Entries by Tracy Mumma

American Farmland Trust Collaborating with Real Farmer Care to Advance Farmer Self-Care

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American Farmland Trust (AFT) announced that it will collaborate with Real Farmer Care (RFC) as the fiscal sponsor to support and advance farmer and rancher self-care and well-being. Real Farmer Care’s founding mission is to support farmers’ self-care needs and allocate donated funds directly to farmers and ranchers as $100 self-care awards. Self-care is defined as the […]

Fact Sheet Provides Resources for Dual-use Solar Ordinances

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The Center for Rural Affairs published a new fact sheet, Best Practices for Adopting Dual-Use Solar Ordinances, that addresses ordinance development for using the same land for both solar energy generation and agricultural production, including livestock grazing, crop production, pollinator habitats, or beekeeping. “Dual use is a great solution to alleviate concerns about solar on […]

Research Explores Role that Volatile Organic Compounds Could Play in Plant Protection

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A review study by researchers at the Tokyo University of Science, published in Trends in Plant Science, explored potential for adapting plant communication via Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) to help protect plants from pests. The scientists say that plants damaged by insect pests release VOCs that trigger neighboring plants to enhance their chemical defenses. Because […]

New Board Game Highlights Mycorrhizal Relationships

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A new board game called “Undergrove” highlights the mycorrhizal relationships between trees and fungi, reports National Public Radio’s Short Wave. In the game, players assume the role of trees that create carbon through photosynthesis. They then partner with mushrooms in the mycorrhizal network to trade that carbon for nutrients such as nitrogen. The game’s creator, […]

Logs from Invasive Tree Species Promising for Mushroom Production

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The Weed Science Society of America reports that an article in the latest issue of Invasive Plant Science and Management provides new insights on the varying potential for using invasive tree logs to grow edible, marketable mushrooms. The study’s lead author, Kristen Bowers, Ph.D., New Mexico State University postdoc research scientist and USDA Agricultural Research […]

Plastic Mulch Leaves Contamination in Agricultural Fields, Study Finds

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Researchers at California Polytechnic State University published a study in PNAS Nexus in which they sampled 12 farm fields on California’s Central Coast after plastic mulch had been removed for the season according to best practices. According to a press release, all the fields surveyed had plastic contamination and the authors found up to 25 […]

USDA Invests $1.5 Billion Through Regional Conservation Partnership Program

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USDA is investing $1.5 billion for 92 partner-driven conservation projects through the Regional Conservation Partnership Program (RCPP). Partners will provide $968 million in contributions to amplify the impact of the federal investment. Selected RCPP projects will help farmers, ranchers, and forest landowners adopt and expand voluntary, locally led conservation strategies to enhance natural resources while […]

Study Finds Human Activity Adversely Affecting Nitrogen-fixing Plants

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A collaborative European-American study published in Science Advances shows that increased nitrogen deposition from human activity is reducing the diversity and evolutionary distinctiveness of nitrogen-fixing plants. Lead author Pablo Moreno García, at the University of Arizona, said excessive nitrogen from agriculture and industry makes nitrogen fixers less competitive, leading to simplified plant communities with fewer […]

Research Highlights Chickpea Versatility as a Crop

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Researchers at the University of Vienna conducted a study of chickpea genotypes to evaluate their resistance to drought stress. They published their work in The Plant Biotechnology. Scientists say that two-thirds of global food production is based on just nine crop species, so it’s in the interest of global food security to identify other reliable […]

USDA Planning Department-wide Effort to Support Terrestrial Wildlife Habitat Connectivity

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Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced a Department-wide effort to support connectivity of wildlife habitat on working landscapes through the management of National Forests and voluntary conservation assistance on private agricultural lands. Vilsack directed USDA to marshal a network of programs, including those of the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Farm Service Agency (FSA), Forest Service […]