Agriculture in West Virginia - WVATS Newsletters

WVATS Newsletter Articles - 2004

Weed with Less Strain

by Astrid Newenhouse, Bob Meyer, Marcia Miquelon and Larry Chapman

University of Wisconsin Healthy Farmers Healthy Profits Project, Dec. 2001; Second Edition

Many of the hoes commonly used for weeding can strain your back, neck, shoulders, and arms because they force you to adopt a stooped position. Consider a long handled diamond hoe instead of what you currently use. With a long handled diamond hoe you stand up straight while you work and keep your wrists in a more neutral position. The hoe's unique design can also help you save time and effort.

How does it work?

Stirrup, collinear and long handled diamond hoe

The long handled diamond hoe has a 2" x 8" diamond-shaped blade, sharpened on all four edges. The handle is 6' long and ends in a modified "T" shape. While standing upright, you push the hoe with your hand loosely gripping the "T", and pull it back again in a push-pull motion similar to running a household vacuum. With your other hand along the handle, you can gently guide the hoe.

Hoes are designed either for weeding (to slice weeds at or just below ground level) or for chopping (to cut up weeds and cultivate or disturb the soil surface). Blades on chopping hoes, such as a rectangular onion hoe, are set at a sharp angle to the ground and are designed to move more soil than weeding hoes. The long handled diamond hoe is a weeding hoe, as are the stirrup hoe (also called the action, oscillating, swivel, scuffle, or hula hoe), the circle hoe, and Eliot Coleman's collinear hoe.

Diamond hoe benefits:

Less fatigue and discomfort. To prevent fatigue and soreness, it helps to use a weeding hoe instead of a chopping hoe because you skim it along the ground or slightly beneath the surface instead of repeatedly lifting the hoe and moving a lot of soil. Using a hoe with a regular length handle (typically 54-57 inches) forces you to bend to reach the ground, which strains your back, shoulders, arms, and neck. With the long handled diamond hoe and the collinear hoe, the handle length and blade position work together to let you hoe with your back straight. In our trials, we took repeated measurements of spine angle from an hour of work. On average, when using the long-handled diamond hoe the worker had 8 degrees of forward lean from vertical, as compared to 15 degrees of forward lean using the stirrup hoe.

With the diamond hoe, you also have less neck strain because you face forward as you work instead of sideways, compared to using the collinear and stirrup hoes. The long handled diamond hoe moves less soil than the stirrup hoe and requires less effort. Holding the slightly angled "T" handle on the end of the long handled diamond hoe puts your wrist in line with your arm in a neutral position that isn't bent or twisted. This helps prevent wrist strain.

Requires less effort. Your body exerts more power with less effort when you push against something than when you pull, therefore pushing a hoe to cut off weeds is more efficient than pulling it. With the long handled diamond hoe, you can do both. It also takes a lot less effort to slice weeds with a sharp edge than a dull one.

The long handled diamond hoe is made of forged steel and is razor sharp. Compared to a stamped blade of mild steel, it starts out sharper and stays sharper. To keep it sharp, use a mill file or bench grinder and file across the width of the blade with each downward stroke. Maintain the manufacturer's bevel.

Lets you change positions. Many people who use the long handled diamond hoe switch it from hand to hand to give each arm a rest. You can also use your leg muscles to help move the hoe through the soil. Some people alternate hoeing in front of them with reaching to hoe each adjoining row, saving themselves steps. Each time you change your work position, you alleviate muscle stress and prevent pain.

Fast and precise. The hoe you choose depends on personal preference, soil type and moisture level, weed height, and crop growth. With four cutting edges and two sharp points, you can quickly remove weeds very close to your crop. After an initial trial session to get used to the long handle, upright posture, precise cutting edges and "far away" blade, you can weed more quickly with this hoe than with others. In our field trials, removing small (2-4 inch) weeds from between salsify rows was 21% faster with a long handled diamond hoe than with a stirrup hoe.

Affordable. The long handled diamond hoe costs $35-$40. While initially more costly than many other hoes, it can pay for itself by saving time and preventing injury and soreness.

How can I get one?

The long handled diamond hoe we describe here was originally designed for tulip farmers, and is made by De Van Koek, a Dutch company. It is available from farm and garden supply dealers such as:

Glacier Valley Enterprises
S2907 County Hwy A
Baraboo, WI 53913
1-800-236-6670

Ag Resource Inc.
35268 State Hwy 34
Detroit Lakes, MN 56501
1-800-288-6650

These references are provided as a convenience for our readers. They are not an endorsement by West Virginia University.

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Deluxe Boot & Shoe Brush with Scraper

Are you always tracking unwanted dirt, sand, snow, and slush into your home because it is just too hard to scrape off your boots? Keep your boots clean with Duluth Trading Company's Deluxe Boot and Shoe Brush with built in scraper. The boot and shoe scraper has two 11"L x 6"W V-shaped contour brushes to clean your footwear with over 100 square inches of plastic bristles.

Plus, with the tip of your shoe, you can flip the brushes to expose the steel scraper bar to remove accumulations from the sole and instep - all without the need for bending. One foot secures the unit while the other is being cleaned; or, you can secure the unit through the anchor holes provided. The Deluxe Boot and Shoe Brush is made in USA by Sparta Brush(r) and retails for $42.99.

