Entries by Tracy Mumma

Research Reveals Impact of Watering Practices on Tomato Plant Health

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The American Chemical Society’s Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry published a study that examined the impact of watering practices on tomato plants. Researchers found that the size of the water droplets sprayed on tomato plants affected both plant growth and resistance to pests and pathogens. According to a press release, the researchers sprayed tomato […]

Organic Farming Research Foundation’s Farmer-Led Trials Program

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Applications are due by December 1, 2024. The Organic Farming Research Foundation’s (OFRF) Farmer-Led Trials Program provides farmers with technical assistance and a small amount of funding to investigate and learn about solutions to their most pressing production challenges. This program will provide support for on-farm learning trials aimed at testing new practices, inputs, varieties, […]

Regenerate Virginia Healthy Soils Grant Program

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Applications are due by November 15, 2024. American Farmland Trust’s Healthy Soils Grant Program, offered in collaboration with the Virginia Soil Health Coalition, encourages producers and partners to pilot impactful ideas that innovatively fill gaps and address barriers to the adoption of soil health-building systems. This program aims to incentivize the adoption of practices and […]

Analysis Tools Can Help Farmers Calculate Economics of Agrivoltaics

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The University of Massachusetts Amherst developed a new set of analytical tools to help farmers calculate whether agrivoltaics make economic sense for them. The two spreadsheet-based tools consist of a crop-specific logbook to analyze farm-level activities and a whole-farm tool to calculate aggregate projections for trade-offs between crop production with or without agrivoltaics. The spreadsheets […]

Study Finds Increasing Plant Diversity Promotes Carbon Sequestration

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A study carried out at the University of Helsinki demonstrates that boosting plant diversity in agriculture can increase plant biomass and improve plant–microbe interactions, both of which promote the storage of carbon in the soil. The study investigated whether increasing plant diversity through use of undersown species in field ecosystems can affect the structure and […]

Brighter Future Fund Disburses $700,000 to Farmers and Ranchers

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American Farmland Trust (AFT) announced that it disbursed more than $700,000 to 139 farmers across the United States through this year’s Brighter Future Fund. The Brighter Future Fund, established in 2020 during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, was created to help farmers navigate a variety of challenges, from market volatility to climate impacts, while […]

Southern IPM Grants Program

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Applications are due by November 22, 2024. The Southern Integrated Pest Management Center’s Southern IPM Grants Program addresses important issues affecting the Southern Region, regarding global good security challenges including invasive species, endangered species, pest resistance, and impacts resulting from regulatory actions. The program offers funding for Seed Projects, Capstone Projects, or Working Groups. Funding […]

New, Free Online Tool Helps Calculate Rangeland Stocking Rates

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A new free online tool, the StockSmart decision support tool, lets producers and land managers access remotely sensed information to calculate stocking rates for livestock on rangeland. Developed by researchers at Washington State University, the University of Arizona, and the U.S. Forest Service Rocky Mountain Research Station with funding from the USDA National Institute of […]

Report Offers Analysis of Conservation Stewardship Program Enrollment

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The National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition (NSAC) has published Stewarding Success: CSP Under the 2018 Farm Bill. This report delves into Conservation Stewardship Program (CSP) enrollment from fiscal year 2019 to 2023, uncovering trends in program spending and practices that have significantly enhanced environmental outcomes at the farm, state, and national levels. “This report shows that […]

Minnesota Unveils Farm to Kids Strategic Plan

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The Minnesota Department of Agriculture unveiled the state’s first-ever Farm to Kids Strategic Plan. Developed collaboratively by Farm to School and Early Care partners across Minnesota, this plan is a five-year roadmap for advancing local procurement and agricultural education in K-12 schools and early care settings. Using insights collected from robust stakeholder engagement with producers, […]