By Khyla Flores With ever-growing competition in the marketplace, standing out to consumers with farm-fresh, local produce is becoming increasingly challenging. Offering a “niche” crop that separates you from the competition and stands out visually and in culinary excellence will … Continued
Dig Deeper
Taming the floating row cover
By John and Aimee Good Few tools available to organic vegetable farmers are as useful as the floating row cover, and nothing is a better pest control tool. Row covers form a protective barrier that can prevent virtually all pests … Continued
Cutting-edge compost
By Troy Hinke National Organic Program (NOP) regulations require certified organic compost to be turned five times in 15 days. The assumption is that temperatures will remain above 130-degrees F long enough to kill pathogens and weed seeds and give … Continued
On our farm: A new breed has arrived
By Rachael Bryan Most livestock these days are bred for the certain production attributes—for example higher egg production or more usable meat—but there is a cost when taken to the extreme. The rise of industrial agriculture has signaled the decline … Continued
Cover crops go round three with black plastic
By Lindsey Brielle This is the third year of our three-year Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grant that is exploring alternatives to black plastic. Rodale Institute is collaborating with four other farms for this study: John and Aimee Good … Continued
Challenging yields, challenging weather
By Christine Ziegler-Ulsh The 2011 growing season was not a kind one for many farmers in southeastern Pennsylvania and other parts of the east coast, primarily due to rainfall patterns. Rodale Institute received significantly more rain than normal for the … Continued
Water Purification Eco-Center: Water sampling
Research studies on small constructed wetland systems are few and far between. Our Water Purification Eco-Center (WPEC) here at Rodale Institute affords us the opportunity to increase the amount of research on this kind of revolutionary system. The WPEC is … Continued
Lost and found orcharding
By Renee Ciulla Every region in New Hampshire and throughout the world has their noted heirloom apple varieties. These are the fruits that thrived relatively well in a given location providing consistent yields, tolerance of pests and disease and, most … Continued
Veteran soldiers go organic
DOYLESTOWN, Pa., — (10/1/12) — Beginning in the spring 2013 semester, Delaware Valley College, in collaboration with the Rodale Institute in Kutztown, Pa., will offer a 36-credit certificate program specifically designed for veterans interested in organic farming.
Managing weeds on a Midwest farm
A profile of Ken Rider By Patrick Lillard We’ve all probably played with modeling clay at some point in our lives, making pottery or a sculpture in school. Well, imagine trying to grow a plant in it. That analogy came … Continued