Farmers can use solarization to harness the sun's energy, laying clear plastic mulch on moist soil to raise temperatures that kill pests and pathogens. This factsheet provides information about the benefits and drawbacks of solarization on the farm.

Identify key insect pests affecting apple production with this guide. Learn about their causes and solutions to protect your crop.

This publication introduces you to creating and using vermicomposting bins to make compost. It covers the types of worms to use, their food and bedding, how to introduce them to the bin, and how to maintain them with proper feeding and temperature control.

Identify key insects impacting cherry production with this guide. Learn about common pests and discover effective solutions to protect your crops.

Cattle, sheep, and goats convert plant materials into nutrients for humans, making unproductive land valuable. This guide offers managers essential tools and references to understand ruminant nutrition and consider biological and climate factors, ensuring ecological and economic success in grass-based livestock operations.

This publication explores different marketing channels for organic herbs and evaluates the economic factors involved in small-scale organic greenhouse production of fresh-cut herbs. It covers various production methods, including the potential benefits of hydroponic systems, helping you make informed decisions about growing and selling organic herbs.

From 2017 to 2021, NCAT’s Subtropical Soil Health Initiative tested velvet bean as a cover crop in South TX's Rio Grande Valley. This tipsheet shares insights and recommendations based on those field trials, helping you understand how velvet bean can benefit your soil health in subtropical conditions.

Identify key diseases impacting plum production with this guide. Learn about causes and solutions to effectively manage and protect your crops.

The Bauer family in Bismarck, ND, converted CRP land back to crops to boost nutrient cycling and residue breakdown while preserving no-till benefits. This publication shares their results and insights.

This publication covers basic soil properties and management steps toward building and maintaining healthy soils. Part I deals with basic soil principles and provides an understanding of living soils and how they work. In this section you will find answers to why soil organisms and organic matter are important. Part II covers management steps to build soil quality on your farm.

This guide helps organic producers and handlers prepare for their annual USDA inspections. It offers practical tips to ensure compliance with National Organic Standards, enabling you to maximize the benefits of your certification process and maintain high-quality organic practices.

Organic grape production provides a fairly predictable economic return in irrigated parts of the arid West. In the East, organic grape production is complicated by a climate that fosters insect and disease problems. Production is compounded by consumer preferences for grape cultivars (both dessert and wine grapes) that are difficult to grow in the East. This guide presents organic management options for diseases, insects and weeds, discusses cultivar choices in terms of disease resistance, and briefly presents marketing ideas for eastern labrusca-type grapes and organic wines. References and an appendix on disease resistance rating follow the narrative.