Although the recent oil spill is not on campus, experts and educators at Michigan State University are engaged with farmers, reporters and concerned citizens.

Here are a few items of note:

Expert on the ground: Steve Hamilton, professor of zoology, talks about the oil spill in the Kalamazoo River in this video. Dr. Hamilton is located at Kellogg Biological Station (KBS) in Hickory Corners, Mich.

Looking to help out? Check the KBS website for information on how to do so.

Do you have farm land near the Kalamazoo River? Contact your local MSU Extension office or the Michigan Department of Agriculture for information.

No matter how you say it — or spell it — protect plants from late blight now, MSU researchers say.

Gardeners who grow tomatoes and potatoes need to be protecting their plants from late blight (Phytophthora infestans) now with fungicide sprays. This disease, which caused the Irish Potato Famine beginning in 1845, has been found in southwestern Michigan and five other states so far this year.
           
“This disease is on the march early this year, and we need to make everyone who grows tomatoes and potatoes aware of the problem,” Chris Long, potato specialist at Michigan State University (MSU), says. “It has the potential to wipe out all tomato and potato plantings in the state.”
           
Long says that this year’s wet, cool spring has favored the development of the disease. The first symptoms of late blight are small, dark, circular to irregularly shaped lesions that appear on the leaves three to five days after they are infected. These lesions spread rapidly in cool, moist weather into brown to black spots that are often surrounded by a green border. The disease is spread from infected plants in one area to another by wind, splashed rain, animals and mechanical transport such as equipment.
           
Potatoes and tomatoes are members of the Solanaceae family of plants, which is why both are susceptible to late blight. Because conditions for this disease is so favorable this year, vegetable specialists at MSU and the Michigan Potato Industry Commission are urging growers to be proactive by spraying preventative sprays on their plants as soon as possible and to keep up the regimen over the summer months. Plants that show signs of the disease as well as plants surrounding the diseased plants should be removed and completely destroyed.
           
“Late blight can take out a planting of tomatoes or potatoes in five days, so anyone growing these crops must be vigilant,” Long says. “We also have to care about our neighbor next door or down the road who may also be growing tomatoes or potatoes. We need to work together to keep late blight from ravaging everyone’s crop.”
           
Commercially grown potatoes in Michigan represent a $138 million farm gate crop, Long notes. Though commercial growers have registered products to help slow the spread of the disease, home gardeners do not, and the care they take to keep the disease out of their gardens will ultimately help the commercial growers as well.
           
Both conventional and organic products are available for gardeners to use to prevent late blight from attacking their plants. There are no products that can “cure” a plant once it has the disease, according to Jan Byrne, MSU plant diagnostic technician.
           
“There are several fungicides available to home gardeners that are effective in preventing late blight,” she says. “Gardeners need to read the fine print on the product label to make sure it is used on tomatoes or potatoes. Products that contain chlorothalonil or ethylene bisdithiocarbamate (EBDC) will protect plants from infection. Organic chemicals, such as copper-based fungicides, have some efficacy against late blight, and organic gardeners should check the OMRI (Organic Materials Review Institute) database [www.omri.com] to verify whether or not a particular fungicide meets organic standards.”
           
“This is a nationwide problem,” Long says. “It is very important that home gardeners arm themselves with information about late blight in an effort to keep it from destroying not only their plantings, but their neighbors’ — and commercial growers’ — as well.”
           
For more information, contact your local MSU Extension office or visit the following resources:

http://www.lateblight.org (Michigan State University)
http://www.veggies.msu.edu/ (Go to: “Tomato Late Blight News.”)
http://ipmnews.msu.edu/landscape (Type the words “late blight” into the search window, then hit “go.”)
http://www.ndsu.edu/potato_pathology (North Dakota State University. View photos to identify late blight. Click on “Additional Late Blight Information.”)
http://www.mipotato.com/ (Scroll down to “Items of Interest” then click on “Tomato and             Potato Late Blight Alert”)

What better way to celebrate the arrival of spring than playing a round of golf on your favorite course?
        
Beginning May 10, golf enthusiasts from around the country can bid on rounds of golf on some of the top courses in the country to raise funds for turfgrass research.
        
The online auction, dubbed Tee Times 4 Turf, will raise funds for Michigan State University’s (MSU’s) Turfgrass Science program and the Michigan Turfgrass Association. The Michigan Turfgrass Foundation is sponsoring the event.
        
“It’s really a win-win for golfers,” said Trey Rogers, Ph.D., professor in the Department of Crop and Soil Sciences at MSU. “Golfers get a great opportunity to bid and play on some of the best courses in Michigan and around the country at the same time they raise dollars for turfgrass research from which they ultimately benefit in the end.
        
