The Round River Farm crew shows off the lettuce harvest heading to the farmers market. Farm-owner David Abazs (front row center) has helped create several community-centered food projects in northern Minnesota.
Less than 1% of crops grown in the U.S. today reach household consumers directly, while the money generated by farming, likewise, tends to go elsewhere rather than staying within the community. One need not have studied the economics of farming too closely to feel that something is wrong with this way of doing things. In almost every community there are farmers and consum ers who, feeling alienated by the status quo, are exploring ways to develop food systems that are healthy, equitable, and just. Ken Meter, author of the new book, Building Community Food Webs (Island Press), has almost 50 years of experience helping communities seek alternatives to what he calls the “extractive U.S. farm economy.” He has noted that, despite technological advances meant to improve farmers’ productivity and profitability, net cash receipts for American farms have shown no growth over the last 100 years, while the average farm income has risen only $4,000 since 1960—from $20,000 to $24,000—forcing many farming households to rely increasingly on off-farm work to get by. What’s more, as Meter wrote in a previous piece in the Organic Broadcaster, alternatives such as organic growing often prove to be more profitable. This holds particularly for crops such as corn, soybeans, and wheat, where gross revenue outpaces the cost of pro duction for organic and non-GMO crops, while GMO and conventional crops consistently fall short. But, as almost any organic farmer will tell you, the prevailing farming system is set up to take money out of commu nities and nutrients out of soil while giving consumers a dizzying array of unhealthy food options, the nega tive impacts of which are well documented. In Building Community Food Webs, Meter details efforts from Indiana to Wisconsin, rural Montana to Phoenix, Arizona, to build networks that provide communities with healthy food options, while creat ing capacity that facilitates production by local, organic“Resilientgrowers.community food systems are built, at core, by creating and nurturing strong connections of mutual trust among farmers and consumers,” Meter writes. He identifies four key strengths that success ful food systems help to develop over time: health, wealth, connection, and capacity. The successful food systems he describes in his book are the result of collaborations between organizations and community groups, schools and food co-ops, growers’ associa tions and renewable energy advocacy groups—rela tionships of trust and understanding that allow all stakeholders to utilize those four key strengths in order to better serve the health and economic needs of theirOvercommunities.thelastfew decades, just such a community has built up around the small town of Finland, Minnesota. When David and Lise Abazs moved to the Finland community in Minnesota’s Arrowhead region in 1988, they settled on a piece of land, what would become Round River Farm, that was seemingly inhospitable to farming. Just 22 inches of soil topped the bedrock, and that soil contained just 1% organic matter. They used pigs to clear brush, cover crops to replenish the dirt. After five years, the farm was begin ning to produce, and today, on certain sections, the soil contains more than 15% organic matter. Now, as Abazs tells it, “We are able to grow a lot of food per square foot.”
There were a lot of reasons for choosing Finland—Lise grew up in Minnesota, the land bears certain similarities to Maine, where David always wanted to farm—but meeting the challenge of growing organic produce under such circumstances has always been a vital part of what they do. “We want to show people it can be done,” Abazs said. “If we can do it up here, there’s no excuse not to do it.” What they have accomplished at their farm is undoubtedly impressive—more so that it is done using only renewable energies—but the Abazses have not kept their efforts confined to Round River Farm. They started Round River Renewables to consult with and educate other farmers; Lise has produced the Farm Finances Coffee Break Series, which can be found on the farm’s website; and David helped oversee the development of the AgroEcology Center, a permaculture farm and educational center. In 2009, he founded Wolf Ridge Organic Farm with the goal of providing “all the vegetables and eggs for the 160,000 school meals each year.” Around them has grown up a community for which healthy food options and sustainability are essential, and, in surrounding coun ties, the number of farms is increasing, bucking the nationalRecently,trend.Abazs co-authored a study calculating the potential economic impact of local agriculture on the region that stretches from the tip of the Arrowhead, along Minnesota’s northern border, west to the Leech Lake Reservation and south, skirting Duluth, towards Brainerd. The study showed that if just 20% of the region’s food were purchased locally, then 51 million food dollars would stay within the region annually. If 100% of food purchases were local, the region would retain as much as $256 million annually. Local food production could also bring as many as 3,500 jobs to theTheregion.economic potential is there, the growers are there, and there is demand within the community. farm succession planning, and access to state and federal funds that can be used toward purchasing development rights and conservation easements. Cates first learned about land trusts and conserva tion easements while on a trip to Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, in the early 2000s. “I traveled with a group of people with UW - Extension, media, and agency folks to learn more since we were witnessing a time of housing boons and suburban landscapes buy ing up farmland,” he explained. In Lancaster County, land trusts had been formed to keep valuable farmland from being developed. “The culture had shifted from one of suspect to one of ‘Geez you’re an idiot if you don’t do this.’ Everyone had a sense of certainty regarding where development could happen and couldn’t,” Cates said. “People knew that this would stay a farming community and that investments along the agricultural value chain would have a certain future. This was remarkable to me.”
Tucked in between the ridges and valleys of Wisconsin’s Driftless region just outside of Spring Green, you’ll find moon-eyed Jerseys grazing in peren nial pastures that give way to oak savannas and wood lands. Off and on since 1855, this has been the cows’ life. Dick Cates, of Cates Family Farm, keeps both cattle and conservation at the heart of his family business. Cates and I talked recently about land access for the next generation of farmers. “The first best thing a young farmer can do is get a long-term rental contract on the land, make some improvements, and have a land price agreed on when and if it becomes available for purchase down the road,” he advised. He also recommended consulting a local land trust. As land protection organizations, land trusts are well-positioned to support farmland access, commu nity conservation, and land tenure needs. The staff, volunteers, and board members bring local knowledge, skills, and expertise in real estate, land-use planning, and stewardship as well as connections with landowners, legal counsel who can assist with estate and
Back in Wisconsin, Cates decided to buy land along
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May | June 2021Midwest Organic & Sustainable Education Service Field ScheduleDayPage5 Land trusts, easements improve land access for new farmers By Erin Schneider Volume 29 | Number 3 TM 54767WIValley,Spring339,BoxPO Land Access continues on 8 Communities draw on strengths to build local food networks By Bayard Godsave New,TanneryNaturalPage7 ResearchTomatoPage10
Audrey Alwell, Communications Director | audrey@mosesorganic.org
MOSES Team: Mike Bollinger
Regi Haslett-Marroquin | Northfield, Minn.
Jennifer Nelson, Land Access Navigator | jennifer@mosesorganic.org
| River Root Farm, Iowa Sylvia Burgos Toftness | Bull Brook Keep, Wis.
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Sarah Woutat, Farmer Advancement Coor. | sarahw@mosesorganic.org On-Farm Organic Specialist Team | specialist@mosesorganic.org Board of Directors: 30 years of convening organic farmers, we are looking toward the opportunities and connections that will enable us to impact food and farming beyond produc tionAsmethods.weplan the 2022 MOSES Organic Farming Conference, we’re reaching out to involve more of our community in shaping the event by holding virtual planning meetings in June and early July focused around production areas and the cross-cutting issues we’ll feature in workshops and roundtables. Look for the survey included in this issue or respond to the email we sent you recently to let us know how you’d like to participate in the conference and which plan ning meetings interest you. The summer ahead will find us gathering on farms to learn from peers. After a year of distance and virtual meetings, it will be a joy to be together, outside, building community (while following public health safety guidelines). Look for new initiatives and ways to connect in the coming months as well. In the meantime, enjoy the two MOSES podcast offerings: the MOSES Organic Farming Podcast and a reboot of the In Her Boots podcast with a new host: Minnesota farmer Tiffany LaShae. As we look for ways to be innovative and respon sive, we are also examining our own practices and some of the ways we do the organizational work. In that spirit, the annual spring giving letter will be arriving in your mailbox as a postcard. This will enable us to save paper and money, allowing more of what we raise to go to our Grow Organic programs. The postcard will include a QR code. Just hover your cell phone camera over the code and it will take you directly to some surprise content and an online dona tion form. It is that easy! Please share the code with friends you know who care about organic farming and local food so they can consider investing in our work as well. The spring fundraiser, in the form of a postcard, will resource all these efforts and inform our next steps. Thank you in advance for being in community with us and making a positive difference for people and the planet.
Clare Hintz | Elsewhere Farm, Wis. Charlie Johnson | Johnson Farms, SD David Perkins | Vermont Valley Farm, Wis.
Tom Manley, Partnership Director | thomas@mosesorganic.org
By Lori Stern, MOSES Executive Director
Volume 29, #3 May | June 2021 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. ©2021 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 mosesorganic.org/organic-classifiedsor Free Subscription: mosesorganic.org/sign-up or 888-90-MOSES
I love spring. I know it is cliché to be giddy about new life, new beginnings, and imminent possibility surrounding us in the form of baby animals, turned compost, seeds started and directly sown. The world feels new, as for many of us, we emerge from a COVID-induced form of isola tion and hibernation. We welcome the sunshine and warmer weather, gathering with friends and family outdoors, transitioning to coming together over meals and shared tables. This past year has oddly been one of creativity. We added new words to the lexicon and tested assump tions in so many areas of our lives. A prime example is the COVID pivot. We suddenly had permission to question those things we know for sure. In the hours we were not running to activities, meetings, and social engagements, we may have had the time to reflect and examine those things that we do simply by habit or tradition, maybe determining that they no longer serve us. The same can be said for MOSES. I was hired with the expectation of bringing change. I have spurred the process of examining our strategic plan and direction. We are questioning our processes, priorities, and programs, aligning them with a new understanding of our shared values. In late April, the MOSES board and staff came together and reaffirmed a commit ment to not only organic production, but also organic as a movement that needs to respond to the current context. Like the seeds and breeds programs we know to be critical in the face of climate change, organic farmer leaders, seasoned and new, look forward to engaging the full, emerging community of farmer stewards.MOSES is shifting our approach to the work of engaging and empowering farmers to focus on farmer-led initiatives that increase farm viability and enable farmers to continue farming. After more than
Dela Ends | Scotch Hill Farm, Wis.
Sara Tedeschi | Dog Hollow Farm, Wis. Darin Von Ruden | Von Ruden Family Farm, Wis.
Chuck Anderas, Program Specialist | chuck@mosesorganic.org
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Spring brings change, chance for more involvement with MOSES
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Lori Stern, Executive Director | lori@mosesorganic.org
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Sarah Broadfoot, Project Manager | sarahb@mosesorganic.org Sophia Cleveland, Administrative Coor. | sophia@mosesorganic.org
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My first personal experience with systems-level problem solving came in Iraq. Many U.S. military units fixated tactics and technology so much on fight ing Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) that they failed to address the conditions that caused insurgents to plant IEDs in the first place. My Marines and I patrolled on foot, talking to Iraqi villagers daily. We earned enough respect and trust to gain their coopera tion and reduce support for the insurgency. We found multiple IEDs daily at the start of our tour. When we left, we had formed enough relationships in the popu lation that IEDs were rare events. Here’s the key takeaway. If you keep fixing or fighting the same recurring problem—I don’t care if it’s Canada thistle, insurgents laying IEDs, or farm financial failure—you’re focusing on the wrong level in the system. Let Go To accomplish real change, we must be open to change in ourselves. We think of learning as gaining knowledge and skill, but when new ideas conflict with what we thought we knew, we must let go of the old to create space for the new. If you didn’t start out in organic agriculture, you had to let go of conventional practices and thinking in order to transition. Letting go is regenerative in the natural world—something dies for something else to emerge. We plant cover crops intending for them to break down and feed the soil for the next crop. It’s not always about dying or discarding. It’s also about letting ourselves open up.
