Organic Broadcaster | November 2020 | Volume 28, Issue 6

Collaborative Plant Breeding

Organic Survey Results

Elderberry Tips

Page 5

Page 10

Page 13

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Volume 28 | Number 6

Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service

November | December 2020

Online event aims to strengthen organic, sustainable farming community

By Audrey Alwell

As the recent USDA Organic Survey shows, interest in organic farming continues to grow at double-digit pace; the country saw a 17% rise in the number of certified organic farms in the last five years. To support the success of these farms and those using sustainable farming practices, MOSES and several partner organizations have teamed up to present a six-day virtual conference offering the latest information as well as community connections. The Growing Stronger Collaborative Conference on Organic & Sustainable Farming takes place online Feb. 22-27, 2021. Registration opens Dec. 1, 2020, at bit.ly/GrowingStronger2021.

This 5-in-1 virtual event combines the MOSES Conference, GrassWorks Grazing Conference, Midwest Organic Pork Conference, OGRAIN Organic Grain Conference, and the FairShare CSA Coalition-University of Wisconsin’s Organic Vegetable Production Conference. This team approach will give participants access to expertise across a broad range of organic and sustainable farming systems.

“MOSES always delivers a comprehensive and innovative event to meet the growing, diverse needs of the organic movement,” said Roz Lehman, Executive

Director of the Iowa Organic Association, which coordinates the Midwest Organic Pork Conference.

“We’re excited to collaborate with MOSES and the other event partners to reach a broader audience with information about organic pork production practices and opportunities.”

The online conference will include more than 60 workshops on specific production practices, business management topics, and broader issues facing the community. The event will feature many opportunities for farmers and agriculture professionals and service providers to connect through roundtables, meetings, and socials.

“With many in-person events canceled due to COVID-19, it is more important than ever for farmers to have ways to come together as a community, share experiences, and offer support,” said Erin Silva, an associate professor at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and head of the Organic Grain Resource and Information Network (OGRAIN). “While the organic market remains strong, there is no doubt that farmers are facing challenges going into 2021, ranging from direct market channels changing due to issues related to COVID-19, to corn prices hitting the lowest they have been in recent years. In planning the organic grain workshops, we’ve brought in speakers that can address these challenges.”

Topics include organic grain marketing, improving yields across the organic grain rotation, and optimizing weed management and cover crop strategies in organic grain production.

In addition to a workshop track on organic row crops, the conference will include tracks on soils, farming systems, vegetables and specialty crops, livestock, and more.

Growing Stronger continues on 6

USDA’s Coronavirus Food Assistance Program can help farmers weather pandemic

By Jennifer Nelson

PO Box 339, Spring Valley, WI 54767

Farmers have all been affected by COVID-19 in one way or another. Some of us had to drive 50 miles to get the sanitizing supplies we needed for calving season. Others sold out of nursery bedding plants and could have sold double what was planned for 2020 given the demand. It’s hard to plan ahead for a global pandemic. Regardless of what kind of farming we are doing, USDA wants to make sure we have a cushion to weather COVID-19 in 2020.

The Coronavirus Food Assistance Program (CFAP) was developed by USDA to offset the hardship farmers may have experienced due to COVID-19

between April 1 and Aug. 31, 2020. The deadline to apply for the first round of CFAP funding was Sept.

11. Soon after, USDA introduced CFAP2, an additional round of funding with an application deadline of Dec. 11, 2020.

Administered by local USDA Farm Service Agency (FSA) offices, CFAP funds apply to more than 230 specialty crops, including fruit, vegetables, livestock, eggs, wool, floriculture, and nursery plants, as well as commodity crops and dairy. Payments for specialty crops are calculated on a payment factor between 8.8 and 10.6% percent of 2019 gross sales. A price-triggered or flat-rate payment based on acreage, Actual Production History yield, and a few other factors define the payment for most grains, commodities, and dairy. Farmers do not need a previous relationship with FSA to apply, but some payment options may require registering for a farm number.

Todd, a sustainable grass-fed livestock and CSA vegetable farmer in Wisconsin, applied for and received CFAP2 approval in October. He learned about the program in the Land Stewardship Project newsletter. Todd and his farm partner had decided in March to market as a CSA farm during the 2020 season instead of going to the Midtown Farmers Market in Minneapolis like they had the past two years. The farmers market seemed like an unreliable source of income in the face of COVID-19, and CSA marketing seemed more stable. They quickly sold out of 28 CSA shares, and proceeded to go to the farmers market once per month during the 2020 season. Todd believes they made about 40% less than they would have at the market, which was surprisingly lucrative according to anecdotal evidence from other market vendors.

Todd was able to secure the CFAP2 funding through an easy process due to good record-keeping

and clear financial statements they already had. Todd called his local FSA office, answered a few questions, and sent in the necessary paperwork. Todd had already applied for the NRCS Environmental Quality Initiatives Program (EQIP), so the farm was in the local FSA system with the required farm number. He received his check after a few weeks. He said they will use the money to invest back in their farm business, either for start-up costs for 2021 or infrastructure building. They plan to continue to market through CSA sales and monthly markets, growing to 40 or 50 members in 2021.

Todd’s CFAP experience was an easy one. This hasn’t been true for some specialty crop farmers. As with all of the many USDA programs for farmers administered by FSA, much falls on the shoulders of the local FSA office employees. They are required to know what each program entails and how it applies to the individual farmers. One CSA farmer went into their local FSA office in September to inquire about CFAP2, and the local agent told them that as a CSA farm, they wouldn’t qualify. This is absolutely not true.

Many organizations are working to dispel the miscommunication, and especially help BIPOC farmers access the funding. The Food Group MN Big River Farms offers organic agriculture and land access for historically underrepresented farmers—BIPOC, women, and immigrants. Laura Mirafuentes, Big River Farms Program Director, has had staff attend CFAP2 information sessions. They want to share the program and follow-up with as many farmers as possible before the December 11 application deadline.

Matt, a farmer of certified organic greenhouse CFAP2 for Farmers continues on 6

TM

Volume 28, #6

November | December 2020

Editor

Audrey Alwell

Advertising Coordinator

Tom Manley

Digital Content Producer

Stephanie Coffman

The Organic BroadcasterTM is a bimonthly newspaper published by the Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service (MOSES), a nonprofit that provides education, resources and practical advice to farmers.

Opinions expressed by the authors do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher.

Inclusion of an advertisement does not imply endorsement of a product. We reserve the right to refuse inappropriate advertising. © 2020 MOSES

Content may be reprinted with permission.

Contact Audrey@mosesorganic.org.

Content Submissions or Inquiries: Audrey@mosesorganic.org Display Advertising: Thomas@mosesorganic.org or 888-90-MOSES Classified Advertising: Sophia@mosesorganic.org or mosesorganic.org/ organic-classifieds Free Subscription: mosesorganic.org/sign-up or 888-90-MOSES

MOSES is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit qualified to receive tax-deductible donations.

Support resilient organic, sustainable, and regenerative farms by donating:

Observations on farming, organizational development

By Lori Stern, MOSES Executive Director

The pandemic has given me the gift of working from home.

I am able to look out on my own farm and take occasional breaks outside, providing some time to clear my mind.

One of the first benefits I reaped from living in a rural landscape: open space. As I am in deep learning mode in this new role, late fall is happening all around me. The dust plumes from the soybean harvest, trees dropping their leaves, apple harvest, and so much kale.

We are mucking out the late summer barn and laying straw for winter. Although all of our transitions this past year had us unprepared to raise meat birds, we contributed to an organic, heritage flock on a friend’s farm and spent time cooking down feet and spines for stock and smoking quarters to vacuum seal in bags for the freezer. We are draining and pulling in hose lines, painting and caulking, identifying a list of things to do that is no doubt longer than the time we have before winter settles in.

All of these tasks, large and small, are comforting and desperate simultaneously. They occupy our time and keep us mindfully in the present.

As I reflect on all there is to do to prepare a farm for winter, I start making connections between farming and organizational development. The ebbs and flows of work and worry that accompany both settle in for me. Fall is the end of the fiscal year for MOSES. We complete our annual audit; we take stock of the past year, noting successes, failures, and challenges we want to address in the next season. There is a new budget and work to start planning.

We are also facing the challenges of change. Just like changing climate and higher water tables that encroach on our fields, MOSES is having to adapt to the pandemic and address issues of inequity as impacts on business as usual. These opportunities for

flexibility and restructuring are moments of creativity and growth. The issues we face are complex and difficult. But we are a community of farmers. As Masanobu Fukuoka said, “The ultimate goal of farming is not the growing of crops, but the cultivation and perfection of human beings.” As an organization of and with farmers, this is our work to do.

We have inputs to assist us in planning for our next season of planting and harvest. MOSES received a grant from Organic Valley that will enable us to engage organic specialists from BIPOC communities, providing them with resources to address needs in their communities. We have grower groups that have convened to address issues of mental health and racism in our farmer community.

As I take on my new role, I am approaching MOSES as I did our new, smaller farm. This year on the farm has been about observing the light, the movement of the sun and where the shadows fall. Where we want to set the gardens, the root cellar, the orchard so that it can be protected from the wind that comes through on our hillside, knocking off blossoms just as they set. I am getting to know my neighbors. Who hunts turkey and venison, and how we can add value by smoking meat for a share of game.

These past couple of months, I am getting to know MOSES partners. I am building on relationships and infrastructure that was here when I arrived. And I am planning for new programs and ways of meeting the emerging needs of farmers in a time when local farms and food systems are even more of a necessity.

One aspect of my work at MOSES is to help us prepare for our winter event this year: a conference that will be in collaboration with others. We are “barnraising” with other organic and sustainable agriculture organizational partners to build an educational event that is virtual. We are “Growing Stronger” this year due to other organizations, in true CSA fashion, taking a risk with us on the yield of a conference online.

I look forward to meeting you there, in community, to learn together and find our way to spring.

MOSES, P.O. Box 339, Spring Valley, WI 54767 Online: mosesorganic.org/donate

MOSES educates, inspires, and empowers farmers to thrive in a sustainable, organic system of agriculture.

MOSES Team:

Board of Directors:

Lori Stern, Executive Director | lori@mosesorganic.org

Mike Bollinger | River Root Farm, Iowa

Audrey Alwell, Communications Director | audrey@mosesorganic.org

Sylvia Burgos Toftness | Bull Brook Keep, Wis.

Chuck Anderas, Organic Specialist | chuck@mosesorganic.org

Dela Ends | Scotch Hill Farm, Wis.

Sarah Broadfoot, Project Manager | sarahb@mosesorganic.org Sophia Cleveland, Administrative Coor. | sophia@mosesorganic.org Stephanie Coffman, Presentation Coor. | stephanie@mosesorganic.org Tom Manley, Partnership Director | thomas@mosesorganic.org

Regi Haslett-Marroquin | Northfield, Minn.

Clare Hintz | Elsewhere Farm, Wis. Charlie Johnson | Johnson Farms, SD

Jennifer Nelson, Land Access Navigator | jennifer@mosesorganic.org

David Perkins | Vermont Valley Farm, Wis.

Sarah Woutat, Farmer Advancement Coor. | sarahw@mosesorganic.org

Sara Tedeschi | Dog Hollow Farm, Wis.

On-Farm Organic Specialist Team | specialist@mosesorganic.org

Darin Von Ruden | Von Ruden Family Farm, Wis.

mosesorganic.org | 888-90-MOSES

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Organics needs to build soil, market cooperatively to beat conventional mindset

By Oren Holle & Carmen Fernholz, OFARM

As the organic movement established a firm foothold in the 1980s and 90s, hardly anyone envisioned that CAFO (concentrated animal feeding ooperations) and hydroponic systems of production would forge their way into organic production. These industrial model production structures have convinced the National Organic Program (NOP) and the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) of their legitimacy as fully compliant organic operations even as they operate within a basic conventional structure.

Now the conventional farming mindset is encroaching on organic grain production. With the current low prices for conventional grains, improved engineering of farm equipment, and agronomic data and research of nearly four decades of organic production practices, organic grain farming is fast becoming a viable option for non-organic farmers on larger and larger tracts of land. It appears this trend will continue even if nonorganic prices improve at some time in the future.

