This final research report from OFRF and Becky and Tim Colby of Colby Farms highlights farmer-led research conducted to investigate the effect of cover crop choice on soil compaction and penetrability.

The Upper Peninsula of Michigan is experiencing an agricultural renaissance, which is being fueled by a new generation of farmers wanting to return to the land. Although many of these operations would be considered small in scale, they are…

This case study describes how Brix Cider, an organic apple orchard in Wisconsin, utilized the USDA Adaptation Workbook to identify climate change risks to their operation. It outlines Brix Cider’s goals, key climate vulnerabilities, management challenges, and adaptation tactics, including diversifying apple varieties, incorporating north-slope plantings, implementing frost protection, and integrating geese for pest control.

Learn about the foundations of seed cleaning in this practical, 90-minute webinar. Whether you’re processing small batches for on-farm use or scaling up for commercial production, understanding seed cleaning is essential for seed quality and efficiency. This session will introduce the key principles of cleaning both wet- and dry-processed seeds, including threshing, winnowing, screening and fermenting, drying, and storage.

In this free online course prepared by the Organic Agronomy Training Service (OATS), learn about harvest and storage considerations for organic field crops. The course will feature harvesting methods and post-harvest storage tactics for crops including corn, soybeans, small grains, pulses, forage crops, and more.

In this Purdue Commercial AgCast podcast episode, Michael O'Donnell of Belltown Farms discusses transitioning large conventional grain operations to organic across five states. Topics include crop rotation strategy, equipment and labor differences, market pricing pressures, questions around import integrity, and consumer trends — with optimism that the domestic organic grain industry will continue to grow despite current challenges.

Reducing soil disturbance in organic production to benefit soil health often comes at the tradeoff of weed control. Cover crops grown as living mulches may offer producers a way to manage weeds while also reducing soil disturbance, but research is still needed to determine optimal living mulch management. In this study, researchers in Wisconsin examined a cereal rye cover crop living mulch compared to standard tillage in organic soybean, and the resulting effects on rye biomass, weed biomass, and soybean yield.

This final report from OFRF and A Different Chick Farm details findings from Tiffany Stanley's on-farm trial looking at the potential for on-farm compost to yield comparable results to commercial fertilizers.

Predicting the capacity of soil to supply nitrogen is an ongoing challenge in organic farming. Simple and affordable soil tests that can predict organic nutrient release are of particular interest for organic farmers, because organic farmin…

This case study describes how R&G Miller & Sons, a Wisconsin organic dairy farm, used the USDA Adaptation Workbook, a digital tool designed to help landowners understand future climate change impacts, to identify climate-related challenges to the Midwest organic dairy industry and develop adaptation strategies.

Despite organic commodity sales having increased in recent years, organic pig production has experienced a decline in the United States. Why? Join Dr. Yuzhi Li from the University of Minnesota for a webinar about organic pig production. She will discuss challenges in organic pig production (including parasites, pre-weaning mortality, and costs of feed and bedding), as well as economic opportunities.

In this free online course prepared by the Organic Agronomy Training Service (OATS), learn about the organic transition for field crops. The course will cover: requirements during the 36-month transition period; strategies for managing production during the transition; and economic considerations during this period.