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By Ryan Erisman, Odyssey Collaborations Boost regenerative farming movement by cultivating social field “The world can only change from within.” ~ Eckhart Tolle Three articles in the last Organic Broadcaster called for massive transformation of the agricultural system. We’ve made progress on individual farms, but very little change at scale. Causes have their calls to action and agitation for change. There’s a time to fight and a time to build new bridges. We’re better at the former than the latter. Wise strategy requires both. If we want to grow a diverse, regenerative agricultural landscape that benefits everyone, we need to adopt regenerative practices beyond our farm fields and into the social field, where we interact with familiar and unfamiliar communities. Getting change in the community begins with change in ourselves. I grew up on a farm that has been organic since the 90s and left for the excitement and challenge of the Marine Corps. Leading Marines in counterinsurgency, breaking bread with enemies we turned to allies, and implementing regenerative farming practices while pursuing a master’s degree in social innovation and sustainability leadership all taught me that success hinges on understanding and building relationships. We have limited time and energy. We need to work together to get the highest return on the energy we invest in transformation. In my experiences from battlefield, to farm field, to social field, I suggest the following five practices for regenerative change to the agricultural system. Think in Systems Holistic Management teaches us to think about the farm as a system. We must apply that mindset to agri culture itself. A few paragraphs here don’t do justice to an entire discipline, but these are the basic tenants. Systems aren’t “broken,” as people like to say; they produce outcomes—intended and unintended. The results we get point back to what the system does. There are no “side-effect” results. The notion of sideeffects indicates that you don’t fully understand your system yet. The system isn’t “out there.” It’s here. We’re part of Oneit.way to understand a system is the Iceberg Model, introduced by Linda Booth Sweeney and Dennis Meadows in The Systems Thinking Playbook. The Iceberg Model shows how events we see “above the waterline” are driven from “below the waterline” by patterns of behavior, system structures, and mental models. In Wisconsin, agriculture (the “iceberg” in this simplified example) contributes over $100 billion annually to the economy. Wisconsin leads the nation in producing snap peas for processing, cheese, cran berries, ginseng, and milk goats. Other results “above the waterline” include nitrate contamination in wells, algae blooms on lakes, the highest farm bankruptcy rate in the nation for 2019, and the loss of almost 1,500 dairy farms during 2018 and 2019. The next level of the iceberg includes the patterns of behavior that lead to the results. In Wisconsin
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Why is this so important? We resist change. Deep in the American ethos about fighting for a cause is the parallel story of resisting someone else’s. We fight— and we fight back. When we push change from our righteous comfort zone while campaigning for others to step out of theirs and see the world our way, we are waging war and partisan politics. We inadvertently plant the seeds of resistance in others. I load hogs alone, without any handling facilities. The only way I can get several animals that weigh the same as college linemen onto a trailer is to set condi tions so they want to go there. Letting go is about defusing resistance—first in ourselves and then in others. If we practice letting go of our attachment to “the way it used to be” or “the way it should be,” we open up to seeing what is. At the com munity level, we can defuse the resistance by creating the conditions for others to let go and change willingly. Getting there requires building relationships. Seek to Understand Understanding your farm requires walking your fields and observing. Similar principles apply in the social field. Design Thinking, Steve Blank’s Lean Start-up, and Theory-U all emphasize significant understanding of the client/customer before you can start solving a problem with or for them. Stephen Covey identified “Seek First to Understand…” as one of The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People. Seeking to understand combines two practices—listening and getting out of our bubble. The Presencing Institute’s Theory-U divides listen ing into levels. Level-1 listening includes significant filtering—hearing what we want to hear and recon firming our opinions. Level-2 listening lets down those filters (biases) in order to hear new data. This is the world of the technical conversation. Level-3 listening is listening with empathy and seeing someone else’s experience through their eyes. Empathic listening is a practice. It’s nothing like rid ing a bike. We can focus, get to Level 3 in one conversa tion, and struggle again in the next. Covey stressed “empathic listening” and not “active listening,” which he described as a technique to manipulate. If people sense you are using a technique on them, they’ll shut down. If you find yourself giving advice, relating how the same thing happened to you, or preparing your response in your head, you’re not in Level 3. Getting to Level 3 requires that we operate from genuine curiosity about someone else and their “why.” Paying attention to our listening levels improves our self-awareness and our relationships. A conversation about cultivator adjustments doesn’t require Level 3. The how-wasyour-day conversation with your spouse or kids does and is a good place to start. As we get better at listening in Level 3, we need to try the second practice—getting out of our bubble. for more information call (800) 352-9245 or visit www.sustane.com
INSIDE ORGANICS Viewpoints from members of the organic community Inside Organics continues on 14 agriculture, one repeating pattern is the race to maxi mize commodity production. Year after year, most farmers try to raise more bushels per acre. Many indi viduals acting similarly shows a pattern of increasing production.SystemsThinking states that patterns emerge because they are influenced by structures. Crop insur ance and subsidies are government-sponsored struc tures that pay based on average yield. These structures encourage a behavioral pattern focused on maximiz ingBeneathproduction.the structures are the mental models or worldviews held by most stakeholders. In this simple example, the mental model driving the rest of the system is that most stakeholders view yield as the pri mary measure of success. The race for yield achieves increased yield, but with a host of negative impacts.
“I saw that Rodale gave out grants to Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC), and the USDA is providing $4 billion to forgive loans for socially disadvantaged farmers and ranchers who are Black, American Indian, Hispanic, Alaskan Na tive, Asian American, or Pacific Islander. Isn’t that discriminatory and racist?”
SUBMIT: Click “Ask a Specialist” button at mosesorganic.org/ask. mosesorganic.org/ask. a Specialist continues on of the division between “white people” and “black people.”During the colonization of the Americas, there were enslaved Black people and white indentured servants. The poor whites had a lot more in common in terms of their economic and political interests with enslaved Africans than they did with the white planta tion owners, and so the poor whites were starting to help enslaved Africans escape slavery. The wealthy class did not like that, so they created laws that made it illegal for white people to help Black people escape slavery. They also used the power of institutions they controlled, like newspapers, to spread lies about Black people as a group, like that Black men were sexual predators, in order to break apart the solidarity between poor white people and poor Black people. At various times in history, the stereotype of Black men has changed from weak and docile by nature to them being naturally strong and dangerous “superpreda tors.” The racist ideas changed to suit the needs of the time. Laws outlawing interracial relationships served the same purpose.
4 | May | June 2021 TM
Answer by Organic Specialist Chuck Anderas Something I’m becoming more and more aware of when talking about race with my fellow Americans of European descent is that we seem to talk about race as if none of history matters anymore. Facts don’t matter all that much. Much of the discussion on race in white circles is centered on how we feel. We feel like we are treated unfairly. We feel like there is “reverse racism” towards us. We feel aggrieved. We feel like we worked hard to get where we are, so if other people just worked hard, too, they would be just fine. I want to offer another feeling to you, a feeling that I hope inspires you to reflect and act: solidarity. Solidarity is “unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest; or mutual support within a group.” In responding negatively to the Rodale grant or the USDA loan forgiveness for BIPOC farmers, you are expressing a sort of solidarity. You are expressing white solidar ity. White solidarity tells you that things that benefit BIPOC exclusively are bad because they do not benefit white people and that feels unfair to you. But why does white solidarity exist? The history of white solidarity is only a few hundred years old. A fantastic source for learning more about this history is the book Stamped from the Beginning: A Definitive History of Racist Ideas in America by Ibram X. Kendi. In the book, Kendi outlines the historical context for how racism has functioned since the beginning of the African slave trade. He writes that rich and powerful people through history have created racist policies in order to become richer and more powerful. Then, they come up with racist ideas to justify the racist policies. The African slave trade began with Portugal. The Portuguese were Catholic, but they also wanted the power and wealth that enslaving people could bring them. So, they made up the racist lie that African people were subhuman. That lie removed the contradiction with their religion and their consciences that enslaving, beating, or kill ing other humans was wrong. This was the beginning
After the Civil War, there was a working-class political party in the South, called the Fusion Party, that was an alliance between poor whites and poor Black. The Fusion Party started to win seats and began implementing policies that helped its supporters. “They capped interest rates, increased public-school funding, and allowed symbols to be put on ballots to enfranchise people who could not read or write. Their policies were designed, in the words of one supporter, to protect ‘the liberty of the laboring people, both white and black.’”
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(Segregation Had to Be Invented, 2017) The wealthy, white elite turned to a playbook to gain their power back from the working class that should be very familiar by now: divide and conquer. They “were threatened by these new policies, especially because Fusion had shifted the burden of taxation from individuals to corporations and railroads. Yet they had little connection with poor voters, and so had few ideas about how to address their economic concerns. Instead, they tried to convince poor whites that they should not associate with blacks in any way. Democrats began to talk of blacks as an ‘other,’ warning of the dangers of miscegenation, portraying blacks as rapists who would come after white women.” (Ibid, 2017) In that way, the coalition that formed and the soli darity between working-class white and Black people were destroyed, and Jim Crow laws took hold. A modern incarnation of white solidarity can be seen in the way we talk about immigration. How many times have you heard immigrants blamed for the loss of jobs in manufacturing? The people that want you to blame immigrants want to keep you from thinking about the ways that trade and automation are enriching them and blighting the Midwest. So, one way to think about race is as a stand-in for history. The grant from Rodale could have had a ques tionnaire that said things like “Were your ancestors enslaved?” or “Has there ever been an immigration quota to limit the number of people with your heritage coming to the United States?” or “Were your ancestors forcibly removed from their land?” That would limit the people eligible to apply to Black people, Asian and Latin American people, and Indigenous people respec tively. It wouldn’t have mentioned race but would have gotten to the same point—that race has been a major determining factor in every single person’s life on this continent since 1492. Race is shorthand for all of this farm non-traditional guide step of the way.
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July 22 | 8:30 a.m.| Johnson Farms | Madison, S.D. The Johnsons—Charlie, Allan, Kevin, Jordan, and Aaron—showcase what it takes to grow large-acreage row crops organically. They will explain their crop rotations and other organic practices, addressing concerns such as weed control, fertility, grain storage, marketing, and more. South Dakota State University researcher Melanie Caffe will highlight oat trials the university has been running at the farm. The multi-year research project is focused on identifying breeding lines and varieties best suited to organic production. In addition, farmer Tracy Rosenberg will talk about how she’s restoring grasslands on her 950-acre ranch to native prairie.
Aug. 7 | Noon | Four Elements Organic Herbals North Freedom, Wis. The 2020 MOSES Organic Farmers of the Year, Jane Hawley Stevens and David Stevens, have been growing organic herbs on their 130-acre farm for the past 32 years and have developed a thriving business making herbal wellness products. They’ll provide a tour of the farm and discuss how and where they plant, grow, harvest, dry, and pack their medicinal herbs.
Medicinal Herb Production
MOSES Organic Specialist Rachel Henderson and her husband, Anton Ptak, have a mixed-fruit orchard and raise diverse livestock, including hogs, chickens, lamb, and custom-grazed cattle. This field day, co-hosted with The Xerces Society, focuses on recently planted tree strips that provide forage and shade for livestock while supporting pollinators for the orchard. Learn about species selection, planting, and weed management for these silviculture strips as well as habitat considerations for livestock and pollinators.
Aug. 21 | 9 a.m.| Mary Dirty Face Farm Menomonie, Wis.
Winter Vegetable Production in Missouri Oct. 4 | 9 a.m.| Happy Hollow Farm | Jamestown, Mo. 2021 MOSES Organic Farmer of the Year Liz Graznak grows certified organic produce and flowers for an 85-share CSA, farmers market, local restau rants, and natural foods grocers. Graznak shares how she scaled up production and infrastructure to offer organic produce year-round. She’ll cover fall crop harvesting and storage, winter production in high tunnels and caterpillar tunnels, and how she designed her ideal wash/pack shed. EarthDance Organic Farm School, a 14-acre historic farm located in Ferguson, partners on this field day. Audrey Alwell is Communications Director at MOSES. Chuck Anderas By Audrey Alwell
Sustainability through Community Engagement with the Land Sept. 18 | 11 a.m.| Sustain DuPage | Wheaton, Ill. 2021 Changemaker Sustain DuPage is an edu cational nonprofit that promotes sustainability and community in the Chicago suburbs through an edu cational organic garden and grass-roots projects. Four project organizers will explain how their related food and agriculture-based projects engage and connect their community to local foods and the land.
Silvopasture for Livestock & Pollinators
After a year of virtual events, the MOSES team and our host farmers are ready to get back out on farms to learn how things are growing. We will follow current public health safety guidelines in place at the time of each field day. Since the first event at Mhonpaj’s Garden is in a high tunnel, it will be offered online only. Please register for the field days you plan to attend so we can monitor crowd size; we might need to limit the number of participants at some farm sites. Register through the links provided on our field day pages. Access the individual events at mosesorganic.org/organic-field-days. If you do not have internet access, you may call the Organic Answer Line, 888-90-MOSES, to register by phone during business hours.
Organic Row Crops plus Prairie Restoration
MOSES heads back to farms for summer, fall field days
Creative Land Access and No-Till Vegetable Research July 31 | 2 p.m.| Humble Hands Harvest | Decorah, Iowa 2021 Changemaker Hannah Breckbill and her farm partner, Emily Fagan, grow perennial crops and organic vegetables, and raise grass-fed lamb and pas tured pork. They will talk about their SARE-funded research on a no-till organic vegetable system, their grazing system, plans for perennializing their 22 acres, and the cooperative business model and community engagement driving the young farm’s success.
Systems Approach to Organic Farming Aug. 18 | 11 a.m.| Cala Farm Origenes | Turtle Lake, Wis.
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Rodrigo Cala, one of the new community organic specialists with MOSES, grows certified organic produce, raises pastured chickens using the Tree Range® system, and rotationally grazes Katahdin hair sheep. He’ll explain the systems approach he uses on his organic farm and strategies for weed management and soil fertility.
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Mhonpaj’s Garden June 2 | 2 p.m.| Online Take a virtual tour of the high tunnels at Mhonpaj’s Garden, the first farm in the Hmong community in Minnesota to be certified organic. MOSES Organic Specialist Mhonpaj Lee offers tips on high tunnel selection, building, and vegetable production. The virtual field day will be augmented by videos, posted to the MOSES YouTube channel in June, that will go into more detail on specific high-tunnel topics. One of the videos will be aimed at helping USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) agents understand ways to support Hmong farmers’ access to NRCS programs.
Recently, Abazs has taken on the role of Executive Director of the Northeast Region for Regional Sustainable Development Partnerships at the University of Minnesota Extension (UMNExtension). It’s a logical progression of the work he’s been doing in the community for so many years. It means that he has had to back away somewhat from his work on the farm, but he is able to focus on forward-looking projects like the Forest Assisted Migration Project, which enlists the help of farmers to grow climate-forward tree species. Day-to-day operations at Round River and Wolf Ridge have been passed on to other people, but that is as it should be, and one of the successes in the region that he is happiest to point to, the emergence of what he calls “a diversity of new leaders and champions.”
