Since 1990, Western Illinois University (WIU) Agriculture Department in Macomb, Illinois has been conducting research on a pesticide-free farm near WIU. In 1989, the WIU Department of Agriculture, under the direction of Dr. Gerald Carlson, identified a historically pesticide-free, limited fertilizer farm in Warren County, Illinois. operated since 1953 by Mr. and Mrs. Allison.

Since 1995, we have been renting the land to conduct field studies. Our strategies are to keep it pesticide-free, find ways to control weeds, evaluate cropping and tillage practices, and determine the economic feasibility of organic crops in west-central Illinois. We have involved local farmers and members of the agricultural industry in identifying research needs, planning, conducting and supporting this research. Organic farming is one of the fastest growing segments in agriculture, with markets for organic foods expanding. Premiums offered for organic products can increase returns per acre. However, organic methods expose growers to added risks in regard to obtaining adequate yields and meeting fertility needs. We are working to develop and demonstrate practical methods for producing marketable organic field crops. Experiments involve weed control, crop rotations, fertilizer methods and tillage. Over the years, we have kept records analyzing the economic returns per acre obtained under various organic cropping systems. This report focuses on several sample years that illustrate some basic trends that have occurred in organic production during the past 12 years in our region.

The research site is the 80-acre Allison Farm, where many aspects of pesticide-free and organic farming are being studied in short-term and long-term rotations. Economic considerations include inputs from commercial and non-commercial organic and pesticide-free sources. Field sizes for treatments used in this study ranged from 5 to 20 acres. Analyses include the cost of labor, tillage, fertilizers, and all operations used in organic systems. We have companion fields that are farmed using the same methods as the organic fields with the exception that they are fertilized with conventional fertilizers to determine if the organic fertility methods are causing yield loss. The bases of our economic analyses are the returns generated from crop sales minus the costs of production operations as determined using the Iowa Farm Custom Rate Survey. Land costs are not included in these analyses. While the conventional corn prices from several years ago that are used in these illustrations may seem ridiculously low compared to today’s ethanol stimulated corn prices, one has to consider that the present government subsidies for corn-based ethanol may not continue indefinitely.
     
We illustrate our methods from the data presented in Tables 1 and 2. These tables present the results from fields of organic corn grown on the Allison Farm in 2003 and 2004 by a neighboring grower, Mark Anderson, who was farming a portion of the Allison Farm at that time.

Table 2 below analyzes the 2004 data expenses and incomes for organic and conventional farming based on the data from Mark Anderson’s organic corn, our pesticide-free corn from an adjacent field, and a hypothetical conventional corn yield based on the economic data provided by a neighboring conventional grower.

Field 2 is in a corn/soybean/wheat rotation. Corn was planted in 30-inch rows and fertilized with hog manure supplemented with K2SO4 fertilizer; the soil is a poorly drained Sable silty clay loam. It wasfertilized with hog manure plus K2SO4 Fertilizer.

Field 3 is pesticide-free land on the Allison Farm in a corn/soybean/wheat rotation. Corn was planted in 30-inch rows and fertilized with conventional N-P and K fertilizers. The soil is a poorly drained Sable silty clay loam.

Field hypothetical: Economic returns are based on data from a neighboring farm using minimum tillage, herbicides and conventional fertilizers on a Sable silty clay loam soil.

One can easily understand the reason why some growers with smaller farms are interested in organic production. The net income per acre for 150 bu/ac organic corn on the Allison Farm was $512/acre, which is significantly more than a comparable conventional farm in the region which was hypothetically yielding 190/Bu acre at that time. The big difference, of course, is the premiums offered for organic corn. In 2004, the pesticide-free and organic yields were hurt by Western corn rootworm beetles. Also, the hybrid (Pioneer 34B97) grown in Field 3 was harvested late and lodged. Much of this corn was flat on the ground, and sampling estimates revealed a 5 to 10 bu/acre loss in this pesticide-free field. Further, with no premiums added for pesticide-free production, and no real savings in production costs, there is no economic incentive to produce pesticide-free crops. In 2004 an LDP of $0.29/bu was available for corn. In 2003, corn prices were higher, and the corn LDP was only $0.06/Bu. When conventional corn prices are low, it benefits the organic farmer, because he gets a good LDP based on poor corn prices, and still receives a premium for his organic crop.

