Ask a farmer what’s keeping them from transitioning to organic row crops, and you may be surprised to hear a common answer. Finances. It’s often a struggle to find organic farming loans tailored to their needs. Yes, organics offer excellent premiums and can bring long-term profitability. But first you have to get through the 36-month […]
Robotic Farming Tackles Weeds and Reduces Costs
Organic farmers know the best defense against weeds is to play offense. You need a game plan that keeps weeds from going to seed and emerging. Enter robotic farming. Robots solves organic weed control challenges Two of the key practices currently used for weed prevention are cover crops and tillage. A good cover crop stand […]
Organic Cover Crop Seed Improves Profits and Soil Health
The Raikes’ are transitioning as many row crop acres of their family farm into organics as possible. And they’ve seen such remarkable economic and soil health benefits with cover crops on those fields that they’ve decided to launch a new business, Nebraska Cover Crop, too. Justin Raikes, a fifth generation farmer in Nebraska, shares his […]
Autonomous Farm Equipment Solves Organic Labor and Time Challenges
Ask an organic farmer about their biggest challenges and labor and time crunches are likely to be at the top. But autonomous farm equipment may soon be an option to help solve those issues. And help growers be more efficient in their operations, too. That’s what Craig Rupp, founder and CEO of Sabanto, has seen […]
3 Smart Reasons to Transition with Alfalfa
We put a lot of emphasis on the transition period with organic row crops. After all, a smart transition will set you up for long term success. But a poor one? That could result in out-of-control weeds, depletion of your soil’s nutrients, and a tough road to profitability. Luckily, an organic transition with alfalfa can […]
Organic Breakevens: What to Know and How to Calculate
If you’re thinking about organics, you’ve probably debated whether it’s going to pay off — literally. Yes, the price premiums are good, but you’ve heard your yields will take a hit. How can you predict profitability? The answer: calculating your organic breakevens. What are an organic breakevens? Simply put, it’s a way to calculate what […]
Sustainable Success with Organic Row Crops
Zero tillage. Continuous cover. Rotational grazing. Several farming practices are regenerative in nature. But when it comes to the economics of sustainable success in agriculture, organics remains one of the strongest. Premiums for organic corn and soybeans have more than doubled their conventional counterparts’ prices over the last decade. This is hanks to high consumer […]
Organic Rye Key to Distillery’s Prohibition Era Spirits
In Carroll County, Iowa — home of the original Templeton rye — a distillery teamed up with a local organic farm to revive its Prohibition past. The story of Iowa Legendary Rye dates back to the Great Depression. That’s when Lorine Sextro and her family housed a bootlegger in the attic on their Carroll County […]
Cover Crops Bring Big Benefits to Organic Farms
We always stress the importance of a diverse crop rotation to achieve long-term organic success. But what if market opportunities for organic crops in your area are limited? How can you diversify your rotation with just a few cash crops? Answer: Cover crops. Even though you don’t sell them like cash crops, they can still […]
Organic Integrity: New Rules to Strengthen Organic Enforcement
Strengthening Organic Enforcement. Or SOE, for short. If you’re an organic farmer or in transition, chances are you’ve heard of it. But what does it all mean? In a lot of ways, it’s just like it sounds. SOE is a rule that gives regulators more oversight of organic production practices. As a result, it provides […]