More and more farmers are diversifying their crop mix and growing vegetables. This allows them to avoid the price volatility of corn and soybeans.

Last week, the Des Moines Register published an article showcasing crop farmers who had decided to diversify.

“During the Agriculture Department’s census released in 2012, the federal government estimated that more than 47,000 Iowa farms had corn and 41,000 had soybeans. Together, the two commodities were grown on 23 million acres. By comparison, 962 farms raised vegetables spread across 7,700 acres, and even fewer produced fruits, according to the most recent data for the specialty crops.” Read more  here: https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/money/agriculture/2016/08/19/iowa-farmers-planting-fruits-vegetables-over-corn-soybeans/88569432/

Iowa imports over 85% of its food: SILT’s mission is to protect land to grow healthy food sustainably by offering opportunities for beginning farmers.