For more information, call 1-877-382-2345 or visit www.duluthtrading.com on the web.

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County Farms Are Open for Visitors

In an effort to sustain their farms, farm families are developing new innovative practices and improving old ones. Farmers are offering fee-fishing, petting zoos, and other educational and recreational activities to the public to maintain the viability of West Virginia family farming. The following is a list of farms open for visitors in Preston County.

Mountain Diamond Longhorns
Tunnelton, W.Va.
Open all year
These farmers demonstrate the modern model of rural part-time agriculture in West Virginia on their Longhorn cattle farm. Please call or e-mail to arrange a weekend or evening visit. For more information, e-mail barbara.a.miller@att.net, or call 304-568-2322

Fulks Farm and Crafts
Aurora, W.Va.
Open all year
This farm features Romney sheep on rolling West Virginia hillsides. The wool is used to produce high quality rugs and other items. For more information or to arrange a visit (please call ahead), call 304-735-3604.

Reckart's Mill
Orr, W.Va.
Open May-September
Built in 1865, this mill spans Muddy Creek in Preston County where grain, buckwheat, and corn were milled into flour. Reckart's Mill is located on an operational farm were visitors may see cows, rabbits and chickens. There is also a general store selling local crafts. For more information, please call 888-478-2324.

Cole Mountain Trout Farm
Terra Alta, W.Va.
Open during the spring
Cole Mountain Trout Farm is located on top of Briery Mountain in Preston County. This farm features a fish-for-fee trout pond and a hatching facility. For more information, or to arrange a visit, please call 304-789-2881.

Arthurdale
Arthurdale, W.Va.
Open all year
Arthurdale, recognized as the nation's first New Deal homestead, was created in the 1930's. Arthurdale offers tours of the New Deal Museum, a blacksmith's shop, an old service station, the historic Center Hall and the homestead museum with its farm animals, garden and root cellar. Special events are scheduled throughout the year. For more information, please call 304-864-3959 or visit www.arthurdaleheritage.org

Hopping Acres
Bruceton Mills, W.Va.
Open May-December
Nestled in the mountains of Bruceton Mills, this farm is the home of Romney and Leicester Longwool sheep. Hopping Acres sheep wool is used to make wool sweaters and knit-ware available at the farm or on the website. For more information, visit www.frontiernet.net/~hoppingacres/, e-mail hoppingacres@frontiernet.net or call 304-379-2212.

The Grazing Herd Sheep & Wool Co.
Bruceton Mills, W.Va.
Open May 15 - December 15
Touted as West Virginia's only wool processing mill, the Grazing Herd Sheep & Wool Co. turns fine wool from sheep, llamas, rabbits and other critters into quality fleece, knitwear and felted items. For more information, e-mail grazingherd@frontiernet.net or call 304-379-9100.

Crimson Shamrock Alpacas
Eglon, W.Va.
Open all year
The Crimson Shamrock Alpacas farm is the home to Suri Alpacas, Angora rabbits and Wensleydale sheep. A tour of the farm gives visitors a chance to touch and groom these friendly creatures and to learn about Alpaca farming. For more information, please call 304-735-6413.

Allegheny Treenware
Thornton, W.Va.
Open all year
Treenware, handcrafted wood kitchenware, is crafted and sold on the 45-acre Preston County farm. Each piece is hand-shaped and sanded to a satiny finish. Open 7 days a week. For more information, visit www.spooners.com or call 304-892-3270.

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AgrAbility Helps Farmers Keep Farming

The AgrAbility Project is a U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)- funded program established to help farmers and farm families who, because of occupational and personal accidents or illnesses, need to find accommodations to remain active in farming.

West Virginia AgrAbility Project staff will assist farmers and their families by making recommendations for safe, affordable modifications to their homes, land, vehicles and farming equipment. Staff members will make direct on-the-farm visits to help develop solutions to meet specific needs. Project staff will also help farm families locate peer support and funding sources. The West Virginia AgrAbility Project can develop and pursue resources, inform farmers of what is available and, in some cases, help them design and build assistive devices.

The program is designed to aid those who experience any number of chronic illnesses or physical limitations including amputation, arthritis, back pain, developmental disabilities, hearing problems, multiple sclerosis, traumatic brain injury, Parkinson's disease, vision problems, respiratory problems, stroke, spinal cord injury, post-polio syndrome, chronic pain and other health or chronic conditions.

West Virginia AgrAbility Project serves agricultural families regardless of farm type and can develop solutions to meet specific needs through direct on-the-farm visits.

Inetta Fluharty, field operations manager, and Sonja Gollihue, assistant field operations manager, coordinate resources and services to farm families. If you know someone who farms with an injury or chronic health condition or has a family member with a disability, or if you would just like more information about West Virginia AgrAbility, please call 800-841-8436.

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Aquaculture

A growing choice for West Virginia farmers is aquaculture, which is considered the fastest growing sector of U.S. Agriculture. Aquaculture is defined as the farming of fish, shellfish, aquatic plants, etc., in a natural or controlled environment.

The USDA Census of Aquaculture in 1998 reported 27 aquaculture farms in West Virginia with $691,000 in sales. Twenty-two farms used on-farm surface water, four used groundwater and one used off-farm water to raise fish. Detailed data from the 2002 Census will not be released until 2005, although many more aquaculture farms are now operating in West Virginia. According to the 2002 state profile, aquaculture sales had increased to $2,712,000.

