Farming Practices and Philosophy

We farm organically. This means soil is our primary crop, one we don’t ever sell. The grain crops are planted on the land based on soil conditions and needs. Where and when we grow each grain is determined by a number of factors, including the basic quality of the soil – tilth, drainage, slope, for example – and what has been planted on the soil in prior seasons.

Rotating crops is a hallmark of organic agriculture. Planting the same crop year after year depletes nutrients, invites pests and soil-borne problems. By cycling through a variety of crops, the soil gets a break from the nutrient demands of each plant, and pests and weed pressures are deterred. A typical year-to-year rotation might be: red clover - corn/underseeded with annual rye grass - buckwheat - winter wheat/underseeded with clover - clover - spring wheat/underseeded with grass/legume mix.