“More research means better courses, and better courses get more golfers,” said David Gilstrap, Ph.D., specialist turfgrass specialist at MSU.
        
The online auction runs from May 10 to May 26 and currently features rounds of golf on more than 50 courses nationwide.
        
Golf course owners interested in donating rounds of golf should do so by May 3.
        
To learn more about the auction, visit the website at www.teetimes4turf.com. On the website, visitors can be placed on a mailing list to be notified of the auction’s start.

Understanding your current financial situation is a great way to begin to gain control over your finances. First, begin by developing a budget. Before you panic, take a deep breath. You don’t need to be an accountant to do this.

Before you develop a budget, get familiar with what your:  

1. Income – Know your income after taxes. Simply put, your income is the amount of money you earn in a given period of time. So weather you are paid weekly, every two weeks or monthly, know the amount of money you make after takes.
2. Expenses – Know your expenses or spending habits. Your expenses are the amount of money you spend in a given period of time. Determine whether you pay your bills weekly, every two weeks or every month. Identify what it is that you are spending your money on.

Knowing these things gives you the basic information you need to develop a budget. So what’s a budget?  A budget is what you use to track and manage the flow of how your money comes in (income) and what you actually spend the money on (expenses).   

How do I develop a budget?

1. You can use this budget template to write down your wages (paycheck) after taxes and other deductibles have been taken out. This budget template will help you develop and manage your budget. Your wages can be paid monthly, biweekly or weekly depending on your pay period. For example: 

             If you are paid weekly, multiply your weekly wage by 52 weeks and divide by 12

             months to arrive at your monthly income.

             Weekly paycheck x 52    for example:  $500 x 52 ($26,000) = $2,167 per month

                                  12                                                                      12

               If you are paid every two weeks, multiply your bi-weekly wage by 26 weeks and

               divide by 12 months to arrive at your monthly income.

               Bi-weekly paycheck x 26         $1,000 x 26 ($26,000) = $2,167 per month

                                       12                                          12

                  If you are paid monthly, you know this amount. 

                  To calculate your annual income, multiply your monthly wages by 12.

Also write down any other income you may have including child and spousal support, unemployment benefits (if you are unemployed) or social security/retirement benefits (if you are retired).

1. Now let’s find out what you spend your paycheck on. List your expenses including your rent/mortgage, child and spousal support, food and beverages – including that latte you may be drinking, transportation, entertainment, clothing and personal care, education, credit cards, medical expenses and other miscellaneous items.
2. Subtract your expenses from your income. If you have some money left after you have subtracted great! You have money for savings. Pay yourself through savings. Make it an important goal to save. An example may be saving for Christmas or having an emergency fund. If you are able to, start with pennies, $1, $5, $10, $15 or whatever you feel comfortable with saving. If there is no money left over after you subtract, look over your expenses and see what you can trim off your list or look for opportunities for additional income. The goal is to decrease expenses, increase income and start saving. Once you are able to do this, you should be on your way to gaining control over your finances. One last thing, review your budget at least once a year to make any necessary adjustments. 

 Accessing your finances 

Take the Michigan State University Extension (MSUE) Financial Health Index Survey to help you assess where you are financially. At the end of the survey, tips/resources will be provided for improving your finances.

Additional resources

• MSU Extension’s budget management:  http://www.fcs.msue.msu.edu/fm/budget.html
• Federal Trade Commission’s money management:  http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/moneymatters/managing-your-money.shtml
• Contact your local MSUE office  for classes and information on personal finance

Red wriggler worm photo from "stockpa" via Flickr

When I was in 4-H (don’t you dare ask how many years ago that was), our club members did all kinds of farming projects, from raising rabbits to raising radishes and everything in between. But Michigan 4-H’s newest project is a new one on me: it’s worm farming. Yes. Worms.

Being kind of a girly girl, my first thought was “Ewwwwwww.” But Laura Allen, Michigan 4-H’s youth entrepreneurship goddess, convinced me that there is much more to worm farming than mere sliminess. Apparently, there’s gold in them there worms!

The idea of raising worms for fun and profit began with a phone call from a 4-H supporter. He waxed enthusiastic about the idea of youth raising worms and selling them as a fund-raising activity for their 4-H clubs. Laura nixed the fund-raising idea in favor of a better one – worm farms owned and operated by youth as an entrepreneurial enterprise (in other words, a business).

