1. Farm Beginnings
April 2, 2016
Growing Produce
on an Acreage
Connie Fisk, Ph.D.
Extension Educator, Nebraska Extension

2. Overview
1. Site Analysis
2. Soil Testing
3. Plant Selection
4. Crop Rotation for Annuals
5. Equipment
6. Irrigation
7. Integrated Pest Management
8. Season Extension
9. Food Safety
10. Resources
Photo credit: Omaha World Herald

3. Why Produce?

4. Site Analysis – Location, Location, Location
• The best site has:
– Full sun (6+ hours of direct sunlight per day)
– Deep soil (8-12” w/o hard layers), not 100% sand or 100%
clay
– Good water and air drainage
– Protection from the wind
• Avoid planting:
– Near trees or large shrubs that will compete for moisture
and nutrients
– Where there are septic systems or underground utilities
– Within 35 ft of walnut trees
• Source of potable water?

5. Soil Testing for pH, Nutrients
• Fruit crops are deep rooted - sample to 24 inches
rather than 8 inches as in the case of vegetables
• Incorporate amendments before planting
Example from Midwest Labs,
https://www.midwestlabs.com/soil-
testing-packages/
(texture analysis also available)

6. Soil pH Affects Nutrients Available to Plants

7. Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms
Mg deficiency; credit W. Gärtel
Fe deficiency; http://goo.gl/rIyial

8. Soil pH, cont.
• Different crops have different
soil pH preferences
• Most soils in NE are alkaline
• You can correct soil pH:
– Raise with lime
– Lower with sulfur

9. Example Soil Test Report With Recommendations
Test results :
Soil Class: MIN = Mineral, M-O = Mineral-Organic, ORG = Organic
HM% = humic matter, a measure of how much decayed organic matter is in the soil
W/V = weight per volume, a measure of how dense the soil is
CEC = cation exchange capacity
BS% = percent of CEC occupied by bases (ions with a negative charge)
Ac = soil acidity (decreases as pH increases)
pH = pH: below 7.0 is acid; exactly 7.0 is neutral; above 7.0 is alkaline.
Recommendations will be based on crop needs for the crop you will
plant (or the perennial crop already being grown)

10. Plant Selection
• Choose plants and cultivars suited to your site and
hardiness zone

12. Plant Selection
• Choose plants and cultivars suited to your site and
hardiness zone
• Don’t just buy what’s on sale at Home Depot or
Tractor Supply

13. Now the fun part!
• Decisions, decisions,
decisions
– What to grow?
– Which cultivars to
use?
– When and where to
plant?

14. Deciding What to Grow
• Grow what buyers have asked for
• Research the local market to decide what to grow
– No point in growing tons of sweet corn if everyone else in
the county is also growing it
– If you can produce a crop 1-2 weeks earlier or later than
everyone else, produce an heirloom variety, or supply a
local restaurant, then you’ve got a good reason to grow the
crop
• Fits the available space
• Adapted to your area and management style
• Fits into your crop rotation
• Look for disease resistance

15. Disease Resistance
• Tomato Spotted Wilt Virus
(Resistant)
• Southern Bacterial Wilt (R)
• Alternaria Stem Canker
(Tolerant/Resistant)
• Bacterial Speck (R/T)
• Fusarium Wilt Race 1,2,3 (R/T)
• Fusarium Crown Rot (R/T)
• Grey Leaf Spot (R)
• Tobacco Mosaic Virus (R)
• Verticillium Wilt (R)
• Early/Late Blight (T/R)
• Tomato Mosaic Virus (R)
• Tomato Leaf Curl Virus (R)
Might also see:
Heat Set Varieties
Nematode Resistance

16. VEGETABLES

17. Vegetable Crop Rotation
• Rotation to a new
vegetable family each
year
• Never plant the same
vegetable or a related
vegetable in the same
place two years in a row
• Balance nutrient
demands
• Reduce pest pressure and
diseases!

