Biodiversity is critical for healthy, functioning organic farms, and is central to the NOP Guidance on Natural Resources and Biodiversity Conservation. However, the burden of designing and implementing biodiversity plans often still falls on the farmer. This virtual workshop highlights a farmer-friendly tool that can aid farmers in making technical decisions to increase on-farm biodiversity.

This guide, produced by Brian Baker, Brigid Meints, and Patrick Hayes of Oregon State University, examines organic and naked (hull-less) barley production through producer surveys, interviews, and economic analysis. Despite barley's rotation and soil health benefits, economic barriers — particularly limited markets and low prices — constrain adoption.

This webinar, produced by the University of Missouri, is part of a multi-part video series tailored to Extension providers. In this session, receive an overview of the USDA Transition to Organic Partnership Program (TOPP). Learn about the initiatives, goals, and priorities of the TOPP program, and how to assist organic producers navigating the program.

This guide, produced by ATTRA NCAT, covers harvest timing, fruit quality assessment, disease management, postharvest handling, and marketing for high tunnel table grape production. It highlights research showing that high tunnels significantly improve yield and reduce disease pressure, and identifies niche direct-to-consumer markets where locally grown table grapes can command premium prices.

The Natural Resource Conservation Service (NRCS) provides vital financial and technical assistance to landowners addressing natural resource issues. This webinar will help you develop user-friendly resources to assist both organic and “organic curious” farmers in navigating NRCS programs and funding opportunities.

This tipsheet, produced by ATTRA NCAT, reviews botanical control options for leaf miners, covering quassia bark, chili pepper extract, neem, and walnut leaf tincture. It summarizes research on each botanical's effectiveness at killing larvae or deterring egg-laying adults, and provides practical preparation guidance, offering growers low-risk alternatives to synthetic pesticides for managing this widespread crop pest.

Crop insurance is an important risk management tool, but can be difficult to navigate, especially for specialty crop and organic producers. Join Kelsey Williardson (Center for Rural Affairs), and Julia Barton (Organic Farmers Association) for a discussion on the current work being done by the Risk Management Agency (RMA) to make crop insurance function better.

This guide, produced by ATTRA NCAT, explains how microbial inoculants — including rhizobia, mycorrhizae, plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria, and endophytes — work to enhance soil health and plant productivity. It reviews the gap between promising greenhouse research and inconsistent field results, identifies key factors limiting effectiveness, and offers practical recommendations for selecting, applying, and supporting inoculants.

Join Matthew Ryan, an agroecologist and professor at Cornell University, for a presentation on ecological weed management in organic grain cropping systems. This presentation was initially recorded at the 2023 Organic Grain Resources and Information Network (OGRAIN) Winter Conference.

This guide, produced by ATTRA NCAT, examines how nutrients move through pasture ecosystems via the rhizosphere, soil food web, and ‘liquid carbon pathway.’ It covers the roles of bacteria, fungi, protozoa, earthworms, and livestock in cycling nutrients, and outlines three key management practices — tall-grass grazing, high stock density, and compost application — for building productive, regenerative pasture soils.

Join Julie Dawson (University of Wisconsin-Madison) and Jared Zystro (Organic Seed Alliance) for a conversation focused on organic seeds. Learn about the many unique and preferred traits organic seed breeders incorporate, how to set up small-scale seed trials to assist you in selecting organic varieties for your farm, and how to grow/sell organic seeds.

This guide, produced by ATTRA NCAT, examines the relationship between U.S. agriculture and climate disruption, covering how farming both contributes to and can mitigate greenhouse gas emissions. It surveys carbon sequestration practices, explores carbon market mechanisms including cap-and-trade and subsidies, and outlines opportunities for farmers and ranchers to reduce emissions while potentially generating value from carbon storage.