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Confused about Cover Crops? You’re Not Alone

August 14, 2019 – Cover cropping is an important practice for building soil health, protecting the soil surface from erosion and compaction, and suppressing weeds and pests. Truly sustainable agriculture relies on maintaining effective vegetative cover of the soil, and the National Organic Standards require certified organic producers to include cover crops in their crop rotations.

The Natural Resources Conservation Service has developed four basic principles of soil health management in which cover crops play key roles.

Keep the soil covered as much as possible.
– Year-round living vegetation or residue cover protects the soil from rain, wind, and sun, prevents erosion and crusting, adds organic matter, and feeds soil life.
– Timely cover crop planting after harvest can largely eliminate bare fallow, which might otherwise exceed six months per year in a corn-soybean rotation.

Keep living roots growing throughout the year. 
–  Rhizodeposition (root exudates and fine root sloughing) provides a continuous supply of food for beneficial soil microbes—the more living roots, the better.

–  The deep, extensive root systems of mature cover crops enhance drainage and aeration, and bring organic matter and soil life deeper into the soil profile.

–  Cover crop roots recover leached nutrients, thereby protecting water quality and enhancing fertility for the subsequent crop that is planted.

Manage more by disturbing soil less.
–  Cover crops reduce chemical soil disturbances by lessening the need for soluble fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides.

–  Cover crops reduce biological disturbance by supporting soil life year round.

–  Cover crops can reduce physical soil disturbances by suppressing weeds and lessening the need for tillage and cultivation.

Diversify soil biota with plant diversity. 
–  Adding cover crops to an existing rotation enhances diversity of plant species, and thereby the community of root-associated soil organisms.

–  Cover crop mixes further improve diversity.

However, it can be difficult to determine the best cover crop to plant, the optimum time to plant, when and how to terminate; and of course, how to calculate the all-important return on investment. The good news is that there are plenty of free resources available to help farmers make these critical decisions.

OFRF’s series on Soil Health and Organic Farming includes a guidebook and webinar on cover cropping. Cover Crops for Soil Health: Selection and Management provides an analysis of the most current research on cover cropping to guide growers through the process of selecting and managing cover crops. All of the guidebooks and webinars are available for free.

Download the guidebook

View the webinar

Sustainable Agriculture Research & Education (SARE) added to their many excellent resources in June of this year with a Technical Bulletin called “Cover Crop Economics: Opportunities to Improve Your Bottom Line in Row Crops”. The bulletin discusses both the immediate benefits of cover crops and their value as an investment in the long-term success of a farm.

Download the bulletin

By |2020-01-08T18:13:19+00:00August 14th, 2019|News|
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New Training Program Offers Organic Basics for Beginning Farmers

August 13, 2019 – OFRF is excited to introduce the first learning module, Organic Soil Health Management, in its free online training program for beginning farmers, existing organic farmers, and farmers in transition to organic production. The content throughout the training program focuses on organic specialty crop production in California.

“Healthy soils are the foundation of a successful organic farm, but determining which soil building practices will work best in a particular farming system can be challenging,” explains OFRF’s Education and Research Program Manager, Lauren Snyder. “The goal of this training program is to provide reliable information in one place and to highlight resources that help farmers assess which practices make the most sense for their system.”

This open educational resource is a joint effort between OFRF, the University of California Sustainable Agriculture Research and Education Program (UC SAREP), and California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo. The self-paced program combines descriptive essays, video lectures from university faculty, and virtual field trips to demonstrate organic principles and practices.

“We wanted to be sure that students of the course could benefit from the latest scientific knowledge relevant to organic farming, so we include resources from researchers around California. Also, the content of every module is closely reviewed by a team of scientists and extension experts from across the state,” says Sonja Brodt, who oversees the course’s content creation at UC SAREP.

In total, the online training program will contain six learning modules: 1) soil health, 2) weed management, 3) irrigation and water management, 4) insect and mite management, 5) disease management, and 6) business management and marketing. The soil health module is now live and the five remaining modules will be introduced as they are completed, with the entire program available in spring 2020.

“We view this training program as a living resource and encourage users to provide their feedback by completing the voluntary surveys in the learning modules,” adds Snyder. “This information will increase the utility of the program and ensure we are meeting the needs of organic specialty crop farmers in California.”

View/take the first learning module, Organic Soil Health Management.

Funding for this project was made possible by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) Agricultural Marketing Service through grant AM170100XXXXG011. Its contents are solely the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official views of the USDA.

 

By |2020-01-08T18:13:19+00:00August 13th, 2019|Press Release|
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OFRF and FFAR Award Two New Grants that Tackle Soil Health Challenges

SANTA CRUZ AND WASHINGTON D.C. (August 1, 2019) – Soil health is a critical component of organic farm management. The Organic Farming Research Foundation (OFRF) and the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR) are funding two soil health research projects that examine how diversification practices control weeds and increase yields. OFRF and FFAR funded these two projects as part of a larger initiative to support soil health research and promote environmental sustainability. A grant to Dr. Jed Eberly at Montana State University was announced earlier this year.

Implementing diversification practices, such as crop rotations and cover cropping, is one way organic farmers build soil health. Efficient use of organic fertilizers in combination with these practices can enhance soil fertility, but determining how much organic fertilizer to apply is a key challenge; too much fertilizer wastes money and pollutes the environment, while too little can impede crop growth. However, there is still much to learn about how diversification practices affect the availability of nutrients in the soil. Addressing this question would help farmers reduce added costs and environmental impacts associated with nutrient losses from organic fertilizers.

At UC Berkeley, a team led by Timothy Bowles, Assistant Professor of Agroecology, is working to help solve this problem. This research will help farmers make more informed decisions about nutrient management, in particular, which type of organic fertilizer to use and how to time fertility applications on diversified organic farms.

The second project focuses on the southern region of the U.S., an area where weed, insect, and fertility management challenges have made it hard to meet the steady demand for organic sweet potatoes. Currently, many organic sweet potato farmers depend on repeated cultivation to manage weeds, a process that is energy and labor intensive, and damaging to soil health. Their crops are also regularly damaged by invasive pests. For example, the wireworm can damage up to 40 percent of the sweet potato crop in North Carolina, negatively impacting farmers’ profitability. Led by Alex Woodley, an Assistant Professor at North Carolina State University, this project assesses the viability of annual winter cover crop systems as an effective tool for weed and insect control. The project also evaluates the effects of increasing rates of organic nitrogen fertilizer in each cover crop treatment. This systems-level approach has the potential to provide innovative management techniques to sweet potato farmers in North Carolina that protect soil health.

“We are pleased to partner with FFAR to fund this innovative research,” said Brise Tencer, OFRF’s Executive Director. “The goal is to help organic producers and others interested in building soil health make more informed decisions about managing fertility on their farms and ranches.”

“Soil health plays a critical role in supporting productive, sustainable agriculture from the ground-up,” said FFAR’s Executive Director Sally Rockey. “Investing in innovative soil health management techniques benefits the environment, enhances crop productivity and supports farmer profitability.

Summary of OFRF’s 2019 grant awards

Overall, OFRF grant funding has advanced scientific knowledge and improved the practices, ecological sustainability, and economic prosperity of organic farming. These successes support their goal of researchers and farmers working collaboratively to support the improvement and widespread adoption of organic agriculture. Project results are shared freely at ofrf.org. OFRF also provides free access to all of its educational materials and resources.

The Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research (FFAR), a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization established by bipartisan congressional support in the 2014 Farm Bill, builds unique partnerships to support innovative and actionable science addressing today’s food and agriculture challenges. FFAR leverages public and private resources to increase the scientific and technological research, innovation, and partnerships critical to enhancing sustainable production of nutritious food for a growing global population. The FFAR Board of Directors is chaired by Mississippi State University President Mark Keenum and includes ex officio representation from the U.S. Department of Agriculture and National Science Foundation.

(OFRF) is a non-profit foundation that works to foster the improvement and widespread adoption of organic farming systems. OFRF cultivates organic research, education, and federal policies that bring more farmers and acreage into organic production.

By |2020-01-08T18:13:19+00:00August 1st, 2019|Press Release|
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OFRF Accepting Letters of Intent for 2020 Grant Funding

July 1, 2019—OFRF is pleased to announce the Fall 2019 Request for Letters of Intent is now open for 2020 grant funding. The program is open to all applicants residing and conducting research in Canada, Mexico, and the United States. The deadline to submit Letters of Intent (LOI) is Friday, August 16, 2019. Successful applicants will be notified in fall 2019 and invited to submit a full proposal.

OFRF is committed to supporting innovative research that meets the current challenges of organic farming, and fosters the adoption and improvement of organic farming systems. Since 2006, OFRF has invested over $3M in research projects based on scientific merit, combined with the potential to address key grower challenges. Techniques and findings from OFRF-funded research have been widely implemented by organic farmers and ranchers, with information disseminated online, in publications, and at farming conferences and field days.

“In today’s climate, organic farmers and ranchers must overcome more production risks than ever to remain competitive and sustain a livelihood,” said Lauren Snyder, OFRF’s Research Program Manager. “This year, we are excited to present an interdisciplinary set of special research topics in our request for LOI to reflect the diverse challenges organic producers face. Our goal is to encourage innovative research that identifies solutions to the environmental, economic, and social barriers to organic production systems.”

Based on the OFRF report, 2016 National Organic Research Agenda (NORA), this year’s priority areas for research projects include soil health and weed management, organic pest management, climate change, and social science research on the barriers to organic transition. Submissions must meet one or more of the priority areas outlined in the request for LOI. We encourage applicants to download the report for more details.

The instructions and form are now available at ofrf.org. Project LOI are reviewed and approved by the OFRF Board of Directors, most of whom are certified organic producers. Applicants invited to submit full proposals will be notified in the fall. Grant funding will be announced in spring 2020.

We look forward to another year of outstanding project submissions!

Letter of Intent and instructions

OFRF is pleased to accept Letters of Intent for research projects on organic farming and food systems. Please complete the application and submit no later than Friday, August 16, 2019.

If you have additional questions, you may contact the OFRF Research Grants Division
by phone at 831.426.6606 or e-mail at grants@ofrf.org.

 

By |2020-01-08T18:13:19+00:00July 1st, 2019|News|
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OFRF Talks Climate Change with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture at Town Hall Meeting

June 28, 2019 – United States Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue met with agriculture stakeholders at a Town Hall meeting in Watsonville, California on Friday, June 28th. He was joined by Representatives Jimmy Panetta (CA-20) and Doug LaMalfa (CA-01).

While technology innovations in agriculture were top of mind following Perdue’s attendance at the Forbes AgTech Summit in Salinas earlier in the week, the question and answer session focused on some of the more pressing issues facing growers—the need for increased investment in research, more support for small growers, the relocation of USDA’s Economic Research Service (ERS) and National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) offices, and the effect of current trade policies on farmers.

OFRF Executive Director Brise Tencer spoke about the potential of organic practices to sequester carbon, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, and adapt to climate change. She asked Perdue about his committment to investing in research in this area. Perdue said all farmers should be adopting practices that sequester carbon and that both the private and public sector need to share the responsibility for investing in research. On the topic of trade, Perdue said everyone needs to play by the same rules. Regarding relocation of ERS and NIFA, Perdue said leadership would stay in DC.

Secretary Perdue wants to hear from you. Visit USDA.gov/tellsonny or call 1-877-508-8364, Monday through Friday, 7 am to 7 pm CT.

By |2020-01-08T18:13:19+00:00June 28th, 2019|News|
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Help for Delayed Planting

June 27, 2019 – Late snow and lots of rain have prevented or delayed planting on many farms. USDA provides financial assistance to producers of non-insurable crops when low yields, loss of inventory, or prevented planting occur due to natural disasters. Learn about coverage, technical and financial assistance, and more at farmers.gov.

OFRF offers several resources to help farmers and ranchers manage risk. All resources are available to download for free. Print quantities may be available upon request.

Downloads

Photo of 2017 Organic Agriculture Research Symposium report cover
By |2020-01-08T18:13:19+00:00June 27th, 2019|News|
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Beyercrest, LLC

June 19, 2019 – Rory Beyer was raised on the dairy farm his parents have owned since 1973. After graduating from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls with a degree in Animal Science, he returned to the farm and several years later, made the transition to organic production. Today, the Beyers farm 385 acres, raising dairy, beef, corn, and small grains. Since going organic, Rory says the cows are healthier and producing more and, in seven years, they’ve seen their soil organic matter (SOM) go from 1.7% to 4.4% as a result of soil building practices such as cover cropping, managed rotational grazing, diverse rotations, and the use of organic soil amendments.

We caught up with Rory during a hectic spring due to early snow last fall and way too much rain this spring. He’d been up most of the night for weeks working to catch up. I asked him why they decided to transition the farm to organic in 2006 and he said even though they had a really good herd of cows at the time, it was difficult to turn a profit. Health was also a concern. After dealing with health issues all his life, he said it made sense to stop using chemicals.

