Finding Value on the Farm
Virtual Fencing: a tool For the grazing reVolution
Q&a with the marbleseed 2024 Farmers oF the Year, Full circle communitY Farm
Marbleseed, formerly known as MOSES, is a nonprofit committed to supporting the Midwest’s organic and sustainable farmers through farmer-led events and educational resources that help your farm grow.
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Marbleseed was founded by a small group of farmers who gathered in the dead of winter to share knowledge, connect over production methods and build community together. In 1992, they publsihed the first edition of the Organic Broadcaster—a publication for organic farmers, by organic farmers A donation to Marbleseed helps us continue to foster farmer-to-farmer learning, through resources and publications like the Organic Broadcaster.
By donating to Marbleseed, you become an essential part of our mission to foster the growth of this remarkable community and directly support resources like this magazine! Together, we can sow the seeds of a more sustainable and resilient future for farmers in the Midwest.
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From The execuTive DirecTor
We had just purchased our first tractor, a 1968 John Deere, at auction under the tutelage of a farmer friend’s farmer father. And we needed a tire repair. So, we called the local shop suggested and they came out to the farm. At the end of the service call, checkbook in hand, the technician waved us off, saying, “we will bill ya”.
Prior to our move back to Wisconsin, the small rural community of New Glarus was already referring to us as “The Girls”. The gossip around our plans for the abandoned dairy farm (due to stray voltage) proceeded us. We felt welcome…and safe.
In the farmland access work that we are doing here at Marbleseed, the reality of more affordable land being in smaller, more rural communities, many with a reputation of not welcoming newcomers of any type, can be at odds. Anyone who has walked into a small-town bar to feel all eyes at the bar turned on you, can relate to the intimidation factor. And as a cold beer is slid across the bar top, it is accompanied by “you’re not from around here, are you?”
As a species, humans have relied on the act of “othering” for survival. We are wired to decipher who is in the clan, versus who is an outsider. However, this instinct has become maladaptive as so many of us find ourselves “outsiders” in communities we now call home. I often reflect upon my experiences as a newcomer to a rural place. We were not farm kids. And although I am a Wisconsin native and my wife is from central Illinois, we were very clearly “not from around here”. Yet, we were extended the courtesy of an invoice for the tractor tire, a conditional use permit from the county for our bed & breakfast, yoga and massage business, and we opened a successful local food restaurant in town, with a pride flag flying. I know that flag indicated safety and welcome for a diversity of visitors to New Glarus.
However, for many farmers of color their experiences in rural places have been of ‘othering”, or worse, racism and vandalism of farm infrastructure or livestock. As a human and leader of an organization, these stories leave me angry and heartbroken. I know there are many more of us out there who see the vibrancy and sustainability of our rural communities dependent on our level of welcome and seeing the value of diversity.
Summer is the time of picnics, family reunions, and concerts outside. We gather and celebrate. It seemed like a fitting time to consider the notion of welcome in our own lives and spaces. In a recent conversation about inclusivity, someone talked about being at a party, sitting
on the couch, waiting to be offered refreshments, while watching others come in and go straight to the fridge without hesitancy. Invitation versus a sense of belonging. How do we create that sense of belonging for all in our own gatherings, communities, businesses? And what does that mean for us as a community of farmers, particularly in more rural places?
Watch in the coming months as we leverage the Ag Solidarity Network and our work with organizational partners to try to create a network of allyship that can be accessed by those farmers who feel targeted in their communities. We would have been lost without a network of folks who we knew ‘had our backs’. And that is still true for us 14 years later. We will also be exploring with university partners the research on welcoming communities and how to become one.
In the meantime, hopefully we will see you at a field day or farmers’ market. Reach out if you have an interest in the allyship work. Or let us know if you have thoughts or experiences related to your own celebrations or local festivals where there has been success; where everyone felt empowered to head straight to the kitchen fridge for a cold one.
To enough rain, at the right time, and a fruitful summer season,
Lori Stern, M.A. Ed
Virtual Fencing: A Tool for the Grazing Revolution
By Meghan Filbert, Nofence, US Pilots and Research Lead
Virtual fencing is emerging as a groundbreaking technology offering a novel approach to livestock management. Unlike traditional fences, virtual fencing utilizes GPS and wireless technology to create invisible boundaries for cattle, sheep and goats. Producers create and adjust the virtual boundaries from their phones which communicate with the GPS collars. Nofence collars are worn like cowbells and outfitted with solar panels that charge a lithium-ion battery.
As livestock approach the virtual fence, the collar produces audio cues, followed by a mild electrical pulse given through the chains around the animal’s neck, if the animal does not turn around to the audio cues alone. In the case of an escape, this sequence of audio cues followed by a pulse takes place three times and then shuts off for the welfare of the animal. In the case of an escape, the animal is allowed to return through the virtual boundary with no consequences. A producer receives notifications on their phone each time an animal receives a pulse, escapes, and returns. Livestock are trained to the system
in three to five days. In a short time, the physical stimulus of an electrical pulse is no longer needed, as the animals respond solely to the audio cues.
This technology not only effectively contains animals but also gathers valuable data to assist in grazing management and farmer decision-making. Some notable app features include heat maps overlaid on virtual pastures, showing where the herd has spent the most time over the last 24 hours, 48 hours, or the last week. Additionally, it offers the capability to create exclusion zones within pastures, effectively fencing off sensitive areas where livestock should not have access. Monte Bottens, an integrated crop and livestock farmer in Cambridge, IL points out, “You can exclude
Collars, worn like cowbells, emit a series of audio cues followed by an electrical pulse to contain animals in virtual boundaries that are created on a farmer’s phone. Farmers can monitor and locate their livestock anytime, from anywhere.
areas where forage is thin, there is no need to connect to the perimeter for power, and you can have paddocks in irregular shapes and sizes, and you can ‘fence’ ponds, timbers and gullies in seconds.”
norwegian roots
Established in Norway in 2011 to graze goats on mountains, Nofence now provides virtual fencing technology for cattle, sheep and goats. The technology is the result of decades of scientific research and was developed according to Europe’s strict animal welfare laws. Nofence is commercially available in Norway, the UK and Spain and has about 75 customers in the United States. The company will continue ramping up US sales in 2024 and aims to fully launch in 2025.
To date, 120,000 animals have logged 466 million grazing hours and the collected data, combined with customer feedback, has proven the technology to be highly effective. Livestock that are trained on the technology utilize their sense of hearing, rather than sight, to remain within a virtually “fenced” area without physical fencing. Typically, only one electrical pulse is delivered per every 20 audio cues and escapes are rare.
naVigating adVantages and challenges
Virtual fencing technology is in its infancy in the United States, offering a unique array of benefits and drawbacks. Understanding both sides of the coin is essential for producers considering its adoption.
Pros oF Virtual Fencing
1. Flexibility in Grazing Management
Virtual fencing offers unprecedented flexibility. Producers can create fences instantaneously and easily adjust boundaries with a few clicks from their phone. This provides opportunities to graze hard-to-fence terrain and adopt managed grazing practices.
2. Reduced Labor and Infrastructure Costs
Livestock can be rotated from pasture to pasture via the phone, therefore dramatically reducing the labor associated with rotational grazing. Virtual fencing provides a replacement for internal cross-fencing and decreases the need for fence building and maintenance.
3. Farmer’s peace of mind
Producers can monitor and locate their livestock any-
The Nofence app displays heat maps showing where the herd has spent the most time over the last 24 hours, 48 hours, or the last week.
time, from anywhere they have cell service. This is particularly beneficial during unfavorable weather. Since users are notified via the app if something happens, this allows producers to have more confidence all is well when they leave the farm.
Dayna Burtness, an early adopter of Nofence, uses goats to control honeysuckle and buckthorn on her farm in Spring Grove, MN. “Benefits like being able to check the goats’ location frequently and locating them during bad weather are enough on their own to make the technology worth the money”, states Dayna, who added, “Peace of mind is priceless.”
4. Animal Welfare
Virtual fencing can lead to improved animal welfare because animals can more easily access prime forage. A producer can monitor an individual’s activity levels, which helps to identify sick animals more quickly. Also,
users receive notifications if a collar has been inactive for four hours.
cons oF Virtual Fencing
1.
Cell phone signal
The Nofence system operates through cellular networks, without the need for towers or base stations. If a phone call or text message can typically be received in the pasture, NoFence is likely to function well. However, areas with limited to no cell service are not suitable for Nofence.
2. Initial Costs
The initial investment in the technology is significant. Cattle collars are $329 and sheep/goat collars are $229 plus a monthly subscription fee that varies between $3.00-$4.50/head/month. The subscription fee is monthly and can be paused in months when animals are not grazing.
Keep in mind that virtual fencing doesn’t fully eliminate the necessity, and associated expenses, of perimeter fence, which is still recommended in high-liability areas. NRCS is currently developing a financial assistance program for virtual fencing.
