.\u00a0 It was WONDERFUL!\u00a0 Bruschetta with garlic rubbed crostini and a wheat berry salad, with mint water.\u00a0 After traipsing around in the heat all day, it was a perfect way to end our tour.\u00a0 We were able to tour their kitchen and see how they are able to use it for double duty.\u00a0 It is a restaurant kitchen that provides meals for hungry diners, and it also functions as a sanitary place to clean produce to sell.\u00a0 The restaurant has a full wall of widows facing their lake, and it is definitely a\u00a0 destination place to have dinner.\u00a0\u00a0 \"SARE\"SARE<\/p>\n

I was quite excited to see so many ways producers are meeting the needs a growing population, one person at a time.\u00a0 You should check out local producers in your area–they all have a story, and are passionate about the importance of what they do for a living!<\/p>\n

\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

My name is Cindy.\u00a0 I am an Extension Educator working for Nebraska Extension.\u00a0 I am a Registered Dietitian, avid gardener and mother of three busy children.\u00a0\u00a0 Recently, I got the privilege to participate in a SARE tour.\u00a0 SARE stands for the\u00a0Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program.\u00a0 Funded by the USDA,\u00a0 the national SARE program\u00a0supports and promotes sustainable farming and ranching.\u00a0 Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":12428,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[780],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-12394","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nutrition-2","cat-780-id"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/nutritionknowhow.org\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/CLIMB-HIGH-2.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/nutritionknowhow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12394"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/nutritionknowhow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/nutritionknowhow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nutritionknowhow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nutritionknowhow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12394"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/nutritionknowhow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12394\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12452,"href":"https:\/\/nutritionknowhow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12394\/revisions\/12452"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nutritionknowhow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12428"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/nutritionknowhow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12394"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nutritionknowhow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12394"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/nutritionknowhow.org\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12394"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}