Progress report for FW23-412
Project Information
Southern Oregon is known as a world class seed growing region, and is currently facing ‘catastrophic’ ‘historic’ drought. Many farmers have little to no irrigation water, farmers are moving, and farms are going out of business. In order to strengthen the viability, economic resilience, and climate adaptability for farmers during this difficult time, it is imperative that we learn from our peers about seed production during times of drought.
This project is significant because it supports regional farmers to learn from previous research about non-irrigated farming, local adaptation of heritage grains, and strategies for bed preparation for seed production. Case studies resulting from the grant will provide farmers with valuable information about seed production in drought. Many Farmers have expressed a desire to add heritage grains to their operations, and they want to learn from other farmers. Our project brings together diverse farmers to learn, observe, and share their experiences producing grains and specialty seed crops during drought.
This project supports regional farmers in southern Oregon to expand commercial seed production during times of drought. Farmers will learn from peers about non-irrigated farming, local adaptation of heritage grains, and strategies for bed preparation for maximum yield and biomass production. We are proposing a research trial utilizing case studies of different scales, and farming practices growing 4 grains in order to determine largest yield, most amount of biomass, and which is best suited to include in seed production.
Results from this project will be shared across Oregon through community partner networks, (such as Southern Oregon Seed Growers Association) and will be included in field day /outreach events so that farmers can learn from each other about how to implement non-irrigated grains and seed production into their current cropping plans.
Research Objectives:
Objective 1: Measure differences in yield and lodging of four different grain crops
Objective 2: Measure differences in biomass of four different grain crops
Objective 3: Measure the difference between beds with no-till preparation, mulching and beds prepared with tillage over two growing seasons
Education Objectives:
Objective 1: Develop case studies, record observations, and share results from 3 diverse farms in southerns Oregon using different bed preparation techniques to grow heritage grains with no irrigation.
Objective 2: Establish educational field tours of case study farms, and small-scale seed producers in drought conditions. Farmers will highlight growing seeds in times of drought using drip tape, choosing drought tolerant varieties and using practices that increase the water holding capacity of soils.
Objective 3: Present findings at Southern Oregon Seed Growers Association Annual meeting, and at the Organic Seed Growers Conference in February 2024.
Objective 4: Host an online workshop to present research findings and case studies in partnership with the Southern Oregon Seed Growers Association and Oregon State University Extension Small Farms program.
Objective 5: Disseminate presentation and information via nonprofit agricultural networks, including the Cultivate Oregon, Southern Oregon Seed Growers Association, Oregon Climate (OrCAN) and Agriculture Network, Organic Seed Alliance and Oregon State University Extension Service.
| April 2023 | Research team convenes | PI Huff, Technical advisor Powell, Consultant Simes, participating farmers |
| May-October 2023 | Hold four tours/demonstrations | Technical advisor Powell, Consultant Sims, participating farmers |
| November 2023 | Seed grain variety trials | PI Huff, participating farmers |
| November '23- May '24 | Collect data on trials | PI Huff, participating farmers |
| May-October 2024 | Hold four tours/demonstrations | Technical advisor Powell, Consultant Simes, participating farmers |
| November 2024 | Seed grain variety trials | PI Huff, participating farmers |
| November'24- May '25 | Collect data on trials | PI Huff, participating farmers |
| February '25 | Present findings at OSU Small Farms Conference | PI Huff, Technical advisor Powell |
| June '25 | Write and publish case studies | Technical advisor Powell, Consultant Simes |
| May '23-May '25 | Conduct ongoing project evaluation | Consultant Simes |
Cooperators
- - Producer
- - Producer
- - Producer
- - Technical Advisor
- - Producer
Research
The project supports regional farmers in southern Oregon to expand commercial seed production during times of drought. Farmers will learn from peers about non-irrigated farming, local adaptation of heritage grains, and strategies for bed preparation for maximum yield and biomass production.
Objective 1: Measure differences in yield and lodging of four different grain crops
Each of the three producers will trial four different types of grain: Tibetan Purple Barley, Ukrainkan Wheat, Banatka Wheat, Rouge de Bordeaux Wheat. They will prepare one 25 ft bed for each grain crop. Each farmer will use a different bed preparation method to trial the grains. These methods will vary based on the farm’s scale, soil type and climate conditions as seen in the case study details below. All of the beds will be in the field (not high tunnels) and in close proximity to each other, if not adjacent. All will be planted at the same time (estimated planting date of mid-November based on precipitation and temperature) and will receive no irrigation.
Producer observations will be recorded through written notes on a shared spreadsheet or pictures taken and sent to the PI. In particular, producers will note rates of lodging amongst the four different grain types. The greater the rate of lodging, the more challenging the grain will be to harvest and thresh.
At the end of the season, the producers will use the purchased thresher to separate usable grain from biomass. They will calculate both the total yield in weight of each of the four grains, as well as the volume of biomass produced by each crop.
