1. HOW TO RESEARCH YOUR CROPS
Let’s look up some crops…

2. What do farmers grow? Let’s get an overview…
Big cash crops:
Pick a crop as an example: Skim OVERVIEW and BACKGROUND
Smaller, alternative crops
Check Iowa options

3. Let’s pick one and compare to our farm conditions
WHY?
Soil and climate conditions vary, even within states
Why SOYBEANS as an example?
It’s huge – your farm can take on other crops

4. Basics of SOYBEANs
Task 2 assignment: We need to learn if soybeans are a good match for our farm’s…
Climate
Soil
Ecological interests
Economic interests
Social interests
Let’s return to

5. What do the Overview & Background sections tell us?
Select “soybeans and oil crops”
Skim with your partner (10 min)
Be prepared to share out
Climate
Soil
Ecological pros/cons
Economic pros/cons
Social pros/cons

6. We still need climate and soil information…
Let’s use a reference site to get this data. It’s an Illinois site, but has climate/soil information for many crops.
Find SOYBEAN with your partner and compare to our farm… can we grow it?
Use your Task 2 assignment

7. Can we grow soybeans? Local Climate Wind Direction Soil Type
Soil Depth
Soil pH
Soil Fertility
Acreage/Land Area
Topography
What do we still need to know?