3. Battery life
Although Nofence collars are outfitted with solar panels, the batteries still need recharging. Cattle batteries need to be recharged every six-to-twelve months and sheep/ goat batteries need to be recharged every one-to-two months. This means accessible handling facilities are important and producers must account for the extra step of popping out a depleted battery and inserting a charged battery when handling animals.
Battery life is influenced by various factors: pasture size and design, grazing management, cell coverage, and access to sunlight. High stock densities in small paddocks with frequent moves result in more audio cues and potential pulses as animals are constantly up against a virtual border, which drains batteries. Cell coverage plays a crucial role, as collars rely on cellular networks for communication and will work harder to maintain a connection in areas with poor coverage. Lastly, access to sunlight directly impacts battery life. Expect batteries to drain during hot summer days when livestock spend much of their time in the shade.
4. Reliance on functional technology
Dependence on operational technology is inherent in virtual fencing systems. Just like any electronic device, collars may occasionally require a hard restart, necessitating the removal and reinsertion of the battery. Typically, this process requires running the entire herd through handling facilities.
landscaPe regeneration
No fencing system is flawless, and virtual fencing technology is a work in progress. Despite its drawbacks, it’s hard not to see this technology as a critical tool for regenerating our country’s resources by easing the barriers to grazing livestock. Scott Haase, a livestock farmer in Blue Earth, MN expresses his enthusiasm for the potential of this technology, stating, “Through drastically increased livestock management capabilities, and decreased time and effort on the part of the rancher, the potential to use ruminants as a tool to regenerate the landscape is about to be blown wide open!”
Scott shares his inspiring vision in a farm blog post, in which he writes, “Know that I want to scale this as rapidly as possible because I’m convinced this is by far our best chance to regenerate soil at scale and revitalize rural America.”
Virtual fencing represents a promising advancement in sustainable livestock management, poised to help reintegrate livestock across the landscape and pave the way for a grazing revolution.
To learn more or register your interest, please visit https://www.nofence.no/en-us/
Meghan is a passionate advocate of grazing and pasture-based livestock systems residing in La Farge, WI. She helps farmers address barriers to integrating livestock on the land, through grazing cover crops and virtual fencing. Meghan works for Nofence, a Norwegian virtual fencing company, spearheading the adoption of virtual fence technology in the United States. Meghan has experience using goats and sheep to reclaim native oak savannas using physical and virtual fences.
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Organic Management of Fall Armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda
By Emily Bick, Claire Stedden, Kelly Debbink, Erin Silva
introduction
With the warmer winter and spring Wisconsin experienced in 20232024, pest cycles seem to be getting an earlier start this year. For migratory insects like fall armyworm, this could result in an earlier time that they reach the Upper Midwest - as happened in 2021 when there was an unprecedented fall armyworm infestation. Fall armyworm is a highly invasive and destructive pest that can devastate corn and other grasses. This pest is not usually a concern this far north; however, in 2021 some growers in
Wisconsin experienced economic issues, while growers in regions to the south, including Indiana, experienced even greater losses (1,2).
Many factors affect the level of damage induced by pest populations each year including insect migration patterns and weather conditions (3). It is possible that the 2021 infestation was a rare occurrence and will not impact future years. However, some researchers have suggested that if northern locations begin to experience warmer weather, fall armyworm could become a more frequent pest (1,4). Pest monitoring networks can often provide early alerts about fall armyworm populations to help assist
with management decisions. This article will cover organic management of fall armyworm with a focus on organic corn production.
aPPearance
The fall armyworm moth has forewings that are mottled with dark gray and light gray while the hindwings are silver-white (3,5). In males, each forewing has a white patch at the tip. Fall armyworm eggs are dome shaped and about 0.4mm in diameter (6). They are laid in masses, commonly of 100200 eggs, usually in a single layer attached to foliage; however, they can be deposited in layers.
Newly hatched larvae are only a few millimeters long and greenish in color with a black head that changes to orange over time (6). Full grown larvae are around 1 to 1.5 inches long and can be light tan or green to black with 3 thin yellow stripes running down their length. On either side of their body is a thicker brown stripe next to a yellow stripe about the same width as the brown one. A distinguishing feature of older armyworm larvae is an inverted “Y” on their head.
Fall Armyworm Identification.
Fall armyworm adult male. Photo credit: Lyle Buss, University of Florida, Bugwood.org.
Female armyworm moths usually deposit eggs when they are 4 to 5 days old but can do so for up to 3 weeks (6). Eggs are usually laid in masses of 100 to 200 in a single layer attached to foliage (7), and each female lays an average of 1500 eggs over her lifetime. The speed of development and the number of generations that occur in a specific area both depend on the temperature. During hot summers, the eggs hatch in 2 to 3 days but can take up to 10 days (6,7).
Newly hatched larvae are too small to do much damage, but older larvae are highly destructive. In hot weather, larval development takes around 14 days while in cooler fall temperatures it can last 30 days. The pupal stage
Considerations for Wisconsin
If fall armyworms arrive late in the season, they may only last one generation before it is too cold for their survival.
Late season cooler temperatures could prevent fall armyworm eggs from hatching or slow down their development, which could make them vulnerable to control measures for a longer period of time before they reach their most destructive stages (1).
Fall armyworm larvae (damaging stage). Photo credit: Russ Ottens, University of Georgia, Bugwood.org.
liFe cYcle
Fall armyworm cannot survive cold temperatures. Therefore, they only overwinter in the southernmost states, including Texas and Florida (1). In the spring and summer, fall armyworm moths begin to migrate northward. After a few generations, fall armyworm can reach as far north as the upper Midwest and Canada, which typically happens mid to late summer. Usually, they reach the upper Midwest too late in the season for concern, but this is not always the case.
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can extend from 8 days in hot weather to 30 days in cooler weather. Adults live for about 10 days on average but can survive up to 21 days. Overall, the length of their life cycle ranges from 30 days in hot summers to 60 days in the spring and fall, and even longer where they overwinter.
sYmPtoms and eFFects
Fall armyworm has a range of host plants but prefers grasses including field corn and sweet corn and also feeds on alfalfa, buckwheat, barley, oats, clover, millet, ryegrass, Sudangrass, soybean and wheat (6). Larvae consume foliage and while newly hatched larvae don’t cause much destruction, older larvae cause extensive damage. On corn plants they can feed deep in the whorl, leading to a pattern of perforations in the leaves. They also feed in tassels and ears, including eating through the side of the ear (7). Older larvae leave behind ragged looking corn plants, which may resemble hail damage, or sometimes only ribs and stalks remain. They also can limit further plant growth by burrowing into the growing bud.
Damage on Corn due to Fall Armyworm. Photo credit: University of Georgia, Bugwood.org.
scouting and monitoring
It is recommended to scout for fall armyworm using either blacklight or pheromone traps for moths or watch for when damaged plants are first seen (3,6,7). If either is found, then look for eggs and larvae. Larvae can be found on leaves, sometimes deep within the whorl, on tassels, and ears. Fall armyworms are cannibalistic, so usually only 1-2 older larvae occupy a single plant. If there is fall armyworm damage on plants but no larvae are present, it is possible that they have pupated, and the infestation may be over. Sampling 20 plants in 5 areas or 10 plants in 10 areas is suggested to determine the proportion of plants affected.
Pest monitoring programs can assist with management decisions by providing early information about fall armyworm populations. The University of Wisconsin-Madi-
son provides a Pest Text Alert, which you can sign up for at https://cropsandsoils.extension.wisc.edu/pest-management/insect-pest-alerts/. Additional updates from the University of Wisconsin-Madison can be found at Wisconsin Crop Manager news at https://ipcm.wisc.edu/ wcm/. There are also monitoring networks specific to fall armyworm in more southern states, including the University of Missouri’s fall armyworm monitoring network available here: https://ipm.missouri.edu/pestMonitoring/ faw/index.cfm.
ORGANIC MANAGEMENT
If fall armyworm populations are above threshold levels (greater than 15% of plants infested with larvae), control measures are recommended (7). The only management option for organic production systems in northern regions is well-timed biological foliar sprays. Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) products are commonly used and spinosad is another option. If targeting fall armyworm, these products can be used at any time of year and at any crop stage. Treatment is most effective when fall armyworms are in early larval stages, so timing of the application is critical. Optimal timing can be achieved through scouting and monitoring.
Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt)
Bt is a bacterium that occurs naturally in soil. Bt spores produce compounds that are toxic to insect larvae if
Leaf
the larvae ingest them (9, 10). They are not harmful to humans and other mammals, are practically non-toxic in birds and fish and have little-to-no toxicity to non-target insects including many beneficial insects. The strains Bt aizawai or Bt kurstaki act against moth and butterfly caterpillars and are recommended for fall armyworm. They are most effective against young larvae. These sprays have a short residual time in the field, with half-lives of 1-4 days on foliage. For effective fall armyworm management, it is recommended to have the product on foliage as the larvae are emerging. For further information on applying Bt products, refer to product labels or consult your agricultural extension agent. It is important to note that instances of fall armyworms showing field resistance to Bt corn have been documented, including in the US (11, 12). The same type of toxin that results from using a Bt spray can also be present in a Bt corn hybrid, depending on the hybrid and the specific product used. This raises the concerns that fall armyworm could begin to develop resistance to Bt sprays over time.
