Organic Broadcaster | Summer 2023 | Volume 31, Issue 3

summer

2023

3

WhO We ARe

Marbleseed, formerly known as MOSES, is a nonprofit committed to supporting the Midwest’s organic and sustainable farmers through farmer-led events and educational resources that help your farm grow.

ORGAnIC BROADCAsteR COntRIButORs

Editor: Alexandria Baker

Graphic Designer: Jo Facklam

Advertising Coordinator: Jenica Caudill & Jo Facklam

Digital Content Producer: Jo Facklam

The Organic Broadcaster is a quarterly magazine published by Marbleseed. Opinions expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. Inclusion of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of a product. Content may be reprinted with permission.

Content Submissions: organicbroadcaster@marbleseed.org

Display Advertising: advertising@marbleseed.org

Classified Advertising: classifieds@marbleseed.org

Subscription:

Manage your subscription by emailing info@marbleseed.org

COVeR PhOtO CReDIt: Laurana Snyder

Sinsinawa Mound Collaborative Farm, WI

Marbleseed was founded by a small group of farmers who gathered in the dead of winter to share knowledge, connect over production methods and build community together. In 1992, they publsihed the first edition of the Organic Broadcaster—a publication for organic farmers, by organic farmers A donation to Marbleseed helps us continue to foster farmer-to-farmer learning, through resources and publications like the Organic Broadcaster.

By donating to Marbleseed, you become an essential part of our mission to foster the growth of this remarkable community and directly support resources like this magazine! Together, we can sow the seeds of a more sustainable and resilient future for farmers in the Midwest.

Donate online at marbleseed.org/donate or by mail to PO Box 339, Spring Valley, WI 54767.

Hellooooo...over Here!! Hellooooo...

The sound of summer season. We are in the groove. Head down. We race against time, weather, demands from customers and our summer social calendar. Neighbors ‘pop in’ on four wheelers for a chat, but the cold beer they offer is taken almost reluctantly. Those task lists scribbled on white boards in pack sheds and barns are always beckoning. Summer’s pace can be unforgiving.

For veggie farmers, we hardly have time to be grateful that we are able to fill the bellies of our staff, family and selves with what the land provides. But there is something special about not having the time to do much cooking, eating fruit and produce without adornment or extra spice. The flavors of dirt, and ripeness are enough.

We often divided and ‘conquered’ life cycle events like weddings and family get togethers to keep the farm going. This seasonal work is challenging for maintaining connections beyond the crew and customers. And for farmers with children, summer means no school and concerns about how to keep kids safe when the farm is bustling with extra staff and lots to do.

My wish for you all is a moment to breathe and be grateful. Our organic farms teem with life. The contented tug, tear and munch of cattle, sheep and goats on pasture and the excited squawk of the chicken running circles around the other hens, a worm dangling from her beak. And the buzzes, songs, croaks and beating wings of the other lives our farms shelter. Like the swallows that dip and dive around us as we cut hay, or the dotted lights on pasture grass as we turn out barn lights and head in for the evening after 12 hours days, like stars earth bound and still magical.

When we gathered in LaCrosse, work-life balance and wellness was a topic of many of the circles during our open space. Watch for the “Book of Proceedings” to read and revisit those conversations. We are thinking about how to bring that content and those concerns to the conference in 2024. We know mental health, work-life balance, reliable childcare and farm safety are critical to farmer and farm viability.

We are excited to be jumping back into conference planning as we head for the fall. Do reach out if you have ideas for topics.

Our team is still growing as we deepen our focus and efforts in supporting and resourcing farmers. The Wisconsin Local Food Purchase Assistance (WI LFPA) program is paying producers to provide food for their

communities. Read more details about the WI LFPA program on page 3. And there are new cost share programs and resources for conservation practices on organic farms and those farms in transition to organic. We have an amazing staff eager to see small to medium scale farmers be successful in the ways that are meaningful to them.

This summer is also the season of marker bills, those great ideas in pieces of legislation that are destined to be part of the Farm Bill this fall. Some of the bills of interest would codify the incredible investments we have seen in organics and local food purchasing and business support. We are only now starting to have stories of what these programs have meant to human-scale, organic and regenerative farms and producers who have been marginalized in many USDA programs up till now. Read more details on these marker bills on page 42. We are hoping that summer will be not only a time of harvesting delicious food, but also some meaningful stories of growth for these small farm businesses and their communities.

Summer is also a time of field days and on-farm education offerings. Check out where we will be this summer and come join us for networking and learning from other farmers. I love checking out other farms and picking up tips and even some farm hack tips (there are always a few). Maybe I will see you out there.

In the meantime, enjoy the stories on the pages that follow. And if you are too busy to sit and read, we are now putting some of these stories online so you can listen in the tractor, pack shed or harvesting. And I wish you time to take a breath. We are grateful for the work you do in feeding us, our animals and the planet.

In gratitude and abundance,

Lori Stern

High Tunnel Management Part 2 Strategies for Maximizing Season Extension Growing

By Joshua Bryceson and Chris Burkhouse

In our last article, we covered some of the structural differences and decisions one might make when looking at high tunnel building or improvements. Now that we are at peak season, in the flush of tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers, it’s time to start thinking about how we might transition into fall and winter. So, let’s take a stab at sharing how we have managed some of the basics of timing crops, types of crops, trellising, and other cultural practices including watering and protecting.

Production goals

Turnip Rock currently operates a 180 member CSA and uses 3 high tunnels for production. The goals for production in those tunnels are 1; hit a target start week for the CSA as consistently as possible 2; extend the production season of summer crops 3; establish winter hardy greens for winter harvest. None of our tunnels are heated. Using the tunnels as a more consistent environment can create some needed spring consistency in planting dates and target harvesting. With a combination of transplanting and direct seeding, we can have a wide variety available to harvest at one time. While we are planting spring crops, we may also be incorporating summer crops at the same time, by interplanting or removing early overwinter crops. The same goes for summer heading into fall, summer crops are removed

just after peak season to make time for establishing fall/winter crops. This may mean cutting tomatoes that have fruit on them, but in our experience, you won’t be missing out on much as the days shorten and ripen takes longer and less fruit is ready, additionally, eater fatigue may have set in, and they could be ready for less.

Foxtail Farm operated a 250 member Winter CSA (October-March), a 100-member Spring Share CSA (April-May), and 2 summer farmer’s markets (JuneSeptember). Four unheated 30x96 quonset style hoophouses and one 15x200 moveable low tunnel were the backbone of this operation. Goals were to efficiently and intensively grow each season’s produce maximizing quality and growth with quick transitions between seasons. One of the most difficult aspects was letting go of the summer season crops in time for getting winter season crops planted. Combinations of direct seeding and transplants as well as temperature control via protective coverings and ventilation were key strategies for quality and timing.

Crop Timing

Turnip Rock and Foxtail are both in zone 3-4, and Turnip Rock uses tunnels to reach a start date for their CSA in the first week in June. When it comes to harvest timing in the tunnel, our goal isn’t to have the earliest produce, because the majority of our markets haven’t picked up until June. Although we may have a

few accounts to service with a few early leafy greens, such as overwintered spinach, green onions or lettuce, there is not a big demand until our CSA and farmer’s market starts up in late May - early June. How we do that is to work backwards from the first week of June with each crop. For example; start from June 5 and work backwards on the calendar; 40-50 days from transplant for head lettuce and other transplanted crops (plus a 4-6 week greenhouse period) and 30-40 days from direct seeding of radishes, arugula and spinach (plus a 3-7 day germination period) and then you have your seeding date, and transplanting dates. Remember transplants do not start that timing until they are in the ground. Although we could be planting much earlier in the tunnel, we restrain ourselves and work to that target start date, because it is timed with our sales. We try to have 5-7 different items coming together at that time to round out a CSA box and market stand. We will harvest those items over a 2-3 week period before the field plantings come in heavy, which is more variable from year to year. We size those plantings to be able to harvest out one bed completely, and not leave a lot behind so we can move on to the next crop succession. Working from bed to bed and not looking at the entire high tunnel having to be just one crop, can create a scenario where you have many successions coming and going in one tunnel. For example, when we take one bed of leafy greens out, we have a transplanted summer crop like peppers or tomatoes to put in. Or we will intercrop those leafy greens with a summer crop. And

SEED FOR THE WHOLE FARM

WE’RE

Viking & Blue River are now fully integrated to offer the strongest lineup of organic corn and soybeans in the United States.

once the greens are harvested, we can mulch around the summer crop as needed for weed suppression and water conservation.

For Fall plantings we work back from the Persophone date here: Nov 11. The Persophone day is when daylight hours are equal to nighttime hours and from that day forward there will be more nighttime hours than daytime. Leading to a near standstill of plant growth even if it is alive and at correct temperatures. If we have a 30-day crop like radishes that we want to harvest for an extended period we must have them seeded no later than Oct 11, 30 days from the Persophone day. We will plant enough that will fit our market demands for up to a month or more from one planting.

For winter and shoulder season growing at Foxtail, timing was very dependent on frost and temperatures. For Spring shares in April and May, direct seeded crops like carrots, beets, and hakurei turnips were planted in the spring as soon as possible. Sometimes this was as early as February 10, but usually around early March when the soil was sufficiently thawed. Direct seeded greens about the same time. Transplanted crops like broccoli, kohlrabi, pac choi, scallions, napa, collards, and lettuce also went in early March. One wonderful benefit to keep in mind with cold weather growing is not only the extra delicious taste but the longer harvest window. Overwintered spinach was usually planted in late September to early/mid-October. For a good quality spring harvest, you want it pretty small for best overwintering. Fall plantings for late fall and winter harvest started in early September. Greens like Red Russian kale and Starbor are great cold weather kale varieties. Napa and Salanova also did well with early September transplant dates. Very early October (at the latest) worked well for direct seeded greens including salad mix. For both Winter Shares and Spring Shares we aimed for about 10 items per box. Winter shares were once every 3 weeks and Spring Shares every other week. Identifying how many bed feet were needed per member helped to maximize efficiency for the space required for each crop and how many deliveries we could get out of a bed.

Watering systems

Turnip Rock uses wobbler sprinklers to establish and water in direct seeded spring and fall crops but switches over to drip irrigation for summer. Having both systems established in the tunnel makes the flexibility easy. And in some cases, we will water bed by bed by bringing in a hose and hand watering. It is important to note that wobblers can have some areas of not great coverage, and in a tunnel, you will have water run down the sides so your outer beds are always wetter than the center. This is where drip can come in and even things out especially if you have many crops in the tunnel that are at different stages.

Foxtail has a heavier Santiago silt loam soil that holds water well. Maintaining good moisture going into the winter made over winter watering less necessary. In fact, we aimed to not need to haul hose and water at all over the winter. In spring we used 5 raised wobbler systems in each house for overhead irrigation to establish crops and when needed. Beds closest to the sides generally had more moisture than the center beds in late fall and early spring due to rain and snow runoff. Of course, they also were the colder areas of the hoophouse so lost moisture less quickly.

Protection anD ventilation management

Turnip Rock has automated ventilation vans on thermostats in all houses. There are many days in the fall and early winter when it will be cold enough that you do not want to open the house, but then the sun will pop out and the temps will rise quickly without notice. Having a fan will pull excess heat out without opening sides. One additional use for fans is to pull out condensation in the winter when things get drippy, and you might be concerned with powdery mildew. Our protection routine is minimal, we aim to grow winter greens that can handle the cold well, such as Spinach, Kale, Pac Choi, tatsoi, and have them either, harvested completely by end of December, or have them fully grown and wait to harvest when the sun comes out and things thaw enough to harvest through January and February.

Foxtail found the two biggest factors in successful shoulder season and winter growing to be protection and ventilation. One example, our spinach did not need protection but did need ventilation. Determining what needs protection and when is key. Floating row cover like reemay (we generally used medium weight) with hoops was our standard method, sometimes 2 layers. However, it was often necessary to remove covers (or clip them open on the south side to ventilate) - especially in the spring - to prevent overheating and quality damage. This method reduces the temperature extremes and keeps plants happier. Unfortunately, if temps dipped before re-covering the reemay layers could freeze together as they collect moisture. This is a major pain. Pulling reemay to the center of hoophouses rather than to the edges and re-covering before temps dip to freezing is not only necessary but sometimes time consuming and requires a fair amount of monitoring of temps and sun vs. cloud cover. We found that covering each individual bed to be the most effective and easiest to manage, though using wide covers (15’ which was half the width of the hoophouses) worked OK. Another thing to note is that those outside beds are always the coldest, so spinach or kale were good choices for those locations. They are also the first to freeze when harvesting and the sun goes down.

When planning for winter growing it is important to keep in mind your market and how much you can sell, and how you will be getting it washed and packaged. Many farmer’s markets close for the winter, and although there may seem like a great demand, it becomes harder to access a consistent market. Additionally, consider how winterized the rest of your farm is. Can you run wash water in the pack shed and drain it? How about charging batteries for a green harvester, or a snow blower or plow to get a trail to your high tunnels when it snows? Are your pickup locations insulated enough to have your product either displayed or left for pickup. We have been to outdoor markets where products are freezing on the table. Every extra step adds production costs, so it is important to think about all those steps to make sure your hard work is not wasted, and getting food to your customers is a success.