There are more subtle conventional practices emerging in organic production, too. Farmers who choose to transition today often do so with a conventional approach, thinking—as they’ve been trained to do—in terms of purchased inputs to enhance productivity and assist with correcting soil deficiencies.

They’re not creating an environmentally sustainable production system based on robust soil-building rotations and use of nutrient-rich cover crops—the foundations of organic farming. Even some longestablished organic producers are succumbing to this same mentality of enhancing short-term yield potential while maximizing their land base to produce higher income-generating crops with shorter rotations.

Operations with huge land bases are entering the arena as well, often backed by investment firms, with a mentality of short-term economic profitability overshadowing the basic premises of an organic production system based on rebuilding soil within the framework of environmental responsibility.

In a direct throwback to conventional agriculture, the most damaging action taking place in all of this is that organic farmers, far too frequently, are approaching the organic market as individuals. In the early days of organic grain marketing, this approach had fewer consequences because demand for organic grains from buyers, processors, and consumers easily maintained the balance of supply and demand in favor of farmers.

Domestic organic acreage was limited, and sourcing internationally was not yet an alternative. Startup companies were the only game in town and consumer interest was just beginning to develop.

As the organic food system continues to mature, the influence of larger companies is becoming visible.

These companies are using their experience and size to source raw product internationally, with their presence in countries across the globe. This entry of transnational companies into the organic food system is swiftly taking ownership of the market pricing environment.

INSIDE ORGANICS Viewpoints from members of the organic community All of these factors simply mean that organic food production has matured to a level where it is no longer a niche market or a specialty enterprise. It is a food production system that is worldwide and, as such, feeds its production into an international arena of commerce and trade. Organic agriculture now sits at the table with all other segments of agriculture and food production.

In light of this inevitable growth and evolution of the organic food sector, for many organic farmers, an instinctive first reaction seems to be one of fear along with abandonment of production and marketing discipline. Too many farmers may be willing to compromise organic principles for personal gain and forsake responsibility for protecting prices. Almost on cue, a significant number of farmers begin to abandon any thought of a managed production inventory and revert to the survival mentality of thinking they can produce their way out of sagging grain prices. They opt for more simplified rotations that focus on shortterm gross income rather than long-term profitability; profitability based on sweat equity rather than capital investment.

A significant number of farmers surrender their pricing responsibility to a brokerage firm or a board of trade type of public auction. Or, as individual farmers, they approach this now well-established international market arena with the misguided idea that they can go “toe to toe” as equal players and come out on top, all the while losing sight of their obligations to protect their enterprise investments by resigning any market decision-making opportunities or assistance to their individual time allotment or skills in price discovery.

The devastating consequence of this “go-it-alone” approach to marketing is that they are becoming the victims of the age-old conventional mindset of the rugged individual, which by its very nature means pitting oneself against fellow organic farmers in a survival-of-the-fittest approach to farming and, more specifically, to marketing.

The endgame for our domestic organic grain production will be that organic farmers will no longer have the voice they once had in seeking the prices they enjoyed a mere five years ago. Individual volumes as well as singular voices will shrink and will continue to do so unless these voices begin to speak in terms of cooperative action. As Alice Walker, an American novelist, short story writer, poet, and social activist has

stated: “The most common way a people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”

Broker or Organic Grain Marketer Differentiating between a grain broker and a grain marketing agent is where it begins. It begins here because it is an admission that while grain marketing is simple, it’s just not easy. A broker is an independent buyer who is dependent on getting product at a low enough price to make a profit at resale, yet competitive enough to grow a business. A broker can also be a person employed by a company. So it would be a logical conclusion that a broker’s price offer will be the lowest possible price offer a farmer is willing to accept.

A marketing agent, on the other hand, is a person hired to assist in marketing a farmer’s grain. Through the structure of a marketing group, a farmer pays this person to provide a service. The marketing agent is working solely for the farmer’s best interests.

Consequently, the better the marketer performs, the more income both farmer and marketer will enjoy.

A marketer is a personal source for price discovery.

A marketer is in the market 24/7 talking to buyers, talking to other farmers, learning about crop and weather conditions, and most importantly finding out firsthand what buyers are looking for today and into the future. This is called robust price discovery.

A good marketer is experienced in logistics and all of its complexities. A good marketer is learning which buyers are low bidders and which are higher bidders.

A good marketer is also aware which buyers support the added value for domestically grown grains and the benefit such a relationship can bring to the table.

A good marketer is ever aware of which buyers are sound financially and which are questionable in their performance. A good marketer provides all of this information, which a farmer can utilize to make a sound decision regarding potential sales or contracts.

And finally, the good marketer assures the contract terms, in addition to price, are producer-friendly.

Finding a respectable price with a place to deliver can be a challenge. Every farmer has had grain quality issues from time to time. Nearly every longstanding organic farmer has experienced a rejected load. When that happens, it can be difficult to know if the rejection is legitimate. And, finding a place for the grain without having to pay the freight back home can be difficult. Here again is where a good marketer does the heavy lifting.

Marketing Organic Grain Intelligent marketing, we have come to understand, is knowing one’s limited skills in price discovery and being wise enough to hire the expertise of professionals to assist with one’s marketing plans.

It is a fact that farmers bond quite closely to the grain in the bin simply because of all the time and sweat they have invested in getting it there. It is their Inside Organics continues on 8

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November | December 2020

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“What apple varieties do you recommend for a new organic orchard?”

Answer by Organic Specialist Rachel Henderson

Most people can name a few apple varieties: those available at grocery stores, those we remember from childhood, maybe a few more for people who regularly visit a local orchard in the fall. But there are tens of thousands of named varieties of apples, with dozens of different characteristics—colors and flavors, sweetness, texture, winter hardiness, time of ripening, horticultural needs. Deciding which ones to grow in a new orchard can be overwhelming. If you’ve decided that you will grow organically, whether you want to be certified or not, selecting varieties that have some disease-resistance will help you have high-quality fruit while limiting the inputs you’ll need.

Apple Scab Resistance One of the most economically devastating diseases that affects apples in the Midwest is Apple Scab, a fungal disease that goes through two generations a year. The first cycle colonizes the leaves, and the second gets to the apples. Fallen leaves and fruit on the orchard floor carry spores over to the next year to start the cycle all over again. Once scab inoculum is established in your orchard, it can be very difficult and costly to fight.

In 1926, a collaborative breeding program of Purdue University, Rutgers University, and the University of Illinois (known as PRI) identified a gene for scab resistance and has since released a number of varieties that are highly resistant or immune to apple scab. Some of these varieties, which are commonly referred to as disease-resistant, are susceptible to other

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common diseases. Liberty, Priscilla, Pixie Crunch, Jonafree, William’s Pride, and Gold Rush are popular varieties that are bred for scab resistance or immunity but are also naturally resistant to other diseases.

Pristine, Crimson Crisp, Redfree, and Crimson Topaz are PRI apples that are scab resistant but tend to be susceptible to fire blight and/or cedar-apple rust.

Fire blight can be devastating to an orchard but is less ubiquitous than apple scab. Depending on your orchard conditions, cultural controls can be effective at limiting the risk of fire blight, and you may have success with those varieties.

easy to manage—Haralson, Chestnut Crabapple, and Sweet 16, for example—even though they are not commonly categorized as resistant.

Heirloom apples are an interesting source of disease resistance. Since there are a lot of named cultivars that were developed long before modern inputs and farm technology were available, many are well suited to minimal management. Duchess of Oldenburg, St. Edmund’s Russet, Worcester Pearmain, Egremont Russet, Golden Russet, Tydeman’s Red, and Belle de Boskoop are a few good examples. It doesn’t hurt that they have some great names! But it’s important to be careful with heirlooms. Others, such as Ashmead’s Kernel, Northern Spy, and Roxbury Russet are quite susceptible to one or more of the common diseases.

Recommendations After perusing the lists of apples in each category, it’s a good idea to talk to people in your region about their experiences with the varieties you’re considering.

Certain characteristics of apples might not pop up in research literature or catalog descriptions that can nonetheless have an impact on your growing experience. Some apples may be listed as hardy, for example, but you’ll learn from your neighbors that they’ve lost them in cold winters. A variety might not consistently ripen in a normal fall, or might be especially sensitive to spring frosts. As with most things, the experience of other farmers is one of the most valuable resources.

Rachel Henderson grows a variety of apples and other fruit on her farm near Menomonie, Wisconsin. She serves on the MOSES Organic Specialist Team. You can reach her through the MOSES Organic Answer Line (888-90-MOSES) or specialist@mosesorganic.org.

Natural Tolerance to Common Diseases Unlike apple scab, there is no identified gene for resistance to most other diseases. However, there are identified varieties that show a natural resistance to fire blight, cedar apple rust, sooty blotch, and flyspeck (known as “summer diseases”), as well as apple scab.

These varieties are sometimes referred to as “tolerant” of various diseases. The ever-popular Honeycrisp is one of them, though many growers eventually get frustrated by Honeycrisp’s more intensive horticultural needs. Akane, an older apple developed in Japan, is an early variety that’s often grown in organic orchards, as is Florina, a French apple that’s a favorite of this farmer. Other varieties in this category include some names that were common on older farmsteads—Wolf River, Enterprise, Spartan, and Jonagold, for example.

More anecdotally, a lot of growers find some older varieties from the University of Minnesota to be fairly

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Network focuses on adapting vegetables to thrive in Upper Midwest

By Cathleen McCluskey

This summer’s catastrophic plant breeding for practical and derecho that tore through Iowa, last political reasons, and have worked summer’s torrential rains that never with Julie Dawson’s lab at the seemed to stop coming—farmers University of Wisconsin-Madison in the Upper Midwest know all and SeedLinked on a variety too well the challenges of weather of short- and long-term trials,” patterns, which are seemingly more Becker said. “Joining the Upper erratic every year. Many organic Midwest Collaborative Plant farmers in the region rely on Breeding Network is a logical next vegetable varieties that are bred for step to connecting with others as conventional systems or for enviI do seed work on my farm and in ronments much different than the supporting other farmers in buildUpper Midwest. And not surprising a more resilient food and seed ingly, these varieties are showing system.” weaknesses in the field that weren’t As a community, project apparent under more stable weather collaborators will explore new patterns. models of online collaboration that These challenges, along with integrate social networking and the growth in local food markets decentralized farmer-to-farmer and organic demand, are creating connections. Participants will Kat Becker of Cattail Organics tests the SeedLinked online platform to see what other farmers think opportunities for farmers to grow learn from one another peer-tovarieties that thrive and have excel- of specific tomato varieties. SeedLinked is one of the partners working to create a network to allow peer and project coordinators collaborators to track, share, and learn about regional seed and variety performance. lent quality in the Upper Midwest. will offer more formal trainings Photo by SeedLinked There’s growing interest in adaptthrough instruction videos and ing varieties that will flourish on interactive webinars. organic farms in our region. That’s why the University future. The key tenant of the project is decentralized Decentralized information-sharing is integral to participation among farmers, gardeners, independent of Wisconsin-Madison, Organic Seed Alliance, and building a network of on-farm and in-garden researchplant breeders, seed companies, and organic certifiers SeedLinked recently launched a collaborative project ers participating in breeding trials, and project partner to build collaborative plant breeding and variety trial- SeedLinked is helping make that a reality. Right now to support and connect farmers and independent plant breeders throughout the region who want to help ing capacity in the Upper Midwest. the online crowdsourcing platform allows growers to “The Upper Midwest has a high concentration of develop regionally adapted vegetable varieties for the join, host, and share results from variety trials with Upper Midwest. Dr. Julie Dawson from the University organic specialty crop farms, very few organic seed others in their region and across the country. The companies, and unique climatic conditions,” Dawson of Wisconsin-Madison is leading the Upper Midwest platform combines smartphone technology with data shared. “We are hoping this project responds to the Collaborative Plant Breeding Network project. analytics to create a tool anyone can use to track, growing interest among farmers and independent “There is a critical need for increased availability share, and learn about regional seed and variety perbreeders in regional variety development and seed of organic seed for crop varieties bred to excel in formance. By using this collaborative tool, growers, systems.” organic systems,” Dawson explained. “In addition, researchers, and seed providers can learn from and The project team is working to foster a community support each other simply and efficiently. As part of as climate change becomes a reality, with more environmental variability, the current model of centralized of practice that brings together anyone interested in this project, SeedLinked is evolving and fine-tuning testing is not able to provide the data needed by farmers improving or breeding new vegetable varieties on their tools for plant breeders to use it for conducting their farms or in their gardens. This includes bringing and tracking breeding trials. and breeders.” together new and experienced breeders and seed savers Researcher Alex Lyon uses the platform in the Community of Practice in the region to connect and learn from one another.