SFA Greater Mille Lacs Chapter West of Finland and Virginia, in Aiken County, Allison Rian runs AlliCat Farm with her husband, Scott. Rian, another young leader in the region that Abazs mentioned, is the Board Chair for the Greater Mille Lacs Chapter of the Sustainable Farming Association (SFA). It’s a young chapter that grew out of local farmers working together to figure out solutions to shared problems and to learn from each other’s successes. It was a community that evolved into a formal organization. “Our chapter’s delegate to the state SFA board sings in a barbershop quartet with my dad,” she said. Though new, the Greater Mille Lacs SFA has already done a lot. They were active in the Forest Assisted Migration Project, which boosted their membership when the Star Tribune detailed Rian’s participation in the project. Still, in many ways, Rian senses a long road ahead. She compares herself to where David Abazs was in 1988 and notes the biggest stumbling block is capacity. “Execution in building capacity is so hard,” she said. But she isn’t giving up. Recently she secured grant funding to develop an online food hub for the region, with the goal, initially, of getting food from local sellers to the schools and a nearby hospital. She has encountered hurdles along the way, such as trying to obtain an aggregation license, but the result would open a much-needed market to local farmers. Of course, successful food networks are not built overnight. As Meter has illustrated in his book, it is a process that ebbs and flows. Community is integral, and community is a living, changing thing. “It feels sometimes like two steps forward and one step back,” Rian said. “But, as long as you’re moving forward, that’s something.”
One of the new regional leaders that Abazs mentioned is Dani Pieratos in Virginia, Minnesota. Pieratos took on the position of Food Access Coordinator for the Arrowhead Economic Opportunity Association (AEOA) in June 2020, at the height of the pandemic. In 2015, AEOA partnered with the Iron Range Partnership for Sustainability (IRSP) to launch the Rutabaga Project, with assistance from UMN-Extension under its mission to increase access to local food, particularly for low-income families and communities. Initially, their focus was on three specific neighborhoods in Virginia, but since then the scope of the project has expanded considerably. One of its key successes has been to establish AEOA as the provider of fiscal agent services at four (soon to be five) local farmers markets so that local growers are able to accept SNAP/EBT pay ments. The project has also had a hand in building community gardens, a food forest, and a Meal in a Box program with SNAP-eligible organic and local food items available at two local grocery stores, with promotional assistance through programs like the U.S. Department of Health’s “Good Food Sold Here” program.“Oneof the biggest challenges has been demys tifying farmers markets,” Pieratos said, recalling her own experience growing up in a household that received assistance. “I would have been too afraid to pick something up from the table and ask, ‘What’s this?’ Of course, now I know farmers love answering thatCurrently,question.”Pieratos and Rutabaga Project Manager, Heather Mahoney, are working with three area con venience stores to make healthy food options avail able to customers. “It’s a slow and steady process,” Pieratos added. In part, this is because of difficulties finding contractors, but also because every decision is painstakingly considered with the help of an advisory board at UMN-Extension, with a mind not just to access, but to how consumers in those neighborhoods will respond on emotional, psychological, and cul turalMovinglevels. forward, they are working to increase food distribution through the website Arrowhead Grown, which currently serves as a directory of area farmers markets, but which Pieratos hopes will soon act as a portal for consumers to buy directly from local growers. AEOA recently worked with the Iron Range Resources and Rehabilitation Board and Healthy Foods Healthy Lives to extend funding, through the Northeast Minnesota Food and Farm Event, to three projects that should provide needed infrastructure for the region’s growers: Community Cold Storage, which will allow farmers around Grand Marais store produce; the Food House, operated by the nonprofit 4 the Love of Lettuce, which will use Deep Winter Greenhouses to extend the growing season; and the Finland Food Chain’s Small Grains & Wild Rice Processing Facility. Pieratos is proud to talk about everything that the community has done to build a robust food system in Virginia and beyond. But the biggest need, she says, is access to capital to help new farmers become established as a generation gets set to retire. “I want the legislature to recognize there’s a funding deficit and begin helping with aid where it’s truly needed,” she explained.
Norfolk,NE AGlobalEquipmentCompany,Inc. www.henkebuffalo.com 800-345-5073 Published April 2021 Island Press 304 pages Use the
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In Building Community Food Webs, Ken Meter, an experienced food system analyst, examines the problems in our current food system and then highlights grassroots efforts across the country to create healthier and more equitable local food systems. He explains how these community food webs structured their networks and the challenges they faced, providing models other grassroots groups can emulate to propel this work forward.
6 | May | June 2021 TM Local Food Networks — from page 1
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Bayard Godsave is a freelance writer based in Menomonie, Wisconsin. code “METER” to receive 20% off the book
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Though much has been done to create a robust net work for getting food from growers to customers, people there are still working within an infrastructure that’s designed to respond to extractive methods. That’s what groups like the Finland Food Chain Project are responding to now. The Finland Food Chain Project recently received a $210,000 Community Innovation Grant through the Bush Foundation to, among other things, strengthen capac ity so that organic producers can better meet con sumerWhendemand.KenMeter describes successful local food systems, he notes that they do not follow a typical, top-down hierarchical structure. They are instead a collaborative, community effort. Abazs describes the food system around Finland as “network of networks,” groups and organizations—some more formally defined than others—learning from and inspiring one another, working together to solve problems, and, just as importantly, secure funding. “What’s happening really well here is a cross-pollina tion of networks,” he added.
By Bethany Emond Storm
Kristi helped us write our business plan and run the numbers. Then COVID-19 hit. We felt very inse cure about taking out a business loan to make the tan nery happen. So, we had a plant sale. We reached out to our Soil Sisters to advertise and look for spare pots. They showed up with not only pots but also plants to donate to our sale. They bought our plants and helped spread the word. The plant sale enabled us to open a bank account and purchase some supplies. In the spring of 2020, we picked up our first practice hides—ones that were destined for the dumpster at Hoesly’s Meats in New Glarus. Friends also gave us hides they weren’t going to use.We used beef brains (again from our friends at Hoesly’s), eggs, lard, smoke, alum, salt, and mimosa bark tannin to tan the hides. After many trials (and many failures), we met Keith Mitchel at Triple Threat Tanning in Utah, a tanning chemist with a lot of edu cation and working knowledge in the field of tanning. He helped us dial in on a recipe using alum and salt. He understands our goal to keep our process clean and environmentally safe. He is currently working with us on developing a recipe using bark tannin. We may add that to our services by next harvest season. Tanning is as much a science as it is an art. I am a science geek who manages the recipes, oversees the tanning process, and manages the workload and scheduling. Brandi turns the tanned hides into beauti fully finished products. She also manages the tan nery’s website and Instagram account. Danielle does everything in between while managing client accounts and Facebook. We all are involved in each step of the tanningTannedprocess.sheepskins are the most profitable by-prod uct of the lamb meat industry. A sheep’s hide is about 10% of the hanging weight of that animal. A welltanned, handmade sheepskin like those produced at Driftless Traditional Tannery can be sold for upwards of $250, and some easily are worth closer to $450, depending on the uniqueness of the fiber or the size. There is a growing market for local, sustainably sourced clothing and housewares. One of our big gest supporters is LindaDee Derrickson, a local wool farmer who co-founded Heartland Threads Fibershed, a nonprofit that helps local fiber farmers, fabric pro ducers, processors, businesses, and consumers find each“We’reother.thrilled that Driftless Traditional Tannery is in our Heartland Threads service area,” LindaDee said. “The Tannery’s natural processing of sheep and goat hides is a welcome and unique addition to locally available products for home and fashion.”
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Women farmers develop business from shared interest in tanning hides naturally Brandi Bonde, Danielle Dockery, and I all live on small farms in the northwestern corner of Green County, Wisconsin. The three of us raise our own ani mals because we don’t agree with the corporate model of meat production. We raise our meat in a way that honors the animals, the land, and the soil. The year’s supply of beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, and pork in my family’s freezer comes from their farms or mine. All of us strive to waste as little as possible; we compost, render lard, and use bones and organs for broth and pet food. We also preserve the hides. Our shared interest in finding a way to tan hides without using harsh chemicals drove us to establish Driftless Traditional Tannery last year. The tannery and our friendship would never have happened if it weren’t for our active Soil Sisters network in Green County.“Soil Sisters brings women together who share a commitment to sustainability, local food, and community,” said Lisa Kivirist, one of the founders of the group that is now a project of Renewing the Countryside. “We’ve been meeting regularly for potlucks and farm tours for over 12 years.” About 225 women are part of the Soil Sisters network in south ern Wisconsin. “We have seen several new women-led collaborative business ventures start, like Driftless Traditional Tannery, which then inspires more women to follow their farm-related business dreams,” LisaBeforeadded.starting the tannery, Brandi had tried tan ning on her own. I had tried two different commercial tanneries to preserve my animals’ hides. Neither of us was entirely happy with the results. Brandi’s hides never fully softened. My hides came back smelling strongly of the chemicals used to preserve them. They were bright white and looked artificial. I’m convinced a couple of the hides I received back from the tannery were not even my own. There had to be a better way to preserve our animals’ hides. I started searching the internet and happened upon an organic tannery in Sweden and then a training program in Wales that helps small, organic tannery startups. I asked Brandi if she wanted to go to Europe. That got her on the computer. She found an organic tannery for sale in Vermont. We talked about buying it over brunch at Cow & Quince, a local food restaurant then owned by Soil Sisters Lori Stern (now the head of MOSES) and LeAnn Powers. Danielle was our server. She joined our conversation, and the Driftless Traditional Tannery was born. In October of 2019, we began our research. We read books and articles. We met with Kristi Smith at the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Green County. If you have a business idea, I highly recom mend checking out your local SBDC—this free service is available at 13 centers in Wisconsin (wisconsinsbdc. org/centers) and nearly 1,000 around the country (americassbdc.org/find-your-sbdc).
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Left photo: Brandi Bonde finishes a hide. Right: Danielle Dockery checks in hides delivered to Driftless Traditional Tannery, a new business in southern Wisconsin started by Bonde, Dockery, and Bethany Emond Storm. Photos by Bethany Emond Storm Traditional Tannery continues on 16
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SILT started from the notion that beginning mar ket farmers don’t have access to affordable land. “Let’s do our part to make farms community-based, farms that are accountable to the community,” explained Erem. “Unfortunately, that land is always under either development price pressure or commodity crop pres sure. Either way, it’s always expensive.”
Land Access continues on 12 a nearby creek and worked with the Driftless Area Land Conservancy (DALC) to negotiate a conserva tion easement with the seller. “We went through 13 drafts before settling on a compromise,” he added. How exactly does a conservation easement work? I turned to Jennifer Filipiak, head of DALC, Chris Gutschenritter with Tall Pines Conservancy, and Alison Volk with American Farmland Trust for some collective“Typically,wisdom.alandowner works with us to craft an easement for their land, then donates the value of the easement to the land trust,” Filipiak explained. “The value of the easement is considered a charitable donation with income tax benefits. For example, the appraised value of the land may be at $5,000/acre. When the easement is finalized, the land is appraised with the easement restrictions in place (common restrictions include no new development or dividing of the land), the land may come in at, say, $4,000/acre. The value of the easement is dependent on many fac tors,” she added. The land trust maintains a relationship with the landowner (and future landowners) and works with them to ensure the terms of the easement are honored, forever. Both DALC and Tall Pines Conservancy have been around for 20 years, negotiating and monitoring easements focused on natural resources, and have evolved to include agriculture use and impact in ease ment language alongside natural resource conserva tionCatesefforts.recommends conservation easements to older farmers ready to sell their land. “In the short term, the price/acre is lower,” he said. “In the long-term, however, having an easement can increase the value because of the certainty factor. For me, it’s an ethical and philo sophical decision as well as a business decision.” Tall Pines Conservancy serves the counties between Madison and Milwaukee. “We feel the development pressure,” Gutschenritter stated. “We work with a lot of farm families and also are trained to support farm succession planning. We decided that this is an important piece of our work as a land trust and helps us engage families in conservation discus sions early on.” It can take regional effort to structure easements and make funds available to cover costs so that land can then be more affordable for farmers to access. This is where American Farmland Trust steps in, working with local partners to protect farmland across the country. “We realize how critical local partners are in protecting farmland,” said Alison Volk. “They know the landscape best. So, we endeavor to fill gaps and support their work where possible. We also recognize the funding challenges tied to protecting farmland forever. In Wisconsin, for example, we are trying to help land trusts and local government programs to access additional funding by applying to the NRCS Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). If successful, the RCPP will provide matching funds for agricultural easements on qualifying farmland. This will hopefully amplify farmland protection activity in the state by providing practitioners the opportunity to protect additional acreage in their regions. We also hope that the partnership aspect of the project will enable us to come together as a community and talk about the importance of farmland protection statewide.” This was a route that the Land Conservancy of McHenry County, a land trust in Illinois, was able to do. The RCPP project—Illinois Working Lands, Water and Wildlife Conservation Partnership—is working with the land trust to help fund the purchase of development rights on farmland, which makes it more affordable for the new generation of farmers. But even with an easement, land can be prohibitively expensive, especially when a farmer needs to factor in access to markets and housing. “I’ve always felt that, in McHenry County, farmland is important to our character,” reflected Linda Balek, Farm Program Manager at the Land Conservancy of McHenry County. In McHenry County, near Chicago, the price of land can fluctuate from $4,000/acre to $50,000/acre. “When I see a farm come up for sale, and I think, darn, I know farmers who this would be ideal for, only to see it sold off to someone who wants a second home,” Balek complained. “In Illinois, we’re in the Corn Belt. Maybe a lot of people think, ‘Why should we worry about preserving farmland when there’s so much of it?’ I think land trusts need to see farmland as part of the whole landscape, and to give more attention to how the land is farmed and how the land is stew arded. It becomes a very complex web of ideas when you bring in the local economy, healthy food to nour ish the community, climate change, food injustice, land ownership inequities, and so forth. I think these are all issues land trusts should be thinking about.”
Balek talked about a woman who came into her office and said she inherited farmland but couldn’t afford to continue farming. “We worked with her by putting an agricultural conservation easement (nature and farmland) on 150 acres. Half of it was tillable, the other half was oak savanna, wetland, and a creek. The entire farm was put in an easement preserving the farmland as farmland. This was a great project all around because we always believe that farmland and natural landscapes should complement and work together. [The woman] was happy because she pre served the farm and was able to sell it to the next farmer at a reduced price.”
