On-Farm Research

Farmer-Led Trials Program Spotlight: Parker Farms

Managing Moisture in Organic Tomatoes on an Urban Farm

Written by Mary Hathaway, OFRF’s Research & Education Program Manager, and Markisha Parker, FLT Program participant

Parker Farms, located in Warren, Ohio, is a small farm with a big heart, committed to serving their community with sustainable, urban agriculture. The farm provides fresh, locally grown produce through wholesale partnerships with food banks and community programs, supporting local food security. Markisha Parker, owner and founder, specializes in sustainable urban farming and organic production and is in her second year of transitioning to certified organic (a process that typically takes three years). With a background in urban agriculture, education, and research, she offers hands-on experience and community education on soil management, crop rotation, and organic pest control.

Her urban farm spans multiple sites totaling approximately one acre with areas dedicated to cultivating native plants, vegetables, and fruits, allowing Parker Farms to grow their impact and bridge the gap between urban gardening and farming. Markisha’s primary crop is tomatoes, but the farm’s mission extends much further: to empower others in agriculture by offering resources and support to help gardeners build successful commercial farming enterprises. While Markisha has done field trials in the past, she was looking for an opportunity to have support in improving her processes and systems on the farm. After this trial, Parker Farms hopes to integrate educational elements by inviting local farmers, aspiring growers, and community members to observe and learn from their research.

Puddling Problems: Managing Moisture in Tomatoes

With limited space in an urban environment, Parker Farms wants to improve their yield and systems in the area that they have. This means making every square foot count. In previous seasons, Markisha had issues with excess moisture and puddling in the fields. One of her biggest challenges was in her most valuable crop: tomatoes. Episodes of excess rain left much of her crop with splitting or blight.

In order to address these issues, she wanted to trial different materials that were readily available as a mulch material to help her tomatoes get to market. In her area, Markisha knew that woodchips, grass clippings, and straw were readily available. So she asked: does a mulching material help mitigate soil moisture for greater tomato yield?

Farm Trial Plan

With technical support from OFRF, Markisha has set up a trial to compare how straw, grass clippings, or woodchips, impact the yield and marketability of slicer tomatoes, and compare it to a control group with no mulch. The design of the trial includes 4 treatments and 4 replications, in a 16-plot layout. Each plot will have 5 tomato plants.

Trial updates

The tomatoes were transplanted on May 22nd, and the mulch types were laid down just after transplanting. The mulch varieties of aged wood chips, straw from a neighboring farm, and fresh grass clippings from areas around her farm, were applied at an approximate 2” depth. The control plot had no mulch added, and was left as bare soil. An initial harvest is expected at the beginning of August. For data collection, Markisha will take both the total weight of tomatoes and the marketable weight of tomatoes. These measurements will help the farm understand if the different mulching materials impact yield, and especially the marketable yield of tomatoes that don’t have damage related to uneven moisture.

Stay tuned for trial updates and a final report at the end of the season!

Farmer-researcher Markisha Parker

“Participating in the Farmer Led Trials has given me the structure and support to test practices that could improve both the health of my crops and the sustainability of my urban plots.”

– Markisha Parker, Parker Farms

Parker Farms.

This is part of a series of blogs highlighting farmers who are participating in OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials program. Farmers receive technical support to address their production challenges through structured on-farm trials. To learn more about OFRF Farmer-Led Trials Program, visit our website page at https://ofrf.org/research/farmer-led-research-trials/ 

By |2025-12-17T17:32:05-05:00July 28th, 2025|Farmer Stories, News, On-Farm Research, Water Management & Irrigation|
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Farmer-Led Trials Program Spotlight: Ledoux Grange

Can teff handle high winds? This on-farm trial aims to find out.

Written by Mary Hathaway, OFRF’s Research & Education Program Manager

Ledoux Grange, situated at 7,400 feet in Mora, New Mexico, is an organic-certified, 34-acre operation focused on regenerative agriculture. Farmer Kristin Swoszowski-Tran has been cultivating Lilium species (a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, including lilies) and hybrids  – since the 1990s, registering novel cultivars with the Royal Horticultural Society in Great Britain. As a member of the Southwest Grain Collaborative, Ledoux Grange also specializes in growing drought-tolerant, high-altitude pulses, legumes, grains, and cover crops, and is committed to bringing culturally rich, locally-grown produce to their community.

Testing Teff for Lodging Resistance

One of the grains that Ledoux Grange grows is Teff, an annual grass, a species of lovegrass native to Ethiopia, where it first originated in the Ethiopian Highlands. It was one of the earliest plants to be domesticated and is one of the most important staple crops in Ethiopia. Ledoux Grange is currently testing 14 teff accessions rated for their lodging resistance in its characteristically windy location. Teff’s versatility as human food, livestock fodder, and a drought-tolerant cover crop suited for high altitudes makes it a promising addition to their operation. The farm owner, Kristin, is enthusiastic about experimenting with various accessions, drawing inspiration from past successes with teff in the area. She has a broader interest in lovegrass species and is eager to observe their growth, hoping to identify types that will flourish and resist lodging in her environment.

Terminology Touch Point

ACCESSION: a distinct sample of germplasm representing a cultivar, breeding line, or a wild or cultivated population, maintained in a genebank for conservation and use. Its genetic stability is optimally preserved through careful monitoring and multiplication.

Source: GGCE

On-Farm Trial Plan

The plot layout includes 12 accessions from a western regional station, all of Ethiopian origin, alongside two commercially available varieties: ‘Bolorosso’ from Experimental Farm Network and teff from Great Basin Seeds. The experiment includes four replications, and is laid out in the field as four blocks border rows on each end. Each packet contains 200 seeds, with 50 seeds per plot, weighed out for accuracy. Rows will be one meter long, with seeds distributed evenly within each plot area. Planting is scheduled for late June, following thorough bed preparation.