University of British Columbia’s Canadian Organic Farmer Kat Becker of Cattail Organics in Athens, Vegetable Improvement Project Variety Trial Network The Upper Midwest Collaborative Plant Breeding Wisconsin has collaborated on similar variety trial project. “SeedLinked made a dramatic difference in Network project aims to equip organic plant breeders projects in the past and is excited to participate in the our ability to facilitate on-farm trials across a broader with the tools and techniques they need to succeed in serving organic farmers in the region now and into the new collaboration. “I have had a longtime interest in Collaborative Plant Breeding continues on 8

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November | December 2020

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Growing Stronger — from page 1

CFAP2 for Farmers — from page 1

“The GrassWorks portion of this amazing Growing Stronger Conference includes a wide variety of speakers that we are excited to showcase,” said Heather Flashinski, GrassWorks Grazing Conference Planner.

“Not only will you hear from great experts in grazing, but also can easily listen and learn about topics on other potential things you could do on your farms. The conference will provide an amazing return on investment this year!” All workshops and their questionand-answer sessions will be recorded and posted on the platform during the event and remain available for 90 days so participants can view as many workshops as they want.

Conference participants can connect with industry suppliers and buyers, as well as organic certifiers, agency representatives, consultants, and more in the online exhibit space. Exhibit “booths” will offer scheduled times for one-to-one consultations and be open for participants to browse throughout the event.

The Growing Stronger Conference also provides the chance to highlight organic and sustainable farms through farmer speed presentations. These pre-recorded videos can run up to 5 minutes and show an innovative growing practice, an insightful tip that makes a farm chore easier, a cool tool or farm hack, or simply provide a virtual farm tour. Details on how to submit a video are at mosesorganic.org/ farmer-share-speed-presentations.

Admission to the conference will be $125, with a $25 discount through December. Scholarships are available to reduce the price to just $35. See conference details at bit.ly/GrowingStronger2021.

“Growing Stronger participants will have access to the best organic expertise, topics, and resources available during this six-day event,” Lehman added.

nursery plants and produce, also applied for CFAP2 in October. A recipient of a few of the FSA loan programs including an ownership loan to buy his farm, Matt has what he considers a great relationship with FSA. He learned about CFAP2 through an email USDA sent in September.

His first step was to call the toll-free number in the email. They were helpful, and quickly emailed documents for Matt to fill out along with an email that instructed him to contact his local FSA office. He did, and the FSA employee took his information and said the check would be in the mail. When he still didn’t receive the check two weeks later, he called back. The same FSA employee apologized and told him she had made a mistake. She directed him to a different office (the reporting office) that handles FSA programs, not loans, and he was given a time for a phone call on a certain day of the week. An FSA employee from the reporting office did call during the set time slot, then set up a “new producer” account with a farm number and confirmed that she would mail the necessary paperwork. (It couldn’t be emailed.) Matt waited about a week for the correct paperwork to arrive via USPS, and promptly filled it out and mailed it back in. Two weeks later, early in November, he received the CFAP2 check in the mail. The whole process, initial application to check in hand, took about a month and a half.

Matt will use the CFAP2 benefit as a cushion going into another uncertain farming season with COVID-19 rates on the rise, an unstable economy, and climate change challenges.

David VanEeckhout, The Good Acre, works with many vegetable farmers through their regional food hub in St. Paul, Minnesota. He stated that some specialty crop farmers have had landmark years, selling more local farm products than ever before. This may be due to national and global produce markets being interrupted by COVID-19 and climate change, leading to more demand for local food. Despite less customer traffic, one farmer stated that people seemed to feel safer shopping outside at farmers markets rather than inside the grocery store. They also came to shop, buying more food instead of the usual market coffee, pastry, and hang-out time.

Some mid-scale produce farms have opted not to apply to ensure not having to pay more taxes. Those with more employees may also have already benefitted from the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) administered through the Small Business Administration earlier in the year.

Many organizations including the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) have been hard at work to make certain that all farmers understand the federal COVID-19 relief programs that are available, and how to access them. NSAC’s new webpage, CFAP 101 for Producers (see link in

Audrey Alwell is the MOSES Communications Director.

CFAP2 Resources USDA CFAP website: www.farmers.gov/cfap Application support: USDA CFAP Call Center: 877-508-8364 (Select 1 for English or 2 for Spanish.)

Michael Fields Agricultural Institute’s grants advisor, Martin Bailkey, can help.

Email martinbailkey@gmail.com.

ATTRA can assist with CFAP2 applications.

1-800-346-9140 or email AskAnAg@ncat.org.

USDA’s CFAP benefit calculator: www.farmers.gov/cfap/tool Farmers’ Guide to CFAP2 Farmers’ Legal Action Group (FLAG) provides a detailed explanation of CFAP2. www.flaginc.org/covid-19-guide FAQs, case studies, and step-by-step application instructions: sustainableagriculture.net/our-work/nsacresponse-to-covid-19/cfap-101-for-producers Problems with CFAP2: If you’ve had trouble with CFAP2, complete this form from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition and Farm Aid so they can advocate for improvements to future programs. www.tfaforms.com/4828724

box), includes frequently asked questions, case studies, and step-by-step application instructions. Along with a number of other farmer advocacy agencies including Farmers Legal Action Group (FLAG), NSAC also recently published a document titled, “Navigating COVID Relief for Farmers.” The document advises farmers to check with the relevant agency for changes as program details are changing rapidly. Also, documentation is critical to receive funds. Have your records handy and start taking detailed notes that capture your price or market losses.

Farmers have until Dec. 11, 2020, to apply for the CFAP2 benefit. See the box included with this story for resources to help you apply. The list includes a link to a form to let NSAC and Farm Aid know if you experience difficulties with CFAP. Jennifer Nelson is a MOSES Organic Specialist. She and her family own Humble Pie Farm in western Wisconsin.

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Demand for organic pork creates opportunity for producers plus processors

By Roz Lehman

It wasn’t that long ago when livestock roamed the landscape and rural communities thrived on a local producer-to-consumer food system. We don’t see pig huts or herds of grazing cows along our Midwest highways much anymore, but change is on the horizon. The demand for organic meat is growing, and the U.S. organic livestock sector needs to boost production and infrastructure to meet that demand.

In 2019, the Iowa Organic Association hosted the Midwest Organic Pork Conference to collaborate around current organic pork production resources, research, mentorship, and industry growth. Why organic pork? It’s better for the farm, the customer, the environment, and it just tastes better according to research conducted by Texas Tech University and a study published in the Journal of Animal Science.

Concerns about food quality and long-term health effects, food safety, environmental degradation, animal management and welfare, exposure to harmful chemicals, and the decline of rural economic opportunities all contribute to the growth we’re seeing in the organic sector. The $55 billion organic industry continues to see the highest growth within U.S. agriculture as consumers take these food values to the checkout line. The market for organic meat, poultry, and fish increased by 29% in sales between 2016 and 2019.

Consumers have greater access to food and health-related information and are evaluating their food and product choices based on their personal values. This motivation is not fading. According to the Organic Trade Association, 52% of people who consume organic products are millennials. They are investing in what’s good for their health and what keeps money in their communities. A 2017 Y-Pulse study found that 68% of millennials would rather buy locally sourced ingredients, and almost just as many are willing to pay more. Additionally, when millennials become parents, these factors become even more important when choosing food for their families. We can only expect this upward trend to continue among future generations as more information and access to organic and local foods become mainstream.

Currently, the U.S. market for organic pork is pushing American farmers to expand production and transition to organic hog production. Iowa and Wisconsin are the top two states for organic pork, placing Midwest farmers in a prime position to meet

consumer demand.

The organic market continues to provide consistent and reliable returns for organic products, and we know consumers are willing to pay higher prices for organic food. Likewise, adding livestock to a crop production system can prove profitable by diversifying income streams and utilizing farm resources for feed and land management.

The on-farm environmental and regenerative benefits include improved soil and water from a range of practices such as varying Pigs at Jude Becker’s farm in Iowa enjoy ample pastures. At a workshop in the Growing crop rotations, grazing, Stronger Collaborative Conference in February, Becker will share how he manages his organic farrow-to-finish operation. and holistic land and Photo by Jude Becker manure management methods.

Increased awareness about the environment, anithe use of additives. Additionally, organic meat must mal welfare, and chemicals in food have encouraged follow regulations that require animals are raised a rising number of producers and businesses across under natural living conditions, like access to pasture, the U.S. to provide a range of niche options for a 100% organic grain and forages diet, and restricorganic, clean, natural, and pasture-raised pork. tions on the use of antibiotics or hormones. Sow These efforts are celebrated as important steps in offspring are also required to be managed organically moving away from large, corporate animal feeding during at least the final 38 days of gestation. There is confinements and towards more sustainable, comno regulatory oversight for farming practices used to munity-based, and socially conscious food choices. develop other types of niche products. USDA organic However, clean, natural, and pasture-based claims operations are inspected annually, and organic prodare a largely undefined and unregulated standard of ucts are verified organic from the farm to the store. practice, therefore, providing the consumer with little Where our food comes from is just as important as to no proof of marketing claims. The organic label, knowing how it is produced. Indeed, the COVID-19 with its established requirements, continues to be the pandemic has only heightened the importance of food gold standard when it comes to a consistent and relisovereignty and the value of local, safe, and fresh food able option when making wise food choices. products for our families, communities, and planet.

The USDA organic label provides consumers The pandemic has also revealed cracks in our current with the confidence and assurance that their food food systems, in Iowa and across the country, as we was grown and processed according to the federal saw disruption in food processing and distribution guidelines that were developed to address soil quality, supply chains. But these disruptions have initiated animal raising practices, pest and weed control, and Organic Pork continues on 16

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Inside Organics — from page 3 livelihood. However, its market value is not dependent on this bonding or emotional connection. Buyers only see bushels to buy to make their own product.

Consumers only experience the satisfaction of having good quality food on the table. So what is the value of your grain?

Setting that value is probably one of the greatest advantages of having a marketing agent. As an individual in the market, the decibel level of a farmer’s voice will be in direct relation to the volume of bushels that farmer has to offer. So combining those bushels with other organic farmers’ bushels logically raises the marketing decibels for all. Turning up the volume can be accomplished by engaging a good, honest grain marketer to represent more farmers and more bushels.

This approach to the organic grain market, including structure and previously referenced attributes of good marketers, already exists. It is the Organic Farmers Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM).

OFARM’s cooperative information and inventorysharing significantly increase the negotiating position for the farmer in the person of the marketer. This group of collaborating marketers at the negotiating table becomes the farmer’s voice as well as the voice

of hundreds of other organic farmers. The oftenunrealized benefit of this structure is the simple fact that the more farmers and inventory represented by these marketers the louder and stronger becomes their voice and position in negotiating a price.

But this service certainly is not without some investment. Here again, as a participant in a marketing coop, the farmer sets the level of cost for this service.

The farmer determines the salary for the marketer because the farmer, with full expectation of satisfactory service, is the one providing the marketer’s paycheck. The success of any cooperative entity is totally dependent upon the loyalty of its patrons.

OFARM marketing agents guided by the directives of their respective coop boards of directors and participating farmer members approach the organic markets with this set of goals in mind.

1. Organic prices must reflect the production costs of healthy, wholesome food in an environmentally responsible manner.

2. Organic prices must reflect an income that provides for support of the social and economic viability of the community.

3. Organic prices must account for full recovery of all

inputs including those unique to the production, handling, and marketing of organic grains.

4. Organic prices must reflect a return on investment that provides for the acquisition and ownership of land and the related infrastructure required of an organic food system.

5. Organic prices must reflect a return to labor and management and provide family income at levels that allow for the full involvement of all participants in the production unit.

6. Organic prices must reflect income that allows for the education, training and transitioning to future generations of organic farmers.

