There are two very divergent schools of thought in the world of livestock management. Much of the conventional industry doesn’t even consider livestock rearing as an agricultural practice. Livestock are simply recipients of agricultural commodities.
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The strength to feed the world
By Amanda Kimble-Evans Organic farmers and gardeners already witness every year the bountiful harvests possible when growing food in concert with nature. And anyone who supports their local organic growers at farmers’ markets can see first-hand the incredible productivity of … Continued
Soil Life: Microbiology on the farm
By Mary Edmonds and Natalia Pinzón Rodale Institute Seasonal Research Technicians The diverse ecosystems that are found in soil determine the productivity of our land. Without the billions of bacteria, millions of fungi and protozoa, and the thousands of other … Continued
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
Assessing soil health: Test, observe and talk
Area farmers came out to the Rodale Institute late last year for a chance to both learn and share techniques and innovations related to soil health, soil life, cover crops and organic no-till. Bob Schindelbeck, Extension Associate from Cornell University, … 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