Farmer-Led Research
Research reports are written by Practical Farmers staff to ensure consistency and quality, and are available to view or download for free.
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Grass- or forage-finished meat is gaining in popularity for perceived environmental and health benefits. Cooperator John Arbuckle designed a trial to test whether hogs could be finished solely with forage and other non-concentrate feeds. The experimental group received …
Livestock farmers who manage animals on pasture face the challenge and opportunity of improving profitability and productivity on what is often a fixed land area. The Schmidts run 30 cows on their farm, which includes 75 acres pasture. …
Feeding and maintaining the cowherd during the winter months is one of the major expenses on cow-calf farms. Cooperators kept records of herd feeding and management during the winter months. In both years, the feed (both stored feeds …
Cover crops are increasingly popular. Variable weather can pose challenges for establishment and effectiveness of cover crops. There are multiple options for seeding including aerial application, broadcast and drill seeding. In this study, earlier aerial seeding of a …
Apple cider vinegar has been long advocated for its health benefits. Apple cider vinegar is held to have multiple medicinal purposes, ranging from improved haircoat, to greater milk production and reduced mastitis, to decreased urinary calculi in bucks, …
In a Nutshell Control of flies and other parasites is important for livestock health, productivity, and farm economics. Fly observations were conducted approximately twice monthly. Tests were done to detect effects of different days, weather conditions, and other …
Livestock farmers who manage animals on pasture face the challenge and opportunity of improving profitability and productivity on what is often a fixed land area. The Hopkins manage a meat goat herd of just over 100 animals. Mike …
Iowa vegetable farmers have many options for sweet pepper varieties. Mark compared two varieties: California Wonder and Catriona. Mark planted four replications of each variety of sweet peppers in a randomized complete block design. Catriona out performed the …
Poultry are a relatively inexpensive and low-labor enterprise to add to crop, horticulture, or livestock farms. Practical Farmers began keeping records of their poultry enterprises, to determine if they were profitable. Cooperators were provided worksheets to record the …
Organic livestock production is charactorized by the avoidance of many antibiotics and antimicrobials. This trial seeks to determine the detrimental effects, if any, of low-level internal parasites on finishing hogs in organic systems. The Frantzens raise organic hogs, …
Stored feed for winter consumption is the single greatest cost of maintaining a cowherd over winter. Cover crop grazing has emerged as an option for alternative forage base. Farmer-cooperators agreed to document the planting of cover crops, and …
Over 100,000 acres of cover crops were planted in the fall of 2012. Cover crops protect soil from wind and water erosion and capture nitrogen that can otherwise leach from the soil. Nine cooperators from Iowa and one …
