WEST BRANCH, Iowa — A new guide published in print and online this week provides creative crop options to Iowa landowners interested in diversifying their income, reducing expenses and improving Iowa’s water and air quality.
The 56-page, full-color Landowners Guide to Sustainable Food Crops is designed for rural Iowa landowners who can imagine planting fruit and nut trees for the future, helping launch new vegetable or livestock farmer careers or experimenting with edible perennials on their farms or acreages. With local and organic food consumption rising dramatically during the pandemic, the guide proves both timely and relevant.
To access the online edition or download the pdf at no cost log on to silt.org. Visitors who access the book by Aug. 15 will be automatically entered to win a $500 gift card to a local food retailer of their choice. Print copies are available upon request.
Features include:
- 32 of the best perennial, annual and niche crops plus livestock suited to Iowa.
- Real-life stories of Iowa landowners and their journey to food farming.
- A handy gauge of upfront capital and labor costs for each crop.
- A friendly icon showing where in the farm ecosystem a particular plant or animal fits in.
- Special “Cream of the Crop” resources on each page plus a more at the back of the book.
- A compilation of resources and expert advice from farmers all across Iowa.
The book is published by the Sustainable Iowa Land Trust with support from Sustainable Education Research and Education (SARE). SILT protects Iowa farmland to grow table food, securing affordable land for future generations of nature-friendly food farmers.
“There’s a market for naturally-grown fruits, vegetables and pastured meat once again, but it’s up to landowners to do their part,” SILT Executive Director Suzan Erem said. “They get to decide if Iowa’s landscape will still include small family farms in 10, 20 or 50 years.” Erem said the guide and SILT give landowners new options for their land.
The guide features stories from landowner/farmers Kim Alexander, Alexander Farms, Woodbury County, Denise O’Brien, Rolling Acres Farm, Cass County, Tom Wahl and Kathy Dice, Red Fern Farm, Louisa County and Vern and Mary Zahradnik, Buffalo Ridge Orchard, Linn County.
–Sustainable Iowa Land Trust