SEGMENT: ORGANIC FARMING, LIVESTOCK, & CONTINUING EDUCATION
Paul Gebhart>LPL Interviews A-M>LPL Interviews A-J, Segment 7
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- ORGANIC FARMING
- It takes three years for cropland to be certified organic. This is called the transition period. Paul transitioned his land in segments. Started growing a tofu-type soy bean. They didn't grow that well in his part of the state, but the market for them was good. Four year rotation
- LIVESTOCK
- The land his farm is on used to be perennial grasses. Used to be grazed by buffalo. He doesn't look at weeds as weeds, but as forage for the livestock. Cattle kept for beef. Considering shifting towards dairy.
- CONTINUING EDUCATION
- Loves learning. Paul goes to conferences to learn from other people in fields he is interested in. He also reads a lot of books, periodicals, and magazines.
- ORGANIC FARMING
- There are a couple hundred organic farms in Illinois, including one of the largest farms in the state with almost 2000 acres. Regular commodity growers are not growing food, whereas organic farmers are selling higher quality foods. People are wanting higher quality foods and wanting to know where their food comes from.
