South Carolina Features Supreme Chicken Sandwich in School Lunch

From USDA:

Posted by Samantha Benjamin-Kirk, FNS Southeast Regional Office Farm to School Program Lead, on January 13, 2015 at 3:00 PM

According to Food Service Director, Todd Bedenbaugh, “since the cafeterias begun promoting Supreme Chicken, sales for this ‘local protein source’ have increased by 25 percent.”

It’s not surprising that chicken, the most popular meat for kids, is being served in school cafeterias across the nation.  However, in Columbia, S.C., locally sourced chicken has taken center stage on school meal trays in an effort to increase the state’s Farm to School programming.

South Carolina’s District Five of Lexington and Richland Counties Schools are piloting a poultry project to expand local products offered to students.  In partnership with Pilgrim’s Pride Corporation, the school district is offering a variety of locally produced products to their students.

This particular Farm to School Program is made possible through the collaboration of the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control, South Carolina Department of Agriculture, South Carolina Department of Education, and Clemson University’s Youth Learning Institute.

By Holly Godwin, South Carolina Farm to Institution Program Director

During the 2013-2014 academic school year, 20 District Five schools of Lexington and Richland Counties (South Carolina) participated in the Supreme Chicken project.  This included all 12 elementary schools, four middle schools, and four high schools.

In compliance with USDA’s National School Lunch Program nutritional sodium and grain standards, the Supreme Chicken Pilot Program features three different locally sourced chicken sandwiches (grilled, spicy grilled, and whole wheat breaded) and chicken nuggets to students as a meal option. These menu items were vetted by students and are offered daily in the districts’ high schools and middle schools and monthly in the elementary schools.

A Supreme Chicken logo has been created and the sandwiches and nuggets are packaged in bags and boxes displaying the logo and advertising the options as local. The school cafeterias promote the chicken options with Supreme Chicken signage developed by the South Carolina Farm to School Program.

In total, 112,800 South Carolina produced chicken products were purchased through this pilot project. Of these, 18,720 were chicken nugget products and all others were chicken sandwiches. Numbers of products purchased by school varied greatly from a total of 360 products at one small elementary school to 36,200 from a larger high school within the district. This was expected, given the differences in student population numbers.

Students provided feedback on the Supreme Chicken Pilot Project through a short survey. Most of the students surveyed (81 percent) had tried the Supreme Chicken and just over half of them purchased it at least once each week. Additionally, 76 percent of students surveyed reported that they would be able to recognize the Supreme Chicken logo.  The success of this pilot project has sparked the attention of other school districts in South Carolina. The South Carolina Farm to School program is looking forward to expanding to additional school districts this coming year.

A South Carolina Small Farmer Makes Big Impact on the Land and in Local Community

From USDA:

Posted by Sabrenna Bryant, Natural Resources Conservation Service, South Carolina, on January 8, 2015 at 2:00 PM

Ann Pringle Washington enjoys growing a variety of fresh vegetables on her farm. NRCS photo by Sabrenna Bryant.

South Carolina small farmer and community leader Ann Pringle Washington wears many hats. Along with her husband Richard, they share a deep tie to the land on their 17-acre farm in Eastover and a true passion for improving the community where they live.

Ann’s desire to learn more about how to grow organic produce led her to attend outreach workshops hosted by the Richland Soil and Water Conservation District. The district partners with USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), to promote local and sustainable organic agriculture at workshops, including the assistance that NRCS can provide to growers.

Ann started working with NRCS District Conservationist Ajoa Harris to develop a conservation plan focused on improving the farm’s operations while taking care of natural resources. A conservation plan is a roadmap that integrates conservation practices that benefit the farm and the nearby environment, such as cleaner water and healthier soil.

In addition to receiving technical assistance from NRCS, Ann applied for a number of conservation practices through the agency’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program. Through the program, she was able to build a seasonal high tunnel and install an efficient irrigation system.

Seasonal high tunnels are plastic-covered structures that enable farmers to have crops ready earlier or later in the season. Plants are grown directly in the ground, and the sun’s heat regulates the temperature inside.

“This is going to allow us to have year round access to fresh produce,” Ann said.  “The structure will also give us the advantage and flexibility to work on the farm when we want to, even if the weather isn’t suitable.”

High tunnels are a cornerstone of USDA’s Know Your Farmer, Know Your Food Initiative, which coordinates USDA’s work on local and regional food systems. Since 2009, through NRCS, USDA has provided assistance to help producers construct over 13,000 high tunnels on farms around the country.

The drip micro-irrigation system will supply a steady, direct water source for the plants, while conserving water and preventing excess runoff.

