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Organic grower goes back to grain

An Illinois farmer says he’s reverting his organic vegetable farm back to grain to simplify the operation.

Hans Bishop operates PrairiErth Farm in Alanta.

“It just seemed like if I wanted to keep farming, I needed to do something that was a little easier on my body,” he explains.

Bishop tells Brownfield his father transitioned the farm’s 400 acres to organic in 2004.  Over the past decade, 30 acres and four hoop houses were added to diversify from row crops into vegetables for farmers’ markets, wholesale, and other outlets.

“We built it, and we’ve slowly deconstructed it because we’re transitioning the farm from vegetables to all organic grains,” he shares.

Bishop says the move will allow a smaller staff to focus on organic corn, soybeans, and wheat while maintaining 10 acres of vegetables.

Brownfield interviewed Bishop during the recent Midwest Mechanical Weed Control Field Day.