Farms used ponds, flow-through raceways or tanks, closed recirculation tanks, cages or a combination of methods. Catfish and trout wer produced on 28 West Virginia farms, while striped bass, walleye, blue gill and large mouth bass were raised on other farms.

Researchers on WVU's Aquaculture Food and Marketing Development Project have joined together to enhance the production and marketing of farm-raised fish for food and recreation in private waters, boosting economic development and tourism, and creating new opportunities for farmers in West Virginia.

It is the team's mission to expand the aquaculture industry through a variety of means, such as market research, supporting individual farmers, studying fish species at the genetic level, and turning mine sites into fish farms.

drawing showing aquaponics = aquaculture + hydroponics

The final aspect of the multifaceted project is perhaps the most important: communicating findings to West Virginia's growing aquaculture industry and helping farmers apply them to make their efforts more productive, profitable, and successful. Ken Semmens, an aquaculture specialist with the WVU Extension, coordinates these efforts, scheduling workshops and short courses for producers and organizing an annual aquaculture forum. For more information, call Ken at 304-293-6131m ext, 4211 ir e-mail him at ksemmens@wvu.edu

WVU Extension has an aquaculture information series of fact sheets on every aspect of aquaculture from pond management to record keeping forms and water quality. One fact sheet discusses the basics of "Getting Started in Aquaculture in West Virginia." You can find the series at www.wvu.edu/~agexten/aquaculture/factsht.htm

To see a working aquaculture system, you might want to consider a visit to Keyser, West Virginia. The Mineral County Vo Tech in Keyser has had an active and growing aquaculture program since 1994 that is linked to hydroponics. Hydroponics is growing plants without soil. In a program called aquaponics, the vegetation is planted in gravel, then water and fertilizer are circulated over the beds to give the plants the nutrients needed to grow.

The Mineral County facility is equipped with a state-of-the-art filtration system, classroom computer monitoring, and alighting and heating system that allows the school to produce crops of fisn and plants year-round. Students operate the lab by testing water quality, feeding fish, planting, harvesting and monitoring growth, operating the hatchery and caring for broodfish. Students also conduct tours for visitors. E-mail cewebb@access.k12.wv.us for more information about the program, or visit its web site at www.mctc.mine.tec.wv.us/aqua.htm

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Bionic Gardening Gloves

A new type of gardening glove can make gardeing easier for people with arthrites. Bionic Gardening Gloves are designed to improve hand strength while reducing pain. Anatomic relief pads on the thumb, fingers and palm reduce calluses, blisters and fatigue.

The gloves have received an Ease-of-Use Commendation from the Arthritis Foundation. Bionic Gloves can be ordered for $45 a pair from the company at 800-282-2287 - select Option # 6 - or www.bionicgloves.com/PG. They are also available at some garden centers.

picture of bionic gardening gloves

Text version of Gardening Gloves picture above
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Lack of Farm Safety Rules Reaping a Toll

Dominion Post, Nov. 9, 2003 Employment and Technology Section

On-the-job death rates in agriculture have remained stubbornly high for generations, even as the casualty counts have plunged in mining, construction and other risky industries. The rigorous safety rules and government inspections credited with reducing the toll elsewhere in the economy play almost no role on the farm, and that's just how farmers want it.

Frustrated researchers call the phenomenon "the farm safety-risk paradox," a fancy name for the fact that farmers understand the poor odds they face but willingly take their chances. They resolutely resist measures that would save lives, such as requiring roll bars on older tractors.

"It's just awful tough to force it," said House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., whose district takes in a swath of farm country.

Fatalism, self-reliance and economic pressure combine to make injury and death as much a part of agriculture as seed and feed. The prospect of additional government regulation threatens deeply held values far more than entanglement in machinery, assault by livestock and other common mishaps long regarded as an inescapable part of rural life.

"So much of the culture involves risk-taking and the independence to make their own decisions about their own operations," said Dennis J. Murphy, a professor of agricultural engineering at Penn State University, who grew up near Waggoner. "The very first memory they have is doing things the way their dad did or their grandfather did. Farmers tend to accept the hazards."

No single occupational hazard comes close to the dangers involving tractors, according to a government-funded research effort that has uncovered alarming new data pinpointing the perils in America's heartland.

Between 1992 and 2000, tractor accidents claimed the lives of 1,894 farmers, or 37 percent of all those who died on the job during that period. Rollovers account for more accidental deaths than any other single cause, and no one expects the numbers to fall sharply anytime soon.

The population of U.S. farmers is graying rapidly, resulting in slower reaction times and reduced capacity to heal. Because death rates rise dramatically with age, an increasing proportion of farmers will face their highest risk in years to come.

Fatigue becomes a big factor during fall harvest and spring planting, especially as the average acreage of a working farm expands, and farmers travel farther from field to field. As farm tractors creep along on roadways as vehicles whiz by, the potential increases for accidents.

In the most common fatal accident, a farmer in his 60s or 70s riding an older-model tractor alone at the end of a long day rolls the machine over sideways down a hill or embankment. Even if he doesn't die immediately, help is usually far away.

Yet although the public investment in research has advanced the understanding of agricultural health and safety, it has done nothing to reduce the death rate, Penn State's Murphy concludes in a report published this year.

