Progress report for FNC25-1459
Project Information
Shalomba Farm, LLC is a 40 acre diversified organic farm located in Bennett, WI. We use regenerative agriculture practices to grow over 150 varieties of perennial fruits and nuts, cut flowers, mixed vegetables, livestock (chickens, ducks, goats), and honey bees. We also produce and sell gluten-free and some vegan baked goods. We sell at our farm and at local farmers markets in Superior, WI and various markets or events in Duluth, MN.
Emily Kalnicky, Ph.D. is a researcher and educator by training, with a specialization in interdisciplinary invasive ecology. Off-farm, Emily works full-time leading a team of evaluators and educators for a non-profit. Emily is also a member of the disability community, living with multiple autoimmune conditions that affect her entire body, and help her understand the importance of, and advocate for, access to organic produce to benefit the health and well-being of everyone- not just those that can afford it.
She brings 15+ years of skills in project management and using data and research to enhance the farming operations. She is formally trained as an ecologist and brings her knowledge in research and ecosystems to support the conservation and sustainability goals of the farm. Emily will lead the design and analysis of the research portions of the project. She will also provide grant administration as well as report writing and the development of the outreach and education portions of the project.
Marcellin Singo Kopandru was born and raised in Congo (Democratic Republic of Congo), Africa. His dad was an agronomic engineer- so he grew up around farms. His parents had a large vegetable garden, and they raised livestock (ducks, chicken, goats, etc.). This is where he developed his passion for farming and caring for the land. Marcellin learned early in life from his parents that a diversified farm, using sustainable farming methods, is a better way to care for the land and the environment by extension.
Off-farm, Marcellin has spent 15+ years in retail, supply-chain management, operations management, and previous electrical engineering training. He brings his skills in supply chain management, logistics, analytics, business management, and retail operations management, to enhance the day-to-day business operations, along with strong project management and mechanical and technical expertise. Marcellin will lead the procurement of all the supplies and materials for the project. Marcellin will also lead the implementation of the project (i.e. building the trellises, making the compost tea, taking measurements, etc.).
There is a growing need for sustainable agricultural practices that improve soil health and reduce reliance on synthetic fertilizers, while enhancing crop yields. Conventional farming practices degrade soil fertility, leading to decreased productivity and increased dependency on chemical inputs. Our project assesses the combined effects of compost tea and vertical axis tree trellising on soil health and crop production, offering a solution that supports both regenerative soil practices and increased agricultural productivity.
Previous research has demonstrated the benefits of compost tea in enhancing soil microbial activity, improving nutrient availability, and suppressing soil-borne diseases (Scheuerell, 2004; Pilla et al., 2023). Additionally, trellising has shown promise in increasing space efficiency and supporting plant health, particularly in high-density systems (Heilman et al., 1996; Sanchez-Rodriguez and Bellato Sposito, 2020). However, we are not aware of studies exploring the combined effects of these two practices on soil health and crop production. By combining compost tea with trellising, we hypothesize that this integrated approach can enhance both soil fertility and plant growth, reduce the need for external inputs, and create a more resilient, sustainable farming system. Our project builds upon existing research and aims to fill critical gaps in our understanding of these practices’ combined potential.
Proposed Solution: We will use an experimental design to test the effectiveness of compost tea as a sustainable and viable fertilizer alternative to conventional fertilizer for high-tunnel vegetables/fruit and orchard fruit trees and trellising practices as methods to improve production efficiency.
Through our research design we aim to achieve the following objectives:
- Evaluate the Impact of Compost Tea on Soil Health:
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- Measure changes in microbial activity, diversity, and soil nutrient levels in treated vs. untreated plots.
- Analyze soil organic matter and its potential to enhance soil fertility over time.
- Measure changes in microbial activity, diversity, and soil nutrient levels in treated vs. untreated plots.
- Assess the Effects of Vertical Axis Trellising on Tree and Vegetable Growth:
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- Measure tree and plant growth metrics such as plant height, leaf area, chlorophyll content, and overall health in trellised vs. non-trellised plots.
- Evaluate how vertical axis trellising influences tree health, tree structure, and fruit quality, compared to conventional tree training systems.
- Investigate the Combined Effects of Vertical Axis Trellising and Compost Tea on Crop Yield and Quality:
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- Compare crop yields and the quality of produce (size, weight, and Brix value, cosmetic appearance, firmness, and uniformity) between treated and untreated systems.
- Evaluate Disease Resistance and Pest Management:
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- Track pest and disease incidence to determine the effects of compost tea and vertical axis trellising on disease suppression and pest control.