Trial Evaluation Metrics

Data collection will be comprehensive, focusing on key metrics such as days to emergence, vigor, time to flowering, time to maturity, tillering, height, and lodging. Grain yield and seed color will also be recorded. Vigor will be assessed using either GRIN standards or a custom scale. Lodging will be rated on a 1-5 scale. To assess the tillering, she will record the number of tillers on 10 plants per plot and calculate the average. Grain yield will be determined by weighing the collected seeds. Seed color will be evaluated with a pantone scale.

Plot Map

Looking Ahead

The evaluation of these teff accessions will help Kristin identify promising teff accessions, and will facilitate seed increases for subsequent on-farm research at Ledoux Grange. Looking to the future, Kristin aims to address key challenges for this specific environment, like lodging prevention and optimal timing for growth relative to the monsoon season. Ultimately, Ledoux Grange hopes to expand crop diversity in the region, provide the community with nutrient-rich food options, and create new market opportunities.

Farmer-researcher Kristin Swoszowski-Tran

“I believe that it is crucial to conduct trials in diverse agricultural ecotypes so that we can perpetuate and ensure suitable, local production to idiosyncratic conditions. It is an honor and privilege to work with OFRF staff members, Mary and Heather, to organize this trial. They’ve made an easy and seamless process to plan the implementation. My hope is that we can identify drought-tolerant candidates that can withstand our windy conditions here at this elevation. I’m eager to see what this trial produces!”

– Kristin Swoszowski-Tran, Ledoux Grange

Teff trial layout.

Stay tuned:

This is part of a series of blogs highlighting farmers who are participating in OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials program. Farmers receive technical support to address their production challenges through structured on-farm trials. To learn more about OFRF Farmer-Led Trials Program, visit our website page at https://ofrf.org/research/farmer-led-research-trials/ 

To learn more about Ledoux Grange visit https://www.facebook.com/ledouxgrange 

By |2025-12-17T17:36:23-05:00July 1st, 2025|Farmer Stories, News, On-Farm Research, Plant Breeding & Variety Selection|
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Farmer-Led Trials Program Spotlight: Farmacea

Farmacea Strawberry Trial Explores Sustainable Mulching

Written by Mary Hathaway, OFRF’s Research & Education Program Manager

In the heart of Munith, Michigan, Farmacea is undertaking an exciting experiment to help enhance their farm systems and design. Run by Mike Lucas and Rollin Baker, the farm’s 31 acres had previously been dedicated to conventional corn production for many decades. Over the past two years, Mike and Rollin have been diligently working to convert about 2 acres into arable, quality land by incorporating leaf mold and other organic materials. As they work to transition their land to certified organic, they are excited and energized to grow healthy, sustainable fruits and vegetables for their community. Mike and Rollin are committed to bringing the land back to life and hope to honor the tradition of Food as First Medicine.

The Strawberry Trial: Plastic vs. Clover

On-farm research trial at Farmacea comparing clover living mulch with conventional plastic mulch in organic strawberry crops.Farmacea’s project is a strawberry trial comparing traditional plastic mulch to a living mulch of white Dutch clover. Their research question is simple but will help Farmacea determine which strawberry planting system will work best for them in the coming years: “Does a living clover mulch produce higher strawberry yields than a plastic mulch?”.

To answer this, they’ve set up six beds. Three beds use the conventional plastic mulch, while the other three are planted with New Zealand White Clover (Trifolium repens) to serve as a living mulch. Both sets of beds include a mix of strawberry cultivars: Earliglow, Chandler, Allstar, and San Andreas, ensuring consistency in strawberry varieties across the trial.

Careful initial planning was essential, focusing on a consistent number and mix of strawberry plants in each bed. Mike and Rollin standardized the beds and timed clover planting, which faced weather-related delays and farm facility damage. Additionally, deer intrusions necessitated the construction of higher fences to protect the crops.

What They’re Measuring

Farmacea will be tracking several key metrics to determine the success of each mulching method:

  • Yield: Weight of harvested berries, percent marketable yield, and pint counts.
  • Brix: A measure of sugar content in the berries.
  • Weed Pressure: Observations and frequency of weeding interventions.
  • Photo Documentation: Keeping a visual record of the trial’s progress.
  • Soil Testing: Collecting samples to analyze soil health.

Data is being collected consistently over the season, with harvests twice weekly. They plan to document everything from the number of pints of berries to the weight of both marketable and unmarketable yields. Brix levels are being measured to gauge the sweetness of the berries and will ideally be taken at three intervals during the strawberry season.

Why This Matters

Farmacea’s trial is about more than just growing strawberries. It’s about finding sustainable options for weed suppression and improving soil health through practices like cover cropping. They are also interested in decreasing their reliance on nonrenewable resources and preventing microplastic contamination in their soil. Implementing a living mulch strategy is intended to lessen the need for manual weeding, enhance soil structure, and foster an environment that naturally inhibits weeds.

“For too long, the bulk of attention, funding, and resources in the agricultural research world have gone toward so-called ‘conventional’ farming methods. As a result, advances in organic farming practices have stalled and many today consider it an inefficient, outdated, and impractical way to produce food. We couldn’t disagree more. We see participating in a research trial on organic farming to be an important step in turning this tide, and hope that it will lead to better understanding and acceptance of these essential practices.”

– Rollin & Mike, Farmacea

Looking Ahead

As the trial progresses, Farmacea will continue to monitor and collect data. Soil tests will be conducted, and observations on weed pressure will be recorded. At the end of the trial, they will analyze the results to determine which mulching method provides the best yields, berry quality, and weed control.

