WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. — Diversified food and farming systems offer different options for consumers – and now they can offer options for traditional farmers.

 

This subcategory of agriculture includes a wide range of production systems, such as urban, organic, fruit and vegetables and pasture-raised livestock, and it’s growing at a rapid pace. With prices for corn, soybeans and other commodities staying low, farmers are looking for choices. For some, diversifying to less traditional produce or practices might be the answer. Organic grains and crops, for example, are bringing a premium that is 2-3 times the price for conventional, said Michael O’Donnell, extension educator specializing in organic and diversified agriculture with Purdue University.

 

Organic food and products have been taking off for a decade and show no sign of slowing, he said. This trend presents an opportunity for conventional farmers to diversify.

 

Due to a lack of homegrown certified organic grain, organic chicken and dairy producers in the state are importing their corn and soybeans from other countries like Turkey. “It’s ironic, since we are the in the Corn Belt. But they would love to see domestic production increase. It’s a huge opportunity for growers to get into the market,” O’Donnell explained. 

  

He recommends farmers start with a small section of their farm to try out a new method, or perhaps allow a family member produce a new crop. For older generations who want to bring back a family member, this could be a good option, he said.

 

“Organic is not for everybody. You have to be in the field more. You have to be good at marketing. But some may not realize that you don’t have to transition the whole farm to organic. It’s not all or nothing,” O’Donnell said.

 

For those young farmers with a small plot, a locally grown and raised product could present another opportunity. They can take a small acreage and using the equipment already on the farm, plant purple popcorn, for instance, and sell it locally under their own brand at farmers’ markets and county fairs, said Tamara Benjamin, assistant program manager of diversified farm programs at Purdue.

 

“The farming population is growing older. Some are wanting kids and grandkids to come back to the farm, but the kid with an agronomy degree is the last one to get a loan to purchase or start up a farm,” she noted. “So, the farmer may take 10 or 50 acres for them to do with what they want.”

 

Benjamin said the program of which she’s a part, Diversified Food and Farming Systems, came together in 2016 and includes under its large tent the Small Farm Team, local food, urban ag, beginning farmer, organic and the Purdue student farm programs.

 

“We are a brand new program, and we want to partner with people to help diversify agriculture in the state so there are more options for farmers,” she said. The term “diversified farming” includes any type that is outside the conventionally grown large acreages of corn and beans or confined large animal farms, Benjamin said, because those established parts of agriculture already have supports in place. While most farm acres in Indiana are in large-scale production – greater than 500 acres – the greatest growth in number of farms is in the small-acreage farm, 50-179 acres, she said, using 2012 census data.

 

Meanwhile, the number of mid-sized Hoosier farms is dwindling. Benjamin said small-acreage farmers constitute 75 percent of all Indiana farmers; however, these small businesses are often overlooked. She believes the farm sector, comprising only 3 percent of all Hoosiers, would be stronger if the different groups would work together.

 

Unfortunately, she hears bad things from both traditional and non-traditional farmers about the other, and it “pains” her. “The traditional and industrial farmers are incredibly effective and efficient, and small farmers can learn from them and the largescale farmers can learn better management and new resources from the small farmers,” Benjamin said.

 

“We will speak with a stronger voice if we can all work together to collaborate and coordinate, share in our successes and learn from each other. We are all part of the tent of agriculture.”