8 | May | June 2021 TM Land Access — from page 1
To do this, Balek and her team are trying to think outside the easement box. They work closely with Liberty Prairie Foundation, which facilitates the Northeast Illinois FarmLink program. Together, they organize an annual summer social called Common Ground, inviting farmers who have land to lease or transition and farmers who are looking for land. “We’ve been around for 30 years—we know a lot of landowners, the local ordinances, and how things work in county government,” Balek said. “Much of this work is word of mouth and relationship-building.”
In some cases, land trusts remain the farmland owners, providing long-term and favorable lease agree ments to beginning farmers. The Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT) has embraced this model. Typically, a beginning farmer’s path to land means renting through family, taking on loans, and waiting for the “ideal plot to appear.” Farmland that includes housing, adequate irrigation and infrastructure for horticultural crops, and proximity to markets is often out of reach. Enter SILT. “You’re not going to get change unless you make change,” stated Suzan Erem, Executive Director of SILT. “All the wealth in America is based on land theft. We’re trying to make change in the system of land ownership and make it available to people who have not otherwise been able to access land for farming. In today’s parlance, we’re decolonizing land wealth.”
It’s exciting to see a land trust leverage its power to protect land for conservation and make it available to beginning farmers. “Land value will drop almost 40% if you put an easement on it. It drops because development is limited to just homes and buildings on the farmstead. It drops because it’s in perpetuity, and forever committed to nature-friendly table food agriculture,” reflected Erem. For farmers Adrian White and Will Lorentzen of Jupiter Ridge Farm in Garber, Iowa, this means not just a pathway for sustainable farming, but also for Adrian White and Will Lorentzen of Jupiter Ridge Farm in Iowa have been able to access land to grow thanks to a favorable lease through the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust.
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Conservation Coach Lindsey Maas, of Morning Scape Farm in Spring Valley. “As a farmer, I don’t view conservation as an add-on or optional. It is essential that we, as stewards of the land, work to improve the condition of soil, water, and habitat for wildlife.”
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By Kriss Marion Wisconsin Women in Conservation (WiWiC) is launching a four-part virtual Conservation Summer Camp Lunch Series that aims to address the top land stewardship concerns of women farmers and landowners. The virtual camp is open to Wisconsin women who want to learn about options for caring for land, water and wildlife. The first Summer Camp Lunch webinar is May 27 from noon to 1 p.m. on Zoom and the topic is Pollinator Habitat. “Wisconsin Women in Conservation amplifies the fact that women learn best from each other and creates opportunities like the Conservation Summer Camp to connect, ask questions and learn,” said WiWiC Program Lead Esther Shekinah, Research Agronomist at Michael Fields Agricultural Institute. “This project provides the resources and networks to support Wisconsin women landowners in our commitment to steward our land for future generations.”WiWiCis a collaborative effort led by the Michael Fields Agricultural Institute in partnership with Renewing the Countryside, MOSES, and Wisconsin Farmers Union. A three-year project funded by the USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), WiWiC gathers women landowners in a variety of ways to connect and learn about conservation practices and funding opportunities.Theproject launched in March with eight region ally organized Zoom workshops. Participants were polled about their areas of interest. The surveys indicated that the primary interests were increasing pollinator habitat, restoring soil health, battling invasive plants while sustainably caring for natives, and learning more about regenerative agriculture. These topics will be covered in four hour-long, interactive free webinars at noon on the last Thursday of each month May through August. Participants who attend all four sessions will receive a WiWiC Conservation Summer Camp Merit Badge.
The sessions will include presentations from experts in each topic, regional roundtable break out rooms, and practical stories from WiWiC Conservation Coaches. WiWiC has assembled a team of fourteen Conservation Coaches from across the state to provide mentoring for other women landown ers by sharing their experiences. “We can create a space for women to exchange ideas and experiences related to sustainability and conservation. I hope that more women will be inspired and empowered to integrate conservation practices into the way they steward the land,” said WiWiC
Maas draws from a diverse palette of conservation practices on the farm, which is a vegetable CSA oper ation utilizing both hoophouse beds and mulched fields. Maas also sells pastured lamb and beef. “We use rotational grazing, composting, cover cropping, and minimal tillage. We plant more trees and shrubs every year and include plants for pollinators in our cover crops and perennial plantings. I’ve learned a lot through trial and error and observation.” In addition to the virtual Conservation Summer Camp Series, WiWiC will be offering four regional in-person farm field days in September and four regional in-person workshops in October. An Advisory Committee on Women in Conservation will convene to share experiences and ideas, and interpret the findings of research conducted by the E Resources Group during workshops and events. WiWiC will also hold regional summits at the end of the project to present research, recommendations, and conservation education. “I’m looking forward to our Conservation Summer Camp Series to cultivate the opportunity for Wisconsin women who share a passion for con servation to gather together,” said Jennifer Nelson from MOSES. Nelson is WiWiC’s North West Regional Coordinator and runs Humble Pie Farm in Plum City. The WiWiC regional coordinators organize workshops and field days, and connect participants to conservation coaches and agencies who can provide tech nical and financial support. “We welcome women wherever you are on your conservation jour ney, whether you’re just starting out or you have been doing this for years,” Nelson added. Women landowners are a growing demographic. The 2017 Census recorded 38,509 female producers in Wisconsin, showing that women make up 35 percent of all producers in the state. “That’s a 16 percent increase in the number of female producers from the 2012 census,” Shekinah said. “Though many of these women would like to sup port sustainable agricultural practices that would help them leave their land for future generations in a state of oneness with nature and better soil health, their lack of exposure to or the know how about such agricul tural practices impedes their acting on these impulses. This new Wisconsin Women in Conservation initia tive aims to address that.” Kriss Marion is the WiWiC Communications Specialist. Reach her at kmarion@wisconsinfarmersunion.com or 608-844-3758. 27 HabitatNative July 29 ExploreAgricultureRegenerative August 26
Wisconsin women landowners and farmers may register at www.WiWiC.org for the free Conservation Summer Camp Series that takes place the last Thursday of the month over the noon hour on Zoom.
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Practical, reliable and friendly certi cation by Craig Grau in Madison for local adaptation. The project is being carried out at the West Madison Agricultural Research Station, which is part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. The parental lines were grown under high tunnel conditions during the first year of crosses. From the crosses, 10 different F1 (Fillial generation 1) families were obtained, and selection was carried out in the following seasons. To be able to have two fruiting seasons in a year, after finishing the summer harvest, the seeds obtained were grown during winter in the Walnut Street Greenhouses at UW-Madison. This allowed us to speed up the selection process. The F1 families were grown in the greenhouses during winter and fruit was harvested to obtain seed for the future generation. The selection was carried out the following summer in the high tunnel and field conditions in replicated trials, where data were taken on yields, flavor, disease resistance, fruit shape, color, earliness, and other traits. The next generations followed the same scheme, during winter there was generation advancement, and during the summer the seeds were grown in the field and high tunnel and selected according to their performance.
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Tasty Tomatoes To assess flavor, we evaluated qualitative and quan titative traits. On the qualitative aspect, we did a senso rial analysis by carrying out tasting with our research crew and other research station staff. The participants filled out a form where they rated the sweetness, acid ity, bitterness, umami, intensity, and overall likeliness of the fruit. On the quantitative side, we measured the ˚Brix and the titratable acidity of the fruit of each breeding line. The fruit tasting was able to provide a more immediate idea of which lines were more liked by the consumers and farmers in general. The qualitative and quantitative data are now being analyzed to see if there is a correlation between the sensorial analysis and the laboratory analysis. The participatory aspect of this project has been of critical importance. We have been able to involve farmers in the on-farm evaluation of our breeding lines as well as selection. We sent breeding families in the 4th to 5th generation to participating organic farmers to trial in their farms. After the summer season ended, they returned an evaluation form with their observa tions regarding each line, what they liked and what they didn’t like, which ones were more productive, and which ones would fit best in their specific market. With this valuable data, plus the data obtained from our onstation trials, we continued selecting the best breeding lines to keep advancing. Mark Voss, from Voss Organics, Madison, was one of the participating farmers who received seeds from Ambar Carvallo holds a crate with a mix of breeding lines from the first harvest in August 2020. Photo submitted
Tomato Research continues on next
Midwest, with high yields and excellent flavor. The traits of interest were defined based on the results of surveys completed by organic and conventional tomato growers. The surveys indicated that the traits of interest for organic farmers, in order of relevance, were flavor, high yields, and disease resistance, among others. With this information, we guided the tomato selection based on those traits. In 2018, the parental lines were selected based on previous on-station and on-farm variety trials, where we analyzed which varieties performed the best in open-field and high tunnel systems. The varieties used were Japanese Black Trifele (JBT), a pear-shapedheirloom with incredible flavor; OSA 404, a breed ing line obtained by a previous breeding program developed by the Organic Seed Alliance; Defiant, a very productive F1 with high resistance to late blight and intermediate resistance to early blight; Crimson Sprinter, an heirloom slicer with partial Septoria leaf spot resistance; and A6, an heirloom further selected 920.684.0227 Fax: 920.684.4499 ORDER 800.258.0848 WI
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10 | January | February 2021 TM Editor’s note: Ambar Carvallo’s research on tomatoes took first place in the Organic Research Forum at the recent Growing Stronger Conference. Summer is approaching and farmers are promptly transplanting their tomatoes, either in the field or under covered struc tures. Soon, fresh and juicy tomatoes will be available for summer savoring and preserving.Tomatoes are one of the most profitable crops for the organic and direct market. As of 2016, organic tomato sales reached $132 million in the U.S., an amount that has seen significant increase in recent years. The Upper Midwest is home to a large commu nity of organic fresh-market vegetable farm ers, and breeding vegetables that are adapted for the local conditions and requirements has become a critical need for them. According to the State of Organic Seed Report, published by the Organic Seed Alliance in 2016, 82% of organic vegetable farmers depend on conventional seed for some portion of their production. One of the main reasons for this was that the varieties with the desired traits were not available as certified organic seed. However, seed that is bred for con ventional farming does not perform equally well in organic systems, due to multiple factors. Conventional farms rely on a wide range of synthetic agrochemicals such as fertilizers and pesticides, and seeds that are bred for conventional conditions perform at their best in those farming conditions. In parallel to this, conventional varieties are usually selected at research stations in very particular growing conditions and are only trialed by farmers at the last stage of variety selection and release. This raises the need for varieties that are bred spe cifically for the local climatic conditions and the traits of interest of organic farmers, since conventional seed won’t perform equally well in organic systems.
Tomato Breeding Lines
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The objective of our project is to develop tomato varieties that excel in organic systems in the Upper
Research progresses on tomato varieties for organic production in Upper Midwest By Ambar Carvallo
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Photo by Ambar Carvallo used as parental lines to keep exploring the value of their best traits. We have distributed seeds already for this year’s trial, but if you are interested in participating in future trials or have questions, please contact me at carvallolope@wisc.edu.
Ambar Carvallo is a graduate student working in the Dawson Lab at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Tomatoes ripen at the research station.
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3) OSA 404 x JBT: Produced larger, green-striped fruits. Susceptible to stem side crack if water ing is not well managed. Great flavor and a favorite of farmers and consum ers, both for the flavor and the stripe pattern of the fruit. This summer we will carry out the second year of evaluation of the same advanced lines trialed last year. With this new data and the input of farmers, we will decide if any of them are worth releasing as a commercial variety. The best perform ing lines will also be of value for future breeding projects, where they could be These images show sub-families of the OSA 404 x JBT cross. The top row is the line selected at the University of Wisconsin research station. The bottom row is from the line selected on-farm by Mark Voss.
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Tomato Research — from previous page the breeding lines. Besides giving us his feedback, he also collected seeds from the best plants from the lines that he thought to be more interesting. We then used those seeds to keep advancing that breeding family, which has now resulted in a family that has two dif ferent sub-families with plants producing different colored fruit. The line that Voss selected produces big, green-striped tomatoes, while the family that was selected in the research station produced a big, red-colored fruit. (See the photo below.) This comes to show that at early generations, such as the fourth or fifth, the breeding lines are still showing phenotypic variation, which can help identify traits of interest that have not appeared in past breeding generations. A low cost option for farmers with ample amounts of manure. Suggested Application: 125 lbs. / Acre or 50 lbs. / Acre / Cutting A dry blended formulation designed to provide your field crops and forages with the remaining balance of essential nutrients not provided by quality manure. Along with a quick boost of available Nitrogen and a blend of beneficial soilbased microorganisms to give your crop a strong start to a healthy, productive season. 10% OFF during May! Restrictions apply
Promising Lines At this point, we have identified three outstanding breeding families. The yield comparison between the varieties is shown on the graph in the next column.
2) Crimson Sprinter x Defiant: Semi-determinate plants, very productive. Red and medium-sized fruits. Showed symptoms of early blight but the yields were maintained uni formly during the season.
1) OSA 404 x Defiant: Early flowering and fruiting. Higher yields than the heirloom varieties Japanese Black Trifele and Pruden’s Purple with similar fruit type. Produces big slicer-type dark pink fruit with good flavor. Showed less disease damage in the leaves than the check varieties.
“I was dismayed to see house after house being built on the farmland near where I live in upstate New York and I wondered who was doing something about it. That’s how I found our local land trust, the Agricultural Stewardship Association, and learned what a land trust does.” For Rippon-Butler, the questions around land trusts’ role in farmland access are important. “We were seeing the land trust community focused on protecting farm land from development but very little work happening to make sure land is affordable and accessible to farm ers,” she added. The NYFC’s recent Land Policy Report highlights the work they’ve been doing to develop stron ger easements and bring land trusts together to address inequities within the easement domain.
