Buffalos, Pecans & elderberries

Wed 1 June 2011
Enjoyed a family breakfast with the Walters then set of to the North of Missouri to see Dan Shepherd of Shepherd Pecan Farms (http://www.shepherdfarms.com/. Dan is a real Entrepreneur and has a very impressive business. He farms a large area of over 2000ac with a variety of enterprises inmcluding commercial corn (which he grows with a well equipend neighbour on a 1/2 : 2/3 share farm basis) and Eastern Gamma grass seed production (Tripiscum Dactalis)which is a native prarie grass with a twin head and vary large seed. at one time Dan was growing 1200ac of this for seed and was the worlds largest producer - but now much less is being grows much less. A Buffalo meat rearing business has been operated for many years but is now being scaled back due to regulatory meat processing pressures (seem we face the same issues on either side of the pond!). A swetcorn busines is operated where the farm harvests and the public pic up from the farm shop.
The Pecan business is very impressive withj 200ac of plantation trees and a further 100ac of new trees planted. This is supported by a very slick processing facility on farm and a farm shop.

Dan is a very focused business man who only operates enterprises that he knows are profitable and is prepared to adapt to market conditions. He also enjoyes his toys - he has a high level of good new equipment and likes his new Shelby Cobra mustang convertable...a 5ltr supercharged car....he told me he hasnt had a ticket just yet!!!. Dan and his wife have traveled the world a lot and are keen scuba divers. I hope to se him in the UKL some time to be able to show him the siights.

Back to |Columbia and collected Mike Gold from MU then went to  Visit with Terry Durham of Eridu Farms to view his Elderberry operation (http://elderberrylife.com/index.html ).  Terry is a committed organic grower who has previously grown veg and operated a CSA. he is now focusing on Elderberry as a new superfood....ALong with Koe Wilson he is developing a grower co-op with 35 growers to produce Jam (Jelly), juice, cordial, lozenges and is even looking at getting elderberry syrup into schools as a health promoter to get more scholl attendance days.

Terry has an extensive trails programme and is evaluating different organic production methods using Sambla Canadensis (the bush type Elderberry) as aposed to the Samla Nigra tre type in Europe.
Terry has an anuallelberberry festival with stalls and live bands, its next froday so ive come a week to early! I wish him well with it and cross my fimngers for dry warm weather

Im facinated by the Sicadas, a cricket like creature that lives dormant in the soil and emerges over a 4 wk period every 13 years - and guess what, in my honour its a 13yr hqatch right now...and boy are they loud, when it warms up its like a permanent case of bad tinitus
Dusty and  his family have ben so hospitable. We all met at a local brew house/bar for dinner which was a real treat and I got to know them more over dinner and later back at the house. Seems we have so much in common and enjoy many of the same things, including humour. I showed the family the Yeo Valley advert from the uk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eOHAUvbuV4o which the kids though was fantastic esp the dancing tractor and owles. I also showed Dusty and Stephanie the Mitchell and webb view of farming http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_pDTiFkXgEEwhich they though was hillarious...Im realy enjoying their company and Who knows may even be able to entice them to the UL to reciprocate.