www.sare.org publications manage-insects-on-your-farm principles-of-ecologically-based-pest-management farm-feature-resistant-fruit-varieties-reduce-risk Farm Feature: Resistant Fruit Varieties Reduce Risk Farm Feature: Resistant Fruit Varieties Reduce Risk Wisconsin fruit grower Eric Carlson pays twice the price of conventional fertilizers to feed his half-acre of transitional-organic blueberries with composted poultry manure, augmented with elemental sulfur, potassium and magnesium. He calculates that those blueberries need a half-mile of weeding every two or three weeks — a full […]
www.sare.org publications manage-insects-on-your-farm principles-of-ecologically-based-pest-management farm-feature-a-toast-to-ecological-grape-production Farm Feature: A Toast to Ecological Grape Production Farm Feature: A Toast to Ecological Grape Production Few wine drinkers are in the market for Cabernet Sauvignon with hints of asparagus or green pepper — herbaceous or “green” characters prompted by overly vigorous vines. Fewer still want utterly tasteless wines that have been drained of their flavors by spider mites. In the vineyards of […]
www.sare.org publications manage-insects-on-your-farm principles-of-ecologically-based-pest-management farm-feature-no-till-cover-crops-yield-soil-and-pest-benefits Farm Feature: No-Till Cover Crops Yield Soil and Pest Benefits Farm Feature No-Till Cover Crops Yield Soil and Pest Benefits With slopes as steep as 7 percent and winds that sandblast his seedlings, Mark Vickers decided to try no-till production and cover crops on his Coffee County, Ga., farm nine years ago. A fourth-generation cotton and peanut grower who also plants corn or soybeans when […]
www.sare.org publications manage-insects-on-your-farm principles-of-ecologically-based-pest-management innovative-tart-cherry-orchard-systems Innovative Tart Cherry Orchard Systems Innovative Tart Cherry Orchard Systems Michigan State University scientists have evaluated orchard-scale ground cover experiments in established commercial orchards and in a new tart cherry orchard at the Northwest Horticultural Research Station. They studied orchard floors covered with compost, mulch or cover crops such as crimson clover, berseem clover, white clover, white Dutch clover, Michigan […]
www.sare.org publications manage-insects-on-your-farm principles-of-ecologically-based-pest-management strategies-to-enhance-beneficials Strategies to Enhance Beneficials Strategies to Enhance Beneficials One of the most powerful and long-lasting ways to minimize economic damage from pests is to boost populations of existing or naturally occurring beneficial organisms by supplying them with appropriate habitat and alternative food sources. Beneficial organisms such as predators, parasites and pest-sickening “pathogens” are found far more frequently on diverse […]
www.sare.org publications manage-insects-on-your-farm how-ecologically-based-pest-management-works farm-feature-diversity-in-every-field-and-pen-iowa Farm Feature: Diversity in Every Field and Pen (Iowa) Farm Feature: Diversity In Every Field And Pen It's been two decades since Ron and Maria Rosmann began transitioning their west central Iowa farm to organic. Their crops — soybeans, corn, alfalfa, turnips, grasses, oats, rye and other small grains — were certified organic in 1994. Their 90 stock cows and 650 broiler chickens followed […]
www.sare.org publications manage-insects-on-your-farm acknowledgments-2 Acknowledgments This book could not have been published without the contributions of many scientists, educators and farmers. The concept for Manage Insects on Your Farm: A Guide to Ecological Strategies came out of a shorter bulletin, also published by SARE Outreach, titled, A Whole Farm Approach to Ecological Pest Management. Miguel Altieri and Clara Nicholls, University of […]
www.sare.org publications profitable-pork profile-hawaiian-dry-litter-systems Profile: Hawaiian Dry Litter Systems by Barb Baylor Anderson Producers in Hawaii are exploring a different approach to manure and nutrient management that employs a dry litter technology. The system, imported from land-limited countries like the Netherlands, Japan and Taiwan, could help producers effectively manage livestock waste, especially since Hawaii producers contend with more expensive land and bedding costs. Moreover, […]
www.sare.org publications profitable-pork marketing-options-for-pork cooperative-marketing Cooperative Marketing for Pork Given the consolidation climate in the hog industry and the low profit margins for pork, cooperating with other producers to market meat offers a profitable alternative for small and medium-sized farmers. Patchwork Family Farms, a marketing cooperative supported by the Missouri Rural Crisis Center, rewards 15 pork producers for their dedication to 'sustainable' and 'humane' […]
www.sare.org publications profitable-pork hog-production-systems raising-pigs-on-pasture Raising Pigs on Pasture Farrowing on pasture. In recent years, hog farmers thought sows needed to farrow in confinement to ensure piglet survival. However, some criticize the system as promoting ulcers, sores and behaviors such as bar biting. Instead, producers are raising sows outdoors to allow them more space and access to fresh air and sunshine. Researchers and farmers […]