Josh Bryceson runs Turnip Rock Farm and Cosmic Wheel Creamery, a 200-member CSA on three acres and 12-cow farmstead creamery on 80 acres in Clear Lake, WI.

Chris Burkhouse was co-owner/operator of Foxtail Farm, a Winter and Summer CSA farm, before transitioning it to new farmers Emmalyn Kayser and Cody Fitzpatrick. She now has the joy of working on other farms including Turnip Rock, Blackbrook, and Burning River in Polk County, WI.

Continuous Flow Bio-Extractor

AN INNOVATIVE CONTINUOS FLOW COMPOST EXTRACTOR capable of producing thousands of gallons of liquid compost extract in a single day!

Hiwassee Products Bio-Extractor produces non-aerated biological compost extract for longer shelf life and greater versatility

Amending soil microbiology improves nutrient uptake, weed suppression, pest and disease resistance, and crop health

NEEMESIS is a castor oil-based liquid with pure Neem Oil, Karanja Oil & other essential oils. Dilute 1 gallon with water or oil (or a combination of both) to make up to 12 gallons of finished product. Can be used in livestock rub oilers and back-pack sprayers. Suitable for application directly on livestock and stall/parlor areas.

Wisconsin Local Food Purchase Assistance Program

By Tay Fatke

On an ideal sunny Spring day, a Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative truck pulled up to Three Sisters Community Farm in Campbellsport, WI. A pallet of carrots neatly washed and packed by owners Kelly, Jeff and their farm crew sat there eagerly waiting to be loaded and distributed locally. This time, however, the produce would not be going to their normal markets of CSA customers or local wholesale accounts. This time, the 34 cases of carrots would be going to Feeding America Eastern Wisconsin to be distributed to their network of food pantries. Kelly and Jeff would be paid their standard wholesale price for the carrots through the WI-LFPA program.

The Wisconsin Local Food Purchase Assistance Program (WI LFPA), aims to strengthen local and regional food systems, support Wisconsin farmers, and

distribute fresh nutritious foods to communities that lack access to healthy food. This program is a partnership between Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP), Marbleseed, Wisconsin Food Hub Cooperative, and Wisconsin Farmers Union. Applications opened in late November 2022 and applicants were selected in February 2023. Through Marbleseed, the Wisconsin LFPA has offered $1.5 million directly to farmers to provide food to hunger relief programs throughout the state of Wisconsin.

Kelly and Jeff were able to clear out 1,020 lbs. of storage carrots from their coolers in early May while fighting food insecurity in their local region. “This feels like a good thing,” the farm posted on their social media page. All of us working on the WI-LFPA program couldn’t agree more. Three Sisters Community Farm is one of the 165 farmers that

were awarded procurement funds for the 2023 season. Recipients were awarded amounts ranging from $3,000 to $20,000 to grow and provide food for hunger relief efforts and farmers and farms selected represent 51 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties, covering a larger portion of the state.

Additional food products that have been procured and sent to food pantries across the state include asparagus, beets, lettuce, rhubarb, mushrooms, various cuts of pork and beef, applesauce, pickled radishes, and honey. Kristy Allen of Beez Kneez LLC in Grantsburg, WI had 25 cases of honey picked up by WI Food Hub Co-op the same day of the carrot pickup in Campbellsport, demonstrating the Food Hub’s amazing reach across the state. The partnership with WI Food Hub Co-op is essential to assist the farmers and pay for these pick-ups with funding from the

Photo Credit: Three Sisters Community Farm, Campbellsport, WI

WI-LFPA grant program. Access to refrigerated transport that is required for cold-chain distribution is often a barrier to small and medium sized producers in scaling up their businesses to wholesale markets, schools and hospitals. This is one of the incredible benefits of the WI-LFPA approach.

In addition to procuring local food for food insecure areas, assisting farmers with technical assistance, and ensuring they receive a fair price for their products, Wisconsin Farmers Union is doing incredible work to create the WI Local Food Directory. Through the Local Food Directory, producers will have an easy and effective way to promote their products. Institutions, wholesale purchasers, food security programs, and consumers can search the directory to find producers in their region and make local connections that will be resilient and have a smaller carbon footprint. Producers can create a profile with the name of their farm, location, contact information, and links to their firm’s website and/or social media. Wisconsin is fortunate to have so many small to mid-sized farms, but often it is difficult to make connections with wholesale buyers and consumers, and this directory is continuing to build the resilient local food system desperately needed in this state. The directory is not only for WI-LFPA producers, but all Wisconsin Farmers Union members are able to participate. For more information about the Local Foods Directory, please contact Forrest Humphrey fhumphrey@wisconsinfarmersunion.com, or visit: https://www.wilocalfood.org/directory.

Finally, I believe it is important to highlight the incredible vision of the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection (DATCP) in receiving this funding from the USDA (US Department of Agriculture) and creating a program that is farmer first and foremost. Other states across the country are seeing the results of increased participation by farmers that historically have not been tapped for efforts like this. They are reaching out to replicate the Wisconsin model. We look forward to sharing lessons learned and continuing to put ‘farmers first’ for a stronger, accessible local food system.

Tay Fatke is one of Marbleseed’s Local Food Purchasing Specialists.

MAnAGeD GRAzInG

By Kevin Mahalko

Grazing management is critical to the long-term health of pastures. This article will focus on grazing strategies throughout the season to optimize pasture growth and health of the people, livestock and pasture plants on the farm. There are opportunities to graze and graze well on any farm or pasture and every organic farmer should consider finding ways to make grazing profitable as well as meeting the USDA NOP organic grazing standards. As I write this in mid-June 2023, we have had generally a good start to the grazing season in the Midwest, but drought conditions are a major concern in much of the United States, with the presence of smoke from Canadian wildfires serving us a major caution that we must manage resources wisely and gain a much better understanding of nature and how to work and live within the larger ecosystem. There are a lot of grazing organizations who work with Marbleseed and farmers to make sure managed grazing expands and we will highlight several of these projects. The first thing any grazier needs to consider is economics. There are many sizes and types of grazing farms with multiple livestock and pasture species options. I have almost 30 years’ experience in dairy grazing, raising grass fed organic Holsteins for milk and beef on pasture. Every year has brought different challenges and opportunities. Managed Grazing allows a lot of flexibility and ability to adapt to changing conditions. Twenty years ago, the markets paying premiums for grazed products were limited. Now with decades of effort from grazing advocates, consumers and farmers, multiple options such as farmers markets, co-ops, retail stores, direct

marketing, homesteading, and community supported agriculture offer a wide variety of pasture products for us to enjoy. Any new grazier should decide if grazing is going to be their main income, a supplemental income, or even a hobby. We want people to succeed and not lose their income financially if the dream of a grazing business is unrealistic. The time and investment to set up these grazing enterprises should be factored in with realistic expectations, and some serious time invested in a financial plan or learning about farm finances.

As a grazing resource specialist for Marbleseed, it has been interesting to see the vast array of graziers represented at the Marbleseed Conference events and meetings throughout the years. The trend is toward smaller acreage grazing farms with a variety of species from beef, dairy, poultry, hogs, sheep, goats, horses, and rabbits on various types of pasture including managed forest silvopasture. All these species of livestock have graziers managing these herds and flocks who are glad to meet at conferences, pasture walks, and in conversation.

Nobody knows all the answers about grazing every specific species of livestock or plants, but we do

our best to share what we do know and link folks with people who have experience and grazing wisdom. Books, magazines, literature, research and grazing knowledge have grown exponentially over the decades. In writing this article I was reflecting on all the incredible grazing speakers and farmers we have met at Marbleseed (formerly MOSES) events and how they directly helped us succeed in organic farming. I think we all have been fortunate to contribute and share our experience and knowledge at these events!

Managed grazing really hit a growth stride in the early 1990s.

Many graziers converted their farm into grazing with the development and offering of modern portable fencing or a fencing system designed to make easy moves of livestock. Adam Abel, WI State NRCS Grazing Specialist, offered advice to attend grazing training, pasture walks, and conferences to get a sense of the options to fit the land we manage. The conservation benefits of managed grazing have been shown to include soil health enhancement, clean water management and infiltration to soil and water storage, species diversity and crop condition. If a

Photo Credit: Kevin Mahalko

grazier needs help with grazing planning, there are NRCS Specialists available across the country, to work with you and partners. Grazing plans can help provide a resource assessment, create various farm maps, calculate forage and livestock suitability assessments, identify resource concerns, and set production goals. An item of high interest for graziers, is fencing and water system infrastructure. EQIP (Environmental Quality Incentives Program) is a great resource to help provide funding for fencing, waterlines, lanes and many infrastructure items that will make grazing much easier to set up and manage. EQUIP can usually help pay for a percentage of fencing needed, the key is to get information and apply early as the approval process takes some time.

Nutritional needs of livestock are a cornerstone in managing grazing animals according to Dr. Silvia AbelCaines, Ruminant Nutritionist with Organic Valley. All species of grazing animals need to meet basic requirements of nutrition for maintenance. For growth and production, higher levels of energy and nutrients are needed. Milk, meat, and eggs are very nutrient dense and the quality of forage and pasture, along with possible supplements is critical. Thankfully well managed pasture or appropriate browse can provide good nutrition (sometimes complete) for all our grazing animals. Dr Silvia recommends taking forage tests to have a baseline of your nutrients and energy. This helps assess where improvements or timing of pasture management need to be made. In a normal growing cycle, it’s a balance of yield and maturity to keep in the proper range of the forage production and nutrition curve. Of course, a dairy cow needs more energy, and a beef cow would rather have more mature fiber. Poultry will likely utilize supplemented feed, and goats may need more browse or mature plants available. These forage samples can also be crosschecked on soil health, and soil testing is recommended with needed amendments. Dr. Silvia states, the research on ruminant grazing nutrition has grown over the years, and we have many more options for organic feed and mineral supplementation than was possible even a decade ago. She has worked with graziers across the continent and internationally. The basics of grazing apply everywhere with local adaptations. This is why it is so important to network with local farmers and share what is working regionally.

My thoughts and experience with managing grazing through the season are that we constantly face variables and must adapt. I prefer cool season pasture grass species for the dairy, youngstock, and beef herd. I interseed somewhat, but over decades the plants we have are the type cows like and are managed for. If there is an outwintered area or open patch that needs seeding, I’ll experiment with the new varieties of our favorite species and see what works well. The hope is to manage these pastures with livestock, but we also allow the option of machine harvest of hay or clipping when the forage gets really mature and less palatable. The production and provision of winter forage and

emergency feed must be accounted for. We have weather challenges every year, and the grazing system is very resilient. We manage to promote a deep and vast root base to cycle water and nutrients. In the first two months of this grazing season, we went from rain and a 22-inch snowfall to just tenths of an inch for two months. We could get eight-inch rain at any time as has happened multiple times in the last ten years. We need that sponge of pasture and high organic matter soils to absorb most of that water and store it in the soil and groundwater. Pests can affect pastures, but generally if we keep cover and timing of cover, we will harbor enough beneficial insects, birds, microbes, and soil life to keep a positive balance, much like prairie, savanna, and historic steppe grasslands.

Wildlife habitat is a major benefit with Managed Grazing. Mary C. Anderson, WI DNR State Grazing and Grassland specialist says “Grazing for ground nesting birds and other forms of wildlife requires a few adjustments to your existing grazing system. Leaving a portion of your paddocks idle from May 15-July 15 can help grassland birds. The refuge area can be harvested for heifer or dry cow forage. These areas should be rotated around your farm annually. The bonus is the additional rest for the plants will provide some live seed as well as healthier paddocks.” Mary can be contacted to help expand the acres you have available to graze or hay. There are also options of grazing Public Lands on various sites for benefit of wildlife and livestock. She can help with information on public grasslands grazing for ground nesting birds and other wildlife and public lands haying and cropping agreements. This is a great way to engage the public and showcase the benefits of managed grazing.

Many early adoption graziers were dairy farmers and as the organic milk market grew, many dairy farmers gained the opportunity to sell their milk to these organic partners. The market for dairy has been a lifesaver for many farm families, but we are in a time of challenge. Joe Tomandl, Executive Director of the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship (and long-time dairy grazing innovator) says he has never seen as many challenges facing organic dairy as now. He emphasizes learning the most advanced ways to graze and manage the farm by utilizing the education opportunities available and looking to access the most available data to make good grazing decisions. He is promoting the Paddock Track technology with the University of Missouri to do grazing wedge management and assess the forage growth and availability to provide dry matter planning. He also is looking for ways to promote graziers receiving credit for the Carbon market and ecosystem services they provide. He is emphasizing the basics of good grazing management such as timing of rotations, back fencing, multiple moves and breaks, and promotes utilizing tools to help make it happen and is hoping the labor market will provide good people to work in grazing, and that we have the management and education in place to help them succeed.