Spinosad
Spinosad is made by a soil bacterium and can be toxic to insects that come into contact with it or ingest it (13). It has low toxicity in people and other mammals and is practically non-toxic to moderately toxic to fish and birds. It is moderately toxic to earthworms and highly toxic to bees, but studies suggest that after the spray has dried it is no longer toxic to honeybees or other beneficial insects. It lasts a bit longer in the field than Bt products, with a half-life on foliage of 2-16 days. For further information on applying spinosad, refer to product labels or consult your agricultural extension agent.
Emily is an Assistant Professor of Precision Pest Ecology and Extension Specialist for field and forage crops at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She runs the Original Digital Entomology Lab, which focuses on insect pest population dynamics by developing novel tools and strategies to help growers and stakeholders make data-driven agricultural decisions. Activities include the Insect Pest Text Alert system, and the development of the Insect Eavesdropper.
Claire and Kelly are Outreach Specialists with the Organic Grain Resource and Information Network (OGRAIN). Join us for organic grain field days across Wisconsin! The 2024 field days cover topics including weed management, foodgrade grains, cover crops, and organic research. Find the dates and register at https://ograin.cals.wisc.edu/. OGRAIN also holds an annual conference focused on organic grains, which will be January 24-25, 2025. We also provide resources and videos on the website and host a farmer-to-farmer listserv for questions and discussion.
Erin is a Professor of Organic and Sustainable Cropping Systems and Director of the Center for Integrated Agricultural Systems at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and leads the OGRAIN program.
reFerences
Resources in bold are especially recommended for further reading.
1. Fall Armyworms: A Late Summer Surprise in Wisconsin. University of Wisconsin Insect Diagnostic Lab. 2021. Accessed 2022 Oct 25. Available from: https://insectlab. russell.wisc.edu/2021/09/29/fall-armyworms-in-wisconsin/
2. Jensen B. Fall Armyworm: Keep looking. University of Wisconsin - Madison Integrated Pest and Crop Management. 14371. Accessed 2022 Nov 1. Available from: https://ipcm.wisc.edu/blog/2021/10/fall-armyworm-keep-looking/
3. Fall Armyworm. Purdue University Field Crops IPM. Accessed 2022 Oct 25. Available from: https://extension. entm.purdue.edu/fieldcropsipm/insects/fall-armyworm. php
4. Thomas M. Fall armyworms are causing damage in fields throughout the Midwest. WLFI News 18. Accessed 2022 Nov 1. Available from: https://www.wlfi.com/archive/fall-armyworms-are-causing-damage-in-fieldsthroughout-the-midwest/article_ebfe1fd8-d8b2-5f92acb4-3a15d6c77c8e.html
5. Fall Armyworm Identification & Scouting. Integrated Pest Management, University of Missouri. Accessed
2023 May 16. Available from: https://ipm.missouri.edu/ pestmonitoring/faw/identification.cfm
6. Capinera JL. Featured Creature: Fall Armyworm. University of Florida Institute of Food and Agriculture. Accessed 2022 Oct 31. Available from: https://entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/field/fall_armyworm.htm
7. Hazzard R, Westgate P. Organic Insect Management in Sweet Corn. Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education; 2005. Accessed 2022 Nov 1. Report No.: 01AGI2005. Available from: https://www.sare.org/resources/organic-insect-management-in-sweet-corn/
9. Bacillus thuringiensis Fact Sheet. National Pesticide Information Center, Oregon State University; 2022. Accessed 2022 Nov 3. Available from: http://npic.orst.edu/ factsheets/btgen.html
10. Dewerff R, Jensen B, Liesch PJ, Nice G, Renz M, Smith D, et al. Pest Management in Wisconsin Field Crops. Extension, University of Wisconsin-Madison; 2020. Report No.: A3646.
11. King C. Insect resistance to BT corn. Top Crop Manager. 2020. Accessed 2023 May 16. Available from: https:// www.topcropmanager.com/insect-resistance-to-btcorn/
12. Huang F. Resistance of the fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda, to transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis Cry1F corn in the Americas: lessons and implications for Bt corn IRM in China. Insect Science. 2021;28(3):574–89.
13. Spinosad General Fact Sheet. National Pesticide Information Center, Oregon State University; 2014. Accessed 2022 Nov 4. Available from: http://npic.orst.edu/ factsheets/spinosadgen.html
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Wildlife and Domesticated Animals – Produce Safety Rule
By Jill Cholewa
Wildlife and domesticated animals on the farm are natural. However, they can be a problem for fruit and vegetable growers for quite a few reasons. Many species, such as deer, raccoons, feral pigs, birds, fox, and rodents, can damage crops by feeding on or trampling them. In addition, both wild and domesticated animals can carry disease-causing pathogens in their feces that can survive for lengthy periods of time when deposited in soil and water and could be transferred to people
Photo credit: Blue Ox Farm
through contaminated produce that enters the food supply.
The Produce Safety Rule is part of FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) that establishes minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting, packing, and holding of fruits and vegetables grown for human consumption. The rule focuses on reduction and prevention of food safety risks and includes considerations and corrective actions for wildlife and other animals on farms.
how to reduce animal contamination
Because animals, whether wild or domesticated, are difficult to control, it is not possible for you to completely stop them from entering your operation. However, you must take proper measures to minimize the potential for biological hazards from animal feces to contaminate produce or areas where produce handling activities occur.
A good way to understand how animals may enter your farm and contaminate your produce is to monitor and evaluate your farm and adjacent land. When you do this, you will want to look for factors that increase risks, such as where animals and manure are kept, and determine if runoff could be washed into your field, packinghouse, or places where heavy foot traffic occurs. You may also want to note if there are any water sources, wooded areas, bushes, or tall grass that might attract wildlife, or if your farm is on a migration path. By knowing where fecal contamination may come from, you will be able to prioritize your efforts to avert cross contamination.
One method to prevent wildlife from entering your farm is to use deterrents such as decoys, fencing, netting, and noise or tactile repellents. You could also use falconry, but keep in mind that you are handling animals that could introduce more risk.
assessing the risks
Animals are a produce safety concern because they can carry foodborne pathogens that may be a threat to fresh produce crops. The use of pre-harvest assessments and no-harvest buffer zones can help identify and reduce risks associated with animals on the farm. Assessments help to identify any factors that could impact your crop’s safety, including wildlife, domesticated animals, adjacent land use, or isolated events like flooding.
The Produce Safety Rule mandates that produce contaminated with known or foreseeable hazards, including animal feces, should be identified, and not harvested.
To identify contamination risks, a pre-harvest assessment of the growing area should be conducted. To avoid harvesting contaminated fresh produce, it is necessary for all harvesters to assess risks and know how to identify contaminated produce. In the event of contamination, it’s crucial to establish clear and immediate action
steps or corrective actions. Establishing a no-harvest buffer zone is one-way workers can prevent risks once contamination is identified. Although the FSMA Produce Safety Rule does not mandate a no-harvest buffer zone, it can be used to effectively reduce the risk of fecal contamination in the field. There is flexibility built into the rule to allow you to decide appropriate corrective action based on the circumstances on your farm.
For instance, if animal feces or significant animal activity is found in the field, the grower may choose to establish buffer zones, refrain from harvesting in a set area, or implement other corrective actions to minimize contamination risks. To determine the appropriate buffer zone size, growers should assess factors like weather conditions, the amount of fecal material or animal activity, proximity of contamination risk to produce, and the extent of the problem. The recommended size of no-harvest buffer zones ranges from zero to 25 feet. Zero feet may be appropriate for fruit trees where feces were found on the ground, and it is unlikely the produce is contaminated. Twenty-five feet may be used if large amounts of animal intrusion occur, such as the neighbor’s cows getting into the produce field and the contamination risk is widespread and unknown. Ultimately, the farm owner and/or food safety manager must use their best judgment to establish a buffer size that prevents contamination of fresh produce.
When deciding how to handle contamination, several other measures can be implemented. These include removal of contaminants and contaminated produce, burying it, flagging or taping off the area, and applying other strategies. It is also important to evaluate the potential risks that may result from each action, such as cross-contamination of equipment with feces. Although the FSMA Produce Safety Rule does not require these records to be kept, it is recommended to document pre-harvest assessments, animal monitoring, records of intrusion and contamination events, and any corrective measures taken. The documentation of worker trainings related to domestic animals and wildlife are not required to be performed separately from other on-farm worker training, but the training must cover how to identify and reduce risks. Workers must be trained not to harvest contaminated produce or use equipment that is contaminated. And remember: when addressing animal contamination, it is necessary that you carry out a documented worker training session that covers practices like washing hands and how to conduct pre-harvest and harvest assessments that will minimize the likelihood of cross-contamination.
