The New Agriculture Network's on-line newsletter with seasonal advice for field crop and vegetable growers interested in organic agriculture.
Vol. 1, No. 12 - October 14, 2004
In this issue
Next issue posted April 2005. Read previous issues through our calendar of issues.
Last issue for 2004
This issue concludes our first year of publishing at the New Agriculture Network. We'd like to thank our growers for their participation in conference calls and their willingness to send in reports for the web site. We also thank the university specialists who provided over 40 articles this season. For a quick review of the season, our link to the calendar of issues now includes the table of contents for each issue.
On December 6, we are hosting a video conference that will link growers, specialists and the New Ag Network organizers. Video conferencing equipment will link sites in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and Iowa during the morning and then each state will continue discussions in the afternoon. More details will be posted here and through our listserv when available. The goal of the conference is to explore how we can further partner to find organic ag solutions for our region.
We'll be back with more articles and reports in April 2005. Thanks for reading.
Dale Mutch and Joy Landis, Michigan State University
Deborah Cavanaugh-Grant, University of Illinois
Elizabeth Maynard, Purdue University
Jerry DeWitt, Iowa State University
Reports from organic growers
Southeast Indiana - Gary Reding
We have had a summer of abnormally low temperatures all season. This is the first year in recorded history where we never had a 90 degree day all year. This combined with very regular and ample amounts of rain made for exceptional crop production. Conventional corn in our area is 200+ bushels and soybeans 60+. The organic popcorn producers this year are having very good yields on the earlier planted fields with just under 4,000 pounds per acre. The later planted acres are yielding 2,000 to 3,000 pounds. Quality has been excellent so far and the crop is drying down well.
Our pastures have produced very well throughout the summer, even though we have had no rain since the end of August. Our thistle control has been very good in the highly managed grazing paddocks and very poor in the set grazed paddocks. We knew that grazing helped with thistle control, but have been very surprised by how much. One additional activity that we experimented with this last month was no-till liquid manure application. We injected 4,000 gallons per acre with an offset disc blade and injector tube with press wheels. This did a very nice job of not disturbing the soil surface much while getting the manure down to a 6-inch depth. There was minimal amount of root disturbance in all the pastures. We did not see any dying off of plants even though there has been no rain since the application. I look at this as the best way to incorporate liquid manure into the pasture system. I did apply it to some of the fields I am considering putting into organic popcorn production next year. This should save the nutrient value much longer than a surface application. I have also grazed one of the paddocks since the application and have had no rejection issues like I have had on surface applied.
Northeast Indiana - Dan Flotow
The weather for the month of September and early October has been about the same every day -- dry (less than an inch of rain since the beginning of September and temperatures in the 60s and 70s). That's OK for farmers of corn and soybeans, but hard on me and my veggies, especially fall crops (who woulda thunk after the wet summer we had). We have received three frosts to this point -- the first occurring the night of October 2.
Inside work has consisted of potting up winter veggies for winter markets. These crops include lettuces, mustard greens, pac choi, chinese cabbage, kale and assorted salad greens. Some of these crops we sow every two weeks and the others we sow once and harvest a few leaves each week for salad mix. We will be taking part in at least one, maybe two, winter farm markets and selling some produce to the local natural foods coop.
Outside work has consisted of finish harvesting tender crops like tomatoes, peppers, eggplant and basil to name a few. We have been planting garlic for next year. We have greatly increased garlic production. The other major project for fall is switching our main field from flat beds to raised beds. Since we have had a frost and crops in this field are done, we have been busy mowing everything down, which we just finished. Next we will pull up plastic mulch and prepare the ground, which consists of working the field with the chisel plow, then rototill (we need to improve the structure of our soil -- too cloddy). Then we can make raised beds with a bed maker that we built. Once we have beds, we will amend them with rock phosphate and greensand, horse manure, and shredded leaves. We want to go to raised beds for management reasons (less compaction, easier crop rotation, and easier soil improvement via cover crops).
We finally received our organic certification. (Editor's note: Congratulations, Dan!)
Northern Illinois - Dave Campbell
September was warm and very dry: around a third of an inch of rain for the entire month. The first frost occurred on the morning of October 1 with four mornings of frost during the first five days of October. We have been doing combine maintenance and repair. In the next two weeks, I will be combining soybeans. Winter wheat will most likely not be planted this year due to the late soybean harvest. The majority of bean pods are ready for harvest, although the top 4 to 8 inches of pods are not mature or dry enough at this time. Hope to start cutting beans by the week of October 18 which will be about two weeks behind normal.
Central Illinois - Jon Cherniss
It has been very dry here until this week. I had hoped that a late frost would make up for the cool summer, but it was not to be. We had the first killing frost on Friday, October 1, and then again on October 4 that ended summer early for basil, squash and unprotected tomatoes and peppers. We could have covered more crops, but after a 15-hour day, I just didn't care any more. If it was not for Michelle, the better half, cutting strings on tomatoes and pulling stakes while I was at the market, we probably would not have saved anything. It's nice to have a better half.
Last week, we planted garlic and our last planting of salad greens outside. In the next two weeks, I will be tearing out tomato stakes, rolling up irrigation lines, mowing dead crops, spreading compost and seeding rye. I will also be planting hot houses with salad greens and spinach and thinking about all the things I can do on Saturdays after November 20, the last Farmer's Market.
