Discover eco-friendly strategies for weed management that reduce herbicide use and enhance crop yields. This essential guide is perfect for farmers and researchers aiming for sustainable farming practices.

This factsheet, published by Pacific Northwest Extension, examines crop productivity under reduced-tillage conditions, estimates field-scale production costs and evaluates the role of crop rotation in organic grain and forage systems in the Palouse region. It identifies key factors that influence profitability and shows how organic grain and forage production can serve as a viable niche for wheat farms.

This factsheet, produced by Pacific Northwest Extension, presents a break-even analysis for small-scale pastured organic poultry production, using data from five years of trials comparing costs and returns. It outlines assumptions about inputs and provides practical considerations for producers evaluating the economic viability of selling pastured organic poultry.

This factsheet, produced by Pacific Northwest Extension, provides an overview of how to build and manage fertile soils using organic methods. It explains fundamental soil health concepts such as nutrient availability, pH, and soil testing, and outlines a range of organic fertility sources – including cover crops, composts, and other natural inputs.

This report reviews the factors that determine whether cropland soils act as carbon sinks or sources. It identifies knowledge gaps and outlines how agricultural management practices—including reduced tillage, cover cropping, residue management, and crop rotation—can enhance carbon sequestration in cropland soils.

The Farming Systems Trial (FST) at Pennsylvania’s Rodale Institute is the longest-running comparative ecological study of conventional and organic corn and soybean cropping systems in North America. This study, which utilizes data from the 34th consecutive year of Rodale’s Farming Systems Trial, analyzes SOC and TN for conventional and organic grain cropping systems.

This guidebook, published by the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension, provides organic blueberry growers in the Southeast with season-by-season guidance on managing diseases, insects, weeds, and wildlife using USDA National Organic Program (NOP)-approved methods.

This webpage, compiled and maintained by NC State Extension, provides a directory of companies across the United States that purchase organic grains grown in North Carolina. The list includes buyers ranging from local North Carolina mills and food producers to out-of-state purchasers in states including South Carolina, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, and beyond.

This publication, produced by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, provides organic farmers with a comprehensive guide to producing and applying compost that meets USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standards, covering biological processes, temperature and moisture requirements, approved composting methods, carbon-to-nitrogen ratios, and more.

This publication, developed in cooperation with the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), outlines the conservation practices and financial assistance programs available to organic farmers in North Carolina, with a particular focus on the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP). The guide details a range of applicable conservation practices and encourages organic producers to contact their local NRCS office to explore opportunities.

This guide, produced by North Carolina State Extension, provides a comprehensive overview of winter and summer cover crop options available to North Carolina organic farmers, detailing the agronomic benefits, management considerations, and termination strategies. The guide also addresses key considerations such as nitrogen contributions, weed and pest management, organic certification compliance, and available cost-share programs.

This publication, produced by the North Carolina Cooperative Extension Service, provides organic farmers with a comprehensive guide to developing an integrated pest management (IPM) approach that complies with USDA National Organic Program standards, covering cultural practices such as crop rotation, planting date manipulation, trap cropping, habitat management for beneficial insects, as well as allowable organic insecticides.

This publication, produced by North Carolina State Extension, presents findings from a multi-year, multi-location field study evaluating the use of leguminous cover crops as organic nitrogen sources for cannabinoid hemp production in North Carolina, comparing their performance across two bedding systems (plasticulture and bare ground) relative to a conventional nitrogen fertilizer control.

This North Carolina State Extension webpage on organic certification provides an overview of the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) standards. Access linked resources to read more about the definitions of organic food, the certification process, recordkeeping requirements, cost-share financing opportunities, accredited certifying agents, and exemption rules for smaller producers.

This article, produced by North Carolina State Extension, summarizes research conducted from 2014 to 2016 by NC State University and the Rural Advancement Foundation International-USA (RAFI) investigating alternatives to mechanical cultivation for weed control in organic cotton production in North Carolina, with a focus on roller-crimped cereal rye and crimson clover cover crop mulches as a no-till weed management strategy.

This North Carolina State Extension webpage outlines organic farm business planning, emphasizing the importance of developing a thorough business plan and enterprise budget before launching an organic farming operation. Access resource links to additional business planning guides, professional counseling services, vegetable and fruit crop budgets, grant opportunities, and loan programs.

This North Carolina State Extension webpage provides a directory of organic grain, forage, and cover crop seed suppliers located across the United States, listing contact information and the specific organic seed varieties each company offers, ranging from corn, soybeans, and wheat to specialty crops, clovers, and cover crop mixes. The page also directs growers to additional resources for sourcing organic seed.

This North Carolina State Extension webpage describes the organic no-till roller system, a reduced-tillage technique in which a cover crop is planted in the fall, roller-crimped at the appropriate growth stage in the spring and used as a weed-suppressing mulch into which corn or soybeans are planted directly. The page provides practical implementation guidance, including recommendations on cover crop seeding rates, timing, and more.

This North Carolina State Extension publication provides a comprehensive guide to organic sweet corn production, covering soil management and fertility, cover cropping systems, crop rotation and intercropping, variety selection, planting practices, irrigation, post-harvest handling, and marketing considerations. It also addresses key challenges faced in North Carolina and outlines several weed, disease, and pest management strategies.

This article, produced by North Carolina State Extension, provides an accessible introduction to the USDA National Organic Program (NOP) requirements. It outlines the key requirements for each agricultural sector, including the three-year prohibition on prohibited substances, mandatory Organic System Plans, restrictions on GMOs and synthetic inputs, recordkeeping obligations, and annual inspection requirements.