The Produce Safety Rule does not authorize the seizing of threatened or endangered species or suggest that growers should destroy or remove animal habitats. Rather, the Produce Safety Rule encourages growers to use co-management practices that minimize fecal and microbiological contamination while at the same time conserving soil, water, air, wildlife, and other natural resources. Co-management practices could include plant-
ing hedgerow vegetation or having bare ground buffers that allow you to easily monitor for animal tracks.
Although wildlife is the most difficult to control, growers should also be aware that domesticated animals such as dogs, cats, or livestock also can be sources of contamination. If you do use domesticated animals to prevent wildlife from contaminating your produce or use them as working animals, then you must maintain a system that controls animal feces and litter. The FSMA Produce Safety Rule does not exclude working dogs and cats on the farm, but their presence must be monitored and limited to secured areas on the farm.
where should i go For more inFormation?
FSMA Final Rule on Produce Safety | FDA; (https://www. fda.gov/food/food-safety-moderniation-act-fsma-final-rule-produce-safety)
Produce Safety Alliance | CALS (cornell.edu)
(https://cals.cornell.edu/produce-safety-alliance)
resources:
FSMA Final Rule on Produce Safety | FDA; (https://www. fda.gov/food/food-safety-moderniation-act-fsma-final-rule-produce-safety)
Federal Register :: Standards for the Growing, Harvesting, Packing, and Holding of Produce for Human Consumption; (https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2015/11/27/2015-28159/standards-for-the-growing-harvesting-packing-and-holding-of-produce-forhuman-consumption)
On-Farm Decision Tree Project: Wildlife and Animal Management—v4 03/02/2021; E.A. Bihn, M.A. Schermann, A.L. Wszelaki, G.L. Wall, and S.K. Amundson, and M.C. Humeston, 2021; Wildlife & Animal Management | CALS (cornell.edu)
Jill Cholewa, Ph.D., is the Agency Liaison for Safe Wisconsin Produce at the Wisconsin Department of Agriculture, Trade, and Consumer Protection agency.
EQUIPMENT TO IMPROVE SOIL BIOLOGY
• Vermicomposting systems
• Compost extractors
• Soil biology verification
• Bio-safe transfer pumps
• Mixing systems
Amending soil microbiology improves nutrient uptake, water retention, pest and disease resistance, and crop health.
h-Pack Mobile Microscopy Kit
Q&A with the Marbleseed 2024 Farmers of the Year, Full Circle Community Farm
By Tay Fatke
The 2024 Marbleseed Farmers of the Year hold a very special place in my heart for so many different reasons. It started over a decade ago when I was a recent high school graduate from the suburbs of Milwaukee looking to find what’s next in my farming journey. I had been working on a grass-fed beef farm and didn’t know where to go from there. A four-year degree didn’t seem attainable at the time but as someone who didn’t come from a farm background and wanted to have a career in agriculture, I knew I needed to pursue further education. I still remember my first meeting with Val Dantoin, one of the farmers at Full Circle Community Farm. Northeast Wisconsin Technical College has this beautiful building on the Green Bay Botanical Garden property and as we sat down to talk about the Sustainable Food and Agriculture courses, I knew this was going to be a great fit. Val taught soils, livestock, vegetable production, global issues in agriculture among so many other valuable classes. I credit this program for giving me a well-rounded knowledge base on all things sustainable agriculture that I continue to strive for every day. We had small class sizes and one of my classmates was Scott Rosenberg. At that time Scott was still working his day-job in the insurance industry but knew he wanted a fresh-start in a new career. Fast forward to today and Scott is now a co-owner at Full Circle Community Farm focusing on vegetables and all things infrastructure! Suggest cutting this.
I also feel very lucky to know Val’s husband Rick who brings knowledge about managed grazing, animal health and advocating for family farmers to the table at Full Circle Community Farm. To this day every time I talk with Rick, I leave with a nugget of information that I value dearly. I met Val and Rick’s son Andrew and his partner Heather when they returned back to the family farm after college and I moved back to the area for a job with SLO Farmers Co-op, which Full Circle Community Farm is a member of and Heather is the general manager. Working with these two gave me a renewed hope that young farmers can take the work that has been laid out by the organic pioneers and build upon it and take it to new levels. Their work on SLO’s customizable CSA has allowed other beginning farmers in Northeast Wisconsin to have a market and work cooperatively. When I started a farm with my parents in 2020, we supplied some of our produce into the CSA that year, and it made a huge difference for our beginning farm. There are so many more reasons why Val, Rick, Andrew, Heather and Scott deserved to be the Marbleseed Farmers of the Year and I am so grateful for all the work they do. I know they will keep doing incredible things for years to come to advance organic agriculture across the state, region and world.
I caught up with Full Circle Community Farm and asked some questions about the farms’ past, present and future.
Q: Can you share the history of the farm and how it has evolved over the generations?
Rick: This parcel of land was a part of Menominee territory before European immigrants arrived.
My grandparents bought this farm in 1900 shortly after they were married. My parents and uncle operated this farm as a dairy farm from 1950-1984. I returned to the farm in ’84 and started managed grazing the existing pastures in 1987. Val and I were married in 1990. The farm has been certified Organic since 2003. In 2014 the farm transferred from dairy to beef. In 2017 Andrew and Heather returned from graduate school to create a more diverse production model with fresh vegetables, some hogs, and some laying hens. Since then, all the produce has been directly marketed through farmer’s markets, CSA shares and other accounts. They continue to partner with other similar farms to market production cooperatively.
Q: Why did you choose Full Circle and ultimately Full Circle Community Farm as the name of the farm?
Val: The name Full Circle came about as Rick and I started direct marketing in the early 1990s. It means that we keep the best of the traditional good land stewardship practices, while at the same time rolling forward and incorporating new, appropriate ‘technologies’ - like managed grazing. We don’t just look back, we look forward. We also cycle resources through the farm, so we require few outside inputs.
Andrew: Full Circle Community Farm was intended to signify the continuation of the ideals and values that Rick and Val instilled when they started and continued their farming operation over the years. Entering Scott as a business owner and opening the opportunity for many others that have and may want to farm here in the future encouraged us to include the “community” into the farm name. The community aspect also exemplifies the commitment to nurturing the community around us, both human and non-human alike.
Q: How do you incorporate the wisdom and techniques passed down from previous generations into your current practices?
Andrew: One of my favorite reference books for raising pigs was written in 1897. The wisdom and experience that humans have passed on from generation to generation is invaluable. While there are many examples of learning from the mistakes of the past we also learn from the successes. A major tenet of the way we farm is looking to our non-human ancestors for wisdom as well. The knowledge and guidance we all can gain from turning a curious ear to what is all around us on the land that we are so connected to is invaluable and often overlooked.
Scott: I try to take the time and really listen to what farmers with more years of experience are telling me. Sometimes I’m able to incorporate their wisdom in a way that will benefit how I manage my operations. However, how they did things back in the day doesn’t always apply to my operation today. At the very least, I enjoy the conversation and thinking about how technology, managing employees and growing practices have evolved and changed over time.
Q: How do you engage with and educate your local community about organic farming?
Andrew: We regularly host events at the farm where community members are encouraged to bring their families and learn all about what we do and why. We are also involved with many different community organizations which brings a great circle of connections and curiosity. Everyone in Northeast Wisconsin knows about farming, but they also know about the impacts that agriculture can have on water quality, ecosystem diversity, community health, and personal health. Those common points are the foundation for building education and learning together as we all try to navigate in this modern context.
Scott: I keep my ears open for opportunities to engage with the community about what I do, as I have found that this is really fun. A gentleman who was waiting to make a purchase at our farmers market stand overheard me talking to a customer in front of him. When it was the gentleman’s turn to engage with me, he said he enjoyed what he heard and asked me to talk to his retired men’s association, as they would find it really interesting to listen to my life/farm journey. That was a great time: there were about 60 people in attendance and they really enjoyed hearing about my farm journey. I also was asked to give a presentation to my neighborhood association regarding general gardening practices... only two people showed up to hear me talk but it was still a lot of fun and allowed me to engage more deeply with those two people. I used to be intimidated at the idea of talking to groups but I find it’s no different than answering customer’s questions at the farmers market when they ask how I got into farming.
Val: We engage our local community by hosting field days, usually once each year for the last 25 years or so. Rick simply models what an organic, regenerative farm does every day for neighbors who drive by and see the farm in action. I teach at Northeast Wisconsin Tech College and have the opportunity to help students really touch, feel, and even work a little on the farm.
Q: What are some goals for the future of the farm?