One group looking at the bigger picture of Managed Grazing is Grasslands 2.0. This regional project is based out of University of Wisconsin Madison and led by Dr. Randy Jackson. The project’s goal is to promote wellmanaged grassland agriculture in the Upper Midwest. The project works with local communities called Learning Hubs to engage in a Collaborative Landscape Design process that “allows community members to come together around shared goals for what they want their landscape to look like” according to Outreach Coordinator, Laura Paine. Current Hubs are the Ridge and Valley in Vernon County, the Driftless in several SW WI counties, the Cloverbelt in Marathon County, and the Pine River in Minnesota. Other Grassland 2.0 activities include partnering with NRCS and UW Extension to create the Grassland 2.0 Academy to provide learning opportunities on grassland agriculture for farmers, agriculture and natural resource professionals and other individuals interested in Managed Grazing.

One of the great things happening in the grazing world lately is more support for conservation. Marbleseed cooperates with our fellow conservation groups. Patty Laskowski-Morren, Executive Director of GrassWorks shared some exciting news about projects. “The Audobon’s Conservation Ranching Program is focusing its’ initial project in SW Wisconsin to improve bird habitat.” GrassWorks role is to help Audobon staff and partners work with farmers and landowners to modify grazing practices to improve pasture habitat for

grassland birds and other wildlife species. In addition, GrassWorks is organizing partners through the National Fish and Wildlife Sustain Our Great Lakes Program. “The focus is to engage more farmers in the Lake Michigan watershed to improve implementation of grazing practices and provide farmer to farmer learning opportunities.” Marbleseed shares details of these events and conferences and encourages farmers to attend and learn with their neighbors. Please check the Marbleseed homepage or Ag Solidarity Network site to link up with these events and partners.

I encourage every new grazier to link up with as many graziers and support people as possible. Keep aware of local and international happenings in grazing. Consider joining grazing organizations and attend meetings and speak up to industry and representatives who can help create new grazing opportunities. The foundation of grazing is grassroots, and we can utilize grazing as a connection to consumers, farmers, animals, environment, and the community.

Kevin Mahalko is one of Marbleseed’s Organic Specialists and an Organic Dairy and Beef Grazier. Kevin has an organic dairy herd in Gilman, WI, producing milk for the Organic Valley Grassmilk program. Kevin is president of GrassWorks, a grazing educator for River Country RC&D, and an educator for the Dairy Grazing Apprenticeship Program.

“A big machine and a small machine both have their place, and together, they compliment each other very well! Love these machines! The BCS is great for delicate garden work in soft ground, or one row at a time, or shredding blackberries and shrubs with the Flail in very wet soggy ground, and building rows and tilling mid season without compaction or disturbing the next row.” - Brian in WA

Read more testimonials & find your nearest BCS dealer at at www.bcsamerica.com

“IT’S ALL ABOUT THE RIGHT TOOL FOR THE JOB.”

Hoch Orchard Transition

Hoch Orchard & Gardens sits atop a ridge above the Mississippi River in the Driftless Region of southeastern Minnesota. This 60-acre, fully diversified organic farm includes 10,000 trees. There are over 50 varieties of apples, as well as cherries, apricots, plums, strawberries, raspberries, as well as a large garden area for vegetables.

Owners Jackie and Harry Hoch are actively looking to bring new owner/caretakers to the operation as they are ready to transition out of full-time farming. The Hochs’ are working with American Farmland Trust and Renewing the Countryside with the goal to make this property affordable to the next generation of farmers.

As part of the transition, the Hochs launched a contest in early May to donate their livestock to a regional farmer.

Renewing the Countryside, Sustainable Farming Association, Marbleseed, and Practical Farmers of Iowa collaborated to design the contest to decide where the “forever farm” would be for these much loved and cared for animals.

All Hoch Orchard livestock have been pasture-raised using organic methods (though they are not Certified Organic).

In early June, winners were chosen for the Livestock Giveaway Contest. Winners were chosen by teams

from each organization and based on experience or knowledge of raising livestock, access to mentorship, available infrastructure and access to pasture (for the animals, not the farmers), and how obtaining livestock would improve their quality of life (for the farmers, not the animals—although animal quality-of-life was a central consideration).

The Hoch Orchard Livestock Contest winners are as follows:

Winner of sheep: Kifah Abdi of Lindstrom, Minnesota

Winner of hogs: Sal Daggett of New Richmond, Wisconsin

Both winners are excited to bring home their new four-legged farm buds!

Photo Credit: Jeff Scott, Genuine Roots Farm

Feasibility Study Seeks to Identify Solutions to Meat Processing Deficiencies in Northwest Wisconsin

By Thomas Manley

If you raise livestock and sell meat you know that we have a problem with processing capacity and options. And, if you farm in Northwest Wisconsin, your options for processing can be few and very far between indeed. This is the motivation for a feasibility and planning project, funded through the Local Food Promotion Program, that Marbleseed is working on now. If you are a producer or processor in this region, we want to hear from you as we work together to identify and pursue solutions to these challenges.

First, the why. The pandemic amplified pre‐existing conditions in our food systems and supply chains. Vertical integration and consolidation are problems throughout our economy, and no sector exemplifies this more than the meat industry. Just four companies control an overwhelming majority of U.S. meat processing, and a mere 50 meat plants slaughter and

process 98% of the national meat supply. This accelerated the demise of countless smaller local and regional processing businesses that once served farmers and farming communities directly. When output from the giant corporate facilities was dramatically impacted by Covid, it immediately forced a shift in much of the processing to the remaining small, independent local processors who were quickly overwhelmed. This resulted in fewer meat options for consumers everywhere, price spikes, and up to 2‐year delays for farmers who needed animals processed for customers. This is not just an economic problem for farmers and consumers, it is a critical vulnerability that rises to the level of a national security concern. We chose to focus the project on northwest Wisconsin, not just because it is close to home, but rather because it is an area very representative of the larger national problem. Several counties in the region have essentially no processing options for producers, let alone options offering some form of inspected slaughter allowing farmers

to maintain marketing opportunities beyond selling live animals. At the very least, there is usually a long trailer ride in store for our animals on their “one bad day.”

This problem will only get bigger if we continue to lose local processing capacity and farmers have even fewer options. It is urgent that we identify and implement solutions that preserve existing local and regional meat processing capacity and create options for producers and consumers. These solutions need to be robust, resilient, and creative. They need to be decentralized. They need to ensure access, enable market opportunities, and provide living wage jobs. They need to serve the interests of all the stakeholders in a fair and equitable manner. They need to be built on the foundation of a public/private partnership between producers, processors, organizations, and state agencies built to serve common goals. Solutions that fail to meet these criteria will fail, by design. The goal of this project is to identify and design a solution, on a regional scale, that meets all these objectives. It will clearly define who would participate, the necessary legal and regulatory framework, and the capital needed for implementation. A well designed, comprehensive approach will need to consider that many small processors are set to retire from the business, and like farmers themselves, in a frighteningly short timeframe. It will need to consider how we recruit, train, and compensate the skilled people required to do this difficult and essential work. It will need to account for the needs of producers and compensate them fairly for their products, and in the case of organic and grass-fed producers for the ecosystem services they provide. It will need to explore alternative, collective ownership structures that allow for sharing of administrative, regulatory, and inspection responsibilities while allowing for the quick transfer of ownership necessary across several processing facilities.

Photo Credit: Sayre Farm, Burlington, IA

In this effort to identify, design and price a package of innovative solutions we will:

• Finish identifying and quantifying the current situation in NW Wisconsin. How many producers, how many animals of each livestock category, how many existing processors and the total capacity, processors anticipating transition/retirement out of the business, willingness to be involved, etc.

• Convene all the stakeholders through a series of meetings. These stakeholders include partners like the Wisconsin Farmers Union as well as DATCP, the United Food and Commercial Workers (UCFW) and other aligned organizations serving producers, farmers, workers, work force educators, and business and economic development organizations. We will use a democratic process to identify the exact worker/producer/cooperative ownership model and transition strategy that best serves the collective interest and creates the necessary capacity to serve the need.

• Create a business plan for the implementation of a multi‐facility regional processing network serving NW Wisconsin with legal, regulatory, inspection, administrative and transport needs and costs clearly defined.

A collectively owned regional processing network offers stacked benefits for the entire region. It creates marketing opportunities for the producers involved, both through the potential for a recognized shared brand identity and through creating new options for how farmers market directly to existing customers. It also allows for the potential to share and centralize the necessary but onerous tasks involved in inspections, human resources, regulatory compliance, and other administrative duties and allow for skilled butchers to focus on the job at hand and not have to also be expert in all the other parts of operating a small independent business. This expands labor recruiting options and potential. It also allows for the possibility to begin transition of ownership of several businesses into the network with a single negotiated agreement, rather than one at a time over many years.

The economic benefits would be shared throughout the region, as thriving farmers produce rural communities that prosper. There is the obvious benefit of creating additional living wage jobs by design. Monies will be more likely to remain and circulate in these communities. There are large processing facilities in this region of Wisconsin, owned by Hormel and JBS, operating under the Pilgrim’s Pride and Jennie‐O labels. These facilities are staffed by people with the willingness, and knife skills, to do the work. If we can create opportunities for better jobs in smaller facilities throughout the region it has the added benefit of “deconsolidating” this important work and may help address the labor shortages being experienced currently.

It is also possible to explore systems to address and utilize the “waste” products from slaughter. Hides and other by‐products all too often end up in landfills, driving climate disruption and missing a further opportunity. I also find this wastefulness just generally upsetting because it does not properly honor the animal. We can create useful products, jobs and potential where before there was only pollution, enabling more competition with the large, consolidated meat processing system that already has a supply chain for processing waste and are making money rather than incurring costs.

Fair meat supply chains for farmers, processors and workers make for a great story to share with consumers while strengthening the rural economies throughout the region. We have a unique opportunity to explore all the ways we can build processing infrastructure that truly works for farmers and rural communities. If you are a farmer or processor in the region and would like to be involved in identifying solutions, please reach out. We have a survey for producers that is active right now that can be found at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ XFM8ZSM. Or reach out to us directly: info@marbleseed. org. We are happy to talk about what might be possible if we create solutions together!

This work is funded in part by the USDA-Agricultural Marketing Service Local Food Promotion Program, under a grant titled “Pasture, Process, Plenty: Studying a Local Meat Supply Chain.” Award #: AM22LFPPWI1126-00

Thomas Manley is Marbleseed’s Program Director.

The Horticulture Industry Mourns the Passing of Kurt W. Dramm

Kurt W. Dramm, a born salesman and friend to all in the horticulture industry, passed away on Tuesday, May 16, at the age of 84. Kurt was born and raised in Manitowoc, Wisconsin. He graduated from the University of Wisconsin with a double major in business and horticulture.

After graduating college, Kurt worked for the Vaughan Seed Company with a sales territory covering the Southeastern United States.

In 1968 he and his brother, John Peter, formed the Dramm Company to produce garden and greenhouse watering products. Their mother, Perdita, had maintained the business out of her basement while working as a librarian. John Peter unexpectedly passed away in 1978.

Kurt was known for saying, “Nothing happens until someone sells something.” Kurt’s entrepreneurial spirit and passion for providing quality products grew the Dramm company.

During Kurt’s 45 years of ownership, The Dramm Corporation grew to a thriving four-segment business: Commercial Greenhouse Equipment, Retail Gardening Products, Drammatic® Organic Fertilizer, and DRAMMwater for greenhouse water treatment systems. Under Kurt’s leadership, the Dramm family-owned business has entered its third generation. Kurt leaves behind a legacy his father started, providing quality products and solutions to customers.

ELITE WHEAT. OUTSTANDING YIELD, PLANT HEALTH, AND STANDABILITY.

Great Harvest certified organic wheat seed offers organic farmers the outstanding yield, plant health, and standability necessary to be successful. Learn more about increasing the yields on your organic farm with Great Harvest Organics wheat selection.

HoW to manage a u-Pick

wiTh whiTe Pine Berry Farm

By Andrew Zwald

Back in 2019 I made the decision to manage White Pine Berry Farm which is my family’s organic U-Pick farm. 2019 was a crazy year with a lot of learning experiences. We received plenty of rain that year and a heat wave in July. I made the decision to plant tons of berries which added to the stress of the shaky weather. But the main thing I learned that year was the importance of weeding, especially at an organic farm. There were lots of long and hot July days full of weeding for hours on end with the team, which didn’t help create a great environment. I confided in my friend about the difficulties and the shock that came with managing White Pine and how much work I was putting in to maintain the farm. He mentioned how everything looks great when there are customers present on weekends and events are bustling. And then I explained that those are only the “highlight reels.” The events and weekend customers are not the reality of running a U-Pick berry farm. There is a lot of work behind the scenes with rising costs, and the “highlight reels” have to be profitable to have a U-Pick be a good fit. Another myth is that when the customers pick the

berries themselves this cuts costs, but that cannot be the fundamental reason for opening a U-Pick because it is also not always true. The main focus has to be on great customer service and a passion for the field. And over time, money will come.

Currently at White Pine we have expanded to many different types of berries and plants that can attract customers through summer and fall. We plant a number of perennials that don’t need to be replanted every year such as blueberries and raspberries. But we still need to plant about 10,000 plants every season. We have strawberries in mid-summer, flowers in August, and pumpkins in the fall. And although we are known for our strawberries, the profit is not what people would expect.The idea behind growing strawberries is to give the customers a good experience and brand ourselves so folks want to come back to experience what else we have to offer.