The definitive purpose for OFARM is to assure that the determination of our economic destinies as organic farmers and the destinies of future generations of organic farmers will be and continue to be the direct results of the decisions its members make each day as they, through their marketing agents, approach the market together.

adapted to the region that organic farmers in the Upper Midwest can add to their market offerings.

University of Wisconsin-Madison partners will collaborate with plant breeders Erica Kempter of Nature and Nurture Seeds in Michigan and Keith Mueller of KC Tomato in Missouri to breed new tomato and pepper varieties in partnership with trial hosts on farms and gardens throughout the region. The network will select varieties for flavor—a key requirement for organic tomatoes—as well as productivity on organic farms.

Collaborative breeding models like this one also offer an opportunity to explore new models of releasing varieties. As part of the project, partners will be experimenting with strategies for navigating the process of variety release and commercialization of collaboratively bred varieties. There’s a lot to navigate when it comes to releasing a new variety, and collaborators will work together to understand how to determine when a variety is ready for release, intellectual property options, how to decide between selling seed in-house versus licensing to a larger company, and how to connect and negotiate with seed companies.

These conversations around intellectual property right (IPR) models in seed are ongoing. Organic Seed Alliance, Vermont Law School, and the National Center for Appropriate Technology recently hosted a listening session with farmers, seed growers, seed companies, plant breeders, and other food and farming stakeholders about issues they face with IPR on seed. Find the post-event recording at seedalliance.org.

How to Get Involved Andrew Adamski of Full Circle Community Farm in Seymour, Wisconsin is looking forward to being a part of the collaborative network. “Diversity is key to any thriving system,” Adamski said. “Not only do farmers need a diversity of human interaction, ecosystem dynamics, income streams, and a diverse diet, we need a diversity of plant genetics to thrive in our unique farm climate. The best way to do this is breeding plants on your farm with the help and support of others with knowledge and wisdom that you don’t have yet.”

Are you a farmer or gardener in the Upper Midwest who wants to help adapt key crops to your growing environment, while connecting and learning with other plant breeders and seed savers in the region? Sign up today to be part of the Upper Midwest Collaborative Plant Breeding Network. Visit seedalliance.org/2020/ upper-midwest-collaborative-breeding-network.

Mark your calendar to join the collaborative for a roundtable at the virtual Growing Stronger conference this February and help prioritize regional needs for seed research, education, and resources!

By working together, collaborators throughout the region can build the diversity and resilience needed on farms and plates to respond to new climate realities.

Oren Holle is president of the Organic Farmers Agency for Relationship Marketing (OFARM); Carmen Fernholz is vice president. See www.ofarm.org.

Collaborative Plant Breeding — from page 5 geographic region, efficiently capture farmers’ observations, and provide useful and timely trial results to our constituents,” Lyon said.

The Upper Midwest Collaborative Plant Breeding Network project will use the SeedLinked platform to empower farmers, breeders, and organic certifiers to effectively collect, share, and analyze data to support decentralized collaborative breeding and variety trialing. SeedLinked will also be working with organic certification organizations in the region to refine the platform, so it can help certifiers learn about new organic varieties and support farmers in improving organic seed usage.

“My husband and I ran a CSA for 25 years, and for many years the selection of certified organic seeds for growers was not very good,” said Dela Ends of Scotch Hill Farm/Innisfree Farmstay in Brodhead, Wisconsin. “Often, organic varieties were not as good as compared to some of the tried-and-true conventional cultivars. Now the seed selection for organic growers improves every year. In our final years as CSA growers almost my entire seed list was certified organic varieties. It has become so much easier to find organic varieties.”

Organic certifiers play an important role in building robust organic seed systems by helping farmers like the Ends find organic seed sources that will thrive on their farm and in their markets.

Project partners will be fostering the community of practice to breed new pepper and tomato varieties

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Bang Brewing, University of Minnesota team up to create Organic Brewers Alliance

By Emmery Hartwig & Marena Ekblad

Seven years ago, Jay and Sandy Boss Febbo established their award-winning organic brewery, Bang Brewing, in St. Paul, Minnesota. Set close to the University of Minnesota’s St. Paul campus, the brewery has a unique, grain-bin taproom with a native prairie beer garden. From the planning and development of the brewery to its opening, Sandy and Jay have consistently worked hard to make sustainability the main pillar of their operation. Their practices include the use of all-organic ingredients to brew, providing reusable and returnable packaging, having on-site recycling and compost facilities, donating spent grains to local farmers, building their brewery with eco-friendly materials, and much more.

“Our commitment to brewing with organic ingredients comes from our desire to support farmers that are managing land with sustainable and regenerative practices,” Sandy said. “Their commitment to soil health, clean water, and farmworker health provides us with the ingredients we want to craft our beers.”

Even before opening, Jay and Sandy realized through years of research, planning, and development for their brewery that making connections and sourcing organic ingredients would be a challenge. This was due to the scarcity of organic brewing products on the market, their relatively small-scale operation which made gaining an audience with brewing industry brokers difficult, and the fact that organic beer was, and still is, a niche market.

“It has been over seven years since our opening, and sourcing organic ingredients continues to be our biggest challenge—and our most rewarding success,” Sandy added. “The audience we’ve managed to secure with larger producers and brokers has given us access to a wider range of ingredients each year, though it’s the relationships we’ve established with small farmers that are the most rewarding. Even with these developments, our ingredient options are still far fewer than those of conventional brewers—and we’ve come to recognize this as a massive opportunity.”

From their firsthand experience with the difficulties of sourcing organic brewing ingredients came the idea for an organic brewers network to mitigate these challenges for current and aspiring organic brewers. Thus, the seed for Organic Brewers Alliance was planted. After a few years of ideating, Sandy and Jay found the right partners in their neighbors—the

Bang Brewing’s unique “grain-bin” taproom and native prairie beer garden (left) reflect owners Jay and Sandy Boss Febbo’s commitment to organic and sustainable practices. The couple (right) has partnered with the University of Minnesota to create the Organic Brewers Alliance database to connect organic producers and brewers.

Photos by Bang Brewing

University of Minnesota (UMN)—to help their vision of an Organic Brewers Alliance become a reality.

“As alumni, it’s incredibly rewarding to be partnering with the University of Minnesota and so exciting to see the Organic Brewers Alliance becoming a reality,” Sandy said.

Jay and Sandy are working with the Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture (MISA), which is a unique partnership between the UMN College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resource Sciences, UMN Extension, and the Sustainer’s Coalition. MISA’s purpose is to bring together the diverse interests of the agricultural and University communities. Helene Murray, MISA executive director, believes the Organic Brewers Alliance is an excellent project to partner with due to its focus on expanding the availability and demand for products made using sustainable farming practices.

“While talking with Sandy about the concept of the Organic Brewers Alliance, it seemed like a perfect fit to involve students in researching,” Murray said.

“With COVID-19 upon us, Emmery and Marena [UMN students and authors of this piece] could work with Sandy and Jay remotely to find resources, identify

farmers, and catalog organic brewers to develop the database of information and begin work on a website to share the information they gathered.” The team, which also includes Constance Carlson of the UMN Forever Green Initiative and the Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships, came together quickly in the spring of this year.

The Organic Brewers Alliance is a start-up effort created to facilitate connections amongst organic brewers and organic farmers, maltsters, millers, and other producers. It aims to act as a conduit for the spread of information, products, and resources between current and future organic brewers and producers. This network will encourage the creation of stable markets for organic producers, connect brewer-to-brewer for establishing cooperative purchasing, help brewers source local or hard-to-find organic ingredients, and foster national support and demand for regenerative and sustainable agricultural practices.

The market for organic beer and brewing ingredients is much smaller than conventional brewing, but the Organic Brewers Alliance aims to change this.

Organic Brewers Alliance continues on 12

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National survey highlights big gains for Organic

By Nichelle Harriott

Demand for organic continues to defy expectations as consumers recognize its many benefits. Now new data underscore this trend. Organic agriculture saw a 31% increase in overall sales since 2016, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) National Agricultural Statistics Service (NASS) 2019 Organic Survey. The Organic Survey, conducted every five years, gathers information from certified or transitioning to certified organic farmers on production, marketing, and transitioning information pertaining to their organic operations. In addition to sales, the 2019 survey reports a 17% increase in certified organic farms and a nine% increase in certified organic acres.

There were 16,585 certified organic farms in the U.S. in 2019, compared to 14,217 in 2016, with California (3,012), Wisconsin (1,364), New York (1,321), Pennsylvania (1,048) and Ohio (785) rounding out the top five states. A total of 5.5 million acres were in organic production in 2019—a half-million-acre increase since 2016. The vast majority of farms (71%) have been in agricultural production for over 10 years, with 48% of certified organic farms in operation for over 10 years. 24% of organic farmers have been in operation for less than five years, a number which has increased since 2014 indicating a growing number of new farmers into the sector.

Last year NASS released the findings of its 2017 Census of Agriculture which found significant growth in the organic sector, including a 39% increase in certified organic operations and increased sales for organic products. Following the 2017 Census, the 2019 Organic Survey aimed to take a deeper dive into these trends, including estimates of organic crop production, costs, and management practices. Both surveys are invaluable sources of data for Congress, USDA and sustainable agriculture organizations to ensure there is an accurate reflection of the health of organic agriculture and emerging trends. The last Organic Survey was released in 2014. Note, the Certified Organic Survey was conducted in 2016 surveying only certified organic producers and does not include farmers or operations transitioning to organic.

California has the highest number of organic farms with 3,012. Wisconsin ranks second with 1,364, just over 8% of the nation’s total number of certified organic farms.

Source: USDA 2019 Organic Survey

$3.6 billion (36%) of the U.S. total and a staggering four times that of any other state. Washington state ($886 million), Pennsylvania ($742 million), Oregon ($454 million), and Texas ($424 million) follow California and round out the top five states in organic sales.

Eleven states averaged more than $200 million in organic products. The largest farms, which account for only 17% of all farms, accounted for 84% of all sales.

Farm Characteristics

Organic Performs Well at Local Markets Organic also performed well in direct to consumers sales and local markets. The survey found that $2.04 billion in sales—20.5% of all organic sales—were

Organic Survey Highlights Total sales of organic products rose to $9.93 billion, an increase of $2.37 billion, or 31%, from 2016. Among states, California grossed the most organic sales with

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Among organic products, 58% of organic sales came from crops (field crops like corn) followed by vegetables and fruits. Livestock and poultry products (e.g. milk and eggs), saw a small increase of 12%, while livestock and poultry (e.g. broiler chickens, cattle) had a greater increase of 44%. Top commodities seeing the greatest increase in sales since 2016 include: Corn, for grain......................... +70% Broiler chickens....................... +49% Carrots...................................... +49% Spinach...................................... +52% Grapes....................................... +52% Cultivated Blueberries............. +104% Raspberries............................... +197% Turkeys...................................... +68%

Source: Highlights, USDA 2019 Organic Survey

Organic Survey continues on next page

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Organic Survey — from previous page made directly to retail markets, institutions, and local/ regional food hubs. Three hundred million dollars’ worth of organic products were sold directly to consumers at farmers markets, on-farm stores and stands, roadside stands, self-harvest, community supported agriculture farms, and online markets. Jams, meat, cheese, wine, and other value-added products had $727 million in sales.

Production Challenges Despite the growing success of organic, many organic farmers continue to face production and marketing challenges. To get a better understanding, the 2019 survey asked farmers questions around their production practices, expenses, and economic losses.

For the first time the survey asked specific questions around the purchase of organic feed, seed, and seedlings. The results show this continues to be a major expense for organic farmers. Costs have significantly increased for seed and feed since 2014. Nationally, expenses for non-certified organic seed stood at over $328 million in 2019 compared to $340 million for organic seed. Fortunately, more farms were able to source organic seed and feed (11,303 using organic seed versus 6,983 using non-organic seed).

The 2019 Organic Survey asked questions regarding the impact of unintended presence of genetically modified organisms (GMO) and, new to the survey, the presence of non-National Organic Program (NOP) pesticides on organic farms. The majority of farmers indicated they did not experience GMO contamination (15,248) or pesticides (15,339) on their farms, while many others stated they just did not know. For farms that did experience economic impacts from unintended GMO (125) and pesticide exposures (142) in 2019, the numbers affected slightly decreased or remained relatively the same since 2018. However, looking at prior data the number of farms experiencing GMO contamination increased overall since 2006.

