Organic All the Way

Whole Farm Co-op producers Betty and Dale Noordmans manage Life Design Organics on their farm just west of Hancock, Minnesota. Along with their four children: Melissa, Amy, Jason and Jennifer, the Noordmans’ are in their 7th year of organic production on their 550 acre farm. Both Dale and Betty grew up on farms and have always been interested in the balance between agriculture, nutrition and human health. It was this mutual concern about human health and excessive chemicals use that turned them to organic production 7 years ago.

Inspired by an organic farming conference they attended in 1998, Betty and Dale decided to directly market their organically grown wheat and have since expanded to ground cornmeal, rye, a 100% whole wheat pancake mix and bread mix for bread machines. Most of the grains are raised, ground and rolled on the farm. Flours for the breadmixes are ground at the Swany Mill in Freeport. The wheat gluten and sea salt for the bread mixes are bought at a local food cooperative.

Farming in Balance

The family’s farming practices are also based on the idea that optimal nutrition comes only when the soil and the plants are grown “in balance”. To maintain this balance, Betty and Dale grow a diversity of crops on their farm including:

* corn,
* wheat,
* oats,
* winter rye,
* barley,
* alfalfa,
* soybeans and
* dry edible beans.

They emphasize the importance of balance in the way they farm, live and the products they produce. Family involvement is an important part of the farm operations. Melissa assembles bread mixes, while Amy rolls the oats and bags them. Jason and Jennifer also help with grinding flour, bagging the products and organizing deliveries.

Dale and Betty regularly soil test to determine their nutrient needs. With the corn and soybeans they use a liquid fertilizer which is a custom blend of fish and chicken manure. Wheat is intercropped with peas to naturally enhance the protein content of the wheat. They also practice extensive crop rotation consisting of a grain, rye-hairy vetch plowdown, corn, soybeans and alfalfa. This rotation helps break disease cycles while controlling weeds and enhancing soil fertility. To minimize soil loss, they disk and chisel plow wherever possible, only plowing the cornstalks to cover the residue. In addition to cover crops, Dale and Betty use buckwheat as a green manure for weed control. They also actively handweed, rotary hoe and use a flame cultivator when necessary.

Diversifying and Thriving

As organic farmers, the Noordmans are positioned in one of the fastest growing sectors of the U.S. food industry. By growing a variety of certified organic grains, as well as organic kidney beans and high oleic sunflowers, they are assured that their farm will continue to thrive.