“The ways in which land access happens for farmers tend to benefit landowners, 98% of whom are white indi vidual males,” explained Rippon-Butler. “Land trusts are designed to work with existing landowners, which can perpetuate colonial land relationships. We are interested in holding up examples where that paradigm is being shifted.” These examples include the Northeast Farmers of Color Land Trust, Berkshire Community Land Trust, and New Community Land Trust. “We’re combining work with land trusts with other policy efforts. We’re exploring how can we access public funds to change land use, and designate this land for growing food sustainably?” Rippon-Butler posited. NYFC is working on strategies that allow funding for projects that prioritize farming such as with a working farm easement. When the land is sold, provisions are made to be sold to a farmer. “We’ve also done trainings around the country to make sure public funds and resources are used to help shift the needle from the private ownership model to one which land is farmed in common, such as is the case with the Agrarian Trust and working to support organizations that are led by farmers of color,” Rippon-Butler stated. In California, for example, the California Farmer Justice Collaborative is advocating that farmland-protected dollars be earmarked for farmers of color. In the Northeast, Vermont’s BIPOC Land Access and Opportunity Act is working its way through the state’s legislature. The connection between land, policy, and power continues to be a driving force in our country’s decision-making and policies. How does this shift so we can grow food? “I’m feeling very hopeful around organizations using and adapting existing models, listening to and working with farmers and farm families on new models to address power dynamics head-on around land. There seems to be this political moment and renewed interest in federal and state-level initiatives that are taking on inequities in land access and the power structures,” Rippon-Butler concluded.
www.ecocertusa.com
Land Access — from page 8
Links to organizations in this story
Cates Family Farm: catesfamilyfarm.com
At Westport Farm, Groundswell offers growers a 5-year lease structure that evolved from meetings and listening sessions. Land is leased for $150/acre/year. Growers aren’t penalized if they have to leave. “It’s important to really listen to the needs of grow ers,” Yang said. “These communities are facing finan cial barriers and they need help… It’s not a handoff. It’s working to unearth how this is a mutual benefit to the land trust and the growers. Having land is power, and we need to look for ways to share power and navigate power dynamics. From these relationships, we are piloting a project for therapeutic antidote for Hmong elders in partnership with the Southeast Asia Healing Center. As a land trust, we’re helping with transporta tion, supporting taxi and ride-sharing costs, so that elders can access the gardens.”
SILT also guarantees spots for farmers on its governing board. “It’s reassuring, too, that we have a voice,” White said. “Being on this land is a privilege. It’s not just for us and our enjoyment. We are building infrastructure for future generations. We don’t own this land. It’s protected and will continue to be for future generations.” It also creates responsibility for both the land trust and the farmers. “Being a land owner is a heavy responsibility,” said Erem. “We provide a ground lease on land we own and it serves as a long-term endow ment by the owner who donated the land. The farmers’ ground lease is priced at 40% lower than market value because of our sustainable food production require ments. After a 3-year starter lease, we use the assessed value of the buildings, which tends to be about 30% less than market value, to sell them to farmers with no interest and no down payment. It’s also another farm that stays in farming. It’s a farm that didn’t get fought over in the family and sold into lots,” concludes Erem. “It’s not that you owe it to the land trust, but you do feel a sense of responsibility to grow food and a commitment to our community,” White shared. “It’s encouraging that SILT is there to support and work with you. They want you to succeed.”
That’s a commitment that Holly Rippon-Butler, Land Campaign Director with National Young Farmers Coalition (NYFC), has made. “Farmland protection is the reason that I got involved in advocacy work,” Rippon-Butler explained. (888) 337-8246
American Farmland Trust: farmland.org
Groundswell Conservancy: groundswellwisconsin.org
Land Conservancy of McHenry County: conservemc.org
National Young Farmer Coalition: youngfarmers.org
Land trusts are also important to urban farmers and gardeners who can face additional challenges with steep land prices, depleted soils, zoning ordinances for agri cultural use, affordable irrigation, and reliable transpor tation. Systemic racism has kept immigrant and BIPOC farmers from accessing land, markets, and capital.
Groundswell Conservancy, in Wisconsin’s Dane County, is a land trust that not only protects farmland from development, but also makes it accessible for food production to farmers who have been excluded historically. Like many land trusts, Groundswell Conservancy got its start through the organizing work of citizens and farmers who wanted to address development pressures and loss of farmland and natu ral areas. More recently, Groundswell Conservancy has become involved with those who want to grow food for production but can’t find suitable land that is affordable and accessible to their homes and local markets. Yimmuaj Yang, Groundswell Conservancy’s Community Director, focuses her efforts in this space. “A big piece of what I am doing is working with com munities of color to see what their needs are in terms of land access to agricultural land,” Yang explained. This process continues to unfold at Westport Farm, just northwest of Madison among the deep glacial soils that are increasingly being absorbed by housing devel opments. The former landowner had a 110-acre farm with about 20 acres she made available on a handshake agreement to Hmong and immigrant farmers for over 30 years. There came a time when she could no longer farm and needed to retire and had no known successor for her farm. Concerned that the Hmong and immi grant farmers would be kicked off when she sold the farm, the owner approached Groundswell. They put a conservation easement on the farm and the landowner sold 10 acres to the land trust at a bargain sale. “The 10-acre food farm parcel which could have been sold for upwards of $10,000/acre has no water, no infrastructure, no housing,” explained Jim Welsh, Groundswell Conservancy’s Executive Director. “If outbuildings or housing was part of the mix, land values could flux from $10,000 - $40,000/acre.”
Erin Schneider, M.Ed., co-owns Hilltop Community Farm in La Valle, Wis., specializing in organic fruit and flowers since 1993. She also supports farmland access for beginning farmers as a Farmland Navigator with Renewing the Countryside.
homeownership. “We first crossed paths with SILT through the farmer grapevine,” Lorentzen said. “I’d been managing a farm for six years. While I loved the work, it didn’t really leave us with the savings account to purchase land.” “Debt limits choices,” said Erem. “We give the next generation of farmers more choices. We get farmers on an affordable farm with a long-term lease their kids and grandkids can inherit. Our lease commits SILT to 20 years (the maximum allowed by Iowa Constitution), and we commit to renewing that lease, but the farmers have the freedom to cancel any year.”
Jupiter Ridge Farm: jupiterridgefarm.com
Drifltess Area Land Conservancy: driftlessconservancy.org
Welsh added, “We as a land trust can help shift the model from, ‘Hey, there is clearly a demand for access to land, we can protect land and that will solve problems,’ to examining what the depth of our com mitment to working with growers and community partners is and needs to be.”
Sustainable Iowa Land Trust: silt.org Tall Pines Conservancy: tallpinesconservancy.org
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If you don’t have internet access, you may complete this form and send to: MOSES, PO Box 339, Spring Valley, WI 54767. Please respond by May 31. 3. Indicate the level of instruction you’d like in the production areas that interest you: 4. Indicate the cross-cutting topics—those that apply across production types—that you’d like to see as conference workshops: (Check all that apply.) 5. If you have workshop and presenter recommendations, please list them here or attach another paper. 6. To include more members of our community in workshop planning, we’ll host virtual meetings in June & early July. Please indicate your interest in participating: (Check all that apply.) 7. Please provide your contact information so we can send you details about these meetings: 8.InOccupation:LaCrosse,Wis., following public health guidelines . . . . Virtually like the Growing Stronger Conference . . . . . . . . . As livestreamed workshops you’d watch at home . . . . . . . 1. What’s the likelihood you’d attend the 2022 MOSES Conference if it were offered: Very Likely Somewhat likely Not likely 2. If public health guidelines recommend you wear a mask at the conference center, would you comply? Yes No DairyBeef . . . . . . . . . . Pork . . . . . . . . . . SpecialtyFlowers/HerbsFruitVegetablesFieldPoultryCropsCrops Beginning Intermediate Advanced Business OtherValue-AddedSoilMarketingHomesteadingFarmCommunityCertificationManagement&RecordkeepingIssues&SocialJusticePolicyHealthProducts(pleasespecify) Flowers,FruitVegetablesHerbs & Specialty Crops Field Crops Cross-Cutting Topics—specify topic(s) from the list above in #4.Email/Telephone:Name:SmallPoultryPorkDairyBeefRuminants OtherAgResearcher/EducatorFarmerProfessional (please specify) Thanks for contributing to plans for MOSES 2022! By Audrey Alwell
Take action to support Agriculture Resilience Act 2.0 Help
The Agriculture Resilience Act 2.0, introduced on Earth Day last month by Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME-1) and Senator Martin Heinrich (D-NM), offers climate solutions that are farmerdriven in order to reach net-zero greenhouse gas emissions in U.S. agriculture by 2040. The act sup ports the work organic and sustainable farmers are doing to build soil health, sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and make their farms resilient to a changing climate. In the U.S, the agricultural sector currently con tributes 10% of total U.S. greenhouse gas emissions. To achieve net zero agricultural emissions by 2040, this bill focuses on six concrete policy areas and offers farmer-driven solutions rooted in science to help mitigate climate change and increase agricultural resilience across the sector. These goal areas include: (1) agricultural research, (2) soil health, (3) farmland preservation, (4) pasture-based livestock management, (5) on-farm renewable energy, and (6) food waste ini tiatives. Learn more about the bill, including the com plete text, at pingree.house.gov/netzeroagriculture. “This is a ‘marker bill,’ so it won’t come up for a vote on its own,” explained policy experts at the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC). Instead, the provisions in the bill may be incorporated into other pieces of legislation, such as the next climate and infrastructure package (which could move through budget reconciliation this summer), a Fiscal Year 2022 appropriations package, and, of course, the 2023 Farm Bill, the primary vehicle for legislative changes to farm programs. See NSAC’s section-by-section summary of the act at TakeActionARA.andSenateSponsors.S.1337.http://bit.ly/ARA_HouseSponsors.HouseingsupportFarmershttp://bit.ly/NSAC_ARA_Summary.andorganicsupporterscanvoicetheirfortheAgricultureResilienceActbycontacttheirrepresentativesintheHouseandSenate.ThebillisH.R.2803.Seecurrentco-sponsorsatIntheSenate,it’sSeecurrentco-sponsorsathttp://bit.ly/ARA_SeeNSAC’ssuggestedtalkingpointscontactinformationforLegislatorsathttp://bit.ly/ shape the next MOSES Conference, planned for Feb. 24 - 26, 2022. Take this survey online at surveymonkey.com/r/PlanMOSES2022.
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The more we worked with a rural Iraqi tribe, the more we learned about their culture and how the local insurgency functioned. What started with a couple of local men joining Marine patrols eventually blos somed into every platoon training groups of villagers in basic military skills to become a local security force. Several of the men had once been low-level insurgents. To make the partnership work, we had to accept a very different quality of organization, timing, or planning from our partners. Iraqis struggled with biases about us as well. Both groups were flexible enough to make it work because neither of us had successfully fought insurgents on our own. To quote the English-speaking sheik leading the local security forces, “We make heavy on Al Qaeda together.”
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Modern life hasn’t broken our tribal tendencies to band with others like us for support. Not cultivating relationships with anyone who voted differently from you in recent presidential elections is a great example of staying in your bubble. In Iraq, we built relationships with rural Iraqis by living in leased houses in their villages and conduct ing daily patrols, going house-to-house to try to understand Iraqis’ family and business connections, their circumstances, even local road names. Marines complained once that people in one village had a different name for the same road than people in the next village. I said, “Where I grew up, people in Assumption call the road to Taylorville the Taylorville Blacktop. The people in Taylorville call it the Assumption Blacktop.” The more we learned, the more we found unexpected common ground with Iraqis. Seeking to understand requires that we go as explorers on a mission to learn, and not as evangelists on a mission to convert. Letting go of our own judg ments and listening deeply are critical building blocks to understanding others. I’m painfully aware that getting out of our own bubbles is challenging in the best of circumstances and more so with the last year of COVIDBuildingrestrictions.evenone respectful relationship with someone from a very different political, social, cul tural, or agricultural background shifts our own per spective and likely theirs as well. We finally have the foundation to work with instead of against each other. Radical Collaboration Once we build relationships, we open the door to partnerships we couldn’t have imagined. Instead of trying to change each other, we discover the common ground where we can work together. Just as increasing the diversity of plants improves a regenerative farming system, increasing the diversity of thinkers improves a problem-solving team’s chance of success by providing unique perspectives. At its best, radical collaboration leads to discarding old agendas and working on some thing completely new together. Theory-U calls this phenomenon “co-creation.”
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Getting to this point takes time but pays off as our perspectives and partnerships expand. Focus on Well-being Over the decades, we have focused on trying to solve the agronomic, economic, environmental, or social issues around agriculture. Solving for those metrics yielded a few victories, but created an over all population that’s unhealthy, economically and emotionally depressed, and struggling in degraded communities and environments. Robert Kennedy famously pointed out our failure to measure important metrics:“The gross national product does not allow for the health of our children, the quality of their education, or the joy of their play. … It measures neither our wit nor our courage; neither our wisdom nor our learning; neither our compassion nor our devotion to our coun try; it measures everything, in short, except that which makes life worthwhile.”
