GREENFIELD – The organic agriculture industry continues to grow and was listed as a $43 billion industry in the United States in 2015, with an 11 percent increase in the number of organic businesses. In addition, local food producers continue to increase in Iowa, marketing their crops through community supported agriculture operations, farmers’ markets and to restaurants and food service outlets. The Iowa State University Organic Ag Programs (OAP) will highlight organic research and practices at the Neely-Kinyon Field Day from 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday, Aug. 22, in Greenfield. A farm tour, followed by light supper and after-supper speaker will be included. The OAP has studied best-management practices for maintaining high yields while enhancing soil and water quality for transitioning and certified organic farmers. Through timely weed management, longer crop rotations and appropriate manure-based fertilization, the program has demonstrated comparable organic corn, soybean, oat, alfalfa, vegetable and fruit yields compared to conventional crops. Greater soil quality has been shown through the use of extended crop rotations, cover crops and compost applications.
The after-supper speaker, highlighting organic practices on a certified organic integrated vegetable/livestock farm, will be Denise O’Brien of Rolling Acres Farm in Atlantic. Since 1976, O’Brien and Larry Harris have been committed to organic production and cultivating local food. The farm, which has been in the Harris family for multiple generations, nourishes the community in the Atlantic and Omaha, Nebraska, area with fresh, delicious, chemical-free foods. The farm produces vegetables, from Asia greens to zucchini, as well as a wide variety of fruits, herbs and flowers. They also specialize in the production of naturally raised antibiotic- and hormone-free turkeys and free-range chickens. A high tunnel nurtures lettuce, spinach and fresh cut flowers for early-season production. O’Brien has been active in many roles besides farmer, including founder of Women’s Food and Agriculture Network, grandmother, candidate for Iowa Secretary of Agriculture and former agriculture adviser in Afghanistan. She will share tips for successful organic production that she has developed over the years and discuss summer growing, marketing opportunities and challenges in 2017.
Highlights of the farm tour will include the long-term agroecological research experiment, which is one of the oldest comparisons of organic and conventional crops in the U.S., and the organic vegetable research (OVR) experiment, which compares performance of organic production with cover crops versus tilled and mulched systems. The OVR has partnered with Dr. Bill Tracy of University of Wisconsin-Madison in trialing his organic sweet corn varieties, which are bred for insect and disease tolerance, along with excellent taste. Dr. Cynthia Cambardella, soil scientist with USDA-ARS in Ames, will present soil- and water-quality data from these sites. She has documented a 50 percent reduction in nitrate loading from organic versus conventional systems at her Ames research site. In addition to the organic cropping systems research, Mike Witt with ISU Extension will discuss issues facing producers this summer, including insects and disease, herbicide drift and weather problems, which included a wet spring and drought in July, which affected planting and, now, potentially, yields from moisture stress.
The field day will start at 4 p.m. with a light supper at 5:30 p.m. The farm is located at 2557 Norfolk Ave. in Greenfield. Directions: Two miles south of Greenfield on Highway 25, one mile east and a half mile north. Contact Kathleen Delate at kdelate@iastate.edu or 515-294-7069 for more information. The field day is supported by the Leopold Center for sustainable agriculture. Organic research information is available at http://extension.agron.iastate.edu/organicag.