make their own management decisions.=20
21^ Internship in Sustainable Agriculture
Rick Exner
Many Iowa farmers host exchange students and other temporary
guests, but until now there has been no organized program in
Iowa for such people to learn about sustainable agriculture.=20
That may be about to change, thanks to a University of
Minnesota agronomist named Craig Sheaffer. Craig has
invited PFI to take part in an internship program that has
functioned in Minnesota for several years.
An informational meeting was set for Thursday, February 20,
in Ames. University of Minnesota representative Darrell Cox
was scheduled to describe the program in Minnesota and
discuss ideas to make internships a positive experience for
both hosts and interns.
The Minnesota internship program is reportedly popular.=20
Here are some example comments from a recent intern: "My
name is Barb Wingen, and I am currently enrolled at the U.
of MN, majoring in Agronomy. When I graduate, I will have a
minor in Sustainable Agriculture, so the opportunity to take
an internship with the Sustainable Farming Association (SFA)
North Central Chapter interested me (especially since I was
raised on a standard corn/soybean farm in Southern
Minnesota). I wanted to learn what made a farm
"sustainable" and how it differs from conventional farming.=20
In all honesty I didn't know anything about sustainable
agriculture, except that it involved environmentally
conscious decision making. With that, I was off on a
learning adventure that would last five weeks on five
different farms during the summer of '96."
"I had a great time on my internship, and the people
involved were all extremely helpful. I learned a tremendous
amount and gained some invaluable practical experience. I
was able to work with a wide variety of crops and animals
and learned what sustainable agriculture really was. I want
to thank the SFA for this opportunity - especially my hosts.=20
These people are truly committed to and enthusiastic about
farming in a sustainable way. Their lives are dedicated to
the preservation of a nonrenewable resource we oftentimes
take for granted - our land."
If you are interested to know what happened at the Feb. 20
meeting, please contact Rick Exner, 515-294-5486.=20
21^ Seeking Work on Diversified Farm
Bruce Trca-Black, who will be graduating from Iowa State
University in May, is looking for year-round work on a
diversified farm (or farms). Along with a degree in
Agricultural Studies, Bruce's background includes growing up
on a central Iowa farm. He has had experience with corn,
soybeans, hay and some sheep & poultry. He would like to
gain experience with livestock (preferably cattle) and all
aspects of diversified farm management and operation. Bruce
and his wife Sandy (also a May graduate of the College of
Agriculture), are both willing to learn, enthusiastic, and
motivated about sustainable agriculture. Bruce would be
very willing to work out an arrangement with more than one
farmer in an area.
Bruce Trca-Black=20
26156 530th Ave., Ames, IA 50010=20
phone: (515) 296-1790
email: bblack@iastate.edu
22^ NOTES AND NOTICES
North-Central Meeting March 15
Holistic Management practitioner Dan French will speak at
the morning meeting in Iowa Falls. Call 515-456-4328 for
information.
Agroforestry Satellite Broadcast March 20
Farmers, other land owners, and agency personnel are invited
to hook up to a national satellite broadcast on agroforestry
Thursday, March 20. Hosted by the National Agroforestry
Center, in Lincoln, NE, the three-hour session will provide
information on different kinds of practices that combine
woody crops and agriculture and how to incorporate these
techniques into conservation systems for farms, ranches,
tree farms, and communities. The event will feature taped
footage of example projects and the farmers and ranchers who
implemented them, and call-in periods will take comments and
questions from viewers around the country. To get more
information about the program, broadcast time, and satellite
coordinates, call 402-437-5178, ext. 41.
SARE Producer Grant Program Taking Applications
The Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education program
of the USDA is once again inviting farmers and ranchers in
the north-central states to submit project ideas relating to
"higher profits, environmental stewardship, or community
development." Grants will be up to $5,000 for individual
producers, and grants to groups of producers can be up to
$10,000. As always, it is important for producers to
involve local information providers (agency types, business,
educators) and to include an "outreach" component in their
proposal.
Funding decisions will be made in late June, and funds will
be available in the fall for the 1998 production season. A
number of PFI members have obtained SARE grants in the past.=20
Last year, Dave and Lin Zahrt, Turin, improved their loess
hills pasture with help from a SARE grant. For more
information, call the SARE office at 402-274-7081 or Jerry
DeWitt at 515-294-1923.
Midwest's Largest Organic Conference March 7, 8
The 8th Annual Upper Midwest Organic Farming conference
(UMOFC) will be held in Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, on Friday and
Saturday, March 7-8. This year's conference, From the Soil
to the Sale - Building Farms and Communities, features over
50 workshops covering every aspect of organic agriculture
from flame weeding to flower farming. Learn from
experienced growers, educators, and marketers. Workshops
include: living mulch; farm equipment researching; the
home-grown chicken business; grain marketing panel;
community in CSA; soil building; regional food systems;
holistic approach to udder health; improving open-pollinated
corn; and federal organic standards panel. Presenters
include Kate Clancy (Wallace Institute for Alternative
Agriculture) and Bill Heffernan (University of Missouri at
Columbia).
Registration is $65 and includes breakfast and breaks.=20
Organic meals and child care are available for a fee. Call
715-772-6819 for more information and to make sure there is
still room.
International Organic Meeting in Cedar Rapids
Following hard on the UMOFC (see above), the 13th Organic
Crop Improvement Association (OCIA) International Annual
General Membership Meeting will come to the Cedar Rapids
Collins Plaza Hotel and Convention Center, March 11-15.=20
Regis Zweigart, President of the Iowa chapter of OCIA, said
the conference is "geared to show the world what OCIA has to
offer its chapters and inspectors - as well as producers,
processors, traders, and consumers of organic foods and
fibers." A few features of the week-long meeting: Tuesday,
March 11 - OCIA annual general membership meeting (and other
sessions throughout the week); Wednesday, March 12 - crop
improvement panel with U.S. and international participants
12:45-2:00 (open to the public), inspector orientation,
chapter workshops; Thursday, March 12 - tours of Amana
Colonies, Frontier Herbs, Seed Savers Exchange; Friday,
March 14 - consumer awareness of organic panel; Saturday,
March 15 - workshops and exhibits 2:00-7:00 (open to the
public). Preregistration for the whole conference is $240
after Feb. 24, but one-day registration is just $25. Send
registration checks to: OCIA International, 10001 Y St.,
Suite B, Lincoln. NE, 68508-1172. Direct information
requests to Regis Zweigart, 319-454-6358.