18. Vegetable Families
Corn
GRASS

19. Example Vegetable Rotation

20. Example: Jones Produce
Cantaloupe
Broccoli
PotatoesBuckwheat cover crop

21. Example: Jones Produce, cont.
Asparagus

22. Cool vs Warm Season Vegetables
• Adaptation to Growing Season
• Relates to growth response to temperature
Cool Season
• Can withstand cooler
temps and light frost
• Best growth early in
spring or late fall
• Generally eat a
vegetative part
(root, stem, leaves)
Warm Season
• Do not tolerate frosts
• Grow best when
temperatures are
warm
• Most are annuals
• Generally eat a fruit or
seed

23. Vegetables grouped by seasonal
adaptation
Cool Season Warm Season
Lettuces
Swiss Chard
Cucumbers
Sweet corn
Turnips
Radish
Muskmelons
Watermelon
Pea
Cauliflower
Spinach
Tomatoes
Peppers
Lima beans

24. When to plant?
• Based on last average spring frost date (~May 15)
(ex. plant sweet corn 10 days before last frost,
watermelons 10 days after last frost)
• If trying to hit a certain market (ex. Halloween
pumpkins), determine desired harvest date and
count back (most pumpkins require 75-100 frost-free
days)
• Start indoors/purchase plants or direct sow?

25. http://www.almanac.com/gardening/planting-dates/zipcode/68048

26. Vegetable Acreage - Size
• Start out small
• Only plant what you can take care of, what you think
you can sell
• Keep records – at the end of the year decide what
worked, what didn’t, and adjust for next year
• Group perennial crops, like rhubarb and asparagus,
together

27. Vegetable Acreage – Size, cont.
• Some vegetables require a lot of room to grow
– Follow guidance from seed company
– Can find dwarf or bush varieties of tomatoes and beans

29. Succession Planting
• Two or three plantings of leaf lettuce and
radishes may be made one week apart in early
spring
• Plant blocks of sweet corn two weeks apart
• After short season crops, like peas or spinach,
have stopped producing, remove the plant
and plant later crops like carrots, beets, or
green beans for another crop in the same
space

31. FRUITS

32. Grow a variety of fruits, with overlapping harvest
dates, for fresh fruit throughout the year

33. Choosing Fruit and Fruit Varieties
• Choose plants suited to your hardiness zone
• Look for disease-resistant varieties
• Trees and vines have many rootstock options
that affect vigor, disease and insect resistance
• Consider annual training and pruning
commitment
– These are perennial crops; even though you won’t harvest
for a few years, management in early years will affect the
health, productivity, and longevity of the orchard/vineyard

34. Rootstocks
• A chief virtue of dwarfing rootstock is improved
light distribution to the fruit
• Assertive pruning is required to achieve the same
effect in larger trees

35. Annual Pruning is Necessary
• Larger fruit and better fruit quality
• Sunlight in canopy promotes flower
(and later fruit) development
throughout canopy
• Increased tree vigor –
promotes development of
new fruiting wood
• Reduced tendency for
biennial bearing
• Easier to spray and harvest

36. Planning the Orchard
• Can’t rely on chemical cures for bad decisions
• Pollination Preparation
– Pollen is moved from flower to flower by bees, though
wind and other insects may also move pollen
– Only pollinated flowers will product fruit
– Most fruit trees can’t pollinate themselves, so you will
need to plant more than one variety, with bloom dates
that overlap
– Not all cultivars can pollinate other cultivars, so it’s
important to pick two that are compatible
– Find a nursery that is knowledgeable about pollination
compatibility and bloom dates for the region

37. Pollination, cont.
• Consider leaving
enough space to
establish habitat on
orchard edges to
insectary plants – as
many types of
wildflowers as possible
• You might also consider
hosting (or owning) bee
hives

