Search for “horticulture”

Larry Cleverley (Cleverley Farms) has been a horticulture farmer leader for more than a decade and has had success growing high quality greens. Joining Larry will be beginner Northeast Iowa horticulture farmer Glen Elsbernd (G it’s Fresh).

At Blue Sky Flower Farm near Elko-New Market, MN, Jon and Rachael Ackerman specialize in growing standard and unique varieties of woody ornamental plants. The Ackerman’s launched their farm in 2010 and grow approximately 2 acres of cut flowers and woodies for wholesale to local garden centers, landscape companies, florists & at the Twin Cities Flower Exchange (a local, wholesale flower market). Hear tips and techniques from Rachael on how to add woodies to your farm including information on propagation, varieties, growing, challenges, investment, social media and more.

Glenn Drowns with his wife Linda manage Sand Hill Preservation Center near Calamus, Iowa. They save farm genetic diversity with heirloom seeds, and poultry breeds. Glenn has been perfecting his techniques growing cucurbits organically for decades and is eager to share his knowledge. Ben Saunders has worked at Turtle Farm CSA near Granger, IA, for several years and is working to transition the farm to the next generation. With a university degree in Horticulture, Ben loves working with nature and educating on the farm.

Lee Matteson and Rose Schick are building their business around winter greens and extended season production using four high tunnels near Nevada, Iowa. Though they started with a solid foundation in greenhouse production, there was plenty to learn along the way. During this farminar Lee and Rose will discuss starting their farm, some misconceptions they had and how others might try things differently. They will also discuss greenhouse and site selection, favorite crops, markets, financial decision-making and share photos of their greenhouse operation.

Seed Starting 101: Two ExamplesFebruary 17, 2016 View Farminar Pre-recorded For fruit and vegetable producers, the growing season begins long before the first crops are actually planted in the ground. There are many variations to the process of starting seeds indoors, and each farm has unique methods and schedules according to its goals, markets and [...]

Beginning livestock farmers Caleb and Jacqueline Shinn have struggled to find affordable insurance coverage for their farm business. The Shinns will share details about their farm and the process they’ve gone through as they evaluate their risk-management options. Rodney Sebastian, with USDA Risk Management Agency, will discuss current insurance programs and risk assessment tools the Shinns could consider.

Pollinators such as bees, butterflies, and insects are critical to crop production and play a crucial role in our nation’s food supply. This farminar will provide a guide to restoring native prairie by offering recommendations for research & planning, site preparation, planting, and management. This information is applicable if you’re restoring many acres or considering a backyard project. Jessi and Dennis from Shooting Star Native Seeds will talk about how to choose a seed mix, how to eliminate weeds before you plant, what equipment is needed, and the management practices needed for continued growth of your pollinator habitat.

Beginning farmers face a whole range of barriers to overcome when starting a successful farm business. Accessing startup capital and land, building a market, finding a balance between farm work and family life, and overcoming production challenges are among the many issues beginners have to navigate. Beginning vegetable farmer Jenny Quiner of Dogpatch Urban Gardens, and beginning livestock farmers Bill and Stacey Borrenpohl will discuss the challenges they’ve faced as well as their strategies for overcoming them.

An important step in building a successful farm business is to take time and analyze the profitability of each of your marketing channels. The end of the growing season is a good time to calculate the net return for each sales outlet, and make decisions for the following year. Experienced farmer and educator Ryan Pesch will share some tips for evaluating your farm’s market channels, and he’ll help beginning farmer Natasha Hegmann think about her sales outlets after her first two growing seasons.

Ready to explore a new distribution business to help increase efficiency and amount of local food available in nearby communities? Learn from an established local food distributor now entering its seventh year, hear an Iowa beginning farmer’s vision for her food distribution company, and then listen as the two discuss considerations when creating a local food delivery business.