Just like that, “The Dirt on Profiting from Worm Farming” pilot project was born. OK, so Laura had to write it up as a 4-H participation fee grant proposal first. The proposal “wormed” its way into the hearts of 4-H administrators, and before you could say “bait my hook,” 18 counties were on their way to worm-farming greatness. So many county 4-H programs wanted to participate, Laura gave up her own dream of being a worm farmer and gave the two worm farm kits she had purchased for herself to two lucky counties.

Given that Michigan has more than 11,000 inland lakes and more than 36,000 miles of rivers, it’s no surprise that there’s a ready-made audience of willing anglers practically squirming at the thought of buying wonderful worms from 4-H kids. But Laura tells me there’s a whole other angle that I haven’t even considered: vermicomposting.

Vermi-what? Composting. That means you can turn kitchen scraps (potato peels and brown-around-the-edges lettuce leaves, for example) into nutrient-rich compost for your garden—so you can grow more potatoes and lettuce and all kinds of other fruits and veggies.

While researching vermicomposting, I came across this site called GREENCulture that sells ‘worm accessories.’ I was thinking, “What? Like little worm jewelry and hats and shoes???” Turns out it’s things like worm bins, only they don’t call them anything so pedestrian. These bins are Worm Condos, Worm Bungalows and stately Worm Manors (don’t get me started on the Pet Poo Converter worm compost bin). In honor of Earth Day, they gave a worm condo to Oprah to start her down the wonderful-world-of-worms path.

Hey—if it’s good enough for Oprah, it’s good enough for me!

MSU Product Center forms Michigan Cheese Makers Cooperative

Move over Wisconsin cheese, here comes Michigan cheese!

That’s what the 11 members of the newly formed Michigan Cheese Makers Cooperative are hoping.

The cooperative, whose members signed their official paperwork during a reception Monday, will work together to market their products, leverage buying power and help each other through the challenges of cheese making.

The Michigan State University (MSU) Product Center for Agricultural and Natural Resources (Product Center) pulled the cooperative together to “bring visibility to the fantastic cheeses made in the state by creameries using Michigan milk and artisanal techniques,” said Matt Birbeck, supply chain specialist and counselor liaison for the Product Center.

Funded by a grant through the United States Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Rural Cooperative Development, the cooperative will help members market their artisanal cheeses to food stores in the state.

“A cooperative like this is very important in a state like Michigan that is not known, like Wisconsin, for its cheese. The possibilities are endless for a group like this,” said Jim Turner, state director for the USDA. “To see a cooperative come together can serve as an example for other cooperatives.”

Chris Peterson, Product Center director, said forming a cooperative is right in line with the Product Center’s goals. It does, however, have a different set of challenges including the legal paperwork necessary to become a cooperative. The Product Center was able to work with Mike McIntyre, a well-known cooperative attorney, to form the cooperative.

Peterson said that banding together is critical for success as a small business.

“Each of the members has a unique product,” Peterson said. “And that’s a wonderful thing. However, having your own unique product maximizes the workload when it comes to marketing, and it’s difficult for one producer to develop a portfolio of products. By marketing these together, members now have a portfolio of products which make them much more attractive as a grocery supplier.”

In fact, representatives from Meijer attended the reception to announce that the company would become an associate member of the cooperative.

“We’re interested in becoming an associate member of the cooperative because half of our 190 stores are in Michigan. We are very interested in the revitalization of Michigan; these are spectacular small businesses and one way to help in that revitalization. These are also great products,” Mark Murray, CEO of Meijer, said.

Murray said he attended the event to let Michigan cheesemakers know that Meijer is looking forward to working with them to identify opportunities with local Meijer stores.

That’s music to John and Anne Hoyt, of Leelanau Cheese Company in Suttons Bay, Mich. More importantly, however, the couple sees additional benefits to their newly formed cooperative.

“It’s hard to do things yourself, there’s more power as a team,” Anne said. “You want to know how you can help each other. We can share new ideas, new cheeses and recipes. We’ve never had anyone to share these with before. It’s very exciting.”

Her husband sees opportunities to purchase supplies collectively and pool resources to get better prices.

For a new cheesemaker like Barbara Jenniks, of Cowslip Creamery in Grand Rapids, building camaraderie and a helpful spirit is key.

“It’s important to small cheesemakers like me, because we’re all in this together,” she said. “If we all make good products, there’s room for all of us.”

Four members of the cooperative have been recognized for their cheeses, including Cowslip, Leelanau Cheese Company, Zimmerman’s Creamery of Ann Arbor and Greenbush Farms of St. Johns.

