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Grazing Cover Crops and Advancing Farmer Networks in Wisconsin
Dane County Land Conservation was able to support and create intentional spaces for a group of farmers willing to take a chance on establishing and utilizing cover crops on their farms to improve soil health.
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.
Prairie Strips as a Farmland Conservation Practice
Farmers and researchers in Iowa have been planting prairie strips in their crop fields to help reduce surface runoff.
Kansas Farmer Tests Heirloom Corn Varieties
Pantaleon Florez studied no-till growing methods of non-GMO, heirloom dent corn at Maseualkaulli Farm in Lawrence, Kansas.
Washing Greens Efficiently
With support from SARE, Mad Farmers Collective built a new greens washing station that improved productivity, ergonomics, and efficiency.
Growing the Pasture-Grazed Dairy Sector in Wisconsin
Growing the Pasture-Grazed Dairy Sector in Wisconsin is the summary report of a team of researchers, dairy farmers and chefs who conducted a comprehensive investigation of the chemical and physical properties of pasture-based milk when made into cheese, butter or other products. The group, led by the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, also explored the production, […]
High Tunnel Cucumber Production Guide
This cucumber production guide provides resources and recommendations tailored to the distinctive growing environment of high tunnels.
Connecting the Dots Between Farmers and Rural Refrigeration
University of Minnesota researcher, Ren Olive, is exploring opportunities for small and medium-size produce farmers to utilize excess refrigeration in rural grocery stores.
Producing Quinoa in North Dakota
Two North Dakota producers looked at quinoa production and marketing in North Dakota.
Cottage Food: Launch a Bakery from Your Farm Kitchen
A farmer-led team in Wisconsin created resources to help farmers diversify their income by selling baked goods.
lntercropping Kernza® with Legumes
Growers in the North Central region are exploring the benefits of intercropping legumes with the intermediate wheatgrass Kernza®.
Grazing Livestock on Cover Crops in Double or Relay Cropping Systems, Post-Weaning
Mike Ostlie received SARE-support to seed cover crops into an existing crop rotation for fall and winter grazing as an alternative to drylot backgrounding.
Using Cover Crops to Reduce Plasticulture
Dana and Karin Jokela are working to reduce their use of plasticulture with cover crops.
North Dakota Farmers Pursue Soil Stewardship Through Cover Crops
THE CHALLENGE The practice of planting a cover crop holds many opportunities for farmers. Cover crops can build soil health, curb erosion, control weeds, improve water and nutrient management, and increase the bottom line. In North Dakota, they have the potential to reduce soil salinity by using excess water, which is a problem on hundreds […]
Spring-Grazing Cover Crops with Nebraska’s Knuth Farms
When a fourth-generation farm in Mead, Nebraska began to diversify their primarily cash crop operation in 2012, they gave some thought to cover crops and livestock. Knuth Farms didn’t want to buy cattle or become beef producers, but they did want to diversify their income stream, capture some of the soil benefits of cover crops, […]
Illinois Farmer Builds Precision Seeder to Maximize Cover Crop Advantage
Ralph “Junior” Upton is no novice when it comes to no-till and cover crops. His grain farm in the northeast corner of Hamilton county Illinois is 100% no-till with 1,800 acres of corn, beans, and wheat, and approximately 1,200 acres in cover crops. Upton has been farming more than 50 years, and the farm has […]
Traditional Fertilizer, Modern Applications for Iroquois White Corn
Farmers have long relied on liquid fish fertilizers because they are a source burn-free nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. Traditional Native American growers were well aware of the benefits that decaying fish could bring to their soil; they buried fish under mounded soil and planted the 3 Sisters (corn, beans, and squash) directly on top of […]
Building Resilience and Flexibility into Midwest Organic Potato Production
When Maria Carter’s parents emigrated to America from the Netherlands in 1956, they brought along a knowledge of growing seed potatoes. Shortly after they put down roots in North Dakota, they put down tubers to start their new seed potato farm. They knew potato growers needed healthy seed potatoes, and they knew how to grow […]
Incorporating Cover Crops in North Dakota
In a short growing season like North Dakota's, effectively using cover crops can seem like a challenge. Establishing a specific on-farm goal is key to utilizing cover crops successfully. Getting familiar with and then fine-tuning approaches is important to achieve desired outcomes. In this publication, NDSU soil health researchers, Abbey Wick, Caley Gasch, and Marisol Berti provide a starting point.
Iowa Farmers Seek Sustainability with Cover Crops and No-Till
In 2002, a $6,500 SARE grant funded an idea for a new tool at the Rodale Institute in Kutztown, Pennsylvania. The tool was a roller-crimper, a steel drum with blades that was mounted to a tractor and used to roll down cover crops. The idea was that the mat of dead cover crops would act as mulch, which researchers hoped no-till farmers […]