Flame Cultivation Meeting March 18
The Second Annual Flame Cultivation Round Table Dialogue is
set for Tuesday, March 18, from 9:30-3:00, in the St. Mary
Catholic Church (1303 West Broadway), in Winona, Minnesota.=20
If you are interested in flame cultivation or you have
results to share (any crop), you are invited to take part in
the discussion. Don't look for any experts up in the front
of the room. One reason the conversation at last year's
meeting was so great was because they pulled the chairs into
a circle, says organizer Dwight Ault.
There is no pre-registration for the event. A hat will be
passed to cover refreshments. For more information, or in
case of "iffy" weather, call Dwight at 507-437-3085.
Women in Agriculture Conference in Iowa City March 8
A one-day conference at the Highlander Inn outside Iowa City
will motivate and inform women involved in agriculture.=20
Workshops include: The Tools and Rules of the Road for
Financing and Investing in Agriculture for the 21st Century;
Retirement/Estate Planning; Business/Family Issues in
Two-Generation Farming; Building Communities for Tomorrow;
and Stand Out, Step Out, Lead. The keynote session, The
Megatrends of Business and Financing for the 21st Century,
will be given by David Kohl, professor of agricultural
finance and small business at Virginia Polytechnic
University. Registration for the conference costs $35 after
Feb. 25. For more information contact Janet Garkey at
319-337-2145.
What Is In A Name?
(Editors' note: These reflections by farmer Marty
Kleinschmit appeared in the December, 1996 issue of The
Beginning Farmer, a newsletter of the Nebraska-based Center
for Rural Affairs.)
The word "producer" is commonly used instead of "farmer" or
"rancher." The dictionary even defines a producer as one
who grows agricultural products. It likens farmers and
ranchers to machines that spit out product but fails to
consider the planning, managing, and labor they contribute
every day.
The term producer also hints that a farmer or rancher has no
greater mission in life than to produce. It implies that
the measure of their success is the quantity, not quality,
they "produce."
I prefer being called a farmer or rancher. These words add
a sense of responsibility for the land, the animals, and the
people involved along with a level of production. Farmers
and ranchers have higher motives than mere production.
Compost Procurement and Use Workshop March 18
A one-day workshop on how to purchase and use compost will
take place Tuesday, March 18, sponsored by the Leopold
Center for Sustainable Agriculture, the Composting Council,
and the Waste Management Assistance Division of the Iowa
DNR. Preferred compost characteristics for specific
applications will be defined, and application methods will
be discussed. The meeting may prove useful to farmers,
landscapers, horticulturists, nurseries, sod producers, and
state agencies. For more information about the meeting,
contact Garth Frable, WMAD, at 515-281-5105.
Two New Resources Printed in Minnesota
Knee Deep in Grass: A Survey of 29 Grazing Operations in
Minnesota is a 36-page booklet from the University of
Minnesota that touches on just about every aspect of
grazing: business management strategies; holistic resource
management; operational changes; pasture layout and
management; weed management; grazing dates; forage testing;
and converting hay land and crop land. $5 plus $2 shipping
(MN residents add 6=BD% sales tax) paid to University of
Minnesota. Order from MES Distribution Center, U. of M.,
1420 Eckles Ave., St. Paul, MN, 55108-6069.
Monitoring Sustainable Agriculture with Conventional
Agricultural Data, by Dick Levins, is a Land Stewardship
Project publication and the first product of the Biological,
Social, and Financial Monitoring Team. The report of Dick
Levins' talk at the PFI winter meeting (page 4) will give
you a sense of the content. As the flyer for the booklet
states, "We normally think of using income and expense
figures to measure progress toward the goal of earning
profits. Surely, farmers in sustainable agriculture are
concerned about feeding their families and paying their
bills, but those are not their only goals in life." With
examples, Levins lays out four indicators in addition to
profit that farmers can use to evaluate the sustainability
of their operations. $7 (MN residents add 6=BD% sales tax)
from: Land Stewardship Project, 2200 Fourth St., White Bear
Lake, MN, 55110. For information and bulk orders call (612)
653-0618.=20
25^ Grazing Conferences Around the Midwest
The third ISU Management Intensive Grazing Symposium took
place Jan. 22-23, in Newton. The program lacked the "big
names" in grazing who appeared in some other Midwest grazing
meetings this winter, but it contained useful information on
skills no livestock producer can ignore. A special section
on stockers was well attended and featured veterinarians and
cattle buyers. The focus here was on animal health issues
and marketing. Symposium proceedings are available for $10
from ISU Extension (515-294-2240). Topics included: pasture
weaning; streambank stabilization; year-'round grazing;
grazing animal health; buy-sell strategies for stockers;
stockpiled grazing; and pasture lambing.
Stevens Point, Wisconsin Grazing Conference Rundown
Jim Hageman, Calmar
(Editors' note: Jim Hageman is a dairy farmer and active in
the Winneshiek County pasture walk network. He attended the
Wisconsin conference Jan. 19-20.)
I attended the Grazing Facilitators Workshop on Jan. 19.=20
The discussion was on current SARE grant projects in MN & WI
and possible future needs.
Tom Wrchota - Beef grazer from Omro, WI. Reported on
grass-fed beef, 2 lb/day rate of gain on grass with Galloway
cattle. Direct marketed there beef, small size operation.