“When you’re in an artisan business, your reputation is very important. The fact that we have this many award winning cheeses in Michigan is good because it tells the consumer that this is a good product,” Peterson said.

Although the cooperative is relatively small – 11 members in all – Peterson said it is a representative group.

“Given our geographic spread across Michigan, I believe we do have a good group and we definitely have the Lower Peninsula covered.”

Both Jenniks and Peterson agree that Michigan cheeses are big competition for Wisconsin cheese.

“They better watch out, we’re on the way,” Jenniks said.

For more information about the Michigan Cheese Makers Cooperative, including a list of cheesemakers, visit their website: www.GreatLakesGreatCheese.com.

Information about the MSU Product Center may be found at www.productcenter.msu.edu.

Earl Horning, his wife Diane, son Jeff and his wife Linda were selected as the 2010 MSU Dairy Farmers of the Year during the fourth annual Michigan Dairy Industry Recognition Night as part of the annual Great Lakes Regional Dairy Conference in Frankenmuth. Ted Ferris, MSU professor of animal science, presented the award.

The Horning family works together to operate the six-generation family dairy business started in 1877. Today, the farm consists of 360 milk cows, 410 head of young stock and 700 acres of cropland. The rolling herd average is 27,476 pounds of milk per year.

Nominations for the annual MSU Dairy Farmer of the Year Award are gathered from MSU Extension dairy educators and animal science faculty members in the fall of each year. A team made up of faculty members and Extension educators selects a winner on the basis of commitment and contributions to the dairy industry.

The Horning family name is a familiar one in dairy industry circles, and it’s synonymous with terms such as leaders, dedication, service and innovators.

The sixth-generation farm is neat and clean – the machinery is parked in the shed, flowers are blooming in front yard plots throughout the summer and the cows appear contented and healthy. (Dairy folks know, too, that their herd is one of the state’s best producing ones, year after year.) Even to the untrained non-dairy eye, one knows – just by looking – that this is a successful and profitable farm.

The Hornings are stewards of the land and the animals they are entrusted with caring for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year regardless of the weather, strength of the economy or other commitments they have. They embrace family and community and are engaged with industry-related organizations, committees and work groups, volunteering many hours every year. They are dedicated to helping the agriculture industry thrive.

MSU has even more reason to be proud of this year’s winners – the family bleeds green. Earl, Diane and son Jeff are graduates of MSU. They are all also 4-H alumni and continue to be involved at one level or another with local 4-H programming. It’s fun to be “green (and white)!”

Neighbors of the Horning’s from near and far can get an even closer look at the family operation on June 26 when the family hosts the southeastern Michigan Breakfast on the Farm event. It promises good food, a chance to learn lots about farming from farmers themselves, and down-home fun for people of all ages.

What better way to celebrate June is Dairy Month than to visit with the MSU Dairy Farmers of the Year on their farm? Stay tuned … more information will be coming your way soon about this event.

2010 tax tools.

The April 15, 2010 tax filing deadline is slowly and surely approaching.  Before you can file your federal taxes, you need to determine which of the five IRS filing status options fit your situation.  The filing status options are (a) single, (b) married filing jointly, (c) married filing separately, (d) head of household and (e) qualifying widow(er) with dependent child.

Choosing your correct filing status determines your (a) appropriate standard deductions, (b) eligibility for certain credits, (c) amount of taxes you owe and (d) any refunds you may be owed by the federal government.

To help you choose your proper IRS filing status, here are eight facts to consider:

1. Marital Status
Your marital status on the last day of the year determines your marital status for the entire year.
 
2. Multiple filing options
If more than one filing status applies to you, choose the one that gives you the lowest tax obligation.
 
3.  Single filing options
Single filing status generally applies to anyone who is unmarried, divorced or legally separated according to state law.
 
4. Joint filing
A married couple may file a joint return together. The couple’s filing status would be Married Filing Jointly.
 
5. Deceased spouse 
If your spouse died during the year and you did not remarry during 2009, you may still file a joint return with that spouse for the year of death, provided the joint return election is not revoked by a personal representative for the deceased spouse.
 
6. Separate filing
A married couple may elect to file their returns separately. Each person’s filing status would generally be Married Filing Separately.
 
7. Head of household
Head of Household generally applies to taxpayers who are unmarried. You must also have paid more than half the cost of maintaining a home for you and a qualifying person to qualify for this filing status.
 
8. Widow(er) with dependent child
You may be able to choose Qualifying Widow(er) with Dependent Child as your filing status if your spouse died during 2007 or 2008, you have a dependent child and you meet certain other conditions.
  