It's finally too dry, which is preventing planting of small grains. We've had a light frost, but cornstalks are still alive. Currently we are harvesting soybeans, tomatoes, potatoes, brocc
Michigan - Dale Mutch
The month of September was warm and sunny. However, only a trace of rain fell during the month. This was really good for soybean and corn growth and development. Many organic farmers have started soybean harvest, and yields appear good. The soybean quality looks great do date. The corn at MSU's Kellogg Biological Station is just at physiological maturity and should be harvested in the next two weeks. There have been at least three frosts over the past three weeks, with one going down into the low 20s.
Iowa - Paul Mugge
We've had about 13 inches of rain in September and another couple of inches in October. Needless to say, it is very wet and many farmers had to avoid wet spots with combines. The warmer than normal fall weather helped my corn greatly and it all made physiological maturity or very close to it.
I am just finishing up combining beans. They yielded much better than anticipated - about 45 bu/a. After the hail, I was hoping for 30. I am also trying to get triticale seeded following beans. Soil conditions are not ideal because of all the rain and it is going in about two weeks late. It will be a good test for winter hardiness this year.
I will soon start corn harvest. I also have a lot of liquid manure to apply and compost to spread and, of course, get ready for winter.
Ohio State University's Dr. Mike Ellis and graduate student Mizuho Nita host a web site that offers several resources for organic fruit growers. At:
http://www.oardc.ohio-state.edu/fruitpathology/ viewers will find recommendations for growing strawberries, blueberries, raspberries/blackberries, and grapes. The same site also covers organic apple production for Ohio.
November 12-14, 2004
Kettunen Center near Tustin, Michigan
(Just south of Cadillac)
This conference offers workshops for experienced and new CSA farmers, CSA wannabes, small farm advocates, community food/health advocates, educators and extension personnel. Speakers will include John Peterson (Angelic Organics) and Elizabeth Henderson (Sharing the Harvest, a Guide to CSA), CR Lawn (Fedco Seeds) and others who will inspire and educate.
Join in good company to celebrate good work, good soil and good food. To get on our mailing list, contact: CSA-MI, 3480 Potter Rd, Bear Lake, MI 49614. Phone:231-889-3216 (toll-free 877-526-1441). Email: csafarm@jackpine.com. Internet: http://tcf.itgo.com
This conference is produced as part of a partnership between W K Kellogg Foundation, CS Mott Group for Sustainable Food Systems, Michigan Farmers Union Foundation, Michigan Land Trustees, Michigan Land Use Institute, Robyn VanEn Center, The Community Farm Newsletter, and others to be announced.
The Fourth Annual Iowa Organic Conference will be held at the Iowa State University Scheman Building in Ames, Iowa, on November 1 from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM. Register on the Internet: www.ucs.iastate.edu/online.htm or by calling 515-294-5116 for registration or exhibiting information.
The keynote speaker will be Chuck Hassebrook, Executive Director of the Center for Rural Affairs, who will be speaking on "Working Together to Ensure the Future of Family Farming." Other featured speakers include:
- Dr. George Bird of Michigan State University on soil biology and plant health;
- Dr. Lewis Jett of the University of Missouri on organic vegetable production in high tunnels (greenhouses);
- Dr. Kathleen Delate, Iowa State University, on organic standards update; and
- Maury Wills and Fred Kirschenmann, among many other talented, informative speakers on topics ranging from national efforts in organic policies to local direct marketing endeavors.
Agronomic and horticultural crops and organic livestock topics will be covered. Registration ($85) includes 2 keynotes and 3 break-out sessions; a delicious organic lunch of regional products and a trade show of over 50 exhibitors. The conference will include support from sponsors such as Iowa State University Organic Agriculture Program, Iowa State University Extension, the Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture, and MOSES. View a brochure about the conference (pdf file).
Washington State University, in cooperation with the National Center for Appropriate Technology, Western SARE, Oregon State University, and Oregon Tilth, is offering a satellite broadcast examining the basics of organic livestock production and the opportunities it presents.
The broadcast will take place on Friday, October 29th and can be viewed at several locations from noon to 2:30 PM. It is intended to help agricultural professionals (Extension, consultants, suppliers, veterinarians, producers, etc.) become familiar with this growing sector of agriculture and to better answer questions and find resources on the topic. For more information about the program, visit http://ext.wsu.edu/noas/
For a complete list of viewing locations, see: http://organic.tfrec.wsu.edu/Temp/DownlinkSites.htm)
Illinois is a participant and is offering these viewing locations:
Champaign County Unit (co-hosted with Vermilion County), 801 Country Fair Drive, Suite D, Champaign, IL 61821, Phone: 217-333-7672. http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/champaign/map.html
Kankakee County Unit, 1650 Commerce Drive, Bourbonnais, IL 60914, Phone: 815-933-8337. http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/k3/map.html
Knox County Unit, 180 S Soangetaha Rd, Ste 108, Galesburg IL 61401-5595, Phone: 309-342-5108, http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/cie2/offices/location-t.cfm?OID=184
Lake County Unit, 100 South US Highway 45, Grayslake, IL 60030, Phone: 847-223-8627. http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/lake/map.html
Sangamon/Menard Unit, P.O. Box 8467, State Fairgrounds, Springfield, IL 62791, Phone: (217) 782-4617. http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/cie2/offices/location-t.cfm?OID=211
The broadcast is sponsored by the University of Illinois Agroecology Sustainable Agriculture Program, North Central Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Professional Development Program and the University of Illinois Extension (Champaign, Kankakee, Knox, Lake, Sangamon/Menard and Vermilion Counties and the Animal Systems Team).
Mark your 2005 calendar. Plans are under way for the Illinois Organic Production Conference to be held January 12-13 at the Holiday Inn in Normal, Illinois. Details will be announced soon.