This trial at Farmacea is a perfect example of how farmer-led research can lead to valuable insights and sustainable agricultural practices. By sharing their findings, Farmacea contributes to a broader community of farmers and researchers working towards a healthier, more resilient food system.

Stay tuned:

  • Follow Farmacea on Instagram @farma.cea to see photos and updates as Farmacea’s strawberry trial unfolds!
  • Check back here for future blog posts on the trial’s progress.

This story is part of a series profiling farmers who are taking part in OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials (FLT) program. Farmers receive technical support from OFRF to address their challenges through structured on-farm trials. To learn more about OFRF Farmer-Led Trials Program, visit our website page at https://ofrf.org/research/farmer-led-research-trials/

By |2025-12-17T17:37:24-05:00May 29th, 2025|Farmer Stories, News, On-Farm Research, Weeds|
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Lessons from OFRF’s Farmer-Researcher Collaboration Panel

Written by Brian Geier

Snacks, refreshments, and a circle of chairs were ready as a group of organic dairy farmers gathered together in southeast Minnesota for a listening session hosted by organic dairy researcher Dr. Brad Heins. Based in the west-central part of the state, Heins wanted to know more about what organic dairy farmers were facing in the southeast. For most of the event, he listened and allowed the producers to speak amongst themselves about the challenges they were facing. Meg Stuedemann of Derrydale Farm recalls Dr. Heins treated it like an informal focus group. “He’d ask a question and sit back and listen to who had been exploring what, who was interested in what, and how many people were dealing with the same issue.” 

Meg recently joined an OFRF panel of farmers and researchers to discuss successful farmer-researcher collaborations for organic agriculture. The panel took place in January of 2025, and is one of OFRF’s Seeds of Success Networking Sessions, a project funded by a cooperative agreement with USDA-NIFA. Other panelists included Dr. Mary Hendrickson, Professor in Rural Sociology at the University of Missouri, Dr. Kerry Clark, Research Professor and Soybean breeder at the University of Missouri and farmer Liz Graznak of Happy Hollow Farm in Jamestown, Missouri. A link to the full recording of the panel is available at the end of this post. 

Meg Stuedemann, Derrydale Farm, Belle Plaine, MN

Dr. Mary Hendrickson, Professor in Rural Sociology, University of Missouri

Liz Graznak, Happy Hollow Farm, Jamestown, Missouri

Dr. Kerry Clark, Research Professor, University of Missouri

Building Trust with Farmers

Spending time with farmers helps build trust reciprocal relationships that are key to successful farmer-researcher collaboration. “We (farmers) are most interested to participate in projects when it is a question that we are interested in,” said Meg, recalling the positive experience she had collaborating with Dr. Heins following the listening session. 

Dr. Mary Hendrickson agreed that being in community with farmers is key to successful research. From her perspective, a lot of the early research work in the 1990’s around grazing dairy and grazing herds in Missouri can be traced back to two researchers who attended “grazing clusters”, monthly peer-to-peer meetups of farmers who met at each other’s farms. Attending the farmers’ conversations allowed the researchers to find researchable questions and resulted in what Dr. Hendrickson called “extremely successful collaborating between grazing, forage researchers (and) beef producers.”

“Every good research idea I’ve ever had has come from being in community and working with farmers…so it [good research] is not my idea really. It really behooves researchers to be out with farmers.” -Dr. Mary Hendrickson

Even if researchers do not have a lot of opportunities to listen directly to farmers, Meg pointed out that they can get a sense of what research farmers are interested in by searching the SARE database, OFRF’s grant database, or state-level programs for on-farm research in their area. “I would be thrilled if someone called me and said, ‘I read about your paper and want to collaborate,’” Meg explained. 

Farmer Involvement in Organic Research

While networking can ensure farmers can help generate ideas for new research, involving farmers in research projects can be a whole other challenge. 

Even after a good research idea has been identified, researchers may have to wait months for funders’ Request for Applications (RFA’s) to be released before they know the specifics for proposals and timelines. These can have very regimented procedures that researchers have to stick to throughout the project period (several years). And it can take months to write a proposal and then several more months before researchers find out if they got the funding. 

To ensure farmer involvement in a given project, knowing several farmers within the industry can help. “Sometimes you end up doing on-farm research with a different farmer than the one that helped generate the idea,” Dr. Clark explained.

For collaboration to work, it is important for researchers to understand that farmers have different priorities. “The farm will always come first,” explained Mary, and Liz agreed. Clear agreements can lead to better outcomes. Meg suggested that more in-person involvement on the farm throughout the project period may help. “Researchers cannot expect farmers to be technicians,” she said. More in-person involvement from the research team, especially at data collection, can help uphold the integrity of the research. 

Even with the best of planning, “Sometimes it just doesn’t work out,” Dr. Clark cautions. She recounted one grazing experiment where the cows kept getting out despite the farmer’s best efforts, and that the research on that farm was ruined for that year. “Don’t feel bad,” Clark advises, “keep trying.”

Compensation for Farmers

While everyone on the panel agreed that farmers’ time is valuable and should be compensated for, amounts are not standardized and can vary greatly from project to project depending on the level of involvement and on what was originally written into a grant. Farmer involvement can even be a requirement in some RFA’s but specifics on those amounts are rarely, if ever, provided. 

Even if a research project is only utilizing land on a working farm, and not requiring a farmer to do any work or data collection, a stipend is expected. But panelists reported offering very different amounts ranging from a few hundred dollars to $2,000. While the researchers on the panel compared the different amounts they’d offered to farmers for their projects, one attendee of the session chimed in the chat to remind everyone that if farmers had been involved at the beginning of those projects, they could have helped set those payment amounts. 

For any use of a farmer’s time, it was recommended that they be treated as professional consultants or specialized contractors, and given a comparable rate.