Andrew: My goals are to see more people interested in farming or food in general connect and build their own passionate ventures with us and allow us to support them. Personally, I love fermenting things and growing mushrooms, so my next projects are to start culinary
mushroom growing and get into some fermented value-added production with our meat and veggies.
Rick: I hope that we can maintain the conservation efforts of the past and expand upon them. I hope that diversity increases to create a more stable future. I hope that we are able to find a way to create a stable, healthy future for all generations of this farm.
Scott: I would love to have the time to engage with the community further, such as offering classes to adults on how they can incorporate organic farming practices into their urban/suburban home gardens.
Val: As an oasis of green in a sea of brown, plowed land, one of my goals is to keep the island from sinking, ever. We are still working out how to transfer the farm to the next generation or a trust that will keep the farm green and grazing into the future. We are exploring some conservation easements or transfer of some development rights or simply putting ‘sideboards’ on how the next stewards of this land can use it and care for it.
Q: What’s your favorite thing to eat that the farm produces?
Andrew: My favorite thing to eat is whatever is newly in season. So right now, that’s strawberries, spring onions, lettuce, carrots, and peas.
Rick: I love the flavor of our beef. My favorite vegetables are onions, carrots, and brussel sprouts. I am especially proud of the black currants because of the connection to my Polish heritage. Poland produces more currants than any other country.
Scott: My favorite thing to eat changes with the season. In the early spring, I can’t get enough spinach and kale. In the summer I enjoy that first zingy taste of a ripe tomato. In the colder months I like to consume gallons of soups and stews, chock full of celeriac, kale, beets and rutabaga.
Val: I love the cilantro and sugar snap peas the farm grows as well as the black currants! And there is nothing like a sweet, sun-filled watermelon in late summer.
Read more about Marbleseed’s 2024 Farmers of the Year at marbleseed.org/about/recognition/farmer-of-the-year.
Interviewer Tay Fatke is Marbleseed’s Farmer Education Manager
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Building Confidence in Safety and Wellbeing with an On-Farm Workshop
By Laura Fredrickson-Gosewisch
Farm workers and farm owners alike gathered at Squashington Farm in Mt. Horeb, WI for a workshop on Ergonomics, Safety, and Wellbeing in late April. This event was hosted by the Midwest Vegetable Growers Network (MVEG) in collaboration with FairShare CSA Coalition, UW Madison-Extension, & the Farm Labor Dashboard, all in support of giving farmers more tools to improve wellbeing on the farm.
Body care and health look different for every person and operation; there is no one “right” way to approach it – so, a dozen organizers worked together to create this supportive space for farmer attendees to connect with the pieces that they needed the most, have access to experts to answer their questions, and get all the information and resources they need to start the growing season strong. Attendees started and ended the day together as a group to reflect and share, spending the rest of the day moving as they pleased through three education stations, each touching on different components of “wellbeing” on the farm, from first aid kits to self-massage.
Dick Straub is Emeritus Professor and Senior Associate Dean of College of Agricultural and Life Sciences at University of Wisconsin-Madison. He led one of the stations representing AgrAbility Wisconsin, a partnership between UW Madison-Extension and Easterseals Wisconsin. Dick discussed and demonstrated several special tools and modifications for work equipment.
AgrAbility works with clients to find adaptive tools that people can use who have disabilities; this could be from an accident or injury, but the majority of AgrAbility clients receive support due to “degenerative types of things that occur through life,” as Dick shared. AgrAbility is committed to helping folks find the adjustments necessary to keep farming –no matter what challenges they are facing. Several attendees indicated they would implement tool changes in their own work to better protect their bodies, based on examples shared in this session.
Aaron Yoder, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor at University of Nebraska Medical Center’s Department of Environmental, Agricultural & Occupational Health. Aaron served as facilitator for the group discussions at the beginning and end of the day. His educational station went over sun/heat exposure, first aid kits, tick prevention and identification, along with personal protective equipment – gloves, protective clothing, hats, eye protection, and hearing protection. Participants not only received practical guidance in all these areas,
but also learned about advances in products available like vibration-protective gloves, wearable tools for measuring sun exposure, and Bluetooth headphones rated for hearing protection. Sharing their favorite PPE and solutions that work for them, the group crowd-sourced ideas for meeting their needs. Aaron also shared ideas about how farm owners and employees can work together to encourage safe work cultures on their farms.
Ellen Petrick and Laura Fredrickson-Gosewisch are co-leaders of University of Vermont’s Farm Labor Dashboard Virtual 3-Day Retreats for Women Farmers. Their station got folks up and moving with a warm-up routine, stretching, movement strategies for lifting, kneeling, and more. They went over a variety of ways to support the body during and after a day of hard work, along with managing the mental and physical stress of farming. Ellen has spent over 25 years working as an exercise physiologist, health coach, and fitness educator, and has a master’s degree in Exercise. On her farmstead in Argyle, Wisconsin
she raises dwarf goats and other animals, including reptiles! Laura has been a market vegetable grower since 2016 and has spent the past 13 years in practice as a clinical massage therapist. Ellen and Laura’s unique combination of health expertise and experience farming allows them to offer realistic strategies and practices for keeping farm bodies feeling good. One of those strategies is to “lift with your butt!”
Levi Miller of MAD Capital drove all the way from South Dakota and partnered with Pasture and Plenty, a local-sourcing cafe and market in Madison, WI, to provide everyone with an amazing lunch spread. He believes in the importance of topics like this being offered to farmers and, in his words, “wanted to be a little more in person and show up. There is something important about being present for these kinds of things, especially in states that are so supportive of organic, regenerative ag; it’s just good to be involved.” Thanks to their generosity, this group experienced a crucial component to supporting our hard-working bodies: a long break with good food and community.
Over lunch, people took time to connect and talk with each other about their own challenges and successes incorporating wellness on the farm. Robyn Calvey of Park Ridge Organics in Fond du Lac, WI, attended the event with a member of her team so they could collaborate on bringing what they learned back to their operation. Robyn is a farm owner that makes it a point to support her farm’s well-being. She has offered yoga on the farm, and recently provided a free massage with a local massage therapist to each employee. Robyn came because “thoughts about my own self-care can only go so far; to actually implement them I knew I needed a little kick. You go from nothing to everything in veggie farming so fast – it helps to have a reminder at this time of year to remember and implement this stuff so that the season can be safer and better.” She went on to say that she was pleasantly surprised at how many simple tips and tricks she picked up. “It’s the time of year where we’re just doing things, and it hurts. Turning wrenches and shaving off parts of your knuckles, you recognize that planning ahead, being prepared for the task, having a first aid kit on the tractor for when I do shave the skin off my knuckles – it’s little things that make a difference.”
Some farm teams attended sessions together, while others split up then convened with their team between sessions to share what they picked up. Wonka’s Harvest in Hollandale, WI, sent their crew to the event on a day they would normally be working on the farm and paid them for the day! The team enjoyed the opportunity to spend time as a team and learn together, collecting their own perspectives and different important points; they shared that it takes the whole team to support and remind each
other to successfully incorporate new practices into work routines. Each person might connect with a different element that needs a champion – for example, one person might be inclined to keep track of time and remind about water breaks, while another could care about making sure everybody does a morning warm-up. When the work increases, the need for reminders increases, too. It’s easy to get sucked into tasks and forget about ourselves. We are all doing the best we can and need support sometimes. Having flexibility and choice about what to learn, and when, was also intentional in the creation of this event – autonomy, sovereignty, freedom: they all have a body-felt sense to them. Learning about caring for ourselves should be something we can each approach in our own way, taking an interest in our own care.
Jamila Siddiqui, from Madison, shared that “as an aspiring farmer with a disability, it can be really scary. I think about ‘how do I even do this?’, ‘can I do this?’, and to learn not just the tools and techniques, but also get encouragement from other farmers that are like ‘I’m doing it, and you can do it too – just remember this tip.’ It was so awesome.”
Everyone involved was so grateful to the owners of Squashington Farm, Sarah Leong and Pat Hager, who were willing to make room for us in the midst of a massive day of planting, the day before going to market at the Dane County Farmers Market, and still joined us with their crew for the sessions! Sarah said that they were happy to host because “the topic is great. To make farming sustainable and a long-term career everyone needs to be aware of how to care for themselves, how to use the right tool for the right job; it’s just a very applicable workshop.”
This event was an example of how we can work together to build up our knowledge and confidence about taking care of ourselves – minds and bodies – while also taking care of the land. The MVEG Network, FairShare, UW Madison-Extension, and the Farm Labor Dashboard all share an interest in supporting farmers’ overall wellbeing and meeting them where they are. Bringing together over 20 attendees to learn hands-on from experts, and each other, around ergonomics, body mechanics, farm safety culture, tool modifications, and healthy strategies felt like a successful start to spring.
Laura is a market vegetable grower, founder of Vital Ground Farm, and Executive Director of West Side Farmers Market in Saint Paul, MN. As a farmer and massage therapist, she uses her experience and expertise to be an advocate and educator around farm wellness. Laura was a presenting trainer and co-organizer for this event.