Indeed, the roughly $30 million earmarked annually for farm safety amounts to relatively little. The federal government spends as much as 200 times more per miner than it does per farmer, mostly on inspection and enforcement programs.

Only farms with more than 10 employees are subject to similar regimens. The vast majority of Midwest operations fall under the "small-farm exemption" to occupational safety enforcement - granted at the behest of agriculture lobbyists and farm-state politicians in the 1970s.

With so little leverage, farm-safety researchers have resorted to communicating safety messages through churches, banks and other rural institutions. Their studies suggest that influencing community leaders works better at changing behavior than safety education aimed directly at everyday farmers, who tune it out.

Even cash incentives to install tractor roll bars or replace equipment shields don't work as well as "peer pressure," said John R. Myers, a NIOSH statistician responsible for farm data.

Although the decline is less pronounced than for other dangerous industries, farm death rates have fallen over the past 40 years, probably because of technological advancements more than behavioral changes among typical farmers, the safety experts say.

In the mid-1980s, tractor manufacturers made rollover protection standard on their new vehicles. However, tractors last for decades, and farmers sometimes remove the roll bars so the big machines will fit in tight spaces. Only about half of tractors operating on America's farms have the steel frames enclosing the driver's seat that boost survival rates in rollovers.

Outside the United States, some countries have made different choices. Simple regulations covering farm equipment, such as requiring closed cabs on tractors, are common across Europe and the United Kingdom. In Australia, with a few exceptions, anyone operating a modern tractor without rollover protection faces a four-figure fine.

Even on U.S. farms, certain regulations cover pesticide applications because, unlike workplace safety, those rules are deemed necessary to protect a wider public.

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Farm Tractor Rollover Protective Structures (ROPS)

Each year tractor rollover accidents continue to be the single leading cause of farm-related fatalities in many states. Having a rollover protective structure (ROPS) is the only sure way to protect the operator in case of a rollover.

Be sure your tractor has ROPS. A cab with ROPS has a label certifying that it meets ROPS standards. Many older tractors do not have a ROPS structure built into the framework. There are ROPS retrofits available for many tractors that cost between $300 and $600 and these devices can save a farmer's life.

Farmers should not attempt to build their own ROPS as there are many variables in mounting and metal strength involved. ROPS are certified as a guarantee that the device will absorb energy and withstand tremendous force to protect the tractor operator.

ROPS are not designed to prevent rollovers; they are designed to protect the operator in the event of a rollover. Tractor operators should still wear a seatbelt and practice caution while operating the tractor.

Information obtained from the University of Wisconsin Center for Agricultural Safety and Health, Madison.

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Tractor-related Incidents Account for 37 Deaths in W.Va. from 1997 to 2002

Dominion Post November 3, 2003 Local News

A total of 37 West Virginia farmers died in tractor-related incidents between 1997 and 2002. Many of these deaths were the result of tractor rollovers and overturns, according to research conducted by the WVU Center for Rural Emergency Medicine's Fatality Assessment and Control Evaluation (FACE) program.

The deaths prompted statewide distribution of a survey containing questions on tractor safety practices among farmers. The results of nearly 3,000 surveys show that the average age of a tractor is more than 22 years, and older tractors are not equipped with a rollover protective structure (ROPS). A ROPS is a structural frame designed to protect the driver in the event of a rollover. They are standard on newer tractors and available for older ones.

"The presence of a ROPS on a tractor can reduce the chance of sustaining injury in the event of a rollover," FACE Program Coordinator, Wayne Lundstrom said. "Farmers must also use a safety belt for full protection."

Farmers cited expense, availability and unlikelihood of a rollover as reasons they avoid outfitting their older tractors with a ROPS. However, more than 40 percent of all farmers surveyed reported a close call with a rollover.

"There are no known rollover fatalities in the state while the operator was wearing a seatbelt in a ROPS-equipped tractor," Lundstrom said.

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Ironclad GripTec Advantage Gloves

The innovators at 3M (tm) and Ironclad (r) have applied science and technology to grip. The result is a new line of GripTec (tm) gloves. The scientists recognized that improving grip is a key to reducing fatigue and nonproductive effort for the professional tradesman. This resulted in a new glove that takes advantage of a technological breakthrough: 3M (tm) Gentile (tm) Gripping Material, using a two-part system. Included with each pair of GripTec gloves is a 4" x 6" piece of adhesive-backed Gentile material that can be applied to hammers, pistol grips and handles of other power tools. When the thousands of tiny microscopic gripping fingers of Gentile material on the gloves and on the tool handles are matchoked up, the result is an increase in gripping strength up to 300%. Other features include reinforced fingertips, full-finger knuckle padding, a hook and loop closure system for a snug fit, and a terry cloth thumb for wiping sweat from your brow. Available in M, L, XL and XXL. You can find these gloves and tons of other helpful tools at www.duluthtrading.com

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What is "Tree Farming?"

"Wood is a crop. Forestry is Tree Farming."

Gifford Pinchot, First chief of the USDA Forest Service.

The term "tree farming" was first used in the 1940's to introduce the public to sustainable forestry. Farming implies continual care and production of goods year after year. By linking the term "farming" with trees, foresters could communicate the concept of sustainable production of forest products over time. Tree farming implies a commitment to the land. Tree farms are more than pine plantations or Christmas tree farms. Tree farms are varied in nature and contain many different habitats and stages of forest regeneration, from seedlings to mature timber. Biodiversity is a critical component of a certified tree farm. Tree farmers must maintain natural forest buffers and other aspects of conservation techniques.

