Commodities

Tenth Street Orchard Tests Sustainable Strawberry Production Methods in Kansas

With SARE support, Tenth Street Orchard compared soil health and profitability of annual plasticulture and a combination plasticulture/matted-row system for strawberry production in central Kansas.

Saint Louis Beekeepers Enhance Queen Rearing Practices

The Saint Louis Beekeepers are providing regionally adapted, survivor-stock queens and nucleus colonies to local beekeepers.

Innovative Sliding Electric Fence System for Pastured Poultry

With 3,000+ pasture-raised laying hens, Michael Gutschenritter from Three Brothers Farm in Wisconsin needed a solution that saved time and energy. Enter the HenPen, a sliding fence system with an integrated feeder that gets the job done faster with less physical strain.

Beekeeping in Northern Climates Manual and Guidebook

The "Beekeeping in Northern Climates" Manual and Workbook are companion resources created by the University of Minnesota's Bee Lab to help beekeepers understand and apply region-specific best practices. Beekeeping in Northern Climates Manual The third edition of Beekeeping in Northern Climates is a manual from the University of Minnesota Bee Lab for both new and experienced beekeepers […]

Growing Peaches in Minnesota: A Cold-Climate Success Story 

With support from a SARE grant, Dan Sheild developed a peach-growing system tailored to Minnesota’s harsh winters.

Producer Partnerships Demonstrate the Benefits of Integrated Systems: Increased Profits and Soil Health

A recent North Central SARE Research and Education grant in Kansas demonstrated how integrating crops, livestock and cover crops could help some producers offset revenue loss and failing crops.

Exploring Chestnuts in Southeastern Ohio with Michelle Ajamian

Michelle Ajamian explores the success stories of cultivating chestnuts – from fostering community partnerships to promoting environmentally friendly practices.

The New Growers’ Guide to Producing Organic Food-Grade Grains in The Upper Midwest

This guide is intended for farmers interested in adding food-grade grains to their rotations, whether they are new to farming, or interested in incorporating these grains into an existing commodity grain, diversified vegetable, or livestock operation.

Livestock Waterers and Watering Systems

This handbook assists in the design of a watering system that fits your budget, site, and livestock needs.

Cultivating Morel Mushrooms

One of the more iconic and recognizable mushrooms, morels are famed for their distinctive appearance and their exquisite taste. This fungus is characterized by its unique 'pitted and ridged' cap, as well as its earthy and nutty flavor. Morels have been recorded on all continents except Antarctica, thus with its widespread nature it comes to […]

Edible Landscaping with Matthew Lebon

NCAT Horticulture Specialist Guy Ames talks with Matthew Lebon about edible landscaping or the practice of integrating edible plants into ornamental landscaping

Midwestern Hemp Database

The Midwestern Hemp Database (MHD) is an interactive tool that houses all of the research done by the Midwestern Hemp Research Collaborative (MHRC)

Goats Adapt to Virtual Fencing

Allysse Sorensen has been experimenting with virtual fencing for targeted grazing with goats.

Pollinator-Friendly Cover Cropping for Vegetable Producers in the Upper Midwest

Growers are increasingly interested in adding cover crops to rotations to improve soil health, break disease cycles, and provide ecosystem services. In addition to these benefits, cover crops present an opportunity to add crucial floral resources and habitat for pollinators and other beneficial insects on the farm. However, identifying appropriate cover crop species and management […]

Growing and Selling Mushrooms with Lauren McCalister

Lauren McCalister has been working with a network of farmers, brewers, coffee vendors, and consumers near Bloomington, Indiana who are reducing by-product waste through the production and marketing of mushrooms.

The Fruit and Nut Compass

The Fruit and Nut Compass is a farm business planning tool to help both new and experienced producers project the financial costs and returns from an enterprise focused on perennial crops.

Sustaining the Sugarbush in a Tribal Community

For more than 15 years, Eric DuPuis has been a sugarmaker with the Nagaajiwanaang band of Anishinaabe Ojibwe people near Cloquet, Minnesota. With SARE support, he made some improvements to his sugarmaking enterprise that benefited his business and community.

High-Efficiency, Year-Round Tropical Greenhouse in South Dakota

In Aurora, South Dakota, Shannon Mutschelknaus received SARE support to compare the various features of multiple passive solar greenhouse designs.

Best Practices for Hemp Production in Kansas

The Kansas Hemp Consortium is working to increase awareness and industry knowledge of industrial hemp.

Physical Weed Control Strategies for Midwest Vegetable Growers

A group of farmers and researchers has been working to generate useful, farm-tested, and detailed observations on the best methods and tools for managing in-row weeds. This image is a Tilmor cultivating tractor with finger-weeders belly mounted.