Entries by Tracy Mumma

Study in Germany Shows Year-round Pesticide Persistence

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A study of crop fields, vegetable fields, vineyards, and adjacent meadows in Germany showed that active ingredients of pesticides were present in soils and plants throughout the year. A study by the RPTU University Kaiserslautern-Landau sampled topsoil and vegetation monthly and found low levels of multiple pesticides all year. On average, ten pesticides were found […]

On-Demand Webinar Addresses Conservation Activities in Organic Farming Systems

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USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service is offering a free, on-demand webinar titled “An Overview of Technical Note 190-12: Conservation Activities in Organic Farming Systems Part 2: Organic IPM, Livestock, Pastures, and Buffers.” This webinar, presented by Rebecca Champagne and Mark Schonbeck of the Organic Farming Research Foundation, covers the areas of organic integrated pest management, […]

Study Assesses Food-Safety Risk Posed by Wild Birds

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Scientists at the University of California, Davis, published a study in the Journal of Applied Ecology on their assessment of food-safety risks posed by nearly 10,000 birds that they tracked on lettuce farms on California’s Central Coast. “We wanted to find out the true risk of wild birds to food safety,” said lead author Austin […]

Newly Discovered Truffle Species Candidates for Cultivation

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Michigan State University reports that truffle dogs and their handlers have found two new species of truffle in the United States, as verified by scientists at the university. The scientists’ DNA analysis of the truffles shows that they have many compounds similar to valuable European truffles. Associate professor Gregory Bonito says there is increasing interest […]

Long-term Diversified Cropping Systems Study Finds No Carbon Sequestration Benefit

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A 20-year study on diversified cropping systems fertilized with livestock manure, led by Iowa State University researchers, showed environmental benefits but not the expected carbon sequestration. The study results were published in Nature Sustainability. The long-term field study at Iowa State’s Marsden Farm contrasts a traditional two-year corn-soybean rotation with three- and four-year systems that […]

Canadian Study Highlights Profitability of Grazing Sheep on Solar Farms

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Western University professor Joshua M. Pearce wrote in The Conversation about a Canadian study that found “solar shepherds” grazing sheep under solar panels can earn incomes equivalent to doctors, senior engineers, or lawyers. The study evaluated grazing sheep on small solar projects (200 kilowatts) and large solar projects (465 megawatts). It also contrasted sheep breeding […]

Livestock Producers Invited to Participate in Pasture Cropping Survey

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Researchers from South Dakota State University, West Texas A&M University, and Texas A & M AgriLife Research are inviting U.S. producers who have livestock grazing on grassland to complete an online survey on pasture cropping and livestock grazing. The survey is part of a study designed to introduce the concept of pasture cropping, an innovative […]

Third Regulatory Reform for Contract Livestock Producers Finalized by USDA

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U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced the third installment in a series of regulatory reforms intended to level the playing field for farmers who raise chicken, turkeys, hogs, cattle, and sheep under contract or foUr sale to meat and poultry processing companies. Under the Packers and Stockyards Act, this new reform will give chicken farmers […]

USDA Advances Guidelines for Climate-Smart Agriculture Crops Used as Biofuel Feedstocks

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USDA has published an interim rule on Technical Guidelines for Climate-Smart Agriculture Crops Used as Biofuel Feedstocks that establishes guidelines for quantifying, reporting, and verifying the greenhouse gas emissions associated with the production of corn, soy, and sorghum. USDA says these guidelines will facilitate the recognition of climate-smart agriculture within clean transportation fuel programs, creating […]

Bilingual Toolkit Aids with Field Day Success

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Organic Farming Research Foundation has introduced a comprehensive Field Day Toolkit available in both English and Spanish. The downloadable resource provides a step-by-step roadmap and customizable materials to plan, host, and follow up on a successful event. The guide includes practical tips, checklists, and resources to streamline the process, and maximize the impact, of your […]