A top official from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Risk Management Agency took to the road this week to get feedback from farmers in Pennsylvania on how new enhancements to federal crop insurance are helping organic producers.
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Rodale Institute Awarded Grant From Chipotle Cultivate Foundation
Earlier this year, Rodale Institute received a $98,036 grant from the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation to support the Institute’s Farming Systems Trial (FST)®.
CSAs and Aggregators: Threshing Things Out
By Steven McFadden Community is not a warm and cuddly marketing concept attached to Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). It is, rather, a defining element. Yet in the past few years, some middleman food businesses have appropriated the term “CSA” to … Continued
A Taste of Urban Agriculture
by Renee Ciulla The trend of eating healthy, local food and knowing the farmer who produced your food has moved far beyond the countryside. City residents play a significant role in the local food movement as well. In fact, when … Continued
Turning the Brown Gold to Yellow Gold
By Gladis Zinati, Ph.D., Associate Research Scientist Compost is a typical nutrient amendment used in small-scale agriculture, while large scale, mono-crop agriculture often is dependent on synthetic N-P-K fertilizers. Dan Hunsicker, a non-organic corn grower in Berks County, Pennsylvania, grows continuous corn … Continued
Halfway Through and Looking Ahead
by Caroline Hampton When I reflect on my first year as an independent farmer, I feel proud of what I have accomplished. Though I can certainly credit myself for working hard and dedicating much time to my operation, I feel … Continued
The Growing Season
by Caroline Hampton The growing season is in full swing in the High Country of North Carolina, with summer crops in the ground and coming up. At this summer solstice time, it is exciting to watch the accelerated growth of … Continued
Ask the Farmer: Expanding to a mechanized system
Rodale Institute Farm Director Jeff Moyer answers your questions. Ben asks: We are a small 50-acre farm with mostly woods and woodsy pasture. We are not organic certified, but practice organic methods. We have two gardens totaling roughly six to … Continued
From ASC to CSA
By Chris West Editor’s Note: Follow Chris (former Rodale Institute intern and beginning farmer) each month as he keeps us up to date on the trials and tribulations of getting his farm up and running. I never thought I’d find … Continued
The cruelest month
By Caroline Hampton “April is the cruelest month…” wrote T.S. Eliot, but with the start of May I’m beginning to think he was off by a few weeks. The joyful part of this month is the beginning of the Watauga … Continued