South Dakota Farmer Switches from Wheat to Grapes

Waldo Armstrong, for 30 years a wheat farmer near Midland, gave up raising federally subsidized wheat to do something different. “It got so complicated filling out all those forms—the small farmer has difficulty making it.”

So Waldo and his wife moved to a farm north of New Underwood. Doing business as Stony Field Vineyard, he produces wine and table grapes and on the side organic tomatoes and cucumbers.

I asked about the details of his organic farming operation. “I use a combination of composted cow manure and certified organic fertilizer—it’s called Coop Poop because it comes from chickens. I found it on the Internet.”

Waldo has mastered the art of turning animal products into food, bypassing the usual chemical inputs, and is now learning how to make a profit marketing his grapes and veggies. He sells at the Black Hills Farmers Market.