Thompson Alternatives
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Alternatives in Agriculture
Thompson On-Farm Research Report

Richard and Sharon Thompson have been very important to the development of sustainable agriculture in Iowa, and they are known nationally and internationally for farming that is profitable, beneficial to the environment, and supportive of the community.  The Thompsons developed on-farm research as a tool for farmers to find their own answers, and they started the network of producer research “cooperators” that has developed into the PFI Farming Systems Program.

Thousands have visited the Thompson farm to see their system and to learn from their on-farm investigations.  Richard and Sharon have also traveled widely to share their insights on farming and life.  They annually publish Alternatives in Agriculture, which provides detailed documentation on their research and other discoveries.  They have generously made that report available here in electronic form.  Below is the table of contents.  (Note: Viewing these chapters requires Adobe Acrobat™ Reader, a free download.)

Table of Contents

Chapter Text Pages Tables  Notes

Totals
Abstract 1
Introduction 1
Summary 4
Inspiration, Documentation, Education 1 19 4 1 24
Inspiration 1 1 to 11
Documentation 1 11 to 14
Education 1 14 to 16
Fertility 2 17 11 0 28
Nitrogen 2 1 to 5
Phosphorus 2 5 to 6
Potassium 2 6 to 9
Manure Management 2 9 to 15
Purchased Fertilizer 2 16
Fertility Summary 2 17
Cover Crops 3 10 1 1 12
Fall cover crop history 3 2 to 7
1991 Experiments 3 8
1992 Experiments 3 8
1993 Experiments 3 9 to 10
Summary 3 10
Alternative Weed Management 4 27 14 1 42
Herbicide Problems 4 1 to 4
Tillage changes weeds 4 4
The Ridge Till Story 4 4 to 27
Fall made ridges 4 8
Fall moldboard plow 4 10
Early Expression 4 11 to 12
Ridge-Till planting 4 12 to 15
Planting rates 4 15
Rotary Hoe 4 15 to 17
Cultivation 4 18 to 19
Post-emerge herbicides 4 19
Other tillage practices 4 21 to 26
Summary 4 27
Crops 5 8 8 0 16
Corn & Soybeans 5 1
Oats & Hay 5 2
Rainfall 5
Ridge vs. Conventional tillage 5 3
Strip cropping 5 4 to 8
Water Quality, Soil Health 6 6 0 0 6
Economics 7 7 31 0 38
Rotations 7 1 to 2
Corn Drying 7 4
Biological Products 7 4
Alternative System Analysis 7 4 to 6
Livestock 8 29 5 0 34
Beef  cattle 8 1 to 15
Hogs 8 16 to 24
Other 8 25 to 29
Farming for Better Communities 9 5 1 0 6
Other pages 10
Total Pages 222
 

Comments, questions: dickandsharon@practicalfarmers.org