Table 5:  The costs and returns for organic production based on yields and prices obtained from crops grown on the Allison Farm in 1998-2000. Row crops were managed by ridge-till, and all corn was fertilized with hog manure.

As the data from Table 3 illustrates, the estimated average annual income per acre for conventional farming in 1998-1999 for a corn/soybean rotation was only $97. The incomes for organic corn and soybeans were greater, but an organic crop rotation requires a cover crop, and the income per acre for oats was only $79. Thus, the average annual income/acre for this organic field for the three growing seasons, 1998-2000, was only $163. The premium for organic corn brought its sale price to $3.40/bu, and the organic soybeans sold for $13.07/bu in 1999, providing incomes of $117 and $293 per acre for corn and soybeans, respectively. Table 4 gives results of conventional tillage, i.e., plow, disc, field cultivate and plant. Table 5 contains the results of organic production using ridge-till. The annual income for corn was $5 more per acre for corn in ridge-till versus conventional till, but $34 more per acre for soybeans in ridge-till. It cost an average of $18 less per acre for ridge-till due to fewer trips over the field for seedbed preparation. Weed control was significantly better with ridge-till, but yield increases did not occur in ridge-till. Ridge-till is technically difficult and required 36-inch rows in our soils; consequently, we were forced to abandon it.

Table 6 contains the economic data from the 2006 growing season and presents the data from several fields on the farm. A lot has changed since the late 1990s. For one, The National Organic Program in the early 2000s established widely accepted national organic standards. Consequently, demand for organic foods has escalated dramatically. We now have organic contracts for soybeans, corn and for soft red winter wheat. Winter wheat provides the environment for establishing red clover by frost seeding in the early spring. The red clover comes on strong after wheat harvest to fix nitrogen and build soil structure. Soybean income was slightly higher in 2006 than in 1999, because the seed for planting was provided by the elevator offering the contract. In the late 1990s, organic soybeans were the only crop where we could make a good profit. With the increased offerings for organic corn and organic wheat contracts, our average annual income for 2006 was $369/acre for the Allison Farm. This represents an increase of $206/acre, or an increase of 126 percent over the income/acre we received during the 1998-2000 period.

Table 6:  The costs and returns for organic corn, soybeans and soft red winter wheat for the 2006 growing season at the Allison Farm. All three were sold for organic premiums and the fields were prepared by conventional tillage.

• First, we know little about long-term survival and grain production. We’re currently investigating how long plants can produce grain, and how to maintain grain yields at high levels for multiple years. Perhaps a perennial legume intercrop such as alfalfa, white clover or Illinois bundleflower will help to maintain soil fertility over multiple years, which should translate into high grain yields.
• Second, are weeds a problem in perennial wheat fields and how do we manage them?
• Third, current populations exhibit a wide range of reproductive phenology, meaning they mature at different times. Selection is needed to narrow the range of maturation to ease the harvest process.
• Fourth, perennial wheat does not thresh as easily as annual wheat, but we believe that selection over time can increase threshability.
• Finally, how does the nutritional quality and usability compare to annual wheat? Can we substitute perennial wheat grain for annual wheat grain as bread flour?

Perennial wheat growing in rows at the W.K. Kellogg Biological Station in Southwest Michigan are shown re-growing in September after the first year of grain harvest. Seeds were planted in the fall of 2006, grain harvested in the summer of 2007 and plants are being evaluated for second year winter survival and grain production.

Here we explore several possible explanations for this observation:
A) Microorganisms in low organic matter soils (1.5% SOM) may be carbon limited and have a greater propensity to degrade corn residues;
B) Diversity and quality of biomass inputs may contribute to carbon sequestration;
C) Greater living cover exists in the rotation (especially when using cover crops) compared with continuous corn (see Figure 2); and
D) Corn grown in northern latitudes become source limited and partition more dry matter to grain.

January 19 - Kettunen Center, Tustin, Michigan.
February 23 - Kalamazoo Public Library, Kalamazoo Michigan.
A third session yet to be determined.

