Project Overview
Annual Reports
Information Products
Commodities
- Agronomic: Quinoa
Practices
- Farm Business Management: marketing management
- Sustainable Communities: local and regional food systems
Proposal summary:
Problem/Solution
The demand for gluten free food has increased the price of quinoa, thus creating a potential for small scale North Dakota farmers to totally integrate the production and marketing of quinoa. Production challenges have hindered the production of quinoa in North Dakota. Challenges include: developing producer friendly planting methods, harvesting and processing systems, refining the use of cover/companion crops for weed control, crop rotation, and organic fertilization. The goal is to produce a large enough crop to evaluate quinoa’s economic viability and to successfully direct market quinoa. This proof of concept project will enable each operation to become a sustainable small scale farming operation in an environment where they are unable to compete with large scale conventional grains.
Project objectives from proposal:
- Verify Viable North Dakota varieties of quinoa (cherry vanilla and brightest brilliant rainbow).
- Develop producer-friendly planting, harvesting, and marketing processes.
- Increase genetic and bio-diversity of cropping systems.
- Educate the public about the benefits of locally grown quinoa through farm tours, conference presentations, kitchen-based classes, and printed materials.