Other than the planting and weeding that is required for a U-Pick farm, another important aspect is the team. A lot of the White Pine team consists of college and high school students who have some availability restrictions.For example, a lot of the team isn’t available until late May so there is plenty to catch up on by the time they arrive. But we always say that you need to give your 100% not only for you but for growth of the team. If everyone tries their best, progress will be made faster. We also create a nurturing environment for the team by creating fun days of the week along with bonding games.. We play music while we weed which can create a more relaxing and fun feel on the farm even during long work days before the farm is open.

A U-Pick organic farm calls for lots and lots of weeding. There will be long and stifling days where you are up close and personal with the

plants in order to ensure their quality and growth. An organic farm definitely attracts customers and respect from the community.

On the whole there is a lot of work required to become a successful U-Pick farm but if you have the passion, the outcome is extremely rewarding. There is nothing like watching the crops bloom and see the joy on families’ faces as they continue their yearly tradition of visiting their local farm and picking fresh produce to bring back to their homes.

Andrew Zwald is the manager of White Pine Berry Farm in River Falls, WI. White Pine Berry Farm grows strawberries, raspberries (red, black and gold), and blueberries and other fruits and vegetables such as currants, rhubarb, and asparagus.

enhAnCeD MentORshIP

By Sarah Woutat

In the Spring issue of the Organic Broadcaster we shared about the Farmer Advancement Fund, one component of a USDA Beginning Farmer & Rancher Development Program (BFRDP) funded project to support farmers through culturally relevant education and assistance with accessing federal funding programs through enhanced mentorship. This expansion of the Marbleseed Farmer-to-Farmer Mentorship program aims to better equip farmer mentors and ag professionals to help farmers access federal funding programs. In service of this goal, Marbleseed partnered with Renewing the Countryside to host a two-day training retreat with farmer support staff from MN and WI to learn how to help farmers access USDA funding and programs through Farm Services Agency (FSA)

and Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). One of the first things we learned as organizers of this event is that the alphabet soup of acronyms for these agencies and programs presents an immediate barrier. Understanding the insand-outs of these often-changing programs can present a hurdle to assisting farmers.

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) is making a concerted effort to reach and better support “Historically Underserved Farmers” as defined by USDA. This group includes beginning farmers (farming 10 years or less), military veterans, and USDA’s termed “Socially Disadvantaged” farmers. “The USDA defines socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers (SDFRs) as those belonging to groups that have been subject to racial or ethnic prejudice. SDFRs include farmers who are Black or

African American, American Indian or Alaska Native, Hispanic or Latino, and Asian or Pacific Islander,” meaning those who have been intentionally excluded from the agricultural system through years of government-sanctioned policies and practices created to advance the upward mobility of white farmers and create barriers to Black farmers and other farmers of color.

While the USDA wants to reach farmers to better serve them, for some there is a history of distrust, or a lack of knowledge that these agencies even exist, among other barriers. These outreach efforts include partnering with organizations who may have relationships with farmers that USDA doesn’t, organizations that can provide culturally relevant assistance to farmers.

About 50 farmers and ag professional joined us in Shoreview, MN in January of this year, along with FSA and NRCS staff from MN and WI. Attendees included staff from Rooted, The Good Acre, Groundswell, Latino Economic Development Center, WI Women in Conservation, WI Farmers Union, Farmer Connectors from Go Farm Connect, Land Access Navigators, and more. Four languages were represented. In a flipped education model, FSA and NRCS staff were asked to hang back, listen, and answer questions as needed. The training was primarily provided by Renewing the Countryside, current Connectors (farmers working to help other farmers gain access to federal programs through Go Farm Connect), and some education from USDA staff.

Noemy Serrano, Assistant Policy Director at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute and SE Regional Coordinator for Wisconsin Women in Conservation, shared that, “There are so many moving parts to NRCS and FSA programs so it was incredibly helpful to be able to connect directly with FSA/NRCS staff and get their help, insight, and answers to things that come up with the farmers I work with on a regular basis. It was also great to be able to hear from and connect with so

Photo Credit: Kriss Marion

many other amazing people that are navigating FSA and NRCS programs in their day-to-day work. To hear their struggles and successes, and how they better support the farmers they work with through these programs, was an amazing opportunity.”

Day one of the training focused on FSA and NRCS: what they do, what types of programs they each offer, and most importantly, how to assist farmers in accessing these programs and funding. Groups of attendees were given scenarios where a farmer approaches them for assistance. They then brainstormed, came up with a plan, and went to the “office” - a table full of FSA and NRCS staff to get assistance. The most appropriate staff then joined the table and walked them through processes, forms, and some of what a farmer may encounter in applying for specific funding.

Additionally, a panel of long-time Connectors talked about their experiences in assisting farmers with FSA and NRCS programs, sharing challenges, successes, and tips. We heard from Moses Momanyi, a Connector and founder of Kilimo, MN, a nonprofit incubator farm serving African immigrants, who shared that when he gets people to understand they have to pay taxes and run their farms as business they get better at record keeping and understanding the system, thus are better prepared to walk into the FSA office and apply for programs.

Lisa Buckner, who has been on staff with NRCS for 25 years as everything from a Soil Conservationist to her current role as MN State Appeals Specialist for NRCS, joined us and shared, “I thoroughly enjoyed attending the retreat in January. It’s not often I am given the opportunity to be part of a gathering that is not government focused. To be in a room filled with individuals that are dedicated to the specialties they do was

amazing. To hear the different perspectives and listen to engaging conservations, whether there was agreement or not, was quite informative. Thank you for the opportunity to be present, to provide scenarios and have participants stretch our minds on what could or should be allowable, and how we might better shape our outreach efforts to different communities.”

Some hard conversations were had between attendees and USDA staff, centering on accessibility and the system not being set up for smaller producers. Though difficult, the conversations were open, honest, and fruitful.

Day two was focused on assisting folks with Land Access. Land For Good, a nonprofit based in New Hampshire, delivered a virtual training, and then attendees heard from seasoned Land Access Navigators. Land Access Navigators operate in MN, WI, and IA as a partnership between Marbleseed, Practical Farmers of Iowa, and Renewing the Countryside. This team of folks works on an individual basis with farmers seeking land as well as farm owners looking to transition out of farming. Land seekers are assisted through the entire process, from identifying land, to legalities, solidifying long-term and fair leases, purchasing land, accessing funding, and more. While becoming a Land Access Navigator is a long process, attendees were able to learn enough to point folks in the right direction and glean multiple items to consider when working with a farmer who is looking to access land.

After two days of intensive learning and engaging, attendees were more prepared to assist farmers in navigating these resources and had formed relationships with each other as well FSA and NRCS staff they could reach out to with questions. “It is all about relationships,’ said Karl Hakanson, Urban Agriculture Specialist with MN NRCS. “Get to know the local NRCS staff and invite them out. Take it from there. You may or may not need or want financial assistance, and if you do, it does not happen right away. But the more eyes and expertise you can show your land to, the more you will learn and get headed in the right direction. USDA is mandated to serve everyone equally. It is our USDA, the history of USDA notwithstanding.”

Interested in attending the next training? Keep an eye out in the Marbleseed E-news!

This training was supported by NIFA, USDA Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program (202049400-32787).

Sarah Woutat is Marbleseed’s Farmer Advancement Program Coordinator. After nine years on her own certified organic vegetable farm in Minnesota, Sarah moved to Minneapolis where she and her daughter have been getting used to city life and trying to grow veggies in a small shady yard. Sarah loves to cook (it’s what led her to farming), she’s learning to knit, and is trying her hand at various fermented concoctions.

Lisa Buckner of MN NCRS works with a group of attendees.

Increasing Crop Diversity in Wisconsin through the Emerging Crops Coalition

By Jason Fischbach and Steffen Mirsky

One of the perks of our jobs as statewide UW-Extension Outreach Specialists is traveling throughout the state, and not just on the freeways, but on the backroads and through the small towns. We all perceive the world around us in different ways, but we like to view it from the perspective of natural history, kind of like John McPhee and James Michener do in their great novels. When we approach a small town, we like to envision what the landscape looked like 150 years ago and think about why that town is there and why it is still there. Instead of hiding in hotels, we like to camp in the state parks to see the biological diversity in our natural ecosystems. Viewed from this perspective of a natural historian, our agricultural landscape is a cause of great frustration. Sure, it’s easy to get frustrated by the negative impacts of our consolidated monocultures, such as empty main streets and sullied rivers, but for us the frustration is more about lost opportunities. How many different crops and industries could there be in the Upper Midwest and what benefits would greater diversity and opportunity bring to our

economy and environment? This isn’t to criticize corn and soybeans, exactly the opposite actually. Both are amazing plants and great examples of the opportunities the plant kingdom has to offer. Viewed from the long arc of history, is this the best we can do? Is this what our agricultural landscape was meant to look like or is it a product of happenstance? If we stepped back and tried it again, what would it look like? What if we made some changes? This unrealized opportunity is what fires us up and what has led to launch of the new WI Emerging Crops Coalition.

tHe cHallenge oF neW croP DeveloPment

The work of developing new crops and scaling them up on the landscape is enormously challenging and complex. At the crux of the issue is what is commonly referred to as the chicken or the egg problem: farmers won’t grow a new crop unless there is a market for it, but markets can’t be established until there is a crop or product to sell. There is also the problem of the fly wheel. Existing crops are hugely important to many people, and rightfully so, public and private spending is prioritized to

support those crops. But, the inertia of that spending fly wheel makes it very challenging to invest in new unproven crops with uncertain markets. We shouldn’t be surprised then, that 85% of farm gates sales in 2021 were from dairy, soy, corn, and beef. The only way to overcome the inertia of the fly wheel and the dilemma of the chicken or the egg is through sustained interdisciplinary collaboration among a diversity of partners. Despite the challenges inherent to new crop development, we do have two very good examples of what happens when we explore the plant kingdom and make a concerted effort to build a new crop and industry: cranberries and ginseng. Why not do the same with ten other plants?

our strategy

To that end, in the spring of 2021, we convened an advisory group of emerging crops growers and stakeholders from around Wisconsin to identify specific action steps necessary for supporting new crop development. This work led to the creation of the UW Emerging Crops Accelerator, a program at the University of Wisconsin that brings together faculty and staff engaged in research and development

of emerging crops (for more information on the Accelerator, visit www.emergingcropswi.org). It also produced a white paper outlining the steps necessary to achieve a goal of 10 new crops on 20,000 acres by 2030, called the 10-20-30 Initiative. Additionally, the advisory group recommended forming a WI Emerging Crops Coalition of mission-aligned partners to facilitate the cross-sector collaboration needed to support new crop development.

Members of the WI Emerging Crops Coalition first came together in March 2023 representing 20 organizations including nonprofits, producer associations, environmental groups, and private industry working throughout the state and broader region on issues related to emerging crops. Many of these organizations are grassroots, membership-based organizations with extensive input and engagement from farmers and other stakeholders that they represent. Their support for new crop development comes from diverse interests, including environmental sustainability, economic opportunity, health and nutrition, and rural revitalization. Members bring a diverse array of skill sets needed to move this work forward, including political advocacy, agronomy, marketing, value chain coordination, and coalition building.

our aPProacH

The WI Emerging Crops Coalition builds the capacity to undertake the complex and dynamic work of developing and scaling new crops on the landscape through four main objectives: 1) To serve as a communication and coordination mechanism for organizations working to develop and support new and emerging crops in Wisconsin; 2) To advocate for state and federal policies that advance the development of new and emerging crops in Wisconsin; 3) To develop public and private funding sources to support development of new and emerging crops in Wisconsin; and 4) To provide advice and guidance to the research and development programs of the University of Wisconsin’s Emerging Crops Accelerator.

The UW Emerging Crops Accelerator currently has a portfolio of about 15 emerging crops grouped into five main categories:

• Bringing The $42 Billion Nut Economy to Wisconsin With Hazelnuts: It’s ironic that Wisconsin has never participated in the lucrative global nut economy despite hazelnuts growing wild on hundreds of thousands of acres in the state. That will soon change, though, as breeders get closer to releasing improved hazelnut varieties optimized for Wisconsin production. Walnuts, chestnuts, and hickory also have untapped potential.

• A New Day For Old Crops: Hops, hemp, and malting barley were once an important part of Wisconsin agriculture. With a concerted effort in breeding and modern production systems Wisconsin farmers

can once again grow these crops and supply downstream processors and end-users. Growing demand for specialty grains is fueling interest in food-grade varieties of naked barley, wheat, and oats.

• Bringing Superfoods to Health-Conscious Consumers: Food as medicine is a concept front and center for today’s eaters. Packed with health benefits, cranberries have led the way in this space, but other berries native to Wisconsin are also loaded with anti-oxidants and other health benefits. Aronia berries, currants, haskaps, and elderberries all have potential to be the next cranberry.