Getting Started in Sustainable Forestry
Sound, sustainable forests begin with determining objectives, deciding what resources are available on your land, and developing a written forest management plan that meets American Tree Farm System standards and guidelines as well as meeting your forest needs for generations to come. A professional forester can answer your questions and help you develop your management plan.

Sustainable Forestry Defined
Sustainable forestry means managing our forests to meet the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs by practicing a land stewardship ethic which integrates the reforestation, managing, growing, nurturing and harvesting of trees for useful products with the conservation of soil, air and water quality, wildlife and fish habitat and aesthetics.

U.S. Forests Facts & Figures 2001, Clemson University and AF&PA

This information adapted from: www.treefarmsystem.org/aboutfarming/whatis.cfm

For more information about tree farming in West Virginia, contact an American Tree Farm System West Virginia Chair:
Lucien Bennett
Mead Paper
PO Box 367
Mineral Wells, WV 26150
Phone: 304-489-2863
E-mail: 11bwv@wirefire.com

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Agriculture & Equestrian Division on Its Way

On Friday, July 5, 2002, interested National Federation of the Blind of WV members wrote and adopted a constitution for a new division. Offices were discussed, elections held, and one of the NFB's newest divisions was established. The board, like the membership of the group, has a wide array of interests and a wide geographic distribution. "Agroforestry, apiculture and aquaculture; composting; gardening and landscaping; firearms and hunting; dairies and milk products; ranching and riding; tack and tractors; vermiculture and zymurgy: we cover the map. Blind people are working, studying, and hobbying in every field, while feeding and clothing the world. Put your boots on, roll up your sleeves, and join us!"

Other topics included naming a newsletter, choosing an editor, planning for next year's tours, and thinking about upcoming state affiliate conventions. "The Field Post" is the group's and newsletter. Stories, suggestions, and questions can be submitted by e-mail to the editor, Fred Chambers, regenerative@earthlink.net

National Federation of the Blind Braille Monitor, August/September 2002, Volume 45, Number 7, Page 630-631.

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West Virginia AgrAbility Farmer Networks

West Virginia AgrAbility is in search of West Virginia farmers who are interested in sharing their creative and innovative ideas with other farmers around the state. We would like to build an Ingenuity Network of farmers who have modified equipment and/or their home or farm, to make life a little easier. For more information about the WV AgrAbility Project Ingenuity Network, please contact Janet Della-Giustina or Tom Stockdale at 800-626-4748 or e-mail Jan.Della-Giustina@mail.wvu.edu

WV AgrAbility is also seeking farmers interested in serving as participants in our Peer Network. Peers can share similar experiences with other West Virginia farmers and discuss solutions to farming dilemmas. For more information about the WV AgrAbility Project Peer Network, please contact Inetta Fluharty at assist@neumedia.net or call 800-841-8436.

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New USDA Office to Aid Minority & Socially Disadvantaged Farmers

In September 2002, the USDA announced the establishment of the Office of Minority and Socially Disadvantaged Farmer Assistance (MSDA). This new office, operated under the USDA's Farm Service Agency, will provide minority and socially disadvantaged farmers with another avenue to seek technical assistance and information, especially as it relates to USDA loan applications. The MSDA operates a toll-free telephone help-line to answer questions about loan applications filed in local offices and other technical issues.

To contact the MSDA:
Phone: 1-866-538-2610, Fax: 1-888-211-7286
E-mail: MSDA@wdc.usda.gov
To learn more about the MSDA, visit: www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/msda.htm

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Plant to Improve Your Hunting

By Brian J. Burhans
Sportsmen Spring 2002, page 42-45

Want wild turkeys? Then you need to know one word and one word only: chufa (chew-fa). It's a strange word, alright, but there's nothing better in this world to draw the ole game bird to your land and keep him there.

It's the favorite food among turkey circles. You'll see. Once they find a patch, the ground looks like a pack of wild hogs thundered through. And for the disabled sportman, planting food plots can drastically improve hunting opportunities by bringing the game bird into gun range.

"I haven't seen any other planting that can change the movement patterns of wild turkey like chufa," said NWTF wildlife biologist Tom Hughes, who planted it several years ago on the 23,000-acre Millhaven Plantation in Screven County, Ga., to improve turkey hunting there. "Once the birds find the chufa, they'll keep coming back in the fall, winter and well into the spring."

So what is chufa, anyway? Without getting too technical, its an edible tuber from a simple plant - sedge. If you've never heard of chufa, maybe you know it by some other name: yellow nut grass or earth almond, rush nut or Florida almond. Each plant produces 15 to 75 tubers that wild turkeys scratch out of the ground once the tops turn brown.

When it comes to planting food plots, there is no magic seed, but Turkey Gold Chufa comes mighty close. So don't miss out on this surefire turkey attractor. Waterfowl love it, too. All you need is a pond or wetland area where you can control the water levels so the chufa fields can be flooded in the fall. Combined with millet, your waterfowl impoundment will attract and hold more ducks, which will provide for some spectacular shooting.

