Insight into Action: A Needs-Based Assessment of Four Sustainable Farms in Iowa

View the project final report

Commodities

Practices

• Animal Production: grazing management, grazing - rotational, livestock breeding, pasture fertility, watering systems
• Crop Production: cover crops, crop rotation, high tunnels or hoop houses, intercropping, low tunnels, pollinator habitat, row covers (for season extension), season extension, varieties and cultivars
• Education and Training: farmer to farmer, networking, participatory research
• Farm Business Management: budgets/cost and returns, farm-to-restaurant, farmers' markets/farm stands, labor/employment
• Natural Resources/Environment: biodiversity
• Pest Management: botanical pesticides, mulches - general, mulching - plastic, row covers (for pests), sanitation
• Production Systems: organic agriculture
• Sustainable Communities: analysis of personal/family life, employment opportunities, food hubs, local and regional food systems, quality of life, social psychological indicators, urban agriculture, values-based supply chains

Financial and systemic stressors experienced by small-scale, sustainable farmers can be eased when they are provided with upfront financial support, advanced training, and tailored consultation services. Across the United States, the number of farms continues to decline each year; however, in Iowa, growth in the number of producers and small-sized farms are challenging this national trend. Most of Iowa’s small, sustainable farmers aren’t able to sell at a profit, but we can help remedy this by acquiring information from farmers, then using data to research, implement, and widely disseminate solutions.

This research-focused study, conducted in partnership between the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust (SILT) and the North Central Region Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (NRC-SARE) program, used data from four small Iowa producers to determine the needs, gaps in knowledge, opportunities, and challenges experienced on their operations. In this partnership, SILT leveraged its diverse network of trusted farmers to perform a needs-based assessment on under-studied table food farms of varied sizes and locations across Iowa.

The four participants documented a full growing season, including inputs, outputs, profits, losses, opportunities, and challenges regarding growing, harvesting, marketing, farmers’ markets, processing, wholesale, safety, equipment, certifications, storage, and preservation. Data was gathered from participants using intermittent surveys, document submissions and farm visits. Educational materials and connections to agricultural consultants were then arranged and shared to fill gaps identified from the responses.

From assessing these four participants, SILT identified that action reinforcing farmers’ strengths is required to improve the future of Iowa’s local food systems. Findings supported that farmers’ growth and viability was constrained by labor shortages, high initial financial risk, climate uncertainty, and limited access to specialized business and infrastructure support. Based on these findings, three out of four participants received personalized consultations and access to resources that they cited improved their farm and business efficiency.

• Perform 4 needs-based operation and market evaluations of SILT farms 
• Determine at least 5 specific, actionable gaps in farmers’ skills, practices, knowledge, awareness, and attitudes
• Develop at least 3 new online/print educational packets for farmers that respond to these gaps
• Share new material with at least 2,500 Iowans, including 100 farmers
• Organize 3 training sessions with partner organizations specializing in business operations
• Host at least 25 farmers/agricultural professionals at each training session
• Write and publish 1 white paper on the study
• Develop at least 1 meaningful partnership in each Iowa quadrant that contributes to a sustainable food network