• Solving Water Quality Problems With New Crops: Continuous living cover represents a new approach to agricultural conservation where surface and water quality are protected WITH agriculture instead of FROM agriculture. Winter annual oil-seed plants such as pennycress and camelina make cover cropping a more viable option. Perennial grains such as Kernza protect the soil year-round and require fewer inputs.

• Today’s Crazy Idea Could Be Tomorrow’s Next Big Thing: What other new crops can bring new opportunities and vitality to Wisconsin agriculture? We won’t know if we don’t try. Will it be ancient grains such as quinoa, millet, teff, or amaranth? Will it be new legumes such as Illinois bundleflower, Bambara groundnut, or lupini?

One of the primary objectives of the Coalition is to develop a roadmap for the development and commercialization of each crop in the Accelerator’s portfolio. These roadmaps will include a needs assessment identifying key challenges and bottlenecks that stand in the way of expanding production, as well as opportunities and assets that will facilitate the scaling of individual crops or groups of crops. They will help inform the research and development work of the Accelerator in terms of plant breeding, agronomics, engineering,

HUMATES

Gallons: 5, 15, 55, or 265

Dry super sacks: 2400 lbs. Or 50% semi-soluable (Magna Plus)

OMRI certi ed

Other dry water-soluable: 7-6-4 or 16-0-0

product development, marketing, and consumer education, and help chart a path forward for achieving the goal of the 10-20-30 Initiative.

These roadmaps will be part of a larger effort by the Coalition to develop a comprehensive WI Emerging Crops Strategic Plan. The strategic plan will help focus the efforts of the Coalition around priority areas, such as developing brand and marketing strategies for emerging crop products, planning outreach and education events, and policy platforms. It will help shape working groups and advisory groups to provide feedback on research and development and commercialization efforts. The plan will also outline specific action steps for given crops and steps common to all crops, such as creating a statefunded grant program to fund germplasm improvement or other development activities. The strategic plan will be completed by fall 2024 and made available to stakeholders and the public.

The WI Emerging Crops Coalition is a much-needed collaboration to drive the development of new and emerging crops forward. The work and priorities of this new coalition will ultimately be shaped by its members over the coming months and years, but if there’s one thing we can all agree on, it’s that none of us can do it alone. We know the work is difficult and requires longterm commitment, but we can draw inspiration and insight from the success of similar coalitions such as the University of Minnesota’s Forever Green Initiative. The issues related to our predominant cropping systems demand an urgency and all-hands-on-deck approach to restoring agricultural diversity that provides greater economic opportunity, resilience, and environmental sustainability for Wisconsin.

Join us

We are currently working to expand membership in the Coalition. Membership is open to any organization and entity working in Wisconsin to develop new crops and agricultural industries, improve soil and water quality with new crops and cropping systems, and/or protect and enhance the economic vitality and resilience of Wisconsin’s agricultural economy. Please reach out with any questions or interest.

Want to learn more?

Consider attending one of our emerging crops field days. Check out the website for a full listing: https://www. emergingcropswi.org/fielddayseries2023.html

Jason Fishbach and Steffen Mirsky are Emerging Crops Outreach Specialists.

Contact them at:

Jason Fischbach: jason.fischbach@wisc.edu

Steffen Mirsky: swmirsky@wisc.edu

It’s Time To Fertilize

Berry Mix 4-2-4

Fertilize strawberries and brambles after the last harvest with Berry Mix 4-2-4 one time between July-September before you mulch the plants. The fertilizer will be more readily available to the plant roots if allowed to be absorbed directly into the soil while protected by the mulch. For strawberries, after harvest apply 8-10 lbs per 100 row ft. For brambles, apply 6 lbs per 100 row ft.

Holly Care 4-6-4

For blueberries especially, between JulySeptember we recommend a one time application of Holly Care 4-6-4 to provide a high phosphorus fertilizer with sulfur to give plenty of time for the roots to absorb them. Apply 10 lbs. per 100 row foot. Can also be used on hollies, dogwoods, gardenias, marigolds, rhododendrons, azaleas, ferns, hydrangeas and all other acid loving plants.

Book review: love, nature, magic: sHamanic Journeys into tHe Heart oF my garDen

By maria roDale

By Tay Fatke

I never thought at the completion of a book I would have a different outlook on thistle or feel that I have misunderstood mosquitoes. In fact, while reading this book, I found a tick behind my ear after a hike, and I knew a chapter on ticks was coming up and I challenged the book to change my tune on these nasty little things. Of course, Maria helped me realize through sharing an experience of her shamanic journeying that ticks are misunderstood and in a balanced ecosystem, ticks are a small inconvenience.

Love, Nature, Magic, shares a collection of essays from Maria’s shamanic journeying to delve into what the common pests and weeds in her garden are trying to say to her, and how when we listen to them and truly work to understand them, we can work with these, often invasive, species and learn to appreciate their beauty and what they provide to the ecosystem. Or at least respect each other’s space on the landscape.

The quote from Maria that really pulled me in was “If we can overcome our fears and learn to see nature as a friend and ally, what is then possible? If we can transform

our annoyance with plants, animals and insects we regard as pests into love and appreciation for them, how might our whole world change?” I was excited to read about how Maria found answers, hope and understanding through shamanic journeying into the heart of her garden.

The beginning of the book explains shamans are energetic healers of the human spirit who travel into other realms of consciousness to work with spirits on behalf of individuals or their communities. I appreciated learning about shamanism throughout the world and how just about every culture across the globe has the tradition of shamanic journeying to seek knowledge, insight and communication. Discovering the p’aqos in the Andes, the Aboriginal ngangkari healers and the Nordic

tradition of seidr opened my eyes to the commonality of shamanism across the world. It is truly amazing how these cultures separated by great distances have parallel traditions, while having their unique methods for journeying. The book goes on to explain how throughout history shamans were persecuted and the history of shamanism lost due to religion and efforts to control and limit individuals’ power. It pains me to think about all the knowledge that has been lost across the world but fills me with gratitude for those that have helped keep this wisdom and are moving it forward.

Maria does a wonderful job explaining how she found shamanic journeying, first one-on-one with a shamanic practitioner, then with a guided journeying session and finally journeying on her own. She

also discusses the importance of opening sacred space and shares words from Lisa Weikel opening sacred spaces that are beautiful and comforting.

If we can overcome our fears and learn to see nature as a friend and ally, what is then possible? If we can transform our annoyance with plants, animals and insects we regard as pests into love and appreciation for them, how might our whole world change?

A few minutes into reading the first chapter about a journey, which involved mugwort, I decided I needed to download the audiobook and listen to this content while pulling weeds in my own garden. When the chapter ended and Maria spoke the final words- “Thank you, Mugwort” I hit the replay button to start the chapter over and this time instead of pulling weeds, I observed them and looked for the characteristics that made them resilient and beautiful and thought about what their purpose is to my garden’s ecosystem. Perhaps, like mugwort, there were medicinal plants I was eradicating or perhaps I was pulling this plant a week before it blossomed into something beautiful and beneficial for the pollinators I dearly love. This chapter asks us to

look to nature instead of searching for a moral code. It asks us to realize that sometimes humans cannot win, and plants rule the world, and it helped me realize that sometimes I focus on eliminating “weeds” in my garden for no good reason other than control.

Every single chapter in this book made me exclaim “Aha!” or “Oops, I’ve been wrong” or “Okay, yes I get the importance of you, snake, but why do you have be so startling?!” It was a book that gripped me from the very beginning and would be beneficial for anyone working in their garden to learn lessons from nature and focus on magic. I am grateful for Maria’s words, and I am grateful for the generations of those practicing shamanic journeying for keeping these practices safe and sharing them with the world.

Tay Fatke is one of Marbleseed’s Local Food Purchasing Specialists.

WE SEE POTENTIAL IN YOUR PLANS. Whether your farm is a non-traditional operation marketing directly to consumers or through local and regional food systems, our Emerging Markets lending specialists can provide expertise and financial solutions designed to give you the tools to succeed. And our focus on exceptional client experience is at the heart of everything we do.

See why our clients trust us to make their goals possible.

LET’S MAKE YOUR PLANS A REALITY, TOGETHER.

BuilDing a Better BeeF HerD

By Laura and Bill Paine

In our two decades of raising grass-fed beef on our farm near Columbus, Wisconsin, we’ve learned that while there are some characteristics that make a cow excel in a grass-fed system, there is no one perfect cow. Breeding the perfect cow for your unique system, environment and goals takes good observation skills and a few simple tools.

While we were raising cattle (we retired a few years ago), we never bothered with EPDs or genomics, or even artificial insemination. We focused more on cow traits and less on bull selection. Selecting the right bull is important, but he’s just one animal with a limited number of traits he can pass on. Your cows’ overall soundness for your system will deliver cost savings and profitability over a lifetime. A cow has to work to earn her place in your herd. Your job is to observe and know who to keep and who to cull or sell. Knowing what you’re looking for, and monitoring and culling are all you need to build a better beef herd!

Our perfect cow is short and stocky (frame score 4 or 5), weighs about 1100 pounds, has strong legs, a moderate-sized udder, and a deep, barrel-shaped body. She breeds back within a few months of calving (August on our farm), calves every year without help in May, and takes good care of her healthy, lively calf. She maintains body condition through the winter on dry hay with no housing while pregnant and still nursing last year’s calf (we weaned in March). Her calves gain at least 2 pounds a day averaged over their two-year lifespan.

The foundation of our herd was British White Park, but you can find good genetics in almost any British breed (Red Angus, Murray Gray, Devon and others). Continental breeds like Simental, Charolais and Normandy aren’t a good fit for a forage-only farm. They tend to be much larger framed than the British breeds and take longer to fill out without feeding grain. Black Angus is a special case. A British breed that has been selected for feedlot finishing on grain, most Black Angus tend to be too large for grassfed production. You can still find older strains with the body structure we’re looking for, but they’re rare.

Here’s why this matters: a commercial beef cow can easily mature at 1600 pounds or more. An ideal grassfed cow weighs around 1100 lb. We experienced this firsthand. We purchased 4 Angus cows from a friend who assured us they had good grassfed genetics. They ended up averaging 1700 lb at maturity. Each of those 1700 lb cows consumed 50% more forage than our 1100-lb British Whites just to maintain her own body. That means that for every 2 of those large-framed cows, we can maintain 3 thrifty grassfed cows on our finite pastures. Grassfed calves will finish at a smaller size, but your three grassfed cows are going to produce more meat at lower cost than two commercial cows.

iDentiFy your BreeDing Program goals.

Good traits for all beef cows include longevity, high fertility, moderate milk production, and sound feet, legs, eyes and udders. For our system, we also focused on adaptation to our environment and climate and ample

rumen capacity to make the most of large volumes of high-quality fresh pasture.

Five tools we’ve found most useful. There are five tools in the toolbox for this simple breeding system. They include a scale and three scoring systems: frame scoring, body condition scoring, and finish assessment. The fifth tool is your observation skills, which these other tools will help you develop!

alWays oBserving

Bill and I spent a lot of time out with our herd, just observing and discussing what we were seeing. Tagging your animals with unique names or numbers so you know whose calf is whose, greatly facilitates your decision-making. Every spring and fall, we ran the whole herd through our handling facility for weighing, vaccinations, pregnancy checking, castrating, etc. We would also be observing: which animals were developing a heavy haircoat going into winter? Which ones shed that haircoat readily in spring? Which animals were troubled by internal or external parasites? We also looked at temperament. Running animals through your handling facility helps get them used to being worked. They should be able to move through fairly calmly after the first few times. Those who continue to have an attitude problem may be passing their excitable nature on to their calves. Calm cows raise calm calves that put-on pounds more readily. These are all traits that you can select for and that can be passed on to offspring, improving the fitness of your herd to your system and environment.

your most imPortant tool: a scale!

The scale was by far our most important breeding tool. It is a costly investment but pays for itself many times over! Weighing gives you so much useful information beyond just an animal’s liveweight when you ship it. By weighing twice, a year we could monitor cows’ body condition and identify cows that could hold body condition successfully over the winter. Weighing alerted us to cows that appeared pretty good but had lost weight over the last six months due to undetected illness or parasite issues. Weighing allowed us to know how well our bull was handling the heavy work of breeding season, his stamina. Remember, he is passing those traits on to every calf in the herd!

Most importantly, weighing allowed us to tell which cows were giving us calves that grew the best, either due to genetics or higher quality milk. We had two cows who routinely had calves that gained three pounds a day in their first six months, which gives the calf a head start as they go into their first winter and sets the stage for finishing within 24 to 30 months. These cows and their offspring are the ones you want to keep in your herd! There is no way of knowing that without a scale.

Frame scoring: Frame scoring is done on a scale of 1 to 10, with 4 or 5 being ideal for grassfed cattle. Research has shown that hip height as early as three months can predict the mature size of an animal, whether it is a heifer you are considering keeping in your herd or a steer for finishing. Frame scoring is a simple measurement that can be done anytime you are running animals through the chute. Lookup tables tell you that a 6-month-old calf that has a 40” hip height will likely mature in that moderate 4 or 5 frame score we are looking for. It will also predict that this animal will finish at about 1100 pounds. Links at the end of this article provide information on how to measure as well as the prediction tables.

