Marbleseed Conference 2025 - Presentations

Does planting larger garlic cloves actually increase yield? How long should I leave a silage tarp on to thoroughly kill weeds? For 37 years, farmers in Practical Farmers of Iowa's (PFI) Cooperator's Program have been conducting research on their farms to answer questions like these, and you could, too! PFI's Cooperator's Program is a community of curious and creative farmers taking a scientific approach to improving their farms. In this session, you will hear three farmer-Cooperators explain why they do on-farm research and how it has shaped their growing practices. They will walk you through how they ideate, establish and complete an experiment by highlighting one or two of their favorites. These farmer panelists primarily have experience experimenting with vegetable crop and livestock production , but this session may interest any farmers who are curious about conducting research on their farms. This material is based upon work supported by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, under agreement number NR226114XXXXG004.