At the Sustainable Agriculture colloquium Stefan Gailans of Practical Farmers of Iowa, and Carmen Black of Sundog Farms in Solon, Iowa discussed the importance of on-farm trials and how it allows farmers to better understand the problems they are having and work to find solutions that can help out others. Practical Farmers of Iowa has been conducting on-farm research trials around the state on topics ranging from row-crop fertilization to varieties of fruits and vegetables. This approach developed from a need to develop more effective and efficient farming practices, but a realization that there is no "one size fits all" approach.

Carmen noted that on-farm research is "...worth it because you are solving problems, but you are also improving your own observations and practices!" One common theme discussed throughout the lecture was that on-farm research not only helped to find science-based solutions to real on-farm problems, but also served as practice for good on-farm practices such as record keeping. The information gained from these research trials is then shared to anyone who is interested through the PFI website, field days, and farmer to farmer transfer.

Did you miss this lecture? The lecture has been archived on the CALS Vimeo page for further viewing. Check it out here!