The Sustainable Agriculture Graduate Program invites you to join us for: On-Farm Research for Making Good On-Farm Decisions Carmen Black of Sundog Farm and Local Harvest CSA in Solon, Iowa and Stefan Gailans of Practical Farmers of Iowa will discuss the importance of on-farm research and how it can factor into making better farm related decisions.

Wednesday, January 29 - Curtiss 0013

3:10 - 4:15 p.m. Presentation with Q&A Session

4:15 - 5:00 p.m. Coffee hour with light refreshments

As always, off-campus guests are welcome to join us.

Carmen Black operates Sundog Farm and Local Harvest CSA near Solon, Iowa. She farms with her sister, Maja, and they raise vegetables for 200 families and graze a small flock of sheep. Carmen grew up near Solon, and returned to Iowa to farm after living out of state for a few years. She worked for Susan Jutz, founder of Local Harvest CSA, and purchased her farm (formerly known as ZJ Farm) and Community Supported Agriculture business in 2016. Carmen has participated in on-farm research with Practical Farmers of Iowa since she started farming.

Stefan Gailans is the research and field crops director at Practical Farmers of Iowa, a non-profit organization specializing in equipping farmers to build resilient farms and communities. His primary duty is to manage the Cooperators' Program - PFI's vehicle for conducting farmer-led research. Projects are often collaborations among farmers, partner organizations and university researchers.

On-Farm Research for Making Good Decisions Colloquium Video (Echo360)