By Susie Sutphin Dragonflies swarmed above a rice field under a hazy morning sun. With an orchestral maneuver, they darted into the sky then nose dived back to the water, occasionally swooping to the left or right as if trying … Continued
Dig Deeper
Weed management
Rice: An American Tale
What’s new with our weeds
By Mary Edmonds, Rodale Institute Seasonal Research Technician Rodale Institute is currently in the second year of a series of field trials investigating organic weed management using cover crops. The goal is to examine the efficacy of different pieces of … Continued
Black plastic alternatives: Fertility, variety, seasonality
By Eric Winter, Rodale Institute Seasonal Research Technician This is year two of the three-year Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education (SARE) grant that is investigating alternatives to black plastic. Since the end of year one (see the article Black Plastic … Continued
Growing vegetables with cover crop mulch
By Alison Grantham At Meadow View Farm, in Kutztown, PA James Weaver and son Harold Weaver dread cleaning up the more than 20 linear miles of black plastic they use every year. When they do finish cleaning up all of … Continued
Technical Bulletin: No-till management for sustainable and organic systems
No-till practices were first introduced as a soil conservation tool, and to decrease labor requirements and fuel use. Numerous studies have also shown that soil is more protected from erosion and run-off in no-till systems and that no-till yields … Continued
Applied no-till for carbon-positive farming
By Christine Ziegler-Ulsh and Rita Seidel In the fall of 2008 the Rodale Institute partnered with Iowa State University, Michigan State University, North Dakota State University, University of Wisconsin, University of Minnesota and select farmers on a project to develop … Continued
Black plastic alternatives: Year 1
By Sandra Wayman The challenge Is it possible to grow vegetables organically without black plastic, while controlling weeds and producing a decent yield? Can this system also benefit the soil and reduced costs? These were the questions that the Rodale Institute … Continued
Managing weeds, ditching the chemicals
By Jen Tillman, seasonal research technician Aesthetic appeal is not the only reason farmers fight weeds. A weed-free field can lead to higher yields and a cleaner product. Without pesky weeds, crops can take advantage of additional space, light, water, and … 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
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