Marcie Herk - Dairy grazer from Stevens Point, WI.=20
Reported on lane repair project, hired contractor to grade
and surface lanes with reclaimed road material. She was
very pleased with the results. Also reported success
broadcast seeding red clover in May.
Dennis Johnson - Univ. Of MN Experiment Station, Morris, MN.=20
Reported on multiple year research on evaluating pasture
evolution under intensive grazing, systems to improve
stands. Research on nitrate leaching in grazing systems.=20
Research on stockpiling @ date to start growing for winter
needs, date to start using stockpiled forage and the effect
on pasture with various amounts of residue cover for winter.=20
Too soon for report on project.
Art Thicke - LaCrescent MN. Dairy grazer, Art's farm is one
of six farms in MN & WI in an on-farm monitoring project to
study the effects of rotational grazing on lifestyle,
profitability, soil quality (fertility, water infiltration,
forage species, wildlife), stream bank management and the
effect on wildlife by leaving some paddocks ungrazed until
Aug. The goal of this project is to combine practical
on-farm research to serve as a model for others. No results
yet available.
Dan Undersander - UW Agronomy, Madison, WI. Discussed
issues relating to outdoor winter housing of livestock and
the non-farm public's perception of these management
practices. The public needs to be educated on the health
benefits of outdoor housing.
Another topic of discussion was the shortage of custom
operators for machine hire as more graziers sell their
equipment or don't replace it to reduce expenses. Some
counties already are experiencing shortages. Possibly
Extension could promote the development of more custom
operators. Some dairymen may chose to do custom work
instead of dairy if there is a demand. =20
25^ FLEDGLING PASTURE POULTRY ORGANIZATION ANNOUNCED
(Editors' note: this press release was sent in by PFI member
Margaret Smith, who saw it on the Internet.)
Pastured poultry producers will be excited to learn of the
organization of the American Pastured Poultry Producers
Association (APPPA). Anyone interested in pastured poultry
production is encouraged to become a member of APPPA. A
quarterly newsletter is planned to promote the exchange of
ideas and information among producers. Reviews of federal
and state laws regarding on-farm processing of poultry will
be featured in the newsletter. Sources of chickens, chicken
feed and rations, production and processing equipment - new
and used, marketing ideas and referrals will add to the
usefulness of the newsletter. APPPA will also develop a
database of farmers actively producing pastured poultry, not
only for networking purposes among members but, also, for
consumers looking for high-quality chicken in their area.
As Joel Salatin, one of the founders of APPPA, says so
eloquently, "We'll be glad to assist and encourage in any
way we can to see more folks enjoy an agriculture that is
emotionally, environmentally and economically enhancing
enough to romance the next generation into it - the ultimate
sustainability. Beautifully, this enables consumers to have
freedom of choice with their food dollar."
The need for such an organization to facilitate the
networking and sharing of information among producers who
raise poultry on pasture has long been felt. Joel Salatin
of Swoope, Virginia, whose pioneering poultry raising ideas
and example have inspired small scale farmers throughout the
U.S., and Diane Kaufmann of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, one
of the early producers following Salatin's methods, have
joined forces with Heifer Project International (HPI) to
launch this new organization. HPI is a private, non-profit
organization that provides funds for livestock, training and
technical support for limited-resource rural families and
communities to help themselves. HPI has received a SARE/ACE
grant to integrate pastured poultry production into the
farming systems of limited-resource farmers. Part of this
grant includes monies to help with the formation of APPPA,
which will provide a forum for furthering education and
outreach, not only for the farmers HPI will be working with
but existing and potential producers as well.=20
To join, send $20.00 to APPPA, c/o Diane Kaufmann, 5207 70th
St., Chippewa Falls, WI 54729. For more information,
contact Diane at 715/723-2293 or Email:
dkaufman@discover-net.net. =20
26^ IDENTITY-PRESERVED IS GROWING
Rick Exner
This winter several conferences have demonstrated the
growing interest in value-added marketing. The latest was
Identity-Preserved Grain Opportunities, the Feb. 3 meeting
in Ames sponsored by Dupont, Insta-Pro International, and
the Iowa Soybean Promotion Board. "Crops as factories" was
the description given by Matt Renkoski of Dupont Optimum
Quality Grains. He cited the examples of high oil corn,
high sucrose soybeans, high lysine beans, and soybeans with
high oleic acid that makes the oil stable for frying. The
"value chain," according to Renkoski, runs from trait
development, to variety development, to grain production, to
handling and processing. However, he said, for the farmer
"we're talking pennies per bushel, not dollars per bushel."
Kent Nelson, of the American Soybean Association, focused on
the Japanese market, whose 100 million bushel appetite for
U.S. soybeans adds 60-70 cents to the commodity price here.=20
These beans go for human consumption in a country with per
capita income of $36,000. The raw material price of the
soybean is only ten percent of the cost after handling and
processing into tofu. Consequently the Japanese can demand
- and pay for - quality soybeans. That will be a strong
factor in the growth of identity-preserved ("I.P.")
production/marketing.
Jim Traub spoke as a representative of Clarkson Grain, an
Illinois company that now makes half its profits from
identity-preserved markets. Traub described two approaches
to I.P. marketing. The first he described as
"supercommodities." These are high-volume, low-premium
categories like non-genetically-altered soybeans for the
European and Japanese markets. Another example might be
"IOM" soybeans. Beans grown in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan
(IOM) tend to have higher protein. Clear hilum beans that
are IOM may draw a 20-cent premium. Traub believes that
variety selection is a better way to achieve specific
content, but these soybeans will likely cost more. The
second approach to I.P. is niche marketing and marketing
directly to processors like those in Japan. Niche markets
are smaller, but premiums can be much higher than with
supercommodities.
A brief telephone survey turned up several opportunities for
Iowa producers to enter I.P. food-grade soybean markets.=20
Most have been used by various PFI members. If you are
aware of others, please share that information with the
newsletter editors.