We tend to meet the metrics we measure; focus on bushels per acre and we’ll get more yield; focus on GDP and we’ll create policies that give us economic growth. Unfortunately, record production hasn’t kept farms financially solvent or kept some Americans from going hungry. Increasing GDP hasn’t increased wealth for most Americans. What if we choose a different goal? We all want to be healthy, happy, and fulfilled. That’s the essence of well-being. Well-being definitions vary but generally include physical and emotional health, economic stability, social connec tion, community engagement, and career or purpose fulfillment. Just as Regenerative Organic acknowl edges the interdependence of soil health, animal welfare, and social fairness, well-being acknowledges the interdependence of ecological sustainability, social equity, and human development. Well-being scales from the individual to the global. Have your decisions in your personal life or work made you healthier, happier, or more fulfilled? Have our solutions on a larger scale made others healthier, happier, and more fulfilled? Solving for well-being at the macro-level circles back to systems thinking by having us consider our solutions’ effects on everyone. If well-being seems unscientific or fringe, consider that “The Science of Well-Being,” a free, online Yale class, was attended by 2.2 million people in 2020. (Yes, anyone with internet access can take the class.) To focus on well-being, we must “live the ques tions” every day because the answers will evolve as our understanding and connections evolve. This column is my own attempt to answer the question that all of us must keep working to answer: “How do we build a regenerative agricultural system that pro vides well-being to all?”
The ideas I’ve outlined here offer a starting point rather than a road map. If we want transformational change, each of us must focus on the practices high lighted in bold. Like all transitions, the beginning will be slow. Like all regenerative systems, once the rela tionships begin forming, the momentum multiplies. I look forward to our journey. Ryan Erisman is a leadership, strategy, and organiza tional development consultant at Odyssey Collabora tions. He also raises pastured pigs and their feed crops in Sun Prairie, Wis.
352 Publishedpages March Portfolio|Penguin2021
questionsORGANICANSWERLINE888-90-MOSESGetanswerstoyouraboutfarmingandorganicrules.
Honor Thy Label By
enefits of Membership ofarm.2005@gmail.com ofarm.org • 785-337-2442 By
I am optimistic because I know we all possess that basic goodness and drive to unite people and planet as Emanuel Bronner evangelized. Take a couple of extra minutes in the shower, smell the peppermint, and read a little. ALL ONE! You can get the book on the Dr. Bronner’s site at equitabledonatinglabel-book,https://shop.drbronner.com/products/honor-thy-where,truetotheirethics,they’re10%toorganizationsthatpromoteansocietyforall.
As a loyal consumer of the product, and some one working for change in our food systems, I was excited to read Honor Thy Label: Dr. Bronner’s Unconventional Journey to a Clean, Green, and Ethical Supply Chain by Gero Leson. Leson is the Vice President of Special Operations at Dr. Bronner’s, and the one primarily tasked with improving and evolving the company’s ingredient sourcing to more closely parallel their values. The book lays out the history of a company that has always been rooted in ethics and working for the common good, and the hard work of building supply chains from the ground up that are truly reflections of that. We learn about the origins of the soap, the com pany, and Leson’s own path to this work. This part of the story is interesting all by itself, but the real value of this book for the activists among us lies in the real-world lessons learned. The path to truly organic and fair supply chains was a sometimes messy one, and Leson gives us an honest and truthful depiction. He describes projects and efforts literally spanning the globe, from coconut oil production in Sri Lanka, to olive oil from Palestine and Israel, to what might be some of the most exciting efforts of all in Ghana.
Through this narrative, which really does read like a story, we are reminded that this is a journey and not necessarily a destination. It isn’t sugarcoated or washed in green marketing. Bad things happen, failures are encountered, but, in the end, the suc cesses realized show what is possible when the under lying intention is to keep getting better. But what is better? What is fair, organic, and ethical? Leson does an excellent job of analyzing these ideas and stressing the importance of transparency, accountability, and well-defined metrics. These ideas are top of mind for many of us in the organic community as we work to honor and protect the organic label here in the U.S., and this is reason enough to sit down with this book. So, can businesses truly be a force for good? My innate response is usually skepticism. We have all watched the world operate under the seemingly universally accepted ideas of Milton Friedman, who preached, “Corporations have no higher purpose than maximizing profits for their shareholders.” We have seen the destructive power of this idea, when money all too often supplants life. However, as part of my role at MOSES, I have also had the pleasure of working with many people from companies, co-ops, and B corps who truly believe in the triple bottom line—not the market ing “fluff” and corporate greenwashing we hear so B Tom Manley Gero Leson regularly, but rather a real commitment to trying to be better. It is people, planet, and profits, preferably in that order. The stories in this book show that Dr. Bronner’s is guided by these commitments in all that they do, but none of it is presented in a “holier-than-thou” manner. They work to accept responsibility for the social and ecological impacts of their products, from the cradle to the grave, focusing on outcomes and not just outputs. There are honest, sincere lessons to be learned here: lessons about holistically connecting dots, observing, accepting feedback, adapting, and ultimately solving problems. I am grateful for the opportunity to share this book with you, and I do hope you take the time to read it. I believe it can be a useful tool in our kit as we work together to create real, tangible “good” up and down our supply chains and not settle for simply “less bad.”
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During my “formative years” as a college student in San Diego, I discovered the value and benefits of shopping at the local co-op. We are talking old school, tie-dyed-in-the-wool hippy co-op with most everything in bulk bins and maybe a couple of aisles of packaged goods. This made it easier to meet one’s nutritional needs on a non-existent budget, without the lure of those shiny objects in the center rows. The one thing I did routinely grab from those inner-ring shelves, however, was my Dr. Bronner’s soap. It was my “everything” soap, and mostly still is. And, it was local! Well, at least bottled locally. I would, and sometimes still do, take a couple of extra minutes in the shower to read a few of Emanuel Bronner’s words found on every bottle, some his own and some borrowed, all emphasizing the idea of a basic goodness that unites us. “Balanced food for body-mind-soul-spirit is our medicine! An Army of Principles can penetrate where an army of soldiers cannot! Unite Spaceship Earth! WE’RE ALL ONE OR NONE!” I thought, “This guy might be a kook, but I think he is my kind of kook.”
Tom Manley, MOSES Partnership Director, farms near Spring Valley, Wisconsin.
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16 | May | June 2021 TM
Ask a Specialist — from historical context precisely because that history is still very relevant. White solidarity has been cultivated for hundreds of years by powerful people in order to maintain their power. That history matters because many of the same conditions still exist, but also because it is repeating itself before our eyes. The history of racism is not behind us. There is a lot of deep historical context behind the fact that Black people used to account for 15% of farmers in the U.S. and now that number is below 2%. Lots of it has to do with violence, land theft, and discrimination forcing large migrations of southern Black people to northern cities in the 20th century. These aren’t my opinions, these are just historical facts. Your opinion and how you feel about this can inform what you do now that you know these facts. I think that a nonprofit like Rodale offering a small amount of grant money nationwide to Black farmers is not something to be upset about in light of this context, especially just after government support for farmers (98% owned by white people, with a $2.8 mil lion median net worth) received almost $50 billion for coronavirus relief in the form of direct payments from the USDA (much of it to large commodity grain farm ers). All of these USDA programs that make direct payments to farmers are essentially programs just for white people. There is no mention of race in those $50 billion relief payments, and the “colorblind” language ensures that the support for white farmers is hidden from view.
The best thing I’ve ever read on this is an article in The Atlantic, called “The Case for Reparations,” that goes into incredible historical detail on this. If you are curious, you can find the article at http://bit.ly/ TheAtlantic_Reparations.
Questions to ask yourself about solidarity include: Who am I expressing solidarity with right now? Why do I feel solidarity with that group? Who is my soli darity building power for? Who am I mad at? Do they have power? Does their power harm me? Does their power harm vulnerable people? If you work for a living (or care about justice), regardless of your heritage or the color of your skin, have solidarity—agreement of action and mutual support—with other working people regardless of their heritage or color of their skin. Care about their history and our shared history. Recognize that the solidarity of previous generations has been destroyed time and time again using the same playbook—to make working-class white people feel grievance or fear or hatred towards BIPOC in order to stop them from building power together through solidarity.
Bethany Emond Storm raises sheep, goats, and chickens on her farm in southern Wisconsin.
The organization that is bringing the suit against the USDA on behalf of white farmers in Wisconsin is called WILL (Wisconsin Institute of Law and Liberty). This is the kind of lawsuit meant to create a precedent to prevent future programs like the USDA loan for giveness from happening more than it is for the actual farmer plaintiffs in this case. Given the history of race in this country, could you guess who is on the staff and board of WILL? They are white CEOs and chairmen of large companies. They are not arguing in good faith— they are working to divide the rest of us by race. Programs and grants like these are working towards leveling the playing field because they are taking the historical context into consideration. All the evidence shows that our systems do not treat people the same; so, people do not need the same kinds of programs and support as other groups of people.
I don’t know if reading this has helped you examine your feelings or not. I hope it has. If you want more facts, here is a detailed timeline (with source docu ments) of some of the ways Black farmers have been— and still are—discriminated against in the http://bit.ly/BlackFarmers_USDA_timeline.U.S.:
My hope in outlining all of this is that you would see yourself in these patterns of history. I hope that you can identify why you are feeling aggrieved andcan recognize how this same story could have been told 50 years ago, 100 years ago, or 400 years ago. I hope that you will trade in those angry feelings for feelings of solidarity for those who truly need it.
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thousands of years ago when humans first domesti cated animals. Traditionally, nothing went to waste; we believe that nothing should still. The first evidence of a preserved animal hide dates to 8000 BC. Early populations worldwide used animal fats and smoke to waterproof and preserve raw hides. Throughout history, people have been using what they had on hand to create garments, rugs, and blankets out of raw hides. The people of Mesopotamia used the mineral alum and the Egyptians used bark tannins harvested from Acacia trees to tan their hides. In the 1800s, hemlock bark tannins were used in many WisconsinTraditionaltanneries.tanning has always been a labor-inten sive process. Raw hides must be carefully removed from the animal, then stripped of their meat and fat. The hide is then salt-dried to prevent bacterial growth. Once dry-cured, the hide is rehydrated, cleaned, and stripped of grease and membrane. Then the hide is either worked with brains (eggs and oil can be substi tuted for brains), or they soak in alum or bark tannin solution before softening with oil. The alum and the bark tannin stabilize the chemical bonds between the fibers and the oil lubricates in between those fibers. The brain matter coats the fibers and lubricates in between them allowing the fibers to stay relaxed. It turns out each animal has the right size and amount of brain to tan its own hide; every creature from a buffalo to a mink. After the oiling, hides are softened often by beating or stretching the hide repeatedly. Indigenous women in the northern part of our continent would sit around a campfire and chew on oiled hides to soften and finish the leather they used. My partners and I are following the long tradition of women tanners, though we don’t chew on the hides. We use a large tumbling drum to soften them before we hand finish the leather side and brush out the fiber. Our workshop is currently located in the ware house space behind Landmark Creamery, a local sheep milk cheesemaker and retail cheese shop owned by Soil Sisters Anna Landmark and Anna Thomas Bates. Almost all our equipment has been found, reclaimed, made in our shop, or donated to us. The large tumbling drum we purchased from a taxidermist who sold his business. That taxidermist quit the busi ness when he was diagnosed with leukemia, a disease thought by his doctors at Mayo Clinic to have been caused by the exposure to the tanning chemicals he used for 30 years. Our worktables are all reclaimed from the waste stream in one way or another. We repurposed a table sander to be used in our finishing process. We built drying racks from scrap we had on ourCurrently,farms. we are working on building a mobile shop/shepherd wagon out of as much reclaimed build ing materials as we can find. Reusing, repurposing, and removing from the waste stream is one of the core principles of our business. If we can find it used, we will make use of it. Please reach out if you are a sheep, goat, alpaca, or rabbit farmer and would like to discuss how to remove these beautiful items from the waste stream and add value to your farm. We accept hides from all over the country. If you are not a farmer, we also offer beauti ful, naturally tanned sheepskins for eco-conscious consumers in our online shop. You can find more information about our tanning services and our retail store at www.driftlesstraditionaltannery.com, on Facebook, and on Instagram.
Instead of asking “Why are they getting this?” and “Why aren’t I getting this?”, ask yourself “Who is benefitting from this?” Who benefits from working people fighting against their own interests, especially over scraps like a $2,000 grant from Rodale when the largest landowning farmers are getting millions of dollars in direct payments from the government?
Traditional Tannery — from page 7
MOSES Annual Report See highlights of the work MOSES is doing to sup port farmers’ success in organic and sustainable production. Read the 2020 annual report at bit.ly/2020report_MOSES. Award for MOSES MOSES was honored last month with a “Force for Positive Change” award from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation, Marquette University, and the Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation for encouraging rural prosperity through our work with farmers in Wisconsin and beyond.
Wisconsin Bill to Support Organic Farming
blends
•Available in Bulk, Totes and Bags •Rich in Organic Matter and Nutrients •Helps Condition and Enrich Soil 10 x 4 June www.krehereggs.com Contact: Duwayne Grabenstatter • duwayneg@krehereggs.net • Phone:
A new bill in Congress aims to address the country’s severe shortage of local/regional meat-processing facilities. The Strengthening Local Processing Act (H.R.1258; S.370) would increase slaughter options for local livestock and poultry producers, assist smaller facilities as they adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, and help consumers access locally raised meat and poultry. Food Animal Concerns Trust (FACT) has an email form that makes it easy to contact Legislators to encourage them to cosponsor the bill. Find the form at foodanimalconcernstrust.org/action-center.
