In this podcast episode of Voices from the Field, NCAT Sustainable Agriculture Specialist Mike Lewis is joined by Shawn Lucas, an assistant professor of organic agriculture at Kentucky State University. In addition to discussing specific crops, Mike and Shawn talk about the timing of planting cover crops and the benefits they can bring to a farmer’s bottom line.

Conflicts between food safety requirements and conservation practices have made it essential for organic farmers and agricultural resource professionals to understand how to co-manage these two areas. Following the E. coli O157:H7 spinach c…

This webpage from the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC) covers U.S. organic pork production, including 2021 inventory and farm data by state, USDA certification requirements, and organic management standards. It also addresses higher production costs, marketing and distribution channels, processor certification rules, and a 2005 assessment exemption for certified organic pork producers.

Check out this Organic Crop Insurance resource kit from the Organic Agronomy Training Service (OATS).  In it, you'll find a wide variety of helpful resources, including links to a short course, a podcast series, useful factsheets, articles, and more.

Recordkeeping is one of the biggest hurdles in organic certification, and for some farmers, it’s a reason to avoid or even abandon the process. In this webinar, produced by the National Organic Coalition, you will hear directly from organic farmers about the recordkeeping tools and practices that have worked for them.

Common SOC-building management practices include cover cropping, compost/organic fertilizer application, and reduced tillage; however, recent studies have also indicated that SOC can be enhanced by adjusting crop resource availability in a manner that induces a physiological shift in plant C allocation, resulting in the deposition of carbon-rich exudates into the soil. This study reviews the existing literature on belowground C deposition and posits several ways in which farmers might tap into the physiological responses of crops to enhance SOC.

Welcome to the Organic Advisor Call Series — quick-hit conversations on the hottest topics in organic field crops. Whether you're tuning in from your desk, truck, or tractor, you'll spend one hour each episode learning about emerging issues from expert farmers and industry leaders.

This study presents a method to detect whether organic fertilizers have been mixed with synthetic fertilizers or chemical nutrients. The approach is low-cost and straightforward, making it suitable for regulators and laboratories testing co…

This webpage from the Agricultural Marketing Resource Center (AgMRC) outlines USDA certified organic beef production, including federal standards, animal welfare requirements, and permitted management practices. It addresses market size, pricing premiums, and sales channels, along with certification requirements, farm planning obligations, and key resources for further guidance.

The National Organic Program Organic Integrity Learning Center supports the professional development and continuing education of professionals working to protect organic integrity by providing free online training. Explore The Learning Center and all it has to offer in terms of free training and outreach materials for organic farmers/operators and organic handlers.

Good recordkeeping is essential to organic certification—and it doesn’t have to be a burden. In this webinar, produced by the Organic Agronomy Training Service, Sam Oschwald Tilton of OATS explores how to make your paperwork work for you. Hear from organic farmer Matthew Fitzgerald, who built an app to make paperwork easier, and inspector Mallory Krieger.

Research has shown that different cover crops can have varying impacts on soil health. This study examined soil health in peanut-cotton plots under conventional and recently transitioned organic management using four cover crop treatments (rye, radish, rye/vetch mix, and rye/vetch/radish mix) and a conventional fallow.