Farmers Value Long-Term Relationships

One key to the success of farmer-researcher collaboration came up amongst the farmers on the panel, and it echoes what OFRF heard at a panel discussion in early 2024 with Project Directors and collaborating farmers working on USDA-funded organic research projects: long-term relationships build trust. 

That process can start well before a project, with researchers spending time with farmers, or with farmers reaching out to researchers. There are a lot more farmers than there are researchers, so it may be easier for farmers to reach out to researchers than the other way around. “Don’t be afraid to call the University in your state,” said Clark.

The  Follow-Up: An Overlooked Key to Ongoing Success

Once earned, the trust of farmers must be kept. And that, according to farmers on the panel, requires connecting after the conclusion of on-farm research. Farmers report that seeing the end result of research that they contributed to was one of, if not the most important thing to feeling like it was worthwhile. 

“One of the biggest frustrations is not finding out the bigger picture that my farm or my participation has contributed to. I don’t think I’ve ever worked with a researcher who has sent me the final paper or sent me an extension publication or the final paper and said, “This is what you were involved in.” That would mean more to me than the stipend.” -Meg Stuedemann, Derrydale Farm

“I agree that acknowledging that farmers are professionals and that compensation is appreciated,” Meg said. “But it’s not why I say yes. It is not a revenue stream for my farm. But knowing what happened would be really wonderful.” According to the farmers on the panel, that could look like simply getting a call or better yet getting sent complementary copies of published papers or extension resources.

Watch the full Seeds of Success networking session:

About the Seeds of Success Series

OFRF has partnered with the Organic Farmers Association (OFA) and National Organic Coalition (NOC) to lead a series of virtual farmer-to-farmer networking sessions. These facilitated events will be engaging opportunities for farmers to share their challenges and successes, and will be accompanied with relevant resources you can use.

To learn more about these and other events from OFRF visit: https://ofrf.org/events/

Funding for this series is provided by a cooperative agreement between OFRF and USDA- NIFA to highlight research investments made through both OREI and ORG grant programs.

Learn more about the Organic Agriculture program at USDA-NIFA at:  https://www.nifa.usda.gov/grants/programs/organic-agriculture-program

By |2025-12-09T17:51:57-05:00March 27th, 2025|News, On-Farm Research|
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Farmer-Led Trials Forum 2024

OFRF believes in supporting organic farmers and ranchers in their constant search for innovation and farm profitability. The Farmer-Led Trials (FLT) program puts farmers in the driver’s seat and recognizes their wisdom, experimentation, and problem-solving skills. Built in the spirit of curiosity and collaboration, this program supports farmers and ranchers in conducting impactful research that can address their unique challenges. The FLT provides farmers with technical assistance and a small amount of funding to investigate and learn about solutions to their most pressing production challenges.

In this forum, you will hear from four of the organic farmers in the 2024 FLT cohort:

  • Maggie Dungan (Salad Days Farm, KY),
  • Jorge Reyes (Reyes Vineyard, CA),
  • Nathan Lada (Green Things Farm Collective, MI), and
  • Rhianna Simes (Verdant Phoenix Farm, OR).

OFRF staff will also provide an overview of steps to conduct on-farm research trials, share opportunities to participate in the program, and explain how it can impact your farm operation.

By |2025-12-17T17:43:42-05:00December 17th, 2024|Certification & Compliance, Insects & Diseases, On-Farm Research, Resource, Soil Health, Weeds|
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Farmer-Led Trials Program Spotlight: Kennebec Valley Farm

Written by Mary Hathaway, OFRF’s Research & Education Program Manager

Up on a ridge in rural Maine is Kennebec Valley Farm, a 22-acre historic farm. Owner Jennifer Barrientos was able to purchase the farm three years ago to become steward of the property, which is a mix of woodland and pastureland. Jennifer grows on just about one acre, including greenhouses. She is certified organic and uses no-till and biodynamic methods to grow her produce. You’ll also find chickens and alpacas on her pastureland, and she makes good use of their manure in her soil fertility regimen. 

Jennifer had a long journey to get to her current farm. She grew up in Hawaii, where she helped grow food and care for chickens, goats, and rabbits on her family’s farm. Many years later, after moving back to the mainland and working as a teacher for more than 25 years, Jennifer began working on organic and biodynamic farms on both the West and East Coasts. Now, settled in at Kennebec Valley Farm, Jennifer grows food for her community, offering seasonal produce at their farm store, through a CSA and local farmers markets. 

Rebecca Champagne, OFRF’s Conservation Scientist, visited Kennebec Valley Farm in October to see Jennifer’s operation and chat about her involvement in the FLT program. They chatted about why Jennifer decided to apply for the program, why she chose the specific research question, and discussed how the trial was going. Jennifer is in the beginning phases of being in no-till production, and after visiting some long-term no-till farms in Maine, she knew she wanted to investigate what would create the healthiest soil at her farm. She is interested in finding the right balance in practices financially, labor-wise, and what will build soil health and microbial activity.

Comparing farm-made compost and commercial fertilizer

In her transition to a no-till system, Jennifer has begun to incorporate Dutch white clover as a cover crop to add fertility to her beds and suppress other weeds. As she’s developing and stabilizing her permanent bed system, Jennifer wanted to make use of more cover crops and farm-generated inputs to feed her soil. However, as a market farmer, Jennifer did not want her change in amendments to decrease her yields. Jennifer decided it was a good idea to compare her farm-made compost with the commercially available fertilizer that she had used in previous seasons. 

Farm trial plan

plot map for field trial at Kennebec Valley Farm, part of the Farmer Led Trials Program at OFRFWith technical support from OFRF, Jennifer built out her trial, asking, “Will purchased soil amendments result in higher yield and soil health when compared to farm-made compost in brassica crops?”