Clarkson Grain Company=20
Cerro Gordo and Beardstown, IL
800-453-3973
Beardstown is 75 miles from southeast Iowa, so even though
farmers contracting with Clarkson are required to deliver,
the trucking may not be prohibitive. Company rep Roger
Hendricker deals with a variety of organic and conventional
grains including a little buckwheat, popcorn and dry beans,
but the bulk of the business is corn and soybeans. They
work with three categories of organic soybeans: premium
(large beans, specific varieties, very clean, bagged for
export), smaller organic soybeans (domestic food uses), and
clean-out (for organic livestock feed). The company
contracts at flat prices for organic soybeans. Premium
quality Vinton 81 soybean are contracting at $16-$18 per
bushel this winter. They are paying $9.50 for organic
clean-out beans. Non-organic tofu beans are being
contracted for $0.80-$2 above futures price, depending on
the variety. Clarkson is contracting for yellow organic
corn at $4.50 per bushel.
Fairview Farms
Corwith, IA
515-583-2198
This company is buying specifically HP204 tofu soybeans,
with other varieties paying less. Their production
protocols call for no insecticides and for no herbicides
after a certain time (around last cultivation). They are
contracting at $3 over Chicago Board of Trade for clean
beans delivered to Ames or Kanawha.
North Country Seeds
Ormsby, MN
800-992-0034
This company bought out the Pioneer Hi-Bred Intl. Better
Life program for pesticide-free tofu soybeans, and that is
the category they concentrate on still. Joel Raabe said the
company is probably approaching the desired number of
contract acres, but producers are welcome to call. North
Country has been contracting for pesticide-free HP204
soybeans at the farm gate for a $3.60 premium. The company
picks up the beans at the farm, but the farmer needs storage
capability. Although HP204 is adapted to northern Iowa,
Raabe said the firm is contracting virtually across the
state.
Pacific Soybean and Grain
San Francisco, CA and Story City, IA
515-733-4202
David Springer is the Iowa representative of this company.=20
He is concentrating on organic soybeans but also works with
pesticide-free and conventional clear hilum beans. He
expects that Pacific will eventually begin to use some of
their own high-protein varieties as well. They presently
pay the greatest premium - up to $19 per delivered, clean
bushel - for certified organic Vinton, Iowa2020, and HP204.=20
However, he says, he typically starts with whatever clear
hilum bean a farmer likes to grow and then works backward to
develop markets. Pesticide-free soybeans are bringing a
$1-$3 premium from the company, depending on variety.=20
Springer says conventionally raised, clear hilum beans are
probably "not worth it" for the producer unless they are a
variety like HP204, in which case they can bring a premium
of around $1.50 per bushel. The company has delivery points
for organic beans in southeast, central, and western Iowa
and several in southern Minnesota. Conventionally produced
soybeans can be delivered to an even greater number of
elevators around the state.
Heartland Organic Marketing Cooperative
Harlan, IA
712-627-4217 voice and fax
A few years ago a group of Iowa members of the OCIA (Organic
Crop Improvement Association) decided that if they marketed
together they could generate enough production to bypass
several levels of middlemen. Co-op rep Ken Rosmann reports
they are now dealing directly with soybean wholesalers and
some end-users in Japan and with a growing number of
domestic end users. Currently they are contracting for
ordinary clear hilum organic soybeans at $14-14=BD per bushel.=20
For Vinton variety soybeans (preferred by Japanese buyers
but lower yielding) the contracts are $18-18=BD per bushel.
In 1997, the co-op may expand into oats and corn. They are
also keeping track of new soybean varieties being developed
for the food market at ISU. Only members can market through
the co-op, but lifetime membership is only the price of a
(refundable) $250 fee. Ken Rosmann reports that markets are
growing faster than supply, and the co-op could use
additional members.=20
I.P. Soybean Cooperators Wanted
Are you thinking of raising some kind of identity-preserved
soybeans this year? If so, PFI would like to work with you
to generate information about I.P. soybean production
methods and costs. In return for your work you would
receive up to $400, with an additional $250 if you decide to
hold a field day. Please contact PFI coordinator Rick
Exner, 515-294-5486.
24^ On-Farm Research Opportunities
Mo Ghaffarzadeh
I have been trying to do on-farm demonstration and
eventually research projects with a few farmers. In last
few years I have been welcomed and appreciate the
opportunity to work with some of you. As part of my
research objectives I'm trying to find alternative crops and
improve efficiency of land use by cover crops. We have
learned much about berseem clover and how it can fit in
different cropping system with your cooperation. Next
growing season I would like to continue that and again
reaching for your help. I have several demonstration,
observation and preliminary research ideas and would like to
use your input in conducting them. Following are the topics
which I need someone to collaborate with. Also, any new
suggestion are welcomed.=20
Overseeding berseem clover in sunflower crop (preferably
organic farm)
Underseeding berseem clover with small grain or grasses as
annual forage crop
Overseeding berseem clover in silage corn or sweet corn
Intercropping (overseeding or underseeding) berseem clover
with small grains as cover crop
Interseeding berseem clover with oat or grass for grazing
Using oat/ berseem clover in rotation during transition
period from conventional to organic production system
Seeding berseem clover in removed male rows in seed-corn
production
Intercropping berseem clover with corn (preferably organic).
For those that are interested I will provide seeds, help to
design plot plan, collect data and information, and prepare
a summary of the results. Please contact me at:=20
Mohammad Ghaffarzadeh ("Dr. Mo")
3503 Agronomy Hall
ISU Ames, Iowa 50011
Phone: (515) 294-7845
28^ PFI Profile: Paul and Karen Mugge, Sutherland
Jenny Kendall
Summary:
narrow strip intercropping of corn, beans, and oats
specialty crops
early-wean hog nursery and finishing hogs
(See also the graphic files farmdiag.wmf and muggedat.wmf,
available for downloading)
Meet the Mugge family - Karen and Paul, Charity (married and
in college), Melissa (17), and Taylor (8). Don't bother to
phone them on a night when one of the kids has a sporting
event - Paul and Karen will be there cheering. At 6'5",
Paul has the appearance of an athlete, himself. But it was
his height that nearly kept him from his dream of flying.=20
Ultimately, Paul decided instead of flying 'em, he'd learned
to make 'em. After graduating from Iowa State University
with a B.S. in aerospace engineering in 1974, he went to
work for the Boeing Company, in Seattle, Washington.
