Organic

Sunn Hemp Effective for Weed Control in Fall Crops

November 15, 2021 | Posted in Termination

Source: SARE

Farmers with a certified organic diversified vegetable farm in South Carolina are seeing some success with using sunn hemp as a crimped cover crop to suppress weeds in fall brassica crops. Wild Hope Farm, located in Chester, S.C., received a Southern Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SSARE) Producer Grant to explore summer cover crop mixes for organic no-till broccoli. Read more in this article from SARE.

‘Zone Approach’ with Cover Crops Boosts Sustainability at Vegetable Farm

On his Minnesota vegetable farm, Ryan Pesch uses cover crops to lighten and enrich heavy soil and improve production prospects.

By Julienne Isaacs posted on July 25, 2021 | Posted in Soil Health

Building soil nutrients is one of the major benefits of using cover crops, and it’s the benefit of choice for Ryan Pesch and his family. Pesch has used cover crops on his farm since he and his family started Lida Farm in 2004.

[Video] 60 Years of Cover Crop Use

June 3, 2021 | Posted in Seeding Practices

In this video from the Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education program, Larry Thompson, a grower from Damascus, Ore., farms 120 acres of 30-40 organic crops. The operation has been using covers since the 1960s to improve soil tilth.

PepsiCo Latest Company to Join Cover Crop Movement

By Sarah Hill posted on June 3, 2021

I was reading an article just the other day about how Millennials are supporting sustainable industries. Every week, there is news about another company going “green” — from carbon neutrality to ensuring their products are made with organic or sustainably sourced ingredients.

National No-Tillage Conference Summer Intensive

Investing in an Organic No-Till Evolution to Increase Profitability

Indiana no-tiller Rick Clark shares how a commitment to “getting uncomfortable” and a transition to organic practices at the National No-Tillage Conference Summer Intensive, June 23-24.

May 11, 2021

No-tilling and organic practices were once thought to be incompatible. But improvements in technology and the re-emergence of cover crops means some growers, like Rick Clark, are taking advantage of price premiums available on the rapidly growing organic market.

Washington Sheep Farm Builds Soil Health

November 18, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Union-Bulletin (Walla Walla, WA)

Dozens of sheep graze a field of Sudan grass on Walla Walla Organics farm as part of a farming system that restores the soil. These practices, known as regenerative agriculture approaches, became a more recent goal for farmer and owner Dan McClure. Read more in this article from the Union-Bulletin (Walla Walla, WA).

Healthy Land, Happy Frogs

November 11, 2020 | Posted in Soil Health

Source: Aberdeen News

Meet John Bitter and Amy Van Scoik, first-generation farmers in Hawthorne, Fla., who practice organic, small-scale, sustainable growing practices and sell directly to their customers. The couple founded Frog Song Organics on six acres in 2011. Read more in this article from the Aberdeen News (Aberdeen, SD).

[Video] Arkansas Grower Shares His Cover Crop Story

October 1, 2020 | Posted in Economics

In this video from University of Arkansas Extension, grower Adam Chappell, Cotton Plant, AR, who has been using cover crops for 11 years, talks about using covers to control Palmer amaranth, why he covers every acre of his farm with cover crops, his experiences using cereal rye, and more.

USDA Accepting Applications to Help Cover Organic Certification Costs

August 10, 2020 | Posted in Economics

USDA’s Farm Service Agency (FSA) announced that organic producers and handlers can apply for federal funds to assist with the cost of receiving and maintaining organic certification through the Organic Certification Cost Share Program (OCCSP). Applications for eligible certification expenses paid between Oct. 1, 2019, and Sept. 30, 2020, are due Oct. 31, 2020.

Combining Cover Crops, No-Till Organic

July 2, 2020 | Posted in Seeding Practices, Soil Health

Interest in organic farming has grown in the past several years, and Pennsylvania cover crop expert Steve Groff discusses how strategic planning can make a big difference in outcomes. Groff talks about why weed control is the biggest challenge when it comes to no-tilling organic with cover crops.