As a member of the Artisan Grain Collaborative (AGC), MOSES is part of a network supporting the development of the regional grainshed. AGC has created a survey to better understand eaters’ needs, attitudes, and purchasing practices relevant to grains. Please take 5 minutes to complete the short survey at bit.ly/Survey_GrainBuyingHabits. At the end, you can enter a raffle for a basket of Midwest grain products. Aid for Farmers Impacted by Pandemic Signup remains open for the USDA Coronavirus Food Assistance Program 2 (CFAP 2) with an expanded list of eligible commodities. Grants are based on a farm’s 2019 production or head of livestock. Apply through your local Farm Service Agency. Find information at farmers.gov/pandemic-assistance/cfap. The Minnesota Institute for Sustainable Agriculture recorded webinars in English and Spanish to help producers apply for aid. See bit.ly/Apply4CFAP2.
manure
Strengthening Local Processing Act
In Minnesota, MN350 is promoting legislation to create a climate-resilient food economy designed to nurture the health and well-being of communities and ecosystems. The Headwaters Community Food and Water Bill (HF1332/SF1580) supports each component of a locally adapted regenerative food web, from food production and preservation to transportation and delivery. To ensure markets for farmers and food entre preneurs, this bill invests in cultivating rural-urban partnerships and the infrastructure needed to create and maintain a robust local food economy operating throughout the state. The bill also provides financial and technical assistance for producers transitioning to organic, regenerative practices. To learn about MN350’s strategic climate solution and sign the pledge to receive updates on the bill, visitmn350action.org/headwaters/ main. To become involved with MN350’s work to create a fair, regenerative food economy, contact Ben Rolland at brolland895@gmail.com.
granular
Current Podcast Episodes
variety of composted
Organic Resources in Spanish
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 for mental health support, women in sustain able ag networks, anti-racism, Queer and Trans on the Land, and farmer researchers (farmers interested in conducting research on their farms). To learn how to join a group or start a group focused on your area of interest, see mosesorganic.org/grower-groups.
National Organic Standards Board Openings
The USDA is accepting nominations for four open seats on the National Organic Standards Board (NOSB). The 15-member volunteer advisory board, appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, considers public comments and makes recommendations on the National List of Allowed and Prohibited Substances, and other topics involved in organic agriculture. Each member serves a five-year term beginning January 2022 and represents specific sectors of the organic community. Nominations are due by June 1. See more details at bit.ly/NOSB_Nominations.
Beginning Farmer Training MOSES and Renewing the Countryside will offer a training for “intermediate” beginning farmers—those in their third to sixth year of farming—focused on augmenting their business skills to support their farm ing success. New Farmer U will take place Oct. 29 and 30 in Minnesota (location is pending). The training starts with an optional half-day Fearless Farm Finances work shop. The $25 workshop includes a copy of the book, Fearless Farm Finances, published by MOSES. To make the most of the short workshop, participants will complete worksheets with their farm financial data prior to the class. The full-day session includes multiple workshops on topics such as wholesale markets, online platforms, recordkeeping, land access and financing, and diversifi cation. Cost is $50 and includes lunch. Scholarships will be available. Registration will open in July. While this training is geared for beginning farmers in years 3-6, it will provide valuable business management tools for beginning and aspiring farmers at any stage, and all are welcome.
| 17mosesorganic.org | 888-90-MOSESTM NEWS BRIEFS
Continuous Improvement of Organic Standards Representatives Peter DeFazio (D-OR) and Rodney Davis (R-IL), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), Dan Newhouse (R-WA), and Ron Kind (D-WI) introduced the Continuous Improvement and Accountability in Organic Standards Act (CIAO) to the House April 30. The bill requires USDA to advance and implement recommendations from the organic industry in a timely manner and to ensure the con tinuous improvement of organic standards. The National Organic Standards Board (NOSB) offered unanimous support for the bill during the board’s semi-annual meeting last month. Get a snapshot of the bill at bit.ly/OrganicContinuousImprovement.
The Wisconsin Assembly is considering a bill that would fund education and assistance related to organic farming practices and stimulate interest and invest ment in organic production. The bill also would allow the state’s Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection (DATCP) to provide grants to organic producers to help create organic farming plans and assist farmers in transitioning to organic farming. Read the bill at bit.ly/WisOrganicBill. Find contact information for your Representative at wisconsin.gov/2021/legislators/assemblydocs.legis.
Headwaters Community Food, Water Bill
The USDA National Organic Program (NOP) has created a web page with Spanish translations of resources on organic certification and production, including the Organic Foods Production Act, organic regulations, the NOP Handbook and fact sheets, vid eos and training resources. See rules-regulations/organic/spanish-language-responses.www.ams.usda.gov/ C o m post & Fer tilizer For decades, our family has used the manure from our laying hens as a crop fertilizer on our farm. Today, we are pleased to offer a layer and dry, fertilizer for use organic crop production (716) 512-3857
Survey on Consumer Grain Buying Habits
Organic •5 4 3 OMRI Listed •4-3-10 Blend •8-2-2 Blend •7 2 6 Blend Scan to Learn More
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The MOSES Organic Farming Podcast currently features a series with the Rodale Institute to celebrate the 40th anniversary of their Farming Systems Trials. The three episodes cover Rodale’s research on carbon sequestra tion, no-till vegetable systems, and their unique watershed impact trials. The episodes fea ture conversations with Rodale staff scientists, consulting scientists, and farmers. Subscribe to the MOSES Organic Farming Podcast wherever you get your podcasts.
Grower Groups
Organic Tomato Management
The University of Wisconsin and FairShare CSA Coalition are taking applications for the country’s first registered apprenticeship program for organic veg etable farming. The apprenticeship provides paid train ing with an experienced organic grower over the course of two years plus classes in farm business skills and marketing. See organicvegetableapprenticeship.org.
Updates to Conservation Reserve Program
Beginning Farmer Training
See bit.ly/NewCRP_factsheet for a summary of the CRP updates. Organic Seed Production
Anneliese Abbott, a graduate student at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, is collecting and preserving the history of organic/sustainable agricul ture in the U.S. To do this, Abbott is asking people involved in organic/sustainable agriculture to fill out a brief, confidential questionnaire about the key people, publications, and organizations that helped shape their farming methods and philosophies. She will use the confidential responses to identify and conduct oral history interviews with key figures in the organic/ sustainable agriculture movement. The questionnaire, at bit.ly/OrganicHistoryQuestionnaire, should take 10-15 minutes to complete. To request a paper copy, contact Abbott at 269-615-5983.
Newsletter on Oat Production
Tomato Organic Management and Improvement Project (TOMI) partners have released a new guide to help growers produce organic tomato seed. The Tomato Seed Production Guide covers climatic requirements, maintaining genetics and population size, isolation requirements, and criteria for selecting desired traits as well as harvest techniques, cleaning methods, and how to store seed to keep it viable. Download the guide at tomato-seed-production-guide.seedalliance.org/publications/
Field Crew Location Mapping
18 | May | June 2021 TM NEWS BRIEFS
Organic Vegetable Farm Manager Apprenticeship
Online Workshops for Aspiring Farmers
The SeedFieldCheck registry in Iowa is expanding to include Nebraska, Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan for the 2021 growing season. SeedFieldCheck enables seed companies to register daily locations of field crews to alert pesticide applicators to avoid those areas. The free mapping program is part of the nonprofit FieldWatch, which operates DriftWatch Specialty Crop Site Registry, BeeCheck Apiary Registry, CropCheck Row Crop Registry, and FieldCheck.
The Land Connection is offering Farm Dreams as an online workshop series for aspiring farmers, help ing them discover what it would really take to start a farm business. Each session includes exercises to help assess skills and resources, and provide direction for next steps in building a farm business. The workshops run from 6 to 8 p.m. Tuesdays in June (8,15, 22). thelandconnection.org/event/farm-dreams-online-series.See
Farmer-Labor Podcast
NEW FREE ONLINE COURSE Financial Risk Management for Specialty Crop Producers This self-directed course covers: •Financial Analysis & Planning •Accessing Capital •Accessing Farmland •Insurance •Business Management •Long-term Planning VISIT OUR WEBSITE AND START THE COURSE https://thelandconnection.org/course/financial-risk-management-course/TODAY!
USDA announced its goal to enroll up to 4 million new acres in the Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) by raising rental payment rates and expanding the number of incentivized environmental practices allowed under the program. CRP is one of the world’s largest voluntary conservation programs, with more than 20 million acres enrolled and a track record of preserving topsoil, sequestering carbon, and reducing nitrogen runoff, as well providing healthy habitat for wildlife. USDA considers CRP a powerful tool when it comes to climate mitigation. To that end, the Farm Service Agency (FSA) is introducing a new ClimateSmart Practice Incentive for CRP general and continu ous signups that aims to increase carbon sequestration and reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Practices include establishment of trees and permanent grasses, develop ment of wildlife habitat, and wetland restoration. The Climate-Smart Practice Incentive is annual, and the amount is based on the benefits of each practice type.
The National Oat Digest—The NOD—is a new quarterly publication aimed at oat growers. The handtyped newsletter is written and published by Jeffery Goss from Hurley, Missouri. The first issue covers weather forecasts for spring planting, declines in oat production, and oat varieties that are available without license or royalties. Goss is looking for regional con four issues. Send to J.C. Goss, National Oat Digest, PO Box 312, Hurley, MO, 65675.
Wisconsin Farmers Union has launched a new podcast covering the intersection of farming and labor. The Farmer-Labor Podcast is a documentary-style series that explores power in the farm economy: how farmers build it, how workers build it, and why they need to continue to work together. Find the podcast at wisconsinfarmersunion.com/podcast.
Land Stewardship Project is accepting applications now through Sept. 15 for its Farm Beginnings course. successful farm business. The course uses a mix of farmer-led sessions and an extensive farmer network. Classes will take place online from December through March, with on-farm educational events to follow later in 2022. Scholarships are available as well as a Minnesota Beginning Farmer Tax Credit for the cost of the class (for Minnesota residents).
SFA Minnesota has published a series of case stud ies of farmers successfully using silvopasture and agroforestry. Farmers profiled are Vickie Kettlewell and Greg Booth, Sunup Ranch; Tom Barthel and Gail Wilkinson, Snake River Farm; Tyler Carlson and Kate Droske, Early Boots Farm; Tom Hunter; and Tony Wells and Reginaldo Haslett-Marroquin, Regeneration Farms. These case studies and SFA’s soil health case studies are the basis of FarmMaps.umn.edu, a develop ing tool that will allow farmers to learn about, connect with, and receive advice from fellow farmers.
The Organic Seed Alliance has published an online toolkit to improve growers’ success with seed produc tion. Understanding the Economics of Organic Seed Production was developed in partnership with agricul tural economists at Highland Economics. The toolkit includes instructional webinars, budgeting spread sheets, support for inventory management, foundation and stock seed planning, and more. See seed-production.org/2021/understanding-the-economics-of-organic-seedalliance.
Research on Organic Movement
Silvopasture Case Studies
For Sale: Widow selling 4x5 organic grass and mixed hay round bales from 2020, 84 bales remaining, need to be sold. Call 715-475-9173.
CLASSIFIEDS Place an ad online or call 888-90-MOSES. mosesorganic.org/organic-classifieds
Certified Organic Hay For Sale. Multiple types and qualities. Small squares are in bundles of 9, 18, or 21. Rounds and big squares also available. Sold individually or by the semi-load. Brian@suttoncattle.com
For Sale: Yetter Rotary Hoe, 6 row, 21-foot, 5x7 inch tool bar, in good condition. $500 OBO. Used on organic farm only. Phone 319-288-0995 For Sale: 12R30” flame weeder. Homemade, wellengineered, 250gal tank. $25,000 OBO. 4R30”Buffalo 4630 cultivator. $800 OBO. Kilbros auger wagon and portable hyd pump. Call/text for pictures. 319-269-2489
For Sale: John Deere 3 point model 825 cultivator 6 row 30 inch with 2 guide colters, rolling shields – in good shape. $1395. Call Todd at (715) 896-1006. For Sale: Kult Kress Fingerweeder 3-row cultivator LIKE NEW 9,000. Farmall C Rear belly-mount cultivators trackeradicators $3,250. 2013 Nissan pneumatic Forklift, stored inside, propane $9,250. 2003 Sprinter Van $4500, 206,000 miles. Contact James at blackbrook.farm.llc@gmail.com or 651-343-2595. For Sale: Buffalo cultivators, planters, and rolling stalk choppers. Call 320-221-2266. Mechanical transplanters for sale: 4 row, 3pt tool bar with rubber tires, trays, seats, & water gulp (shedded). Also 1 row older steel wheel machine on 3pt bar. Call 701-430-1122. 60 Ft. Toolbars. Moore Built double fold and Elmers 58’ single fold that could be converted to a 60’. Toolbars only. No row units/gauge wheels. MB is $15,000, Elmers is $3,000. $16,500 for both. 7x7 bar for your next cultivator, tine, flamer, planter, project. Call Matt (320) 296-4100. For Sale: 80 cow organic dairy w/120 acre farm, freestall, swing 14 parlor, 80 crossbred cows, Ho/Je/Shorthorn, 25 head youngstock, equipment also available. 340 additional organic acres for rent. Email ponan@wi-net.com. Or call Paul Onan at 715-252-5046. Southern MN Organic farm for sale, 40 acres, 33 tillable with 31 acres nearby available to rent. Certified organic 6 years. Prime productive ground, le Sueur loam type soil. Shop and storage outbuildings, updated original brick farmhouse. Available May. 907-232-4879, leeofthenorth@gmail.com
For Sale: Certified Organic Dry Hay. 4’X5’ net-wrapped round bales. Cut, cured and baled without rain. Finely stemmed 2nd crop alfalfa/clover/grasses mix. Forage tested 167.28RFQ. $210/ton. Medow Farms Organic, Wabeno, WI 715-616-9350 For Sale: Round bales certified OG 4’x5’ bedding or beef hay baled in 2020 net wrapped (45) @ $35. Call Mike 715-5566289. We are near Menomonie, WI 54751. For Sale: Organic Corn/Hay/Oats. Will grind corn. Organic hay, big bales, wrapped. Organic oats. Can deliver. SW WI 608-574-2160.