“If consumers want to maximize their tax refund, utilizing a free tax preparation site is one way of ensuring that tax dollars remain with the tax payer. Free preparation sites are staffed by volunteers trained by the IRS to offer tax preparation for citizens. Consumers can identify a local free tax preparation site by going to http://www.michiganeic.org/taxpayers/freetaxprep , said Connie Costner, MSU Extension Educator for Family Economics and Consumerism/Housing”.

For additional IRS filing resources visit the following sites. 

http://www.irs.gov/
http://www.fcs.msue.msu.edu/fm/tax.html
http://www.irs.gov/faqs/index.html
http://www.michiganeic.org/ 
http://www.michiganeic.org/taxpayers/freetaxprep

That’s because the station’s earned silver LEED® certification for its dairy facility. (LEED stands for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design and is a certification given by the Green Building Certification Institute.)

 The KBS dairy is the only agricultural operation to earn such certification in the United States. The KBS dairy features a new pasture-based facility featuring robotic milking and an energy-efficient design.

 Setting the bar high and being an example of sustainability and energy efficiency is the mission at KBS, said Katherine Gross, Ph.D., director at KBS.

“This new facility allows us to demonstrate to all dairy farmers how to incorporate features in a new barn that save energy’ features that are both good for the environment and save them money” Gross said. “Having the LEED certification for the KBS dairy facility demonstrates another aspect of our ‘commitment to sustainability’. Many features of this barn that earned the LEED certification can be adopted by dairy farmers with different management and herd sizes.”

Energy efficiency is definitely a team sport, though.

“One of the Pasture-dairy executive team’s original charges was to investigate and pursue, if at all possible, earning LEED certification at the basic level,” said Phil Barry, team leader for the project and assistant director of facilities and operations at KBS.

 Debra Sypien, of the Rockford Construction Company, coordinated the application and led the charge. Sypien has led 20 other organizations through the LEED process. Additionally, Carl Manning, of GMB, was the LEED certified engineer that handled the modeling and engineering related design aspects. Curry, Wille and Associates, based in Iowa, was the agricultural engineering design firm and Wedeven Brothers, of Hamilton, Mich., was the general contractor that built the facility.

 “Having Debra on our board helped us know, in advance, what the special pitfalls would be  including the need to be careful on minimizing waste during the actual construction part of the project itself,” Barry said. “But this was the first LEED certification done for an agricultural building so we all learned together.”

 Any LEED-certified, newly-constructed facility must be at least 15 percent more energy efficient than current building codes, the KBS dairy facility is 38 percent more energy efficient, Barry explained.

 The pasture-based facility, featuring robotic milking and energy-efficient design, opened in July 2009.

 MSU has been awarded one of five highly coveted NSF Science and Technology Centers, officially titled “BEACON, an NSF Science and Technology Center for the Study of Evolution in Action.” It will serve as a resource for academics and industry, performing basic research while helping create new technologies to solve real-world problems, ranging from the development of safer, more efficient cars to systems that detect computer intrusions.

BEACON is short for the “Bio/computational Evolution in Action CONsortium.” For more information, visit http://special.news.msu.edu/beacon or http://beacon.msu.edu.

“BEACON will conduct research on fundamental evolutionary dynamics in both natural and artificial systems,” said Erik Goodman, MSU professor of electrical and computer engineering and director of the center. “In addition, we will educate a generation of multidisciplinary scientists, and improve public understanding of evolution at all levels.”

In contrast to evolutionary studies focusing on fossil records or comparison of DNA among species to discover common ancestry, BEACON will focus on evolution as an ongoing process, using real organisms in laboratories and at field sites, and using “digital organisms” undergoing real evolution on computers.

BEACON will involve more than 30 faculty researchers in MSU’s College of Engineering, College of Natural Science, College of Agriculture and Natural Resources, and Lyman Briggs College. 

Four other universities will partner with MSU: North Carolina A&T State University, University of Idaho, University of Texas at Austin and University of Washington.

“We have an incredible opportunity now for the two-way flow of ideas and methods between biology and engineering,” said co-principal investigator Richard Lenski, Hannah Professor of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics. “We can use deep biological principles to stimulate innovation in computational realms and, at the same time, use the speed and precision of computers to explore open questions in biology.”

BEACON will promote the transfer of discoveries from biology into computer science and engineering design, while using novel computational methods and systems to address complex biological questions that are difficult or impossible to study with natural organisms.

Links to more information:

http://news.msu.edu/story/7459/

http://special.news.msu.edu/beacon/

 http://www.beacon.msu.edu/

 http://spartanpodcast.com/?p=761

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfeaDIoUmz4