organic farming
If it’s dollars, not yield, organic can top conventional farms
A comprehensive study by two Washington State U scientists "finds organic agriculture is more profitable for farmers than conventional agriculture," says a WSU release.
USDA offers $66.5 million for specialty crop, organic research
A total of $66.5 million is available for work that will benefit specialty crop and organic producers, said the Agriculture Department. The money would cover the cost of research and "extension" -- activities that deliver information about improved crops...
From football field to community garden
After Paul Quinn College ended its football program, the historically black college in Dallas converted its football field into a massive organic garden. College president Michael Sorrell "decided that the college would grow its own food," writes Amy McCarthy at Civil Eats.
Organic farming grows worldwide, says federation
The International Federation of Organic Agricultural Movements claims that 2 million of the world's 1.5 billion farmers produce organic goods and 80 percent of them are in developing countries, according to a report in the Christian Science Monitor.
U.S. organic cotton plantings, while small, are on the rise
Organic cotton is a tiny part of the U.S. production, a bit more than 10,000 bales out of the total of 16 million bales. But organic growers said in a survey that they intend to expand plantings this year, to nearly 19,000 acres.
Performing “seed CPR” for organic agriculture
Seed banks are a well-known way to preserve genetic diversity through preservation and propagation of rare food crops or varieties that have fallen out of favor.
Grids instead of rows helps crops battle weeds
Crops such as wheat and corn would fare better against weeds if growers abandoned the traditional approach of planting crops in rows, says research by the University of Copenhagen.
Merkley is top Dem on Senate panel handling ag funds
Second-term Sen Jeff Merkley of Oregon is the ranking Democrat on the Senate Appropriations subcommittee on agriculture and FDA for the 114th Congress, said Sen Barbara Mikulski, the Democratic leader on the committee, in a statement.
Organic vs conventional yield gap is smaller than thought
A meta-analysis of 115 studies by UC-Berkeley researchers finds the yield gap between organic and conventional agriculture is smaller than thought, around 19 percent.
USDA to release Census of Agriculture on May 2
The Agriculture Department said it will release the full results of the Census of Agriculture on May 2, after more than a year of work.