For Sale: MCIA Certified Organic hay. Small square bales ($4) and 5x6 round bales ($45). Alfalfa grass mix. Maiden Rock, WI. Call/text Chris at 320-232-5269. For Sale: Certified Organic Baleage. 2nd cutting of 4X5’ cropped cut and net wrap round bales. Located in central Wisconsin. RFQ test available. Call 715-571-6174.
For Sale: Organic corn stalk round bales, baled dry, 5’X5.5’, $50/bale, trucking available. Morton, MN 56270. Call Gary at 507-317-1331.
For Sale: Combine JD7700t with 6row30 corn head and 220 bean head $10,000.; Planter JD7100 corn/bean 6row30 $4,000.; Cultivator MF 6row30 with rolling shields $300.; Gravity boxes (2) 200BU @ $600.; Grain dryer GTtox-owik370 $750.; Grain auger 6”x 25’ on wheel stand $400. Near Menomonie, WI. 715-556-6289. Please leave message for Mike. For Sale: 8 Row Yield Pro Planter. Plants multiple crops with the correct seed plates - easy to swap. Large 3bu hoppers, flat-fold markers. Ground drive, with air for seed plates. 3 pt. rigid, model year 2018. Less than 300 acres. Stored inside, excellent condition. $32,500. 515-835-8023 Call or text – Rory.
FARMS/LAND MISCELLANEOUS Place your ad to be seen by 15,000 readers! $20 for up to 30 words; $5/additional 10 words New ads posted weekly online: mosesorganic.org/organic-classifieds EQUIPMENT JOBS The Ahimsä Alternative, Inc. For all things Neem & Karanja INSECTICIDEBIOLOGICAL 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.com100%ColdPressed,Wild Harvested Neem Oil, Karanja Oil,Neem & Karanja Cake TerraNeem®EC Order @www.neemresource.com or call 1-877-873-6336 Biological Insecticide, Miticide, Fungicide, Nematicide Cold Pressed Neem Oil Ready to Use For Organic & Sustainable Use 4-hour REI Zero days to harvest FORAGES MINNESOTACertificationOrganicCROPIMPROVEMENTASSOCIATION1900HENDONAVE,SAINTPAULMN55108855-213-4461www.mciaorganic.org•HANDLERS•PROCESSORS•PRODUCERS•WILDCROP•LIVESTOCK Serving the Upper Midwest Ensuring Organic Integrity Since 2002 committedresponsivelocal to service LIVESTOCK
OneCert certified organic alfalfa and alfalfa/orchard grass hay for sale 3×3 square. 150-240 RFQ. Price is based on quality point. Barn stored or tarped. Northeast Nebraska. Josh 402-336-8130. Jim 402-336-8139. Check the Jobs page at mosesorganic.org/job-postings for dozens of farm-related posts. For Sale: Certified organic and grass fed Brown Swiss cows and heifers. 40 cows all ages and stages. 40 heifers 6 months-shortbred. 618-267-7417 Certified Organic, Grass Fed Beef: Where’s the Beef??? Green Acres of Wisconsin!!! Current products available: 85% and 90% lean ground beef in 1 lb packages. Summer grilling special: 12 lbs for $75. Free delivery for orders over $100 and within 100 miles of Menomonie, WI. Order information with Jeff & Denise Vick: contact@greenacresofwi.com or 715-2351433. Beef halves available this fall. 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.
| 19mosesorganic.org | 888-90-MOSESTM
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 fertilizer. Sold by the ton, tote and tanker. Call Dan Beck at 308-940-2020. Nature Safe Organic Fertilizers. FREE! Midwest Organic Resource Directory. Find buyers, suppliers (equipment, inputs, livestock feed and products, pest control, season extension, and seed) certification agen cies, and other resources. 80 pages, 460 listings. Published February 2019 by MOSES. Download PDF or order printed directory at 888-90-MOSES.requestorg/organic-resource-directory.mosesorganic.Toaprintedcopybymail,call 275 organic certified acres with about 200 tillable for sale/rent. Certified since the early 90s. Includes fully functional dairy barn, outbuildings, potential for house rental, and tillage equipment. Please call 920-539-2876 or email jriegleman@gmail.com. Looking to rent. Looking for organic row crop farmland to rent in Northwest Iowa or extreme Southeast South Dakota. Been farming organically for 20 years. 712-229-0161
20 | May | June 2021 TM
2021 National Pesticide Forum May 24 & 25, June 1, 8, & 15 | $ | Online Hosted by Beyond Pesticides, the forum brings together scientists, policymakers, practitioners, and advocates to discuss threats and solutions to enviromental decline in our communi ties. Learn more at pesticide-forum/2021npf/home.beyondpesticides.org/programs/nationalHarvesting & Packing for Food Safety & Quality Control May 25 | 5 – 6:30 p.m. | Free | Online This evening workshop from Pasa Sustainable Agriculture visits Braddock Farms to learn about the principles and practices that contribute to efficient harvest while maintaining food safety and storability. Go to packing-for-food-safety-quality-control-2/attra.ncat.org/event-calendar/harvesting-formoreinfo.
Summer Camp Conservation Lunch Series – Online May 27 | Noon | Increase pollinator habitat June 24 | Noon | Build healthy soil July 29 | Noon | Restore native habitat August 26 | Noon | Explore regenerative agriculture Join women landowners from across Wisconsin to discover new ideas and resources to care for your land on a virtual “summer camp” series bringing together expert advice and opportunity to connect and network. See wiwic.org.
Season Extension at Mhonpaj’s Garden June 2 |2 p.m. | Free | Online Learn about high tunnel production of vegetables with MOSES Organic Specialist Mhonpaj Lee. Register: mosesor ganic.org/organic-field-days or call 888-90-MOSES.
Creative Land Access and No-Till Vegetable Research
OnFarm.AcresUSA.com
July 19-20, 2021 or call 1-800-355-5313
Sharing Stories: Growing Relationships with the Land June 1 | Noon | Online This event is part of a six-part series designed to amplify the stories of people who are using conservation practices that have important regenerative potential while reducing the impacts on climate change. This is a project partnership involv ing the Office of Sustainability – University of Minnesota Morris, Stevens County Soil & Water Conservation District, and CURE (Clean Up the River Environment), in cooperation with the Land Stewardship Project. Learn more at wearewaterwcmn.com/ relationships-with-the-land.
Organic Strategies for Weed Management in Vegetable Crops June 15 | 2 - 4:30 p.m.| $10 | Kutztown, Pa. June 15 | 5 - 6 p.m.| $10 | Pittsburgh, Pa. These workshops,hosted by PASA and the Rodale Institute, will provide chemical-free strategies for weed management on organic vegetable farms. See pasafarming.org/events.
Farm Dreams Online Series June 8 | $30 (for full series) | 6 – 8 p.m. | Assessing Readiness June 15 | 6 – 8 p.m. | Building a Dream June 22 | 6 – 8 p.m. | Creating a Plan This workshop series is for aspiring farmers, helping them dis cover what it would really take to start a farm business. Hosted by the Land Connection. More details @ thelandconnection. org/event/farm-dreams-online-series.
North American Agroforestry Conference June 28 – July 2 | $ | Online The Savanna Institute hosts the biennial North American Agroforestry Conference. Learn more at savannainstitute.org/ agroforestry-2021. Vegetable Farming 101: Irrigation June 30 | $10 | Germansville, Pa. This workshop is hosted by Pasa. See an irrigation system in ac tion while you learn about the water needs of different crops, soils, terrains, and scales. Learn more. at pasafarming.org/ events/category/pasa-event.
July 31 | 2 p.m. - 5 p.m. | Decorah, Iowa 2021 Changemaker Hannah Breckbill and her farm partner, Emily Fagan, highlight the community-centered land access story and cooperative business model behind Humble Hands Harvest, a diversified organic vegetable, livestock, and tree crop farm. Hear about their no-till organic vegetable system as well as their plans for perennializing their 22 acres. Register: mosesorganic.org/organic-field-days or call 888-90-MOSES.
Medicinal Herb Production August 2 | 12 – 4 p.m. | North Freedom, Wis 2020 MOSES Organic Farmers of the Year Jane Hawley Stevens and David Stevens open their farm for a tour and presentation about medicinal herb production, covering herb identifica tion and wellness uses, planting, harvesting, drying, and cover crops. Register: mosesorganic.org/organic-field-days or call 888-90-MOSES. Systems Approach to Organic Farming August 18 | 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. | Turtle Lake, Wis. Join MOSES Organic Specialist Rodrigo Cala as he shares the systems approach he uses on his organic farm—everything from his sheep production system incorporating rotational grazing to a perennial system used to raise chickens, and much more. Register: mosesorganic.org/organic-field-days or call 888-90-MOSES. Silvopasture for Pollinators and Livestock August 21 | 9 a.m. – Noon | Menomonie, Wis. Learn about species selection, installation, and weed manage ment for tree strips that provide forage/shade for livestock and food/nesting for pollinators, especially specialist bees, butter flies, and moths that require certain tree and shrub species to survive. Co-hosted with The Xerces Society. Register: mosesorganic.org/organic-field-days or call 888-90-MOSES.
MAXIMIZEYOURFARM’SPOTENTIAL
The Iowa Organic Association hosts this interview with Robyn O’Brien whose background in finance and work in the food industry over the last 20 years have afforded her unique insight into the changing landscape of our food system, how it is impacting farmers. Learn more at ers_first_in_the_transition_to_organic_agriculture.light_on_organics_capital_and_collaboration_putting_farmiowaorganic.org/spot
The Johnsons host their annual farm tour to showcase what it takes to grow large-acreage row crops in an organic system. Also, learn about South Dakota State University’s organic oat trials on the farm as well as the project to restore South Dakota grassland to its native prairie state. Register: mosesorganic.org/ organic-field-days or call 888-90-MOSES.
Organic Row Crops & Prairie Restoration July 22 | 8:30 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Madison, S.D.
Herbal Health Virtual Conference June 24 & 25 | $ | Online Hosted by Mother Earth News in partnership with Mountain Rose Herbs. Learn more and register: june-24-25-2021.store/product-category/fair-tickets/herbal-health-conference-motherearthnews.com/
Direct Farm Marketing Online Workshop May 26 | 6 – 7:30 p.m. | Value-Added Processing
REGISTER TODAY! Pictured: Learn cover cropping, rotations, soil testing & more at the Otter Creek Organic Farm near Lone Rock, Wisconsin
Purdue Extension specialists and educators, along with guest speakers, will discuss how to enhance the sales of produce, animal products and value-added processing through market ing education. Participants will learn direct marketing basics and specific market types and strategies. diverse-farm-operations.htmlnewsroom/releases/2021/Q2/direct-marketing-programs-for-www.purdue.edu/
Attend this exclusive, small-group event in-person with Gary Zimmer, Leilani Zimmer-Durand and The Savannah Institute near Lone Rock, Wisconsin This two-day, intensive workshop is open for registration. Limited capacity.
COMMUNITY CALENDAR Find details and event links online: mosesorganic.org/community
Introduction to Growing Hemp May 29 | 2 – 3:30 p.m. | $30 | Online Come to this workshop to gain the knowledge you need to get started growing hemp, hosted by Michael Fields Agricultural Institute. Register. @ introduction-to-growing-hemp/2021-05-29/.michaelfields.org/michael-fields-calendar/
Ownership Pathways in Agroforestry June 17 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.| Free | Online Explore long-term partnerships between tree-crop farmers and alley crop farmers, with special focus on rent dynamics and the long-term planning required when integrating trees into agricultural settings. More details at event/ownership-pathways-in-agroforestry.savannainstitute.org/ Converting to Organic and Regenerative Fruit Production June 19 | 1 p.m.| Antigo, Wis. Grandview Orchard and Nursery is a U-pick with 30 varieties of apples. Owner Lisa Reittinger will talk about converting to organic plus understory management, sap analysis, disease management, and on-farm sales. See events/converting-to-organic-and-regenerative-fruit-productionorganicfruitgrowers.org/
Sustainable Beekeeping for Your Small Apiary May 27 | 4 – 5:30 p.m. | Online Hosted by MOFGA. This class will be focused on producing, growing, and wintering nucleus hives to replace winter losses in your apiary. Register at sustainable-beekeeping-for-your-small-apiary.attra.ncat.org/event-calendar/
Lily Springs Field Day August 21 | 10 a.m. – 1 p.m. | Osceola, Wis. Savanna Institute visits Lily Springs Farm to learn more about the varieties of elderberries they are trialing, and how they manage pest and diseases for this up-and-coming crop. Learn more and register at savannainstitute.org/event/lily-springsfield-day.
The “Practical Farrowing Box” DIY Sow Nesting Boxes June 15 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.| Free | Online Part of a weekly “Live from the Farm” series hosted by Practical Farmers of Iowa, this episode features MOSES 2009 Organic Farmer of the Year Tom Frantzen sharing his expertise on pigs and farrowing. See practicalfarmers.org/events/field-days.
Spotlight on Organics: Capital and Collaboration May 25 | Noon – 1 p.m. | $20 | Online
Roots of Resilience in An Age of Crisis June 18 | Noon Hosted by The School of Commonweal and Real Food Media, this workshop focuses on the roots of resilience in an age of crisis: land, seeds, and water. Learn more at tns.commonweal. org/events.
ACRES On-Farm Intensive with Zimmer Ag July 19 & 20 | $ | Lone Rock, Wis. This small-group event in-person with Gary Zimmer, Leilani Zimmer-Durand, and the Savannah Institute is a two-day, intensive workshop. Register: onfarm.acresusa.com.