It was in Seattle that Paul and Karen met and married, but
when Paul's father decided to retire from farming, they took
the opportunity to return to Iowa. "It was March 5, 1975,
to be exact," says Karen. "Let me tell you, that first year
was something." But she learned to drive the tractor and
meet the other demands of farm life. She now works part
time off the farm as a home health aide.
The health and well-being of the family play an integral
role in the choice of farming practices for this farm.=20
Along with these concerns, Paul's interest in engineering
and in applying the scientific method is evident on this 320
acre farm. In one field, he's growing specialty soybeans
with a cover crop of brassica. In another, he has narrow
strips of corn, soybeans, and oats that is the hallmark of
narrow strip intercropping. True to his science background
and interest, Paul enjoys trying new things and keeping
records. He makes farming decisions carefully, based on the
available data - and Karen's intuition.
Paul's objective is to obtain the most net profit from each
acre and each hog. To that end, Paul and his family have a
long term vision for the farm where profit is a part, but
not the sole objective. " I want to end my farming career
with the soil and it's inhabitants healthier than when I
began. Implied in this vision, of course, is that I be
profitable enough over the next 20 years that I am still the
steward of my farm." =20
"Soil erosion control is paramount. I want my farm to
contribute more than it's share to feeding the world while
contributing much less that it's share to environmental
degradation. I want my farm and my relationship with my
farm to exemplify the same values to my children and
grandchildren that I learned from my parents. An Indian
proverb sums up my long-term vision - 'We don't inherit the
land from our fathers, we borrow it from our children.'"
To implement his vision, Paul's goals for his farm include:
being profitable, being efficient in the terms of resources,
understanding more about ecology and using that
understanding. Underlying these goals is Paul's intent: "I
want to be a good steward of the gifts God has given me and
humanity in general."
Paul considers himself to be a newcomer to doing on-farm
research. Even so, he's applying his scientific method to
testing several practices that he anticipates will help him
meet his goals of being profitable while being ecologically
sound. He's active on the Practical Farmers of Iowa Board
of Directors and considers that the greatest benefit he
obtains from his involvement with PFI is interacting and
learning from other PFI cooperators and the research
scientists at Iowa State University and the Soil Tilth Lab.
On-farm Trials In 1996, Paul is conducting four trials that
demonstrate his varying interests:
deep-banded P&K and P&K with lime
brassica cover crop for weed control in food-grade
soybeans
comparing narrow-strip intercropping to corn-bean
rotation by whole field
testing a new USDA soil inoculant for soybeans.
In past years, Paul and Karen have:
compared liquid hog manure to purchased nitrogen for
corn
strip-intercropping
investigated rootworm damage in strip-intercropping.
In addition, the Mugges cooperate with another local farmer
on nurserying and finishing hogs. =20
Impact of Sustainable Farming If you ask Paul what
sustainable farming means, he will tell you that sustainable
farming is a term that means many different things to many
people. He considers himself to be pragmatic about what
sustainable farming means. To Paul, sustainable agriculture
must include these elements - profitability, preserves the
resource base (both on a farm scale and a worldwide scale),
preserves the social fabric of rural culture, is safe and
healthy for consumers of farm products as well as for farm
workers and other rural inhabitants, preserves a diversity
of species and a genetic diversity within species of flora
and fauna on both a micro and macro scale.
Says Paul, "I think my farm enjoys very low soil erosion, a
relatively low level of purchased inputs, better soil tilth,
and high productivity."
If there is anything that Paul would like others to know
about being involved with Practical Farmers of Iowa and
about practicing sustainable methods of farming, it would be
this: "Sustainable farming practices are not just the right
thing to do, but are profitable in both the long and the
short run. I would hope that people would think of PFI, not
as a group of radical extremists, but as a group of
dedicated and thoughtful farmers who care about the world
and the society we leave to posterity."=20
31^ PFI ON-FARM TRIAL RESULTS, 1996, PART I
(Editors' note: Results of PFI 1996 on-farm research will
appear in The Practical Farmer over the course of this year
instead of just the winter issue. We hope this gives
readers more chance to absorb these cooperator reports. In
1996, a number of trials looked at insects both beneficial
ones, like the wasps used to control corn borers and alfalfa
weevils, and insect pests that may be manageable with the
right fungus or cultural practice. We selected the
following results for the first installment of the 1996
research report.)
STRIP INTERCROPPING: YIELDS AND "BUGS"
Table 2 (the graphic file table2.wmf, available for
downloading) shows results of strip intercropping trials on
the farms of Paul and Karen Mugge, Sutherland, and Jeff and
Gayle Olson, Mt. Pleasant. The numbers at the top of the
table were collected by the cooperators themselves, while
the yields at the bottom of the table were hand harvested by
ISU. Corn yielded better in strips than in large,
single-crop field blocks, and the corn at the strip borders
yielded better than corn in the center of the strips. That
was expected and reflects the biological efficiency that is
part of strip intercropping's attraction. Paul planted
28,000 seeds per acre in his sole-crop blocks and about
35,000 in corn strips. The low harvest stand measured in
row 4 of the strips makes him wonder if he might have had a
faulty planter unit.
Soybean yields apparently suffered in strips at Olsons', and
the unreliability of the combine monitor forced Paul Mugge
to throw out his soybean data. Soybean yields averaged the
same or slightly higher in strips over three years of
comparisons by six cooperators, and corn yields averaged ten
bushels higher in strips than field blocks for those 18
site-years.
