Organic Conservation Training
The following guides were created by Oregon Tilth for use by NRCS staff in the Western Region. Specific states covered are Idaho, Nevada, California, and Oregon.
SARE Library USB Drives – Bundle of 10
All of SARE’s current publications right at your fingertips. USB drives can also be purchased individually.
10 Ways Cover Crops Enhance Soil Health
Soil health is a hot topic these days, one that is justifiably receiving considerable attention from farmers and their farm advisors. This short fact sheet highlights some of the key ways that cover crops improve soil health by influencing the biological and physical characteristics of the soil.
Solar Energy Training Program
Fact sheets/bulletins on the fundamentals of solar photovoltaic energy systems.
Ecological Management of Key Arthropod Pests in Northeast Apple Orchards
Apples are an important crop in the Northeast, grown for both fresh market and processing. Growers have a challenging task managing insects, mites and diseases. By some estimates, growers may spend up to 25 percent of their production costs on pest management. This technical bulletin outlines strategies developed from SARE-funded projects in Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, including biologically based pest control, orchard architecture and development of materials approved for organic production.
The Sustainability of Biofuel Fact Sheet Series
This 18-part series addresses topics related to the sustainability of biofuel production, including biodiversity, greenhouse gas reductions, life cycle analysis and more.
Sustainable Pest Management in Greenhouses and High Tunnels
From 2007 to 2009, Cornell researchers in New York used a SARE grant to study the efficacy of biological insect control in minimally heated greenhouses and high tunnels or hoop houses. This fact sheet reports the results and provides detailed advice on how growers can use natural enemies to manage insect pests in minimally heated greenhouses and unheated high tunnels.
Organic Production of Blackberries in High Tunnels in West Virginia
The objective of this season extension project was to evaluate the feasibility of growing blackberries organically within a commercial high tunnel or hoop house in central West Virginia, including pest management, cultivar and management considerations.
Safe and Profitable Oil Production Fact Sheets
Information on edible oil production for small-scale producers.
New York Farmer Uses Hanging Gutters to Utilize Overhead Space in Hoop House
This project looked at increasing the productivity and cost effectiveness of growing more crops in a hoop house by utilizing the overhead space through innovative design.
Developing an Energy Efficient, Solar-Heated Greenhouse in Maryland
This project investigated the effectiveness of energy-efficient greenhouse design and the ability of water-heating solar panels to heat a greenhouse as a propane alternative.
Large Raspberry Aphid
Large raspberry aphid is notable as a vector of viruses in Rubus, including Raspberry leaf mottle virus (RLMV, semi-persistent) and Raspberry latent virus (RpLV, persistent) in red raspberry, and Black raspberry necrosis virus (BRNV, non-persistent) in black raspberry. These viruses are to blame for decreased cane vigor and field decline requiring frequent replanting, as well as crumbling fruit symptoms in red raspberry.
Pastured Poultry Nutrition and Forages
A publication prepared by NCAT that explores the important role that forages play in pasture poultry production for either meat or egg production.
Organic Heirloom Tomato Production in High Tunnel and Open Field Systems
A replicated, systems-level comparison study was carried out to evaluate the production of the popular heirloom tomato, Cherokee Purple, under organically managed high tunnel and open field systems.
Cost-Effective Asian Pear Thinning for Productivity and Fruit Quality
This fact sheet provides a brief introduction to plant growth regulators and directions on how to use MaxCel as a crop thinner for Asian pears to reduce the cost of hand thinning, while also delivering fruit yields and sizes comparable to those of untreated, hand-thinned control trees.
Closed Loop Mushroom Production on Waste Substrate
A brochure highlighting research comparing waste stream substrates to the industry standard substrate in a closed loop mushroom production system.
On-Farm Fertigation Trials in Kansas City-Area Organic High Tunnels
Five certified organic farms in the Kansas City area did one-year comparisons of the use of compost, fertigation and foliar feeding on high tunnel tomatoes, with respect to quantity and quality of yields.
Using Low Tunnels to Extend the Growing Season for Organic Strawberries in Alabama
This project was designed to determine if the strawberry harvest season could be extended, potentially allowing farmers to get their strawberries to the market early for premium prices.
Comparing Four Ultra-Low-Cost Season Extension Structures on a Missouri Farm
This project compared winter production using four structures: EZ Build-n-Gro Cold Frames (Farmtek); cattle panel greenhouses; modified low tunnels; and standard small cold frames.
Organic Winter Production Scheduling in Unheated High Tunnels in Colorado
Colorado State University researchers and five farmers explored winter production scheduling for optimal yields of hardy organic vegetable crops in unheated high tunnels.