December 20, 2021

Please fill out this Doodle poll before the end of this week to help us schedule our next meeting. It will likely be a hybrid meeting with virtual and in-person options.

If you have any events or news you'd like included in upcoming SWIFFI updates, please email me. You can also follow the SWIFFI Facebook page for updates.

Mini Seed School

Brought to you by Golden Hills RC&D and The Center for Rural Affairs

Workshop One - Tuesday, January 18th 6-8pm

Workshop Two - Tuesday, February 8th 6-8pm

Location: Dodge Hall at Iowa Western Community College in Council Bluffs

Mini Seed School is for farmers and gardeners wanting to learn the basics of seed saving and seed stewardship in a lightning format. This is a condensed version of a weekend long Seed School facilitated by Alex O’Hanlon and Cait Caughey. Topics will include seed history, importance, planning for seed saving, isolation techniques, seed processing and storage. We will also share information on on-going community projects such as a seed cooperative, seed shares, and more.

Registration is required for each workshop and you are welcome to attend one or both. We are asking all participants to wear masks during the workshops.

Details & registration at goldenhillsrcd.org/seedschool.

Golden Hills is partnering with Dan Filius, Field Specialist, Commercial Vegetables and Specialty Crops with Iowa State University Extension & Outreach, on two virtual programs in January. Registration required. $5 fee. Registered participants will receive Zoom information on the day of the event.

Tools for Growing Vegetables on 140 Acres

Monday, January 24

7:00pm-8:30pm

​Virtual program

Ever wonder what it would take to grow vegetables on a large scale? Learn about the tools and practices that Dan Fillius used while farming 140 acres of vegetables at Featherstone Farm in Southeastern MN. Tools and techniques covered include harvest conveyors, cultivation techniques, seeders, coolers and people management tools.

Click here to register!

Facebook event.

Cool-season Crops, and Growing Crops in the Cold

Monday, January 31

7:00pm-8:30pm

​Virtual program

From leafy greens to root crops and herbs, growing cool season crops can stretch harvest to well past the first frost. Best practices for growing cool-season crops will be covered. Learn also about the 48-week CSA season that Dan Fillius utilized while at the Michigan State University Organic Farm, which promised members 3 fresh crops every week throughout the winter.

Click here to register!

Facebook event.

Plant Identification Virtual Classes

Golden Hills is working with Dr. Tom Rosburg on a series of plant identification & conservation virtual classes for winter-spring 2022. The weeds & invasive species class is probably of greatest interest to most producers. All will be on Thursday evenings from 7:00-8:00pm. Each class has a $10 registration fee and pre-registration is required.

• February 3 - Plant Family Identification

• February 10 - Common Fabaceae (Pea family) Identification

• February 24 - Plant Evolution & Diversity

• March 3 - Salix (Willow) Identification

• March 10 - Designing Native Seed Mixes

• March 24 - Common Rosaceae (Rose) Identification

• March 31 - Cirsium (Thistle) Identification

• April 7 - Common Weeds & Invasive Species of Iowa

Details and registration.

We are currently planning farmer meetups and field days for 2022. If you are interested in hosting or have suggestions for topics or presenters, please complete this form. 

• Produce in the Park is hosting a Christmas Market this Thursday, December 23.

• Iowa Organic Association Winter Webinar Series:

• Tues, Jan 11–Food as Medicine: A Systems Perspective with Dr. Andy Nish

• Tues, Jan 18–Weed Management in an Organic Operation with Matt Miller

• Tues, Jan 25–Economics of Soil Health Systems with Dr. Elizabeth Rieke

• Tues, Feb 1–Organic Grass Milk Dairy Farming with Joe Langmeier

• Tues, Feb 8–Tending to the microbial life of your soil with Chris Trump

• Tues, Feb 15–Rodale Institute Farming Systems Trials Research Overview with Dr. Yichao Rui

• 2022 Organic Vegetable Production Conference - This producer-initiated conference is designed for advanced growers and attracts participants from throughout the Midwest and beyond. Participants who register by January 3 will receive a conference packet with handouts and swag through the mail BEFORE the conference. Those who register after January 3 may receive the packet before or AFTER the conference. All sessions will be over Zoom.

• USDA's Agricultural Marketing Service is now accepting applications for the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA), the new Farm and Food Workers Relief (FFWR) grant program, and Farm to School Grant Program.

• Iowa Farmland at Historic High, but Still Lower Than 2012 and 2013 When Adjusted for Inflation - "After several years of modest gains and losses, the average value of an acre of Iowa farmland skyrocketed 29% in 2021. The nominal value of an acre of farmland is now higher than at any point since Iowa State University and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach began surveying values in 1941, and is 12% higher than the previous peak in 2013; although the current value in inflation-adjusted terms is still lower than that for 2012 and 2013."
• Iowa Valley RC&D released an instructional Pack Shed Handbook to enable anyone to construct a pack shed on their own. The simple structure, based on a prefabricated carport, costs around $4000 and incorporates food safety principles in its materials and design. The structure is ideal for tenant farmers who do not have the option for permanent structures but it can work for any small to medium diversified vegetable producer.
• Improving water quality, soil health, and wildlife habitat while remaining productive and profitable is the focus of many conservation efforts in Iowa. Confidence in practice selection and management is essential for implementing conservation practices. The Whole Farm Conservation Best Practices Manual provides best management recommendations for farmers and landowners getting started with conservation and water quality practices by helping select and incorporate in-field and edge-of-field conservation practices most appropriate to the decision maker's land and preferences.
• Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Mike Naig invites school students to participate in the 2022 Choose Iowa Calendar Contest hosted by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The artwork should feature at least one aspect of Iowa agriculture — food, livestock, crops or renewable fuels, for example. Submissions will be judged on creativity and the ability to connect agriculture to everyday life. Learn more and download the 2021-2022 Choose Iowa Coloring Calendar.
• In this white paper, Drs. Jasmine Dillon and Megan Machmuller provide an overview of carbon cycling, climate change, and the potential for regenerative agriculture to contribute to climate mitigation efforts.
• The Reintegrating Grazing Ruminants in Row Crop Country video series has information about incorporating livestock in corn country.
• The Agrisolar Clearinghouse is a new resource connecting businesses, land managers, and researchers with trusted resources to support the growth of co-located solar and sustainable agriculture.

Contact: Lance Brisbois | Golden Hills RC&D | lance@goldenhillsrcd.org