38. Site and Soil for Fruit
• Trees are perennial (permanent), so you get one chance to pick a
good site and do some deep tillage to incorporate any needed
organic matter and soil amendments
• Test the soil and alter the pH as necessary
– Most fruit trees and vines prefer a slightly acidic soil (pH 6.4-7)
• Sandy loam is best, but trees will tolerate a range of soils, as long
as they’re deep, fertile, and well-drained
– Wet soils stunt growth and eventually kill trees
– Shallow soils inhibit root development, limit production, and limit trees’
ability to withstand strong winds
– Heavy and light soils can be improved through cover crops, ongoing
addition of organic matter

39. Topography
• Fruit trees should not be planted where they will
constantly be exposed to high winds, or where frost
will gather on cold nights
– This means avoiding hill tops
and hill bottoms
– A windbreak can shelter a
windy site
– A slope is better than flat
ground because it promotes
cold air drainage

40. Important to Remember About Fruit
• Trees have big root
systems that reach
both deep and wide
– Pull nutrients and
moisture from deep
in soil and spread
out beyond dripline

41. Important to Remember About Fruit, cont.
• Mycorrhizal fungi extend the foraging capacity of
tree roots
• Organic matter and soil cover are your best
protection against stresses of a dry season (keep
moisture in the soil)
– The buds for next year’s fruit production develop this year,
so this summer’s dry weather has the potential to
decrease next year’s harvest

42. Source: https://ag.arizona.edu/pubs/garden/mg/fruit/intro.html

43. Importance of
Orchard
Sanitation for
Disease Control –
Remove diseased
fruit and leaves at
end of season to
reduce inoculum
for next year

44. Equipment
• Different crops have different
equipment requirements
– Land prep
– Planting
– Spraying
– Harvest
• Significant investment
• Consider sharing
• Consider hiring a neighbor who
owns the equipment to drive trellis
posts, lay plastic, etc.
https://store.extension.iastate.
edu/Product/Machinery-
Sharing-Manual-for-Fruit-and-
Vegetable-Producers

45. Produce Water Needs
• Average 1-2 inches/week depending on time of year
and plant growth stage
• Apply 1 inch of irrigation every 3-4 days if no rain is
received
• Shallow rooted crops: less water, more often
• Radish
• Spinach
• Deep rooted crops: more water, less often
• Fruit trees
• Pumpkins, melons

46. Water Source

47. Irrigation & Drainage

48. Overhead Sprinklers

49. Drip Irrigation

50. Drip Irrigation

51. Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
• A process to solve pest problems while minimizing risks to
people and the environment
• An approach to pest control that focuses on pest prevention by
eliminating the root causes of pest problems
• IPM follows a stepwise approach:
– Identification: The first step in solving any pest problem effectively and
safely is the correct identification of the pest. Positive identification will
lead to more effective control.
– Prevention and Exclusion: Prevention of the conditions that pests need
is critical to successful control.
– Monitoring: New infestations can be controlled best if spotted early.
With IPM, pest populations are regularly monitored using traps. Pest
sightings are recorded to document where and when the problems
occur. Establish guidelines for when management action is needed.
– Multiple tactics: IPM typically uses several non-chemical tactics to deal
with the pest. Pesticides are used only as a last resort and only by a
licensed and experienced professional.

52. Season Extension
Benefits of high tunnel
production:
• Season extension
• Protect crop during poor
weather
• Control moisture to the roots
and foliage
• Less disease
• Better quality and greater
berry size
• Increase direct-marketing
potential and ability to
capture premium prices

53. Season Extension, cont.
Benefits of black plastic:
• Weed suppression
• Soil warming
• Plants can be set out
earlier than on bare soil,
and may result in earlier
maturity

54. Season Extension, cont.
Benefits of row covers:
• Frost protection of warm-
season crops in spring and fall
(year-round production?)
• Deter insects, birds, and small
mammals
• Early and increased yields

55. Food Safety – GAPs & GHPs
• Good Agricultural Practices, Good Handling Practices
– Third-party audits performed on production/distribution
of raw, unprocessed fruits and vegetables
– Audits required by some produce buyers (WalMart,
Safeway, Sysco, Subway, many others)
– Enhances marketability