Identical potting mixes with identical fertilizer rates: Suståne 8-4-4 produced healthier, fasterestablished transplants than other organics. Slow-release nitrogen plus the nutrients and beneficial microbiology provides healthier starts for nearly all crops in all types of growing media.
[This trial used standard 95:5 Coir-Perlite potting media. Mix rate: 0.6 lb. N per cubic yard Suståne 8-4-4 = 7.5 lb. Suståne per cubic yard.] Know
on-Farm research, getting on-the-ground answers to the Questions Farmers Face
By Elizabeth Tobey, Organic Farming Research Foundation
Farmers are experimenters by nature. They regularly engage in a trial-and-error process to address the many questions and challenges related to farming and ranching. The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) recognizes the inclination of farmers to try new things, adapt, and adjust their farming practices. By releasing a new Farmers Guide to Conducting On-Farm Research and launching their Farmer Led Trials (FLT) Program, OFRF aims to support farmers in harnessing that skill and directing it toward conducting relevant research to address their most pressing challenges.
Studies have shown that farmers greatly benefit when they lead on-farm research trials at their farms. Conducting on-farm research allows farmers to address farm-specific questions and has historically supported the adoption and innovation of sustainable agricultural practices worldwide (Wettasinha et al., 2014). A recent study of farmers involved in the farmer-led research program of the Ecological Farmers Association of Ontario found that farmers who learned to conduct their own scientific research were more “knowledgeable, confident, motivated, and inspired to adopt and/or improve ecological” farming practices (Nelson et al., 2023, p. 2).
OFRF developed the FLT Program with that in mind. The program supports farmers and ranchers in conducting practical, on-farm research that addresses farming challenges and encourages farmer-led innovations in organic farming.
“Helping [farmers] add a few scientific steps to their farm trials can lead to more concrete and trustworthy results that they can share with other farmers,” said Thelma Velez, Director of Research and Education Programs at OFRF.
Through the program, OFRF provides technical support and seed funding to implement these on-farm trials, helping minimize the risk for farmers trying a new practice. The farmers selected for support will also share and learn from each other in a cohort space to foster a thriving community of farmer-researchers.
OFRF recently selected ten farmers from across the country to participate in the first FLT cohort, whose research projects launch this spring. This first-year cohort includes beginning farmers, BIPOC farmers, and veteran farmers spanning specialty crops, grain, and vineyard operations. All participants are certified organic or in transition to organic. The research topics identified by the farmers focus on building soil health, cover crop use,
weed and pest management, shade cloth use during summer, planting distances, companion planting, and variety breeding.
Tim and Becky Colby are some of the participants in the first FLT cohort. They own Colby Farms, a 14-acre farm in Papillion, Nebraska, where they produce vegetables, fruits, and some livestock products for their community. They are in their second year of transitioning a historically conventional farm to organic production. Having previously farmed in Arizona for three years, they returned to Nebraska to tend the land where Becky’s grandfather once farmed. They are participating in the FLT Program to research the best cover crop options for reducing soil compaction on their farm.
“Being part of the FLT program was a no-brainer for us on our farm,” said Tim Colby. “The land on our farm is in desperate need of rejuvenation and planting cover crops is the obvious solution. By partnering with OFRF, not only do we get some funding, but we get to create a project that will help us determine the very best cover crops to solve some of our soil health issues. We get expert advice and feedback through all stages of the project, from planning, implementation, data collection, and interpreting results. Then, at the end, not only does our Farm get answers to legitimate questions that will improve our soil, but we get to share this data with others that might be asking the same question. FLTs are a win-win-win scenario for the farmer, the research group, and future farmers that will be able to learn from the data.”
If you want to begin a research trial on your farm, the Farmers Guide to Conducting On-Farm Research (available for free at www.OFRF.org) explains how to design, carry out, and draw conclusions from a trial. It enables farmers to assess the value of a specific practice, variety, or input. The full-length guide details seven major steps needed to conduct a successful on-farm trial:
• Identify your research question and hypothesis
• Identify what you will measure
• Choose an experimental design
• Choose your field and mark the location of your plots
• Establish your trial and collect data
• Analyze your data
• Draw conclusions and share
The guide provides practical information, including examples from farmers and ranchers conducting on-farm research, links to additional resources, and worksheet templates for designing a sound research trial.
“On-farm research has provided me with the foundation for improved long-term soil health at my farm. I have eliminated several off-farm inputs while fine-tuning my cover cropping and rotation practices,” said April Thatcher, the farmer at April Joy Farm in Washington and OFRF Board President.
To learn more about the Farmer-Led Trials Program or download a free copy of the Farmers Guide to Conducting On-Farm Research, visit www.ofrf.org/research/farmer-led-research-trials.
Elizabeth Tobey (she/her) is a farmer and freelance communications contractor. She is motivated by a deep desire to connect people to the land on which they live and believes that we all have a responsibility to care for the earth and each other. Elizabeth grew up an unschooled youth, learning alongside her family’s goats, chickens, ducks, vegetable gardens, and fruit trees. Her background includes immersive studies of organic agriculture, permaculture, intentional community development, natural building, dance, yoga, and creative nonfiction writing, and she holds a degree in Sustainable Community Development from Prescott College, with a focus on Mentoring Future Generations. She has extensive experience as an educator in both indoor and outdoor settings, with preschoolers through adults.
A Farmable Future
Here’s to the ones who don’t take shortcuts. The ones who understand that farming is mutual interdependence between humans, animals and land. We build our durable industrial hemp Workwear for the folks who go the extra mile to increase biodiversity and leave their piece of ground better than they found it.
Kate Harwell and Bil Thorn spent the better part of a decade dreaming about owning and operating an organic farm. Today, they’re the owners of Sky Island Farm in Humptulips, Washington. Photo: Dave Coy © 2024 Patagonia, Inc.
eFFicient bed FliPPing during the season
By Tay Fatke
Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of visiting hundreds of produce farms. Each visit leaves me inspired by the innovative methods farmers use to maximize efficiency, especially when it comes to the crucial task of flipping produce beds. This practice, which involves removing a spent crop and preparing the ground for the next, is particularly vital for farmers growing on limited space and those focused on successive crop rotations.
There are many ways farmers will flip their beds. For some, it involves simply tilling the entire bed, applying any needed soil amendments, preparing the seedbed and planting. For some that are using minimal tillage they may use silage tarps to smother the residual or simply clip off or rip out the vegetation, apply compost, use a broadfork, tilther, rake or hoe, prepare the seedbed and then plant the new crop. How you decide to flip a bed may depend on what the outgoing crop is, the tools available to you and
whether you are transplanting or direct seeding the incoming crop.
On our farm, Mighty Wind Farms, we have utilized silage tarps to aid in flipping beds. For example, we smothered an oats and peas cover crop, raked the debris into the pathways, broadforked the bed, applied an inch or two of our homemade compost and any amendments, shaped the beds and planted tomatoes and peppers.
When those crops finished, we simply cut the plants just below the soil surface, removed the vegetation to the compost pile, put the silage tarp on for a week, pulled it off and applied compost and transplanted Salanova lettuce for a late fall harvest. By no means are we to the point yet of optimal efficiency with this process, but every flip we gain some more knowledge on how to improve!
We also rely on tillage equipment to flip beds and have found different equipment works well depending on the scenario. We use our tractor and reverse rotation rotary tiller when we are flipping multiple beds at the same time. The reserve rotation works best in our rocky Door County soil, and it is the quickest way to turn over our beds. We have found that it is best to remove most spent crops before tilling the beds. Sometimes when it’s time to flip a bed we will start by mowing down the crop instead of removing the vegetation off the bed. We do not have a flail mower, so the crops we can do this with are limited to mostly our salad greens. After tillage we come through with an application of compost and incorporate it with a 30” rake. We use a 30” bed width, so the rake helps find our correct bed spacing. One disadvantage to this method is our beds might move by a few inches from where they were previously. This practice also compacts the soil so if we notice a lot of compaction, we will use another method.
I have relied heavily on the broadfork to break up the compaction on the old hay field we now grow on. When it’s time to flip a bed,
I will remove the spent crop and broadfork the bed, apply compost and any amendments and use a small garden tiller to incorporate the compost and break up the soil clumps. If this bed will be direct seeded, I may come back through with the tilther and a bed roller to get a more even seed bed. This process takes longer and certainly is harder on your body, but I have found it works well and you can skip the gym during the growing season.
I believe successful farmers have many tools in their toolbox and that is true with how they flip beds. I’ve been grateful to have worked on so many farms early in my career and learned these tips and tricks and techniques. There are also great videos demonstrating efficient bed flips on the No-Till Growers YouTube channel- I recommend Sage Hill Ranch Gardens and Ten Mothers Farms videos demonstrating their methods. I also recommend reading and viewing content from Clay Bottom Farms on bed-flipping including watching this time-lapse video of Ben Hartman clearing and replanting this bed in just 20 minutes!
