Farmer-Led Research

This research was funded by Ceres Trust. In a Nutshell: Farmers Hannah Breckbill and Emily Fagan already grow overwintered spinach and are interested in growing a wider variety of types of greens for their customers through the late …

This research was funded by USDA-NRCS and Ceres Trust. In a Nutshell: Vegetable farmers are increasingly using tarps as a no-till method for preparing crop beds. Farmers Emily Fagan and Hannah Breckbill of Humble Hands Harvest are interested …

This research was funded by USDA-NRCS. In a Nutshell: Sixteen corn farmers performed 17 replicated strip trials testing their typical nitrogen (N) rate against that rate reduced by 15-45%. Most farms routinely used cover crops in the past …

This research was funded by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship, Division of Soil Conservation and Water Quality.  In a Nutshell: Landon Brown, Will Cannon, Jeremy Gustafson, Aaron Lehman and Sam Ose were recruited by Practical …

This research was funded by Ceres Trust. In a Nutshell: Iowa vegetable farmers Roxane Mitten, Jon Yagla and Jordan Scheibel wanted to put conventional wisdom to the test and investigate if larger seed garlic and potato onions produce …

This research was funded by McKnight Foundation. In a Nutshell: Dayna Burtness raises pigs on pasture in southeast Minnesota and has a goal of reducing her farm’s reliance on chemical dewormers due to their perceived negative soil health …

This research was funded by IDALS – Specialty Crop Block Grant In a Nutshell: Eric Franzenburg, Alice McGary, Jeff Sindelar and Tom Wahl were curious to learn more about raising honeyberries on their farms. The perennial berry crop …

This research was funded by Ceres Trust. In a Nutshell: Hannah Breckbill & Emily Fagan; Kate Edwards; and Mark Quee wanted to know how fertilizer practices on their farms affected broccoli production. Each farm took a different approach …

In a Nutshell: Kate Edwards, Carmen & Maja Black and Helaina Thompson, Jon Yagla and Roxane Mitten wanted to find a cauliflower cultivar which can consistently produce a fall crop. They trialed five cauliflower varieties and hypothesized that …

This research was funded by the Walton Family Foundation. In a Nutshell: Anna Hankins & Shae Pesek typically raise Broad Breasted White turkeys in the farmyard consisting of grasses, clovers and weeds. They were eager to see if …

This research was funded by the Walton Family Foundation. In a Nutshell: In propane-fueled flame weeding, weed plant tissues are exposed to propane-fueled flames. The exposure to such great heat causes plant cells to rupture, which reduces the …

This research was funded by Walton Family Foundation. In a Nutshell: Anna Hankins & Shae Pesek and Carlos Williams & Maja Black raise broiler chickens on pasture. They wondered whether replacing a portion of the corn in a …