OFRF staff helped Jennifer set up a randomized block design to compare the yields of Brussel sprouts growing with her farm-made compost and a commercial fertilizer that consists of blood meal and potassium sulfate. Jennifer is also taking soil tests of plots before and after harvest to see what impact the treatments are having on the soil, as well as the current crop.

Trial updates

The Brussel sprout harvest will be complete in December, with just over half the crop harvested so far. Jennifer continues to track the yield data as the plants are ready for harvest. To capture a full picture of the impact that the cover crop and amendment treatments have on the soil, she will take soil samples after the ground thaws in spring.

rows of organic veggies in a high tunnel at Kennebec Valley Farm, part of the Farmer Led Trial Program with OFRF

“By embracing a holistic approach to farming, I not only contribute to sustainable agricultural practices but also inspire others to recognize the health benefits of consuming locally grown, nutrient-rich produce. As stewards of the land, this research can cultivate a culture that honors the environment, nourishes communities, and builds a better future.”

– Jennifer Barrientos, Kennebec Valley Farm

the farm store at Kennebec Valley Farm, selling local organic fruits and veggies

This story is part of a series profiling farmers who are taking part in OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials (FLT) program. Farmers receive technical support from OFRF to address their challenges through structured on-farm trials. To learn more about OFRF Farmer-Led Trials Program, visit our website page at https://ofrf.org/research/farmer-led-research-trials/

To learn more about soil fertility rates and various amendments, check out these links:

To learn more about Kennebec Valley Farm visit https://www.kennebecvalleyfarm.com/

By |2025-12-17T17:37:36-05:00December 10th, 2024|Farmer Stories, News, On-Farm Research, Soil Health|
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Farmer-Led Trials Program Spotlight: Trouvaille Farm

Written by Mary Hathaway, OFRF’s Research & Education Program Manager

female organic farmer in Ohio inspects pepper plants as part of an on-farm research trial

An apprentice in the pepper field at Trouvaille Farm.

In the hills of Southeastern Ohio you will find Lindsay Klaunig on her farm: Trouvaille Farm. While she has been a grower for more than 20 years, this her seventh season as owner and operator of Trouvaille Farm, something that the name itself acknowledges (Trouvaille means lucky find).  

The farm landscape is a patchwork of diversity. There are grass-fed beef and goats on pasture, heirloom crops on the ridge tops and fruit trees throughout the farm. Many of the open-pollinated varieties are being grown to maturity and processed as seed crops, to be sold through small regional seed companies. 

Lindsay manages the land using regenerative, organic practices and focuses on building healthy soil, and increasing biodiversity so that she can provide nutritious food for her family and neighbors. To avoid using pesticides, there are insectaries, rows of flowering plants that attract beneficial insects, throughout the farm that naturally keep pests under control.

Open Pollinated Seeds for Climate-Resilience

As a seed grower, it is important for Lindsay to have access to varieties that are regionally adapted and able to thrive in low-input systems. She sees the opportunity of open-pollinated seed varieties as a tool that is vital as the climate changes and modern hybrids may not have the same capacity to thrive in severe weather events. Seeds from open-pollinated varieties can be saved by the grower and selected for those that best meet the demands of their own particular climate, growing systems and market. This is ever more important for growers using organic systems, where farmers look to cover crops and compost for soil fertility rather than synthetic fertilizers.

In recent years, the extremes of heat and drought have been a major challenge for many of her long-season summer crops, like tomatillos and peppers. Lindsay has been interested in trying shade cloth on her peppers to help nurture them through extreme weather conditions, but she wasn’t sure if it would have a negative effect on fruit set or seed production. After learning about OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trial program, she decided this would be a relatively risk-averse way to see the impact of this growing practice on her harvest.

Farm trial plan

Plot map – legend S= shade; N= no shade

After considering some of the logistics of on-farm research trials with OFRF staff, Lindsay was able to develop a question that would help her decide if shade cloth would help, or hurt her seed harvest. The trial was further narrowed down to peppers. Research Questions: Will using shade cloth improve fruit set in pepper plants grown for seed? And if so, will that lead to early mature harvest and overall higher yields? 

The trial was designed as a paired comparison with the treatments being peppers that were given 35% black netting shade cloth vs. peppers that received no shade cloth. The measurements Lindsay decided upon were to weigh the fresh fruit harvested and the fresh and dried seed weight in addition to taking basic fruit quality observations. Since she often sells her peppers for seeds, rather than as fresh fruit, this was the most helpful measurement for her production practices.

Trial updates

Harvest data is almost complete, with the first harvests beginning in late September, much later than expected due to the extreme drought conditions. Once the harvests are complete, Lindsay and the OFRF staff are excited to see the results and impact of shade cloth on pepper production.

“Every season we adjust our growing methods and try out new techniques. But inevitably the season gets busy, we lose track of outcomes and end up with incomplete impressions of what worked or didn’t. With the FLT program, I had support in designing a solid project, and funds to allow me allocate time and focus to data collection and analysis.”

– Lindsay Klaunig, Trouvaille Farm

seed saving from organic pepper research trial
Trouvaille Farm farmer-led trial organic peppers
harvesting peppers for on-farm research at Trouvaille Farm in Ohio
shade net over organic peppers during on-farm research at Trouvaille Farm in Ohio

Research Results

Lindsay Klaunig’s farmer-led trial experimented with using shade cloth to improve fruit set in pepper plants grown for seed, and examined the impact on fruit yield, seed yield and seed quality (germination rate).

