Welcome to Arkansas Organic Chronicles, a podcast series where we discuss anything, everything, and all things related to producing certified organic food in Arkansas.

This article, produced by Marbleseed, introduces currants and gooseberries as nutritious, high-yielding specialty fruits well suited to organic farms in the Upper Midwest. It highlights key production considerations for new growers - including harvest labor, variety selection, pruning and training systems, weed and disease management, and the tradeoffs between currants’ ease of production and gooseberries’ greater labor and disease challenges.

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.

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 article, published by Organic Agronomy Training Service (OATS), outlines a holistic approach to organic weed management in soybeans, emphasizing that effective control begins long before planting through rotation design, seedbank reduction, and sound agronomy.

Join Dr. Erin Silva, Associate Professor of Organic and Sustainable Cropping Systems at the University of Wisconsin, for a Cover Crop Strategies podcast episode. Dr. Silva breaks down some of the big research developments at UW-Madison’s Arlington Research Station, including using winter triticale as a cover crop, the latest on no-till corn systems, and the potential benefits of interseeding into soybean.

This guidebook, published by Cornell University Cooperative Extension, provides science-based guidance for organic apple production. This guide will help growers produce high-quality apples while utilizing organic techniques and systems.

Propane-fueled flame weeding is an alternative to chemical weed control in conventional and organic soybean cropping systems. This study, conducted at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, investigated the impacts of flame weeding timing (vegetative vs. reproductive crop growth stage), torch height, and propane dose on soybean grain yield.

Organic weed management is challenging due to the variable efficacy of individual strategies, but combining multiple strategies has the potential to increase weed control. This study evaluated the impact of mechanical and cultural weed management strategies, alone and in combination, on crop density, crop yield, and weed biomass in organic chickpea.

This guidebook, published by Iowa State University, presents the practical findings of a three-year project focused on the use of mesotunnels to manage insect pests and diseases in organic cucurbit production. It covers how to construct and maintain mesotunnels, integrate them into insect/disease scouting and weed-management regimes, and ensure effective pollination when using these physical barriers.

Join a panel of organic New York farmers and researchers from Cornell University for an engaging discussion on how the soil microbiome can be leveraged to suppress insect pest populations and provide on-farm resilience during climate change events.

Join Rodale Institute for a webinar about Tuxedo Corn Farms’ certified-organic dry bean cleaning and processing facility in Olathe, CO. This webinar will examine market opportunities for organic dry beans, production challenges, reduced/no-till adaptations, and strategies for growers entering this niche.

Join Arianna Bozzolo, Research Director at the Rodale Institute California Organic Center, for a webinar in which she discusses the findings from a multi-year study on the use of diverse cover crop species for weed suppression in organic strawberry and artichoke production systems.

Join Rodale Institute for a webinar on the integration of cover crops and roller crimper systems for no-till vegetable farming, with a special emphasis on pumpkin cultivation. Learn how these practices reduce soil erosion, enhance soil health, and suppress weeds while supporting productive yields.

Join Romans Caetani, Research Associate at the Rodale Institute, for a webinar on how to establish a holistic weed management plan for your organic production system.

This webinar will explore electric weeding in organic perennial crops, a promising solution for one of the most persistent challenges in organic fruit and berry production. Researchers from Oregon State University, University of California Davis, and Cornell University will share some recent research findings.

In this webinar, scientists from North Dakota State University (NDSU), Washington State University (WSU), Montana State University (MSU), and the USDA-ARS will present research results and discuss practical considerations for using hydromulches in horticultural production.

This factsheet, published by New Mexico State University Extension, presents an introduction to organic chile pepper production in the Southwest region of the United States. Topics covered include organic certification, site selection, soil fertility, weed/pest/disease management, and more!

This factsheet, published by the University of Arizona Cooperative Extension, examines how precision irrigation technologies, particularly subsurface drip irrigation (SDI) combined with sensor-based scheduling, can suppress weed growth and improve water-use efficiency in organic iceberg lettuce production.

Join Dr. Bharat Acharya, Research Director at Rodale Institute’s Southeast Organic Center, for a discussion on saffron production in the Southern United States. The webinar will cover topics including ideal saffron growing conditions, weeding, irrigation, crop management, harvesting, and processing.