The Washington family is enjoying the advantages of extending their growing season. They are growing many different crops including tomatoes, jalapeños, eggplant, spinach and arugula. Ann is a firm believer in conservation and taking care of the environment. The farm is fertilized primarily with compost which enriches the soil through the breakdown of organic matter.

“We believe in a naturalistic approach to farming, and we don’t use chemicals,” she said.

Ann’s vision also includes making her farm a place where children can be educated about the importance of growing and eating healthy, fresh food. As the volunteer president of the Eastover/Lower Richland Business Association, her aim is to educate her community through outreach events and hands-on education, while also spreading the word about conservation and the services that NRCS offers to the community.

“I love this farm because it is an indication of who we are and what we enjoy,” Ann said. “We believe in improving what we have and preserving something for the future.

The Washington's received cost‐share through EQIP to construct a seasonal high‐tunnel, giving them year‐round access to fresh produce. NRCS photo by Sabrenna Bryant.

Spraying Smarter Strengthens Strawberry Production

From USDA:

Posted by Amanda M. Hils, National Institute of Food and Agriculture, on January 6, 2015 at 10:00 AM

Thanks to a USDA NIFA grant, strawberry growers in Florida are benefiting from a smart system that helps them time spraying to prevent diseases – saving the farmers money while minimizing the environmental impacts. The system is being adapted for growers in other states.

This post is part of the Science Tuesday feature series on the USDA blog. Check back each week as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s rich science and research portfolio.

With the U.S. being the world’s leading producer of strawberries, the success of these tart and sweet treats is essential to the economy of a state like Florida. In fact, with a $366 million-per-year industry, the state comes second only to California as the nation’s largest strawberry producer. Naturally, strawberry growers are looking for ways to sustain their harvests and profitability.

Enter Natalia Peres, University of Florida Gulf Coast Research and Education Center professor of plant pathology.  With funding from the USDA’s National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), Peres and her research team developed an online web tool, the Strawberry Advisory System (SAS), which helps farmers spend less money on fungicides yet achieve better results with what they do spray.

Peres and doctoral students performed thorough testing before releasing SAS. Traditionally, Florida strawberry farmers spray crops once each week from November to March to prevent attacks of botrytis and anthracnose, the two most deadly fruit rot diseases for strawberry. Peres’ monitor communicates with farmers through their computers and mobile technology to alert them of an adverse disease index; meaning that the combination of leaf wetness, air temperature, and other factors have combined to create a perfect environment for disease. Once alerted, farmers can spray their crops and then log the information onto a website where each spray is tracked, the indexes are logged, and spray advisories given.

“This system is a prime example of something we like to call the ‘Internet of Agriculture Things.’ It is showing how Internet-enabled technologies can be used to achieve the kind of healthy, cost-effective, high-yield crops we will need to feed the burgeoning global population while ensuring competitiveness of the American farmer,” said Sonny Ramaswamy, NIFA director.

With 96 percent of Florida strawberry producers reporting cases of botrytis, 40 percent with yearly cases of anthracnose, and 30 percent with anthracnose every 3-4 years, fungicides are a necessary – and hefty – bill. However, SAS may be just what Florida’s farmers are looking for.

“The impact it has in Florida is already clear in the profits—spraying less and getting the same effects helps the economic situation, as well as positively impacting environmental causes,” said Peres. “The reduction in spraying also means that producers are preserving the chemicals they still have. Resistance caused by over-spraying is lessened, so chemicals are available for use longer when producers really need them.”

Peres received a $2.9 million Specialty Crops Research Initiative award in 2010 and another in 2014 for $1.3 million. She plans to expand SAS into South Carolina in the spring of 2015 after proving it also works successfully in Iowa, North Carolina, and Ohio.

Through federal funding and leadership for research, education, and extension programs, NIFA focuses on investing in science and solving critical issues that impact people’s daily lives and the nation’s future.

A Small Loan Builds Big Tradition on a Family Farm

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by John T. McComb, Loan Officer, South Carolina Farm Service Agency, on April 3, 2014 at 3:00 PM

William and Thomas Anderson in their current soybean field.

This post is part of a Microloan Success feature series on the USDA blog.  Check back every Tuesday and Thursday as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s Farm Service Agency.

It is often stated that it is hard to start a farm and become a farmer.  You do not have to tell that to Anderson Brothers Grain, LLC.

William and Thomas Anderson of Anderson, S.C., are not only brothers but young, beginning farmers.  At the ripe old age of 18 and 20, the brothers farm 180 acres of small grains–something they have been doing since 2008 when they were teenagers farming 40 acres with assistance from their father Phil Anderson and grandfather William Martin.

Being that young with little collateral and no credit history proved a challenge for the brothers.  They didn’t want to rely on their parents or grandparents to secure financing.

