Published: November 21, 2009 07:55 am      

Business In Brief: 11/21/2009

Emergency assist deadline is Dec. 10

TRAVERSE CITY -- The sign-up deadline for 2008 and 2009 benefits for emergency assistance for livestock, honey bees and farm-raised fish program (ELAP) is Dec. 10.

ELAP provides emergency assistance to eligible producers or livestock, honey bees and farm-raised fish that suffered losses from disease, colony collapse, and adverse weather including wind or flood damage. The program does not cover drought-related damage.

Eligible producers must have crop insurance coverage or Noninsured Disaster Assistance Program (NAP) coverage for the crop year in which the benefits are requested. Eligible losses include feed losses, physical losses or additional costs incurred in providing feed to eligible livestock. More information is available from local Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices.

Nominate your favorite barn

TRAVERSE CITY -- The Michigan Barn Preservation Network is accepting nominations for its Barn of the Year competition.

The awards will be presented in four categories including Continued family/private agricultural use, Family/private adaptive use, Non-profit Agricultural or adaptive use and Commercial agricultural or adaptive use. The barn must be used for one of those purposes and retain its interior and exterior barn characteristics. A barn must be built before 1959 to qualify for the competition.

Application forms are available at www.mibarn.net. Applications and accompanying photographs must be postmarked by Dec. 31 and can be submitted to Barn of the Year Committee, c/o 414 S. Burdick Suite 300, Kalamazoo, MI, 49007.

Learn how to best use hoophouses

TRAVERSE CITY -- A program on using hoophouses to extend the growing season will be held Dec. 4 as part of the Michigan Land Use Institute's "Get Farming!" project.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Black Star Farms on Revold Road south of Suttons Bay. A local panel will explain how to utilize the unheated, low-cost structures to lengthen the region's growing or for year-round farming. Registration is available by contacting Jim Sluyter at (231) 941-6584.