To order your bag of gold, call Andy Adams at 800-843-6983, or e-mail aadams@nwtf.net. You can also place your order online at www.nwtf.org.

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Chufa

In general, if you can grow corn, you can grow chufa. Chufa grows best in moderate to well-drained ground. Sandy or loamy soils are preferred, but chufa will grow in clay, as well.

Use these tips to help you grow a great Turkey Gold Chufa plot this spring:

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worker on motorized lay-down work cart

Motorized lay-down work carts

"There has got to be a better way," is a thought that has gone through nearly every small farmer's mind after stooping, squatting or crawling for hours in berry or vegetable rows. An alternative is to use a motorized lay-down work cart that lets you lie face down while you work. Lying down instead of stooping or bending is less tiring and easier on your body. The work cart also holds your harvest container, so it moves along with you. This tip sheet will focus on the Swedish-made Drangen, and on the Finnish-made Crawler (Ryomija).

How does it work?
Drangen and Crawler each look like a massage table mounted on snowmobile treads or wheels, powered by a small motor. One or more workers lie on padded supports that suspend them over the crop row. Both hands are free to pick, weed, or tend plants while the rest of the body rests comfortably. One person steers and adjusts speed with foot controls. Padded supports and framework can be adjusted to fit individual workers. The frame also adjusts, so you can position both the worker and the tracks or wheels right where you want them.

Benefits:

Less fatigue and discomfort. Prolonged kneeling or stooping to harvest and weed puts vegetable and berry growers in one of the highest risk groups for occupational injuries. If you do these tasks while lying down, you eliminate knee and leg strain and reduce strain on your back and torso. You don't get tired as quickly and you can comfortably work for a longer time. In a Finnish study of the Crawler, strawberry pickers' pulse rates were on average 10% lower when working on the lay-down cart than without it. With Drangen, the small motor is behind you so you don't breathe fumes, and it is quiet enough to listen to a radio or talk as you work. The Crawler is battery powered, which eliminates exhaust and further reduces noise.

Faster. Using a motorized lay-down cart can increase your speed, since both you and the crop you've picked move together along the row. Faster harvesting and quicker time to market maintains high crop quality. In our field trials, farmers using Drangen harvested up to 24% faster and weeded up to 23% faster compared to similar work by hand.

Improves profits. Cutting harvest or weeding time can save labor costs. Compared to using a tractor-pulled harvest platform you will not need an extra person to drive the tractor. You may also save on medical costs or miss less work due to injury.

Material is not copyrighted.Feel free to reproduce; please mention source: University of Wisconsin Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project, September 2001; Second Edition.

Authors: Astrid Newenhouse, Bob Meyer, Marcia Miquelon, and Larry Chapman, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin, 460 Henry Mall, Madison, WI 53706.

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A Note From WV AgrAbility

The lay-down work cart would be an asset to any farmer and would be particularly useful for farmers with disabilities who desire to continue farming. For more information about assistive technologies for the farm, call 1-800-841-8436.

West Virginia AgrAbility is in search of West Virginia farmers who are interested in sharing their creative and innovative ideas, like the lay-down work cart, with other farmers around the state. We would like to build an Ingenuity Network of farmers who have modified equipment and/or their home or farm, to make life a little easier. For more information about the WV AgrAbility Project Ingenuity Network, please contact Janet Della-Giustina or Tom Stockdale at 1-800-626-4748 or email Jan.Della-Giustina@mail.wvu.edu and Tom.Stockdale@mail.wvu.edu.

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West Virginia Wheelin' Sportsman

Wheelin' Sportsmen is the official publication of the Wheelin' Sportsman National Wild Turkey Federation (NWTF). Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF is dedicated to providing all people with disabilities the opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors. Wheelin' Sportsmen magazine is dedicated to the education and entertainment of outdoors enthusiasts with disabilities and their able-bodied outdoor partners who want to become more involved in outdoor activities. Wheelin' Sportsmen is also committed to providing news about the Wheelin' Sportsmen NWTF program and the National Wild Turkey Federation.

Pam Morgan is the Regional Coordinator for the state of West Virginia and she can be contacted by telephone at 334-877-4496 or v e-mail at pmorgannwtf@mindspring.com.

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Build a Hands-Free Washer

by Bob Meyer, Marcia Miquelon, Astrid Newenhouse and Larry Chapman

Market gardeners have few inexpensive mechanical devices for washing produce by hand. They often wash produce at a spray table with a garden hose and hand held spray nozzle. For under $50, you can make a simple sprayer that does not need to be held or squeezed by hand. With both hands free, you can process produce faster and more efficiently with less strain on your body.

What's wrong with a garden hose and nozzle?
Usually people use their dominant hand to grasp the spray nozzle and direct it at the produce, and their other hand to turn the produce as it gets washed and to move it to a box for packing. This can cause hand, wrist and arm fatigue from gripping the nozzle and holding the hose, and awkward postures as you move your body to reach the produce. Most garden hose nozzles spray water at higher pressure than needed to wash vegetables. This wastes water, and may also damage produce, resulting in shorter shelf life and wasted effort.

Benefits of using fixed sprayers:

Less stress on the body. A hands-free washer allows you to wash the produce comfortably and efficiently. For most right-handed workers, this means moving the produce through the stream from your left hand to your right. Since you eliminate the need to hold, squeeze and direct the hose, your hands and arms are less likely to fatigue.