Body condition scoring: Body condition scoring is a numerical description of cattle health with a range of 1 to 9. Because it is a measure of health, it is the same for all cattle, no matter whether they are grassfed or not. It is more subjective and requires some practice to do it consistently. It involves examining several locations on the cow’s body to assess fat cover and muscle. Too much fat cover (over conditioning) can be as problematic as too little (under conditioning) and a score in the 5 to 6 range is ideal. Links below describe how to do body condition scoring.

Finish Assessment: Knowing when an animal is finished is important for both business purposes and breeding purposes. A cow that produces calves who consistently gain 2+ pounds a day will help you save money, produce consistently high-quality meat, and help you plan harvests more efficiently. Degree of finish is a subjective measure, like body condition scoring. As a steer approaches a mature state, it is built all the bone and muscle it is going to and starts to put on fat and marbling. Locations to look for this final fat deposition include over the ribs, in the shoulder, the top line or spine, the brisket, the cod, and the tail head. A link with photos of what to look for is provided below.

cHoosing a HerD Bull

A purchased bull can bring in traits that are lacking in your herd. Raising your own bulls can concentrate or amplify positive (and negative) traits in your herd. Because we had several breeds in our herd and did both cross-breeding and pure-bred production, we valued both for different purposes. Breed associations are a good place to find breeders who share your goals. The British White Association is a friendly group of mutually supportive producers. We had several folks who would call us when they had the kind of small-framed, stocky bulls we liked. We also always looked for a straight back, strong legs, a well-developed scrotum, and good muscling. We also liked to see how the bulls were raised and observe their interactions with the rest of the herd. It is always wise to be cautious around a bull, but a selecting bulls with a calm, easy-going temperament can reduce the risk. Always make sure the bull you buy has had semen analysis done.

If you are raising your own bulls or raising them for sale, start watching them in their first six months for signs of masculinity: the beginnings of a crest or hump over the neck, a well-developed scrotum, and precocious mounting behavior, among other things. There is some evidence that the location and configuration of hair whorls on the bull’s forehead can be an indicator of temperament and virility (Meola et al, Walters and Fry). These traits can be observed from a young age, but not all experts are convinced of the connection.

The perfect herd for your grassfed beef system does not happen overnight—it is a process that starts on day one and continues until the last cow is sold. Once you have

Walters, Charles and Gearld Fry. 2003. Reproduction and Animal Health. 2003. Acres USA. 222 pages.

Frame scoring: https://beefskillathon.tamu.edu/framescore-frame-size-and-weight/

https://animalrangeextension.montana.edu/beef/articles/hipheight.html

Body condition scoring: https://extension.okstate.edu/ fact-sheets/body-condition-scoring-of-cows.html

https://extension.missouri.edu/publications/g2230

Finish assessment: https://afs.ca.uky.edu/livestock/presentation/judging-market-steers

Laura Paine is Outreach Coordinator for Grassland 2.0 and co-lead of the Green Lands Blue Waters Match Made in Heaven project. Both projects seek to engage farmers and rural communities in reimagining our food and farming system as a grazing-based agro-ecosystem that delivers clean water, healthy soils, stable farm incomes, and thriving communities. Her 30 years of work experience includes research, education, and market development work for grass-fed and organic farmers. Laura and her husband recently retired from raising grass-fed beef on their 82-acre farm near Columbus, WI.

Growing with Veggie Emporium

By Jacque and Dan Enge

We are Jacque and Dan Enge, co-owners, founders, and sole employees of Veggie Emporium LLC, a microfarm located in Sauk County, Wisconsin, focused on providing our community with nutritious, delicious food grown to promote biodiversity, soil health, water quality and resiliency.

Veggie Emporium was not created overnight. It was created over years of trial and error in the gardens and immediately after we moved together. In 2019, Jacque moved from Illinois to Wisconsin with Dan, and they started their very first garden together. After not having her own space, Jacque went a little wild and planted more veggies than the two could possibly manage to eat on their own. They decided to share their food with the community and Veggie Emporium was born. The two, along with their friend, Evan, decided to build a roadside farm stand out of pallets and reclaimed building materials. At first, business was slow… it was slow for a very long time. After some time, the community noticed the veggie stand and enjoyed the

addition to the neighborhood. (Some of the comments from the guestbook: “Just picking up some supplies for a cocktail. Thanks!”

“The cucamelons are awesome.” “Beautiful little farmstand! We are local and love to buy local. Thanks for the goodies” “Beautiful beans :)”

“Very sweet, yum. <3 You guys rock.”

“This little farm stand is awesome! Thank you for being organic.” “This place was a real treat. Keep up the good work!” “Cannot wait to eat these little cherry tomatoes. Love the look/design of your stand.”)

New connections were made more frequently, just from having the farm stand up and running. Neighbors would stop and comment on the produce, notes were left in our cashbox to be involved in community events such as farmers markets and the Farm Art DTour organized by Wormfarm Institute. This little farm stand brought more connections to our lives than we could have ever imagined.

Currently, we are in our fifth growing season. We are starting our third year at the Baraboo Farmers’ Market, serving a broader community. This

is our first year of trialing a “food fund” to provide for those who want to eat local, organic produce but do not have the financial means. We are in our second year of developing a tree nursery and expanding our perennial crops with food forests. Our efficiency and effectiveness within the gardens have drastically improved and our no-till practices, weed control, crop rotation, and harvest methods are a lot more streamlined.

In addition to meeting and forming relationships with an increasing number of great people in our community, we also get excited to see the impact of our efforts on our local environment. The increase in soil quality, soil microorganism biodiversity, and insect and bird biodiversity has been very obvious and very rewarding to experience. All of our gardens started out as just lawn. The soil was very compacted with little to no topsoil. Our typical method to turn lawn into garden is to smother the grass with a tarp, and then make beds on top of the dead lawn using compost with woodchip walkways. We make our own compost using manure, food scraps, spoiled cattle feed, and woodchips from our local township. After harvesting, we plant a cover crop and then replenish

the compost and woodchips before the next planting. Now, the soil is deep, rich, aerated, and full of life. Above ground, we see more insects and different species of insects. While in the garden, we are constantly referencing iNaturalist to identify different organisms. Red-bellied snakes, swallowtail larvae, brown wasp mantidfly, abbott’s sphinx moth, along with countless other insects, millipedes, birds, and spiders have been observed in areas that were just five years ago, comparatively lifeless lawn.

We use permaculture principles to work with nature, rather than against it. In addition to regenerative techniques readers of this magazine are most likely familiar with such as no-till, mulching, cover crops, and compost, we try to use permaculture principles to help us with our other struggles. For example, we purchased a greenhouse because we were new market gardeners who were still getting established and thought every farm needs a greenhouse. After a large upfront cost and lots of hours constructing the greenhouse, before we were even able to get a harvest, derecho winds ripped the plastic off the hoops and blew it into a neighbor’s field a half mile away. We immediately ordered a new roll of greenhouse film and quickly put it up, this time, reinforcing the ends to make sure our money did not end up shredded in the neighbor’s field again. Less than 6 months later, when spring came around, so did the high winds. Our reinforcing was not enough, and our greenhouse was once again, non-functioning. We took this time to reflect on our options. We could spend more money and time to repair and reinforce our greenhouse, or we could stop trying to fight nature. Knowing that, in a changing climate, extreme weather events are going to be increasingly frequent, we decided to cut our losses and decommission it. This anecdote is not meant to dissuade readers from considering a hoophouse. Rather, it is a lesson in figuring out what works for you, your goals, and your location. For us, the amount of money and time spent on building and repairing our hoophouse, just did not justify what we would get out of it – even if the greenhouse film lasted the 4+ years that it is supposed to. Maybe we will reevaluate this decision in the future, but for now, working with the frosts, and occasionally putting up some emergency row cover for chilly nights works for us.

Figuring out what works for us and learning from our mistakes taught us not to compare our farm to other farms. It is easy to feel inferior seeing the progress others have made, especially while scrolling on social media. We always remind ourselves to only compare our progress to our previous years’ progress and to our own goals, never other farms. We are small, diversified, and local and we want to stay small, diversified, and local. That is what makes us resilient.

Being that we want to stay small, diversified, and local, what does that mean for the future? Dan has been planting and experimenting with food producing trees of all kinds since 2015. As of 2021, we are now growing

trees from seed harvested from trees that we planted ourselves, selecting the nuts and fruits from trees that we observed to be better growing, better tasting, and/or more pest and disease resistant. Our goal is to expand our nursery to have a full offering of food producing trees that are delicious and well adapted to this region and to low-maintenance organic growing conditions. We will continue growing vegetables while offering a greater variety of perennial foods as our fruit and nut trees and shrubs mature.

Ultimately, what drives us to keep doing what we are doing, is spending our time and energy on what we feel is important. We love sharing fresh healthy food with our community and tending to our biosphere. In a world with declining topsoil, biodiversity, and water quality, it feels good to see those trends reversed all while eating delicious, healthy food. Thank you to everyone reading this who grows, buys, and/or eats regeneratively!

Dan Enge is a 3rd generation conventional dairy farmer. From a young age, he enjoyed the spirits of trees and the ecosystems they were in. His passion is regenerating natural habitats and as well as growing and breeding a diversity of food producing trees.

Jacque Enge is a chemical engineer turned vegetable farmer. After working in corporate America, she quit her job to seek out a more simplistic meaningful life. Now she is a regenerative vegetable farmer making positive impacts on the community and ecosystem.

rememBering ronnie cummins

By Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin

I first met Ronnie back around 2011 when he and his wife Rosemary Welch came to visit my small farm in Northfield. MN. He directed Regeneration International and the Organic Consumers Association. During his visit, we connected instantly and went on to have a very productive and professional relationship, as we crafted plans and built a Poultry-Centered Regenerative Poultry demonstration and training facility led by Via Organica in San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato Mexico.

In 2015 I went to Finca Luna Nueva in Costa Rica where alongside over 60 international leaders Regeneration International was launched. Through the Organic Consumers Association, Ronnie led literally hundreds of campaigns to hold the corporate food conglomerates accountable for the atrocities committed against animals, farmers, workers, and communities in the name of food and feeding the world.

I admired, supported, and followed Ronnie’s work. His integrity and relentless pursuit of justice and peace, and his commitment to the integrity of organic agriculture inspired me. However, my connection to Ronnie did not start when I met him.

I am originally from Guatemala, I was born just a few years before the 36-year-long war against the indigenous ways of Guatemala started and arrived here in the US at the end of 1992, 4 years before the war ended. Many readers may be familiar with the US involvement with the Guatemalan dictatorships and the overthrow of the democratically elected government of Presidente Jacobo Arbens. What many may not know is that the war did not become public until brave journalists both in Guatemala and overseas ventured into the thick of it. They waged their own battle against those in the US wanting to keep the atrocities being committed hushed, and the Guatemalan government’s killing machine which blocked all attempts at letting the world know what they

were doing to the rural communities and anyone who disagreed with the dictatorships.

I did not know this at the time, but among those incredibly brave journalists pulling the hidden information out from the mountains and villages where massacre after massacre kept being committed with full impunity, was Ronnie Cummins. When I first met him, I learned what he had done to make the Guatemalan war known through a pseudonym he used to publish the stories here in the US. I had this immediate sense of gratitude and comradery that comes from knowing with a high level of certainty, that my ability to weave myself through the conflict and to come out of it alive, had a lot to do with people like Ronnie.

Those who from the outside shed light on the Guatemalan army’s atrocities, the entrenched colonizing interest of the oligarchs associated with the army’s actions, and the entanglement between the Guatemalan oligarchs and the US international policies that

Remembering Ronnie Cummins

under the shadow of the cold war justified mass killing of the Guatemalan rural mostly indigenous population. For the uneducated person in the US this was a war against communism. For people like Ronnie, it was just another ploy to get rid of people who had resisted being colonized and who had decided to make a patriotic stand and protect their lands and their country from national and foreign usurpation and expropriation.

This is a time to remember Ronnie for who he was, and I am writing these notes because despite the world moving beyond the cold war, the Central American wars, and other world conflicts we move past, he understood that the only thing that changed was the strategy and the narrative. Through agricultural product dumping, genetic engineering, and organic whitewashing, corporations are continuing to destroy the food sovereignty of whole countries around the world and here in the US.

For me, Ronnie was a real revolutionary, an intellectual master who despite not being native to my own reality explained it better than most. Despite having no other reason than his deep compassion for the oppressed, and a disdain for those who pillage, lie and are destroying the planet in the name of food and progress, he stood up and told all these things as they were and are today; no apologies, no retreat, no surrender. He demonstrated real courage for he was unprotected by the dominant systems and constantly under their attack.

I may just owe my life to Ronnie. I say that with all sincerity, and for sure, I owe my life to him and all of those thousands of people who without ever having met people like me directly understood that the struggle for peace, justice, fairness, food sovereignty, nutritional integrity of our food, and the fight against conventional chemical agriculture is a common struggle. One that must be confronted by all consumers, farmers, workers, businesses of the middle, financial institutions, and eventually the governments of the world so that we can build systems of accountability so that those who externalize the destruction of the planet while profiting from the extraction of her resources are not allowed to keep doing it with impunity.