A devastating flood in 2008—17 inches in 24 hours—also provided impetus for doing things differently. Rory realized he needed to build the organic matter in his soil to help control erosion, retain moisture and nutrients, and manage weeds. After cover cropping, he found the soil was holding better, the biological life was returning, and he was controlling weeds without chemicals.

It wasn’t easy though, he says. “When we were transitioning, the milk price was the lowest it had ever been in recorded history, and 2009 was the worst farming year on the planet. We ended up making it through and successfully transitioning to organic because we had a contract. The banks were willing to back us based on that contract but our production dropped after that. It was tough.”

Rory says they wanted to be with Organic Valley initially but the coop wasn’t taking any milk on at the time. “So, we went on contract with Kemp, and that contract was bought by H.P. Hood. The day we got the okay from the organic certifier, Hood shut down their program and Organic Valley picked up all the milk that Hood dropped. That was a stroke of luck. We forewent the last year of the contract just to be in the Organic Valley cooperative, so we made some sacrifices starting out, but it’s been a long-term good fit for us.”

What advice would he give to other farmers thinking about transitioning to organic production? “Take it easy, don’t rush to get there. It’s a long road, just let it happen naturally. Don’t transition all your land at once, do it in stages. We went full bore and probably could have done it a little easier.”

There was a real bright spot when it came to the cows though Rory says. “We wanted to transition all the cows right away too because we were going to have to know how to take care of them all without drugs to fall back on. The irony is, it ended up being easier. The drugs we were using were just costing us money. I had a $17,000 vet bill that went away in short order just by transitioning to organic and getting the cows into pasture. That’s what made the biggest difference for us. Once you get the cows out, it’s almost like the grass is healing.”

What helped during the transition? “Our biggest resource was the MOSES conference. It was forty miles away and that’s where everyone went. We had some neighbors that had been organic since about 2000 and we were getting advice from them too.”

And now? “The soil health guidebooks from OFRF have been really helpful since my focus is on building soil health. The research is important because It gives us a bridge to greater success in the future, having the understanding and knowledge of how things work can only benefit us.”

The good news is that Rory says he sees a lot of interest from other farmers in transitioning to organic. “I talked to our soil agronomist and he’s been on some farms in Iowa where they’ve been working on transitioning 300 or 400 acres at a time, and they’re having extreme success with tine weeders (a cultivation method that only disturbs the top inch of soil). They’re going out every three or four days and their fields are clean, almost as if they had sprayed. It’s impressive. So, the potential is there for larger farms to make the transition.”

“It’s important for us to know what’s in our food and that we’re doing the best we possibly can for future generations,” says Rory in closing. “We can’t keep using chemicals the way we have the last 70 years or so.”

Listen to the Land Stewardship Project’s podcast to hear Rory talk about building soil health on his organic farm.

Photo of cows in a field at Beyercrest Farms
By |2020-01-08T18:13:19+00:00June 19th, 2019|Farmer Stories, News|
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OFRF Executive Director Testifies in DC

June 12, 2019, Washington, DC – This spring, flooding left farm fields across the Midwest under water. Meanwhile, growers across the Southeast are continuing the hard work to recover from devastating hurricanes and tropical storms. In California, farmers and ranchers are still dealing with the aftermath of last year’s record-breaking wildfires intensified by increasingly warm and dry weather.

Today, OFRF’s Executive Director, Brise Tencer, had the honor of appearing before the Subcommittee on Biotechnology, Horticulture, and Research of the House Committee on Agriculture to discuss issues of resiliency and risk in agriculture. Tencer spoke about the need for integrated research, education, and outreach to provide farmers with the tools, technology, and support they need to build healthy resilient farming systems that can withstand climate change and steward the land for future generations.

Sustainable organic systems that maintain higher soil organic matter and biological activity, improve moisture infiltration and storage, and foster efficient nutrient cycling result in greater yield stability in the face of weather extremes and other stresses. Healthy soils have good structure (tilth), which allows them to absorb and hold moisture, drain well, maintain adequate aeration, and foster deep, healthy crop root systems. Such soils sustain crops through dry spells, require less irrigation water, and undergo less ponding, runoff, and erosion during heavy rains.

These are challenging times for the people who grow our food. We urge Congress and USDA to ensure federal programs that include research, education, extension, and program implementation support organic producers and other farmers and ranchers that seek to integrate organic practices into their operations.