The 2019 data, however, do not quantify the economic impact of contamination so it is difficult to determine the financial burden of this on farmers.

Regulatory hurdles remain a major impediment for organic farmers with 54% of farmers reporting they have experienced regulatory challenges while 39% noted they experienced production challenges.

These are marked increases since 2014 and may mean

farmers are unable to access on-the-ground assistance from local state and federal agencies. It is unclear what these regulatory challenges were, but they could range from understanding NOP standards or application to federal programs.

Organic Production Farmers are increasing organic production by transitioning more acres to organic. Certified organic farmers transitioned 255,060 acres in 2019, the majority of which are located in Montana and California.

This marks a 113% increase in transitional acres since 2014. Similarly, over 60,611 acres are being transitioned to organic by non-certified farms, compared to 50,688 in 2014. While 44% of organic farmers intend to maintain their current levels of production, 29% indicated plans to expand their organic operations.

Organic farmers use a range of practices and tools to build healthy soil, conserve water, and manage pests without harmful toxic inputs. Most farms (65%) utilized sustainable and conservation practices that include buffer strips or border rows to separate organic crops from conventional crops; animal and green manures; and conservation tillage, no-till or minimum till.

Conservation Programs, Crop Insurance The survey reports that 7,306 or 44% of organic farms participated in the National Organic Certification Cost-Share Program (NOCCSP) in 2019—a 27% increase since 2014. NOCCSP provides farmers with cost-share assistance to certify their farms as organic, in compliance with the standards of the National Organic Program (NOP). The increase in participation signals the importance of the program’s utility to those needing to certify their operations.

Organic farmers also took advantage of the EQIP Organic Initiative Program which provides financial assistance to organic producers to implement and install conservation practices. Through EQIP Organic Initiative, administered by the Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS), farmers are able to develop conservation plans, establish buffer zones, plan and install pollinator habitat, improve irrigation, cropping rotations, cover cropping, and nutrient management to address resource concerns. A total of 1,323 (7.9%) certified organic farms were enrolled in the program in 2019 with 230,573 acres. This marks a

decline in participation from 2014 where 1,673 certified farms enrolled in EQIP Organic Initiative.

Another important data set worth investigating is participation in crop insurance. Of the 16,585 certified organic farms with organic acreage, only 4,255 had organic acres enrolled in crop insurance in 2019—just 25.6% of farms. This is a slight improvement from 2014 where around 20% of organic farms were covered by crop insurance. 2,392 organic farms had 100% crop insurance coverage while 234 had less than 25% coverage. Farmers indicated that crop insurance was either too expensive (1,600), not available for their commodities (1,223), or that organic price elections were not offered for their commodities (158). Many farmers (2,165) said they were not familiar with organic crop insurance while 115 said their insurance agent was not familiar. Almost 45% (7,478) indicated they did not need or want crop insurance.

Takeaway The data reflected in the 2019 Organic Survey show that even though organic sales and acreage continue to grow across the U.S., much more regulatory and policy support is needed to support this growing sector. Organic agriculture is here to stay, and farmers deserve access to production and marketing resources that will help their farms be successful. The importance of data collected over time to show trends is critically important to policy makers and organic farmers. This information helps inform policy priorities and farmer decision-making.

Nichelle Harriott is a Policy Specialist with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

This article is an excerpt of a blog posted at sustainableagriculture.net/blog, reprinted with permission from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.

Additional Data from Organic Survey U.S. Highlights: bit.ly/US2019OrganicSurveyNASS Wisconsin: bit.ly/WI2019OrganicSurveyNASS MInnesota: bit.ly/MN2019OrganicSurveyNASS Iowa: bit.ly/IA2019OrganicSurveyNASS Data Tables: www.nass.usda.gov/Publications/AgCensus/ 2017/Online_Resources/Organics/index.php

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Organic Brewers Alliance — from page 9 With the effects of climate change and unsustainable farming practices threatening our environment and food supply chain, garnering support and demand for regenerative and sustainable farming practices has never been more crucial. Sandy and Jay, through the launch of the Organic Brewers Alliance, hope to rally this support from brewers, producers, and the general public by making their small corner of the food supply chain more accessible and easier to join.

“Our goal is to establish a network of brewers that will further prove demand and support for sustainable and regenerative farming,” Sandy explained. “We see potential to collectively share our resources, connect our various producers, and to lay the groundwork for cooperative purchasing where possible. Our motivation is to make it easier for other brewers, producers, and ultimately consumers that are interested in organics to opt in.” Sandy and Jay know that change comes from communities working together, and that’s precisely what they want the Organic Brewers Alliance to be—a community.

The Organic Brewers Alliance will consist of a comprehensive database of organic producers, including information such as location, which products they specialize in, which varieties they grow, any breweries or producers they are affiliated with, as well as their contact information. This database will include organic farmers across a variety of grains such as barley, buckwheat, corn, Kernza®, millet, oats, rye, sorghum, spelt, and wheat. It will also include hops farmers, maltsters, millers, and yeast labs. Additionally, organic producers of other brewing ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, herbs, spices, honey, and maple syrup will be listed.

Along with a database of organic producers, the Organic Brewers Alliance network will catalog breweries in the United States, from 100% certified organic breweries to those that only use organic ingredients when possible. Once complete, the database will be turned into a national map depicting where organic brewers and producers are located, granting users the ability to make connections, source or sell local organic ingredients, and allow brewers to establish cooperative pricing when possible. The map will also have a search function, allowing users to quickly find local organic grain producers, locate organic breweries near them to connect with, or source and market special ingredients to take craft beer to the next level.

The database and interactive map will be housed on the Organic Brewer’s Alliance website once it is launched following the completion of the project.

From the website, users will be able to access the map that will help brewers locate ingredients and help producers find stable markets to sell their organic products.

This network is especially beneficial for organic farmers and producers. With the Organic Brewers Alliance, mutually beneficial relationships can be made between organic brewers and producers that allow brewers to source ingredients they need for their beer and producers to have a steady buyer for their products and services. Having a community like the Organic Brewers Alliance will help ensure that farmers have a market and a reliable income year-to-year.

The alliance also will connect them with other producers to share their knowledge and resources.

Also included on the website will be an annotated bibliography of resources to help understand the

importance of regenerative and sustainable farming practices, how to begin organic brewing or farming, and why it matters. Additionally, there will be a platform for discussion between users, allowing for more frequent updates of the map and the spread of news throughout the network. The Organic Brewers Alliance team hopes to launch the website by the end of 2020.

The first phase of research and development of the Organic Brewers Alliance will focus on beer brewing in the United States. Once established, the Organic Brewers Alliance team plans to expand their database and map to international beer brewers and producers.

Talks of adding wine producers, cider makers, and distillers to the database will proceed once the international website is up and running.

“We envision the Organic Brewers Alliance as an amazing online resource where anyone can search by ingredient or location to find farmers, brewers, and mid-producers—providing a dynamic network for people to connect,” Sandy said. “We believe change happens by individual actions, one batch, one beer at a time.”

With the foundation laid, the Organic Brewers Alliance needs collaboration on all sides to reach its full potential. For more information on the project or to learn how you can get involved, email oba@ bangbrewing.com.

Emmery Hartwig and Marena Ekblad are seniors in the College of Food, Agricultural and Natural Resources Sciences at the University of Minnesota.

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American elderberry can offer perennial profits to small-scale farmers

By Pete Widin

Elderberry offers so much more than the coldseason syrups we see popping up everywhere, from farmers markets to Walmart. American Elderberry brings so much to the table because of its deep and varied history of use as discovered by the Indigenous people of North America. Today, with diverse markets for high-quality elderberry flowers and fruit, this native perennial crop deserves a closer look for smallscale growers wanting to diversify in a profitable and in-demand niche.

Over the years, I’ve been searching for “holy grail” crops that check so many boxes it doesn’t make sense not to grow them. While American Elderberry (Sambucus nigra var. canadensis) isn’t for every operation, it just might suit your particular goals and situation. It’s not often we come upon crops seeing a veritable explosion of markets from brewing and distilling to herbal medicine and dairy-aisle staples.

It is important to honor the commitment of a few MOSES regulars who helped this crop build the momentum growers can enjoy today. Terry Durham has been part of the MOSES Conference since the beginning. You’ve probably seen the River Hills Harvest table in the exhibit hall, where Terry and fellow elderberry spokesperson Chris Patton (Midwest Elderberry Cooperative) hand out samples of the River Hills cold-pressed elderberry juice and other preserves made from berries grown across Missouri and the Midwest.

The long hours Terry and Chris put in over the past decade have created a broad buzz across multiple markets where American Elderberry is in higher demand than production can supply. The Midwest Elderberry Cooperative, a grower-led organization connecting the elderberry community with the resources and buyers that growers need to be successful, had 150,000 pounds of bulk frozen elderberry order requests in early September 2020. The price ranged from $2 to $5/ lb, depending on fruit quality and organic status. At the same time, a single herbal medicine company was looking to purchase 10,000 pounds of dried flowers at $30/lb.

With this much demand through one small cooperative organization, imagine the possibilities for local and regional networking with brewers, distillers, and producers of food and health products of all scales in your own area. This doesn’t even include the $8-10/ lb that many elderberry growers are easily getting for their fresh and frozen berries via on-farm sales to home consumers who make their own syrups, jams, and juices.

Now let’s bring things down to the ground. I understand the risks of romanticizing a shiny new crop and want to make sure I give you the real low-down on what it takes to be part of these growing markets.

Elderberry has the potential to bring real, long-term economic vitality to our rural communities, ecological integrity to land management goals, and a higher

Elderberry plants have a “decumbent” drooping habit, which can help protect berries from bird predation.

Photo by Pete Widin

standard of human health as a preventive medicine.

But these benefits are only possible and sustainable with a clear understanding of the day-to-day demands of an elderberry operation.

The first consideration, as I’m sure you’ve been thinking, is how does this crop fit in with an existing operation or existing lifestyle that’s already busy? The simple answer is that some flexibility and adjustment is required. The advantage of this crop is that, unlike annuals, it’s going to come back up every spring without having to plant again. The productive lifespan of an elderberry plant is thought to be about 20 years, similar to blueberries.

However, elderberries don’t take nearly as much intensive pruning as blueberries to maintain their vigor. Elderberry stems are cut at the ground during the dormant season. Depending on the variety, all stems are cut (determinates like Bob Gordon and Ranch) or the third-year stems are selectively pruned (indeterminates such as Wyldewood, Adams II, and Johns). Second-year growth is the most productive cane stage for American Elderberry. European Elder is a whole other story, and this article is focused on our native species.

When selecting a site for elderberry, there are some common assumptions that I’d like to nip in the bud (pun intended). While you’ll often see elders growing in quite wet places, this often isn’t the ideal place for them if you’re looking to grow at a substantial scale.

Elderberry is most easily grown and harvested in rows or alleys, spaced 12 feet apart on-center. With an average field size from one to five acres, you’re going to want equipment and perhaps animal access for seasonal weed management and fertility inputs. Soils that flood for a couple of weeks seasonally aren’t a huge deal, but if you can’t get your equipment in there come spring green-up or harvest (May and AugustSeptember in Minnesota), weed and grass competition

10 x 4 November

can really affect plant productivity. Not to mention that spotted wing drosophila (SWD) fruit flies love the still and humid air that overgrown grasses provide at the base of your prized plants.

Well-drained, fertile soils are what you’re after for elderberry. While sandy soils or clay won’t preclude you from growing this crop, high organic matter and good drainage/soil porosity are preferred. It’s quite common to use former corn-soy rotation fields for elderberry plantings. For new plantings, baseline soil testing and balancing with cover crops and select inputs, when necessary, are essential to ensure real success.

Rather than jump headlong into elderberry, I recommend that potential growers step back, create a budgeted plan of action, and get that soil life and fertility naturally boosted before planting.

There are other important considerations at the outset as well. Elderberry is a full-sun crop. This may be obvious to some, but many people I talk to ask if they can successfully grow a marketable crop in partial shade or woodland conditions. A commercial berry operation is going to need full sun to thrive.

