Market forces push some farms to diversify crop offerings
Author
Published
7/21/2017
More often like a glacier than a tidal wave, the public’s food preferences are, nevertheless, always changing.
Recent trends such as the growth of the organic foods movement or the push toward non-GMO crops have especially had an impact on prices farmers receive for their work.
As Jeff Olson, a farmer from Winfield, Iowa, said, “I’m just trying to get more money for what I’m already doing.”
Olson set aside 20 acres, or about 10 percent of his land, a decade ago to produce organic, non-GMO specialty crops. He grows white corn that can fetch him more than $8 a bushel.
“Most of our income comes from cash grains, but specialty crops definitely help with the bills,” he said.
Olson has felt the pinch as more competition enters the specialty crop market. A couple years ago his white corn crop was netting as much as $12 a bushel. He is now considering expanding from 20 to 80 acres in a bid to produce more to make up for smaller margins.
Read the full article on the Iowa Farmer Today website.
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