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.
The Latest Research from PFI
Filter ResearchThis research was funded by the Walton Family Foundation. In a Nutshell: After soil tests revealed a farm-wide decline in soil sulfur at Jack Boyer’s farm in recent years, he was curious to test whether or not corn …
This research was funded by the Walton Family Foundation. In a Nutshell: Kellie and A.J. Blair are aiming to fine-tune the nitrogen fertilization regime for their food-grade oat enterprise. The objective of this trial was to compare oat …
This project was funded by USDA-NCRS and the Walton Family Foundation. In a Nutshell: This was the third year of on-farm research trials designed to evaluate planting corn in 60-in. row-widths for the purpose of improving the success …
This project was funded by Ceres Trust. Why is this important? Farmers in PFI’s Cooperators’ Program have previously conducted enterprise budgets on cucumbers[1,2] and cherry tomatoes[3], and for this project, turned their attention to another charismatic but labor-intensive …
This project was funded by SARE and the Walton Family Foundation. In a Nutshell: Variety selection is a key component of growing high quality oats, but information about which varieties are best suited to perform in a particular …
This project was funded by Ceres Trust. In a Nutshell: Mark Quee and Shanti Sellz evaluated yield of fall-harvested cauliflower varieties. Key Findings: Mardi performed best among all varieties trialed in Quee’s first succession. No differences among varieties …
This research was funded by the following organizations: Walton Family Foundation General Mills Grain Millers, Inc. Albert Lea Seed House Sustainable Food Lab Welter Seed and Honey Co. Kuehl Seed Farm UMN Foundation SDSU Seed Foundation Zabel Seeds …
This project was funded by Ceres Trust In a Nutshell: Julia Slocum and Mark Quee compared organic methods to control squash vine borer in susceptible varieties of winter squash. Key Findings: Row cover was the most effective control …
This project was funded by Walton Family Foundation and Albert Lea Seed House In a Nutshell: Nine cereal rye varieties were screened at two Iowa State University research farms and one commercial farm. Key Findings: Across sites and …
This project was funded by Ceres Trust; Seed provided by Johnny’s Seeds and High Mowing Seeds In a Nutshell Jordan Scheibel and Jon Yagla compared a selection of mini-head and one-cut lettuce varieties from two series: Eazyleaf and …
This project was funded by Organic Valley Why is this important? Apple cider vinegar (ACV) is an acidic fermentation product which has seen increased interest recently as a healthful supplement for both humans and animals, including dairy cattle. …
This project was funded by Ceres Trust; seed provided by Johnny’s Seeds In a Nutshell: Farmers in Iowa are curious about how heat-tolerant vegetable varieties developed on the East Coast will perform in Iowa’s hot and humid summers. …