This plant also benefits from irrigation—not only during the first couple seasons of establishment—to aid in fruit set and ripening. With the unpredictability of our summers here in Minnesota, I always recommend laying down drip-tubing on the ground before planting happens. If you have rolling or sloped topography, pressure-compensating drip is going to ensure the rows get even water as well. This honestly isn’t a huge expense when considering the potential downside to manual irrigation and exposure to drought for this shallow-rooted plant. I estimate about $500/acre for basic irrigation needs here.

Pests and disease in elderberry vary by location.

There are a few major players to consider. Backyard and farm-scale fruit growers in the Midwest have likely heard of SWD, and the delicate elderberry fruit is particularly susceptible to this pest. SWD emerges and begins injecting fruit with its eggs around July 4th here in Central Minnesota. Deer and birds also are a major consideration, and the pressure any grower experiences really depends on the local populations of these critters. Some growers have little pressure while others are hit hard, requiring 8’ fencing around fields and netting over the top. Deer fencing is the bigger necessity of these two in my experience, to be put in place before initial planting. Funding assistance may be available in your area through NRCS and local Soil & Water Districts due to the tillage-reducing nature of this perennial crop.

Other issues growers can experience include leaffeeding mites, stem borers, Japanese beetles, viruses, and the very odd-looking elderberry rust fungi. While this sounds like a big list, these aren’t a given issue for every operation. Most pest and disease pressures in To Elderberry on page 14

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November | December 2020

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Elderberry— from page 13 elderberry have effective organic methods for control.

The only untreatable issue is viral infection, and you can help prevent this by purchasing only certified virus-free stock from a grower who has had their plants inspected during the growing season by their state department of agriculture.

Planting and establishment are straightforward for elderberry. The difference really comes from the current state of your field—fertility, existing cover, and desired vegetation between rows. Some successful growers have found that laying irrigation and planting the bare cuttings as soon as soil is workable in the spring is the easiest route.

So, what happens come harvest time? It’s one thing to have a great crop of flowers and/or fruit to look forward to, but the fact is that many growers find themselves at a loss for the labor and infrastructure that’s needed to get a great crop to the willing buyers.

“Do what you can take care of with your family [and friends],” recommended River Hills Harvest’s Durham. “Two people can pick two acres, de-stem, and get the berries packaged.”

Both flowers and fruit are pretty quick to spoil once they’re ready to harvest. If you’re going for a

high-quality product, that’s where things get tricky.

For the fruit—the more perishable crop—waves of picking are often done every couple of days as more cymes (the structure bearing the fruit) ripen as fully as possible. Berries on a cyme don’t always ripen evenly, and the 20+ cymes on a particular plant will rarely, if ever, ripen all at once.

De-stemming is an important part of the harvest and packing process. Buyers, whether they’re home consumers or wholesale, don’t want stems or unripe fruit in their berries. Therefore, all berries are de-stemmed either with a machine, such as The Elderberry De-stemmer [TED] from the River Hills Harvest group, or with hand screens for smaller plantings of an acre or less. Berries are then put through a weak sanitizing solution and rinsed twice to cleanse them for food safety and remove bits of stem and unripe berries, which often float. This method was developed by Durham in collaboration with the University of Missouri, which has also done some amazing health research and plant breeding as part of their funded elderberry efforts. Food safety is a critical part of this process, to ensure that the 2,500+lbs per acre can be sold to many potential buyers.

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This first-year elderberry was planted as a hardwood cutting 3 months prior. Cuttings are a third marketable crop for many growers.

Photo by Pete Widin

Elderberry has also received some exciting funding across the Midwest this past year, from Universitylevel research to nonprofit organizations. Savanna Institute is currently working on an Elderberry Report, which will identify the fundamentals and bottlenecks of a successful industry in the Midwest.

David Bruce is leading the institute’s elderberry efforts.

“With elderberry, there’s still a lot to figure out yet in terms of costing models, and what is that true market price where you’re making a profit on it in the long term,” Bruce said. While many growers are making profits in the wholesale and consumer markets, it’s important to consider how we can ensure small family farms are the key producers of this in-demand and adaptable crop well into the future.

Elle Sullivan works with a field-buffer planting of elderberry on Lily Springs Farm in Osceola, Wisconsin, located on the ancestral lands of Dakota, Anishinaabe, and Ho-Chunk Nations. The farm focuses on flower harvests, which are de-stemmed, dried, and sold to a tea maker in the Twin Cities.

“The Indigenous peoples of this region have been using elderberry for thousands of years,” Sullivan said.

“We didn’t discover it, and it’s important to honor this heritage that we’re fortunate enough to be a part of.”

When all is said and done, I believe elderberry is here to help us heal ourselves and the land. Science is finding elderberry can have a role to play in treating Alzheimer’s disease, cancer, and Influenza, reconfirming Indigenous peoples’ respect for this amazing plant.

Pete Widin, MLA, is a landscape planner at Artisan Environments LLC in Stillwater, Minnesota, and has a 2-acre U-pick blueberry operation.

mosesorganic.org | 888-90-MOSES

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Grant propels research on seed corn tailored to organic production

By Ann Robinson

A new federal grant from the USDA Organic Agriculture Research and Extension Initiative (OREI) will support Iowa State University scientists and collaborators as they develop improved seed corn tailored to the needs of the rapidly growing organic industry.

The lead investigator for the four-year, $1,996,500 grant is USDA Agricultural Research Service geneticist Paul Scott, an affiliate professor of agronomy at Iowa State. Thomas Lübberstedt, the Frey Chair in Agronomy and Director of the Raymond F. Baker Center for Plant Breeding at Iowa State, will partner on the project, along with Martin Bohn from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and Angela Linarez from the University of Puerto Rico.

The award is part of a $17 million national initiative to improve yields, quality, and profitability for producers and processors who use organic standards.

The project builds on the germplasm, methods, and technologies Scott and Lübberstedt have developed in previous OREI projects.

Paul Scott, left, and Thomas Lübberstedt, inspect a corn nursery near Ames. The scientists are working on improved seed corn tailored to the needs of the organic industry.

Photo by Kathleen Delate

Corn is the second-largest organic grain/seed crop in the U.S. behind wheat. However, only a small proportion of the seed sold to organic farmers is produced using certified organic practices. While several companies sell seed that can be used in certified organic systems, few of the varieties available were developed specifically for organic production systems or have been evaluated in organic-production environments.

According to Scott, this research takes new steps to develop three-way hybrids better suited to organic

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seed production than the single-cross hybrids currently marketed by most companies. The research team is focused on developing hybrids that carry traits desired by organic farmers, especially those identified as priorities during stakeholder meetings the researchers held as they prepared the proposal. These traits include the ability to withstand weed pressure and resistance to pollination by transgenic pollen floating in from conventional fields, which results in huge losses for organic farmers.

Another goal is to develop organic corn with high levels of the essential nutrient methionine, which is important to the organic poultry industry.

“Chickens and turkeys need a lot of methionine in their diet—and there’s not really a great source of methionine that’s available to organic poultry producers,” Scott said.

A unique aspect of the project will be two Organic Corn Breeding Boot Camps held in the winter of 20212022 at a cooperating winter nursery site in Puerto Rico. These will be attended by farmers, business representatives, and student interns in Puerto Rico, who will work together to produce seed and plan onfarm trials in the Midwest for the following year. The interns will then travel to the farmers’ locations the next summer to assist with the trials.

“This is one of the most exciting components of the research,” Scott said. “It’s a rare chance for people who don’t usually interact to dive deep into the process and learn from each other. We will all be students and teachers together.” The winter nursery in Puerto Rico, where two to three generations of corn can be grown annually, has potential as a long-term plant breeding resource, he added.

Certified organic farmers in the Midwest who are interested in participating in the research can email Paul.Scott@usda.gov.

“This work is important to the organic production industry,” said Alix Paez, a private corn breeder with Genetic Enterprises International (GEI) located in Luther, Iowa, which works with non-GMO conventional and specialty corn hybrids for the central corn belt. “The seed industry has not put enough resources to accelerate creation of new hybrids and varieties for the organic farmer. These OREI-funded projects have been a very valuable resource to develop new products for the seed industry and the organic farmers that need these hybrids.”

An important component of the project is the refinement of a new rapid cycling breeding method, which combines contemporary methods of genomic selection and “doubled haploid,” or DH, breeding, with an organic-friendly breakthrough technology called Spontaneous Haploid Genome Doubling that produces DH-inbred lines.

“This rapid cycle breeding strategy can allow recombination and seed increase to occur in the same generation. That could cut development time for a seed-corn variety down to one-fourth the typical time

the pipeline takes now,” said Lübberstedt, who also serves as director of the Doubled Haploid Facility at Iowa State.

“Also, importantly, our novel DH technology avoids using the toxic chemical colchicine, adapting the technology for organic production systems,” Lübberstedt said.

The process requires selection of millions of haploid kernels. This usually requires extensive manual labor.

However, the researchers are developing an automated process for single kernel evaluation using near-infrared reflectance spectroscopy for haploid selection and grain quality that will significantly increase efficiency.

The doubled haploid lines and test-crosses will be evaluated under organic conditions in Iowa, Illinois, and Puerto Rico where they will be monitored to select for a variety of desired traits, including pest resistance, tolerance to stress factors, lodging tolerance, and ability to set seed.

The results of the project will be publicly accessible to researchers and breeders around the world.

Ann Robinson is a science writer with the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at Iowa State University.

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Organic Pork — from page 7 innovation among regional food producers and others who can now more clearly see the vulnerabilities of the current structure.

The demand for local, organic, niche pork options has been overwhelming; however, the resources and infrastructure to support this growing industry is limited. We need more small and mid-sized processing facilities. We need more research to address hog health, housing, and nutrition topics. We need better veterinarian expertise as it relates to methods for organic pig care. There is not a one-size-fits-all solution to expanding organic pork in the U.S. Today, life on an organic hog farm reaffirms an age-old practice of farming in harmony with the land, animals, and community. Countries across Europe have long ago turned to organic production and food sources for food safety, environmental protections, and animal health. We now see the same interest emerging in the U.S., providing farmers new opportunities.

Iowa’s seasoned and aspiring organic producers each find success in unique ways, but demonstrate

similar dedication and passion to the process and the community.

One example is the Frantzen family operation, a diverse farm near New Hampton, Iowa. The Frantzens have been producing organic crops, pork, and beef for over 20 years. They are one of only 36 farmer members of the Organic Prairie Cooperative network that provides certified organic pork products for sale online and in select grocery stores across the U.S. The Frantzens are encouraged by the growing organic demand but are also conscious of the gaps in efficiency, infrastructure, and resources within the industry, such as trucking, processing, and marketing.

Another example is Jude Becker with Becker Lane Organic. Becker is an organic pork producer on his sixth-generation family farm near Dyersville, Iowa.

He has been in organic production of crops and hogs since 1999. He has curated a market for his organic products. His pork is processed nearby and sold to restaurants and retail locations across the U.S. and Asia. He is also developing value-added organic pork

products that offer other opportunities to retain product value and boost farm income.

Organic hog production provides farmers an opportunity to meet consumer demand, increase profits, enhance farmland, and revitalize rural communities. As farmers well know, there are always challenges and obstacles to address each new season and navigating new territory. Success in the organic community is a result of shared resources and support.

The Midwest Organic Pork Conference is contributing to the Growing Stronger virtual conference in February 2021 to share information about current research, best practices, and technical assistance to advance greater organic hog production in the U.S. Farmers are at the forefront of this local food movement, and change is on the horizon.

Roz Lehman is the Executive Director of the Iowa Organic Association (IOA). IOA’s Midwest Organic Pork Conference is part of the Growing Stronger Collaborative Conference, the 5-in-1 virtual event happening Feb. 22-27, 2021.

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Farmer Advancement Program Coordinator MOSES has hired Sarah Woutat as Farmer Advancement Coordinator to help new, intermediate, and more experienced beginning farmers find success in organic production. Sarah’s responsibilities include coordinating the MOSES Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring Program, a program she knows well—she was mentored through the program to help establish her certified organic vegetable farm and then became a mentor to several farmers in more recent years.

Sarah owned an operated Uproot Farm near Princeton, Minnesota, from 2010 to 2019. She turned an old conventional dairy farm into a thriving certified organic vegetable farm, peaking at seven acres of vegetables with an additional four acres in cover crops.