56. The Guide to Minimize Microbial Food Safety Hazards
http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/GuidanceDocumentsRegulatory
Information/ProducePlantProducts/ucm187676.htm
• Basic Principles include:
– Prevention of microbial contamination of fresh produce is
favored over reliance on corrective actions once contamination
has occurred
– Accountability at all levels of the agricultural and packing
environments is important to a successful food safety program
• Water
• Manure and Municipal Biosolids
• Worker Health and Hygiene
• Field Sanitation
• Packing Facility
• Transportation
• Traceback

57. Irrigation Water & Food Safety
Example of NC project on
(lettuce/tomatoes/cabbage):
Drip vs. overhead irrigation
Chlorine vs. no chlorine

58. Manure & Food Safety
• Un-composted manure is allowed if it is applied 120
days prior to harvest of crops where the edible
portion has direct contact with the soil, or at least 90
days prior for crops where the edible portion does
not have direct contact with the soil or soil particles
• Manure tea and liquid manure have the same
restrictions
• Composting eliminates these “waiting” periods, but
involves time and temperature monitoring for
pathogen reduction
Source: Integrating Livestock with Crop Production Yields Benefits for Both By Rick Kersbergen,
https://mosesorganic.org/farming/farming-topics/livestock/integrating-livestock-with-crop-production/

59. Food Safety – FSMA
• Food Safety Modernization Act
– Aims to ensure the U.S. food supply is safe by shifting the focus from
responding to contamination to preventing it
• Key Components:
– Preventative Controls – food facilities are required to evaluate the
hazards in their operations, implement and monitor effective
measures to prevent contamination, and have a plan in place to take
any corrective actions when necessary.
– Inspection and Compliance – The industry will be held accountable for
their responsibility to produce safe products through FDA inspection.
– Imported Food Safety – The FDA will work with food importers to
ensure that foods coming into the U.S. are safe and requires
certification, based on risk criteria, that the imports are in compliance
with food safety regulations. The FDA has the authority to refuse
admission of imported food if the foreign facility or country refuses to
allow an FDA inspection.
https://conniefiskfoodadventures.wordpress.com/2016/01/20/new-food-safety-rules-and-
how-they-may-impact-your-pantry/

60. FSMA Standards for Produce Safety
Final Rule
• “Establishes, for the first time, science-based
minimum standards for the safe growing, harvesting,
packing, and holding of fruits and vegetables grown
for human consumption”
• Contains six key components:
– Agricultural Water
– Biological Soil Amendments
– Sprouts
– Domesticated and Wild Animals
– Worker Training and Health and Hygiene
– Equipment, Tools and Buildings
http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/ucm334114.htm

61. FSMA Exemptions
• Produce that is not a raw agricultural commodity. (A raw
agricultural commodity is any food in its raw or natural state)
• The following produce commodities that FDA has identified as
rarely consumed raw: asparagus; black beans, great Northern
beans, kidney beans, lima beans, navy beans, and pinto beans;
garden beets (roots and tops) and sugar beets; cashews; sour
cherries; chickpeas; cocoa beans; coffee beans; collards; sweet
corn; cranberries; dates; dill (seeds and weed); eggplants; figs;
horseradish; hazelnuts; lentils; okra; peanuts; pecans; peppermint;
potatoes; pumpkins; winter squash; sweet potatoes; and water
chestnuts
• Food grains, including barley, dent- or flint-corn, sorghum, oats,
rice, rye, wheat, amaranth, quinoa, buckwheat, and oilseeds (e.g.
cotton seed, flax seed, rapeseed, soybean, and sunflower seed)
• Produce that is used for personal or on-farm consumption
• Farms that have an average annual value of produce sold during the
previous three-year period of $25,000 or less

62. http://www.fda.gov/downloads/Food/GuidanceRegulation/FSMA/UCM472499.pdf

63. Final Thoughts
• “Growing produce is not the biggest hurdle facing
most fresh market vegetable growers; earning a
reasonable living poses the greatest challenge.”
– John Hendrickson, CIAS Outreach Specialist, University of
Wisconsin – Madison
• Make time to manage the business. Good farm
managers are behind every successful farm. Be as
efficient as possible in every aspect of your farm. For
example, plan your marketing efforts before planting
a single seed.
– Richard Wiswall, Cate Farm

