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Diversifying Cropping Systems PROFILE: THEY DIVERSIFIED to SURVIVE 3 Opportunities in Agriculture CONTENTS WHY DIVERSIFY? 2 Diversifying Cropping Systems PROFILE: THEY DIVERSIFIED TO SURVIVE 3 ALTERNATIVE CROPS 4 PROFILE: DIVERSIFIED NORTH DAKOTAN WORKS WITH MOTHER NATURE 9 PROTECT NATURAL RESOURCES, RENEW PROFITS 10 AGROFORESTRY 13 PROFILE: PROFITABLE PECANS WORTH THE WAIT 15 STRENGTHEN COMMUNITY, SHARE LABOR 15 PROFILE: STRENGTHENING TIES AMONG MAINE FARMERS 16 RESOURCES 18 Alternative grains and oilseeds – like, from left, buckwheat, amaranth and flax – add diversity to cropping systems and open profitable niche markets while contributing to environmentally sound operations. – Photos by Rob Myers Published by the Sustainable KARL KUPERS, AN EASTERN WASHINGTON GRAIN GROWER, Although growing alternative crops to diversify a Agriculture Network (SAN), was a typical dryland wheat farmer who idled his traditional farm rotation increase profits while lessen- the national outreach arm land in fallow to conserve moisture. After years of ing adverse environmental impacts, the majority of of the Sustainable Agriculture watching his soil blow away and his market price slip, U.S. cropland is still planted in just three crops: soy- Research and Education he made drastic changes to his 5,600-acre operation. beans, corn and wheat. That lack of crop diversity (SARE) program, with funding In place of fallow, he planted more profitable hard can cause problems for farmers, from low profits by USDA's Cooperative State red and hard white wheats along with seed crops like to soil erosion. Adding new crops that fit climate, Research, Education and condiment mustard, sunflower, grass and safflower. geography and management preferences can Extension Service. All of those were drilled using a no-till system Kupers improve not only your bottom line, but also your calls direct-seeding. whole farming outlook. Also available at: “I look at this more diverse system as a tremen- “Continued low commodity prices have gradually www.sare.org/bulletin/diversify dous opportunity to decrease chemical use and make driven more and more people to look for other more net profit per acre,”said Kupers, who received options,”said Rob Myers, executive director of the a grant from USDA’s Sustainable Agriculture Research Thomas Jefferson Agricultural Institute in Columbia, and Education (SARE) program to offset the risk. Mo. For some farmers, planting alternative crops has Now, he puts his exuberant personality to work as made an “immediate and significant” improvement an aggressive marketer of alternative crops – clearing in income, he said. more profits each year while achieving his goal to Kupers is not the only farmer who diversified his save soil. monoculture cropping system to enjoy renewed “Economically, I think we’re just about at that profits. Members of the Northwest Kansas Farm Man- point where we can show that we can be sustainable agement Association, for example, enjoyed average for the short term and the future,”he said.“We put no net farm incomes of $50,485 in 1998 – three times dust in the atmosphere, there’s no particulate matter, that of other Kansas growers – after diversifying their THE NATIONAL OUTREACH ARM OF USDA-SARE if water does run off our soils, it is clean water.” operations. 2/04 PART 1 Why Diversify? DIVERSE CROPS BRING DIVERSE BENEFITS Overall, the economic picture improves with strategic FARMERS AND AGRICULTURAL SCIENTISTS HAVE KNOWN FOR diversification. Gross income for an alternative crop years that crop rotations can break insect and disease may be higher and production costs may drop. For cycles, reduce weeds, curb erosion, supplement soil nutri- example, adding legumes to a rotation reduces the ents, improve soil structure and conserve soil moisture. need to purchase nitrogen fertilizer. Moreover, rotations Diversification can also: that include three or more crops usually have fewer soften impacts on environmental resources problems with pests – and less need for pesticides. spread farmers’ economic risk Keep in mind that post-harvest handling and trans- exploit profitable niche markets portation to more distant markets may increase costs. create new industries based on agriculture, In addition, while specialty crops like fruits, vegetables, strengthening rural communities ornamentals or nuts can dramatically increase income aid the domestic economy, enabling producers to per acre, they usually demand more intensive labor. grow crops that would otherwise be imported. Diverse rotations also reduce economic risk associ- This bulletin will provide you with a jumping-off point ated with unfavorable weather or pest damage in any to diversify your farm, from choosing the right new crops one crop. Despite drought, for example, you can to managing them successfully. While some alternative successfully harvest such crops as amaranth, millet, crops command high prices, others pay dividends by safflower, sesame and sunflowers. In central Missouri, Buckwheat, a