Published by the Organic Agronomy Training Service (OATS), this factsheet guides transitioning organic grain farmers through key equipment and infrastructure decisions — including tillage implements, cultivation and weed control tools, guidance systems, grain drills, and on-farm storage. It emphasizes long-term planning, crop rotation, and building a support team to navigate the shift from conventional production.

Farm Commons' Rachel Armstrong joins the Organic Farmers Association to discuss how a buyer's bankruptcy can devastate a farmer's business, sharing proactive tools farmers can use to avoid clawback notices and disputes.

Veggie Compass is a decision support tool to help diversified vegetable farmers understand their costs of production and evaluate profitability by crop and market channel. It enables farmers to make decisions to adjust prices, reduce costs, shift market channel focus, reduce or drop unprofitable products, and expand production of their most profitable ventures based on their own farm data.

In this podcast episode of Voices from the Field, northern Montana organic farmer Doug Crabtree and NCAT Agriculture and Natural Resource Economist Jeff Schahczenski talk about one of their favorite topics — crop insurance.

Living mulches offer farmers a way to reduce tillage and provide weed control in organic production, but more information is needed on how to best manage living mulches to reduce competition with the cash crop. This study evaluated different management practices of a red clover living mulch in organic corn, and the resulting effects on clover growth, weed control, and corn stands and yield.

Organic farming involves establishing a production system that is in harmony with other natural cycles. One important pest management strategy utilized by organic growers is to identify and incorporate natural predators of the pest into the…

This factsheet, produced by UW-Madison’s Organic Grain Resource and Information Network (OGRAIN), covers the benefits of incorporating sunflowers into organic crop rotations and the basics of sunflower production. Sunflowers can increase diversity in grain crop rotations, diversify farm revenue, and improve soil health.

Creeping perennial weeds such as Canada thistle and field bindweed play by completely different rules than most weeds, and in organic systems, managing them is less about control and more about learning to live with them strategically. In this webinar, Dr. Pat Carr and Will Glazik talk about how to manage perennial weeds in organic grain rotations.

The Lean Workbook, developed by the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC), is a practical, hands-on resource designed to help food and agricultural businesses improve efficiency, reduce waste, and strengthen overall operations. Built specifically for producers, processors, and value-added entrepreneurs, this workbook translates lean business management principles into simple, real-world applications that can be immediately used in day-to-day operations.

In this podcast episode of Voices from the Field, Martin Guerena, a sustainable agriculture specialist with the National Center for Appropriate Technology, speaks with Sean Feder of California Certified Organic Farmers. Their conversation covers the certification process, the organic transition period, producers’ organic system plan, the cost of certification for small growers, climate change and other looming issues, as well as the future of organics.

Production and acreage of hemp (Cannabis sativa L.) boomed in the US after its legalization in 2018, and many producers are interested in growing this crop for its uses in industries such as human and animal food, construction, and textiles. However, many knowledge gaps and barriers still exist in regards to production, processing, and supply chains. This study conducted a national survey and focus groups to identify resource needs and barriers in the US hemp market.

The high value of organic hops, which can reach up to $10,000 per acre in gross revenue, makes them an attractive crop for small to midsize organic farms. Organic apple farmers may find hops production particularly suitable due to the simil…