The current challenge in strip intercropping appears to be
bugs. Maybe strips are no more vulnerable to insects than
is sole-cropping, but PFI is working with entomologists and
agronomists from ISU and South Dakota State University to
answer related questions. There were three suspected
culprits in 1996: grasshoppers, common stalkborers, and corn
rootworm beetles.
Paul and Karen Mugge, in northwest Iowa, have had problems
with grasshoppers on the whole farm for the past two years.=20
Paul has observed grasshoppers eating oat regrowth after
small grains harvest, and these hungry pests moved right
over into the soybeans after finishing off the oat strips.=20
Failure of the combine monitor prevented Paul from measuring
the effect of grasshoppers on soybean strips. Intercropped
corn yields next to oat strips were still higher than in the
center of the corn strips.
Common stalkborer may also have used strips as highways to
travel into the field from the grassy borders where their
eggs hatch. Any stray grass left between strips can also
harbor these stalkborer eggs and young larvae. PFI
coordinator Rick Exner and ISU entomologist Kris Giles
applied an experimental biological control for stalkborers
when they were migrating out of field borders on Jeff and
Gayle Olson's farm. That information is being evaluated.=20
Next year New Melleray Abbey may use its flame cultivator to
singe the grass in field borders where stalkborers reside in
spring.
Finally, SDSU entomologist Mike Ellsbury continued his study
of corn rootworms in strip intercropping. In 1995, Mike
found evidence that western corn rootworm larvae were
migrating underground into the first row of a corn strip
next to the previous year's corn. In 1996, those data did
not show strong trends. However, Mike did test several
methods for interrupting the rootworm migration, and those
results appear in the side-bar and Figure 2 (the graphic
file figure2.wmf, available for downloading).
IPM Projects: Learning to Work with the Agricultural
Ecosystem
In addition to PFI projects with management of insects in
strip intercropping, cooperators have been working in two
projects that seek to expand the toolbox for insect
management in corn and alfalfa. In 1995, PFI and ISU
entomologists began a two-year investigation of biological
control of the alfalfa weevil and the European Corn Borer.=20
With support from the Leopold Center for Sustainable
Agriculture, each year two farms worked on alfalfa weevil
and two farms concentrated on corn borer. Integrated Pest
Management (IPM) involves field sampling for pests to see if
they have reached the threshold at which treatment is
justified. "Treatment," as we understand more about the
ecology of insects, increasingly includes more practices
than spraying insecticide. Among these, "biological
controls" manage pests by manipulating the agroecosystem.
Part of IPM research today is refining those thresholds.=20
There are good economic reasons for this. Let's say you
have scouted your hay field and found an average of two
alfalfa weevil larvae per stem. Present guidelines say that
is the threshold above which you will suffer losses if you
don't do something. (Incidentally, a certain amount of
insect feeding actually stimulates alfalfa leaf production,
and that response also happens to peak at two larvae per
stem.) But what if you knew half those alfalfa weevil
larvae would be dead in a week? You might take a
wait-and-see approach.
In fact, several organisms can devastate weevil populations.=20
A variety of tiny wasps lay their eggs in the weevil larvae,
and a common fungus, Zoopthora phytonomi, attacks the larvae
under the right conditions. If farmers could make their own
judgements about the "health" of alfalfa weevil populations,
they could often save money and avoid insecticides, which
may be harder on the weevil's enemies than on the alfalfa
weevil itself. The study was designed to see if farmers can
learn the necessary skills. The answer according to this
project is "yes." As Figures 3 and 4 show, there was very
good agreement between the scouting information collected by
PFI cooperators and ISU entomologist Kris Giles.
Biological control was the other focus of the project. One
promising biocontrol is the use of unharvested strips
described by Jeff Klinge and Mark and Julie Roose. Findings
from this project are leading to more research on these
unharvested strips. Corn borer biocontrol was addressed
both by the Leopold Center study, as reported by Joe
Fitzgerald, and by the SARE-funded (Sustainable Agriculture
Research and Education, USDA) research described by Dennis
McLaughlin, Ron and LaDonna Brunk, and Doug Alert and
Margaret Smith. ISU Entomologist Les Lewis also provides
background on that project in the following pages.
Corn Borer Control with the Fungus Beauveria
Les Lewis, ISU
Beauveria bassiana (say "bo-v=E1ria") is a widely distributed
fungus that kills insects including the European corn borer,
Ostrinia nubilalis. Recent research at the USDA-ARS, Corn
Insects Research Unit demonstrated what we call an
endophytic relationship between B. bassiana and corn plants.=20
Beauveria bassiana applied to corn in the V7 stage of plant
development enters the plant, colonizes the tissues and
kills European corn borer larvae that bore into the stalk.
Together with PFI, we applied for and received a SARE grant
to evaluate B. bassiana as a component to manage European
Corn Borer on the farm. Three farms were involved in this
research.
Research on the Doug Alert/Margaret Smith farm, Hampton, IA
had four treatments - 1) B. bassiana applied at V7 stage of
corn development, 2) B. bassiana applied at R3 stage of corn
development, 3) B. bassiana applied post harvest to crop
residue and, 4) an untreated check. Research on the Ron and
LaDonna Brunk farm, Eldora, IA and the Dennis and Kate
McLaughlin Farm, Cumming, IA had treatments 1, 3, and 4.=20
The B. bassiana (726 Mycogen Corp., Butte, MT) was applied
to the respective plants at 0.4 grams/plant using a
hand-held applicator. Treatment 4 (post harvest) was
applied with a hand-operated cyclone spreader. (Editors'
note: the V7 stage of development is roughly equivalent to
seven fully expanded leaves and typically occurs in early
June. R3 is about the "sweetcorn" stage of ear
development.)
The design of the experiment was similar to PFI field trials
but with more treatments. A replication contained five rows
of corn 400 ft. long at the Alert Farm, six rows 400 ft.
long at the Brunk Farm, and four rows 400 ft. long at the
McLaughlin Farm. At black layer (physiological maturity)
the number of plants in two adjacent rows 22 ft. long were
counted and the ears harvested. These ears were stored in
burlap bags, and the corn will be shelled and weighed. The
plants in each sample were split from tassel to base and the
inches of tunneling was measured. An additional five plants
were harvested and will be evaluated for B. bassiana.=20
Following harvest two 1-meter squares of crop residue within
each replicate were dissected. Number of live larvae and
number of B. bassiana-infected larvae were counted.