Key Findings:

  • Total fruit yield (Harvest 1+Harvest 2) was significantly higher in non-shaded plots, with a total yield of 10.9 lb compared to just 4.7 lb in shaded plots (Table 2). Seed yield (per plant and per bed ft) was also higher in non-shaded plots. Seed yield per lb of fresh fruit was higher in shaded plots, but this is likely due to the low fruit yield in these plots.
  • There were, however, some differences between results from the two separate harvests in September and October. For example, in Harvest 1, seed yield per bed ft was not significantly different in shaded vs unshaded plots, but in Harvest 2, seed yield per bed ft was significantly higher in unshaded plots.

The season that this trial took place was one of the warmest and driest on record. The use of black shade cloth may have increased the temperature rather than provide any shade relief, as intended. In the future, Lindsay would like to try white shade cloth, and be sure to use larger hoops to allow space for more airflow over bushier crops like peppers.

For full details on the study’s methodology and results, read the final report.

This story is part of a series profiling farmers who are taking part in OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials (FLT) program. Farmers receive technical support from OFRF to address their challenges through structured on-farm trials. To learn more about OFRF Farmer-Led Trials Program, visit our website page at https://ofrf.org/research/farmer-led-research-trials/

To learn more about bell pepper research, click the following link: Bell Pepper (Capsicum annum L.) Crop as Affected by Shade Level: Fruit Yield, Quality, and Postharvest Attributes, and Incidence of Phytophthora Blight (caused by Phytophthora capsici Leon.)

To learn more about Trouvaille Farm, visit https://www.trouvaillefarm.com/

By |2025-12-17T17:37:44-05:00November 7th, 2024|Farmer Stories, News, On-Farm Research, Plant Breeding & Variety Selection|
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Farmer-Led Trials Program Spotlight: A Different Chick Farm

Written by Mary Hathaway, OFRF’s Research & Education Program Manager

A Different Chick Farm booth at market.

A Different Chick Farm is a Certified Organic family farm on just under 6 acres in Johnson City, Tennessee. Tiffany Stanley and her family began growing food for themselves as homesteaders, but saw demand from the local community. From this start in 2018, they expanded their operation into an abundant production featuring rare and heirloom fruits and vegetables, with a large focus on unique pepper varieties. Half of the farm is now a mixed orchard, planted with apples, peaches, nectarines, cherries, plums, pears, blackberries, raspberries and more. Rounding out the offerings at this diverse farm is a flock of heritage breed chickens that are pasture-raised. 

With the help of her son and husband, Tiffany grows over 300 types of peppers, mostly to create value-added products such as hot sauces, pickles, and jellies. The farm sells their pepper products and fresh produce at two local farmers markets, and a Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) program. Their homesteading spirit continues to grow, as they look to limit outside inputs into the farm and build a sustainable system with on-farm fertility management. 

Producing On-Farm Compost to Reduce Inputs

A homesteader at heart, Tiffany wanted to explore how the farm could be more self-sustaining, especially in building their soil health with on-farm inputs. She was curious if the farm could make compost that could match the yields of commercial fertilizers. Building an on-farm compost regimen could help offset much of the fertilizer cost, and decrease the environmental footprint of the farm. There were a few factors that the farm considered: would the composting demand a lot more labor, would yields remain viable? As a family enterprise, there were risks in transitioning from a known and reliable yield from commercial fertilizers to a new and untested compost system.

Farm trial plan

With technical support from OFRF, Tiffany decided to get answers and compare two different on-farm compost recipes with her usual practice of applying Harmony, a granular fertilizer (5-4-3). Tiffany wanted to put her chickens to good use, so one compost recipe she wanted to try included chicken manure as the main nitrogen source for one of her compost formulas. Her second compost recipe in the trial used clover and fresh grass clippings as the main nitrogen source. Both recipes included wood chips as the primary carbon source. 

One of her best fall cash crops is cucumbers, so the trial was designed for Socrates cucumber, transplanted out from her greenhouse to be planted in a 12×24 hoophouse in mid-September. At the time of transplanting, Tiffany would apply the different treatments: Compost recipe 1, Compost recipe 2, or the commercial fertilizer, respectively.

In farm trials, it is key to keep things consistent, so Tiffany made sure to count each plant that was transplanted so that each block had the same number of cucumber plants. Once the cucumbers begin to set fruit, she will weigh the yield as well as count the number of cucumbers from each plot. She is hopeful that the results of this trial will help her work towards building her on farm fertility plans, and keep harvests bountiful. Stay tuned for updates on the farm trial outcomes and findings this fall!

“I had a friend that was retired from NRCS tell me about the program and encouraged me to apply.  I read many of the farm trials and what the program did to help organic farming and decided it was a wonderful opportunity.  I am always looking for a better, more sustainable way to farm and was so excited to get picked for this program.”  

– Tiffany Stanley, A Different Chick Farm

Research Results

Tiffany Stanley’s farmer-led trial examined whether the farm could make compost that could match the yields of commercial fertilizers, to support the farm to be more self-sustaining, and build soil health with on-farm inputs.

Key Findings:

  • Lab analysis showed that the green manure recipe had significantly lower nutrient availability than the chicken manure recipe (Figure 2). While this did not translate into statistically significant differences in fruit quantity or yield, differences in plant health and pest susceptibility were observed.

  • Plants grown with chicken manure exhibited robust growth and showed lesser aphid pressure. Plants grown with green manure and fertilizer demonstrated greater susceptibility to aphids, which may have been due to their lower nutrient availability and overall reduced plant health.

While the trial showed no statistically significant difference in cucumber quantity, yield, or average fruit weight between the treatments, Tiffany did notice that the cucumbers grown with chicken manure seemed healthier and more resistant to pest pressure. In the future, she plans to further experiment with her compost recipe, keeping chicken manure in the mix to help achieve her on-farm fertility goals.

For full details on the study’s methodology and results, read the final report.