64. Production Resources
• Specialty Farming in Idaho: Selecting a Site
http://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edComm/pdf/EXT/EXT0744.p
df
• Working the Land With 10 Acres: Small Acreage Farming in
the United States
http://www.ers.usda.gov/media/1391688/eib123.pdf
• What Can I Do with My Small Farm?
https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catalog.e
xtension.oregonstate.edu/files/project/pdf/ec1529.pdf
• ATTRA – Horticultural Crops
https://attra.ncat.org/horticultural.html

65. More Production Resources
• Farming a Few Acres of Vegetables
https://www.bookstore.ksre.ksu.edu/pubs/MF1115.
pdf
• Grower to Grower: Creating a livelihood on a fresh
market vegetable farm
http://www.cias.wisc.edu/wp-
content/uploads/2008/07/grwr2grwr.pdf
• Yield Expectations for Mixed Stand, Small-Scale
Agriculture
https://njaes.rutgers.edu/pubs/urbanfringe/pdfs/urb
anfringe-v07n01.pdf

66. Penn State Extension Ag Alternatives
http://extension.psu.edu/business/ag-
alternatives/horticulture
• Horticultural Production
Options
– Drip irrigation
– Organic
• Fruits
– Apples, peaches
– Raspberries, strawberries
– Winegrapes
• Melons and Pumpkins
– Cantaloupe, watermelon
– Pumpkins
• Vegetables
– Asparagus
– Broccoli
– Cucumber
– Garlic, onion
– Green beans
– Pepper, tomato
– Potato
– Sweet corn
• Specialty Crops
– Cut flowers
Penn State Start Farming – Vegetables
http://extension.psu.edu/business/start-farming/vegetables

67. Resources from Nebraska Extension
• NebGuide: Selected Vegetable Cultivars for Nebraska
http://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/pdf/g1896.pdf
• NebGuide: Fruit Tree Cultivars For Nebraska
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2
039&context=extensionhist
• NebGuide: Growing Raspberries
http://digitalcommons.unl.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2
479&context=extensionhist
• NebGuide: Water Wise Vegetable and Fruit Production
http://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/pdf/g2189.pdf
• NebGuide: Good Agricultural Practices for Food Safety of
Fresh Produce
http://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/pdf/g2020.pdf

68. More Resources from Nebraska Extension
• NebGuide: Guidelines for Soil Sampling
http://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/pdf/g1740.pdf
• NebGuide: Cold Frames, High Tunnels, and Greenhouses:
Choose a Growing Structure Best for You
http://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/pdf/g2246.pdf
• NebGuide: Windbreaks for Fruit & Vegetable Crops
http://extensionpublications.unl.edu/assets/pdf/ec1779.pdf
• Acreage Insights Monthly eNewsletter
http://acreage.unl.edu/, subscribe at
http://acreage.unl.edu/enewssubscription2
• Nebraska Extension in Lancaster County - Vegetables, Garden
Fruits & Herbs
http://lancaster.unl.edu/hort/veggie.shtml
• Organic Farming in Nebraska
http://cropwatch.unl.edu/organic

69. http://food.unl.edu/local-food-production

70. http://food.unl.edu/local-food-production

71. Marketing Resources
• Marketing Alternatives for Fresh Produce
https://catalog.extension.oregonstate.edu/sites/catal
og.extension.oregonstate.edu/files/project/pdf/pnw
241.pdf
• Community Supported Agriculture (CSA): A
marketing strategy for small acreage producers in
Idaho
https://www.cals.uidaho.edu/edcomm/pdf/CIS/CIS1
173.pdf

72. Questions?
Connie Fisk, PhD
Nebraska Extension
connie.fisk@unl.edu
Follow me on Twitter and Pinterest @connie_fisk