Faster. Using a hands-free washer can be nearly 40% faster than using a hose and nozzle. Faster washing means higher quality produce and savings in labor time.

Less damage to crop. You can choose a nozzle with the right spray pattern for your job. For example, use a strong spray for roots and a gentle spray for leafy greens.

Will using a fixed sprayer save me money?
Total cost for parts to make a fixed sprayer ranges from $25-$70, depending on what type of nozzle you buy. This investment will be quickly made up in labor savings. You will also indirectly save money by improving product quality and preventing stress and strain on your body. Your design will depend upon the systems in your packing shed and the type(s) of produce you wash.

parts list for a wall-mounted, hands-free washer

The parts for a wall-mounted hands-free washer include: two 90° elbows; 1-inch SCH 40 PVC; 1-inch gate valve; 1-inch male connectors (PVC thread); quick couplers (male and female); 1-inch PVC; 1 3/4 inch NPT threaded plug; 3/4 inch brass coupler NPT to hose thread; and seedling watering head. You will also need PVC cleaner, cement, a wrench, and a hacksaw.
Install the washer so that when you wash produce, your hands are at a height midway between your wrist and elbow.

Wall-mounted diagram notes:
1) Valve: Use a full flow gate valve made of either brass or PVC. Gate valves have a simple lever handle that turns 90 degrees to go from full open to full shut. This is easier to grasp and control than a more restrictive spigot type valve.

2) Quick coupling connections: The hands-free washer shown has a quick coupler that allows the washer to pivot around the vertical pipe, or to be removed easily to change heads.

3) Head: We used a greenhouse seedling watering head. Other potential heads would include "Dramm" type and plastic "all-purpose" watering heads from a hardware store.

4) Abbreviations:
SCH 40= Schedule 40 type
PVC= Poly Vinyl Chloride plastic
NPT= National Pipe Thread

Material is not copyrighted. Feel free to reproduce; please mention source: University of Wisconsin Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project, November 2001, Second Edition.

Authors: Bob Meyer, Marcia Miquelon, Astrid Newenhouse and Larry Chapman, Department of Biological Systems Engineering, College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, University of Wisconsin, 460 Henry Mall, Madison, WI 53706.

Washer design: Bob Meyer 1999

Research for this publication was funded by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).

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Services for Farmers with Disabilities on the Rise

According to West Virginia Division of Rehabilitation Services newsletter, Workable Winter 2003, 41 individuals involved with farming and agriculture are receiving or have received services through Vocational Rehabilitation. This number has risen drastically since 2000, when only a handful of farmers were receiving services.

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Building Better Rural Places

Building Better Rural Places was written for anyone seeking financial help from federal programs to encourage innovative enterprises in agriculture and forestry in the United States. Specifically, the guide addresses program resources in value-added and diversified agriculture and forestry, sustainable land management, and community development. The guide can help farmers, entrepreneurs, community developers, conservationists, and many other individuals, as well as private and public organizations, both for-profit and not-for-profit.

To obtain a free copy of Building Better Rural Places, please contact Appropriate Technology Transfer for Rural Areas (ATTRA), P.O. Box 3657, Fayetteville, AR 72702, 800-346-9140 or e-mail askattra@ncata rk.uark.edu. You may also find the entire guide on ATTRA's web site at www.attra.org

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FSA Offers Farm Loans

The West Virginia Farm Service Agency (FSA) has received loan funds for the 2003-2004 year and will use these funds to aid socially disadvantaged farmers to buy and operate family-sized farms and ranches. Every year, these monies are used to help members of specific groups, such as African Americans, American Indians, Alaskan Natives, Hispanics, Asian and Pacific Islanders and women.

Funds are available for each of these loan categories:

The FSA loan program helps farmers to purchase farms, begin construction or improve existing buildings, install conservation measures and other similar farm improvements. Funding is also available for equipment and livestock purchases. FSA loan program staff members will assist farmers to analyze problems, determine available resources and plan the best use of their available resources.

During 2002, West Virginia FSA Farm Loan Programs made 41 loans totaling $840,625. For more information, contact your local FSA office. If you are not sure where your local FSA office is located, call West Virginia AgrAbility at 1-800-841-8436 or visit www.fsa.usda.gov/pas/ and click on your local office link.

Some of the information in this article was adapted from:
www.dominionpost.com/a/news/2003/04/06/bv/
The Dominion Post, April 6, 2003

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A Strap-On Stool for Field Work

Stoop labor is unavoidable on berry and vegetable farms, since at times the plants and soil need to be tended by hand. If you spend too much time stooping, kneeling or squatting, you may experience fatigue, muscle soreness or injuries. One alternative is to use an adjustable, strap-on stool that lets you sit while you work.

How Does It Work?

The one-legged stool features a nylon belt that fastens around your waist, and has straps extending from the belt to the seat of the stool that adjust to fit your body. Once you have fastened the belt and adjusted the straps, the stool moves with you and is easy to sit down on again in a new location. The seat is made of durable hard plastic, and the single metal leg is adjustable to three different heights for performing a variety of tasks. The lightweight stool features a 3-inch wide, spring-like base, so that you do not sink into the ground.

