BY LAUREN ROTHMAN The term “organic agriculture” tends to evoke the image of a verdant, small-scale farm, its friendly, overalls-clad caretaker kneeling among his rows of leafy chard to individually pluck them of pests. A delicate and labor-intensive operation that might produce a handful of lovely CSA baskets, but probably won’t go far towards feeding large …Read More
by Spencer Miller, Natural Resources Conservation Service, Oregon organic farmer David Brown didn’t start off growing 400-pound pumpkins, but every fall they hold a prominent place on Brown’s Mustard Seed Farms. Starting out as a 26-acre farm in Marion County, Oregon, Brown has grown his diverse, organic operation to 80-acres while also achieving large gains …Read More
via Public News Service – OH, COLUMBUS, Ohio – Certified organic farming is a growing business in Ohio, but some farmers warn that the threat of contamination from hydraulic fracturing could dampen its future. Some of the chemicals used in fracking have been identified as naturally-occurring toxic substances, metals, and radioactive materials. In eastern Ohio, …Read More
by Jon Qeually, Just over a week ago, the executive director of the Rodale Institute, Mark Coach Smallwood, set out from the groups research farm in eastern Pennsylvania on a 160-mile journey to Washington, DC with a walking stick, a brimmed hat, and a simple but profound message: We can not only stop climate change. …Read More
JEFF FLOYD, A soil test performed by a laboratory will give you solid information about the soil in which you’ll be growing vegetables. A lab test can provide facts about texture, pH, nutrients and salinity. There is little you can do to easily change the texture. Most West Texas soils are somewhat sandy but heavily …Read More
by Angela O’Callaghan/Desert Gardening, The beginning of fall is the time for garden cleanup. Tomato plants might have a few fruits that could be coddled until temperatures drop into the fifties, but other than that, its time to spruce up the garden and prepare for the next growing season, which can begin as early as mid-October. …Read More
BY DINFIN MULUPI, Organic farming in Africa is gaining popularity as farmers seek to exploit growing demand among the continent’s emerging middle class, as well as export to European markets with appetites for healthier foods. Myles Lutheran, a director at Eco Fuels Kenya Producers of organic fertilisers are taking note of the “big market opportunity”. …Read More
By Jeff Quackenbush, Despite significant rains in March and February, North Coast winegrape growers are honing their skills in using less water as the threat of spring frost, summer heat and long-term drought loom in their minds. “I don’t think anyone had any illusions that we would get so much it filled our shortage problems,” …Read More
by Terry E. Poole, Principal Agent Emeritus I regularly have people contact me about how to begin an organic farming enterprise. Most people are shocked when they learn that one or two years of green manure crops are not enough to build their soil’s organic matter to what is needed, and that this process will …Read More
By Andrea Germanos Part of organic agriculture’s climate resilience is in the soil, which contrasts with the industrial system’s by being a carbon sink and also helps mitigate periods of deluge and drought, which are set to increase with ongoing climate change. From the Center for Food Safety‘s Cool Foods Campaign, Food & Climate: Connecting the Dots, Choosing the …Read More