I want to hear your bed flipping techniques! Join me over on the Ag Solidarity Network under the Vegetables and Fruit group where you can post about your bed flipping techniques and we can continue to learn and grow!
Tay Fatke is Marbleseed’s Farmer Education Manager.
Partners Convene in Milwaukee to Discuss the Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP)
By Alice Runde, Operations Director, National Organic Coalition
For more than 20 years, the National Organic Coalition (NOC) has been convening organic community meetings, to provide a forum for productive engagement around critical issues for diverse members of the organic community. Marbleseed is one of the fourteen members that make up our coalition.
NOC is leveraging our role as a convener to facilitate national Transition to Organic Partnership (TOPP) meetings twice each for relationship-building and information exchange among TOPP organizations. TOPP is part of the USDA Organic
Transition Initiative and is administered by the National Organic Program (NOP) at USDA.
On April 30, 2024, NOC convened the third national, in-person TOPP gathering in Milwaukee, WI, ahead of the Spring 2024 National Organic Standards Board meeting. This gathering focused on connecting TOPP partners across the country, addressing challenges in the organic workforce, and discussing the impact of the TOPP program.
Leads and representatives from all six TOPP regions (including Marbleseed), national partners, and the National Organic Program (NOP), gathered for the meeting. Below are some key takeaways.
the lack oF diVersitY in the organic workForce is a barrier to organic certiFication.
One of the barriers to organic certification is the lack of diversity of the organic workforce. Though there is no data on certifier staff demographics, certification agencies report that most certifiers and inspectors are white. The ease of working with someone from your background or lived experience is often taken for granted by white folks. Having more Black, Indigenous, and other people of color (BIPOC) organic service providers
(including certifiers and inspectors) could make a significant impact on making the space feel more welcoming to BIPOC producers. There is a need for more racially diverse and culturally competent organic professionals within the organic sector across many professions (farmers, researchers, advocates and nonprofit staff, employees at organic companies, retailers, certification staff, inspectors, etc.).
To address this challenge, organizations are leveraging TOPP to communicate and collaborate across organizations and regions, to share best practices and strategies for equitable recruiting, hiring, onboarding, and retaining of staff. Some of the strategies include fostering relationships with Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU)s, Tribal Colleges, Hispanic-Serving and Asian American and Native American Pacific Islander-serving institutions, thinking creatively about the skills and capabilities (rather than experience) needed in new hires, and adding on equity lens to recruitment and hiring practices.
Organizations are also investing in long-term, authentic relationship-building with organizations serving historically underserved farmers, some of which may not have traditionally been involved in organic certification.
there are additional barriers to organic certiFication in underserVed areas.
Some parts of the country are underserved in terms of organic education, extension, certification, and inspection services and as a result, there are additional real and perceived barriers in these regions to organic transition.
One strategy to start addressing this challenge, is for organizations to partner with local institutions (high schools, community colleges and universities) in underserved areas to promote education and outreach about the depth and breadth of careers in the organic space. Some organizations have partnered to offer creative employment opportunities, such as dual or shared appointments between organizations, which might allow more flexibility in the funding sources for the position, and for a more balanced work schedule, (ie, not seasonal). For example, an organic inspector who could also be contracted by the local extension or resource conservation office to provide education during the “off” season.
In addition to these strategies, the organic community needs to ensure these career paths are sustainable and offer living wages.
the shortage in organic insPectors could curb organic deVeloPment.
Organic inspectors are a crucial part of the organic ecosystem, however, there is a documented high turnover and limited retention for organic inspectors. We need to invest in strategies to retain inspectors while attracting new ones. Some strategies revolve around the inspector roles and their support, such as revisiting inspector schedules and seasonality of their work: some inspectors are also farmers, and their busy farming season often overlaps with the height of their inspection workload. An inspector mentorship program could have benefits for onboarding and retaining organic inspectors. As mentioned previously, having inspector roles be balanced with other off-season roles may help smooth out the seasonality and income for these positions.
In addition to efforts to retain organic inspectors, investments need to be made to make organic inspector careers attractive and accessible. Inspector training could be made more accessible by finding sponsors for their costs (ex: education institutions, economic development agencies, other government agencies), and hosting regional trainings that more local folks could attend. Organizations have started to think creatively about outreach strategies, recruiting at local education institutions that offer agriculture-related education, and recruiting a
seasonal workforce whose schedules might allow for an inspection activity (like teachers or academic workers).
Another set of strategies need movement-wide advocacy efforts. Many inspectors explain that low pay is a reason for leaving the profession. Increasing organic certification cost share, something NOC and other organic partners have been advocating for, could help offset increased inspection fees for farmers, while paying inspectors a fair wage for their work.
transition to organic PartnershiP Program goals do not caPture the entire imPact oF the Program.
At the Milwaukee TOPP meeting, participants spent time discussing TOPP’s goals and measures of success.
The USDA has stated that the primary purpose of the program is to increase the number of certified organic acres and farms. In some ways, these goals oppose each other: if the goal is to increase the number of operations, then the strategies would likely prioritize supporting many, small operations to transition to organic. However, if the goal is the number of acres, the strategies would likely prioritize supporting a few, large operations to transition to organic. These two strategies are very
different, and organizations involved in TOPP may not have the capacity to pursue both at the same time.
Furthermore, there are important limitations to focusing on these goals. For some historically underserved communities, there is a lack of trust with USDA given the history and legacy of discrimination USDA itself has acknowledged. Having USDA Organic Certification as a goal may inherently exclude BIPOC farmers from accessing the program.
Another limitation to this goal reflects the time it takes to transition to organic. It takes at least three years for an operation to transition into organic, but TOPP is currently only funded for five years. Only measuring the number of certified organic operations and acres achieved through the five years of TOPP may not capture the operations who will be certified organic because of participating in TOPP after the funding is over.
the toPP Program has imPact beYond the number oF certiFied organic acres and oPerations.
One key piece of information missing from the current data collection is around demographics. We know that agriculture in the U.S. is built on a history of stolen land and labor, and that the USDA has systematically discriminated against farmers of color. Due to NOP guidance, the current data collection system does not ask for demographic information of TOPP program participants. The NOP is sensitive to collecting personal information and potentially jeopardizing participation due to paperwork burdens. Some organizations mentioned collecting demographic information through their own program evaluation processes and using that information to drive their decisions.
Even if a grower chooses not to certify as organic, they may be changing some of their practices as a result of participating in TOPP. Capturing those behavior changes at the national scale would prove how impactful the program is beyond organic certification numbers.
Beyond organic practices, TOPP is growing “organic champions”, building leadership and advocacy skills through community development, supporting network and partnership between farmers, organic service providers, and organic organizations. TOPP is also contributing to new organic expertise! Organic groups are partnering with organizations and institutions that may not have had organic resources to build organic expertise and be able to provide services for organic and organic-curious farmers.
toPP is haVing an imPact on the enVironment, bY suPPorting more Farmers to use agro-ecological Farming Practices.
One impact that NOC is excited about is better informed advocacy. As a result of TOPP, advocacy organizations will have a better understanding of best practices to encourage organic transition, where the gaps and opportunities are, and how to support this effort long term.
through toPP, the organic communitY is building PartnershiPs and collaboration that make our moVement stronger.
In the past 18 months, TOPP has allowed organic organizations to come together and collaborate under a common goal: supporting organic transition. This incredible federal investment in organic agriculture is a huge opportunity that organic partners have taken advantage of to expand or develop organic programming and resources. We look forward to seeing what impact the next four years of TOPP will have, on the number of organic operations, acres, but also on the landscape of organizations supporting organic farmers.
As the Operations Director, Alice Runde (she/her) supports NOC’s operations, from bookkeeping to communications and event planning, and facilitates NOC’s racial equity work in partnership with NOC’s team. Alice’s background is in nonprofit operations and project management. She holds a B.S in Agronomy and a M.S. in Agricultural Development.
Finding Value on the Farm
By Blue Fruit Farm
My partner Ben and I hadn’t intended to be organic farmers. He was a math major who wasn’t working in his field and was dissatisfied with his job and I was a medical transcriptionist, a career that was quickly becoming obsolete. We were living in the suburbs of Chicago, tending to our small backyard garden, and trying to figure out where we wanted to raise our daughter away from all the hustle and bustle. We took a chance on a visit to a small community in southeast Minnesota where we were presented an opportunity that changed our lives. For us, farming is and always has been a leap of faith.
