Entries by Tracy Mumma

Presentations from Cornell Organic Field Crops Conference Available Online

/in

Cornell University hosted its 2025 Organic Field Crops Conference in February in Geneva, New York. Videos featuring conference presentations and panels are now available online. They include a presentation by Erin Silva from the University of Wisconsin on lessons learned with organic no-till and a farmer panel on reducing tillage in a diverse crop rotation […]

Biochar Reduces Campylobacter in Free-range Chickens in Danish Study

/in

A field study by researchers at the Technical University of Denmark showed that utilizing biochar as a feed additive for free-range chickens achieved an 80% reduction in campylobacter. Campylobacter is naturally present bacterium in the chicken gut microbiome, but it can contaminate the meat and make humans sick from poor kitchen hygiene or under-cooked meat. […]

Temperature Sensors Could Help Beekeepers Monitor Hive Health

/in

Computer scientists at the University of California, Riverside, are part of a team that developed a system of temperature sensors and forecasting models to help warn beekeepers when their remote hives may be in danger of collapse. The Electronic Bee-Veterinarian, or EBV, provides beekeepers with an early warning that hive health is declining. Honeybees ordinarily […]

Maryland Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

/in

Applications are due by March 30, 2025. The Maryland Department of Agriculture (MDA) is accepting applications for Maryland Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funds to enhance the competitiveness of Maryland specialty crops. Proposals will be accepted from nonprofit organizations, producer organizations, government agencies, universities, and other organizations involved in Maryland agriculture. Applicants must reside in […]

Massachusetts Specialty Crop Block Grant Program

/in

Applications are due March 28, 2025. The Specialty Crop Block Grant Program funds projects that aim to enhance the production and competitiveness of Specialty Crop industries in Massachusetts. Socially disadvantaged and beginning farmers, producer groups, industry trade associations, nonprofit organizations, and local government entities are among the eligible applicants. Eligible project types include consumer education, […]

‘Illinois Grown’ Program Launches

/in

The Illinois Department of Agriculture introduced Illinois Grown, a logo program for products signaling that items are either grown in Illinois or contain at least one ingredient sourced from the state. The Illinois Grown logo helps consumers identify local products, supporting the state’s agricultural industry and economy. The program also encourages consumers to pledge to […]

Coordinated Landscape-level Conservation on Agricultural Lands Fosters Improved Wildlife Habitat

/in

Scientists from the University of Göttingen in Germany identified several key factors that facilitate successful agricultural-environmental collaboration at landscape level. Participating scientists noted that agri-environmental measures that are planned across farms at the landscape level offer greater potential for creating suitable habitats for different species as a mosaic in the landscape. However, successful landscape level […]

Ideal Nitrogen Fertilizer Rates Climbing in Corn Belt

/in

Iowa State University research published in Nature Communications revealed that the amount of nitrogen fertilizer needed to maximize the profitability of corn production in the Midwest has been increasing by about 1.2% per year for the past three decades. Authors of the study primarily attributed the increase in optimum nitrogen rates to increased loss during […]

California Farm to Community Food Hubs Program

/in

Applications are due by April 14, 2025. The California Department of Food and Agriculture Office of Farm to Fork is seeking applications for a new grant program. The Farm to Community Food Hubs Program will award up to $13.75 million in competitive grants for organizations developing and expanding new and existing community food hubs to […]

New Agrarian Wellness Training Program Accepting Applications

/in

Quivira Coalition and AgWell (an initiative of the Rocky Mountain Farmers Union) are offering a peer-to-peer wellness training program and support network in 2025, the New Agrarian Wellness Training Program. Participants will gain the ability to recognize, understand, and address behavioral health challenges, which will then prepare them to implement supportive measures within their own […]