Broomcorn Grown by Broom Makers: Varieties and Post-Harvest Handling Techniques for Niche Markets

Commodities

Practices

Broomcorn was once a major US crop but is currently grown in Mexico. It is very labor intensive with harvest and post-harvest handling being done by hand. Broommakers across the US are currently limited to Mexico's crop coming through one major distributor. For broommakers and their customers, there is no 'story' to broomcorn- no traceability to any particular farm - and no variances in variety. Shortages of broomcorn material types are common, and broommakers must use minor suppliers that sell the same Mexican product but for a higher price.

A resurgence of broommakers in the US in the past few years have developed customer bases that value high craft, locally made and sourced products, and are paying premium prices. Broommakers and these customers do not have a US-grown option or an option for broomcorn with a story and a farm that they can connect to.

We want to supply broommakers with US farm-grown broomcorn. We believe we can make superior and unique material available (different sizes and colors) than the standard product from Mexico. We believe this project will highlight new crop opportunities for farmers, empower broommakers to create new products, and build new niche markets for farmers and crafters.

BSF is transitioning land from conventional production (land rented for hay and corn/soy) to organic production. Land must go three years without synthetic inputs to be certified. Broomcorn plays a key role in our organic transition. It can successfully be grown under organic management, and a premium price can be achieved without certification. For this reason alone, it could be of interest to other farmers. We have an 8-year rotation at BSF: broomcorn (years 1-2), cowpeas and watermelon (3), mixed flowers (4), mixed vegetables (5), and pasture (years 6-8). We practice strip tillage, a minimal tillage practice, to help protect soil quality. This and other soil health practices will be a part of what we share in the outreach efforts for this project.

We have four objectives:

1) Trial varieties of broomcorn for:

1. Yields (# of stems harvested and weight).
2. Weights and counts of materials for broom making, following post-harvest processing.

2) Record and evaluate harvest and post-harvest handling times for each of the varieties and each of the materials (craft broomcorn, cut brush, and cut stems).

3) Document broommaker preferences for varieties and materials via surveys.

4) Share what we learn.

Seed for the variety trial will be obtained from 1) a variety grown at BSF for the past 2 years that produces broom-quality material for sale through our website, 2) 2 varieties (one black and one red) from Seed Savers Exchange, 3) seed from the Stephen Moose Corn Functional Genomics Lab at Illinois.

The variety trial will be planted at BSF in a randomized complete block design in a 1-acre plot. At harvest, labor hours and stem counts (# of plants harvested per row) will be recorded. Only plants suitable for broommaking will be harvested (no bent or mutated brush structure).

Post-harvest handling times and yields will be collected for each of the varieties. After harvest and initial drydown (which happens outdoors but in the shade for 2-3 days then inside the barn on shelves), harvested broomcorn will be moved into the processing area in the barn at BSF. On large tables and workbenches, material will be cleaned and deseeded. Then "craft broomcorn" (those with 20+" of brush and 5+" of stem) will be selected from the varieties and weighed. The remaining plants will be sorted by length, then brush will be cut from stems. Short brush (12-15"), long brush (15-19") will be weighed and stems 5"+ will be counted from each variety. Thus, from each variety, craft broomcorn, short brush, and long brush will be weighed, and stems (5-6") counted. (Longer stems are used for braiding handles.)

Some of all materials and varieties (~40 lb total) will be shipped to broommakers who have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) and paid a $250 deposit on the materials. The MOU will outline broommakers' agreement to use the material for broommaking, report experiences with and preferences of varieties, and send photos of their work. Broommakers will then be compensated a $500 stipend to repay their deposit plus pay for their time.

Broomcorn is a highly adaptable crop (Sorghum bicolor). Farmers from Texas north into Illinois and east along the Ohio River Valley used to produce millions of pounds of the crop each year. With a focus on post-harvest handling techniques, the materials that can be produced regionally, and a connection to broommakers, this production system could be adopted by other farmers. Grown organically, it is especially suited as a crop for the organic transition period, where land goes 3 years without synthetic inputs but farmers cannot get the organic price premium.