Title Year Category
Description

Abstract Jill Beebout and Sean Skeehan of Blue Gate Farm constructed two high tunnels on their land. They recorded cultural and sales data in the fall of 2008 and spring and summer of 2009 to help determine if …


Publish Date
February 12, 2010

PFI Staff
Sally Worley
Cooperators
Jill Beebout
Sean Skeehan
Description

Q: Which tomato training system best keeps disease pressure at bay in an heirloom tomato planting? A: 2008 was a cold and wet year; not ideal tomato conditions. Each farm generated different results, thus no system was deemed …


Publish Date
February 11, 2010

PFI Staff
Sally Worley
Cooperators
Jill Beebout and Sean Skeehan
Jann Libbey and Tim Landgraf
Rob and Tammy Faux
Description

Abstract Soybean aphids can negatively impact yields for farmers in conventional and organic farming systems. New soybean varieties have become available that might resist aphids. In this one-year trial, the non-resistant soybean variety yielded more compared to the …


Publish Date
February 10, 2010

PFI Staff
Sarah Carlson
Cooperators
Ron Rosmann
Description

Abstract Heirloom tomatoes are in high demand in local food markets and bring in a premium price. However, heirloom tomatoes often are disease prone and can produce inconsistent yields, reducing their reliability and efficiency for many growers. The …


Publish Date
February 9, 2010

PFI Staff
Sally Worley
Cooperators
Andrew Dunham
Description

Q: Can high methionine maize be a substitute for synthetic DL-methionine in broiler diets? A: Preliminary studies show that with a 5% decrease in soybean meal (SBM), high-methionine (HM) corn is a potential ingredient to substitute. But 20% …


Publish Date
February 8, 2010

PFI Staff
Practical Farmers of Iowa
Description

Abstract Eric and Ann Franzenburg of Pheasant Run Farm near Van Horne constructed three greenhouses on their farm in 2008. In 2009 they took data on crops grown in these greenhouse to determine if heating the soil was …


Publish Date
February 7, 2010

PFI Staff
Sally Worley
Cooperators
Ann and Eric Franzenburg
Description

Abstract Dean and Judy Henry constructed a greenhouse that is heated by a wood furnace on their farm. Their initial purpose was to grow raspberries year round, but they were also interested in trying out other crops to …


Publish Date
February 5, 2010

PFI Staff
Sally Worley
Cooperators
Dean and Judy Henry
Description

Abstract Hairy vetch yielded significantly more above-ground biomass when planted at last cultivation of corn as compared to turnip and red clover. It is important for farmers to increase protein available to cattle grazing cornstalks and also provide …


Publish Date
February 4, 2010

PFI Staff
Sarah Carlson
Cooperators
Ron Rosmann
Description

The demand for local food in central Iowa outstrips supply in many types of markets, even during peak harvest season. Unmet demand is particularly evident outside the regular growing season. The same time period that direct-market produce farms …


Publish Date
February 3, 2010

PFI Staff
Practical Farmers of Iowa
Description

Abstract Producers like the Cornish Cross poultry variety because they have been bred for fast production and high feed efficiency. However, they don’t perform well on pasture, so producers are looking for an efficient breed alternative to the …


Publish Date
February 2, 2010

PFI Staff
Practical Farmers of Iowa
Cooperators
Dana Foster
Rob and Tammy Faux
Tim Daley
Description

The new PFI Bioenergy and Diversity project hosted three field days in late summer 2008. The focus of this article is a biodiesel field day that was hosted on August 30 by Plainfield farmers Gary Laydon and Pat …


Publish Date
February 1, 2010

PFI Staff
Practical Farmers of Iowa
Description

Fruit and vegetable farmers are often lured by the prospect of increasing their revenue by adding a high tunnel. These structures provide the opportunity to make money outside of the regular growing season, making it more feasible to …


Publish Date
February 1, 2009

PFI Staff
Sally Worley
Collaborators
Blue Gate Farm