Production of Crop Rotation on Organic Farms: A Planning Manual was made possible with funding from Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE).
This project was collaboration between researchers, extension educators, and growers. The authors especially thank the twelve farmers who participated in the DACUM process, and whose efforts created the foundation for this project: Polly Amour, Four Winds Farm, Gardiner, NY; Paul Arnold, Pleasant Valley Farm, Argyle, NY; David Blyn, Riverbank Farm, Roxbury, CT; Roy Brubaker, Village Acres Farm, Mifflintown, PA; Jean-Paul Courtens, Roxbury Farm, Kinderhook, NY; Jim Gerritsen, Wood Prairie Farm, Bridgewater, ME; Brett Grohsgal, Even Star Organic Farm, Lexington Park, MD; Jack Gurley, Calvert’s Gift Farm, Sparks, MD; Don Kretschmann, Kretschmann Farm, Rochester, PA; Drew Norman, One Straw Farm, White Hall, MD; Eero Ruuttila, Nesenkeag Farm, Litchfield, NH; and Will Stevens, Golden Russet Farm, Shoreham, VT. Tina Overtoom, The Center on Education and Training for Employment, The Ohio State University, was the DACUM facilitator, and Eric Toensmeier, then with the New England Small Farm Institute, assisted her. Many additional growers reviewed and verified the DACUM chart: Frank Albani, Jay Armour, Mike and Terra Brownback, Judy Dornstreitch, Pam Flory, Darrell Frey, Les and Debbie Guile, Rick Hood, Jason Kafka, Dwain Livengood, Bryan O’Hara, Robin Ostfeld, L. Smith, Ed Stockman, Paul Volcklawen, and several anonymous reviewers.
The authors also thank the following reviewers for the many improvements they suggested: Brian Caldwell, farm education coordinator, NOFA-NY; Kathryne L. Everts, associate professor, Plant Pathology, University of Maryland and University of Delaware; Caragh B. Fitzgerald, extension educator, Maryland Cooperative Extension; Eric Gallandt, assistant professor, Weed Ecology and Management, University of Maine; Vern Grubinger, vegetable and berry specialist, University of Vermont Extension and regional coordinator, Northeast SARE; Jerzy Nowak, professor, Horticulture Department, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University; Ginny Rozenkranz, extension educator, Maryland Cooperative Extension; Elsa Sanchez, assistant professor, Horticulture Systems Management, The Pennsylvania State University; Abby Seaman, senior extension associate, Cornell Cooperative Extension; Eric Sideman, organic crop specialist, Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association; Eric Toensmeier; and growers Polly Amour; Kurt Forman, Clearview Farm, Palmyra, NY; Brett Grohsgal; Jack Gurley; Brett Kreher, Kreher’s Poultry Farms, Clarence, NY; Don Kreher, Kreher’s Poultry Farms, Clarence, NY; Will Stevens; and Jon Thorne, Anchor Run Farm, Wrightstown, PA.
Additionally, the authors are grateful to Steve Gilman, Ruckytucks Farm, Saratoga, NY; Dave Colson, New Leaf Farm, Durham, ME; and Andy Caruso, Upper Forty Farm, Cromwell, CT for patiently working through early versions of the planning procedure. Steve Vanek, PhD candidate, Cornell University; Brian Caldwell; and Steve Gilman assembled the information for several of the crop rotation examples in Chapter 4. Klaas and Mary Howell Martens, Lakeview Organic Grains, Penn Yan, NY; John Myer, Myer Farm, Ovid, NY; Edwin Fry, Fair Hills Farm, Chestertown, MD; and Eric and Anne Nordell, Beech Grove Farm, Trout Run, PA assisted in the study of their farms. Cornell University students Jennifer Rodriguez, Hui Ouyong, Erin Finan, Danya Glabau, and Samuel Greenwood helped assemble information for the tables. Anusuya Rangarajan, senior extension associate, Cornell University, provided gentle and joyful guidance of the NEON project.
The book was edited by Jill Mason, MasonEdit.com and designed by Yen Chiang, NRAES. Marty Sailus managed book production from manuscript peer review through printing. Holly Hyde provided production support. Additional production support was provided by Violet Stone, Cornell University Department of Horticulture.
Support for this project was provided through a grant from the USDA Initiative for Future Agriculture and Food Systems; and Hatch funds (Regional Project NE-1000, NY(C)–183458) from the Cornell Agricultural Experiment Station.