Introducing the 15th edition of the Greenbook, highlighting the project results of creative and innovative farmers and researchers involved with the Sustainable Agriculture On-farm Demonstration Grant Program.

Greenbook 2004 contains articles that highlight the results of the grantees' projects and provides practical and technical information. Each article includes personal observations and management tips from the participants. Additionally, these grantees are willing to share their knowledge and experiences with you. They are all dedicated to making Minnesota agriculture profitable and environmentally friendly. Feel free to give them a call about their projects.

Download/view the Greenbook 2004: Sustainable Energy from Agriculture (PDF: 3.79 MB / 138 pages)

Table of Contents

Essays

• Bioenergy: An Overview
• Empowering the Countryside with Renewable Energy
• Homegrown Energy, a Tour of Wildrose Farm

Alternative Markets and Specialty Crops

• Pride of the Prairie: Charting the Course from Sustainable Farms to Local Dinner Plates
• Creating Public Recognition of and Demand for “Grass-fed” Dairy Products Through the Development of Brand Standards and Promotion of These Standards to the Public
• Collaborative Character Wood Production and Marketing Project
• Creating Consumer Demand for Sustainable Squash with Labels and Education
• Integrated Demonstration of Native Forb Seed Production Systems and Prairie Land Restoration

Fruits and Vegetables

• Root Cellaring and Computer-controlled Ventilation for Efficient Storage of Organic Vegetables in a Northern Market
• Organic Strawberry Production in Minnesota

Cropping Systems and Soil Fertility

• Development of Eastern Gamagrass Production
• Yield and Feeding Value of Annual Crops Planted for Emergency Forage
• Treating Field Runoff through Storage and Gravity-fed Drip Irrigation System for Grape and Hardwood Production
• In-field Winter Drying and Storage of Corn: An Economic Analysis of Costs and Returns
• Chickling Vetch — A New Green Manure Crop and Organic Control of Canada Thistle in Northwest Minnesota
• Potassium Rate Trial on an Established Grass/Legume Pasture: Determining Economic Rates for Grazing/Haying Systems
• Use of Rye as a Cover Crop Prior to Soybean
• Mechanical Tillage to Promote Aeration, Improve Water Infiltration, and Rejuvenate Pasture and Hay Land
• Northwest Minnesota Compost Demonstration
• Woolly Cupgrass Research
• Native Perennial Grass — Illinois Bundleflower Mixtures for Forage and Biofuel

Livestock

• Comparing Performance of Hoop Buildings to an Older Conventional Building for Finishing Hogs
• Raising Cattle and Timber for Profit: Making Informed Decisions about Woodland Grazing
• Performance Comparison of Hoop Barns vs. Slatted Barns
• Low Cost Fall Grazing and Wintering Systems for Cattle
• Using a 24' x 48' Deep Bedded Hoop Barn for Nursery Age Pigs
• High Value Pork Production for Niman Ranch Using a Modified Swedish System