Cost: $50 per person with another person from the same farm, half price. Lunch included.
Contact:  CSA-MI, 3480 Potter Rd.,  Bear Lake, MI 49614.
Phone 231-889-3216 (toll free 877-526-1441). Email anotherfarmer@hotmail.com or visit http://www.csafarms.org/csaresources.asp

There will be a field day at Jim Koan's AlMar Orchards on Friday, November 2 to report on MSU organic tree fruit research projects conducted in 2007. This includes the integrated pork and apple research (see Jim Koan’s report in recent issue of MOSES newsletter “Just Picked”). The program will begin at 9:00 AM. Lunch will be provided.

Grazing hogs in apple orchard.

What are organic farmers producing in the Great Lakes region? What do we know about the economics of organic production in this region? What does it take to get certified? Speakers from USDA, Purdue, MOSES and region farms will address these questions at the fifth session of the Tri-State Organic IP Video Program titled Introduction to Organic Markets and Certification. The two-and-one-half hour program will begin at 6:00 PM EST. Participants can view the program from sites in Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Ohio.

To sign up for the location nearest you, contact:
-Indiana: www.ocec.purdue.edu/   and follow the link to “Upcoming Programs” and search for “Tri-State.”  Contact: Jerry Nelson, 812-886-9582 (jnelson@purdue.edu)
-Illinois: http://web.extension.uiuc.edu/smallfarm/events.cfm    Contact: Deborah Cavanaugh Grant, 217-968-5512 (cvnghgrn@uiuc.edu).
-Michigan: Contact Vicki Morrone, 517-353-3542 (sorrone@msu.edu).
-Ohio: Contact Alan Sundermeier, 419-354-9050 (sundermeier.5@osu.edu).

Currently, we have been doing a lot of weeding of salad greens and just about have that caught up. We have started in the fall greens harvest season and things are looking good. We have germinated weeds in the greenhouses to do a weed kill.

In the next two weeks, we will plant the greenhouses to spinach and some late baby lettuces. Basil looks to be killed or blackened and probably ready to cut it out. We are putting cover crops in all bare areas. As the weather gets colder, we will put in some row covers, go as long as we can and put it into cover crops to sleep during the winter.

Currently, I am harvesting fall salad mix, arugula, head lettuce, pole beans, leeks, herbs, peppers, eggplant, Japanese white turnips, Swiss chard and carrots. Plus, we are selling picked crops, i.e., potatoes, winter squash, onions and garlic to Friends of Living Earth Farm E-customers and three restaurants. A limited amount of produce goes to the Midwest Organic Farmers Cooperative, Direct Delivery Project to Chicago.

We will transplant a few more head lettuces into the field, which will be covered by low hoops and 3 mil plastic sheeting once it turns cold. This will take us through November. We will transplant our last head lettuces into cold frames in a month, which will be our last head lettuces to go out; they will be harvested in March. We weeded yesterday in the greens, pac choi and lettuces.

I hope to finish combining soybeans tomorrow. The yields are quite good—about 55 bu/acre of tofu beans and the quality is good too, I think. I am also trying to seed fall triticale as soon as the beans are off, so it’s busy around here.

As soon as I’ve finished with the beans, I have to haul some liquid swine manure as my pits are full. I will start on corn harvest as soon as I can get to it. Most conventional guys are already going and I think the corn is quite dry. I am not optimistic about corn yields. The organic corn was planted fairly late and the drought in July hit it pretty hard. There seems to be a lot of insect damage also. Almost every ear has had something (ear worms, corn borers, western bean cutworms) chewing on it and there are a lot of resulting moldy kernels. I hope I can blow the mold out with the combine. I will be very happy with 150 bu/acre. After corn harvest, I have several mountains of compost to spread before winter.

Corn harvest has not yet begun. Mature fields are drying; immature fields are using the
”extended summer” to good advantage. Sunflower harvest is starting—in some fields, it has become a race with the red-wing blackbirds. Moisture ranges from 16 to 20 percent. Soybeans are nearly ready for harvest to begin. Leaves are hanging on stubbornly. No frost/freeze yet to desiccate weeds or soybeans. Third cut hay was better than second cut by three- to five-fold!  Good conditions for harvest; fine-textured hay. Wheat, spelt and rye plantings are proceeding in summer-fallowed fields. Farmers are itching to get soybeans out of the way for wheat/spelt/rye in those fields. No insect problems have been identified lately.

Buckwheat is setting and drying/maturing seeds. Vegetation is starting to desiccate.
Clover seed harvest is two-thirds complete. Yields range in the one to two bushel/acre area.