On-Farm Events
CSA Tips
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Resilient Specialty Farms
Hoop House Insights
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TM
Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service
Volume 27 | Number 3
Conservation initiatives can support organic livestock management By Caleb Langworthy
Every year, I make a point to get out onto a couple of other farms to see their operations. I’m always looking for innovations that I could glean from others to further my grazing operation. Last summer, I visited the Holm Boys Dairy in Elk Mound, Wis., where they raise certified organic, grass-fed custom heifers utilizing managed grazing techniques. As the group toured the farm, we learned how the Holms have used managed grazing to improve the health and productivity of their soil. A DNR Wildlife Biologist pointed out rare grassland birds in the pasture and buffers around the farm. At the homestead, our local soil conservationist used a rainfall simulator to demonstrate the infiltration and erosion potential of soil from the pastures in managed grazing, as well as soil from neighboring fields under different management. The organic farm’s managed pasture absorbed the most water, had the least run-off, and filtered the most clear water. These are all measurements of good management. On the Holm farm, it was clear that managed grazing meets the needs of the producer, encourages local wildlife, and contributes to productive soils, plants, animals, and clean water. The same management that led to their productive organic farming system also addresses several natural resource concerns that farmers can look to the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) for technical and financial support. So, if you’re working to improve your farm in similar ways, consider taking advantage of NRCS programs in order to achieve your goals. Soil health is the foundation on which successful organic farming systems are built. The National Organic Program (NOP) actually requires certified producers to “maintain and improve the natural resources of an operation, including soil and water quality” (7 CFR § 205.200). The goals of improving soil health and water quality overlap with the USDA-NRCS mission “to provide resources to farmers and
PO Box 339, Spring Valley, WI 54767
To Grazing Support on page 4
May | June 2019
Open-pollinated corn growing strong on Midwest farms By Frank Kutka
With the advent of hybridization more than 100 years ago, who would have imagined that open-pollinated (OP) corn would still exist in the 21st century? Hybrid corn breeders have produced hundreds of varieties that stand well, tolerate difficult conditions, mature all at the same time, and yield impressive quantities of grain or forage. So why are genetically diverse varieties from which farmers save their own seeds still out there? Some farmers—organic and conventional—like the process of growing seed from our own selections. This type of independence suits us and creates seed at a very reasonable price, which is especially appealing when grain markets are down. The diversity of corn is also incredible. By saving seed of traditional and newer varieties of OP corn we are able to enjoy their flavors, nutritional quality, colors, and the stories behind them. There are just so many possibilities among varieties that do not have to be purchased every year. Some Native American communities have been hunting for, finding, and increasing seed of traditional OP varieties that had been lost to them during forced relocation and the decades of mandatory boarding school that altered farming traditions for many. In recent years, Facebook has had many posts about happy growers taking part in these successful rematriation efforts. A new collaborative organization, the Indigenous Seedkeepers Network, has been formed to facilitate this process and to promote education about seed-keeping among Native communities. Thankfully, traditional OP corn has been with the Oneida in eastern Wisconsin for a long while. Last year they had a particularly large harvest of their white corn. It was lovely to see the dozens upon dozens of braids hanging to dry amid many full gravity
Open-pollinated corn, like this vibrant orange Dziekuje, offers growers a wide range of colors, flavors, and nutritional profiles as well as the possibility to save seed or obtain it at a reasonable price from another grower.
Photo by Frank Kutka
boxes at the Tsyunhehkwa Center this winter. It makes great corn soup! There are many OP corn growers in the Midwest. Tom Jerde, from western Wisconsin, has developed a variety on his farm that he calls Jerde’s Maize, a highprotein dent corn with resistance to multiple diseases and pests. He also grows and sells Jerde’s Red, a sweet corn with kernels that turn wine red. Stanley Smith from southeastern Minnesota recently completed a USDA-SARE (Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education) grant project growing six varieties of OP organic corn. His goal was to find a suitable variety for livestock feed that could yield well enough with its higher nutritional traits so as to be financially feasible. He found that all but one of the varieties he To Open-Pollinated Corn on page 6
Community-based food systems support organic markets By Ken Meter & Megan Phillips Goldenberg
This article is based on the MOSES 2019 workshop presented by the authors. The first part in this story, “Commodity system creates persistent losses,” from the previous issue of the Organic Broadcaster, is online at mosesorganic. org/commodity-system-losses. Organic food sales are the fastest-rising sector in the grocery industry, growing from $13 billion in 2005 to $47 billion in 2018 (Organic Trade Association). Moreover, dedicated advocacy has expanded markets far beyond the co-ops and smaller stores that initially launched organic sales. By 2011, more than half of all organic food items were Source: USDA Economic Research Service. No data were reported for 2009, 2012, sold through traditional retailers. or 2013. Data for 2014-2016 are from USDA National Agricultural Statistical Service Organic Survey, which reports numbers different from ERS. Despite sales growth, there are difficulties in each of the largest organic markets in the U.S.: vegetables, dairy, and grain. As you’ll see, busiYet growth in organic food sales did not consistently nesses that have created a basis of community support spark the planting of new produce fields in the U.S. are best situated to weather these difficult times. Instead, produce imports have risen, fueled by production in countries such as Mexico, where land and labor Organic Vegetables are less expensive. This represents both a market failure This chart shows the acreage devoted to organic and a failure of policy to create infrastructure and vegetable production in recent years. Acreage declined incentives that connect more consumers to U.S. farmin 2010 and 2011 after peaking briefly in 2008, likely ers to meet rising demand. because the global housing finance crisis interrupted Now that organic vegetables are widely available at consumer fascination with purchasing healthier Walmart, Aldi, and other stores, shoppers can easily foods. After 2012, acreage began to increase again, but access food with an organic label on it, but gain very reached a new plateau in 2015-2016. To Organic Markets on page 8