This story is part of a series profiling farmers who are taking part in OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials (FLT) program. Farmers receive technical support from OFRF to address their challenges through structured on-farm trials. To learn more about OFRF Farmer-Led Trials Program, visit our website page at https://ofrf.org/research/farmer-led-research-trials/

To learn more about composting and farm fertility programs check out these resources:

To learn more about A Different Chick Farm, you can find them on Instagram and Facebook or visit their website: https://adifferentchickfarm.com/ or watch a YouTube video they made about their Farmer-Led Trial.

By |2025-12-17T17:37:52-05:00October 10th, 2024|Farmer Stories, News, On-Farm Research, Soil Health|
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Farmer-Led Trials Program Spotlight: Salad Days Farm

Written by Mary Hathaway, OFRF’s Research & Education Program Manager

A female farmer in a purple coat smiles as the camera in front of rows of lettuce growing in a high tunnel.

Maggie Dungan, farmer at Salad Days Farm

Salad Days farm is a diverse vegetable operation situated on 30 acres in Versailles, Kentucky. Certified organic since 2015, farmer Maggie Dungan’s interest in growing food started with an education in nutrition and the long dream for her family to be self-sustaining. The farm grows year-round in the field and in hoop houses to supply their on-farm store, restaurants, schools, and four weekly farmers’ markets.

Maggie works hard to keep mechanization on her farm minimal, focusing on cover cropping, minimal tillage, and other soil health conservation practices. She keeps only 2-4 acres of the farm in production, allowing her to focus on the quality of her systems to grow high-value and sustainable food for her community.

Impact of Solarization on Soil Microbiology

The inside of a high tunnel, showing alternating rows of uncovered soil and soil covered with clear plastic for solarization research.

Solarization plots in the high tunnel.

Maggie was first exposed to the practice of solarization using clear plastic in 2022 when the farm participated in a research project with the University of Kentucky. The project studied the effect of solarization in high tunnels on root-knot nematode populations. She was impressed by the results of the trial and saw first-hand how this technique impacted a persistent soil pathogen. 

Organic farmers like Maggie, who focus on minimizing tillage, must still manage pathogens, weeds, and other common challenges, and solarization offers potential benefits. However, Maggie was concerned about the impact of the treatment on her soil health, and had some questions – if solarization kills pathogens, won’t it kill the good microbiology, too? How does heat smothering with a plastic tarp impact soil microbial activity? What is the impact on fungal-to-bacterial ratios?

Before beginning to incorporate soil solarization into her field plans, Maggie wanted some answers, and applied for OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trial program to help her build out a solid research plan and find reliable results that would have a positive impact on her operation.

Farm Trial Plan

With technical support from OFRF, the Salad Days trial on soil solarization took shape. By refining her research question to: “What is the temporal and population effect of solarization on the beneficial microbes in the high tunnel?” the research team was able to build an approachable and testable project on the farm.  

Maggie and OFRF built out a block design with two treatments: No soil solarization in the hoop house, used as her control, or regular practice compared to soil solarization in the hoop house. Using her 30’x100’ hoop house as the location for the trial and mapping areas for the treatments, Maggie used a microbiometer to take three different soil samples: first a baseline reading, then one 2 weeks and 4 weeks, respectively, after the tarp had been removed from the treatment plots.

What is solarization?

Solarization is the process of placing a clear plastic tarp over a field or garden bed to heat up the soil underneath. The intention of solarization is to kill weeds or grass, but is also known to reduce pathogen populations in the soil.

On-Farm Trial Updates

Maggie took her final soil reading in early August, four weeks after she removed the tarps from their beds. While she originally hypothesized that the soil microbes would bounce back, she guessed that their populations would need some time to recover after the tarp treatment. 

8 bags of soil sit on a metal counter next to a soil testing kit.

Soil testing for the on-farm trial.

The OFRF team has begun to work with the data collected to get an understanding of any significant differences. In Maggie’s experiment, we see that microbial biomass over time differed depending on whether or not the area had been tarped. Under solarization, microbial biomass increased over time, while biomass decreased over time in areas that had not been tarped. Also, the fungal-to-bacterial ratio was higher under solarization than in bare soil. The ratio was not affected by time after tarp removal.

The data is compelling, and OFRF will be looking into similar research to better understand the why of these results and give Maggie the assurance she is looking for to deploy a practice that continues to foster the health of her soil and improve her farming system.

“Being able to tailor a research project specific to my farm but useful to all growers has been a great opportunity and having the technical assistance from OFRF has been integral.”

– Maggie Dungan, Salad Days Farm

A graph showing the microbial biomass in solarized and non solarized plots over time, with solarized plots higher than the control.

Research Results

Maggie Dungan’s farmer-led trial examined the impact of soil solarization on microbial communities in high tunnels. Using a MicroBIOMETER, she measured soil microbial biomass and fungal-to-bacterial ratios before and after solarization to assess how the treatment affected soil life.

Key Findings:

  • Microbial Biomass Increased Over Time: Contrary to expectations, soil microbial biomass was higher in solarized plots compared to non-solarized plots, suggesting that the practice does not harm beneficial microbes.
  • Fungal-to-Bacterial Ratio Shifted: Solarized plots had a higher fungal-to-bacterial ratio, indicating a potential shift in soil microbiology post-treatment.
  • Potential for Weed & Pathogen Management: While originally concerned about negative effects, Maggie’s findings suggest that soil solarization can be an effective weed and pathogen control method without long-term damage to soil biology.

Encouraged by these results, Maggie plans to continue using soil solarization as part of her organic weed and pathogen management strategy. Future research could explore how different durations of solarization impact microbial communities and soil health over multiple growing seasons.

