He developed this system in an attempt to find a way to make his small farm profitable. Though he is not opposed to the use of chemicals in agriculture, he nevertheless practiced chemical-free farming for 10 years before becoming certified in organic production.

Barley For The Birds

His barley crop is sold as a nutritional component in feed for exotic pet birds. Planted in late March to early April, it is harvested by late June. While it yields less than oats, it sells for nearly three times the price of oats. After the barley is harvested, he seeds into the stubble four pounds-per-acre of purple-top turnips for forage and leases this ground to a neighbor for fall grazing.

He first planted regular yellow corn, but went to popcorn because it requires less nitrogen. Planted at a population of 24,000 to 26,000 seeds to the acre, it usually yields between 50 and 60 bushels per acre. As organic popcorn the crop is worth about $8 a bushel more than yellow corn.

His soybeans are the large, clear, hilum type which he attempts to grow as a food grade crop that can be sold to Japan for tofu. But if pod infections or other insect and disease problems discolor the crop, he loses the premium prices and sells the beans as organic livestock feed.

Learning From Mistakes

While looking for ways to make his small farm profitable, Larson has tried and given up on several crops including commercial onions and lupines. “I have a long list of failures,” he said, explaining that, “If you can stand the tuition, you learn more from mistakes than successes.”

On grassland paddocks he planted 420 ornamental and nut trees along with shrubs in four-to five-foot strips for a total of 15 acres. He fenced the plantings just narrow enough so grazing cattle would eat grass under electrified wires to help “mow” around the trees without being able to nibble on them.

Niche Markets

He mulched these plantings with wood chips to conserve moisture and keep grass from encroaching around the roots. As part of the agri-forestry demonstration project he also planted black currants and sand cherries, valuable fruits for Nebraska’s burgeoning wine industry. Willows and dogwoods valued by florists for dried arrangements were planted along with hazelnuts.

Larson sees sustainable agriculture as one of farming’s “bright spots.” He believes small farmers are innovative and flexible enough that the number of those types of farms will continue to grow. And while he also sees large farms increasing in number, he worries about medium-sized farmers because they seem to be at a financial disadvantage.

In the end, Larson said, it comes down to making a living. Farmers normally “live off the crumbs left over” after making a sizeable investment in seed, fertilizer, herbicide and fuel, he explained. But on his own farm, he has attempted to reverse that scenario by first figuring out how much he and his wife need for family living, then working back from there to plan an approach for obtaining a higher quality of life.

He is frequently called on by sustainable farming organizations as well as the U.S. Department of Agriculture to speak at conventions and small gatherings. And it is not uncommon for him to travel to Brussels or London where he meets with other farmers from across the globe as a representative of small family farmers.

With his commitment to sustainable agriculture, Larson is attempting to work with the land. In his estimation, the greatest monument to his stewardship would be if hundreds of years from now no one could tell that he had ever been there.