www.sare.org resources best-practices-for-the-sustainable-urban-farm Best Practices for the Sustainable Urban Farm For decades, urban farms and community gardens have helped meet the demand for fresh, local produce. Urban farms are diverse and adaptable, ranging from small farms on repurposed vacant lots to multilevel vertical farms and rooftop gardens. Often, they combine ecological farming practices with some form of infrastructure. Urban growers make clever use of their […]
www.sare.org resources what-is-sustainable-agriculture What is Sustainable Agriculture? A simple way to think about sustainable agriculture is that it involves producing enough food and fiber to satisfy today’s needs without compromising the ability of future generations to do the same. Farmers and ranchers who value sustainability embrace three common goals while running productive operations: To achieve these sustainability goals, a farmer typically views […]
www.sare.org resources leaders-in-sustainable-agriculture Leaders in Sustainable Agriculture Featured on America's Heartland SARE partnered with PBS KVIE to produce an episode of RFD-TV's America's Heartland that features four farmers describing their commitment to sustainability, how they plan to meet farming challenges of today and tomorrow, and how SARE has impacted their farming and ranching practices. The full 24-minute video is available, as is each segment featuring the […]
www.sare.org resources manage-weeds-on-your-farm-video-series Manage Weeds on Your Farm Video Series In this series, experienced farmers from around the country talk about how they have found success controlling weeds by following ecological principles, and without resorting to the use of herbicides. To do so, they rely on a range of cultural and mechanical practices, including diverse crop rotations, well-timed cultivation and targeting weeds when they're at […]
www.sare.org resources transitioning-to-organic-production Transitioning to Organic Production Farmers and ranchers decide to pursue organic certification for many personal, financial and environmental reasons. This publication introduces you to the requirements of the USDA National Organic Program and outlines many of the key strategies producers use to make their three-year transition to organic production a successful one. It discusses the practice areas common to […]
www.sare.org resources manage-weeds-on-your-farm Manage Weeds On Your Farm Manage Weeds on Your Farm is a definitive guide to understanding agricultural weeds and how to manage them efficiently, effectively and ecologically—for organic and conventional farmers alike. With the growing spread of herbicide-resistant weeds and with the public’s embrace of sustainably raised foods, farmers everywhere, both organic and conventional, are seeking better ways to eliminate […]
www.sare.org resources a-sustainable-approach-to-controlling-honey-bee-diseases-and-varroa-mites A Sustainable Approach to Controlling Honey Bee Diseases and Varroa Mites Geographic Adaptability: Relevant to beekeepers throughout the US and Canada. Honey bees are the world's most economically valuable insect pollinator of fruits, vegetables and other crops. Along with the more than 4,000 species of wild bees in North America, honey bees also provide significant pollination of wildflowers and cultivated gardens. The health of honey bee […]
www.sare.org resources a-whole-farm-approach-to-managing-pests A Whole Farm Approach to Managing Pests This 16-page bulletin helps producers—and the educators who work with them—use ecological principles to design farm-wide approaches to control pests. It lays out basic ecological principles for managing pests and suggests how to apply them to real farm situations—along with cutting-edge research examples and anecdotes from farmers using such strategies in their fields. Ecological pest management […]
www.sare.org resources conservation-tillage-systems-in-the-southeast Conservation Tillage Systems in the Southeast Conservation Tillage Systems in the Southeast: Production, Profitability and Stewardship is a comprehensive guide on conservation tillage systems for farms in the southeastern United States, providing information on the core components of conservation tillage systems as well as addressing regional considerations. The geographic coverage of the book examines these systems from southern Virginia to the panhandle of Florida and from the Atlantic Coast […]
www.sare.org resources what-is-soil-health What is Soil Health? Why is soil health so important? More and more, producers are understanding that healthy soils are more productive and lead to healthier crops. Dig into this interactive infographic to learn more about sustainable production practices that can help build healthy soil. Explore the on-farm benefits of using cover crops, crop rotation, manure amendments, composting and […]