Wilfert Farms in Two Rivers, Wis. prides themselves on growing quality, fresh produce for their community. The Wilfert family raises sustainably grown sweet corn and 30 fresh produce crops from “asparagus to zucchini” along with corn and soybeans.
Ryan Wilfert is the sixth generation at Wilfert Farms. He farms alongside his parents with help from his four-year-old son, Vince. The Wilferts have pioneered the farm-to-table concept in their community with an on-farm store and pick-your-own opportunities for visitors.
“Basically, anything you can think of as far as vegetables and fresh fruits, we grow a lot of it,” shared Ryan.
Sustainably grown sweet corn is one of the main crops cultivated at Wilfert Farms. They grow 30 to 40 acres annually. Ryan begins planting sweet corn in May for early season sweet corn and plants the last sweet corn in July so it is available into the fall.
Soil types vary across East Central Wisconsin, from heavy clay to sandy loam. The sandy soil in Manitowoc County where the Wilferts farm tends to be drier and requires more moisture. Irrigation has had a huge impact on water conservation at Wilfert Farms. The center pivot allows Ryan to be more precise and efficient in watering the crops.
The center pivot irrigation system allows for more flexibility to apply nitrogen to the sweet corn plants throughout the growing season.
“The main reason we added the pivots was for adding water but adding more technology makes it easier to do other things more efficiently, too,” shared Ryan.
There are limited options for weed control chemistry in vegetable production. Growing more than 30 fruits and vegetables in addition to field corn and soybeans allows the Wilferts flexibility to rotate crops to control weeds. The team at Wilferts will hand-weed and cultivate in addition to crop rotation to manage weed outbreaks.
“We try to do a good job of not having outbreaks of weeds that become a problem,” said Ryan.
Wilfert Farms has transitioned away from complete tillage in their fields. Now, they leave some organic materials in the field. Many vegetable crops are planted at a shallow depth of half an inch, so they can’t leave too much stubble behind or the plants may not germinate and sprout. Ryan combines several tillage practices to accommodate their crops.
After sweet corn harvest, Ryan will vertical till the field leaving 40-60% of the plant material on top of the soil. In the fall, he will follow that up with a shank type ripper to loosen the soil 8-10 inches deep. Leaving some plant material in the fields helps slow wind and water erosion. He will also plant a wheat or rye cover crop to protect the soil over the winter.
Soil sampling is another conservation practice that helps Ryan manage the crops. Soil sampling helps them gauge what the crop needs so they can deliver the precise amount of nutrients for the plant to be successful.
While Wilfert Farms is not certified organic, they use crop protection tools to protect their crops and ensure quality produce for their customers. Using crop protection responsibly protects the safety of our food and the livelihood of our farmers.
“There are certainly good attributes of organic and conventional agriculture, and we incorporate some of that into everything that we do,” shared Ryan.
For example, Ryan uses fungicide to protect sweet corn from diseases that could affect the health and longevity of the plant. When a fungus damages the leaf of a corn plant, it restricts the plant’s ability to undergo photosynthesis, resulting in a lower-quality ear of corn.
All of the produce at Wilfert Farms is hand-picked, hand-washed and hand-sorted and can be on your table within hours of leaving the field. Visit the Wilfert Farms website to learn when sustainably grown sweet corn is available in their farm store.
Leaders of the Land® is Wisconsin Farm Bureau’s brand for sharing sustainability stories. Monthly profiles highlight farmers across Wisconsin working hard to meet their environmental, social and economic goals.
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