By |2020-01-08T18:13:40+00:00June 12th, 2019|Press Release|
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How Do You Manage On-Farm Risk? Take the Survey

June 6, 2019 – From the uncertainty of weather and the markets, to understanding which events are most likely to impact you—risk management is an important part of decision making on the farm. As OFRF works to make programs and policies related to crop insurance, conservation, and soil health better for organic farmers and sustainable agriculture, it is vital for us to have your input on the programs and practices you use to manage risk.

Having risk management systems that provide support for farmers, such as crop insurance, can lessen the stress of catastrophic events. Implementing on-farm practices like cover crops or increasing crop diversity can build soil health and increase farm resilience.

Sharing your experiences with risk management practices and programs can provide insight for OFRF and key partners that are working to strengthen federal farm programs for the organic and sustainable agriculture communities.

Please take our survey on risk management!

By |2020-01-08T18:13:40+00:00June 6th, 2019|News|
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Webinar Series on Soil Health Now Available On-Demand

May 30, 2019 – OFRF’s wildly popular webinar series on soil health and organic farming is now archived and available to view on-demand. Registration numbers for the live webinars were off the charts, causing eOrganic to have to upgrade their platform to handle the volume. Thousands of farmers, agriculture professionals, and researchers from 48 states and 14 countries attended the live webinars. The archived versions have been viewed over 7,000 times!

The webinars align with topics covered in OFRF’s Soil Health and Organic Farming Guidebooks to explore the most recent research on soil health practices, while offering practical guidelines for building healthy soil.

 

 

 

Building Organic Matter for Healthy Soils: An Overview
The attributes of healthy soil, the central role of organic matter, and how to monitor and enhance soil health in organic production.

“New to farming, I have struggled to grasp some of the concepts of building and maintaining good soil. The ‘light’ went on while watching this webinar.”
Watch now.

Weed Management: An Ecological Approach
Integrated organic weed management tools and practices that give crops the edge over weeds, build soil health, and reduce the need for soil disturbance.

“These workshops are really helpful. I’m an organic seed farmer, so I’ve been able to access a treasure trove of information about growing organic, running variety trials, and plant breeding.”
Watch now.

Practical Conservation Tillage
The impacts of tillage on soil health, including practical, soil-friendly tillage practices for organic systems.

“It was a GREAT webinar! Thanks so much for making it available to those of us in isolated areas! Mark was one of the best presenters I have seen. He is both so very practical and up on the science and all the latest data.”
Watch now.

Cover Crops: Selection and Management
Selecting the best cover crops, mixes, and management methods for soil health, including crop rotations and cropping system biodiversity.

“This was a great webinar. I appreciated it wasn’t overly technical and easy to follow. Thank you!”
Watch now.

Plant Genetics: Plant Breeding and Variety Selection
Plant breeding and variety selection for performance in sustainable organic systems, including nutrient and moisture use efficiency, competitiveness toward weeds, and enhanced interactions with beneficial soil biota.
Watch now.

Water Management and Water Quality
The role of soil health and organic soil management in water conservation and water quality.

“Extremely good! This speaker was excellent and presented the material in a useful and informative fashion. I will most likely go back and watch it again and recommend it to others.”
Watch now.

Nutrient Management for Crops, Soil, and the Environment
The role of soil health and the soil food web, including practical guidelines for optimizing crop nutrition, minimizing adverse environmental impacts of organic fertility inputs, and adapting soil test-based nutrient recommendations (especially N) for organic systems.

“Keep doing webinars, they are very helpful, organized, and well delivered. I have gotten a lot out of this particular series.”
Watch now.

Organic Practices for Climate Mitigation, Adaptation, and Carbon Sequestration
Practical guidelines for optimizing the organic farm’s “carbon footprint” and adaptability to climate disruptions already underway.

“I’m glad climate change and farming was a major topic. Here in the interior of Alaska, we see the effects of climate change every day.”
Watch now.

Understanding and Managing Soil Biology for Soil Health and Crop Production
The functions of the soil food web and key components in promoting soil health and fertility and sustainable organic crop production, with research-based guidance on organic practices and NOP-approved inputs for improved soil food web function.

“Excellent knowledgeable speaker. Exactly information that I was interested in for my small farm and goal of soil improvement.”
Watch now.

Download the guidebooks.

Thank you to the Clarence E. Heller Charitable Foundation for supporting this project

By |2020-01-08T18:13:40+00:00May 30th, 2019|News|
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