They had enough equipment to plant and harvest their crops, but they were in dire need of additional grain storage to use for the 2013-crop year. A neighboring row crop farmer suggested the brothers contact the local Farm Service Agency (FSA) about a Microloan.

USDA’s Microloan program allows beginning, small and mid-sized farmers to access up to $35,000 in loans using a simplified application process, and up to seven years to repay. USDA is focused on increasing opportunities for farmers and ranchers and has made several modifications to farm loan programs, including making Microloans to beginning farmers and veterans exempt from direct loan term limits.

Within a week, the brothers were able to secure and close a USDA Microloan to purchase a 10,000 bushel grain bin with auger.  The grain bin was constructed by end of May, just in time for harvest season.

“With the wet weather this year, had we not had the grain bin, we would have left half our crop in the field,” said William. “The back log at the local gain storage facility caused an eight to 12 hour wait to unload.  We would have never gotten all our crop harvested without the additional on farm storage.”

Within a week after applying for a Microloan, the Anderson brothers were approved and purchased a 10,000 bu grain bin with auger.

According to William, the grain bin paid for itself this year. Without it they would have lost much more grain due to the tight harvest season.  Although the brothers were not entirely happy with the 2013 production, they did manage 61 bushels per acre in a year plagued by wet conditions during harvest time.

“This is a great example of how FSA can fill a need when commercial lenders cannot; and where FSA can facilitate the growing of our nations next generation of farmers,” said Farm Loan Manager Bob Parris.

To date, USDA has issued more than 4,900 microloans totaling $97 million. Visit the FSA website to learn more about our farm loan programs.

William and Thomas Anderson were able to secure a $35,000 Microloan after local and commercial lenders wouldn’t take a chance on the young farmers.

S.C. Farmer Still Growing Strong after 92 Years, 6 Decades, and 1 Microloan

USDA Blog Post:

Posted by Tanya Brown, Writer/Editor, Farm Service Agency, on April 1, 2014 at 4:00 PM

This post is part of a Microloan Success feature series on the USDA blog.  Check back every Tuesday and Thursday as we showcase stories and news from USDA’s Farm Service Agency.

For Malachi Duncan life as a farmer is anything but boring. At age 92, he’s going strong and ready to do more.

“I was out on the tractor trying to locate a cow,” said Duncan, who farms 43 acres of his family’s land in Union, S.C.  It’s the same land he used to plow with mules before planting cotton, peanuts and corn.

“Back then, we didn’t have any tractors,” said Duncan. “Now, that was hard with long hours.  But we farmed to survive.”

Duncan, a proud farmer for six decades, left the farm during World War II to serve in the U.S. Army in Europe under the command of General George S. Patton. Duncan made his way through France, Germany, Italy and Africa before returning to study economics and history at Benedict College in Columbia, S.C.  He went into the teaching profession and became a Baptist minister with Bethel African Methodist Episcopal church.

Today, Duncan is retired from teaching and ministering.  He’s farming his land, which includes six cows that roam 40 acres of pasture.  His son helps with day-to-day chores.

Last year, when Duncan wanted to buy a bush hog and fertilizer, he talked to Farm Service Agency Loan Officer John McComb about a Microloan.  USDA’s Microloan program allows beginning, small and mid-sized farmers to access up to $35,000 in loans using a simplified application process with up to seven years to repay.

“He started farming over 60 years ago when farming as a minority in the Deep South was a tough business,” said McComb, who assisted Duncan through the short loan process.  “He’s one of the newest Microloan customers, but he has likely seen more changes to American agriculture than most of our customers.”

Duncan said the microloan provided the small amount needed. “They were wonderful and courteous and explained everything I needed to know and what they expected of me,” he said.

Duncan said he has seen more than just physical changes, but the way of life has changed. From the way people raise their children to the way people farm. “People aren’t as compassionate as they used to be,” said Duncan, who raised four children and has eight grandchildren and, as he puts it, “heaven only knows how many great-grandchildren.”

The advice he gives new farmers today? Education is the key. “Farming is big business now. You have to understand it, expose yourself to it and be involved,” said Duncan. “Go into it because you love it. You will only get out of it what you put into it.”

USDA is proud to see the progress that farmers and ranchers are making in their daily operations with the help of the Microloan program. To date, USDA has issued more than 4,900 Microloans totaling $97 million.  The microloan program is part of USDA’s StrikeForce for Rural Growth and Opportunity Initiative, our commitment to growing economies, increasing investments and creating opportunities in poverty-stricken rural communities like Union County, South Carolina and 19 other states.

Visit the FSA website to learn more about our farm loan programs.