Strap-On Stool Benefits

Less fatigue and discomfort. Prolonged stooping or kneeling to harvest and weed are some of the activities which put vegetable and berry growers in one of the highest risk groups for occupational injuries. If you do these tasks while sitting, you eliminate knee strain and lessen strain on your back, hamstrings and torso. Your body doesn't get tired as quickly and you can comfortably work for a longer time.

Harvest posture analysis for picking strawberries Without stool With stool
Time spent in unacceptable postures 82% 65%
Time spent in marginal postures 16% 34%
Time spent in acceptable postures 2% 1%

Postural analysis was compiled in Finland by the Work Efficiency Institute using the Ovaco Work Analysis System (OWAS)

Lets you change positions. Using a strap-on stool lets you move from sitting to standing, and then back to sitting, and then forward-leaning sitting, and then to kneeling. If you change your position often, you can alleviate muscle stress and prevent pain. The strap-on stool lets you give your knees or back a rest. Customers at Pick-Your-Own (PYO) farms might enjoy using strap-on stools. They might find the harvest experience more fun and comfortable with a stool, and possibly pick for a longer time in the process.

Both hands free. Some growers sit on an upturned five-gallon plastic bucket or use a padded kneeling stool to give their backs and knees a break. The disadvantage of these types of seats is that every time you move to a new place in the bed or row, you need to pick up your seat and reposition it. Since the strap-on stool fits snugly to your body and moves with you, you have both hands free to harvest, weed, or carry your harvest container.

Affordable. The price for a strap-on stool ranges from $22-$38. If the stool saves you the cost of just one visit to the chiropractor, or enables a handful of U-Pick customers to stay in your fields for longer, then it will pay for itself very quickly.

How Can I Get A Strap-On Stool?

The strap-on stool we describe here is designed for milking cows. It is manufactured by Kruuse, a Dutch company, and is called the Port-A-Stool, Texas Milking Stool, or Strap-On Milk Stool. You can also build or modify your own stool to fit your needs. This strap-on milking stool or similar ones can be obtained from:

These references are provided as a convenience for our readers. They are not an endorsement.

Tips for Choosing and Using a Strap-On Stool

When choosing strap-on stools for field use, look for a stool that is lightweight, has a base that is wide enough to prevent you from sinking in soil, has adjustable straps from belt to stool, and does not have any parts that would be harmed by weather, dirt or grit.

Make sure that you adjust the straps so that the stool is tight, not wobbly. Then give yourself a few minutes to get accustomed to having a stool follow you around, and to feel comfortable enough to rely on it to support all your weight. If you position your feet so that your knees form a 90 degree angle, you'll have less knee strain.

You'll find that the stool gives you many posture options. You can sit upright, or let it support you while you sit and lean forward, or sit and lean to the side. If you feel like kneeling or standing for a while, the stool will not be in your way (although it may look a bit strange!).

If you are working in very sandy or in loose, wet soil, you may wish to attach a solid base such as a piece of wood or metal to the spring at the base of the stool.

Material is not copyrighted. Feel free to reproduce; please mention source: University of Wisconsin Healthy Farmers, Healthy Profits Project, Oct. 2001; Second Edition.

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Senior Farmer's Market Nutrition Program Expanded

The Senior Farmer's Market Nutrition Program will be expanded to cover all of West Virginia in 2004, West Virginia State Agriculture Commissioner Gus R. Douglass announced recently.

"Thanks to funding provided by the United States Department of Agriculture, we can now expand this program to all 55 counties and provide West Virginia grown fresh fruit and vegetables to more than 35,000 seniors," Commissioner Douglass said. "West Virginia has the oldest population in the nation per capita, and many of our seniors live on fixed incomes. For many of them, this program provides them the ability to add healthy foods to their diets."

Through the program, eligible seniors will receive ten, $2 coupons per household to be used for the purchase of the fruits and vegetables at any of the state's farmers; markets or independent stands that have been approved for the program.

The West Virginia Department of Agriculture (WVDA) currently operates markets in Charleston, Logan and Linwood. A complete list of the independent markets can be found on line at www.wvagriculture.org

Interested persons should contact their local senior center for information on how to register for the program.

For more information about the Senior Farmer's Market Nutrition Program, contact the WVDA's Marketing and Development Division at 304-558-2210.

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Program Will Help Farmers

Adapted from article in the Tyler Star News, Sept. 17, 2003

USDA-Rural Development announces the availability of $27.7 million through the Value Added Agriculture Product Market Development Grant (VADG) Program.

"West Virginia's agricultural producers who want to develop or increase their "value-added" agricultural products need to take a look at this program," said Jenny N. Phillips, Rural Development State Director for West Virginia.

The Value Added Agriculture Product Market Development Grant (VADG) Program helps eligible independent producers of agriculture commodities, agricultural producer groups, farmer and rancher cooperatives and majority-controlled producer-based business ventures to fund one of two activities. Developing business plans or feasibility studies for viable marketing opportunities, or acquiring working capitol to operate a value-added business venture or an alliance that will allow the producers to better compete in domestic and international markets. Applications can be for only one of these two activities, but not both.

Grant funds may be used to pay up to 50 percent of the costs for relevant projects. Other federal grants cannot be used as matching funds. The maximum grant award is $500,000. Priority is given to projects under $500,000, producing energy from biomass or demonstrating profitable use of innovative technologies.

For more information, contact the USDA Rural Business Cooperative Service at 304-284-4883.

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