Do the Numbers:  Organic Crop Transition

Wednesday, July 8 |  12:45 p.m.  |  Free |  Online

Jovaag Family Farm

Austin, Minnesota

 

Take a virtual field day with Jon and Ruth Jovaag as they talk about transitioning their family farm to organic. They discuss how they manage their diversified crop and livestock operation, covering rotations for soil-building and weed control, equipment they needed to add, and challenges they faced.

We also hear from Paul Dietmann, Compeer Senior Lending Officer and co-author of Turning Grain into Dough and Fearless Farm Finances, about the numbers, to help you get a better understanding of the financial side of transitioning to organic row crops.

Watch this virtual field day:

 

PODCAST: Organic Grain Transition

 

Presenters:

John and Ruth Jovaag, Jovaag Family Farm

Jon and Ruth Jovaag returned to the family farm to farm full time in 2011. Jon’s parents started farming in 1980, and have always tried to implement good land conservation practices, starting early on with conservation tillage and grass waterways. Jon and Ruth continue that tradition with regenerative practices, using cover crops and crop rotations to save soil, build soil, and manage for soil health. They grow sunflowers, field peas, soybeans, corn, oats, hay, and—new this year—winter squash into the roller-crimped rye. Their livestock—sheep and pigs (and beef cows in the past)—help them reduce input costs and have more flexible and diverse rotations.

 

Paul Dietmann, Compeer

Paul is a Senior Lending Officer in the Diversified Markets group at Compeer Financial, a member-owned rural lending cooperative and Farm Credit System institution serving Illinois, Minnesota, and Wisconsin.  Paul and his colleague, Sai Thao, are responsible for Compeer’s Emerging Markets Loan Program, which provides loans and technical assistance to farmers who market their products through local food systems.

 

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Sponsored by:

 

Produced in partnership with:
Award #ENC19-l 79

 

 

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