I say all of this to honor Ronnie, for it is what he said too, and to ensure that we all reflect on these truths, on our lives, and that like him, we make ours count as well in the regenerative organic paths we are building so that the future of food, of our communities, our farms, and our children may be better. That is what he stood for, and to do so, he stood up against entrenched powers and ways of being that have now demonstrated and can be scientifically verified will effectively destroy the very ecosystems on which we depend to feed the world, and if allowed, will do so in the name of feeding the world.

“Hasta la Victoria Siempre” Ronnie Cummins, may your energy keep giving organic life to other living creatures as your molecules disperse and become part of the never-ending cycles of the earth’s energy cycles.

DIVeRsIty COMes In MAny FORMs

By Rick Clark

The principles of soil health are the basis for regenerative farming systems. It is hard to quantify the importance of one over another. None the less, all principles are important, and they must work together in a systematic approach to successfully build soil health. I would like to focus on the principle of diversity for this article. Diversity comes in many forms, and I am going to discuss a few of those with you.

First, let’s talk about the diversity within a cover crop cocktail, or also known as a multi species mix. These cocktails should only be used by people who have experience with cover crops and the proper methods of termination at hand. It is very important to understand, all beginners who want to cover crops need to have success the first

time they try this new approach. All beginners need to start with one or two species on small acreage in an effort not to jeopardize the livelihood of your farm. Go slow and pay attention to what mother nature is telling you. Once you become comfortable with this new way to farm, you can then add diversity by increasing the number of species in your mixes. I have eliminated the word failure from my vocabulary because it is too strong of a word. I have replaced it with outcomes I did not expect. These suggestions will give you the best chance of success and hopefully minimize the number of outcomes you did not expect.

Another form of diversity is annuals and perennials. Most cover crop mixes comprise of annual species only. This is what I would call vertical diversity. But we need lateral diversity as well. This is where perennials come into play. The most

important thing to understand is the method of termination must be identified before any perennials are introduced to the mix. Tillers and farmers who have eliminated chemistry have to be very careful. It will be almost impossible to eliminate perennials. Proceed with caution. Let’s get creative and start adding perennials to your mixes and take advantage of lateral diversity. We have no idea what the microbes in the soil profile want to eat or need to eat. By giving them diversity of annuals and perennials, we are providing many different exudates for the microbes to live and multiply within the soil profile. This kind of diversity is very important to the success of the regenerative system.

A third form of diversity is the biological genome within the soil profile. In order to maximize the number of species within the soil, we must implement the principles of soil health. On our farm, we have eliminated tillage, chemistry, pesticides, fungicides,

Photo Credit: Troy Farm, Madison, WI

seed treatments, and fertilizers. We are no longer killing off the beneficial species and we are giving the mycorrhizal fungi the chance to grow and connect all microbes together underground. These fungi are the backbone of the communication network. There are no transfers of nutrients without these mycorrhizal fungi or AMF for short. We have done a nice job of promoting the growth of biology in our system, but it is still not enough. Testing and collecting data is very important to the success of the regenerative approach. There are soil labs that can identify the biological species within your soil profile. We went to several fields and pulled soil samples for a genome assay and we went even one step further, we pulled samples from inherent soils on the farm. In other words, we pulled samples from locations that had not been disturbed for hundreds of years. No tillage, no fertilizer, no nothing. Now we have a baseline of what biology is supposed to look like in the fields we are farming. There are companies that will take this information and grow only the biology that you need and this is how we bring diversity accurately to the biological genome that is within your context. It is important to take advantage of this technology and elevate your farm to the next level. It is a very exciting time to be a regenerative farmer!

The fourth form of diversity is to commingle cash crops. You will need to explore and find the synergies working within your system. We are planting soybeans and cereals together, peas and cereals together, peas and corn together, and soybeans and milo together. I also like the notion of planting fava beans and corn together, but I want to focus on peas and cereals. We have found through many years of testing that you can increase the amount of free nitrogen a pea will fix by adding a small number of cereals to the mix. Most of our testing is with cereal rye, so let’s stay with rye for a moment. The rye is a tremendous sequester of nutrients and specifically nitrogen. As the rye takes nitrogen from the pea, the pea will fix even more nitrogen. Now you have multiple species with large amounts of organic nitrogen. What better way to spoon feed your cereal crop that you are going to take to grain? There is also the benefit of taking both crops to maturity and harvesting them together. These two crops can separate easily. Now you have two cash crops to sell. Let’s look at this diversity from a different angle. This legume is fixing the fuel you need to raise a cash crop, requiring nitrogen to grow and produce fruit to harvest. This is exactly how we eliminated synthetic nitrogen from our system. I want to dig into this concept with corn and milo. In the fall, plant no more than 30 lbs/acre of cereal rye after the current cash crop has been removed. Then, wait until just before the ground freezes and plant cold tolerant peas 2 1/2” to 3” deep at the recommended rate from the seed company. The biggest benefit here is that we are creating a longer window of time to plant legumes in the fall. Maybe 30 to 45 days. This helps eliminate the excuses that there is not enough time in the fall to plant legumes. In the spring, you will no till corn or milo

into this beautiful mix of rye and peas and terminate the mix according to plan and another example of diversity setting up your system for success.

The fifth form of diversity is diversity within the cereal grains. We are now planting a Maslin of cereal rye, barley, and wheat. You could also add triticale if you so desire. The combination of this Maslin as a cover crop planted in the fall and its main mission is to suppress weeds in the spring, which demonstrates a reduction of broad leaf weeds and more importantly, a reduction of grasses. This is a big deal in our regenerative organic system with no tillage. The diversity of these species is creating an environment where these broad leaf weeds and grasses do not want to germinate, and the result is the next big step toward the success of no till regenerative systems.

The final form of diversity is cash crop rotations. Our farm is located in west central Indiana, and we have 10 crops in rotation: corn, soybeans, wheat, alfalfa, cereal rye, peas, milo, cover crops, sheep, and cattle. We are truly maximizing the 6 principles of soil health on our farm. We have a healthy system typically not prone to disease or pests. Occasionally, we have a field that gets out of balance, but these incidents are few and far between. The goal should be to find cash crops that grow and thrive in your system within your context. It is very difficult to grow corn in a no till, no chemical, no fertilizer system. We are moving toward planting more milo acres. Milo is related to corn, but it acts completely different in our system. Unlike corn, milo does not mind having neighbors. In fact, milo thrives in our warm season cocktails. Milo requires less inputs, less water, and has a shorter growing season to maturity. In today’s everchanging world of high input costs and erratic weather, I believe milo has a good shot at success. In sum, we need to be flexible and willing to always change. Change is good and diversity is essential to the success of all regenerative farming systems.

Rick Clark is a 5th generation farmer from Williamsport, IN. Rick has developed and is constantly improving a systematic approach to regenerative farming. He is most proud of incorporating regenerative farming practices with all acres being certified organic. Rick also cares deeply about human health, as it is another important driver behind the organic no till style of farming.

A Small Producer’s View on Upcoming Changes in Organic Production

By National Organic Program Staff

USDA’s new Strengthening Organic Enforcement (SOE) regulation is now a reality, and understandably sparking a lot of conversation about what the changes will cost and how much time it will take farmers to implement the new requirements. For smaller family farmers, there is often little time or resources to spare for additional requirements to maintain organic certification. As word of SOE makes headlines throughout the organic industry, the National Organic Program (NOP) staff around the country know many small producers wonder what this rule will mean for them.

Organic farmer and NOP lead auditor Lars Crail has spent time thinking through the same questions for his certified orchards of pears and wine grapes tucked into the hills of Northern California. An organic farmer with over twenty years under his belt, Lars knows firsthand how much work it takes to manage an organic operation. While larger, more complicated operations, processors, and others with longer supply chains have a lot to consider before March 2024, the task may not be as hard for many small operations closer to their customers and suppliers. Lars’ operation is a good example of a smaller, compliant operation that will only need to review and adapt a few practices. Lars was kind enough to walk us through how he is preparing, and talked about how he sees SOE benefiting smaller operations through greater transparency in all organic supply chains.

as a ProDucer, HoW Do you Feel aBout soe crossing tHe FinisH line?

“Terrific! SOE codifies a lot of best-practices, National Organic Standards Board recommendations, community input, and practical experience from the NOP team. SOE also demonstrates USDA’s support for continuous improvement as the organic community matures and grows to accommodate increasing consumer demand. Our team now has more oversight and enforcement tools to keep up with the marketplace, which in the end helps make organic food and products available to more families across the country.

Parts of the rule, like requiring everyone to have a

Know the date:

Organic Producers and supply chain partners have until March 19, 2024, to fully comply with organic regulations under SOE.

written fraud prevention strategy as part of their Organic System Plan, are a significant leap forward in combatting fraud. This requirement makes it explicit that everyone shares responsibility for watching for fraud across their supply chain, whether that’s buying organic seed or stock down the road, relying on family workers, and selling at local farmers markets and co-ops, or buying inputs and selling products across State lines or to processors

for worldwide distribution. I appreciate this ‘united front’ approach to keeping the bad guys out. Greater transparency is the best way to ensure that we are all held to the same standards. Working together makes a fairer playing field for all of us.”

as you reaD tHe rule anD revieWeD it against existing Practices, Was tHere anytHing you tHink a smaller ProDucer may FinD surPrising?

“One big change is the number of required unannounced inspections. A lot of surveillance has been happening in practice, but now specific minimum requirements are written into the regulations for certifiers. NOP will be working with them to be sure they are fully using this important oversight tool. I expect they are already communicating this to their certified operations and letting producers know what to expect and how to prepare. Unannounced inspections and residue testing that target higher risk parts of the supply chain, regions, and commodities are great enforcement tools to help certifiers find and remove fraud from the system faster. Producers need to stay on top of required recordkeeping and be understanding when the inspector arrives. An unannounced inspection is not an accusation, but the visible act of proactive surveillance has a strong deterrent effect on those in the vicinity who might think fraud is worth the risk. For those of us who follow the rules, undergoing an unannounced inspection will be no big deal.”

WHat kinDs oF questions are you talking aBout WitH your certiFier to PrePare For

soe?

“At the operation level, there aren’t really a lot of questions for a small farm like mine. Inspections happen, and organic system plans need to be updated, and we already expect that. What really needs to be communicated is that producers are ultimately responsible for compliance and need to understand the regulations themselves. Certifiers can provide the resources so you can understand what is required, but we farmers also need to read the rule and think through

“Organic compliance at every point in the supply chain, from producer to consumer, is at the heart of SOE,” Lars said, “No matter the size of the operation, all producers must follow the rules. Luckily, most small organic operations already have good systems in place, with only minor adjustments needed to comply.” Lars thinks that the most needed changes fall into the category of good recordkeeping and traceability.

“The goal of SOE was not to make compliance harder for the honest organic farmer. Instead, the goal is to raise the cost of fraud for bad guys, level the playing field for the good guys, and continually strengthen consumer trust in the value of the organic seal.”

as a small ProDucer, WHat are you Doing to manage tHe links in your suPPly cHain?

“I’m talking to everyone I buy seeds, stock, and other inputs from. I’m making sure anyone who works in my orchard understands the rules and why it’s so important that we follow them. It’s not enough to just pay attention to what happens inside the fence, I share responsibility for checking up on those I buy from and those I sell to so that families enjoying my peaches, or a glass of wine made in part with my grapes, can have confidence that the USDA organic seal has me and many others standing proudly behind our work.”

WHat Part oF soe Do you Feel is most HelPFul?

“The new grower group regulations open up new opportunities for very small operations - before there were no specific regulations covering grower groups. NOP relied on good farming practices and National Organic Standards Board recommendations to apply the pre-SOE regulations to really small producers who wanted to work together. Having rules made specifically for this type of very small operation is a substantial positive change for farmers and their local or regional consumers.

For larger operations, I imagine the new labeling requirements will have a big impact on transparency, especially the wholesale labeling requirement, which was not explicitly laid out before. Mandatory acreage reporting will also allow faster more robust mass balance checks for larger or more complex operations. SOE really examines the entire supply chain, so everyone should be certified. Having more people focused on – and held responsible for – confirming traceability of a product from production to consumer is a critical improvement.”

which changes will have an impact on our operation –like the written fraud prevention strategy – and how to accommodate the change before the deadline in March 2024.”

Lars concluded by emphasizing that, “The main thing is that this is not ‘one size fits all.’ Smaller operations really can benefit from the changes coming from SOE. Most are already doing exactly what is needed, and with a few slight adjustments, SOE should not be costly or timeconsuming for small farms. Larger operations will feel more of the effects of the changes from SOE because

“The Strengthening Organic Enforcement rule empowers all of us to play a role in fraud prevention to protect the USDA organic seal.”

- Jennifer Tucker

they tend to have lengthier, more complicated supply chains with more product to manage as organic from farm to table.”