She had a 120-member CSA and sold through farmers markets, and wholesale to food co-ops, restaurants, and Minneapolis Public Schools.

Sarah also built a wholesale plant start business. After selling her farm and moving to Minneapolis in 2019, she was a market manager at three farmers markets in the Twin Cities.

Sarah will be organizing content for beginning farmers at the Growing Stronger Conference in February. She’ll also be planning New Farmer U trainings. If you have ideas about beginning farmer programming, email sarahw@mosesorganic.org or call Sarah at 888-90-MOSES, extension 703.

Community-Based Organic Specialists MOSES is hiring three farmers or farm workers from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds to be Organic Specialists. These specialists will provide farmers in their communities with technical support on organic production and certification through the Organic Answer Line, identify key issues and voices within their communities for content at the MOSES Conference or field days, and create resources to serve their communities. The job opening is posted at mosesorganic.org/job-postings.

Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring Program Learn from an experienced organic farmer how to build a successful farm or launch a new organic enterprise through the MOSES Farmer-to-Farmer Mentoring Program. Mentored farmer David Bachhuber called the program “a wise investment that cut years off the learning process.” Mentorships with experienced organic farmers are available in Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, North Dakota, and South Dakota. The program runs from January 2021 to February 2022 and includes admission to the 2021 Growing Stronger Conference online and the 2022 MOSES Organic Farming Conference. Cost to be mentored is $350, and scholarships are available. The application deadline is Nov. 30, 2020. See mosesorganic.org/projects/ mentor-program.

NEWS BRIEFS Farmer Speed Presentations Do you have an efficient layout for your packing shed? A great idea for marketing your meat products?

A tried-and-true organic practice you use in your grain production? A can’t-live-without tool or piece of machinery? Share it with your community through a Farmer Speed Presentation at the virtual Growing Stronger Conference! These speed presentations provide the chance for farmers to build on each other’s ingenuity and successes. To participate, submit a video describing your practice, tool, or topic. See details and speed presentation tips at mosesorganic.org/ farmer-share-speed-presentations.

Call for Organic Research Presentations The virtual Growing Stronger Conference will showcase the organic research being done by farmers, graduate students, and university researchers. The Organic Research Forum will feature videos about current research and its implications for organic farming. This will be a juried session with awards for 1st through 3rd place. Accepted entrants will receive free admission to Growing Stronger. For submission guidelines, see mosesorganic.org/organic-research-forum.

Grower Groups MOSES is helping farmers form groups around specific areas of interest to make connections and share ideas. The current list of groups includes Growing Wellness (meeting details below), women in sustainable ag networks, anti-racism, and Queer and Trans on the Land. To learn more about these groups, how to join one or how to start a group focused on your area of interest, see mosesorganic.org/grower-groups.

Growing Wellness Group Meeting The farmer-led Growing Wellness group meets monthly to provide a safe place to discuss mental health issues. Meetings typically include a skills presentation that is recorded, followed by a group chat that is not recorded. The skills presentations are posted in the Growing Wellness playlist at www.youtube.com/ c/mosesorganic/playlists.

The group meets next on Tuesday, Dec. 15 at 5 p.m.

CT to talk about members’ current support networks and mental health needs through COVID and winter isolation. Discussion also will center on setting up care pods or a buddy system between farmers who can look out for each other’s mental health. This meeting will not be recorded. Sign up at mosesorganic.salsalabs.org/ settingupcarepods.

Pollinator Habitat Podcast Series The MOSES Organic Farming Podcast currently features a 3-part series with tips to establish pollinator habitat on organic farms. Organic Specialist Chuck Anderas talks with Xerces staff about the benefits of pollinator conservation practices and how they mesh with organic practices. They also explore programs that make it easier to establish pollinator habitat. Subscribe to the MOSES Organic Farming Podcast wherever you get your podcasts or listen online at mosesorganic.org/ moses-podcast.

Post-Podcast Farmer Chat: Pollinator Habitat To build on the pollinator conversations currently featured on the MOSES Organic Farming Podcast, Organic Specialist Chuck Anderas will host a Zoom chat so farmers can speak directly to the podcast guests, share pollinator success stories, and ask questions about pollinator conservation practices. The chat will take place Tuesday, Dec. 15 at 10:30 a.m. Sign up at mosesorganic.salsalabs.org/pollinatorhabitat.

Instagram Farmer Takeovers Farmers can take over the MOSES account on weekends at www.instagram.com/mosesorganic to share growing tips, cool hacks, time-savers, or other ideas with the MOSES community. These takeover posts could be the seeds of a Farmer Speed Presentation at the Growing Stronger Conference, too! Sign up for a weekend or see details at mosesorganic.salsalabs.org/ instagramtakeover.

Organic Farming Business Management Organic farmers in Minnesota, Wisconsin, or North Dakota who produce dairy, alfalfa, corn grain, corn silage, hay/haylage, soybeans, or wheat can receive reduced tuition for state-level farm business management (FBM) programs now through 2022. Each participating farm will receive individualized benchmark reports, financial analysis, and cash flow reports while working with their FBM instructor to enhance management and financial capacity on their organic farm.

For contact information, see agcentric.org/organicfarming-resources. In addition, Minnesota farmers impacted economically by COVID-19 may apply for scholarships to cover 75% of the cost of FBM tuition.

See bit.ly/MDAonFBM. Crop Insurance Updates USDA Risk Management Agency has updated the Whole Farm Revenue Protection (WFRP) program to simplify application and record-keeping to make this crop-neutral revenue insurance work better for diversified farms. WFRP provides a risk management safety net for all commodities on the farm under one insurance policy and is available in all counties nationwide.

The agency plans to roll out a new commodity code in 2021 for producers who sell to direct markets. Learn more by searching “WFRP” at www.rma.usda.gov.

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Grassland 2.0 Grassland 2.0 is a regional project to maximize the economic, environmental, and societal benefits of well-managed livestock grazing. This collaborative group of scientists, educators, farmers, and others is developing pathways for increased farmer profitability, yield stability, and nutrient and water efficiency, while improving water quality, soil health, biodiversity, and climate resilience through grassland-based agriculture. Learn more at grasslandag.org.

Conservation Stewardship Program Updates USDA recently updated the Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) to better align with NRCS’s Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), increase payment for adoption of cover crop rotations, add payment for advanced grazing management, add a one-time payment for developing a comprehensive conservation plan, and create specific support for organic and transitioning-to-organic production activities. See bit.ly/CSP2020updates.

USDA just announced signup for general CRP will be open from Jan. 4 to Feb. 12, 2021, and signup for CRP Grasslands runs from March 15 to April 23, 2021.

Both programs are competitive and provide annual rental payments for land devoted to conservation purposes. See details at www.fsa.usda.gov/news-room/ news-releases/index.

Grants for Farmers The Brighter Future Microgrant from American Farmland Trust and Tillamook provides grants up to $5,000 for farm equipment, infrastructure, or professional services. Applicants must farm within 100 miles of major cities such as Minneapolis, Detroit, Columbus, and Cincinnati. See farmland.org/brighter-future.

Guide for Specialty Crop Producers Midwest Grazing Exchange The Land Connection has published a free guide to The Midwest Perennial Forage Working Group has help specialty crop farmers build successful busilaunched the Midwest Grazing Exchange, a free platnesses. Financial Risk Management for Specialty Crop form to connect graziers and landowners who live in Producers was written by experienced farmers and Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and business professionals. It explores tools for budgeting Wisconsin. See midwestgrazingexchange.com. and financial planning; skills and strategies for accessing capital; structures and considerations for accessing Cynthia Cambardella land; crop insurance products; foundational business Iowa State University professor, soil scientist, and management practices; and strategic planning for respected organic researcher, Dr. Cynthia Cambardella ongoing success. Each chapter includes relevant exampassed away in September. She worked closely with the ples of forms and calculations. See thelandconnection.

Organic Center, which has a tribute at organic-center. org/resource/financial-risk-management-for-specialtyorg/remembering-dr-cynthia-cambardella. crop-farmers to download the textbook and be notified when the companion online course is ready.

Soil Health for Vegetable Growers Opportunity for Wisconsin Growers University of Minnesota Extension and Land Stewardship Project host four online meetings on soil The Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade health for vegetable growers in December and January. and Consumer Protection is looking for Wisconsin Register at z.umn.edu/soilhealthchats. growers to supply ingredients for schools participating in the annual Wisconsin Chili Lunch. The event helps develop farm-to-school supply chains. Complete the survey at bit.ly/WIchiliLunch to indicate which Assess your soil health Wisconsin-grown products your farm could supply.

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PReP Rural Pandemic Action Steps The coalition PRep Rural (Pandemic Research for the People) recently published a dispatch titled “Neglecting nutrition: How a pandemic has exposed health disparities in the rural U.S.” The 9-page paper explains how the pandemic has impacted BIPOC communities and rural America. It shows how a biodiverse, regenerative food production system that places more emphasis on integrating perennial and orchardbased food systems could increase soil stability and productivity as well as accessibility to important sources of nutrition like fruits, berries, and nuts. It offers five action steps focused on health care, education, regenerative agriculture, food accessibility, and community socioeconomic resilience. Read the paper at bit.ly/PRepRuralAction.

Tuition-Free Farmer Training Program The Wendell Berry Farming Program, a tuition-free two-year residential program based in Henry County, Kentucky, is accepting applications for Fall 2021.

Graduates earn a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sustainable Agriculture and Food Systems from Sterling College. See details at sterlingcollege.edu/ wendellberry.

MEETING THE DEMAND FOR HIGH QUALITY ORGANIC PHOSPHATE FERTILIZER

28% Total P2O5 14% Available P2O5

Farm eCommerce Site Comparisons CSA Innovation Network has published a comparison of online sales platforms with farmer ratings. See bit.ly/Review-Farm-eCommerce-Sites.

FARM MANAGEMENT Organic and Conventional

FARM BROKERAGE A Stable, Organic Phosphate Resource Highest Grade Organic Rock Phosphate in the US and Canada

Buy & Sell

Professional Farm Management Including Organic Farming

Kent Kraft, AFM Managing Broker

Contact your regional organic fertilizer distributor/manufacturer for details about Falcon Isle Phos-Agri 801.337.1644

www.falconisleresources.com

info@falconisleresources.com

Rob Woodrow, AFM Managing Broker

320 South Crossing Road - PO Box 169 Sherman, Illinois, 62684-0169

Office: 217-496-3500

FarmlandSolutionsLLC.com

mosesorganic.org | 888-90-MOSES

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EQUIPMENT Root barrel washer. 9’L x 3’D barrel, 540 PTO powered, 1yr old cedar planks, mobile frame. Very good condition. Can load on trailer. $2500, 48063 location. Andrzejewskifarmsllc@ gmail.com

FARMS/LAND

MISCELLANEOUS

CLASSIFIEDS

Organic Fish Fertilizer 15-1-1, 100% dry water soluble, 5-7 times more nutritious than liquid fish. Will not clog drip irrigation. One lb., 5 lb. or 55 lb. packaging. Humates OMRIcertified, liquid and dry. Can be shipped anywhere via UPS. Frommelt Ag Service, Greeley, IA, 563-920-3674.

Place an ad online or call 888-90-MOSES. mosesorganic.org/organic-classifieds

Virginia Off the Grid Organic Farm & Artist Log Cabins 98.24 acre Timber, River, Pond, Orchard, Greenhouses, Stable - Generator, Utilities and Solar. Michael Straley eXp-RealtyStafford-VA. 540-834-6263

JOBS FORAGES Organic alfalfa and oats for sale: Organic Alfalfa 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cutting. RFV 150-205. Also organic oats hay for sale.

3x3x8 square bales. Jason Koester 605-460-2256.

Organic baleage for sale. We have various cuts and lots of dairy quality with no rain. Prices per ton are based on feed tests and 15% moisture. There are various combinations of alfalfa, clover, and grass. Delivery available. Call 715-921-9079.

Kernza® CAP Project Manager. The University of Minnesota’s Dept. of Agronomy and Plant Genetics and Green Lands Blue Waters seek to hire a Kernza® Research Project Manager for an interdisciplinary, multi-institutional research, education, and extension project. Visit kernza.org/kernzacap/ to learn about the Kernza® CAP Grant. To see job qualifications and apply, visit bit.ly/UMNkernzaJOB.

