Grafting Vegetables
Organic Transition Support
Farmland Access Navigators
Winter Prep for Machinery
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TM
Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service
Volume 26 | Number 6
November | December 2018
Full-day classes dig deeply into farming topics By Audrey Alwell
The 2019 Organic University™ offers 9 in-depth courses taught by experienced farmers, researchers, and ag professionals. These engaging classes provide deeper content than farmers can get from a 90-minute workshop, a nd give them a chance to get answers for their specific farm situations. Past participants rate Organic University highly, adding that “presenters share their vast knowledge and experience in a very accessible and relatable way.” Organic University takes place Thursday, Feb. 21 from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., just prior to the MOSES Organic Farming Conference at the La Crosse Center in La Crosse, Wis. Registration opens Nov. 29, with Early Bird pricing of $160. See registration details at mosesorganic.org/ organic-university.
where farmers grow
Wholesale Vegetable Production for Small- to Mid-Scale Farms Ariel Pressman & David Giedd Dwindling CSA numbers? Ho-hum turnout at the farmers market? Growing for wholesale accounts might be a better option. Instructor Ariel Pressman’s Seed to Seed Farm is a 13-acre certified organic vegetable farm, which sells almost 100% to wholesale customers. He’ll examine the specific systems and investments needed for different wholesale models, and help you deterimine which crops and markets are most appropriate for
Feb. 21–23, 2019 in La Crosse, Wis.
Early Bird savings start Nov. 29!
your specific farm scale, skill set, and set up. One of his customers, Lakewinds Natural Foods’ category manager David Giedd, will share tips on working with retailers. At the end of the day, you’ll have a customized wholesale plan detailing the crops you’ll grow, how you’ll set prices, and how you’ll market your crops— a business plan that will balance profits with your desired quality of life.
What it Takes to Grow Industrial Hemp Bryan Parr, John Strohfus, Jeff Kostuik, Alden Braul, Melody Walker, & Margaret Wiatrowski Nicknamed “The Forgotten Crop,” industrial hemp is making a comeback after a 60-year hiatus. This course explores what growers have learned about planting, growing, harvesting, cleaning, storing, and marketing this organic or conventional crop. Bryan Parr of Legacy Hemp in Wisconsin and John Strofus with Minnesota Hemp Farms will share the good, the bad, and the ugly from the Upper Midwest’s 2018 growing season. Jeff Kostuik and Alden Braul from Hemp Genetics International will share how industrial hemp is doing in Canada, which has had regulated production since 1998. In addition, Margaret Wiatrowski, Minnesota Department of Agriculture, and Melody Walker, Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade & Consumer Protection, will share state-specific regulations, procedures, and data. To Organic University on page 6
mosesorganic.org
Easy-to-grow microgreens can add year-round farm income By Hallie Anderson
! ation Educ c i rgan of O s r Yea 30 g n
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PO Box 339, Spring Valley, WI 54767
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Microgreens have been popular with talented chefs for many years but are now gaining ground with the discerning home cook who adds them to eggs for breakfast, or as a nutritional and flavor burst in smoothies, sandwiches, and dinner salads. For the farmer, microgreens can be a valuable addition to farm enterprises, providing cash flow even in the winter months. Microgreens can be easy to grow and reliable under the right conditions with lots of opportunities for expansion. Microgreens are the cotyledon stage of any vegetable or herb plant, generally grown in trays in a greenhouse or controlled growing space and marketed
Flats of microgreens grow in the greenhouse at 10th St. Farm & Market in Afton, Minn., which sells 1,500 pounds a year through CSA, farm stand, and wholesale markets. Photo by Hallie Anderson
as a superfood. They are a great wholesale product and appeal to CSA and farmers market customers. We added microgreens to our farm, 10th St. Farm & Market in Afton, Minn., in our second production year to help with year-round cash flow and help pay for the heat in our greenhouse in the winter months when we’re starting early transplants. We sell the greens through our three-season CSA, wholesale markets, and a well-attended farm stand. Our microgreens have allowed us to grow our business without increasing field space. The packaged greens have attracted new customers to our CSA because they liked our product when they bought it at the co-op. It’s great when customers find us rather than the other way around!
Growing Tips First decide what works best for your farm. Do you have greenhouse space that sits idle in the winter and mid-summer months? Do you have a seed-starting station set up in a spare room? You can utilize these resources to their full potential by adding microgreen production. Just like all new varieties on a farm, there is a trial period with microgreens. Grow different varieties to determine which you want to focus on, and then set yourself up to do them well. The most common products are individual varieties or mixes sold direct to consumers or through grocery stores or farmers markets. Microgreens are generally grown in trays in a growing medium. Some people use mineral wool mats like in hydroponic systems or potting soil in a greenhouse environment—we use the latter. The seed is planted on the surface of the tray, watered in, and allowed to grow To Microgreens on page 8