Horticulture
The number of Practical Farmers of Iowa fruit and vegetable members are on the rise, and very active! Fruit and vegetable production is the number one enterprise of interest to beginning farmers. Our members are:
Conducting season extension trials on-farm to see how to best extend their season and income.
Grafting heirloom tomatoes to a hybrid rootstock in hopes of increasing yields and reducing disease pressure in these popular tomatoes. For more information,click here.
Monitoring what fellow CSA (community supported agriculture) farmers are offering to their members. To see for yourself, click here.
Investigating the use of row covers in cucurbit crops ten days past flowering to see if it is an effective control against cucurbit pests. Contact Sally Worley for more information.
Complementing Iowa's existing network of farmers' markets and CSA farms, with a convenient method of food marketing, the Iowa Food Cooperative.
For more details about current horticulture offerings through Practical Farmers of Iowa contact Sally Worley.
2008 cooperators results.
Profile of PFI member Gary Guthrie
Practical Farmers of Iowa On-Farm Research and Demonstration reports listed by year. PDF formats
On-Farm Research
- Storage Solutions, printable pdf (2009) new
- Tomato Support Systems for Heirloom Varieties, printable pdf (2009)
- High Tunnels: Are they Lucrative?, printable pdf (2008) (new)
- Combination Treatment for Cucumber Beetles (2006)
- Cucumber Beetle Management (2003)
- Veggies: Varieties, Fertilization, and Planting (2001)
- Cucumber Beetle vs. Tedesco (2000)
- Farm Economic Analysis (2000)
- Flaming For Weeds (2000)
- Mulch Ado About Onions (and Potatoes) (1999)
- CSA Farm Economic Analysis (1999)
- Hazelnut Establishment (1996)
- Trees for Biodiversity (1995)
- Hazelnut Establishment (1995)
Publications
- Farmers and their Machines (2010)
- Hoophouse Construction Workshop (2009)
- Sustainable Weed Management of Primocane-fruiting Raspberries for Iowa Growers (2008)
- Protecting Sweetcorn from the Corn Earworm (2007)
- Chestnut Growers Primer (2002)
- Revealing the Secrets of the All Iowa Meal (2004)
- Southeast Iowa Nut Growers Cooperative (2002)
- Organizing Local Food Events and the incubation of a Fresh, Local Produce Distribution Company (2003)
- PFI Grocery and HRI Study (2000)
- Expanding Local Food Systems by Marketing to Iowa Institutions (2002)
Resources
- Farmers and their Machines (2010)
- ATTRA: Horticultural Crops
- Fruit and Vegitable Working Group
- Iowa State University Horticulture Extension
- Penn State Department of Horticulture
- Cornell University Department of Horticulture
- Purdue University Consumer Horticulture
- Sow The Seeds Fund
Sally Worley
Communications Director,
Communications, Horticulture
515-232-5661 ext. 304
sally@practicalfarmers.org