Certified organic hay for sale: 5x6 round bales, organic graze & chop mix from Albert Lea Seed Company. Put up dry with netting wrap. Blair, Wisconsin 608-484-1950

Place your ad to be seen by 15,000 readers! $20 for up to 30 words; $5/additional 10 words

Organic Alfalfa/Grass round bales, 2,100#. Organic oat silage wrapped bales 1,350#. 2nd year transition Oat bales 2,000#. Cheryl 815-405-5375. Newark, IL.

• Equipment • Farms/Land

New ads posted weekly online.

• Forages • Grain

| 19

• Jobs • Livestock

mosesorganic.org/organic-classifieds

Certified Organic 47# Small Square Bales. Sisal twine. 2nd & 3rd crop red clover/alfalfa/ brome grass or alfalfa/grass mix.

No rain. Tarped or stored inside. $5 each. barringerfamilyfarms@gmail.com 651-755-1600.

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, www.kissourglass.com, 612-860-8083.

OMRI 15-1-1 & 7-7-7 dry soluble fertilizers. 3-3-3 clean liquid organic fertilizers. Sold by the ton, tote and tanker. Call 616-566-0307. Largest producer of organic fertilizers. Nature safe fertilizers.

FREE! Midwest Organic Resource Directory.

Find buyers, suppliers (equipment, inputs, livestock feed and products, pest control, season extension, and seed) certification agencies, and other resources. 80 pages, 460 listings.

Published February 2019 by MOSES. Download PDF or order printed directory at mosesorganic.org/organic-resource-directory. To request a printed copy by mail, call 888-90-MOSES. For Sale: Audio recordings of workshops presented at the 2020 MOSES Organic Farming Conference.

MP3 downloads are $5 each. The complete set of workshop recordings on a USB drive is $75. mosesorganic.net.

Certified Organic Hay and Straw for sale. Dry and silage bales. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd crops. Delivery available. Sno Pac Farms, Caledonia, MN 507-725-5281.

For Sale: High Quality Alfalfa/Grass Organic Hay. 2’x3’x6’ large square bales approximately 400lbs. each. 1st, 2nd, and 3rd cutting available. Also 2’x3’x6’ large square organic marsh hay. Edward at 920-427-2575. Located in Shiocton, WI. Certified Organic Alfalfa for sale. 3x4x8 large square bales. 1st cutting range RFV 181-150. $240-$200 per ton. 2nd cutting test pending. Located in North Central Missouri. Call 660-654-3175.

GRAINS Organic Rye for sale. Cleaning available. Sno Pac Farms, Caledonia MN. 507-725-5281.

For Sale: Organic Corn/Hay/Oats. Will grind corn. Organic hay, big bales, wrapped and dry. Organic oats. Can deliver. SW WI 608-574-2160.

The Ahimsä Alternative, Inc. For all things Neem & Karanja

INNOVATIVE, EFFECTIVE, MECHANICAL WEEDING SOLUTIONS FROM THE SPECIALISTS! Camera Guidance

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Neem Oil, Karanja Oil, Neem & Karanja Cake BIOLOGICAL INSECTICIDE

100% Cold Pressed Neem Oil (3750 ppm azadirachtin)

Controls Aphids, Army Worms, Beetles, Stink bugs, Caterpillars, Leaf hoppers, Leaf miners, Whitefly, Mealy bugs, Midges, Nematodes, Spider mites, Weevils, Scale, Thrips.

www.nimbiosys.com

TerraNeem EC ®

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Order @www.neemresource.com or call 1-877-873-6336

717-984-8980 info@kult-kress.com www.kult-kress.com

• • • • •

HANDLERS PROCESSORS PRODUCERS WILD CROP LIVESTOCK

local responsive committed to service Finger weeder

MINNESOTA CROP IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION 1900 HENDON AVE, SAINT PAUL MN 55108 855-213-4461 www.mciaorganic.org

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November | December 2020

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ACRES Eco-Ag Conference & Trade Show December 1 – 4 | Online The 45th conference showcases all facets of eco-farming. See events. acresusa.com.

Reducing Greenhouse Gases on a Regenerative Organic Grain Farm December 3 | Noon | Online Learn how a working farm is reducing greenhouse gas emissions and sequestering carbon. The presentation will also address how a farm can earn income for its carbon offsets.

Hosted by the USDA Northeast Climate Hub. Email jennifer. ryan2@usda.gov for more information.

Creating a Profitable Organic Grain Rotation, Through Transition and Beyond December 4 | 12 – 1:30 p.m. | Online Free presentation and discussion hosted by OGRAIN featur-ing Bryce Irlbeck, AgriSecure Co-Founder & Owner and B&B Irlbeck Farms, Manning, IA, and also Michael Langmeier, Director of Cropping Systems, Purdue Univ. Register at ograin. cals.wisc.edu/events/learning-opportunities-winter-2020-21.

Perennial Farm Gathering December 6 – 9 | Online Connect with the Midwest agroforestry community at this annual event co-hosted by the Savanna Institute and the Association for Temperate Agroforestry. Call 608-448-6432 or email info@savannainstitute.org.

Intertribal Agriculture Council Annual Conference December 7 – 10 | Online This years theme is Resiliency through Agriculture and will feature virtual workshops, community meetings, and a virtual trade show—another great way to lend support to Native businesses. Call 406-259-3525.

Winter Meat-ings: Farmer & Processors Perspectives December 10 | Noon | Online Hosted by Wisconsin Farmers Union, this series focuses on solutions to meat processing struggles in the state. Email kslaughter@wisconsinfarmersunion.com or call 608-514-2031.

Climate-Smart Farming December 10 | Noon | Online Learn how producers can adapt to climate change by doing assessing landscape vulnerability, improving soil health, increasing the heath and diversity of biological organisms, conserving resources, and reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Hosted by USDA-NRCS. Email jennifer.ryan2@usda. gov for more information.

Organic Pea Agronomy and Markets December 11 | 12 – 1:30 p.m. | Online Free presentation and discussion hosted by OGRAIN featuring Brent Reck, agronomist with Puris. Register at ograin.cals.wisc. edu/events/learning-opportunities-winter-2020-21.

Listening Session on Excluded Methods in Organic Production December 16 | 2 – 3:30 p.m. | Online Organic Seed Alliance and the National Center for Appropriate Technology gather input from farmers, seed companies, plant breeders, and more. The conversation will focus on methods used in plant breeding and crop improvement. See seedalliance.org/events/excludedmethods-listening-session.

COMMUNITY CALENDAR Find details and event links online:

mosesorganic.org/community Managing Through Tough Financial Times and Low Organic Grain Prices December 18 | 12 – 1:30 p.m. | Online Free presentation and discussion hosted by OGRAIN featuring Paul Dietmann, Senior Lending Officer with Compeer Financial. Learn more and register at ograin.cals.wisc.edu/events/ learning-opportunities-winter-2020-21.

60” Corn in Organic Systems – What are we Learning?

January 8 | 12 – 1:30 p.m. | Online Free presentation and discussion hosted by OGRAIN featuring Sandy Syburg, White Oak Farm Organics. Learn more and register at ograin.cals.wisc.edu/events/learning-opportunitieswinter-2020-21.

Savanna Institute Nutshell Series: Climate Resilience and Justice January 12 | 6 p.m. | Online MN350 Climate activist, Mysti Babineau, and USDA National Agroforestry Center’s Research Landscape Planner, Gary Bentrup will discuss how their work contributes to our understanding of agroforestry’s role in climate resilience and climate change. Call 608-448-6432 or email info@savannainstitute.org.

Winter Meat-ings: Mobile Slaughtering & Creative OnFarm Solutions January 14 | Noon | Online Hosted by Wisconsin Farmers Union, this series focuses on solutions to meat processing struggles in the state. It will give farmers, processors, rural leaders, and other stakeholders a chance to come together in search of creative solutions. Contact kslaughter@wisconsinfarmersunion.com or call 608-514-2031.

Harvesting and Storing Food-Grade Organic Grain January 15 | 12 – 1:30 p.m. | Online Free presentation and discussion hosted by OGRAIN featuring Harold Wilken, Janie’s Farm Organic, Danforth, IL, and Craig Tomera, Identity Preserved Crop Specialist with Grain Millers.

Learn more and register at ograin.cals.wisc.edu/events/learning-opportunities-winter-2020-21.

Practical Farmers of Iowa Annual Conference January 21 – 23 | Online This year’s conference will include practical, farmer-led sessions, roundtables and moderated panels on the issues that matter to you and your farm, plus more, all from the comfort of your home. Call 515-232-5661 or email info@practicalfarmers. org to learn more.

Variety selection and disease management in organic food-grade grain production January 22 | 12 – 1:30 p.m. | Online Free presentation and discussion hosted by OGRAIN featuring Julie Dawson, WW-Madison, Darcy Telenko, Purdue University, and John Wepking, Meadowlark Organics. Learn more and register at ograin.cals.wisc.edu/events/learning-opportunitieswinter-2020-21.

Winter Meat-ings: Cooperative & Community Solutions January 28 | Noon | Online Hosted by Wisconsin Farmers Union, this series focuses on solutions to meat processing struggles in the state. It will give farmers, processors, rural leaders, and other stakeholders a chance to come together in search of creative solutions. Contact kslaughter@wisconsinfarmersunion.com or call 608-514-2031.

Organic Sunflower Production January 29 | 12 – 1:30 p.m. | Online Free presentation and discussion hosted by OGRAIN featuring Josh Engel, Driftless Organics. Learn more and register at ograin.cals.wisc.edu/events/learning-opportunities-winter-2020-21.

Thinking Through Return on Investment and Partial Budget Analyses February 3 | 12 – 1:30 p.m. | Online Free presentation and discussion hosted by OGRAIN featuring Bryce Irlbeck, AgriSecure Co-Founder & Owner, B&B Irlbeck Farms and Paul Dietmann, Senior Lending Officer, Compeer Financial. Learn more and register at ograin.cals.wisc.edu/events/ learning-opportunities-winter-2020-21.

OEFFA Conference February 10 – 15 | Online This years’ theme Our Time: Essential Links for a Strong Food Chain focuses on building a more robust food system, identifieds challenges, and proposes solutions. 614- 421-2022 or go to conference.oeffa.org for more information.

Winter Meat-ings: State & Federal Policy Solutions February 11 | Noon | Online Hosted by Wisconsin Farmers Union, this series focuses on solutions to meat processing struggles in the state. It will give farmers, processors, rural leaders, and other stakeholders a chance to come together in search of creative solutions. Contact kslaughter@wisconsinfarmersunion.com or call 608-514-2031.

What is New in Organic Grain Weed Management?

February 12 | 12 – 1:30 p.m. | Online Free presentation and discussion hosted by OGRAIN featuring Lynn Sosknowski, Assistant Professor of Weed Science, Cornell University and Willie Hughes, Hughes Farm, Janesville, WI. Learn more and register at ograin.cals.wisc.edu/events/ learning-opportunities-winter-2020-21.

Reducing Tillage in Organic Grain Productions February 19 | 12 – 1:30 p.m. | Online Free presentation and discussion hosted by OGRAIN featuring Erin Silva, Léa Vereecke, Brian Luck, Jessica Drewry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Learn more and register at ograin.cals.wisc.edu/events/learning-opportunities-winter-2020-21.

Growing Stronger: Collaborative Conference on Organic & Sustainable Farming February 22 – 27 | Online This virtual event combines the MOSES Organic Farming Conference, GrassWorks Grazing Conference, Midwest Organic Pork Conference, OGRAIN Organic Grain Conference, and Organic Vegetable Production Conference into one 6-day, multi-topic gathering of the organic and sustainable farming community. Learn more at bit.ly/GrowingStronger2021 or call 888-90-MOSES.

KEYNOTE SPEAKERS • FOOD AND FARM WORKSHOPS INTERACTIVE ONLINE TRADE SHOW AND COMMUNITY

WWW.OEFFA.ORG/CONFERENCE2021

PRECISION DEPTH ROLLER

POWER HARROW

SPREADER

FLAIL MOWER

PROFESSIONAL FARM TOOLS FOR PROFESSIONAL FARMERS. TRACTORS & ATTACHMENTS ON SALE THRU 12/31.