Project Overview
Annual Reports
Commodities
- Agronomic: grass (misc. perennial), hay, rye
- Fruits: plums, quinces, general tree fruits
- Nuts: hazelnuts
- Additional Plants: herbs, native plants
Practices
- Animal Production: feed/forage
- Crop Production: windbreaks
- Education and Training: demonstration, farmer to farmer, mentoring, networking, on-farm/ranch research, technical assistance, workshop
- Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns, community-supported agriculture, marketing management, whole farm planning
- Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity, grass waterways, habitat enhancement, indicators
- Pest Management: field monitoring/scouting, flame, mulches - killed, mulches - living, mulching - vegetative, physical control
- Production Systems: organic agriculture, permaculture, transitioning to organic
- Soil Management: organic matter, soil quality/health
- Sustainable Communities: local and regional food systems, new business opportunities, public participation, social networks
Proposal summary:
This project will be using a combination of agriculture and forestry practices, we will assess the sustainability of growing non-traditional fruit tree crops on Hilltop Community Farm, a community supported agriculture operation, on the eastern edge of Wisconsin's Driftless region. Applying key innovations in soil management, irrigation, and site design, we seek to demonstrate that fruit tree crop production can be a sustainable business model for small scale farms that has meaning, has markets, and is rewarding for out quality of life.
Project objectives from proposal:
This project will be using a combination of agriculture and forestry practices, we will assess the sustainability of growing non-traditional fruit tree crops on Hilltop Community Farm, a community supported agriculture operation, on the eastern edge of Wisconsin’s Driftless region. Applying key innovations in soil management, irrigation, and site design, we seek to demonstrate that fruit tree crop production can be a sustainable business model for small scale farms that has meaning, has markets, and is rewarding for out quality of life.