…that consumers struggle to define sustainability. Moreover, the topic is best understood by consumers when farmers explain the tangible ways they are improving the water, soil, air and habitat on…
Making Good Use of Old Firewood
…they will slowly break down beneath the soil. The slow decomposition of wood is perfectly suited for making a long-lasting source of nutrients for the plants atop them. Old logs…
Giving Gardeners Information on Potting Media for Trees and Shrubs
…USDA Agricultural Research Service’s (ARS) National Soil Dynamics Laboratory in Auburn, Alabama, compared pine bark’s capabilities for storing carbon in the soil with the alternatives. Storing carbon in the soil…
Planning and What to Grow in Your Food Forest
…around it so that new growth will be snuffed out and organic matter decomposes to enrich the soil. A rule of thumb for starting a food forest from scratch is…
Almond Update: Importance of Water Quality
…the nature of irrigated agriculture is that salts carried in the irrigation water are added to the soils and accumulate there. Different water sources carry different levels of salts. For…
Why You Should Grow Your Own Food Forest
…dropping leaves, twigs, branches, and even entire trees to feed the soil life, which in turn creates fertile, rich soil to grow new trees and plants. Trees prevent evaporation and…
OTA Applauds Organic Research Investment Legislation
…has furthered our knowledge of soil health, soil biology, and agricultural resilience – knowledge that will contribute to the creation of more sustainable and productive systems across all agricultural approaches…
Benefits of a Straw Bale Garden
…also be great for growing a garden. And the best part is, you won’t have to worry about any soil, dirt or mud messes, or the threat of annoying weeds….
Almond Matters: Controlling NOW Populations Early
…I think growers are relatively diligent about getting mummies out of the trees and incorporated into the soil,” he said. “That cultural practice, in combination with early sprays, can make…
Soggy Fields slow Start of Rice Planting
…he said, so he’s focusing on a small area where the soil is lighter and he can begin turning it. But his fields with red clay dirt in the lower…
Soil Health Partnership Urges Farmers to Take USDA Survey
…director of the Soil Health Partnership, and National Corn Growers Association director of soil health and sustainability. “We are encouraging our farmers enrolled in the Soil Health Partnership to participate…
NACD Applauds Appropriations Bill in Support of Conservation
…millions of landowners nationwide utilize to protect and improve America’s water quality, soil health, and wildlife habitat. “NACD is very pleased that House and Senate appropriators have finally reached an…
Saving Costs with Cover Crops
…and labor costs. The standard two-pass approach may still make economic sense because of potentially higher yields and revenues, according to Kornecki, with the ARS National Soil Dynamics Laboratory in…
If Weeds Could Talk What Would They Tell Us?
…can tell us about soil pH levels, conditions, and types. They can tell us about the nutrient profile, what minerals might be in abundance or which seem to be lacking…