For full details on the study’s methodology and results, read the final report.

screenshot of Salad Days Farm's OFRF FLT final reports of results

This story is part of a series profiling farmers who are taking part in OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials (FLT) program. Farmers receive technical support from OFRF to address their challenges through structured on-farm trials. To learn more about OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials Program, visit our website page at https://ofrf.org/research/farmer-led-research-trials/

To learn more about soil solarization, check out these helpful resources on the web: https://extension.umn.edu/planting-and-growing-guides/solarization-occultation 

To learn more about Salad Days Farm, visit https://www.saladdaysfarm.com

By |2025-12-17T17:37:59-05:00September 5th, 2024|Farmer Stories, News, On-Farm Research, Soil Health, Weeds|
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Farmer-Led Trials Program Spotlight: Jorge Reyes

Written by Jose Perez, OFRF’s Research & Education Engagement Coordinator

Image: Jorge Reyes in the vineyard.

Jorge proudly comes from a Mexican migrant farmworker family who had a dream of owning a farm one day. After retiring from the Navy, he was able to purchase a 3-acre vineyard located in Potrero, California. Jorge’s young vineyard produces organic grapes, and it is in the process of obtaining organic certification. Jorge plans to produce organic wine.

Finding the Right On-Farm Challenge to Focus On

Jorge was initially interested in conducting a farm trial to find solutions for suppressing gophers. These little creatures are a constant challenge at the vineyard because they burrow in the soil and chew on the roots, severely damaging or killing the vines. He was also interested in testing different practices to manage wasps during grape maturation and harvest. OFRF staff discussed with Jorge the difficulty of designing a farm trial based on these two challenges, given practical limitations, such as the size of the farm and the length of time needed.

The challenges on a young vineyard are not in short supply, so Jorge pivoted to focus on the use of mulch for soil moisture retention, weed management and grape quality. Improving soil moisture is critical to Jorge’s operation, as the irrigation depends on a solar-powered pump. The local climate conditions are generally very dry, with 9 to 11 inches of rain during the winter season. Wildfires are a frequent risk during the dry season, making soil moisture a critical factor and cost to Jorge’s operation.

On-Farm Trial Updates

With OFRF technical support, Jorge is now conducting a paired comparison where 10 grapevines with mulch will be compared with 10 vines with no mulch. Jorge applied 3 inches high of mulch around the vine (about a 4-foot area for each vine) in late May. He marked the trial area with stakes to identify each plant. 

To compare the moisture levels of the two treatments, Jorge purchased a soil moisture sensor. To date, he has conducted two measurements, one in late June and one in mid-July. Based on those readings, Jorge already sees a clear winner: The soil around the mulched grapevines has consistently been showing good moisture levels, while the readings around the un-mulched plants show dry conditions. Jorge’s own observations confirm this: “The mulch is like a double win, the mulch holds the moisture for longer and it suppresses the weeds as well… There are also a lot of creatures and biological activity in the mulched areas, while just putting the soil probe into the un-mulched areas was a challenge, as the soil was hard,” Jorge said.

Image: Side-by-side trials of mulched and un-mulched grape vines.

Jorge has not cut back on irrigation, but after seeing the immediate effects of mulch, he is considering doing so, which would represent some energy and cost savings. In terms of weed suppression, the pictures Jorge took of the plants in late June are striking (see attached pictures). The mulch successfully suppressed weed growth and can represent some labor savings in the long term. Finally, Jorge is curious to know if the mulch will affect the grapes’ sugar content levels. He is planning to conduct these measurements at harvest through a Brix meter.

Below images: un-mulched grape vines on left and mulched grape vines on right. 

“The mulch provides a beneficial ecosystem that is thriving with beneficial organisms like rollie-pollies and pinchers which help increase the soil health. I plan to double my effort to increase the mulch application. This will lead to water conservation, increase soil health, increase my crop yield and reduce my labor requirement. This is a win-win for the environment and myself.” – Jorge Reyes

Research Results

Jorge Reyes’ farmer-led trial examined the effects of mulching on soil moisture retention, weed suppression, and labor reduction in his organic vineyard. Over the course of the growing season, Jorge applied a 3-5” layer of organic mulch around selected grapevines and monitored soil moisture levels, weed presence, and grape sugar content (Brix levels).

Key Findings:

  • Increased Soil Moisture: In both Syrah and Viognier grape varieties, mulched plots consistently retained higher moisture levels compared to unmulched plots. This effect was statistically significant in Syrah at all sampling dates and in Viognier at two out of three sampling dates.
  • Reduced Weed Pressure & Labor Needs: Jorge observed fewer weeds in the mulched plots, leading to reduced labor for trimming and vineyard maintenance.
  • Potential Impact on Grape Quality: While not formally evaluated, preliminary Brix readings suggest mulched vines had slightly higher sugar content (22 vs. 20) than unmulched vines, indicating potential effects on fruit ripening.

Encouraged by these results, Jorge plans to integrate mulching as a long-term vineyard management strategy. He is particularly interested in further exploring its impact on grape yield, soil biodiversity, and irrigation efficiency in future seasons.

For full details on the study’s methodology and results, read the final report.

screenshot of Reyes Vineyard's OFRF FLT final reports of results

At OFRF we are excited to partner with Jorge in his quest to produce a high quality organic wine, while sharing with other small scale grapevine producers the effects of mulching.

“I am 100% sold on organic, protecting our environment and learning to cohabitate with nature. Organic should be the only option, we need to consume healthy food that is not going to poison us.” – Jorge Reyes 

This story is part of a series profiling farmers who are taking part in OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials (FLT) program. Farmers receive technical support from OFRF to address their challenges through structured on-farm trials. To learn more about OFRF’s Farmer-Led Trials Program, visit our website page at https://ofrf.org/research/farmer-led-research-trials/

By |2025-12-17T17:38:07-05:00August 2nd, 2024|Farmer Stories, News, On-Farm Research, Soil Health, Water Management & Irrigation, Weeds|
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