- Use disease severity scales to quantify disease damage and pest resistance.
- Assess Water Use Efficiency and Sustainability:
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- Measure water use in both the high-tunnel and orchard systems, comparing the impact of vertical axis trellising and compost tea on soil moisture retention and water consumption.
- Quantify the long-term sustainability of these methods by evaluating their impact on soil health, water use, and overall farm input costs.
- Share findings through a farm field day, newsletter, and social media posts:
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- Host one farm field day with pre/post surveys in partnership with our local Sustainable Farming Association chapter.
- Post quarterly newsletter article on project goals and progress on our website.
- Post monthly updates on our Instagram and Facebook accounts, during growing season from spring to autumn.
We will used the following experimental design to achieve our objectives:
| High-Tunnel Vegetable System Treatments | Orchard System Treatments (for Fruit Trees): |
| Treatment 1: Compost Tea + Trellised Vegetables
| Treatment 1: Compost Tea + Vertical Axis Trellised Trees
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| Treatment 2: Compost Tea + Non-Trellised Vegetables
| Treatment 2: Compost Tea + Non-Trellised Trees
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| Treatment 3: No Compost Tea + Trellised Vegetables
| Treatment 3: No Compost Tea + Vertical Axis Trellised Trees
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| Treatment 4: No Compost Tea + Non-Trellised Vegetables
| Treatment 4: No Compost Tea + Non-Trellised Trees
|
- Tree Trellising & Tea:
- Vertical axis trellising involves supporting trees with a central vertical post and training them to grow along the post and horizontal wires. We will use steel posts, galvanized wire, and tree clips to train the trees into a vertical structure.
- We will use the Aerated Tea Compost Field guide from SARE project FW15-037 to ensure FSMA safe tea and consistent quality compost tea.
Cooperators
- - Producer
Research
Due to some unforeseen challenges with the planned installation of a well on the north side of the farm where the main portion of the research trials were planned to occur, we pivoted to focus on building as much of the infrastructure in 2025 as we could, and then refocus in 2026 on completing the rest of the project and asking for an extension for the orchard portion of our research trials due to this unforeseen delay.
In 2025, we were able to focus on amending the soil with compost, and doing a smaller trial on the south side of our property in a smaller high tunnel, 12' x 20'. To set up the trellising we used a series of pulleys, string, velcro, and clips along the high tunnel. We positioned our tomato plants approximately 10-12" from each other.
We focused on vertical axis trellising for our heirloom tomatoes, grown using organic methods. Overall, production in 2025 was lower than 2024 across the board (both in our trial area and outside in our control areas). Even with that lower overall production, we did notice a 50% higher production in the 12' x 20' high tunnel where we were using trellising compared to our non-trellised plants.
We also had a four week longer growing period and a reduction in waste of tomatoes falling off or being lost, by almost 50%.
Our overall water use was approximately 25% less than our non-trellised and non-high tunnel grown tomatoes. Overall, the plant height was approximately 50% greater than our non-trellised plants.
We also noticed a reduction in pest pressure in the trellised trial, with only 5% of plants experiencing pest pressure, compared to 25% in our non-trellised area.
Educational & Outreach Activities
Participation summary:
We shared details on our newsletter and our social media accounts about receiving the grant, and the goals of the grant. In total, we reached over 300 people through our Facebook, Instagram, and newsletter post on receiving the SARE grant as a part of our 2025 Year in Review.
Learning Outcomes
In 2025, the 2 farmer managers of this project reported gaining knowledge, skills, and awareness as a result of the project. We learned best practices in installing a trellising system in a high-tunnel, as well as monitoring growth and production. We plan to apply this knowledge to our trials in 2026 and beyond.
As a part of our project, we were anticipating seeing improved profitability, soil quality, water quality, crop production, improved efficiency and reduction in labor hours, and increased awareness and adoption. While we experienced an unforeseen barrier with fully implementing all components of our project in 2025 due to a planned well not being able to be installed, we were still able to collect information on these intended outcomes.
Overall, we noticed improved profitability, crop production, and improved efficiency and reduction in labor hours in the trellised area compared to our non-trellised control areas for our heirloom tomato production.
While we plan to continue to collect more information in 2026, our initial trial year indicates that using the trellising system would provide many advantages to other farmers choosing to replicate- including improvements in yield, production efficiency, reduction in pest pressure, and reduction in labor hours.
Project Outcomes
We did not host a farmer field day in 2025, but will plan to do that in 2026 or 2027. The 2 farmer managers leading this project have gained knowledge and experience in installing trellising systems that they plan to share in 2026 of 2027 with other farmers as part of a farm field day.