grain used building natural resources or boosting the yields of rota- diversified crop farmer Jerry Weber grows sunflowers in noodles, multi-grain tional crops. And growing crops that require processing, because they are able to use moisture present through- breads and cereals, for example, can provide jobs in your community. out the soil profile and yield “reasonably well,”even among other products, when timely rains don’t come. By comparison, sufficient sells for three times DIVERSIFY TO ENHANCE PROFITS moisture at pollination can make or break a corn crop. the price of corn in the GROWING A DIVERSE SELECTION OF CROPS CAN EXPAND YOUR “Growing different kinds of crops that have needs for marketplace, making it markets and offset commodity price swings. Conse- moisture at slightly different times is what tends to an attractive alternative quently, profits won’t depend exclusively on any one spread your risk,”Weber said.“Any time you can spread crop. market, as they might, for example, when you only that risk is an advantage, and that’s why we got involved – Photo by Rob Myers produce crops for livestock feed. in diversifying crops.”Over the six years since Weber started growing sunflowers, they have been as profitable or more profitable than any of his other crops, such as corn, milo and soybeans. Even if the profit from a new crop is negligible – or negative – you can still benefit economically from an expanded rotation. Labor and equipment are distrib- uted more smoothly through the year, thereby increas- ing operational efficiency and decreasing payroll costs. Broader diversity also can raise the yields of traditional crops. With its deep taproot, amaranth opens up com- pacted soils for the roots of the subsequent crop. In one grower’s fields, growing amaranth added a 5- to 10- bushel per-acre increase to the wheat crop that followed it. In Washington, diversification enables Kupers to match his crops to his variable growing conditions as well as to a fluctuating marketplace.“There is no recipe,”he said.“I know my work would be much simpler if there were, but there are simply too many variables. I take into account the weed and pest cycles, market conditions and 2 PROFILE THEY DIVERSIFIED TO SURVIVE The Beguins had one compelling Beguin stores his crops for reason to diversify: “We wanted up to two years when the price to keep the ranch,” said Robert isn’t right – an advantage of The Beguins’ Beguin of Rushville, Neb. producing dry grains and shelf- With only 120 cow-calf pairs stable value-added products – agricultural on their 2,000-acre ranch, the and advises other entrepre- family had depended on its neurs to do the same. “I won’t enterprises have trenching business to “keep contract millet at 10 cents,” everything else floating.” It still he said. “I’ll let it sit in the become signifi- does, but the Beguins’ agricul- bin for two or three years tural enterprises have become and I’ll get my 20 cents out cantly more significantly more profitable of it.” His radish seed will still since they went organic in 1996 germinate nicely after a year profitable since and since a SARE grant helped and his alfalfa seed will actually them market their new value- sprout buyers, their oil and con- as well: They sell the family’s sprout better. a SARE grant added products and obtain fection sunflowers to Min- bean-soup mixes over the The family’s new facility – equipment to outfit a 2,160- nesota, their dry beans Internet, at area craft shows in which they also clean crops helped them square foot cleaning and in 2,000-pound totes to the and during community events. for a neighbor – allows the bagging facility. West Coast and their pea seed Beguins to sack varieties sepa- market their Now the Beguins sell their to local cattle-feed and green- MARKETING GETS EASIER rately. They still ship everything cleaned, organic wheat for $6.75 manure users. The Beguins’ cow- “Finding markets is pretty together, filling one California- new value-added a bushel rather than $2.50. They pea seed goes to customers who hard the first three years,” bound truck with $15,550 worth ship their brown and golden grow the plants, then chop them Beguin cautions farmers of dry edible beans, peas, mil- products. flaxseed to Internet markets, young for tender salad greens. considering alternative crops. let, and alfalfa and radish seed. their blue corn to chip-makers, “That blew our minds,” “You have to spend a lot of Not bad, especially when the their millet to California bakers Beguin said. time on the telephone. After cracked-grain “cleanings” have and Japanese snack-makers, Daughter-in-law Shelley about three years or so, they’ll value, too – as feed for the their radish seed to overseas and daughter Barb pitch in start calling you.” Beguins’ cattle. moisture, and make decisions based on all these things.” banks to fewer vegetative field borders.Yet the complexity As markets expand for diverse products, you may and diversity of an ecosystem are at the root of its health.
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