Data from these studies are presented in Table 3 and Figure
5 (the graphics files table3.wmf and Figure5.wmf, available
for downloading). Preliminary results suggest to us that an
application of B. bassiana at whorl stage reduces tunneling
by the European Corn Borer and decreases the percentage of
plants with insect damage.=20
Rootworms in Strip Intercropping
Michael Ellsbury, South Dakota State University
Investigations continued on the Mugge Farm on the
possibility of rootworm damage in the strip system. Soil
was sampled for eggs, adult emergence was monitored, and
root damage was rated on a 1 to 9 scale. As in 1995,
rootworm eggs were found in the soybean strip but in smaller
numbers. There were few rootworm eggs in the soil where
corn was planted. We found evidence of only minor rootworm
damage to the first row of corn caused by larvae migrating
underground from the soybean strip. Root damage and adult
emergence were much lower in 1996 than in 1995. It is
interesting to note that 1996 yield in the outer corn row
was higher than that in the other five rows. We speculate
that overwinter mortality and a cool wet spring may have
reduced numbers of surviving rootworms.
Three barrier treatments were tried at the corn/soybean
interface to test their effect on rootworm movement into the
outer corn row. These treatments included: Counterr soil
insecticide, crambe oilseed meal, and a tillage treatment in
which the soil was ripped to about 9 inches depth with a
cultivator shank (Figure 2, the graphic file Figure2.bmp,
available for downloading). The oilseed meal treatment was
included because research has shown this material to be
toxic and repellent to soil-dwelling insects. The tillage
treatment was intended to disrupt old root channels and soil
pore structure that could be used by rootworm larvae moving
toward corn roots. Evidently the tillage treatment had the
opposite effect, since root damage was highest and yields
lowest in the areas that were ripped (Figure 2). Very few
emerging adults were observed in any of the treatments.=20
This suggests to us that compaction of soil at the
corn/soybean interface may be a means of limiting rootworm
movement into the first corn row.=20
Trichogramma Wasps for European Corn Borer at New Melleray
Abbey
Joe Fitzgerald, New Melleray Abbey farm manager
The monks of New Melleray Abbey farm nearly 2,000 acres as
their primary source of income and have farmed since 1849.=20
A three-year "discernment" process begun in 1991 led to a
renewed commitment to farm sustainably. To this end, a
portion of the farm has been certified organic, and the
organic acres are expected to grow. In all facets of the
farm we seek to protect and enhance the environment while
providing a profit. We are constantly experimenting and are
happy to be cooperating with Practical Farmers of Iowa in
our pursuit of sustainability.
In 1995 and 1996, with the assistance of ISU entomologists,
we sought to control the European Corn Borer in field corn
with timed releases of trichogramma wasps instead of
chemicals. The ISU entomologists scouted fields to locate
plots that offered the possibility of corn borer
infestation. Once identified, the plots were flagged for
eventual release of wasps. Later scouting determined
whether enough corn borer larvae were present to warrant
releasing the wasps.
Michigan State University research showed a 78 percent
reduction of European Corn Borer larvae with the release of
trichogramma (Orr and Landis, 1993). This was more
effective than Dipel (Bt) At 34 percent, Pounce at 65
percent, and Lorsban with a 66 percent reduction. The tiny
wasp parasitizes the corn borer by laying its eggs on the
larvae. These eggs grow and develop at the expense of the
corn borer larva, eventually killing it.
We found that European Corn Borer egg masses were 73 percent
parasitized where there had been a release of the wasps.=20
There was zero parasitism in the control plot, where no
wasps were released. The trichogramma wasp shows promise as
a chemical-free control for corn borer. At present the
method is expensive and best suited to high-value crops such
as sweetcorn and organic corn.
The recent introduction of Bt corn is giving farmers a new
tool to control the corn borer. We grew some demonstration
plots of Bt corn in 1996. The technology is new enough to
lack a track record on effectiveness, environmental impact,
and resistance by the corn borer. It seems prudent to
maintain and utilize a variety of pest control options.
With ISU, we also tried a biological control for common
stalkborer. A nematode that is lethal to the stalkborer was
applied in a water suspension to the field. The spray was
timed to coincide with the migration of the stalk borers out
of grassy areas near the edge of the field. Numerical data
were not collected, but there was a visible difference
between treated and untreated plants. We will participate
in more research using the nematode in 1997.=20
Improving IPM
Mark and Julie Roose, Pella
In 1996 we continued the project begun the previous year, a
study of alfalfa weevil and other insects in alfalfa
supported by the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture.=20
We worked with the ISU Entomology Department through
graduate student Kris Giles, who was on the farm regularly.
We monitored alfalfa weevil populations weekly during May
and June to see if parasites or diseases of the weevil
affected their populations (Fig. 3, the graphic file
Figure3.wmf, available for downloading). When we harvested
the first cutting of hay, we left a windrow unharvested in
the center of the field.
Our unseasonably wet weather allowed the fungus disease
Zoopthora phytonomi to drastically reduce weevil
populations. When the wet weather turned abnormally dry,
our focus shifted to the potato leafhopper. We hoped the
adult leafhoppers would congregate in the uncut hay strip in
the center of the field, allowing the new growth to develop
unhindered. We believe we lessened the leafhopper impact,
but we're not sure how much.
Farmer involvement was a very important part of this
project. Early in 1995, we invited neighbors in to talk
with Kris about the project, and there has been continuing
interest in what the research was finding. Last August we
held a field day to share results and talk about our
diversified farming system.