As farmers we all put a lot of work into growing produce, so we might think about how we can add the most value to all that hard work. When we think of adding value to our fruit, the first thing that comes to mind is “value-added” products such as canned goods, jerky, pies, etc. For us at Blue Fruit Farm, value-added products are a way to utilize all the fruit. The value-added products we typically make are jams and juices. This past season we also expanded this to include dried aronia berries which are delicious in baked goods. As perfectionists, only the best berries go into our fresh and frozen orders, but as folks who hate to waste food, jams and juices are excellent ways to utilize berries that are not necessarily perfect in texture or appearance. Softer berries are still
delicious and into the jam bag they go. This past summer, we had close to 100 pounds of jam quality honeyberries, almost one quarter of all the honeyberries we harvested. Honeyberries are a soft fruit by nature, so lots of berries end up in the jam category. They are often the tastiest berries, and it feels very rewarding to give them a new purpose in a jar of jam. When we first started managing Blue Fruit Farm, farming wasn’t something we were particularly experienced in, but we did have quite a bit of experience with canning. That canning experience has certainly been useful as we have made over 1000 jars of jam and juice since we started in 2021.
There are other ways to add value to the fruit we grow. One of the most important is people. People add more value than any product ever could. Jim Riddle and Joyce Ford, founders of Blue Fruit Farm, wanted to fill a missing niche in the local food system by growing nutrient dense berries. Ben and I continue what they started. All of our employees choose to spend part of their summer picking berries. Most important of all are our amazing customers who really appreciate everything we do at Blue Fruit Farm and what makes our fruit different from what they can purchase at their local grocery store. We grow some uncommon fruits that often people have never heard of before, such as honeyberries and aronia berries. To add value to those fruits, we need to educate people about what they are and why they would want to try them. Honeyberries don’t take much selling once someone has tasted them, but due to their short
shelf life you will likely never see them on a grocery store shelf. Aronia berries, on the other hand, are often overlooked as they are not a fruit you would generally want to eat by the handful. They are actually quite versatile, delicious dried in baked goods, or frozen to add to smoothies. Another fruit we grow that is valued by our customers is black currants. Most people in the United States have never actually eaten a black currant as what is sold in stores as “currants” is actually a variety of raisin. People who grew up in Europe are very familiar with this fruit and remember it fondly from their own childhoods. It is always so rewarding to be able to provide black currants to someone for whom they are such a familiar fruit, while being typically unavailable here in the US.
Growing organically adds value as well. Value in terms of what we can charge for our fruit of course is important to be able to continue to exist as a business, but value in terms of contributing to the environment and the ecosystem as well. This spring as we were out among the flowering honeyberries, we observed so much action from our pollinators. Honeyberries flower in April, long before anything in the 20 acres of restored prairie that surrounds our farm is waking up from the winter and flowering. So, I think of our farm as an important piece of the ecosystem, providing early food for the pollinators. We also have other pollinator plants within the farm. Rows of Pycnanthemum pilosum (hairy mountain mint) buzz in August as a late season haven for polli-
nators. The Real Organic Project, a secondary organic certifier started by farmers to protect the integrity of the word organic, is a great way to add value for both farmers, as well as for customers who value food and the people who raise it. Growing organically goes beyond the absence of certain substances, though that is certainly important, and involves growing food in soil. Healthy soil is the literal foundation of everything we do and not much adds more value than that.
Another people based way of adding value to the farm is pick your own. We have just started to expand our u-pick offerings here at the farm to all of our fruits over our entire growing season. Pick your own is a whole experience for customers. It’s not just about picking the fruit but visiting the farm and seeing where the fruit really comes from. It doesn’t hurt that our farm is in such a beautiful location, which adds to the enjoyment of their visit. We love seeing kids discover the farm. A summer youth program of middle schoolers has visited our farm over the past two years and last year we had our first elementary school field trip to pick blueberries. We have lots of ideas about how to add more value to the u-pick experience, so that people will continue to come back year after year as a beloved summer tradition, as well as passing the word to their family and friends. Continuing to work with our existing patrons along with expanding our relatively limited rural customer base to utilize the full capacity of fruit produced here at the farm is the key to continuing
to provide delicious and nutritious berries for our local customers.
Located in beautiful southeastern Minnesota, Blue Fruit Farm covers 5 acres of certified organic honeyberries, black currants, blueberries, aronia berries, and elderberries along with a small amount of grapes, plums, apples, and pears. The farm overlooks a stunning microclimate known as Wiscoy Valley, surrounded by forest and native prairie, which allows the plants to benefit from a bountiful population of busy pollinators. They offer pre-picked fruit and are also open daily during the harvest season for pick your own berries.
STRONG SEED FOR STRONGER FARMS.
uPCOmInG FIelD DAys & tRAInInGs!
Conservation Bus Tour! North West Wisconsin
July 20th | 10:30 AM - 2:30 PM | Custer, WI
All Aboard! Join us for an exciting adventure as we criss-cross Dairyland’s fields and farms learning about different conservation practices that the women stewards of Wisconsin have implemented on their land, as well as their farming styles, from grazing to seed saving . Our Conservation Bus Tour will include scenic drives through rural Wisconsin and stops at photo-worthy points of interest as well! From the bleating of goats under managed grazing to the importance of native plants, come, see it all! Register at www.wiwic.org/upcoming-events
WiWiC Northwest Field Day
August 6th | 4:00 - 7:00 PM | Eau Claire, WI
All women farmers, landowners and conservationists from Chippewa, Eau Claire, Clark and surrounding counties are welcome to attend– whatever your background, from beginners to experts! Register at www.wiwic.org/upcoming-events
WI Farmland Access Hub: From Local Zoning to Money
August 22 | 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM CT | Madison, WI
Join partners and those interested in equitable farmland access in Wisconsin and the upper Midwest. Through presentation, panelists and small group conversations, we will identify opportunities and barriers for the next generation of farmers. Space is limited. $10.00 is required to register with lunch provided. Some scholarships may be available. Register at marbleseed.org/events/field-days
Marbleseed/OGRAIN Organic Research Field Day
August 26 | 9:30 AM - 3:00 PM | Arlington, WI
Join OGRAIN and Marbleseed at Arlington Agricultural Research Station. We’ll spend the morning touring the station to check out the latest research in organic grains and forages. This year’s field trials include roller crimping, strip tilling, planting into hairy vetch, and dry bean variety testing. Afterwards, we’ll talk about climate-smart commodities opportunities. What are they? How do they work? What programs are out there? Register at ograin.cals.wisc.edu/ograin-events/2024-ograin-field-days/
See more upcoming field days and trainings at marbleseed.org/events/field-days.
FORAGes
For Sale: Corn, Hay, Combine OCIA certified organic yellow corn. Organic alfalfa/grass hay large squares or round. JD 55 combine, two row cornhead. Always inside. 2257 actual hours. 641-751-8382
equIPment
For Sale: Flamer (retiring) 6 Row 30” flamer with 250 gallon tank. Works very well. $5000 OBO. Call 507582-3330.
For Sale: 30’ Kovar Tine Weeder Selling a 30 foot Kovar tine weeder, 3pt hitch. Very little use. Located by Alcester SD. Call 712-229-6389.
For Sale: Howard Rotavator Model M Howard Rotavator Model M 130” for 110-175 PTOHP. Very little use. Excellent Condition. Stored inside. L Blades. Extra Parts. Decorah, IA. 563.380.1668
For Sale: Hiniker CultiPro 2021 Hiniker CultiPro 12 row 30” cultivator. Cutaway tandem discs, cutaway rotary hoe shields, standard hiniker sweep. Call 701-640-3476
lAnD
Farm for Sale or Lease
40 Organic Certified acres in Leelanau County Michigan. 17 tillable acres, 22 timber acres, 1 farmstead acre. 5-bedroom house, garage. 1926 era peg and beam barn, farmhouse. Much useful equipment. Call 231-835-0939
Forming eco-village looking to partner with farmers in WI/MN area
For starting/expanding farmer. Up to 40 acres, vegetable/fruit produce. Lease terms must work well for you. Also opportunity to buy in to ecovillage. Email tely5@ yahoo.com
For Sale: 40 acre farm with 2 1/2 story rustic cabin with outhouse and deep well. Old pole barn with 2nd well. Previously certified organic. No chemical use since. 305K. 612-986-1354. Michael
mIsCellAneOus
Organic Waste Connections - Miracle Grow Black Gold Garden Fertilizer. Best in class NPK, Best Micro-nutrients, Best soil microbiology, High-rate carbon retention. 100% Certified Organic and Increased Yields guaranteed. Great for year-round indoor plants. Don’t forget to call for our Dead animal collection services. Serving western Wisconsin, Eastern Minnesota and Northeast Iowa. Monday-Friday and weekend emergency service as needed, extra charges apply. Dispatch: 715-773-0713. $28/ton plus trucking.
ASN provides a free, virtual space where folks from across the food system can cross pollinate ideas, ask questions, and build power. The platform connects a diverse network of farmers, farmworkers, homesteaders, and food system professionals who are collectively growing the organic movement. Check it out at agsolidaritynetwork.com
ClAssIFIeD AD PlACement
Reach 15,000+ organic-minded readers! Includes a free listing in the Online Organic Classifieds at marbleseed.org
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