Dr. Jennifer Tucker heads the USDA National Organic Program, the federal agency responsible for oversight of certifiers and enforcement on the use of USDA organic seal. She expanded on Lars’ farmer-perspective with an illustration of how SOE touches every single point in the supply chain using the example of a simple organic granola bar. “When you or your children are eating that organic snack, you know the oats may have been grown in Indiana, the almonds may have been grown in California, the chocolate chips may have come from beans grown and processed in South America, and the yogurt coating was made with milk from an organic cow who ate organic feed. Then another company in a different state may have combined all those ingredients to create the granola bar. SOE makes sure that USDA has authority to effectively oversee the individual supply chain of every one of those ingredients. This traceability across the supply chain is part of what is unique and special about the organic seal.”

With organic products selling at a premium and consumers placing an increasingly high-value on the health and climate-smart benefits of organically produced goods, Dr. Tucker says it’s as important as ever for everyone in the organic community to be working together to support consumer confidence in the USDA organic seal. “We stand with farmers, and everyone involved in getting organic products to market,” she said. “We believe the value in the USDA organic seal is the ‘many hands’ working together for the common good.”

With the continued growth of the organic industry creating more business opportunities and a thriving $67 billion organic retail market, the Strengthening Organic Enforcement final rule comes at a good time. From suppliers and producers to handlers and brokers, SOE reinforces legitimate organic trade, and helps squeeze out fraud.

“USDA invests a lot into protecting the seal and growing the organic community. The new authority we have through the Strengthening Organic Enforcement final rule helps us do it faster and better, making sure everyone along the supply chain is certified,” said Dr. Tucker.

To help certifiers and producers understand the changes SOE brings, NOP staff have been training certifiers and inspectors, updating web resources, and developing new training modules - available for free in the USDA Organic Integrity Learning Center. Learn more about SOE and USDA oversight and enforcement at www. ams.usda.gov/rules-regulations/strengthening-organicenforcement.

National Organic Program is a federal regulatory program that develops and enforces consistent national standards for organically produced agricultural products sold in the United States.

NOP also accredits third-party organizations to certify that farms and businesses meet the national organic standards. These certifiers and USDA work together to enforce the standards, ensuring a level playing field for producers and protecting consumer confidence in the integrity of the USDA Organic Seal.

INQUIRIES TO: Rita Dunn, Tuff-bilt Tractors Mfg. Inc., 2801 I Avenue, Walthill, NE 68067 rita@tuff-bilt.com 402-846-5760

TRACTOR COMPANY FOR SALE: includes all inventory, shop machines, jigs, intellectual property, branding and marketing, and dealer network.

Policy Spotlight:

From Field to Farm Bill

The federal budget has been in the headlines quite a bit already this summer. Elected officials raised the debt ceiling in a deal that made some critical changes in USDA programs. Both the House and Senate Agricultural Committees are creating budgets and allocating (sometimes cutting) funding to critical current Farm Bill programs, and then there is the Farm Bill itself that needs to be written and passed.

Benjamin Franklin reminded us that “Democracy is not two wolves and a sheep deciding what to have for supper.” Many of the programs outlined in the Farm Bill in chapters that range from nutrition programs to natural resources hugely affect our farms, food supply chains, communities, and environment. The bill is re-written and passed every five years. If we do not take a seat at the decision-making table, we are likely to be on the menu.

Concerns of human-scale organic farmers are woven throughout the bill, yet we know that we are only 10% of the agricultural landscape and receive far less than that of the benefits and resources contained in the bill. The bulk of the funding in the Farm Bill (76%) goes to various nutrition programs in schools, childcare and senior settings, as well as for Women, Infants and Children and other hunger-relief programs. There is a deep connection between

feeding communities and farming. And these nutrition programs have a broad-based coalition of advocates. The Farm Bill cycle provides opportunities to join these groups in building local food systems and value chains that benefit farmers and make us all more food secure, creating broader coalitions and advocates for agricultural solutions support organic.

A far smaller percentage (1%) of the Farm Bill appropriations are spent on “other” programs, many of which are the ones that we as an organization and a community of organic farmers find critical for our continuing education, viable businesses, and resources. This summer, as we head into fall, there will be multiple opportunities to get involved with bills (often referred to as marker bills) that will likely become part of the 2023 Farm Bill.

Here are some recently introduced bills that build on successful conservation efforts, codify the Organic Transition Initiative, increase organic research, and support continuous improvement in organic. Some bills that are currently of interest include:

tHe agriculture resilience act (Pingree)

The ARA is a broad and far-reaching bill that addresses most of the elements of the agricultural system and makes the connection to current practices, programs and their climate impact. This act has several key priorities: Increasing agricultural climate research; Improving soil health; Protecting existing farmland & supporting farm viability; Supporting pasturebased livestock systems; Boosting

Photo Credit: Brix Orchard, Mount Horeb, WI

investments in on-farm energy initiatives; and Reducing food waste. All of these activities lead to net zero agricultural emissions by 2040.

oPPortunities in organic act (WelcH)

This bill deepens the current effort around organic transition supports and codifies the new Organic Transition Initiative. Farms transitioning to organic certification and those newly certifying often face both knowledge and financial barriers. This bill addresses these with updates to the certification cost-share program, transition and resilience funding for nonprofits and producers, and increased technical assistance through farmer education organizations.

strengtHening organic agriculture researcH actsoar act (neWHouse)

This bill focuses on organic research programs that lag far behind in resources to research in industrial and chemical agricultural systems.

Seeds & Breeds for the Future Act (Baldwin)

With a changing climate, we need plants and animals that are well-adapted to regional conditions. This act would provide funding for research to develop regionally adapted seed varieties and animal breeds. It also protects tribal seeds and promotes collaboration with tribal colleges and universities to promote public cultivars and animal breeds that will enhance the health of Native American communities.

Watch Marbleseed social media and other opportunities to learn more about the bills that support our Farm Bill Platform and enable the resources to run many of our critical programs, as well as those that provide direct funding to farmers. More of these bills will be introduced as we get closer to the Farm Bill vote and authorization. If you are interested in public policy and interested in getting more involved, reach out to Lori at lori.stern@ marbleseed.org to learn more about Marbleseed activities and the issues likely to be part of Farm Bill 2023.

The 2023 Organic Field Day season is upon us! Field days are offered for free, unless otherwise noted, to provide farmers with practical organic production education and connection. From small urban farms and midscale silvopasture operations to larger scale row crops, we aim to offer field days for every type of farm. Come connect with community and get fresh ideas to try on your farm. Join us for our 2023 season!

•W iWiC Field Day: Blue Ox Farm, June 1, Wheeler, WI

•Organic Gooseberry, Currant, and Apple Production, June 28, Belmont, WI

•Foraging and Edible Landscapes with Beargrease Botanicals, July 15, Sturgeon Lake, MN

•Field to Flour: A Field Day for Value Added Organic Producers, August 4, Danforth, IL

•Seed Production and Reduced Tillage, August 17, Ferryville, WI

Photo Credit: Karl Hakanson

For Sale: OCIA Certified Organic Yellow Corn

For Sale: OCIA Certified Organic Yellow Corn, Alfalfa Grass/Hay, & Oat Hay – (641) 751-8382

For Sale: Certified Organic Hay

Certified Organic Hay for sale, 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Crop. Delivery May be Available. Sno Pac Farms, Caledonia, MN 507-725-5281

LIVestOCk

For Sale: Livestock guardian dog puppies

LGD puppies, mix of Great Pyrenees, Maremma, and Anatolian Shepherd. Born April 15th, six males still available. Parents are guardians of poultry and small ruminants. Read more at kleinshire.com.

equIPMent

For Sale: 2019 Weed Zapper

2019 weed zapper for sale. It has a 30 ft wide working width the bigger 200 kW generator. It has approx 430 zapping hours on it and has subsequently run over about 4000 acres. Stored inside and ready (608) 359-1800

For Sale: I & J Roller Crimper $27,000

This is a lightly used 2018 I&J Cover Crop Roller 30’, 190” Transport width, 128” Transport height, 62” Working height, 190” 765-425-2581

For Sale: 30x64 Movable Greenhouses, Electric Harvest Trucks and More Scaling way back, 300g ss wash tank, 200 Cell Plantek Seedling Flats, Nestable Tomato Hvst trays, Vegetable Brush Washers, and much more. Contact bluemoonfarmurbana@gmail.com for list.

Mechanical Transplanter and farm equipment for sale

2 row mechanical transplanter 5000wd in Bayfield CO $4800, valleycraft handtruck $25, cooler with coolbot and A/C unit TEXT 630 882 8008

For sale: John Deere 4030

For Sale John Deere 4030 8000 Hours , wide front with John Deere 12 row 30 inch 725 front mount cultivator with rolling shields 920-960-6895

For sale: “When Weeds Talk”

Too much manure or compost can trigger broadleaf weed that herbicides cannot control. The book “When Weeds Talk” lists over 800 weeds and gives tips for their control. 143 pages. $25 ppd. McCaman Farms, PO Box 22, Sand Lake, MI 49343-0022

LAnD

For Sale: Acreage

South Eastern South Dakota - Fifteen acres, house, outbuilding, and some equipment. 605-421-8061

Land for Sale

20 to 100 acres of non-sprayed land. Woods, crop land, good water, hard top road. 5 min to I-94. Jackson County, Osseo, WI. Text Melissa (or call) 715.533.1994

For sale: Plymouth County, IA - Certified Organic FarmLand

Contact KELSEY BAUERLY LANGLE ATTY Kelsey@btbattys.com 712-546-8813 https:// threesimplequestions.blogspot.com/2023/03/yeagerorganic-farmland-for-sale.html

Looking to Buy Farmland in SE Wisconsin

Newer farmers (4 years experience) looking to purchase up to 5 acres (at least 2 tillable) in the greater Milwaukee/ Madison area. Needs residence on the property, ideally with medium sized pole barn. ebergstrom12@gmail.com

Friendly Landowner Seeking Organic Farmers

Kings Hill Farm - an organic farm in SW Wisconsin between Darlington and Mineral Point - is seeking farmers to take over an existing business. Approx. 40 acres. www.kingshillfarm.com

MIsCeLLAneOus

For Sale: Best Bat Houses

Best Bat Houses as seen at MOSES conference in La Crosse pre-pandemic. Bats are an environment friendly means of insect control saving farmers billions of dollars annually. To order: Bestbathouses.com or call 608-513-9497.

Seeking: Farm Manager

We have a 10 acre diversified with 3-4 acres in vegetables. The manager will be in charge of planting, weeding, harvesting, overseeing other employees, and managing the animals. Pay is $15-$20/hour. chipvalleyproduce@gmail.com. Phone: 7157972719

For Sale: Tempered, insulated, double-pane glass. Large panes for sunrooms, solar homes, ag buildings, greenhouses or ??? One hundred fifty thousand sold since 1979; 32” x 74” x 1” double-pane only $69.00. If you need glass, now would be a good time! Arctic Glass, https://kissourglass.wordpress.com, 612-860-8083.

Seeking: Fall Seasonal Help Madison

Keene Garlic in Madison, WI is looking for seasonal staff from Late August to Mid-Late October to fill fall garlic orders in our warehouse to customers nationwide. cindy@keeneorganics.com

For Sale: Buffalo 6300 6-row Cultivator 1998 6R30 Buffalo Row Cultivator was completely rebuilt in 2021. Excellent condition. Housed inside. I hate to let go of it, but don’t think I need it any longer! Waterman IL 630-561-7927

Seeking: Beginning Farmer

We are seeking a beginning farmer to partner with to start a agricultural business on our 8-acres, housing and startup finances included. 754-302-6101 or fogletb2@gmail.com

Organic Veggie Farm Incubator Opportunity in SE Wisconsin

Start your organic veggie business on our land, using our resources! Incubation allows you to get your business off to a good start. 1 spot available for 2023. email tim@lotfotl.com for more info

SAVE THE DATE!

35TH MARBLESEED ORGANIC FARMING CONFERENCE

Feb. 22-24, 2024

CLAssIFIeD AD PLACeMent

Reach 15,000+ organic-minded readers! Includes a free listing in the Online Organic Classifieds at marbleseed.org

Submit ads online or write out your ad and send it in with this mail-in form and payment to: Marbleseed, PO Box 339, Spring Valley, WI 54767

Ads must be submitted by the 25th of the month prior to Organic Broadcaster publication date.

Name:

Address: C ity: State: Zip:

Phone: Email:

$20 UP TO 30 WORDS. $5 FOR EACH ADDITIONAL 10 WORDS.

PLACE MY AD IN: (price is per insertion) � Winter (December-February) � Spring (March-May)

� Summer (June - August) � Fall (September - November)

Word rate x number of insertions = TOTAL

PAYMENT INFORMATION: � I’m enclosing a check made out to Marbleseed. � Please charge my card.

Card Number: Expiration: CVV:

Signature:

PO Box 339

Spring Valley, WI 54767

SUPPORT THE SUCCESS OF ORGANIC AND REGENERATIVE FARMERS!

Marbleseed creates and provides access to free and low-cost farmer-led resources, farmer-to-farmer learning opportunities, and community-building events that support the success of regenerative and organic farmers. As the organic farming and food landscape continues to evolve and grow, we remain committed to the roots of this movement: care for the planet, nourishment for communities, and support for regenerative and organic farmers who are working in relationship with the ecosystems that sustain us.

Donate at: Marbleseed.org/donate