IPM and sustainable farming practices have been useful to
us. We are appreciative of PFI, and the IPM Issues Team of
the Leopold Center for their work on this project.=20
Our Experience With IPM and Biological Control of Alfalfa
Weevil and Potato Leafhopper
Jeff Klinge & Deb Tidwell, Farmersburg
In 1996 I learned how to:
Use a sweep net;
Identify insects at different stages of growth;
Raise captured weevil larvae and determine how many of
them were infected with the Zoopthora fungus. (the
graphic file Figure4.wmf, available for downloading)
Carry out on-farm research so that the results are
useful.
Although alfalfa weevils were not a big problem this year, I
now feel I can determine when they are a big enough problem
to justify action.
ISU entomologist Kris Giles suggested we leave a strip of
alfalfa uncut at first harvest to attract adult alfalfa
weevils and leafhoppers. We found that the leafhoppers were
attracted to these strips and basically left the rest of the
field alone. I plan to leave strips in the alfalfa fields
next year.
During the field day there was discussion of insect pests,
alfalfa management, and crop rotations. We toured the farm,
and people were interested in my Austree windbreak for the
feedlot as well as in our native prairie planting. =20
Testing the Fungus Beauveria on Corn Borer: Three
Cooperators' Perspectives
1) Ron and LaDonna Brunk, Steve and Tara Beck-Brunk, Eldora
We are interested in the possibility of controlling corn
borers in field corn without chemical insecticides. An
insecticide program is costly, takes accurate timing, and
includes the inherent problems of chemical residues and
human exposure in the field. The plan to infect a field
with a perennial fungal disease fatal to European corn borer
seems feasible and would certainly be of practical and
economic value. When the opportunity arose to cooperate
with PFI and the Iowa State Entomology Department in an
experiment with an endophytic fungus, we were interested and
willing. We hope this experiment will add to knowledge on
the degree of control this fungus could provide and its
persistence in a treated field.
2) Doug Alert & Margaret Smith, Hampton
Margaret and I have been cooperating with Les Lewis and
associates of the Agricultural Research Service on a project
evaluating the fungus Beauveria bassiana for long-term
suppression of European Corn Borer (ECB). Our role in the
project included normal crop production tasks with some
additional assistance to facilitate efficient plot harvest.=20
We also politely deactivated electric fences when
researchers doing plot work and collecting data!
After seeing the early data showing the naturally-occurring
fungus had already killed a significant percentage of ECB
larvae, we were curious why most of our neighbors' fields
were treated for corn borer this season. We are hopeful
that the additional application of the fungus (seeding the
field) will increase the percentage of larvae killed. This
seems to us a promising area of research that would give us
another tool for the pest management "toolbox".
3) Dennis and Kate McLaughlin, Cumming
In 1996 ISU researchers Les Lewis and Bob Gunnarson came to
our farm to evaluate in-field applications of a naturally
occurring fungus known as Beauveria that infects the corn
borer in the larval (worm) stage. As I understand it, the
basic strategy is to increase the prevalence of this "good
guy" fungus.
Resistance is a term we hear in connection with pests like
weeds and insects. Nature is creative and pests tend to
evolve ways around our defenses. The classic examples are
those insecticides and herbicides whose effectiveness has
declined due to their widespread use (and misuse). Even a
safe product like Bt corn may well have a very limited
"shelf life," leaving us with an "evolved" corn borer and a
prematurely obsolete tool. Assuming Nature "bats last" in
the game of resistance, Beauveria, being a living organism
itself, should evolve right along with the corn borer.
At this point there are more questions than answers from the
trial. Corn yield seems almost secondary to issues like
application methods, timing, infection rates, and winter
survival of the fungus. Time will tell how the Bt story
turns out, but Beauveria may provide a way to keep Nature
"at bat" for us long term in our struggle with the number
one economic pest of corn.=20
38^ FOOTPRINTS OF A GRASS FARMER
Landscape Descriptions - Daydreams, Dead-ends, or=20
Decisions...
Tom Frantzen, Alta Vista
A common topic in discussion about sustainable agriculture
is the land itself. People who care about the land show
consideration for how it is treated. If they happen to
practice Holistic Management, they are asked to describe
what the future landscape needs are in order to produce the
forms of production that sustains their quality of life.
Last November, our family worked at defining what our farm
should look like. We know that this description is
important in supporting our values. The real issue is how
our described landscape will support us far into the future.=20
We know why we seek protected soil and shelter from high
winds and a home for wildlife. But what specifically do we
desire on our land to create these effects? Where would it
be established? When can it be achieved? These questions
sound overwhelming but with open lines of communication,
long nights, and plenty of "cabin fever" weather, we made
good progress.
Each year, our farm is guided by a written holistic
management plan. Writing this plan begins in November and
is usually complete in early January. This plan is put
together in a 3-ring binder, currently named our Sunlight
Harvesting Manual. This book has 12 chapters. Each chapter
has its own table of contents. Chapter 4 covers our
landscape description. =20
Our general futuristic plan follows our table of contents in
Chapter 4. Ideally, we desire no erosion, we want
windshelter, good habitat for wildlife, and recreational
use. Water should infiltrate the soil profile effectively,
and minerals should be efficiently recycled. We are
uncertain about what level of plant succession would be
appropriate. The sun should power our farm. That is the
reason for entitling this book Sunlight Harvesting Manual
rather than a crop and livestock notebook. This general
description, although somewhat vague, tentatively guides our
planning.
The remainder of this chapter includes: a general
description of a five year plan for our land; fencing
projects; wildlife and shelterbelt plantings and intentions;
building plans; and permanent pasture arrangements. An
overall farm map drawn to scale with a matrix lists field
numbers, acres, and crop intentions. To map the future of
our crop and rotated pasture lands, we needed alternative
cropping systems to compare. Six strategies were compared
to our existing practices, each over a five year span. Each
rotation scheme was examined for economic performance, soil
protection and maintenance of productivity (whole
ecosystem), monthly workload, compatibility with livestock,
amount of tillage, and overall effect on our quality of
life.