Update 3.5.2024: All of the participating farms have planted their grain seeds and recorded the date. They have also recorded the date of emergence. This Objective is underway and will be complete when the grains are harvested.
Objective 2: Measure differences in biomass of four different grain crops
In addition to measuring yield and lodging rates and tendencies, the producers will calculate the total volume of biomass produced by each crop. Greater biomass production is associated with greater ability to compete with weeds.
Update 3.5.2024: This Objective will be complete when the grains are harvested.
Objective 3: Measure the difference between beds with no-till preparation, mulching and beds prepared with tillage over two growing seasons
As described above, each of the farmers will use a different type of bed preparation. One will use no tillage and mulch, one will till and mulch, and the third will till and use no mulch.
Total yields of both grains and biomass will provide useful information on the differences between bed preparation and grain varietals.
Update 3.5.2024: This Objective will be complete when the grains are harvested.
-Below is a detailed description of each farm case study:
Feral Farm (Applegate, OR) is a four acre seed farm with loamy soils. Producer Cacia Huff is seeking to add heritage grains into her crop rotation.
Bed preparation: Producer Huff will till the trialing beds using a walk-behind rototiller and use straw mulch on the beds.
Hardy Farm (Ashland, OR) is a three acre no-till seed and grain farm with heavy clay soils. Producer Chris Hardy is seeking to raise grain stock seed for other local producers.
Bed preparation: Producer Hardy will use no tillage in the trialing beds and use straw mulch on the beds.
Fry Family Farm (Medford, OR) is a fifty acre vegetable and fruit farm with sandy loam soils and increasingly limited irrigation. Producer Steve Fry is interested in adding ten to twenty acres of non-irrigated grain crops to his rotation.
Bed preparation: Producer Fry will till the trialing beds using a rototiller and using no mulch.
All of the information gathered will be used to write a publication with case studies of the farming operations, each of which used different bed preparation methods based on soil types and available equipment. Yield data will provide information on which of the four grains perform well in non-irrigated conditions. Special attention will be paid to the rates of lodging between grain crops (lower rates of lodging will be more appealing to producers) and the amount of biomass produced by each grain. The presence of more biomass indicates a crops increased ability to out-compete weeds, which is especially relevant under no-till preparation.
The case studies will be holistic in nature, taking into account not only yield data, but also each farmer's overall financial and ecological goals of adding heritage, non-irrigated grains to their operations.
Update 3.5.2024: All of the participating farms have planted their grain seeds and recorded the date in late Fall 2023.
Participating farms have also recorded the date of emergence for each grain variety = November 3rd, 2023, and by November 15th - all varieties had emerged.
The 3 Research Objectives are underway and will be complete when the grains are harvested.
Research Outcomes
In process.
Education and Outreach
Participation Summary:
Our team planned the educational farm tours throughout the summer of 2023 to maximize the opportunity for participants to observe seed crops in the field, and to share first-hand experiences with drought innovation strategies.
Tour 1: Hardy Seeds
Hosted in: June
20 participants
Topic: Grains, small scale, drought innovations
Tour 2: Wandering Fields
Hosted in: August
15 participants
Topic: Mixed crops, larger scale, drought innovations
Tour 3: Feral Farm Seeds
Hosted in: September
10 participants
Topic: Seed cleaning demos: mostly veg and ornamentals, drought innovations
Tour 4: White Oak
Hosted in: October
8 participants
Topic: Native plant seeds, and ornamentals, drought innovations
Update 3.5.2024 A positive outcome of these tours was the creation of a seed farmer cohort that attended every tour together. Members of the community and other farmers attended the farm tours as well; however this group of seed farmers were able to share, learn, and grow from one another. This peer-to-peer learning that occurred was valued by the producers and each reflected on the lessons they gleaned from one another. Examples include innovative seed cleaning strategies with household technology, pest management, and creative solutions to retain water in the field.
Update 3.5.2024 This project has resulted in additional community partnerships and collaborations around heritage grains. One of these collaborations motivated the Fry Family Farm to apply for ODA's Resilient Food Systems Infrastructure grant to fund milling equipment to support the middle of the supply chain for locally grown grains. This will support more local farms to grow more grain and sell it! The demand for these grains and their value-added products has grown exponentially in the region. Bakeries, farm stores, and farmers cannot keep up with the growing demand.
In addition, a partnership of farmers (in the Heritage Grains Project) are collaborating and have also applied to several local foundations to fund a grain thresher that would support seed increases for heritage grains. The Heritage Grains Project, which is supported by the 3 participating farms, are hosting a Heritage Grains Baking Day (March 17, 2024), outreach and educational event, for the community to taste baked goods made from locally grown grains.
The education and outreach from this project is already having significant impacts in our region!
Education and Outreach Outcomes
not available