Dig Deeper

For the bees

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We’ve been hard at work “prettying up” our Honeybee Conservancy here at Rodale Institute and making a comfortable home with a well-stocked pantry for the ladies. The 2013 Conservancy has a new physical arrangement and a whole new set of beds that include nectar plants that bloom throughout the season and incorporate biodynamic principles. As you’ll see from the schematic below, there is a research component as well. We’ll be looking at the impacts of compost, compost extracts and biodynamic preparations on the health and vitality of the plants. Stay tuned for updates on what we find out! (more…)

Time to change the food safety debate

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By Roland McReynolds, Carolina Farm Stewardship Association Executive Director

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) published proposed rules to govern the production of raw produce and the processing of most value-added foods on January 4, 2013. FDA issued these rules under authority of the Food Safety Modernization Act, or FSMA in government-speak. This act was billed at the time as the biggest update of our food safety laws since Upton Sinclair’s novel The Jungle exposed the horrors of the turn-of-the-Twentieth-Century meatpacking industry. FSMA explicitly gives FDA wide new authority to set rules for how farmers work many crops, and how food businesses run their operations day-to-day. With its proposed rules, FDA revealed what it intends to do with that newfound authority. Anyone who believes in the power of strong local food systems to improve our environment, communities and health should be extremely concerned. (more…)

Farm-to-glass

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By Renee Ciulla

Across the nation, locavores can now celebrate what is inside their glasses in addition to what is on their plates. The ever-rising local food movement has expanded its reach into the spirits community. Whether in the form of local grain, fruit and herbs, on-site potato farms or creatively using “dropped” local apples, distilleries are realizing that consumer demand for supporting a vibrant local economy goes beyond the bustling farmers markets to their pre- and post-dinner drinks.

 

 

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A dome grows in our garden

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Growing Spaces has been an integral partner in preparing Shumei Natural Agriculture garden in preparation for expanding from homestead scale to production ag scale. The first 22-foot Growing Dome® greenhouse has been so successful in our Natural Agriculture garden, we agreed a larger dome was a necessity for the farm-scale project. We’re pleased to welcome Growing Spaces CEO and Co-owner Puja Dhyan Parsons and staff member Richard Miller as they explain the newest installation at Rodale Institute. (more…)

Ask the farmer: Breaking free from “Pro-GMO” myths

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Rodale Institute Farm Director Jeff Moyer talks about what is happening in our fields and yours.

Joe asks:

I’ve been trying to convince a friend of mine that many “Pro-GMO” arguments are myths. I sent him to your Farming Systems Trial study to address some of the most common ones. (more…)

Training in organic farming for vets and non-vets alike

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By Pamela Macey

Delaware Valley College (Del Val) and Rodale Institute have created a 36-credit certificate program aimed specifically at military veterans, but open to anyone interested in organic agriculture. The one-year curriculum will combine classroom courses on animal science, marketing, vegetable production, organic crop science, entomology, weed management and sustainable agriculture during the spring and fall semesters on the Del Val campus.

Students will also have the opportunity to get hands-on experience during the summer semester at Rodale Institute’s 333-acre organic farm in post-harvest techniques, plant disease diagnosis and how to promote soil health. (more…)

Life in the Soil: Paper and cardboard in compost?

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Rodale Institute Chief Scientist Dr. Elaine Ingham answers your questions and talks about what is going on under our feet nationwide.

Charlie W. asks:

My friend did some research on paper and cardboard, and found that these products often contain dioxins, GMO soy ink and other toxic elements. I am wondering if the composting process takes care of all these toxic elements or if you now recommend only using leaves, organic manure and saw dust for making compost. (more…)

Harvesting cash (and biodiversity) from marginal land

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By Amanda Kimble-Evans

What to do with marginal land on a farm is a question organic and sustainable growers are almost forced to address when creating their farm plans. Letting marginal land revert to native and wild areas can increase biodiversity by leaps and bounds, but this also means zero income from those areas—a hard decision to make for transitioning farmers especially. And agroforestry, a fairly well-known if not much practiced form of intensive land use, is rarely used in marginal areas in the U.S. The more common agroforestry techniques involve incorporating crops or livestock into existing woodland areas or incorporating trees into crop land. (more…)