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
Dig Deeper
soil health
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
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
Final year of field research on alternatives to black plastic
By Lindsey Brielle The SARE Vegetable Trial is a field study designed to identify the impacts of black plastic and cover crop mulches on weeds, soil quality, yields and season length for a variety of crops at Rodale Institute (RI) … Continued
“Grazing taller” captures benefits for pasture, cattle and building soil
By Abe Collins Originally posted on June 8, 2006 As an all grass, no-grain dairy, we pay close attention to our grazing. Our experience with transitioning from management intensive grazing (MIG) to Holistic Management planned grazing on Cimarron Farm has … Continued
Cover-cropping guru Steve Groff champions fall-planted forage radish mixes to renovate field lanes
By Greg Bowman Originally posted on November 10, 2005 Steve Groff is endlessly curious about new ways to use cover crops to build up his soil. A current interest is how to make forage radishes work in tandem with other … Continued
Greenhouses, Part 1: Site selection
By Katie Olender Originally posted on March 17, 2005 Organic University: Greenhouses for year-round food and farming Part 1: Greenhouse site selection Editor’s note: This is part one of a four-part series on greenhouse operation based on the author’s participation … Continued
Farming is definitely shades of gray
By Mary-Howell Martens (with Klaas’ help!), Lakeview Organic Grain Originally posted on August 31, 2004 The sun is brilliantly sparkling on the water, the waves a gentle and steady rhythm, and the ocean breeze is warm on my arms. The … Continued
What can you use to boost your soil fertility?
By Klaas and Mary-Howell Martens, Lakeview Organic Grain Originally posted on August 3, 2004 You diligently took soil tests this winter and now they’ve come back indicating that potassium or phosphorus is low on some fields, here and there you … Continued